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Overlord (Light Novel) - Volume 11, Chapter 4 - A Craftsman and Negotiation Part 2
Volume 11, Chapter 4: A Craftsman and Negotiation Part 2
This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml
Ainz and company were once more invited to the Council Chamber. After entering, they saw a single disgruntled Dwarf while the others were brimming with positivity. The commander-in-chief also seemed quite at ease.
In other words, everything had developed as he had hoped for. Ainz smiled inside.
“Please accept our sincere apologies for making you come and go constantly. After our discussions, we have decided to proceed as Your Majesty wishes. To begin with, we will throw ourselves upon Your Majesty’s compassion with regards to the matter of stationing of the forces. After that, we shall open diplomatic relations and begin trade with Your Majesty’s nation. That said, the nature of the trade goods and the methods of the transaction will require further negotiation to work out the minute details.”
“Naturally. In any event, I shall promptly furnish you with the fighting strength needed to retake the fortress and hinder any further Quagoa invasion. I shall send a representative over to handle the finer points of international relationships in a few days, whereupon you may discuss the matter at length.”
Ainz breathed a sigh of relief.
He had to hand tasks like this — which required relevant knowledge — to Albedo. Fortunately, they had not insisted on hashing things out here.
“Then, there is the matter of Your Majesty’s price for the recovery of the Royal Capital; the dispatch of our runesmiths to the Sorcerous Kingdom. We shall pledge that to you. However, we would like to send a group of inspectors to the Sorcerous Kingdom to see how our brethren are being treated, and to ensure their welfare. May we have your permission to do so?”
“Of course. The Sorcerous Kingdom will accept interviews from these inspectors.”
The Dwarves looked much more relieved now.
Did they intend to conduct a workplace inspection? Rather, it seemed more likely that they wanted to see if the Sorcerous Kingdom was adhering to its side of the labor agreement between the two nations.
Typically, labor contracts are never honored. However, I swear I won’t let anyone end up like Herohero-san. I’ll need to draw up a contract with terms which the Dwarves will respect, let the runesmiths focus on development and the like, among other things.
Ainz nodded to the Dwarves and their concern for their colleagues.
No, all this is thanks to the Quagoa. This situation came about because they conquered the fortress. If they had not picked this time to attack the Dwarven nation, events would not have unfolded so smoothly. Putting on recruitment shows for the runesmith would have taken a lot of time and resources. I almost feel sorry about exterminating the Quagoa now...
One good turn deserved another, after all.
“Then, when does Your Majesty intend to begin the recapture of the Dwarven Kingdom?”
“Umu… As soon as possible.”
While it was not likely that the Quagoa who had defeated the Death Knights was a player, he could not rule out a connection entirely. He had to verify this as soon as possible.
“Then, we will place ourselves in your capable hands. To us Dwarves, being able to take back Feoh Berkanan is like a dream come true. I am certain the people will rejoice at Your Majesty’s matchless might. It might sound forced, but they do come from the heart.”
In other words, if I don’t take back the capital, international relations will be very tricky. It’s not like they’re trying to impose on me, but it does sound very selfish.
“I see. Then, I shall hasten to prepare,” Ainz nodded. Then, he thought of something.
“Oh yes, I have a request. I don’t know if you’ll mind.”
“What, what sort of request is that, Your Majesty?”
The Dwarves asked that question nervously. Ainz was confused by their fearful attitude. He had not said anything which should have frightened them. Still worried about whether he had done something strange, he asked:
“I intend to present a gift to a certain Lizardman, and I wish to draw upon the exceptional workmanship of the Dwarves to present him with a suitable set of armor.”
There was a sharp intake of breath from behind him.
“That’s right, Zenberu,” Ainz turned to look behind him, to the Lizardman who was holding his breath. “It is for Zaryusu. Call it a present to celebrate the birth of his child.”
Ainz had spoken of this because he intended to preserve Zaryusu’s life. He would surely father many rare Lizardmen in the future. Thus, presenting him with such excellent armor only made sense.
The Dwarves’ attention turned to the Forgemaster.
He folded his arms in front of him, still frowning at Ainz. He did not seem to approve at all.
“How about it? Can you do it?”
After being questioned again and prodded by the people beside him, the Forgemaster finally nodded, unwillingness written all over his face.
“What are the measurements? We can pay for it.”
“Magical armor ought to resize itself to fit its wearer. Can you enchant it here?”
“I have no confidence in magical matters. You’ll have to ask the High Priest about that.”
“If you’re alright with a low-levelled enchantment, there shouldn’t be any problem. Do you not mind, Your Majesty? I believe you should have better enchanters within your domain…”
In truth, there were few skilled enchanters within the Sorcerous Kingdom. Enchanters were essentially specialized magic casters, and they were originally affiliated with the Magician’s Guild. However, the Sorcerous Kingdom’s Magician’s Guild was essentially disbanded.
In addition, Nazarick used a different enchantment process, that of data crystals. He wanted to preserve them as much as possible, given that he could not obtain data crystals in this world. Naturally, nobody in Nazarick could perform the enchantments of this world.
In other words, the Sorcerous Kingdom had no ability to enchant magic items. That said, there was no need to let them know about it.
“If the need arises, all I have to do is reinforce the existing enchantment. In any event, I would like a suit of armor from this city. It will also serve as publicity for Dwarven armorsmithing.”
“Ho,” The Forgemaster’s eyes narrowed. “It should be ready within a week.”
“Really now. That would be wonderful. Until then, I shall be engaged in taking back the capital. Well, if the battle ends before it’s complete, I might end up waiting around for it in this city.”
“Hmph. Then I’ll work on it faster.”
It was quite clear that he did not mean “it would be a shame to keep you waiting”. It was more like “I’ll finish it up quick so you don’t take too long hanging around in this city.”
Why does he hate me so much? I should be a hero to this country, right? Or the liberator who reclaimed their Royal Capital, right? I don’t recall doing anything to deserve such resentment… is that it? Is he really just a stubborn old fool?
“Regarding the payment—”
“Like I said just now, there’s no charge.”
“That settles the price of that particular article. When I talk about payment, I’m referring to the fact that it is both a finished product and a sample. I need you to tell me how much it costs so I can estimate how much it takes to produce this sort of thing.”
“...I don’t decide the prices. Oi, Merchant’s Guildmaster, you’re in charge of that.”
“...To begin with, we’d have to consider the material of which the armor is made. That would certainly affect the price range…”
“Ah, so it’s like that,” Ainz replied, trying not to let it show in his attitude. “...So tell me, what’s the highest-grade metal in this city?”
If the names of one of the prismatic ores came up, Ainz might well abandon his present negotiations and subjugate the Dwarves by force.
However, his worries were ill-founded.
The metal of which they spoke was adamantite.
“Adamantite, hm? Is there nothing harder than that here? No, even a slightly softer metal would do if it was a rarity in this mountain range.”
They could not answer that question either.
There was a possibility that this was classified information and they could not speak openly of it to Ainz. However, direct questioning would not help. Using charm magic to make them talk would leave the memories of being controlled, so if he could not eliminate them afterwards, it was not an option. Sadly, he had no other way to inquire further.
Since Gondo did not know either, he could only pin his hopes on the more senior runemiths.
As Ainz concealed his disappointment, he produced an ingot from beneath his robes.
“Then, we shall supply the metal. Just tell me the processing fee.”
This was a level 45 metal. It was not particularly strong, but it was much stronger than adamantite.
Zaryusu’s defensive abilities would soar if he wore a suit of armor made from this material. It would be enough to protect him from the vast majority of foes in this world.
“And this is…”
Judging by the expression on the Forgemaster’s face as he examined the ingot, Ainz was sure that this ore could not be excavated anywhere near here.
“A wo…”
Ainz shut his mouth just before he could say “worthless”. After all, this was the raw material for a suit of armor he was giving to Zaryusu. He could not say this sort of thing in front of the armorsmith who would be taking on the task.
“It’s a serviceable metal. I have some weapons made of the same material. One moment, please.”
Ainz rose and left the room before looking through his inventory.
After some searching, he withdrew a strange — one of the weapons in YGGDRASIL which had been designed for form over function — shortsword. Then he returned to the room. Frightened by the fact that Ainz was holding a shortsword, the Dwarves shifted uneasily in their seats. Ainz placed the shortsword on the table and slid it over.
Fortunately, it stopped in front of the Forgemaster.
He did not pick up the short sword that slid before him, but instead studied it with a scary look on his face. It must have bothered him in some way.
“This one. Since it’s a short sword, I don’t know if you can use it as a reference for armor… How about it? Can you make it?”
For some reason, those words caused the Forgemaster to flush red.
“I’ll do it and show you!”
Sensing the powerful determination in the Forgemaster’s voice, Ainz nodded.
“Umu. Then, please take care of that. I’d like a suit of chainmail armor, if possible. I’ll lend you the shortsword too; if you need anything else, feel free to let me know. Zenberu, you should be more familiar with Zaryusu. Answer him about his body size, shape and whatnot.”
“I understand, Your Majesty.”
“Then… that’s all for my request. If it’s fine with you, I will excuse myself.”
“Your Majesty, may I ask where you are going?”
“Ahh, commander-in-chief. There was a Dwarf from the southern city whom I rescued, no? I was invited to his home, and I will be a guest there today. ...Let’s leave the welcome reception for later.”
Or rather, Ainz did not want to embarrass himself, so he wanted to avoid such a ceremony. Of course, he did not actually say that.
The commander-in-chief looked a little uneasy.
“I understand Your Majesty’s wishes. However, it would be somewhat distressing if word got out that the savior of our nation had to personally procure accommodations. We have already prepared a high-end room for yourself; would you consider resting there for the day?”
Ainz considered the proposal. The commander-in-chief’s words were acceptable, and there was no reason to refuse.
“Then let us do that. I shall go visit Gondo — the Dwarf who brought me here — and apologize for standing him up.”
I trust you won’t try to hinder me any further. It would seem the commander-in-chief and the others had no objections either.
