The Anglerian Mountains, far away at the border between the Kingdom and the Empire, have a vast forest at their southern foothills called the Great Forest of Tobu. The Lizardmen reside in the northern part of this forest, where a lake's downstream area intertwines with wetlands.
Due to the arrival of mysterious Undead a few days ago, this quiet and peaceful place was about to be plunged into war.
At this moment, the Lizardmen of the five great tribes had assembled, ready to unite and resist the enemy together.
The greatest contributor among them could be said to be Salius Shasha of the Green Claw tribe, who had integrated the brave warriors of the Red Eye tribe and the Dragon Tooth tribe. Therefore, he was allowed to attend the meeting with the representatives of the other five tribes, serving as one of the leaders of this campaign.
Under the Ancestral Spirit's blessing, all Lizardmen felt an inspiring power, their morale was high, and their command was effective. They even subtly gained an advantage against the Undead legion.
If this continues, we will lose. Cocytus had a faint feeling of this.
Inside the wooden house, there was a huge mirror and a table. Various Alien creatures, similar to mantises and ants, sat around the chairs.
They were all direct servants of Cocytus, around level 80. Any one of them could annihilate the Lizardmen, and even the female wearing a maid's outfit could do it.
But Cocytus couldn't do that. Ainz had given orders that he and his servants were not allowed to show themselves. The insect maid Antoma was sent to supervise the battle.
Through the remote scrying mirror, the situation on the battlefield could be clearly seen. Cocytus knew he couldn't wait any longer.
This was the first time Nazarick's name was used for external conquest, and it couldn't end in failure. He couldn't let the Supreme Beings lose face because of his oversight.
Who should he contact at this time?
Cocytus grabbed the message scroll in his hand, thought carefully, and then unfurled it in the air.
"Sig, I have a request."
"What is it, Cocytus? Have you encountered any trouble? You actually contacted me on your own initiative."
Sig was currently carrying out a client's task, which was to eliminate the rapidly proliferating small magical beasts. It was neither a difficult nor an easy task, but the reward was substantial, and the issuer was a famous noble duke, which was also good for his reputation.
"It's like this, I am currently fighting the Lizardmen…"
Hearing Sig's voice in his mind, Cocytus felt a sense of relief. He immediately explained the current situation in detail.
Although his first thought was to consult Demiurge, the thought of him perfectly completing the tasks given by the Supreme Beings made him somewhat jealous. After all, they were considered competitors.
Sig is gentle with others, and very friendly to the Guardians. His wisdom is also not inferior to Ainz's, so he should be able to give him some useful advice.
"Oh, that matter. The Guildmaster mentioned it to me." Sig stopped walking and fell into thought.
Nabe and Lupusregina, seeing this, immediately guarded him, one fiercely wielding a longsword, the other holding a large holy staff, preventing the magical beasts from approaching within five meters.
Sig asked, "What do you want to do now?"
"I would like you to help me with some ideas. This is the first time Ainz has allowed me to represent Nazarick in battle, and this campaign absolutely cannot be lost. Sig, please help me."
"Actually, I could lend you one of my familiars, but that wouldn't be very good. Haven't you understood the Guildmaster's painstaking efforts?"
Sig sighed, his tone quite helpless. Cocytus really hadn't doubted why Ainz made those rules. It seemed he was overwhelmed by the desire to win for his master.
"Ainz's intentions… I don't know." Cocytus's voice clearly weakened, like a child who had done something wrong.
"If it's just to subjugate the Lizardmen, why didn't he send a more powerful force, and why didn't he let you show yourself? The Guildmaster is testing you, wanting to see if you can win with your own wisdom."
"So that's how it is!"
After his surprise, Cocytus fell into deep despair. If he had consulted Sig earlier, or perhaps thought of this sooner, he definitely wouldn't be in this situation now. It was too late.
"I'm very sorry, I've messed everything up and disappointed both of you."
Sig comforted him, "It's fine."
"What did you say?"
"Just rest assured. If you need to be punished, I'll stop it. After all, I also forgot to remind you beforehand."
"Please don't say that, Sig!"
Thousands of kilometers away, Sig could feel Cocytus's collapsing mood at that moment. It sounded pitiful, and although it was impolite, he felt like laughing a little.
After cutting off the message, Sig thanked the two beside him.
Within a few short minutes, the ground was covered with the corpses of magical beasts. Their clothes were stained with blood, and their hair was a bit disheveled, looking completely like they had just been through a fierce battle.
Although slaying magical beasts of this level was not difficult, their sheer numbers meant there would always be oversights. Getting close made it easy to get splashed with blood, which was unavoidable.
However, this appearance did not diminish their beauty; instead, it added a unique kind of charm. They truly were beautiful women.
Sig hadn't admired them enough when the two, with the help of cleaning magic items, tidied their appearance to face the Supreme Beings in their best state. This was basic common sense, but someone was still a bit unsatisfied.
Lupusregina hoisted her weapon, a smile on her face. "Ilay, what should we do next?"
Nabe looked up, appearing ready to follow his lead.
Sig put on his mask. Just then, a gust of wind blew, and his robe billowed. In the instant the scene was frozen, it felt like something from a movie. It seemed no one could resist that feeling.
"Let's go, time to report back."
The client had a typical Imperial appearance, with pure golden hair and a slightly plump but not pot-bellied figure. Every gesture exuded the demeanor of a superior.
But when he faced Sig, his tone was kind, his attitude friendly, and there was even a hint of respect, giving him full face.
"Ilay is indeed powerful. You've solved a major problem so quickly. I doubt even the Adamantite team Silver Thread Birds could do it."
Facing such praise, Sig neither admitted nor denied it. In others' eyes, it might have been taken as an affirmation, but no one would question it.
This was the privilege of an expert. It was precisely because of his strength that he acted this way, which was not strange at all.
"Duke, can I have the final payment now?"
"Of course, but since you possess such great power, have you never considered serving the Empire? His Majesty greatly admires your strength."
After much rambling, the Duke finally stated his purpose.
"The Blood Emperor?" Sig murmured.
His efforts in building his persona hadn't been in vain; he had finally caught a big fish.