A Wizards Misadventures

~~Level Twenty Three~~

"How?" he asked simply.

"A. New. Adventuring. Team… Black Ice." Ainz nodded and waited. "Though. They. Are. Not. Quite. A. Team. More. A. Single. Person… Esdeath. She. Is. A. General… A. Leader. And. Warrior-mage. Half. Ice. Demon… Very. Strong."

"Demon…" Ainz mused. Demons were rarer in the new world than they were in YGGDRASIL and weaker by far. There were a few half demons that he had heard of but the discrimination that they faced was intense, leading them to spread to isolated places or to hide their heritage. That this Esdeath was able to openly call herself a half demon and still apparently lead an army was impressive.

"She leads soldiers?"

"Yes."

"Interesting. What are her methods? How has she helped the kingdom?"

"Brutally. Genocided. All. Of. The. Beastmen… But. Spared. Those. Under. Eighteen… She. Kicked. Out. Crystal. Tear… Beat. All. Of. Them. In. Single. Combat." Now THAT was interesting, almost as significant as the fact that the beastmen horde was annihilated.

Adamantite ranked adventurer teams didn't just fall into their positions. To be an adamantite adventurer required skills in combat beyond simply abnormal. Crystal Tear, the previous adamantite group contributing to the defeat of the beastmen, wasn't of too much note, being too far away to interfere in Nazerick's activities. But they were still war heroes and adamantite class adventurers. They shouldn't be overwhelmed by one single woman.

This Esdeath was interesting; unique. That made her dangerous.

"Hmm… Sebas," he looked towards the head butler, the homunculi already standing at attention. "You are still stationed in Re-estize. What are the recent findings there?"

"Thus far I've established an outpost in a manor and have acquired a sizable amount of funds to use. I have several identities ready and am going to work with Solution to explore the city further."

"Leave the work to Solution herself and to Yuri Alpha. I want you to travel to the Draconic Kingdom and to investigate this Esdeath and the going ons of the Draconic Kingdom."

"Of course, Lord Ainz." He nodded deeply, almost a bow really.

"Make sure to leave notes on what you've accomplished with Yuri Alpha and Solution. You'll likely be reassigned to this as soon as you get back," he commanded. "Anything else?" Nobody spoke.

"Then return to your duties. Dismissed."

[|||| =NEXT STAGE= ||||]

Retirement? Retirement.

"Dear Salem," the lady herself spoke. "How long since I've had a properly worded letter," she muttered. That it had been given over the dustnet was unfortunate but after humanity stopped using vellum all papers felt a bit fake anyways.

"Vale is in dire need of help. Plant monster, Abyss' lab, out of control… Doctor Polendina." She tried to recall the name signed at the end of the letter. Abyss had mentioned him once, she was sure. Wasn't his daughter a golem? Yes, and close friends with Ruby Rose. The doctor himself worked with Abyss, though she wasn't sure exactly what he did.

With a few taps on her scroll she summoned Watts to her room. In the meantime she wondered what it was Abyss had left behind. The letter mentioned that the plant growth had emerged from a dragon egg.

Dragons as a whole were going extinct when she had been young. To think that an egg still survived… it must have been fossilized. A proper life mage, as Abyss was, could bring it back easily enough. Without a soul, however, complications arose. Then again, Abyss specialized in the soul and void. She herself focused on grimm creation and a fair bit of territorial magic, mostly in the realm of corrupting the world to her whims.

But to hear that plants had sprung from a dragon egg and were threatening to slowly eat Vale… she lived in interesting times. It wasn't the most absurd thing she had heard in her life but it was in the upper realms of the list. How would she resolve such a thing?

Off the top of her head she would attempt corrupting it to the forces of grimm and command it to a ritual circle, wherupon she'd annihilate it. She had enough power to turn Mantle to a hellscape, which she'd done to her continent a few ages ago. Though she had no intention of attempting to overpower the godly curse on her or Ozman it was an option she'd never discard. Enough power could do anything, after all.

"You summoned me, Milady?" Watts asked behind her. She didn't bother to look at him, preferring to stare out the window.

"Tell me everything you know about one Doctor Poledina," she said.

"Doctor Polendina was a prominent researcher in Atlas. However, after some backroom dealings regarding a classified project and general Ironwood he was traded into Abyss' employ, where he founded a research division for Nature's Bounty. He seemingly had a daughter, Penny Polendina, at some point in his life, and she has been homeschooled by him, kept close all her life. I can tell you about some of the projects he's worked on if that interests you."

"I'm not," she turned to him. "He's sent a request for my aid in defeating an experiment gone rogue. A dragon egg underwent a transfusion of nature affinity thanks to Abyss. After his departure it cracked and a cancerous plant-like being emerged. It's been slowly growing throughout the main lab. Thus far nothing has been able to stop it. I am apparently the first of a list of 'drastic measures' Polendina has been forced to take."

"I… see." Watts looked down briefly before meeting her eyes. "I am sorry, Milady. I don't believe I'll be of any help if Doctor Polendina has been unable to find a solution."

"That's fine. I expected little," she turned back away, having lost interest in him. "Currently only myself or Ozpin are capable of combating this unless there is some unknown mundane method of stopping the creature. I doubt it, personally."

"Of course. Then shall I take my leave?"

"Yes." The door opened and shut softly.

On one hand this whole matter sounded tiresome. She was old, preferring to sit in her tower and idle about, acting only through her followers, those she recruited still being hot blooded and willing to rush about Remnant.

On the other hand this was a genuine problem, not one of her and Ozpin's feuds or another petty war. Left unchecked this seemed as though it would grow out of proportion, in this case literally.

She may be properly immortal but she had no desire to be consumed by a plant for eternity. She and Ozpin had talked of what might happen if humanity were to be driven extinct. Likely the gods would return, if only to see what had happened. Or, if not that, then he would be trapped elsewhere and she would live alone with her grimm until she went insane.

… Humanity could handle it for now. If it was as bad as the scientist claimed then she would be forced to intervene. Until then, however, she'd wait and watch.