"What an interesting magic item." Ainz turned the Crown of Wisdom over in his hand, appreciating its artistic value. "I wonder how it was made."
Many tiny jewels were connected by golden threads, forming a crown that could easily be mistaken for a tiara.
"What do you think, Mystra?" After failing to discern anything, Ainz readily handed the crown to Mystra.
"Let me take a look." She held the item carefully in her hands, almost fearful of damaging it.
Then she equipped a pair of black-rimmed glasses that materialized in her hand before taking many more items from her inventory.
Some were for identification, others for her own protection during the process, but she wielded them all with practiced ease.
Watching all of this, Ainz felt mesmerized by her performance, not noticing the passage of time until she stopped.
Mystra gave him a confused glance and shook her head.
"I'm sorry, Ainz-sama, but the method used to create this item is different from anything I've seen before, so it will take a long time to understand it completely."
So she couldn't discern it either…
Well, that should be expected, given its effect.
Once activated, the Crown of Wisdom would consume the user's mind, destroying their sense of self to transform them into an item capable of casting spells beyond their limit.
According to Zuranon, it was very hard to find someone who could equip it, which was why he targeted Nfirea.
Once Nfirea equipped the Crown of Wisdom, it would turn him into a magic item capable of casting 7th-tier spells by absorbing mana from others.
If 7th-tier spells were its limit, he wouldn't have cared much, but he wondered whether that was only because of the power of its hosts.
From the information gathered so far, he understood that the 6th tier was widely considered the ceiling for humans in this world.
Most humans could only reach the 3rd tier in their lives; some exceptions could claw their way to the 4th, such as adamantite-class adventurers.
Once one reached the 5th tier, they would be known as having stepped into the Realm of Heroes, something that less than one in a million could hope to achieve, and from those, a small percentage could sometimes go even further, reaching the 6th tier and coming to be known as Outliers.
From this, it was clear how impressive Zuranon's 7th-tier magic was to the people of this world, and how tempting using the Crown of Wisdom would be for a country.
But what if this was not the limit, what if such an item was equipped by someone of his level?
10th-tier was the limit in Yggdrasil, with Super-Tier spells classified as something different, so maybe, if this item were used on a being like him, it could produce something even more powerful.
Not that he was in any hurry to test it.
While undead were immune to mind effects, he wasn't exactly eager to put it to the test.
Especially because the wearer of the Crown of Wisdom always went mad after the crown was removed.
This is basically a cursed item.
And the Slaine Theocracy has 6 similar items?
Where did they get them?
Could the items have been forged there?
He had many questions, but right now, he noticed the flicker of excitement in Mystra's eyes and smiled.
"To not know is always the most exciting part, don't you think?"
He gave the item back to her.
"Take your time studying it back at the tomb," he said, then organized the many papers splattered across the table into a neat bundle and handed it back to her.
"I learned a lot through our discussion, so please hold these papers for now. I'll visit you after a while so we can continue from where we stopped."
"Yes, Ainz-sama!" Mystra understood that it was time to separate, but she still felt reluctant.
Noticing this, Ainz gently caressed her skull.
"There's no need for such formalities between us, nor is there a need to feel sad for this brief separation. As undead, we have the whole eternity in front of us, so be good and go have fun with your research."
With that, he opened a [Gate], and she soon returned to Nazarick.
Once he was left alone, a calculating glint flashed through Ainz's eyes.
This Crown of Wisdom is definitely not an item from Yggdrasil.
There's no way that an item capable of converting a player's data into a magic item would be allowed.
Except maybe for world items, but even then only one of the Twenty could possibly have this type of effect.
The Twenty were the strongest among world items, with effects so powerful that they could only be used once before disappearing from the player's hands and returning to the world.
Among them were items that could permanently alter the game world, and he thought specifically of Longinus when thinking about the Crown of Wisdom.
Longinus could delete any creature or player from existence, at the cost of deleting the user's data alongside it.
The Crown of Wisdom is similar in nature, since a player would lose their character after using it, but even then, comparing such a low-level item with one of the Twenty feels very insulting.
But the main point is that this world has way more freedom when it comes to creating magic items, so I can't be overly reliant on my Yggdrasil knowledge to judge the limits of this world.
His judgment of what was and wasn't possible was forged by his 12 years in Yggdrasil, and so far it had proved sufficient when applied to this world, with just a few adjustments here and there.
But it seemed he had still been narrow-minded. If items like this could be produced now, what was to say that something capable of threatening Nazarick hadn't already been made and was in the hands of enemies?
He could already imagine a group of players holding items he had no hope of understanding, waiting for a single slip on his part before turning their claws on him, or on one of the NPCs.
We need more information, especially on the production methods exclusive to this world.
But the question is, who has the most advanced production technology?
The question only appeared for a moment before the answer hit him.
The Slaine Theocracy.
Huh?
A signal coming from one of his shadow demons interrupted his train of thought.
***
Laughter and music filled the hall of the Brilliant Unicorn in a festive atmosphere as the night continued.
Dozens of adventurers, along with representatives of nobles and merchants who wouldn't usually come to such a place, eagerly entered the inn, each trying to be the first to strike a deal with the new, powerful party that had appeared in the city.
Upon entering, they darted around the place, no doubt looking for a warrior clad head to toe in black armor and carrying two gigantic swords.
Their search would prove fruitless, but then their eyes would find his striking red-headed companion, a woman so beautiful that they couldn't bring themselves to feel disappointed in not meeting Momon directly.
Lupusregina entertained every "guest" who came her way, speaking in an unrestrained, playful tone and pretending not to feel the men's lustful gazes following her around.
She laughed with them, showed great interest in their lives, feigned surprise when they bragged about their connections, grew thoughtful whenever they brought up a new deal, and openly praised them and their superiors for their feats.
As the night went on, many people formed a great impression of her, and by extension, of Momon.
But at some point, she stopped in place, with a tense expression appearing on her face.
"Are you okay?" A platinum-ranked adventurer who had been talking with her noticed the change in her expression and quickly asked, concerned.
Hearing him, others soon asked the same.
"It's nothing; I think I just drank too much," Lupusregina said with an easy smile. "I'm sorry, but I need to retire for the night."
After that, she ignored the guests' pleading and hurried to her room.
Once there, she quickly checked that no one had sneaked into the bedroom while she was away, then turned invisible and teleported.
She appeared above the Bareare Shop without anyone noticing, her eyes full of worry, not for any of the people there, but because she didn't want to fail another one of her master's orders.
Go to the Bareare Shop and protect Enri, Ninya, and Nfirea, Ainz had told her through the [Message], then added that she should be careful out there.
While happy for her master's concern, Lupusregina couldn't help but feel the weight of her task.
As one of the Pleiades, she was made for combat, but protecting was an entirely different thing.
And to make matters worse, she was ordered to limit her strength to blend in.
"Ara? What happened to 'You're not touching any of them while I'm here'?"
A grating, mockingly gleeful voice from below caught her attention.
Looking over, she saw the group of teens she had to protect, together with Nigun and a Shadow Demon.
The group looked exhausted, their expressions a mix of fury and sorrow.
Enri was hugging Nfirea, who leaned on her with no strength as fresh blood gushed from a wound in his back.
Opposite them was a blonde woman wielding two stilettos. She was the one who had just spoken, and judging by her face, she was in a pretty good mood.
A Principality of War separated them.
One of its arms was missing, while the rest of its body was covered in deep wounds.
She is playing with them, was her first thought, and it seems fun, was her second.
The scene didn't elicit any disgust from her, but only a bit of jealousy.
If she could, Lupusregina would have liked to switch places with that woman, but right now she was glad that none of the targets had died.
Disregarding the bodies scattered across the floor, she began.
[Wild Senses]
Lupusregina quietly cast a spell that enhanced her senses by a few notches.
The effect was immediate, forcing her to close her eyes to focus.
Sour smells, sweet smells, metallic smells… The shop had simply too many, and each carried an intensity that threatened to overwhelm her. Then came the smells from the people below. Blood, sweat, their unique smells, the lingering scent of other people whom they had interacted with throughout the day.
In this state, smells almost took physical form, and she could distinguish many layers blended into each creature and object within a 50-meter radius.
Filtering through them with practiced ease, Lupusregina quickly found 3 strong scents that didn't belong to anyone below.
She actually recognized them from her earlier visit to the Magicians' Guild.
Opening her eyes, she quickly found a group of 3 men crouching behind an old box more than 20 meters away from the fight.
They wore black robes and carried what she assumed to be a recording device.
Seeing what they were doing, Lupusregina grew curious about why people from the Guild would be here at this hour, and what their goal was in recording this scene, but quickly dismissed the thought.
Whatever their motivations were didn't matter at the moment; what mattered was that Ainz-sama ordered her not to let any outsiders see what was happening here.
With that, she quietly jumped through some buildings and got behind the trio, snapping their necks before any of them could scream.
Should I take these bodies for Entoma?
It could be a good gift for her once she returns, right?
Making a silent note to ask for Ainz's permission later, she turned her attention to the fight.
[Life Essence]
[Mana Essence]
In quick succession, she cast spells to analyze the woman.
The woman had enough HP to be a level 30-something warrior, and judging by the almost non-existent MP, she was a pure warrior with no magical abilities.
The woman, or rather, Clementine(she kept calling herself Clementine-sama for some reason), looked like the agile type, and seemed strong enough to kill everyone there if she so wanted.
But what would be the fun in that, right?
The more she observed Clementine, the more convinced she became that she had found a kindred spirit.
Well, I think I've done enough recognition.
Nigun is in the high 20s, and while the Shadow Demon is in its 30s, at the end of the day it is a specialized monster focused on stealth, so its fighting capabilities only amount to a level 25 at best.
These two have no hope of defeating her, so, as Ainz-sama ordered, I should step in.
Seeing Clementine go for another attack, Lupusregina jumped in front of the others and punched her in the face.
Cracking noises echoed as a few teeth went flying, and Clementine hit the ground.
"Ew, gross."
Deactivating her invisibility, Lupusregina appeared in front of everyone.
She wiped off the blood and saliva with a flap of her hand, then turned to Enri with a mischievous smile.
"Hey, Enri-chan! How are you doing?"
***
Shing!
Shing!
Feeling sweat drip down her face and a numbing sensation in her hands, Clementine once again clashed with the red-headed woman.
Lupita (that's what the girl had called her) blocked her attack with ease, but she still wore a strained expression.
"Ugh! I don't know how much longer I can keep up; I'm almost at my limit~~" The other woman continued to yell exasperatedly while keeping a mocking expression on her face.
"You can do it, Lupita! Don't give up!"
Cheers came from the group behind, who were oblivious to what was happening.
"Who the hell are you?" Jumping back to put some distance between them, Clementine finally asked.
This woman had come out of nowhere, healed Nfirea, and then started to fight her.
While confused, especially after being punched out of nowhere, she still had confidence in her own strength.
This woman, she thought, was only able to punch her by doing a surprise attack, but now that she had her in sight, dealing with her would pose no problems.
Her confidence only grew after she confirmed the woman was a magic caster.
Killing magic casters had always been her specialty.
But everything in this fight had gone completely against her expectations.
Lupita had foregone magic and fought her, a warrior in close combat.
Determined to make her regret it, Clementine wanted to quickly dispose of Lupita.
But as they continued to clash, she began to understand that even though this woman didn't seem trained as a warrior, her sheer physicality more than made up for it.
"Me? I'm Lupita. Nice to meet you~" The woman smiled at her, and once again swung her heavy divine symbol down, locking her in a never-ending close combat.
Thoughts of running popped into her head.
The woman in front of her was too strong to be a human.
Could she be a God-kin?
It wouldn't be the first time she had heard of God-kins living outside the Theocracy.
The Elf King was a good example, and throughout history, a few of the Theocracy's God-kins had left the country to live outside.
This woman could very well be a descendant of one of them.
Shit! How unlucky.
Gone was her arrogance, something that she could only use when fighting humans, and she no longer cared about taking Nfirea with her.
Right now, she only wanted to escape and survive, just like she had done many, many times before.
"You know, I'm really starting to like you," Lupita leaned in and whispered in her ear, "it's just a shame that you had to go and offend him."
Lupita giggled upon reaching this point.
Offend him?
Who?
Suddenly she was reminded of what Nigun said.
"I offended someone I shouldn't, and so will you if you don't run away right now."
Clementine felt her stomach freeze with this realization.
"So let's have some fun until this is over, shall we?"
With that, Lupita kicked her.
Clementine rolled on the ground and immediately looked up, only to see Lupita wrapped in light.
"[Holy Ray]"
A stream of light flew and hit her in the chest, throwing her once again on the ground.
Ugh!
Blood filled her mouth and fell to the ground.
The familiar pain in her chest told her that the last attack had broken a few ribs.
Even so, she didn't have any trouble getting up(to keep fighting under these conditions had already become second nature at this point), which made Lupita whistle at her.
"You know what? I'm starting to like you more and more~"
Seeing Lupita walking toward her, Clementine began to understand she probably wouldn't make it out alive from this one.
Surprisingly, she didn't feel fear or reluctance, but relief?
But then a hand fell on her shoulder.
"That's enough, Lupusregina Beta."
She heard a deep, commanding voice coming from behind her.
She couldn't tell who said those words, but they immediately affected the woman in front of her.
The woman (Lupita? Lupusregina? Did it even matter what she was called?) cycled through many expressions in quick succession.
Mockery gave way to surprise, then to understanding, before settling into respect.
She knelt on the ground with no hesitation.
"Yes, Ainz-sama!"