Lord of the Dead in the Land of Lust

CH14 - Next Travels

Ainz looked at the man named Vault, a strange name in his opinion, and found him a little odd. He definitely had the look of a mercenary from a fantasy world. A tall and wide broad shouldered frame, sun darkened rough skin with small scars all over his bare arms, shaggy and dark unkempt hair. He was wearing a simple outfit of black pants and a black sleeveless muscle shirt that looked a size too small, and the only piece of armor he seemed to have on his person was a Vambrace on his left forearm. An oversized sword nearly as tall as he was hung off his back from a shoulder harness, and is boots appeared heavy and meant for prolonged use in rough terrain. His entire ensemble was completed by a dark cloak that hung from his shoulders, and honestly he looked more like a bandit than a mercenary.

And perhaps most importantly, Ainz found the man's expression grinding. He had a tough looking face, but the way his lips smirked and his eyes looked casually down on Ainz, as if he was inferior to him, was annoying. The man exuded arrogance and self-assuredness.

Ainz let out a sigh heavy enough that everyone around could hear it. "I believe I made my stance clear to the rabble you had harass us earlier. We have no intention of joining, or dealing, with your group in any way."

"Oh I heard," Vault said with a smile. "I just wanted to see one who had the Gall to deny us with my own eyes. It isn't often anyone denies us with how well known we are after all," He explained with a laugh before seeming to stare at Ainz for a second. "Honestly, I'm not impressed."

Hara tensed to act, only for Amrita to gently poke her in the side as Ainz spoke up. "And, when did I begin caring about impressing you?"

Vault's smile lessened as a number of the men with him looked confused and annoyed or angry. "What?"

"Hmm, you do not understand language? Let me explain in a way your simple mind will understand then," Ainz said as he took a step forward, making it clear to all that he and Vault were essentially the same height. "I have no interest in Mercenary bands, groups, guilds, or anything of the like. Therefore, why would I care about yours in any way or form? Yes I have heard that yours is a large group, but I have heard nothing of importance about anything of particular note that you may have done, meaning I can only assume your band is large only because you take others victories as your own as you strong-arm and press gang them into your forces."

"As if you know anything! We've killed thousands of demons you useless mage!" one of the men behind vault declared angrily, making many of the others parrot such emotions.

Right up until Vault raised a hand, and all of his people went silent. "You are new to Eostia I've heard, so it's not surprising you haven't heard of what we have done. We are not just the biggest mercenary company, we're the most successful. Every mission we take is completed without fail, and its only because of us that Eostia has not fallen to the dark queens armies!"

All the mercenaries let out roars of agreement, some even going so far as to scream their own achievements to the sky. Essentially they were making quiet the spectacle of themselves.

Enough so that many did not initially notice Amrita take a half step forward. "So you would claim that the Princess knights, the city knights, the Dawn Templars, and everyone else who fights for Eostia to have done nothing?"

Many of the Mercenaries scowled and glared at Amrita, but Vault did not, merely taking a step towards her with a grin on his face. "Nothing meaningful. Not in a long time. It's why we are here doing what they are incapable of, doing what men should be doing, not what women are!"

"I take it you do not agree with the current Gender divide of work then?" Ainz asked a he glanced and noticed that the Symbol on the collar of amrita's cloak that marked her as an Inquisitor was nowhere to be seen.