“Umu… what do you two think?”
“Everything depends on your will, Ainz-sama.”
“That’s right. We won’t object to any decision you make, Ainz-sama.”
“In any case, all we need to do is chase them out of the Royal Palace, right? Ahem. Dragon, may I ask you a question?”
The speaker was the Dwarf.
Hejinmal glanced at his masters’ faces. In all honesty, he had no idea what sort of attitude he needed to take towards this Dwarf. That said, acting arrogant would be very dangerous. However, a servant who bowed and scraped before others would devalue their master.
“Please do.”
After hesitating, Hejinmal chose a short reply to avoid offending either side.
“Umu… Still, I didn’t expect you could completely dominate a Dragon… No, after seeing that power of yours, it might be natural. Um, sorry. Are there any other Dragons around besides the ones in this place?”
“There might be.”
“There might be, huh. Then, if there were, could you order around those Dragons as well?”
“I could not. They belong to a different tribe.”
“Umu ─ Then we should fulfil the request to chase the Dragons out first. After that, we’ll tell them that there are other Dragon tribes around. That way, they’ll have to count on Your Majesty’s strength to protect their reclaimed Royal Capital. Surely they would not easily surrender this land which they took so long to reclaim. Is that not the most profitable course?”
There was a word there which he could not ignore.
It would seem this Elder Lich was a king of sorts, and his subjects were the Dark Elf and the Elf, perhaps.
“Are you alright with your race being squeezed dry and used up?”
What are you saying, the Dwarf’s shrugging seemed to convey.
“Your Majesty has chosen me ─ us. Is it not natural that I would pick your side in any dispute?”
“Thank you for your considerations, Gondo.”
“Please don’t say that. I am the one who should be thanking you. The pain that has plagued me all this time has been wiped away by the few days I have spent with Your Majesty. Truly, you are my savior.”
“I am pleased we have forged a mutually beneficial relationship.”
“While I do not feel Your Majesty may benefit from this, I shall surely repay the kindness you have shown me.”
Even Hejinmal the outsider could understand their relationship.
The Dwarf was deeply indebted to the Elder Lich. It was a debt that he would pay even if he had to betray his race.
“…If you feel that way, then I don’t mind…”
The Elder Lich shrugged and turned to Hejinmal.
“Alright. Then, take me to the Dragons you say are stronger than you. Also, where is the treasury of the former Dwarven Royal Capital?”
Hejinmal knew where the treasury was, and nodded confidently.
“This one feels that your question is quite fortunate, because both of them are at the same place.”
With his Master and the Dwarf on his back, Hejinmal headed to his father’s location. His body might not have been used to exercise, but it was still a Dragon’s body, and carrying two people posed no problems to him at all.
He listened to His Majesty speak as he walked, and as he did, he was certain that his knowledge and instincts were the most valuable thing in this world.
If he had shown the arrogance typical of a Dragon when they had first met, he would have been slaughtered. No, if he had not loudly proclaimed his allegiance and gained their interest, he would have died without ever knowing what had happened to him.
It had truly been a narrow escape.
Hejinmal clenched his slackened bladder.
If he peed himself again, their opinion of him would not just drop to rock bottom, it would grab a shovel and continue digging underground.
Fortunately, they had not encountered any other Dragons along the way. Thus, they proceeded directly to his father’s room ─ or rather, the throne room cum treasury.
Hejinmal took a deep breath.
“Your servant wishes to inform Your Exalted Majesty that apart from my father, there are three Dragons there who serve as his concubines. Will you be bringing that Dwarf in there with you?”
If they were assailed by the freezing breaths of four Frost Dragons at once, he feared the Dwarf would be slain.
“Is there a problem?”
“No, not at all. If Your Exalted Majesty feels it is fine, then naturally your servant has no objections.”
“I have granted him immunity to freezing cold, so it should be fine. However, it might be a little troublesome if we are subjected to numerous area-effect spells of other elements.”
“Your servant feels that will not be a problem, Your Exalted Majesty. Breath weapons are the favored attacks of Dragons, and it is natural for them to open combat with their breath. They would not consider using their arcane spells, which are far weaker.”
“Then it’s not a problem.”
“Ah, Your Majesty. May I say something? Certainly, there is no way a mere four Dragons could begin to oppose Your Majesty. However, it would seem this one’s mother is in there. Could I ask you to spare her?”
“Hm…”
Hejinmal tilted his neck and awaited his Master’s judgment.
Hejinmal had not intended to go so far as to ask for his mother to be spared. It would be good if she could be saved as he had been, but he did not want to bet his life on it. It was not that he hated her, but simply that the bonds of familial kinship were not very strong among Dragons.
After leaving the nest, even their own siblings would become rivals for living space. In addition, it was common for the treasure-loving Dragons to fight when they saw each others’ troves.
It was very rare for many Dragons ─ particularly those who had left the nest ─ to live together in one place. It would never happen at all without an overwhelmingly powerful Dragon to gather them.
In that sense, his father Olasird’arc ─ who had united everyone as a family against external enemies ─ was an anomaly. One might even call him wise.
“It can’t be helped. I shall try to let your mother survive.”
“Thank you very much, Your Exalted Majesty.”
The words of praise immediately fell from his mouth, because he did not wish to displease the person showing him such largesse. In addition, he mused that if his mother survived, the burden on him might decrease in the future. On the contrary, if there were more Dragons, his own rarity would decrease. If he did not want them to think his death would not be missed, he would have to do everything he could to please them.
“Still, Your Exalted Majesty seems a bit too… eh. From now on, you may use Sorcerer King or Ainz as well.”
Was it a trap, or was it a test? Without hesitation, Hejinmal spoke the words he felt were correct:
“Understood, Your Majesty, the Sorcerer King!”
How could he omit the respectful terms of address which Ainz was due?
“Mm, let’s go.”
“Understood!”
He carefully hid his quiet sigh of relief.
It was a test, after all. If he had been careless and failed to pay him the proper respect, he would surely have been punished appropriately. For all he knew, he might have been killed and then dissected.
If there was one thing Hejinmal had engraved into his heart, it was that he must never be arrogant.
Soon, they reached the doors leading to their destination.
They were a set of double doors that looked like they needed a Dragon’s strength to open. Apparently, the Dwarves used a set of smaller doors beside it to enter or leave. The huge doors were only used for ceremonies and the like.
Hejinmal pressed his shoulder against the doors and applied force ─ mindful not to dislodge his Master from his back ─ and pushed the doors open.