Narrator's POV
The Swords of Darkness watch in awe as the spell from the "Blind Miko" purifies all the monsters in a matter of seconds.
Not only that, but the overwhelmingly sacred aura emitted by the sanctified area stunned them all, feeling as if witnessing something grand, grander than themselves in a way they could never become.
It is only after the spell is dispelled that they wake up from their trance and, for the sake of their sanity, they all individually decide to believe that what they just experienced was a hallucination provoked by the unexpected power behind the spell and the "blind" girl.
They all wordlessly begin harvesting body parts of the monsters as if nothing had happened.
The silence persists until Ninya breaks it after seeing that neither Ainz nor Lydia has begun to collect parts of the monsters. "Is anything wrong?"
"Ah, I was thinking... maybe these monsters will drop items such as crystals," replies Ainz, referencing the data crystals that almost any monster dropped in YGGDRASIL.
"Crystals? I had never heard of ogres possessing jewelry like that," answers Ninya, confused.
"That’s true. I was wondering if there would be rare items," Ainz saves himself successfully.
"Indeed. It would be nice if the ogres had treasure," replies Ninya while slicing off a piece of an ogre's ear with practiced movements.
"But... Lily-san is really powerful. You already boasted of her abilities in the guild, but I'm starting to believe that rather than exaggerating, you were actually undermining them," he speaks with an awkward smile.
"Not really..." she interjects shyly. "I, myself, am surprised by how effective my spell was against them. They must have been particularly evil in their lives for such a strong effect to occur..."
"I see," Dyne speaks up. "A spell with increased damage against evil. That would explain its efficacy against those goblins and ogres."
She nods, seeing a way to save face and keep a low profile. "In itself, [Himorogi] isn't that powerful. It was just that the targets were particularly sensitive to it, nothing more..." she explains, her voice lowering shyly at the end.
Lukrut, not far behind her, clutches his heart dramatically once more, but after seeing that he has no visible audience, he straightens up and chimes, "Come on, Lily-san, don't say that like it wasn't something mind-blowing. Most 3rd-tier spells don't do this much. And I have only heard of some in some very probably exaggerated tales in taverns."
Peter takes this opportunity to speak up as well, "Lukrut's right... sometimes." "Hey!" complains Lukrut, but he is completely ignored as Peter continues, "I don't know much about magic, but even I can tell that that was something impressive."
"It was more than impressive. This spell was similar to a ritual, and as far as I know, rituals are usually performed in groups. But not only did you do it alone, you did it with a very short incantation as well. This requires incredible mastery," Ninya interjects, explaining what he believes to have understood for the others' sake.
After hearing Ninya's explanation, the other members of the Swords of Darkness look at Lily in renewed awe. So much so that Lily hides behind Ainz in embarrassment with a prominent blush.
"Alright, that's enough." Ainz intervenes, putting his arm between her and the Swords of Darkness. "We should keep going soon."
They all nod while Lydia uses this opportunity to slip away and sit back in the carriage. The Swords of Darkness finish harvesting monster parts expertly in no time and fall back to the carriage with Ainz.
As the carriage starts moving once more, the attention of the Swords of Darkness shifts from Lydia to Ainz in curiosity.
Ainz's POV
I can't help but sigh internally.
Did she not think it through? Normal 3rd-tier spells are simple things like [Lightning], [Fireball], or [Holy Light]... IT ISN'T CREATING A HOLY FIELD OUT OF NOWHERE! WHAT THE HELL EVEN IS [Himorogi]?! THAT'S AT THE VERY LEAST 5TH-TIER!
I feel my emotions being abruptly shot down by what I believe is my constitution.
I should perhaps keep her out of fights from now on... I get the impression that she doesn't know how to hold back properly.
I turn my gaze towards her in the back of the carriage.
Maybe I don't give her enough credit... Not only does she have to relearn everything that changed by becoming real, but she is just that much more powerful than anything else in this world. And I also get the impression that she has a hard time gauging the strength of her opponents as well.
If I were to make a comparison, I assume it would be like walking on eggshells without knowing how heavy you are and without knowing how solid the eggshells are. That, and she's kind of clumsy while walking on the eggshells.
Or, perhaps, I am too lenient and just finding excuses for her?
"Momon-san must be quite powerful himself if his daughter is capable of that, right?" I hear Lukrut asking out loud out of nowhere.
His question seems to open a door, after which the rest of the Swords of Darkness begin speaking and speculating about my own strength.
They even began saying that we must be at the "Adamantite" level. They are not wrong, but they are also completely unaware of our true strength, even after Lydia's little display.
I stayed silent during all of it, not seeing any benefit to correcting them or participating in their conversation. I even learned a few things from listening quietly—for example, the names of a few Adamantite teams, like "Blue Rose" or "Red Drop." Those are apparently the local Adamantite teams. From their conversation, there are more in other nations, such as "Eight Ripples" in the Empire and "Crystal Tear" in the Dragon Kingdom.
It could be interesting to launch an investigation into all of them to clearly understand the ceiling of power in this world.
The conversation among the Swords of Darkness doesn't last all that long, and we keep walking uneventfully until sunset. From there, we set up a temporary camp for the night.
The camp itself is rather large, being twenty meters in diameter; we hammered stakes into the ground at four different spots and tied a thin, black rope between them, forming a square. There are even a few bells tied to the rope, turning it into a warning net.
Not that we would need it with Lydia.
While thinking that, I spot Ninya casting a spell on the rope. It's a spell that hadn't existed in YGGDRASIL called [Alarm].
I have delegated the task of collecting unknown magic to others, but unknown spells still strike the magic caster in me.
Ninya's spells belong to a system similar to the one in YGGDRASIL, and thanks to my racial passive skill [Dark Wisdom], I'm able to increase the number of spells I can learn. Can I learn magic that didn't exist in YGGDRASIL if I conduct rituals with living sacrifices? Or is there some other way?
There are still so many things to learn...
I turn my attention to Lydia, still seated at the back of the carriage, as no one has asked her to help set up the camp.
I'm sure she's thinking the same thing, or perhaps has even already started.
"We are not going to steal her from you; you don't need to watch over her like a hawk," Lukrut speaks up from his work with his usual, laid-back attitude.
In response, I turn my gaze towards the annoying Ranger. "I'm not," I reply.
"Sure..." he retorts with obvious sarcasm while already walking away.
I can only let out a sigh of annoyance while hearing Ninya and the other members of the Swords of Darkness chuckling at the brief interaction.
"Has she been taught by someone famous?" Ninya asks suddenly behind me.
The question caught me a little off guard. What am I supposed to say? Invent a backstory for her?
"No. She's self-taught in everything related to magic," I answer.
It's the only answer I can give without being too suspicious. If I said yes, he would have surely asked who her "teacher" was.
"She is?" Ninya mumbles with dumbfoundment as I turn to look at him.
"Does it have something to do with her blindness?" he asks, or rather blurts the question out before he can stop himself, as he immediately tries to correct himself, "I'm sorry, if you don't want to answer it's—"
"—It's fine..." I cut him off. "And you could say that, in a way..." I reply, stopping there because I don't know how to continue. The frustration at my lack of inspiration for her backstory makes me clench my fist.
Maybe it would be better if Lydia created her own backstory rather than me improvising one for her.
"I... I see..." he visibly wants to keep asking, but ultimately doesn't for some reason; instead, he walks away to help the other members of the Swords of Darkness with their preparations.
Nothing really happens after that and once all preparations are done, we all gather around the campfire at the center of the camp to eat.
I stare at the bowl filled with bisque seasoned with bacon, toast, dried figs, and walnuts in my hands.
What am I supposed to do with that? I can't eat it.
If there is one thing I regret about having an undead body, it is my inability to eat. It's really a pity that I can't eat the meal; I don't like wasting...
I see Lydia beside me, staring at her bowl as well without eating.
Is she also unable to eat? Or is it something else?
"Ah—is there something you don’t dare to eat?" Lukrut speaks up, looking at us, me in particular.
"No, it’s a personal reason," I reply, shutting him down before he starts making some assumptions.
"Is that so? Don’t force yourself, alright? But it’s chow time now; you can take the helmet off, right? Do you need any help, Lily-san?" Lukrut continues regardless of my response, making Lydia raise her head in confusion.
"It’s because of religious reasons. On the days when I kill, five or more people can’t dine together," I improvise.
"Oh... You have a strange religion. But since the world is big, it's not surprising for such a religion to exist," Dyne chimes in after hearing my reason.
The gaze of the others also softens at my answer after hearing that it's related to religion.
Maybe religion is a complicated matter in this world? Thank goodness I chose that as an excuse.
"You call yourselves the 'Swords of Darkness,' but it seems none of you is using one?" I ask to change the subject.
After all, none of them use any sort of 'Sword of Darkness' as their main weapon, so I find the name of their team a little intriguing. Or could it be that they chose this name simply because it sounded cool?
There is a technique that changes the color of metal by applying a special powder, so it isn't hard to forge a black-colored sword. Thus, it seems weird that nobody uses a black sword on their team.
"Ah, it’s that question," Lukrut speaks up first with a sheepish smile—a smile akin to someone digging up his shameful past. All the others begin smiling the same way, especially Ninya, whose face turns bright red.
So I was right? It's just because it sounds cool? Isn't that embarrassing? I guess it is, seeing the look on their faces.
"That was the sword Ninya was after," explains Lukrut before Ninya gets the opportunity to process or interrupt him.
"Don’t bring it up; I was young back then," complains Ninya hastily.
The one who replies isn't Lukrut, but Dyne: "There’s nothing to be ashamed of! Having a grand dream is important!"
"Spare me, Dyne, seriously," groans Ninya in response to the support.
The Swords of Darkness begin to laugh while teasing Ninya about the name of their group.
It almost gives me the impression of having gone back to the old days in YGGDRASIL at the guild hall. Their forms overlapping with those of my friends.
I'm snapped out of it when Peter begins explaining in more detail the history of their team's name.
"The [Swords of Darkness] were the swords owned by one of the legendary 'Thirteen Heroes,'" he explains and stops there, as if that was enough of an explanation by itself.
That’s too vague if he stops here... All I know is that the Thirteen Heroes were heroes on another level who defeated the rampaging Demon Gods 200 years ago. I have no idea who the heroes were or what equipment they had... Will not knowing these things cause me to lose face? Or should I pretend to know?
"The Thirteen Heroes?" Lydia asks curiously beside me with a tilt of her head.
Right... I never really told her who the important figures of this world are. I just told her that there were gods and heroes...
This realization cools down any satisfaction I could have at the opportunity to save face by being her who asks the question rather than me.
I see them all looking at Lydia with stunned expressions before quickly calming down.
It must be shocking not to know the magic item they named themselves after.
"So, Lily-san doesn’t know. That’s understandable. Although he was one of the Thirteen Heroes, he was branded as a villain because others believed him to be of demonic descent. His part is often omitted when telling the tale of the legendary heroes... He was said to be very powerful," explains Peter.
"The Swords of Darkness were the four swords used by the 'Dark Knight' of the Thirteen Heroes: the magic sword [Chilling Lamp] can emit dark energy; wounds caused by the corrosive sword [Crocodile] will never heal; the death sword [Space] is able to kill with a single scratch; and then there’s the evil sword [Malice], whose ability is unknown," continues Peter, concluding the explanation.
"Ooh," exclaims Lydia, like a child who's been told an interesting story.
They all beam a smile at Lydia's interest, and they all keep telling her more stories about the other heroes and figures of the past. But my mind is somewhere else.
Thinking about it more carefully, a certain vampire pops into my head. Those abilities are very similar to Shalltear's [Cursed Knight] job class.
If I remember correctly, the lore behind the Cursed Knights is that they are cursed Paladins. It was a strong job class in YGGDRASIL, but since it also had a lot of shortcomings, it wasn't very popular. Some of the skills they could learn included emitting a wave of darkness, leaving wounds that couldn't be healed by low-tier healing spells, death curses, and so on...
It fits too neatly to be a coincidence. But if the "Dark Knight" was indeed a [Cursed Knight], then he was, at the very least, level 60, since that level was a requirement to unlock the [Cursed Knight] job class. No... some of those skills can only be learned at level 70.
The Demon God that fought against the Heroes must have been of a similar level. But Nigun from the Sunlight Scripture claimed that his Dominion Authority defeated the Demon God, so the Demon God was not as strong as the Heroes.
The only way to make sure would be to either meet the Heroes, if they are still alive, or obtain the swords, if they are real magic items and not just the "Dark Knight" using his skills through them.
As I realize that I got lost in thought, I hurriedly focus back on the conversation in order not to miss any chance of getting new information.
"—Finding that is my first objective. There are many legendary weapons. There are some that were proven to exist, but it is unknown if they still exist today—" narrates Peter before getting interrupted by Nfirea.
"Ah, there is a person who already owns one of the Swords of Darkness," he casually drops the equivalent of a verbal bomb, making every member of the Swords of Darkness turn towards him in shock.
"Wh—who is it?!" asks Peter.
"Wah! Really?! That means there are just three left!" adds Lukrut.
"Eh, now we can’t give one to each member..." laments Ninya.
"Um, there's an adventurer group calling themselves the 'Blue Rose'; their captain has the sword," he answers cautiously.
"Oh, if it’s that group of adamantium-ranked adventurers, then it can’t be helped," replies Dyne, resigned.
"That’s right. But since there are still three swords left, let’s work hard and become strong enough to obtain them all," remarks Lukrut optimistically.
"You are correct; since there is one, then the other three must exist as well. I hope those three are hidden in a place no one else can find until we discover them," replies Peter to Lukrut's optimistic remark.
"Ninya, log this in your diary to avoid forgetting about this," demands Lukrut with an exaggerated bossy tone.
"Understood, I will pen it down. But that’s my private diary; shouldn’t you record or remember it yourself?" replies Ninya, half-joking, half-serious.
"Leaving a physical record behind is good!" adds Dyne with an exaggerated seriousness.
"Is that the issue? Dyne..." complains Ninya.
"But we have this," exclaims Peter more loudly, catching everyone's attention as he takes out a small short sword.
"What’s that?" I ask.
"This, Momon-san," begins Peter, showing me the short sword. It has four small jewels embedded in the hilt. He draws it, showing the blade tinted in black.
"Before getting the real thing, we plan to use this as our symbol..." he explains.
"Calling ourselves ‘Blades of Darkness’ instead of ‘Swords of Darkness’ is fine. Anyway, there is no real or fake thing; this is undoubtedly the symbol of our team!" exclaims Lukrut with pride.
"Eh... Lukrut is actually talking sense!" Dyne chimes in, breaking the serious atmosphere that had settled with Peter's explanation and causing every member of the Swords of Darkness to break into laughter.
The sensation of seeing my friends through them comes back, causing me to 'smile' with them. The feelings they have towards the short sword are similar to mine towards the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown.
They then begin speaking of things more suitable for dinner and even include us in the conversation from time to time. Yet, I don't talk much because of my lack of knowledge, not wanting to make a fool of myself. I assume Lydia is doing the same, as she doesn't talk much either.
Nfirea, on the other hand, is handling the conversations well. Yet, even he is looking at the Swords of Darkness with envy when seeing their deep bond with one another, reminding me of my friends back in YGGDRASIL.
No big deal. I had comrades in the past too.
I throw a little mental tantrum while grinding my teeth in jealousy under my helmet.
I was just like them in the past.
But then I turn my head to the side to look at Lydia, and I let out an inaudible sigh, calming down before turning back to the Swords of Darkness.
I still have someone... It's useless to lament the past like that.
"Your friendships are deep. Are all the other adventurers like this?" asks Nfirea curiously.
"Probably; they went through thick and thin together as well. If they can’t understand what each other is thinking and what actions they will take, it will be dangerous. Over time, their bond will deepen," replies Peter seriously.
"That’s right, there are no girls on our team. I heard that it will get rowdy if there is one," Lukrut chimes in cheerfully.
"...That’s right," adds Ninya hesitantly with an awkward smile, probably not really sharing his teammate's point of view on the matter.
Beside me, Lydia tilts her head to the side in confusion, probably at Lukrut's comments. And to his credit, he at least has the awareness to awkwardly turn away, even if he stays silent, probably to feign not noticing her.
"If there were, Lukrut would be the first one to cause trouble. Anyway, it’s because our party has a definite goal, right?" adds Dyne joyfully, to which, even if it wasn't said to her, Lydia gives a small nod of understanding.
I also see the other members of the Swords of Darkness nod in agreement; even Lukrut gives a shameless smirk.
"That’s how it is. When everyone is thinking as one, the feeling is different," I speak up with nostalgia, remembering the past when the guild was still active.
Even Lydia beside me hums in agreement with a nod.
"Eh? You had a party in the past too?" asks Nfirea curiously.
It might be a little bit tricky to answer this, but I don't need to make an excuse.
"We weren't really... adventurers," I answer, putting a hand on top of Lydia's head, my tone becoming heavy as I remember the past once more. A past I miss dearly.
I don't elaborate further, and all the others have the delicacy not to press, letting a silence settle around the campfire.
It becomes so silent that it feels like we are the only ones in the world. I lift my head to the night sky full of stars.
"When I was still weak, I was saved by a Paladin dressed in pure white, who was holding a sword and shield in each hand. He introduced me to four other teammates. Including me, we were a six-man party. Soon after, three other members who were weak just like me joined, and the nine of us founded the original team," I explain while rubbing Lydia's head.
Thinking about it, Lydia's circumstances in which she joined our party were almost identical to mine. 'Touch Me' saved her from a PK party and introduced her to us, not long after me.
"Oh—" someone grunts alongside the crackling sound of the campfire, but I am too caught up in the memories to bother identifying who made the small noise.
"They were an excellent bunch. Paladin, Swordmancer, Priest, Dark... thief, dual-wielding Nin... dual-wielding thief, Sorcerer, Chef, Blacksmith, Summoner... irreplaceable good friends. We experienced countless adventures; I still can’t forget those days," I narrate, discreetly turning my head towards Lydia at the Summoner part.
It's thanks to them that I learned what friends are. At first, I thought that I would have been ignored in YGGDRASIL as much as I was in real life, but reality proved me wrong... They were the perfect teammates and friends, willing to lend a hand at any time.
That's why the guild of Ainz Ooal Gown was my most important treasure. As we grew in number, the experience only became richer and more enjoyable.
Even if I have to give up everything and destroy the world... I'll protect the last remaining member who stayed with me until the very end and the legacy of Ainz Ooal Gown. Because nothing is more precious to me than this.
"You will find comrades like them again someday," speaks up Ninya, his words feeling like a bucket of cold water suddenly poured into my mind.
His attempt at consolation feels more offensive than anything else.
"There will never be such a day," I lash out fiercely; even if my tone remains calm, it contains so much hostility that it surprises even me.
I stand up slowly. "Excuse me... Lily... I'll eat over there."
She hums as she stands as well; her hum of agreement sounds colder than anything I've ever heard in her voice, shocking me even if I don't show anything on the outside as I walk away.
She follows me silently as we both sit further away from the group in silence, the meal forgotten in our hands as neither of us needs to eat.
Lydia's POV
After a while, Ainz eventually speaks up. "What's on your mind?" he asks softly.
"What's on my mind?" I begin, surprised. "A lot, I guess."
My shadow stretches and a creature made of darkness emerges from it, looking like a formless mist of darkness with white dots for eyes and white, pointy teeth. It begins eating the meal inside my bowl like a silent vacuum.
I call it a [Shadow]. I summoned it because I don't feel like eating right now.
"Is it about how I ended the conversation?" he asks anxiously.
"What?!" I exclaim in return, shocked, turning my head towards him. "No! I... if you hadn't said what you said and given me an escape from the conversation, I... I don't know..." I admit.
"You were mad," he points out.
"Of course I was. And I still am! It feels as if he just trampled on the feelings I bore for our friends! Like they didn't matter and are replaceable!" I vent.
Suddenly, he starts laughing softly.
"What's funny about that?" I ask with a frown, frustrated.
"Nothing, nothing. I'm just glad," he explains, as if that explained anything.
"Glad?" I ask, confused.
"Forget about it. It's not important," he demands while putting his hand on my head.
I just accept the headpat wordlessly, as it does wonders to calm me down. At the same time, the shadow begins devouring Ainz's meals after finishing with mine; only when it's done does it retreat into my shadow.
I feel its feelings through our link, allowing me to understand that even if it does nothing, just being in my shadow is bliss for it, so I allow it to stay.
After a while, Ainz stops petting my head and asks, "Is there anything else on your mind?" causing me to look at my hands holding the now-empty bowl.
"A few things..." I admit softly. "First, I killed those ogres and goblins... and I fully understand that in this situation, it was them or us, but it's still hard to take lives..." I explain.
"Lyd—" he begins, but I interrupt him as I continue.
"—Then there is the whole deal with a new horizon of magical possibilities. I want to study it and do a few tests, as it won't leave my head." I pause. "But I suppose taking lives and Ninya's comment really cooled my head about it... I'm just... I don't know... a bit down, I guess. It's just... I felt something snap in me at Ninya's words... It was worse than the feeling of taking lives; if you hadn't given me a way out... I don't know what I would have said or done... And in a way... it scares me," I explain weakly.
"Why's that?" he asks.
"Hm?" I hum in confusion.
"Why does it scare you?" he clarifies.
"Ugh... it's just... I'm so powerful. I feel like I can do almost anything. But at the same time, it's terrifying. I feel like I could very easily take a life by mistake. Every time I take the initiative, someone dies instantly, even when I don't mean to kill them," I explain, feeling tears starting to build up behind the blindfold.
He puts a hand on my shoulder. "Hey... You're right, you are powerful—more powerful than me, or even Rubedo. You are the most powerful person in all of Nazarick. And you haven't had that much time to adapt to that," he begins.
"You'll get better at controlling your powers. I don't think I'd do much better than you in your position," he admits. "I don't think I'd be capable of much if I were the one turned into a child and thrown into such an unexpected situation. You even have to relearn most of your abilities since most of them changed during the transfer," he consoles me, bringing a small smile to my face.
"Thank you... really." I pause. "Controlling my powers isn't really the problem... it's just that I... tend to forget how weak the inhabitants of this world are compared to us..." I explain.
"You'll get better at it," he exclaims softly.
After that, we both stay silent, gazing at the night sky.
Narrator's POV
The atmosphere around the campfire became heavy at the sudden departure of the mysterious duo.
"...I think I said something I shouldn’t have," comments Ninya weakly, full of shame.
"Well, we didn’t know what had happened earlier," Dyne attempts to console him with a nod.
"Maybe they were wiped out. People who have lost all their comrades in battle will react that way," speculates Peter.
"That sort of thing... is unbearable. Even for us who spend our lives on the edge of death, losing companions is still..." Lukrut adds, uncharacteristically serious.
"You are right, Lukrut. I was careless with my words," admits Ninya.
"You can’t take back the words you said. So we need to do something for them to change their minds about those words," advises Dyne.
Ninya looks down at the campfire somberly. "I know how it feels to lose your companions; why didn’t I put myself in their shoes?" he mentions softly, to which no one answers.
Silence settles around the crackling campfire, and no one even dares look towards the two mourning figures at the edges of the camp.
They also each begin wordlessly speculating that, perhaps, not wanting to eat in a large group has less to do with a religious practice and more to do with the memories such meals bring, and that religion is just an excuse to avoid them.
"...Lily-san was amazing today," Nfirea begins, attempting to change the heavy atmosphere.
Peter follows, "Yeah, I wasn't expecting her to be capable of such a feat. I'm not well-versed in magic, but was that really a 3rd-tier spell?"
"The power behind that spell was easily higher than a 3rd-tier spell," replies Ninya. "I only saw my teacher cast such powerful spells," he adds.
"Your teacher—you mean the old man from the Empire?" asks Lukrut.
"He is not just an old man! He is one of, if not the most powerful magic caster in the entire world!" defends Ninya fervently.
"You believe Lily to be on his level?" Nfirea asks incredulously, having understood who Ninya was talking about from the conversation.
"Well... their field of magic is completely different. My teacher is a sage of the arcane. Lily looks more like a saint of divine magic," replies Ninya. "But... if I'm not mistaken, Lily's spell earlier could have easily been a 5th-tier divine spell. However, it looked more like a ritual than a spell," he explains.
"Hm... Ninya, will you be kind enough to explain to those that have not studied magic under one of the most powerful mages in the world what the difference is between a ritual and a spell?" demands Lukrut with his usual humor.
"Compared to a spell that can be cast alone and with a short incantation, a ritual must be performed in a group, and the incantation is much longer. The reason a ritual must be cast in a group is because it often exceeds what a human can cast on their own, be it because of the large mana cost of the ritual or because of the high tier of the ritual, as almost every ritual is above the 3rd tier," he explains, taking a tone similar to a teacher.
"So, if I followed correctly, you're telling us that Lily cast one of those things like it was a regular spell?" Lukrut asks incredulously.
"Yes! And not a small one! This one was certainly above 4th tier, easily 5th tier," exclaims Ninya, having finally made his point stand as to why he is so shocked.
"Isn't that too much?" Peter asks, dumbfounded by his new understanding of what he witnessed.
"I'm... not sure... I specialize in arcane magic; I'm not sure if things are different for divine magic," explains Ninya, turning his head towards Dyne for an explanation, as he is a druid.
"While the origin of our spells is different from that of arcane mages, the progression between tiers for divine magic casters is very similar. However, I have heard rumors about magic items capable of elevating the capabilities of their users above the usual limits, more often than not at a great cost," explains Dyne with a nod.
"Do you believe it has something to do with her blindness?" asks Lukrut curiously.
"I'm not sure... Lily-san doesn't strike me as someone who would do anything for power. I'm more inclined to believe that such an item was used on her by force rather than by choice in the past," speculates Dyne.
"That would explain Momon-san's reaction when I asked about Lily-san's blindness earlier today. Thinking about it, I was also quite tactless there," comments Ninya.
"What did you ask and how did he react?" asks Peter, curious.
"I first asked if Lily was taught by someone, but when he told me that she is self-taught, I asked if her powers had something to do with her blindness," he pauses. "He just said, 'You could say that, in a way,' and I didn't press further, as he looked mad at something," he explains.
After Ninya's explanation, silence settles back around the campfire, but this time, rather than a heavy silence, it is a contemplative one.
"Well, they are clearly Adamantite material," comments Lukrut, cutting the silence with the delicacy of a warhammer.
"You mean they are a match for adamantite-ranked adventurers... the highest tier of adventurers, living legends, and the pinnacle of human strength, right?" asks Nfirea in shock.
"Absolutely," replies Lukrut. "We haven't seen Momon-san fight. But I don't think there is any doubt about his claim to be a warrior of a similar level to his daughter."
All the members of the Swords of Darkness nod in agreement, rendering Nfirea speechless.
Adamantite is a magical metal created with the most advanced techniques. It is the peak of the pyramid for adventurers, and very few in number. Both the Kingdom and the Empire have only two teams that managed to reach that level.
Their abilities reach the highest levels of humanity, and they are literally heroes.
"Amazing..." mumbles Nfirea in both praise and amazement.
"In the beginning... when we first met, I was jealous of the flashy full-body armor on Momon-san despite him being the lowest copper-ranked adventurer. But now, I am convinced that he is worthy of it. Momon-san’s full-body armor matches his capabilities well. I’m envious of his strength..." comments Peter.
Peter isn't wearing full body armor, but chain mail. This isn't his equipment of choice, but the best armor he can afford within his budget.
"It’s fine; you will surely be able to afford excellent full-body mail in the near future," consoles Lukrut.
"Yes, if you look forward to that kind of power, you have to work hard toward your goal. You should be grateful for how lucky you are; you can actually reach the goal you want to achieve," adds Ninya.
"Ninya is right, just set Momon-san as your goal and work towards that. We’ll help you, so let’s work hard together," adds Lukrut as well.
"That’s right! Just work hard step by step! Judging from Momon-san’s appearance, he definitely spent more time training than you!" comments Dyne.
Dyne’s words raise Nfirea’s doubts.
"Have you seen Momon-san’s face under his helmet?" he asks curiously.
Ainz hasn't taken off his helmet since meeting Nfirea, even during the meal. They don't even know how he drinks water.
"Yes, we did. It was a normal face... but he wasn’t from around here; he had black hair just like Lily-san and black eyes," explains Lukrut.
"I see... Did he mention which nation he was from?" asks Nfirea, with an unprecedented curiosity.
The members of the Swords of Darkness look at each other, feeling that Nfirea is unusually concerned with this matter.
"We didn’t ask in that much detail..." Peter begins hesitantly.
"Is that so... Ah, no, if he came from a faraway nation, the potions he uses might be different from the ones used in this region. As a pharmacist, I am very interested in them," Nfirea explains himself hastily.
"I see... indeed, he and Lily-san seem to be from the same place, but their appearances differ so widely... he would never be considered a handsome man. Would anyone like him?" mentions Lukrut.
"Appearance is nothing; since he is so strong, there must be plenty of girls falling for him. He even has such a lovely daughter already," comments Dyne.
Indeed, strong men are more popular because there are monsters in this world and humanity is considered an inferior race. Stimulated by their instincts, most women prefer strong men.
Dyne notices that Nfirea seems a bit uneasy.
"Nfirea-san, is something wrong?" he asks with concern.
"Ah, no. It’s nothing..." replies Nfirea hesitantly, causing all the members of the Swords of Darkness to stare at him, unconvinced.
Faced with their gaze, he eventually speaks up once more, "Well... I feel uneasy... Is Momon-san that popular?" he asks hesitantly.
"...Appearance aside, with his strength, the possibility of him being popular is high. And from the looks of his armor and sword, he is probably rich," replies Dyne seriously.
"Ah..." Nfirea looks gloomy.
"Is something bothering you?" asks Peter with the concern of a senior taking care of his junior.
Nfirea is hesitant to speak, and his mouth opens and shuts like a goldfish. Peter and the others don’t press him; they won’t force him if he doesn’t want to say it. Shortly after, Nfirea steels himself and opens his heavy lips...
"Erm—because I don’t want the person I like in Carne Village to fall for Momon-san," he explains.
Sensing the emotions behind these words, each member of the Swords of Darkness smiles.
"Alright then, let Big Brother teach the young one some tricks—" Lukrut begins, trying to close the distance between him and Nfirea, as if to tell some dark secret.
But Peter gives Lukrut a punch, making him scream weirdly and interrupting him. The rest of the Swords of Darkness ignores his pained expression and continues to console the stunned Nfirea.
Under the shine of the campfire, the youth finally smiled.