“His Majesty has set out!”
「陛下出发了哦！」

As they heard this, six of the Dwarven Councillors -- the High Priest of Earth, the Director of Food Production, the Cabinet Secretary, the Brewmaster, the Master of Caves and Mines, and the Merchant’s Guildmaster -- shivered in delight.
构成摄政会的矮人们中的，其中六人——大地神殿长、食料产业长、事务总长、酒造长、洞窟矿山长、和商人会议长的身体因欢喜而颤抖了起来。

It was true that the Sorcerer King had not done anything so far. Still, they could not rest at ease when an undead being -- one who hated the living -- of such power walked the streets.
确实魔导王什么都没做。但是、让人感受到那种程度力量的不死族——憎恶生者的存在，在街道中的话果然还是不可能安心下来的。

The people here were gathered to ensure the safety of the city and its people. Thus, they had to consider the worst possible scenarios that might result before committing to a course of action. For instance, the Sorcerer King might have suddenly turned violent and begun massacring children. These worries plagued them all day, and they considered various countermeasures and useful proposals.
在这里集合的人们为了这座都市的安全，同时也是为了人民的安全，有必要在设想最糟的事态后展开行动。比如魔导王突然狂暴起来、开始虐杀孩童的可能性，他们这一整天都是带着这样的忧虑过下来的。摸索各式各样的处理方式、检讨有用的计划。

Now that the object of their whispered discussion was no longer here, what was wrong in savoring the sweet release from their burdens?
以那样的想法进行声音嘶哑程度的讨论直到对象不在了，沉浸于解放感种又有什么不对呢。

“Bring the wine! Bring the wine!”
「拿酒来！拿酒来！」

Just as the parched earth craved the rain, alcohol was essential for exhausted hearts to heal.
如同干涸的大地需要雨水滋润，治愈疲惫的心的话酒是必需品。

Nobody could possibly object to that.
在这个现场的人不论是谁都不可能有异议。

“Still, he’ll be back, right?”
「但是、还会再回来的吧？」

The air turned stagnant all of a sudden, and a gloom settled across all of them.
一瞬间在场的空气沉淀、转化为黑暗。

The raised fist sank powerlessly down.
往上举起的拳头无力地垂了下来。

“Should we run?”
「要逃走吗？」

“Where can we go? If we flee after signing that pact with him… Also, we asked him to reclaim the Royal Capital for us, right? If we were in his place, wouldn’t we be angry at this?”
「要逃到哪，与他缔结了那样的契约还逃跑的话……。而且老夫们还委托了他夺回王都了哦？要是立场相反的话汝不会生气吗？」

“Well, I might be angry… but I wouldn’t have the confidence to take a hardline stance against a being like that.”
「虽然确实有可能生气，但老夫可没有对那种存在采取强硬态度的自信啊」

“Ah. Yes, I understand how you feel.”
「啊—。是的吶、汝的心情很能理解」

“...Is that really alright? What happened to your pride, Merchant’s Guildmaster?”
「……那样就行了吗、管理商人会议的矮人荣耀跑哪去了啊？」

“Ah, it’s not as though we could make a fair deal with such a thing, right? Generally speaking, deals can only be made between two equal parties in equal circumstances, right?  Therefore, it’s de facto impossible to make a proper deal with someone who’s far more powerful than you.”
「哎呀、再怎么说怎么可能与那种东西能进行正经交易。通常来说，所谓交易是双方共同、在某种程度处于对等情况才能够成立的哦？与压倒性强者进行正经交易压根就是不可能的事吶」

The Dwarves sighed as one.
矮人们一点儿不剩的吐出叹息。

Nobody here felt that the Sorcerer King would fail to reclaim the Royal Capital. That much was obvious just by glancing at the magical beasts he left behind. And then, he was a person who had the luxury of leaving behind monsters like that when he knew there was a Dragon waiting for him.
事到如今在场的人根本就不认为，魔导王夺回王都的行动会失败吧。只要瞥一眼留在这里的魔兽们的话，这是任谁都能够理解的事。明明那里有着龙族，对方竟然还有余裕将那种程度的怪物们留在这里。

“Then, let’s change the subject. Can anyone estimate when he’ll return?”
「那么将话题换回来，有没有人能够估计那家伙大概什么时候会回来？」

“How would we know? It’s not as though we can ask the man himself. If he chuckled and said ‘Right now’, I’d fill the surroundings with the scent of ammonia.”
「那种事怎么可能知道，又不可能去问本人。要是那个轻轻一笑再说声，马上哦的话，老夫可是有当场尿出来的自信啊」

Those were shameful words, but none of the Dwarves laughed at them.
虽然是那么可耻的话，但没有任何矮人视其为笑话。

“...It can’t be helped. If he did that to me, I’d piss myself too.”
「……没有办法。被那个做那种事的话，就算是老夫也会尿出来」

“Same here. I might even crap myself.”
「啊啊、老夫也是。不只是那样连大的也会漏哦」

They looked at each other as they uttered those crudities.
全员一边说着粗俗的话一边相互对视。

“Have we learned anything new? Do we know anything about that Gondo?”
「有没有什么新的情报呢？关于那个叫做龚德的矮人的情报，有没有人了解的？」

“Nothing at all, only that he gathered the runesmiths.”
「完全不清楚，只知道那家伙聚集了符文工匠们」

“The runesmiths? Was it about going to the Sorcerous Kingdom?”
「符文工匠？是之前提过的去魔导国的事吗？」

“Who knows? Why don’t we summon one of them and ask him about it?”
「谁知道呢，叫谁过来问话吗？」

“That’s a good idea, but it’ll tip our hand to His Majesty, no? It’s too dangerous to act rashly. Only an idiot would touch a heated crucible, after all.”
「那样做是不错，但是那么做的话会把事情泄露给陛下的哦？轻易出手的话太危险了，只有笨蛋会将手伸向加热的熔炉」

“If that’s the case, then we’ll have to tell the runesmiths that we want them to go to the Sorcerous Kingdom. Then we can casually ask them about it. How about that?”
「这样的话，就不得不经老夫们的口对符文工匠说出，想让他们去魔导国的事了。装作不经意的问问他们如何？」

“...I’m not confident in my ability to do so.”
「……没有能不经意去问他们的自信」

The Dwarves murmured, “Me too” in response.
矮人们每个口中「老夫也是」「老夫也是」帮腔附和。

“Alright, then let’s forget about asking them. It would be foolish to dig needless holes and end up falling to our deaths.”
「好了，忘了问他们这件事吧。挖掘不必要的洞穴，落下去死亡可是很蠢的事啊」

Everyone here could agree with that. If they angered Ainz by prying too deeply, many lives might be lost.
全员都表示了赞成。要是轻易多管闲事惹怒了对方，其结果无疑会丧失多数生命。

“Then, let’s inform the two of us who aren’t here about tomorrow’s business and not to interfere with the smiths. I heard the commander-in-chief will be coming here afterwards, but what about the forgemaster?”
「那么也传达给不在场的两人，明天的事和无需干涉工匠的事。听说总司令官之后会来到这里，锻冶工房长要怎么办？」

“I’ll go, then,” said the Cabinet Secretary. “I’m interested in the sort of masterpiece he’ll produce. Also, I’m wondering what sort of metal the Sorcerer King gave him.”
「那么老夫去吧」说着的是事务总长。「他能做出怎样杰出的铠甲很感兴趣啊，倒不如说那个魔导王拿出的是什么金属啊？」

“He only said it was a rare metal, but you can’t get any rarer than adamantite, can you?”
「只说了是稀有的金属，但再怎么说也不至于比精钢还稀少吧」

“So it would be like gold or orichalcum, then?”
「那么说的话金和山铜差不多咯？」

The Dwarves were an underground race. Even if their jobs had nothing to do with metallurgy, they would be very interested in a metal they had never seen before.
毕竟是身为土之种族。对于矮人来说就算本身的工作和锻冶扯不上关系，所谓没见过的金属也是让人非常感兴趣的。

“If only we could grab him and make him show us. He’s been very busy of late, right?”
「要是能把那家伙抓住让老夫们看就好了呢。因为太忙了所以没有空吗」

After receiving the metal from the Sorcerer King, the Forgemaster hurriedly returned to his workshop. Everyone knew the reason for his haste, and so they did not stop him.
从魔导王那里收下金属后，锻冶工房长便急匆匆地回到了自己的工作场所。知道他为何着急地原因的一行人，也没有办法把他叫停。

“Well, the smithing should be well under way, considering it’s him. Making chainmail ought to result in a few extra loops, so maybe we could borrow a few of those.”
「嘛、如果是他的的话工程应该进行到一定程度了吧。锁子甲的话总会有多余的圈儿，把那些借几个过来吗」

After a chorus of approvals, the Council session dissolved.
在赞同的声音下摄政会便至此迎来了结束。

After that, their tired bodies craved rest, but the Dwarves were a race which hosted drinking parties even as they spoke of taking a break.
之后疲惫的身体就变得想要休息，然而口中说着休息便开始进行酒宴这就是所谓矮人的种族。

“Wine tastes especially good at the workplace,” they said as they downed special, Dwarf-only beverages with high alcohol content. Amidst all this, the Cabinet Secretary suddenly thought of something snuck out of the meeting room that was now a beerhall.
在工作的地方喝酒特别美味，一面说着这样的事一面喝着酒精度数高的矮人特有的酒。而就在这之中，事务总长却像是胡子被拔了似得想到什么，随后便溜出了化为宴会场的议场。

Needless to say, he was going to meet the Forgemaster.
事务总长前往的自不用说，当然是锻冶工房长的身边。

The Forgemaster’s workshop was huge, as befitted a man who was responsible for the Dwarven nation’s blacksmithing. In all likelihood, it was one of the biggest buildings in Feoh Gēr. It employed many Dwarven artisans and the heat -- which could melt adamantite -- and the pounding of hammers on anvils had never stopped before.
鍛冶工房長的工房不愧爲管理矮人王国鍛冶的場所、很是巨大。恐怕在這個菲歐·玖拉裡也是數一數二的吧。雇佣多位的矮人工匠，连精钢都能熔化的热气、和撞上敲击的铁锤声就从未停止过。

However, it was silent today -- an occurrence which made the Cabinet Secretary’s hairs stand on end.
可是，那一天却安静的叫人发毛。

He was sure that the crucibles were lit.
在熔炉里有火焰在燃烧不会有错。

That was because the temperature went up as he neared it.
因为靠近的话，温度会渐渐少许上升。

In that case, what was the reason for this silence?
那么这个静寂的理由又是什么呢。

The Cabinet Secretary quickened his pace, as though impelled by the unease flowing out of him.
彷佛是被渗出来的不安助推一般，事务总长的加快了脚步。

He had come here before, so there was no hesitation as he plunged in towards the crucible where the smiths should have been working.
因为来过好几次的关系对方向没有任何迟疑，他朝向工匠们应该在工作着的熔炉前进着。

He saw the blacksmiths, all of whom were familiar faces.
在那里看到的是相当熟识的锻冶师们。

Unable to help himself, he sighed in relief. However, when he noticed the worried looks on the blacksmith’s faces and the direction where they were all looking, the unease which seized his heart seemed to have come back to life once more.
他不由自主地漏出安心的叹气。但是，在注意到锻冶师们困惑般的表情、以及他们的视线所朝向彼方后，有如心脏被掐住一般的不安感又再次死灰复燃了起来。

“What’s wrong?”
「怎么了？」

As he called out, the eyes of the blacksmiths lit up, as though their savior had arrived.
他一搭声，锻冶师们眼神就像是在说救世主出现了一样。

“He’s locked himself in there and refuses to come out.”
「那位大人一直把自己关在里面不出来」

Apart from its gigantic crucibles, this foundry also contained a workshop for the personal use of the Forgemaster, although it was closer to a miniature foundry in its own right. The Forgemaster was a dedicated worker, and when handling important projects, he would often lock himself inside and not emerge for several days.
这个锻冶场除了拥有巨大熔炉之外，还有一个是锻冶工房长专用的、说是工作室也不为过的锻冶场。具有工匠气质的锻冶工房长在进行重要的工作之类的情况下，常常都会在这头闭门不出数天。

That was a fairly common occurrence. The Forgemaster’s disciples and the other blacksmiths should not have had that distressed look on their faces.
那是平常就有的事，锻冶工房长的弟子和锻冶工匠们也不曾浮现出过像现在这样的表情。

“...It’s not strange, is it?”
「……这并不稀奇吧？」

“It’s true that he locks himself up fairly often… but there’s no sound of hammering. And it’s been half a day -- no, almost an entire day.”
「确实闭门在内的情形并不罕见……但是没听到铁锤的声音。而且是——已经半天了，不、快要一天了吧」

“...So maybe he’s just drawing up the plans for the design?”
「……不是为了做出外形，而正在进行设计吗？」

“That’s never happened before.”
「至今为止都不曾有过那样的情况」

The Cabinet Secretary stroked his beard.
事务总长捋了捋胡须。

He did not feel this was particularly surprising. However, if the forgemen all felt the same way, then it should probably be an emergency.
虽然就事务总长个人来说，倒是不觉得有什么不可思议的。但既然共事的锻冶师们全员都这么想的话，这就是紧急情况了吧。

“Then why don’t you open the door? Is it locked?”
「那么为什么、不将门打开？有上锁吗？」

“No, it’s not locked. However, whenever the Forgemaster retreats to that room, he hates people opening that door.”
「不、并没有上锁。可那位大人待在那里不出来时，非常讨厌有人把门打开」

“I see. ...So you want me to open it, am I right?”
「原来如此。……所以想让老夫来开，是这样吗」

It would be difficult for the Forgemaster’s disciples. But someone of an equivalent rank might have a better chance of not incurring the Forgemaster’s wrath.
对弟子们来说很困难。但如果是相同地位的人的话，就比较不容易被迁怒了吧。

I drew the short straw. Well, it can’t be helped.
抽到了下下签。嘛、没办法。

“I understand. Then, let me do it. You lot should go first. Just take it as though I insisted on going in myself and you won’t get involved.”
「知道了，那么让老夫去，汝们都散了吧。如果当作是老夫自作主张进去的话，就和汝们无关了吧」

After the smiths thanked him, the Cabinet Secretary stepped up and knocked on the door.
被锻冶师们感谢的事务总长走到门前、敲了敲门。

However, there was no response, no matter how many times he knocked.
但是、没有回应。不管试了几次都一样。

Fearing the worst, he flung the door open with all his might.
被着急的内心所驱使，他充满气势的将门打开。

It was the same familiar room. Surprisingly, there was no heat, even though he was only a door removed from the huge crucible. That was due to magical air conditioning. When he shifted his gaze, he saw a crimson flame blazing within the depths of the crucible.
仍旧是见惯了的室内。尽管只与巨大熔炉有一门之隔，却令人惊讶的没有热气。这是因为魔法换气系统的缘故。就这么移动视线时，他看见了深处的熔炉中燃烧赤红的火焰。

And then, he saw someone facing the fire.
然后在那里有着一个正与火焰对面的影子。

What, he’s there, isn’t he? Just as the Cabinet Secretary was about to sigh in relief, he once again held his breath.
什么嘛、不是在吗。如此想的事务总长想吐出安心的气息却又再次屏住。

That was because he could sense something strange and inexplicable in the air. Why was the Forgemaster silent? According to the smiths outside, he ought to have reacted immediately to the intrusion.
因为感受到了即便只有背后的身影也能传达过来、不可言喻的异样气息。首先、对于私自进入的他，为什么那个锻冶工房长什么话都没说呢。如果照刚刚锻冶师们的说法来看，一旦进入应该马上就会表示什么反应才对的啊。

“Oi.”
「喂」

Those words were little more than an exhaled breath, but the man should have heard it. Yet there was no response from the Forgemaster.
最初的呼唤声彷佛是掠过喉咙的小声音，可即使如此也应该听得到才对。但锻冶工房长却没有反应。

“Oi!”
「喂！」

The Cabinet was nervous now and he shouted, but as expected, the Forgemaster did not react.
变得担心而大声呼唤，果然锻冶工房长还是没有反应。

Panting heavily, he advanced to the Forgemaster’s side.
气息慌乱的他往锻冶工房长的身边走去。

“--Hey!”
「——喂！」

“What?”
「什么」

An answer at last. The Cabinet Secretary almost collapsed on account of the strength fleeing his limbs.
总算有了回复、事务总长差点因四肢无力而倒下。

“What? What? Don’t make me--”
「什么。什么。不要让人——」

The Cabinet Secretary’s words trailed off.
至此他的话语再度窘迫。

Why had the Forgemaster not turned around to look at him?
为什么，锻冶工房长一次都没有回头想往这里看呢。

Worried for his friend, the Cabinet Minister circled around to look at his face.
提心吊胆之余绕到前面偷窥友人的面孔。

He looked different from usual -- as though he were a hunted animal. More important than that, he had a ghastly expression on his face, as though he was ready to massacre his own people.
与一直以来的面孔不同、有如被逼急了的野兽一般——在那之上、简直有着连同族都能杀害的鬼气逼人的面孔。

“...What happened?”
「……怎么回事？」

The Forgemaster’s face finally moved in response to the words which had slipped out by themselves. No, only his eyeballs moved, turning to look at the Cabinet Secretary’s face.
听到了不经意漏出的言语，锻冶工房长的脸孔第一次有所动作。不、只有眼球咕噜地动了，看向了事务总长的脸。

“What happened? What... happened? Hmph!”
「怎么回事、吗。怎么回事……吗。哼！」

The Forgemaster’s hand moved. He picked up his tongs, plucked out the searing-hot metal ingot from the fires of the crucible, and then chucked it at the Cabinet Master.
锻冶工房长的手有所动作。只见他一抓住铁夹、将熔炉中烧的灼热的金属铸锭取出，然后将那个丢向事务总长。

“Uwaaaaah!”
「哇啊啊阿！」

The Cabinet Minister scrambled away desperately, and the ingot landed on the ground with a thud.
事务总长拼命地闪躲铸锭，铸锭咚地一声掉到了地板上。

“You bastard! Are you trying to kill me?!”
「你、你这家伙！想杀了老夫吗！」

He could not tolerate this, not even from a friend.
就算是友人这也无法容许的行为。

However, the Forgemaster smiled coldly.
但是，锻冶工房长却露出了冷笑。

“Kill you? Well, you’d think that.”
「想杀汝？确实会这么想吧」

Then, he reached out and grabbed the ingot. Blacksmiths typically wore heat-resistant gloves, but the shocking thing was that the Forgemaster did not. Neither was he wearing any magic items that bestowed such an effect.
只见他伸出手并抓住铸锭，锻冶师基本上会戴上耐热的手套。但是、令人惊讶的是锻冶工房长并却没有这么做。而且也没有装上有那种效果的魔法道具。

He had grabbed the heated metal ingot with his bare hand.
真的是用空手将加热过的铸锭握住了。

So reckless and ridiculous was that move that the Secretary imagined he could smell and hear the Forgemaster’s flesh sizzling. The Forgemaster practically spat his words out at the wide-eyed Cabinet Secretary.
因那样太过夸张的举动，甚至都让他觉得自己闻到了有肉烧焦的声音和味道。锻冶工房长对眼睛瞪大的事务总长以近乎是吐出的方式说出。

“It didn’t heat up!”
「根本就没有变热啊！」

“What, what did you say?”
「汝、汝说啥？」

“This damn thing won’t heat up at all!”
「这玩意就连一丁点都没有办法变热啊！」

Before he knew it, the Cabinet Secretary had caught the ingot tossed his way. For a moment, he imagined that it was emitting a searing heat, but t was not hot at all. In fact, it was surprisingly cold.
不自觉的接住了被抛过来的铸锭。一瞬间、发出了惊人热气是脑中错认了的样子、确实完全不热，甚至感觉到令人吃惊的冷。

“What, what is this?”
「这、这个是？」

That was a pointless question. In all the Cabinet Secretary’s knowledge, there was only one thing which corresponded to the description of a metal that did not get hot even when heated. Thus, the question was merely a formality.
这本来是不根本需要的质问。在加热状态下还能完全不热的金属什么的，在事务总长所知范围之内，就只有一个东西。为此他的疑问不过只是顺口问出的罢了。

Indeed, the Forgemaster’s next words confirmed his suspicions.
事实上、接下来锻冶工房长所说的话肯定了那个想象。

“It’s the ingot that damned undead gave me! I’ve heated it for an entire day and it won’t get hot! I’ve hammered it and it won’t change shape! I can’t even leave a mark on it! How the hell am I supposed to make armor with this?!”
「是那个不死族拿来的铸锭哟！加热了一整天一点也不热！就算敲打了也不变形！就连瑕疵也没有！用这样的金属到底要怎么做铠甲啊！」

“You, you don’t think he gave you a metal even he couldn’t work with?”
「该、该不会给的是他自己也处理不了的金属吧？」

“I’d like to think so too. But look, there’s a shortsword made of the same metal! I can mark the ingot with it! The hell do you mean by ‘most experienced craftsman’?! He’s nothing more than an idiot who can only stare stupidly at a hunk of unknown metal!”
「老夫也很想这么认为。但是、有用同样金属制成的短剑啊！用那个的话确实能够划伤哇！这算什么拥有最佳经历的工匠啊！不过是未知金属摆在眼前，却只能束手无策的蠢货吧！」

The Cabinet Secretary struggled to think of how to comfort the high-strung Forgemaster.
拼命地思考该如何安抚情绪高昂的锻冶工房长。

“Then, then what if you asked that undead being how to work it--”
「那、那么如果问问那个不死族是怎么锻造的话——」

“Those who ask when they don’t know are wiser than those who don’t ask when they don’t know? Something like that, right? That’s true. The dwarves of days past do have a point. But -- what does my experience count for? Look at these hands.”
「『——不知而问要比不知而不问的人聪明』。啊啊、是那样的吧。就是那样没错。以前的矮人真是说了句好话。但是——老夫过去的经验到底算什么呢？看看这个拳头」

He forcefully thrust them out. They were a pair of craftsman’s hands; thick, heavy and scarred from old burns. Any artisan could take pride in such hands.
使劲地将手伸出，那是双厚重的、有着被火灼伤痕迹的工匠的手。对于工匠来说任谁都会觉得这样的手是一种荣耀吧。

“I’ve touched metal ever since I was a stupid disciple. I’ve done it longer than anyone else, until now. Because of that, it was only natural to be praised as the most outstanding artisan of my peers. And the reason for that is because I worked harder than anyone else!”
「从做一个笨学徒那时候开始老夫就一直接触金属，比任何人的时间都要长、直到到现在。正因为如此、老夫自认为被称作是最杰出的工匠是理所当然的事。要问为什么的话，自然是老夫比起任何人都要来的努力！」

The Forgemaster’s face was twisted into knots.
锻冶工房长的面孔扭曲成皱巴巴的样子。

“I’ve given my life to blacksmithing. I don’t think anything is impossible, and I’ve always believed that any metal can be shaped to any desired shape. --What a joke I am! Haha! What was I using to deceive myself? I was nothing more than a tiny frog in a well! And to think I dared call myself a genius. I was such a fool.”
「老夫将人生贡献给了锻冶。认为没有什么是不可能的，一直相信着不管任何金属都能做出期望中的形状。——是多么滑稽的男人啊！哈哈！到底要拿什么来自满自傲啊，不过是在这样小小的井底！竟然还敢自诩是天才。老夫真是大笨蛋啊」

“No, all you need to do now is start learning again, right?”
「不、从现在开始、再学习就行了不是吗」

“That’s right. Yes, you’re right. Though it pains me to hear it…”
「说的很对吶。是的、真的是很对啊。让人刺耳般的……」

The Forgemaster tightly clutched the ingot in his hand.
锻冶工房长将在手中的铸锭紧紧握住。

The Cabinet Secretary was worried by the fact that the Forgemaster’s face was completely blank.
他对那完全没有任何表情的那个脸孔感到不安。

“It’s fine . You’re right. All I need to do is start learning again. Then what are you doing here?”
「没问题哟。是啊、重新学习就行了吶。那么汝是来这里做什么的呢？」

“What am I… you… Ah, forget it. That undead king has left this city. We’ll be holding a Council meeting tomorrow, and I came to get you. Also, don’t interfere with the runesmiths.”
「做什么的……汝……。嘛啊、算了。那个不死族已经离开了这座都市了。关于今后的事明天会召开摄政会，老夫是过来传达汝的。然后不要对符文工匠做无谓的干涉」

“Is that so… I understand. Then, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
「是吗……。了解了。那么明天再见吧」

The Cabinet Secretary still felt uneasy, but he could not bring himself to show it.
事务总长还是感到了一抹不安，但总是没有办法顺利地将其表达出来。

Fatigue of the body translated to fatigue of the spirit. The Forgemaster would probably recover after a good night’s rest. After forcing himself to accept that explanation, the Cabinet Secretary returned home.
身体疲累的话心灵也会疲累，好好休息一晚的话锻冶工房长也会回到原来的状态吧。勉强让自己这么接受后，事务总长那天就这样直接回自家了。

However, the next day, he learned that the Forgemaster had disappeared with the ingot.
然后隔天，他得知了锻冶工房长带着铸锭从这个都市消失了的消息。

2

It was said that there were three trials along the way to the former Royal Capital of the Dwarves.
据说在前往矮人们曾经的王都途中会有三道难关。

The first was the Great Rift.
第一道难关是大裂缝。

Needless to say, one could not cross it on foot. Of course, one could also look for a way around it, but that increased the chances of encountering monsters. The monsters who lay in wait within such terrain were a fearsome threat to the Dwarves.
不用说徒步踏破是绝对不可能的。当然也能大幅绕道寻找迂回路线，如果那么做的话理所当然会提高与怪物的遭遇率。像这种地形中潜伏着的怪物们，对人类或矮人来说是惊人的威胁。

It was very difficult to evade the ambushes launched by monsters which sensed the footsteps of their prey and struck from within the underground. One false move might lead to being swallowed and digested. In addition, there were monsters who could launch psychic attacks and deliver lethal blows while the minds of their prey were still confused.
想要躲开能探知脚步声、从大地袭击过来的怪物们的最初一击是非常困难的。说不定一个不小就会被那样吞下消化掉。而且能给予精神上的冲击，在意识朦胧间做出致命一击的怪物们也是存在的。

In places like these, humanoids like humans, Dwarves and Elves were little more than prey animals.
在这里人类、矮人、森精灵这样的人类种只不过是被捕食的脆弱存在。

While the safest way across would be to take the overland route which cut across the mountain range, that path was still dangerous even for surface-dwellers. One had to worry about being attacked from above by creatures like Perytons, Harpies, Itsumades, Gigant Eagles and other large monsters, which might or might not be flight-capable. Since humans had small cones of vision above and below them, a moment’s carelessness might lead to missing an ambush from above, which held the risk of being slain in one blow.
虽然最为安全的是从地面上踏破山脉的路线，但即使是那样对于脚踏地面生存的种族来说也是格外困难的。因爲要担心從上方襲擊過來的佩利冬[Peryton]、鷹身女妖[Harpyia]、以津真天[イツマデ]、巨鷲[Gigant Eagle]等的大型怪物和大型飛行生物之類的襲擊。人的视界上下范围狭小，因此、稍微不留意的话就会看漏上空而来的突然袭击，然后也不能断定没有被一击夺命的可能性。

===============
【译注：Peryton，佩利冬，拥有鹿的头和腿，鸟的羽毛、翅膀和后半身】
【译注：鹰身女妖，正式译名为哈耳庇厄，英文、日文中经常称呼是ハーピー(Harpy)。长着女人的头，却有着秃鹫的身体、翅膀和利爪，而且性格残忍、凶恶】
【译注：以津真天，是日本古代一种有着似人脸、蛇身、弯曲的喙和参差不齐的牙齿的鸟类、宛如刀剑的锐利勾爪】
=================

Thus, merely crossing the Great Rift was a trial in itself.
为此仅仅只是想要迂回大裂缝就已是一道难关了。

Because of that, the Dwarves had built a city nearby and raised a suspension bridge. Once the bridge had fallen, nobody would be able to cross, and the Great Rift would serve as an impassable barrier to protect the city.
正因如此矮人们在大裂缝附近建筑都市、在大裂缝上架起吊桥，只要将桥击落的话就无人能够越过、难攻不落的城壁便能保护自己的都市。

Now that the suspension bridge had been cut by the Quagoa, the Great Rift was an imposing challenge.
在吊桥被土掘兽人击落的现在，大裂缝无疑是一道难关。

However--
然而——

It did not bother Ainz and his company at all. After all, the use of the [Fly] spell rendered it a trivial obstacle.
这对于安兹他们一行人来说根本不痛不痒。毕竟只要使用<飞行>的话，这些压根就不算了什么。

Then, there was the second trial -- the land of molten magma.
接下来的难关——第二道难关是熔岩地带。

This sea of scorching heat shone with blinding radiance. It was an extremely dangerous region where a single lungful of superheated air could burn one’s lungs within the chest.
由令人目眩的光芒闪闪照亮出的是灼热之海。那是一片只是吸一大口、加热过的空气能灼伤肺部的超危险地带。

The reason why lava could flow uncounted kilometers beneath the earth was most likely because this world was a magical one. There were naturally-formed portals which were close to [Gates] in power, and they joined the magma flows of this region to those of a distant region.
之所以从地表潜入地下尚无数公里的地方就流淌着岩浆，果然还是因为这个世界的常识是由魔法所支配的缘故吧。天然形成的门拥有近似于转移门的能力、让这个地方的熔岩流与离得相当一段距离的场所的熔岩流连接在了一起。

Amidst this searing ocean lurked the reason why this place was considered a trial.
而那样高热的海洋中，还有着被称为难关的理由。

That would be the monster who swam lazily through the scorching sea.
那便是在这个灼热海洋中、悠游自得游着的魔兽的存在。

It was a gigantic monster over 50 meters long, which resembled a fish. To be precise, it most resembled an anglerfish. However, it did not have a lure on its head, but a tentacle which substituted for hands. It could seize a distant foe and deposit it into the monster’s gigantic mouth.
那是只身長大約超過五十米的、像是魚一般的巨大怪物。要举出最为相似的東西的話，可能就是安康鱼了吧。但是，在那頭上附着的却不是假餌，而是能替代手的作用的触手。能够将遠處的敵人抓住放進自己巨大的下顎中。

Its skin was sturdy and tough, and it grew scales like a normal fish, but their toughness far surpassed that of even orichalcum.
外皮也很坚固且厚实、长出鱼鳞一般但硬度却远超过山铜的鳞片。

Many monsters grew very powerful because they lived a long time. These individuals were famed as superior specimens, and in many cases they would be classified as a different kind of being from their parent race. This monster had completed a specialized form of evolution, and it had become a unique being, found nowhere else in the world.
有不少魔物因为魔兽活了漫长的岁月而获得强大的力量。这样的个体会被冠名为上位种，在大多情况下与原来的种族不同会被分类为其他种族。而这怪物又完成了进一步的特殊进化，成为了世界上没有任何同类的、单一种族单一个体的存在。

And so, these were the three rulers of Mt. Rappaslea, as linked by the [Gate]--
說到以轉移門結合的拉帕史雷亞山的三大支配者的話——

The Phoenix Lord, who ruled the sky;
支配天空的不死鳥之王[Phoinix Lord]
【译注：Phoinix，古希腊语，近代英文为Phoenix，不死鸟、凤凰】

The Ancient Flame Dragon, who ruled the earth;
支配地上的古代炎龙[Ancient Flame Dragon]。

And the La-Angler Lava Lord, who ruled the underground sea of magma.
然后是，支配在地下流动熔岩之海的垂钓者·熔岩王[La Angler·Lava Lord]

If ranked by the adventurers’ difficulty estimates, the master of the molten ocean would score around 140. In all likelihood, one would not survive combat with it.
如果使用冒险者们的难度来衡量这熔岩支配者的话，其相当于一百四十。若是进行战斗的话怕是无法生还的吧。

Fortunately, it was poor at attacking terrestrial targets. One would not be attacked if one stayed out of the magma. However, the road to the Dwarven Royal Capital ran along a narrow, unsteady path that was only a little higher than the sea of molten rock below it.
幸运的是它对于陆上活动并不拿手，只要离开熔岩的话就不会遭受到袭击。但是、前往矮人王都的路途中，少许高于那个熔岩之海的地方有在断崖处挖开的栈道，只有那一条不可靠的狭小道路。

Quite a number of Quagoa had fallen into the magma during their invasion. They were unable to withstand the superheated air which blew up from below and the slightest wobble of the bodies sent them plunging into the sea of molten rock.
无法忍受从下吹往上方的热气、只要身体稍微有点摇摇晃晃的话就会滑落到熔岩之海中，
土掘兽人们在入侵之际，也有好几只不慎滑落掉到了熔岩之中。

However--
然而——

The crossing posed no problems for travellers prepared with fire immunity and flight magic. They flew through the air, far above the reach of the La-Angler Lava Lord, and neither party realised the presence of each other.

Thus did Ainz and his company cross the sea of magma.
准备好对炎属性的完全耐性，然后再施放飞行的魔法的话就没有任何问题了。在远离垂钓者·熔岩王的上空经过，彼此之间都没有认识到对方的存在，安兹一行就这样渡过了熔岩之海。

The trials until now had been easily overcome with flight magic, so it was hard to consider them trials. However, the final trial was a challenge in the truest sense of the word, being a long, twisting and branching series of caves.
到此之前的难关只要使用飞行魔法就让攻略成为可能，难以说是真正的难关。但是、最后的难关可说是真正意义上的难关，在那里的是又长又绕的、还有着各种各样分支的洞窟。

It certainly qualified for the title of ”labyrinth”.
即使将其称之为迷宫也不为过。

Still, that alone would be too easy to count as a trial. There were no monsters in this area, so as long as one spent time on making a map, one could eventually overcome it. And if that were all that were to it, then it would only qualify as a trial to those who lacked food and water -- or, in other words, those with limited time.
可如果只是这样就能被称为难关的话，也未免太容易了些。这个区域中并不会出现怪物。因此，只要花时间进行制图的话总有一天能攻略。如果只有这样的话，那这里也只是对于食物和饮水不足、时间有限的人来说是个道难关而已。

Yes -- there was another reason why this place was considered a trial.
是的——这里被称为难关还有其他的主要因素。

This area was filled with vents which spewed plumes of volcanic gases at fixed intervals, and there were places where the gases collected. In other words, it was a hellish zone of invisible, fatal poison, lashed by fierce winds.
那个区域里每隔一定的时间会打开喷出火山性瓦斯的孔穴，而且也存在瓦斯积存的地方。也就是说那是个散布着不可见的致死性的猛毒，刮着狂风的地狱区域。

There were several routes which led to the exit, but there was only one which did so and also avoided the gas. Even that route might end up being filled with gas if one did not traverse it quickly enough.
能到达出口的路线虽然有好几条，但是能够不吸入瓦斯并到达的路线就只有一条。可就连那条路线，若是不能在规定的时间点通过的话，也会有冲入积存瓦斯的可能性。

Even the use of the [Fly] spell -- which had trumped every challenge thus far -- would only allow them to scrape along the ceiling. The sprayed gas would fill even the air up there with gas, so at most, all the spell would do was allow one to avoid the areas where the gas had settled and collected.
就算使用至今为止让攻略变得简单的<飞行>魔法也只能勉强在天花板前进、喷上的气体有时连天花板都会被填满，最多也只是运气够好，或许能够不冲进积存瓦斯而已。

However--
然而——

Ainz and the Guardians had adequate countermeasures against gas-vector attacks, so it posed no problems to them. Rather, the only one who might be affected by gaseous attacks was Gondo. The undead had their immunities, and gases which did not inflict acid or fire damage would not harm them at all. Aura had a magic item which surrounded her in a bubble of fresh air, so mere gas counted for nothing against her.
对于实施了空气对策的安兹们来说，这也同样没有任何问题。倒不如说，会受到气体之类的影响的只有龚德而已。不死者有着耐性，只要不是能赋予酸或炎属性伤害的气体的话，就没有任何问题。亚乌菈能够藉由魔法道具用新鲜空气的领域将自己一个人包覆住，区区瓦斯根本不算什么。

In other words, as long as Gondo was protected by magic, he could walk safely through the billowing vapors of death.
也就是说只要用魔法对龚德施放防护的话，在狂吹的瓦斯之中也能安然突破。

And so, the three trials -- terrain hazards which were deemed impassable to those without preparation or prior knowledge -- were easily conquered by Ainz and his party.
藉此、三道难关——没有准备、没有情报，被称为攻略不可能的地形要害——被安兹一行人轻而易举的给攻略了。

Ainz’s spell -- the [Bless of Titania], which told its user of the swiftest way through a dungeon -- slowly faded away. That was either a sign that its duration had expired, or that its purpose had ended.
安兹的魔法、能告知迷路中最适合攻略路线的魔法<妖精女王的祝福>[Bless Of Titania]逐渐消失，与其说是时间结束还不如说是已经结束了自己的使命吧。

“...Hm. It looks like there’s a fresh Quagoa corpse inside that cave. But we haven’t caught up with their unit yet. I guess a day makes a huge difference.”
「……哼嗯。那个洞窟内有看起来很新的土掘兽人的尸体。但是还没有追赶上那些家伙们的部队呢。果然一天的时间差很大啊」

“Still, we’ve closed the gap greatly. We’ve almost caught up with them now,” Aura said after inspecting the footprints on the ground.
「可是，差距缩到了相当小的样子呢。好像几乎没有时间差距了」

亚乌菈在观察了留在地面的足迹后这么断言道。

“...Really now. Then, let’s discuss what we’ll do afterwards. ...Gondo, we’ll be reaching the Royal Capital soon, right?”
「……是吗。那么接下来就一起商量该怎么做吧。……龚德、再过不久就是王都了吧？」

“Yes. I’ve only heard of it in legends, but if those caves were the legendary Maze of Death, then we ought to be there soon.”

A bitter expression came over Gondo’s face.

“Was that really a Maze of Death, though… The legends said that those who didn’t know the way would only find death at the end of their journey…”
「是的，虽然老夫也只在传闻中听过，如果刚才的洞窟的确是传说中的死之迷宫的话，再一会儿就到了」可是龚德做出苦涩的表情「那真的是死之迷宫吗……。传闻中如果不知道路的人确实会死亡才对吶……」

Ainz could not answer that question. After all, it had been too simple a challenge. Perhaps it was only a ruse, designed to trick the opposition into thinking they had cleared it before the true trap was sprung. That was not entirely out of the question.
安兹没有办法回答那个疑问。毕竟确实太过简单了。该不会那只是个幌子，是想让对方在觉得已经通过了后才发动的真正陷阱呢。这种可能性也不能说没有。

“...When that happens, all we need to do is break through the trap. That said, stepping into a preset snare is the height of foolishness. Let’s slow down our forward progress and advance while staying alert.”
「……那时只需将陷阱突破即可。话虽如此，踏入预期的陷阱是愚蠢的行为。前进速度多少降低一些，一边警戒一边前进吧」

They had been moving at great speeds to catch up with the enemy. However, they had not caught up with them yet, even after coming all the way here. They should re-plan their strategy under the assumption that the enemy had already returned to their base.
至今为了追上敌人，一直维持着相当的速度前进。但是，到这里来了还没有追上的情况下。应该以敌人已经回到据点为基准来考虑，重新建立作战才对。

“Then, we shall consider what we will do after reaching the enemy headquarters.”

After verifying that everyone had nodded, Ainz turned towards Gondo.
「那么，现在开始思考到达敌人的根据地之后的事」确认全员点头之后安兹将目光移向龚德。

“To begin with, Gondo and I will take on the Royal Palace. I will handle the Dragon there.”
「首先我和龚德两个人去攻陷王城，在那里的龙族就由我来应付吧」

Neither the Guardians nor Gondo objected to this.
两名守护者和龚德都没有反对的意见。

The highest-ranked Dragons were some of the strongest opponents in YGGDRASIL. It was very dangerous to move separately from the Guardians while they did not know the enemy’s strength. However, Ainz possessed a World-Class Item. It possessed many powers, and one of them was very effective against Dragons. Therefore, even in the worst-case scenario, he ought to be able to escape it.

In contrast, if he brought the Guardians with him and the enemy was more powerful than expected, then he would have to work harder in order to make his escape.
最上位的龙族即使是在YGGDRASIL中也属于最强等级的强敌。对方的力量在未知数的状态下与两名守护者分别行动是很危险的。然而安兹却带着世界级道具。这个道具有着数种能力，而其中一个能力对龙族们很是有效。因此，即便是最糟糕的情况下也应该能够确实逃脱才对。相反的如果带着守护者们去的话，如果对方是超乎想象的强敌，那么就不得不为了逃脱而分出劳力在上面了。

With Gondo around, the worst that could happen was that Ainz would have to abandon him. He could not abandon the lives of his friends’ children. Therefore, the best solution was to not have them with him in the first place.
龚德的话在最糟也只是将他舍弃。可将如友人们孩子般的两人丢下逃命，这种事安兹就做不到了。为此，只能一开始就不把她们带在身边，

Dragons, huh… I’m looking forward to this.
（龙族吗。……真期待啊）

In YGGDRASIL, Dragons were mighty foes and loot piñatas.
在YGGDRASIL中龙是强敌的同时也是宝山。

They dropped good data crystals, and they had a higher chance of dropping artifacts than normal monsters. One could harvest their skin, meat, blood, fangs, claws, eyeballs, scales and other body parts for various uses.
掉落的数据水晶尽是好货，人造物的掉落率也比普通的怪物要更高。加上从龙族的肉体能够采集的皮、肉、血、牙、爪、眼珠、鳞片等部位都有着各式各样的用途。

One could say they were delicious enemies.
可说是美味的敌人。

Knowing that he would soon encounter his first Dragon in this world filled his heart with a blend of unease, anticipation and desire. Ainz was so delighted that he was barely able to contain himself.
对于不久就将、遭遇这个世界最初龙族的不安和期待、以及欲望等情绪，让安兹的心情愉快地快按耐不住了。

According to the Dwarves, the mighty Frost Dragon which had laid waste to the Western city might be there. If things went poorly, he might face another battle where victory might be in doubt, much like the one with Shalltear.
根据矮人所说，在那里或许有着曾经令西边都市陷入崩坏的强大霜龙。那么搞不好、继夏提雅之后，又能够再一次投身于胜算不明的战斗中也说不定。

Could the Dragon have defeated the Death Knights? I can still manage if they’re the same entity, but it’ll be troublesome if there was another one. Should I remain hidden and bring up everyone except the Hanzos -- no, this ought to be the right choice.
（打倒死亡骑士的强者会是龙吗。如果是同一个存在的话就好办了啊，可如果不同的话就麻烦了啊。保持着隐秘、把除了跟在后面的半藏外的人也带过来——不，这个选择应该没错才是）

“--Ainz-sama?”
「——安兹大人？」

“Hm? Ahh, Shalltear. Forgive me, I was lost in thought. Then, I shall give you two your orders as well. Aura and Shalltear, you are to face the Quagoa and have them submit to my rule. If they dare to refuse, then demonstrate the power of my Nazarick to them!”
「嗯？啊啊、夏提雅吗，抱歉呢，稍微陷入了下思考中的样子。那么也对你们两人下令，亚乌菈和夏提雅就去做土掘兽人们的对手，将他们纳入支配下就行。若是胆敢拒绝的话——就示我纳萨力克的威光！」

The two Guardians replied in forceful tones.
两名守护者以充满霸气的言语回复。

Ainz’s gaze shifted to Gondo. He looked like he did not have anything he wanted to say. That attitude seemed to imply that he would go along  with any decision Ainz made.
安兹视线一晃移动到龚德那里，他的举动并没有特别想要说什么的样子。那态度就像是在说甘愿服从安兹的决定。

While Ainz had agreed to clear out the Quagoa, Ainz did not intend to completely exterminate them. He simply felt that the genocide of a race which did not exist in YGGDRASIL was a bit of a waste. Indeed, killing them all might eliminate this race from the world. No, even if that were not the case, they might end up being beneficial to Nazarick in the future.
这次，虽然与矮人们做了扫荡土掘兽人们的约定，但对于安兹来说倒是没有杀光他们的想法。
只是单纯的认为，要歼灭不存在过去YGGDRASIL中的种族感觉有点浪费。在这里将他们全灭的话，也许这个种族就会从这个世界完全消失了也说不一定。不、就算不是这样，今后或许也有为纳萨力克带来利益的可能性。

Of course, they might also be harmful to Nazarick. However, extirpating them before verifying that was something of a waste.
当然可能会对纳萨力克带来害处的可能性也是相等的。但是在看清之前就歼灭的话还是稍微有点可惜。

Extermination is easy, but revival is difficult. Thus, there’s only one path I can take. And besides--
（杀戮是简单的，但复苏就困难了。那么该做的事只有一个呢，而且——）

“If they are fools who will not swear their loyalty to me, then reduce their numbers to around 10’000 or so. Try and keep the strong ones alive. However, after considering future issues, do not select them purely based on strength. You must make sure about half of them are female. In addition, you must not let any of them escape, do you understand? Especially the one that is the equivalent to their king.”
「如果是不向我等宣示忠诚的愚物——就将其削减到一万只左右吧。可以的话尽可能以强者为中心。但考虑到今后的事，不要只依靠强度做选择哦。相同数量的雌性也是必要的，然后一只也不能让他们逃掉哟？特别是相当于王的存在」

“But… Ainz-sama…”
「但是……安兹大人」

Ainz urged Aura -- who looked depressed -- to continue speaking.
对面带愁容的亚乌菈，安兹催促她将话说下去。

“We don’t know exactly how large the Dwarven capital is, but it seems like quite a large area. It’ll be difficult for just the two of us to ensure that none of the Quagoa escape from such a broad space. What should we do?”.
「虽然不清楚矮人王都的占地有多么宽广，但是预测有相当程度的大小。在那样宽阔的场所要保证所有土掘兽人们都逃不掉的话，光靠我们两人实在困难。请问应该怎么做才比较好呢？」

“Hm. A reasonable question. Because of that -- Aura, it’s time for you to shine. Use the World-Class item I gave you earlier.”
「哼嗯。那个疑问也是当然的。正因为如此——亚乌菈，该你出场了。就使用之前交给你的世界级道具好了」

“Can, can I do that?”
「可、可以这么做吗？」

“Umu. This is when it should be put to use.”
「唔嗯，那个就应该被用在这种时候」

“I, I understand!”
「我、我明白了！」

Tension was written all over their faces.
紧张两个字写在两人脸上。

“While that there are no use limits on that World-Class item, if the enemy fulfils certain conditions and escapes, ownership of the Item will automatically shift to them. That is the worst-case scenario and must be avoided at all costs.”
「虽然那个世界级道具没有使用次数限制，可如果在达成了特定条件的情况下被对方逃脱的话，其所有权就会自动转移到对方那里。这种最糟糕的事态绝对要避免哦」

Ainz recalled the incident where Ainz Ooal Gown had seized possession of it.
回想起了“安兹·乌尔·恭”将其夺过来时所发生的事。

How many mails had the enemy sent, begging them to “return it to me”?
到底从对方的公会接收了多少「还给我」的信号呢。

Ainz snorted.
安兹以鼻嗤笑。

“If you didn’t want to lose it, shouldn’t have used it,” was the matter-of-fact reply. Nothing was more stupid than a guild which could not accept such a rational conclusion. If they did not want it to be taken, they should have stashed it in their treasury and never taken it out. Therefore, Ainz kept harping on it, even though he felt that there would be no problems with its use.
「如果不想被夺走的话不要使用就好」这天经地义的回答，没有比不能理性接受这句话的公会还要愚蠢的了。如果不想被夺走的话应该珍贵的收藏在宝箱中，不要拿出来就好。所以尽管认为没问题，安兹却还是不断地提醒着注意。

“Also, you must be cautiousware of foes you cannot suck into it, because such enemies possess World-Class Items as well.”
「然后更要注意无法将其装进去的对手，因为那家伙正持有着世界级道具吶」

“That means you won’t be able to enter either, right, Ainz-sama?”
「那么的话安兹大人进不来吗？」

“Not when it is open. However, there are ways to go in if you choose to do so. You need to pay attention to that momentary delay… Alright, let’s go, then.”
「正在展开时进不去。但是，真想要进去的话之后也能通过选择做到。要注意那个瞬间的时间延迟。……好了、那么走吧」

Led by Aura, the group set forth.
以亚乌菈为前头，一行人向前迈进。

Perhaps they were near the former Dwarven Royal Capital, but even the naturally-formed caverns were easy to traverse. All the stalactites and stalagmites had been cut down, probably for convenience of passage. They walked on for a time, surrounded by the labor of the Dwarves.
或许是已经离过去的矮人王都很接近了吧，尽管是自然形成的洞穴却很容易行走。钟乳石什么的全部被砍倒，这是为了方便行走而进行了整备吧。一边感受以前的矮人们的劳力一边走了一阵子。

Aura -- who walked at their head -- suddenly stopped. Then she cupped her hand to her long ear, taking a stance of intent listening.
在前头的亚乌菈停止了前进。然后用手抵住长耳朵后面，摆出想要听取声音的姿势。

Ainz and the others kept quiet, waiting for Aura to give the word.
安兹们以不发出任何声音、一动也不动的方式等着亚乌菈的话语。

“Ainz-sama, I can hear many living beings ahead, numbering in the hundreds. I can’t gauge the exact distance, but I think we’ll make contact with them within minutes.”
「安兹大人……能够听到从前方传来复数的生物发出的声音，推测怎么也有数百的样子。正确的距离虽然还无法掌握，但我想大概再过数分钟就会接敌了吧」

“Hoh… have we caught up to them?”
「嚯喔……我们追上了吗？」

“No, they don’t sound like they’re moving. It feels like they’re waiting…”
「不、并不是走路的声音。感觉组起阵型——了」

“I see. Did they sense our pursuit? Are they ambush troops?”
「原来如此。是察觉到这里正在追他们了吧？是所谓的迎击部队吗？」

If that were the case, they had probably used some sort of divination magic to spy on Ainz and the others.
这样的话是使用某种情报魔法，监视了这边的动向吧。

Ainz smiled thinly.
安兹浅浅一笑。

Until now, he had not let the enemy observe their power. Because of that, they wanted to throw their unit against Ainz and observe their abilities.
到目前为止几乎没让他们察觉这边的本领。正因如此，才想用部队和这边撞上，以此来调查这边的能力吧。

From the enemy’s resolve and actions, he could sense their anxiety and willingness to sacrifice lives to learn about them. It made Ainz feel that he had won his battle of wits against his opponent.
由敌人的觉悟和行动察觉到他们就算付出牺牲也要取得情报的焦躁。让安兹在与对手的智慧比拼中有了获胜的感觉。

“Ainz-sama, shall we capture them?”
「安兹大人，要进行捕获吗」

“Hm, come to think of it, we haven’t shown too much of our abilities to the enemy yet. Therefore, let’s gather some information before we trample their headquarters in one fell swoop.”
「说的是呢，目前为止没有给对方太多的情报才对。那么，在一口气将敌人的本阵蹂躏之前，应该先收集情报吧」

“Understood!”
「遵命！」

In addition, even if they did learn about them, they could not devise a counter-strategy that easily.
而且就算得到了情报，也没有办法简单的做出对策。

There were two main types of characters in YGGDRASIL.
YGGDRASIL中的角色主要分为两种类型。

There were those who specialized in a certain field, and those whose abilities were evenly distributed.
专精一项能力的角色、或将能力平均分配的角色。

In the former case, even if one learned about an enemy, they would have a hard time dealing with them if the information did not pertain to their specialty. In the latter case, they might be able to deal with them, but given the even spread of their foe’s abilities, said countermeasures against them would not be foolproof.
如果是前者的情况、就算得到了情报如果是与那个专精能力不相关的情报的话，便难以对应。如果是后者的话虽然对应是可能的，但是因为能力能平均分布的关系而不可能有办法做出多么完美的对应。

Of course, there might be people like Ainz who knew many spells and who possessed many items left behind by their comrades, and were thus able to adapt to many circumstances, or someone like Touch Me with very high overall stats, but those were the exception to the rule. Therefore, there was only one thing they had to worry about.
虽然也有着像是安兹有多样的魔法和拜同伴们留下的道具所赐、对应的幅度很宽广的角色，或像是塔其·米一般平均强度异常高的角色，但那些都是可以从基本中剔除的例外。因此该警戒的就只有一点。

...The number of powerful entities. The fact that those numbers are unknown scares me a little. Given that I can’t fully verify that particular point, I should probably keep the idea of retreat in mind -- hm. Well, in any case, we can’t proceed without punching them to see what the enemy has up their sleeve. --Ohh, the spirit of Yamaiko-san is possessing me...
（强者的数量。由于那点还是迷让人有点害怕啊。在没有办法将这点完全弄清楚的情况下，果然还是应该保留撤退的念头——哼嗯。不管怎样，不先揍一拳弄清对手底牌的话根本没法继续呢。——喔喔、夜舞子桑的靈魂附體了啊）

“Shalltear. You are not to go berserk this time, alright?”
「……夏提雅哟。这次可不允许暴走哦？」

“Of course!”
「這是當然的！」

Shalltear withdrew her Spuit Lance.
夏提雅取出了滴管長槍[Syringe lance]。

“Very good. Normally, we should avoid revealing the fact that we possess divine-class items to the enemy. However, they won’t be able to see through it without very good detection skills. Alright, go.”
「很好。本来的话，我们持有神器级道具的这件情报，也应该尽可能的避免被对方察觉才是。但如果不是很优秀的调查系的话是没有办法看破的。——很好，上」

“Understood!”
「遵命！」

***

In Feoh Berkanan -- the stately, magnificent former Royal Capital of the Dwarves, built during the flower of their civilization -- the largest building besides the Royal Palace was the Merchant’s Guild, because it contained many rooms used during meetings and temporary vaults used to briefly store resources.
在矮人文化的最盛时期所建筑出、既庄严而华丽、过去的矮人王都——菲欧·贝尔嘉纳，在这里除了王城之外最大的建筑物就是商工会议所，因为有着在会议中所使用的多数房间以及暂时作为物资的储备室。

This building was used by many Dwarves, and it was larger than any other structure in the city. However, it was not the residence of the Lord of the Quagoa Clans, Pe Riyuro.
众多矮人们使用过的这栋建筑物，比起其他都市的建筑物都要来的宽广。然后现在、那里是身为掘土兽人们的氏族王、培·里由罗的居城。

By the time Yozu returned, Riyuro was seated -- almost sinking -- into a large and soft cushion. His attitude was one which carried on as normal, without entertaining the possibility of anger or anxiety, even after hearing about Yozu’s failure.
由欧兹回来之时，里由罗的身体正彷佛沉入在柔软且巨大的靠垫般地坐着。尽管听到了由欧兹的败北，在那里有着的是不管发怒也好、焦急也好都不存在一如既往般的姿态。

Yozu bowed, and described what had happened.
由欧兹将头垂下，说明发生了什么事。

While the important details had already been sent via messenger, he was here to explain the details. In particular, he needed to thoroughly elaborate on the Dwarven Kingdom’s trump card, the black suits of armor which he had seen with his own two eyes.
虽然重要的事已经通过传令进行传达了，在这是为了说明细节。特别是、那双眼睛所见作为矮人王国王牌的黑色铠甲的事情，有必要做进一步重点说明。

Riyuro listened in silence, and then he slowly moved his hand, reaching into a cage beside him. He withdrew a squeaking lizard; a fat, round and juicy lizard, a snack fit for a king.
默默听着话的里由罗缓慢移动手、伸入等在旁边近侍所持的笼子内，然后将装在里面吱吱叫的蜥蜴抓起来，那是适合给王食用的圆滚滚且肥大的蜥蜴。

Riyuro extended the hand holding the lizard toward Yozu.
里由罗将握住蜥蜴的手伸向由欧兹。

“--Bite to eat?”
「——吃吗？」

“No, no thank you.”
「不，不用客气」

“Really now,” Riyuro muttered. Then he crushed the lizard’s head with his jaws, and Yozu smelled the faint scent of blood and innards.
是吗、如此低喃后，里由罗将蜥蜴从头咬碎，由欧兹嗅出些微血腥味和内脏的味道。

All 20 centimeters of the lizard disappeared into Riyuro’s mouth within three bites.
全长二十公分左右的蜥蜴，用三口就完全入了里由罗的口中。

Riyuro wiped his bloodstained hands and mouth clean with a nearby towel.
里由罗使用附近的毛巾擦拭沾满血的手和嘴。

“--And so you retreated. What of your pursuers?”
「——于是就此撤退了吗。追兵呢？」

“We’re unsure of that. However--”
「不清楚。不过——」

Since the suspension bridge had fallen, he did not think the enemy would continue their pursuit. And frankly speaking, they had the Dwarves by the throat. All the Dwarves could do was reinforce their defenses, find and seal off the flanking route, and then perhaps they might mount a counterattack on this place.
既然那座吊桥已陷落，不认为敌人会追过来。而且说到底、都已将手伸向矮人的咽喉处。他们所能做的也只有强化防卫阵地、接下来将发现的迂回路线封锁、在那之后才会对这里进行反入侵的吧。

The reason why they had only committed those two suits of black armor was either because they were foolish enough to split their forces or because that was the sum of their military power.
在要塞被夺取的状态下只投入了那两具黑色铠甲的原因、如果不是会将兵力分散的笨蛋所为的话，那些应该就是全部兵力了吧。

That was Yozu’s opinion, which he shared with Riyuro.
将如此认为的自己的看法，由欧兹对里由罗进行说明。

“It wouldn’t be strange if there were one orf two more of them.”
「再有个一具或两具也不奇怪吶」

Riyuro seemed to have sensed Yozu’s unconscious display of surprise. He poked repeatedly at the lizards in the cage while lazily explaining his meaning.
似乎是察觉到了由欧兹不自觉做出的不可思议表情吧，里由罗反复用钩爪戳着笼中的蜥蜴一边慵懒的进行补充说明。

The Dwarves were confident in their fortress’ defense. If it was brought down, they would feel that the chances of their city being conquered were very high. Therefore, it was not wrong to assume that the black suits of armor they had sent out were a significant portion of their total number.
矮人们对于要塞的防御有着自信。如果那里被压制的话，感觉到都市本身会沦陷的可能性很高吧。因此将出来迎击的黑色铠甲，看做占了总数的大半这点确实没错。

However, since they did not know how exactly the fortress had been conquered, committing all their forces to the frontlines was a dangerous gamble. If there were multiple avenues of infiltration, then they might be lost.
但是因为还不清楚到底是如何将要塞攻陷的，在一个战线中将全部兵力投入的话是个危险的赌注。如果是存在复数入侵路线的情况，可能会变成无法挽回的事吧。

While it was not a situation where they could dole their fighting strength out bit by bit, they did not have the information to commit their entire force to a counterattack either.
确实那时并非是能将战力一点一点拿出来的状况，虽说如此要在反攻中倾注全力的话情报又不充足。

Therefore, even if there were more, there would only be one, maybe two more. This was what he had come up with.
因此，就算还有的话再就只有一具、乃至两具了吧。这便是由此得出的结论。

Yozu felt that it was exactly as the Lord had said, and he was filled with awe at his Lord’s perspicacity.
由欧兹认为的确如王所说的一样，对于自己的王的清晰头脑抱持着尊敬的想法。

“Then, who do you think can defeat those Golems?”
「那麼、說到那個格雷姆、誰能夠取勝？」

“I am certain that you could defeat it, my Lord!”
「如果是氏族王的话必定能取胜！」

Riyuro was the mightiest being among the eight clans of the Quagoa. Indeed, his fighting ability was exemplary.
里由罗是这个掘土兽人的八氏族中立于顶点的强者。实际上、里由罗的战斗能力出类拔萃。

He might well be able to fight the entire Quagoa race by himself and emerge victorious. There had never been an entity as powerful as him in the history of the Quagoa.
若是他的话搞不好就算与全部的掘土兽人们为敌，也能够将胜利纳入囊中的吧。这般的强者在至今为止的掘土兽人们的历史中是不存在的。

Yozu recalled the sight of Riyuro battling a monster in the past. He was absolutely confident that Riyuro’s might was superior to that of the Golems.
由欧兹脑中浮现出的是，过去里由罗与怪物展开激战的身影。那个强悍在那个格雷姆之上，对于这一点他有着绝对的自信。

“Dispense with the pleasantries. Do you truly think so?”
「无需奉承，你真的是这么认为的吗？」

“Yes! I do think so!”
「是！我是这么认为的」

Riyuro chuckled bitterly, but Yozu’s reply was earnest. He had no answer besides that.
里由罗的声音中带有苦笑，但由欧兹很老实的回答。除此之外没有其他回答。

“...Which Clan were you born in?”
「……你是哪个氏族出身的呢？」

A surprising question. After Yozu stated his birth clan, Riyuro fell into thought once more.
不可思议的提问。由欧兹将自己出身的氏族说出口后，里由罗再度沉思。

“I see… In that case, you must really think I can win, then?”
「原来如此……。那样的话，看来是真觉得我能够取胜的啰？」

“What, what does that mean?”
「那、那是什么意思呢？」

“I simply suspected that you might consider this a chance to eliminate me. It is true that I am stronger than anyone else in the entire species. Because of that, you might seek to have me battle the Golems after underestimating its strength. Then, the Golems would kill me. Well, if you did that, then nobody would be able to defeat the Golems… but it would be damaged during its battle with me, and then you might decide to crush it with numbers.”
「我只不过是在怀疑，你是不是觉得这是个除掉我的机会。确实我比同族的任何人都来的强大。正因为如此，想让我低估格雷姆的强度后去挑战。那么一来让格雷姆杀了我就好、呢。嘛、那么做的话就没有人能够打倒格雷姆了……但是与我战斗的格雷姆也会受伤才对，也许是考虑着想用数量压垮它吶」

Although the Lord to which he had pledged his loyalty cast his suspicions upon him, Yozu’s heart was filled with nothing but respect.
即便被献上忠诚的氏族王所怀疑，他的心中也还是只有敬意而已。

If he were in Riyuro’s place, he might not have thought so deeply into the issue.
如果是自己的话，可没有办法考虑到这么深吧。

Yozu firmly believed that Riyuro was the true Lord of the Quagoa, and his loyalty deepened ever further.
由欧兹确信，在眼前的里由罗才是真正与掘土兽人之王相符的人、越发加深忠诚心了。

Riyuro did not quite understand the man before him, and asked Yozu a question.
对于那样的他，里由罗像是有些不解似得投出了疑问。

“...Why did you not immediately answer that you did not have such intentions?”
「……为何、没有办法立即回答并没有那种想法呢？」

“Yes! My, my deepest apologies! I was merely entranced by my Lord’s deep insights! As you have said, I harbored no such intentions!”
「是！真、真是非常抱歉！不禁对于氏族王的深邃思虑听得入迷了！如您所说、我并没有想着那种事情！」

Riyuro laughed loudly.
里由罗哈哈大笑。

“What an interesting fellow you are! ...The men I granted you were lost for nothing, so there must be a punishment for that. But I will not inflict wounds upon you, which might affect your future development. In truth, you learned about the Golems and returned here after realizing that it was important information. In addition, your anticipation of enemy pursuit and the allocation of part of your troops to the defense of the city shows your keenness of thought.”
「你还真是有趣的家伙吶！……虽然交给你的人白白损失，所以不得不对你做处罚。但我不会给你或许会影响到今后发展的伤痛。事实上、发现格雷姆的存在、看穿了那是重要的情报并回到这里了呢。再加上推测出敌人的追击，将分配的军队其中一部分已经投入了这座都市的防卫中的机智也很灵活」

“Thank you very much!”
「非常感谢！」

Yozu bowed deeply.
由欧兹深深的低下头。

“Now, I have a question for an excellent leader like you. How shall we gather more information about those Golems?”
「对身为优秀将领的你问个问题吧，要收集那个格雷姆的详细情报的话该怎么做？」

“By attacking the shorties’ nation.”
「袭击那些矮子们的国家」

“That is one way to go about it. If you do so, we might be able to learn if there are truly Golems in reserve.”
「那个是其中一个方法呢。那么做的话，同时还能够得到真的是否还有格雷姆的情报」

“Yes! If there aren’t any more, then we must conquer the city as soon as possible no matter the losses we suffer.”
「是！如果已经没有了的话。我认为就有不论付出多少损失，都要在短时间内将其攻陷的必要了」

“Umu,”, Riyuro nodded.
唔嗯、里由罗点点头。

If it was a matter of lives, then much time would be needed to bear and raise them. However, Golems only needed to be built. Time was not on their side, but on the enemy’s.
如果是生命的话必须要花费出生到养育的时间，但如果是格雷姆的话只需要做出来就行。时间是我方的敌人，可对于对方来说却是朋友。

“What other methods are there?”
「除此之外还有什么方法？」

“Forgive me, but I cannot think of any at the moment.”
「非常抱歉，暂时没有想到」

Riyuro thrust his hand into the lizard-filled cage and withdrew another lizard.
里由罗将手伸入装有蜥蜴的笼子中、再次拿出蜥蜴。

“...Would you like one?”
「……吃吗？」

Do I look that hungry?
自己看起来是物欲那么强的样子吗。

It was true that he had fled back here with all his strength, and he had not even eaten or rested properly so far. However, he was not thirsty or hungry enough to beg from the king’s table.
确实在此之前因为用尽全力返回，因此用餐也好休息也好都没有好好完成。但是、即便如此也没有饥渴到欲求王的食物。

“No, thank you.”
「不，不用客气」

“Really now,” Riyuro replied. Then, he chewed off the lizard’s head like he had the previous one. After devouring it like the one before it, Yozu asked Riyuro a question.
是吗、里由罗回答之后，与刚才同样将吱吱叫的蜥蜴从头咬住。和刚才完全一样的结束了进食后，由欧兹向里由罗问道。

“Then, my Lord. Have you thought of any other methods?”
「那么、氏族王。您还想到了什么其他的手段吗？」

“Ah, yes. Ask that fellow. His wisdom is far beyond mine… Although, the troubling thing is that the payment he demands will be equally high.”
「啊啊、有喔。问问那些家伙就行。他们的知识远在我们之上。……不过困扰的是，该支付的代价很大啊」

“By payment you mean… could it be!”
「该支付的代价……该不会！」

Yozu immediately guessed it from those words.
从那句话由欧兹马上猜想到。

“Correct. We must give the Dragons--”
「没错，向龙——」

Just as Riyuro was about to speak, there was a disturbance from outside, and then the doors swung open with a great crash.
里由罗在即将开口的时间点中外面传来骚动，然后门发出巨响后完全敞开。

“Clan Lord!”
「氏族王！」

It was one of the guards.
看见的是其中一名卫兵。

“Looks urgent, what happened?”
「看来是紧急事态呢，发生了什么？」

“Yes! There seems to be someone headed toward this city!”
「是！似乎有什么人朝着这座都市前进的样子」

“Where are they coming from?”
「从哪里来的？」

According to the guard, they had come from the flank where Yozu had positioned his troops. In other words, they had come from the Dwarven nation.
听警备兵说、是由欧兹配置了部队的那一侧，也就是矮人的国家的方向。

“So they’ve sent out pursuit troops… I underestimated the stunties.”
「送出了追击的部队吗。……看轻矮子们了吶」

With that, Riyuro rose to his feet.
只留下这句话后里由罗起身。

Yozu’s eyes seemed to ask him where he was going. Riyuro sensed this, and replied:
以目光询问要去哪里之时，察觉到的里由罗回答道。

“It seems we’ve been saved a lot of decision-making. I will go meet the Dragons now.”
「看来省了多做考虑的功夫了啊。我现在就去与龙族会面」

“Are you going to learn about the Golems?”
「是为了收集格雷姆的情报吗？」

“No. I’m going to convince them to deal with the approaching stunties. Since they’re stunties, they’ll have their Golems in tow. Then, we should have them fight the Dragons and weaken both sides. ...Hmph. Might as well let them earn their keep.”
「不对。驱使那些家伙们。让他们去对付接近的矮子们。既然是来的是矮子，那想必是带着格雷姆过来了吧。那么让他们与龙族们对上的话，就能同时降低两边的战力吧。……哼。就让那些家伙好好的起点作用吧」

The Clan Lord was deeply furious about how the Dragons had taken the best spot in the city -- the Royal Palace -- for their own. This was something which only his most trusted confidants knew, in addition to how the Clan Lord had cleverly hidden those feelings and bowed to the Dragons.
对于将作为这座都市最好场所的王城纳入手中的龙族们，王有着很深的恨意。这是最为信赖的数名近侍才知晓的事。以及王将那样的感情巧妙隐藏，对于龙族们低头的事也是。

There was an overwhelming difference between the power of Dragons and Quagoa.
龙族与掘土兽人们之间有着压倒性的力量差距。

Therefore, they had to feign an air of servitude until they could pare down the Dragons’ strength. However, there were very few beings who could fight on even terms with the Dragons in the mountain range. With one notable exception aside, those would probably be the Frost Giants.
正因为如此在削弱龙族的力量之前，只能采取谦逊的态度。然而、在这座山脉中能够与龙族们同等战斗的战力很少，唯一例外、大概也就只有霜之巨人[Frost Giant]了吧。

And now the chance had come, Riyuro said.
然后那个机会总算是来了、里由罗言道。

“Yozu, it’s not too likely, but just in case, begin moving toward the ruins district. I don’t want you to get involved in the battles of Dragons.”
「由欧兹，虽然觉得不太可能，但以防万一、先向着废弃地区开始移动。可不想卷入龙族们的战斗之中啊」

One district of the Dwarven Royal Capital had been completely destroyed before the Quagoa had taken it over. The Quagoa had not rebuilt this area, in order to use it as a staging ground to gather a vast army. It would seem that it would finally be put to use.
这座矮人的王都在被掘土兽人们纳入支配下前，有一个区块已完全崩坏。掘土兽人们完全没有将这个场所重建，为的就是让那里成为能够展开大军的地方。看来终于要使用那个了啊。

“Understood.”
「遵命」

“Then… can you help me prepare some offerings for the meeting with the Dragons? They like jewels, so prepare some of them. I trust you also know that they’re very greedy and won’t agree to the initial payment right away. They’ll surely raise their price. With that in mind, prepare some lower-valued items as well.”
「然后……为了与龙族会面拜托你准备给他们的贡品喔？那些家伙喜欢宝石之类的，所以去准备点那些东西。我想你也知道，那些家伙很贪婪。不可能对一开始提出的金额点头同意，一定会将价值往上提高才对。以那个为前提，要记得准备价值低的东西喔」

After nodding to Riyuro to show he understood, Yozu immediately began the preparations.
由欧兹在里由罗语毕后低头，表示理解的意思后便立刻着手开始了准备。

***

The mightiest species in this world were the Dragons. There were races which could adapt to the harsh lands where humanity could not reach. The Azellisia Mountain Range was no exception, and the Dragons ruled the roost here.
在这个世界中最强的种族是龙族。在人类不太可能达到到达的严苛土地上、也必定存在能够适应那里的种族。然后那个在这个安杰利西亚山脉也不例外，龙族作为支配者层级君临于此。

These Dragons were known as Frost Dragons.
那個龍族的種族、被稱爲霜龍[Frost Dragon]。

Usually, Dragons had slender bodies. Those did not resemble the crawling forms of lizards so much as they did those of cats. Among them, Frost Dragons were even slimmer, like snakes.
通常、龙族的种族有着苗条的肢体。与其说是像蜥蜴那样的爬虫类，倒不如说是能够联想到猫科动物的躯体。而在这之中霜龙的躯体要更加纤细、像是蛇一般。

Their scales were pale white, but as they grew older, they turned the white of snowfall. They were adapted to their environment with cold immunity, but in contrast, they were vulnerable to fire.
鳞片的颜色是苍白色，但随着成长会慢慢变成有如霜降般的白色。拥有因适应生活环境而对冷气持有完全耐性，相反的也有着不擅长应付炎属性攻击的弱点。

In addition, there was the trump card of the Draconic races. They possessed the fearsome power of freezing Dragon’s breath.
作为龙族的种族王牌，它们有着让众多人胆寒的、寄宿着冷气的龙息。

The Lord of these Frost Dragons, Olasird’arc=Haylilyal, coiled around his throne, looking down on the Quagoa who craved an audience with him.
那樣的霜龍之王、欧拉萨达尔克=赫利利亚尔一邊盤繞捲曲在自己的王座，一邊冷眼俯瞰請求謁見的掘土兽人。

“So, you have come. What is the matter?”
「来了吗。那么有何事？」

“Yes, I am deeply honored to be granted an audience with the mighty White Dragon Lord, Olasird’arc=Haylilyal--”
「是！对于能够面见伟大的白龙王、欧拉萨达尔克大人一事——」

“--Dispense with the formalities. Get to the point.”
「——不必奉承了，进入主题」

That said, Olasird’arc’s eyes narrowed slightly.
但话是这么说，欧拉萨达尔克的眼睛还是少许眯了起来。

Being a Dragon Lord had a special significance among Dragons. It was a title only given to those who had reached the highest age category (Ancient) among the Dragons, or powerful Dragons who possessed special powers, or those Dragons who could use exotic magic. These outstanding Dragons were awarded the title of Lord.
所谓的龙王在龙族的种族之中有着特别的含义。基本上只有到达最高等级年龄阶段[古老]的龙族、或是拥有特别力量的龙族强者、又或者是能够使用异质魔法的龙族这类、优秀的龙族才会赋予的名誉称号。

Being addressed by such a glorious title was quite pleasing.
以那样名誉的称号被称呼是一件心情非常愉快的事。

“Yes! Firstly, I wish to thank you for granting an audience.”
「是！首先请接受对于许可谒见的感谢之意」

The Quagoa waiting behind the Qagoa Lord produced a beat-up old sack.
掘土兽人之王的后面等待着的掘土兽人们将一个破旧的大袋子拿出。

They opened it, and as expected, the glitter of gold spilled forth.
将袋口打开、和预测的一样，从那里流露出黄金的光辉。

It was not enough to satisfy him, but that amount should have been all the Quagoa could manage, so he had to bear with it.
还不到满足的量，但对于掘土兽人来说这种程度就已经是界限了吧，只能忍耐。

“Alright then, what do you want.”
「好吧，那么有何要事？」

“Yes! In truth, there are some uninvited guests with designs upon our homes, so I was wondering if we could call upon your matchless might, White Dragon Lord-sama.”
「是！事实上有不速之客盯上我们的居住地，所以在想是否能够借用伟大的白龙王大人的力量」

“Hm…”
「呼嗯……」

To Olasird’arc, Quagoa were untermenschen. They were beings who should revere the mighty Dragons, and they were comparable to his possessions. It was somewhat aggravating to allow them to be killed at will. However, it was equally infuriating for him to have to take action on the behalf of such inferior lifeforms.
对欧拉萨达尔克来说所谓的掘土兽人是下等种族，是应该侍奉强大的龙族的生物，也就相当于是自己的所有物。若是放任它们被任意杀害的话，可稍微有点窝火。但自己为了区区的下等生物还要行动，也同样叫人怒火填膺。

Olasird’arc’s gaze fell upon his glittering throne -- a small mountain of gold and precious stones.
欧拉萨达尔克将视线落在自己那闪耀的王座——黄金和宝石的小山上。

One habit which united all Dragons was the love of precious metals, jewels, magic items and related wealth. Olasird’arc was no exception in this regard.
作为龙族共同的种族习性，它们不知为何对于贵金属或宝石、魔法道具之类的财产有着偏好。而这点对于欧拉萨达尔克来说也同样不是例外。

However, while he might be able to dig tunnels and excavate precious metals or raw gemstones, he could not process them. In addition, the mighty should not be doing such things. That was what slaves were for.
但是，自己虽然能够挖掘洞穴取得贵金属或原石。但却没有加工的手段，而且那也不是强者该做的事。那种事应该由奴隶们去做的。

Thus, it did not matter if he roused himself to labor on the behalf of his slaves. His heart surged with such generous feelings.
那么为了自己而勤劳工作的奴隶的愿望，多少将劳力分配出去也没什么关系吧。他的心中涌出了那样宽大的心情。

“And who are these people?”
「那么对方是什么人？」

“We are not sure. We have not grasped their true identity yet. However, they should be Dwarves.”
「不清楚，还没有掌握真面目。但是，应该是矮人」

“Dwarves. ...Umu.”
「矮人。……呼嗯」

Olasird’arc glanced at the great door behind him.
欧拉萨达尔克眼神一瞥自己身后的巨大门扉。

Behind that door was the Dwarven City’s former treasury.
那扇门之后，据说就是矮人都市曾经的藏宝库。

No matter how many times Olasird’arc had attacked it, it had not opened or been destroyed. The protective magic worked on it by the Dwarven runesmiths had defended their treasures from all the attacks he had brought to bear on it.
不管欧拉萨达尔克对门进行了多少攻击，也不见它不开启或是损坏。那个由矮人的符文工匠所施放的防护性魔法，从长久以来他施放的攻击中守护住了宝物。

His obsession with the contents of the vault had long faded, and that door was little more than a scratching post for his claws. However, when he heard about the Dwarves, the smoldering embers in his heart ignited once more.
现在的话对内部的财宝的执着也已经淡去，那扇门不过是为了磨爪而在上面摩擦用的。可听到矮人后，这被尘封已久的火焰又再度燃了起来。

If these Dwarves could make it here, perhaps they might have a way to open this vault.
若是能够来到这里的矮人，又是否会有能打开这扇门的手段呢。

Is it time to abandon the Quagoa? The Dwarves are more useful, in various ways.
（将掘土兽人们舍弃的时候来了吗？比起掘土兽人，矮人在各种发面都更有用处啊）

As Olasird’arc contemplated these matters, he glared coldly at the Quagoa beneath him, and the Quagoa Lord’s pleas finally came to an end.
欧拉萨达尔克一边做着这样的计算、一边以冷静而透彻地俯瞰掘土兽人的期间，掘土兽人之王的请愿也终于结束了。

“I am sure that you will be able to defeat the Dwarves or whatnot with contemptuous ease, White Dragon Lord-sama. Please, lend your strength to us! Needless to say, when they are defeated we will offer up double the sum from just now, no more than that!”
「如果是白龙王大人的话，矮人什么的很容易就能打倒！请务必、将力量借给我们！不用说、助我们打倒之后就将刚才一倍的量、不、会献上更多！」

His greed tickled by that last line, Olasird’arc’s face twitched.
欲望被最后的言语刺激、欧拉萨达尔克的面孔抽动了一下。

“...I see. I shall consider it.”
「……知道了。待我稍微做检讨」

“It can’t wait! White Dragon Lord-sama, the enemy is close! And the Dwarves seek to retake this city!”
「等不得！白龙王大人！敌人已经来到了这附近！而且矮人他们也想要夺回这座都市才是！」

Olasird’arc turned his keen gaze upon the Quagoa.
欧拉萨达尔克以锐利眼神盯上掘土兽人。

“What do you mean by that? Are you implying that these measly Dwarves can evict me from my nest?”
「你那是、什么意思？你想说区区矮人也能将我从巢穴中赶出去了吗？」

“I did not say that! But, there’s no telling what the Dwarves intend to do! For all we know, they might have a way to destroy this city!”
「我并没有这么说！但是、没有办法猜测矮人们想要做些什么。搞不好知道能够让这个都市崩坏的方法也说不定！」

“Do you not think they would have done so already if that was the case?”
「如果是这样的话，他们早就那么做了吧？」

“It is very likely they intend to destroy the city from the inside!”
「很有可能是准备好了将都市从内部崩坏的起点！」

“Hm,” Olasird’arc thought. It seemed a little far-fetched, but it could not be entirely ruled out.
呼嗯、欧拉萨达尔克思考了起来。虽然有点妄想过度但也没有办法断定绝对不是。

This place was absolutely necessary for the creation of a Draconic Empire.
为了建筑起龙族们的帝国，这个地方是绝对必要的。

After claiming the Dwarves’ Royal Palace, he had ordered his wives to lay their eggs here, and then raise his children as they grew.
入手矮人的王城遗址、命令妻子们在这个地方产卵，然后在孩子们成长之前养育他们。

In the past, they had randomly found a place to lay eggs and left them there, or kicked them out of the nest a year or two after they were born. That would not strengthen the Draconic race.

I must increase the number of my offspring, and then subjugate the Frost Giants. Then, I can completely dominate this mountain range, Olasird’arc had thought.
在此之前用的都是随便找个地方产卵、进行放置，或是出生满一年左右就从巢穴丢出之类的方法。那样是没有办法增加龙族的力量的。增加自己孩子的数量，然后将霜巨人纳入支配之下。继而完全支配这座山脉，欧拉萨达尔克是这么想的。

In this mountain range, the Frost Giants and the Frost Dragons were apex predators. Therefore, they had struggled for a long time to determine who was the top dog.
在这座山脉之中，霜巨人和霜龙的阶级并列于捕食者的最上位。因此为了分清哪边才是顶点，与他们经历了长久的势力争夺。

The Frost Giants were immune to cold, which meant that the Frost Dragons’ trump card of icy Dragon breath could not harm them. The power of the massive weapons which the Frost Giants wielded could not be overlooked, even by Dragons. If they came in numbers, the Dragons might well be defeated. Indeed, there were Frost Dragons who had lost to Frost Giants, and who were used as hounds by them.
对于冷气有完全耐性的霜巨人，作为霜龙的王牌的冷气龙息没办法造成伤害。然后挥舞着巨大武器的巨人的攻击力就连龙族也轻视不得。如果对方的数量众多的话，还是会有战败的可能性。而且实际上也有输给霜巨人，而被当成看门狗使唤的霜龙。

Naturally, the Frost Dragons knew that too. If Olasird’arc were one of them, he would not miss the chance to destroy a powerful foe before their numbers could increase. If he had to abandon this territory, then the Frost Giant tribes would surely unite to attack them before he could seize a new seat of power.
然后那对于霜巨人来说也是众所周知的事实。欧拉萨达尔克如果处在相反立场的话，在强敌的数量增加之前是绝不会放过机会而进攻过来吧。若是将这块地放弃的话，在将新的城拿到手之前、霜巨人们的部族一定会协力进攻过来的吧。

Olasird’arc regarded his concubines, sprawled lazily around the room.
欧拉萨达尔克环视随便躺卧在周围的妃子们。

They were three female Dragons.
那是三条雌龙。

There was the youngest of them, with a single alabaster horn, Mianatalon=Fuviness.
在妃子中是最年輕、有一根突起的蒼白色長角的米雅娜塔隆=芙威內斯。

The one who had fought with Olasird’arc for territory many times, Munuinia=Ilyslym.
曾经多次与欧拉萨达尔克争夺领土的、穆維尼亚=伊利苏苏利姆。

And then there was the only Dragon in residence here who could use divine magic (albeit only of the 1st tier), Kilystran=Denshushua.
在這個居住的龍族中、唯一，雖然只有第一階但却能夠使用信仰系魔法的基莉斯多兰＝鄧修修雅。

“What do you think?
「你们怎么看？」

“...Why not help them? After all, the miserable little Dwarves are hardly fearsome foes.”
「……就帮帮他们怎么样？反正区区矮人也不是什么大不了的敌人」

“I agree too. Frankly speaking, I don’t care what they say. But if the Dwarves attack, knowing that we’re here, that would be equivalent to looking down on us. We ought to carve fear into the hearts of those cocky little creatures.”
「我也赞成。虽然那些东西说的事、怎样都好。可如果矮人是知道我们在这里还进攻过来的话，就等于是在小看我们。应该在那些得意忘形的小小生物的心脏上、刻上恐惧才对」

He turned his gaze from Muninia -- who was scratching at the floor with a sharp claw -- and towards Kilystran.
将目光从正用锐利的爪割伤地板的穆维尼亚转向基莉斯多蓝。

“And what say you?”
「那么你是怎么想的？」

After addressing Kilystran, she tilted her head.
向留在最后的基莉斯多蓝提问后，只见她倾斜着脑袋。

“I oppose and approve of it. I oppose it because we cannot be sure that these attackers really are Dwarves. In addition, if they’re attacking while aware of our presence, they must have surely taken our power into consideration. While the very idea of destroying the city is absurd, a mechanism capable of doing so is not out of the reach of Dwarven technology. It would be foolish not to respond to that.”
「虽然反对但赞成呢。反对的是因为，还不能明确攻过来的是否真的是矮人。而且以我们存在于此这件事为前提进攻过来的话，也应该思考关于对方的力量呢。虽然让都市崩坏的事听起来很荒唐无稽，但实际上以矮人的技术力组成那样的机关也确实不是不可能呢，如果不加以对应的话是很愚蠢的」

Olasird’arc smiled bitterly. She had such a twisted personality. That was why he liked her.
欧拉萨达尔克浮现出了苦笑。性格真扭曲。真是叫人喜欢。

“So, the ayes have it. --Well then. I shall accept your request, inferior Quagoa.”
「赞成的一边比较多吗。——好吧。那么就接受下等的掘土兽人们的请愿吧」

“Yes! You have our deepest thanks!”
「是！万分感谢！」

As Olasird’arc glared coldly at the Quagoa kowtowing before him, he made a pronouncement.
从上方冰冷地盯着跪拜在地、表达感谢的掘土兽人，欧拉萨达尔克做出如此宣言。

“However, you must offer ten times the previous amount of tribute.”
「但献上的贡品得是先前的十倍」

“Ten! Ten times?!”
「十！十倍吗！」

Olasird’arc snorted at the Quagoa Lord, who had raised his head.
欧拉萨达尔克以鼻嗤笑抬起头来的掘土兽人之王。

“You do not even know who is attacking. That much should be expected. ...Then, what will you do? If you cannot produce the requisite amount, then you can deal with it yourselves.”
「连进攻过来的对方是谁、都没有弄清楚。这种程度是当然的吧。……那么该怎么办？如果不交出来的话，就由你们自己去想方法吶」

“Please, please wait! We will offer the tribute! Please let us offer the tribute!”
「请、请等等！我们愿意献上！请让我们献上！」

Suddenly, Olasird’arc thought of something.
欧拉萨达尔克忽然想到。

Could the Quagoa actually pay that much gold? Or was it because the Dwarves were unimaginably powerful foes, which was why they were trying their best to get him to commit no matter how much they had to pay?
掘土兽人们真的有能够支付得了程度的黄金吗？还是说正因为矮人是超乎想象的强敌、所以才会约定就算努力也要支付的呢。

Well, it doesn’t matter. If they can’t pay, then just as Munuinia said, I will carve an indelible terror into the hearts of those weaklings (Quagoa).
（嘛、不管如何都无所谓。如果没有办法按照约定进行支付的话，就像穆维尼亚所说的、在得意忘形的脆弱之人[掘土兽人]的心脏上，刻上绝对不会消失的恐怖）

“Then, begone.”
「那么退下吧」

“Yes! But… when can we expect your arrival?”
「是！那么要到什么时候才能够来呢？」

“Soon. Until then, wait.”
「马上就去，在那之前你们等着好了」

“Yes!”
「是！」

As Olasird’arc watched the Quagoa leave, Mianatalon asked: “Will you be going in person?”
对着眺望着离开的掘土兽人背影的欧拉萨达尔克、米雅娜塔隆问道。

「你要亲自过去吗？」

“As if. Of course not.”
「怎么可能，才不会做那种事」

Olasird’arc was the most powerful Dragon here. That being the case, it would be foolish for him to actually fight on the behalf of his slaves even if he was paid. Therefore--
欧拉萨达尔克正是这个地方最强的龙。那样的自己就算是因为支付了报酬，为了区区奴隶与敌人作战之类的也太愚蠢了。正因如此——

“Who should I send over... Whose child would be best?”
「要送谁过去，哪个孩子比较好呢」

They were all his children. Every Dragon here with the exception of his concubines was bound to Olasird’arc by blood.
说是哪个孩子也都是自己的孩子。在这里除了妃子们以外的龙，都与欧拉萨达尔克有着血缘关系。

“In that case, send my child.”
「那样的话，送我的孩子过去吧」

“Yours? Who?”
「你的？是谁？」

Kilystran had birthed four children for Olasird’arc, and each of them was a Dragon of over a century of age. They were far more powerful than the Quagoa.
基莉斯多兰与欧拉萨达尔克之间有四个孩子，每一条都是活了超过百年的龙族，远比起掘土兽人们来的强。

“The eldest, of course.”
「最上面的喲」

“Hejynmal, then?”
「赫金瑪尔嗎」

Olasird’arc frowned.
欧拉萨达尔克做出苦涩的表情。

“That boy might look like that, but he has a good head on his shoulders and he will see the opposition for what they really are. If they turn out to be Dwarves, don’t you think he’ll bring about a most agreeable negotiation? You must be starting to tire of Quagoa slaves, no?”
「那孩子虽然是那个样子，但是头脑中有着丰富的知识、能看透对方究竟是什么人。然后如果对方是矮人的话，也一定能进行为你带来最有利的交涉哟？对掘土兽人的仆从也开始感到很厌烦了吧？」

“Can he do all that? Can the other children not do it?”
「那个能做到这样的事吗？别的孩子就不行吗？」

Olasird’arc agreed with what Munuinia said.
对米雅娜塔隆所说的，他也有同感。

“Better than Toranjelyt, at least.”
「比起托兰洁利特好多了吧」

“...Kilystran. The most important thing for Dragons is the power of their bodies. One cannot defeat strength and speed with one’s head. Olasird’arc beat me because his body was stronger than mine. Remember that. Toranjelyt’s superior body is far better than that of Hejynmal’s!”
「……基莉斯多兰。对龙族来说最为重要的是肉体的强大。用头脑是不可能制伏力量和速度的。欧拉萨达尔克胜过我的原因也是、有比我有着更强的肉体，牢记在心吧。拥有优秀身体的托蓝洁利特远比赫金玛尔要来得优秀」

Toranjelyt was one of Olasird’arc’s children by Munuinia. In terms of raw strength, he was the best among his offspring.
托蓝洁利特是欧拉萨达尔克的其中一名孩子，由穆维尼亚产下。然后在比腕力的意义上在这些孩子们之中是最为优秀的。

“But things will turn out poorly if you don’t think. If you send out your child -- who might kill the Quagoa for no reason -- who knows what they’ll end up doing?”
「但是什么都不想可是很不妙。如果将可能无意义的杀害掘土兽人们的孩子送出的话，天知道会要做出什么事来呢」

“That’s it.”
「到此为止吧」

Olasird’arc halted Munuinia, who was about to say something, and then looked at Mianatalon’s face. She seemed to find all this squabbling terribly boring.
欧拉萨达尔克将想要说些什么的穆维尼亚拦下，在视线的角落确认了没有争吵起来觉得很无趣的米雅娜塔隆的表情。

“Let’s go with Kilystran’s idea and call Hejynmal over.”
「采用基莉斯多兰的提案吧，把赫金玛尔叫来」

“It’s no use. He won’t come.”
「没用呢，他不出来呢」

Olasird’arc sensed his plan falling apart right from the start.
欧拉萨达尔克感到自己的计划从一开始就发生挫折。

Munuinia chuckled, a thin, unhappy sound. It would be troublesome if they argued again, and Olasird’arc raised his voice.
穆维尼亚发出细微、而且带有不快态度的笑声。再次开始吵架也很麻烦，欧拉萨达尔克稍微将声音加大。

“Just break down the door or whatnot and drag him out.”
「门什么的弄坏硬是把他拖出来就行了吧」

“Ara, I didn’t destroy your fortress because you asked me not to. Does that mean you’re giving me permission? Although, it may not just be the door that gets destroyed.”
「啊啦、你不是说什么不要破坏我的城堡吗，就是因为这样才没去破坏的哟。所以能给我许可吗？不过可能最后被破坏的不只是门也说不定」

Indeed, he remembered saying those words. While Dragons were skilful, they could not rebuild a door once destroyed, and they did not know magic which could do that. Therefore, if they destroyed something, they would leave it where it was.
确实、自己有说过那些话的记忆。虽然龙族们说是很灵巧，但是还是没有将破坏了的门再从头开始制作的能力，而且也没有习得那样的魔法。因此如果破坏了的话就会放在那里不管。

As the White Dragon Lord, it would be a shame to live in a castle filledfielled with holes. Therefore he had demanded his concubines and his offspring adhere to that rule.
身为白龙之王的自己，如果居住在那种到处是孔洞的居城中可是一种羞耻。所以他才下令要求自己的
妃子、还有孩子们都严命遵守。

Although his concubines would probably go if he ordered--
虽然命令的话妃子们大概会去——

“It can’t be helped. I’ll go, then.”
「没办法，我去吧」

“Please.”
「拜托你了哦」

Olasird’arc looked at Kilystran with an indescribable expression on his face.
欧拉萨达尔克做出难以释怀的表情看向基莉斯多兰。

The fact that he had to go in person despite being a Lord did not sit well with him. In response to that, should he allow a few Quagoa to live here and let them work for him?
身为王却得自己去果然不能释然。为了应对这种情况，是不是该让一部分掘土兽人住在这里、让他们去工作呢。

However, Olasird’arc abandoned the many possibilities which appeared in his mind.
但是欧拉萨达尔克放弃了浮现出的数个想法。

He could not bear the thought of having inferior lifeforms like the Quagoa running around his fortress. Someday, when he defeated the Giants, he would have them work for him as slaves.

Until then, he would have to bear with it.
没有办法忍受掘土兽人那种下等生物在自己的城堡中到处走。总有一天，等消灭巨人的时机到来后，再将他们作为奴隶让其工作吧。在那之前也只能忍耐了。