Chapter 64: Poseidon
- Location
- Somwhere Under The Sea
Chapter 64: Poseidon
Baal could hear what his Master had just told his Servants just fine, he lost a hand not his hearing. So, the fact that he could not understand what he had just heard at all, must be from his lack of ability that he could not see what his Master planned to do.
Perhaps the plan to kill Poseidon was nothing more than misdirection? The Master did divulge his plan while Focalor, fully tamed as he might be, was present. After all, to kill Poseidon is a mistake, not to mention impossible. What's more, such a fact is easy to figure out.
The current Singularity was unstable, an instability born from the conflict between two Grails. One supporting the 'correct' history of mankind, and the second, the source of the 'distorted' history.
Poseidon, a Divine Spirit, the Lord of the Oceans, who is resting in the most advantageous position for him in the Singularity, is a supporting pillar that kept the unstable Singularity from just unravelling. Poseidon, by his very existence, served as an anchor of stability for the Singularity. His divine power leaking from his maddened state kept the Singularity as stable as it could be, like glue holding a cracked broken plate together.
The death of the Divine Spirit meant only one thing. Without his strength and support, the entire fake world of the Singularity would be without the last thing that kept it in a relatively stable state. Of course, the Singularity would not collapse instantly - however, the instability of the Singularity would increase to such a point that it was hardly possible to predict what would happen. Perhaps gravity would cease to function?
And even if, for some incredible reason, Ainz, Master of Baal, a monstrously strong Supreme Being whose incredible mind and experience is so vast that even words like 'eras' or 'eons' would be insulting to describe his history, had insufficient knowledge to understand the full significance of the Divine Spirit for the Singularity, there is still another reason why fighting Poseidon is the wrong thing to do. It was a very simple reason, obvious to any living creature smarter than a worm, stone or Cainabel, fighting the 'Lord of the Oceans' in an unstable pocket dimension consisting mostly of oceans was not the wisest of decisions.
And so when Baal realized that the ship he was on was indeed heading towards the location where the crazed Poseidon is. And his Master, instead of preparing for battle with the Greek God instead seemed to be fussing over Mashu. Baal felt an incredibly rare emotion that he hadn't felt in a very, very, long time.
Confusion.
Ainz could not have possibly made such a banal and stupid mistake, miscalculation, or even oversight. It was simply impossible and unimaginable. One does not need to possess his great intelligence to see that fighting Poseidon is a mistake, even the most banal and primitive level of adequacy that any living person - or Servant - had to demonstrate to live more than a few seconds after their birth, could.
And so Baal could not come to any other conclusion except that it was all part of a grandiose plan - a plan that Baal himself could not see through.
Why is he shaking? Is he… Scared? No, rather, he was mesmerized - like one would tremble in awe when he's in front of a tsunami.
What ingenious plan did Ainz create, so much so that this Baal could not even cast a glimpse at its complexity? What goals did he pursue in an act that could not be described in any other way other than as absolute stupidity? What grand strategy is he planning?
Perhaps Baal should ask his Master for his plan? Baal had no doubt that his Master would indulge his curiosity and reveal his plans to Baal. Only if he wanted to of course or if he thought that Baal could serve some purpose in his plans, Baal has no delusions of his place in his Master's service. But what if Ainz had not revealed his plans to him for a reason? Or, even worse, what if his Master did not divulge his plan because he expects it to be obvious for a competent Servant to see? What would the Master do were he to reveal to his Master that he hadn't been able to understand his master's plan? Would his Master think of him as incompetent? This must not pass. Should he now plunge himself into a crazed feverish attempt to figure out his Master's plan? He must, he can't lose face in front of Master, not with that fool Cainabel chasing at his heels.
Or was this just another test from his Master? After all he did such a thing in the very beginning of the Singularity. His Master had easily figured out his plan and rather than erasing his existence, chose to improve his plan by directing his endeavour in a better direction with but one errant phrase. However, his Master's intention would certainly not have been understood so perfectly if he hadn't possessed the capability to understand his Master's intent then.
Does this mean that right now his Master had also believed that he had understood his plan? Or, perhaps, contrary to what had happened before, he is now trying to teach him a lesson in humility? Forcing him to admit his impotence when compared to the boundless wisdom that his Master possesses? By making him reveal his ignorance when he asks what his Master intends to do?
With but one glance at the 'reformed' Demon King near him, all of his deliberation was further thrown into chaos. With Focalor's subservience his Master's plan took on an even more complex complexity. Was his current actions and doubts but one part of an even more complicated plan?
Focalor, floating nearby, has thrown all of Baal's 'common' sense into disarray. Forcing himself to take a deep breath to calm his chaotically churning mind, an action that did not take even a thousandth of a second - a small plus of being the Emperor of Demons. With a calmer mind he took a look at his, um, colleague.
"As far as my aesthetic sense can tell me," Baal said, looking at his fellow Demon King "I'm unable to see any resemblance to the human form in your current appearance."
Focalor sighed at his blunt reply, - "Without the King's mana, such luxury, I fear, are not currently available to me."
Focalor at the moment was sporting a human-like figure, rather than the very distinctive column of flesh look. But to say that he 'looked' like a normal human was the same as to say that a mannequin 'looked' like a human. More of a source of horror rather than a perfect disguise.
Focalor's 'body' is more like what a child would draw when he thinks of a 'person'. If one were to look at Focalor from a distance then he could pass as a human, in the barest sense of the word. Focalor's current body does possess the barest 'look' of a human, with two arms, two legs and a head attached to a normal sized torso. An observant person however would be able to see that the proportion was all wrong. Focalor's arms were unnaturally long when compared to his stubby legs and torso.
If the person observing has a good enough eyesight then he would be able to see the plaster-like skin on Focalor that would indicate his 'otherness'. Of course, what would clinch an observation that Focalor is definitely not human would be the white ball floating inside a black crack that is in place of a face in Focalor's case. A black crack that opens and closes in accordance to Focalor's speech, a facsimile of a mouth on the very inhuman visage.
"Sad, but expected,".
Focalor, with a sigh, fell silent, staring expectantly at Baal. However, due to the fact that Focalor's current body didn't possess any eyes, whether or not Focalor was staring at Baal could only be determined by instinct.
"Although you might think that I would kill people for asking stupid questions. I find dissuading such a notion one of my priorities" Baal smiled at Focalor, his expression — as much as a crack on a plaster-like face can express — was difficult to understand, "If I killed everybody who have asked me stupid questions, then I would find myself very alone very quickly."
"Hm," Focalor exhaled, then looked at Baal very intently, "How ... How exactly did you get summoned?"
"Hm?" Baal smiled at these words, preserving his outward good nature, but tensed internally like a compressed spring ready to jump, "I ... I don't really remember the specifics - it was just like a flash suddenly appeared and I had ended up in a summoning circle, just like every other Servant.
"I see …" - Focalor sighed, - "And ... And did you remember what you were doing before you were summoned?"
'Does he know about Yggdrasil?' - Baal smiled - 'I have to find make sure …'
"I'm sure my past deeds are mentioned in some book or other...," Baal rolled his eyes. "As they say, Speak of the Devil… and all that. Why are you interested in it anyway?"
After using one of his special abilities, Focalor seemed to relax a bit, "It's just ... I knew of one demon that is very similar to you."
"Oh, is that so?" - Baal smiled while smirking inside - 'Did he know the Baal of this world?'
Such a conclusion was easy to reach, Focalor had experienced first hand a Demon King being untethered after all. So Focalor's mistaken conclusion was very understandable.
Of course, the Baal that he was now, while very different from his 'self' in Yggdrasil, has no connection to the Baal of this world at all. They differed in so many parameters that the only similarity between them was only their name. However, Focalor could not know of this fact. If he didn't know about Yggdrasil, then he could only logically assume that the 'Baal' in front of him was the same 'Baal' that he knew of, only changed somehow.
However, even knowing the reason for Focalor's question did not mean anything beyond an interesting factoid to add to his collection.
Should he reveal to Focalor that he was not the same 'Baal' that he knew of? Or should he, on the contrary, confirm Focalor's mistaken assumption? Using his Noble Phantasm, a little creativity, and some misleading words, Baal was sure that he could convince Focalor that he was the very 'Baal' that he knew of in the past - only changed due to Ainz's influence. Which of these is the correct option to take?
Even more important, what did Ainz want him to do? Did he plan to use Focalor like a living bomb, supplying him with false information and then returning him to their 'King'? Or was it nothing more than a coincidence?
All in all, many interesting plans began to form in Baal's head. So many possibilities and to predict which one is what Ainz planned for him to do was difficult even for someone at his level of intellect.
In that case, hmm...
The best that Baal could do at the moment was not to give a concrete answer and continue leading Focalor on.
In addition - Baal smiled - playing with the mind of an unsuspecting victim has always been a very fun pastime for him.
Senpai is observing her actions with close scrutiny, and then after a second, approvingly placed a hand on her shoulder. In a normal circumstance, such an action would make her ecstatic. But looking at her very gloomy future only made Mashu sigh, looking seriously ahead.
'If only he would put his hand a little lower and in front…' - the Servant's voice in her head made her frown even more.
'Like father like son,' Mashu replied snarkily to the Servant in her mind, forcing him to instantly shut up.
'Hey! That's uncalled for!' It seemed that she had offended the Servant in her head, leaving Mashu alone with her thoughts.
Frankly, Mashu did not like to cause anyone discomfort - especially considering the fact that the Servant whom she had just offended was in some way part of herself. However, the current situation was too serious to allow the Servant in her head to distract her with his obscene comments. Comments that would distract Mashu from her Senpai's instructions.
Ainz, standing nearby, as if feeling Mashu's excitement, just squeezed the hand on her shoulder tighter, forcing Mashu to shudder a little.
So, she is supposed to kill a god…. Haaa...
Mashu was sure that she had used the phrase 'if they told me two months ago that I was going to…' a lot, so much so that the phrase had almost lost all its meaning. That is, yes, of course, she had never imagined that she would one day fight a god alone, nevermind kill them. Well, if it's any consolation she would probably win any comparison with her 'from a test subject of a doomed experiment into a god slayer'... her last two months have been very exciting.
Hmm, two months ago, when she was informed that she's going to be one of the forty-eight Masters chosen to save humanity, she had fantasized about how her life would look like as a Master. Awe inspiring battles, a fervent pursuit of an enemy, desperate escapes, unexpected rescues, victories by the skin of her teeth, and finally seeing incredible vistas where she would meet amazing people that would have changed her life's outlook drastically...
Well now that she thinks about it she did get all that she dreamed of. There were a lot of fights, she's currently chasing an enemy… though if the enemy is not running away, is it really a chase?. Unexpected rescue - more than once. Victory by the skin of her teeth? This one is actually very rare. Not a single fight with her Senpai around could, by definition, be a desperate fight. Mashu shuddered a bit imagining what kind of opponent Ainz would consider 'going all out' for. But if you put Ainz out of the picture - then she did have fights where she only barely survived. So still, in a way, Mashu could add a check to her checklist.
And given that Mashu had spent all her sixteen years of life inside the sterile white walls of Chaldea - pretty much any landscape from the outside world that she happened to see was automatically considered 'incredible'. And meeting interesting people...
Oh, she has definitely met a lot of people that have affected her greatly ...
Yes, after she had walked across a Master sleeping in a corridor, her whole life had changed. Strictly speaking, from that one chance encounter, all the other incredible things in her life began.
The funniest thing about her current situation? Mashu was not even sure at the moment that killing a god was an impossible task for her.
Contrary to the simple logic that dictates that even the most powerful Servants are nowhere close to being able to kill a god. Except, perhaps, a couple of the most incredible exceptions and circumstances. However, when she felt her connection with Senpai, Mashu was not completely sure. Her Senpai is capable of many 'impossible' things, things which defy all logic or even the immutable truths of the world. So with her Senpai supporting her, is killing a god really that impossible?. Who knows, maybe in the future killing a god might not even count as something incredible to her.
In the end, with Ainz supporting her with dozens of spells - each spell of which in itself a Servant could proclaim proudly as their Noble Phantasm. With her being bedecked with various rings, necklaces, bracelets and pendants, each item was like Mystic Codes crafted by the greatest Magi of the Age of Gods. And most important of all, Senpai's confidence in her victory, as if he has already foreseen the result of her battle. With all these things, Mashu no longer felt any anxiousness.
Cainabel was also once a goddess, and yet at the moment she and Mashu were on the same level. And although Cainabel was very terrifying - and Mashu had no illusions about who would win if they were to fight - her very existence desensitized her to the concept of 'divinity'. And what's the point of her 'Divinity' when Senpai could kill her with but a flip of his hand? Her Divinity, nothing more than a passing mention of Senpai's adventures.
In other words, at the moment, Mashu no longer feared her future clash with a god, with only one fact bothering her mind.
Where, in fact, is Poseidon?
Mashu, standing next to Ainz, was looking at the approaching ... Thing in front of their ship.
The closest thing she could compare it to was that of a ship. But rather than the Senpai's small ship, or even the modern warship that the Demon Kings rode in, the ship in the distance resembled ... A floating fortress rather than a ship. Huge, monstrously so even - as if some crazy architect slash shipwright had the idea to create a giant castle made of steel and on top of the metal frame of an even larger ship. Honestly, in the past, her mouth would be gaping in awe when seeing such a visage. But - given that Mashu has already seen so many incredible things done by Senpai and his other Servants Mashu. Not to mention the fact that she just fought a literal colossal column of flesh not even a day before. So just seeing a very large ship with some eccentric decorations didn't really elicit any strong emotion in her.
Moreover, if right now, Senpai were to say something ridiculous like 'Hmm, it looks like a small, unpretentious version of that big floating fortress built from the bones of dragons, studded with gold and diamonds I have seen before', then Mashu would simply shrug her shoulders. Senpai definitely has seen a lot more incredible things. It wouldn't really surprise her if he were to say that he has already met and seen everything in the world - and it was much better, stronger and more impressive than what she is seeing right now.
"Hmm, that's ..." Senpai then continued under his breath that she could not hear what he said, after which he looked at her. "Do you see something unusual about the ship?"
Mashu thought for a second that a giant ship with a fortress on top of it should have been unusual enough. Such a thing would be unusual enough to the sheltered Mashu, but it seems Senpai has a different opinion.
So Mashu looked carefully at the ship again.
After a couple of seconds of looking at the ship, she could see that against the background of the bulk of the floating fortress, there were subtle shadows moving in a kind of chaotic mess. Mashu could not see any details of what they are from afar, but judging by the fact that doesn't seem to be moving with any purpose or rythm, Mashu could conclude that these were not people - and not Servants. Their silhouettes moved around the fortress randomly, sometimes even crashing with each other, and yet they would continue their procession
"There are many opponents on the ship," Mashu nodded.
"Hm, yes, it seems so," Senpai replied, after which he asked another question, "Is there something else you could see?"
Mashu tried to take an even closer look at the ship, but in the end she only shook her head, "I don't see Poseidon anywhere."
"This ... Hmm …" - Hearing her reply, Senpai suddenly became silent for a second, - "Although, really, you have already seen him. But even if you didn't 'see' him, soon enough, I think you will."
"Senpai?" She looked at her Senpai with a curious look, wanting to get an explanation from him about what he had just said, but Senpai just smiled in reply, shaking his head.
"Even if you can't become stronger by winning a fight, the experience will at least definitely become part of your strength," Senpai nodded, after which, noticing the wary look on her face, he smiled encouragingly, "Don't worry, I will be alongside you. In addition, I believe that you will figure it out quickly enough."
She then froze for a second, pondering about what Senpai just said, after which she nodded and smiled, "All right, Senpai. If you believe in me, then there is nothing left for me to do except to believe in myself too."
"Well done, Mashu," Senpai nodded, after which he sighed and looked at the now looming ship. "And now ... Good luck."
"Thank you, senpai." After a second, Mashu disappeared in a whirlwind.
Ainz, who had remained on board his ship, stood still for a second, after which he looked at the ship and slowly shook his head, - "And I was convinced that Yggdrasil and this world are very different. Only to, all of a sudden, see ... Exactly the same traps, hmm."
After that, Ainz sighed and looked at the figure of Mashu who was already on board the ship. "Well, I hope she quickly understands what the catch is ..."
Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus considered herself... Hmm, what is the most colorful, beautiful, pompous word that could display her the magnificence of the emperor of Rome...
Yes, she considered herself 'cool'.
That is, she was the Emperor, a Servant, of the Saber class, and also at the same time is Nero - as many as four things that displayed her coolness ~ umu!
And just as accordingly, the things with which she surrounded herself with, the people with whom she communicated with and the situations in which she found herself in should also have been as 'cool' as her.
And in the Singularity where she currently is, she could say that she was surrounded by things suitable for her description of coolness.
She was currently surrounded by the sea, and since Nero was at sea for only three days, it has not annoyed her yet and was still considered a 'cool' thing. She was also travelling with pirates who are cool like Blac… Francis Drake who is pretty cool. And her Fellow Servants, like Altera or even Cainabel, were cool. Her Master, Ainz, was incredibly cool.
This is where the problems began.
Nero was the best Servant in the world - but for some reason all the time when she had done something cool, it turned out that Ainz had already done something even cooler.
Nero beat a couple of Servants? Well, all this was done thanks to Ainz's magic, while Ainz himself had already defeated two Servants, including the legendary Hector and the Minotaur, after which he recruited the Minotaur and got the Grail.
Nero declared herself captain of the ship? Ainz a few minutes later became the Admiral of the whole Fleet!
Nero defeated the Demon King along with other Servants? It's nice, but Ainz had already killed hundreds of gods alone and doesn't even consider the Demon Kings to be anything special.
And now, when Nero was given the opportunity to get at least a little closer to Ainz's coolness - that is, to receive the coveted title of godslayer in a battle against Poseidon - Ainz instead sent Mashu…. Alone.
Nero puffed out her cheeks completely, frowned, and then leaned against the side of the ship. The perfect image of a child sulking
No, of course, Nero was not sulking at all, perhaps Mashu really deserved it. Objectively speaking, Mashu was the weakest Servant in this Singularity, on all of Chaldea really, barring a really unfortunate Servant that could be summoned in the future. And this was especially evident when she is compared against the background of such powerhouses like Baal or Cainabel, not to mention their monstrously strong master, Ainz. And if Mozart, himself not the most powerful Servant, used his abilities as they were supposed to be used, simply accepting the truth of life, that there was always someone stronger than him. If such a thing were to happen then Mashu's position as the weakest Servant would be cemented.
And in this regard, an attempt to simply coddle her, to tell her something like 'don't worry, you could fight anyone you want' would turn out to be a great disaster. So a battle where Mashu herself wouldn't just die instantly would be greatly preferable. Nero could not say that she has a one hundred percent grasp on Mashu's capabilities. However, the simple truth that she would be flattened against a god was not difficult to figure out. But, Ainz's order is absolute, and Nero doesn't think that it would be too hard for Ainz to make Mashu strong enough to kill a god. So, all in all, Nero was not at all angry that the right to fight with God did not go to her. Rather, Nero was angry because in this Singularity there were absolutely no other gods for her to fight!
"Hey, you pervert," A female voice with a unique hoarseness to it made Nero stop sulking only in order to look first at a huge chest, then the big scar that crossed a beautiful face, and only then could she identify who was calling to her "What are you mad about?"
"I'm not mad," Nero replied petulantly, still ceasing to express to the world her sorrow and resentment, "But I'm not happy that I could not fight Poseidon ~ umu!
"Ha, really?" Drake just started to laugh at her reply, after which she gave Nero an appraising look, "I'm sorry, but I could never see you as a maniac reveling in battle. Your dress would probably be even more scandalous…."
"I'm not a battle maniac!" Nero shook her head, "Just ... Killing Poseidon — doesn't that sound like a pretty achievement ~ umu?!"
"I agree, a colorful line to add to the legend," Drake grunted, and then reached for her chest, cutting herself off in mid-sentence, "Damn, I just can't get used to the fact that the Grail is no more - and therefore there is no booze."
"Alcohol ~ umu?" Nero looked at Drake with some surprise, after which, after a couple of seconds of confusion, she decided to clarify, "Did you use the Grail to create alcohol?"
"Yeah, and a pretty good one at that," Drake grinned, and then catching the incredulous look from Nero she rolled her eyes, "Don't look at me like that! Everyone has their own cherished desires!"
"But ..." Nero fell silent for a second. She definitely didn't understand, even an endless amount of the best alcohol in the world did not look like a cherished desire at all in her eyes ... To anyone really, even if you believe all the stories about pirates, - "Do you really have no cherished desire?"
"Of course I have!" Drake laughed as if Nero's question was a joke "Oh, I have so many desires that you can stack them up the mast! I want to go on another voyage around the world on my ship, I want to command a modern fleet, I want to gain so much wealth that the ships carrying it would sink from the weight of it alone!"
"It's just that," Drake glanced at Nero. "I don't want to use the Grail to achieve it. I do not want to get anything on a silver platter, I want to get all of it with my own two hands. And in the meantime, the Grail can supply me with endless food and booze - a perfect use for a wish-granting artifact!"
Nero thought for a second, and then shook her head, "I see."
"And you?" Drake looked at Nero carefully, "What, do you have a desire for the Grail?"
This question took Nero by surprise.
Her desire for the Holy Grail, hmm ...
Was there such a thing?
It could not be said that Nero was an enlightened sage, that she did not want anything worldly at all. Even more, she wanted a lot - so much that Nero ... She was afraid of fulfilling all her desires.
But, some kind of innermost desire for the Grail, the absolute desire that she kept hidden inside her soul ... There was none.
Her Roman Empire continued to live after thousands of years in the hearts, thoughts and cultures of others. Her story, although without a happy ending, did not prompt in Nero a desire to correct her past. Yes, dying alone on the roads of Rome was sad - but Nero did not feel any pain or hatred when she looked at her life.
The current world did not arouse in her a desire to change it - at least not to such an extent that it would need a wish granting artifact like the Grail itself to do. In other words…
"No," Nero shook her head. "No, I don't think so."
"Well then, we understand each other well," Drake grinned. "At least in this case, you yourself must understand that using the Grail to create high-quality rum and steaks is also a good option."
"Yes, probably." Nero sighed.
"Ha, I never would have thought that I would find such an understanding king in such matters," Drake grinned.
"Not a king ~ umu!" - Nero protested instantly at the way Franci addressed her, after which she took a step, taking a suitable pose and raised a hand to her chest, - "You have the honor of speaking with the Fifth Emperor of Rome!"
"Yea, whatever." Drake rolled her eyes.
"Hey!" Nero looked indignantly at Drake. "Don't you dare insult my title!"
"I'm not insulting it," Drake shrugged. "I just don't particularly care about the title. Kings, Emperors, titles change - the essence remains."
"Hey!" Nero quite rightly was indignant at such a remark, "You're an admiral, that is, a king within a fleet!"
"Yes, and if you weren't paying any attention, I got rid of the title as soon as someone better was found," Drake, laughing at Nero's slightly baffled face, burst out laughing. "Oh, come on. Being an admiral is not as cool as it might seem. Having to deal with constantly emerging problems, idiotic subordinates - and worst of all I had to constantly interact with Blackbeard!
Nero, who remembered the 'infamous' pirate instantly grimaced, forcing Drake to grunt approvingly, "That's what I'm talking about."
"But the title of emperor — well, admiral, is a symbol. This is the symbol of people's trust in you, it is a symbol of the fact that you embody all those people who follow you!"
"Yeah, that's another reason why I don't like it," Drake sighed. "You have to understand how many problems you have to deal with when you're the admiral. When you lead one ship, you can order the helmsman to direct it to where you need to. When you lead an entire fleet - you begin to think that all then captains around you as idiots. There are always some kind of problems that they would bother you with. Someone fell overboard and is lost, or maybe even that the sailors on one of the ships are preparing a mutiny against their captains, someone was poisoned by stale corned beef, someone pissed where they aren't supposed to, or maybe that some dumbass cracked a barrel and they spilled spices all over the hold. All these and some more problems, either mundane or very critical, are poured on your head.
"Ahem ..." Nero finds it hard to argue with such a fervent speech. Indeed, the Emperor had many problems - and often these were problems that the plebs or legionnaire could not even imagine.
"Oh, I could see from the expression on your face, I hit the mark," Drake grinned, and then waved her hands when Nero looked at her suspiciously, preparing for a comeback. "Don't worry, I understand, to each their own and all that. You can simply be a symbol of people without being a king, emperor or anyone else. For example ... Ainz."
"Hm?" Nero looked at Drake with a dumb question, "What does he have to do with being an Emperor?"
"Just look at that guy," Drake grunted, and then motioned toward Ainz, who was not so far away from the two Servants. Ainz is looking thoughtfully ahead, towards the huge ship, where, apparently, Poseidon was in, "No one announced their oath to Ainz, they didn't give it to him. But still they obey his commands completely. He had just commanded one of his Servants to fight a god alone, a Servant specializing in defense at that. And yet not one of his other Servants questioned his command, it was just like he was asking for them to go to a store. Of course, his strength cannot be denied - but is it really only because of his strength? It's not like you have seen his prowess first hand, but still you follow him. It is as if to say that as long as Ainz is around then the Singularity would be resolved for sure, as long as you follow his commands you will never falter."
"Ainz is the Master, it's a completely different thing altogether," Nero frowned, getting ready to protest.
"I'm not arguing that he's your Master," Drake grunted, "But, it's not like you're under a Command Seal to obey his commands, nor is he threatening you. And yet you followed his every command. What can I say more to that - even I have fallen sway to his commands."
"But he defeated you in battle," Nero protested as logically as possible.
"And forced me under his service?" Drake ironically raised an eyebrow, "I don't remember such a thing happening, and without the Grail I haven't drunk any alcohol for a long time before, so my memory is crystal clear. So it seems, I have indeed followed him by my own decision - and he didn't even insist on it initially."
"You said you just wanted to shove off the admiral's duties on him," Nero squinted suspiciously at Drake.
"And I won't deny it," Drake shrugged, "But I shoved them not at the first person to defeat me, only at the first suitable one. Or do you think that if Baal had defeated me, I would have so easily given him the reins of the fleet?"
"No, I don't think so." Nero shuddered at the recollections of the two Baals that she knew of.
"That's what I mean," Drake sighed, then slammed a hand on Nero's shoulder in a friendly manner, "So don't worry that you were not chosen to kill Poseidon - you don't have to be the first to be the best."
After that, Drake began to walk away in a slight drunken gait… wait didn't she say there was no more alcohol?
A sharp swing of her shield sent a dozen of metal golems shaped like cans to the sides, turning them into non-functional spare parts with one blow. The opening allowed Mashu, using the inertia of her swing, to dodge the bronze sword of another golem, and then with a sharp knee blow to demolish its head.
'Kick the asses of these damn golems!' - The voice of the Servant had returned after Mashu began to fight the bronze golems. However, given that she is currently fighting a horde of bronze golems, Mashu didn't have the levity of mind to respond to the voice.
The fact that she wasn't completely overwhelmed by the horde surprised Mashu a bit. She was sure that if she were to fight one of the bronze golems without Ainz support, then she would be in for a fight. Then the fact that she could deal with a multitude of them without even breaking a sweat, is all thanks to Ainz.
Assassin's dexterity, Saber's strength, Berserker's endless stamina and Caster's mana reserves made Mashu almost a super-Servant. So much so, that Mashu was not even sure now whether or not it was fair for her to fight opponents of this level. It was like cardboard barriers attempting to stop a huge asphalt paving truck rushing at the speed of a racing car. So Mashu was internally experiencing some remorse from the fact that she's just bulldozing through the bronze golems' best attempt to stop her. However, it was impossible to say that she was not enjoying feeling like an unstoppable juggernaut ...
'I wonder if this is what your Master also feels when he fights a Servant?' - An interesting question from the Servant inside her made Mashu imagine it for a second. It is an interesting thought. Indeed, how do Ainz feel when he fights a Servant? - Did he revel in his superiority or, on the contrary, did he regret having to fight the Servant?
Further contemplation was stopped when a giant bronze golem about four meters tall lifted all four of its arms into the air, each arm ending with a weapon instead of a palm; a hammer, ax, blade and mace. Only to then crumble like tin can when, after a second, a barely light push from Mashu literally crushed the enemy, turning the giant golem into a flying pile of non-functional scrap.
'I'm really enjoying this lopsided fight!' - The Servant inside of Mashu laughed, looking at the flying heap of scrap.
'But it bothers me that we're clearing this place for the third time already..." - Mashu didn't even lose her breath, making scraps of her opponents over and over again, the only embarrassment is the fact that she can't find Poseidon all this time - "I went around the ship three times already, and still can't find him ..."
'Hm, I agree, scattering golems can be fun - but not very productive' - The servant inside her agreed, after which he thoughtfully asked the question 'Have you gone through all the decks?'
"You can look through my eyes, right?" - Mashu asked,unimpressed.
'I can, but I might have missed something, I have more interesting things to do than to look at you crushing the next golem into scraps!' - The Servant answered indignantly.
"What other things do you have to do inside my head?" - Mashu asked the very important question toward the Servant.
To this, the Servant stayed silent - 'Anyway …'
"Do not try to run away from the question!" - Mashu was then accosted by a dozen more golems, moving at a speed that was rarely achievable even for a Servant - "What kind of things are you doing inside my head ?!"
'Doesn't matter' - The Servant dodged her question, after which he sighed - 'In any case, if you were unable to find Poseidon even after turning the ship inside out, then there is only one other possibility. Mashu - hit the ship.'
"What?" - Mashu was frozen in shock for a second from such a ridiculous instruction - "Are you crazy ?!"
'Just hit the ship and then ask me questions' - The servant rolled his figurative eyes to Mashu's complaints.
Mashu then stopped moving for a second causing the golems around her to instantly take advantage of her inattention, rushing forward. However, taking into account the spells and artifacts placed on her, Mashu did not even notice it when one of the golem tried to crush her with a massive hammer..
Mashu slowly raised her shield, still unsure of doing what her Servant had told her, and then the moment passed and she sharply slammed her shield to the floor.
Monstrous gale like force struck the steel and stone of the floating fortress with a resounding clang, almost making the ship groan ...
After another second, a monstrous wave swept dozens of golems out of the way, tearing the ship's steel and stone, like a huge explosion, destroying an area of what could be an invincible fortress in any other conditions. Initially, Mashu thought that the groan was from the sound of tearing metal reflected off the adjacent walls. Mashu turned toward the golems, expecting to see the source of the noise emanating from their torn bodies. However, after a second she understood, the groan was coming from all around her, the ship itself was moaning.
'Do you hear a moan?' - The servant in her head grinned. 'Think of it like boss music.'
And although this concept was common knowledge for Ainz - for Mashu, the fact that the location itself was the boss was definitely a novelty.
Name: YGGDRASIL ~ [NP_NAME]
Please state your [ACCESS_LEVEL] for access to the [INFORMATION]. Otherwise [UNCREATION_THREAT]. Thanks for your understanding, sincerely yours [CREATORS_NAMES].[/INFORMATION]
Baal could hear what his Master had just told his Servants just fine, he lost a hand not his hearing. So, the fact that he could not understand what he had just heard at all, must be from his lack of ability that he could not see what his Master planned to do.
Perhaps the plan to kill Poseidon was nothing more than misdirection? The Master did divulge his plan while Focalor, fully tamed as he might be, was present. After all, to kill Poseidon is a mistake, not to mention impossible. What's more, such a fact is easy to figure out.
The current Singularity was unstable, an instability born from the conflict between two Grails. One supporting the 'correct' history of mankind, and the second, the source of the 'distorted' history.
Poseidon, a Divine Spirit, the Lord of the Oceans, who is resting in the most advantageous position for him in the Singularity, is a supporting pillar that kept the unstable Singularity from just unravelling. Poseidon, by his very existence, served as an anchor of stability for the Singularity. His divine power leaking from his maddened state kept the Singularity as stable as it could be, like glue holding a cracked broken plate together.
The death of the Divine Spirit meant only one thing. Without his strength and support, the entire fake world of the Singularity would be without the last thing that kept it in a relatively stable state. Of course, the Singularity would not collapse instantly - however, the instability of the Singularity would increase to such a point that it was hardly possible to predict what would happen. Perhaps gravity would cease to function?
And even if, for some incredible reason, Ainz, Master of Baal, a monstrously strong Supreme Being whose incredible mind and experience is so vast that even words like 'eras' or 'eons' would be insulting to describe his history, had insufficient knowledge to understand the full significance of the Divine Spirit for the Singularity, there is still another reason why fighting Poseidon is the wrong thing to do. It was a very simple reason, obvious to any living creature smarter than a worm, stone or Cainabel, fighting the 'Lord of the Oceans' in an unstable pocket dimension consisting mostly of oceans was not the wisest of decisions.
And so when Baal realized that the ship he was on was indeed heading towards the location where the crazed Poseidon is. And his Master, instead of preparing for battle with the Greek God instead seemed to be fussing over Mashu. Baal felt an incredibly rare emotion that he hadn't felt in a very, very, long time.
Confusion.
Ainz could not have possibly made such a banal and stupid mistake, miscalculation, or even oversight. It was simply impossible and unimaginable. One does not need to possess his great intelligence to see that fighting Poseidon is a mistake, even the most banal and primitive level of adequacy that any living person - or Servant - had to demonstrate to live more than a few seconds after their birth, could.
And so Baal could not come to any other conclusion except that it was all part of a grandiose plan - a plan that Baal himself could not see through.
Why is he shaking? Is he… Scared? No, rather, he was mesmerized - like one would tremble in awe when he's in front of a tsunami.
What ingenious plan did Ainz create, so much so that this Baal could not even cast a glimpse at its complexity? What goals did he pursue in an act that could not be described in any other way other than as absolute stupidity? What grand strategy is he planning?
Perhaps Baal should ask his Master for his plan? Baal had no doubt that his Master would indulge his curiosity and reveal his plans to Baal. Only if he wanted to of course or if he thought that Baal could serve some purpose in his plans, Baal has no delusions of his place in his Master's service. But what if Ainz had not revealed his plans to him for a reason? Or, even worse, what if his Master did not divulge his plan because he expects it to be obvious for a competent Servant to see? What would the Master do were he to reveal to his Master that he hadn't been able to understand his master's plan? Would his Master think of him as incompetent? This must not pass. Should he now plunge himself into a crazed feverish attempt to figure out his Master's plan? He must, he can't lose face in front of Master, not with that fool Cainabel chasing at his heels.
Or was this just another test from his Master? After all he did such a thing in the very beginning of the Singularity. His Master had easily figured out his plan and rather than erasing his existence, chose to improve his plan by directing his endeavour in a better direction with but one errant phrase. However, his Master's intention would certainly not have been understood so perfectly if he hadn't possessed the capability to understand his Master's intent then.
Does this mean that right now his Master had also believed that he had understood his plan? Or, perhaps, contrary to what had happened before, he is now trying to teach him a lesson in humility? Forcing him to admit his impotence when compared to the boundless wisdom that his Master possesses? By making him reveal his ignorance when he asks what his Master intends to do?
With but one glance at the 'reformed' Demon King near him, all of his deliberation was further thrown into chaos. With Focalor's subservience his Master's plan took on an even more complex complexity. Was his current actions and doubts but one part of an even more complicated plan?
Focalor, floating nearby, has thrown all of Baal's 'common' sense into disarray. Forcing himself to take a deep breath to calm his chaotically churning mind, an action that did not take even a thousandth of a second - a small plus of being the Emperor of Demons. With a calmer mind he took a look at his, um, colleague.
"As far as my aesthetic sense can tell me," Baal said, looking at his fellow Demon King "I'm unable to see any resemblance to the human form in your current appearance."
Focalor sighed at his blunt reply, - "Without the King's mana, such luxury, I fear, are not currently available to me."
Focalor at the moment was sporting a human-like figure, rather than the very distinctive column of flesh look. But to say that he 'looked' like a normal human was the same as to say that a mannequin 'looked' like a human. More of a source of horror rather than a perfect disguise.
Focalor's 'body' is more like what a child would draw when he thinks of a 'person'. If one were to look at Focalor from a distance then he could pass as a human, in the barest sense of the word. Focalor's current body does possess the barest 'look' of a human, with two arms, two legs and a head attached to a normal sized torso. An observant person however would be able to see that the proportion was all wrong. Focalor's arms were unnaturally long when compared to his stubby legs and torso.
If the person observing has a good enough eyesight then he would be able to see the plaster-like skin on Focalor that would indicate his 'otherness'. Of course, what would clinch an observation that Focalor is definitely not human would be the white ball floating inside a black crack that is in place of a face in Focalor's case. A black crack that opens and closes in accordance to Focalor's speech, a facsimile of a mouth on the very inhuman visage.
"Sad, but expected,".
Focalor, with a sigh, fell silent, staring expectantly at Baal. However, due to the fact that Focalor's current body didn't possess any eyes, whether or not Focalor was staring at Baal could only be determined by instinct.
"Although you might think that I would kill people for asking stupid questions. I find dissuading such a notion one of my priorities" Baal smiled at Focalor, his expression — as much as a crack on a plaster-like face can express — was difficult to understand, "If I killed everybody who have asked me stupid questions, then I would find myself very alone very quickly."
"Hm," Focalor exhaled, then looked at Baal very intently, "How ... How exactly did you get summoned?"
"Hm?" Baal smiled at these words, preserving his outward good nature, but tensed internally like a compressed spring ready to jump, "I ... I don't really remember the specifics - it was just like a flash suddenly appeared and I had ended up in a summoning circle, just like every other Servant.
"I see …" - Focalor sighed, - "And ... And did you remember what you were doing before you were summoned?"
'Does he know about Yggdrasil?' - Baal smiled - 'I have to find make sure …'
"I'm sure my past deeds are mentioned in some book or other...," Baal rolled his eyes. "As they say, Speak of the Devil… and all that. Why are you interested in it anyway?"
After using one of his special abilities, Focalor seemed to relax a bit, "It's just ... I knew of one demon that is very similar to you."
"Oh, is that so?" - Baal smiled while smirking inside - 'Did he know the Baal of this world?'
Such a conclusion was easy to reach, Focalor had experienced first hand a Demon King being untethered after all. So Focalor's mistaken conclusion was very understandable.
Of course, the Baal that he was now, while very different from his 'self' in Yggdrasil, has no connection to the Baal of this world at all. They differed in so many parameters that the only similarity between them was only their name. However, Focalor could not know of this fact. If he didn't know about Yggdrasil, then he could only logically assume that the 'Baal' in front of him was the same 'Baal' that he knew of, only changed somehow.
However, even knowing the reason for Focalor's question did not mean anything beyond an interesting factoid to add to his collection.
Should he reveal to Focalor that he was not the same 'Baal' that he knew of? Or should he, on the contrary, confirm Focalor's mistaken assumption? Using his Noble Phantasm, a little creativity, and some misleading words, Baal was sure that he could convince Focalor that he was the very 'Baal' that he knew of in the past - only changed due to Ainz's influence. Which of these is the correct option to take?
Even more important, what did Ainz want him to do? Did he plan to use Focalor like a living bomb, supplying him with false information and then returning him to their 'King'? Or was it nothing more than a coincidence?
All in all, many interesting plans began to form in Baal's head. So many possibilities and to predict which one is what Ainz planned for him to do was difficult even for someone at his level of intellect.
In that case, hmm...
The best that Baal could do at the moment was not to give a concrete answer and continue leading Focalor on.
In addition - Baal smiled - playing with the mind of an unsuspecting victim has always been a very fun pastime for him.
Senpai is observing her actions with close scrutiny, and then after a second, approvingly placed a hand on her shoulder. In a normal circumstance, such an action would make her ecstatic. But looking at her very gloomy future only made Mashu sigh, looking seriously ahead.
'If only he would put his hand a little lower and in front…' - the Servant's voice in her head made her frown even more.
'Like father like son,' Mashu replied snarkily to the Servant in her mind, forcing him to instantly shut up.
'Hey! That's uncalled for!' It seemed that she had offended the Servant in her head, leaving Mashu alone with her thoughts.
Frankly, Mashu did not like to cause anyone discomfort - especially considering the fact that the Servant whom she had just offended was in some way part of herself. However, the current situation was too serious to allow the Servant in her head to distract her with his obscene comments. Comments that would distract Mashu from her Senpai's instructions.
Ainz, standing nearby, as if feeling Mashu's excitement, just squeezed the hand on her shoulder tighter, forcing Mashu to shudder a little.
So, she is supposed to kill a god…. Haaa...
Mashu was sure that she had used the phrase 'if they told me two months ago that I was going to…' a lot, so much so that the phrase had almost lost all its meaning. That is, yes, of course, she had never imagined that she would one day fight a god alone, nevermind kill them. Well, if it's any consolation she would probably win any comparison with her 'from a test subject of a doomed experiment into a god slayer'... her last two months have been very exciting.
Hmm, two months ago, when she was informed that she's going to be one of the forty-eight Masters chosen to save humanity, she had fantasized about how her life would look like as a Master. Awe inspiring battles, a fervent pursuit of an enemy, desperate escapes, unexpected rescues, victories by the skin of her teeth, and finally seeing incredible vistas where she would meet amazing people that would have changed her life's outlook drastically...
Well now that she thinks about it she did get all that she dreamed of. There were a lot of fights, she's currently chasing an enemy… though if the enemy is not running away, is it really a chase?. Unexpected rescue - more than once. Victory by the skin of her teeth? This one is actually very rare. Not a single fight with her Senpai around could, by definition, be a desperate fight. Mashu shuddered a bit imagining what kind of opponent Ainz would consider 'going all out' for. But if you put Ainz out of the picture - then she did have fights where she only barely survived. So still, in a way, Mashu could add a check to her checklist.
And given that Mashu had spent all her sixteen years of life inside the sterile white walls of Chaldea - pretty much any landscape from the outside world that she happened to see was automatically considered 'incredible'. And meeting interesting people...
Oh, she has definitely met a lot of people that have affected her greatly ...
Yes, after she had walked across a Master sleeping in a corridor, her whole life had changed. Strictly speaking, from that one chance encounter, all the other incredible things in her life began.
The funniest thing about her current situation? Mashu was not even sure at the moment that killing a god was an impossible task for her.
Contrary to the simple logic that dictates that even the most powerful Servants are nowhere close to being able to kill a god. Except, perhaps, a couple of the most incredible exceptions and circumstances. However, when she felt her connection with Senpai, Mashu was not completely sure. Her Senpai is capable of many 'impossible' things, things which defy all logic or even the immutable truths of the world. So with her Senpai supporting her, is killing a god really that impossible?. Who knows, maybe in the future killing a god might not even count as something incredible to her.
In the end, with Ainz supporting her with dozens of spells - each spell of which in itself a Servant could proclaim proudly as their Noble Phantasm. With her being bedecked with various rings, necklaces, bracelets and pendants, each item was like Mystic Codes crafted by the greatest Magi of the Age of Gods. And most important of all, Senpai's confidence in her victory, as if he has already foreseen the result of her battle. With all these things, Mashu no longer felt any anxiousness.
Cainabel was also once a goddess, and yet at the moment she and Mashu were on the same level. And although Cainabel was very terrifying - and Mashu had no illusions about who would win if they were to fight - her very existence desensitized her to the concept of 'divinity'. And what's the point of her 'Divinity' when Senpai could kill her with but a flip of his hand? Her Divinity, nothing more than a passing mention of Senpai's adventures.
In other words, at the moment, Mashu no longer feared her future clash with a god, with only one fact bothering her mind.
Where, in fact, is Poseidon?
Mashu, standing next to Ainz, was looking at the approaching ... Thing in front of their ship.
The closest thing she could compare it to was that of a ship. But rather than the Senpai's small ship, or even the modern warship that the Demon Kings rode in, the ship in the distance resembled ... A floating fortress rather than a ship. Huge, monstrously so even - as if some crazy architect slash shipwright had the idea to create a giant castle made of steel and on top of the metal frame of an even larger ship. Honestly, in the past, her mouth would be gaping in awe when seeing such a visage. But - given that Mashu has already seen so many incredible things done by Senpai and his other Servants Mashu. Not to mention the fact that she just fought a literal colossal column of flesh not even a day before. So just seeing a very large ship with some eccentric decorations didn't really elicit any strong emotion in her.
Moreover, if right now, Senpai were to say something ridiculous like 'Hmm, it looks like a small, unpretentious version of that big floating fortress built from the bones of dragons, studded with gold and diamonds I have seen before', then Mashu would simply shrug her shoulders. Senpai definitely has seen a lot more incredible things. It wouldn't really surprise her if he were to say that he has already met and seen everything in the world - and it was much better, stronger and more impressive than what she is seeing right now.
"Hmm, that's ..." Senpai then continued under his breath that she could not hear what he said, after which he looked at her. "Do you see something unusual about the ship?"
Mashu thought for a second that a giant ship with a fortress on top of it should have been unusual enough. Such a thing would be unusual enough to the sheltered Mashu, but it seems Senpai has a different opinion.
So Mashu looked carefully at the ship again.
After a couple of seconds of looking at the ship, she could see that against the background of the bulk of the floating fortress, there were subtle shadows moving in a kind of chaotic mess. Mashu could not see any details of what they are from afar, but judging by the fact that doesn't seem to be moving with any purpose or rythm, Mashu could conclude that these were not people - and not Servants. Their silhouettes moved around the fortress randomly, sometimes even crashing with each other, and yet they would continue their procession
"There are many opponents on the ship," Mashu nodded.
"Hm, yes, it seems so," Senpai replied, after which he asked another question, "Is there something else you could see?"
Mashu tried to take an even closer look at the ship, but in the end she only shook her head, "I don't see Poseidon anywhere."
"This ... Hmm …" - Hearing her reply, Senpai suddenly became silent for a second, - "Although, really, you have already seen him. But even if you didn't 'see' him, soon enough, I think you will."
"Senpai?" She looked at her Senpai with a curious look, wanting to get an explanation from him about what he had just said, but Senpai just smiled in reply, shaking his head.
"Even if you can't become stronger by winning a fight, the experience will at least definitely become part of your strength," Senpai nodded, after which, noticing the wary look on her face, he smiled encouragingly, "Don't worry, I will be alongside you. In addition, I believe that you will figure it out quickly enough."
She then froze for a second, pondering about what Senpai just said, after which she nodded and smiled, "All right, Senpai. If you believe in me, then there is nothing left for me to do except to believe in myself too."
"Well done, Mashu," Senpai nodded, after which he sighed and looked at the now looming ship. "And now ... Good luck."
"Thank you, senpai." After a second, Mashu disappeared in a whirlwind.
Ainz, who had remained on board his ship, stood still for a second, after which he looked at the ship and slowly shook his head, - "And I was convinced that Yggdrasil and this world are very different. Only to, all of a sudden, see ... Exactly the same traps, hmm."
After that, Ainz sighed and looked at the figure of Mashu who was already on board the ship. "Well, I hope she quickly understands what the catch is ..."
Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus considered herself... Hmm, what is the most colorful, beautiful, pompous word that could display her the magnificence of the emperor of Rome...
Yes, she considered herself 'cool'.
That is, she was the Emperor, a Servant, of the Saber class, and also at the same time is Nero - as many as four things that displayed her coolness ~ umu!
And just as accordingly, the things with which she surrounded herself with, the people with whom she communicated with and the situations in which she found herself in should also have been as 'cool' as her.
And in the Singularity where she currently is, she could say that she was surrounded by things suitable for her description of coolness.
She was currently surrounded by the sea, and since Nero was at sea for only three days, it has not annoyed her yet and was still considered a 'cool' thing. She was also travelling with pirates who are cool like Blac… Francis Drake who is pretty cool. And her Fellow Servants, like Altera or even Cainabel, were cool. Her Master, Ainz, was incredibly cool.
This is where the problems began.
Nero was the best Servant in the world - but for some reason all the time when she had done something cool, it turned out that Ainz had already done something even cooler.
Nero beat a couple of Servants? Well, all this was done thanks to Ainz's magic, while Ainz himself had already defeated two Servants, including the legendary Hector and the Minotaur, after which he recruited the Minotaur and got the Grail.
Nero declared herself captain of the ship? Ainz a few minutes later became the Admiral of the whole Fleet!
Nero defeated the Demon King along with other Servants? It's nice, but Ainz had already killed hundreds of gods alone and doesn't even consider the Demon Kings to be anything special.
And now, when Nero was given the opportunity to get at least a little closer to Ainz's coolness - that is, to receive the coveted title of godslayer in a battle against Poseidon - Ainz instead sent Mashu…. Alone.
Nero puffed out her cheeks completely, frowned, and then leaned against the side of the ship. The perfect image of a child sulking
No, of course, Nero was not sulking at all, perhaps Mashu really deserved it. Objectively speaking, Mashu was the weakest Servant in this Singularity, on all of Chaldea really, barring a really unfortunate Servant that could be summoned in the future. And this was especially evident when she is compared against the background of such powerhouses like Baal or Cainabel, not to mention their monstrously strong master, Ainz. And if Mozart, himself not the most powerful Servant, used his abilities as they were supposed to be used, simply accepting the truth of life, that there was always someone stronger than him. If such a thing were to happen then Mashu's position as the weakest Servant would be cemented.
And in this regard, an attempt to simply coddle her, to tell her something like 'don't worry, you could fight anyone you want' would turn out to be a great disaster. So a battle where Mashu herself wouldn't just die instantly would be greatly preferable. Nero could not say that she has a one hundred percent grasp on Mashu's capabilities. However, the simple truth that she would be flattened against a god was not difficult to figure out. But, Ainz's order is absolute, and Nero doesn't think that it would be too hard for Ainz to make Mashu strong enough to kill a god. So, all in all, Nero was not at all angry that the right to fight with God did not go to her. Rather, Nero was angry because in this Singularity there were absolutely no other gods for her to fight!
"Hey, you pervert," A female voice with a unique hoarseness to it made Nero stop sulking only in order to look first at a huge chest, then the big scar that crossed a beautiful face, and only then could she identify who was calling to her "What are you mad about?"
"I'm not mad," Nero replied petulantly, still ceasing to express to the world her sorrow and resentment, "But I'm not happy that I could not fight Poseidon ~ umu!
"Ha, really?" Drake just started to laugh at her reply, after which she gave Nero an appraising look, "I'm sorry, but I could never see you as a maniac reveling in battle. Your dress would probably be even more scandalous…."
"I'm not a battle maniac!" Nero shook her head, "Just ... Killing Poseidon — doesn't that sound like a pretty achievement ~ umu?!"
"I agree, a colorful line to add to the legend," Drake grunted, and then reached for her chest, cutting herself off in mid-sentence, "Damn, I just can't get used to the fact that the Grail is no more - and therefore there is no booze."
"Alcohol ~ umu?" Nero looked at Drake with some surprise, after which, after a couple of seconds of confusion, she decided to clarify, "Did you use the Grail to create alcohol?"
"Yeah, and a pretty good one at that," Drake grinned, and then catching the incredulous look from Nero she rolled her eyes, "Don't look at me like that! Everyone has their own cherished desires!"
"But ..." Nero fell silent for a second. She definitely didn't understand, even an endless amount of the best alcohol in the world did not look like a cherished desire at all in her eyes ... To anyone really, even if you believe all the stories about pirates, - "Do you really have no cherished desire?"
"Of course I have!" Drake laughed as if Nero's question was a joke "Oh, I have so many desires that you can stack them up the mast! I want to go on another voyage around the world on my ship, I want to command a modern fleet, I want to gain so much wealth that the ships carrying it would sink from the weight of it alone!"
"It's just that," Drake glanced at Nero. "I don't want to use the Grail to achieve it. I do not want to get anything on a silver platter, I want to get all of it with my own two hands. And in the meantime, the Grail can supply me with endless food and booze - a perfect use for a wish-granting artifact!"
Nero thought for a second, and then shook her head, "I see."
"And you?" Drake looked at Nero carefully, "What, do you have a desire for the Grail?"
This question took Nero by surprise.
Her desire for the Holy Grail, hmm ...
Was there such a thing?
It could not be said that Nero was an enlightened sage, that she did not want anything worldly at all. Even more, she wanted a lot - so much that Nero ... She was afraid of fulfilling all her desires.
But, some kind of innermost desire for the Grail, the absolute desire that she kept hidden inside her soul ... There was none.
Her Roman Empire continued to live after thousands of years in the hearts, thoughts and cultures of others. Her story, although without a happy ending, did not prompt in Nero a desire to correct her past. Yes, dying alone on the roads of Rome was sad - but Nero did not feel any pain or hatred when she looked at her life.
The current world did not arouse in her a desire to change it - at least not to such an extent that it would need a wish granting artifact like the Grail itself to do. In other words…
"No," Nero shook her head. "No, I don't think so."
"Well then, we understand each other well," Drake grinned. "At least in this case, you yourself must understand that using the Grail to create high-quality rum and steaks is also a good option."
"Yes, probably." Nero sighed.
"Ha, I never would have thought that I would find such an understanding king in such matters," Drake grinned.
"Not a king ~ umu!" - Nero protested instantly at the way Franci addressed her, after which she took a step, taking a suitable pose and raised a hand to her chest, - "You have the honor of speaking with the Fifth Emperor of Rome!"
"Yea, whatever." Drake rolled her eyes.
"Hey!" Nero looked indignantly at Drake. "Don't you dare insult my title!"
"I'm not insulting it," Drake shrugged. "I just don't particularly care about the title. Kings, Emperors, titles change - the essence remains."
"Hey!" Nero quite rightly was indignant at such a remark, "You're an admiral, that is, a king within a fleet!"
"Yes, and if you weren't paying any attention, I got rid of the title as soon as someone better was found," Drake, laughing at Nero's slightly baffled face, burst out laughing. "Oh, come on. Being an admiral is not as cool as it might seem. Having to deal with constantly emerging problems, idiotic subordinates - and worst of all I had to constantly interact with Blackbeard!
Nero, who remembered the 'infamous' pirate instantly grimaced, forcing Drake to grunt approvingly, "That's what I'm talking about."
"But the title of emperor — well, admiral, is a symbol. This is the symbol of people's trust in you, it is a symbol of the fact that you embody all those people who follow you!"
"Yeah, that's another reason why I don't like it," Drake sighed. "You have to understand how many problems you have to deal with when you're the admiral. When you lead one ship, you can order the helmsman to direct it to where you need to. When you lead an entire fleet - you begin to think that all then captains around you as idiots. There are always some kind of problems that they would bother you with. Someone fell overboard and is lost, or maybe even that the sailors on one of the ships are preparing a mutiny against their captains, someone was poisoned by stale corned beef, someone pissed where they aren't supposed to, or maybe that some dumbass cracked a barrel and they spilled spices all over the hold. All these and some more problems, either mundane or very critical, are poured on your head.
"Ahem ..." Nero finds it hard to argue with such a fervent speech. Indeed, the Emperor had many problems - and often these were problems that the plebs or legionnaire could not even imagine.
"Oh, I could see from the expression on your face, I hit the mark," Drake grinned, and then waved her hands when Nero looked at her suspiciously, preparing for a comeback. "Don't worry, I understand, to each their own and all that. You can simply be a symbol of people without being a king, emperor or anyone else. For example ... Ainz."
"Hm?" Nero looked at Drake with a dumb question, "What does he have to do with being an Emperor?"
"Just look at that guy," Drake grunted, and then motioned toward Ainz, who was not so far away from the two Servants. Ainz is looking thoughtfully ahead, towards the huge ship, where, apparently, Poseidon was in, "No one announced their oath to Ainz, they didn't give it to him. But still they obey his commands completely. He had just commanded one of his Servants to fight a god alone, a Servant specializing in defense at that. And yet not one of his other Servants questioned his command, it was just like he was asking for them to go to a store. Of course, his strength cannot be denied - but is it really only because of his strength? It's not like you have seen his prowess first hand, but still you follow him. It is as if to say that as long as Ainz is around then the Singularity would be resolved for sure, as long as you follow his commands you will never falter."
"Ainz is the Master, it's a completely different thing altogether," Nero frowned, getting ready to protest.
"I'm not arguing that he's your Master," Drake grunted, "But, it's not like you're under a Command Seal to obey his commands, nor is he threatening you. And yet you followed his every command. What can I say more to that - even I have fallen sway to his commands."
"But he defeated you in battle," Nero protested as logically as possible.
"And forced me under his service?" Drake ironically raised an eyebrow, "I don't remember such a thing happening, and without the Grail I haven't drunk any alcohol for a long time before, so my memory is crystal clear. So it seems, I have indeed followed him by my own decision - and he didn't even insist on it initially."
"You said you just wanted to shove off the admiral's duties on him," Nero squinted suspiciously at Drake.
"And I won't deny it," Drake shrugged, "But I shoved them not at the first person to defeat me, only at the first suitable one. Or do you think that if Baal had defeated me, I would have so easily given him the reins of the fleet?"
"No, I don't think so." Nero shuddered at the recollections of the two Baals that she knew of.
"That's what I mean," Drake sighed, then slammed a hand on Nero's shoulder in a friendly manner, "So don't worry that you were not chosen to kill Poseidon - you don't have to be the first to be the best."
After that, Drake began to walk away in a slight drunken gait… wait didn't she say there was no more alcohol?
A sharp swing of her shield sent a dozen of metal golems shaped like cans to the sides, turning them into non-functional spare parts with one blow. The opening allowed Mashu, using the inertia of her swing, to dodge the bronze sword of another golem, and then with a sharp knee blow to demolish its head.
'Kick the asses of these damn golems!' - The voice of the Servant had returned after Mashu began to fight the bronze golems. However, given that she is currently fighting a horde of bronze golems, Mashu didn't have the levity of mind to respond to the voice.
The fact that she wasn't completely overwhelmed by the horde surprised Mashu a bit. She was sure that if she were to fight one of the bronze golems without Ainz support, then she would be in for a fight. Then the fact that she could deal with a multitude of them without even breaking a sweat, is all thanks to Ainz.
Assassin's dexterity, Saber's strength, Berserker's endless stamina and Caster's mana reserves made Mashu almost a super-Servant. So much so, that Mashu was not even sure now whether or not it was fair for her to fight opponents of this level. It was like cardboard barriers attempting to stop a huge asphalt paving truck rushing at the speed of a racing car. So Mashu was internally experiencing some remorse from the fact that she's just bulldozing through the bronze golems' best attempt to stop her. However, it was impossible to say that she was not enjoying feeling like an unstoppable juggernaut ...
'I wonder if this is what your Master also feels when he fights a Servant?' - An interesting question from the Servant inside her made Mashu imagine it for a second. It is an interesting thought. Indeed, how do Ainz feel when he fights a Servant? - Did he revel in his superiority or, on the contrary, did he regret having to fight the Servant?
Further contemplation was stopped when a giant bronze golem about four meters tall lifted all four of its arms into the air, each arm ending with a weapon instead of a palm; a hammer, ax, blade and mace. Only to then crumble like tin can when, after a second, a barely light push from Mashu literally crushed the enemy, turning the giant golem into a flying pile of non-functional scrap.
'I'm really enjoying this lopsided fight!' - The Servant inside of Mashu laughed, looking at the flying heap of scrap.
'But it bothers me that we're clearing this place for the third time already..." - Mashu didn't even lose her breath, making scraps of her opponents over and over again, the only embarrassment is the fact that she can't find Poseidon all this time - "I went around the ship three times already, and still can't find him ..."
'Hm, I agree, scattering golems can be fun - but not very productive' - The servant inside her agreed, after which he thoughtfully asked the question 'Have you gone through all the decks?'
"You can look through my eyes, right?" - Mashu asked,unimpressed.
'I can, but I might have missed something, I have more interesting things to do than to look at you crushing the next golem into scraps!' - The Servant answered indignantly.
"What other things do you have to do inside my head?" - Mashu asked the very important question toward the Servant.
To this, the Servant stayed silent - 'Anyway …'
"Do not try to run away from the question!" - Mashu was then accosted by a dozen more golems, moving at a speed that was rarely achievable even for a Servant - "What kind of things are you doing inside my head ?!"
'Doesn't matter' - The Servant dodged her question, after which he sighed - 'In any case, if you were unable to find Poseidon even after turning the ship inside out, then there is only one other possibility. Mashu - hit the ship.'
"What?" - Mashu was frozen in shock for a second from such a ridiculous instruction - "Are you crazy ?!"
'Just hit the ship and then ask me questions' - The servant rolled his figurative eyes to Mashu's complaints.
Mashu then stopped moving for a second causing the golems around her to instantly take advantage of her inattention, rushing forward. However, taking into account the spells and artifacts placed on her, Mashu did not even notice it when one of the golem tried to crush her with a massive hammer..
Mashu slowly raised her shield, still unsure of doing what her Servant had told her, and then the moment passed and she sharply slammed her shield to the floor.
Monstrous gale like force struck the steel and stone of the floating fortress with a resounding clang, almost making the ship groan ...
After another second, a monstrous wave swept dozens of golems out of the way, tearing the ship's steel and stone, like a huge explosion, destroying an area of what could be an invincible fortress in any other conditions. Initially, Mashu thought that the groan was from the sound of tearing metal reflected off the adjacent walls. Mashu turned toward the golems, expecting to see the source of the noise emanating from their torn bodies. However, after a second she understood, the groan was coming from all around her, the ship itself was moaning.
'Do you hear a moan?' - The servant in her head grinned. 'Think of it like boss music.'
And although this concept was common knowledge for Ainz - for Mashu, the fact that the location itself was the boss was definitely a novelty.
Name: YGGDRASIL ~ [NP_NAME]
Please state your [ACCESS_LEVEL] for access to the [INFORMATION]. Otherwise [UNCREATION_THREAT]. Thanks for your understanding, sincerely yours [CREATORS_NAMES].[/INFORMATION]
