Chapter Text
The return trip to Ansur was of note, not because Ainz and Hara encountered anything in particular, but because of the results of a few experiments that they conducted on the way.
The first experiment that they enacted was in regards to The Naginata that Hara had found. The material it was made of was not simple steel, and a number of simple tests proved both this, and that it had a natural affinity for channeling Magic somehow. Ainz expected and made it clear he figured that it was possibly made of Mithril, But Hara had declared that impossible, claiming that Mithril did not conduct magic. While confusing, that lessened the number of possibilities, but without actual portions of various materials it was difficult to proceed further without risking damaging the weapon.
The second experiment they conducted was testing to see if Hara could utilize magic from Yyggdrasil. To do this Ainz explained the magic at length, exactly what it did, how powerful it was, how long it took to cast, use, reach its target and so on. The result was about as expected, with Hara being unable to use his spells, even the simplest of them, as if her very being refused to accept it. Ainz could feel the magic gathering when she would try, but it simple fizzled out harmlessly as if it was blocked by something.
Which was better than the spell exploding in her face, but was still annoying to see.
The final experiment they attempted was in a small clearing beside a creek with hills on either side of them, modest, but enough to shield them from view if anyone was nearby. The potential of the experiment was too important to allow those unrelated to know of it after all.
"Alright, I will now cast the spell Hara, please watch if anything strange occurs, but keep a safe distance, understood?" Ainz asked as he stood by the creek, while Hara was sitting on a small boulder nearby to his right, out of any possible line of his spell.
"Understood," Hara stated as she sat holding her Naginata across her lap, seeming rather attached to the artifact from her family home.
Ainz nodded lightly and looked at a tree ahead of him just across the creek, the target of this experiment. But first he needed to prepare the tree. "Petrification!"
I response to his spell a Brownish golden Circle of magic appeared around the tree and began to slowly spin, turning the tree from live wood into solid stone in a few seconds.
"There, now I will try the real test," Ainz spoke up for Hara, who nodded.
The information that the shard of Tamamo-no-mae had given him was curious. The idea that those powerful enough could straight up bend the rules of magic to their whims was an idea that broke most things he knew. In Yggdrasil, every spell worked exactly as it was supposed to. They each had an exact mana cost, range, cast time, damage value, recharge time, and many other numerical values that made them work in the constrains of the game. Abilities, racial skills and item effect could of course augment these, raising or lowering amounts usually by percentage amounts, but they still had vey exact values in all parts of it.
From what the Book Hara had explained, and what she said herself, it was clear that as this was a reality, there was no easy, or accurate, way to quantify mana, recharge speed, and other values that he expected. This of course led to a singular question in Ainz's mind.
Could he create his own magic in this world even if he could not quantify it with values as he did his magic?
It was a question he was now about to begin experimenting with, by attempting the reversal of a common support spell. Instead of Petrification however, attempting to use a spell whose name was more easily reversed would likely result in a likelier end. "Stone to Flesh!"
Flesh to stone was a more enhanced version of Petrification. Its effect was quick, and it could only target organic beings, so attempting to reverse the spell should, in theory, turn the tree back to wood as wood was organic in a sense.
Unfortunately it appeared that magic was a fickle and precise thing when in the confines of reality.
A golden circle of magic appeared beneath the stone tree, it spun and turned red, and then in a flash the stone tree turned from stone, into loose flesh shaped like a tree. Red and gory, it pulsed and wriggled as if a truly living thing, leaving blood and bile out of its side for a few seconds before the thing seemed to slump to the side and stopped moving.
"Uh, was that the intent?" Hara asked as she starred at the lump of leaking flesh with clear disgust.
"Not precisely, no," Ainz said with a sigh. It was instantly clear as soon as he saw the effect, where he had gone wrong. Simply reversing the words would reverse the effects, but literally, resulting in turning stone into flesh, which was not quiet the effect he was after.
"Um, was that one of the spells from your land?" Hara asked carefully.
"No, I attempted to reverse the effect of a spell known as Flesh to stone,"
"Which, would turn a person into a statue?" Hara asked uncertainly.
"Yes."
"Then, didn't you do that?"
"Yes, I did. Just not in the way I quiet meant to," Ainz said with a sigh, before then shaking his head. No, this was not what he intended, but it did provide him valuable data. No such spell had existed in Yggdrasil, and he had cast it anyway. He just needed to visualize its effects properly, and make sure he imagines the values properly. " Alright, Flesh to Stone"
The mass of formerly tree turned Flesh turned to stone again as a circle of magic appeared around it, the stone monument this time looking like something that would be found early in a bad horror game.
"Trying again?" Hara asked as she stared at the mass of stone.
"Yes, with a different angle this time," Ainz replied as he held out a hand to the stone and concentrated. Non-combat spells did not need the same kind of stats as a combat spell did. The casting time was different, as was the mana requirements and subsequent effects. Therefore, if he properly imagined these values to be more in line with such a spell, perhaps it would gain the effect he was after. Naming it something less macabre would likely be a good idea as well. "Return to Origin!"
A new magic circle, golden in color this time, formed on the ground around the statue and began to glow vibrantly as its outer edge began to spin counterclockwise. It then turned white and flashed, and when the light died down both the magic circle, and the statue, were gone.
"Uhm, it's gone,"
"Yes, I can see that," Ainz responded as he walked over some rocks in the river over to where the tree had once been, and picked up a small Seed. He then let out a sigh. "It appears I have gone to the other extreme this time."
"You mean that seed was the tree?" Hara asked.
"It would appear so," Ainz said as he used his foot to kick up a bit of dirt, dropped the seed into the subsequent hole, and then pushed the dirt over it with his foot. "Come, we should continue to Ansur, lest we lose time and become late."
"Well, we're only a day away, I don't think we can be late at this point," Hara said as she moved to catch up and cross the creek as Ainz began walking back toward the main road.
"True, but I would rather not give the Princess knight a reason to think ill of me," Ainz said as he waited for Hara to catch up. Even with the Naginata acting as a walking stick her speed was still hobbled by her injury, reminding him of some of the things that had been said to the Princess knight, or the things he may have alluded to. "Or, rather another reason to think ill of me."
"Princess Knight Claudia doesn't think highly of mercenaries in general, She likely is just against the idea of you being a Mercenary and not under her immediate control," Hara stated as she finally reached Ainz.
"Hmmm, controlled like the General wanted. Grave was it?" Ainz asked as he gestured to his shoulder.
"General Grave, yes," Hara confirmed as she shook her head, making it clear she wanted to walk on her own for a time. And allowing the pair to head for the main road to return to the city.
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Ansur looked the same as it did when they had left it. There was no smoke, no signs of damage or combat from the outside, but as soon as Hara and Ainz were allowed into the city they could feel a tenseness in the air. Citizenry moved about with a quickened pace, guards seemed to be eyeing everyone, yet among all of this, no one seemed worried, just quickened.
"Hmm, has something happened?" Ainz wondered aloud as the pair headed down the main road of the city towards the castle.
"Maybe, but it is probably just the fact that Claudia is preparing some of the Dawn Templars to leave with her to head for thorn. Every time the Dawn Templars leave or arrive there is minor fanfare greeting them," Hara explained as she walked beside Ainz, who was walking at a slower pace for her legs. "We, do seem to be attracting some attention however."
Ainz carefully, so that those around might think he was simply taking in the sights, looked around and quickly spotted two separate groups that did indeed appear to be watching them. One group was a pair of Knights who were eying them as a third departed from their group, likely to inform Claudia of his return. The second group was what appeared to be either thugs or perhaps mercenaries, eying them and speaking in hushed whispers to each other. They were making no attempt to keep themselves hidden like the knights were, leading to neither the knights, or Hara noticing a third set of eyes watching them from up upon a rooftop down the street hiding behind a chimney.
"Yes, attention of all forms it appears," Ainz responded as he turned his gaze to Hara. "You have both of those papers firmly safe, correct?"
"I do," Hara said simply with a nod.
"Good. I do not believe we should be confronted upon such an open road, but if we are, please let me do the initial talking."
"Aright, though I do hope nothing happens and we can get to the castle and I can find Aria or Melodie."
"Hmm," Ainz hummed as movement to his left caught his attention. "Hara, do you believe yourself proficient enough with that Naginata to use it without killing?" Hara nodded, noticing the movement of what looked like three mercenaries or thugs approaching them out of a side road. "Good. If they attack, do not kill, we want to look good for the knights watching us," Ainz stated just before the three mercs approached them closer.
"Hey, girl, you have our bosses property, hand it over!" the lead mercenary stated as he and his two allies moved right in front of Ainz and Hara.
"And what, exactly, are you claiming is your leaders?" Ainz asked in an almost mocking tone. "ah, and before I forget, who is this leader of yours?"
"Shut up, I wasn't talking to you, mage!" the man said as he spat on the ground on front of Ainz and tuned to look back at Hara. "Hand over our boss's property girl!"
"Who is your boss?" Hara asked neutrally. "I can't know what I am supposed to have on me if I don't know who they are."
"You know who he is, and you know what his property is, so hand it over before we stop being nice!"
"I am not holding anything that is not my own property, you have the wrong person," Hara said simply as she took a step to the side, making it seem like she intended to go around the men.
"You're not going anywhere!" The leader declared as he reached a hand out to grab Hara, only for her to take a measured step backwards that made him stumble. And as he stumbled she swung the bottom of her Naginata up into the man's head, sending him backwards to the ground grabbing his face.
"You bitch!" one of the other mercs, the one closest to Ainz yelled as he grabbed and drew a short sword of some form off of his belt, forgetting about Ainz who then Grabbed his head with his large armored hand and very suddenly threw him to the side, sending the man skidding across the cobblestones until he hit the wall of a shop with hard sounding crack.
He and Hara then turned their gazes to the one still standing mercenary, who seemed so surprised at what he had just witnessed he seemed frozen.
Right up until he then turned and tried to bolt away.
Tried being the primary term as what appeared to be a circular buckler made of wood flew through the air like a Frisbee and crashed into his legs, making him crash to the ground with a string of curses.
"Don't move, any of you!"
Ainz turned just his helmet covered head to see the pair of knights storming over, the first going right past him and stomping a foot on the thugs back before pulling out some rope and trying to tie his struggling hands together. The other, stopped a few feet from Hara, glaring daggers at her before shaking her head in disappointment. "You just can't help yourself, can you? You cause trouble for all of us when you're a knight, and then when you somehow get out of your deserved sentence, you somehow continue to cause us issue! Why should I not throw you in a cell right now?"
"It was self-defense," Ainz spoke up, right alongside a groan of pain from the thug he had sent into the wall. " They came up to us, began demanding some unknown object they claimed was theirs, but could not name, and then moved to strike at us."
"Then why did you strike the one who didn't try to attack you?" the knight asked, turning an angry gaze to Ainz as her partner finished tying up the two at their feet before heading over to the one by the wall.
"So that you could properly apprehend them. Unless you knights believe that one who takes part in muggings should be let go to roam free?"
The knight seemed insulted at Ainz's words, but had no immediate response, instead then turning the conversation on its head. "The proper response is to call for the guards."
"You mean the guards down the street who are watching this unfold and have not moved from their positions?" Ainz asked as he pointed ahead of them where some guards were just standing. "and further, you were watching us as well, so why did you not act the moment it became clear they were attempting to mug us?"
"W-what are you talking about, mage?" The knight asked, spitting the final word as if it was bile in her throat.
"I am meaning that you, your partner, and the third that was with you and who had left just before these gentlemen appeared and came to harass us, are not nearly as sneaky as you believe yourselves to be."
"And that if you have time to sneak, maybe you should stop people from being harassed on the main road," Hara added with an annoyed and grumpy look.
The knight bristled for a moment before stepping forward and grabbing the two thugs by the ankles and began slowly dragging them away, calling back to them without looking at them as she went. "Just don't cause any more trouble!"
". . . . . None of the knights seem to like either of us much," Ainz mused after a few moments of silence.
"Melodie was the only one who respected me, and most knights think little of mages here in Ansur."
"Hm, how useful for us then," Ainz said with a chuckle.
"Um, why is that a good thing?"
"It is simple," Ainz said as he resumed walking down the street slowly so that Hara could keep up. "If they do not want us here, it will be easier to leave once we are done with escorting the Princess Knight."
"You think we will be able to just leave?"
"I believe that, as we are both mercenaries now, they have to plan a proper and reasonable reason, as well as payment to keep us anywhere, meaning as long as we play our cards right freedom to go where we like is a very likely option."
Hara simple looked at Ainz with an expression he could only think of as deadpan before she let out a heavy sigh. "I hope you are right, but I think you are underestimating the Princess knights and the Goddess Reborn. No one says no to them."
"There is a first time for everything," Ainz said with a chuckle, wondering just how interesting or boring the upcoming meeting would be. Of course the journey had yet to even start yet.
"There you are, about time!"
Hara and Ainz looked ahead to see a woman, a priestess of some form judging by her white full length robes, standing at the bottom of the stairs to the castle. Her hair was a dark brown and tied into an expansive bun at the back of her head. A pair of thin glasses were in front of her eyes, and she was standing there, tall and proud, resting one arm under her moderate bust while the other was vertical upwards, resting underneath her chin.
Recognizing her type instantly, Ainz decide to go on the offensive. "From your words you make it sound as if we are late. However, we are a day early, not late, so why so impatient?"
"You may be a day early, however the Princess Knight has decided that leaving a day early would be in her best interest, so you are almost late," the woman declared.
"As we were not informed of such a change of schedule, as we were outside of the city when it was likely decided, how can we be expected to know of the change? Do intend to create a punishment for a lack of communication?"
The woman then, much to Hara's surprise, smiled. "Of course not, "she said, her tone far less confrontational than before. "I heard you had managed to talk our leader into deals she was less than thrilled with, and I must admit I am pleased that the rumors of your mental and oratory prowess are not far behind your magic."
"Then I take it this little conversation and the statements of our being late were simple words to prove something?" Ainz asked.
"No, the Princess Knight does wish to leave today, and I was indeed ordered to await you here. I was also ordered to act as you and your apprentices, Bodyguard for the duration of our travels to Thorn."
"Then who are you?" Hara asked, her tone standoffish and cautious.
"You may Call me Amrita, I am a member of the church's Scholastic and cleansing branch, but just four days ago was, transferred, to the Dawn Templars at the behest of my superiors and the Princess knight for the duration of their round trip, and perhaps longer, to act as an informant for you."
"So she wants a member of the church to watch over us like a guard dog, how nice," Hara said sarcastically, earning a momentary glare from Amrita.
"Well, it is not entirely unexpected," Ainz mused as he noticed that Amrita was watching him rather intently. It would be interesting to discern her true purpose in watching them. "Well then, if introductions are in order, I am Ainz Ooal Gown, a Magic caster from the Land of Yyg, and a mercenary in these lands. You know of Hara of course I presume?"
"Yes of course. There is no one in the church or the Templars who does not know of the Heretic in our midst who managed to both survive their mistakes and then escape their punishment that should have ended with death according to the laws," she said as she looked Hara over, her gaze steely, but oddly not hateful, just curious. "I did not hear anything about you carrying such a strange weapon however. May I ask about it?"
"It's a-" Hara began to reply, only for Ainz to take a step forward.
"I am sure we all have many questions about the other if you will be following us, but perhaps we should go and join the Princess Knight and those following her so that this journey to Thorn may begin, yes?"
"Yes of course, please forgive me, my curiosity got the better of me," Amrita said with a slight bow as she turned to the side. "This way please."
" . . . . She changed her tune to fast. I don't trust her," Hara muttered quietly as she and Ainz began following her up the stairs and into the castle, seeming to be heading straight through it for the military districts inner courtyard on the other side.
"Nor should you. It is as you said, she is likely a watchman, sent to perceive if we are criminals in the eyes of the church or not," Ainz said simply, noticing that amrita steps ahead of them faltered ever so slightly at his words, though she did not react in any other way.
"I, assume that means I will not be able to attempt your lands magic again for a while then," Hara surmised as they could see the exit out of the castle and into the military district ahead of them.
"I see no reason why not when we are stopped and it is safe to do so," Ainz said simply. "We will find out what make my magic incompatible with yours soon enough, it will just take time."
"I would be careful about your, foreign magic," Amrita spoke up as she waited just a few meters ahead of the pair by the doorway to the military district, noises and sounds making it clear the district was full or action and preparation. "The church only allows so much magic, and there are many that are considered Taboo for being related to vile dark magic's, as I am sure you have heard."
"yes, luckily my own personal beliefs do not have such, unbecoming restrictions, and as long as they do not affect the people of these lands who do not deserve it, there should be no trouble," Ainz declared as he passed Amrita without even giving her a passing glance.
"That is a dangerous way of thinking, sir Gown," Amrita said wryly as she followed behind Ainz and Hara, who could easily see wagons of supplies gathered around the central courtyard, and many, many horses to pull them and carry people.
They could also see the Princess knight down in the courtyard, staring at them very intently.
"A difference in morality by culture will always cause friction among groups," Ainz said as he continued to move down the stairs, Hara starting to lag behind on them due to her leg. "We shall see what the future holds when it comes to pass."
"You sound awfully prophetic for a man who doesn't show his face," Amrita commented as she paused before she would have passed Hara, and offered her a hand to help her go down the stairs. Hara simply nodded and accepted the help.
Ainz simply chuckled to himself as he reached the bottom of the stairs to the courtyard, many nearby Templars and knights moving away from the stairs on reflex to his presence, while the Princess knight herself stormed over, her barely covered body making Ainz happy he wore a mask. And had no eyes that could wander across her form in the first place.
"Mage!" Claudia called as she arrived, looking annoyed for some reason or another.
"Princess Knight, Claudia," Ainz greeted her simply. "As promised we return before the date you had previously told us to be here for, though I have heard you aim to leave today, possibly?"
"Yes. Matters have arisen that require us at thorn faster than anticipated," Claudia stated firmly.
"And, what matters are these?" Ainz asked, noting that many of the Templars nearby were hurriedly working to attack the horses to wagons.
"You will find out when we arrive at thorn," Claudia stated as she looked at Ainz for a moment. "I suppose you would prefer a wagon to a horse on its own?"
"The entire group will not be travelling at a full gallop, correct?"
"That is correct."
"Then I shall simply walk, it is not difficult."
"And what of your, apprentice," Claudia said, her tone almost forcing the word out as if it was bile.
"Hara can walk when she wishes, and if she needs a rest she can simply sit atop my shudder and rest as needed."
"And what of your other?" Claudia asked with a strange expression, as if waiting to see how Ainz would respond.
"I have no other traveling companion aside from Hara, if others aim to follow behind me, that is their business," Ainz responded curtly, almost wishing he did not have to wear a mask and has a face of flesh so he could smugly smile at the barely dressed woman.
"Were you not informed of your newest addition?"
"If you are referring to the priestess that has been commanded to hound us so you can find something to chain us down with, I am aware, and care not for her," Ainz said simply, making Claudia balk for a moment.
"You . . . fine, we leave in mere minutes," she said as she turned to walk away, then looked back at Ainz. "I want you near the front of the convoy where I can see you."
"Understood. But, there is one thing," Ainz spoke up, stopping Claudia from leaving.
"What?"
"Hara here," Ainz paused as Hara finally walked up beside him, with Amrita a few steps behind. "Has something for either Melodie or Aria, where can we-"
"Actually," Hara spoke up as she took a step forward. "I believe these can be handed directly to you."
Claudia fully turned to Hara to find her holding out what appeared to be a folded letter, old if the papers color was any indication. She cautiously took it from her and opened it, slowly reading the contents while her expression grew more conflicted. "where did you get this?"
"We returned to my hometown, and found it on the body of a mercenary in the forest who seemed to have been killed by the Spiders my family used to Raise for silk. It makes it clear that-"
"I know, what it says girl," Claudia said as she looked at the paper for a few seconds before sighing and slipping it, somewhere. "I will bring this up with Goddess Celestine once we arrive at thorn and have a moment as, I admit, this does require investigation as it does change from prior events and the way they were handled."
"Thank you, Lady Princess Knight," Hara aid with a respectful nod. "It would mean a lot if, if the truth about what happened years ago could be discovered and dealt with. Not just to me."
" . . I am aware," Claudia said as she turned and began walking away toward the gate and what, Ainz presumed, was her own horse waiting by the gate itself. "Every get ready we are leaving as soon as everything is ready!"
Ainz waited a moment before turning his head to Hara. "Is that alright with you?"
"It would have made it to her eventually, this speeds things up. . . I hope."
"Most people would not hold so little hope for our esteemed Princess knight," Amrita spoke up from behind, her voice a bit haughty and forceful."
"Most people have not had her holding a sword in the air ready to execute them either," Hara snapped back without looking at Amrita before looking ahead at the forming line of wagons and Templars on horseback. "I, might need to ride on your shoulder again for this is we're leaving immediately."
"I expected as such," Ainz said with a wave of his hands as he levitated Hara up and onto his shoulder, much to Amrita's surprise.
"You, how did you do that without any words or prayers?!"
"It is simple magic, nothing more," Ainz said with a wave of his hand, finding it comical that the knights and Templars around them seemed to part to keep away from him.
"That is hardly simple to do," Amrita stated as he looked around. "I will be back shortly."
Ainz and Hara watched Amrita run off, Ainz chuckling after a few moments. "I expect she is looking for a horse since I made it clear that her transport is not our concern."
". . . Can you keep up with an entire traveling convoy?" Hara asked after a moment of silence.
"I do not believe it will be an issue," Ainz chuckled as he turned and headed for the gate and the gatherings around it. "More importantly, how much do you know about the other various Princess Knights and the Goddess Reborn?"
"Um, I admit I don't know as much. I, never really heard much about anything going on outside of Ansur, and most knights would not speak with me at length," Hara admitted with a sigh as the pair reached the groups gathering by the gate, though they stood to the side a bit.
"Perhaps, you would do better to ask myself then?" Amrita spoke up as she came over to the pair atop a horse that seemed rather nervous as it approached.
Ainz looked at the priestess for a moment and found himself inwardly laughing at the entire situation, at the fact there were so many people thinking they could outmatch his planning ability.
"Them I can start with-" Amrita began to say, only for a loud horn to cut her off, the convoy beside them then starting to move through the opening gate.
"It seems we are leaving," Hara muttered, casting an angry glare at a pair of Templars that passed by on a horse, muttering under their breaths about her.
"Yes," Ainz said as he began walking beside the convoy and out the gate. "Hopefully this will be less eventful that your village was."