Magic Gems Gourmet - Chapter 42

Chapter 42.1: The Next Morning

「It’s finally here, nya!」

Ainz had slept in Olivia’s embrace last night.

But when he woke up in the morning, he found that he was still being embraced on the bed.

He wondered how she moved to the bed. But soon he found some new roots in the carpet and thought that Olivia must have moved with her Dryad abilities.

It was a shame that he had not been able to see Olivia in her dryad form. But these feelings were overshadowed by the embarrassing memories he had with her last night.

Olivia didn’t seem to mind at all about last night’s events and just seemed to be having a good time when they talked while having breakfast this morning. She was in a good mood for having slept with Ainz for the first time in a long time.

A waiter then brought a message from Kadyma, so they decided to head for Kadyma’s Lab. Incidentally, after a night’s rest, Ainz’s arm seemed to have regained some of its functionality.

「What’s happened all of a sudden, Kadyma-san」

「I’ve stayed up all night putting this together, nya. It’s about what you had absorbed from the Lich’s magic stone and the Sea Dragon’s magic stone, nya」

A lot of papers were placed on the desk. Kadyma must have been holed up in the lab working on it since they parted last night. Chris seemed to have volunteered to help too, and the translation seemed to have progressed.

「I wonder which one I should check first」

「Since this is all about you, choose it yourself, nya. You can choose in any order you like, nya. I’ll also give the same report to father as well. Oh right, I’ve also had the castle painter prepare an illustration so it can be easily understood, so don’t worry, nya」

When Ainz was told that, he decided to check them from the top. The first one was about the Sea Dragon.

「Speaking of which, I also received a skill called ocean current right?」

「Well, you might not be able to use it now, nya. It’s not that easy to use a skill that can cause natural phenomena after all, nya」

Large monsters possess a huge amount of physical strength and magic power that suited their bodies. That’s why there were things that only they could do, and this Sea Dragon’s skill was one of them.

「May I ask a question? I’ve absorbed so many national treasure-class magic stones, but I still can’t reach the same level of strength or magic power as the Sea Dragon huh?」

「If you eat 1kg of meat, do you gain 1kg of body weight right away, nya? Of course not, if it were that easy to grow, those monsters would be too strong for anyone to defeat by now, nya」

He knew that it didn’t work like that.

「Rather, the upper limit to a humanoid existence also play a part of it, nya」

「You mean the limits on our status?」

「That’s right, nya. There is a line that can’t be passed once you reach it, nya. There’s also an old hypothesis that said once you reach 999, it will be hard to go up any further, nya. However, there are a few in history who have grown to that level, so we can’t be sure yet, nya」

「I see」

「Well, we’ll experiment with your absorption rate next time, so let’s leave it at that for now, nya. Now go and read the data」

When she said so, he turned his attention back to the document.

It contained a lot of information about the Sea Dragon, including its ecology and length.

Its estimated strength was several hundred thousand. Just by looking at that number, he realized that it was a real terrifying monster.

However, since there were not many individuals as a reference, the data is still limited. What we recently learned is that dragon species that do not use breath attacks fight mainly through physical combat.

「Hey, Kadyma-san」

「What is it, nya?」

「Which one is stronger, the Dullahan or the Sea Dragon?」

「If it had a good foothold, it would be the Dullahan, nya」

「As expected, it’s really strong, huh?」

「The real Dullahan was such a monster, nya」

It was hard to imagine just how strong he was in person.

However, if it was only the strength that could be read from the data, in Kadyma’s opinion, the Dullahan seemed to be the stronger one.

「Fuh… I see」

「Let me tell you this, Ainz. Your status growth is similar to that of dangerous monster, nya」

「What are you talking about out of the blue? What does that mean?」

「Listen, nya, by having unusually high physical strength, magic power, and defense, this proves that their survival ability is very high, nya. Dangerous monsters also use their magic to strengthen their body, nya. That’s why, Ainz’s status is closer to that of a dangerous monster than a person, nya」

「…Come to think of it, you also mentioned my Named job yesterday, right?」

「I think it’s also because of that, nya. It doesn’t mean you’ll be getting stronger easily, nya. But I think you’ll be fine with it, nya」

Dangerous monsters such as the Sea Dragons and Dullahan are first and foremost talked about for their high survival ability.

This is proof that they had lived for a long time. They had used their high magic power to strengthen their bodies and to unleash high attack power.

「I see… but there’s still not a lot of data on the Sea Dragon after all」

「There were only a few individuals out there, and above all, we couldn’t observe them, nya…」

「Aah, but I’ve got one good point of it」

「!? Tell me, nya!」

「The magic stone of the Sea Dragon tasted better than all the food I had ever eaten!」

Kadyma falls off the chair she was sitting on when she heard that.

「Even if I get to know it, I got no use of it, nya!」

「But that thing is amazing. You know the Sea Dragon steak we ate yesterday, right? It tasted more delicious than that」

Kadyma gulped when he said that.

Even yesterday’s steak was one of the best foods she had ever eaten.

She got intrigued when she heard it.

「Ugghh… But I can’t taste it, so in the end, it’s meaningless, nya!」

「Oh, and about the next one」

「Nyah―!」

Kadyma strikes her claw at Ainz who was looking so aloof. But Ainz easily dodged her since he still could move his body even if he can’t move his arms.

「Then, the next document is… Ooh, it’s about this person」

「What a hell of a nephew, nya… That woman was the Dullahan’s wife, the Elder Lich, nya」

He could only know her from her illustration, but he understood that she was beautiful. Her black robe and a large staff made her look very impressive.

「Somehow, I felt like I did something wrong」

「Nya?」

「If I had known that they were married from the beginning, I would have let them meet right away. I’m glad I didn’t re-seal it because I was afraid of it before」

「…But now, they can be together in Ainz body, nya. So, I think it’s a little better for them, nya」

Even though they were monsters if they showed that much love for each other, Ainz wished he could have met them sooner.

This is probably the reason why he heard a voice saying 『Thank you』 when he absorbed the Lich’s magic stone.

「Huh? The dagger in this picture is…」

「Chris explained it to me yesterday, didn’t she? The Elder Lich used her core power to create a dagger」

「So you’re saying, this is that dagger….?」

「It looks familiar doesn’t it, nya?」

「Of course, because it was my partner」

It was the black dagger that Ainz had lost during the fight with the Sea Dragon. The dagger described in the document was that very dagger.

He feels a strange connection to the fact that it also appeared here as well.

「The name of the dagger is 『Ancestral’s Iron Scrap』. It was a dagger that was created using the Lich’s unique method of scraping off a small portion of her core」

「By just listening to its description, It already sounds like a scary manufacturing method」

「…Maybe, this is why you were able to defeat that Sea Dragon, nya. The dagger must be originally a kind of protective charm to be used at the very end. And when it already showed its true value, the dagger would disappear with a single blow, nya. But it’s also said that the blow could be fatal even for the Demon King, nya」

「Isn’t it an amazing thing then? So, why didn’t you tell me before? I mean, Kadyma-san seems to be familiar with it」

「The item was said to be passed to her guard, so it is useless unless the guard uses it, nya. But since Ainz had absorbed the Dullahan’s magic stone, I think that’s why it showed its true value at the last minute, nya. And also, I only knew about it after all of this was translated by Chris, nya」

“Thank you for your hard work, Chris-san” Ainz said so to thank her in his mind

「I see. So, it’s not like it fell to the bottom of the sea」

「It must have disappeared after you stabbed it, nya. You must be grateful, nya… It’s thanks to the Elder Lich Ainz was able to become a hero, nya」

「Yes… I’m really grateful」

「Maybe it arrived when the Dullahan’s magic stone was brought into the castle. It must be from the same place, nya」

The Dullahan, Elder Lich, and that Dagger. The fact that these elements were gathered together under the Demon King’s magic stone made him feel a strong connection. The vague word “attracted” brought Ainz’s consciousness strongly.

「Lastly, take a look at this, nya」

Kadyma took out several sheets of paper as she said so. On the first page, it says…

『A Hypothesis about the Demon King’s Actions and One Alleged Betrayal』

＊＊＊

I was the elf who was the author of that book, I had lived a long life and have studied many legends.

Among them, I paid particular attention to the inconsistencies in the Demon King’s behavior. This book is about that.

The Demon King had attacked Ishtalica several hundred years ago. But no one knows why such a powerful being appeared so suddenly. His strength was truly mighty and he could take many lives with just a single spell.

If he was that strong, I wondered why he had not been seen before.

As a result, they needed countless sacrifices to defeat the Demon King, Dullahan, and the Elder Lich

But a question remained for his two aides who were close to him. Why had the Dullahan waited for the enemy and had not moved, and why had the Elder Lich not used any offensive magic, but instead focused on obstruction.

Let me assure you. If the Dullahan had acted first and if the Elder lich had used her offensive magic to kill people, Ishtalica would have been destroyed for sure. That’s why I can’t help but wonder.

Were they underestimating the people? But that doesn’t seem to be the case, because the two of them had maintained that stance until the very end of their lives. That’s why I wondered about it.

Through years of research, I managed to reveal several new things. When the Demon King was rampaging as if he was crying out, the Dullahan and Elder Lich’s actions seemed as if they were leading the people away from the Demon King.

And with this one more thing. It can be the final key to reveal all of it.

There’s one more member of the Demon King’s entourage, she was a female red fox monster. However, she never moved from the Demon King’s stronghold. She didn’t do anything even though the rest of her allies were fighting.

Her corpse was never confirmed, and the tribe she was leading had also disappeared without participating in the war with the Demon King.

That red fox monster was still a mystery to this day. Not only do they deceive people, but their hedonistic nature has yet to be explained in detail, and since they are never seen, they remain a mystery.

As I considered it was too much for me, I will end this research here.

Therefore, from what I have learned so far, I will draw my own conclusions to conclude my research.

『His aide, the red fox. She was most likely the one who triggered the Demon King’s rampage』

＊＊＊

「… I’m done reading it, but what’s this all about?」

「The Demon King started to run amok for some reason, nya. And as the conclusion said, a single monster was the one who triggered his rampage, nya」

「So, in other words. The Demon King’s himself wasn’t that violent?」

「I guess that’s what it means, nya. Take a look at this picture, nya」

She handed him a picture of a pretty girl who looked to be about fifteen years old with silver hair and a fragile expression on her face.

「Umm, who is she? I think she’s cute」

「The Demon King, nya!」

「Huh!? So, this is the Demon King who had made us sacrifice so many people!?」

「Because so many people has seen the Demon King at that time, so there’s no mistaking it, nya」

Ainz was told that the girl who looked like she’s more suited to play in a flower garden, was actually the Demon King.

「She was the girl who owned the magic stone in the audience room, nya」

「…But she doesn’t look like someone who would do the bad things you’ve said」

「I agree with you, nya. But in the end, there are things that you can’t know just by looking at, nya… And based on the document you’ve read, there’s also the possibility that her aides had done something to her, nya」

「How can a being like the Demon King possibly be set up like this by her aides?」

「It’s foolish to rule out all possibilities, nya」

That’s true, Ainz thought. In fact, you never know what will happen when you are alive, and that’s why he didn’t think there was any chance of this happening either.

Chapter 42.2: The Next Morning

Translated by Tods

Edited by Phantom0408

Special thanks to the translation supporter: Asekhan

Sorry for splitting the post as parts ><

＊＊＊

「Graff-sama! We’ve finished dismantling the head!」

「Good work, then the next one is…」

It was Graff Augusto. But he didn’t use his old family name the Augusto now, but used Graff August instead, a name similar to his old one.

In the port of the Royal Capital, the Sea Dragon that Ainz and the others had brought in last night was being brought ashore and dismantled.

The reason why Graff was in such a workplace was that it was related to his current job.

It is no exaggeration to say that he was the aristocrat who was in charge of all land transportation in Hyme, and there was a time when he was called the champion of trade in Hyme.

In recognition of his achievements, Warren handed him several tasks for him to complete, and a new business association was formed with Ishtalica’s funding.

Its name was the August Chamber of Commerce. They have contacts with many merchant associations and noblemen and have gained a great deal of trust. It was now a large and famous business association in the Royal Capital of Ishtalica. The fact that it was funded by the Royal Family also played a part in it.

In addition to sales, he has also branched out into distribution and development, and this time he was asked by Warren to manage the materials of the Sea Dragon.

「Even though its energy has depleted, this magic stone is really huge. The crown prince was amazing to be able to defeat such a monster!」

「His future seems to be bright! Well, let’s work on the next one―!」

This is an important work for the business, so he has selected many talented craftsmen to secure its materials.

「Graff-sama! Graff-sama!」

「Hmm?… Do we have any problems?」

A craftsman belonging to the Chamber of Commerce calls Graff.

「There’s something I need you to check for me, and I was wondering if you could come over there with me」

「Very well. Alfred, I’ll leave this place to you」

「Understood」

After leaving his post to Alfred, Graff went to check it out.

It was near the belly of the Sea Dragon that was still floating on the sea because it had not yet been brought ashore.

However, the craftsmen who were dismantling its parts that were on the sea had found something.

「President, I apologize for calling you so suddenly」

「I don’t mind, so what’s wrong?」

「It’s about that sir」

The craftsman pointed to two large blue objects.

「What is that?」

「It was taken from around the belly of the Sea Dragon… And somehow, we can see something moving inside of it」

「…Don’t tell me, it’s an egg?」

「Perhaps. We cannot make any further judgments, so we have called you here」

The Sea Dragon that Ainz had defeated seems to be a female, which probably means that those two Sea Dragons were a pair.

Nevertheless, Even Graff couldn’t make decisions if he found something like this.

Therefore, he decided to contact Warren first.

＊＊＊

Upon receiving Graff’s call, two carriages and knights on horseback appeared from the castle.

「…Graff-dono. I’ve received your message, have you secured the eggs?」

「I don’t know what to make of this. So, I asked you to check it」

When they arrived, Lloyd was the first one to come down. Chris and Dill appeared next, along with Ainz. As of yesterday, Lloyd had become Sylvird’s personal guard, but because of the situation, he had also come to this place. His equipment was truly a sight to behold. There was an aura of overwhelming power just by being near him, and this was the image of a man who had served as the Grand Marshal of Ishtalica for many years.

「It’s these two blue things」

「I see, I think it’s really eggs huh?」

The eggs were being surrounded by many knights; it wouldn’t hurt to be careful after all. Even if it was a newborn, the opponent is still a Sea Dragon, they also couldn’t let it escape into the sea, so they came to the port with a large number of men.

While he was confirming if it was really an egg, suddenly a crack appeared on the two of them.

「Huh!? Lloyd-dono, I think it is going to hatch!?」

Chris’s voice made Lloyd tense up. Then he drew the large sword he had brought with him and held it up.

When the knights saw him, they drew their swords and held them up as well.

「Ainz-sama, please step back」

「I know… I’m not going to push myself today」

Ainz, who had forced himself to come with, was not allowed to move forward only for today because Chris and Dill were going to protect him, so he obeyed what Chris said.

The cracks on the shell quickly spread across the whole shell, which was then quickly broken.

「Pii―! Pii―!」

What appeared were two small Sea Dragons. Their pale, shining bodies look really like a Sea Dragon itself.

They looked very cute as they checked their bodies with their fins.

Their body length was about one meter long. With thick bodies, long necks, tails, and bodies covered with scales that were unique to dragons, they were just like a dinosaur that lived in the sea.

「Chris-dono, Dill. Take care of Ainz-sama」

「Understood」

Then Lloyd pointed his sword to the two of them. If we don’t kill it while we can, it’ll be a danger for us in the future after all.

「C-Chris-san? Are Lloyd-san will kill those two?」

「Of course, Ainz-sama… But why do you sound so reluctant about it」

The Sea Dragon’s baby who noticed that Lloyd was approaching it, leaned in close and threatened Lloyd with a high-pitched noise.

Seeing them gradually lower their bodies as they trembled, Ainz couldn’t help but feel a sense of sympathy for them.

When he thought so, he suddenly felt as if his eyes had met those two monsters.

「…I see, so they realized that they didn’t have their parents with them anymore」

「Ainz-sama? Did you just say something now?」

「And so… is it because I absorbed your parent’s magic stone huh? Hmm…」

「Ainz-sama… What have you been uttering just now?」

「Lloyd-san. Halt」

Hearing the voice, Lloyd stopped in his tracks without looking back.

「What are you trying to do now, Ainz-sama」

「You’re going to kill them because you think they’re dangerous aren’t you?」

「That’s right. It is to ensure that they wouldn’t be a problem to Ishtalica in the future」

「Hey, it’s not common in the Royal Capital, but it’s quite common in other cities, just like the Flying Dragon’s Flight for example」

In some cities in Ishtalica, some people use monsters for their work.

The monsters that have been tamed from an early age would usually listen to their owner and grow to be obedient.

They used the characteristic of the monster that was loyal to their parents.

「…That is」

「Chris-san, Dill. Follow me」

When Ainz suddenly started to walk away, they couldn’t stop him as quickly as they had hope and decided to follow him.

Seeing Ainz coming closer, the two Sea Dragons screamed and tried to get closer to Ainz.

「Ainz-sama!」

「Yeah, just like what I expected. Maybe they think I’m like a parent to them. It’s not just like imprinting」

「Don’t tell me, Ainz-sama. Did they think you’re their parents just because you absorbed the Sea Dragon’s magic stone?」

「It’s just like what Chris-san said. Since I also have the ocean currents skill, and I think that’s why I can understand somehow」

Their chirping voices sounded so sweet as they tried to get closer to Ainz. Although he couldn’t get close to them because of Lloyd, he still seemed to be trying to pamper them somehow.

「You see, they look so sweet, right? What does Chris-san think of them?」

「C-certainly, it’s as you’ve said… But they’re still dangerous」

「Hey, Lloyd-san. How can you easily kill these two?」

「…I’ll finish my job in one breath」

「Is it the same with Chris-san and Dill?」

「There will be no problem. The knights of the castle should be able to kill it without any problem」

Ainz began to think when he told him that there would be no problem for him to do so.

「If we put them in a cage, can you let me take care of them just for one day?」

「I’m fine with that, but… What are you going to do with them?」

「You know, at this point, their fate has already been decided. But can we take care of these two? Pretty please!」

Lloyd made a puzzled face and replied with “You have to ask your parents first” when Ainz said so. Chris and Dill were greatly perplexed when they heard him says so.