Chapter 22: Chapter 22 – An Unexpected Encounter
On the day when the magic portrait of EeDeChi, meticulously crafted by the Empire's painter, was posted on the wanted list of the Baharuth Empire,
Early in the morning, at the Great Tomb of Nazarick, the Overlord Ainz Ooal Gown woke up from his bed as usual. Since he was unaware that anyone wanted to smash his skull, he was in a good mood. After a bubble bath with a slime assisting him, he quickly finished dealing with the day's administrative tasks.
The reports from his subordinates were neither numerous nor complicated, with the only highlight being the new weapons and armor tributed by the Dwarf Kingdom. Since the Great Tomb of Nazarick demonstrated unparalleled might in the battle against the Quagoa, many distant nations and tribes of different races had chosen to submit.
Feeling bored, Ainz thought that since there was nothing else to do, he might as well observe the actions, etiquette, and demeanor of Emperor Jircniv of the Baharuth Empire.
Jircniv was a young and capable emperor, known for his ruthless tactics and exceptional strategies. To consolidate royal power, he had purged the domestic nobility on a large scale when he ascended to the throne, earning the title "The Blood Emperor."
Although he was stubborn and cruel in power struggles, he was still a competent ruler. Jircniv had implemented numerous reforms, greatly enhancing the economic and military development of the Baharuth Empire.
Before Ainz crossed over to this isekai world, he was just a lowly company employee. Now, suddenly becoming the supreme ruler and the ultimate overlord of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, he felt somewhat out of place. So, he often used invisibility magic to disguise himself, standing next to Emperor Jircniv, observing his every move to improve his own commanding presence.
This tactic proved quite effective. After secretly studying for a while, Albedo once commented with stars in her eyes that Ainz-sama was becoming more and more regal, and it didn't seem like mere flattery.
Determined to further his skills, Ainz activated a teleportation spell to arrive at the capital's palace of the Baharuth Empire. After using high-tier invisibility magic, he entered the palace where Jircniv met with his ministers. For Ainz, who mastered 10th tier and Super-Tier Magic, the highest 6th Tier defensive and guard spells in the Baharuth Empire's palace were as trivial as chalk lines drawn by a child.
Since it was still early, Ainz took a glance at the emperor's bedroom and saw that Jircniv was still asleep. Ainz wasn't in a hurry; he pulled out a chair from his storage space and waited in the palace.
As time passed, Ainz noticed that Jircniv still hadn't arrived in the meeting hall with his ministers.
"What's going on? Does the emperor have a day off too?" Ainz wondered, using high-tier magic to pass through the wall and enter Jircniv's bedroom.
Then he saw Emperor Jircniv press a young maid, dressed in white stockings, onto the bed and fucking her hard.
"Eh..." Ainz, cloaked in an invisibility and silence spell, observed the sex scene before him, "What a lively young man indeed."
Ainz looked at Jircniv's various sex positions, from missionary style to doggy style to cowgirl, and expressed admiration.
But Ainz's heart remained relatively calm. After crossing over to this isekai world and becoming an undead, his desires and interests in physical intimacy had gradually faded.
Suddenly, he thought of Albedo, and a sharp pain struck his head.
"Never mind, I'll wait a bit longer," Ainz decided against using invisibility magic to interrupt Jircniv and went back to sit in the meeting hall with the ministers. The hall was empty; without the emperor seated on his throne, the ministers and generals hadn't entered.
...
Ainz flipped through his small black booklet, reviewing the details and etiquette he had recorded from observing Emperor Jircniv of the Baharuth Empire.
"Walk with your gaze level and forward, but keep a bit of peripheral vision to observe your surroundings."
"When addressed by subordinates from behind, turn slowly and don't respond too hastily, as if the subordinate is assigning you a task…"
"Huh?" Ainz looked up from his booklet to see a girl dressed in loose black clothing, wearing a gray cloak, with short black hair and carrying a giant sword, push open the palace's golden doors and stroll casually through the spacious, empty hall.
Who is this girl? Ainz was puzzled. He had been observing Emperor Jircniv in the palace intermittently for nearly a month and had never seen this black-haired girl before.
Moreover, this was the main hall where the emperor met with his ministers. The only people allowed to carry weapons in this area were the renowned Four Knights of the Empire and a few trusted generals of Emperor Jircniv. Any unknown individuals carrying weapons who dared to enter this room would be immediately identified as assassins and killed on the spot.
Could this girl be lost? Ainz wasn't sure. However, it wasn't his concern. With his 8th Tier simple invisibility magic, he was practically undetectable to anyone in the palace. Even if this distracted girl were to be hacked into a bloody mess by the imperial knights, it had nothing to do with him.
The girl with the longsword approached Ainz and looked around the opulent palace, then turned her gaze toward where Ainz was sitting, her black eyes filled with curiosity.
"Hey, skeleton in clothes, can you tell me where that emperor, Jircniv or whatever his name is, is?" The girl asked, directing her question toward Ainz.
"Eh! You can see me?" Ainz was astonished. He closed his black booklet and looked down to check his magical aura. His magic power was subtly shimmering around him, and the invisibility spell hadn't failed.
EeDeChi found it a bit strange that this undead with a Justice Value of -500 was talking like this. How could such a large skeleton sitting in a chair with a "-500" above its head not be seen by others? With a Justice Value of -500, this undead must have a twisted mind, perhaps even a twisted brain.
Despite her confusion, she maintained a friendly demeanor. On her way from the castle's outer areas to the center of the palace, she had overturned dozens of guards and knights but still hadn't figured out the emperor's location.
EeDeChi realized that violence wouldn't solve the problem; it was better to communicate properly.
Ainz placed his hand on the armrest of the chair and subtly cast a High-tier detection spell on the girl before him.
10th Tier Magic: Power Detection.
A string of text and symbols appeared in Ainz's vision:
Race: Human
Level: ???
Combat Power: ???
Magic Power: ???
Innate Talent: ???
Defensive Magic: None
Potential Attack: None
Ainz became cautious in an instant. This was the first time he encountered so many "???" in a detection spell since crossing into this isekai world. Either this girl had used a 10th tier or Super-Tier anti-detection magic, or she possessed an anti-detection magic item comparable to 10th tier power!
Moreover, her ability to see through his 8th Tier invisibility magic with just her eyes meant she had considerable magical power and could cast spells well above 8th Tier!
Ainz realized he had unexpectedly encountered a powerful and mysterious figure. After calming his excitement and nervousness, he noticed that the girl, despite her unknown strength, didn't seem to have hostile intentions, so he decided not to act immediately.
"What do you need Emperor Jircniv for?" Ainz asked, regaining his composure. Without sufficient information, he couldn't act recklessly.
"I need to have a chat with this young fellow and teach him a thing or two about ruling a country," EeDeChi said casually.
Does Jircniv just show up whenever you want? He's the emperor, the supreme ruler of the Baharuth Empire! The ruler with the title "Bloody Emperor"! Ainz felt a bit bewildered, not understanding what was going through the serious-faced girl's mind.
However, considering that he himself had been casually roaming the palace, peeping, no, observing Jircniv's behavior and etiquette for quite some time, he didn't have much room to criticize the girl for her actions.
"Who are you?" EeDeChi asked Ainz Ooal Gown, suddenly reaching out and grabbing the black notebook from his hands to flip through it.
"Hey! You can't just take someone else's stuff!" Ainz was startled; he hadn't been prepared for this sudden action.
"Just looking. It's not like I'm stealing it," EeDeChi said, flipping through a few pages of the notebook. She found detailed notes on the emperor's behaviors and etiquette.
"What are you doing with this?" EeDeChi handed the notebook back to Ainz Ooal Gown and asked.
"Well..." Ainz took back the notebook and decided not to reveal too much about himself until he knew more about her. "I'm responsible for recording... recording the emperor's etiquette and actions, to correct his behavior and make him appear more regal."
"Is that so?" EeDeChi said noncommittally. "Then do you know where the emperor is?"
Suddenly, a message arrived from the Great Tomb of Nazarick. A red magical scroll appeared in Ainz's hand, and he converted the message to display in his vision.
In his view, Sebas, dressed in a formal tailcoat, looked awkwardly at Ainz. He bowed deeply, his neatly trimmed gray beard quivering slightly. "Honorable Supreme One, Shalltear and Albedo are arguing over the bathrobe you use, and they are about to come to blows. Please come and mediate."
"Or you could take another bath?" Sebas cautiously suggested.
The message ended, and Ainz's vision returned. He felt a headache coming on.
"Hey, where's the emperor? Don't just stand there silent," the black-haired girl asked with a hint of frustration.
"Wait here. He'll be taking that seat soon," Ainz pointed to an ornate, jewel-encrusted throne deep in the palace.
He decided to investigate the girl later. With that thought, Ainz used teleportation magic and left the capital of the Baharuth Empire.
"Eh? He's gone!" EeDeChi looked at the chair where the undead had been sitting, now completely empty, and was left in stunned surprise.