85Author Notes: It really has been a long while since I've uploaded a chapter. But, I want to say a few things before you begin to read through it. The style of writing might have changed because of how much time has passed; and also the relationship between Rimuru and Ainz may change a bit from this point on. Before, any confusion really goes on. Yes, the direction of the story has changed a bit because it's been a long time since I've written it so you may find some mistakes if you do please point it out to me in a review or on the discord.
If you want to come join the discord I release chapters a tiny bit earlier here is the code just copy and paste it in.
Code: h6amWZH6ku
The Overlord of Tensura
Chapter 9: Miscommunication
The wind blows throughout the thick forest, causing the tree leaves to rustle, the grass to tilt slightly, and a purple cloak to flutter in its flow. The wearer of this cloak is Momonga, the supreme being of the Great Tomb of Nazarick. However, behind him is a strange group of Ogre's, all having different types of complexions, but the looks on their faces can only be described as pure shame. But, just as one of them was about to speak, a tiny Hobgoblin Village started to come into view.
"Hmm, now that we've arrived in the village, I want to clarify one thing. Do not cause any problems; what happened in the forest will never happen again." Ainz said, his voice resonating with authority as if he was trying to pound his superiority into their heads, but remarkably it was already implanted deep into their minds.
But, one of the Ogre's with red hair started to speak up, much to Heinz's slight annoyance that he had to converse even more than he already had.
"I'm sorry that I presumed you were the Majin that attacked our village. I should've thought about it more instead of outright attacking." The young master said as he looked down to the ground in shame.
Ainz then put up his right hand in a dismissive manner. "Do not worry about it; all we can do now is move forward; you should look to improve your image among the Hobgoblins instead of me, as they're the main people here," Ainz said.
"Yes, Lord Ainz; we'll try to improve our relations with the Hobgoblins." The young master said as he slightly bowed. However, Ainz felt that the bow was entirely unnecessary.
"No need to call me Lord Ainz. I see it as entirely unnecessary," Ainz said as he turned away, but as he turned, he noticed a familiar robust, muscular Hobgoblin.
"Ah, Rigurd, The situation is dealt with, and I brought back the Ogres that were attacking Rimuru's people," Ainz said. Though, it seemed that Rigurd was confused as he looked around Ainz, not caring about the presence of the Ogres.
"Where is the party of Hobgoblins? Did you not bring them back with you?" Rigurd said, his arms crossed as if he was judging Ainz.
"I left the hobgoblins back at the battlefield; you may want to send out a party to gather them," Ainz said, his tone resonating that he did not care.
"Uh-" Rigurd let out a bit of shock, "You are saying you entirely forgot about them!?" he said, disappointed and, at the same time, a bit angry. However, Ainz gave a mild reaction back as he slightly nodded and let out an "Mhm" as he walked away toward Rimuru's hut.
'I should've brought back the Hobgoblins myself, but I entirely forgot I'm more worried about anything relating to Nazarick, as well as the Ogre situation. Though that being said, I don't care that much about this village; I've only been helping out for my benefit since this is my home base at the time being.'
Momomga put a finger up his chin as he thought a bit more.
'I should also contact Pandora's Actor; I need an update on his situation, but I also need to inform him to start heading back. The recent attack on an Ogre village, the attacker's overwhelming power, could mean that a Player is involved; though my speculation may be entirely wrong, it's always good to be prepared. And I'd rather Pandora's Actor not get involved in Player vs. Npc combat; even with all his skills, it may turn out disastrous.'
After Ainz finished planning, he walked through the goblin village, searching for Rimuru's tent. But he couldn't help but feel that he was getting a few stares. It was as if some of them were still cautious of him and a tiny bit scared at his presence, but he decided to ignore it for now. Eventually, he reached a large tent, which was Rimuru's tent, and after lifting the cloth opening, he walked inside; and sat down on a wooden chair that seemed like it was about to break apart but held firm under his weight.
'Alright, time to message Pandora's Actor.'
"[Message], Pandora's Actor, are you there?" Ainz said as he awaited Pandora's response.
"Ja, Vater?" Pandora's Actor responded, a proud tone in his voice.
'He's still speaking German!? And did he- call me, Father? I guess I technically am. I did create him, after all. But still,'
Ainz sighed and resumed, "I need you to start heading back to the village. But before you do that, make sure you get a response from the lizardman king on the alliance agreement." Ainz said.
"I already solved the situation on the alliance; I told the lizardman King to send an envoy to the village once they've decided." Pandora's Actor responded, happy that he had planned ahead of time.
"Good job, but I need you to start heading back. There have been some recent events that I need to fill you in on, and I'd rather you not be in the open when there's a looming threat." Ainz said, moving his hands in slight gestures even though he was not face to face with Pandora's Actor.
"Yes, Father, I'll start heading back immediately." Pandora's Actor responded, his voice again proud that he was called Ainz Father.
"F- Father?" Ainz responded while a green aura calmed him down from slight awkwardness. Ainz then put a hand up to his forehead. "I'll see you soon, Pandora's Actor," Ainz said.
"Bis bald, Vater; I'll be there shortly!" Pandora's Actor responded as the message spell ended abruptly.
'Even though I told him to stop speaking German, he keeps doing it. And what is up with him calling me father now!? Can't it be Ainz….'
Ainz leaned back in the chair and let out a sigh. However, the chair broke under Ainz's weight with a slight snap and a bang.
[1 damage ]
Drips of sweat spray into the surrounding air as a katana hits hard against a tree. The engraving of the Katana's blade is etched into its bark as a tiny piece of blonde hair slowly floats down to the ground, landing on top of the edges of the grass. A smile becomes present on a beautiful elven girl's face and behind her is an older man watching her improve.
"Good, you improve fast; it's like you've done this before." The older man said, his eyes watching her movements, proud that he taught her so quickly.
But then Liana looked down at the grass covered with a soft layer of mildew, and the wind blew, her hair scattering and flowing in the breeze.
"When I was just a child, I picked up the Katana and practiced daily." Liana looked at the shining blade, slight drips of tree sap on its edge. "Alongside my sister Kona, but- one day, a demon came along and took control of her mind forcing me to fight her. And I-" Liana paused, unable to finish her words.
The old Ogre walked up, grabbing the Katana from her hands. "I am sorry for your loss; you've been through a lot. But your sister would've never wanted you to stop training. You both shared and enjoyed it; you grew up on it together, so instead of drowning in it, use it to fuel yourself." he said calmly as he tilted the Katana's hilt back to her.
Lines of tears went down her face as she tried to push back the memories. She then reached out her hand, grabbed the hilt of the Katana, and tilted it up to face the blade in front of her.
"Let's continue," Liana said, her voice slightly rocky.
The old Ogre looked at her and then at the tree as the wind slightly rustled the leaves and grass and shined down upon them.
"Strike now!" The old Ogre said with intensity.
Liana took a deep breath and focused her mind, preparing to strike. With a quick movement, the Katana's blade became a flash of white, slicing through the tree and splitting it in half.
The grass rustles, and waves, tree branches break as a wolf paw rushes past. On top of the wolf are a group of people, a blue slime named Rimuru, a woman named Shizu who wears a cracked mask and white clothing with a cape, and three others who are trying their hardest to hang on their known as, Gido, Kaval, and lastly Eren.
"Wheee," Shizo screamed out as Ranga leaped off a ledge, and from the horizon, a small village came into view.
"We're getting close to my home!" Rimuru said happily, as he couldn't wait to show her the village.
Shizu reached up to her mask as her hair flowed in the wind. Then, taking it off, her face lit up with happiness, giving Rimuru a beautiful smile.
'Thank you! Whoever bestowed her upon me!' Rimuru thought, slightly turning red.
And suddenly, Rimuru starts to float up a bit and then lands down on Ranga's back as the wolf lands on the ground in front of the hobgoblin village's entrance.
"We're here! Welcome to my home!" Rimuru said to the others, but as he looked back, he noticed that the three adventurers, Gido, Kaval, and Eren, fell onto the ground, dizzy from the ride.
Rimuru then looked up to Ranga, whose tongue was out in-pure joy.
"Maybe you should've slowed down a bit Ranga; seems like it was a bit much for them," Rimuru said, this in-turn caused Ranga to let out a slight whine as he understood.
'Now, to get down to business! Right? My future wife.' Rimuru thought to himself as he looked toward Shizo. But then Rimuru heard footsteps, and when he turned to look, it was Rigurd though he seemed a bit upset.
'Did something happen while I was gone?'
"What's wrong, Rigurd? Did something happen? Is everyone alright?" Rimuru said, a bit worried at Rigurd's complexion.
"Everyone's alright, but there was a situation with a few Ogres when you left, and Ainz stepped in and solved it. However, he just left the hobgoblins he was sent to save in the forest. So, I had to send another group to get them; they'll need your healing." Rigurd informed Rimuru, his face showing disappointment as if his judgment of Ainz was complete.
'He left them out there? What could Ainz possibly be thinking doing that!? No… maybe I'm missing understanding his actions, he possibly forgot, but I can't rule out that he perhaps doesn't care. But that wouldn't make sense, as he's been helping us a bit.'
"I'll speak with him, but don't judge him yet. We could be misunderstanding him." Rimuru said, attempting to reassure Rigurd, though this didn't seem to stick.
"Also, Lord Rimuru, the Dwarves you brought back to the village have been incredibly useful. We might see major technological advancements in the village in the next few weeks." Rigurd said happily that the town was changing for the better as he thought of the past and how not long ago, the village was saved by Rimuru from sudden death by the dire wolves.
"Oh? That's really good; I can't wait to see what they cook up." Rimuru said, very excited about what they could improve upon in the village and what it may look like in the near future. However, Rimuru's mind was also a bit preoccupied with a few other subjects that needed to be solved.
'Ugh, I'll have to talk to Ainz about his recent actions. I don't know what made him forget about the goblin in the forest, but it could be a total misunderstanding.'
"Alright, I'll talk to Ainz; but can you do me a favor and settle in with those adventurers and Shizo," Rimuru said while looking at Shizo, who was currently petting Ranga.
"Yes, Lord Rimuru, not a problem! Leave it to me!" Rigurd said as his face lit up with enjoyment. It was as if all his problems had suddenly disappeared.
'Now, time to head toward Ainz; he'll most likely be in my hut waiting for me.'
Rimuru started to head toward his hut; at the same time, all the nearby goblins greeted him along the way. Eventually, he made it to the hut's entrance, and as he entered, he couldn't help but shrug off the feeling that this would be a short conversation.
"Ainz," Rimuru said as he entered the hut, quickly jumping over to a pillow to settle himself.
"Ah, Rimuru, I meant to speak with you for quite some time," Ainz stated,
'Meaning to speak with me? Honestly, I thought I would be the only one who did the questioning in this conversation. But, he has some for me, or maybe not; I shouldn't jump to conclusions.'
"I have a few things to talk to you about as well, but you can go first," Rimuru responded eagerly to see what Ainz had to say.
Ainz then moved around the room a tiny bit, putting a finger up his chin as he thought about what to say.
"Well, the first thing is that there's a looming threat. The orc army has been raiding a lot of nearby villages, and sad to say, yours may be next. So I had Pandora's Actor go ahead and request an alliance from the lizardman King in the swamplands, which is not far from here." Ainz said that this stick with Rimuru needed to be corrected.
"You requested an alliance without even telling me first!? You could've at least informed me just a tiny bit before you went ahead and did an action like that!" Rimuru shouted though he suppressed his anger after considering the logical side of things. "Well, no matter; I can't complain too much now; it is better for us in the long term."
Rimuru looked toward the hut entrance making sure no one was listening.
"Now, I have a question for you." Rimuru said, and Ainz seemed a bit curious as he looked straight at him, letting out a slight "hm?".
"You left our people in the forest, asleep and injured; why the hell did you do that? You realize they're your people, right? Did you somehow forget about all the fighting?" Rimuru said in a tone that symbolizes the very meaning of anger.
But, Rimuru didn't expect what Ainz was about to do as he stood still thinking about his word's very implications.
"I'll tell you one thing, Rimuru, they are not my people; they are your people. I'm merely staying in this village, and I will tell you that after this orc army is dealt with, I'll be leaving. I have a few objectives that I need to sort out." Ainz said this in such a manner that gave off the feeling that he meant every word he said.
'He's leaving after the orc army? Does he really not care about these people? We saved the village together, did we not? Wait... no, we didn't. He stood in the sky while I was fighting the dire wolves. Sure, he helped us a bit in planning; but that could be for his benefit since he's only staying here short-term.'
"Fine, if that is what you want, then you are free to leave after we handle the orc army," Rimuru said, slight annoyance in his voice slivering out. "But… if you ever want to stay just tell me I'd still happily accept you here." he said still a bit of hope left that Ainz would stay.
"Maybe…" Ainz responded as he started to walk-outside the hut he made a slight look-back and then resumed.
'Ugh… I see Ainz as a friend but he always seems quite cold. I know he must care a tiny bit under his shell but still it's a pain in my ass. Anyhow… Great Sage?'
[Yes?]
'I was wondering how Valdora's doing? And the progress on analyzing the imprisonment.'
[Valdora is currently doing fine. However, progress on the imprisonment hasn't yet been completed.]
'Ah alright, well I guess I can keep my mind busy. What to do, what to do. Oh! I know I'll go meet the Ogre's that Ainz brought back that'll keep my mind off of things.'
Rimuru then bounced off his pillow and moved out of the hut traveling through the village.
Thunder roared outside as a beam of white light shone through a broken window, illuminating a dingy stone room. Cold air swept in, carrying with it the scent of rain and the sound of shaking chains. A woman hung against a wall, her body shivering as tears fell down her cheeks. A door in the corner of the room, reinforced with thick wooden planks, suddenly creaked open, and a man dressed in white armor stepped inside, a grin on his face.
"How are you doing, my dear Alice?" he asked, his voice tinged with malice as he approached her. Then he moved his hand forward, gripping her cheeks and moving her face toward him. The chains holding her to the wall clattered as the room shook with another clap of thunder.
Alice tried to pull away, but the chains held her firmly in place. Her heart raced as she looked at the man with fear in her eyes. "Please," she said, her voice trembling. "Just let me go. I haven't done anything to you."
He let out a bellowing laugh, the sound echoing throughout the chamber. "You haven't done anything to me? Oh, my dear, you have no idea," he said and took a step closer, his armor clanking with each step. He then reached out and brushed her hair with his hand.
"You see, Alice," he continued, his grin growing wider. "You possess something that I want, something that I need."
Alice's mind began to race as she tried to understand what he could possibly want from her. She was just a simple peasant girl, she had nothing of value. But the man's next words chilled her to the bone. "You have great power hidden deep within your very soul… So, let's begin to extract it."
The storm resumed to rage outside, the thunder growing louder with each passing moment, as the man reached out to take her in his arms. But all Alice could do is close her eyes and pray for a miracle as she felt his cold armor against her skin.