Chapter 25: Item, Get

The birds had long flown away as if they knew something awful was hiding in the forest. A forest that should be lively with sounds of all kinds of creatures was deadly quiet. It didn't take long until the reason for this uneasy silence revealed itself.

A man came out of the dark thicket of the forest covered in full-body armor. It was a sinister design for armor that made the Divine Chant's hair on the back of her neck stand up. Black metal armor with several sharp and pointy edges coming irregularly out of the armor, portraying the purpose of this 'armor'. To kill.

The blackness of the armor seemed to consume every bit of light it touched, like an unholy thing that ought to stay hidden. The only thing that made it visible in the night was the slowly pulsing red lines, which were running through the entire design of the armor. It looked like the armor was a living thing, pumping blood through the lines.

The armor was so attention-attracting that she barely noticed he carried a concealed object in his right hand. Though looking at its constant motion underneath the black substance that was covering it coming from the armor, it was not something to be ignored and had to be treated with caution. Perhaps it was a weapon or a creature hiding underneath it.

All her colleagues were on edge and they seem to sense the same thing as they looked at this being that paraded around as a humanoid mortal. Despite its efforts, they knew that this was something beyond normal mortals. Perhaps even eclipsing the two god-kins they had in the Black Scripture.

She didn't dare to imagine what this would mean for them. The only thing she could focus on was the creature that walked out of the forest as if it was taking a casual stroll. It's every moment was mesmerizing, demanding attention, especially his red, glowing eyes. It screamed of corrupted god-like power. She was so... scared that she had the urge to throw herself at its feet.

It was only when the captain called out that they were able to move again. The veterans, the most powerful people the Slane Theocracy offered, minus one, had been stupefied.

The captain called out for Kaire to use the item, something they had taken with them with the expectation of using it on the Catastrophe Dragon Lord, but they didn't question his decision. It was clear their life was on the line. Besides, once they controlled it, they could kill it and use the item again.

After his voice fell, the being in armor made its move as well. Instantly bursting out into a sprint. A dark sword appeared in its hands and slashed at the captain, who had jumped to the front to meet the unknown assailant.

The captain blocked the strike, but the force pushed him sliding into the forest. A blink later and their captain disappeared from their sight. After batting away the captain, the being circled around Cedran's shield bash. Before Cedran could react, his arm holding his shield was cut off. Holy Spirit immediately reacted and called upon her divine energy to heal him. Quickly chanting her spell.

Unfortunately, the being didn't stop and just headed straight for Kaire. The others were already moving to intercept, but they were too late. The sword cut through Kaire's face unhindered. Her face diagonally separated in two. As the blood spurted out like a fountain, the creature just touched her dress, causing it to instantly disappear.

It side-stepped the axe strike coming from behind him and swiftly slashed through the powerful arms of the one they called the 'Strongest Human'. With a backhand, it smashed the behemoth of a man away as it was swatting a fly, leaving behind the enormous axe lodged in the ground.

Divine Chant blinked, and the being was suddenly gone. She didn't stop to think about the fact that he had been clearly here for the dress as she was casting another spell to boost Cedran and sent him back into the fight. A look over at the other man and his bleeding face revealed he wouldn't die, though the loss of blood because of his cut-off arms would be problematic. She needed to heal him immediately.

Sudden sounds from metal clashing alerted her, though she continued to chant her spell at the downed man. As she chanted, she only dared to glance at the clash to assess the situation. The fight was between her captain and the devil that had disposed of Quintia and one of his beasts before he could summon another.

Spells were released by her other colleagues, but the creature easily dodged and nullified them. The realization that they wouldn't be able to contend against this creature settled slowly but surely. It was the moment she cast another boost spell on the others when, suddenly, the entire ground beneath them lit up. It shone as if it would explode. The bright light forced her to close her eyes before... a warm and gentle hug comforted her.

Illusory whispers that seemed to tell her the truth of reality enlightened her before they disappeared like smoke in the wind. The more desperate she tried to remember the words, the less she could remember. The only thing that she clearly remembered was the moment the comforting touch had left her body-

She opened her eyes again and abruptly rose, only for the pain at her temple to assault her. She winced slightly before casting a healing spell on herself, easing the pain and hopefully healing whatever was inflicted on her.

"Easy there." She was startled by the voice for a moment. A familiar face appeared in her view. It was her captain, who looked roughed up and pale. A sight she had never seen on him besides when he had fought with Zesshi.

After calming down, she assessed the surroundings. A look around revealed where they were at. She knew this hall. It was where they revived the dead... She had died?

...

I reveled in the taste of the muffin the maids had created with Albedo's instructions. Oh, this woman was truly wonderful... Besides enjoying the food I thought I would never taste again in my life, my mind was currently on the item that was now in my possession. Downfall of castle and country. An item that could allow one to mind control, anyone, regardless of their immunity.

If it came hard to hard, I could use it to influence my target. Ainz was immune due to his world item gem, but most of Nazarick would be fair game as they didn't have a world item, though there was hardly a need for that. In fact, it would only get unnecessary attention if the others got alerted because the controlled NPCs wouldn't be listed as part of Nazarick.

However, for anyone else in the world, it was practically the perfect tool. The only thing that was unfortunate was the fact that it could only control one at a time, which was pretty limiting considering that we were practically fighting against an entire world. Of course, it still had its uses, as I could just kill the controlled and start anew.

No matter what, it was probably one of the or maybe even the most important thing to get, especially since I wouldn't be as paranoid about getting controlled by some low-level humans. Luckily I had Ginnungagap with me.

The thought of the world item, which Albedo had lent me, made me wonder when she would arrive. Her item was still inside my inventory and I would feel more reassured if she had it on her person. It was why I sent her back to the safety of Nazarick's walls.

I pulled her world item out of my inventory and looked at it for a moment. I couldn't help but shake my head. It was kind of ridiculous to have her hand this over to me. Of course, on paper, it sounded logical for her willingness to give it to me, as she loved me, but I was still quite happy that she didn't even have to think about it.

Without hesitation, not even needing to hear the reason, she gave me the most powerful item in her possession. Something left behind by her creator. If that wasn't love, what was it? Hehehe.

"Oh shoot, he has guests?" I heard a voice mutter through the door before some hasty movements and clinking sounded out.

"Come inside," I called out and glanced at the now-opening door where the woman I had saved from the demi-kind appeared. What was her name again? She looked around, expecting to find someone else in here. She wouldn't, as I didn't allow any other summon or NPC to be in my room and watch me.

Of course, it had displeased Yuri a lot, but I was just more stubborn than her and with the royal maids not speaking up for her, she eventually dropped the issue and accepted my 'carelessness'. Though I did mention that there was a possibility for her to guard me, she didn't guess it yet… Fubuki on the other hand had already figured it out, though she didn't build up the courage to sneak into my room at night yet.

The human placed two cups of steaming hot tea in front of me, which made me raise an eyebrow at her. Seeing my questioning gaze, she nervously bowed to me. "Sorry, I thought I heard a maiden giggle in here and brought another cup."

"..." I gestured for her to take the other cup and take it with her to the empty seat to the side, which she readily did. She sat down with the cup and then continued to watch me. Although I had forbidden any NPC from guarding me, it wasn't because I couldn't stand being scrutinized.

There was a simple reason for me remaining steadfast about something trivial like this. It was mostly to let others, in this case, Yuri, know I wouldn't be pressured by them to do something I didn't want to. That and it made keeping secrets easier.

I closed my eyes before bringing the cup to my lips and taking a sip as my mind sensed the dress in my inventory. It would suit Albedo, though I guessed any clothing would suit her. She could wear a trash back and look good in it...

I propped my chin on the back of my palm. Blankly watching ahead as I imagined her in it. I had cleaned it just in case I would give it to her or anyone, really. To be honest, a world item couldn't be dirtied. Even the blood on it was gone after I had taken it, though I still wasn't comfortable without having cleaned it. Perhaps it was because a grandma wore it and for a short time it was worn by a corpse...

Either way, there were still some experiments to do with it. I did have an absolutely loyal Fubuki to help me test whether I was immune to world items, but handing this over to someone was still making me uncomfortable...

If lore was the only thing I constructed my worldview on, I wouldn't hesitate to give this item to Albedo and let her try it on me. I knew Fubuki wouldn't betray me either and the novel and anime showed that the NPC followed their programming, but I wouldn't bet my life on it. That was why I was using my items with such great care.

Although I needed the time to develop and grow, I also needed to be careful and observe whether everything stayed the same and whether the things I planned didn't accidentally kill me or make me go insane. For that reason, I hadn't waltzed out without a world item and confronted the Black Scripture.

Without Ginnungagap, I had some other ideas to confront the Black Scripture like the few high-level mercenaries to confront them, something strong enough to warrant them using their world item on before I swooped in, killed granny, and left them to deal with the now uncontrolled creature.

If they had fled, it would have left a creature for Momon to boost his rank and raise his suspicion as he would recognize it as a high-level mercenary. A perfect plan to keep the plot intact, while I gained everything worthwhile. Well, now I grabbed it by myself and screwed some plot points over, which hopefully gave me a bit more time before Ainz grew bored with his adventurer act.

Besides, it wasn't like his mindset was going to be changed completely without this event. Ainz should have caught up with the reports and read about the world item Downfall of Castle and Country, so I wouldn't need to wait for long to have some safer world items to test their effect on me.

If Nigun's information hadn't convinced him that there truly were world items out on the market, then Clementine should be able to.

The description of the dress from Nigun was somewhat limited, but Clementine had been part of the Scripture, so she ought to be able to describe it better. Once Ainz knows there was a world item capable of controlling his precious NPCs, he would soon give out the world items in the vault. Honestly, it was already a miracle that he let Albedo keep hers, though I didn't quite remember whether he did it in the original timeline as well.

Perhaps it would have been better to let the plot play out and leave Shalltear to confront them, but I wasn't going to risk it. What would have happened if my mere presence caused them to successfully control her?

Not only would they have one of the most powerful NPCs on their side with all her equipment, but they would also gain knowledge about all of Nazarick's members. That was something to be prevented at all costs. Until now, everything had pointed towards this world following the rules I had read about, at least for the broad strokes.

Though there were some things I didn't know from the previous material and even now, by risking the plot to go into an unpredictable direction, there were going to be some things I wouldn't know, though I hoped I had gained some time to strengthen myself.

Ainz would take a lot longer to make himself a name and he might become a bit less cautious, though that was probably already a given as he would know a lot more about the world, its inhabitants, and 'our plans'. I couldn't help but sigh as I thought about my knowledge possibly getting less and less reliable the further we went into the plot.

I opened my eyes at an audible gulp and looked at the human who hadn't even started to drink her tea. Completely forgot about her, but I still wanted to ask her something I had heard Sueko mention. She averted her gaze to the floor in shame as she was caught staring at me. "I heard something interesting..." I started as I turned to her, not bothered that she had followed my every move. "... you know someone called Neia Baraja?"

...

I walked out of the inn onto the street where a lot of people were walking around on. It wasn't late, but it certainly wasn't early anymore, especially considering that in medieval times, early meant several hours before the sun rose.

Given my former preference as a human to actually get some sleep, this would have been early enough, but now I didn't truly need sleep, so if I ended up getting out of bed later, it would be because I was being lazy.

I was no slouch, so it was high time for me to get outside. "So, where are we going off to d-dear?" Fubuki asked, making me turn my head toward her. She bit her lip as she held my gaze.

"We are going out into the wild. I have some things to do." It was the same thing I said a couple of days again when I wanted to take a quest that was a bit further away from civilization, away from where I could be seen. I glanced to the side and looked at Fubuki, who was following my steps toward the adventurer's guild. "Remember that you answer to me. If you are concerned about something, come to me first."

Her lips trembled slightly before she hastily nodded her head. Although I knew she meant well and would worry about me dearly, I should have conveyed clearly that I would rather have her upset or even 'annoy' me by conveying her worries than keep it silent and fix it without having to 'bother' me. Of course, it would suck if she came for everything to me to receive my approval, but I was sure I would find a good balance in the coming days or weeks.

"Remember to forget last night's events, and good job, you did well." Her face practically beamed at the compliment before she hugged my arm as we continued our walk.

It didn't take long until we arrived at the guild. I noted we had successfully gotten a lot fewer stares than before. Most of them were because of our appearance and us being lovey-dovey, but they didn't seem to want to roll out the red carpet for me. It was rather easy to dial it down now after knowing it was a new passive I had gained from breaking the limits of my race and ascending to a higher state of being.

Now that I knew the origin of the strange behavior towards me, it made it easier to stop or control it. The influence I had gained on the mortal plane would be incredibly useful, but unfortunately, it wasn't like the passives I had gained from the game. I wasn't sure what the difference was, but I had attributed it to my body not being used to it. There was just a difference in mastery.

Having 'learned' a spell through the game now gave me the ability to cast a spell, no matter the circumstances. No matter how stressful the situation was unless someone magically interrupted me, I could cast it. Such a degree of mastery wasn't something one had the first time one learned something.

It was strange since I had a deeper understanding of things after consuming all the knowledge inside my books and my casting of newer spells was worse than the other spells I had previously only gained the 'superficial knowledge' of through the game. Or perhaps it was because it was only superficial knowledge and leaned more towards an instinctive usage of magic?

I shook my head. It wasn't like I could figure this out just by thinking about it. I only had to know that I would need to be able to use it perfectly before I could switch those things gained through my ascension off and on again at will, like all my other passives.

Until now, mastering this new passive was proving to be strenuous. Just having it under control and not having everyone look at me as if I was the second coming of Jesus Christ was demanding and seriously annoying. Though, like everything worthwhile, it would take time and a daily, consistent effort to master it fully. On the same note, I probably shouldn't have petted my new maid's head.

Touching someone, especially someone so much weaker than me, before I could completely control this passive, was to be avoided. Now I was down a maid for the next few hours. She would probably come in running later once she had solved her panty crisis 'without me knowing'. I should also figure out what her name was, otherwise it would only get more awkward with time...

It wasn't until we were a few dozen meters away from the entrance that we saw a paladin standing in front of it. He looked at each adventurer as if he was looking for someone. Oh, he spotted and now walked towards us...

"Lord Azazel?" He asked, though he looked fairly sure he was speaking to the correct adventurer, which he was. It certainly showed that he came looking for me with a description of me instead of having met me already.

"And you are?" His eyes widened at the realization that he didn't introduce himself before he put his hand on his chest and bowed slightly. He had short dirty blond hair and was a good-looking fellow in accordance with my old world's standard, only a bit above average around here from what I have seen until now. Probably 27 years old, fairly young, but obviously a veteran that had experienced a couple of close calls.

"I apologize, Sir. I am Sir Roland, a member of the Paladin Order. Do you perhaps have a minute? It concerns your and your fellowship's safety." He said quite solemnly, and it almost convinced me I was in actual danger, though I couldn't help but be curious. A member of the Paladin Order coming here to specifically warn me. Honestly, for a moment I thought I would have to deal with the Jehovah's Witness types in this world again, knocking on my door to convince me to join them... He wasn't, right?

"Some of my men have heard some rumors about your-" I held up my hand to interrupt him from speaking any further. He seriously didn't want to have this conversation here, right? I glanced at the curious stares of the surrounding passerby. Whatever he wanted to warn me about, it sounded like we shouldn't have this conversation on the open street. We should probably have this talk inside the guild. They had some rooms to have private negotiations, which were a fitting place to get some warning from a paladin.

"How about we talk inside? It sounds like this warrants some time to sit down and have some privacy." He looked stunned for a moment before he realized his mistakes and nodded solemnly. Quite the serious fellow. He followed me as we went into the guild to talk in private.

"Hello Lord Azazel!" Elise, one of the regular receptionist roster, called out happily. Her face had practically lit up the moment I had walked in. Like the days before, it seemed like she had been waiting for me to come in.

"Tch. Look at that pretty boy still alive. Another 10 coppers down the drain..." Kathrin was the other woman that had advised me on the second day. She was rather morbid compared to her friend... compared to anyone, really.

"Could you stop cursing me to die, please?" I asked wryly. She had been betting on my death more and more once I hit higher ranks. 10 copper coins were about 65 to 75 euros, so it wasn't a small sum she was betting... Probably thought my armor wouldn't carry me through the higher ranks and against the stronger foes I would face.

"Cursing you? Hmph, it's probably my bad luck keeping you alive! In fact, you should be paying me!"

"Kathrin!" Elise was appalled.

"I already am through the cut you guys get from my finished quests!"

"That's your job! I want some compensation for all the stress I got from losing all my money!"

"You two stop it!"

"You want me to pay you for not dying?"

"No, for keeping you alive with my luck, dumbass." She leaned on the desk with her elbows propped up on her chin as she looked at me with a smirk on her face.

I rolled my eyes. "You got a room where we talk with the paladin?" With a thumb over my shoulder, I pointed at Roland, who was awkwardly waiting on the sideline, though good on him for not being flabbergasted. Was he already informed of my banter with Kathrin?

"Yeah, the third room is free. Here." I caught the key she threw at me before making my way down the hall to the side, though not before hearing Elise reprimand Kathrin for bullying me, to which she retorted that was how we flirted, thus successfully flustering Elise. Kathrin then went on a tangent that Elise shouldn't complain since she was the one that won the bet. I could practically imagine the pout on her face.

To be honest, I did like our little banters. Obviously, it wasn't fake as she seemed to be open for a night or two, though that didn't say a lot since I hadn't met any woman that I couldn't convince to have some fun if I wanted to. Perhaps that would change with me suppressing my aura.

I glanced at Fubuki, who was resting her breasts on her crossed arms. Seriously, that made me want to go again, which she caught, causing her to smirk with a blush. We entered the room together. Fubuki and I sat down on one side while Roland sat in front of us after I told him to take a seat. "So, tell me, what or who is it you want to warn me about?"

I pulled Fubuki closer to my side, as I knew she would try to be 'respectful' and remain seated gracefully next to me.

He nodded solemnly, though I could tell that he was relieved that he could finally convey his message. At the same time, he was appraising me. Wasn't sure what he was looking for in me, though.

"There is this noble from the south that had clashed with the local Paladin Order. Normally, it wouldn't be a problem, as we would hardly let anyone, regardless of their nobility, cause injustice in this world, but this time, our hands are tied. He is an important figure in the south as he controls large fertile areas. The queen is currently trying to make a deal with him to support the troops closer to the wall as one of his areas is close by. I heard that you two had some conflict."

His gaze flickered towards Fubuki for a moment, making me remember that fat shit that had ogled her before he continued.

"He had been asking around for mercenaries after one of his had left his service and fled to another city. It had caused some recruiting difficulties for him and we had rejected his demands to enforce the Conscript Edict, but I know these types. He won't take a no for an answer and certainly wouldn't leave someone alone after suffering such humiliation. I am fairly certain that he will try something soon, so be prepared for an ambush."

Yeah, it truly was that noble who demanded Fubuki. I had wanted to deal with him anyway and already had him on my list to observe. From what I have heard, he had been a bit shaken up by our encounter and was a busy little ant to surround himself with any help he could get.

Unluckily, not only did a fairly famous mercenary leave his service, he also targeted me. I was only here for hardly a week, but I was already well-liked by the people here. Only the scum and the ever-diminishing criminals would work with him. Of course, I could also use this opportunity to control him to get in touch with the nobles' side of this country, but after what he had tried... I won't let him survive for too long.

I smiled slightly at the paladin. "I will keep your warning in mind, but this wasn't the only thing you are here for, right?"

The paladin looked slightly ashamed at being exposed like this. He nodded affirmatively. "Yes, I had heard rumors of you and wanted to see for myself whether you truly were a kindred paladin. A wandering paladin in our kingdom is quite rare nowadays, especially among adventurers... if you want to join the Paladin Order, we will welcome you with open arms."

"Thank you, but at this point, I am quite set on the adventurer route, though the Paladin Order had been something I had obviously considered. I will come back to your offer if my adventurer career won't work out for me any longer."

He seemed relieved that I didn't seem averse to working for the Paladin Order or had some enmity with them. "Of course, there is a lot good to be done as an adventurer as well..."