Chapter 41: The Reaction of the Nations (II)

Slen Sect, the Great Hall of the Supreme Priest

The air was dreary in the seat of the highest authority of the Slen Sect. Pen "Fun" Pavilion www.biquge.info

This spacious and magnificent hall was originally quite splendid. Sunlight shines through the intricately carved petal-shaped window lattices, and through the colorful stained glass windows, it shines obliquely into the interior, sprinkling a colorful halo all over the place. Smoke from the burning of various precious spices rises in the gilded copper furnace, giving off an invigorating smell. Coupled with the numerous religious murals on the walls and ceiling, the exquisite statues and ritual objects displayed in the interior, and the faint sound of music from afar, it creates a solemn and holy atmosphere.

However, the six great priests standing in the center of the main hall all had gloomy faces, their eyes were so terrifying that they seemed to be about to kill, and their faces always gave people the illusion that they owed them millions of gold coins. The whole atmosphere has become a little cold.

However, the elderly woman who was kneeling on their knees at this moment knew deeply that the loss caused to the Slian Sect by the failure of her recent operation was not only a few million gold coins!

“…… Of the twelve members of the [Pitch Black Sacred Codex] dispatched this time, are you the only one left? Kyle? ”

A hoarse old male voice called out the name of the old lady kneeling at the bottom of the steps, "...... The two priceless artifacts that you lent you were also destroyed. Then, because the shrine princess's artifact was stolen, the [Wind Flower Sacred Scripture] troops who were ordered to track down the thieves were even more inexplicably in the fortress city with you. The outskirts of Lantil were wiped out...... What's going on here? What kind of enemy are you fighting against? ”

“…… Unfortunately, we met the Wind Flower Sacred Book by chance. The thieves they were chasing seemed to have taken refuge in the city. And in the next attack, we can't be sure what the enemy's forces are, only know that the current fortress city is yes. Rantir has become entrenched by the undead. And in Yay. On the outskirts of Lantil we were attacked by a group of golems and orcs. There may or may not be collusion between the two. ”

Old lady Kyle replied in a deep voice, "...... But there are a few orc priests whose mana is quite strong, and they can even use the magic of the eighth rank! ”

“…… Orcs?! Can use 8th rank magic?!! You read that right? Kyle! The Grand Priests were taken aback.

“…… Yes, those tiger people possess amazing power. Though we hate to admit it, our [Dark Sacred Text] is as powerless as babies in front of them. All kinds of attack magic, which seems to exist only in legends, are coming like a torrential rain......"

Kyle, the sole survivor of the [Dark Sacred Codex] Special Forces, sighed helplessly with a haggard and tired look, "...... At the same time that the battle broke out suddenly, they even used the magic of blocking the space, so that we could not escape with teleportation spells! So, except for me who managed to break out of their encirclement and then successfully returned to the country using teleportation props, no one else managed to escape, and I am afraid that it was too bad luck. ”

“…… Damn, that's a Legendary Hero-level magic chanter! And it seems that there is more than one such strong person? Damn it! ”

A middle-aged goddess official complained indignantly, "...... Where did these golems come from? And how did the tiger people who appeared there cross the borders of the Bajas Empire or our country from the east and arrive in that city? What do they have to do with the undead outbreak in the city? ”

“…… Moreover, the [Sunshine Sacred Book] led by Captain Negan before was also wiped out there. According to divination and speculation, it seems that it was the destruction of the Dragon King, and your [Pitch Black Sacred Scripture] was originally going to seal or expel it, but now that the artifacts have been used, where is the Dragon King? ”

Another male priest also asked, "...... We'll never be able to get two artifacts of the same level again! ”

“…… There is also the thief who stole the secret treasure from the shrine princess, and now he has also been cut off with the destruction of the [Wind Flower Sacred Codex] troops! Hell, I barely managed to complete any tasks, and half of the six-colored holy book was lost in just half a month! But this year, the orcs launched an offensive from the east more fierce than ever! The dragon kingdom is almost unable to hold on, and it is begging for reinforcements all day long like burning eyebrows! ”

“…… Then, you're too confused in this battle, aren't you? Having lost so many people, you don't know who your opponent is, you don't know where your opponent came from, and you don't even know where they're staying at the moment! With this look of not knowing three questions, how do we think about countermeasures? ”

……

“…… I'm really sorry, ladies and gentlemen, but I'm willing to accept any punishment for this miserable failure. ”

Listening to the scolding of the great priests, Kyle, who was the only one who escaped from the battlefield, bowed his head deeply, with a look of shame.

“…… Forget it, after all, you've done your best, and we won't punish you, so let's go back and return to the team. At the same time, train and select new people as soon as possible, and grasp the reconstruction of the [Dark Sacred Codex]! After some deliberation, the six high priests announced this.

“…… Yes, thank you for your magnanimity! However, for the unknown enemies who eliminated the [Pitch Black Sacred Text] and the [Wind Flower Holy Scripture] this time, there is also the fortress city that has been entrenched by the undead. What should we do with it, Lantier? Kyle asked.

“…… Alas, I can only leave it alone for the time being! Just let the northern border be on guard, and be careful not to let the undead enter our country! Anyway, the fortress city yes. Lantil is a foreign territory, and we are not obligated to sweep away the undead and regain lost territory for them. ”

A stocky priest replied, "...... Now that half of the six-colored canon has been destroyed, the fortress city is yes. The inside story of Lantil's tragedy is still hidden in a fog, and he can't find a direction if he wants to start. However, in a short period of time, we really can't afford to lose more. Moreover, the situation on the Eastern Front against the attack of the orcs this year is extremely critical, and in order to send troops to rescue the crumbling Dragon Kingdom, our manpower is also very tight, and there is no extra elite good hand to consume in that bottomless pit...... Village. Let the undead of the Jestijah Kingdom deal with it themselves! ”

- Although the result was very frustrating and depressing, the ruler of the Slen Sect stopped the loss in time and made an objective and reasonable judgment.

But as the main victim and party this time, in. The attitude of the court of the Jestijah Kingdom was like an idiot's babbling......

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Village. The royal capital of the kingdom of Jestijah, the city of Lorenti, the royal palace audience hall

Many richly dressed nobles and dignitaries were gathering inside to hold court meetings. Among them is also the kingdom warrior captain Gerjieff, who has just returned from the border? The figure of Stronov. He was kneeling before his lord, King Rambusha III, who sat on the throne to whom he had sworn allegiance.

Although it had only been more than half a month, Gurdjieff still felt that His Majesty had obviously aged a lot.

-- His pale hair was thinning and disheveled, and his thin body was not healthy even if he complimented him, and his face was very poor, and he was not half of it red. The hand holding the scepter was as thin as a withered branch, and the golden crown he wore looked a little crumbling and overwhelmed.

The old man on the throne, Rambusha III, let out a feeble sigh: "...... Warrior Commander, it's great that you're back safely. ”

“…… Be! Thank you, Your Majesty! Gurdjieff bowed deeply and responded.

“…… Well, on today's topic, the widow has already received some reports, but here, I would like to ask the commander of the warrior to explain in detail in person. What the hell is going on over there in Lantil. The old king commanded with some sleepiness.

“…… Yes, sir. Then Gurdjieff bowed again, stood up, and spoke in detail of what he had done in the village of Karn and the fortress of Yeh after he had left the royal capital. What Lantil went through. It focuses on Yay. The tragic situation after Lantil was captured by the undead, and the suspicion that the Slian Cult might be involved behind the above events. In addition, he introduced a man who called himself Ainz. Your. Gong's mysterious magician, especially his heroic deeds of drawing his sword to help him when he saw injustice on the road in Karn Village, went to fight the enemy spies in the soup, and sacrificed his life to save the villagers. And there is in Yay. In the aftermath of the undead havoc in Rantir, the Grand Mage of Ainz volunteered to protect the survivors, providing them with food and lodging, and establishing a refugee camp in a merciful gesture.

“…… That's a good story. Sounds like a nice and nice person......"

King Rambusa III sighed and praised, but a group of courtiers immediately glared at the king contemptuously and sang the opposite tone impertinently.

“…… Your Majesty, how stupid you are! How can you be so gullible about a stranger? ”

“…… Most of the weirdos who don't dare to show their true faces are wanted fugitives, right?! ”

“…… It's always uncomfortable to have someone like that in the kingdom, so would it be better to find a way to deal with him? ”

“…… How could a warrior entrust the subjects of the kingdom to such a guy of unknown origin? This is treason! ”

“…… That's right, a magician of unknown origin like that should be escorted over for interrogation immediately! ”

“…… But who is going to arrest them? This magician seems to be very powerful, and he defeated a group of knights with only a shot from his followers! ”

“…… Of course, it is to let the warrior chief atone for his sins! Who made him casually trust such a guy? ”

In the end, some people even raised the question of whether this guy was simply a spy sent by the Slenist Nation or the Bajas Empire, in order to infiltrate the kingdom as a spy. And the assault on the village of Karn and the fortress of the city of Je. The tragedy of Lantil was all directed and acted by him in order to sell himself......

In this regard, Gurdjief had to roll his eyes helplessly, and he had completely despaired of the party struggle within the kingdom - although the various aristocratic factions in the country were constantly fighting with each other, they were becoming more and more in step in suppressing the royal power, and recently it had developed to the point of exaggeration that "what the king approves, they must oppose". It is estimated that even if the king said that the sun was round, they would insist that the sun was square......

If these noble courtiers just talked nonsense like this, Gurdjieff probably pinched his nose and barely endured it. But the problem is that after these guys charged Ainz with a bunch of crimes, they actually began to talk to themselves and draft an official document to punish Ainz for the crime. So he finally couldn't bear it anymore: "...... Please wait a moment. That magician has a very friendly attitude towards the kingdom, how can such a friendly person be arrested indiscriminately......"

He tried hard to correct this increasingly absurd court discussion, but he was immediately greeted with the disgust of the Manchu civil and military forces.

-- In the officialdom of the kingdom, where all bloodlines are counted, Captain Gurdjief, who was born as a commoner, has always belonged to the other.

Gurdjief climbed to today's status only by virtue of his swordsmanship, and in the eyes of the nobles with a long history, he was like a nouveau riche who got rich overnight. In particular, his swordsmanship was unmatched in the country, which greatly deepened the hostility of the nobles. Because these nobles with noble status but useless nobles, the most unbearable thing is that people with status and status are actually higher than their own skills.

As a result, both the royalists and the anti-royalist nobles attacked Gerjieff's warrior chiefs:

“…… Sling the bull! Such a suspicious guy, it is very necessary to summon him to the royal capital for torture! ”

“…… Perhaps it was because His Excellency the Warrior Commander easily believed in that strange magician that the fortress city was attacked by the undead! ”

“…… Absolutely! We've never heard of a powerful magician called Ainz. It's not his nonsense, right? ”

“…… How could a warrior captain trust such a strange guy who hides his face? It's suspicious from this point of view! ”

“…… From this point of view, it is necessary to let the Warrior Commander shoulder all the responsibility! ”

Seeing the noble ministers below chattering around the warriors, the king sitting on the throne finally became angry, only to see him tremblingly raise his scepter and knock it on the ground: "...... Well, quiet! The widow thinks that the warrior commander's decision is not wrong! Moreover, the topic of today's discussion is how to deal with the fortress city yes. Rantir's Undead Mutation! Instead of judging whether the Grand Magician is reliable or not! Don't go off topic anymore! ”

“…… Not...... If Your Majesty says so...... Let's stop here for now. ”

In response to the king's fierce inward-looking anger, the nobles in the hall glanced at each other and temporarily put away their mocking smiles.

But the ensuing discussion was still very unsmooth, because the king thought that the crown was directly under the jurisdiction of the king. Rantir's undead mutation cannot be sat idly by, and a large army should be dispatched to fight it as soon as possible. As a result, these nobles, who were accustomed to disagreeing with the king, actually became pacifists one by one.

On the one hand, they are all interested in anything that can strike at the power of the royal family; On the other hand, they were reluctant to engage in a national mobilization and assemble a large army, consuming the human and financial resources of their own territories, but only to help the king recover a piece of his own territory.

“…… Your Majesty, the fortress city yes. Although the fall of Rantir is sad, since it has happened, the dead cannot be resurrected, and we can only look forward. In fact, it's actually a good thing in the long run. After all, as long as the undead creatures are entrenched in that city, blocking the border communication arteries, the Bahas Empire will no longer be able to invade our country. The subjects of the kingdom can also enjoy the ...... of peace from now on"

“…… Take 10,000 steps back and say, even if the blood emperor of the empire is not ambitious, he still has to start from Yay. Lantil opened the passage to invade our country, so the loss of clearing the undead was passed on to them, and it was still a happy event for our country, which had suffered from the scourge of war for many years......"

-- This is the sophistry of the intellectuals.

“…… Defeating monsters should be the job of adventurers! How can a noble knight be allowed to perform such a lowly service? ”

“…… Who pays for hiring adventurers? Naturally, it was requisitioned for free! Since they are adventurers living in the kingdom, they are subjects of the kingdom, and it is their natural obligation to help defeat the monsters in the current kingdom, so how can they ask for money again? ”

-- This is the rhetoric of the brain-dead faction.

Next, it's a complete digression of self-talk:

“…… If you really want to say it, an organization like the Adventurers' Guild, which has so many powerful warriors and magic chanters, and operates without permission within the borders, is the scourge of the country. We have to find a way to solve it as soon as possible, such as banning them all. ”

“…… There is also the money paid to the Adventurers' Guild, which is not a small amount every year, and it is reasonable to change it to unpaid labor in the future......"

All sorts of bizarre theories poured out one after another, choking the king and the warriors to roll their eyes, but they were helpless.

It wasn't until an earth-shattering bad news came that this group of people who pretended to be asleep woke up from their dreams:

“…… It's amazing! Your Majesty! Ladies and gentlemen! One