"Again!" You shouted, as both Climb and Gazeff panted tiredly, barely able to keep their swords up properly. Climb was the first to rush forward and deliver a four hit sword combo. You narrowed your eyes and focused on each strike, seeing its trajectory in what seemed like slow motion. You weaved through the strikes with relative ease, but you did notice that he seemed faster than when you had started. As you leaned back, dodging his last strike Gazeff lunged forward and threw his own four hit combo. The strikes came out a bit slower than Climb's, but with much more power. Instead of dodging the strikes this time, you blocked each shot with your fists that were currently hardened by your Adamantine Skin ability. Once they both stood there panting, you flexed your arms and emitted a powerful Shockwave that sent them both back onto their butts.
"You've both improved since we started." You said, as they both sat up and looked at you.
"Though it's far from where you can still be." You held up your pointer finger as you spoke. Climb and Gazeff looked at each other and smiled. You were glad this had been their reaction. You always struggled with that fine line between proper criticism and praise. It seemed however you had found the perfect balance for spurring these two's progress even further. It had been two months since the incident with Nueronist and Lilith. You hadn't returned to Nazarick in that time frame, but you had received messages and correspondence from time to time, as to not be out of the loop. Lilith had become a major asset, as she now lead and ran Eight Fingers with a trusted staff she selected. The only exception was Zero, who returned and to your surprise was very amicable. Well...after a duel with you that ended with him nearly dead. He not only pledged his loyalty, but he had also asked to become your pupil. Lilith had proved herself a shrewd business woman as well as a charismatic leader. She lead with kindness, but kept intimidation in her back pocket as a trump card. You ensured her absolute safety by assigning her an elite bodyguard. After Lilith had been tortured, you began worrying about Tuare. Though Sebas was surely always with her, enough denizens of Nazarick could take Tuare and leave Sebas for dead. You had asked the butler to join you in the Kingdom as an advisor as well as Lilith's bodyguard. Naturally you invited Tuare to come live in the castle which she was all too happy to accept. It was like a dream come true to her after the hell she had been through in Re Estize before Sebas had "liberated" her. Sebas also eagerly agreed. You didn't want to assume anything, but it seemed Sebas treated what you said with a deeper sense of Loyalty than he did Ainz. An ally like that may be of great use to you one day. After the Nueronist incident, you had no faith in Ainz as a leader. A part of you felt betrayed that he had allowed that to happen. You hoped it never came to this, but you felt as though a great divide was forming between you and Ainz, and that war may be a potential outcome. You had already noticed small hints of favoritism amongst the floor guardians. Albedo had become cold and distant to Ainz, and had instead elected to be your eyes on the inside of Nazarick, reporting everything you asked her to report. Though she did continue to loyally serve Ainz, it had become strictly business. Cocytus' closeness with Th'uul naturally made him favor you a bit more, as he respected your warrior's spirit. On the other hand, Aura and Mare, being young and impressionable have simply latched onto Ainz as a parental figure. You imagined that had you been present in Nazarick, you could have very well filled that position. Alas, your ambitions drove you away from Nazarick, and your disagreements with its archaic ideologies teased the last thread that kept you tied there. Shalltear had begun sucking up to Ainz like never before, once Albedo backed off. Meaning she was comfortably in Ainz's pocket. It was no surprise that Shalltear wanted to get back into Ainz's good graces after she had been controlled and made to fight Ainz. You made sure to watch the whole battle from a remote location, using a world class scrying orb that kept your spying concealed. It was quite the battle, and it gave you a good look at Ainz's tactics and strategies. He was over reliant on preparation and you knew to exploit that if you ever had to. Suffice to say, Shalltear would feel under Ainz's thumb until she died for good after that. The other floor guardians weren't as obvious with their allegiances yet, but if things kept progressing as they had, you were sure that a need to pick sides would arise and you would have your answer then. You hadn't been monitoring Ainz's movements all that closely. There was no need since the exploits of the adventurer Momon were common tales told around Re Estize. Since taking control of Re Estize from the shadows, you had familiarized yourself with the all too important Adventurers Guild by now. You had personally formed relationships with each prominent guild and its members. Most notably being the Blue Rose. Being so tied into the guild, it was only natural that you had heard of plenty of the things Momon had done. It was clear Ainz was interested in gaining clout, but you had yet to figure out what his plan was exactly. Knowing Momonga, and his lack of experience, you banked on him having just winged it till this point. You shook your head, realizing you had gone on a bit of a mental tangent. Climb and Gazeff both looked at you curiously as they seemed to notice you spacing out.
"Lord Agamemnon, is everything alright?" Climb asked in a slightly concerned tone. You simply smiled and waved away his concern.
"I am perfectly alright Climb. Simply got lost in thought." You walked up to Climb and Gazeff, placing a reassuring hand on both their backs.
"Why don't you two take the rest of the day to rest." You said with a gentle smile. They both nodded and bowed before taking their leave. Once they left, the sounds of distant yelling and grunting rang throughout the castle grounds as Zero worked on hardening his body further. He desperately wanted to learn the Adamantine Skin technique and you were more than happy to instruct him. He was currently being pelted with attacks by various Six Arms soldiers. Much to your surprise, it seemed as though he was making progress. Some blades harmlessly bounced off while others drew trickles of blood. You decided to leave him to his training and made your way to the castle courtyard. You took a seat and leaned back onto a nearby tree. A slight rustling in the tree above you signaled a welcomed intruder.
"Come on out Regina." You said with a playful smile. Suddenly, an upside down face was nose to nose with your own. The battle maid had a silly grin on her face as she gently moved forward and planted a peck onto your nose.
"I'll sneak up on you one of these days." Regina said, as she winked and dropped from the tree. She gracefully landed feet first and gave you a bow. You reached and grabbed her hand. She looked at you in surprise as you pulled her closer to you and onto your lap.
"So, did you secure what I asked you to?" You asked curiously.
"Of course Lord Agamemnon." She offered as she held out something in the palm of her hand. A glimmering green orb rested there. It glowed with power, enticing you to take it into your own hands.
"Good." You said with a satisfied grin.
"The Nature Orb. A world class item that can bring fertility to the lands...and my ticket to gaining the trust of those in the Baharuth Empire." You stroked your chin in thought as you set the orb down on the grass in front of you. The previously dying grass of the courtyard field sprawled out before you sprang to life.
"Perfect." You thought with a satisfied smirk. You had heard through Albedo that Ainz was working on a plan to take the Baharuth Empire for himself. He even went as far as choosing the title Sorcerer King for himself, which left you a bit peeved. However, you had already concocted a plan to win Baharuth over peacefully, and this orb was the exact trinket you needed. Though Baharuth had once been a powerful force, the Empire fell on hard times when the surrounding soil became completely unsuitable for crops. This lead to an increase in imports, which was putting the Kingdom further and further into debt. With this orb however, you could return Baharuth to its former prosperous glory.
"Thank you Regina." You said with a caring smile. She nuzzled into you in response, which only served to bring a blush across your face.
"It was an honor to help you Lord Agamemnon." The battle maid purred in response. You tussled her hair and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.
"Alright then," You said, as Regina got up from your lap.
"I believe it's time go pay the Baharuth Empire a visit." Regina nodded and bowed deeply.
"Take care of things while I'm away, will you? I trust your judgement Regina, so if anything needs my personal attention, do let me know." You said as you cupped and rubbed her cheek with your thumb.
"Y-yes sir." She sputtered out, eliciting a pleased chuckle from you.
"Very good." You smiled at Regina and patted her head before making your way back to the training yard. Climb and Gazeff must have only rested briefly as upon your return, they were once again sparring.
"Enough." You said, which prompted them both to freeze in place.
"Your dedication to perfecting your combat is admirable, but you may stop for today. I have another mission for you." You say which piques both of their curiosities.
"You will be accompanying me to the Baharuth empire. I've already sent Imhotep to tell them of our arrival." You say with a chuckle.
"Based on the fact that he hasn't returned, I'm assuming he's been taken into custody." Gazeff looks at you with a confused gaze.
"Isn't that...bad?" He asks with genuine curiosity.
"On the contrary. Now they have made the first move... aggression. Which means the way we respond to their actions will dictate all future interactions." Climb and Gazeff listened intently to your explanation.
"We shall respond with patience and understanding and then they will be forced to reciprocate those feelings lest they be the reason and soul blame for a war with Re Estize that they would surely lose." Gazeff nods, now fully grasping your intentions.
"Besides. My connection to Imohtep has remained intact which means at the very least, he's alive." You add with a nod of your own.
"I see...you truly do think on another level!" Gazeff says with a hardy laugh. You see Climb desperately trying to comprehend what you said but is clearly still struggling to quite understand your tactics. Of course, thats to be expected due to his lack of experience.
"Regardless of strategy, your mission is to accompany me. So prepare what you need for the journey to Baharuth." You say as you turn from them.
"Be ready to leave within the hour."
"Yes sir!" They both confidently salute as you continue walking away from them. You give them a wave before walking into the Re Estize Royal Castle. As you walk down the immaculate and spacious halls, you fill the great expanse with intense and ominous laughter that seems to shake the very foundation of the grandiose castle.
"Let us see how you respond to this one...Ainz." You say with a sinister smile.