Chapter 20: The Glacial Moors and the Warlord's Vigil
The revelation of Cocytus's probable location and his self-made ice fortress sent a fresh wave of invigorated purpose through Ainz's burgeoning Nazarick contingent. Another Floor Guardian found! The news was a balm to their displaced souls, a significant step towards reconstituting their former glory, however piecemeal their current assembly.
Ainz convened his council immediately, the maps of the northern territories spread across the rough-hewn table in his magically expanded chamber. Aura's firsthand account of the Glacial Moors, the Niflheim-like ice fortress, the massive insectoid figure, and the ferocity of the magical blizzard painted a vivid, if perilous, picture.
"Lord Cocytus has clearly established a domain," Sebas observed, his calm voice a counterpoint to the excited gleam in Albedo's eyes. "And formidable defenses. Reaching him will not be a simple matter."
"The cold alone will be a significant challenge for any… mundane members of an expedition," Albedo added, her gaze flicking momentarily towards Ainz's human form, a hint of her usual concern for his well-being in this weaker vessel. "And this magical blizzard… it sounds like a powerful, wide-area defensive ward, something Lord Cocytus himself would certainly be capable of creating."
Ainz nodded. "Precisely. This expedition requires a specialized team, and meticulous preparation." He looked around at his assembled Guardians. "I, naturally, will lead. Sebas, your versatility and protective capabilities are indispensable. Aura, your scouting skills and familiarity with the region, however brief, will be our guide; Sky-Screecher will be vital for reconnaissance in such terrain, provided it can withstand the cold."
Aura puffed out her chest. "Sky-Screecher is tougher than he looks, Ainz-sama! And I have some beast-warming salves I can prepare!"
"Albedo," Ainz continued, "your combat prowess and command abilities will be essential if we face significant resistance, either from Cocytus's defenses or unknown native threats. And your… resources… may prove invaluable for equipping this venture."
Albedo preened visibly. "Of course, my beloved Ainz-sama! I live only to serve you! I have several… treasures… that will negate the worst of any natural cold, and potent offensive capabilities should these primitives, or even our dear Cocytus in a state of confusion, dare to impede your path!"
Ainz made a mental note to have a quiet word with Albedo about not immediately resorting to overwhelming force if Cocytus proved initially wary. "Mare and Entoma," he said, turning to the remaining two, "your roles here at Greywater Keep are equally crucial. Mare, the construction of the subterranean sanctuary beneath this keep is now of paramount importance. We need a secure fall-back position, a hidden vault. Your earth magic is uniquely suited for this silent, concealed work. Entoma, your insects will continue to provide local surveillance and act as our primary communication link with Greywater should we require it on our journey north. Maintain vigilance."
Mare nodded nervously but with determination. "I-I will not fail you, Lord Ainz! The earth will become your shield!" Entoma clicked her mandibles in affirmation, her loyalty absolute.
The cover story for this new, extended absence was crafted with care. Lord Elian, accompanied by the formidable Lady Alva, the wise Master Tian, and their expert tracker Mistress Lyra, would be undertaking a perilous pilgrimage to a "legendary northern ice cave." This cave, according to rediscovered ancient Hollow family lore, was said to contain unique, ice-bound crystals. These crystals were purportedly essential for Lady Alva to complete a series of powerful, permanent protective enchantments for Greywater Keep, enchantments that would safeguard not only House Hollow's lands but, by extension, contribute significantly to the peace and security of all the Riverlands under House Tully. It was a suitably grand, mystical, and vaguely beneficial-sounding quest that Ainz hoped would satisfy Ser Desmond Grell and any inquiries from Riverrun.
Albedo, true to her word, produced several YGGDRASIL items from her personal treasury – cloaks lined with enchanted basilisk fur that offered almost perfect insulation against extreme cold, potent healing potions capable of instantly mending frostbite, and highly concentrated, magically preserved rations that could sustain them for weeks. Ainz, using his own slowly returning [Create Item] skill, supplemented these with specialized climbing gear and other minor necessities.
Meanwhile, in Harrenhal's shadowed halls…
Demiurge received Nyx's latest intelligence with a thoughtful frown. Aura's initial scouting flight to the north-north-west, her hasty return, and the subsequent flurry of preparations at Greywater Keep for a major northern expedition involving Lord Ainz, Albedo, Sebas, and Aura herself – it all pointed to one conclusion: Lord Ainz was pursuing another of their comrades. Given the description of unnatural cold Aura had reportedly sensed, Demiurge strongly suspected Cocytus.
"Another Guardian located," Demiurge mused, a complex web of strategies spinning in his mind. "Lord Ainz is reassembling his forces with remarkable speed. My own… 'gifts'… must be timed to perfection to demonstrate their optimal utility."
Nyx had also relayed, with her usual efficiency, Ser Desmond Grell's continued anxieties about the northern borders of the Riverlands, the ongoing Ironborn raids along the coast, and the general stretched state of House Tully's military resources. This information was gold to Demiurge.
He set a new, more ambitious plan in motion, one that would take considerable time and intricate coordination. He began to dispatch his most skilled human agents, and a few… other assets… towards the western coasts of the Riverlands and the regions bordering the Iron Islands. His objective: to subtly gather intelligence on Ironborn fleet movements, identify key pirate strongholds, and perhaps even… encourage… a significant, unified Ironborn raid on a strategically important but deliberately under-defended Tully port. A raid that Demiurge, at the opportune moment, could then arrange to have "miraculously" crushed by an "unknown force," thereby solving a massive headache for House Tully and indebting them further to the mysterious powers that seemed to bring stability (or devastating, precise destruction) wherever they focused their attention. Such a feat would surely be a gift worthy of Lord Ainz's notice upon his return from the north.
With preparations complete, Ainz's expedition party departed Greywater Keep. Ser Desmond Grell, looking thoroughly bewildered but dutifully noting every detail for his reports to the Blackfish, accepted the tale of the "ice crystal pilgrimage" with a resigned sigh. He was beginning to suspect that "ancient Hollow family lore" was a euphemism for "things that defy all mortal understanding."
Ainz left Mare with detailed (if scaled-down) plans from Albedo for the subterranean sanctuary, and Entoma with instructions to maintain constant, discreet surveillance and to alert Mare to any immediate threats. The thought of leaving Greywater under their care, even with Albedo's new magical wards, was a calculated risk, but Cocytus's potential reunion was too important to delay.
The journey north was arduous. They bypassed the main roads, Aura and Sky-Screecher scouting far ahead, guiding them through desolate moorlands and forgotten bogs of the Neck. The enchanted cloaks Albedo provided proved their worth, shielding them from the biting winds and creeping damp that characterized the vast swamp. They encountered territorial bog hydras with multiple snapping heads, giant constrictor snakes lurking in the murky waters, and tribes of reclusive Lizardmen who watched them with hostile, reptilian eyes.
Ainz and Albedo dealt with these threats with brutal efficiency. Ainz used these encounters to further test his expanding mana reserves and his control over higher-tier (for his current capacity) spells. A [Chain Dragon Lightning] here, a [Wall of Fire] there, not only dispatched foes but also provided fleeting warmth against the encroaching chill. Each significant kill added to his soul-fueled power, the sensation of his capacity growing now a familiar, almost addictive, thrum. Albedo, when permitted, would unleash a fraction of her true might, a [Black Hole] to consume a particularly troublesome nest of giant spiders, or a [God's Blood Vengeance] (a weaker, focused version) to obliterate a charging bog behemoth, her power carefully modulated to appear as exceptionally potent human sorcery rather than the world-breaking might of a Floor Guardian. Sebas, as always, moved like a phantom, ensuring no threat got too close to Ainz, his staff striking with the force of a thunderclap when needed.
As they left the Neck behind and ventured into the truly barren northern wilderness, the temperature plummeted. The landscape transformed into a desolate expanse of frozen tundra and jagged, ice-scoured hills. Even Sky-Screecher, Aura's griffin, began to struggle against the increasingly fierce, ice-laden winds. Aura had to constantly apply her warming salves and use her Beast Master abilities to soothe and encourage her mount.
Finally, after many grueling days, Aura pointed towards a distant, stormy grey horizon. "There, Ainz-sama! The Glacial Moors! And beyond them… Lord Cocytus's fortress!"
They pressed on, entering a realm of perpetual twilight and bone-chilling cold. The Glacial Moors were a vast, frozen swamp, its surface a treacherous crust of ice over black, frigid water, dotted with skeletal, ice-encrusted trees. In the distance, rising like a malevolent iceberg from the frozen wastes, they saw it: Cocytus's ice fortress. It was a breathtaking, terrifying sight – a colossal structure of shimmering blue-black ice, its towers and battlements sculpted into alien, insectoid forms reminiscent of Niflheim architecture, yet possessing a brutal, martial elegance that was pure Cocytus. It seemed to pulse with an inner, frigid light, a beacon of icy dominion in this desolate land.
As they drew closer, the magical blizzard Aura had warned of slammed into them. It was not mere weather; it was a maelstrom of razor-sharp ice shards, driven by hurricane-force winds that shrieked like tormented spirits. Visibility dropped to near zero. The cold was so intense it bit through even their enchanted cloaks, and Sky-Screecher was forced to land, huddling miserably behind an ice formation, Aura trying desperately to shield it.
"This is no natural storm, my Lord!" Sebas shouted over the roar of the wind, his ki forming a shimmering barrier around their small group. "It is a powerful, wide-area defensive ward! Deliberately crafted!"
Albedo, her eyes blazing with golden light, prepared to unleash her own power. "Allow me, Ainz-sama! I can disperse this pathetic squall with a single…"
"No, Albedo!" Ainz commanded, his voice cutting through the storm. "A direct magical assault might be perceived as hostile by Cocytus, if he is indeed within. He may not recognize us in our current forms, or even be aware of our benevolent intentions after being alone for so long." He considered his options. The storm was too powerful to simply push through.
He focused his will, drawing upon the power of the obsidian amulet and the newly acquired wolf totem. He attempted to commune with the spirit of the storm, to find a weakness, a lull, a path. But the blizzard was too artificial, too magically potent, not a natural phenomenon he could easily influence.
Then, he had another idea. The Nazarick Beacon had been a powerful signal. Perhaps a more focused, personal projection…
"Sebas, Albedo, Aura!" Ainz called out. "Focus your energies with mine! We will project a unified signal, a clear statement of our identity, directly towards that fortress!" He channeled his own mana, imbued with the unique signature of Ainz Ooal Gown, and his companions added their own distinct Nazarick energies to the beam. It wasn't an attack, but a powerful, concentrated pulse of familiar magic, a telepathic shout into the heart of the storm: "Cocytus! It is I, Ainz Ooal Gown! Your comrades are here!"
For a moment, the blizzard seemed to intensify, the winds howling with even greater fury, as if enraged by their intrusion. Then, just as suddenly, a change occurred. The shrieking winds directly before them began to subside. The curtain of swirling ice and snow thinned, parted, revealing a narrow, temporary corridor of relative calm, like a pathway carved through the heart of a frozen hurricane. It led directly towards a colossal, ice-hewn gate in the fortress wall.
And standing before that gate, his massive, blue-chitinous form radiating an aura of incredible cold and martial power, was Cocytus. His four arms were outstretched, each gripping a different, exquisitely crafted katana made of shimmering, translucent ice. His multifaceted eyes, burning with a frosty blue light, were fixed upon them. He was clearly ready for battle, his posture that of a warrior defending his domain, yet there was also a flicker of something else in his gaze – confusion, perhaps, or a dawning, incredulous recognition.
Ainz let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. The path was open. Their Frost Warlord awaited.