Lydia's POV
I don't follow Momonga—Ainz—immediately. It's going to be weird getting used to that. Instead, I look at the two girls.
"What's your name?" I ask softly.
They both rise back from their bow. "Huh? Oh, my name is Enri Emmot, and she is my younger sister, Nemu Emmot." the older girl, Enri, answers, a bit more relaxed after seeing Momonga—Ainz—walking away.
I give them both a small smile as I summon a Dire Wolf cub into my arms before showing it to them. "We might not be able to assure you of the lives of your parents, but we can at least do our best to ensure yours and those of everyone still alive. This one might be able to cheer you up and help you get through this a bit more easily, and who knows, if you take good care of it, it might even be able to protect you once it grows up." I explain gently.
I see Nemu looking at the Dire Wolf cub in wonder; at least it's distracting her from this tragedy. Enri, on the other hand, is looking at me with hesitation. I hand the cub to her, waiting for her to take it.
"So, what do you say? Do you want to take in this little one?" I ask, waiting for her to either grab the cub or reject it.
Enri, instead of answering verbally, grabs the cub delicately from my arms with a complicated look on her face.
"Hmm... Thank you very much... I'm sorry... but how old are you?" Enri asks hesitantly.
I giggle lightly as I form the link between her and the Dire Wolf cub. "That's a secret." I tease, before teleporting next to Momon—Ainz, leaving the two sisters alone.
Ainz doesn't show any reaction to my sudden appearance, and Albedo gives me a small respectful bow in greeting. After a short while, he casts [Flight] on Albedo and himself to reach the village more quickly and get a better view of the situation. As they rise from the ground, I quickly follow them. I don't even have to conjure wings or cast a spell; I just do.
I noticed that my body doesn't obey the same rules as those of other living beings. It can do anything I imagine, from shapeshifting to floating and flying. Yet, it still has an original/natural form that it wants to stay in and will return to naturally without my input.
I have formed a theory as to how I function and why. Unlike other ethereal beings who are either formed from an element or a concept, my body is composed solely of mana, and mana, from my understanding, is an energy extremely malleable that can be influenced by thoughts, emotions, and consciousness. At least, that's how it was explained in YGGDRASIL's lore.
Yet, something always bothered me about that explanation. Why does the tier system work the way it does if mana is influenced by thoughts and emotions? In YGGDRASIL, I just assumed that the tier system existed only for gameplay reasons, yet here the tier system still exists despite being reality.
Instead of using magic with our thoughts and emotions, we use it with what look like premade spells offered by the tier system. The only exception is Primordial Magic, a branch of magic exclusive to high-ranking Spirits of Magic. In YGGDRASIL, Primordial Magic was just a more powerful and costly version of spells from other classes. All Primordial Magic was also classed in branches of spells. For example, all fire spells were under [Flame Manipulation], etc.
Here in the New World, Primordial Magic acts much more like how magic was explained in YGGDRASIL lore: something that can be used through thoughts, emotions, and visualization. With Primordial Magic, I just have to imagine something for it to become reality. The Tier Magic equivalent of what I do with Primordial Magic is cheaper yet also weaker, and it offers much less freedom in how it's used.
I jolt out of my thoughts when I notice that Ainz has stopped moving and is now staring at me silently. His skull doesn't show much emotion, so it's difficult guessing his thoughts.
Instead of waiting for him to say something, I ask what I have had in mind since we left the two sisters. "Ainz Ooal Gown, huh? So, why did you decide to take this name as your own out of nowhere?"
He keeps staring at me for a few seconds. "If there is even a small chance that our friends are here, in this world, then I hope to bring them back to Nazarick by spreading the name of Ainz Ooal Gown." he replies eventually.
I frown at his answer. I already guessed that that was his motive, but hearing him delude himself like that is hard.
"I told you already... They left before we were transported to this new world. As much as I want to be wrong... they are not here." I declare somberly.
He takes a deep breath. "I know that you must surely be right. But even with the barest hint of a chance that they might inhabit this world, I want to put all that chance on our side." he explains his reasoning, and even if born of a futile hope, it still makes sense.
I sigh. "I see. Please, keep your hopes down; I don't want you to be hurt if it doesn't happen."
"I will; don't worry, I will." he confirms softly.
"So... why were you staring at me earlier?" I ask, changing the subject.
"I was wondering if perhaps it would be better if you went back to Nazarick. I saw how you reacted after killing that knight. So it would perhaps be best if—" he begins, but I cut him off.
"I'm fine!" I exclaim hastily, not wanting to think about it.
"Are you sure? Because—" he tries to continue, but I cut him off again.
"Yes! Please, I'm fine. This is something I'll have to get used to as one of the rulers of Nazarick." I insist.
"If I may, my lady. As a summoner, there is no need for you to expose yourself to danger or even kill your enemy personally." Albedo, who was silent until now, intervenes.
"Albedo's right, Lydia. You don't need to be present when fighting enemies, and even less witness their deaths." adds Ainz.
I click my tongue. "But I do!" I contest sharply. "It's the least I can do. I don't want to act like the lives I take don't matter..." I finish weakly.
"Do you really believe that the knight deserved your consideration?" asks Ainz, causing me to freeze.
He seems to take my silence as an answer. "I'm not asking you to stop being kind; in fact, I'm sure many in Nazarick love that about you. I'm just asking you to understand that not everyone deserves that kindness and consideration. The knights don't deserve it, and you shouldn't feel bad for killing them." he explains softly.
I stay silent. After all, what am I supposed to respond to that? No matter what kind of person he was, or if they deserved it or not, it doesn't change the fact that I killed someone. I took a life so easily. It's not like in YGGDRASIL, where everything was just a game. Here, it's real.
Perhaps the knight had a family... a life to go back to... and I killed him...
I hear Ainz sigh, snapping me out of my spiraling thoughts once more.
"If you insist, you can stay. You don't have to do anything more if you don't feel like it. I'll take care of everything. And, if you want, we'll talk in private when everything is over." he concedes gently.
Without waiting for my answer, Ainz grabs some items from his inventory. First, he takes out the Mask of Envy, then he takes out two random iron gauntlets. He puts everything on and closes his robe.
"What are you doing?" I ask weakly, not wanting to raise my voice after the conversation we just had, feeling like a child who just got scolded.
"I noticed earlier that the two girls were more scared of me than of you, despite us both killing a knight. So I thought that it was perhaps because I'm undead. So by hiding that I'm undead, it would be easier to get the villagers' trust after saving them, don't you think?" he explains.
"I suppose it makes sense; perhaps the undead are not common in this world, or they are usually dangerous for humans?" I propose.
He nods, and we all hear the sound of a horn being blown from the village. "Let's go; we are almost there." he commands, and with that, we start moving again.
Ainz POV
As we fly toward the village, I can't help but think back to her words. They refuse to leave my mind. And that's because I know that she's right. I'm the odd one who doesn't feel anything. Yet I can't let her dwell on those feelings. If those knights are anything to go by, this world looks like a medieval one, but with magic. And violence seems to be something common and perhaps even expected.
I still lack essential information, which is why I want the trust of the villagers. They'll be more willing to lend us the information we seek if they trust us.
But in a world like that, I can't let Lydia freeze and be depressed each time someone has to die. Perhaps I could acclimate her to killing after this?
What am I even thinking? Training a child—even a false one—to kill is wrong on many different levels. Has my mind changed more than I thought after becoming an undead? But it will be a problem if she's unable to take a life when it's necessary. I'll have to see how to take care of that later.
I could let Lydia live carefreely in Nazarick, without ever needing to kill. But it would be a real shame to lose her strength; she was among the strongest of the guild with Touch Me, and is still one of, if not the strongest being in Nazarick.
I'll need to speak with her before it becomes a real problem. Now it's fine; those knights seem pitifully weak. But what happens when a real threat appears?
As I think of that, my gaze lands on the corpses of knights at the entrance of the village that haven't yet been changed into zombies by the Death Knight's passive.
I want to do some tests with their equipment...
I turn toward Lydia briefly before looking back down at the corpses. She's looking at the corpses sadly.
Maybe another time.
We move deeper into the village, and corpses linger everywhere. Some are villagers, but most are knights. Most of the knights' corpses are already rising up again as [Slave Zombies]. It's a passive skill of the Death Knight; when it kills something, it becomes its eternal servant in death.
Not far from here, before even seeing it, we can hear the screams of the Death Knight as well as what I presume are those of its victims. As we fly closer, we see the Death Knight toying with the knights, killing them one after another while taking a disturbing amount of pleasure in doing it.
"Death Knight, that's enough!" I scream in a casual tone, causing the Death Knight below to freeze.
All three of us float down to the ground.
The surviving knights are also frozen in place, as if my order was given to them as well. They are surely stunned by the series of events. They were waiting for reinforcements, judging by the horn we heard earlier, but instead, it is we who arrived.
"This is our first meeting, honorable knights. I am called Ainz Ooal Gown." I greet them; better keep up the act until I have a better understanding of this world. And, as expected, no one dares to answer, so I continue.
"If you surrender now, you may keep your lives. And maybe another day—" I'm interrupted by the sound of swords being hastily thrown down.
"You look tired. But considering you are standing in front of the Death Knight's master, your heads seem to be a bit too high." I point out; the act of an evil overlord comes naturally after so many hours of roleplay even if it's tiring.
The knights go down on their knees as if their lives depend on it, as they very well may. They don't look like knights bowing to a king, but prisoners waiting for their execution.
I feel Lydia tugging at my robe, and when I lean down, she whispers, "Aren't you going a little too far?" while looking at the knights pitifully. Yet, despite her whispering, the deafening silence makes her words seem loud.
I straighten back up with a small hum of consideration while briefly ruffling the top of her head affectionately.
"You are lucky; I will allow you to leave with your lives. But I would like for you to go to your masters and convey a message. Do not cause any trouble here. If you choose not to listen to my advice, next time you and your country will burn together. Now go. Remember to tell your masters." I announce and command. I then turn my head to Lydia once more, but instead of the relief I expected to see from letting those knights live, I see a complicated expression.
I bring my hand back to her head to calm her down. I notice that she loves being petted, as her expression melts and her mood brightens every time—no matter what she wants others to believe. It's also oddly enjoyable; her hair is abnormally soft to the touch.
Since she killed the knight, her mood has been noticeably low, but I'm sure that she'll go back to her usual self eventually. I find it hard to believe that she'll break from just that, though she might need help to recover completely. Maybe a petting session with some encouragement will help?
No... she isn't a puppy. I'm sure she'll be fine even if left alone. She is a strong and intelligent woma—girl. Despite her mental age regressing to the one of a child, she still has all her experience and knowledge. And I'll be there to support her if she needs it.
The knights had fled while I was thinking, so I ordered the Death Knight through our link, "Tidy up the zombie slaves," while approaching the villagers that had been grouped at the center of the village.
As I approach, with Lydia following by my side and Albedo behind us, I become gradually able to see the mixture of confusion and anxiety on their faces.
I quickly realized the problem. It is not that the knights have been allowed to flee; it is that I'm scarier than them in their eyes. I hadn't considered their point of view.
I stop before getting too close and address them in a gentle tone, "You are safe now, don't worry."
One of the villagers speaks up; he is an old yet large, muscled man, and he seems to be their representative. His eyes don't leave the Death Knight. "You, you are—"
"I saw people attacking the village, so I came to help." I cut him off, trying to ease the villagers' suspicions.
Most of the villagers look relieved at my words, yet some of them are still not completely at ease. Maybe my approach isn't the right one? Let's try another one.
"Having said that, my services are not free. I would like to receive a reward for every surviving villager, you understand?" I explain calmly.
Now, the villagers are looking at each other, seemingly uneasy about the money. But it also looks like the skeptical looks are fading away.
"But, but the state of the village—" the representative begins pitifully, but I cut him off by raising my hand.
"Let us talk about this later. During our arrival, my friend saved a pair of sisters. I shall go and bring those two here; would you please wait for me?" I explain. I have to make sure the sisters don't divulge my identity as an undead to the villagers.
Without waiting for his response, I begin walking away. After a few steps, I stop, turn to Lydia, and suggest, "I think it's best if you stay with the villagers to protect them while I'm away."
I see her tilting her head lightly to the right in confusion, yet she nods softly after a few instants of reflection.
It's only after she agrees to my proposition that I begin walking away once more.
Lydia's POV
Why did he leave me behind? Was it really to protect the villagers? Or maybe I'm a burden? He wanted me to go back to Nazarick... Is it because I froze after killing the knight?
I look at the villagers, who, despite Ainz's reassurance, are still a bit anxious in his presence and are now relieved that he's gone. The leader of the village looks at me, and I can see hesitation in his face.
"Excuse me, young lady. Could I please ask who you are?" he asks hesitantly, probably unsure of how to act with me.
"Lydia, Lydia Evie Hart. But you can call me Lydia; it will be easier that way." I respond with a soft smile.
Perhaps it is my attitude, or that I don't look nearly as threatening as Mo— Ainz, but they seem to relax more in my presence.
"I see, Lydia-dono. Is Gown-dono your father?" he asks, probably trying to probe for information in what seems like a casual conversation. Yet, despite understanding his goal, the question itself makes me freeze, and a small blush appears on my face as I look down.
"No... not really." I reply hesitantly. I raise one hand to touch the top of my head, remembering the feeling of his hard hand. In this body, my head is strangely sensitive to touch; each contact feels like a small and pleasant electric current that travels through my non-existent nerves.
My parents died when I was young, so obviously I don't like talking about it. But it is also kind of true that Ainz has started acting more like a father than a friend since the transfer.
I lower my hand back down and turn to the chief once more.
"I'm sorry for earlier; he was rough... but he's a good person. He just rarely interacts with people outside of business. I'm sure he won't demand too much from your village." I explain softly.
My words seem to finally let the villagers relax completely, and even the village chief's gaze softens when he looks at me.
"That's really reassuring to hear, Lydia-dono. You must be strong yourself if Gown-dono trusted you with our protection in his absence." he remarks with a gentle tone—the one a grandparent uses when speaking to a child.
At that, I can't help but let out a small yet smug smirk. "Hehe, I'm fairly strong myself." I boast lightly with my hands on my hips and my chin raised slightly upward, happy for the change of subject.
My confident affirmation puts the villagers even more at ease.
My confident attitude deflates as I continue, "Yet... I don't know. I killed a knight to save the two sisters Ainz mentioned. And I don't know if it was the right thing to do... or if there was another way of doing it." I admit, looking down at the floor. "I don't know how to feel about that. I'm sure I did the right thing... yet I can't help but doubt myself. What I did." I explain. I don't know why I started divulging so much to the old chief, but I did. Perhaps I need reassurance more than I thought.
I don't see the expressions of the villagers, nor that of the old chief. But I hear him walking towards me. He stops only when he's in front of me, as I see only his legs. I see him go down on his knees and I feel him put his hand on my shoulder, causing me to look up, and I see him looking at me with gentle eyes and a soft smile.
"Lydia-dono. You're a good child; don't doubt your heart. You are thinking about it the wrong way." he points out. "It is true that you killed a knight, but that isn't what you must focus on. You saved two lives and rid the world of a murderer, saving even more lives that this knight would have ruined in the future." he explains gently.
I don't know what I expected when I started dumping my feelings on the old man, but I certainly wasn't expecting him to respond like that.
I simply stare dumbly at the old man, and when I turn my gaze to the other villagers, I don't see a single one who looks at me differently after I just admitted to killing someone. In fact, they all look at me with soft and gentle eyes.
"You don't need to find the answer immediately, Lydia-dono. I merely gave you my own view on this matter; feel free to take your time, think about it yourself, and find your own answer. These things take time; you cannot rush them." he instructs, as if speaking to a child in need of guidance. Which, in retrospect, is somewhat accurate.
I simply nod weakly, not knowing how to respond to his words of wisdom. Yet, my mind feels a little lighter, as if a burden has been lifted from it.
The chief, not waiting for a response from me, walks back towards the rest of the surviving villagers, their mood noticeably lighter despite the tragedy that just hit their village.
We wait in silence for Ainz and Albedo to come back with the two sisters.
They all eventually arrive, and the two sisters reunite with the villagers. They all decide to retrieve and bury the corpses while the chief and Ainz have a conversation about the reward for saving them. This leaves me and Albedo at the door of the chief's house. Ainz wanted me to participate in the conversation, but I declined, not wanting to endure what presented itself as a boring meeting. So I just told Ainz to tell me the important parts later.
We are both observing the villagers working in silence.
"Lydia-sama, may I ask you something?" Albedo breaks the silence with a question.
"What is it?" I inquire curiously.
"Though I'm aware of your kindness and benevolence, I'm perplexed. I don't understand why we help those inferior beings." she asks, managing to let her contempt for humans show in her question.
I let out a soft sigh, causing Albedo to turn her head sharply in my direction. "Please, forgive me, Lydia-sama. I didn't mean to annoy you with my stupid question." she apologies hastily.
"No, no, don't worry about it. You have been created with those feelings; I don't blame you for that. To answer your question... hmm... we need information on this world, and who better to give it to us than the locals." I explain.
"Then why not just capture some of them and have all their knowledge extracted?" she asks.
"Because information isn't our only goal in this village." I reply, and I hear Albedo gasp beside me, causing me to turn my head to her curiously.
Why did she just gasp out of nowhere? Did I say something wrong? Maybe I should distract her from whatever she's thinking right now with something else. But what? Oh, I know! I should try my idea of a past for my identity as Lydia. That would be a good story to tell, and it would distract her from any potential mistake I just made.
"Also." I begin with a gentle smile as if nothing had happened while keeping eye contact with her. "I wanted to save them because they remind me of myself, in a way." I improvise.
"What do you mean, Lydia-sama?" Albedo asks, with barely concealed shock.
"When I look at humans living their lives in a small village like this one, it reminds me of my past." I narrate. Feeling Albedo's gaze on me, I continue, "I was born human." I reveal.
Despite her helmet, I can almost feel the shock radiating from her; she is frozen and speechless.
I know you view humans as inferior, but is it really that shocking? I mean, look at me; why do you believe my natural form is that of a human?
I turn my gaze to the village ahead of us and I feel myself smiling, as if I'm really remembering something from the past. In truth, I'm imagining what Lydia's village would have looked like, and I imagine it so vividly that it almost feels real.
"I was born in a simple village such as this one. I was still just a little girl when I discovered magic for the first time. It fascinated me so much that it became an obsession. I felt like magic itself was calling me. I learned everything I could about magic and used this knowledge to help my family, my friends, and even the other villagers. I had an unheard-of talent for magic. One day, I discovered a ritual to fuse my entire being with magic itself. I don't remember exactly how I discovered it; perhaps it was the essence of magic itself that revealed it to me, wanting me to fuse with it. Or perhaps it was just an insolent amount of luck. But after performing the ritual, I was changed from a human into a spirit of magic." I pause and turn my gaze to Albedo, who is listening to my tale with an unnerving focus.
I continue, this time looking at Albedo. "Yet, despite becoming a spirit of magic, my body retained its human appearance. My natural form is how I used to look when I was still human, when I performed the ritual. I did it to help my village." I pause and look down sadly. "Yet... when I came back and announced my achievement, they turned on me. They killed my parents and tried to kill me too, seeing me as nothing more than a monster. So I fled and did my best to survive on my own, not daring to trust anyone anymore."
Now I can feel Albedo's anger. Yet despite her feelings, I continue my tale, wanting to finish it on a good note. After all, it is the story of my life as Kimiko Mika, just warped slightly to become the story of Lydia Evie Hart.
"At that time, I was still weak. I was just a low-tier spirit of magic. One day, I was cornered by a group of human adventurers. They wanted to kill me to harvest my essence. But I was saved—saved by a knight in shining white armor, like in a fairy tale. That knight was Touch Me. After saving me, he introduced me to his companions and invited me to join them. We lived through a lot of adventures together, and more and more heteromorphs began joining our group. I was one of the nine original members, part of Nine's Own Goal. That name symbolized our alliance despite each having our own goals. With more members, we became Ainz Ooal Gown and founded Nazarick." I narrate.
Then I realized how much I had just talked. "Sorry, I suppose I got lost in the moment, and I ended up talking a lot more than I intended. I don't want to bore you with the past." I apologies.
Yet, contrary to my expectations, Albedo kneels on the ground deeply. "Please, my lady, if someone should apologize, it is I. The past of a Supreme Being is the most interesting story of all. And I apologize profusely; it wasn't my intention to insult you by referring to humans as inferior beings. Please, punish me as you see fit." she begs zealously.
"Please, Albedo, stand up!" I demand hastily as I grab her hands to help her stand back up. "I know it wasn't your intention; there is no need for a punishment at all." I smile softly at her while making eye contact through her helmet.
"I... yes, Lydia-sama." she accepts begrudgingly.
After seeing Albedo calm down, I conclude the conversation.
"So, to conclude and answer your question, I can't help but like humans despite everything because, for me, they represent my origin. This is my personal reason as to why I wanted to save those villagers. Also, because I want to save people the same way I was saved..." I finish with a smile.
"I understand, Lydia-sama." she responds with more composure.
After that, we both stayed silent, observing the villagers retrieving the corpses while waiting for Ainz to finish his conversation with the village chief.
Ainz eventually left the house of the chief, accompanied by the chief. The chief invited us to be present at the funeral, and Ainz accepted.
The funeral is held on the outskirts of the village in the village cemetery. The cemetery itself consists of a shabby fence that encloses an open space, with several vertical round stones that have names engraved on them.
The village chief read an epitaph to console the souls of the recently departed. He spoke of gods that didn't exist in YGGDRASIL and prayed that the souls would rest in peace.
The villagers could only bury a portion of the dead, either because the bodies were too badly damaged or because of a lack of manpower.
Among the villagers present, the two sisters are also here, Enri Emmot and Nemu Emmot, crying over two corpses which I assume to be their parents. The little dire wolf cub stays silent in the arms of Nemu, who is crying into its fur while embracing tightly her new friend.
Beside me, I see Ainz holding a small ivory wand with a golden tip, hidden behind his robe. The wand is the Resurrection Wand.
"Why don't we resurrect them?" I whisper to Ainz.
"According to the village chief, resurrection magic doesn't exist in this world. It would bring too much attention to us if we suddenly start doing something unheard of in this world, such as resurrecting the dead." he whispers back.
My gaze lands back on the two sisters crying over the bodies of their parents.
"I suppose..." I whisper weakly.
We both silently observe the funeral until the sun dips below the horizon. It's only then that we leave the mourning villagers behind and walk into the village. Albedo and Ainz's Death Knight, who was behind us during the funeral, follow us silently.
After a short walk, Ainz sighs. "Let's call it a day. We're done here. Lydia, Albedo, let's head back." he announces calmly.
"Understood." replies Albedo tensely.
"Do you hate humans?" inquires Ainz curiously.
Albedo tenses and turns her gaze towards me for a short instant before looking back at Ainz. "I don't like them. Humans are weak and inferior creatures. If I crush them like insects, it would be a pretty sight to behold. Yet, I learned recently that there are exceptions to this." she replies, her voice sweet despite the cruelty of her words.
At least she's honest. Still... wow. And I thought my tale would have made her change her mind, even if only a little bit...
"Is that so... I understand how you feel. However, I hope you'll calm down a bit, since knowing how to conduct oneself is very important." he explains calmly, his composure unbreakable since the transfer.
Albedo nods frantically at Ainz's words, and he turns toward me.
"And you, are you feeling better?" he asks gently as he puts a hand on my head.
No, but really. What's up with him and petting my head? He's been doing it on every occasion. Of course, I'm not complaining, but I really would like an explanation at some point. Is he trying to get me addicted to it? Because it's working!
"I'm fine. Thanks for asking, and sorry for worrying you earlier." I answer in a composed tone while discreetly leaning on his hand.
"I'm glad to hear that. Now let's find the village chief to say our goodbyes properly." he comments happily as he continues to pat my head with a little more vigour.
We locate the village chief rapidly, but he has a solemn expression on his face as he speaks to various villagers, making us believe that something is going wrong.