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Before the Storm: Act 09, Chapter 09

“If someone purposely set a building in your village on fire, what would you do?”

“I’d put an arrow in the asshole who did it,” Reed replied. “Three arrows, just in case the first didn’t kill ‘em.”

Liam sighed.

“Wrong answer?” Reed asked.

“No,” Liam answered. “Just wondering why the people of the city don’t do the same.”

“‘Cause they’d be slaughtered if they did,” the woodsman said. “A regiment of armsmen and four Mercena...

So I went to bed one day...

And I woke up in the hospital. Hopefully I'll be out again soon. I still have access to google docs, but editing will be sketchy on a phone. We aren't too far behind but expect a content dump rather than a regular release at some point.

Sorry for the delay!

Before the Storm: Act 09, Chapter 08

“Just how much do they want me to stay in touch with them?”

The Shadow Demon said nothing as Liam sorted through the packs of supplies it had just delivered. Since they would be in Re-Blumrushur for a prolonged period, he figured it was a good time to restock. Between delivering Liam’s reports to the Sorcerous Kingdom and assembling the necessary consumables, Liam’s shadowy companion had spent just over a day apart from him. Little did he know that it would arrive with so much.<...

Before the Storm: Act 09, Chapter 07

“Why’re we goin’ to the house bein’ run by a Noble instead of the other one? Should be easier if we don’t have to deal with a Noble, yeah?”

“Because both houses are being run by Nobles.”

The armsmen looked up from their chatter as Countess Beaumont emerged from the manor’s front entrance with an answer to their question.

“Simply because a Noble scion joins another household doesn’t mean that they forget their upbringing,” the...

Before the Storm: Act 09, Chapter 06

Much to everyone’s relief, Liam’s read on Pierre Ulenieu seemed to be accurate. The Merchant asked no questions, made no comments, and most importantly of all, he paid in coin.  Negotiations were straightforward, with Ulenieu simply offering them a price that he claimed was fair considering their circumstances.

Liam’s appraisal abilities as a Rogue similarly gave him a sense of what was fair, but most with those abilities understood that it was relative to some unknown sc...

Before the Storm: Act 09, Chapter 05

“What do you think, Liam?”

What am I supposed to think?

“I think you look nice,” Liam answered.

Lady Beaumont’s delighted response suggested that he had provided the right answer, but something told him that it was the wrong answer at the same time. The young noblewoman twirled in place, her winter-themed skirts swirling out to expose her stockinged calves. Liam’s eyes went to the unpacked belongings strewn about the drawing room of the Count...

Before the Storm: Act 09, Chapter 04

“Well, look who finally decided to show u–”

Olin seized the wiry man by the neck and scraped his impudent expression off on the nearest wall, leaving him dead at the end of a crimson smear that curved to the wooden floor.

“Anyone else need a lesson in respect?” Olin asked.

The groups of thugs gathered nearby looked away. Olin shook his head as he walked past them. After the loss of the Six Arms, far too many of the Eight Fingers’ members – particula...

Before the Storm: Act 09, Chapter 03

As it turned out, the whole damn city of Re-Blumrushur was only half on fire. It took a few hours going down the other side of the cloud-shrouded pass before Liam could survey the reported damage. The city at the bottom of the valley was still over a day distant, but he could still make out the general details.

“It looks like only the lower city was affected,” he said.

“Of course,” Olin snorted. “It’s the only place where a fire like that could happen ...

Before the Storm: Act 09, Chapter 02

“Liam, I don’t know any greasy Nobles with four chins.”

“Huh?”

“I don’t!”

Liam did his best to keep his face from screwing up in confusion at Lady Beaumont’s sudden outburst. What was she getting at?

“Maybe it was a fat Merchant,” Claire offered. “They just ride their wagons from town to town and make money, yeah? Some of ‘em dress up all fancy and stay at the nicest places with the richest food, so he might’ve mistook one...

Before the Storm: Act 09, Chapter 01

“You win yet?”

“Shut up.”

Liam snorted as he refreshed the Purple Worm Venom on his throwing daggers.

“I finished a whole job and you’re still on your losing streak. How is that even possible?”

“Probably because it was an easy job,” Raul said. “Olga’s starting to beat Commanders ten times her age, you know?”

“Which Commanders are those?” Liam asked.

“Uh, some of the Frost Giants in the Northern Army Group,�...

Before the Storm: Act 08, Chapter 12

“Hey, you alright, Nemel? You’re lookin’ kinda crazy in your corner there.”

“Hm? Whatever do you mean, my lady?”

The sound of mad scribbling nearly drowned out the imperial scion’s absentminded reply. Liane eyed her warily from what was probably a safe distance.

“Y’know, just the whole crazy Wizard look you’ve got goin’ on right now…”

“What’s crazy is what just happened,” Nemel didn’t look up as she continued writing. �...

Before the Storm: Act 08, Chapter 11

“This is a lot crazier when you see it in person.”

Waves of silt-laden water lapped at Liane’s toes as she and Florine stood on the banks of the Oriculon River. It was already the largest river she had ever seen in her life the last time they visited the Draconic Kingdom; now, one could be convinced that it wasn’t a river at all. The northern shore had disappeared somewhere beyond the horizon and the floodwaters had turned the city into an island. Fortunately for its citizen...

Before the Storm: Act 08, Chapter 10

What the…

Standing on the westernmost berth of Corelyn Harbour, Liane watched as a motley assortment of passengers disembarked from the recently arrived barge from Warden’s Vale. They were a provincial-looking lot…at least if ‘provincial’ included counting Orcs, Lizardmen, and Goblins amongst their number. Even more strange was that they were all adorned in the same fashion, which consisted of simple, serviceable clothing, thick-soled boots, and a plain leather...

Before the Storm: Act 08, Chapter 09

“Yo, Baroness.”

Ludmila looked up from her brooding to find Chief Esess approaching her with a lazy wave of a claw. The Lizardman Lord was accompanied by his usual entourage, which included the Ranger in charge of training on wetland terrain, Ezsris. The black-scaled female smacked the Chief across the back of his head.

“Is that any way to greet your liege?” Ezsris hissed, “Please forgive him, Lady Zahradnik. The cold is making him stupid.”

�...

Before the Storm: Act 08, Chapter 08

“Welcome back, Lady Zahradnik.”

“Thank you, Lluluvien,” Ludmila replied with a warm smile. “How has everyone fared in my absence?”

“I can’t say that much has changed,” the Half-Elf Maid replied. “The Druids say that the Upper Reaches will start seeing snow by the end of the month, so most everyone’s attention’s on the timing of the harvest.”

“It is about that time of the year,” Ludmila said. “I suppose many o...

Before the Storm: Act 08, Chapter 07

“I’m back–hm, smells like Albedo.”

“That is hardly an appropriate thing to say, Liane,” Clara said.

“Doesn’t change the fact that it smells like Albedo,” Liane wrinkled her nose. “Do you think she realises it? Actually, why don’t you say anything since you’re all buddy-buddy with her?”

“She came straight from an outing with His Majesty,” Clara replied. “I would rather not burden the Prime Minister with strange worries righ...

Before the Storm: Act 08, Chapter 06

Preposterous.

In the pitch darkness of her suite on the Tenth Floor, Albedo sat on the floor, twisting the hem of her dress with a gloved hand. 

Utterly preposterous!

The will of the Supreme Beings? Was that truly to be her hateful fate?

She cursed the names of the creators who had abandoned them: a mantra that she had repeated times beyond counting. Who in their right mind would accede to the wishes of such detestable beings? Sho...

Before the Storm: Act 08, Chapter 05

A tense hush fell over the crowd as Albedo and Shalltear stared at one another from their places on the sand of the arena. Ainz’s gaze went back and forth between the two duellists as his mind fell into familiar patterns of thought and analysis whenever he got a whiff of PvP.

A Blackguard and a Cleric…this is going to be a long fight.

That was how it tended to go in such a matchup, at least. Unlike the fast-paced duels between DPS classes, this one would be a ...

Before the Storm: Act 08, Chapter 04

“Ainz-sama.”

A malaise hung over Ainz Ooal Gown, Supreme Overlord of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, Sovereign of the Sorcerous Kingdom, and the man who had recently been made aware of how clueless he was about running a country. Not that he ever thought himself good at it. He knew he was bad – that was why he left the task to others, after all – but not that bad.

Caught in a trap of his own making, Ainz had little choice but to spend the entire nig...

Before the Storm: Act 08, Chapter 03

Ainz folded his hands on the table, making a show of giving Baroness Zahradnik’s query plenty of serious thought. No, it wasn’t as if he wasn’t giving it serious thought, it was just that nothing came of it no matter how much he tried. 

Even in his previous existence as Suzuki Satoru, rules favoured the rulers and justice was merely a word. Arguments between Ulbert and Touch Me were about as much exposure as he had to it. Ulbert in particular would go on abo...

Before the Storm: Act 08, Chapter 02

Well, that was unexpectedly fruitful…

As twilight fell over the Sixth Floor of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, Ainz Ooal Gown, Supreme Overlord of said Tomb and sovereign of the Sorcerous Kingdom settled on a log in a bush outside of the arena. Standing a few steps away was Baroness Ludmila Zahradnik, who up until recently had been slowly crushing him under the weight of topics that mere salarymen like himself couldn’t hope to understand. All he could do was listen and ask ...

Before the Storm: Act 08, Chapter 01

“For someone who’s supposed to be my vassal, you seem far too interested in Albedo.”

“I would be a fool to miss this opportunity, my lady,” Ludmila replied. “It isn’t every day that one can witness a polearm user so skilled.”

Lady Shalltear snorted.

“Skilled, huh…rather than her skills, I would say the main thing that she has is her Skills. They’re not something you can steal.”

“Even knowing that somethin...

Before the Storm: Act 07, Chapter 10

“Stand still so I can kill you!” Countess Beaumont shrieked.

“Aiiiiieeeee!!!”

The shopkeeper let out a shriek of his own, falling backwards over his stool as the Countess sent a vicious slash over the store counter. She clicked her tongue in annoyance after finding no blood on her dagger. The shopkeeper tried to crawl out from behind his counter, but a pair of Reed’s men blocked the way.

“S-Spare me, m’lady!”

“You dare 2024-07-20 08:58:07 +0000 UTC View Post