Lydia's POV
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.
"What's the matter, Village Chief?" asks Ainz as we walk up to him.
"Oh, Ainz-sama. There seem to be people riding horses, who look like soldiers, approaching this place..." he answers, trying to sound calm, even if a hint of anxiety and worry escapes his voice.
"I see..." is Ainz's only response. He is probably thinking of what to do. And his short answer makes the Village Chief as well as the other villagers around more anxious.
Seeing Ainz's indecision, I was going to answer in his place, saying that we would help them, but Ainz beat me to it.
He raises his hand and says, "Leave it to me. All the villagers will seek shelter in the Village Chief's house; the three of us will stay here."
A bell rings, and the villagers begin to gather. At the same time, the Death Knight walks to the village chief's home to guard it with Albedo.
So now, if we don't count Albedo guarding the village chief's house, the only people in the village outside of the chief's house are me, Ainz, and the village chief.
"Don't worry; since this is a special case, I'll help you free of charge," Ainz explains cheerfully to the village chief, making the village chief stop trembling and even making him smile.
After a short wait, several horsemen appear on the road and slowly parade into the square.
I hear Ainz muttering, "Their equipment is different and appears to be haphazardly arranged... Are these even proper soldiers?"
I understand his perplexity; if we compare the knights from before and them, it's like day and night. The knights all had a full set of plate armor with matching swords, but those soldiers don't even seem to have a discernible uniform. Some have armor, others wear leather or chainmail, and even their weapons don't match. Some have swords, maces, bows, or spears.
They look more like a mercenary group than anything else.
The approximately twenty horsemen ride into the square, and although they appear wary of the Death Knight, they still arrange themselves in the square. From their ranks, a single man emerges and stops in front of us.
He looks like the leader of this group of soldiers. He has scary, fierce eyes that seem to constantly analyze his surroundings. He also looks like the most physically capable of the group, with his muscular arms and legs as well as his large torso.
As he approaches, his gaze settles on us with an intensity I have never seen before; although he seems wary when he looks at Ainz, I see his gaze pause on me for a short while. During that time, his fierce gaze turns temporarily into one of confusion with a small frown.
I must admit that his gaze is intimidating, like that of someone who has seen death more times than he can count.
I unconsciously move slightly to the side, hiding behind Ainz's larger body.
He stops his horse in front of us and speaks up with an imposing voice fitting for his physique. "I am the Warrior Captain of the Re-Estize Kingdom, Gazef Stronoff. Under orders from the King, I have come with a punitive force to fight against the knights of the Empire and have been patrolling various villages."
His deep, smooth voice resonates in the square. His declaration seems to greatly reassure the Village Chief. I hear him muttering, "The Warrior Captain of the Kingdom..."
"Who is he?" I ask the village chief curiously in a whisper. That title sounds important.
"According to the traders that pass through, he is the champion of a tournament held in the past, which was used to determine the King's personal guard. He is currently a direct subordinate of the King and commands an elite group of soldiers," he explains, whispering back yet speaking loudly enough for Ainz to hear.
"Is he really that great?" I ask, fascinated by the tale. No wonder his presence is so strong and his gaze so piercing.
"I don't know. This is only hearsay," the village chief responds.
Gazef's gaze turns to the village chief. "You must be the village chief. Could you tell me who the man standing next to you is?"
"Do not bother. Hello, Sir Warrior Captain of the Kingdom, I am Ainz Ooal Gown, a magic caster. Because the villagers were attacked by knights, we came here to rescue them," Ainz introduces himself.
"We?" Gazef mutters, his gaze landing on me despite being half-hidden behind Ainz. A frown appears on his face.
He steps off his horse, making a loud noise because of his heavy armor. He bows deeply towards us. "Thank you for saving this village; I am unable to repay your kindness."
I feel like the air shook slightly. If he's a direct subordinate of the King, then isn't bowing to a stranger a big deal? If I'm not mistaken about that, it shows what kind of person Gazef Stronoff is. I can't help but feel respect for the guy; despite his scary look, he seems like a kind and capable person.
"No need to be so polite. In fact, the purpose of this was to receive a reward, so there is no need for thanks," Ainz speaks up, causing Gazef to straighten back up and making my heart skip a beat at his remark.
Yet, contrary to my expectations, Gazef doesn't seem mad or surprised by Ainz's words. "Oh, a reward. That is to say, you are an adventurer? Hmm, I see. It looks like you are a great adventurer... But please forgive my ignorance; I have never heard the name of Gown-dono before."
Also... is he leaving me out of this on purpose because I look like a child? I want to be mad, but the more I think about it, the more reasonable it sounds.
"We are travelers who just happened to pass by here, so we are not very well-known figures," replies Ainz while putting one of his gauntleted hands on my head.
"Currently traveling, eh? I apologize for wasting the time of such an outstanding adventurer, but would it be possible for you to tell me what happened to the men who came and raided this village?" Gazef asks after looking around and not seeing a single trace of the enemies.
"It would be my pleasure, Sir Warrior Captain. Most of the knights who came and raided this village are already dead; they should be unable to cause any more trouble. Is there a need to continue explaining?" Ainz replies in a matter-of-fact tone.
"...Killed... Was the deed done by Gown-dono?" Gazef demands curiously.
"That is correct, but also not correct," Ainz rectifies as he subtly points at the Death Knight farther away behind with the hand that was on my head, causing Gazef's gaze to turn to the Death Knight as well and his eyes to widen slightly in comprehension.
"There are three things I want to ask... Who is that?" Gazef asks while looking at the Death Knight.
"He is one of my created servants," answers Ainz casually.
Gazef lets out a faint hum at the response and inspects Ainz more closely. "In that case... what is that mask?" he asks.
"Because I am a magic caster, I have to wear this," replies Ainz.
It's a weird back-and-forth between the two of them. And what kind of excuse is that? 'Because I'm a magic caster.' It doesn't make any sense.
"Can you take it off?" asks Gazef. This back-and-forth is so quick, I don't have time to think as my head just switches between the two of them each time one of them speaks.
"If I do so, then that guy—" he points at the Death Knight. "If he goes out of control, it would be very troublesome."
Okay, never mind; this is a good and clever excuse.
I can feel the atmosphere getting heavy, presumably because of the villagers who saw the strength and malice of the Death Knight firsthand. Their mood and composure were affected by this new 'fact'.
Perhaps feeling the shift in the atmosphere, Gazef nods heavily. "In that case, it would be better not to remove the mask," he concludes.
He then shifts his gaze to me and asks, "And who is this little miss?"
Seeing his piercing gaze landing on me causes me to retract a little farther behind Ainz, and perhaps seeing this, Ainz puts his hand back on my head and starts speaking, "She's—"
"—I'm Lydia," I interrupt softly, my voice low, barely above a whisper, yet it can be heard clearly as there is not much sound in the village besides those present here.
Gazef's body freezes briefly after hearing my name, but he quickly regains control of himself and, after a nod of acknowledgment, he turns toward his men. "Then—"
"Before that, sorry to interrupt, but this village was just attacked by knights of the Empire. If everyone were to carry weapons and enter, it might cause the villagers to recall their recent, frightful experiences. If I may ask, would it be possible for everyone to place their weapons in the corner of the square and consequently put the villagers' minds at ease?" proposes Ainz after cutting off Gazef.
Gazef turns back to face Ainz and replies, "What Gown-dono has said is certainly correct. However, these swords were bestowed upon us by the King; without the King’s orders, we cannot lay them down."
Before Ainz has the chance to say something back, the Village Chief, who was silent until now, intervenes, "Ainz-sama, we are fine with it."
Ainz turns toward the village chief. "Is that so, Village Chief?" He then turns back to Gazef. "Also, Sir Warrior Captain, please pardon my unreasonable request."
Gazef shakes his head with a smile. "Gown-dono indeed has the right idea. If this sword weren’t bestowed by the King, I would happily put it down. Then can we find somewhere to sit together, and would it be possible for you to recount the details of this incident? If you don’t mind, the hour grows late, and I wish to rest inside the village."
"I understand. Then shall we proceed to my home—" the Village Chief begins proposing, but is interrupted by a soldier running hastily into the square. He stops beside Gazef and pants in exhaustion.
"Captain! There are many shadows surrounding the area. They are approaching the village!" he reports loudly after catching his breath.
This urges me to use the Eye of Heimdall to locate and try to identify those 'shadows'. As my senses expand, I quickly find them barely a few hundred meters from our location, at the edge of a cliff in the forest, with views of the village. I focus on them as they seem to be having some kind of strategic meeting. Their group seems to be composed of approximately 40 to 45 people.
"Everyone, listen up," their presumed leader calls out in a calm voice.
Every person in their group wears some kind of dark bluish-gray uniform that covers their entire body, with a small light-gray cape and a strange cylindrical helmet with a visor that makes them look like cyclopses. They also each have a large belt the same color as their capes with pouches and potions.
Their leader has the same uniform, with the sole distinction that he isn't wearing the weird helmet, leaving his face exposed. He looks like a common man. He has a somewhat long face with a flat nose and buzz-cut blond hair.
The only remarkable things about his appearance are a scar running all the way down his left cheek and his black sclera.
"The prey has entered the cage," he announces to his men.
"Thou shalt devote thy faith to God," he commands, and they all put their hands together in prayer.
After a few seconds of complete silence, the leader opens his eyes and orders, "Commence." Then, all of his men start moving to surround the village.
Something that I had noticed with the knights earlier, and now with them, is that I can somewhat tell their level of power as well as their specialty simply by looking at them. I barely noticed until now because, with the NPCs, I thought it was just because I knew them so well that it came to my mind naturally, and with the knights... I had my mind... busy.
Perhaps it is the skill [Sage's Gaze]? In YGGDRASIL, this skill allowed me to scan things and people to gain a better understanding of them. It was one of the rare appraisal skills in all of YGGDRASIL.
Has it become passive? I can tell with a single glance that they are quite weak. They can only cast up to tier-three spells.
I turn my gaze to Gazef. [Sage's Gaze] tells me that he is the strongest human here, even among the enemies, but the skill is less precise with him for some reason. Is it because he isn't a mage?
I look at the rest of his men, and while they are easier to appraise, it is still less precise than with the enemies.
It seems like I have a hard time reading someone who isn't a mage, even if it's a kind of weird and arbitrary limitation.
I groan in annoyance internally.
Why is everything so different from YGGDRASIL? Ainz doesn't seem to have this kind of problem, so why are most of my skills so different?
I suppress a sigh and look around.
I followed Ainz absentmindedly as he moved while I was looking through the Eye of Heimdall, and apparently, we went to the village chief's house.
I tug at his robe to get his attention.
Ainz's POV
As we look through the window into the distance to try to find those 'shadows' reported by the soldier, I feel a gentle tug on my robe. So I turn my head down to Lydia; the movement also catches the attention of Gazef, who is in front of me.
"What is it, Lydia?" I ask softly. She must have a good reason to ask for attention in such a situation. Meanwhile, Gazef looks somewhat annoyed and on edge at the interruption.
"There are approximately 45 magic casters surrounding the village, each capable of casting up to tier-three spells," she reveals softly.
The annoyed expression of Gazef evaporates and a look of incredulity takes its place. "How do you know that, Lydia-dono?" Gazef asks incredulously.
"I— It's—I-I..." she struggles to find an answer, and a blush appears on her cheeks.
She didn't think of an excuse beforehand? Really? I can almost hear Punitto Moe sighing in exasperation. I put one hand on her head to calm her down.
"She possesses a gift that allows her to see and hear faraway things. She can also gauge people's strength by looking at them," I improvise calmly. It's in those moments that I'm glad for my new undead nature. I don't know if I would have been able to keep my cool otherwise. Maybe I would have been a bundle of nerves like Lydia is right now.
My explanation apparently managed to calm Gazef down. "Oh, a talent user? And one so useful? I see, that explains much," he mumbles while staring at Lydia, who's gone back behind me after noticing Gazef's gaze on her.
Why is she so fearful of this guy? He doesn't seem that strong. Is it his eyes, perhaps? But something in Gazef's mumbles catches my attention.
"A talent user?" I ask, fishing for more information. The Village Chief didn't tell me anything about that.
"You don't know? A talent user is someone born with a special ability. Roughly only one person in 200 is born with a talent. The ability itself is random and can range from something completely useless to something extraordinarily powerful," he explains. "I'm surprised that you don't know about that, even though Lydia-dono has such an extraordinary talent."
"I was aware that she had a particular gift, but I wasn't aware of the existence of talents, so I couldn't find an explanation for it. I'm grateful that you helped me finally elucidate this mystery," I explain, improvising a backstory on the fly. "You see, I'm a magic caster who lived isolated from civilization for a long time; so I don't know much outside of magic."
"I see. This answers some questions I had about you, Gown-dono. I assume that Lydia-dono is your daughter, then?" speculates Gazef.
I let out a chuckle, even if I'm flustered on the inside. I can't imagine myself being the father of one of my closest friends, even if, in a way, he isn't entirely wrong. Since she became a child, someone has to take care of her, and I have already vowed to do just that, so I'm technically kind of like her guardian now. As much as the thought is embarrassing.
"Although this conversation is quite pleasant, this isn't the time to speak of my life, is it?" I ask rhetorically.
"Yes, you're right, Gown-dono, please excuse me," apologizes Gazef.
I turn my head to Lydia.
"Lydia, can you point to or tell us where the enemies are? Maybe even point to their leaders if they are identifiable," I ask softly; she is nervous enough already. Perhaps it is because we are surrounded by so many new faces? She never was the most sociable person. She's better now, yet I don't think she has changed that much either.
With a silent nod, she walks up to the window and, because of her size, she has to stand on her tiptoes to point in a direction outside the window. She looks quite nervous; yet even with that, the sight is quite cute.
"The enemy leader is over there," she speaks softly.
Gazef and I walk up to the window and I pick up Lydia to put her in my arms rather than having her struggle to simply reach the height of the window. Once installed in my arms, she points in a direction, and both Gazef and I follow her finger.
"There are indeed people," Gazef is the first to speak up as we notice the faraway figures.
They seem to be casting some kind of spell. No, they are summoning something. Each of those figures is summoning a creature. Those guys aren't lucky, using summons against Lydia...
Wait... are those Archangel Flames? They can summon monsters from YGGDRASIL?
"So it really is the Slane Theocracy..." mumbles Gazef beside us, making us look at him curiously.
"What is the Slane Theocracy?" asks Lydia innocently.
Thank you, Lydia. If it's you who asks, it would look more credible than if it were me, and I wouldn't look like an idiot.
"The Slane Theocracy is a religious state that venerates the Six Great Gods. They are human supremacists who view anything non-human as inferior. They have special intelligence teams called the Six Scriptures that do any kind of shady business. And to summon so many angels, we must be facing the Sunlight Scripture," he explains, beginning like someone teaching something to a child and ending with a complicated expression.
"Are the Sunlight Scripture really that troublesome?" I ask.
He nods, "I've only heard bad things about them. It is said that they conduct numerous illegal operations in the Re-Estize Kingdom and purges of demi-human settlements."
The air is heavy after this revelation.
"But... why are they here? Is the village that important to them?" Lydia asks anxiously.
"I have no clue... If they're not after possessions, there can be only one reason for their presence," explains Gazef.
He and I lock eyes.
He's their target, isn't he?
"Is it because they have a grudge against Sir Warrior Captain?" I ask.
"Since I assumed the position of Warrior Captain, dealing with grudges is something that can’t be helped. But... this is really troublesome. From both numerical and proficiency standpoints, they have the upper hand."
Gazef forcefully relaxes his shoulders and tries to appear calm and collected; yet, even with his effort, it's quite obvious that he is anxious, and perhaps even wrathful.
"Gown-dono, are you willing to be employed?" he asks, and a sliver of hope appears in his eyes.
"With respect to payment, I can guarantee your satisfaction," he insists after receiving no response from me.
"Please forgive me for declining," I refuse. I don't want to get involved in the warfare and politics between two nations with so little information.
"Even if you only lent us the knight you summoned, that would be fine as well," Gazef bargains.
"Please forgive me for declining once again," I refuse once more.
"Oh... Then as decreed by the Kingdom's law, can I subject you to conscription?" he tries.
"That's a dumb alternative... I wasn't planning on saying these words, but if you intend to use the Kingdom's authority, then I will have to resist a little bit," I counter.
We both stare at each other, but Gazef is the one to break eye contact by averting his gaze.
"To have been wiped out before even engaging with the Slane Theocracy's men, how frightful," he mumbles to himself.
"Wiped out... You sure know how to jest. In any case, for understanding my position in this matter, I am very grateful," I thank him with a bow.
Gazef's POV
I closed my eyes after I closely examined the bowing figure of Gown expressing his gratitude.
I wasn't jesting when I said 'wiped out'. My instincts and intuition scream at me that this magic caster is dangerous, and even more so the little girl in his arms.
Her eyes glow subtly; it's barely noticeable, and I surely wouldn't have noticed if I weren't used to picking up even the smallest details. I suppose it's the physical manifestation of her talent. My instincts tell me that she's the more dangerous of the two; she must be an incredibly talented magic caster to give me this feeling at such a young age. I also can't help but feel like I've heard the name 'Lydia' somewhere before; I can't seem to remember, but that name sounds familiar, somehow.
Who are they really?
I turn my gaze to Gown's bizarre mask.
What the hell is underneath that mask? Is he a person I know? Or—
"Is something wrong? Is there something on my mask?" asks Gown calmly. It's another weird thing about him. Not once has his composure broken. He is unnaturally calm about all of this.
"Ah, no... it's nothing; I was just thinking that this mask is very special. This mask can be used to control a magical being like that... in that case, it should be a powerful item... right?" I deflect and try to gain a little more information on this mysterious magic caster.
"Well, this is a very rare and expensive item that is unique in this world," he replies.
If someone has a high-tier magic item, it also means that the ability of the individual in question is very high. By this logic, Gown's casting and magic abilities should be fairly strong. And with Lydia's talent, both would have been invaluable. Having been unable to solicit their help makes me feel somewhat dejected.
I hoped that Gown would have accepted my commission since he is an adventurer.
"Continuing this is meaningless. Well then, Gown-dono, please take care. Thank you again for saving the village."
I remove my gauntlet to shake Gown's hand, and he does, even if he doesn't remove his own gauntlet, which could be seen as rude, but I'm past that at this point.
I hold Gown's hand tightly and speak my inner thoughts, "I'm grateful to you for protecting innocent villagers from being massacred. Also... I don't want to ask this of you, but I hope you can protect the villagers here again. I don't have anything to offer right now; nevertheless, I still ask you. Accept my request... I beg you."
"Well this—" begins Gown, but I continue, cutting him off.
"If you ever visit the King's capital, I promise that I will gift you whatever you desire. This I swear upon the name Gazef Stronoff," I promise, even though I knew I certainly couldn't keep it.
I let go of his hand to kneel and beg properly, but he puts his hand on my shoulder, stopping me.
"There’s no need to go this far... I understand. I will protect the villagers. This I swear upon the name Ainz Ooal Gown," he answers mercifully. His answer removes a heavy burden from my shoulders; at least the villagers will be safe.
"Thank you, Gown-dono. Now I can charge forward without worries," I express gratefully.
"Until then, please take this." Gown takes out an object and hands it to me. It's a strange little sculpture and it doesn't look like anything special. Yet...
"As long as it is your gift, I will gladly accept it. Well then, Gown-dono, although it saddens me, I will be going." I accept the sculpture, putting it in my bag.
"Shouldn’t we wait until nightfall before moving out?" points out Gown.
"The other side has a sort of [Night Vision] spell. Attacking in the night would be disadvantageous for us, but not necessarily for them. Besides... Gown-dono needs to be able to observe the flow of battle," I explain.
"I understand. To have such a profound sense of planning, you are worthy of your title as the Kingdom’s Warrior Captain. I wish you success, Sir Warrior Captain," he flatters me, even though anyone could do the same with the information I have. He truly is kind, in his own way.
"And I wish Gown-dono a safe journey home," I reply in kind.
Lydia's POV
Ainz and I both observe Gazef leaving the village on his horse with his men, charging at the enemy head-on. We had followed him outside the Village Chief's house but haven't gone much further. Ainz hasn't dropped me since picking me up, and I like having a higher point of view, so I didn't bother pointing it out.
"I'm glad," I comment with a soft smile while watching Gazef and his men in the distance. I feel Ainz's gaze on me, so I elaborate. "I'm glad you gave him the totem. I was worried you would leave him to his fate."
He looks up at the retreating figures of Gazef and his men. "At first, I could only muster enough empathy to treat them as insects, but after conversing with them, I'm starting to see them as small animals," he replies calmly, even though the implications of his words were chilling.
I turn around in his arms to face him and his gaze drops back on me.
"Do you see me as a small animal as well?" I ask worriedly—worried at how much his new body has changed his mindset and worried if his view of me has changed as well.
He brings the hand of the arm that isn't holding me to my head with a soft chuckle. "Of course not. Why would you think that?"
The contact on my head calms my nerves instantly, and I snuggle a little deeper into his arms.
"Lydia, can you keep an eye on the fight between Gazef and his opponents?" he suddenly asks.
"Yes, of course." I extend my senses to follow Gazef's group.
"Good. Albedo! Lydia and I are going for a walk in the village. Don't follow us; we are going to speak privately. Explain the situation to the Village Chief to appease him and the villagers. Then protect them; don't let a single one die," he calls and commands Albedo, who was still guarding the Village Chief's house a little further back.
"Yes, Ainz-sama," replies Albedo with a bow.
You want me to observe the fight and have a conversation at the same time? I don't know if I have that level of multitasking.
Ainz starts walking away with me in his arms before I can voice my concerns.
I am trying to split my focus between Gazef's group and Ainz. Maybe that's what I lack... Maybe multitasking is key to the use of the Eye of Heimdall? That would be good training: trying to talk while following something else with my senses. Until now, I have only used the Eye of Heimdall to search for things, and my senses focused entirely on those things instinctively once I found them. I never really tried to use it to surveil multiple things at once.
And now that I think of it, I realize how obvious it was. I feel so stupid for not realizing it sooner. My training was already kind of like that, but without me realizing it. Well, I guess now I know where to focus my attention when I train later.
"So, what's on your mind?" asks Ainz, interrupting my thoughts, and when I turn my attention to him, I have to actively stop myself from cutting my senses to Gazef's troop. They still haven't made contact with the enemy.
"What do you mean?" I ask in return.
"About everything. How do you truly feel about everything since the transfer? I can see that you have things on your mind," he questions gently. Has he always been so perceptive?
"Oh... It's just that... hmm... A lot of things work differently than back in YGGDRASIL... and I don't understand why. I try to understand and come up with theories... but each time, something new shows up," I explain anxiously, slowly letting my insecurities come out. While speaking, I look down, not daring to look him in the 'eyes'.
"Can you give me an example? We can perhaps solve this mystery together, rather than trying to do everything alone," he proposes softly, making me look up, surprised.
"Why do you look so surprised? Did you really believe that I would have let you struggle in silence?" he asks, causing me to look down in shame.
"No, no... it's just... You're so different from before. I... I guess I didn't know what to expect. Even more so after seeing how cold you were to the villagers and Gazef," I explain bashfully.
He lets out a sigh, causing me to quickly look up anxiously. "Did I say something wrong?" I ask in a momentary panic.
"No, you didn't say anything wrong. It's just that I can see why you would believe that, in retrospect. Even if it's dumb," he replies calmly.
"D-Dumb?!" I repeat, flustered, looking up at him in surprise.
"Yes, dumb. Why would you believe that I would treat you like I treat a stranger? You are one of my closest friends and trusted companions; you are also the only one who stayed with me until the very end. Nothing will ever change that, no matter if you become a child or if I become undead. Do you understand what I am saying?" he explains while looking me in the eyes.
Gazef made contact with the enemy... No! Focus! Keep your attention on two things at once, Lydia!
"I... Yes..." I mumble, embarrassed.
He ruffles my hair with his hand. "It's all right as long as you understand. Now, you told me things work differently than in YGGDRASIL? How so?" he asks, gently distracting me from the shame I feel for having doubted him.
"Well... I can do a lot of things I couldn't do back in YGGDRASIL," I answer.
"A lot? For my part, everything seems to work very similarly to how it did in YGGDRASIL," he mutters, then goes into deep thought. "Can you perhaps identify something in common between everything? It could help in understanding why," he expresses speculatively.
"Something in common?" I repeat softly.
Let's see. Some of those are racial skills, others are job class skills. The fact that they are skills?
No, it doesn't help in the slightest. There must be something else.
Hmm... I can manipulate my mana with much greater liberty than before. [Breath of Creation] has had its limitations removed. I can identify the strength of mages with a glance. I can also effortlessly perceive mana. Wait... I can also perceive the components of a spell. Now that I think about it, didn't I see how the mana moved when Ainz cast [Grasp Heart] or summoned his Death Knight?
Can I replicate it?
No! Not now! Focus!
Everything is related to mana, I think. I can perceive and control mana effortlessly because I'm a Child of Mana, I suppose. As for [Breath of Creation], perhaps it is the manifestation of my ability to mold mana into whatever I want? And for the spells... WAIT! Is everything because I'm a Child of Mana?
That would explain a lot of things. As the apex of the Spirits of Magic, I'm supposed to be the uncontested master of magic and mana itself. I think.
Do my [Sage] and [High Sage] job classes also have something to do with all of this? In YGGDRASIL, they allowed me to learn new summons by reading books before I gained the ability to create my own. I was limited to summons because my other job class was [Summoner]. But are those limitations still in place? Am I still limited to only summons? Or can I now learn other things, like spells and skills?
Earlier, I felt like I could attempt to replicate Ainz's spells. Does that mean that I am no longer limited by my job classes as well? Wouldn't that be too much?
Maybe... maybe that's why I can't read warriors very well. [Sage] and [High Sage] are classes that focus on knowledge. And contrary to magic classes, my knowledge of physical classes such as [Warrior], [Rogue], or [Monk] is limited. Maybe this is why [Sage's Gaze] gives me so little in an actual reading when looking at Gazef.
I also don't think I could learn skills from physical classes, even if I could analyze them the same way as spells. Spirits of Magic are a species composed solely of mana; we have no stamina or vital energy, which I believe are essential for the skills of those classes. But I could perhaps imitate them with mana? I'll have to try that as well.
"Lydia?" calls out Ainz, snapping me out of my thoughts.
"Huh? Oh, yes! Sorry. I think I understand now," I exclaim with a smile.
"What? Already? It has barely been ten seconds," he claims, surprised.
"Ten seconds? No, I think I have been thinking for a bit longer than that," I counter confusedly. Why would Ainz believe that so little time passed while I was lost in thought? It doesn't make sense.
He stares at me confusedly, I believe. "How long do you think you have been in your thoughts?" he asks after a short silence.
"I don't know—thirty to forty seconds, I think?"
Oh, Gazef's troops have come back to assist him in fighting the Archangel Flames rather than sticking to their plan and fleeing. But they are getting massacred. The only one with remotely a fighting chance is Gazef, but even he is having difficulties. Wait, what was that? Was that a skill? I never saw it in YGGDRASIL. He cut six angels simultaneously.
"Okay... well... if you believe you have understood everything, that's good. You can explain it to me later in Nazarick. It could be useful information to have. When I said I wanted to speak in private, it was to see if you were still feeling down after killing that knight," admits Ainz.
"Oh... that? I know I did the right thing... but I wasn't ready. I hadn't meant to kill him. Even now, I try not to think about it. Because if I do, I'll start feeling bad again, even though I know I shouldn't. He was a bad man, yet I can't help but feel bad, you know?" I explain weakly, looking down at my legs.
"I suppose those things take time to process. I can't relate as I didn't feel a thing when I did. But I'll tell you this," he begins, making me look up at him. "You don't have to feel bad for him. He was going to kill someone else and take great pleasure in doing so. There was no other way. If you still need to talk about it with someone, you can come and see me rather than burying yourself on the 11th floor like you did these last few days."
I couldn't help but let out a giggle at the last comment. "I wasn't... I guess you're right..."
Gazef's men have all been heavily wounded or killed, and Gazef has been pierced by the Archangels' blades.
"Ainz! Gazef is about to die!" I blurt out in panic.
Without waiting any longer, he puts me down and mutters, "Looks like it's time to tag in," and the next instant we are teleported to the battlefield where Gazef is fighting.