Ainz stood in the heart of the mountain, where the suspended fortress overlooked the battlefield below. The cavern echoed with the clash of steel and the roars of war. His forces, a coalition of orcs, dragons, trolls, and ogres, fought brutally, forcing the Dark Iron dwarves into a desperate defense for their lives. Around him, the warriors of Blackrock Spire stood tense, their eyes trained on any fool who might dare approach their emperor.
Despite the carnage unfolding below, Ainz's goal wasn't to conquer Shadowforge City — at least, not yet. Nazarick lacked the numbers to occupy it, and ruling a resentful population through fear alone would weaken his empire in the long run, at least for decades or possibly centuries on end, until the new generations could be properly indoctrinated. No, his strategy was less direct yet more effective: force the dwarves into a defensive stance, stripping them of the resources needed for sabotage, and keep them that way. A weakened enemy was a less important enemy.
A large dragon landed beside him, causing the platform to tremble. General Vael'zan, a Black Dragon of middling size for his kind, had once served under Deathwing himself. Though not the largest of his peers, his tactical acumen and centuries of battlefield experience more than made up for it, proving his worth.
"Sire, the troops are in position. At your command, we shall begin the assault," Vael'zan growled, eyes gleaming with hunger.
With all preparations made, Ainz raised his arm, power surging at his fingertips. His voice boomed like thunder through the spacious cavern.
"Vermilion Nova!"
Reality itself seemed to ignite for his enemies. A massive pillar of flame erupted at the heart of the dwarven lines, its sheer heat warping the air. Once-thought impervious golems melted like cheap candle wax as molten metal dripped from their bodies. Dwarves caught in the blast were reduced to ash in a heartbeat, their charred remains dropping into the now barren ground, assuming their ashes were even left. Those on the outskirts howled in agony, their armor glowing red-hot as it fused to their flesh, burning into bone. The heat was so intense that even the orcs standing beside him flinched, the warlocks nearby straining with their barriers.
This one hit was enough to shatter the dark iron defense line, and his forces didn't hesitate to capitalize on it. Warlocks unleashed lesser demons among the stunned enemies en masse . Orc, troll, and ogre warriors leaped onto dragon backs and were carried over the battlefield like a legion of destruction, dropping down onto their enemies from above. The attack was overwhelming.
Within moments, the tunnels lay in ruin. The forces of Nazarick had cut off the entrance to Shadowforge City; the dwarven threat had been all but erased from Blackrock Spire. Yet, Ainz wasn't done. He cast Change Weather above the Searing Gorge. A massive thunderstorm descended from the top of the mountain. This storm was a calculated measure. It would make the dwarves waste their efforts struggling against nature itself while Nefarian secured their borders and crushed any remnants of their influence. Lightning would periodically strike to slaughter or injure key figures to cripple their leadership, and the rain would always intensify just as construction work was close to nearing done to sabotage supports.
Ainz's work here was finished.
Upon returning to his throne room, Ainz found one of his wyrms already waiting for him — a dragon in human guise clad in blackened armor.
"Sire," the beast saluted, "we have… peculiar guests at our border. They request entrance into the Jarnvidr."
"Guests?" Ainz inquired for more information as he sat down on the throne.
"Druids of Cenarion Circle. They claim neutrality, but their allegiance to the Green Dragonflight makes them potential spies. Shall I dispose of them?" The wyrm's lips curled slightly in disdain.
Ainz perked up, 'Druids! That is just what I need!'
He couldn't miss this opportunity. These druids could hold the key to understanding what was wrong with the forest. Even if their true motives were suspect, he did not have to let them anywhere near Nazarick's secrets, the forest would be enough to hold them. A few moments in his presence would be enough to unravel their secrets.
"No," Ainz commanded. "I will speak with them myself."
The dragon nodded and opened a Gate. In a flash, Ainz stepped through.
On the other side, six druids awaited him — four night elves and two tauren, all clad in robes woven from grass and twigs decorated with feathers and flowers. What came as a surprise was that one night elf druid had deer antlers, while a tauren woman had owl feathers growing on her arms.
The moment he appeared, the group tensed up but bowed nonetheless. The antlered elf stepped forward, "We greet your Imperial Majesty. I am Amallath Mosscloud. On behalf of the Cenarion Circle, we humbly request permission to investigate the forest you created and to establish formal diplomatic relations."
Ainz pretended to think about it for a moment. Then he spoke, his voice full of authority, "I am Ainz Ooal Gown; it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." He continued, "I will permit your investigation, though I require a full report on your findings. In return, you will train those among my people suitable for druidry."
Amallath's eyes widened in surprise. "You would allow the spread of druidry among your people?"
"With conditions," Ainz replied.
Ainz approached the druid, standing eye to eye with the man. "I have seen worlds whose people destroyed nature in the name of progress, turning their own children into resources to feed the machines. I will not permit such a grim fate for this world. However, the people you train will serve me, not your Circle. I will not tolerate subversion."
Silence hung heavy. Amallath exchanged glances with his fellow druids. Hesitation flickered in their eyes, and there was a noticeable pause before one of the night elves, an older woman with piercing silver eyes, finally spoke. "We will abide by your terms."
Ainz nodded. "Then begin your work."
'These are not spies. I doubt they even care about anything else but nature.' Ainz didn't feel any duplicity from the druids, who appeared genuinely happy at his declaration of wanting to keep his empire and the world balanced with nature. Still, he couldn't be too careful and assume that the green dragons weren't involved, no doubt at the request of the dragon queen, who likely was made aware of him and Nazarick by her consort, Korialstrasz.
Later that night, Ainz let out a rare sigh of contentment. Buku pressed herself against his chest, her fingers trailing along his jawline.
The hot water lapped against his human form's skin as he relaxed in a luxurious hot tub — the result of the collaborative effort between the gnomes and goblins wanting to appease him after the damage they had caused. The hot tubs were a widespread luxury among goblins, so the blueprints on how to build one were already available, and the only reason they hadn't installed one thus far was a lack of running water given the region's environment.
The gnomes were the ones who built a water purification station with an arcane water displacement unit that pumped tonnes of water a minute directly into the freshly created plumbing system of the Blackrock Spire, significantly increasing sanitation, which was one of the most significant contributors to reducing the bad smell and filth of the inhabitants. He had immediately ordered several more to be constructed to sufficiently cover the immediate region around his headquarters and then some as backups, with more along the way to the rest of his territory if given enough time.
The scent of freshly brewed dwarven ale filled the air, his chilled bottle resting in his hand as he pleasantly sighed.
"Mmm, now this is the life," Buku purred, sipping her drink. The beverage came directly from Kharanos, where one of the most renowned dwarven brewmasters lived. The beer had a strong, biting, bitter taste with a sweet aftertaste, making for a perfect balance that left its consumer craving more.
The skill with which dwarves created alcohol was the main contributor to why half of them were constantly tipsy, which, over generations, had only increased their capabilities as warriors and craftsmen, craving the booze and the skill to make it.
Ainz absentmindedly nodded, his mind still turning over the druid problem. They had informed him that his forest wasn't created in the Emerald Dream and thus would wither away if proper rituals were not performed. The six druids were hard at work making the first pockets of connection, but it would take them years, even with them training the first set of volunteer and high-aptitude trolls as the new generation of druids. Unfortunately, only the trolls were suitable for the druid training among his population, though plenty of candidates were eager to learn once the process was ironed out.
Buku sighed dramatically. "You promised me, Ainz. No thinking about work in our private time." She slid off his lap to face him.
"I know. I'm sorry," he sighed. She was right; he was starting to overwork himself, and their private time together had suffered significantly. He needed more help. Though demons were highly capable, they were untrustworthy. He could not guarantee their loyalty.
"So, what's on your mind?" Buku moved her hand under his chin, gently scratching it.
Ainz admitted. "I just need more help. There are… limitations to what I can do alone."
"Let's get over the current issue so we can concentrate on something more pleasant." Buku pressed, straddling the edge of the tub as a leg overlapped one of his.
Ainz gave a quick rundown of the forest issue.
"You know Mare likely had abilities that could help. Didn't you have a book in your inventory about all of Nazarick's data?"
"I already looked through it, and there are only very vague descriptions of Mare's abilities, nothing on how to learn them. There also was a ritual on creating and recreating NPCs, but it is just as vague," Ainz explained.
Buku smirked, reaching for a towel. "Give me the book; I want to take a look."
He passed it to her, watching as she flipped through it. After a few minutes, she gave it back. "You know, it almost sounds like… I could give birth to them. Or we could create them together more directly by spending energy."
"I have a spell called mental travel; perhaps I could reach Artemel and ask for advice." Ainz stroked his chin.
"Not tonight." She slid back into the water, eyes gleaming with anticipation. "Sit on the edge, darling. I know just the way to make you relax."
Ainz got on the edge of the back tub as his wife licked her lips, her gaze falling on his member. Intimacy was essential to marriage, and he wasn't about to skip out on it.
For now, work could wait.
Editing by NabeisWaifu, Nich L, and aidan_lo.
Proofreading by fvvck, IAMTHEPLOKOKIOPO, and aidan_lo.
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