"Blood Emperor?"
Hearing Sig's whisper, the smile on the Duke's face did not diminish.
"Precisely that Lord. Although Blood Emperor is an acknowledged title, I still hope to address him as His Majesty. Please forgive me."
Sig nodded, growing a little more interested in the Duke, who showed no emotions on his face. This person should not be as simple as he appeared.
To be a great noble yet gain the Blood Emperor's appreciation, that in itself must be a skill.
If he, who frequently issued quests, represented the Blood Emperor's will, then it would be even more interesting. Coming to him was not a good choice.
"But why would His Majesty be interested in me?" Sig feigned incomprehension.
"Your Excellency is a Fifth-Tier Magic Caster. Your name is known throughout the Imperial Capital. There's no need to be so modest in front of me."
"Then does the Duke know that I am a foreigner?"
"Naturally, I know this, but His Majesty is very wise and shows exceptional favor to talented individuals. Even foreigners can receive the same treatment as Imperial citizens."
The Duke patiently guided him, "Fluder-sama is also quite interested in Your Excellency and hopes to meet you. What do you think of the previous proposal?"
After a long silence, Sig still shook his head, "I have no intention of joining any faction for now."
The Duke caught the hint of regret in Sig's words and thought to himself, 'These Magic Casters are indeed interested in those who can cast higher-tier magic than themselves. In a way, they are quite innocent.'
It was a pity he couldn't see the expression beneath the mask, making it impossible to accurately judge Ilay's current thoughts, though it was probably close to his guess.
He changed the subject, a smile returning to his face, "Actually, there's no rush to make a decision on this matter. This is my token. With it, you can meet Fluder-sama."
After leaving a bag of money, the Duke walked away with his hands behind his back, smiling mysteriously, "Your Excellency will absolutely not be disappointed."
Sig played with the token in his hand, a smile appearing at the corner of his mouth, "Indeed, I will absolutely not be disappointed."
He was just wondering how to meet Fluder through legitimate means, and now a ready-made opportunity had presented itself.
He had a ring on his finger that could adjust his Mana capacity, the same model as Ainz's. Players who paid attention to their strength would also equip it.
Because there was no way to speed up MP recovery in the game, only natural regeneration, hiding MP could effectively mislead enemies.
As long as the ring was equipped, low-tier detection magic could only see a false Mana capacity. Unless it was a player specialized in detection or using a special Divine Item, it was absolutely impossible to see through it.
Previously, to make Ai Xue believe him, he intentionally adjusted his Mana capacity to around the Sixth-Tier. The surprise of being seen through was also faked, which indicated that even the innate ability of the Piercing Eye of Magic could not see through the disguise.
Fluder himself was a magic fanatic. He would give everything for magic and would even be jealous if his disciples learned Fourth-Tier magic faster than him, so subduing him would not be difficult.
The high-ranking and influential Fluder would be even more useful than Lana. It wouldn't matter if his betrayal was discovered; with his influence, even if the Blood Emperor found out, he wouldn't dare to turn hostile, at most he would just give him the cold shoulder.
Sig already had a plan in mind, but now was not a good time to act. Appearing too eager could easily arouse suspicion. Now, he needed to wait patiently.
During this time, he wouldn't be idle. Demiurge had already begun preparing the plan to attack the Royal Capital, and the public opinion here also needed to start.
"Nabe, are there any quests within the Kingdom's borders?"
Since the Worker team gained fame as Dragon Slayers, many clients came seeking them. Although they couldn't accept all of them, they certainly had the right to choose within a certain range.
Nabe materialized, her eyes sharp, "There is one currently, a herb-gathering quest. The location is somewhat close to Nazarick, so I accepted it."
"Then take it. I need to return to Nazarick for a while. I'll leave the communication to you."
He also happened to be attending Cocytus's criticism session and would take a look at the Lizardmen while he was there.
"Understood." Nabe used the Rabbit Ears magic, a pair of cute rabbit ears growing on her head, twitching slightly to hear the surrounding sounds more clearly.
When communicating, she had to confirm that the surrounding environment was safe to prevent information leakage before sending the message.
Nabe's magic was all focused on combat, and she didn't have extraordinary senses like Sig, so she was always this cautious.
And this magic also had rabbit feet and a rabbit tail. When all three skills were activated simultaneously, her clothing would change, which was very popular.
How to put it, Sig was still a bit curious. He had never seen the full effect of this magic in action.
No, he should say he was very curious. He was gradually getting impatient.
"Nabe, can I discuss something with you?"
Sig raised his hand, took off his mask, and put on a pair of finely crafted sliced glasses that emitted a faint magical glow. Rune characters seemed to be carved on the temples.
The wise glasses, through their lenses, could see hidden things, perceive unknown magic, block mental control magic activated through sight, suppress strong light, and even relieve eye fatigue and help with concentration.
Since he had been nearsighted in both lives, he didn't hesitate to acquire them. Because they were a gashapon prize, they cost him a lot of money.
"Eh?"
Nabe stood awkwardly in place, clutching the hem of her skirt. Although it wasn't a traditional bunny girl outfit, it was much more revealing than what she usually wore, and her face was as red as a cooked lobster.
"Is that alright, Sig-sama?"
"Just a moment." Sig pushed up his glasses, the lenses seemingly sparkling.
"Sig-san, what am I going to do with you?"
A third person's voice came from inside the room. At some unknown point, a skeleton radiating a ruler's aura appeared in the room, looking at Sig with extreme helplessness.
"I'm not, I didn't, you misunderstood."
In his haste, Sig uttered the triple denial. After realizing, he felt it was even harder to explain and could only dismiss Nabe for now.
Ainz patted his shoulder and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "I understand. As a friend, I will keep your secret, but don't go too far."
It was normal to have a harem after transmigrating to another world; he had read many such literary works. Sig wasn't someone who would lay hands on his companions' children.
However, the cause was also due to his modification of the settings, so he could only be supportive. He just hoped Sig wouldn't go too overboard; he would turn a blind eye.
"Really, I was just curious about the magic, that's all." Sig was still trying to argue. He had never thought of doing anything strange; he just took a look, that's all. If they didn't believe him, they could ask Albedo.
If they misunderstood him again, after one and two, there wouldn't be a third time, and he would truly… truly become the kind of person they imagined!
The emotionally intelligent Ainz no longer dwelled on the topic. "Aren't you curious about why I came?"
Sig pouted, "Isn't it just to ask me to go criticize Cocytus with you? He even messaged me about his defeat."
"Then there's nothing else. Remember to dress formally."
Sig said as he stepped into the teleportation gate, "Oh, by the way, I'd like to borrow your son, Pandora's Actor."
"Ah, are you sure?" Non-existent sweat dripped from Ainz's face. That was his dark past.