READ WEBNOVEL Chapter 46: Visit
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"No, Albedo won't be coming," Azazel addressed the gathered masses. His words seemed to ease the concerns of some villagers, who had apparently harbored reservations about Lady Albedo's possible presence for whatever reason. Neia found this reaction a bit odd; after all, Lady Albedo's couldn't be that bad, right? She had full faith in Azazel's judgment, and it was unlikely that his other wife could trigger such negative sentiments.
While Azazel continued his conversation with the villagers, recounting his experiences and whereabouts, Neia was approached by a woman with striking red eyes and short blonde hair. This woman, dressed in a flowing robe that gave her the appearance of a nun, introduced herself as Clementine.
"Hello, my name is Clementine. I heard of your recent arrival. Your journey must have been quite tiresome. We've prepared a few guest houses for you and the others, where you can rest for the time being," Clementine spoke with a gentle smile, causing Neia to nod in response.
"Thank you... Oh, uh, I'm Neia Baraja. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'll wait here until Lord Azazel finishes speaking," Neia replied, feeling slightly overwhelmed by Clementine's kind presence. It reminded her of the priestess and subconsciously made her feel lacking, though she couldn't help but feel that there was more to this woman.
"Hmm, has Lord Azazel blessed you?" Clementine's question caught Neia off guard, and she felt a hint of unease under the woman's penetrating gaze. It was like she was being watched by a predator ready to pounce on her. Because of her discomfort, Neia hesitated to answer the question. If she confirmed any special connection with Lord Azazel, it could lead to speculation among not only the paladins but the villagers as well.
"I see." Clementine began despite her lack of a response. "You are a lucky girl." She simply stated before moving closer to Neia, her gaze fixed on Lord Azazel's ongoing conversation with the villagers.
"I am... lucky to have met him." Neia agreed, glancing at the woman who didn't seem like she would move anytime soon. It was obvious that the woman wanted to converse with her. A strange situation, where a stranger showed interest in her, but Neia wasn't too surprised, after all the topic of conversation was likely Lord Azazel.
"How have you met the lord?" Clementine asked in a calm tone, but she heard the intense curiosity. For some reason, Neia had the feeling that this woman wasn't quite right in the head. Though, she did understand her longing gaze as she watched Lord Azazel.
"We had fought side-by-side during an attack on the wall by an army of demi-humans. I mean- not side-by-side for the entire time, but we had first interacted there shortly." Neia answered, sharing the circumstances where they had first crossed paths and irreversibly changed her worldview.
"When did you have your first conversation then? How did it come to be?" Clementine's interest appeared to deepen, it was like she was fishing for something. It honestly made Neia a bit nervous about what she could say.
"I-It was after the celebration party. I had followed him to return his bow, and that's when we had a chance to speak," Looking back at it, she felt lucky to have that chance encounter. Without this meeting, they might have never met and she would still chase after her singular dream of becoming a paladin.
"She took the initiative? No-" Clementine quietly mumbled something that she wasn't able to hear properly, though before she could inquire, Clementine glanced at her. "He gave you his bow?" Clementine continued to probe for some hidden truth or insights.
"Yes, but it wasn't his actual bow. He had picked it up and lent it to me before facing the enemy with only a spear and sword. He fought valiantly, almost like a force of nature or the divine retribution of a god, sweeping through the army and passing out judgment. He was even able to kill several of their leaders without effort! He is strong and kind-" Neia froze when she realized she went off on a tangent. She always did this when she talked about that day.
When she looked at Clementine, she found the other woman's smile grow as she absorbed Neia's words. "Divine retribution, huh? I would have loved to see that. I can imagine it to be a fit description... It sounds like he had chosen you. It probably wasn't by chance that he gave you his bow and that you followed him afterward."
Neia blinked, unsure of how to interpret Clementine's cryptic words. "What do you mean?" She asked confused. Did Lord Azazel truly approach her on purpose? She glanced at the radiant man that was surrounded by smiling villagers. Why would he approach her?
"Oh, he must have a purpose for you or maybe it was just your good nature that made him favor you... He is divine, after all." Clementine clasped her hand together as if she was about to pray to a god, though despite how her words and actions were almost heretical, she couldn't help but agree in her heart.
The glimpses of greatness and vastness, not to mention his touches, caresses, and fluids had given her a new reason and purpose in life. A sense of fulfillment envelops her heart as she thought about their intimate moments. Though with it came a dread of their unknown relationship.
She had declined to be his maid and now she wasn't sure whether he still wanted to interact with her. Of course, their previous interactions and conversation had clearly pointed out to her that he wasn't someone that would just abandon her easily and last night showed that he still wanted her to be around, still, the fear remained.
Before she could respond, however, a commotion erupted nearby. Roland's alarmed shout rang out followed by the unsheathing of a blade, drawing her attention Roland "A goblin!" Her head instantly swirled to where he was pointing and true to his shout, a goblin appeared next to a blonde-haired woman. It must have been a villager that the goblin decided to take hostage. Neia's hand instantly reached for her bow and arrow.
Unexpectedly the goblin raised his hands as if he was surrendering. "Easy there pal. No need to panic." The goblin surprisingly responded in a calm manner. It was a bizarre sight and Neia wasn't sure what she should make of it, especially with the villagers' reactions. They didn't seem surprised by the goblin's appearance and looked rather defensive toward Roland instead.
"It's alright. They are friendly and won't hurt you." The woman said.
"This is Enri Emmot, the chief head of the village, and the little fellow is Gurindai, one of our archers and hunters," Clementine introduced, her voice warm as she gently pressed down the taut bow. Neia observed the goblin's bow with weariness. It was evident that this goblin was equipped with a higher-quality weapon than what normal goblins were equipped with.
Roland's disbelief was palpable as he questioned, "They? Are there more goblins in this village?" He was about to delve further into the topic and perhaps escalate the situation until he was taken by surprise by a hand being placed on his shoulder.
"No need to worry. These goblins were summoned through a magical artifact that a friend had given Enri." Lord Azazel interjected, offering a nod of acknowledgment to the village chief, who flushed slightly and cleared her throat.
"Yes, they are my friends, so please don't harm them during your stay or the consequences aren't something you want to experience." She announced with a firm tone as she directed the threat to Roland. Neia could instantly see why this woman was the chief head.
"Don't worry, they won't cause any trouble, right Roland?" Lord Azazel's inquiry prompted a hesitant nod from Roland. "Inform the other paladins to exercise restraint while we're here, especially if they encounter goblins within the village"
"Understood." Roland complied after staring at Lord Azazel before departing to relay the news about the village's goblin residents. They wouldn't like this news. Neia could already anticipate the unease and concern that would arise among the paladins. Perhaps staying in this village wouldn't be that helpful for them to rest, not that she minded. She would be fine sleeping in a village full of demi-humans as long as Lord Azazel was close.
Of course, they didn't have much of a choice anyway. She glanced at the darkening sky and confirmed that the sun would be setting soon. With the impending nightfall and unfamiliarity of the surroundings, venturing out after dark was a reckless idea. Even if Lord Azazel was familiar with the area, it would expose the rest of the group to unnecessary risks. It appeared that staying the night in the village was the wisest course of action.
Lord Azazel's intention to stay for the night was clear as he approached Enri and greeted her with a warm hug. An invitation to their house was extended, but before they could proceed, another voice cut through the air.
"Azazel! Who could have imagined that you would be visiting this village on the same day we are?" Her head turned to the newcomers. A man of imposing stature donned in formidable armor and two giant swords on his back, accompanied by a beautiful woman with a sleek black ponytail, dressed more lightly and a sword on her hips.
Lupus stood a little behind the pair. It looked like she had let the two inside the village or perhaps the two had been already here the entire time? The redhead seemed to have sensed her gaze and responded with a friendly wave and a smile before approaching her.
Lupus looked like she was in a good mood, though for some reason Clementine's face went a bit pale with every step the redhead came closer, or perhaps it had something to do with the newcomers? She was staring at them or rather the knight after all.
"Momon! And Nabe! Good to see you." Lord Azazel greeted with enthusiasm as he went to pat Momon on the shoulder and then gave Nabe a hug, which left the woman a blushing mess left to stare at the ground. "Who would have thought you two would be here?" He exclaimed excitedly.
Nfirea's surprise was evident as he looked between the newcomers and Lord Azazel. "Do you know each other?" He asked aloud, getting their attention.
"Indeed." Lord Azazel began, wrapping his arms around both Momon and Nabe. "We are friends that go way back." His smile was radiant and for a moment it stunned her. They truly looked like friends that hadn't seen each other for a long time. From the getup, Neia surmised that Momon must have been Lord Azazel's knight, while Nabe's noble bearing hinted at a more complex relationship. Perhaps she had pursued or was still pursuing Lord Azazel.
Understanding glinted in Nfirea's eyes as he observed the interactions. They were conversing with each other happily- well Momon and Lord Azazel were. Nabe just stood to the side, watching the two with a strange excitement. It made her look quite cute, especially since her face was still flushed red.
Nfirea then glanced at Enri, who now stood to the side as well. There was a frown on his face, though shortly after his eyes seemed to shine with some intention as he looked back at Nabe.
Neia was slightly unsettled by Nfirea's expression and guessed that the boy was thinking about something stupid. As the villagers and the goblin dispersed, granting them some privacy, the group made their way toward Enri's house. Neia remained the sole member of Lord Azazel's entourage, joining Enri, Nfirea, Clementine, Momon, and Nabe as they ventured toward their temporary lodgings for the night. The rest of the village retreated to their homes, signaling the approaching evening.
...
Ainz was getting a headache as he watched Enri who was completely fixated on every move Azazel did. Whenever Azazel gave her a smile, she would be left a blushing mess and she couldn't help but notice the heavy heaving she did as her eyes wandered occasionally. Even though he wasn't experienced with these kinds of behavior, even he knew that she was definitely crushing on him!
He had placed Nfirea in the village because he knew that he had a crush on Enri, but who would have thought that the Ikemen's charm was too strong?! He couldn't help but sigh. Perhaps he should have guessed it from the start, especially when he remembered Enri expressing her desire to meet him again without a word mentioning him despite that he too had saved her!
Now Nfirea looked like he was about to cry as he looked at the two flirting with each other. He was unsure what to do now. A heartbreak would undoubtedly affect his ability to brew new potions. He glanced at Azazel, who playfully put a hand on Enri's thigh, causing her to bite her lower lip. It seemed like the Ikemen already had her in sight and the girl was more than willing to give herself to him.
Of course, it wasn't for Ainz to stand between Azazel and his happiness, but then again did he really need that many women? His gaze wandered across the room, Clementine, who looked like she wanted to find an opportunity to speak to Azazel, Lupusregina, who looked ready to pounce at him, that Neia girl, who looked like she wanted to kill everyone in the room..., though he was sure that she wanted to be with Azazel as well, and Nabe who was unusually shy and gave Azazel not-so-subtle glances.
Not to mention, Enri, who was trying her best to inch closer to him. If they had been sitting on the bench it might have been more subtle than on two chairs. With the current situation with just these women, Ainz couldn't help but question whether he should hide any future female acquaintances from Azazel? He had the feeling that he would be leading them to the lion's den and all of them would be willingly devoured by him.
"So, just the two of you make up an Adamantite adventurer group?" The girl with the scary eyes asked after glancing at the plate around his neck. Good thing he had that emotional dampener, otherwise he would have flinched at her directing her gaze at him... why was Azazel smirking?
"Indeed." He said with a nod. It was one thing that he wanted to brag about in front of Azazel, but the current situation didn't allow him to revel in it. "It had been a long and difficult process, but we managed to rank up a few days ago after we slayed a particular troublesome giant basilisk."
"Oh, get out of here. Long and difficult?." Azazel commented with a snort. "You two haven't been adventurers for a month. That ought to be a new record." Azazel's hand started patting Narberal's head, who looked like she was about to purr. She had never looked this... pleased when she interacted with him or other people for that matter.
He was almost regretting the decision to have come here. It was also a good thing he hadn't created the adventurer group with Azazel, otherwise, he would probably spent his entire time getting women off him to get things done. "Thank you," Ainz said after coughing. "You have also been quite successful as an adventurer in the Holy Kingdom."
Azazel nodded. "Yep, Fubuki and I had risen through the ranks quite quickly as well, though there are still a few missions until we are able to rank up to Adamantite as well." He had been an Orichalcum adventurer when Narberal and he were still Mithril adventurer a week ago. Probably mostly because Ainz and Narberal had been quite lucky to encounter that giant basilisk, it had boosted their reputation quite a bit in the span of a few days.
Besides Azazel was probably busy with taking over the Holy Kingdom. Not a small feat, something that would require a lot of effort to accomplish. "I would give you a toast in advance, but I heard it's bad luck," Ainz stated with a smile, which was a bit unnecessary since he was wearing a helmet. Not to mention his skeleton visage couldn't convey any emotions.
Of course, his illusion could, but he wouldn't show it since it might cause some misunderstandings, given that Azazel and his illusion looked related. Which was a pure coincidence! He hadn't meant to look like him, he swore!
"Next time we meet, I am sure we have ranked up by then," Azazel said, still patting Narberal.
"I look forward to it. By the way, from what I have heard from Lupusregina that there is a teleportation cave near the village?" It was probably the excuse that Azazel had thought about to be able to cross the distance since he wouldn't be near the village under normal circumstances. He was still unsure what the benefits of this visit with Neia were, not to mention the other paladins.
Maybe to build up connections across nations? Did this give them any advantage to take over the countries? Ainz internally shook his head. He wasn't going to figure out what these geniuses thought about and he certainly wasn't going to ask them.
Perhaps if he manages to talk with Azazel alone... then again the last time his vague statements just made Azazel ask for clarification. Ainz's heart wouldn't be able to handle another situation like that. He certainly couldn't list the advantages this trip had for them.
"Yes, looks like a trap or maybe some naturally created tunnel that connected the two caves. I am not sure, but we hope that we will be able to figure out a way to return, otherwise, we would have to track the entire route, which would take a few days again. Probably even longer since we are a bigger group this time."
"Perhaps Nabe can assist you, as a magician she knows a thing or two about teleportation. She might figure out how to trigger it." AInz suggested. Of course, this was all a facade as they didn't know that Momon was Ainz in disguise and he would keep these two identities separated for the time being. After all, it was a ploy to gather any future rebellion under his alter ego.
Thank god for the reports that clarified their future plans. He couldn't imagine how miserable he would be if he had to blindly stumble into all these events.
"I would appreciate the help if it isn't a bother to you." Azazel inclined his head toward Narberal, who panicked at the sight, wildly waving her arms.
"N-No no, of course, it isn't a bother! I would be honored to help you!" She nodded enthusiastically.
"Thank you," Azazel responded. Neia followed with a bow as well.
"With that out of the way..." Ainz began before he turned toward Nfirea, who looked like he was in deep thought. "How is the progress with the potions?" After asking this, Nfirea snapped out of it and began in detail about the difficulties that he was faced with during his attempt to replicate 'God's blood'.
Most of it went over his head, though it basically burned down to the ratio of herbs not being correct or the types of herbs being unable to give the same effects as the Minor Healing Potion. He was still experimenting with other plants and herbs to see whether he could get a better result.
He just encouraged the boy. They continued to converse for a bit, which made him rather glad to have come as Momon, otherwise, he would have to pretend to be all-knowing with the current crew.
Soon Neia and Lupusregina decided to retreat for the night. Afterward, Enri and Clementine retreated for the night when they heard Azazel say he still had something to talk about with Ainz and not to wait for him. Nfirea didn't take the hint and strangely waited until Narberal left the room as well.
After everyone was gone, Azazel seemed to relax as well and leaned into his chair. Ainz removed the helmet and the illusion before taking out some sake and pouring two cups for Azazel and him. Although he couldn't drink, it was more symbolic.
"Kanpai!" Azazel said as he knocked his cup against his, making Ainz freeze up for a moment.
"...Kanpai." He finally said before drinking a sip of his cup as well. It felt rather nostalgic. Although they had never done this in real life, Ainz and his guild did have such sessions in-game to roleplay. Those were some good times.
He looked at Azazel, who raised an eyebrow at him. He couldn't help but see his old companions in him. To be honest, Azazel was more the ideal of many of the guild members than anything else, but he had something about him. The mannerism almost made him feel like he was sitting across a fellow human or rather a fellow ex-human.
"You good?"
"Yeah, everything is fine." Ainz waved him off, using their moment of privacy to slouch slightly.
"Not too much under stress?" Azazel asked as he took another sip.
"Not really. Since we are now Adamantite adventurers, we have mostly achieved our goal. We still have to continue to help the people and build up a reputation, but then we could move on." Ainz explained what he understood was necessary for the plan. Basically, be the common people's hero and then act as a counter or regulating force for Nazarick.
"What's with the long face then?" The angel asked, making Ainz grab his long bony chin. Azazel smirked as he saw that. Was he making fun of him? Ainz thought but instantly dismissed the idea. He must be imagining things, Azazel was a good-hearted angel after all.
"I wanted to get your opinion on something." Ainz began, getting to the meat of why he wanted to talk with the prince. "We have found lizard tribes at a lake in the northern part of the Great Forest of Tob..."
"And?"
"I had the idea of giving Cocytus the opportunity to conquer the tribes and unify them under his rule, though I am not sure whether we can do it without any sacrifices." Azazel had told him the last time that he didn't want him to cause too much death during their conquest. So, he was trying to weigh the lives of these lizards against the possible growth Coyctus could gain from this experience.
There was much to learn and with this, he could figure out whether the NPCs could grow beyond what they had been programmed with. If they hadn't that talk the last time, he would have ordered the conquest within a heartbeat, but now he wasn't sure how to proceed.
"I see..." Azazel put a hand on his chin as he thought about it. "What do we know about these Lizardmen?"
"They are divided into four tribes and from the initial observations, they seemed to have isolated themselves from the rest of the world."
They then dived into several points that were aimed at the nature of this species and how they could benefit from the rule through Nazarick.
In the end, they agreed on the fact that it would be best for the Lizardmen to be conquered by them before another race or even themselves wiped them out completely. Only the how was still in discussion.
...
There was no way, Nfirea could let Enri be with this guy. She couldn't possibly think that Azazel truly loved her and he would show her his true colors! He had suggested Nabe to seek out Azazel to 'discuss' their trip to the cave the next morning. He was sure that something would happen between the two.
Although Azazel had saved the village, he was obviously a player who would willingly cheat on his wife! He couldn't let Enri be miserable for the rest of her life. Nfirea waited for a moment in the night before sneaking into the guesthouse, following behind Enri.
The hall was dark and everyone should have already gone to bed. He made his way through the hallway, trying his best to not alert Enri, who was now peeking through the door split. His crush looked shocked, her eyes widened, and put a hand in front of her mouth. He was about to approach and console her from the lewd scene that must have been going on inside when she just opened the door and stepped inside.
The sudden action stunned him for a moment. Did she snap and wanted to confront him right away? He was about to walk out from the corner and see what was going on when Clementine walked out of the shadows and walked into the room as well.
After waiting for another minute and making sure that no one else was around, he couldn't suppress his curiosity anymore and walked to the door, peeking through the slit. His countenance fell as he watched Azazel on the bed being kissed by Nabe, caressed by Neia and Lupus, while his childhood crush knelt between his legs sniffing his crotch as if she was smelling an intoxicating scent.
With the scene settling in, he took a step back and wanted to run away, but something stopped him from doing so. His pants began to swell as he watched Enri being engrossed by Azazel's crotch. The door was suddenly closed, but he could still hear them. He hesitated for a moment before opening his pants and leaned an ear against the door as he started pumping his meat with two fingers.