Chapter Thirty-Six

  “We’re sure to encounter resistance soon enough… father.” Demiurge said as the four of them ‘drifted’ over the landscape. The sky was clear as yet another day passed by and, unburdened by any need for haste, they let the high winds carry them toward their next distant target, a bustling metropolis of the Beastmen, and the largest city in the region, it would complete one fourth of the intended territory that would be the ‘bride price’ of the Queen’s hand. So far four cities were left empty, while the towns and villages they’d drifted over since required not even a stopover. They were abandoned not long after the cities they supported, all that remained were the farms filled with an unusual palm sized fruit.

  “When do you expect it, give me your analysis.” Ulbert said as the distant gray walls slowly grew in size.

  Demiurge glanced at Pandora’s Actor, and the treasury guardian gave a slight nod of his head. “Father,” Demiurge said and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose just a little, “the beastmen will defend this city more vigorously than the last, but we will encounter a true army when we encounter the next city. Including their magic casters, siege engines, and a large number of conscripts with few professional soldiers.” He looked from one Supreme Being to the next, awaiting their praise or rebuke with his archdemon heart pounding in his chest.

  “Why?” Ainz asked. ‘That doesn’t sound right, why not use professional soldiers? Why conscripts?’ He wondered.

  “Because, My Lord, they need to get rid of some of the refugees or they will create a famine. They know by now that what they have cannot stop us, and we have offered no terms to speak of. If their leadership is wise, the mages will bolster the courage of the conscripts, but the conscripts will do most of the dying. The magic casters are too valuable to lose, so they will withdraw, but the foot soldiers will carry on for much, much longer. They have to, or the population moving east will destroy the places they settle. Plus there is that.” Demiurge said and pointed to a distant plot of land.

  “There are humans there. They want to see how we treat their human stock. I assume my father intends to rule them and boost his mighty name among his subjects. Therefore, they will be rescued. Is all of that correct, Father, Lord Ainz?” Demiurge guessed.

  “Yes.” Ulbert said at once and cast his eyes west, “What’s the point of ruling over ashes and destruction? There’s nothing glorious about a wasteland full of misery. My name should be praised with hearts of devotion, from a shining beacon on a hill that all the world will long to join in forever.”

  “Lord Ainz’s very words, almost to the letter.” Demiurge beamed with pride as his father matched his vision with that of the leader of the Supreme Beings.

  “Those of like minds tend to come together for the same purpose. Such is the strength of comrades who are united in common cause. As a house united, their will shall be done, as a house divided, they will be lost.” Ulbert internally chuckled, while the others marveled at his profound words, he knew the truth.

  ‘I stole that speech from a manga that came out last year, so even Momonga, no, ‘Ainz’ now, wouldn’t get it. Alright so it was chuunibyou as can be, it still sounded great!’

  “Mein comrade’s analysis is good. But I would add that we can expect to hear from their nonhuman neighbors soon. Or, the Draconic Queen will hear protests of some sort. Possibly threats. They will not be pleased when beastmen refugees cross into the Minotaur Kingdom, or into the wyvernrider country, or the Troll Kingdom… they are far away, but it will get their attention, will it not?” Pandora’s Actor pointed out.

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  “When I return to my bride I will make a formal appeal as a vassal state for membership in the Sorcerous Kingdom. I may have to talk the Queen into it, but when I explain things as much as I can, I’m sure she will listen.” Ulbert suggested the option, and Ainz quickly nodded along.

  “A simple solution, and one that leaves it possible for us to easily defend your… your new home.” Ainz answered. “I assume your obligations will keep you there…”

  “Yes, but not to worry, my friend. I will come to Nazarick often, it will be, not exactly like old times, but very close to it. A lot more like this…” Ulbert said and opened out his arms to encompass them all.

  “Just imagine when we find the others, setting out on ‘quests’ like this one. Securing one place after another, until the whole world is ours. Our families joining together in Nazarick while we ensure our dominance over the world, ruling from our respective capitals. Always one spell away from the table where we spent so much time.”

  Ainz clapped Ulbert on the shoulder, “You all were always family enough for me.” He said, and then added, “But I can’t begrudge you that, and as you say, it might not be just like old times… but it is as close as it can ever truly be.”

  “My Lords,” Pandora’s Actor pointed to the city, “they have seen us, they are making ready.”

  He was right, ballistae, catapults, scorpions, onagers, and a slew of beastmen capable of using both bows and magic, were all scurrying around on the walls. It was interesting to their eyes that it ‘had’ walls at all. Notably, part of the wall was obviously much newer than the rest. Demiurge noted that and said out loud, “This must have been a human city a long time ago, and the beastmen modified the walls for their own use. For all the good that will do them. Father, may I strike the first blow?”

  A large part of the population was already streaming out the gate, pouring through the gap like water flowing through a bucket with a hole in it.

  “Wait. Let them have their hour. We must always keep our word, after all.” Ulbert reminded him.

  And the minutes ticked past, arrows, fireballs, rocks, long spears from the scorpions, all soared through the air, most of them missing entirely, the rest were simply nullified by the passive immunity of the level one hundred beings.

  The timer gave way with the courage of the beastmen, and as the last few minutes drifted by before their eyes, those on the wall who were meant to defend the city began to abandon their posts, fleeing with roars and screams and cries according to their kind.

  Brotherhood was forgotten in the rush to be the one to survive, and beastmen pushed one another out of the way, clogging the tower entrance and even pushing one another off the wall to fall screaming to their deaths with thuds at the bottom which no one could hear over the cacophony of panic and terror.

  Under the eyes of the four, the visible panic redoubled when the timer overhead reached its end, shoving grew more vigorous and down below, those who escaped the tower’s confines and fled toward the nearest gate never even bothered to check on the bodies of those who fell from the high walls. The few who survived with broken legs reached out, calling for aid that was not forthcoming, and the noise grew ever greater, as their finite time came to a close.

  “End it quickly, this time.” Ainz suggested, and leveling his hand at the corpses the beastmen themselves created, he raised up a trio of soul eaters.

  Their wail froze blood and bodies among the living who heard them and knew by instinct that some horrific nightmare was now among their numbers.

  Ulbert summoned up a handful of demons of similar level, followed by Demiurge… and Pandora’s Actor took the form of Bukubukuchagama, from his body a stream of slime began to pour as if he were a god pissing purple rain on the city, but where it touched, new, smaller slimes began to coalesce and search out prey to devour.

  They were minor powers, really, not one among them over level forty, but against beastmen who were panicked and had a third or worse that strength individually and whose courage was sapped away to nothing?

  It was over before it began.

  The screams grew even louder… for a little while.

  Then dimmed until there was nothing left but the noise of the wind through empty streets, and beings of evil stood waiting to be commanded or banished by the veritable gods who hovered above the now silent city.