Chapter 43: Nazarick and the Otherworld (5)
Kaiser was a genius.
It wasn't that he had never tasted defeat—but it was never a common experience for him either.
His talent always overwhelmed everyone around him.
And above all, he carried a higher ambition than anyone else.
He aimed for the title of Strongest Human, Strongest in the World.
Even when defeated by someone stronger, he never feared them.
He had the audacity to confront them again.
Lose once, overwhelm them the second time.
That was Kaiser.
Step by step, through that path, he grew strong enough to slay dragons—creatures humanity could never hope to overcome.
He left the realm of humans, entered the realm of heroes—and then beyond, into the realm of outliers—
until even that was not enough to describe him.
He held power far too great for any human to bear.
But above him, there were still those above.
Just when Kaiser believed he would never again lose to anyone—it appeared.
Suddenly.
Without warning.
And took everything from him.
To defeat it, Kaiser sacrificed the thing most precious to him and abandoned his humanity.
Even now, he wondered: Could that truly be called a victory? If I fought it today, could I win more easily?
The truth was, his victory was nothing but luck and miracles woven together.
Two, maybe three times during that battle, his defeat had been completely assured.
That being was arrogance incarnate.
Sloth incarnate.
As if it carried all the sins of the world in its existence.
It didn't even bother to confirm Kaiser's death properly.
And that was why Kaiser survived.
At that moment he understood clearly:
"The arrogance of the strong becomes the stepping stone of the weak."
.....
"Originally, I wasn't sure if I should tell you this or not."
Kaiser walked ahead as Arche followed.
"With your current strength, knowing too much could become a poison. But… I thought it would be better if you knew."
The ancient ruin was spotless, as if it had been cleaned just yesterday.
Perhaps preservation magic was still active.
Regardless, a faint sacred aura seeped into Arche's body as she walked.
She had never known such a ruin existed nearby.
Hardly anyone ventured this deep—the monsters around this area were far too aggressive, with too many in number.
Even adamantite-class adventurers rarely came here.
"In this world," Kaiser continued, "every 100 to 200 years, a being called a Player appears—a being from another world who upsets this world's balance."
"A… Player…?"
"The Six Great Gods and the Eight Greed Kings were such beings. They weren't originally from this world.
They came from another. Ah—also, that so-called 'Mouthy Sage' the Empire worships… he was a Player.
And the leader of the Thirteen Heroes as well."
"...But the leader of the Thirteen Heroes was said to be originally weak."
"He probably never had the chance to grow in his original world."
"That other world… normally I'd say it's unbelievable.
But hearing it from you, Kaiser-sama, I know it's no joke. Then—are you also a Player?"
"No. I was born here. A native of this world."
He paused.
"Players… from our perspective, they became strong through rather unfair means."
"Unfair…?"
"A game."
"A… game?"
Yggdrasil.
The power they possessed wasn't born from desperate survival or blood-soaked battlefield experience.
They might have had passion, madness, or obsession—but it was still just a game.
They never risked their lives.
No one truly died.
At worst, they got irritated at losing.
They never fell into despair thinking: "It's all over."
That was why Kaiser sometimes found their strength a little unfair—a sentiment not unlike a mediocre person jealous of the gifted.
"But when that game shut down—that's when they came here. Why the time axis shifted? I have no idea.
But the cycle is about 100 to 200 years each time."
"The 'New Humans' you mentioned before… are they Players?"
"Not exactly. They're the descendants of Players.
They inherit explosive power with high probability—skip-generation traits. Those descendants are called 'New Humans.' Last I checked, the Theocracy has three of them."
"Three…?"
"They're not all equal. Except for one, you could probably beat them someday."
"That one exception…"
"I'm not sure. It depends on you. But no matter how strong you get, never underestimate that one. They're strong enough to fight alongside me."
"That strong… Are they even human?"
"Half-elf. Though she hates the elf part."
"Why…?"
"Family matters. Complicated ones."
Complicated… or disgraceful? Kaiser didn't know how to phrase it.
He rarely liked talking about such topics.
He wasn't good at it.
But since he had decided to teach Arche everything—
he also needed to teach her his knowledge.
And Kaiser's knowledge held tremendous value.
Hundreds of years of experience.
Ancient knowledge lost to the modern age.
Even without his power, his knowledge alone was priceless.
"Well, back to the point… If you learn Black Lightning, you'll defeat most small fry. But Players—are extremely dangerous. And under them are NPCs—beings just as dangerous as their masters. They possess absolute loyalty. No bribery. No betrayal.
Under the name of 'loyalty,' they commit any atrocity without hesitation."
"Are there… good ones among them?"
"In terms of personal feelings—yes, maybe. If not ordered, they might help others. They might feel disgust at evil.…But that's all."
Kaiser's voice hardened.
"If ordered, they'll kill even someone they consider a dear friend. If commanded to massacre, they will massacre. Even if they feel pain in their hearts—
their master's command comes before everything."
"I see… But is it truly impossible to befriend them?
Not all Players were evil. The Six Great Gods helped the world. The leader of the Thirteen Heroes saved humanity."
"That's true."
Kaiser nodded.
"What I'm saying is—even if you become close to an NPC, even if they cherish you…the instant their master commands it, they won't hesitate. Keep that in mind.
You may trust them, but never rely on them."
"…Did I already meet an NPC?"
"You did."
"…Miss Rifa."
"Sharp as always."
"I just had a feeling."
Arche replayed the people she had met in the Holy Kingdom.
Calca, Kelart, Gustavo, Neia, Remedios.
They all fit within "human limits."
Strong perhaps, but not overwhelming.
Only Rifa was different.
Remedios—Arche believed she could beat someday.
But Rifa?
The moment Arche saw her, she felt hopeless defeat.
The gap was too wide.
"If you ever wish to persuade a Player, remember—
the one you must reach is the Player. NPCs will commit suicide or annihilate nations if commanded."
"Even so… I want to start by believing. Surely even NPCs treasure their comrades."
"They do. Which is exactly what makes them dangerous."
Kaiser closed his eyes.
Was he too cynical?
Too trapped by his experiences?
Am I the one who's wrong?
He almost laughed at himself.
Kaiser, like Arche, wanted to believe again.
He wanted to believe NPCs were living beings—
capable of valuing life, capable of thinking for themselves even without a master's command.
He wanted to believe their hands could reach each other.
That they could stand on the same side.
It was just tragic that befriending the Player would be easier.
"We're here."
Arche looked forward.
"…A grave?"
Three graves stood before them—weathered, humble markers.
An old bottle of alcohol had been placed there long ago.
Vines had grown around them; flowers had bloomed.
There were no names.
Kaiser saw that Arche noticed this.
"I wrote their names. Many times. Crying while doing it."
"But…?"
"I couldn't."
"Couldn't write them…?"
"They have no bodies. No names. No existence."
"That's why I'm alive today. That's why I became the 'Guardian' named Kaiser."
"…Your comrades?"
"You asked me once, didn't you? If my comrades were so great, why does no one know their legends? Why is there no record of their achievements?"
"Yes…"
"They had achievements. They had legends."
His voice trembled faintly.
"They were simply… erased."
"To keep me alive."
His comrades had no choice but to sacrifice themselves.
Kaiser was the only one with even a tiny chance of defeating that thing.
To grant immortality to a frail human, they offered their lives.
Their final request was simple:
"Protect humanity."
Perhaps it had only been a dying wish spoken in the moment.
But Kaiser survived alone.
So he upheld it forever.
Few alive knew the story of Kaiser's comrades now.
Only a handful remained.
A certain vampire—now called Evil-Eye—was one of them.
She once said:
"Their dying wish wasn't a will…It was a curse."
She meant it with concern for Kaiser.
And when he heard it, Kaiser felt something warm in his long-cold heart.
"But the book I have—it was written by your… um… comrade, right? Is that comrade different from these comrades?"
"They're the same. It's just that, for some reason, the one I had didn't disappear. I don't know why."
Back then, Kaiser had taken it, thinking he would learn magic.
But by that time Kaiser was already complete—
far beyond the stage of needing to "learn" magic.
And since his interest had only been casual to begin with, he had put in little effort.
Before he could return the book, that thing had appeared.
In the end, Kaiser was left with the book by circumstance.
But even if he hadn't had it at the time, his comrade probably would have given it to him anyway.
Kaiser placed a hand on the grave.
Back then, Kaiser had rejected their decision.
He had screamed that it wasn't right.
That he couldn't be the only one to survive.
He had cried out that it shouldn't be allowed.
The magic would grant immortality to a human,
might grant power—but it required sacrificing his comrades, erasing their existence, making them as if they had never been.
Everything about them would remain only inside Kaiser.
He couldn't accept that.
So he had tried, desperately, to refuse.
But they had already decided.
In that situation, the only one whose attacks could reach that thing was Kaiser.
By that time, Kaiser was already far beyond his comrades.
His comrades were never weak—far from it—
but Kaiser had already transcended human limits.
He simply became something not human after achieving victory.
"...Please tell me the story."
"…So suddenly?"
"I want to hear it. Everything about you, Kaiser-sama."
"…It will be long."
"That's fine."
Kaiser let out a faint smile as he recalled the past—
a past still vivid to him.
Evil Eye had once said their final request was a "curse"that killed Kaiser's humanity.
If his comrades were watching him now, surely they would cry, saying "That's not what we meant."
But if they saw Kaiser now…
Maybe they would still smile for him.
"Well then. The story of how the 'Kaiser Legend' began with the 108 Demons… Actually, that wasn't the beginning. That was simply when people started calling me Kaiser."
"Really?"
Kaiser sat down before the grave and continued speaking.
They had planned to reach the Re-Estize Kingdom today, but now it seemed they would be late.
....
Meanwhile…
Nabe—no, Nabeal Gamma—waited quietly for orders.
At the moment, Nabe was physically alone—but not truly alone.
She had activated Message, waiting for commands from their supreme creator, their absolute ruler,
Ainz Ooal Gown.
Technically, Ainz should also have been in E-Rantel,
under the name "Momon."
But due to Cocytus and the Lizardmen situation, he was away.
Still, Nabe felt it improper to idle alone.
So she waited for orders.
Ainz's calm voice echoed through the spell.
[As I said earlier, Kaiser's disciple will be going to the Kingdom. There's no guarantee she'll come to E-Rantel—but no guarantee she won't, either.]
Kaiser.
Nabe still struggled to believe it.
That the strongest of the Floor Guardians—Shalltear—had been defeated by a single human.
And not even using any special items.
But if the Supreme Being said so, and the Guardians said so—Nabe's personal doubts meant nothing.
[If—just if—you encounter Kaiser's disciple, do not commit any discourtesy. Especially anything like "lower lifeform" or "insect." Such remarks are absolutely forbidden. Maintain friendly relations if possible.]
"Kaiser himself is one thing…but must we truly go that far for his disciple?"
[According to Yuri, who met Kaiser in the Holy Kingdom, he treasures his disciple deeply.]
Nabe recalled: Yuri had left for the Holy Kingdom to gather intel on Kaiser.
None had expected she would actually meet him—
and discover he had a disciple.
From Ainz's perspective, that was an invaluable piece of intelligence.
[If we give his disciple a bad impression, and Kaiser develops hostility toward Nazarick, it would be bad.
Kaiser's power is an unknown—too unknown. We must always consider the worst possibility.]
Nabe hesitated before asking:
"…Forgive me, Ainz-sama, but… what is the 'worst' you refer to?"
Ainz paused.
Then he answered.
[That Kaiser alone could invade Nazarick…
and destroy it.]
Nabe froze.
Impossible, she wanted to say.
He was merely human.
No matter how old—still just a human.
Yet Ainz's next words chilled her.
[Even with home-ground advantage, even with our World Items, we cannot dismiss the possibility without evaluation. Until we know Kaiser's full power,
we must treat him as a hypothetical threat.
Do you understand, Nabeal?]
"Yes. I understand perfectly."
Nabe felt a cold shiver down her spine.
Was he really that powerful?
Enough to frighten Ainz-sama?
The idea disgusted her—that a lowly human could instill caution in Ainz—but orders were orders.
[His disciple will likely stay in the Kingdom. If—again, if—you meet her, maybe take a quest together.
Build rapport. Momon can say he is traveling to search for the vampire we're hunting—like Honyopenyoko. And since the girl is an adamantite adventurer, it works out well.]
Personally, Ainz hoped this would help Nabe learn—
not to befriend humans necessarily, but at least to treat them normally. Humans were not all fools.
…Probably.
[I will say it again. Do NOT call her a lower lifeform.
Do NOT call her an insect. Yuri said she does not yet know about our existence—but we do not know when Kaiser might tell her.]
"…So my task is to maintain friendly relations with her, if possible?"
[Correct.Well—if you make a friend, that would be nice too.]
Ainz paused.
Was this excessive caution?
Perhaps.
Kaiser's disciple might never come to E-Rantel.
Even if she did, she might rest instead of taking quests.
But forging a tie with the disciple meant forging a tie with Kaiser.
That alone held enormous value.
[Then I leave it to you, Nabe.]
"Yes, Ainz-sama!"
The Message ended with a click.
Nabe glanced around, making sure no one had overheard.
Satisfied, she exhaled softly.
"...Forming bonds with humans…Well. It is Ainz-sama's command. Besides—there's no guarantee that she'll even come to E-Rantel."
She nodded to herself.
No need to overthink it.
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