It was a strange twist of events to know that he could not sleep, for it was often in sleep that he could experience the dreams of tomorrow. He had always loved to dream, because sometimes it was the only way from which he could escape the life he had back in Japan.
Yet Garnet knew that he would forget his dreams more often than he could remember them. If he recalled correctly from the psychology course he had taken his freshman year of college, the average person would forget ninety-five percent of the total dreams they had in a single night.
Garnet believed he had a pretty good memory, if he did say so himself. But to find out that so much was lost just from a single night's sleep in the ten minutes from when he woke up was disorientating.
It was the same type of feeling that he'd experienced once he found out he had not only become his Yggdrasil avatar, but had been transported to an entirely new world as well.
He'd still been holding onto the hilt of Brisingr's character, bewildered beyond belief as to why the game servers had not kicked them out when the shutdown happened. Even as a set of animated armor, he still experienced the same range of senses as when he'd been human, emotions and all.
When they'd had a moment to themselves, they'd both sobbed like newborns when they realized what happened. He and Amelia, or Brisingr the animated sword, had always talked about meeting up in real life, but neither ever had the right amount of time or money to do what they desired.
To know now that they were not only together at last, but in a place far better than what they could ever even dream of back in their old lives…it was a wish come true.
Garnet had explored the tomb with his guildmates with the same sort of childish eagerness he'd not felt since he was four years old, but he was on Cloud Nine knowing that he could experience it with Amelia.
They were young and in love, and even now, in a barn nestled near the outskirts of a village he had just saved, that hadn't diminished.
He lay on his pile of hay, tossing and turning as he thought of every method possible to spark something, anything that could resemble the urge to sleep…yet his new body stubbornly refused. Not once that entire week he and the others had been transported to this "new world" was he able to sleep as he once had.
He found his attention being focused on the barn roof instead, the perfectly aligned wooden beams providing a natural pathway for his eyes to follow.
Soon enough, rather than falling asleep as he desired, he found himself floating off into the mystical realm of daydreams instead. His vision dimmed as he allowed the colorful images to flitter past like half-forgotten memories.
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
Garnet shot up, rubbing the back of his helmet as he instinctually yawned. He stretched his plated arms far above his head, the joints of his armor clunking and popping back into place. As he looked about his surroundings, he saw that Sensei was already aware and moving, his fingers shooting up as the message was rerouted to him.
Just like when he and the rest of the guild had found him, Bellriver had fallen asleep upright at some point in the night. His snores were like gunshots.
Sensei was whispering, trying not to unnecessarily awaken his slumbering guildmate as whoever was on the opposite end of the messenger spoke to him. He bobbed his head, agreeing with what was being told to him.
"I understand, thank you for bringing this to my attention. I'll let the others know," Sensei said, his fingers dropping as the guild staff floated back into his bony grip.
He sauntered over to the spellsword, gently shaking him awake. Garnet cringed as his guildmate choked on his spit as he startled awake.
"Mo-MoMoNgA? What time is it? You'd better have a damn good reason for waking me up when it's…" Bellriver trailed off, glancing into the barn window as he tried to gauge the time.
Sensei Momonga tilted his head. "You weren't nearly this grumpy when Blue Planet shook you awake."
"Yeah, well, Blue Planet is Blue Planet, so what's your excuse?"
Sensei laughed, falling silent as a significant aura weighed down on them then, before he uttered, "There is another contingent of soldiers on the way. They'll be here within the next hour."
The last of Garnet's sleepiness vanished, his senses on high alert as he hastily grabbed his favorite kite shield from his pile of hay. Bellriver summoned his crimson long sword and two staves, the lips on many of his mouths drawn into a thin line.
"And how do you know this?" Bellriver asked.
Sensei went on to explain how the Eight-Edge Assassins from the other day had just messaged him with the details. From what he understood, a collection of fifty knights was making their way to the village, though they were being followed by another group of maybe that same size.
The first group of knights wore mostly leather and plate mail, while the second group wore strange robes and helmets with a circular opening in the middle, covered by a steel mesh. The second group seemed to be advancing more slowly, even leisurely, as if they were sure of catching their prey.
"You think the second group are magic casters?" Bellriver questioned, all three of the guildmates leaning against the far wall of the barn, opposite the doors.
"Indeed, from what the Eight-Edge Assassins can tell," Sensei confirmed. "They also noted that the first group of knights seemed to be non-hostile, based on the conversations they overheard, but the second group was very much a threat."
"So...what should we do? It's still pretty late in the night, or early in the morning, so we'll have to go and wake up the chief to let them know what's going on" Garnet responded.
Sensei Momonga's skull took on an eerie grin in the fading moonlight, his face partially obscured in shadow as his fiery pupils flickered in the pre-dawn. His human-like teeth resembled the smirking canines of a prowling wolf. It almost made Garnet shiver with how he felt as if he were about to be devoured.
"We'll let them come to us, when the time comes. As for now, I assume you're decently aware, so let's get to planning."
And there they stood, Sensei summoning a holographic map of Carne. They would point out different defensible positions, analyzing the potential locations where the second group of knights would come from, how they would attack, and what tactics they would use.
"The knights all looked to be spellcasters of some kind, as evidenced by their robes. The Eight-Edge Assassins could only confirm that they seemed to be able to cast third and fourth-tier spells, though we should count on them being able to cast higher, in case they're hiding their true strength," Sensei Momonga said, tapping his staff in thought.
Bellriver was drawing an invisible circle around the outskirts of the village with his index finger. "I can raise some walls and set up proper defenses around the perimeter. If those first knights are friendly like you say, then maybe I can enlist them to help me out a bit."
Garnet dipped his helmet. "Agreed, though I'm not sure how we should approach the actual fight. If we just knew what kind of spells they cast, then maybe we could-"
BANG! BANG! BANG!
A rapid series of hard knocks jarred the barnyard doors, alerting the three guildmates to the presence of another in their temporary abode. Just as Garnet moved to answer, Sensei Momonga passed him, situating himself before the entryway as he smoothed down his robes.
Garnet wheezed when the rising sun hit his armor through the window, realizing that they had been scheming the entire hour before the knights were slated to arrive. He tightened his grip on his shield as he mentally prepared himself for the coming battle.
When Sensei Momonga swung open the doors, Garnet saw that it was the older of the two sisters they had rescued yesterday, Enri, standing next to the village chief. Both of them wore masks of concern.
"Misters of Ainz Ooal Gown!" Enri cried, she and Chief Haron were ushered inside the barn once Momonga saw their expressions.
If she so casually said that in front of the chief, then that probably means she told everyone in the village our name, Garnet thought, as Enri and Chief Haron launched into their reason for their visit.
"Our scouts earlier this morning reported that they saw a large contingent of knights heading this way," Chief Haron explained, his eyes scanning the three of them. "They'll be here within minutes, and we fear what they may do when they arrive."
Garnet blinked, panicking internally once he realized that he was seeing Bellriver as he truly was. He knew Enri had already seen them and was fine, but he feared how the chief would react.
To his surprise, Chief Haron didn't so much as bat an eye when he glanced at Bellriver, even flashing the spellsword a thankful smile.
Garnet narrowed his vision, pondering the new development, until he saw the amulet that Sensei had given Bellriver was once more hanging around his neck. The illusion must not be particularly strong if even I can see through it.
Garnet saw that Sensei was still wearing his Mask of Envy and iron gauntlets, thankfully shielding his true self from Chief Haron. He waved away the two villagers' concerns about the approaching soldiers, the guild staff flying back into his right hand.
"We'll be out right now. Do you know from which direction the knights are coming?" Momonga inquired innocently, heading outside of the barn as the rest of them followed.
"They're taking the main road to the village. From what our scouts counted, there are around fifty of them, all heavily armed," Haron reported. A bead of sweat traced its way past his Crow's Feet, sinking into his beard. Enri twisted the hem of her skirt, though her face was curiously devoid of true fear.
They walked speedily to the main road, passing a small tower with a cracked bell, and planting themselves in front of the entrance to Carne. A rising cloud of dust greeted their sights, the features of several horsemen could be made out as they rode ever closer. Garnet did not unhook his shield, but he did take a small step to partially protect his human compatriots.
As the contingent rapidly approached, Garnet noted a powerful-looking man riding at the front, his face a bastion of steel, sharp-edged, and with a short beard but no mustache. His sideburns led up to his close-cropped, dark brown hair. He wore heavy plate mail with accents of red, his bulging biceps bare but wearing shiny bracers on his forearms. A single sword was strapped to his waist, but Garnet doubted that he would be defenseless if it broke or was lost from how muscled he was.
The leader gasped when he saw the trio, his cocoa eyes widening as he let out a harsh "HALT!". He swung his horse around to better face the guildmates, his hard gaze softening when he saw Chief Haron and Enri slightly behind Garnet.
"I am the Chief Royal Warrior from the Re-Estize Kingdom, Gazef Stronoff," the man stated with military crispness. "The king has ordered me to hunt down the knights that have been attacking surrounding villages. Your people are safe now. We will do all we can to protect you."
Chief Haron poked his head around the edge of Garnet's elbow. "Thank you, Chief Warrior Gazef. But it seems that these three arrived just a bit sooner than you did. Yesterday, they managed to fight off a small group of these knights you speak of. We owe them our lives."
Gazef motioned, giving a minute smile to the three guildmates. "Then you have my gratitude. I can only imagine what would have happened to this village had you not intervened. We were too far away to have done anything significant."
Gazef scanned them all, his eyes landing on Sensei Momonga, probably deducing that he was the leader due to how both Garnet and Bellriver took positions on either side of him.
"We accept your thanks gladly," Sensei Momonga said. "These people have treated us kindly since our arrival yesterday, so I ask that you and your men do the same. Before you ask, I will tell you that we are merely wandering hermits who call ourselves Ainz Ooal Gown. We stumbled upon this town while it was in peril."
Gazef grunted, raising both eyebrows as he dismounted from his horse. He walked steadily to Sensei Momonga before saying "I must say, Sir Hermits, that for wanderers you are quite well-armed. Much of what you wear and wield would be the envy of any kingdom you come across."
As the three moved to voice their thanks, a knight wearing leather armor rode up on his horse.
"Chief Warrior," the soldier yelled. "We've spotted a large army of unknown origin, and they're surrounding the village as we speak!"
Gazef looked over his shoulder, humming in answer, as the three guildmates merely watched on with disinterest.
Good to know the Eight-Edge Assassins were right on target. If we follow the plan, we'll be more than ready for them by the time they arrive, Garnet reasoned, looking back to Sensei Momonga to confirm his thoughts.
Sensei was already holding up two figures to where his ear would be, turning away to talk discreetly to his messenger. He now looked to Belleriver, who merely rolled his shoulders as he said his proposal.
"We'll get this village fortified. I know a little Geomancy, though I'm not as good as...some others. I'll make sure we have walls and trenches set up to keep us in and the baddies out."
"Then there's no time to lose!" Gazef declared, waving a hand to the men behind him. "I'll lend you some of my knights to aid you and speed up the process. Even if you are a mage, I would not have the saviors of this town working alone. MEN, TO HIM!"
"Right!" the soldiers shouted, a little over half of them dismounting and walking up to Bellriver, who was pointing out key points where trenches could be dug and booby traps could be laid. As Garnet admired the military precision with which the knights worked at Bellriver's command, he could feel another pair of eyes on his back.
He swiveled around to meet Gazef's calculative gaze, almost as if he were sizing him up to see how he would do in a fight.
"Tell me, Sir Hermit, how does such a wayward wanderer as yourself acquire such magnificent armor?" Gazef asked, with Garnet realizing that he was admiring what he thought to be just another suit of armor. "It is of a craft unlike any other, and it may even put the five treasures of Re-Estize to shame."
"Uh, well, before I was a hermit, I used to be a...knight in service, like you!" Garnet clumsily lied, gesturing to different parts of his body as he answered.
Gazef's look intensified, taking a step forward. "And now? In what nation's army did you serve? The craftsmanship of your suit is marvelous, but it matches no known plate mail in any of the kingdoms. I am admittedly curious about who forged it."
"I used to serve in the army of...Japan! And it was forged by a mire-blacksmith named Amanomahitotsu, who used to be a close, personal friend of mine."
"Japan? I've never heard of such a land before, but this...Amanomahitotsu?...must be legendary indeed to have created something like what you wear," Gazef admitted, giving Garnet a friendly smile. "I didn't mean to make it seem like I was interrogating you. I apologize if my questions made you uncomfortable, but my plate-mail has just about reached the end of its use, and I rather like the look of what you wear."
"Oh, yeah, Amano' was good at what he did. Last I heard, he was still crafting up pretty awesome gear," Garnet replied, his guard dropping at Gazef's amicable nature.
It was then that Sensei Momonga returned from his private message, the Overlord striding up with his staff in hand.
"Gentlemen," Sensei began. "If you would, I believe it best if we fell back to the town square and began planning in one of the destroyed buildings. It seems Bellriver may be busy for a while, and I would like to get started as soon as possible, if that is alright with you, Chief Haron."
Chief Haron gestured with his head to the town square. "By all means, Sirs and Chief Warrior Gazef. We'd be happy to provide if it means getting rid of those monsters."
Monsters huh? Oh boy, if only he knew what WE are.
Soon enough, they found themselves in the town hall, with Gazef, Sensei, and Garnet surrounding a table with a hand-drawn map of the village, pointing out different strengths and weaknesses of the village itself. Bellriver walked in not long after, wiping his hands of some dust he had accumulated.
"Your men are pretty disciplined, Mr. Gazef," Bellriver remarked, after having been brought up to speed on everything. "I've finished the bulk of the walls while your men are still digging the trenches and setting up spike fences. The place will look like a fortress when they're done."
Gazef held a serious, but prideful, look on his face. "They're men I would gladly serve alongside any day. I had planned to send them away and fight off the would-be attackers myself, but now I see that this is an excellent plan as well. Knowing them, they'd likely turn back around and die trying to defend me."
"Better to have the men here to help defend the village, rather than sending away such valuable troops," Sensei praised, tapping an armored finger against the map. "We'll need all the help that we can get. I and my compatriots will serve as the first line of defense, while your soldiers will watch our back and ensure that we don't get flanked. They'll be stationed at key points like here and here." Sensei pointed towards the back entrance of the village and two other side entrances that led into the surrounding forest.
"If they truly are surrounding the village, then we'll need all hands on deck for defensive maneuvers. You wouldn't happen to know who exactly we're dealing with, would you?"
Gazef's expression took on a more grim tone as he answered. "Only the Slane Theocracy could send out this many magic casters at once," he said. "And they're part of a special ops unit directly under the head priest. It must be one of the six scriptures."
The three guildmates listened intently as Gazef's words confirmed what they already knew, but had now been expanded upon. Garnet could only shake his head in disgust as he looked out the window they all sat next to, watching as the Theocracy soldiers paced themselves at regular intervals and summoned what looked like Archangel Flames.
"Then that would also confirm that the soldiers who attacked yesterday are most likely affiliated with the Slane Theocracy as well. It seems way too big a coincidence that this new group is showing up just after the last group of knights began ransacking this place," Bellriver said, having stood up to lean against the wall and look out the window as well.
From the way that the spellsword was frowning, Garnet guessed that he was trying to appraise the levels of the angels that the magic casters surrounding the village were summoning. No noticeable health or mana bars were floating above the angels' heads, which also meant that they couldn't see the levels of their enemies either.
Sensei Momonga stood up from his chair, the legs creaking as they scraped across the wooden floor. Everyone else who was still sitting did so as well, including a very confused Enri, who had more or less been swept up in the grand schemes of the more important figures.
"So...I'm gonna need to go back home and check up on Nemu. She's still asleep, and I don't want her to wake up alone. I only came by to say hello this morning, so take care, Chief Warrior Gazef and Sirs of Ainz Ooal Gown!" Enri declared, promptly walking out of the town hall to do just as she said.
"I must return to my wife. Knowing her, she is worried sick for my health, and she'll want to know why her view of the forest has been obstructed by an earthen wall," Chief Haron chuckled, following after Enri.
"I will need to confer with my compatriots for a moment. Thank you for your time, Chief Warrior Gazef," Sensei said, his staff floating back into his hand as he pivoted to face both Garnet and Bellriver.
They wordlessly joined their guild leader, finding a more isolated and quiet section of Town Hall to be able to plan.
Only Gazef remained at the table, his gaze returning to the crudely drawn map of Carne village, his eyes switching back and forth between the hermits of Ainz Ooal Gown and outside, to where the Theocracy mages remained in wait.
"So what's the plan exactly, Sensei?" Garnet semi-whispered, sharing a conspiratorial glance with his comrades. "The magic casters don't have any of the old data we could've used in Yggdrasil to determine how strong they are. Have you managed to get anything new from the Eight-Edge Assassins?"
"You don't need to be quiet, you know," Sensei Momonga deadpanned. "I already have protections in place to prevent anyone from eavesdropping on us. We should be more than fine talking as we are."
"Oh right, sorry," Garnet said, rubbing the back of his helmet as he gave a bashful laugh. Bellriver and Sensei joined him, the mood growing more serious once the moment had passed.
"The Eight-Edge Assassins could only confirm that the mages can cast third and fourth-tier spells, if their choice in the summons is anything to go by. I also suspect that we're not the main targets, even though we let three of the soldiers from the other day go," Sensei declared, tightening his grip on the guild staff.
"The timing also makes sense for that theory, since they showed up so quickly after Chief Warrior Gazef and his men arrived here at the village. I'm almost certain Momonga is right in that," Bellriver agreed, twirling his oaken staff between his fingers idly.
"If the angels are the result of third and fourth-tier magic, then it could also be safe to assume that they're not strong enough to harm us in any meaningful capacity," Garnet admitted.
"What I'm wondering is why the soldiers were wearing such dramatically different types of armor. Could it be a way to show a difference in ranking or class?" Sensei Momonga wondered.
"Maybe Chief Warrior Gazef could answer that one. He said he didn't recognize my armor from any of the known kingdoms, which probably means that he would recognize the armor that the soldiers who attacked the village the first time were wearing," Garnet thought aloud, already moving towards the door of the town hall to scavenge whatever armor was left of their fallen foes.
The bodies of the now-identified Slane Theocracy soldiers still lay in the spots where they had fallen, a horde of flies now surrounding their corpses. Many of the villagers took a wide berth around the plague victims, with there being almost nothing to recover from Garnet's enemies.
The first set he found in the slimy mess of victims from Sensei Momonga's spell. Extracting it made an unpleasant squelching noise like rotten fruit being smashed with a hammer. Garnet's body trembled in revulsion as he chose the helmet, the cleanest of any of the pieces.
He made sure to sprint back to the town hall, some droplets of liquified knight dripping down and in between the plates of his armored fingers. He found Gazef quickly enough, barely having the control to limit his retching at the smell. Chief Warrior Gazef's noise crinkled at the foreign assault on his nostrils.
"You wouldn't happen to recognize the armor of this soldier would you?" Garnet asked, turning his helmet away from the piece.
"It seems to be of the Baharuth Empire," Gazef confirmed, turning his nose up at the discarded helmet. "The soldiers you fended off yesterday most likely wore it to throw off anyone who would've become suspicious of their identities, while simultaneously placing blame on the empire."
Garnet gave his thanks, returning to his guildmates and relaying the information he had been given. They both held contemplative looks on their faces as they responded.
"This Baharuth Empire could bear some investigating," Sensei Momonga pondered, stroking his chin. "I wonder how they would feel if we managed to bring them knowledge that the Slane Theocracy was playing the role of a group of their knights?"
"We would need some disguises, first off, a little something stronger if we got the resources for it. I don't think they'd appreciate it if heteromorphs rolled up to the royal castle or palace or wherever," Bellriver said, smirking with the mouths on his biceps.
"Agreed. Maybe that will become part two of your plan to take over the world, Bellriver," Sensei reminded, his tone faintly amused.
Bellriver could only facepalm and groan, as Garnet looked on with amusement. "Maybe I was a little overzealous in my declaration. I was kinda riding a post-mortem high, ya know," Bellriver said, his head still buried in his hand.
"It'll have to be something we bring up with the rest of the guild. I'm sure some of them might like the idea," Garnet offered.
Gazef then approached them, the clamoring of his armored boots giving him away. The trio turned towards the Chief Warrior, who stopped and instinctually stood at attention as if he were before a commanding officer or another figure of great respect and authority.
"Sirs of Ainz Ooal Gown," Gazef began. "Though I know you have no responsibilities to this place, I wished to present you all with a proposition, based on the knowledge that you had given me about yourselves."
The guildmates tensed, rising fears that they'd said too much rising to the forefront of their minds. Bellriver's smaller hand lowered itself to a wide, cracked-blue dagger on his belt, his extra limb hidden by the illusion his necklace gave him.
Gazef continued, either not noticing or not caring about their more rigid stances. "I would like to hire you three in defense of this village. As I said before, I truly am grateful for all you have done already, which is why I am hesitant to ask this of you. Name your price, and I swear upon my name and title that I will get it to you."
Sensei Momonga moved to answer, before both Garnet and Bellriver slapped a hand over the area where their guild leader's mouth would've been.
"Can you excuse us for a moment? I think we should confer on that before we answer," Bellriver said, him and Garnet sharing a look as they had both guessed as to what Sensei Momonga would've said.
Better we help him understand than just let him turn Gazef away. Especially since we now know that the money we have most likely won't be usable in any of the main kingdoms, Garnet reasoned, already planning to replace the gauntlet that had disrespected his mentor as it had.
They dragged Sensei away, getting into a group huddle as Gazef watched on with curiosity.
"A group huddle? Seriously? We could do something a little more dignified than that," Sensei Momonga said indignantly, the ferocity of his glare still palpable through his mask.
"Sensei, you know I respect you the most out of anyone possible in the guild," Garnet said, sparing a glance at his gauntlet again. "But I think that this is an offer we should take just so we have a little bit of pocket change. I'd rather have something than nothing at all."
"There's no real rush here," Bellriver added. "Nubo will already have reported our whereabouts to the rest of the guild. If I know them, they're all just waiting for the opportunity to bust open a portal and raise hell if they so much as get an inkling that we're in trouble."
"So why haven't they done so already, if you're so sure, Bellriver?" Sensei Momonga asked rhetorically.
"Because if I remember correctly, they know we can handle it ourselves, seeing as how Nubo will have shown them everything that the Eight-Edge Assassins have reported to us." He paused. "That, and Punitto Moe is probably waiting at the tomb for us with the newspaper in hand."
All three of them shuddered at the mention of Punitto Moe's newspaper.
Sensei sighed, rubbing the front of his mask. "Alright. You two bring up some fine points, so I'll agree with this as well. Money and information?"
"Money and info," Bellriver and Garnet echoed, breaking the huddle and returning to Gazef.
Sensei stuck out a hand as they repositioned themselves in front of the Chief Warrior. "We accept your proposition, and we ask only for two small items, as per the agreement for payment," Sensei Momonga said.
Chief Warrior Gazef grasping his outstretched gauntlet with both of his hands. "Yes, of course. I wouldn't expect anything less. Ask, and I shall do everything in my power to make sure you are rewarded amply."
Bellriver held up two fingers. "First, we would ask that we be given a treasure chest no smaller than a traveling pack. We need funds to be able to explore this land further, seeing as how most of the money we brought with us is...not exactly worthless, but probably not acceptable in any of the main kingdoms."
Gazef nodded in understanding. "I see. I will see to it that it is done with haste. And what is your second request?"
Bellriver lowered one of his fingers. "We need books. Lots of books. Books on geography, economics, lore, history, and different species of flora and fauna. Anything and everything that you and your men could carry in a miniature wagon. My friends and I value knowledge above all else, and we have no idea what exists beyond this village."
Gazef raised an eyebrow, looking as if he wanted to ask something, but seemingly decided against it. He grunted with satisfaction as he let go of Sensei Momonga's hand.
"All of this I can promise you. With the way that you three...gathered earlier, I had assumed that you were all planning to rob my country of its gold," Gazef joked light-heartedly.
The trio chuckled lightly, finding themselves waiting out the hostile magic casters which now ringed the borders of Carne.
—-
It wouldn't be until the early evening, as the sun was beginning to set, that anyone would so much as make a noise.
KA-BOOM!
The tables in town hall rattled with the first explosion, many of the citizens who had been evacuated and stored there crying out in terror.
Garnet, Bellriver, Sensei Momonga, and Chief Warrior Gazef all lifted their weapons and otherwise secured their gear to their bodies. They filed out of town hall, Gazef ordering some nearby men to guard the doorway.
"THE REST OF YOU, TO ARMS! TODAY, WE MAKE THE KINGDOM OF RE-ESTIZE PROUD, AND WE LIBERATE THE PEOPLE OF NOT ONLY THIS VILLAGE, BUT ALL VILLAGES FROM THE WRATH OF THE SLANE THEOCRACY!" Chief Warrior Gazef roared, raising his sword high above his head.
His men echoed back their battle cries, some rushing to take up positions along the new earthen walls, with hunting bows in hand from the villagers.
Bellriver followed closely behind them, his impressive bulk blotting out the forms of some of the soldiers he stood behind. The rest followed Chief Warrior Gazef out to the entrance of Carne, Sensei Momonga, and Garnet flanking the small but hearty group of knights.
Fireballs assailed them, some of the men being struck down as the enemy spell casters lobbied firebolt after firebolt.
"[Aegis of Athena]," Sensei invoked, a great, lime-green shield growing in size and power as more and more of the flames continued their assault on their group.
Garnet darted around the edge of the protective ward, unhooking his kite shield from his back as he curled his free hand into a fist. Gazef was on him like a wolf, the two going side-by-side into the fray as the Archangel Flames descended upon them.
The summons pulled blades made of light from their own aether space, jabbing down at the knightly duo. Garnet took the brunt of the attacks, their minuscule attacks not so much as scratching his divine-level shield. He would shift his right arm every so often to allow Gazef to stab at the angels, killing them more often than not.
Arrows and blasts of ice flew over their heads, either striking down or freezing solid entire hordes of the angels before they could even get close. Garnet risked a peek back to see that dark red circles of runes encased Bellriver's hands before terrible lengths of tentacles ensnared unlucky angels and slammed them into the dirt.
Sensei Momonga kept up his [Aegis of Athena], serving as a bastion for wounded soldiers to limp behind and be taken to safety after their time in the fray. Despite the blasts of holy energy and jabs of light swords, the spell ward remained stalwart, growing ever-brighter with each hit it took.
Garnet and Gazef were back to back, constantly circling one another to cover their respective blindspots, though Garnet was far more worried for his human comrade than he was for himself.
An angel dive-bombed the duo, Garnet ducking instinctually as Gazef rolled over his back to cover his front, his steel blade glowing bright red.
"[MARTIAL ART: FOCUS BATTLE AURA]," Gazef shouted, swinging his blade with considerable strength in a sideways slash. The offending angel found itself bisected horizontally near instantly, its form dissolving into motes of energy.
"Magic pisses me off," Gazef muttered, several more angels being conjured by their spell casters. Garnet realigned his footwork, taking up a boxer's stance as he zeroed in on the magic casters in the back.
"SENSEI! BELLRIVER! I'M GONNA GO FOR THE SUMMONERS IN THE BACK! COVER ME AND GAZEF!" Garnet shouted, even throwing back his helmet for good measure. His guildmates gave no signal that they had even heard him, but already he felt the auras of protective spells surrounding him and Gazef.
"You ready to kick some ass, Chief Warrior Gazef?" Garnet asked, his adrenaline pumping as his gauntlets shook with anticipation. The Chief Warrior merely smirked at him as they both dashed forward toward the enemy line.
Garnet reached the belt of Theocracy mages first, his fist rocketing forward as he idly blocked a slash from a nearby angel with his shield. On contact, the mage exploded into the same fine bloody mist that his knightly compatriots had suffered the previous day, splattering both angel and magic caster alike. Gazef struck down at the two mages to Garnet's right, swiftly being swarmed as angels targeted him.
Before the sentinel even realized it, he'd accelerated with enough force to send out a shockwave, sending several of the mages flying as he released a flurry of punches so fast that blasts of concentrated air soared out.
Once Garnet landed back on the ground, Gazef was blinking out the light motes that were the remains of his angelic foes from his eyes. He even started choking as a stray wisp floated down his throat.
Garnet pounded him on the back, withholding his adamantium strength to not accidentally combust the Re-Estize Chief Warrior.
"...and you said you were a simple knight from a foreign land before all of this?" Gazef panted out, his eyes wide at the astonishing display of might from the Ainz Ooal Gown sentinel.
Garnet merely shrugged, raising his shield into a defensive position for them both as he replied, "I've done a lot of things since now and then. I think I'm liking the way things are being run around here."
And what he said was something he truly felt down to the depths of his soul. Though his initial attempts at fighting resulted in gory messes, Garnet found his new god-like strength addicting. As he was now, it felt like he was in a beginner's area back in Yggdrasil, completely obliterating enemies left and right with barely a punch.
The blood of the first magic caster he'd struck in this battle was still caked onto his gauntlets, dripping slowly like water onto the parched earth below. Dirt and dust from his seeming acrobatics dulled the lustrous shine of his armor, and he could feel the magic of his core shining through parts of his plate-mail body from battle lust.
Gazef did not comment on that last detail, though the glowing aura of his protective spells most likely obscured it anyways. The magic casters and their summons gave the knights a healthy berth, whispering in awe and horror at the display they just witnessed.
Silence filled the area as both sides watched one another wearily, a methodical clapping filling the air shortly after. Garnet and Gazef spared a glance at one another, as a new figure joined the battlefield with a sauntering pace.
He had blond hair shaved down into a buzzcut, an angular jaw, and cruel eyes with yellow pupils to adorn them. He wore pitch-black robes with a high collar and a long, single ribbon flowing down his front. These were lined in silver, and he wore a complementary silver cloak to complete his outfit.
He let out a haughty laugh as his cold gaze scanned them both, Gazef hefting his sword to point his blade at the newcomer.
"Surrender now!" Gazef commanded. "We will spare you, and the rest of your men, if you lay down your weapons and dispel your magic as of this moment. You will then be shackled, and brought forth before the court of Re-Estize to face a fair trial and be questioned."
"Hardly," the blond man said, laughing. "I will admit, Gazef Stronoff, that you caught us off guard with these new friends of yours. The two magic casters in the back, with the rest of your men, what level of spells can they cast? Is it third-tier? Fourth-tier? Hell, I'll even give them the benefit of the doubt and ask if they can cast fifth-tier magic!"
Garnet grit his nonexistent teeth, his gauntlet tightening on the shield to the near point of shattering the grip. He stepped in front of Chief Warrior Gazef, shielding his new-found battle brother with his armored form.
"I'd take the offer if I were you," Garnet remarked, his voice uncharacteristically gruff. "It's a hell of a lot better than what my friends and I would've given you, if it had been just us three."
The blond man's eyes lazily flicked to Garnet, eyeing him up and down as if he were a clearance-sale chain-mail.
"And who might you be, young man? I assure you, whatever Chief Warrior Gazef is paying you, the Slane Theocracy could easily double, triple, or quadruple your payouts, just for walking away. I'll even throw in a bonus if you help me capture and kill Gazef Stronoff. How would you like to get laid?"
Garnet felt the sides of his helmet grow hot, even if he no longer had any blood circulating through his new body. "Thanks, but no thanks. I already have a girlfriend. Besides," he reared his helmet up to look the guy in the eye, "I don't help gigantic shit-stains like you. Saving the weak is always the right thing to do, and I'd sooner fall on my sword than betray my friends!"
The blond man, who Garnet guessed was the head priest, had his features tightened in fury. "What the hell did you just say to me, you second-rate squire!?"
"He said–," Sensei began, instantly teleporting next to Gazef and Garnet. "That we don't deal with predators who prey on the weak and innocent. What kind of man decides to harm women and children?"
"And besides–," Bellriver drawled, his staves and swords drawn as he, too, teleported to their position. "We gave the fine man Gazef here our word. What kind of people would we be if we just suddenly went back on our word? We'd be cowards and traitors, that's who."
Veins bulged on the sides of the head priest's neck, leading up to his forehead. "I had hoped to persuade you to see reason, maybe even have your spell-caster friends share some of their magical secrets. Those spells you two wielded were potent, but it seems I'll have to kill and bury my curiosity, just like I will you!"
Bellriver rested his main right hand on Gazef's shoulder. "And this is the part where you go back to safety. Your men need tending to."
Gazef's eyes tapered in confusion, widening as he realized the implications of the spellsword's words. Before he could voice his objections, Bellriver picked him up by the scruff of his neck and threw him through a portal he opened behind the quartet. It quickly closed, preventing the Chief Warrior from rushing back out.
The head priest dashed backward, his feet lifting off the ground as his robes flowed about him like a river around a boulder. A demented look consumed his face, landing behind his minions as they resummoned more angels in earnest.
"And here you all are! Friends, you said? Then you'll all be destroyed, together, like the friends you are!" The head priest proclaimed, his hands summarily lighting up with a conjuring spell of some kind.
"You have quite the pair of balls to so brazenly come and attack this village, head priest," Sensei said. "Especially after my friends and I spent so much time and energy protecting this village from the first batch of knights you sent through."
"You three are being rather brazen yourselves!" the head priest retorted. "Those spells were maybe impressive visually, and your little tin-can squire may be strong, but against the might of our magic, you're completely outclassed! What do you plan to do to turn the tables, hmm?"
You know, the more I listen to this Theocracy moron, the more and more I feel like I'm losing brain cells, Garnet thought distractedly, paying little mind to the conversation. Wait, do I even HAVE a brain anymore? I should ask Ariel to take a look inside my head when we get back.
Sensei Momonga clenched his iron fist. "This is your last chance. Offer your pitiful lives to us without resistance, and there will be no pain. However, if you refuse, I swear here and now, on the name of Ainz Ooal Gown, you'll be begging to only feel death and despair when we're done with you."
The head priest scoffed, his aloof nature returning. "Angels, attack these fools! Whoever brings me the squire's shield will personally be elevated by me to the assistant head priest!"
Time seemed to slow as Garnet's feet left the ground, Bellriver joining him in the air. A storm of fists and blades met the angels who led the assault, disappearing into motes the moment their weapons touched them. None got close enough to land a single blow.
Some angels did get around them in their excitement, their light swords stabbing through Sensei Momonga's body.
"Ha! For being such accomplished warriors, I would've thought you'd protect your mage better...than...that…," The head priest trailed off, as he caught sight of what had just happened.
Sensei held the two Archangel Flames by their heads alone, the summons squirming in his titanium grip.
"Were you not paying attention to us earlier? Your pathetic little toy dolls stand little chance against our might," Sensei stated matter-of-fact, smashing the bodies of the angels into the ground with a force that cracked the earth. They couldn't dissolve quickly enough.
"This is a trick!" one of the Theocracy mages cried.
"Yes, this has to be!" another desperately replied.
"High-tiered physical nullification makes it so that low-leveled monsters don't even scratch us," Garnet said casually, leaning against his shield.
"Yep. And our boosted stats make it so even the physically weakest of us is still stronger than a level thirty-five warrior," Bellriver affirmed, planting both staves into the ground. As they left the gibbering mouther's grip, the illusion he wore no longer hid them from sight, making it look like the staves appeared out of thin air.
Sensei held up a hand to signal his guildmates. Bellriver and Garnet took a step behind their guild leader at his motion.
"I believe it's my turn now," Sensei said, his body tensing as he prepared his next spell. The entire legion of Archangel Flames sped toward the Overlord, their light swords pointed directly toward his vitals.
"[Negative Burst]," the undead mage caster invoked, a violet and jet-black field bursting from his body. The angels barreling towards him were annihilated within a single moment, their trademark remains being thrown back by the blast.
The enemy spell casters were stunned into silence, some of them numbly holding their hands out to catch the motes of their fallen summons.
The head priest was left floundering like a fish, his smug look having been replaced with one of growing panic and a slack jaw. "That...that shouldn't be possible!"
The Slane mages chanted their library of spells, a veritable assortment of different-colored runes filling the air as blasts of air, wind, fire, and pure energy shot at the trio.
The three guildmates made no move to intercept or even block the blasts, all of them giving off an aura of absolute boredom.
"Betcha this next blast is gonna be fire," Garnet said idly.
"Guarantee the next one will be lightning," Bellriver bet, as the next spell was just that.
"I would wager that the next few will be earthen spells," Sensei said, as jets of water hit his nullification shield.
This went on for a few moments before Bellriver himself decided they had had enough. He pushed past the overlord, raising his hands with charged intent.
"[Garden Variety Nullification]," he said as he clapped his hands, his words washing over the mages as their mana shut off. The shockwave of Bellriver's clap even knocked a few of them flat onto their robed butts.
The head priest's right eye twitched. "Yo-you think this is all a game, don't you?! I'll show you real magic! Principality of Observation, attack!"
A massive archangel floated from behind the head priest, a platinum mace with a black handle and a core of cyan energy glowing within the head phasing into existence within its hands. It flew forward, swinging its mace downwards with all of its divine might.
Muttering a humble "sorry", Garnet quickly pushed past his mentor figure and caught the mace with his right hand. A burst of wind blew out from the attack before the sentinel yanked it from its grip, twirled it in his fingers, and swung sideways at the principality's head.
With a resounding crack like a baseball, the head of the higher angel was freed from its body, whistling and spinning through the air as motes of light spilled from its stump. It finally dissolved once it hit a tree outside of the barren plain.
"And that, folks, is what we would call a 'Home Run' back home," Garnet said in his best impersonation of an American baseball umpire.
Gasps were had by all of the Slane mages, with the one closest to the head priest turning to his leader. "Captain Nigun, what should we do now? He just destroyed a high-level angel in one hit!"
Anguish tinged the newly-named Nigun's face, melting into excitement as he reached into his robes and pulled out a pulsating blue crystal.
"We'll summon the highest-level angel! We'll show these heathens the true might of our homeland!"
Many of the mages began to mutter in astonishment, while the three guildmates tensed at the sight of the crystal, which began to glow ominously.
Crap! That's one of these sealing crystals Ulbert always has! We might have to start taking this seriously if he's got something good in there, Garnet pondered, assuming a boxer's stance once again with his shield on his left arm. Black fire grew within Sensei's hands, while Bellriver took up his crimson long swords and staves, the magical items disappearing to the Theocracy magic casters.
"Behold! The shining form of the highest of angels! We summon Dominion Authority!" Nigun said, slight mania infecting his inflections. The crystal hummed with power, its inner light practically cracking the container as it became like a beacon in the night.
The Theocracy magic casters cheered as the Dominion Authority appeared, a massive angel with multiple pairs of feathery wings spreading as holy light spilled forth. It wore pure-white armor over its entire body, soft blue runes covering the chest area. In its spindly arms, it held a mace of the same color and material as its armor. It gave off a heavenly aura, and Garnet could almost swear he heard a choir singing in the background.
"Wait…you're telling me THIS is your strongest trump card?" Sensei asked, shock evident in his voice.
"That's right!" Nigun confirmed, his face splitting open with a shit-eating grin. "I didn't think I would have to call on it, but you three proved worthy of its divine greatness!"
Bellriver smacked his face at the sight of the Dominion. "Wow...I can't even put into words how I feel right now."
"Regretting your folly now, magic caster? Are you wishing your friend took my offer when he had the chance?"
Garnet slammed his shield into the ground, absolute disappointment pooling off of the sentinel in droves. "This is probably the DUMBEST THING we've EVER done!"
Nigun choked on his next set of words, glaring at the young squire with incredulity.
"No, seriously, this is the stupidest thing I think we've had to deal with in a long time!" Garnet grumbled loudly, both his mentor figure and Bellriver looking at him with surprise. "I thought I might face a challenge that would make Sensei Momonga and Sensei Touch Me proud. But instead, you wasted all of our time with enemies so weak, I wouldn't even let my three-year-old sister bother with them! I swear, grinding for gold off of goblins is better than this…"
The young squire's ranting went on and on, even stopping the Slane mages from doing anything as they watched the sentinel grow more and more creative with his curses. To Bellriver, it didn't seem like it would be stopping anytime soon. He turned to his guild leader, who merely shrugged in response.
"No…No way!" Nigun cried. "You're lying! Dominion Authority is beyond any magic castable by men! I'll show you!" He looked up to the angel and pointed at the guildmates, "SMITE THEM WITH YOUR DIVINE POWER!"
Immediately, the Dominion Authority obeyed. With a tinkling hum, the Dominion's mace shattered into pieces that began to orbit its body, a glowing blue light enveloping its form. It loosely cradled the orbiting mace pieces as their orbits around its body grew brighter…and brighter…until eventually, with a flash of light–
BOOM
A column of brilliant, radiant fire dropped from the heavens and struck the three guildmates, the brilliance drowning out their forms from view. For a moment, all one could hear was the roar of the Dominion's attack as it tried to turn the guildmates position into a smoking crater.
…until laughter echoed across the clearing.
Through the glare of the Dominion Authority's attack, Garnet could see Nigun's smug face contort in horror, as all three guildmates stood there and took the attack without flinching. Hell, Sensei was LAUGHING at it.
"SO THIS IS WHAT DAMAGE FEELS LIKE?!" Sensei Momonga laughed. "I DIDN'T KNOW THIS BODY COULD FEEL PAIN!"
"FEELS LIKE TAKING A WALK IN THE ACID RAIN FROM BACK HOME!" Bellriver yelled. "MUST BE KARMA-BASED IF IT'S HURTING YOU!"
"YEAH, IT FEELS LIKE A SHOWER WITH A FIRE HOSE!" Garnet replied. "FEELS KINDA NICE, ACTUALLY–oh, it stopped."
The brilliant light faded as the attack ceased, with not a single scratch or dent on any of the guildmates' equipment. Cries of alarm were coming from the enemy mages, as Nigun could only stare in astonishment.
"Okay, then," Bellriver said, "I think playtime is just about over." He tilted his head, pausing for a second, before turning to Sensei Momonga. "What do you think? An [Iä Shub-Niggurath] spell?"
"For that?!" Momonga asked in surprise, gesturing to the angel above them. "Even if you could summon a Baby Goat, it would be gross overkill. Plus," he turned to the spellsword, "what would you even do with it afterwards?"
"But I always liked that spell!" Bellriver complained. "And think about how funny it would be!"
Hidden under his amulet's illusion, he began talking with various mouths across his body, giving each one a different voice:
" 'AH! WHAT IS THAT THING!?' "
" 'HELP ME, HELP ME!"
" 'RUN AWAY! RUN AWAY!' "
" 'BAHHHHH!' "
"SPLAT!"
That last one was accompanied by him stomping his foot.
Garnet just shook his head, disgust filling his voice. "Dude, these guys aren't even at the level of children. Hell, that one just pissed himself!" he gestured to Nigun. "You really want to waste a Super-Tier spell on these bozos?"
"I agree with Garnet," Sensei Momonga said, "As fun as the Baby Goats causing mayhem is, we'll save that for another day, for something more worth our time."
Bellriver sighed. "Alright, alright. Give me a second," Bellriver said, neon purple runes floating from his fingers. He took a deep breath as he focused on the innate source of mana he held within himself.
"[Hunger Of The Old Ones]," The spellsword chanted, a shadowy spear shooting from his palm as it pierced the body of the Dominion.
A second later, with a violent shudder and piercing cry of pain from the angel, four massive tentacles erupted from the Dominion Authority's body, each one covered along their entire lengths in dripping maws filled with sharp teeth. They wrapped around the angel and began to devour it, constricting tighter as they fed upon its glowing body.
The angel struggled to free itself, but it was all in vain. As the last of the seventh-tier summon disappeared into the coiling, mawed tentacles, the heavenly aura it gave off dissipated. The tentacles kept feeding, devouring themselves, until the spell literally ate itself out of existence.
The gruesome display left them shrouded in the darkness of night once more.
Nigun stared at the space where the Dominion Authority had been, his jaw having metaphorically hit the ground at the casual display of magical prowess.
"T-that…That was one of the greatest miracles from the gods!" the head priest sputtered, not able to decide whether to jab a finger at the empty night sky or the guildmates. "Not even demons have this kind of power!"
One of the Slane mages lowered his hand, which had previously been charged with a spell. "...yeah, I think I want to go home now, captain."
Many of his peers murmured in agreement as well, discharging their magic and taking a wide berth around their captain, leaving him more open than he had been.
Nigun could only look around at his subordinates in outrage. "And what the hell do you think you're all doing!? This is a monster beyond monsters we need to kill! If this thing gets loose, then all of humanity will be in danger!"
"Hey!" Bellriver complained, "I'm not a thing, you ass!"
The head priest snapped his gaze to look at the trio, where a concerned Sensei was comfortingly rubbing Bellriver's shoulder, while Garnet could only shake his head in disappointment. Bellriver crossed his arms, not taking his own eyes off of the Theocracy spell casters.
"Just who in the world are you?!" Nigun demanded, his voice cracking. "The magic you used to kill the Dominion Authority belongs only to the gods! Who are you to blaspheme so shamelessly?!"
"Who we are individually is not important," Garnet said, having grown fond of his guild leader's phrase. "But know only that we are Ainz Ooal Gown. Once upon a time, we were the most feared guild alive, rivaled only by a select few. As it stands, they are neither here, nor there. If you had trouble with just three of us, you don't want all forty-one."
Nigun's eyes bugged out of his skull, his magic casters letting out exclamations of horror at the new knowledge.
"Fo-forty-one?! You mean there are even more of you lying in wait?"
"Yes indeed," Sensei confirmed, treading forward. "And many of them are capable of far worse than what you've seen tonight. Unfortunately for you, I'd think they're very eager to meet you."
At that moment, a sound like shattering glass tore through the now-peaceful night. When all in attendance looked up, they saw glowing cracks web across the sky.
"Hey, what was that?" Nigun asked, witnessing as the cracks resealed themselves.
"Looked like what happens when scrying magic gets blocked," Garnet answered, "I think your people might've been watching you, shit-stain. Sensei's anti-scrying spells prevented them from seeing very much, though."
"My country was watching me?" Nigun asked in a completely broken voice, sweat pouring rivers along the massive scar he had on his left cheek.
"If that was it, we really should just wrap this up," Bellriver commented, resting his longsword across his spiny pauldron. Both of his staves crackled with energy, while Sensei's fiery eyes could be seen through even the Mask of Envy. Garnet merely picked up his shield and hooked it back into place on his armor, crossing his arms with impatience.
"No! No, no, no please, wait!" Nigun begged, hysteria beginning to set in as he realized the situation. "I beg of you, warriors of Ainz. I mean, Lords of Ainz! Spare my life! The rest of these men don't matter!"
His men let out protests of betrayal at their captain's proclamations, many of them rushing forward to restrain Nigun as he thrashed around.
"I'll give you anything you wish! Name it! I will do whatever it takes to appease you three," Nigun said, spittle flying from his mouth as his men forced him to his knees before the three guildmates.
Garnet strode forward until he was directly in front of the former head priest. "Betraying your comrades like that is bound to give a man a bad rep. I don't blame them for restraining you like they just did. You don't have anything we want or need, so this is where we say goodbye, shit-stain."
Nigun shook with apprehension at the sentinel's words, the smell of ammonia filling the air as Garnet raised a fist. Garnet lightly tapped him on the head, Nigun instantly slumping over as drool fell from his mouth.
"He'll make a nice gift for Punitto Moe when he wakes up. I'm sure the old house plant will appreciate the opportunity he represents," Garnet noted, his attention focusing on the Theocracy spell casters.
At his look, many of them began to kneel, even going so far as to lower their heads to the dirt before Garnet. The sentinel blinked at the action, feeling the presence of his mentor and Bellriver walk up from behind them.
"What shall we do with the rest of them, Bellriver? This was your trip after all." Sensei said, the guild staff reappearing in his hands. It wasn't until then that Garnet even realized the staff had been out of sight for the entirety of the fight.
He must've put it in his inventory before we went out here to deal with these bozos, Garnet thought, as Bellriver cast a critical look at the kneeling mages.
"You guys gonna cause any more trouble while we're gone?" Bellriver asked, with many of the mages shaking their heads vigorously.
"You think it would be a good idea to say you're sorry to the villagers by helping them rebuild?"
Some nods came Bellriver's way.
"Are you gonna try and summon more angels and start attacking the good people of that village?"
More shaking of their heads.
"Well, I say spare 'em. Punitto Moe will mostly want the captain here, but we can take some of these guys hostage to make sure they all stay in line."
One of the mages stood up right then and tore off his helmet. He looked well beyond the prime of his life, but the way his muscles bulged through his robes indicated he still had considerable physical strength. His left eye had been damaged, leaving it dull and grey. His hair was shaved into a buzz cut as well, shot through with gray, as was his goatee and mustache.
"I'll stay and make sure the men stay in line. I never did like that bastard Nigun anyway. You can take Boric and Urek. You'll have no trouble from them, you have my word," The wizened mage said.
"And what is your name, good sir?" Sensei asked politely, having torn open a portal behind the trio as Garnet threw the unconscious Nigun over his shoulder. Many of the other mages let out gasps of amazement at the tear in space, though the senior mage paid no mind to it.
"I'm Rowan, milord."
"We'll be holding you to your word now, Rowan. If a villager so much as complains that you looked at them the wrong way, we'll be coming back to take care of the rest of you." Sensei warned, one of his eyes setting aflame through even his mask.
Rowan merely nodded, gesturing to his men as they all got up. They started their trek to the village, many of them following Rowan's example and tearing off their helmets. They threw their hands high into the air as some of Gazef's soldiers rushed out to apprehend the Slane mages.
"Shall we, gentlemen?" Sensei asked rhetorically, already walking through the [Gate] he had conjured. Bellriver was not too far behind, while Garnet readjusted the Slane Theocracy captain on his shoulder, wincing at the smell.
"Man, I am so not looking forward to this."
—-
"ARE YOU THREE OUT OF YOUR GODDAMN MINDS?!"
The yelling hadn't started long after they exited the portal. Garnet had just stepped through when he saw the guild strategist, Punitto Moe, standing next to Nubo. Nubo's eye rings constantly rotated to avoid looking at them. Garnet also saw that Ulbert was standing off to the side, shaking his head in disappointment as Demiurge could only smile abashedly at the three.
Within seconds, all three of them had been forced to their knees the same way Nigun had been, said captain being floated away by Nubo's levitation magic. Their two hostages obediently followed along, casting worried looks on the plant-like player. Garnet could feel tiny, capsule-shaped objects digging into his knee plates, though they caused him no pain.
Is… is that rice I feel?
Garnet also saw the most dreaded weapon in all of Ainz Ooal Gown resting within the chief strategist's leafy tendrils:
The newspaper.
For the next thirty minutes, Punitto Moe lay into them with floral fury, his infamous newspaper slapping just about every part of their bodies. He only slapped their heads when he wanted to enunciate the finer points of his rage.
Like now, for instance.
SMACK!
"YOU THREE LEFT, IN THE EARLY MORNING, WITH NO BACKUP AND NOT EVEN BOTHERING TO LET THE REST OF US KNOW WHERE YOU HAD GONE!"
SMACK!
"CAN YOU IMAGINE HOW IT FELT TO HAVE NUBO, OUR SURVEILLANCE CHIEF, NOT LET US KNOW YOU WERE EVEN GONE UNTIL A FULL DAY LATER?!"
SMACK!
"AND NOT ONLY THAT, BUT YOU TOOK OUR FUCKING GUILD WEAPON OUT INTO THE FIELD WHEN YOU STILL DIDN'T EVEN UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU WERE GOING UP AGAINST?!"
SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!
Punitto's eyes were usually a soft, sunset yellow when he was calmer, but now they were a pulsating red as his anger reached new heights Garnet hadn't seen since the guild's glory days in Yggdrasil. The newspaper itself hadn't hurt when they were all just avatars in a game, but now they were their avatars.
Which meant that Punitto's methods had only gotten more effective.
Garnet was thankful that he couldn't receive any paper cuts, but the rolled-up wad of paper still left its sting on his armored form. It was comparable to the minor pain he and Bellriver had felt when Sensei had unleashed his [Negative Burst] spell, or the Dominion Authority's attack, which was to say that it was negligible.
SMACK!
But it was the burning feeling of shame that got to him and, most likely, his guildmates more than anything the newspaper itself could dish out.
Garnet risked a peek at his mentor, who looked pleadingly to the Baphomet Demon. Ulbert slowly shook his head and gave them all a thumbs down.
SMACK!
By this point, the chief strategist was huffing and puffing, the newspaper nearly crumbling under his adamantine grip. Punitto Moe took several deep breaths then, before finally setting aside his weapon of choice on a silver platter that one of the homunculus maids held. Her hair was a wheat blond color, and she looked like she was more at home on a fashion runway with her hourglass form than in a maid's outfit.
She dared not look one of her masters in the eye as Punitto was coming down from his vexed high, though when she glanced at Garnet, Bellriver, and Sensei, she let out a small sob as she forced herself to watch their punishment. Another one of the maids present, a fiery redhead that Garnet initially mistook for Lupusregina, comforted the silently crying servant, whose hands trembled as she held the platter.
"Now that that is out of the way, I believe you three owe me a report. What the hell have you been doing for the last two days?" Punitto asked, his eyes returning to their natural color.
Even though Garnet was almost certain that Punitto had been tracking their movements since he learned of their misadventure, all three of them dutifully filled one of the chief strategists in. Every time they brought up a specific detail about their adventure, Punitto would tap his wooden stump for a foot against the ground, prompting them to move along.
By the time they were halfway through the story, many of the other homunculus maids had miraculously gained some sort of new duty that allowed them to be nearby as the guild leader, spellsword, and sentinel continued their tale.
Other guildmates even came by, the familiar, wolfish form of Ankoro Mocchi Mochi lurking in the background as she absorbed their story.
Tepas Smith more or less raised his eyebrows during their descriptions of the battle they partook in, his vampiric form blending in with the shadows.
Beast King Mekongawa gave a feral grin when Garnet described how his strength had completely obliterated his foes, even giving the young animated armor a thumbs-up of approval.
Temperance was difficult to read an expression on, but he laughed at their description of the Dominion's attack, specifically in how they mostly ignored it.
"Really? You mean to tell me that even their strongest summon was no better than a level fifty-five?" Punitto asked, tapping his golden scepter against the ground of the throne room, where the trio had teleported in.
Bellriver shrugged. "Lowest I needed to kill it was an eighth-tier spell. That 'Nigun' guy was more or less a fanatical nutjob."
Punitto's root tentacle arm lashed about in thought, as he wrung his clawed hand around the scepter. He spared a look to the slumbering head priest, who had unceremoniously been deposited into a urine-soaked pile. Boric and Urek, the two hostages, kept a healthy distance from nearly everyone in the room.
"And what country did you say he was from?" Punitto inquired, finally relaxing as the last of his anger dissipated.
"From his rather loud posturing," Sensei said, mustering the courage to stand up from the rice-covered floor and taking a more dignified stance, "he claims to have been from a country known as the Slane Theocracy. He was the captain of one of the Theocracy's 'six scriptures', which are each an elite fighting force in their own right."
"And you did get paid for this little 'adventure' of yours, didn't you? I hope you asked for something worthwhile."
"Yeah, we asked for money and info. Specifically, we asked for a currency that would be more readily available in this new world, and some general knowledge books about the surrounding area," Bellriver added helpfully.
"Good, at least some of you numbskulls have a little common sense. Just answer one more question for me before I let you go," Punitto sighed, the leaves that obscured his facial features rustling with renewed agitation.
Garnet winced as the strategist looked his mentor in the eye, so dangerously close that they were practically chest-to-chest.
"For the love of God, please tell me you did not give away our name, at least. I could watch you, but damn it if I can't hear what you dumbasses could say," Puitto whispered, searching Sensei Momonga's skeletal face for an answer.
Sensei said nothing, though he did make sure not to meet Punitto's eyes either. The death vine searched his guild leader's gaze a little longer, before dropping his scepter and kicking at it in rage.
"GODDAMN IT MOMONGA! I GET I WAS GONE FOR A WHILE, BUT HOLY SHIT! DID YOU RETAIN NOTHING OF WHAT I HAD TAUGHT YOU?! DO I NEED TO GO AND GET THE BOOK INSTEAD?!"
Though Punitto was no longer hitting them, the aura of pure menace was enough to have Garnet scurrying. The rest paid him no mind, though Ankoro Mocchi Mochi gave a flirty wave as he exited the throne room.
The sounds of Punitto's ranting faded as Garnet got farther and farther away from the throne room, twisting and weaving through the halls of the tomb until he reached a more familiar portion. He entered another hallway that displayed several works of art along its walls, each piece able to rival the Old World Mona Lisa in terms of quality.
Whitebrim must be painting again. I don't recall those being there before. I'll have to go back later when I get the chance and see what's new that he made.
Garnet reached the hall he was looking for, passing by two finely dressed men in black suits who carried an equally-finely dressed penguin, who was brushing his hair with a fine-toothed comb. Garnet seemed to recall the penguin's name was Eclair Eclair Eicler.
"Evening, my lord," Eclair said, his small form bowing as the butlers did so as well. Garnet gave a small wave, not paying any mind to the NPC.
"Yeah, hi, you wouldn't happen to know where I could find–"
"Lady Brisingr is waiting in your quarters, Lord Garnet. If I might say, she seemed a tad upset," Eclair warned, one of his butlers picking the penguin up to bring him to eye level with the animated armor.
Garnet said his thanks, turning back towards his previous path down the hallway.
"Lord Garnet," Eclair called, pushing his comb away into a pocket within his feathers. "I would advise that you clean yourself. I wasn't there, but already some of the maids messaged me to say that you had quite the battle. If you wish to see your madam, I recommend a trip to the baths before presenting yourself."
"Thanks, Eclair, You're a lifesaver," Garnet said, making a complete one-eighty to the bathhouse.
He was thankfully the only one there, which meant he could properly polish and scrub the muck that had accumulated onto his body. By the time he exited the water, it was murky with the dried blood of Theocracy soldiers and mages.
Garnet rushed back to his room, encountering no guildmates or NPCs along the way. When he finally stood before the door, he moved to knock on it.
"I know you're out there, dummy. It's your room, you don't gotta knock, you know," A feminine voice said from the other side.
Garnet chuckled to himself as he realized what he was about to do, instead of turning the door knob.
The room was exactly as he remembered leaving it, bits and pieces of other armor sets he would inhabit were strewn across the room. A king-sized bed sat in the middle with crumbled sheets, evidence of his previous attempts to try and fall asleep. The four-bed posts were gilded with rose gold, tracing intricate designs of knights in battle along the spruce wood.
Amelia was floating over his desk in the right-hand corner of the room, adjacent to his bed. She seemed to be reading the titles of some of the books he had gotten from the library, her magical air allowing her to utilize telekinesis to flip through the different pages.
Her edge flipped around to face him, the massive ruby with an opal core in her hilt serving as her only eye. It widened in appreciation when she saw Garnet's shiny armor.
"Well, don't you look nice," Amelia commented, floating closer to allow Garnet to bring her into a hug. Had anyone walked in at that moment, and they were not of Ainz Ooal Gown, they would've seen a knight in shining steel cuddling with his broadsword.
"I thought I might spice things up since I haven't seen you in a couple of days," Garnet mentioned, letting Brisinger go to hold onto her hilt. She dragged him towards the edge of the bed, where they sat in comfortable silence for a moment.
"Where did you go anyways? I thought you and Momonga had run off together with how suddenly you disappeared," Amelia giggled.
Garnet chuckled too, before diving into a more condensed version of the story he had given Punitto Moe. Amelia would push the handle of her animated sword form forward every so often, imitating a nod.
As he concluded his story, Amelia, or Brisingr, was completely still. She floated above the edge of the bed for another second…before slapping the back of Garnet's head with the flat of her blade body.
It didn't necessarily hurt him, but the sudden violence did catch him off guard. His gauntlet sped up to the spot where she had smacked him.
"What the heck was that for?" Garnet asked, a cackle bubbling out of his throat at the absurdity of his girlfriend hitting him.
"That's for leaving without coming to grab me, Akio," Amelia said, using his old-world name. "You don't think I wouldn't have liked to go adventuring with you? Sounds like you had fun without me!"
Garnet still laughed as he could almost hear the pout in her voice. "I'm sorry! I really am. It was kinda a last-minute decision, and apparently, Nubo didn't tell everyone until about a day later."
Amelia huffed, resting her edge against Garnet's pauldron. "Yeah. Nubo's a terrible liar, just like you. Punitto just had to imply something was wrong before he broke and confessed everything. He's the only one who kept Punitto Moe from sending everybody else after you three."
The only image that filled Garnet's head at that moment was that of a smoking crater where Carne used to be, a mountain of corpses filling the basin of it. The rest of the guild was looking over their handiwork in his mind's eye.
"Yeah, probably a good idea that Punitto didn't come along then. We would've spent the first hour there arguing on whether to kill Enri and Nemu or not."
"That sounds incredibly grim. Do I even want to know what popped into your head when I mentioned Nubo held Ol' Moe back?" Amelia asked.
"Probably not," Garnet admitted. "Hey, why don't you tell me how your day went?"
Amelia let out a faux sigh, though Garnet could already hear the smile in her voice. "Well, okay...but only because you asked so nicely. It all started when Genjiro walked in on Whitebrim naked…"