Chapter 58 - 『The Months after Transition』

Three Months had gone by since their arrival and the name of Momon and Nabe along with the Swords of Darkness could be heard all the way in the Empire itself. Ainz's exploits as Momon were immeasurable as an Adventurer. The slaying of giant beasts that took even other Adamantite Adventurer's a long time to slay, in mere seconds. This legendary hero was responsible for entire annihilations of the bandit and mercenary camps which caused chaos within the borders of the Kingdom. So Within the first Month of their transition, the Lizard people around the Lake in the Great Forest of Tob under the dominion of Nazarick, it was ever more clear even the beastmen communities were not safe from their domineering influence.

Demiurge and a small strike force were sent to the remaining settlements in the Slaine Theocracy, claiming to be a follower to the renewed incarnations of their Gods of Life and Death.

At first, no one caught onto it, while others believed it was Surshana who had visited the Capital and laid it to waste. They brought death to the centralized command of their Theocracy.

With subtle manipulations, he used the humanoid homunculi as the Priestesses and lead them to what they believed was salvation. Elves were separated from humans, not to be returned to the Elf Kingdom, but to be settled on the Sixth Floor of the Great Tomb.

Under the supervision of the Dark Elf Twins, they began their indoctrination under the Orders of their supreme Leader Ainz Ooal Gown. Thanks to information about the Elven King, Ainz planned on using the twins as the future rulers of the Elf Kingdom as to subvert possible revolt.

The humans from the Slaine Theocracy, however, were to be screen extensively. Racist, extremist and possible future anti-Nazarick sentiments were not allowed to stand.

Ainz Ooal Gown took this opportunity to extensively test the use of Control Amnesia to learn techniques in order to manipulate the minds of others. Changing, altering or completely erasing memories, he found easily that the human mind was fragile.

Some of the test subjects did not respond well, some of them losing the ability to talk and others going into complete vegetable states.

Following his own personal thoughts towards what is right and wrong, children were excluded from the experiments. However, after several periods of testing on their adult counterparts, their memories of their parents were erased and their adolescent ideologies were indoctrinated to fit his agenda.

After the Empire pushed out of the Slaine Theocracy Territory by an unknown force of masked beings, Ainz Ooal Gown discretely flooded its borders with his undead armies. These armies consisted of armored skeletons made from bandits, mercenaries, and criminals alike.

Not too long afterward, it became very apparent it wasn't an occupying force. It was a force centered on the extermination of Slaine Theocracy government holdouts, with a secondary mission. Locate and obtain items that may have come from YGGDRASIL, such as World Items.

Those who remained in the territory were forced either into the Beastman Enclave territory or towards E-Rantel. Monsters awaited them in the Enclave territory, and soldiers waited for them at the Southern Border of the Kingdom.

There was no escape on either front. They played cat and mouse for the first two months, hiding in ruins and abandoned villages. Walled towns that were still occupied kept their gates sealed.

No one wanted to leave, it wasn't safe outside. However, this did not stop the undead from toppling these walled cities and towns overnight. The powerful high-end magic scrolls made from parchment composed of human flesh and precious resources, their armored doors didn't hold against invasion.

With their scriptures out of order, there being no central high command, the Theocracy continued to collapse. Panic, hysteria and further xenophobia was the only thing they knew.

Everything night was a horror. Every word was a whisper. No one knew when the skeleton armies would pass over their town. Even as those who could fight fought, they'd fall and join the other side as zombies and skeletons themselves.

They were on the losing end and they knew it. No one and nothing was going to be put to waste.

At the beginning of the third month of transition, even the towns, cities, and villages were stripped of material and down to raw resources. These resources were constantly transported back to Nazarick through the use of the magic spell known as 『Gate』.

It was evident that within the next several months to come, there would be no trace of the Thecroacy left. Its teachings, knowledge, and culture were all but lost to all except for Nazarick.

In the Empire, it was more peaceful than ever aside for loaning troops of the Dragon Kingdom. The beastmen were pushing hard against the borders, obligating a strong defense.

Without the Slaine Theocracy, more soldiers were being sent off to hold the line, leaving less to remain for the annual war against the Re-Estize Kingdom. The severe lack of soldiers in the streets was evident in many of the cities nearest the Dragon Kingdom border, with the exception of the Capital City of Arwinter. With the Imperial Army stretched out, could this mean an aversion to conflict?

It sounds unlikely, as this left them severely unprepared for one.

What they feared the most was the hordes of beastmen who had already conquered the outlying cities and towns of the Kingdom. It was unlikely that if the Dragon Kingdom fell, that the Empire would be able to risk direct combat on their borders.

Nonetheless, their Empire continued to prosper under the rule of Emperor Jircniv.

Jack's club in the institute for the magic students seemed to be going well. Many of which seemed to follow him instinctively after seeing the miracles that far surpassed anything they've ever seen.

Fabrication and conjuring of complex equipment with high tier spells that could only dream of casting. He trained them to utilize their talents while subtly teaching them the ideals of Nazarick.

Jet didn't fall behind either despite knowing the man's agenda, though not entirely knowing of the Great Tomb and its nature.

Arche attended all of the meetings with Jack, even helping with the lessons. They were quick to find that she had been learning from him as well, spells that they had never seen taught, being used by her regularly.

Throughout the months of the club's existence, they had taken several excursions out to the ruins to eliminate undead. Much like what adventurers should be doing by definition, they explored the unknown.

Every day was built with excitement, planning, and careful execution. Thanks to Fluder's support and willingness to look the other way, the students didn't need to bring knights with them. That was something that benefitted them greatly as it intensified their training sessions.

Following the death of one of the students, Jack was able to demonstrate his ninth tier resurrection spell, True Resurrection, in front of the students.

Through his power over Demiurge, he was able to set up a fight with a variety of summoned demons. Thanks to this he was also able to demonstrate his power over time, much like that of Ainz himself, revealing just how powerful he was to the students compared to Fluder Paradyne.

That was when their confidence in the institute's director faltered, no longer being the strongest and most knowledgable amongst the Empire's elite magic users.

Rumors and tales of his power and exploits spread amongst the other students outside of the club, thanks to his machinations. A hidden following began to form, mostly consisting of fallen nobles and magic users.

Former residence of the Slane Theocracy who attended the institute began to believe he was the second incarnation of Alah Alaf, their God of Life.

It had been pretty much two months since the death of her mother and father, Arche was still progressing through her emotions, getting over their deaths. Her mother was missed the most.

Most of her days were spent studying magic with her lover, zoning out the sounds of her sisters playing outside happily. Regulating her mana seemed to be her best time for meditation, it helped her relax.

Presently, the only thing really on her mind was the upcoming ball which was scheduled within the coming couple weeks. She couldn't wait to wear the dress that she and Jack had tailored specifically for her to wear.

Seated in a wheeled padded chair within Jack's study, she stared out the back window with a small smile across her lips. Her eyes shifted towards a leather lap cover, a small sigh leaving her lips. Every time she looked at the thing, it made her feel... Strange.

Jack stood in the far corner of the kitchen looking over the slaves doing their duties around the steel island in the center of the room. They were diligent in their work, trained to perfection under that the tutelage of Nazarick's finest. Their lives, if they had gone with someone else, would've been no doubt much different than they were today.

It was almost time for the ball, even though it was weeks away, they were no longer nervous.