"So I'll be going now, Gown-dono." Gazef Stronoff waved at him and mounted his horse.
With a hoarse voice and heavy bags under his eyes, the Warrior Captain didn't look as gallant as he had when first arriving in Carne Village, but his relaxed smile showcased that his good mood persisted.
"Why so soon, Stronoff-dono? Can't you rest for a while longer before going back? You look tired…"
"Did your search go well?" Ainz asked despite knowing the answer.
"Hahaha, unfortunately not," Gazef showed his left hand to him, now missing one ring.
"We searched the field the whole night and even continued in the morning, but we couldn't find it. I wonder if those men from the Slaine Theocracy stole it using a spell or something."
"I'm sorry about that. If only I had been capable of holding them back then, this wouldn't have happened." Ainz said apologetically.
"What are you talking about, Gown-dono? I already can't thank you enough for saving us. How could I blame you for that?"
"Tell you what, after I return and finish my report of what happened here to the king, I'll ask a buddy who is a magic caster to come here and use magic to see if he can find the ring. Maybe I'll be lucky." The man laughed it off.
"Yeah, I hope you find it soon."
"If you ever come to the capital, be sure to notify me, Gown-dono. I can't do much for a man such as yourself, but I can still treat you to a round of beers, and the king is a generous man; I'm sure he would like to reward you for what you did here."
"Hoho, now that's tempting. I'll be sure to visit someday, Stronoff-dono. Until then, have a safe travel back home."
With that, he watched as the Warrior Captain and his Warrior Troup left, leaving a cloud of dust in their wake.
"What an interesting man this Warrior Captain of the Re-Estize Kingdom is."
There was nothing particularly outstanding about him, and his powers, while great for the weak people of this world, were negligible in the eyes of the ruler of the Great Tomb of Nazarick.
And yet, he was still charmed by his selflessness and courage.
"So likable he is, that I even feel a bit guilty for deceiving him." Ainz removed a silver ring with draconic patterns and a large emerald from his inventory.
This was the ring that Gazef had been searching for throughout the night.
He initially didn't feel much greed for this item, but after using magic to detect its effects, there was no way for him not to snatch it from the man.
This ring could give the user a temporary boost of 5 warrior levels for 10 minutes every 6 hours.
This effect was not restricted by level, so it could even be used by a level 100 being, such as himself and the Floor Guardians.
If in the hands of someone like Gazef, this could elevate him to the so-called Realm of Heroes; in theirs, it could bring forth a power beyond the limits of what the game Yggdrasil allowed.
This was too tempting an opportunity for him to pass on, so he ordered one of the Eight-Edge assassins to steal the ring while the Warrior Captain was unconscious.
"Well, I think this is a reasonable reward for saving his life, so I won't dwell on it."
He continued to observe the Warrior Troupe until they were no longer visible on the horizon, and then turned to Sebas, who had been silently guarding him this whole time.
"It's time for us to go back home."
"As you wish, Ainz-sama." Sebas bowed in acknowledgment.
"Hum. Let's say our farewells to the good people of Carne Village, then."
They made their way towards the village chief and conveyed their intention of parting.
The man didn't seem happy to see them leaving, but understood that he couldn't keep them there forever, only asking for them to wait for a short while in his house, to which he agreed.
It didn't take long for Ainz to sense many people approaching the house.
He didn't need to use any skill to understand who these people were.
He opened the door and was greeted by the sight of all the surviving members of Carne Village.
Children, adults, and the elderly had all come to see him off with smiles on their faces.
Enri Enmot was among them, hugging her sister while the members of her goblin troupe surrounded her, looking warily, but also respectfully, at him.
Tears rolled from her eyes, falling on the ground even as her smile turned brighter and brighter.
"Thank you, Ainz-sama!" She got on her knees and bowed to him as she choked with emotion.
Following her lead, one by one, all the other villagers got on their knees and thanked him profusely
Upon seeing this scene, Ainz was invaded by a strange emotion.
His centuries of unlife left him ill-equipped to understand this feeling that was flowing through his bones so strongly that even his undead body could not suppress it.
Many images surged through his mind.
Battlefields where hundreds of thousands fought against his armies, dying meaningless deaths while trying to stop him.
Many great civilizations that flourished for millennia succumbing as he passed through them.
Wherever he went, curses would be thrown at him.
The eyes looking at him would be filled only with fear and hatred, and at some point, he got used to it, coming to believe that this was how things should be.
But now he was faced with a scene like this.
He didn't know it was possible for him, the Demon Lord, to be so sincerely thanked by a group of people.
Had I the capacity for tears, would I be crying right now?
He couldn't be sure, for even in his life as a human, he had not been one prone to tears.
Molded by his harsh reality, he could count on one hand the number of times he had truly cried.
He cried bitter tears for many days after finding his mother dead in the kitchen. At 12, losing his only family left him in a state of despair.
He didn't cry when his childhood friend sold herself to a young CEO to pay her parents' debts, but tears inevitably fell when he found her body on the streets a month later.
Caught in a powerless fury, he had to watch as her death was ruled as suicide, and as her parents, who had been like second parents to him, died in grief not long after.
From then on, he thought he had no more tears to cry, but they still came on the day the last of his friends handed him their equipment before saying goodbye and leaving the guild.
For him, crying was something that could only happen when he was profoundly sad, when he despaired, when the pain was too great for his body to contain.
But right now, it was not pain he felt.
This sweet emotion that filled his being made him feel vulnerable, but he didn't dislike it.
If he could cry, the tears would be tears of happiness.
A small hope flickered in his non-existent heart. He hoped that one day he could face these people without a mask. Show them his true nature and be accepted for who he is.
He thanked the people of Carne Village, promising to take care of them in the future, and as he did so, a new notification appeared before him.
[Do you wish to claim Carne Village as one of your territories?]
Ainz smiled.