Magic Gems Gourmet

Chapter 54

Suddenly, Ainz found himself in a meadow with a cool breeze blowing. He felt as if he was using something soft as a pillow, as his neck was not hurting.

The only problem was, he had no idea where he was.

He tried to get up, but he couldn’t. It was as if he was dreaming but he couldn’t move his body.

...Ainz couldn’t open his eyes either. But he somehow can understand the situation even though he hasn’t opened his eyes.

He understood that he was in some kind of plains where the breeze was calm and the blue sky stretched out endlessly.

He suddenly heard a humming sound coming from around him. It was a girl’s voice, and she was lending her knee as Ainz’s pillow. So that must be why Ainz could relax even in a place like this.

The girl stroked Ain’s cheek as he slept.

「...Yosh. I think we’re done here」

What’s already done? Ainz wanted to say that, but he couldn’t. But still, she seemed to understand Ainz’s thoughts.

「I’m talking about you. Well, it’s all right now... And I’m sorry for causing trouble for you」

“About myself? You’ve caused trouble for me? What are you talking about...?” When Ainz thought that in his mind, she seemed to be troubled but then she gently patted Ainz’s head.

「...Now, go on. Don’t worry about anything else, I’ll take care of it next time. I’m so sorry...」

She gave no answer to Ainz’s question. But suddenly, he felt like freedom was returning to his body, so he tried to find out about her and where he was. Ainz opened his eyes and tried to turn towards her, but as soon as he moved his body, the scenery began to turn white.

***

「Who are you...!?」

Ainz finally managed to get up. But when he woke up, he found that he was not in the place he had felt before, but in the castle of Ishtalica, in his own room.

「...H-huh?」

“Organize your mind. Calm down, why am I here? Where was the place I saw earlier...?” The more he thinks about it, the less he understands. “...First of all, I was supposed to have gone to Euro for my first representative duty. And on the way back... I?”

“On our last day, I watched a huge sea crystal being pulled out of the sea. But I can’t remember anything after that... What did I do next? When did I get back? When did I arrive at the castle?”

「...It’s already night, huh?」

Looking around, he saw that the whole area was already covered in darkness.

In the castle town of Ishtalica, even at late hours, there were many lights that could be seen from the castle. But after 2:00 a.m., there were only a few lights to be seen from Ainz’s room. He thought that this seemed to be that time of night.

「H-huh? What is this... Am I injured?」

Ainz’s right arm was covered with a bandage. The bandage was familiar to him. It was a special bandage like the one in Kadyma’s lab.

A bandage made by Majolice, who has skill related to sealing. But he doesn’t understand why such a thing is wrapped around his arm.

「Hmm. Well, whatever」

Since he didn’t feel any discomfort from his arm, he decided to peel off the bandage in one go. But as soon as Ainz touched the bandages, it immediately vanished into ashes.

「I don’t know why, but, well... First of all..」

Chirin chirin (*bell sfx)

Ainz rang the bell that was placed beside his pillow. By ringing it, the waiter will come to Ainz at any time.

「I’m still young, so I shouldn’t forget things so easily. But I guess, I’m just tired」

It was his first time to go out of the country as a representative.

Ainz wondered if that was the reason why he was so tired.

After all, he met his brother who he hadn’t seen in a long time, and he had to deal with the troublesome royal family member from Hyme. So, he must be mentally exhausted as well.

As he was leisurely thinking about that, he then heard a noisy sound from outside his room. Immediately after, the door was opened, and two people came into Ainz’s room, they were Marche and Chris.

「A... Ainz, -sama...?」

Chris was the first to open her mouth. Her face was tinged with surprise, as if she was seeing a ghost.

「Hello, Chris-san. I’m sorry, but I can’t remember anything since we got back from Euro, but when did we come back to the castle? And it seems, I was mentally exhausted from dealing with my brother before」

「Ainz-samaa―!」

「Wha, Eh...? H-hey, Chris-san!?」

Hearing Ainz’s words, Chris rushed to him and hugged him with tears streaming down her eyes. But Ainz was surprised as he wondered what was going on.

「A-Ainz-sama... Y-your body, how is your body...?」

Marche’s expression, too, made Ainz want to ask “What’s wrong?”.

She seems to be too surprised to say anything, and at loss at what to do.

「Hmm? Ah, it looks like I’ve been sleeping for a while since we got back. But how long did I sleep?」

「...Chris-sama. I’ll call His Majesty. Can I leave Ainz-sama with you?」

「Y-yes... Don’t worry...」

Chris, who’s still crying, replies to Marche.

But Ainz still can’t understand what’s going on, and why is Chris crying like this?

「Hey, Chris-san. What’s wrong? Why are you crying?」

「B-but! Ainz-sama is... Ainz-sama is!」

「U-umm... I won’t understand if you said it like that」

He felt a little embarrassed to comfort an older woman, even if it was the beautiful Chris.

But when she was crying like this, Ainz felt that it’s wrong to not do anything. So Ainz stroked Chris’s head, who had been crying on his chest, as if he was shooting a child.

At the same time, Marche and the others had returned to his room, and they seemed to have the same expression on their faces.

The three who had been called by Marche were Olivia, Sylvird, and Lalarua.

Of the three, Olivia, in particular, had the same reaction as Chris.

「A-Ainz... You’re, really Ainz right...?」

「Y-yes, mother. I don’t remember what happened on our way back, but I remember that we were on our way back after my first representative duty in Euro. There were so many things that happened, and I have a lot of things I wanted to tell you... Uh... Mother?」

Oliva rushed at him and started crying beside Chris.

“Huh? Why did mother too...?” thinking so, he then looked at Sylvird and the others with a troubled look on his face.

「Ainz」

「Grandfather. I’ve returned home safely from my first representative duty. But sadly, I don’t remember what happened on our way back here, maybe it’s because I was too tired... So, can you tell me what had happened?」

Ainz replied after Sylvird called his name. He told him that he had returned home safely after he had fulfilled his first representative duty, and then asked him to explain what had happened. But Sylvird seemed to be holding back something by trying to maintain his expression. And that seemed strange to Ainz.

「...I’m glad to be able to hear Ainz’s voice after so long. Kadyma will be here soon, let’s wait for her for now」

“...After so long?”

“What do you mean?” Ainz thought, but he was told that they should wait for Kadyma for now, so he decided to do so.

Ten minutes after Sylvird said so, Kadyma arrived at his room in her nightgown. Her nightgown looked like a cat costume. Anyone who didn’t know might have found it strange, as to why a cat race would wear a cat costume.

Even with such a bizarre appearance, she was the most reliable person to Sylvird and the others right now.

「...So, the troublemaker finally wakes up nya」

「Troublemaker...? It’s not my fault that Hyme people were there」

「That’s not what I’m talking about nya... You don’t remember anything nya?」

While they were waiting for Kadyma, Ainz was still being hugged by Chris and Olivia. It hasn’t changed now, the two were still clinging to Ainz tightly

However, no one, not even Sylvird, Lalarua, and Marche blamed them for it. But on the other hand, their reaction was strange for Ainz.

「About Grint? Or...」

「Well, I know it wasn’t the right time yet, but... well, whatever nya. Olivia, Chris, please get back a little nya」

Kadyma, who had approached Ainz, pushed both Oliva and Chris from Ainz’s side.

「O-Onee-sama!? At least...」 (TLN: Big sister)

「A-auu...」

Olivia directed a resentful look to Kadyma, and Chris looked to Ainz with a face like an abandoned cat.

Although they look like that, Kadyma took no notice of it and pushed them away from Ainz.

「Ainz, can you walk?」

「Can I walk...? Of course, I can... Eh, huh?」

Ainz put a lot of effort to get off of the bed, but he couldn’t move his body well and almost fell off the bed. Seeing him like that, Kadyma supported Ainz with her small body and helped him to get back to the bed.

「Well, it seems you’ll need a little rehabilitation nya」

「Re-rehabilitation?」

The air in the room was filled with emotion that made it difficult for everyone to speak.

But still, Kadyma continued her words.

「You don’t have to worry nya. I’ve been taking care of you by using magic tools to keep you in good shape nya. But not everything can work that way nya...」

「I’m sorry, Kadyma-san... But I don’t understand what you mean. Why do I need rehabilitation?」

Kadyma’s expression then turned serious, and finally, she gave the answer to his question.

「...Half a year nya. It’s almost half a year since Ainz came back from Euro... You’ve been unconscious on that bed for almost half a year since that accident nya」

With a sad expression on her face, Kadyma added “Soon, Ainz will be a fifth-year nya...”.

It’s already been nearly half a year since Ainz’s return from Euro.

Hearing that, Ainz could only be astonished. Chris and Olivia didn’t want to leave Ainz, but they were forced to leave by Sylvird’s words.

This isn’t something to talk about this late. So, they decided to leave for now and gather back in the morning.

After that, Ainz couldn’t sleep at all, because he was suddenly told that half a year had passed without him knowing.

He desperately recalls his memories, trying to remember what had happened. And after a few hours, he finally remembered something.

He received a souvenir from Euro, and that souvenir was probably the trigger for Ainz’s changes, as if he were not himself.

But now, he tried not to think about that souvenir anymore. He was afraid that if he thought about it when he was alone, he would get out of control again. With that in mind, he had no choice but to think about something else to distract his thoughts.

...He took a look at his body, and felt that something was different, but then he realized that his body had grown. Ainz was growing up, even though he was bedridden for half a year, his body was still growing little by little.

He was happy to know the growth of his body, but at the same time, it was getting brighter outside.

***

Marche comes to pick him up in the morning.

She brought with her a magic device used by the crippled, or to put it simply, a wheelchair powered by magic stones.

She assisted Ainz to sit on it and then took him with her.

They arrived at Sylvird’s private room. There were Sylvird, Lalarua, Chris, Olivia, and Kadyma. A total of five people were waiting for him in the room.

「We’ve been waiting for you, Ainz」

「Sorry to keep you waiting, Grandfather」

「Ainz, come here」

At Olivia’s invitation, Ainz moves next to her. She was sitting on the sofa, so Ainz sat next to her. Chris then moved to his other side, and Ainz was sandwiched between them.

「Ainz-kun? Are you feeling well?」

「It’s a bit frustrating that I can’t move freely, but everything else is fine」

「That is... that’s good then」

「Ainz, Lloyd and Warren will arrive soon, but let me ask you one thing first」

After Lalarua spoke to Ainz, Sylvird took a breath and said so.

「...What is it?」

「If someday a national crisis happens, what would you do? Ainz is a crown prince, so you don’t have to jump into danger by yourself, but there are things that only you can do. If that were to happen, what would you do?」

A national crisis, just like the time of the Sea Dragon attack. But in his question, he stated that there is something that only Ainz can do. In other words, without him, there won’t be a solution to handle it.

「That national crisis, will Warren-san, Lloyd-san, everyone here... and also, Claune be affected?」

「Of course」

Sylvird stares straight at Ainz. In response to his stares, Ainz decided to answer with his honest feelings.

「...Ishtalica is my homeland now. To protect my family, to protect the one I cared about, I’m willing to face it, no matter how dangerous it is」

「Is that so...? Everyone, you all heard what Ainz said, right?」

As Sylvird says so, he looked at the faces of those in the room.

Lalarua just closed her eyes and didn’t say a thing, while Oliva was holding tightly onto Ainz’s hand, who was sitting next to her.

Chris was clenching her fists so tightly that her hands seemed to be bleeding, while Kadyma seemed to be saying “Good grief” and nodded in her usual carefree way to Sylvird.

「Ainz, if it’s you now, you might say something different after seeing this. Follow me」

「W-where are you going...?」

「To the audience hall. Lloyd and Warren are waiting for you there」

Ainz doesn’t know what Sylvird’s purpose is, but since he insisted on following him, Ainz decides to keep quiet and follow him.

Chris then pushed his wheelchair and followed Sylvird out of the room. Kadyma also followed them, but Lalarua and Olivia didn’t seem to be following them.

***

After leaving Sylvird’s private room, they arrived at the entrance to the audience hall without anyone saying a thing on their way there.

There, as Sylvird had mentioned, Lloyd and Warren were waiting for them.

「Ainz-sama, it’s been a long time. How do you feel now that your body has grown a bit? It seems that Lloyd-dono should make a few new clothes for you」

「W-Warren-dono... Please, spare me from that」

「Kuh... Hahahah! I’m so relieved to know that the two of you are just like usual. Aah sorry, I must have kept you waiting all this time」

「No, don’t worry. This Warren will wait for you, no matter how long its takes」

「...So, grandfather, why are you bringing me here?」

Ainz was relieved to see that Warren and Lloyd were acting as usual. The next question was why did Sylvird bring him all the way to the audience hall.

「Let’s get inside for now」

「E-eh, okay...」

Hearing Sylvird’s words, Lloyd then opened the door to the audience hall. There was no one inside, just a quiet and solemn hall.

「Chris-san, please」

「Yes, leave it to me」

Chris pushed the wheelchair, and they went inside.

「H-huh...?」

Ainz went inside and was behind Sylvird and the others. But Chris, who was pushing Ainz’s wheelchair, felt something strange.

「Chris-san, what’s wrong?」

「I-it’s nothing... It’s just that I felt that you got heavier all of sudden. But don’t worry...」

Chris seemed to feel something strange, but she thought that it was just her imagination, so she continued to push Ainz’s wheelchair.

「Really? That’s fine then」

They just keep going like that until Sylvird and the others arrive near the throne.

In the audience hall, there’s a line marker that looks like a separator sewn with gold thread to keep a certain distance from Ishtalica’s king.

But when Ainz and Chris arrived there, she abruptly stopped moving.

「Chris-san? What’s wrong? Get closer」

「...It won’t move, I can’t go any further than here... It was as if there’s a wall here」

Behind her, Kadyma nodded as if she was convinced of something.

「Chris-dono. Please push a little bit harder」

When Warren told her so, Chris tried to push the wheelchair harder.

Then the anomaly becomes apparent

『Don’t get there...! Don’t get there...!』

「Wha... This voice, huh!?」

It wasn’t just a voice. When Kadyma listened to the voice, she felt as if her body was getting cold and heavier. So, she can’t help but think that it’s something dangerous.

「Chris! Get Ainz away from the throne! Hurry nya!」

「Y-yes...!」

Chris followed Kadyma’s instruction and hurriedly moved Ainz away. Then the chilling sensation she felt earlier, immediately disappeared. And things have settled as if nothing had happened.

「...Kadyma. It seems that the results of your six months of research were, unfortunately “correct”」

As he said so, Sylvird stared at the Demon King’s magic stone on the wall directly above the throne in the audience hall.

「Yes nya. I’ve never been so disappointed that my research was right nya... No one wanted this tragedy to happen nya」

「E-Err... Kadyma-san? What are you talking about?」

Kadyma has an unusually sad expression on her face. So Ainz couldn’t help but feel uneasy when he saw her like that.

「I wonder what karma has in store for you nya... How can so many beings with such a strange connection is gathered in one-person nya...」

「Like I’ve said, what are you talking about, Kadyma-san!?」

Kadyma then handed a book to Ainz.

「...I’m sure nya. This chain of events that have been going on for so long can only be ended by Ainz himself nya」

The words Kadyma spoke only deepened the mystery, but he decided to look at the book she handed to him first.

It was a brand-new book, and from its looks, he could tell that it was made recently. And when he looked at its author, he saw that Kadyma and Chris’ names were written there.

And the title of that book is...

『The Tragic Demon King』