The Two Leaders

The figure that was a couple steps above the ground was a stone statue of the ruler of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, Ainz Ooal Gown. The statue looked extremely realistic, as if Ainz himself had been petrified, and the way it was swinging the staff to the front gave a commanding aura that was befitting of a ruler.

There were numerous offerings laid out in front of the stone statue. From Mare’s point of view, all these offerings were worthless. They were trivial objects such as flowers and fish.

But Mare was not displeased by the offering. The tributes conveyed clear feelings of admiration and worship. For example, the flowers did not grow in the marshes, but in the forest. As the forest was dangerous for lizardmen, someone must have risked his life to get these flowers. Also, the fish were far bigger than the ones the lizardmen ate, and he could tell they had selected the best to offer.

Mare nodded his head in satisfaction. The fact that some rabble from nowhere had finally recognized the greatness of his master made him happy.

“Thanks for the hard work.”

Mare spoke first to the lizardmen who were fidgeting and stealing glances his way. They were there to clean the temple. These were some of the few lizardmen who possessed the abilities of a druid.

On their neck was a medal with the guild symbol of Ainz Ooal Gown.

Between them and Mare, their difference in their statuses was like the gulf between the heavens and the earth. Their relationship was that of a ruler and a servant, and there was no need to praise them for their hard work. But due to the reasons previously stated, Mare felt a sense of satisfaction and praised them so.

Mare left behind the lizardmen who were bowing and left the temple with the overlords. What stood before them was the swamp and the lizardmen village. It was more prosperous than before.

Their population had decreased due to the war, but with the five tribes united, they formed a large and healthy village.

Wooden stockades surrounded a large area and though one would wonder how they had managed to erect watchtowers on soft ground, white skeletons, probably Nazarick Old Guarders, stood watch with their bows from the top of the watchtowers. They appeared to be patrolling to ensure no intruders could make their way inside.

“Uhmmm, where would Cocytus-san be?”

Coctyus was easily recognizable in more ways than one. If he was in the village, he would be spotted easily and even if he was in one of the houses, his servants would be standing around outside. Mare had looked around the entire village, but Cocytus was nowhere to be seen.

“Can someone ask where Cocytus-san is?”

“Understood. Please wait a moment.”

One of the overlords, Aurelius, went back inside the temple.

Mare looked at the swamp — the peaceful lizardmen village. There was no sign of anyone being wary of the Nazarick Old Guarders and the lizardmen children did not seem to mind either. They coexisted as if it was natural.

Even though the undead invaded this place and they’re now subjugated, they don’t seem to hold anygrudges. Is it because Cocytus-san’s integration policy is working well or are the lizardmennaturally like this?

While Mare was wandering off in thought, Aurelius returned.

“I apologize for making you wait, Mare-sama. The ones working in the temple didn’t know where Cocytus-sama would be. But they said that Shasuryu Shasha… this tribal confederation’s chief might know.”

“T-then, uh, let’s go there.”

Mare and company walked with Aurelius at the head. Rather than cutting through the newly erected lizardmen village on the swamp, they walked along the lakeside. A forest soon appeared and they could spot several Nazarick Old Guarders here and there throughout the forest.

When they came out of the forest, there was another waterfront of a swamp different from the one before. A sizeable construction was underway.

The water was dammed off and close to ten stone golems dug up the dirt and the lizardmen carried off the dirt in a handcart off to somewhere. When Mare was observing and wondering what they were doing, a large lizardman came running out.

The lizardman had a magnificent physique, with scars all over his body. He stood out among the other lizardmen in many ways. The medal on his neck swayed left and right from hurriedly running over.

The medal was the symbol of being a subject and a way to protect them, but the medal itself had no magical properties. The fact they wore it around their neck showed that they were Ainz’s

“property”. Thus, no one under the command of the Great Tomb of Nazarick’s Supreme Being was to harm the lizardmen. Of course, if there was a good reason for a lizardman to die, that was a different story. Whether they were lucky or not, lizardmen showed respect to the strong and none dared to step out of the line.