Chapter 8 - Chapter 8

It hadn't even been a single day of traveling with the Princess Knights forces that Ainz came to the single, unsurprising, conclusion that while traveling with Hara had been interesting, and actually a bit enjoyable, Traveling with the Knights and Templars was not.

In fact it was utterly horrible.

The knights and Templars cared little for neither his presence nor Hara's, being straight up rude or bluntly ignoring their presences. Most made it clear it was because Hara was supposed to have been killed, where in Ainz's case it was due to his relation to Hara, and the fact he was a mage who was not willing to agree with the church's laws, rulings and opinions of magic.

Opinions many of them felt the need to share repeatedly.

"The only magic that is proper and just is those used by the church, there is no argument!" one Templar proclaimed as they rode by Where Ainz was Walking with Hara on his shoulder, the two of them Talking to Amrita who was on her own horse to his right side.

Amrita, who had been speaking before being interrupted by the passing Templar, let out a heavy sigh. "I am sorry about that, many have very vocal beliefs regarding magic."

"I have noticed that," Ainz said with an inward sigh. For three days now they had been traveling with the Princess Knights retinue, and each day he, Hara and amrita talked as they traveled. Sometimes it was about them, other times it was about the lay of the lands, the histories that was readily known, or even the cultural aspects of the lands and government. And sometimes like now, they tried to speak and compare thoughts, beliefs and lore on magic and things related to it, and nearly every time someone from the convoy interrupted, got in the way, or otherwise made themselves a nuisance. One knight had even told him that Claudia had asked to see him, when in reality she had not, leading to a slow and painfully awkward staring match between the two of them that ended with him being dismissed and Claudia apologizing for the mix up, stating she would speak to the knight in question.

"Just ignore them, eventually they will stop being interested in harassing us. It worked when I was a knight," Hara commented to Amrita before looking down a bit. "Well, it mostly worked."

"I'm sure it will get better with time," Amrita said with a slight smile.

It made Ainz almost chuckle. Over the past few days Hara had warmed up to Amrita a bit, and in turn Amrita had warmed up to them. No longer was she spewing rhetoric, or insulting when Hara or his own beliefs were stated or explained, and when answering questions she seemed to be trying to give them in the most unbiased way possible to be fair. She was quite simply a woman of the cloth that seemed to know there were issues with it, but still tried to do what she felt was right. Like how she was trying to explain the religion of the Reborn goddess to them. If they were not being interrupted so often.

"If they continue to be a further problem we can take it up with their leadership. For now let us continue on the conversation at hand," Ainz said as he looked to Amrita. "You were about to tell us about the Religions before there was only one in this land, were you not?"

"I was, though I admit there is little information on them. It is said that each race believed in their own gods, with the humans and dwarves being of note due to having many of them, but when Lady Celestine descended to the earth as the Goddess Reborn, it is said that all other religions in Eostia fell to the wayside or were outright abandoned. Officially the church tells it as other religions either being proven to be false, or their gods telling their followers that they were allied with Lady Celestine, and that it was fine to follow her over them," Amrita explained before she nervously glanced side to side and took in a deep breath. "Unofficially, a number of, less respected scholars suggest that the downfall of these other religions was the work of the church itself to consolidate power, using Lady Celestine as an icon to draw followers from. No one can say for sure what the answer is of course, as information on that time is very hard to come by, and considered not important to most people."

"I figured as such. There was little to no information on that time, or before it in the library in Ansur," Ainz said in slight annoyance at remembering the way some of the books were written. "Do you know why that may be?"

Amrita looked conflicted for a moment before shaking her head. "I cannot say,"

"Unofficially, or officially?" Ainz asked.

"I cannot say."

"Then I shall drop it for now," Ainz said with a sigh. He found Amrita to appear to be a decent person, but it was very clear she either knew more than she let on about many subjects and was unable or not allowed to tell of them, or had opinions that publicly would be less than stellar to become public. It was fine though, he would find out the information one way or another. "More importantly, the last time we spoke of it we were interrupted by that knight. How precisely is the leadership of this seven shields alliance formed and run?"

"Ah yes, we had been interrupted yesterday hadn't we?" Amrita said with a nod as she seemed to adjust her glasses. "How much had I told you?"

"All you had managed to say was that the main leaderships were the Princess Knights, and the church. And when I asked Hara about it she admitted she was not well versed in such manners," Ainz exclaimed, causing Hara to sulk a bit.

"I never got out of Ansur much."

"That is fine, it is not a jab at you," Ainz said with a shrug that jostled Hara a bit, much to her annoyance.

"Well, I shall pick up where I had left off then," Amrita said with a nod. "In the Seven Shields alliance there are the two primary leaderships of the Princess Knights and church, as I had said before. Both the church and the Princess knights are officially led by the goddess Reborn, Lady Celestine, with the Grand priestess of the church acting as her second under the church, while the Princess knights themselves each act as individual leaders of their own territories, primarily located around the city they command and work from. They each operate freely to protect their lands, speaking with each other and meting often in thorn for meetings to plan combined operations and the extent of the war effort and its progress."

"Hmmm, so they are less like a county, and more akin to an assembly of city states then I suppose," Ainz mused out loud, causing a nearby knight to look horrified and rush off ahead, likely to try to complain to her direct officer or something similar.

"That could be an accurate description, though most would be disinclined to agree," Amrita admitted nervously. "The Seven Shields Alliance is more thought of like an organization of military forces to protect the whole land as most of the southern reaches of Eostia are peaceful and not affected by the war due to the Seven fortresses."

"Hmm, these seven fortresses, each houses one of the Princess Knights, such as Ansur being Claudia's, correct?"

"That is correct," Amrita confirmed. "What do you want to know about them?"

"The fortresses, I would like to know their locations, specialties if they have any, as well as the ones who rule them and what they are like, if possible," Ainz requested without skipping a beat.

Amrita simply stared at him for a moment. "That is, quite a lot of common knowledge, but I suppose it is not common to you. I cannot give extreme details to some of them, would a simple quick summary of the fortresses and their Princess Knights be fine?"

"If that is what you can tell me, yes, it will," Ainz allowed, knowing some information as better than none. He did not know how many of these Princess Knights he would meet, but he needed to have at least an inkling of what they were like.

"Very well. The Seven Fortresses are in a line from west to East. In the far west there is the Fortress city of Feoh, the second oldest city in all of Eostia. It has long been commanded by the Arcturus Knight family, whom the current Head, Lady Alicia is also a Princess Knight. She has been trained by both her late father, as well as Lady Claudia, and is often called the Hero Knight, known for putting the health and safety of all of her forces before her own and rushing out to save them from unexpected occurrences in combat.

Directly East of Feoh is the Second Fortress City of UR, the Oldest City in all of Eostia, and the Oldest Fortress in recorded history. Its walls are grander than any other city, and it has never fallen in battle or combat. The Princess Knight of Ur is Prim Fiorire, a young Lady of the Fiorire house that has helped lead the city for generations. While she is not a fighter, it is said that she is intelligent and caring, using her political clout and skill to keep some of Ur's known difficult nobility in line.

Next is the Third Fortress of Geofu, the most recently constructed and smallest fortress city. It is controlled by Lady Kaguya, and sadly I know little about her aside from that she is from the lands to the far east of us, and that her lands singular God apparently is said to have sent her and her entourage to assist us against the Dark queens forces."

Amrita took a breath and was quiet as she gently took out a water skin from the side of her horse and took a drink." I apologize, I am not used to traveling this much, and it appear to be making it more difficult for me to speak at length as I normally would when teaching."

"It is fine, take whatever time you need," Ainz said as he felt the wind blow across his form and smelt, something, in the air. It was a bit sweet, but also heavily acrid, but lasted only a moment. Was he imagining things? And how was he smelling in the first place?

"Thank you," Amrita said as she took another drink. "I admit, it is strangely nice to tell of what everyone knows. Now, where were we?"

"You just explained Geofu," Hara offered helpfully.

"Yes, thank you. " The Fourth fortress City if Ken, known as the City of Mercenaries, and led by the Mercenary Princess herself, Lady Maia. She was once part of one of the most prominent Mercenary companies, and is considered one of the best warriors in the land, beaten only by Claudia in Combat prowess.

Next is the Fortress city of oil and clockwork, Rad. It is a city populated mostly by Dwarves, Halflings and other Righteous Demi-humans and is led by Lady Luu-Luu, who is an accomplished smith in her own right, and said to be the physically strongest, though not as skilled in combat prowess for letting her strength care the way through her enemies. It is said she is also something of a berserker, lusting for combat more than any of the other Princess Knights.

Ansur is next, Led by Lady Claudia and her husband when she is not present, as you well know. And finally Thorn, the City led by the Goddess Reborn herself. It is also where the church holds its largest Cathedral."

Ainz took in the information for a moment and ponded in silence about it. It told him nothing of what these Various women looked like, but he could already glean a bit about their personalities from the information that Amrita was sharing with her. He would need more of course, but that would be gathered in time. A different piece of information was more interesting at this time. "A question. You say that the Goddess Reborn is the impromptu leader of the Seven Shields alliance, and the Church. Why then, is her fortress not located between the others where it would be safest?"

"That, is a political issue mostly," Amrita admitted. "I have heard it was planned for her to reign out of UR or Geofu, but to receive Lady Kaguya's assistance her country insisted that she be located near the center of the fortresses and it was decided that Lady Celestine would reign as close to Lady Kaguya's land as possible as a show of respect and trust. The lands near Thorn are heavily wooded and have great cliffs that must be traversed to enter the path to the east, so it is a rather defensible Fortress naturally, and The Dark Queens forces have never approached it, likely due to her power making them unable to."

"So politics cone again-"

"Hey, do you smell that?" Hara suddenly asked, cutting Ainz off, though not intentionally.

Ainz smelled the air and cringed. It was that same smell, only coming in waves. "Yes, and I do not like it," he said as he began speeding up, heading to the front of the convoy with Amrita's horse not far behind him. It did not take long to reach the front of the formation as the convoy seemed to be slowing, and upon arriving he could see Claudia speaking with one of the Dawn Tempers who looked rather worried. "Lady Princess Knight, there is the smell of fire in the air. Smoke and sugar."

Claudia tuned to see Ainz and nodded, gesturing to a nearby hill as she continued to speak to one of her people.

Understanding Ainz moved over to the hill, being able to see a small plume of smoke just behind some tree's north of them. A minute later Claudia, and almost three dozen Dawn Templars on horseback, rode up to the hill. "Mage we have been informed by my scouts a nearby village has come under attack by monsters, rouge ones not aligned with the Dark Queen's army it sounds like. You will stay here with the convoy, is that understood?"

"You do not wish for assistance in case there is-" Ainz began to ask until one of the Templars cut him off by drawing her sword.

"You think we cannot handle a few demons and monsters, mage?"

Ainz paused and tune his head to the Templar in question. "I did not say that. I merely worry for the unexpected to occur."

"It will not," Claudia declared seriously. "You will stay with the convoy. If you do not, or I find you have left, I will hunt you down until I wring the life from your neck. Is that understood?"

"Yes, I understand," Ainz said with a nod. "You need not worry, I am in no hurry to taste your vaunted skills with a blade.

Claudia's eyes twitched but she simply waved a hand. "We're moving out!"

The Templars followed in an instant, a couple taking angry glances at Ainz as they left, leaving him and Hara on the hill with Amrita nearby, looking concerned.

"Making such statements to a Princess knight is not a smart thing to do."

"I am not sure what you mean," Ainz said with a chuckle as he walked down the small hill and began moving toward the convoy. "I was merely stating what I had heard, but not seen."

"Princess Knight Claudia is the strongest fighter in the entire Seven Shields Alliance," Amrita said nervously. "If she chose to draw her sword on you, it would not go well."

"Oh, and what makes you think that?" Hara asked with a strange grin.

"Mages are not exactly known for their physical prowess," Amrita said simply.

Ainz did not respond but instead began thinking to himself as Hara and Amrita argued. He was his avatar which was of course a magic Caser first and foremost, but he had been max level, and with many of his subclasses it was not as if is non-magic related stats had not grown as his level did. Just how strong was he? He could carry Hara without issue, and he did not get tired. Was he as strong as an adult male? Stronger? As strong as a monster perhaps? If he was not strong, could he use magic to amplify his strength? There were after all many support spells that increase ones stats, and spells like perfect warrior were even more powerful, changing all of them around to suit being a warrior instead of a mage.

"Hmm, learning of the local strength may be an idea if I am going to test such a thing in the future," Ainz suddenly spoke out loud, causing both Amrita and Hara to atop and look at him as he held a hand out. "Distant Vision,"

In response to his words a Bright green oval appeared in the air before him, its surface shining like a mirror before it suddenly began showing an aerial view of the area around them from high up in the air.

"What is that?" Amrita asked in shock and curiosity

"As spell for allowing one to see an area far away from them," He explained as he manipulated it to show a nearby village. It was a small place with barely ten buildings and a large field of plants on three sides of it. One of the fields was a charred canvas, looking as if it had been lit aflame by someone, and in the burnt field were a number of Orcs and a couple goblins. They were grouped up and partially surrounded by Templars, while Claudia appeared to be on her own in the field fighting their leader, a monster that looked like a tall and lanky Orc with green skin and large horns. A Troll if Ainz had to guess.

Templars worked as a group, one or two of them striking at a time, while the others acted defensively, stopping their foes from escaping and defending their allies who were attacking. It was an effective strategy against the numbers they were facing, but Ainz found himself disliking the act as it made it difficult to see how strong an individual Templar was.

Conversely the fight between Claudia and the Troll was far more interesting. The troll was a grotesque creature of nearly four meters tall, built of thick muscle like bundled ropes across it's lanky frame. Its large hands had no thumbs while the fingers each ended in large rough looking claws, and it's irregular shaped head had misshapen teeth poking out of the sides of its mouth at strange angles. It was a creature that anyone of normal human strength would have difficulty against one could assume, but Claudia appeared to know what she was doing against it. Each attack the Troll made either ended up being trying to stomp her with its feet, or a wide swing with its long arms, as if trying to catch her. With each swipe she either deftly avoided it, or simply used her blade to parry or redirect the heavy swing, and each time she did she took the chance to make a strike against the Troll, her sword biting deep into its flesh with each strike. Of course Trolls were known for having the ability to quickly regenerate their wounds, the gashes and cuts quickly filling with bile like fluid that hardened over itself to stop the bleeding. This appeared to be the plan however. Claudia continued to fight it in this way, and after a short time, the Troll's attacks seemed to slow, allowing her to make more attacks each time. It seemed that a trolls regeneration tired it out more than fighting did, and it took merely another minute for it to slow enough that Claudia jumped over a swing of its arm, landed upon its arm, ran up it, and swung her sword through the monsters neck, severing it in a single strike.

The knights and The Templars suddenly all let out shouts of glee and joy, startling Ainz and making him realize that most of the convoy had stropped and moved closer to watch from the vision of his spell. They screamed and called out encouragements as if Claudia and those with her could hear them through the spell.

"Rather loud, aren't they?" Ainz muttered calmly.

"Yes, but they are simply enjoying the strength of their leader, is that so wrong?" Amrita asked, having overheard Ainz's mutterings alongside Hara, who had simply initially nodded.

"Perhaps not, however," Ainz paused for a moment to choose his words. "Do either of you notice something strange?"

Both Hara and Amrita looked at the scene through the spell for a few second before Hara let out a small gasp. "The fire in that field. It looked like it was started at the edge of the field away from the village."

"Wait, monsters would not do not, they would sneak up on the village to attack it, not light a fire that would endanger the village and alert their presence!" Amrita exclaimed.

"Yes," Ainz said as he looked at the vision spell, showing the villagers thanking Claudia and the Templars profusely. "I assume that if a member of the village had seen them coming they would have alerted their fellows."

"They would have yes," Amrita said with a nod. "Most villages would abandon their homes and retreat to the nearest fortress if they knew an attack was coming and had no knights to protect them. Why would someone instead light the field on fire?"

"Because they were not from that village, clearly," Ainz said as he dismissed the spell before anyone else could see what he had seen at the edge of the forest that was to the side of the village. After a moment he then turned around, looking at the small gathering of knights and Templars standing around, seemingly annoyed that he had dismissed his spell. "Should not the convoy continued to move forward and meet the Lady Princess Knight ahead further up the road?"

A number of the knights began talking in hushed tones, but no one said anything out loud as they dispersed back to their original places in the caravan, one calling out to get moving when they were out of sight of Ainz.

"Goodness, I begin to wonder how the women of these organizations get anything done," Ainz said with a shake of his head.

"Most knights and Templar's spend their time training when they are not on a mission or patrolling a city. There are few times they can witness a Princess Knight fight outside of the frontline of combat, and doing so would be dangerous for themselves," Amrita explained.

"Hoh? Then what of priests such as yourself?" Ainz asked curiously. "What do you spend most of your time on?"

"Most priests spend their time healing the sick and wounded, or preaching the beliefs of the church. As a scholar I spent much time also teaching children basic skills such as the alphabet, numbers and mathematics."

"Good things for children to learn," Ainz said as the convoy began groaning to life, carriages shifting and moving forward. "It appears we shall finally begin moving again. How far from Thorn are we?"

"Still a few days," Hara answered as she looked around and then stared at her hand.

"Hmm, then I suppose there is more time to talk, and to practice," Ainz said, making Hara smirk hopefully. "I just hope nothing else unwanted occurs on our way."

"I doubt it will but, you seem worried?" amrita asked.

"Yes, both from what I had seen, and from this meeting itself. After all, it is not every day one is supposed to meet a god."

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"You seem worried about something?"

Lady Celestine, Goddess reborn and the leader of the Seven Shields Alliance, turned from the window she was looking out of to see her good friend Luu-luu Standing nearby and looking straight at her. "I suppose I am," she admitted.

"Want to talk about it?"

"Yes but, I am not even sure what to talk about," Lady Celestine said as she looked out the window once more. "I know that Claudia will be arriving today or tomorrow, but something is, worrying me."

"A vision?"

"Strangely no. I have not had any visions since the night when I saw a black circle in the sky."

"Oh that, wait, wasn't that before that Meteor fell near Ansur?"

"It was."

"And you didn't see a vision of that happening?"

"No."

"Perhaps that is why you are worried. Such a thing is very dangerous, and the damages near Ansur are probably bad. Maybe you are worried since it could have been prevented somehow?"

"No, I do not believe that is it. That meteor was . . . . . I do not believe it was a natural event."

"The Dark queen?"

"No, but," Lady Celestine stopped as she squinted to the horizon. She could see small flashes of white and silver, likely Claudia's forces nearing the city, but she could also see a strange miasma, like a dark haze that hung in the air around the convoy. Not dissimilar to what she felt from the black sphere in the sky, or what she had felt was behind the great Meteor. "I cannot be certain, but something or someone, of great power has entered our lands."

"Oh, maybe the one Claudia is bringing?" Luu-luu suggested.

"Pardon?" Lady Celestine said as she looked to Luu-luu.

"You dint know? A messenger arrived yesterday from Ansur saying that Claudia was bringing a mercenary magician from another land to meet us or something," Luu-luu said.

"Did it say anything else?" Lady Celestine asked in a worried tone. "anything about who she was bringing perhaps?"

"No, not that I saw,"

"I see," Lady Celestine said as she turned back to the window, and the aura that seemed to be slowly approaching. "Then we shall see soon enough as Claudia's forces seem to be arriving soon."

"Oh? Shall I go tell everyone to get ready then?"

"Would you be willing to?"

"Well, I did suggest it," Luu-luu said with a friendly smile as she ran off, leaving Lady Celestine alone again to Stare out the window.

"This feeling, this aura. Could it truly be?

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"So, that is the city of Thorn," Ainz stated as he, Hara, and Amrita crested a hill alongside the convoy and gained sight of the land below them. The hill dipped down a shallow slant to a grand city of white stones surrounded by fields of golden wheat. The runes upon the walls glowed a pale barely noticeable blue, and red tile roofs were visible within the cities grand walls while behind it hung huge cliffs and the mounds of an old mountain range long forgotten under the tree's that now grew atop it. It was a scenic and lovely sight, but the strange golden aura that seemed to emanate from a large yet squat palace like structure seemed to ruin it for Ainz. "Is that golden aura a form of barrier perhaps?"

"Uh, what aura?" Amrita asked in confusion.

"Hmm? You do not see it?" Ainz asked.

"Um, you mean the city right?" Hara asked calmly, "The runes on the wall do glow brighter than those at Ansur."

"No, you do not see the curtain of gold?" Both Hara and Amrita simply looked at Ainz, their expressions slightly worried and making Ainz fix his gaze back to the city and the curtain itself. Looking at it further the golden aura was not as large as he initially expected, and seem to move and sway a bit, as if ebbed by the wind or some sort of flow. It continued to be focused in and around the large palace like structure in the middle of the city however. "That large structure in the cities center?"

"Ah, that is The Goddesses Sanctuary, the Palace of thorn and the Grand Cathedral of the church," amrita answered. "It is where the Goddess Reborn, Lady Celestine, Lives."

Like a piece of candy falling out of a game machine everything seemed to fall into place in Ainz's mind. The aura he was seeing was that of the Goddess Reborn herself. It made sense in many ways, but it did bring up an interesting thought to mind. He could see a goddess's aura or what he thought was that, but why could he? Was it because he was so powerful with his magic in this land?

 Or was it perhaps more related to what the shard of Tamamo-No-Mae had said, claiming him to be similar to a godlike existence itself? Did that mean that this Goddess Reborn was not a goddess, but just supremely powerful? Or did it mean that Tamamo's shard had been more correct than he was willing to admit?

"Hey, Mage!"

Ainz looked to the side, pulled from his musings, to see a Dawn Templar on Horseback ride up beside them from the front of the convoy. "Yes?"

"The Princess Knight demands you speak with her at the front of the convoy. Hurry up and stop keeping her waiting!" the knight declared before tuning her horse around and trotting off back towards the front.

"They seem ruder now than when I was a knight," Hara stated with a huff.

"Rumors about sir gown have spread among many of the knights and Templars," Amrita spoke up. "They are, less than nice."

"Hmph, so as they cannot anger me by interruption, they have instead moved to creating rumors," Ainz said as he sped up his steps to head to the front and meet Claudia. "And what such rumors are they claiming about me?"

"Mostly that you are blackmailing the Princess Knight, or are somehow in league with the dark queen," Amrita explained before sighing. "The smallest one is claiming you are some kind of evil demon sent by the evil gods of darkness to destroy the world."

"Quiet a stretch that one," Ainz said with a chuckle, though he did notice Hara glance at him out the corner of her eyes.

"It is," Amrita agreed. "Most of the common ones simply paint you as a bad person so they can make others dislike or hate your presence."

"Not unexpected, but I doubt it will have much of a true effect,"

"No, you are underestimating how much of an effect rumors can have, and how much power the knights, and especially the Templars have with influencing the common people," Amrita declared just before the trio caught sight of Claudia's horse up ahead of them.

 And she noticed them as well, then waving a hand for them to hurry and catch up with her. "We are in sight of fortress city of thorn. The knights and the convoy will be stopping by the cities military district. You are coming with me to meet with the goddess. Understand?"

"That is why you had me come with you, I have not forgotten," Ainz said simply, seeming to cause some nearby Knights to glare at him in anger while Claudia simply scowled slightly.

"Good. I hope I do not have to make it clear how you will act in front of her Holiness?" Claudia asked, her tone making it very clear what she was meaning.

"Of course," Ainz said while inwardly smirking, almost wishing he had a face he could show people. "I will respond with the same respect I am shown, as is proper."

"You will show her, and any others, the utmost respect!" Claudia declared seriously as she turned to stare directly upon him. She then looked to Hara, her expression turning from annoyed to annoy and digested. "And you will not speak unless requested to, understand?"

Hara opened her mouth to speak, but was unable to as Ainz raised his right hand, jostling her upon his right shoulder. "As I just said, we will show proper respect, to those that show respect in kind. As is proper."

"Um, perhaps Lady Hara should wait with myself out with the convoy, rather than enter the palace then?" Amrita suggested after a few seconds of Claudia staring at Ainz'a faceless visage.

"That would perhaps be best," Claudia agreed, causing Ainz to let out an audible huff.

"Yes, let us leave my apprentice, who your people show public distain to, out in the open and alone where an accident could occur with no witnesses, that sounds like a great idea," He said sarcastically. "No, she will accompany me."

"You dare insinuate my people would do such a thing?" Claudia demanded angrily.

"I do, yes, especially when it was one of your own dawn Templars who improperly healed her in the first place in a clear intentional act to hurt her," Ainz countered as he took a step forward, his formidable size looming over Claudia by a full head. "So my apprentice is accompanying me."

Claudia glared at Ainz, her hands slowly twitching toward he sheathed blade, but stopped just before as a strange horn could be heard. "Continue with the convoy to the city," she then said as she turned and got onto her horse before galloping off ahead of the convoy.

"Haaa, please do not intentionally make such an issue of things," Amrita said with a heavy sigh. "I do apologize for bringing up the idea, but you cannot just state such things so blatantly."

"Why not, all he said was the truth," Hara responded as she squinted into the distance. "She is, speaking to someone. Small."

"Perhaps a dwarf with a message?" Amrita suggested as the convoy began moving again. "We should keep up. Since you have already angered Lady Claudia, it would not take much to anger her further."

"How unfortunate for her," Ainz muttered as a thought came to mind. "And what will you be doing while we are meeting with the Goddess Reborn?"

"I am to report to the church here, where I will likely be either assigned to support you more permanently if the church agrees, or reassigned back to Thorn to continue my work as a scholar and teacher," Amrita answered simply.

"Wait, you don't get to control what you do?" Hara asked in surprise.

"No. as a scholar I have access to more texts that the average priest, and as such my mind is required to be where it is needed."

"Another way to control people it seems," Ainz said to no one in particular as the trio continued to move with the convoy.

 They did not see Claudia again until the convoy entered the city. The buildings were al made of white and brown stones, many with windows beautifully crafted into them. the people as well appeared very well off, and the streets were immaculately clean and cared for with gardens in plain view, and religious markings, whether it be patterns, jewelry or books, in sight everywhere one could look, and perhaps what made it worse was that every citizen in sight had a smile on their face and greeted everyone they met. In some places it could be chalked up to people living a good life, but something about it all just rubbed Ainz the wrong way. Everything felt too immaculate, to fabricated, like it was all set up and everyone was expected to go along with it.

Claudia made herself known by stepping right in front of Hara and Ainz and waving for them to follow, turning and promptly striding down the main thoroughfare. Giving a silent goodbye to Amrita Ainz moved to follow Claudia. As he did he noticed that all the citizenry that they passed made room for them and bowed to her respectfully. He also noticed that they all appeared to wear finer clothing than in Ansur, and that comparing it to the clothing of the villagers that Claudia had rushed to rescue was like comparing night and day.

"This city is quiet bright," Ainz finally commented as they appeared to be roughly halfway down the main road toward the palace, noticing that a number of silk flags were hanging from flagpoles at the roads sides. "it seems rather calm here, as if there is no war going on."

"Thorn is the safest city in the Alliance due to Lady Celestine's wards and her own magic, of course it seems as if there is no war," Claudia stated proudly, not seeming to notice that Ainz had not made his comment as a compliment.

"Hmm, does the city have plans for what would happen if it was besieged?"

"It won't be. The Templars and knights will stop any that would attack it."

"I see," Ainz said, making it sound as if he was dropping the subject. He then turned his head and spoke up just loud enough to be heard by only Hara. "Hara, this is a good chance to learn. I want you to make note of anything in this city that would be a weakness to it."

"What kind of weakness?" Hara asked in an equally hushed tone. "And um, may I ask why?"

"It is good to be able to see advantages in everything, this is no different. As to what you consider a weakness, I will leave it to you. I will test you over what you have seen when we leave the city."

Hara only nodded in agreement as she noticed they were almost at the palace. Its bright white walls seemed to gleam with one sided justice and made her grow tense.

Something that Ainz noticed. "Calm yourself. You are my apprentice now, and I will not allow them to do anything to you," He said before chuckling. "I would be an awful mentor if I did after all."

"I suppose so," Hara said, clearly finding some minor amusement in the idea. She then stared up at the palace as if it was a fortress containing some hatful being ready to crush her.

"It will be fine," Ainz said as he began ascending the stairs, noticing that Claudia was standing atop them like a hero of some kind preparing to announce victory to the masses.

"Stop wasting time," She then said down to him. "Come, the Goddess is waiting on us."

"Of course," Ainz said simply as he came to the top of the stairs and followed, noting the guards to the sides of the door glaring daggers at him while wearing a dawn Templars usual and pointlessly revealing armor. He simply ignored them and followed into the palace, the door closing behind him.

 The inside of the palace was beyond what he had worried he would see. The floors appeared to be made of polished marble, while chandeliers of silver, gold and crystal hung to illuminate the halls. Strangely there were no windows, but there was a huge amount of religious iconography hanging on the walls. Most of it appeared to be images or icons of the Goddess herself calling light or banishing evil, but there also were a number of artistic renditions of various warrior women fighting against evil.

 In short order the three of them came to a large pair of wooden double doors banded in silver and polished to such an extent that one could see their reflection in the wood. Claudia reached for the handle but stopped just before touching it, turning to face Ainz. "I shall speak to Lady Celestine for a moment. You will wait here until I come for you. Is that understood?"

"This is not my home, we shall wait," Ainz answered.

Claudia looked at him for a moment as if trying to find something wrong with his words, but then turned, opened the door just enough to enter and then closed it behind her leaving Hara and Ainz in the hall alone.

"Do you; think she is going to try to make this go badly for you?" Hara asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Oh undoubtedly," Ainz said with a chuckle. "She does not care for me whatsoever simply because I do not fit into the perfect little world she is used to. I do not obey her every whim with respect and vigor simply because of who she is which, if I am correct from what I saw in Ansur, seems to be how she has managed to keep control so long." He said before outstretching his left arm and forming a ball of fire in it. "She is a warrior through and through, and she gets respect for that, but any nations that lets warriors lead tend to have issues with other aspects of their culture. Something that is clear from how Ansur's government is essentially split between her, General Grave, and the merchants guild. With how easily I manipulated her in the past with so few words, I worry about what the other Princess Knights are like."

"I do not know much about them, but if what amrita told us is accurate, I would think they are all not like that," Hara said somewhat awkwardly.

"Yes well I think I shall hold my hopes until we meet them, if we ever do in the future and-" Ainz began to say before stopping when the door cracked open with a creak.

 Claudia came out and looked at Ainz. "Lady Celestine is ready for you to enter now," she said before looking at Hara. "You may enter as well, but get off his shoulder and do not speak unless allowed."

Hara nodded and very carefully slid off of Ainz's shoulder with a little help from him to stop her from landing funny on her bad leg, again reminding Ainz that he need to find a work around to his inability to use healing magic. Perhaps regeneration or something similar would be something he could use instead?

"Very well," Claudia said as she turned to the door and then stopped, shutting it and looking to Ainz. "Do not be disrespectful to anyone or I will remove your head from your shoulders. Understand, mage?"

"As I said before. I will show respect, as long as it is given to me and Hara," Ainz said stoically.

Claudia looked around but then swung the door open wide enough that ainz could enter, and stepped through. "Everyone, this is the mage responsible for assisting in the destruction of the Dark Queens forces, the one from a far off land.

Ainz was slightly confused by Claudia's words, but as he entered the room it suddenly was made clear. For it was not just the Goddess Reborn, but a number of other women present as well. And almost all of them made him thankful he did not have blood, otherwise his nose would have bled and his crotch would have acted up.

Each side of the table to his left and right had three women at it. To his left was a red headed woman with reddish-brown eyes who was wearing the tightest and skimpiest Red leotard that could be conceived. It barely covered her breasts, left her entire torso basically open, and seemed like it would ride up her crotch something fierce. She was wearing blue leggings held together by little more than string as if her leggings were supposed to be a mockery of pants, and on a belt that was tight around her waist hung a sheathed sword. She held herself casually, but her eyes at aim's appearance were curious and appeared to be looking for anything she could use. Even if her clothing did not match it, she clearly had some experience in conflict. Likely the Princess Knight of Rad, Maia, if Ainz was to guess solely on her posture.

Beside her standing in the middle of the tables left side between Maia and Claudia was a Black haired woman who looked the perfect image of a Japanese Shrine maiden. If the shrine was one run by prostitutes. The upper part of her clothing looked perfect for a Miko, down to having additional pleats and robe segments hanging from her shoulders to mark her of having a high authority at a temple. However she wore nothing from the waist down aside from a fundoshi that appeared to be made of a coiled rope of cloth and a number of talismans. Her outward expression was utterly neutral, a perfect Yamato Nadeshiko, however Ainz could tell form her eyes that she was tensing from his presence, and her hand appeared to be gripping a Purification rod in her left hand, doing little to hide it from his sight. She was very clearly the princess knight who came from the nation to the East, Kaguya. A Terribly bland and overused name in Ainz's own opinion.

On the other side of the table to Ainz's right was one woman who seemed almost out of place, and two that made him want to punch his pubescent self for even considering bikini armor to be a thing.

The first woman closest to him was a blue eyed blonde beauty. She was wearing what could simply be called a chainmail Bikini, though in truth it appeared to have no chainmail. it was a plate bikini top of blue painted metal, metal cauldron connected to a collar of some form, and a bikini bottom barely covered by a bit of cloth that could maybe be called a skirt. She was wearing Metal Bracers and boots that went up to her knees and she did have a sheathed sword on her but on the table in front of her, and the way she warily eyed Ainz, and the woman beside her, made it clear she was the Princess knight of Feoh, Alicia Arcturus.

The next woman was the one who most caught Ainz's eye for the fact she did not look like she belonged among the unclothed rabble around her. Slightly shorter than the other women around her, but with breast as large as most of them, she wore a gown that actually looked like it belonged in a high fantasy setting. It showed off ample cleavage, but covered her whole body snuggly and accented her exceedingly long pink hair with its simple white and gold rather well. Her blue eyes were worried and fearful, but held in them an analytical shine that Ainz recognized as that of a planner and schemer, albeit still raw and unpolished. With the way that Alicia was looking at her seem reasonable to assume she was Prim Firiore.

The last women on the right side of the table, on the other side of Prim, was a small girl of a person wearing the least of anyone at the entire table. She was clearly a dwarf or Halfling or some kind of similar race, but with her childlike face and body, the fact she was wearing little more than pasties over her lower Genitalia, along with nothing but a slightly oversized cloak over her shoulder that barely covered her chest was appalling to Ainz. On her head partly covering her orange curly hair was a strange looking hat with hanging pom-poms, and she was wearing knee socks, but her lack of clothing was as bad as Claudia's own armor, if not much worse. There was an oversized axe on the wall behind her, and by the process of elimination she was Likely Luu-luu.

For at the head of the table was a woman who looked so much like the image of a fantasy Goddess it was not even funny. An Elven woman, tall and with a body that screamed fertility. She was wearing a Halter style top that once it finished wrapping around and underneath her breast seemed to turn into silk drapes of cloth that were wrapped around her arms and then around her thighs, while the only thing covering the unguarded loins was a black strap of leather with a golden weight hanging from it, keeping the leather taught to hang in front of her important bits. Her long blonde hair fell nearly down to her ankles, and her ears and green eyes were accented by a circlet of green and gold. It was obvious she was the one Known as the Goddess Reborn, Celestine Lucross. And if that wasn't enough, the aura of simmering green and gold that seemed to be centered on her, made it abundantly clear.

Stepping up to the empty end of the table and feeling that Hara was right behind him Ainz nodded slightly and relaxed his posture as he recalled that Claudia had already prompted his introduction. Luckily not that much time had passed as he was quiet proficient in quickly making notes on his surroundings. "Greetings, I am Ainz Ooal Gown, a Magic Caster from the land of Yyg. It is a pleasure to meet all of you, though I admit I was not expecting to meet so many at once."

"Your expectations are not needed here, and neither is your presence," Kaguya said sourly before turning her gaze to Lady Celestine. "This creature does not belong here."

"Kaguya, there is no reason to be so rude to our guest," Lady Celestine said calmly, though Ainz did notice that her gaze was directly avoiding him. "Claudia brought him here to meet with us properly. And as he did go out of his way to protect out people, he does deserve some respect, do you not think?"

"What I think about him matters little when he is so surrounded by vile dark magic's!" Kaguya almost snapped, her tone still managing to stay neutral despite her words being otherwise.

Of course her words about dark magic's caused most of the women at the table to tense up, Alicia and Maia going so far as to reach for their weapons, but to stop just shy as one of their own spoke up.

"Do you use such magic's, sir Gown?" Luu-luu asked as he turned to fully face Ainz, her cape like top shifting in such a way that it did nothing to hide her flat breasts for a few seconds until the cloth stopped waving and settled down.

"All forms of magic are considered equal where I come from," Ainz began saying. "I do use a variety of forms of magic, some of which I have come to understand are thought of as evil in these lands, but where I come from, magic itself is not considered evil, only the acts of those who use it."

"That sounds rather grim," Maia scoffed as he gaze fell just past Ainz to Hara. "Not only do you admit to using dark magic, but a convicted criminal who was supposed to be executed for their crimes of using dark magic now stands behind you. Why should we believe anything you say, mage?"

Unlike how Claudia would say the word mage, with contempt, Maia did not. It was clear she was using the word as a simple way to refer to him without using his own proper name. A slight insult, but not as bad as some could be. Sadly Ainz did not have a chance to immediately respond as Kaguya spoke up after Maia had finished.

"He is a mage who is using dark magic, directly against the wishes of god. There is no reason to trust such a person, nor is there any reason to allow him to protect a criminal as he is!"

"Kaguya, please," Celestine pleaded with nearly shut eyes. "This man is our guest who acted in the defense of our people; insults such as what you are saying do not belong in this conversation." She stated finally before almost looking at Ainz. "I apologize Sir Gown, the war effort can be stressful for many, and as the leaders of our lands, some of us are under more stress than some might think."

"That is quiet alright," Ainz said with a calm wave of a hand. "I understand that different cultures meeting can be a stressful thing and I do not blame anyone for following their ideals, even if they differ from my own."

"Then I thank you, both for accepting such words so nobly, and for going out of your way to protect the city of Ansur and the one Knight that you protected as well," Celestine began with a warm tone that was utterly ruined for Ainz by her choice of words. After all, mention a single knight meant she was intentionally singling out Hara.

"No, that is quiet alright; I would protect anyone that needed that I could, include those who risk their lives while others think lesser of them." Ainz answered, seeing a few of the women at the table tensed at his words, clearly noticing the direction he was pushing.

Lady Celestine did not appear affected by his words at first glance, but he did notice that she seemed rather stiff, and the way she moved to change the conversation said a lot as well. "of course. Claudia tells us that you come from a land so far away it does not appear upon our maps and that you are looking for a way to return to it, yes?"

"That is correct. I had received access to the library in Ansur but found information that could assist me to be, lacking, I admit," Ainz said, noting how Claudia did not look upset by his words. In fact she was being rather quiet.

"How could you not find information about Magic in Ansur or all places?" Maia scoffed. "Are you sure you are even a mage if you can't find a simple book?"

"Now now, perhaps it is simply a rare book," luu-luu said after Maia as she looked to Celestine. "Do you think the church would perhaps have something about it?"

"Hmm, it is possible," Celestine mused with a pause, allowing aizn to speak again.

"I apologize, but accepting the assistance or good faith of a religion goes directly against my personal creeds. They simply too often manipulate information to their own needs," He said first, causing shock to spread through a number of the women. "I have already accepted that such information will be hard to find. It is why I accepted Lady Claudia's suggestion of registering as a mercenary in these lands, so that I might travel as I need, and work as I need, while looking for such information while teaching my pupil."

"You dare!?" Alicia suddenly demanded in anger as she slammed a fist onto the table. "You dare insult Lady Celestine and the church while you stand here in front of us?!"

"Alicia, he wasn't insulting the church of Lady Lucross," Prim spoke up in a almost pleading tone. "He was just sharing his opinion."

"That doesn't change the fact that he is insulting the church and all the good people who serve the church and our nation!" Alicia declared as she grabbed her sword.

"Alicia," Claudia suddenly spoke up, causing Alicia to turn and look at her. "Stand down. To draw your weapon here would be improper."

Alicia seemed to pause for a moment before letting go of her blade, but it seemed the situation was not entirely undone just yet as Luu-luu loudly chuckled.

"Odd to see you defending someone you don't like, did the mage show you up so badly?" she asked with a giggle.

"Hmph, if a simple mage can show Claudia of all people up, might need to step up my training and do the same, "Maia added, seeming to add more fuel to the fire.

"As fun as I am sure it is for you to tease our lovely leader of the Dawn Templars, there is other business to attend to," Celestine said calmly, bringing a businesslike feeling back to the table as she again looked toward Ainz, but do not actually look at him. "There is no issue with you being a mercenary in our lands. Quite the opposite actually as the war effort can always use those who are willing. There are however some issues, the first being your manipulation of Claudia, and the freeing of one whose penance has not yet been complete."

Ainz had to stop himself from letting out a sigh on reflex and instead took a half step closer to the table and planted both of his hands on it. "So, you take issue with my actions to help one who was unfairly and unjustly punished for their mistakes then?"

"She committed the crime of casting dark magic that affects the bodies of the dead!" Alicia said with some venom in her voice. "It is one of the worst crimes possible!"

"Why?" Ainz asked simply, causing the room to go silent for a moment.

Alicia looked around as if asking for help for a second before looking back at Ainz. "Because it is dark magic like the Dark Queen uses!"

Ainz held back a chuckle as he could see Claudia closing her eyes, expecting what was going to occur. "I see. So because the Dark Queen uses it, it is considered evil and vile by you, correct?"

"Y-yes, see, it is not hard to understand!" Alicia replied with a happy look on her face.

"I see. So tell me then, what form of weaponry does this Dark queen use?"

"A, a staff," Alicia said in confusion.

"I see. And does anyone here use a staff?"

"Kaguya and Lady Celestine," Alicia replied automatically, Maia looking like she had wanted to stop her from doing so.

"Ah, so then by that same logic, anyone that uses what she does, a staff in this instance is evil, no?"

"What?! How dare you even-" Alicia began to scream.

"Then what about swords," Ainz interrupted. "If the Dark queen has subordinates that use swords and are as evil as she is, then by the same logic you used earlier, as you use a sword, you are evil."

"How dare you even insinuate such a thing!" Maia exclaimed as she stood tall and glared at Ainz. "You have no right to say such a thing about a Princess Knight!"

"And you, as Humans, have no right to choose what is evil or not evil in such an absurd topic. Magic is not evil, only the actions it is used for."

"Necromancy is evil, it cannot be used for good, and there is no argument!" Alicia added, now fuming angry."

"Isn't there?" Ainz asked as he turned. "Hara. You were very young, and had just shortly before being enrolled in the mages guild lost your family to monsters that raided your home. Tell us all, why did you begin dabbling in necromancy?"

Hara looked like a deer in the headlights for a second before she nodded and mumbled something.

"I am sorry but we cannot hear you. I know it may be hard, but you need to speak loudly enough so that we can hear you."

" . . . I just, wanted to tell my parents I loved them. I wanted to say goodbye, because that morning we had a fight, and I didn't tell them goodbye. I just wanted to see them, and say sorry."

"I see," Ainz said as he looked aback to those around the table. "She had lost her family, by the failings of your forces allowing monsters to attack her village, and simply, wanted to say goodbye to her lost family. Instead, she is hunted, and nearly executed for doing something she had not been told at that time was wrong by your laws. And only by the begging of her only living friend, was she instead forced to join the knights, where she was bullied, used, and abused on a daily basis. Can you still say with absolute certainty that her intentions were still worthy of immediate execution, instead of merely a slap on the wrist and explaining to her what was done was wrong? Because if you still do, I can safely say that I will not believe that her trial was anything but a political maneuver using a child's life for some other purpose!"

The room turned deadly quiet in an instant. None of the women opened their mouths, for what could they say. Instead, after a moment more of silence, Kaguya held up her Gohei and pointed it at Ainz. "Of course you would argue for a criminal's life when you are as evil as she is. I am done with this farce. Even if the rest here cannot sense it upon you, I know that Lady Celestine does. You are so surrounded by dark magic's you can be nothing but an evil being out to destroy and little else. I am ending this farce."

"Kaguya," Lady Celestine said simply, causing Kaguya to step away from the table.

"Yes, with your permission we shall excise this evil and-"

"Stand down."

Kaguya's face, for the first time, turned from its neutral and controlled expression and became shocked as she looked at Lady Celestine, who still looked utterly calm. "What, but this creature-"

"Is our guest, regardless of the topic of conversation at hand," Lady Celestine said as she let out an audible sigh and took a step back from the table and stepped to the side, allowing Ainz to see a door on the wall behind her that appeared to be made of silver and banded in gold. "Sir Gown. I would like to speak to you in private, if you would accept."

"I would-" Ainz began to say, only to be intercepted by Claudia.

"My Lady Goddess, an outsider could not be allowed in your inner Sanctum, especially not a man!"

"I agree," Luu-luu spoke up seriously. "Allow me to accompany you for your safety."

"That will not be necessary, I will be perfectly safe," Celestine said much to the other women's surprise as she for the first time in the entire meting looked straight at Ainz, specifically into his eyes. Despite the fact they were hidden by his mask. "Will you accept my invitation to speak in private, Sir Gown?"

Ainz considered his option for a second. Disregarding such an invitation would appear highly rude, but on the other hand being alone with a god could prove detrimental to his own health if she decided he was a danger and had the ability to do away with him. She could however provide a large amount of information to him depending upon what she wished to speak about, so ultimately the choice was not hard. "Of course, I have no issue with such a thing as long as nothing happens to my apprentice."

Celestine nodded and looked to Claudia. "Please make sure nothing happens to anyone in this room while I am speaking to sir gown, Claudia."

"Of course but, please allow one of us to escort you."

"That will not be necessary," Celestine said as she motioned for Ainz to follow and stepped up to the door on the back wall and opened it before simply waiting there.

Ainz could see that most of the women, primarily Claudia, Kaguya and Luu-luu, did not want her to be without an escort, but appeared to be holding their tongues. So before moving he looked to Hara. "Do not do anything to cause trouble; I will be back in a bit."

As soon as Hara nodded I understanding Ainz turned and began walking around the table, feeling the glares of the women as he passed them, including a particularly nasty grumble from Kaguya, further ruining her perfect Yamato Nadeshiko image. As soon as he neared Celestine and the doorway she walked into the hall seemingly disappearing as she did, and so that he would not appear unnerved, followed her without in issue.

The hallway appeared to be protected by a magic barrier of some kind, but otherwise the hallway itself was simple and boring. White floors and walls, polished to a shine that went about ten or so meters into what from a distance looked like a garden of some kind. This proved to be true as he came out into the garden itself. It was a mellow and beautiful place of controlled nature. A circular room open to the sky with a single door on the opposite wall. The walls to either side were covered in vines and bushes, while a great white oak sat in the center of the garden with two marble benches sitting on the grass at its roots.

"We can speak plainly here, the door closed behind you, and none can hear or scry upon us here," Celestine said as she walked up to the left bench and daintily sat down, her barely covering clothing not shifting in any way as she did.

"I see. I take it then you wish to either speak of an opinion that they would feel wrong in hearing you say, or wish to speak of something else that you worry about them hearing?"

"That is correct."

"Then please, what are you wishing to speak of?" Ainz asked, expecting something along the lines of what race he was or information about his made up culture.

"I will make this simple to begin with then," Celestine said as she took a breath and looked at Ainz. "Who are you reborn from? Do you know?"

Ainz felt his breath hitch. "I- am unsure what you are meaning by that," He answered, finding her question strange.

"Which god," Celestine said, as if clarifying her words. "Which god are you reborn from?"

Ainz stared at her for a moment before peaking. "You believe I am a god that has been reborn?"

"I do not believe it, I know it as you stand before me as one like myself, plain as the daytime sun."

Ainz paused, both impressed and confounded by her way of explaining it before he simply let out a chuckle. "Is that not quite the leap in logic? I am simply a misplaced magic caster, nothing more."

"No, you are the same as I, for I can see the aura of your constrained divinity, just as I suspect you can see my own," Celestine said in a tone that was simple and warm, but very sure and serious, as if she was not allowing argument.

Not that it would stop Ainz from arguing. "An aura of divinity? That sounds quiet strange, no?" Ainz said with a chuckle. "And what would such a thing look like perhaps?"

"I cannot say what my own looks like to you," Celestine began. "However, yours appears as a Haze that surrounds your body. A cowl of shifting colors black, blue and red, of Magical power constrained by will and little else."

Ainz looked at Celestine, her face unchanging as she looked at him with a strangely direct gaze, as if the faceless visage of his helmet and mask did nothing to stop her from knowing precisely where his eyes were. "You, honestly believe that I am some sort of, god that has been reborn as a mere person?"

"A god is never Reborn to just a mere person. I know from the knowledge given to me by the god that moved their power to be reborn within me that the gods would only choose those who they believe can use the power and cause change things for the better, and it is not as if they are born as a god or goddess Reborn. I myself did not gain such a title and power till almost a decade after I suddenly came to realize what power I had been bequeathed," she said before suddenly standing from her bench, her clothing again not moving in any way that reveal anything important and making it clear magic had to be part of the answer. "So yes, I am very certain you are similar to myself."

"That is rather absurd no? I am simply a magic caster from the land of Yyg that-" Ainz began to say, stopping only when Celestine took a long stride toward him and reached a hand up to his mask, placing a finger on his mask, though it was a stretch even with her tall height. Ainz was just that much more massive than the tall elven woman.

"The Elven goddess who sacrificed herself to be reborn within me, her name now lost as is tradition, was a Goddess of Fertility, nature, light, and foresight. That foresight gives me visions of things to come often. However such visions cannot effect one who themselves is a god. And as I touch upon you and attempt to force my power, I see nothing. It should also be stated that while it is little known, my powers of foresight do give me some ability to detect lies spoken around me," she said, noticing Ainz's whole body twitch ever so slightly at her words. "And you have said a few words already that are clearly, not true."

"If, and only if-," Ainz began as he took a step back from the Goddess Reborn, taking a half second to try to compose himself as he did. The idea that she could see through lies was, worrisome. It could itself be a lie meant to make him give up information, or it could be true, for a similar reason. Either way it was not a tactic that he had expected to have to deal with. Yes his information on her before the meeting had been sparse, but the public information of her painted a bit more off a motherly, almost timid image. Not what was questioning him right now? "- I believe such an outlandish idea, what exactly do you aim to gain out of such a thing? How would you know that I am a god that is on your side?"

"Because you are here," Celestine said with a warm smile as she took a step back and sat back down on the bench behind her. "Because the truly Vile gods that aim for the corruption or destruction of all things are reviled by the world itself and cannot manifest on their own. They can give shards of their power to mortals, and form cults to do their will, but they cannot sacrifice their very beings to be reborn into the world, giving their power to another to eventually ascend in their place."

The room was silent for a moment before Ainz found himself starting to chuckle. Loudly.

"Is something wrong?"

"This whole situation, and you logic, is what is wrong," Ainz said with a final laugh, "If I was truly the reborn power of some sort of god, I most certainly would not look as I do. I may believe my words, but few others do, and my very being would be abhorrent to any living being!" he declared with a laugh, much louder than his first.

Despite seeming to admit to being a monster, and to be throwing any sort of concern out the proverbial window, Celestine did not appear shaken by his words and merely smiled. "You are a God Reborn, a Kin to me in a sense even if your race is different. And while I cannot tell what god's power you wield, I can tell that your heart is not one of vile evil. Though I do admit it is not a shining beacon of purity. It is not evil, and it is lawful."

Ainz stopped and stared at her. In a way she was nit wrong. While in Yygdrasil he and his friends role-played evil characters, most of them did not act in a way that was chaotic. They did have rules to follow, and even now as he considered his action of the past days and weeks, he easily came to the conclusion that while he was not a good person as some would consider good to be, he did follow rules, even if they were ones he set down for himself. Lawful evil was a good description of his thoughts and opinions on many things when he was not simply going with the flow in his old boring life of a salary man, while Chaotic good would be a more apt description for his action as of late.

"You truly believe what you saying, do you?"

 "I do yes. And I have the feeling that you do as well."

"No, not to the same extent you do, though I admit that a fickle deity choosing me as some sort of outlet to throw its power at as it dies could perhaps explain a few things," Ainz muttered as he recalled his first moments in the lands of Eostia, like happening upon the casket with the mask and gloves. "Why do you want me to be some sort of Reborn God so badly?"

Celestine's expression turns slightly somber. "I, have made mistakes, many mistakes over the years, centuries. Many have cost people lives, but because I am the Goddess Reborn, few even consider suggesting alternatives. They simply accept my word as law, and in some cases offhand comments have become much more, and I have little way of undoing them now."

"You want someone who can be an equal to you, to allow for better planning and forethought," Ainz said as he realized what Celestine was going for. "Are your Vaunted Princess Knights not sufficient for such a thing?"

"All of them are very good people and good at what they do but . . . . Claudia and Alicia worship me too much to think Ill of my words, Kaguya believes anything I say is an extension of her gods will, and Maia is too free spirited. Luu-luu is a longtime friend who I often speak with and is the only one in our lands I can have a conversation with without being hailed as a goddess."

"hmm, and what of the other, Prim was it?" Ainz asked, finding it odd that she was left out.

"She is one of the most tactical and intelligent women in the lands, but her skills and mind are always tied up in Ur's politics, and the coddling of Alicia, for her to truly grow as a person," Celestine admitted before she shook her head. "We are getting off topic. Will you not admit what you are? Will you not perhaps take your helmet off so that I might see you in full and gauge what form of deity gave rise to you?"

"My culture would not allow such a thing without you-"

 "Yes, Claudia informed us of your culture. I know that such a culture does not exist upon this world, and that it is a clever guise to hide behind your mask. That much is easy to tell."

"And if it isn't?"

"Then it appears I may have to marry a skilled mage who is more than he appears," Celestine said coyly, catching Ainz a bit off guard.

"You are far more than I expected you would be."

"Oh?"

"Yes."

"How so?"

"Your public image is that of a beautiful Elven Goddess who protects, but also seems to say little and has an iron opinion of right and wrong. Not one of a woman deviously attempting to partly undress a man before her."

"My body is simply a bit more endowed than most high elves, and a public persona partly drafted by the church over the decades is something that comes unfortunately naturally," she explained before stopping to stare at Ainz.

He quietly took the stares of the woman for a few minutes before letting out a sigh. "You are far more insufferable than I would have expected."

She simply continued to look at him. Expectantly.

"If I was to be something so outlandish that you would be horrified, would I perhaps need to defend myself from you own power?" Ainz asked carefully.

"I swear upon the gods that reign over creation, as an ally of myself, you would not as I will not strike at you."

"Hmmm," Ainz hummed as he brought a hand up and rubbed his mask where his chin would be, only a second later realizing how ridiculous it likely looked. "Was there a reason for us meeting back here aside from this, or was it all to squeeze me for the hope of being some demigod?"

"Yes. The most prominent, had to do with the information Claudia gave us that she claimed you and . . . and the girl charged with necromancy discovered.

Ainz considered his options for a moment on Celestine's words, and her cautions choice of them, made him think. There were many ways he could go about things at the moment. Mostly he has tried to be cautious up until now, even with his manipulation of Claudia he had tried to not truly dominate any one in any argument or publicly shame or subvert authority. He knew that being cautious was often the best way to not make mistakes.

However, sometimes being bold could prove to be just as powerful; something Celestine was proving tp his surprise.

"I see," He said after a moment as he reached his hands up to his mask and slowly and methodically removed it. "Then it appears we still have much to discuss."

Celestine, to her credit, only looked slightly surprised as he eyes widened before nodding. "Yes, it appears we do."

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The meeting room, without Ainz of Lady Celestine was quiet, though not silent. The Princess Knights spoke to each other in mutters and shushed whispers to those beside them and sometimes across the table. It was clear they were trying to not allow Hara to hear them, and she was fine with that, having backed up to the all beside the door, leaning against it with her eyes shut as she tried to do a mental exercise that Ainz had taught her while they had traveled.

 It was a simple thing. You tried to empty your mind of stray thoughts and then focus on one thought, of a magic of some form. Imagine its shape, the shapes it could take, how it acted how it could be moved and used. Then, once the groundwork was done you willed it into being and then had to expand the image you had. Turn it into something bigger while still keeping it the same. He had explained it as a way to improve her imagining of magic, to help her imagine it better, and had suggested she imagine an elemental magic of some kind.

Currently she was trying to imagine a drop of water. She had tried fire before, but every time she did she recalled the image of her burning village, and for some reason the idea of seeing wind like how Ainz described it had made no sense to her, so elements like water, earth or lightning were the obvious choice. Expect when she had tried lightning the day before she managed to spark her arm and make it numb for hours.

So the element of the day was water. Water seemed easy. It was everywhere from rivers to lakes to the very rain. Imagining it getting larger though, that seemed to be a bit harder than she first thought it would be. Imagining a drop of water but bigger seemed easy, but then her thoughts immediately began moving toward pails of water, a well, lakes or rivers, and the mental image did not seem to be holding as well.

"That looks quite difficult."

Hara slowly opened her eyes, trying to not lose concentration on her magic as she did, to find one of the Princess Knights standing a meter or so in front of her, seemingly staring at the fist sized globe of water floating in front of her. Her pink hair and outfit were fine to look at, far too girly for Hara's own taste, but did make it clear who was standing before her. Not that the Princess Knights identity changed how Hara was going to respond. She did not like any of them too much. They all seemed like over cared for nobles, not leaders to her. Granted she had been bullied and used repeatedly by many such people who were part of the knights, but that totally did not color her opinion.

Totally didn't.

"It is magic that you are using to create the water, right?" Prim pressed when Hara did not immediately respond.

"It is," Hara simply replied as he looked down at the water while wondering why she was being talked to in the first place.

"But you were convicted of using dark magic, were you not?" Prim asked with an oddly curious expression.

"In the past," Hara answered nervously. After all, she was probably the weakest person in the room. And her only ally was elsewhere talking to a god in private. Sure none of the Princess nights had done anything yet, but the room was worryingly still.

"Then, how are you using water magic?"

". . . . . huh?" Hara ended up grunting in confusion, her concentration on the water faltering for half a second and making the water almost splash to the floor before she reigned in control and moved it back up with a bit of an effort.

"You used dark magic, so you should not be able to use other magic, no?" Prim asked without seeming insulted in having to ask her question again.

"That, isn't how magic works," Hara said cautiously, as she focused and tried to get rid of the ball of water, succeeding after a few seconds of closing her eyes. She then let out a relived sigh that she hadn't soaked her feet and looked up at Prim. "Any magic can be learned through proper teaching and practice."

"But holy magic is only usable by those in the church, is it not? Prim asked. "Would dark magic not follow the same logic?"

"It doesn't, as far as I am aware," Hara said, not noticing that some of the other princess knights were now looking in her direction in worry. "I was trained in basic elemental magic before I, dabbled, and Sir Ainz has used both elemental and holy magic that I have seen with my own eyes."

"That is impossible!" Kaguya suddenly remarked as she partly came around the table. "The power of the gods is something only usable by those gifted it by them, such as the priestesses of my land, and this lands clergy. You lie to the face of your betters!"

Hara's eyes twitched before responding on reflex. "I have no reason to lie."

"You are one corrupted by the ways of vile dark Magic; there is nothing but lies within you!" Kaguya declared as she reached for her purification rod, only for her wrist to be grabbed by Maia.

"Even if you are right, or wrong, she is still Lady Celestine's guest by connection to the mage she is speaking with."

Kaguya pulled her wrist out of Maia's grasp with a huff and turned in place, circling around her and returning to her place by the table as Alicia walked up beside Prim.

"Even if Maia speaks some truth, I would ask you not fill Prim's head with such lies, mage," she said to Hara before she grabbed Prims's wrist and tried to pull her away.

"As I said, I have no reason to lie," Hara stated again. "Sir Ainz comes from a different land, with different magic. His does not follow the same rules as magic in Eostia."

"That is absolutely-"

"Plausible."

All the Princess Knights turned to Luu-luu, standing still at her space at the table looking quite content.

"Lady Luu-luu, I believe you meant, absurd, no?" Kaguya asked tensely.

"No. just like engineering, magic should follow certain rules, but I see no reason why the execution of magic cannot be different," Luu-luu said with a childish grin that somehow seemed more than it was. "Ultimately, you and Celestine are the only ones of us versed in magic, so it would up to the two of you to decide such things."

"And I am telling you with surety that magic only works in one way, the idea he can use it differently is absurd as his stories of being from another land and culture."

"So you are saying I lied about what I have reported witnessing?" Claudia spoke up for the first time in a while. "That my subordinates and loyal Templars have lied?"

Kaguya looked horrified for a moment. "N-no, of course not I just-"

She stopped as the sound of a door pulled everyone's attention to the rear door itself that was opening slowly and seemingly on its own. A second later, much to their surprise, Ainz was the first to come out, with some kind of scroll clutched in one gauntlet covered hand. He said nothing as he moved around the table and as he was halfway down the right side Celestine appeared from the doorway, a strangely warm smile covering her face. She walked straight to the head of the table, prompting the other Princess Knights to do so as well, and then opened her eyes to look at Ainz as she spoke. "Ainz. I wish you luck on this mission, and look forward to speaking to you again."

Ainz let out a loud hum of acknowledgement before he came up to Hara and gestured to her to follow before simply walking right out of the room and leaving the Princess Knights alone again, starign at Lady Celestine in confusion.

 As the door swung closed on its own Claudia spoke up first. "My lady, what is going on?"

"Yes, why are we not calling the guards on that cur?" Kaguya added spitefully.

"Sir Gown," Celestine stopped and seemed to ponder her words for a second. "Sir Ainz will continue to be considered a guest of Eostia and myself. I have given him a mission, to look into and deal with the noble that is responsible for the destruction of his companion's village. And yes, he is going to the church to retrieve one of their people to accompany him to make their actions in our name genuine."

"You believe the letter then?" Claudia asked referencing the one she had brought in that Hara had given her days before.

"I do yes. More than that, I believe he will do a good job in ending the situation."

"How can you trust him like that? Alicia almost demanded in confusion. "He is a mage, and an unknown quantity!"

"I have to agree," Maia said with a nod. "Why are you trusting him so readily?"

"There is a chance that he is far more than he seems," Celestine began to say before she then took a glance at each of her comrades. "There is a good chance that he, is like myself. A Deity, Reborn to a Mortal form."

Everyone was silent for many moments before Luu-luu spoke up." I suppose you are having a member of the church accompany them, and are having them look into that situation they brought forward, as a test to prove as such?"

"The first test, Yes," Celestine admitted bluntly

To say the meeting devolved from there would be a slight understatement.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Almost five hours later Lady Celestine found herself in her personal room with only Luu-luu sitting at the table with her. The two of them were quiet, and had been since the meeting of the Princess Knights had been adjourned. With such meetings they always were a tiring thing, and her trust she put into Ainz had made everyone tense and on edge or outright angry. Something she figured Luu-luu would be bringing up to her shortly.

And as if on cue, Luu-luu asked the question, though not the exact question that Celestine had been expecting. "What kind of god is he?"

"You believe he is one then?" Celestine asked.

"I believe that you believe as such, and simply did not say as much so that his action can earn a bit of trust from the others," Luu-luu explained.

Celestine paused and smiled. "Yes, he is. And I will admit his culture and story is a well-crafted disguise, for what is underneath his mask is, not something that many mortals would wish to look upon.

"He is not human then?" Luu-luu aksed after a short silence.

"No, but he once was," Celestine said as she looked to the window beside the table. "I believe he is the reborn of the God of Knowledge, Magic, and death."

"The most lesser known and worshiped of all lawfully aligned gods then," Luu-luu said with a deep breath. "That is a surprise. I take he looks rather magical? A mass of energy or perhaps an elemental?"

"No. his visage is quiet more, gaunt, than that," Celestine stated."

It took a second before realization dawned on Luu-luu's face, making her expression grow tense. "I see. That would certainly make the mask an intelligent choice . . . . . what is your plan?"

Celestine's gaze turned distant, yet also hopeful. "I wish for him to learn of his position, as he does not fully believe it. I wish for us to have another ally, one who might be able to break the alliance out of the stalemate it finds itself forced into by the church, and our own foolishness."

"I agree this stalemate has gone on long enough, but I do not think it will be that easy," luu- said with a sigh as she too looked at the window. "I get the feeling you have something to ask of me?"

"I do. Ainz told me of something he saw, while watching Claudia protect a village from afar. He claims to have seen a Dark elf that lit the villages field on fire, giving them early warning of the monsters that almost descended upon them. If there are dark elves who are not following Olga, I want to find them."

Luu-luu nodded in understanding "it would be a major blow to morale to find out all dark elves are not allied. I cannot guarantee it, but I'll see what I can do and-" Luu-luu suddenly stopped as her whole body shivered.

"Ah, it appears he has left the city."

"The mage?"

"Yes."

"How do you know?"

"Because I felt his magic rippled out, and you did as well."

"That was his magic? What form?"

"If I had to guess, teleportation."

"Really?" Luu-luu asked in disbelief. "Well, that certainly changes things. Looks like things will get interesting again."

"Yes," Celestine said as she stood up and went over to the window to look out of it more closely. "I only hope we can do enough good that my more dark visions of the future do not come to pass."