Still, it would probably be better to change and avoid giving offense.
First, he took out a fake Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown. It was a perfect cosmetic copy, down to the metal used in its construction. However, that was all; it did not possess even a tenth of the power of the original, and it was merely socketed with jewels that had the same color as the original.
Ainz imbued the staff with a red glow, which quickly darkened. Why did it have such an adjustment function? His past companions’ obsession filled him with irritation.
It did not seem to be linked to his own aura.
Ainz radiated a black halo from behind him, but as expected, the staff’s aura did not change.
Is it just a visual effect?
There was a sudden clatter, which snapped Ainz out of his thoughts. When he turned to look at the source of the sound, he saw three Dwarves seated on the ground.
They looked like the Dwarves manning the fortress, but at the same time they seemed more impressive. In truth, two of them were better-dressed than the other. That one must have been a soldier in this fortress, and the other two would probably be his superiors.
…Why are the three of them sitting there? Is sitting down to talk the proper etiquette amongst Dwarves?…They’re staring at me with eyes wide open. It would be annoying if it’s a Dwarf-only expression.
Their mouths were hidden by their beards, so it was difficult to see the looks they had on their faces.
Baffled, Ainz nevertheless extended a hand to the seated Dwarfs.
One could take that as the intention to help them up, or that he wanted to shake hands. But in truth, he wanted to tell them that he would rather talk while standing.
It was hard adjusting to different cultures. If he handled this poorly, the other side might take offense.
If they attacked him with something like, “You should have done some research on our country’s customs since you wanted to form a relationship with us”, he would have nothing to say in response.
Though he was very uneasy about this, Ainz gave thanks to his unmoving face, and kept his hand extended.
The Dwarves glanced back and forth between Ainz’s face and hands, a troubled look on their faces.
Hm? Could it be that they’re afraid of me?!..Well, given that I look like this… it can’t be helped, right? Reactions like this are kind of expected from humanoid society…
Although they feared him in E-Rantel as well, they had not reacted in this way. Therefore, it might be that taking the hand of a highly-placed person was impolite in their society.
In the end, the worried Ainz decided to pull them up by the hand.
Since they have the time to waste on this pointless business, it should mean that the Quagoa haven’t attacked yet. If they did attack, we could have them owe us a big one, but just warning them about it would count as a small favor, so I should bear with it. Ahhh, what a shame. Still, which one of them is their leader?
“Well then, I am the Sorcerer-King Ainz Ooal Gown. Are you the gentlemen who are in charge of welcoming me?”
He did not know which of the higher-ups was of higher rank, so he addressed the space between them. Then one of the Dwarves nodded forcefully, like he was trying to shake something off his face.
“Ahem! I, I am the man in charge of the military—”
“The military— I see.”
So this was the commander-in-chief. Ainz was surprised. He had not expected their top man to come down in person.
Could it be that this country has heard of the Sorcerous Kingdom before? Or rather… was it because I brought them news at a very opportune time?
“—Are there any problems with the Quagoa? I do apologize for making you come down in person during a busy time, commander-in-chief.”
The commander-in-chief’s eyes went wide.
“I see… so you already know why I came, then?”
What the hell is he talking about, Ainz thought. Naturally, he did not actually say it.
“—Of course. That is correct.”
He nodded magnanimously, in the regal manner he had practiced many times before.
“…I see…Well, as you know, we’ve somehow halted the Quagoa advance for now — no, we’re trying to hold them back.”
“Ho. Hoho…And?”
Ainz wanted to ask the Dwarf what he thought Ainz knew, but since Ainz had already pretended that he was well-informed, that line of questioning was ruled out.
But has anything leaked out about me?
All he could do was hang on to that thought as he looked forward to their response.
“Before that, I heard from my men that you obtained your information after questioning some Quagoa captured in Feoh Raiđō. Do you have any evidence to support it?”
“There is Gondo, a citizen of this country—”
“—Material evidence.”
“Hm, so, you want to see the captured Quagoa, then? I can bring forth several of them and you can ask them yourselves.”
“An immediate answer… It seems I will have to be frank with you, then…At this rate, an evacuation to Feoh Raiđō will be very difficult.”
“Commander…!”
Judging by the reproachful tone taken by the man beside the commander-in-chief, Ainz guessed that the man was harping on the fact that the commander-in-chief was talking about military secrets in front of Ainz. However the commander-in-chief calmly continued:
“His Majesty already knows everything. It is as he said — the fact that someone who should be commanding at the frontlines is here is a clear sign of a stalemate. Since he already knows that, it should also be easy to imagine what our troops — who cannot look forward to any reinforcements — intend to do.”
No, I was just asking to be polite. However, Ainz could not speak the truth, and instead he nodded, in the practiced manner of a true ruler.
The commander-in-chief described the terrible state they were in.
The fortress defending the Great Rift had fallen, and they had been pushed back to their final defensive line. Only one gate stood between them and the enemy, and if it fell, the foe would pour into the city and many Dwarves would die. While they had originally planned to buy some time for people to flee to Feoh Raiđō, it was clear that the survival of the entire species would be in doubt if the plan was not radically altered.
After Ainz learned of the Dwarves’ dire straits, he smiled in his heart. Everything was developing in a favorable direction for him.
“How about this? I will lend you the use of my forces to beat back the Quagoa for the time being. What do you think?”
The commander narrowed his eyes, as though to hide the emotion within them.
“Can you do that? But…”
Traditionally speaking, one would need to put down the terms of a deal in writing before a contract could be signed. There were many advantages in handling matters in that way. However, if he freely lent them his strength, he would earn the gratitude of everyone present. One could make gains with a loan that one could not with a written agreement, and Ainz was gunning for that.
Between the fixed and the formless, the formless was generally more troublesome. It was like paying for a meal at a restaurant based on one’s mood. There was the chance that one would be overcharged compared to paying a fixed price.
Generosity is often similar to greed, hm? Did Punitto Moe-san say that?
“After coming all this way and taking so much effort to find you, it would be quite troublesome for me if the country I wished to befriend was destroyed. Won’t you accept my help?”
“…But if we don’t have the approval of the Council…”
“Well, as long as there’s enough time, it should be alright. This is simply an offer of assistance from me. The final decision is yours. Of course, the Council should settle important things in session… but you should know how this sort of thing usually ends up. Meetings go on from dawn to dusk and in the end nobody can come to a conclusion. While it would be a shame to let my journey up to now go to waste, it can’t be helped.”