"Your Excellency and Nabe have such a good relationship..." Gripping the bow strapped across her back with both hands, Rania looked at the two figures in the distance and murmured softly.
"Even I didn't expect the two of them to truly develop such a peculiar bond. Perhaps this is fate. I originally thought having Albedo would be enough for her. Who would have imagined that Shalltear and Nabe would also start developing those kinds of feelings? I have to admit, she was born with a charm that draws women close." Ainz's voice suddenly sounded beside her, startling the centaur girl so badly that her front hooves lifted as she kicked about in a fluster.
"Uh..." Ainz was taken aback by her reaction. Was he really that frightening? If it were Deloris instead, she would probably be smiling brightly, wouldn't she?
"So it's Lord Momon. Rania thought it was someone else." After calming herself, Rania looked at Ainz and visibly let out a sigh of relief.
Still unwilling to let it go, Ainz voiced the thought that had just occurred to him. "Um, Rania, am I really that scary?"
"No, no. I was just startled by the sudden voice, that's all." Rania took a step back, waving her hands as she denied it.
"Your reaction already says enough..." Ainz felt speechless inside. If this continued, then for the rest of his life, aside from the women of Nazarick, no one else would ever like him. No, even in Nazarick now, there were probably more women who liked Deloris than liked him.
Did skeletons not have the right to be liked? Were skeletons really that repulsive? A wave of sorrow surged in his heart. Even as a skeleton, even if most of his emotions were gone, he still retained a bit of desire. He needed to be liked too.
It wasn't that he wanted to find a partner. The problem was that he had been single for so long in his previous life. Now that he had finally become powerful in this one, shouldn't he at least be able to receive someone's affection?
However, after testing it several times, he had already understood that reality was not so kind, and he had given up.
"What do your people usually eat? Do you graze like horses, or eat meat, or something else?" Ainz decisively changed the subject, no longer dwelling on the answer that pained him so deeply.
"We centaurs are a race with our own civilization. Of course we don't eat grass like ordinary horses. We're omnivorous. Whether it's fruits and plants or animal flesh, we eat both. And when it comes to meat, we start a fire and cook it before eating." Rania did not understand why he was asking, but she answered nonetheless.
"A culture unique to your own civilization, huh? Are you nomadic? Or do you hunt other animals as a means of livelihood?"
"In the past, we would raid food and livestock from human cities near our borders. When humans hadn't harvested their grain yet, we would go hunting to sustain ourselves. We had our own territory, which is why those outsiders drove us away." At the mention of those outsiders, Rania subconsciously tightened her grip on her longbow, clearly filled with hatred.
"Can you describe what those enemies were like?" Ainz needed to know everything that went beyond the intelligence reports so he could better formulate future plans.
"They looked like humans, but their skin was entirely black. Their bodies were covered in mysterious black-and-white interwoven runes, far more complex and powerful than the black brand carved onto us. Not a single one of our people managed to kill even one of them. We were slaughtered with ease." Rania's expression burned with anger. "Now that we have Your Excellency, we'll definitely be able to return and take revenge."
"So the reason you pledged allegiance is because Liliana's strength gave you hope for revenge?" Ainz did not mind if others approached him with motives. What he disliked was anyone approaching his younger sister with ulterior motives.
"I'm very sorry. Your Excellency actually understands my intentions. I never meant to hide it from you..." Rania trailed off, unsure how to continue. In the end, it was indeed her own motive.
"As long as you have no intention of harming Liliana, then none of this is a problem." Ainz also wanted to see for himself what kind of beings those black-skinned, humanlike enemies were. But he had a bottom line that could never be crossed—no one was ever allowed to harm Deloris.
"Since my tribe follows Your Excellency, we would never harbor any ill intentions toward her. Please rest assured, Mr. Momon." Rania followed Chu Lian, not Ainz. So her attitude toward Ainz was respectful, but not the reverence—nor the fervent devotion—she held for Chu Lian.
"I believe you can keep that promise." After saying that, Ainz left. He needed to find an excuse to avoid the sight of eating roasted wild boar. After all, he truly could not eat.
Just moments ago, a tremendous pressure had suddenly emanated from Ainz, as though a god were gazing down upon the mortal world with eyes brimming with wisdom, seeing through all things.
In that brief instant, a fine layer of sweat covered the centaur girl's cheeks. It was terrifying. As expected of Her Excellency's big brother—his strength was already comparable to hers.
Although she had been warned, Rania felt even more exhilarated. With such powerful allies, she would definitely—definitely—lead her people back and slaughter all those enemies who had massacred her parents and her tribe.
"She's truly an unfathomable girl." Ainz's consciousness had remained locked onto her. When he saw that, even after he left, despite her fear she still wore a radiant smile, he gave the same evaluation as Chu Lian. However, she wasn't unpleasant.
"Nabe, our enemies will only grow stronger in the future. Are you worried?" After washing her face clean, Chu Lian gazed at the clear water. Then she suddenly removed her shoes and socks again, lifted the hem of her skirt, and stepped barefoot into the stream, letting the slightly cool river water wash over her legs and feet as she walked slowly forward.
"With Your Highness and Lord Ainz leading us, no matter how powerful our enemies become, we will still achieve victory." Influenced by Chu Lian, Nabe hesitated for a moment before removing her long boots and socks as well. She rolled up her trouser legs, sat on a stone, and immersed her legs in the water.
"Perhaps. Some enemies aren't so simple. We may not truly remain invincible forever." Turning around, Chu Lian looked at Nabe and let out a faint sigh. "This world is always changing—changing so quickly that we may not even be able to grasp its trajectory."
"But as long as Lady Deloris is here, we will surely overcome it," Nabe said softly, brushing her hand across the water.
"Even big brother may not be able to do it. As for me, it would be difficult." Shaking her head, Chu Lian did not continue dwelling on the topic. Instead, she changed the subject. "Nabe, if one day you needed to fight side by side with humans, what would you do?"
"Those despicable creatures called humans..." Before she could finish, Chu Lian's gaze shifted toward her. After a brief silence, Nabe corrected herself. "Even though I despise humans, if one day, under Your Highness' and Lord Ainz's orders, I must fight alongside them, I will not object."
"Do not underestimate the human race. Compared to other races, their racial advantages may not be obvious. They may even be at a disadvantage. But they are the most creative of all races. Perhaps one day, they will create something that will shock even the world itself." As she said this, Chu Lian thought of nuclear weapons—truly the most powerful weapons humanity had ever created.
Those so-called super-tier spells and so-called World Items seemed insignificant before the destructive force of nuclear arms. Not to mention that there was practically no theoretical limit to how powerful a nuclear bomb could be, nor any real limit to the number that could be produced.
Though humanity had relied on external tools to create such things, who could deny that this, too, was a manifestation of human capability?
"Your Highness seems to think highly of humans?" Nabe found it somewhat strange. Deloris had always shown goodwill toward humans. Given her temperament, she would not do something meaningless.
"Humans are a very useful chess piece. They are also a batch of excellent soldiers..." At this point, a peculiar smile curved on Chu Lian's lips. "And they are also qualified cannon fodder."
"No—that's not quite right. Aside from the races that have pledged allegiance to us, all others are cannon fodder. Under this upheaval, they are sacrifices meant to be expended." The moment Chu Lian said this, Nabe understood. As expected, Lady Deloris had her own plans. It was better not to speculate carelessly in the future.
"All right, we should head back..." Seeing that Nabe had already returned to shore and dressed neatly, Chu Lian lifted her skirt and walked up slowly. She stepped onto a stone, sat down, carefully washed her feet, then put on her shoes and socks. After washing her hands clean, she extended her right hand and called gently, "Nabe..."
"Your Highness." Grasping her soft little hand, Nabe gave a firm pull and drew her into her embrace. Seeing the playful smile on her face, she knew she was teasing her.
The two girls lingered for a moment before walking back the way they had come. A breeze swept past, stirring the grass tips and swaying their hair in the air. In her heart, she let out a soft sigh.
I clearly promised Ayase that I wouldn't provoke others, yet a single joke of mine ended up making a girl fall into my tenderness. At this point, I can no longer pretend not to see it.
Perhaps it's better to let things take their natural course. In the future, I must stop making careless jokes. Although I don't dislike Nabe—on the contrary, I truly like this adorable maid—Ayase is still the one I care about most.
"Your Excellency, you've returned." Seeing Chu Lian and Nabe come back one after the other, the centaur girl immediately stepped forward.
"Mm. Is it ready?" She was referring to the wild boar the centaurs had hunted.
"They're roasting it now. After a while, it should be ready," Rania replied, glancing back briefly.
With a light nod, Chu Lian said nothing more. She found a tree and lay down in its shade, gazing at the azure sky, feeling the presence of the girl beside her, drifting into a slight daze.
How long could this tranquil, lingering time truly last?
She did not know how much time had passed. Perhaps because the maid had refused to let them approach earlier, the others had already finished eating before Chu Lian stirred awake.
"Miss Liliana, we're about to set off." Peter scratched the back of his head awkwardly. The food had been hunted by her subordinates, yet they had shared it. It felt somewhat disrespectful. But since she did not mind, he could hardly object.
"Mm." After responding, Chu Lian beckoned to the centaur girl in the distance. "Rania, come here for a moment."
Galloping over on all fours, the centaur girl stopped in front of Chu Lian. As if knowing what was expected, she knelt on her forelegs, lowering herself so Chu Lian could mount comfortably.
Stroking her chin thoughtfully, Chu Lian retrieved a soft cushion from her storage space and placed it on the centaur's back before sitting down. Once the centaur girl rose to her feet, she extended her hand and pulled Nabe up as well.
Seeing the people ahead already moving forward, Rania stamped her forehooves twice against the ground before swiftly chasing after them. Behind her followed centaur warriors carrying bows and arrows.
"How is it, Your Excellency? I told you—I'm really easy to ride." The centaur girl turned back with a radiant smile. When she saw Chu Lian nod, she became even more delighted and sped forward.
Dust rose along the road as the group advanced toward Carne Village...