Grand Foreigner (Chapters 1- 200)

Chapter 9

Moving along the corridors of the deserted Chaldea, Ainz couldn't think of anything except the possible consequences of the use of summoning of Servants in the near future.

'I wouldn't be considered a slaveholder for using it?' However, his thoughts were on the nature of contracts and summoning of Servants. 'Do they voluntarily go for it?'

Memories about his previous world cropped up in his mind however. Yes, formally, the workers of his past world also 'choose' their own work 'voluntarily', no one forced them into slavery and did not force them to go work in the mines, in hazardous industries or in waste handling. However could it be considered a voluntary choice to go to work for a black company if you were no longer offered any other choices? And they didn't just not offer anything, the very possibility of choosing wasn't there, all of the arcologies were ruled by titanic megacorporations, which brutally held a monopoly on providing people with jobs. Either you work for them or you don't work at all and if you don't work then you are left without money for living. So ultimately you still forced to work for them, taking the work that the company offered you. Was Ainz similar to these 'mega-companies' which only offer the choices of 'work for us or die'?

Reflections about this caused pain in the non-existent abdomen of Ainz... Although, no, given that at the moment he was in the body of a homunculus, this time it was quite corporeal.

And yet, on the other hand, Ainz's desire to collect the most of a collection was always part of his personality. From the time when he was a mere Player and the collection was, at the time, just a collection of virtual data. Now, when his possible collection acquired a natural, real form and even more, not just a form but the bodies and personalities of real legendary heroes with whom Ainz could meet in person, communicate, learn from so many secrets and truths , answers to various questions, maybe even learn something from people so legendary that they could surpass the limits of humanity itself? Perhaps he could even strengthen his own abilities, at least Ainz hoped that he could do so without resorting to some radical methods...

Unfortunately the dialogue that Ainz conducted with himself did not end by the time he saw the shield of Mashu in front of him, currently lying in the center of the Servant's summoning circle and therefore, when Romani turned toward him, quite joyful of the current situation, wanting to give the go-ahead for the summoning ritual, instead of anticipation for finished ritual he saw only a man deep in thought.

"Ainz?" Cautiously, Romani addressed the man frozen in thought. "Is everything all right?"

Ainz only glanced at the doctor, after which he returned to his contemplation of the ritual.

"Not at all." He replied after a few seconds of silence. "I'm a little worried that the summoning of the heroes is, in fact, a slavery contract... Will they not be against this?"

"Are you worried about their reaction?" Roman however incorrectly interpreted Ainz thoughts. "But you can always defend yourself with the help of the Command Spells. You still have your Command Spells for Mashu?"

Command Spells?

Ainz did not immediately understand what Romani was talking about, before the information crammed into his head at the moment of his summoning stirred up as a wave of understanding.

Command Spells or Command Seals , Absolute Orders.

The spells, demonstrating the absolute power of the Master over the Servant, orders that can rewrite reality itself or to subdue the Servant's will or to turn a possible loss into victory by giving an order like 'Win this battle' or 'Recover your mana'. At least, they were described in this exact way. In reality the use of the spells was fraught with a whole galaxy of various restrictions.