Valkyrie's Shadow

Winter's Crown: Act 8, Chapter 3

Winter's Crown: Act 8, Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Upon entering the glittering realm of the Guild Treasury, Ainz took two steps before releasing a sigh.

Safe…or am I?

The remainder of his stroll to the teleportation area in the central district was uneventful, though he had half-expected Albedo to pop out of another garden along the way to counter Shalltear in…whatever it was. Maybe she would bring followers of her own, as well.

Followers, hm…

Though Pandora’s Actor had mentioned something along similar lines in the past, it was still a surprise for Ainz to personally see Shalltear interacting with outsiders. There was an endless sea of question marks floating in his head as to how exactly she had achieved what she had with the transportation network, and this was a piece of the puzzle he was not aware of previously.

After securing the Runesmiths from the Dwarf Kingdom, he was left with a Shalltear who was very eager to move forward and earn accomplishments in his name. In response, Ainz had haphazardly dumped the Frost Dragons into her care and mumbled ‘go’ with a loosely constructed notion that it would work based on her settings and experience. Shalltear then went off happily on her own, and her progress came in leaps and bounds. With the startling growth displayed whenever he skimmed through the reports, he thought that she would have some sort of fantasy transportation empire under her sooner or later.

The Sorcerous Kingdom had ended up with a functional aerial transportation network using the Frost Dragons as its backbone. Then a profitable postal service popped up, but it didn’t stop there. He heard talk about a postal bank and a mail-order delivery service, and they were even investigating air travel. In addition, Shalltear had involved herself with land transport and infrastructure as well. She even remembered the months-old meeting with the Dwarf Kingdom’s Regency Council, where Ainz had pledged to establish a proper trade route between their two nations. Survey work was being done right at that very moment, with the added bonus of it being used as crucial field experience for Adventurer Guild expeditions.

With her tremendous progress thus far, it was probably fine to hand over the full responsibilities of a ‘Minister of Transportation’ to Shalltear at this point. The other Guardians had started to slip into roles suited for them, each leading their respective departments in the Sorcerous Kingdom’s government. Shalltear was both eager and showed continued promise in her work, and Ainz could hardly say that he could do any better in her place. It would be one less thing for him to worry about, and one more step towards being freed from his responsibilities as a ruler.

The task that Ainz had assigned to Shalltear was not something one could do on their own. It required the coordinated efforts of numerous people. What astonished him was that she had enlisted the aid of outsiders. He was almost certain that she would rely solely on her Vampire Brides and the Elder Liches trained for the administration.

Then again…perhaps it should have been expected? The two women that she had introduced were young and beautiful, falling right into multiple preferences listed in her settings. The tall one that Pandora’s Actor had transformed into was also attractive in her own way. If Shalltear were to go out and draw outsiders to her, building a ‘harem’ of those that suited her tastes was exactly what she would do. He doubted there were any men amongst those she had gathered.

Ainz scratched his cheek as his thoughts became mixed on the matter. Peroroncino had left him with a rather troublesome daughter.

She didn’t feed on them, did she? He had forbidden unjustified attacks on the citizens, so it was unlikely that she would, barring the activation of her Blood Frenzy. Given everything that went into her settings, it might be said that Shalltear had the most self-control out of all of the Guardians, and the expectations of carnage and destruction from her by the others was a small part of the whole that might leak out.

Countess Wagner and Baroness Gagnier did not have the pale skin and red eyes of Vampires, so they at least appeared to have not been turned. Since the Undead were rated highly in her preferences, however, Shalltear might eventually have one brought to her as an addition to her collection. Intelligent Undead such as Vampires and Elder Liches were commonly known to exist by the locals, and the nearby Katze Plains could serve as a source to draw from.

That might be interesting. The Undead that he created were proven to be incapable of developing beyond the bounds of what was already possible for them. They could not level, nor could they develop new Skills, Abilities, Magic or Martial Arts. Finding an intelligent Undead being that willingly joined the Sorcerous Kingdom would surely turn up some interesting findings…

“…Ainz-sama?”

Ainz spun around in shock. He was grateful for his emotional suppression, else he would have leapt up with a ‘kyaa!’. Behind him stood Pandora’s Actor, cradling a large crate in his arms. He stood in the place where one entered the Treasury, so he must have just teleported in from the outside.

“O-oh,” the sound fell out of Ainz’s mouth, then he cleared his throat and tried again. “Pandora’s Actor – new acquisitions?”

“Indeed, Ainz-sama!” He clicked his polished boots together smartly, “Though there is nothing of notable power, I have gathered various magic items for the ideas that they represent. Many of them have, hmm…questionable applications, but I shall leave no stone unturned!”

“Questionable…do you mean in their use as equipment and general utility?”

“That and more, Ainz-sama!” Pandora’s forceful reply caused Ainz to frown, “Though I will say that a truly useless item is unheard of – the markets here have a way of ensuring that foolish ideas do not last for long. There are also several that I have not quite puzzled out yet.”

“Is that so,” Ainz couldn’t help but lean over and look into the top of the crate. “I found quite a few things in my time as Momon, but the notable innovations presented were mostly civilian in nature – nothing that would directly strengthen Nazarick’s fighting strength.”

That being said, if some of the citizens started to join Cocytus’ newly-formed army, this might change. To the Undead, however, creature comforts were a non-factor.

“Speaking of innovations,” Ainz said. “Are you aware of any new developments with our Runecrafting efforts?”

There probably wasn’t anything on that front. It was just over a month since the Runesmiths finished moving into their new facilities in Carne Village. According to the reports, they were currently exploring the boundaries of what was currently possible with their craft – or as Lupusregina put it, they were playing around.

“There should be nothing that you’re not aware of in terms of new developments…” Pandora’s Actor tilted his head in thought, “actually, there might be one thing.”

“Hoh? Do tell.”

“Applications of what amounts to low-level Runecraft have been put into practice by Countess Wagner, in her ongoing efforts to improve our logistical capabilities.”

Her again?

As he recalled, Pandora’s Actor, as Momon, was involved with the young noblewoman, and Albedo had taken note of her. Her contributions set her more in line with Shalltear’s work, but he was curious about the overall relationship between this rising star and the three NPCs.

“The work in Carne is supposed to be top secret, is it not?” Ainz frowned, “Did someone decide it prudent to include her in the research efforts?”

“Perish the thought, Ainz-sama! No one would dare go against your standing orders. Countess Wagner actually discovered it on her own – her merchant’s instincts are extraordinarily keen. Once trade opened with the Dwarf Kingdom, her agents were already out finding everything they could about the Dwarven Kingdom and potential paths to profitability.”

“I see,” Ainz said. “So rather than breaching Carne’s security, she was made aware of its existence by investigating the Dwarven Kingdom.”

“I believe she was aware of its existence before even that,” Pandora’s Actor said. “While it does not have a great deal of exposure in the region, it is also not a secret – the Dwarves exported Runecrafted items to their neighbours in centuries past. I believe she took her knowledge of the costs of Runecraft, combined it with the Sorcerous Kingdom’s low cost of living in the future, and decided that it would be competitive with enchanting. Unfortunately for Countess Wagner, you were far ahead of her in that thinking.”

No, I wasn’t…

The thought hadn’t crossed his mind at all, but he couldn’t say that he only conceived of visiting the Dwarves because he didn’t know anything about Runecraft at all.

“If we secured all the Runesmiths from the Dwarf Kingdom,” Ainz asked, “how was she able to apply Runecraft to her work?”

“Ah, well,” Pandora’s Actor shifted the crate in his arms, “she actually spoke to me at length about it, asking what happened to the Runesmiths that migrated here after you visited the Dwarf Kingdom. I couldn’t tell her about Carne or their research, but I did confirm with the Runesmiths that they could fashion the Runes she was looking for. Within a day, she had come up with the design of a wagon that incorporated the use of those Runes.”

Ainz could only remain silent in the face of such an ambitious talent. There were a number of them in the Sorcerous Kingdom, but the nobles were the ones with the means to pursue their ambitions independently, and they did so without hesitation.

“You have my most profuse apologies if I overstepped my bounds, Ainz-sama.”

“Hm? Ah, no, the faster we have a marketable product for the Runecraft industry, the better. Perhaps my initial expectations were for something flashier that would put our products in the spotlight. You have done well in this, but tell me: do you believe it is safe for such ambitious individuals to act so freely?”

“Well,” Pandora’s Actor started carefully, “if I were to borrow something along the lines of what Albedo sometimes says about the citizens – that swine should live like swine and die after giving everything they have for their breeders – Merchants should live like Merchants and bring prosperity to the nation, yes?”

Ainz snorted at the twist on the Guardian Overseer’s malevolent views.

“I suppose I can’t disagree over the potential benefits for the Sorcerous Kingdom, but I was referring to any threats they might represent.”

“Threats? Hmm…our most promising talents have each received a Ring of Mental Fortitude. Foreign, or at least belligerent, actors might use enchantment or divination to abuse their authority, abduct them or steal their ideas from us, so this measure seemed prudent. Before that, however, I did have the opportunity to read their thoughts. These particular nobles are what one might consider paragons of the aristocracy, Ainz-sama: duty and obligation are inseparable from who they are. They are Human, yes, but they cut from an entirely different cloth compared to the common folk of the realm. As long as they perceive that the contract that binds you to them is being upheld, they will remain loyal no matter what their personal feelings may be.”

That sounded a bit frightening. From a rational standpoint, Ainz thought that he could understand how they functioned, but was it really possible for a Human to be that way? In all of his experiences on Earth and this New World, Humans were inexorably tied to their emotions – there was no such thing as someone who could completely detach themselves from them, barring some mental illness. Or perhaps…

“Does it have something to do with their job class?”

“I beg your pardon, Ainz-sama?”

“There are many portrayals of the nobility,” he explained. “But they often feel exaggerated to fantastic lengths: at least until we witness said portrayals with our own eyes. They can be unbelievably stalwart in the face of adversity or loss, enact unflinching justice against friends and loved ones, or commit atrocious misdeeds with no sympathy or regard for their fellow man. Your work in qualifying the mechanical systems that we may use to cultivate the strength of the Sorcerous Kingdom indicates that people do not inevitably learn their class skills – they must be realized through conscious development. According to your research, these skills are often not even recognized as such: taken for granted as commonsense or a simple fact of life.”

“Hm…there is a precedent, yes,” Pandora’s Actor said. “A few nobles have demonstrated the ability to fortify their vassals to a marginal degree, so it’s possible that they might also have some skill to fortify themselves, for better or worse. As for whether it might become a threat, mismanagement would be detected by Albedo once she digests the pertinent data, and corrective measures would be enacted. Rather than these individuals being a threat, Ainz-sama, I believe that these promising talents can be harnessed to even greater degrees.”

“Harnessed, you say?”

“Yes, I’ve been thinking about it for a while now,” Pandora’s Actor said. “The unfortunate dichotomy between the growing influence of the Sorcerous Kingdom and the fame of the Sorcerer King. Slowly replacing trust in Momon with trust in the Sorcerer King may help with the population to an extent, but I believe several opportunities have presented themselves that will catapult your image to the greatest heights.”

What did this have to do with what they had been talking about? Just like that, Ainz lost all grasp of where their discussion was headed.

“Ah, mm, yes – I thought we might have something like a modest statue, but…”

“Statue?”

Pandora’s Actor leaned forward with far too much intensity for someone holding a crate. Ainz snapped his mouth shut, raising a hand as he cleared his throat noisily.

“Never mind,” he said. “What was it you were going to say?”

“Yes, Ainz-sama. The use of Momon as a means to solidify trust in the person of the Sorcerer King is sound in principle,” Pandora’s Actor stated, “but is there a reason why we do not take this principle further?”

“What are you proposing?”

“Well, the idea is that a great man – Momon – has subordinated himself to a great ruler, which would be Ainz-sama. It is as if to say that ‘if this great man serves a king, then that king must be worthy of their service’.”

“Ah, yes,” Ainz couldn’t quite look Pandora’s Actor in the eye, “I suppose that was part of the reason Momon exists…”

“Thus would it not befit Ainz-sama to command the loyalty of many great people? Merchants, Artisans, Diplomats, Artists, Generals – great figures from all walks of life, all under the banner of the one who reigns supreme? Surely the world itself would then look to the Sorcerous Kingdom and be helplessly drawn to its shining allure. The strong seek the strong; intellectuals flock to centres of learning; the powerful gather in the places of power. Allowing great people to flourish in the Sorcerous Kingdom would achieve all of these ends and more. Momon would be but a single man amongst many who have pledged their allegiance to the greatest sovereign that the world will ever know!”

Ainz leaned back from the sheer intensity of his pitch. Thankfully, with the crate in his arms, he could not gesticulate as wildly as he normally would. There was an undeniable logic to his words, however, but there was no way that Ainz could hold his ground standing over so many brilliant people…

“Meaning to say, this Countess Wagner can be used as such a person?”

“Indeed, Ainz-sama!”

“Do you believe similar people can be so easily found?”

“I do not, Ainz-sama,” Pandora’s Actor replied, “but we have a good start, and we have an eternity to cultivate such individuals. We do appear to have a monopoly on immortality, after all.”

“Immortality…then the use of race-change items to secure these great people for eternity is a part of your proposal.”

“That is correct, Ainz-sama,” he nodded. “I believe Albedo has already taken similar steps with her own…protégé, shall we call her?”

He had a point – Albedo already procured two Fallen Seeds from the treasury to secure the eternal cooperation of a promising individual in the Kingdom of Re-Estize. He had also offered Cocytus a Feather of Ascension when they had subjugated the Lizardmen long before that. There was no point in hesitation; the use of these items had been on the table for over a year now.

The idea also caused a new worry to rise in his mind. Ainz had come to accept the idea that there were no Players in this part of the world, but it did not mean that they did not exist elsewhere. What if there was another guild base that had appeared in some unknown place, raising their strength the same way? What if they had been in this world long before Nazarick’s arrival? There was plenty of evidence that other Players had existed in the past, and their influence could be detected everywhere.

If that was the case, not doing their utmost to raise the overall potential of Nazarick and the Sorcerous Kingdom would be foolish to the extreme.

“Your proposal has my tentative approval,” Ainz said, “but we should be frugal with our resources. Aside from this Countess Wagner, have you identified any other candidates?”

“There are a number of them, but there are four in particular that have clearly distinguished themselves since the founding of the Sorcerous Kingdom. As they were the first to truly enter in your service, it feels fitting that they should be the first to be offered the opportunity to stay.”

Immortality in exchange for the loyal service of the most accomplished of individuals – it would certainly draw attention. He recalled the fresh image of Countess Wagner as he tried to figure out what a race change might look like.

“What races did you have in mind?” He asked.

“The options will have to be examined carefully,” Pandora’s Actor answered. “I have worries not only about build incompatibility, but also whether such a change might adversely affect their personalities.”

“That is true,” Ainz nodded. “A race change may offer some unwelcome surprises…also, there are no Yggdrasil Races with levels that can substitute for Merchants, in Countess Wagner’s case.”

“Neither is there something similar to an aristocratic class, which I assume these individuals possess. I am still uncertain if they are even restricted to Humans, and Demihuman ruler classes display distinctly different qualities compared to our civilian nobles.”

“It would be better to take your time with it, then,” Ainz said. “While we have many race change items for the time being, they are not reusable. We will need to be frugal with them over the years.”

“Of course, Ainz-sama.”

With their discussion concluded, Ainz turned around and took several steps before stopping again. His gaze swept over the mountains of treasure and up the walls stuffed with items that stretched up and out of sight. Why had he come here in the first place?

“Ainz-sama?”

Ainz turned and bumped his elbow into the box being carried by Pandora’s Actor. Why did he have to follow so closely?

He reached into his inventory and retrieved the folded paper that had been deposited into the suggestion box.

“What is the meaning of this?” He asked as he held it out.

Pandora’s Actor leaned forward to read the text scrawled upon the parchment.

“This is…Shalltear’s writing, is it not? If that’s the case, it should be that.”

“It could be interpreted as an accusation of theft,” Ainz said, “against the Guardian Overseer, no less. You had better start from the beginning of what you know.”

“If I recall correctly,” Pandora’s Actor said after a moment’s thought, “some Frost Dragon eggs were confiscated by the authorities last week. The Judiciary reports to Albedo, so, as the head of the department, it could be said that she is responsible.”

“Why is the Judiciary confiscating Frost Dragon eggs?”

The unperturbed tone of Pandora’s Actor caused Ainz to frown internally. Was this some regular occurrence? Did the Sorcerous Kingdom take away the children of its subjects on a regular basis?

“According to the report,” Pandora’s Actor replied, “the person apprehended was attempting to sell them.”

“So someone managed to make off with Frost Dragon eggs somehow…wait, no – why did Shalltear submit this if that were the case? What about the Dragon that laid the eggs? Are they being kept for security purposes?”

“The Dragon that laid the eggs was the person trying to sell them.”

“Hah?”

Frost Dragons were supposedly terrible parents, but was it to this extent? Rather than the individual in question having their children taken from them, had they been instead attempting to sell them? Slavery was illegal in the Sorcerous Kingdom, so…huh? What now? Was it protective custody? Was this a custody dispute between Shalltear and Albedo?

“I believe the reasoning was that, since the care and maintenance of the Frost Dragons were provided entirely for by the Sorcerous Kingdom, any goods produced by the Frost Dragons rightfully belong to the Sorcerous Kingdom. Both the culinary staff and the researchers in Ashurbanipal are highly interested in them.”

Are they chickens? How often do they lay eggs?

“Why would they go towards research?” Ainz asked, “Increasing the number of Frost Dragons we have seems like the better investment.”

“Ah, it would be,” Pandora’s Actor answered, “but, in this case, the eggs were not fertilized.”

“Then say so in the first place!” Ainz wanted to violently shake the Doppelganger, “Is Shalltear aware of this?”

“I’m uncertain of that, Ainz-sama,” Pandora’s Actor replied, “should I have them returned?”

“That might be for the best,” Ainz told him. “A nation shouldn’t steal from its own subjects…well, actually, if they were being sold anyways, why not just offer to pay for them? Something like this shouldn’t be that costly, and the settlement should satisfy all interested parties.”

“I will see to it at once, Ainz-sama.”

“Good,” Ainz nodded. “Also, I believe that it should be a given, but I will say it anyway: Albedo must not know about this note. Things have been peaceful as of late, and I’d prefer that it stay that way.”