Overlord: The Wandering Sorcerer Chapter 12 — Three Shadows
Momonga did not immediately confront the three watchers.
That would have been too easy.
And, more importantly, it would have been exactly what they expected.
Instead, he finished breakfast.
Nabe sat beside him.
Evileye remained across the table.
For several minutes, nobody spoke.
Then Momonga calmly lifted his cup.
“Tea?”
Evileye stared at him.
“You’re remarkably relaxed.”
“I’m undead.”
“That’s becoming your favorite excuse.”
“It works.”
Nabe nodded.
“It is effective.”
Evileye sighed.
“Both of you are impossible.”
Momonga smiled.
He could already feel the three watchers outside.
One was near the entrance.
One was across the street.
The third was on the roof of the building opposite the inn.
None of them had entered.
None had approached.
They were waiting.
Momonga found that interesting.
If they were assassins, they were behaving strangely.
If they were spies, they were being obvious.
Perhaps they wanted to be noticed.
Which meant there was probably another purpose.
He stood.
“Evileye.”
“Yes?”
“How good are you at pretending to be someone else?”
She stared.
“Why?”
“Because I want to leave through the front door.”
“That’s not particularly difficult.”
“I want them to think I’m leaving.”
Evileye’s eyes narrowed.
“And what will you actually do?”
Momonga smiled.
“Go somewhere else.”
Ten minutes later, the front door opened.
Momonga and Nabe walked out.
The three watchers immediately reacted.
One turned away.
One started walking.
The third disappeared from the roof.
Momonga smiled.
“Predictable.”
Nabe whispered:
“Should I pursue them?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because they’re pursuing us.”
They walked through the market.
The city was beginning to wake.
Merchants shouted.
Children ran between stalls.
Adventurers gathered around the guild.
Nobody paid attention to the undead walking through the street.
Momonga appreciated that.
He turned left.
Then right.
Then suddenly stopped.
Nabe stopped too.
“We’re being followed by two.”
“Two?”
“The third has separated.”
Momonga nodded.
“Good.”
He continued.
They passed through a narrow alley.
Momonga suddenly vanished.
The follower behind them stopped.
He looked around.
Nothing.
Then a voice came from behind him.
“Looking for me?”
The man froze.
Momonga stood behind him.
The man slowly turned.
He was young.
Perhaps in his twenties.
Brown hair.
Simple clothing.
A short sword hidden beneath his coat.
Momonga looked at him.
“Who are you?”
The man reached for his weapon.
Nabe appeared beside Momonga.
The sword remained sheathed.
The man stopped.
Momonga smiled.
“That was the correct decision.”
The man swallowed.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You’ve been following me since sunrise.”
“I haven’t.”
“You have.”
“No.”
Momonga sighed.
“I dislike lies.”
The man stared.
Momonga raised one finger.
“First question.”
He pointed toward the man’s weapon.
“Who sent you?”
The man remained silent.
Momonga waited.
“Second question.”
The man frowned.
“What?”
“Are you working for the Slane Theocracy?”
The man’s expression changed.
That was enough.
Momonga smiled.
“Thank you.”
The man looked confused.
“For what?”
“For answering.”
He turned toward Nabe.
“Nabe.”
“Yes?”
“Take him somewhere private.”
The man’s face went pale.
“Wait!”
Momonga looked back.
“Yes?”
“I’ll talk.”
“Good.”
They moved deeper into the alley.
The man finally spoke.
“My name is Noll.”
Momonga nodded.
“Why were you watching me?”
“I was ordered to.”
“By whom?”
“I don’t know.”
Momonga stared.
Noll hesitated.
“Really.”
“Then how were you contacted?”
“A message.”
“Written?”
“Yes.”
“Show me.”
Noll reached into his coat. This story is hosted at g.com.
Momonga watched carefully.
He handed over a small piece of parchment.
Momonga opened it.
There were only four words.
WATCH THE UNDEAD ADVENTURER.
No signature.
No symbol.
No clue.
Momonga handed it to Nabe.
She examined it.
“Ordinary.”
“Exactly.”
Momonga looked at Noll.
“Who else received one?”
Noll hesitated.
“Two others.”
“The other two watchers.”
“Yes.”
“Do they know more than you?”
“No.”
Momonga nodded.
Then asked:
“Why did you accept?”
Noll looked embarrassed.
“Money.”
Momonga almost laughed.
“Fair enough.”
Noll looked surprised.
“You’re not angry?”
“Not particularly.”
“But we were watching you.”
“That’s not a crime.”
“It might become one.”
“Perhaps.”
Momonga turned.
“Go.”
Noll blinked.
“You’re letting me go?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because you haven’t done anything.”
Noll stared at him.
Then nodded.
“Thank you.”
He left.
Nabe watched him disappear.
“You trust him?”
“No.”
“Then why release him?”
“Because now he’ll tell whoever hired him that I know.”
Nabe smiled.
“Your favorite strategy.”
“Information.”
“Yes.”
They returned to the inn.
Evileye was waiting.
She looked at Momonga.
“How did it go?”
“One of them was a mercenary.”
“Only one?”
“The others probably are too.”
Evileye frowned.
“That doesn’t make sense.”
“Why?”
“If the Theocracy wanted you watched, they wouldn’t use ordinary mercenaries.”
Momonga nodded.
“Exactly.”
“So who hired them?”
“That’s what we’re going to discover.”
Evileye looked at him.
“You said you wanted to meet Fluder.”
“I did.”
“You still do?”
Momonga nodded.
“More than before.”
“Why?”
“Because someone mentioned him.”
“And?”
“If someone is trying to manipulate us, Fluder may be the bait.”
Evileye stared at him.
“You’re assuming the information is false.”
“No.”
Momonga smiled.
“I’m assuming it’s true.”
“That’s contradictory.”
“Not really.”
He looked at Nabe.
“If someone wants us to go somewhere, the question isn’t only why do they want us there?”
Nabe nodded.
“It’s also what do they expect us to do when we arrive?”
“Exactly.”
Evileye folded her arms.
“And what do you think?”
Momonga’s smile faded.
“I think we’re being guided.”
That afternoon, they visited the Adventurer’s Guild.
Lakyus was there.
So were Gagaran, Tia, and Tina.
Momonga explained what had happened.
Lakyus became serious.
“Someone is manipulating the investigation.”
“Yes.”
“Do you think it’s the Theocracy?”
“I don’t know.”
Evileye interrupted.
“I do.”
Everyone looked at her.
Evileye continued.
“The Theocracy has a history of interfering in other nations.”
Lakyus nodded.
“True.”
“But why would they care about Mommon?”
“That’s what we need to find out.”
Momonga leaned over the table.
“There is something else.”
“What?”
“The creature in the fort called me a player.”
The room became silent.
Gagaran looked confused.
“What is a player?”
Momonga glanced at Evileye.
She shook her head.
“I don’t know.”
Lakyus frowned.
“Is it some kind of title?”
“Possibly.”
Momonga deliberately kept his answer vague.
He couldn’t tell them the truth.
Not yet.
Then Evileye spoke.
“There are legends.”
Momonga looked at her.
“About players?”
“Not exactly.”
She lowered her voice.
“About beings who descended from another world.”
Momonga’s entire attention focused on her.
“Tell me.”
Evileye looked uncomfortable.
“Most of the stories are contradictory.”
“Tell me anyway.”
“Some say they were gods.”
Momonga nodded.
“Continue.”
“Some say they were monsters.”
“Continue.”
“Some say they were heroes who saved humanity.”
Momonga frowned.
“And?” Visit g.com for the full chapter.
“Others say they destroyed entire civilizations.”
Silence.
Momonga looked down.
“How long ago?”
Evileye shrugged.
“Thousands of years.”
“Do you know their names?”
“A few.”
She hesitated.
“One of them was called the Six Great Gods.”
Momonga’s thoughts raced.
The Six Great Gods.
That name existed in the lore of the New World.
But hearing it here…
Hearing it from someone who was standing in front of him…
Made it suddenly real.
Evileye continued.
“Another group was called the Eight Greed Kings.”
Momonga nodded slowly.
He knew the stories.
But he had never thought of them as anything more than background lore.
Now he understood.
The stories were memories.
Not myths.
History.
Momonga asked quietly:
“How did they disappear?”
Evileye looked at him.
“They fought.”
“Who?”
“Each other.”
“And?”
“They all died.”
Momonga remained silent.
Then he asked the question that mattered.
“Are there any others?”
Evileye’s expression changed.
“I don’t know.”
Momonga smiled faintly.
“I think there are.”
That evening, Momonga and Nabe left E-Rantel alone.
They did not tell Blue Rose where they were going.
They did not tell the guild.
They didn’t even tell Evileye.
They followed the road north.
After several hours, Momonga stopped.
“Nabe.”
“Yes?”
“We’re being watched again.”
“How many?”
“One.”
Nabe looked around.
“I see nothing.”
“Neither do I.”
“Then how do you know?”
Momonga smiled.
“Instinct.”
A voice came from the darkness.
“Good.”
A figure stepped onto the road.
The same hooded man from the inn.
Momonga stopped.
“You followed us.”
“I knew you would come.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re curious.”
Momonga sighed.
“That’s becoming a problem.”
The man smiled.
“You want to know about players.”
“Yes.”
“You want to know why the creature recognized you.”
“Yes.”
“And you want to know why people are watching you.”
“Very much.”
The man reached beneath his robe.
Nabe immediately drew her sword.
The man stopped.
“Relax.”
He slowly pulled out a small crystal.
It glowed faintly.
Momonga stared.
There was magic inside.
Ancient magic.
The man held it toward him.
“This belonged to someone who came from your world.”
Momonga froze.
Nabe’s eyes widened.
For the first time, her composure broke.
“Mommon…”
Momonga stepped closer.
“Who?”
The man smiled.
“That is the question.”
He extended the crystal.
“But before I give you the answer…”
He looked at Nabe.
“…you need to understand something.”
“What?”
“The person who created this world is still alive.”
Momonga stared.
“What did you say?”
The man’s smile disappeared.
“And he knows you’re here.”
Then the crystal shattered.
A wave of magic exploded across the road.
Momonga immediately grabbed Nabe.
“Greater Teleportation!”
Space twisted.
They vanished.
A heartbeat later, the forest erupted in flames.
Momonga and Nabe reappeared several hundred meters away.
Momonga looked back.
The hooded man was gone.
Nabe stood beside him.
“Are you injured?”
“No.”
“Who was he?”
“I don’t know.”
Momonga stared at the burning forest.
But one thing was now certain.
The world wasn’t merely reacting to his arrival.
Someone had been waiting for him.
And somewhere in the darkness of the New World…
Someone knew exactly what he was.
A player.
Back in E-Rantel, far from the burning forest, a young woman opened her eyes.
She was sitting in a small room.
A strange crystal lay before her.
The crystal suddenly cracked.
She smiled.
“So.”
Her golden eyes narrowed.
“He finally arrived.”
Beside her stood a small, dark-haired man.
He looked worried.
“Are you certain?”
The woman nodded.
“Yes.”
“And the other one?”
The woman smiled.
“She’s with him.”
The man frowned.
“Then this changes everything.”
The woman stood.
“Not yet.”
She looked toward the window.
“First, I want to meet them.”
And somewhere in E-Rantel…
the game had just begun.