Ainz-sama loves me and I love you guys.
Peace!
The Capital City of the Kingdom Part 7
Translators: Frostfire10, Skythewood
Climb walked along the main street of the Royal Capital. Climb blended perfectly into the mass of humanity, given that he had few distinguishing features about him.
Walking around the town in white full plate would draw attention, so he removed it. While he could use certain alchemical items to change its color, he was not that attached to it. Besides, there was no need to go around in full plate armor while walking on the streets.
Instead, Climb was lightly equipped. His most noticeable points were the chain shirt below his clothes and the long sword hanging from his waist.
People with such outfits could occasionally be seen in the crowd. The crowd would part for people in heavy armour.
While Climb's outfit should be correct, it was incorrect as well.
As a soldier he should be wearing soldier-like clothes, and he should be wearing the pure white full plate armour that was given to him by Renner. Of course, Climb did have an excuse.He was not working as a soldier now, and he should not use Renner's armour unless he was protecting her. In addition, it was embarrassing to stand out too much.
However, Climb was a soldier, and adventurers would disagree.
Dressing in an eye-catching way was not a strange thing for adventurers. Of course, this was excluding cases where secrecy was necessary. The reason why adventurers had eye-catching outfits was related to their publicity. Giving off a strange impression left a strong impact, and increased the rumours about them.
Adventurers who thought that this was embarrassing, were in fact thought of as fools. However, there were exceptions; [Blue Rose] who Climb was meeting, was at such a level where such tactics were unnecessary.
At their level, they would make conversation just by walking along the street.
Soon, he saw an adventurer's inn along the road. Not all of the plot of land was used for the inn, there was the main building, a stable and a large field that was probably used for training.
Its beautiful exterior promised an equally exquisite interior, and the guest windows were fitted with pieces of clear glass.
This was the Royal Capital's most expensive inn and was a gathering place for adventurers who were confident of their skills and able to pay the onerous bills.
Climb opened the inn's door.
The drinks bar cum dining hall occupied the entire first floor, but it was sparsely populated with adventurers, considering its size. This clearly showed the rarity of high-paid adventurers.
The clamor within the inn quieted for a moment as several curious gazes were thrown in Climb's direction. He did not mind, and looked around the interior.
The place was full of strong adventurers, and most could probably defeat Climb. Among them were people who could instantly defeat him.
However, the people he was looking for were not at that level.
His gaze instantly stopped in a corner of the bar. It was natural. There was no way he could overlook such existences.
In front of him — in the innermost depths of the inn — was a round table. It was located outside the area that was in the bright light of the chandelier. He looked at the two people seated around it.
One of them was tiny, dressed in a long black robe which covered their entire body.
Their face could not be seen. It was not because the light was insufficient, but because they wore a strange, full-face mask set with a bloodstone. There was a narrow crack running along eye level, but that did not even reveal the color of the eyes underneath it.
Then, there was the other person.
If the first person was a midget, then this one would be a giant. Seeing this person brought the word "boulder" to mind. Indeed, that person had a stout and massive body, but that girth was not born of obesity.
That person's arms reminded observers of logs, while the neck which held the head up seemed as wide around as a pair of a woman's thighs. The head which sat upon that neck was squarish in shape. The heavyset chin — currently clenched closed — and the way that person's eyes surveyed its surroundings reminded one of a carnivorous beast. The blonde hair upon that head was trimmed short for the sake of practicality.
That person's chest bulged mightily under their clothes, as though on proud display. Said chest resembled nothing so much as thoroughly-honed pectoral muscles. Put more clearly, this was no longer a tender feminine bosom.
This was the A+ adventurer team— Blue Rose.
They were two members of the famous adventurer party comprised of only women.
The magic caster: Evileye, and the warrior: Gagaran.
Climb headed towards them. They had probably noticed him the moment he walked in, but since he walked towards them, they probably confirmed that it was him. One of them nodded and spoke in a loud husky voice.
"Yo, cherry boy!"
The gazes that had been slowly drifting away all focused on Climb once more, but nobody mocked him. Instead, they turned away once more, as though in sympathy for him.
They did this because they knew that showing the slightest bit of disrespect to Gagaran's guest was not so much bravery, but foolhardiness. Yes. Even A and B Class adventurers.
While being called in an embarrassing manner, Climb maintained a calm face and continued walking.
No matter how many times he pleaded with her, Gagaran refused to address Climb by his proper name. That being the case, the best course of action he could take was to give up and pretend he did not care.
"Good to see you again, Gagaran-sa—san. And Evileye-sama."
He arrived before the two of them and bowed.
"Oh, it's been a while. What, come to sleep with me, have you?"
Gagaran jerked her chin, indicating that he should take a seat. There was an evil, savage grin upon that square face of hers. Climb simply shook his head blankly.
Gagaran said the same thing every time, to the point where it had become something like a form of greeting. However, she was not joking in the slightest. If Climb answered "yes", even in jest, she would immediately drag him into a singles' room on the second floor.
Gagaran, who prided herself as a "cherry picker", was such a person.
In contrast to Gagaran, Evileye faced stoically forward, her face unmoving. Perhaps she was eyeing Climb under her mask, but he could not be sure of that.
"No, that's not it. Aindra-sama bade me come."
"Hm? Leader did?"
"Yes. A message. She will stay with Renner today."
"Ok. Is that it?"
"Yes, that is all."
"Hmm, you've troubled yourself over a small matter."
Gagaran's face lit up with a broad smile, and Climb remembered that he had something else to tell her.
"Today I had the good fortune of sparring with Stronoff-sama. The move you taught me then — the big downward chop — met with Stronoff-sama's approval."
"Oh, that move!" Gagaran had taught him that blow in the practice yard behind this inn. Her face split with a grin. "Hehe, not bad, kid. Still…"
"Yes. I won't be satisfied with just that. I will continue to practice and seek perfection."
"You've got to keep training, of course. But you should also think about what to do if someone counters that move. Think of a move to continue from it."
Climb did not reply but instead seriously considered her words. Gagaran smiled at him. She implied that he did not need to think that hard.
"Originally you should have a countless repertoire of moves and respond accordingly. But you can't do that." She indirectly said that Climb had no talent, and continued. "And so become confident enough to attack thrice consecutively. A series that your opponent cannot handle."
"Yes."
"Of course, that won't work when fighting monsters. But against humans, that ought to be enough."
"Yes."
"While you'll be in trouble once your opponent sees through your attack patterns, it ought to be effective the first time you face any foe. Hammer them, hammer them and keep hammering them."
"Understood."
Climb nodded heavily.
This morning, he had only managed to get one hit in on Gazef. On every other occasion, Gazef had seen through him immediately and he had been counterattacked in turn.
Then, could he lose confidence because of that? Of course not.
Could he allow himself to fall into despair because of that? Of course not.
It was the opposite.
It was precisely the opposite.
A mere commoner like himself had been able to come that close to the strongest warrior in the Kingdom — no, the surrounding countries. Climb knew that Gazef had not begun to show his true power, but to Climb — who had been walking a pitch-black path with no light in sight — it was a tremendous dose of encouragement.
It was like telling him: Your efforts were not in vain.
As he thought about that, he fully understood what Gagaran was trying to say.
He was not confident that he could develop a good combination attack, but he was willing to try. A flame had been lit in the depths of his heart. He was determined to become stronger, so that he could draw out more of Gazef's strength the next time he sparred with the Warrior Captain.
"…Right, I think you asked Evileye about something before, didn't you? Something about learning magic?"
"Yes."
Climb glanced at Evileye. At that time, she had merely laughed at him from under her mask and the matter had been forgotten. Asking her the same thing now, when nothing had changed, would only yield the same answer.
However—
"Kid."
A muffled voice reached his ears.
Her voice was quite surprising, even without removing the mask she wore. The mask she wore was not particularly thick, so it should have been easy to make out the qualities of her voice. However, there was no way to tell Evileye's age or any emotional inflections from it. At the very most, he could conclude that she was female. It was an emotionless, even voice that sounded both old and young at the same time.
That was probably because Evileye's mask was magical. But why did she have to conceal her voice? Climb did not know.
"You have no talent. Work hard somewhere else."
She did not allow him any room to respond, as though there was nothing else to be said.
Climb knew her meaning very well.
He was not talented in magic. No, that was not all.
No matter how hard he practiced his swordplay, how many times he bled and blistered and callused his hands, he could not reach the level he longed for. Low walls which a talented individual might soar over were like insurmountable barriers to Climb.
However, he could not give up on working hard to surpass that unbreachable limit. Since he had no talent, he had to hope that his unrelenting effort would help him improve in some way.
"However, in the legends of the 13 Heros…."
The leader of the Thirteen Heroes. According to legend, he was just an ordinary person, weaker than anyone else. However, he continued swinging his sword even when injured, and he eventually became a hero who was stronger than anyone else.
Evileye was at a loss for words. As if that legend were true.
However, she squeezed out words of denial.
"Talent being created later in life is a lie. Those who have it have it from the start….Talent is like a flower just before blooming, and is something everyone has….To me, that is nothing more than a false hope. Those are the words of the weak comforting themselves. The leader of the 13 Heros was the same. He had talent, it just bloomed late. He is different from you. Hard work is useless….Yes. Talent is something that exists or not. Therefore… I won't tell you to give up, but you ought to know your limits."
Evileye's stern lecture was followed by a brief silence. In the end, Evileye broke it.
"Gazef Stronoff… he's a good example. People like him would be considered talented. Climb… do you think you can make up the difference between the two of you with effort?"
He could not answer. His training today had made him realize that he was nowhere near that league.
"Alright, maybe he's not such a good example… still, the only person I can think of whose swordsmanship approaches his was among the Thirteen Heroes. Gagaran here is good, but she can't beat Gazef."
"…Hey don't compare him to me. Gazef's a man with a foot into the realm of heroes, y'know?"
"Hmph. You're a heroic woman too… although the woman part is in doubt."
As soon as Evileye's voice trailed off, Gagaran laughed and answered.
"Oi oi, Evileye. These heroes in question are monsters with unique abilities that have surpassed the realm of humanity, right?"
"…I do not deny that."
"Then I'm still human. Just an ordinary person who can't reach the realm of heroes."
"Even so, you're still talented. You're not an untalented person like Climb. Climb, you shouldn't be fixated on trying to grasp the stars."
Climb knew — better than anyone else — that he lacked talent. Even so, hearing her repeat you have no talent, you have no talent was very depressing. That said, Climb had no intention of changing his life's goal.
—This body exists for the Princess. For her, I will—
Perhaps she sensed a martyr's resolve from Climb, but in the end, Evileye scoffed from behind her mask.
"…So you're not giving up, even after I've said all that."
"Yes."
"Foolishness. Utter foolishness." She shook her head forcefully, unable to understand him. "Moving forward while clinging to an unreachable dream will set you on the way to destruction. You know that, right? I'll tell you again — you need to know your limits."
"….I understand."
"You may understand, but you don't care at all, do you? The word foolish does not even begin to describe men like you."
"What's this, Evileye? You're bullying Climb because you care about him?"
Evileye rounded her shoulders as she heard Gagaran speak. Then, she turned to Gagaran and grabbed her by the lapels while shouting.
"Will you shut up, you beefcake bimbo!"
"Hey, you know I'm right, right?"
Gagaran was content to let Evileye hang on to her while she replied nonchalantly. Evileye was speechless for a moment, and then she sank back into her chair. She then tried to change the conversation.
"Start by learning about magic. Once you know more, you'll be able to understand how magic-using enemies think. You'll be able to pick a more correct course of action that way."
"Won't learning all those spells be a bit much for him?"
"Of course not. The fact is, there aren't that many spells which magic casters use. Just focus on the commonly-used ones."
If you can't do that, give up. Evileye spat those words out.
"Besides, he'll only need to study up to the 3rd tier. That shouldn't be a problem."
"I think there is. They say that the Head Magic Caster of the Empire can use up to the 6th tier, but you know quite a bit about the 10th. Why?"
"Hm…"
Evileye had a schoolmarmish look on her face as she fiddled around under her robe. Climb suddenly realised that the sounds around them seemed further away now. It was hard to describe, but it felt as though there was a thin film surrounding them.
"Don't panic. I just used a pointless little magic."
Climb did not know that the activation of that item was a sign of how worried she was about being overheard. All he knew was that Evileye intended to answer Gagaran's question in strict seriousness. Now that she had gone to that extent, he sat up straight in his chair.
"In ancient myths — little more than legends — there was mention of beings known as the Eight Greed Kings. They were known as gods, and the tales speak of how they once ruled this world with that absolute power."
Climb had heard the story of the Eight Greed Kings. While they were not too popular, given that they were only children's tales, anyone with a little bit of knowledge would know of them.
In summary, the beings known as the Eight Greed Kings appeared 500 years ago. Some said that they stood as tall as the heavens, some said they looked like Dragons, but in any case, the Eight Greed Kings devastated the nations in an instant, dominating the world with their power which could move mountains and part the seas. However, their desires ran deep, and they fought each other for their possessions, resulting in their mutual extinction.
This story was not popular for obvious reasons, but debate raged over whether or not it was merely a children's fairytale. Climb personally felt that it had been greatly embellished. However, a small group of people among the adventurers believed that the Eight Greed Kings existed — and that they commanded powers beyond those of any in this modern age.
The proof of that was a city within the deserts far to the south. Rumors said that it was the capital built when the Eight Greed Kings conquered the continent.
As Climb lost himself in his thoughts, Evileye continued speaking.
"Apparently, the Eight Greed Kings possessed numberless powerful magic items, and the mightiest of them was called the [Nameless Spellbook]… at least, that's what people call it. That's the answer to everything."
"Ah? So those spells are recorded in that book?"
"Indeed. They say that the Eight Greed Kings of legend left that unimaginable powerful magic item behind, a book which records all the world's spells. Also, they say that due to some kind of magic, even newly-developed spells appear within its pages as well."
Climb knew of the Eight Greed Kings, but not of this tome. He had a rough idea of how valuable this item truly was, but he remained silent and listened.
"It is as Gagaran predicted, including me, there are no people who can use higher than the 6th Tier, yet I know the higher tiers. Of course, there are not many people who know about the Nameless Spellbook."
"Ah….I didn't either."
Evileye nodded and continued.
"In that book there are records up to the 10th tier….but in fact everything until the 11th tier is recorded. It seems that there is only one of the 11th tiers recorded. I only heard about this, and so I am not sure if there is only one. There might be other 11th tiers that were not found."
Climb gulped.
This talk was probably at the level of classified information. If leaked, an unprecedented event would occur. Was it fine for adventurers who knew the value of information to give it away for free. Such a worry was born in Climb.
And glossing over the emotion similar to unease, Climb asked Evileye.
"Will, will you be searching for that [Nameless Spellbook]?"
That was a question born from his belief that since they understood how precious it was, and that they were the highest class of adventurers and could reach it.
Evileye snorted, as though to say, Don't be ridiculous.
"Hmph. They say that the book is defended by powerful magic and nobody can touch it but its rightful owner. I know my limits, so I don't desire it. I'd rather not die in a stupid way like the Eight Greed Kings."
"Your leader is said to wield one of the weapons belonging to a member of the Thirteen Heroes… does she feel the same way?"
"….The scale is different. This one is something that can rival all the past and present magic items put together."
Well, from what I heard from it, I don't really know myself. Evileye ended her words there.
"So, properly learn about magic."
"Understood."
Hearing Climb's reply, Evileye showed one of her rare moments of hesitation, and spoke.
"If you want power, you can choose methods to stop being human."
"Forsaking humanity… you mean like the demons in stories?"
"Stuff like that, or turning into an undead or magical beast. The undeadification is the most famous."
"Normal humans cannot do that."
"True….When one turns into an undead, they may lose sight of themselves. Burnt by their ideals, this was a method to achieve them but….When the body changes, the heart follows with it."
The voice beneath the mask was tinged with a certain emotion. It was pity.
Gagaran noticed how Evileye was staring into the distance and deliberately spoke up in a bright voice.
"Well, the Princess would probably faint if she woke up and saw that Climb had become an Ogre."
Evileye had probably sensed the good intentions behind Gagaran's words. Her voice returned to its usual emotionless pitch.
"…Indeed, that's a way too. Transmutation-type spells can briefly allow you to change into another species. I'll be frank, they're valid options for improving your physical attributes."
"I think I'll pass on that."
"If you simply desire strength, then changing into another species is quite effective. After all, the human body is hardly exceptional, and the same abilities are more effective when one's basic physical attributes are improved."
That much was obvious. Between two evenly-skilled opponents, the one with the better physical attributes would have the advantage.
"The fact is that many of the Thirteen Heroes were nonhumans. The Warrior-Captain of the Air Giants and his Axe of Cyclones, the Elf Royal Family who bore the special characteristics of the ancestral Elves, and the Black Knight who wielded the Four Swords of Darkness — the original owner of our leader's Kilineyram — was also a human with demon's blood."
"The Four Swords of Darkness, huh…"
子供が13英雄ごっこをするとなると、2、3番目の人気者となる暗黒騎士は4本の剣を持っていたとされる。The Evil Sword Hyumilis, the Demon Blade Kilineyram, the Sword of Decay Crocdabal, and the Deathsword Sfeiz. 13英雄という存在は御伽噺の領域の存在だが、暗黒騎士はその中で最も現実味に溢れた存在なのだが、それは4大暗黒剣の内の1本をもっている者が、王国最高の冒険者チームのリーダーであることに起因する。
そしてその言葉にガガーランが反応した。
"The Demon Blade Kilineyram, created by condensing infinite darkness, is said to be the mightiest of the four… I have a question, is it true that if it unleashes its full power, it could project enough dark energy to swallow a country whole?"
"What are you talking about?"
Evileye asked in a confused tone.
"Our leader said something about it when alone. That suppressing such power could only be done by a woman that served god like her."
"I've never heard of anything like that before…" Evileye tilted her head in surprise. "Still, if the owner says that, it might be true."
"Then is there really a Dark Lakyus, born from the dark side of her spirit?"
"What?"
"Nah, I just happened to hear her muttering to herself again. Don't think she noticed me, so I decided to take a listen, and in the end she ended up saying, 'If you get careless, this being of blackness born of the source of all darkness shall take over your body and release the Demon Blade's power' or something. Sounded pretty bad."
"This… well, we can't rule that out. Some cursed items can control their owners' minds… things would be pretty dire if something like that happened to Lakyus. So….Did you ask her what she was talking about?"
"Ah. I did. She blushed red and told us not to worry."
"Hm. It must be pretty embarrassing for a priest — who should be the one removing curses — to end up falling victim to a curse herself."
Climb could no longer pretend to be unmoved, and he frowned.
From what he had seen and heard, Lakyus might well be under the control of an evil magic item. He became even more worried as he thought about where he had just been..
"…Will Renner-sama be in danger?"
Evileye stopped Climb before he could rush out.
"Don't worry. I doubt the situation will deteriorate. She won't be taken over unawares, even if the power of darkness threatens to take her over. We'll have to take the fact that she didn't tell us as a sign that she's confident of controlling it herself. I'm certain she has the mental strength for it. Still… I didn't expect the sword to have that kind of power. Even I've never heard of that before."
Evileye felt slightly frustrated about her lack of knowledge. And that she should search for more knowledge not just for satisfaction.
"Should we talk to Azuth for safety's sake?"
"I'm not too happy about asking a rival for help, but… well, she is his niece, so we should let him know, at least."
"Hm, then shouldn't we do that right away?"
"Mm. We should just prepare ourselves to back Lakyus up at any time."
Gagaran and Evileye rose, and so did Climb.
"Sorry, Climb. I really wanted to have some fun with you, but I don't have the time."
"Please, don't worry about it, Gagaran-sama."
Gagaran carefully studied Climb, and then laughed tiredly.
"Mm, alright, then. You should be going back right away, so we'll leave our leader to you. Good seeing you around, cherry boy."