The Dark Warrior

the wall; a mysterious cube-shaped item moulding in a corner...

Ainz sighed in his heart and looked around the tavern.

There was a man with a dirty scarf around his neck, with his sleeved rolled up to

show off two muscular arms. There were several scars that were either from a

beast's claw or a blade wound.

His looks were somewhere between a brute and a beast, scars could clearly be

seen on his face and his head was shaved.

He looked more like a bouncer than the owner, holding a rag while observing

Ainz openly.

"Looking for a room? How many nights?", he asked from across the room with a voice that sounded like a broken bell.

"We want to stay for one night."

The boss answered crudely:

"...Copper medal. Communal hall will be 5 copper coins per night. Oatmeal with

vegetables wil be complementary, one more copper if you want meat. The

oatmeal might be replaced with bread several days old."

"If possible, I would like a double room."

The owner snorted:

"...There are 3 taverns used exclusively by adventurers and mine is the worst of

the lot... Do you know why the people at the guild introduce this place to you?"

"I don't know, please enlighten me."

In response to Ainz's query, the owner raised his brow and showed his

intimidating side:

"Use your brain! Or is the inside of this flashy helmet empty?"

Even after hearing the impatient and loud voice of the owner, Ainz remained

unmoved. He calmly dismissed it and treated it like a children's tantrum because

of the battle several days ago.

After that battle, and the intelligence he got from the prisoners, Ainz understood

just how powerful he was. That was why he didn't get agitated after being

shouted at.

The owner was a bit surprised by Ainz's reaction:

"... You have guts... Most of the adventurers staying here have copper or iron

medals. Even if you meet someone for the first time, you can form an

adventuring party if your abilities are around the same level. That's why my

place is best suited for you to find teammates matching your current abilities..."

The owner's eyes flashed for a moment:

"You can sleep in a room if you want, but you won't get teammates without using

the common grounds. If you can't form a balanced party, you wil be dead if you

fight monsters. Rookies without comrades wil advertise themselves in a

crowded place like this. I wil ask for the last time, you want the communal hall

or a double room?"

"Double room. I will pass on the meal."

"Tch, brushing off my good wil ... Or do you think you are something special and

your flashy full body armor isn’t just for show? Never mind, one night wil be 7

copper coins. Payment in advance, of course."

The owner promptly held out his hand.

Under everyone’s judging eyes, Ainz started walking towards him with Narberal

following behind——when suddenly a foot was stuck out to block Ainz's path.

Ainz stopped, only moving his gaze to the man who was sticking his foot out.

The man showed an annoying smirk. The other men at the table did the same,

staring at either Ainz or Narberal.

The owner and the other customers kept quiet and didn’t interfere.

Everyone appeared to be indifferent, but they were actually expecting to see a

good show, with some of them watching the whole scene closely.

Well, well...

Ainz sighed softly in irritation and gently kicked the foot away.

The man seemed to be waiting for this action and stood up. Because he wasn’t

wearing armor, the bulging muscles under his shirt were easily visible. A

necklace hung around his neck, swaying with his every move. It was similar to

the one Ainz wore, but this one was made of iron instead of copper..

"Hey hey, that hurts."

The man threatened Ainz with a sharp voice and approached him slowly. He

was wearing his gauntlets when he stood up and the metal parts squeaked as

he clenched his fist.

The man was just as big as Ainz and they stood a bit too close for a brawl as

they glared at each other. Ainz flamed the fight on:

"I see. My field of vision is rather bad because of my helmet, so I didn’t see your leg in front of me. Or maybe I didn’t notice your leg because it was too short...

That’s my reason, would you forgive me please?"

"... Bastard."

Ainz's taunt made the man glare dangerously, but when he turned his gaze to

look at Narberal who was standing behind Ainz, his gaze stuck onto her:

"You are an annoying fellow... but I am a generous man. I’l forgive you if you

lend me that woman for one night."

"Ke, kekeke."

Ainz laughed coldly, holding back Narberal who wanted to confront the man.

"...What are you laughing at?"

"Nothing, it's just that you said a classic line befitting a mob vil ain, which made me laugh, don't worry about it."

"Huh?"

The man's face turned red from anger.

"Oh, before we start I wanted to ask: Are you stronger than Gazef Strolonoff?"

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"I see, I can tell from your reaction. I don't even need to use my strength to play with you --- fly."

Ainz grabbed the man’s chest and lifted him up in an instant.

The man couldn't dodge or resist, shouting 'Whoa!' in surprise. The men