Numerous spires asding high as if to touch the blue sky above, eae rising to pin-like points at the peak.

  The many towers stood high and proud as a testament to the wealth trated in this single building, and the power that went with it, looming like the shadow of a mountain to those who even came close to it. It was desigo make those who would e to meet with royalty feel small and insignifit.

  However, Pandora’s Actor, the true son of Ainz Ooal Gown and the resident of the unquerable Nazarick with all its otherworldly marvels and wohat no mortals beyond its walls could even begin to imagihought nothing of it.

  To him, at most, these arrogant humans looked like children at py with castles of sand. Inparable.

  He walked with his head held high, the tapping of his staff visibly sending shockwaves through the guards, the pair of them in full pte armor holding long halberds across their bodies and wearing long swords at their sides. But not the royal guard captain, whose steel resolve a were tempered through tless battles and ridicule.

  The two guards reached for the tall, white and gold-gilded double doors at the same moment. They pulled, and the droaheir obje, but gave way before the royal guard captain and the huest of King Ramposa.

  A long red carpet led straight to the heart of the pace. And as they tread it slowly, Pandora’s Actor could not help but notice the many paintings hung on the walls, depig the likenesses of the Kings and Queens of the past, and their many children.

  Below it, on the golden wooden frames of each painting, a little broe indicated the date of their birth, rule, ah.

  Pandora’s Actor looked at the paintings, notig the resembnce of each pair of father and son; square jawed, muscur, and “heroi their mannerism and expression. Some, he noted, even seemed to puff their chest even more, as if trying to overpensate for something.

  So it was, all the wya to the st, where the painting of the current King Ramposa and his family showed something unique.

  The sed son bore very little resembo his father.

  ‘Curious. The eldest son ied his physique. While the sed son ied his intellect, though nothing hy.’

  Pandora’s Actor sidered. Havihe intelligence reports that Albedo and Demiurge had gathered, the sed son was vastly superior in terms of intellect when pared to his elder brother. Though that was easy, sidering how dysfunal the first son’s brain was. To Pandora’s Actor, the sed son was hardly remarkable.

  The princess, however, was certainly iing.

  “This is as far as I guide you, Gown-dono. I must return to my King’s side and wele you from the other side. In fact, I should have not gone and weled you personally.”

  “That is fine. Go be where you belong. I shall see you soon, Stronoff-dono.”

  Pandora’s Actor waved his hand in a benevolent and kingly gesture.

  Gazeff nodded deeply in pce of a bow that he would’ve done if not for the two guards that came along. He turned, a.

  “Shall we proceed?”

  “Yes, my lord!”

  The guard Pandora’s Actor looked thten up, as if forced by the sheer charisma and majestic presence he exuded. Eveher guards simirly stiffe his words, and they proceeded to the throne room.

  Before long, they arrived at the rge double doors where a herald stood in front of it.

  A young man, barely past his teenagehood, it seems, dressed in white doublet and a bck gold vest. There was a short dagger at his side, but his main instrument was a long brass horn held at the ready, resting on his right shoulder and held in his right hand.

  “Name, my lord?”

  The herald asked, his voitentionally lowered to appear more mature than his true age, which was obvious.

  “I am Ainz Ooal Gown, here at the invitation of King Ramposa.”

  The herald lowered his head upon receiving his name. He turo the door, ope, and brought up the horn to be held by his left and right hands, brought the thin fuo his lips, and blew.

  The loud trumpeting annou called the court’s attention to the door, i mass. The dozens of courtiers ceased to verse and turheir eyes towards the entranbsp;

  “Announg, Ainz Ooal Gown! Guest of the King!”

  The herald procimed in a ringing voice.

  Pandora’s Actor approached with a slow, stately step befitting that not only of a noble, but a ruler, a monarch of his own domain.

  Each step of his foot drew him closer. Each flutter of his eously expe-bd gold embroidered cloak drew the gasp of amazement from the rilookers. And the staff of gold tapped over the marbled floor and was the only sound until he stood within courtesy distance of the king.

  Ramposa sat on his throne, back straight and with a steady, serious look befitting a true king. Pandora’s Actor could a glimpse of the powerful and majestic warrior king he must’ve been in his youth who had now been reduced to an old, tired ruler with heavy weights on his shoulders a.

  At his right hand stood Gazef Stronoff, ented armor and bearing a great sword at his side.

  Pandora’s Actave a slow and steady bow. The most courtesy he would ever give to a human, king or not.

  “Your majesty, King Ramposa. As your herald stated, I am Ainz Ooal Gown. It is an honor to make your acquaintance.”

  His presence alone ahe entire room even more than the monarch who sat at his throne.

  Ramposa felt this most clearly as he looked over the man called Ainz Ooal Gown.

  The description given by Gazef definitely fit this man down to the st jot and title.

  Expensive robe, mask and all, and the magnifit staff of twisting gold with seven gems in the mouth of seven coiled snakes.

  A supreme magic caster. He was the embodiment of the very title.

  To su individual, and what he has dohe king chose to stand up.

  “You have saved the life of a dearly treasured servant and citizens within my domain. For that, I offer my sincere gratitude.”

  Ramposa ighe hushed babble that came when the King stood up to address the one who bowed to him.

  The sharper nobles uood that it recisely because Gazef himself had been rescued by the guest of the King.

  The less sharp thought they smelled weakness in the old man that he chose to do a brea protocol just to thank a random magic caster.

  While the sharpest, such as Marquis Raeven, saw the old King reag out across the divide to a new potential ally of great importanbsp;

  “A dearly treasured panion… a friend from long ago spoke of these words that I shall never fet. Helping the weak is only on sense. Your vilgers were in danger and could not protect themselves. I did only what ah on sense would do.”

  King Rampossa could not know if the masked supreme magic caster before him truly thought so from the bottom of his heart. But his voice sounded sincere, perhaps a bit mencholic. His heart also told him that it was true, and so, his respect for him increased.

  “A se worth embrag. However, a difficult one even in good times. Not everyone be saved, unfortunately.”

  Prince Zanac said from where he stood.

  “Perhaps not. However, I still acted and saved those who might’ve perished if I didn’t. In this day and age, I believe that must be enough to, at least, appease ourselves to the tragedies that happened.”

  “It is, and it is because of that, that I am alive at all. Aire scripture of the Theocracy driven off by one man is unheard of.”

  Gazef said with equal force, openly praising the magic caster full of might, and the political winds within the hall shifted siderably.

  “My magic may be potent, but my timing poor. I arrived well ahead of when I was invited, and I hope I may be fiven for arriving without proper notice.”

  “Not at all. Travel is often a dubious thing at best. All manner of things may get in the way, or everything may go smoothly. A few days, even a week, is more than acceptable.

  There was no hint of disagreement to the words of the King.

  Every noble present had ehe challenges of weather, a sick horse, a bandit attack, or worse slowing dowravels.

  “Please, just to show that there is no trouble, stay as the guest of my house. In my pace, I afford whatever servants you require and my most luxurious apartment for your use until the feast.”

  “Thank you, King Rampose. I accept your hospitality with gratitude.”

  “Please excuse me, your majesty. However… If I may ask a question for Lown. May we hear the full story of just how you defeated the Sunlight Scripture?”

  Marquise Raeven asked with the greatest diplomaties.

  Of all the nobility, very few took the question of magic seriously. And even fewer could even begin to fathom how great of a a magic caster who could defeat aire Sheocracy special unit was.

  Pandora’s Actor turo look at the Marquis, and simply shook his head.

  “In the simplest of terms, my magic was greater than theirs. I could be more specific, but… and I do not mean to offend, unless you have a great deal of education in the field of magiything I expin would make no seo you.”

  The many nobles had long since shifted their attention from the prospect of a lecture nobody cared about to his appearance. But Raeven was not among them.

  He knew very well that the power currently lies in the hands of the magic caster that he is not revealing. It must be addressed as soon as possible.

  However, he knew better than to push the envelope. He could already sehe disi of the fools around him.

  The kied himself once again aured to Gazef.

  “I am sure you two have more to catch up. Please take him personally to a room and arrahe servants for him.”

  “Of course, my King.”

  --------------------------------X--------------------------------

  The long, silent hallway once again weled them as Pandora’s Actor walked, following Gazef’s lead to where the quarters the King had spared for him would be.

  And when he was sure they were alone, Gazef did not dey anymore and began speaking.

  “Thank you for ing, Lown.”

  Pandora’s Actor looked to the back of his figure in silence for a moment, before responding.

  “You are wele. However, I have a feeling this is more than just proper thanks and a reward as a show of gratitude, am I wrong?”

  The royal guard captai his stern, stoic visage. However, having been scrutinizing him closely, Gazef failed to hide the hint of shame and the g of his jaw.

  “No… No you are not. But please, when we are in your room.”

  He whispered, and Pandora’s Actor went silent.

  The rest of the walk was silent except for the sound of their feet and Gazef’s armor.

  The luxurious dispy of paintings that sat at intervals between windows, depig Re-Estize’s royal family in particur in their glorious moments throughout its turies long history, tinued on.

  “A kingdom with a rich past.”

  Pandora’s Actor said, finally breaking the silenbsp;

  “Yes… Yes it does. I love this try, and my King. We’ve survived great and terrible things and won our freedom from the Empire.”

  “Really, Re-Estize was once part of Baharuth?”

  “Yes, and we’ve had the same royal family since. But… times are hard now.”

  Sileurned after a low grumble of agreement from Pandora’s Actor.

  They soon came to a door, luxurious just like any other. The royal guard captain reached for the brass handle, ope as a servant would, and stood aside, allowing Pandora’s Actor to duder the arched door frame aer.

  “Times are hard because our nobles are selfish bastards. They keep the king weak, and so keep us weak to the Empire. Our war every year is bleeding us of our wealth and people. Peasants died by the thousands and many harvests went uncollected because the farmers took up swords instead of hoes and scythes.”

  Gazef looked up to the supreme magic caster. His eyes firm aermined and locked onto Pandora’s Actor, as if capable of seeing the eyes of the great mage before him.

  “You were right, Gown-dono. We need help. Mighty help. Your help.”

  Words flow out of his mouth. Words that shouldn’t have been uttered by the most loyal servant of Re-Estize. But it did, like the milk that had been spilled over and tio flow to the ground.

  Then, before the great man that saved his life and the only hope he could think of with his dull mind, Gazef went down to one knee and bowed his head.

  “You’ve saved a vilge because they were weak. You said that it was only on seo do so. Please… Gown-dono. Save my kingdom the same way.”

  Pandora’s Actor fell to sileaking in the request.

  It was the crudest and most direct of as, far from the savvy political mahat he sensed intended from most of the court.

  But, he supposed it was to be expected from a warrior. Direct, to the point, and without games.

  “...Out of all of those present in that throne room, I did not expect that you would be the oo surprise me, Stronoff-dono. I had to admit. I expected some attempt to harness my magic. But your direess still takes me aback.”

  “I know. But my kingdom, my King, has no time fames. The annual war is going to take p a matter of months, and when it does, thousands of my people will die. And many more, starve to death. Even though we will win, as we always do, we ultimately lose. We will be weaker and they will be stronger. All this war does is push my kingdom oep closer to its destru.”

  The kneeling royal guard captain tensed every rippling muscle, his head kept down, and his voice, graver than ever.

  “It is shameful. That much I uand, even with my peasant background. But that is precisely why I must beg for your help a sed time, despite my rank. Only a peasant like me could beg for this without disgrag my King.”

  “...I will sider your request. However, you will five me for not giving you an immediate answer. It is not a matter I decide right in this moment…”

  “I ask for nothing more. Hope is good enough for now, as it is more than I had this m.”

  Gazef raised up to his feat, and his eyes stared deep into the masked visage of his beor and the possible beor of his kingdom.

  “Thank you, Gown-dono.”

  He said aed the room.

  VergsX