Chapter 32: Strongest vs. Strongest (2)
"So she really was mind-controlled."
The first thing Kaiser needed to do was grasp the situation.
Shalltear Bloodfallen—one of the strongest Guardians—had been mentally dominated. Items capable of doing such a thing were extremely few. But Shalltear was undead, possessing overwhelming resistance to mind control. Even super-tier magic would not affect her. Naturally, the only conclusion was a World Item.
A faint breeze brushed past Kaiser's hair.
In front of him stood the girl, gripping in one hand something that radiated ominous intent—likely a spear.
The Spuit Lance, if he remembered correctly. A divine-tier weapon. The mere fact that she was holding it meant she had been fighting.
For Shalltear to deem someone worthy enough to draw her weapon… only the Theocracy or the Council Nation came to mind. Dragons would not appear in a place like this, so by process of elimination, the attacker was likely someone from the Theocracy.
Kaiser approached Shalltear and reached his hand out.
Even at this close distance, she had no reaction.
Her cloudy, empty eyes did not reflect Kaiser at all.
She was trapped in her own world, perceiving nothing.
Unless he touched her aggressively or attempted some form of physical or magical attack, she would not move.
"So? Do you have any idea who might have cast mind control on Shalltear?"
At Ainz's question, Kaiser continued staring at Shalltear as he thought.
He had come here wanting confirmation.
And seeing this scene, it was obvious—it had to be the Theocracy's doing.
But how did they even learn about Shalltear?
Was their encounter a coincidence? Or had they discovered something by chance?
Nazarick hadn't even been in this world for long. The Sunlight Scripture had targeted Gazef for contingencies, and Kaiser had personally dealt with them without ever mentioning Ainz.
If I tell him the truth…
How will Ainz react?
Kaiser knew the truth well: Ainz was colder than any undead he'd ever met, yet he treasured his comrades deeply. If Kaiser revealed that the Theocracy had done this to one of Ainz's NPCs—what would happen to the Theocracy?
He did not know the details yet.
Perhaps Shalltear had been the aggressor, and the Theocracy were the victims.
Perhaps this was all an act of self-defense.
But such details did not matter to Ainz.
It was unreasonable to expect undead to empathize that deeply.
Regardless of circumstances, Ainz would harbor resentment.
"I don't particularly like the Theocracy… but we can't just erase it."
The Kingdom, Empire, and Theocracy were all connected.
Humanity—a so-called inferior race—could maintain nations only thanks to the Theocracy's "human superiority" doctrines and their role as defenders of humanity.
Yes, some people were sacrificed.
Yes, their methods were extreme.
But it was unavoidable when trying to protect something.
If someone asked whether he could say the same while looking at those sacrificed… that would be a separate matter.
But regardless, humanity currently needed the Theocracy.
They handled the dirty work.
Their leaders were far from pure.
But for the sake of mankind, a nation like theirs was necessary.
Kaiser did not yet know why the Theocracy had used the World Item Downfall of Castle and Country on Shalltear.
But the fact that they had used it was undeniable.
And now, the moment of choice had come.
"Well… all mind-control items are somewhat similar, so… once you reach World Items, I don't know much myself."
"I see. No, forgive me. I had hoped that perhaps you might know something."
"I'm sorry I couldn't meet your expectations. More importantly, may I investigate the area a bit? I might be able to figure out how Shalltear ended up like this."
"Very well. I also have business to attend to. I shall return shortly. There is no guarantee that the one who targeted Shalltear will not target you as well."
Not a guarantee—but likely they wouldn't target him.
Still, he would keep silent. Silence was golden.
A small maid standing beside Ainz approached them. Kaiser remembered seeing her when he last visited Nazarick. He tried to recall her name, but Ainz spoke first.
"Her name is Entoma Vasilissa Zeta. She will accompany you as protection."
"Please call me Entomaaa~."
"I'll be in your care, little maid."
Protection, huh.
Kaiser almost laughed.
Under certain circumstances, he could indeed survive by using Entoma as a shield.
But realistically, the one more likely to be targeted wasn't Kaiser, who had just arrived here—but Ainz, who had traveled repeatedly.
Still, the reason Entoma was being attached to him wasn't for "protection."
It was for surveillance.
And perhaps also in hopes that Kaiser would reveal more information.
"Then Entoma, make sure not to be rude."
"Yes, Ainz-sama."
With that, Ainz activated teleportation and vanished.
He must be confused as well.
Without World Items, there was no way to harm Nazarick.
Even if the entire world united, destroying it completely would be nearly impossible.
Unless several miracles happened and someone somehow broke a Guild Weapon… but that would cause the members deprived of their base to go berserk.
Either way, humanity—or rather, the entire world—would face disaster.
That must be avoided at all costs.
Kaiser brushed his hair back and began examining the area around Shalltear.
"Footprints… a lunge step. Something was thrown. This trajectory means…"
"Here. And footprints here too."
These footprints looked like they belonged to someone carrying a shield.
Someone who had tried to protect someone behind them, and died because of it.
No matter how skilled a human might be, they couldn't possibly block Shalltear's strike.
They were almost certainly pierced through along with the person they were protecting.
And the one they were protecting…might have been the person who used Downfall of Castle and Country.
So they didn't intentionally abandon Shalltear—
they simply had no way to deal with her and had no choice but to leave her there.
Even if they wanted to capture her, it would be impossible without bringing someone like the Black Scripture's "Extra Seat," the god-slaying trump card.
And that person was permanently confined within the Theocracy. They would never come to a place like this—now or ever.
So letting Shalltear rampage freely must have been the only option.
But if they truly targeted Shalltear…would they have prepared this poorly?
The reason Shalltear had been left alone was simple:
the caster who used Downfall of Castle and Country had either been injured—or killed.
Because of that, although the World Item's effect still bound Shalltear, she received no further commands, leaving her stuck in a standby state—destroying anything she recognized as hostile.
If they truly intended to target Shalltear, they should have acted far more thoroughly.
So then, consider the possibilities.
First, they came specifically for Shalltear, but did not understand her true strength.
Given that Nazarick's power level was unimaginable, this was not impossible—yet it was undeniably careless.
Second, meeting Shalltear was purely accidental.
They were traveling for another purpose and encountered her by coincidence.
In that case, the inconsistencies fit—the small number of soldiers, their lack of preparation…
"What is Shalltear doing here in the first place?"
"Shalltear-sama was acting under Ainz-sama's orders to locate beings capable of using martial arts."
"Martial arts… I see. Were there any other conditions?"
Entoma hesitated.
Ainz had told her that Kaiser was extremely powerful and must never be turned into an enemy.
But if Kaiser learned the truth—that they planned to abduct "humans capable of martial arts," specifically criminals, so even if they disappeared no one would search for them—how would he react?
Entoma didn't care about humans.
They were food.
If they attacked her, she would kill them.
If she was hungry, she would eat them.
If they weren't worth her time, she ignored them.
No affection, but no hostility either.
But Kaiser was different.
Not only because he was strong, but because Ainz had explicitly forbidden provoking him.
So should she lie here?
While Entoma struggled, Kaiser broke the silence first.
"Your hesitation tells me you weren't gathering them for anything noble. Nazarick doesn't want to reveal itself to the world yet. Choosing adventurers, knights, mercenaries—those with identities—would be too risky, because people would come searching for them. So you narrowed it down to 'criminals,' who can disappear without anyone making a fuss, right?"
"Y-yes, that's… correct…"
Entoma prepared herself for death.
This was an order given by Ainz Ooal Gown, the supreme being.
If she died obeying such an order, it would be an honor greater than any other death.
As she steeled herself, Kaiser gently tapped her head—thunk, thunk.
Entoma froze in shock.
"Relax. I'm not here to scold you.…Well, I want to scold you, but there are more important matters right now."
"Where was Shalltear last seen?"
"I—I will guide youuu."
"Thank you."
Kaiser ran after Entoma.
He glanced at her.
Despite looking human, her expression was unnaturally stiff—almost mask-like.
He could sense an unusual aura—something reminiscent of that ancient insect demon he'd seen centuries ago.
Is she a bug tamer? he wondered.
If that's so, Evil Eye could deal with her easily.
Evil Eye possessed extremely lethal abilities against insects.
If she used those techniques, Entoma would not be a problem—even if the entire Pleiades attacked her.
Arche could not compare to the Pleiades yet.
Even a one-on-one would be difficult—not because Arche was weak, but because Evil Eye was monstrously strong.
When Kaiser had said Evil Eye was nearly inhuman, he had not been exaggerating to be polite.
"This is the placeeee."
"Hm."
It was fortunate that it hadn't rained recently.
Kaiser examined the ground.
Numerous footprints.
As he inspected them, Entoma explained the situation.
They had intentionally arranged for a criminal organization to attack people, hoping to identify those who could use martial arts.
The result was a massacre.
But since the targets were criminals destined to be sold into slavery or executed anyway, Kaiser couldn't shake the feeling that it was just… inevitable retribution.
"And Sebas and Solution left earlier, while Shalltear and her subordinates—the Vampire Brides—moved separately, correct?"
"That is correct~."
"…Troublesome."
Thinking so, Kaiser moved his hand and pulled out a scroll. With a soft shuaang sound, the footprints on the ground began to glow, forming a trail.
It was a tracking spell—fully accurate for around fifteen days, faint after a month, and nearly unusable beyond two. Still, a surprisingly useful spell.
"Um… you didn't really need to use it. I already know which direction Shalltear-sama went~."
Oh. Really?
Well, knowing how cautious Ainz was, he had probably already ordered a full investigation. Kaiser hummed, then replied:
"It's best to confirm anyway. Even if you've checked the traces, fooling this tracking spell is difficult.
Time is the only thing that weakens it."
"Is that sooo~? How very cautious of you~."
Entoma trailed off strangely at the end of her sentence.
He wasn't just some brute relying on strength—he acted cautiously as well. The news of him defeating Cocytus in a spar was already well-known throughout Nazarick.
Even Ainz considered him the most dangerous man in this world.
Entoma was trying to gather as much information from Kaiser as possible.
Even if she could not learn about the wider world, she had to learn about him.
If things became suspicious, she would use her ring containing high-tier teleportation to escape—
but honestly, she doubted she could get away from Kaiser at all.
If he ever showed hostility, Entoma was prepared to die quietly.
"This place seems to be a bandit hideout."
"Yesss… It seems certain that Shalltear-sama entered here~."
Kaiser walked inside without hesitation.
Deeper in, he detected faint traces of battle.
Upon inspecting the surroundings, it appeared the bandits had at least one reasonably skilled fighter among them.
Even if the Vampire Brides weren't particularly strong, they hadn't been defeated immediately.
Eventually, when they failed to win, Shalltear stepped in.
But overwhelming strength crushed them instantly.
The marks on the ground showed that the human swordsman had put all his strength into his footwork, swinging until the very end.
But no matter how many times he swung, there was no way a human swordsman could even scratch Shalltear—let alone make his blade touch her skin.
He would have fallen into despair, and likely fled.
"Shalltear was fully aware of her overwhelming advantage… and that led to arrogance and carelessness. She leisurely enjoyed the slaughter inside, then tried to hunt down the ones who fled."
Kaiser entered a side room and examined it.
There was a hidden escape hole.
Shalltear wasn't a ranger.
By the time she was enjoying her massacre, the escapees would've already been sprinting deep into the forest.
Tracking them down would've been difficult.
If Aura, the Dark Elf, had been here, she would have caught them easily—but Shalltear lacked such abilities.
"And after that, the Adventurer's Guild reported sightings of Shalltear-sama~."
"I see. So those traces near the cave entrance were from them."
Still, she had let quite a few people escape.
Not only the bandit survivors—she even let the adventurers slip through her fingers.
Was she simply careless, despite her strength?
"If I were Shalltear, I would've used my subordinates to hunt down the escapees. That would be the most efficient. And… that increases the likelihood that her encounter was accidental. Her subordinates likely attacked people who were simply passing by."
"Why would they attack them~?"
"Perhaps the orders were too vague. Something like, 'Kill everyone in the forest.' Something along those lines. When her subordinates were defeated by passerby, Shalltear charged in. Judging by the fact she even drew that divine-tier weapon, she must have considered the opponent quite strong."
Seeing the strength of the Theocracy's operatives, Shalltear likely judged them valuable targets—capable of replacing the people she had failed to capture.
As a result, she tried to fight them… and was mind-controlled.
It must have been unexpected for Shalltear as well.
Who would imagine that a small group of people wandering through the forest carried an item capable of mind-controlling even an undead like her?
"Bandits… you were wicked men, but the fact that you were slaughtered without even a chance to resist…
I pity you. Forgive me for not being able to avenge you."
As always, such grudges were remembered only by himself.
Only he mourned them.
Only he felt regret.
Even after centuries, Kaiser could not abandon the human sadness he carried.
"Well then, to summarize my deduction: Shalltear and the one who used the mind-control item met by coincidence. Shalltear attacked first. So from the other side's perspective, they used mind-control in self-defense."
"U-um, why are you explaining this to me~?"
"Huh? Because you must report it to Ainz, right? Consider this a special courtesy."
"…So you did know I was here to monitor and gather information…"
Did she really think he wouldn't notice?
Kaiser wondered how Nazarick evaluated him.
Surely they didn't think he was some brainless brute with nothing but strength?
True, Kaiser was not the overly analytical type, and he wasn't exceptionally clever.
But he had not survived for centuries by being stupid.
He possessed a flexibility born from experience—
and when it came to battle, no one could deny his overwhelming talent.
If I reveal the Theocracy was involved… will Ainz use force?
No—once his comrade was mind-controlled, that's already enough reason.
Currently, the only ways to free Shalltear were:
1. Use another World Item, or
2. Kill Shalltear.
And an undead Ainz—now colder, more rational—would hesitate to use a World Item frivolously.
He might choose to kill her instead.
After all, as long as the Guild existed, revival was possible.
When he was human, cherishing comrades was beautiful.
But now that he is undead, empathy for those who harmed his subordinates is likely gone.
There's no need to stir up trouble unnecessarily.
I should play ignorant.
They could not afford the destruction of the Theocracy.
Kaiser paused.
Was this… perhaps an opportunity?
He had sparred with Cocytus, but that had only been a light glimpse of power.
When would he ever have another chance?
The chance to fight someone called the strongest Guardian… when will that ever come again?
This would let him perfectly gauge Shalltear's true strength.
And yes—the risk existed that his own power would be exposed.
But Ainz cherished his subordinates deeply.
He would personally kill Shalltear.
And afterward… he would carry hatred toward whoever caused her death.
If Kaiser wanted to create a debt Ainz could never forget…even at the risk of revealing his own strength…
now was the best moment.
"Entoma, could you contact Ainz? I wish to meet him."
"I—I will attempt to contact him immediatelyyy~."
Kaiser's fingertips trembled slightly.
He was afraid.
Damn… this is bad…
But the trembling at his lips was not fear, nor excitement, nor madness.
It was pure joy.
The long-forgotten joy of risking his life—the intoxicating anticipation of facing a powerful foe.
Maybe all the other reasons he'd listed were excuses.
Maybe his true desire… was simply the urge to fight.
From the moment he heard Shalltear had been mind-controlled, he had imagined this future.
"Well then…shall we see the strength of the strongest, Miss Shalltear?"
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