“Are you mocking us, girl?”
“I assure you that my request is entirely genuine, Master Falagrim.”
This damn Human…
She was undoubtedly mocking them.
Just before dawn, Falagrim’s Deepwardens reported that the Undead were sweeping the area around his camp – or at least where they thought the camp was – presumably in an effort to find them. Given the generally poor scouting skills that the Undead possessed, that would likely never happen so Falagri...
2023-04-25 10:38:51 +0000 UTC
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They followed Iliky’ie up a small river that joined with the Abelion after carving its way through the hills on its eastern flank. The bottom of its gulley was wooded and steep, bringing them past many sets of tumbling rapids and stepstone falls. Florine scanned the surrounding vegetation, trying to get a sense of how far they had come. All she could discern, however, were all of the headless skeletons propped up against the trees to ward away intruders.
“This is quite the distance,...
2023-04-23 11:05:13 +0000 UTC
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“Lady Albedo has replied to your correspondence.”
Florine eased her Soul Eater to a halt. She looked over her shoulder to stare into the night. The Dark Dwarves had long parted ways with her, and she was already on her way back to the local administration’s ‘central office’.
“What did she say?” Florine asked.
In response, Isoroku held out a sheet of parchment. In contrast to Lady Shalltear’s elegant, flowing cursive, Lady Albedo’s handwriting was concise an...
2023-04-21 13:06:43 +0000 UTC
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23rd Day, Lower Wind Month, 1 CE
“I thought I would be helping to keep unruly tribes in line, but this is…”
Boobeebee lifted a box filled with documents, carrying it over to a tent next to the main pavilion. It probably wasn’t the best use of a hero, but Florine figured it didn’t hurt to familiarise Boobeebee with the ideas and basic workings of the Sorcerous Kingdom’s administration. That being said, the Zern had a tremendous amount of d...
2023-04-19 15:02:11 +0000 UTC
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21st Day, Lower Wind Month, 1 CE
Florine spent the next few days with the Zern, learning what she could about the Abelion Hills, its people, their relationships, and the region’s recent history. For the most part, the venture had proven more fruitful than she had expected, though the Zern did have a variety of blind spots that she believed stemmed from their nature.
Foremost amongst these was anything to do with how economics and trade worked betwe...
2023-04-17 17:08:01 +0000 UTC
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“Pip!”
“Pip!”
“Pip!”
Liolio’s calls drifted through the trees as Florine and her entourage made their way through the sparse woodland of the northern Abelion Hills. According to the avian Demihuman, the calls were ‘normal’ – an instinctive behaviour that communicated the Miq’s wariness to the surrounding environment.
Others who shared the same environment – namely the Ylii and the various animals that were killed or driven away by Jaldabaoth’s...
2023-04-15 19:24:03 +0000 UTC
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The following morning, Florine woke up to find the Vampire Bride kneeling beside her cot.
“Good morning,” Florine yawned.
“Good Morning, Lady Gagnier,” the Vampire Bride replied.
“You didn’t have to be here all night.”
“Our mistress ordered me to keep you from being despoiled.”
Florine sat up and stretched, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
“I’m the only Human in the area,” she said. “The biggest threat of being despoiled comes from...
2023-04-13 23:31:47 +0000 UTC
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Are we lost? I hope we’re not lost…
One set of trees didn’t look much different from another. Once in a while, they would cross a brook, but those mostly looked the same as well. Florine gripped her reins tightly as the Soul Eaters trotted along, hoping that they knew where they were going.
But what if they don’t?
If they kept going west, they would surely reach the ocean. But were they even going west? Even if they did reach the ocean, there was no...
2023-04-11 23:56:17 +0000 UTC
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16th Day, Lower Wind Month, 1 CE
Extirpated.
Extirpated.
Extirpated.
Extirpated...
Florine released a sad sigh. Over the past week, she spent her time studying the materials that Lady Albedo had provided her, but it was only enough time to cover the surviving tribes of the Abelion Hills. She intended to review the rest after that, but the list was both daunting and depressing.
Of roughly nin...
2023-04-10 03:46:53 +0000 UTC
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“I’ve been wondering for a while now,” Florine said. “That stockpile we pass by every time we go back and forth from the Upper Reaches…what is it?”
Ludmila glanced over her shoulder at the stockpile in question, which was rapidly receding from view as their wagon made its way South.
“It’s the cargo lot that services Dame Verilyn’s territory,” Ludmila replied. “My village’s old ship is being used to ferry people and goods back and forth from Miss Gran’s vi...
2023-04-08 09:38:53 +0000 UTC
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“Yo, Baroness. I heard that you just got back yest…”
The imposing figure of Chief Esses filled the doorframe and froze. His gaze went down to the Orc on the floor of Ludmila’s hall.
“Oh, good,” Ludmila said. “I was just starting to go over the basic laws and regulations with Dyel here. Would you like to–”
Chief Esses vanished. Florine blinked and rubbed her eyes.
“It seems that he’s gotten stronger,” Ludmila noted. “He wasn’t able to run awa...
2023-04-06 05:33:39 +0000 UTC
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Ludmila and Florine lingered for a while longer, taking the time to familiarise themselves with the Orc elders before heading back to Warden’s Vale. Nobles normally took the time to memorise those that they recognised as local leaders and promising talents as their itinerant court made its rounds. The Orcish names made things a bit more challenging, but it was a mostly familiar routine in a strange setting.
By the time they returned to her manor, it was well past nightfall. As Glasir ...
2023-04-04 07:13:48 +0000 UTC
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Florine shivered, and it wasn’t because of the chill. She always chided herself for doing so, yet it happened anyway.
Several Orcs scrutinised her as they made their way deeper into the forest. She steeled her nerves, resisting the urge to shrink away. Her thoughts turned to Ludmila’s lectures on the subject.
Beastmen were carnivores. Florine used to believe it depended on their appearance, but that wasn’t true. It seemed like a given that Beastmen who looked like tigers, be...
2023-04-02 13:30:13 +0000 UTC
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As Florine declined to take a break for dinner, their wagon followed the road north to the farming villages, going through the citadel area and over the dam. Ludmila informed the manor staff of their plans along the way. When they entered the shadow of the valley’s western wall, she glanced at Florine in her light summer dress.
“Did Lady Shalltear ever grant you an Endure Elements item?” Ludmila asked.
“Yes, I still have mine from when I was working with the north...
2023-03-31 23:08:01 +0000 UTC
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『That’s an amazing expression you have there…』
Ludmila glanced to the side at Florine, who was riding beside her on the front bench of the wagon. Through the cabin windows, the mountains ringing the Upper Reach peeked over the crowns of the conifers lining the road as they made their way south to the construction camp.
Florine’s lip twitched. Ludmila wiped her frown away, but it didn’t take very long to return.
“I can’t believe how cheap the...
2023-03-29 13:11:40 +0000 UTC
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Ludmila stepped through the threshold of Lady Shalltear’s Gate, taking a deep breath as the heat and heavy odours of the city were replaced with the crisp, cool air of Warden’s Vale. Florine came through behind her, followed by their lady’s maids. Behind them, dozens of other visitors arrived with gaping expressions and baggage in hand.
“Have we been here before?” Mag said, “The scenery looks sort of familiar…”
“The guild’s training expeditions are hel...
2023-03-27 15:08:01 +0000 UTC
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On silent footsteps, a lone hunter stalked through the undergrowth. Her quarry, a buck over twice her mass, picked his way through the woods ahead of her. It stopped on occasion, checking its surroundings before lowering its head to graze. The buck was one she had been keeping an eye on for the past few months. It possessed the profile of a six-year-old and was one of many that she needed to take care of before the autumn rut.
The sound of a stream trickled through the trees as the buck...
2023-03-25 17:08:00 +0000 UTC
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Much to Florine’s relief, the argument didn’t continue into dinner and things reverted to how they usually were between everyone. As expected, most of their discussion revolved around the upcoming meetings with the Empire’s aristocrats…at least it seemed like it did, at first.
“Do you think imperial sentiment for the Sorcerous Kingdom has improved much?” Florine asked.
“As far as genuine sentiment goes,” Liane said, “it hardly matters. What matters is th...
2023-03-23 19:10:40 +0000 UTC
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“My lady,” Tierre lowered her head before Florine at the entrance of the Royal Villa.
“I’m sorry,” Florine said. “I didn’t get a chance to ask how long we would be. How are things at home?”
“In one piece,” her lady’s maid replied, “for now. Lady Wagner came calling, followed by Lady Corelyn. I took the liberty of having dinner prepared.”
“Thanks,” Florine smiled. “When will everything be ready?”
“Three hours,” Tierre replied. “La...
2023-03-21 21:12:07 +0000 UTC
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“This is bad, boss.”
“I know.”
“Seriously, this is–”
“Shut up!”
The grey robe fell silent. Falagrim crossed his arms silently, glowering at the evening shadows. They were in the middle of a forest, yet not a bird could be heard. He glanced over his shoulder to the obvious cause: two plate-armoured Undead nearly twice his height. Between them stood a Human, of all things, dressed in one of the ridiculous outfits that their aristocrats were said to wear...
2023-03-19 23:10:36 +0000 UTC
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6th Day, Lower Wind Month, 1 CE
I don’t get it.
Ainz kept a straight face as Albedo rolled out a seemingly endless parade of reports before him. Those reports were accompanied by arrays of projections and, worst of all, questions – requests for feedback from the Sorcerer King and his supreme intellect over any number of esoteric mysteries contained within the documents piled upon his desk.
He often compared Nazarick to a c...
2023-03-18 01:10:14 +0000 UTC
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A layer of disturbed dust swirled into the air, rising as if stirred from an ageless tomb. Ludmila stared up at the unknown ceiling of a chamber shrouded by eternal night.
She shifted where she lay, sending more dust into the air as she turned her head to look around. It was a luxurious suite that must have been ten times the size of her home in Warden’s Vale. The ceiling was arched and supported by columns carved from white limestone.
Yet, the beauty of her surroundings was mar...
2023-03-16 06:57:06 +0000 UTC
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If you're seeing this post, I am still somewhere en route to home. Weather has been causing delays with my 14 hour flight back overseas -.-
The chapter will be posted when I finally get back and can sit down to post it, though it shouldn't be long...
2023-03-16 03:11:02 +0000 UTC
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Hoh…the Royal Army has become so good at waging war that enemy armies just fall over all at once after a bit of fighting.
High above the Azerlisian Arsenal, in the headquarters of the Northern Army Group of the Royal Army of the Sorcerous Kingdom, Ainz Ooal Gown, the Sorcerer King, leaned back in his seat of honour. It was a good thing that he was immune to cold, as the massive throne was carved out of pure ice. Even so, he had to suppress a shudder at the thought of...
2023-03-14 05:08:01 +0000 UTC
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『Gladestalkers, fan out. Keep enemy eyes off of us.』
Saraca’s brief pursuit of the Undead Commander ended not with closure, but with an ever-increasing sense of unease. He gazed down at his bloodstained claws, thoughts racing to make sense of the outcome. Mitra stood beside him; not a trace of her usual levity could be detected.
How do things just keep getting worse?
“Hey,” Girika said. “You sure this one was Undead?”
...
2023-03-12 08:08:00 +0000 UTC
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Mistress!
Ilyshn’ish bolted upright from her litter, eyes wide with shock. At the same time, an indescribably horrible sense of wrongness suffused her entire being. Something beyond loss. Her anxiety rose a hundredfold. It almost felt as if the world itself was shrieking alongside Ilyshn’ish in the emptiness left in the ruins of her broken telepathic bond.
I need to do something. I need to go. I need to–
She took two steps before tri...
2023-03-10 10:08:01 +0000 UTC
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The grass alongside the highway streaked by after Ludmila was blasted back by the Beastman Lord’s attack. Her world was a haze of blinding pain before she distanced herself from the sensations of her body.
Even with Invulnerable Fortress…
Her arms were shattered from her wrists to her elbows and her shoulders were dislocated. The shaft of her glaive, which had been held out crosswise in a desperate attempt to block her foe’s attack, had been forced into her breastpl...
2023-03-08 12:02:21 +0000 UTC
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A grim expression graced Ludmila’s features as she silently watched the advance of her forces. It was true that they were rapidly gaining ground, yes, but the manner in which they did so was more displeasing than anything else.
Across the ten-kilometre-long section of her front, the members of her infantry squads flung themselves into the fray with wild abandon. They hacked, slashed, stabbed and bashed their way forward, though which way ‘forward’ was depended on which servitor on...
2023-03-06 14:24:03 +0000 UTC
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Another Death Knight crumbled to pieces amidst the cheers of Rol’en’gorek’s warriors. Mitra moved with the growing number of freed-up guards to dispatch the next. Several defenders from clan Ki’ra filled the space that they left, cautiously examining the remains of the Undead warrior as they dissipated in the wind.
“I still can’t wrap my head around the existence of the Undead,” Rana Saj said. “How can something so substantial just become…dust?”
“You...
2023-03-04 16:08:01 +0000 UTC
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“Well,” Girika said, “that escalated quickly.”
“That’s just a bit of an understatement,” Saraca replied.
“Nothing we’ve heard about the Undead since their appearance spoke of any behaviour like this,” Rana Kizurra said.
“It’s entirely unprecedented,” Saraca said. “None of the histories that I know of and none of my experiences with Undead elsewhere suggest that they might do this.”
Individual Undead were known for their mindless h...
2023-03-02 18:08:01 +0000 UTC
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