Published at 26th of March 2019 2:14 am

Volume 11, Chapter 2: In Pursuit of the Land of the Dwarves Part 2

This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml

After a brief discussion, the two of them prepared themselves and headed for the maker of the sound.

There was a Dwarf-shaped creature in the depths of the tunnel. In this pitch-black world, all they saw was him diligently digging at the walls of the tunnel with his pickaxe.

They were some distance away so they could not be sure, but he seemed to be around 140cm tall. His body was shaped like a beer barrel and his legs were not long. In fact, it was instantly clear that his legs were short.

He wore a brown-colored cape, and the items laid out nearby should all have been his property as well. One of them was an unlit lantern and a water flask.

What’s a miner doing all by himself in an uninhabited city? This is strange. Let’s ask him and solve this mystery.

Aura silently crept towards the miner.

In contrast, Ainz did not seem to care.

[Perfect Unknowable] erased one’s traces and sounds, making the caster very difficult to detect if one did not have very high-level thief-type job classes. Even someone of Aura’s level would have a very hard time spotting him. Ainz registered on her senses as a vague presence.

Once she was close enough to the miner, Aura called out to him.

“Heya. Whatcha doing?”

“Hiiieeee!”

The miner wailed like he was about to die as he turned to face her.

His beard was long — there was no doubt that he belonged to the Dwarven race.

The wide-eyed man pulled his brown cape tight around himself.

However, that was all. The man was still there. However, it would seem Ainz was the only one who thought that way.

“Hmph! Invisibility, huh—”

Aura’s voice made Ainz — who could see through invisibility — look carefully in the Dwarf’s direction. Just as Aura had said, the Dwarf’s image seemed somewhat fainter.

The cape must be a magic item, and doing that probably activates its powers of invisibility. Feels pretty much the same as Shizu...

“Hey, hey, you know I don’t intend to hurt you, right, Dwarf-san? I know you’re there. Let me take a look at you.”

Aura’s adorable and heart-warming tone must have had a great impact on the Dwarf’s heart.

He parted his cape slightly, and peeked at Aura through the slit.

“Are, are you a Dark Elf? What are you doing here?”

“Hm? When I came to the Dwarven city, I found that it was an empty shell, so I decided to find out why there was nobody around. I looked around and here I am.”

“I, I see…”

“Dwarves were still living here until five years ago. Where are they now? Did something happen? And speaking of which, why not let me take a look at you?”

The Dwarf shifted slowly, but Aura followed him with her eyes.

“Sure enough. It seems you really can see me.”

The Dwarf folded up his cape. That was probably to terminate the effects of the magic. It all seemed quite comical to Ainz, given that nothing had changed from his perspective.

“Then, let’s start afresh. How do you do? I am Aura Bella Fiora, from the Sorcerous Kingdom of Ainz Ooal Gown.”

“The Sorcerous Kingdom? Forgive me for my ignorance, but is that a Dark Elven Kingdom? Something like that? Oh, pardon me. I am Gondo Firebeard of the Dwarven Kingdom. Pleased to meet you.”

Aura extended a hand. Gondo seemed to pick up on the meaning of the gesture and wiped off his own dirt-stained hand before shaking.

Things seem to be progressing well. Ainz nodded as he watched the proceedings, still sustaining his spell of unknowability.

“Well, I guess we don’t need to be so formal. How about speaking normally?”

“Ohhh! I was about to ask that myself. I am a mere commoner myself. But if you were an important figure, then all I can do is keep quiet.”

Aura saw Gondo’s smile, and she smiled in turn.

“Then, back to the previous question. There were Dwarves still living here five years back. Where did they go?”

“Mm, they all moved to another city three years ago. Is something the matter?”

“Yeah, sort of. I came here with a Lizardman who said he stayed here for a while. He told me about this place.”

“A Lizardman? Five years ago?”

Gondo thought briefly, and then he slapped his palm.

“Ohhh! I didn’t see him myself, but I know that it did happen. It was the first time a Lizardman visited us, so it became quite a hot topic. I believe he was a fellow with an exceptionally thick arm, am I correct?”

“That’s right! That’s him.”

Gondo muttered “I see, I see” to himself over and over again. A look in his eyes suggested that he had lowered his guard.

“The person who was kind to that Lizardman seems to have moved as well. Could you tell me where he went?”

“Well, telling you should be fine… But I’ve heard that Dark Elves don’t dwell beneath the earth, am I right? Even if you knew the underground way there, could you reach it safely?”

“Well, I think it would be fine, but if possible, I’d like to know the aboveground route as well.”

Gondo scrunched up his bearded face.

“Oh, I must apologize. I rarely travel the surface, so I’m not confident in describing the route to Feoh Gēr — that is to say, the city that they moved to. All I can give are rough directions, like so and so kilometers north, and so on.”

“That’s fine too. Actually, I wanted to ask you to lead the way… What if I hired you? You’ll be paid, of course…”

“What an attractive proposal. Still, did you — no, you mentioned the Lizardman just now — did the two of you come here by yourselves? You’re not an adult yet, right? How many people came with you?”

“Quite a few. Still, if we all came in, it would cause problems, so I had them wait at the tunnel entrance.”

“Entrance? ...Hm?”

Gondo fell into thought, as though he had just remembered something. Still, that was only for an instant. He cast it aside and continued speaking.

“Well, that’s a relief. Walking by yourself in a tunnel… that’s not a good idea. You’re not an underground-dweller so you probably don’t know, but some monsters can swim freely through the earth. It’s not a place where someone can go alone, you know? Well, if you had my magical gear, you might be able to do something about it…”

He glanced repeatedly at Aura’s outfit to see if she had any magic items.

“Well then, I need to complain to your comrades. Sending a child out alone is a terrible disgrace for adults.”

Gondo turned his back towards Aura and tossed a chunk of rock into a bag which had been laid out beside him.

The bag did not swell up. It must have been a magic item as well. Then, he picked up the nearby lantern, and pulled up the shutter.

A surprising blue glow — a magical glow — illuminated the tunnel. Until now, the two of them had been conversing in complete darkness.

“Then, let’s go. It seems you can see in complete darkness, but a little light would help, right? … Well, it greatly raises the chances of being spotted by monsters, so I don’t recommend it. Do you have a way to flee if a monster attacks? They aren’t very common here, but you can’t rule out the possibility entirely.”

Ainz nodded. The Dwarf did not know Aura’s power, so it was quite admirable for him to take this mature attitude with her. However, Ainz felt that Gondo’s caution was not enough. He should have taken various possibilities into consideration before advising her.

“Don’t worry. I can escape by myself just fine, and I’m not alone either.”

Aura looked towards Ainz. However, her line of sight seemed to be slightly off.

“Hm? Really now? I have a Cloak of Invisibility, so you can abandon me and flee. However, the monsters that burrow through the earth can sense their opponents’ location through vibrations in the ground. Therefore, I wanted to warn you not to move carelessly.”

With a grunt, Gondo shouldered his bag and rose to his feet.

“Let’s go, then.”

Gondo headed forward. Aura and the still-unknowable Ainz followed closely behind.

“Come to think of it, you mentioned earlier that this place was not safe, but wasn’t this once a Dwarven city? What made it so dangerous that you had to evacuate?”

“Well, it wasn’t this city, but our current capital, Feoh Gēr. It lies to the northeast. We spotted Quagoa (Tunnelling Beastmen) nearby. It would be a tragedy if our cities were destroyed piecemeal, so we decided to temporarily abandon this city — Feoh Raiđō.”

“Quagoa? What kind of race are they?”

“Umu. They’re underground dwellers like we are… but they’re troublesome fellows. Things are bad enough between us that it’s kill-on-sight when we encounter each other.”

Gondo rambled on about the Quagoa as he walked through the tunnel. This was probably to keep Aura on her toes as well.

At a glance, they were bipedal demihumans who resembled moles. They were about 140cm tall, weighed about 70kg on average, and they had short but powerful builds.

They were predominantly dark brown, with black and brown being less common. Special colors like blue or red apparently denoted an individual of some power.

They lived in places where light could not penetrate, but their vision was stronger than those of human beings.

Their technology level was low, on par if not lower than the Lizardmen. They could not make armor or weapons, probably because their own bodies — their claws and fur — were superior to subpar wargear.

The fur that covered their entire bodies was about as tough as metal armor, and it could dissipate blows from metal weapons. The fur grew tougher if they fed on rare metals in their youth. One could tell their resistance to damage by the color of their fur.

From a YGGDRASIL player’s point of view, one could say that they probably possessed a racial skill related to damage resistance — in this case, the damage of metal weapons. The question now was how resistant to metal weapons they were. It was unlikely that their damage resistance was broken to the point of complete immunity, but it still warranted investigation.

Then there were their claws — like those of armadillos and anteaters — which could even pierce steel.

“Those guys, huh… I think we found traces of them in the city just now.”

Gondo suddenly stopped and turned to face Aura.

“What did you say? Is this their nest now? It’s become just like that place!”

“That place… Well, it doesn’t feel like they’ve taken up residence here. I think they probably just came as scouts. Still, if you were going to abandon this place, why not destroy it?”

“That’s true, but we don’t intend to abandon this place forever. Once our armies are ready, we intend to take it back. As you can see, there’s a lot of ore here, like in the place where I was digging just now.”

“Hm~”

The two of them walked on in silence. Gaps in conversations were commonplace, and if they did not fill the space with a new topic quickly, their dialogue would end here. Ainz judged that they had asked everything that could be asked, and decided to show himself. It might be better to tell Gondo about himself before he left the tunnels and saw the undead.

“Then, it’s about time I introduced myself.”

Ainz said that, but thanks to the [Perfect Unknowable] spell which was still in effect, his voice did not reach the two of them.

Feeling a little embarrassed, Ainz dispelled the magic.

Perhaps Gondo sensed Ainz’s presence behind Aura, but he turned around, and his eyes widened into saucers. His expression underwent a surprising and complex series of changes. Bafflement, shock, terror, confusion, and then—

“—Geehhhhhh!”

Ainz wondered if he had made a sound which might have disturbed him, but Gondo gripped Aura’s hand tightly.

“Amon, a mon—! Ruh, run away! Quickly, run away!!”

However, Aura knew the person who had appeared, and had no reason to run.

“Come on, hurry up and run!!!”

Gondo could not move, as though he had been chained to a great boulder.

“It, it’s so heavy! What’s wrong! Did something happen to me?!”

“Fear not… Gondo.”

As Ainz spoke, Gondo’s frightened face twitched.

“How, how do you know my name! Did you see through me!!! Or was it magic!!!!!”

I should have worn the mask after all, Ainz thought. Then, he spoke calmly, so as not to agitate Gondo any further.

“Calm down. I merely overheard your conversation. I am the Sorcerer King Ainz Ooal Gown, ruler of the Sorcerous Kingdom.”

Gondo’s face underwent another series of changes, and this time Gondo’s eyes flickered between Aura and Ainz.

“The, the Sorcerous Kingdom? Is the Sorcerous Kingdom not a nation of Dark Elves?”

“No. It is a country of various species which acknowledge me as their King.”

“...Eh? Seriously?”

There was only wariness and suspicion within the eyes of Gondo, while his tone was taut with apprehension.

“One of the undead, huh… So that’s not a mask? Eh? You mean those undead? Those beings who hate and slaughter the living?”

“Hey, it’s just as Ainz-sama said. He wasn’t lying at all. I’m a Dark Elf and the story about the Lizardman coming here was true too. Ainz-sama’s been with me ever since I met you, you know? Like I said, I didn’t come alone.”

“Eh? I thought my ears deceived me. But…”

Gondo mumbled to himself, and then took several deep breaths before putting a determined expression on his face and asking:

“Could it be that Your Majesty — may I use that term? Ah, was Your Majesty formerly a Dark Elf?”

That was an unexpected question. The correct answer was probably that he was an undead being of human origin. Ainz paused briefly to consider his answer, and then replied according to his predictions:

“No, I am a natural-born undead creature… although I don’t know if that’s the right term to use. —Well, there’s no need to be afraid. Human, Dwarves and Elves all have good and bad members of their species, right? Similarly, there are undead who hate the living, and those who seek friendly relations with them. Naturally, I belong to the latter group.”

“But, but friendly undead, that’s about as unthinkable as compassionate demons…”

That was pretty well said, Ainz thought as he shrugged.

“Really? I know of an angel who fell into the darkness and a demon who aspired to the light...”

The demon in question was an NPC in YGGDRASIL, called Mephistopheles. He was a character who was famous for spouting tsundere lines to good-aligned beings. He looked fearsome but was surprisingly friendly and logical, and he gave out missions that ranged from trivial to high-level, which made him almost as popular as the Dark Young.

“To think such things actually existed…”

Ainz shrugged at the shocked Gondo.

“I understand your caution. However, I only ask that you remember this. I have no intention of harming you. Let him go, Aura.”

“Yes, Ainz-sama.”

Halfway through, the person holding onto the other’s hand had changed from Gondo to Aura, and naturally, their intentions for doing so was exactly the opposite to each other.

Gondo stumbled back quite a distance once Aura let go of him, but he did not appear to be fleeing.

A very rational move, Ainz mused. A misstep could have led Gondo to make the emotional choice of fleeing. That would not have ended well for him. However, Gondo as he was now qualified as someone who could be negotiated with.

“Then, shall we start again? I understand your caution, but I — we have no intention of harming you. Rather, we would like to be friends with you.”

Gondo did not respond. As expected, he was still peeking at Ainz with doubt written all over his face.

“In particular, my nation would like to sign a treaty of friendship with the Dwarven Kingdom. Therefore, we have no intention of harming any Dwarven citizens.”

“And what do you mean by a treaty of friendship?”

“...Pardon me. It’s best not to mention national-level issues to an individual who cannot represent a nation, don’t you think?”

“Mm. That’s right, ah, no, I mean, it is as you say—”

“—Don’t worry. Both phrasings are fine. Dealing with someone who stumbles over their words is tiresome.”

Ainz’s relaxed answer drew the first bitter smile from Gondo ever since they had met.

“Thank you very much — Your Majesty. And if the words of this girl — this young lady are true, I take it you came to this city for that purpose?”

“Indeed, that is so. But Gondo, why don’t we leave the tunnel first? Talking to the Lizardman who came with us might be a good idea. You’ve heard of him before, haven’t you? Also, I’d like to discuss the matter of the Quagoa with you.”

“Hmm…”

Gondo narrowed his eyes at Aura.

Aura smiled, as though to say, “who, me?”

“Alright. It seems this little lady has a lot of trust in you. And it’s clear that that you’re no ordinary undead.”

Gondo walked before them, while Aura and Ainz followed him through the tunnel.

“That’s right, might I ask you a question?”

“What is it?” Gondo replied as he turned back to look at Ainz.

“I would like to know more about the runic characters and the craft related to them.”

Gondo’s brow bunched up, his eyebrows squishing up into steep slopes.

“What do you want to know about runes? What’s there to ask?”

The unhappiness was plainly audible in Gondo’s voice.

Until recently Ainz could sense confusion and fear while talking to him, but there was no anger. In other words, Gondo’s rancor was entirely due to that simple question. Did he recall a bad memory concerning runes, or was this some sort of secret that could not be revealed to non-Dwarves?

Ainz hesitated. Should I continue asking?

Gondo was the first Dwarf he had encountered. Upsetting him was not wise. However, if he could learn the source of the anger, it could prove beneficial when negotiating with the Dwarven Kingdom.

Of course, that assumed Gondo’s anger did not spring from a personal reason.

Ainz coldly considered whether he needed to eliminate Gondo as he shared what he knew about the runes. Granted, most of that was parroted from Tabula Smaragdina.

The truth was that he did not know much. He knew how many different characters there were and that they were a form of writing, but that was it.

He barely remembered the individual meanings of each character, so he had to fumble through the description.

In contrast, a dramatic change occurred in Gondo.

He halted in his tracks, and turned back.

His face was twisted in a grip of a completely different emotion. He was overflowing with excitement.

“You… who are you… no… the Sorcerer King… an ageless, eternal undead being… lost knowledge…”

He could hear Gondo muttering to himself. There was no meaning in his words. It appeared to be an unconscious response.

Ainz held out a hand to stop Aura, who was anxious and had been preparing to make a move since Gondo did not answer immediately. It would be best to let him think this through first.

After Gondo got himself together, he studied Ainz intently. His attitude still spoke of wariness towards Ainz, but it seemed to have been supplanted by some other emotion.

“I know of more runes than these. There are 50 lesser runes, 25 middle runes, 10 upper runes, and 5 top runes, for a total of 90. That said, many of them have been lost, and only a few are left. Exactly how many secret and divine-class runes there are is the stuff of legends.”

“Really now… there might be some differences, but the runes I know of look like this. Do you recognize them?”

Ainz traced a rune from his memory on the ground.

“Ho! This is one of the middle runes, Lagu.”

(Note: this is an Anglo-Saxon rune meaning “lake”.)

Although Ainz did not know why there were so many of them, it was certain enough that some of them matched the ones which Gondo knew.

“I understand. Then, please continue telling me about the runes.”

What Ainz really wanted to know was who taught this knowledge and information related to other players . However, that question would be best addressed to a historian. For the time being, he would build a knowledge base with other related information.

“About 100 years ago, the Dwarves exported rune-carved magical weapons to a human nation to the east of these mountains — the Empire. However, the flow of such weapons stopped after that. What is the reason for that?”

What he really wanted to know was whether a player died 100 years ago, but pushing too eagerly for such information could end up exposing him. Ainz had been contemplating this question for some time now, and it seemed like a good question since it did not run the risk of leaking anything about himself.

Gondo’s face darkened. He paused briefly, and then continued walking.

“This will take a long time. Let’s talk as we walk.”

“Umu...”

For a while, the only sound audible in the tunnel was the footsteps from the three of them.

He’s probably silent because he’s smoothing over the gloominess in his heart.

“Firstly, my friends know me as the rune developer.”

Does that mean he gave himself that title?

Gondo continued speaking without waiting for Ainz to respond.

“Dwarven magic items have always been made with runes. But 200 years ago, we were attacked by the Demon Gods, and the last remaining royals left our Kingdom to join the fight against them. Technology from the outside flowed in and as a result, runes were regarded as outdated.”

Gondo produced a sword from his pack and gave it to Ainz. There was a runic character on the blade’s body.

“This is Cuern, a lesser rune which means ‘sharpness’. When carefully engraved, it creates a magic sword. Its effect is to increase the weapon’s sharpness and makes it easier to inflict deep wounds upon the enemy.”

“This is a very basic effect on magic weapons, no? The time it takes to inscribe a rune depends on the amount of bonus damage the rune adds. That said, I’ve heard that it should not take long to complete a low-end weapon, am I correct?”

“That is exactly why runecraft fell behind the times. The same item takes three times longer to make with runecraft as compared to other methods. From a mass-production point of view, it isn’t even in the same league as the enchantments of mankind.”

Gondo sighed deeply.

“Thanks to superior technology from the outside, the number of runesmiths who could inscribe runes gradually dwindled. That was because everyone felt that it was better to become a magic caster, who could perform enchantments.”

That was probably why the flow of weapons into the Empire had stopped. Ainz understood that much. In other words, the ancient traditions and crafts had died out.

Gondo narrowed his eyes.

“Still, abandoning our Dwarven techniques was utterly foolish! More to the point, runecraft has its merits too! For instance, you don’t need to spend money on it!”

Gondo’s voice echoed through the tunnel. After realising how dangerous it was to get worked up in a place like this, he took a deep breath. That, in turn, allowed him to speak more calmly.

“Did you know? The typical enchantment costs a lot in reagents and supplies.”

That was correct. Ainz had once heard that half the market price of magic items came from the ingredients.

While the production cost for magic items was abnormally high, one could ignore markups from suppliers and retailers when calculating their price. That was because the Magician’s Guild did not collect administrative fees — probably because they felt that those were included in their yearly dues — and so magic casters could sell directly at no further cost, or negotiate directly with their clients.

Therefore, when one sold them through a retailer of magic items, the price would go up.

“However, in contrast, rune-empowered items have hardly any material costs.”

“That’s amazing!”

Ainz suddenly leaned forward.

He had agonized over this expense many times, both as the adventurer Momon and as the ruler of Nazarick. Therefore, the wonderful idea of something being “almost free” was very dear to Ainz’s heart.

That was why he could not understand it. In truth, Ainz would never have allowed such a technique to die out.

“...Are there any other flaws?”

“Ah, those do exist. Mainly, they’re hard to produce. Taking too long to make is one thing, but there’s too few people who are suited to becoming runesmiths as well. According to the people of the Empire, there’s fewer of them than those who can become magic casters.”

“Hm. I have a question. While you said that runes fell out of fashion 200 years ago, why does the title of rune developer still exist? Isn’t it too late for that sort of thing? Or is that normal for the Dwarven lifespan?”

Gondo did not respond, so Ainz asked another question.

“What sort of runecraft are you developing now?”

Ainz took several steps forward, coming up alongside Gondo.

Gondo’s face was fixed forward, with none of his passion from before. He simply answered Ainz’s question with another question.

“Why do you wish to know about runecraft?”

Answering a question with a question implied that he did not want to give a proper reply. If he could give the answer Gondo sought, he should be able to uncover what he was hiding. After all, he had gone from addressing him as “Your Majesty” to “you”. This must surely be an important question.

However, they were not close enough that they could bare their hearts to each other. And more importantly—

Why is he leaking this knowledge? Is it a trap? Or does he not know the importance of the information he holds? ...If it really is a secret art, he should understand what that means, right?

It was somewhat confusing, but for the time being, he would give him the explanation for his motives which he had prepared beforehand.

“It’s because these runes differ slightly from the ones which I know of. You understand how someone can be interested in the historical background and spread of runecraft, no? If so, I hope you can answer my question.”

Gondo looked away, and fell into contemplation. They continued walking forward in silence for a while.

Just as Ainz was starting to get restless, Gondo finally answered him.

“I’m now experimenting with reducing the time it takes to performing runic enchantment, as well as a way to mass produce them. However, that is only a means to an end. My final objective is to develop techniques that make runes essential. In other words, I want to make runecraft unique and able to stand the test of time.”

In other words, he wanted to add value to runes. The boss of any company would understand that motivation. When developing a product, it was quite common for that point to be repeatedly emphasized, to the point of revulsion.

“Hoho. That’s pretty amazing research, is it not? How is it progressing?”

He did not think he would actually get an answer, but Ainz had asked that question anyway because he was confused on one point. Namely, that anyone who was developing a new technology like this should be a VIP in the Dwarven Kingdom.

I have no idea why he’s out here by himself, collecting samples in such a dangerous place. Shouldn’t someone like him be better guarded?

Ainz’s question was immediately answered.

“Not at all. There hasn’t been any progress,” Gondo mumbled in a depressed tone. “People who use runecraft to make magic items are called runesmiths, but I’m nowhere near amazing enough to be addressed by that title. I can’t even do what an apprentice should be capable of.”

Eh? Ainz mouthed in surprise. Did that not mean that someone who could not even apply proper runes was trying to advance the field of runecraft? This was an utterly ridiculous situation.

Could he really make any breakthroughs like this, or was this very normal for them?

No, this could not possibly be normal. If it was normal, Gondo would not have been so depressed. In other words, he too must have felt that he was merely fumbling around.

In truth, Ainz was in quite a quandary. He had no idea how to make use of Gondo.

“I’m not talented. I can carve runes, but it takes too long for me to do so… although, they say all runesmiths have to pass through this phase before they can grow. But other runesmiths progressed forward instead of being stuck at a plateau like me.”

Gondo drooped his head powerlessly.

“I’m no good as a runesmith. I’m just a useless descendant that my great father left behind.”

I see, Ainz mused. So his problem was simply a lack of talent.

After considering the knowledge from this world and that of YGGDRASIL, he was quite sure that this was the case.

One needed ten other levels in certain job classes before being able to take levels in the runesmith career. However, if his overall level cap was 11, then he would not be able to gain further levels as a runesmith. And if he had only one level of runesmith, he would only be able to learn skills of no great import.

There was nothing Ainz could do to help Gondo, so he said nothing else.

There were times when comforting someone could save them, and times when all they could do was give up.

If Ainz were in Gondo’s situation, he would not want someone he had met for the first time to comfort him either.

“...Is that so. Speaking of which, do all Dwarves have the goal of advancing runecraft and developing new techniques for it?”

“No, I’m the only one who does that,” Gondo replied, with a terribly lonely laugh. “All the runesmiths have given up on their craft. There’s nobody left who wants to break free of the current state of runecraft and develop new technology for it. They all feel that it’s alright to abandon it.”

“I see… Then, there’s something I’d like to know. What will you do after developing new runecraft techniques?”

“What will I do? I just want to use runecraft to enchant things and increase the number of runesmiths. Runes are an amazing technology. It would be a terrible waste to let them die out.”

“Is anyone helping you in this?”

“No. Like I said, almost all the runesmiths have given up their craft and spend their days drinking and cursing bitterly about how it’s going to die out with their generation. I’ve tried to talk them around in the past, but they all rejected me.”

“...Hm. Well, the weak perish. It’s only natural for useless technology to vanish.”

Gondo suddenly glared at Ainz, but his gaze lost its strength within moments.

As he watched Gondo hang his head and move on, Ainz contemplated the value of runes.

Frankly speaking, he had no interest in them beyond their historical involvement with players.

However, abandoned arts could be developed on the cheap, and a brief investment might not be a bad idea. The concept of not having to spend money was also very attractive. In addition, he wanted to collect rare technologies.

Also, if other players appeared, one could use their interest in runes as an excellent lure.

“...I have a question or two. What basis do you have that techniques like what you mentioned earlier can be developed? What I heard just now sounds like empty fantasies thought up by someone who knows nothing about the craft.”

“That’s not true! Well, it’s true that I don’t have the talent to be a proper runesmith. But my father, and my father’s father — my grandfather — were both the top runesmiths of this country, and they served the last royal — the Runesmith King — as his right and left hands. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. I’ve read the literature and theses my father and grandfather left behind. I’m sure it’s possible! My father confirmed my theories on his sickbed. He told me it was difficult but not impossible!”

Gondo looked like he was going to cough up blood with his words as tears welled up at the edges of his eyes.

The feelings and thoughts he had long kept inside of him had finally burst forth.

Though that torrent of emotion crashed against him, Ainz remained unmoved. While Gondo’s words made him hope that the Dwarf’s research would bear fruit, the fact was that Ainz merely wanted access to rare techniques which might have otherwise been lost. If Gondo could not deliver concrete results, then Ainz would give up on him.

“It’s true that I’m useless as a son! Still, I don’t want to let the art which my ancestors passed down die out! I won’t let the glorious name of my father vanish from the history books, no matter what I have to do!”

And then, those words struck a chord with Ainz.

He too wished to preserve all the things left by his comrades in Ainz Ooal Gown. He wanted them to endure for all time.

In that instant, Ainz could understand Gondo’s feelings deep in the marrow of his bones.

His affection gauge maxed out in a flash.

At the same time, he understood why Gondo went on and on about runecraft.

To him, runecraft was dead, or perhaps, close to death. Thus, he had no reason to hide it. For all he knew, he might have wanted to let it spread as far and wide as possible, so it could survive in one way or another. Of course, he did not know if he had thought that far ahead.

“...Forgive me. This might anger you, but I hope you will permit me to say this. From my point of view, you are you, and you are neither your father nor your grandfather. Am I wrong?”

An inexplicable blend of emotions appeared on Gondo’s face. It was hard to tell if he was angry, hurt or touched. But it eventually faded into dejection.

“—Your Majesty, I am very grateful to you. But I have already decided my reason for living.”

“Then, allow me — no, the Sorcerous Kingdom to provide the financial assistance for your endeavours. Allow me to become your patron and aid you in the advancement of runecraft.”

Gondo’s eyes went wide, and he exclaimed in shock:

“You, are you serious? This, this is incredibly good fortune… this is unbelievable!”

There must be some catch to this unimaginably tempting offer. Anyone would think that way. Ainz understood how Gondo must feel.

“Well, all I can say is that I hope you can believe me. However, someone like you who isn’t a runesmith probably won’t be able to develop those techniques you were talking about, am I right?”

Gondo’s mouth pressed flat, and he went silent.

“Therefore, I wish to recruit all the runesmiths in the Dwarven Kingdom to my country, to work on developing runecraft techniques under your direction.”

“What, what does that mean?”

“It means exactly what it implies. I will gather all the runesmiths and compare their knowledge to serve as the prototypes for new techniques. For that reason… I hope you can help me recruit them. Is that impossible?”

Gondo considered it, and then replied

“No, it should be doable. Almost all the runesmiths have given up on their craft, but there should be a lot of them hoping for a chance to shine.”

“And then you will move their hearts… then, Gondo. How about it? Will you help me? WIll you give your soul to me? How far are you willing to go for me?”

“What?”

“It will be very difficult to revive an almost-lost art if you do not focus all the runesmiths on a single objective. This is why you cannot slack off on the recruitment of talent. I want to bring all the runesmiths to my country. Thus, it is quite likely that I may have to employ certain... unsavory methods. This may lead to my collaborators performing actions which might be termed treason to this country.”

“What, was that it? The answer is simple. If you want my soul, then take it all, the whole thing. It is a small price to pay in order to make runecraft live forever.”

Gondo extended his hand.

Ainz took it.

“I am undead. Does that sit well with you?”

Gondo laughed at Ainz’s words.

“As long as you can make my dream come true, I don’t care if Your Majesty is undead or the fearsome Lord of the Frost Dragons.”

“Then, first things first, can you lead us to the Dwarven Kingdom? I plan to sign a treaty of friendship with the Dwarven King in order to recruit runesmiths for my country. After all, it would be difficult to recruit people if our countries have no ties between them. In addition, I believe the Dwarven Kingdom has strict controls on the export of technology, am I correct?”

“That should be fine. There’s hardly any demand for runecraft. Ah, also, the Dwarven Kingdom no longer has a King. The country is ruled by a regent council which is headed by several leaders.”

“Umu. I’d like to hear about that. Can you talk as we walk? I’d like to hear a rough outline of it.”

As Gondo spoke to him, the exit to the tunnel finally appeared before their eyes.

After the three of them emerged, they were welcomed by Shalltear, among others. Naturally, Zenberu was there as well.

Although Gondo had been expecting a mass of undead, he could not help but take a defensive stance as he saw the magical beasts as well. The fact that “there are no Dark Elves” had already dealt him a blow, but now his mumbling reached Ainz’s ears.

Shalltear quietly stepped forward and bowed.

“Ainz-sama. Forgive me for bothering you just as you returned, but there is a slight problem.”

“...Where are the rest of the Hanzos? What happened?”

“Yes! Actually, someone else entered this cave, through the tunnel in the building to which Aura guided you. My deepest apologies for only telling you now, but I have already sent some of the Hanzos to investigate.”

“There’s no need to apologize, Shalltear. You chose wisely. We’ll wait for the Hanzos to return, analyze their reports, and then decide what to do. Then—”

He paused, then glanced at the Dwarf who had once stayed here. The Dwarf was not paying attention to the events on this side. Instead, he was engaged in an animated conversation with Zenberu. Listening closely, it seemed to concern the Dwarf that had saved Zenberu.

“—Gondo. Pardon me for a moment, but it seems someone has infiltrated this city. There is a possibility that the use of force will be warranted here. When the time comes, I hope you will serve as a witness to your nation that such a course of action could not be avoided.”

“Of course. Leave that to me. Although, I hope you will limit any damage caused to a minimum.”

Ainz nodded. It was only natural to avoid obstacles that would affect future negotiations.

“Shalltear, how’s our perimeter?”

“I’ve already dispersed Aura’s beasts into the vicinity… How’s that, Aura?”

“That should work. Even if the enemy can turn invisible, my beasts can still sniff them out.”

“I see. Then let’s wait for the Hanzos to return.”

After a while, they did.

According to them, the opposition seemed to be Quagoas. There were over 100 of them. Gondo was listening from the side and seemed quite shocked. This was far in excess of a mere scouting force; in all likelihood, this was a combat group, or a migrating tribe.

There was only one course of action Ainz could take.

“...Shalltear. Capture them all. Can you do that?”

“If that is your command.”

“Then I command you to do so. Do you understand why I want you to capture them?”

“It is to question them and prevent word about us from leaking out.”

Ainz nodded grandly.

“Correct. If we only capture one of them alive, then we can only interrogate one of them. This increases the chance that we might be compromised and that we might end up learning false information. In addition, we must consider that we may need to make an example of them.”

There was one more thing Ainz did not mention because Gondo was there — that simply believing one side of the story might turn out poorly for them. Who knew, it might be better to strike a deal with the Quagoa than the Dwarves.

“Go then, Shalltear. I await your good news.”

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