Part 3

The much-awaited Imperial Capital.
久违了的帝都。

As he peered through the slight gap he had opened in the coach’s window, Ainz felt a terrible sense of defeat.
透过微微开启的车窗的缝隙所看到的景象，足以给安兹带来败北感。

Life and energy abounded
活力四射的城市。

The faces of the people were bright. It was a bustling city, completely unlike the dreary Sorcerous Kingdom.
人们的脸上洋溢着活力，喧闹着。和死气沉沉的魔导国完全不一样。

And then, the sense of defeat soon faded away. After all, that city had been annexed recently. When a city was taken over by a new ruler, life would change. It was only natural that people would feel uneasy, leading to a temporary state of low energy.
然而袭向安兹的败北感很快就淡去了。支配那座城市不过只是最近的事。由于被新的支配者所统治、生活变得与以往的不同，理所当然而感到不安，从而导致一时之间丧失了活力。

Punitto Moe had once taught Ainz about strategy games. When one conquered territory during a war, the happiness value of the people would plummet. Also--
布妞萌曾经有教过安兹关于战略游戏的事。在战争中占领赢得的土地的话，那个城市中人民的心情指数会一口气下降的样子。而且——

--What did he say about partisans appearing? The heck? Why would a large amount of weapons appear all of a sudden?
（——好像说会出Partisan？什么鬼？为什么会出现大量武器？）

The first part was completely unrelated to the second. He had the feeling that he had gotten something wrong somewhere.
前后文完全没有关联性啊。总感觉有什么地方搞错了。

Since the game had nothing to do with YGGDRASIL, he had lost interest halfway. However, they should have been vaguely related, at least.
因为是和YGGDRASIL没什么关系的游戏，所以听到一半就不知所云了。但应该还是有着什么关联的吧。

He was probably talking about some kind of betrayal. Or maybe it was some form of player slang, huh… Partisans… seems to be a kind of polearm. So, when he talked about weapons being sold in large quantities, he was talking about a reason to fight? Citizen levies, maybe? Hm? Maybe they’re fighting the new ruler, but that would be an uprising, right? Then it should have just been called a rebellion from the beginning. Why partisans? Well, it doesn’t matter anyway...
（他说的出，想来大概是卖出的意思吧。玩家间特有的隐语么……。Partisan……好像是一种长枪吧。武器被大量卖出是指存在战斗的理由吗？市民去战斗？嗯？是和新的统治者战斗吧，这样不就是内乱了吗。那就说直接说发起叛乱不就好了吗。为什么是Partisan？哎算了，怎么样都好了……）

The reason why there had been no rebellion in E-Rantel was because the Death Knights were patrolling to maintain public order. Or was it because the character of Momon had a calming effect on them? No, perhaps the root reason was because of his benevolent social policies.
耶·兰提尔之所以没有发生叛乱，果然是因为让死亡骑士去巡逻之类的治安维持手段在起作用吧。还是说最初使用飞飞这个角色产生的抑制效果显著呢。不对，施行了良政或许才是最根本的原因。

...Nothing’s better than a peaceful reign. Killing the goose for the golden eggs is utter foolishness. I guess I need to make the occasional concession like returning dropped items to an opponent after PKing them, perhaps.
（……没有什么比能够和平地统治更好的了。杀鸡取卵什么的简直愚蠢透顶。不时需要做一些例如返还PK对手的掉落品之类的不拉仇恨的事，是这么说的吧）

As he recalled the contents of “PKing for Dummies”, Ainz realised that he had gotten distracted, and hurriedly got his thoughts back on track.
回忆起《人人都能轻松进行的PK术》上所写内容的安兹，察觉到思考偏离了方向，连忙修正过来。

Hang on, I was thinking about high energy. Well, no matter what, I only rule one city, and this is the capital of the Empire, which has many cities, so the difference in their energy levels can’t be helped. Even their populations are different… So I guess as long as the number of people increases, the Sorcerous Kingdom will also become more vibrant… I guess I need to focus on policies which encourage a population increase. Albedo can carry them out.
（哦妥，是在想活力的事啊。不管怎么说，我支配的只有一座城市，而这里是拥有许多城市的帝国的首都，活力有差距也是没办法的事嘛。单看人口基数就不一样啊。……只要人口增加的话，我魔导国肯定也会充满活力的吧。……将生育、增长、最后人口变多定为政策，然后交给雅儿贝德去具体实施就可以了吧）

After Ainz comforted himself, he decided upon a new direction to take, in his capacity as a ruler.
安兹安慰起了自己，然后以支配者的立场构想起了新的政策。

“Then, ah, Your Majesty...”
「那、那个，陛下」

The man who was looking out the window as well spoke to him, and it brought Ainz back from his thoughts.
同样正从马车的窗户窥视着车外景象的男子话语，使安兹回过了神来。

“I, I fear to ask, Your Majesty, but is this not the Imperial Capital, Arwintar?”
「虽、虽感惶恐，陛下。但这里该不会是帝国的首都、欧温塔尔吧？」

The man -- who had practically been brought along by force -- asked that question in a trembling voice.
几乎是被强行带来的男子，以颤抖的语调这么问道。

“Indeed it is. As expected of the Adventurer’s Guildmaster, you recognized this place at a glance.”
「正是如此。不愧是冒险者工会会长啊。一眼就能明白了此处是哪里」

“Thank, thank you very -- no, wait! I don’t recall us passing through any checkpoints! Isn’t this illegal immigration?”
「非、非常感——不是这么回事啊！我不记得有通过关卡之类的场所啊，这不是偷渡入境吗！」

That was, in fact, what had happened. Since they had used the [Gate] spell to directly transit to the Imperial Capital, they would not have passed through any checkpoints.
事实就是如此。由于是通过<转移门>（gate）直接传送来的帝都。所以自然不会通过什么关卡

“---Details, details.”
「——不过是些细枝末节的小事」

“These aren’t just details! A king crossing the border illegally into another country will blow up into an international incident!”
「这可不是什么细枝末节的事啊！毫无疑问会变成国家级别的问题吧！国王偷渡入境他国什么的！」

Jircniv did the same thing when he came to Nazarick. Ainz did not say that, of course. Common sense would dictate that the Guildmaster was right and Ainz was wrong.
到纳萨力克来的时候，吉克尼夫也做过哦，这话自然是没说出口的。从常识来看正确的显然是工会长这边，毫无疑问是安兹做得不对。

After thinking as hard as he could, he still could not think of an explanation which Ainzach would accept. Instead, he ended up sighing at the man’s surprising stubbornness. He had thought he would be the kind of man to say, “Well, as long as you don’t get caught”.

His opinion of the man changed a little.
拼命思索了半天，也没能想到让艾因扎克接受的说辞。反倒是不由得感叹，这个人意外的死板啊。不被发现就好，之前还以为他是会这说的那类人呢，现在对其稍有些改观了。

“...Guildmaster, I have a very good relationship with El-Nix-dono. I’ve even acceded to his requests in the past.”

AInz recalled what had happened during that war.

“Well, I know it’s hardly the same thing, but I’m sure he would gladly approve if I just asked him. Granted, I’ll be telling him after the fact… but wouldn’t it be alright if the Emperor himself approved?”
「……工会长啊。我与艾尔=尼克斯阁下关系很好。也曾经答应过他所拜托的事」安兹想起了那场战争的事「所以虽不能以此类推，但既然是他，只要我开口的话便会爽快答应的吧。虽说成了先斩后奏的形式……但皇帝陛下都许可了还有什么问题呢？」

“If, if you put it that way…”
「这、这话虽然确实是这么说……」

“The most important thing is that neither you nor I have brought anything bad with us. Doesn’t that mean it’s fine?.”
「最重要的是，不管是我还是你，都没有带过来什么不好的东西。那不就没什么大不了的吗」

“Muu,” Ainzach mused.
呜姆——艾因扎克被噎得说不出话来。

Ainz smiled in his heart, believing that he had convinced the other man.
确信忽悠成功了的安兹在心中偷笑道。

In truth, there were two reasons for their clandestine crossing of the border.
实际上特地偷偷入境是有着两个理由的。

If Jircniv knew about this, he would probably prepare a reception for me. He might be wary of Nazarick, but since I’m the king of an allied country, he would have to welcome me at the front door. That would be very bad.
（如果我来的事被吉克尼夫知道的话，肯定会特意来接待的吧。即便他警戒着纳萨力克，但如果同盟国的国王来了的话怎么说也得来门前欢迎的吧。然而这样就不妙了啊）

The Emperor would surely host some kind of ceremony to welcome the king of an ally country, something which Ainz, who was unfamiliar with the customs of noble society, had to avoid at all costs.
帝国皇帝为迎接同盟国国王而举行仪式什么的，对不熟悉贵族社会礼仪的安兹来说是绝对要避开的。

If he became a laughingstock because of that, he would not be able to look the Guardians -- who were working hard for the Sorcerous Kingdom -- in the eye.
如果在这一点上被当成为笑柄的话，就无颜面对正在魔导国努力着的守护者们了啊。

There was also another reason.
而且还有另一个理由。

Now, I need to think about how to get Ainzach involved in this. Perhaps I should ask for his help like I did when I spun that story at the guild?
（然后就是必须想想，该怎么巧妙地将艾因扎克卷进来。像在工会时那样许下前景，并请求协助才是最善的手段吗？）

The other reason was because he wanted to pressgang Guildmaster Ainzach into his schemes.
另一个理由就是，想强行将冒险者工会长艾因扎克拉上贼船。

Ainz’s objective in coming here was to recruit adventurers.
安兹来这里的目的是为了劝诱冒险者。

He had already incorporated the Adventurer’s Guild as a national organization. However, even if the shell was ready, filling it up would take a long time. This was quite bad for the Sorcerous Kingdom, since it only controlled one city and the number of adventurers they could draw on was completely insufficient. Using heteromorphs -- like lizardmen, for example -- was a problem for later. Right now, he had to increase the number of human adventurers.
确实安兹已经将冒险者工会作为国家机关之一给吸纳了。但是即使做好了外壳，充实其内容仍然需要很多的时间。这一点上也不妙，魔导国只掌握了一个城市，冒险者数量非常不足。以蜥蜴人为代表的异种族冒险者方面是以后的课题，现在必须得先增加人类冒险者的数量。

This was why he had to come here to do talent scouting. If it was not enough, he could recruit from the surrounding countries as well.
所以才要来这里挖墙脚的。不够的话从周边国家招募就好。

However, this sort of recruitment was not easy, especially since Ainz was essentially going to do door-to-door sales -- one of the hardest kinds of work in the sales business.
只是，谁都知道劝诱不是个轻松活。特别是安兹接下来要做的上门式营销——这是营业职位中差不多是难度最高的工作。

Acording to Ainzach, adventurers were supposedly freelancers, but in truth, they were a form of national defense against monsters. Headhunting them aggressively would lead to stiff backlash.
艾因扎克也说过，冒险者虽然是自由身份，但实际上是对付怪物的国防战力。强行挖角的话，无疑会招致各方面的强硬反弹。

Of course, Ainz did not think he would lose, even if the Adventurer’s Guilds of every single nation mounted a full-scale campaign against him. However, that would reduce the morale of any adventurers he did manage to recruit. It was quite easy to see how they would lose their motivation when seeing a conflict between their new allegiance and their former home.
当然，即使发展到各国的冒险者工会联手与魔导国进行全面对抗的地步，安兹也不觉得会输。但那样的话会使拉拢来的冒险者士气低落的吧。出于对新的所属组织和旧东家之间对抗的厌恶，不难想象会使他们变得干劲全失。

This was why he had to involve Ainzach -- who understood Ainz’s aims and concepts  -- in all of this. Surely things would go smoothly if he was the middleman. He had considered that Ainzach would flat-out refuse if he told him about this in E-Rantel, so he had dragged him along like this.
所以才要把了解安兹的目的和行业规则的艾因扎克给拉下水。通过让他充当中介人，使得商谈能够圆滑地进行。考虑到如果在耶·兰提尔就把话说明了他会拒绝同行吧，所以才像这样将其强行给带了过来。

In addition, he was also considering the fact that Ainzach would have something in common with the other side.
另外还瞄准了艾因扎克的存在能给对方提供共同的话题这一点。

That was a secret of salesmanship. People tended to gravitate towards those who were similar to them.
这是营销的诀窍之一。有契合点的话别人就会令人意外地向着这边。

Ainz -- no, Suzuki Satoru had seen colleagues leverage the fact that they had been born in the same place or that they supported the same team as prospective clients to clinch a sale.
安兹——不，铃木悟就曾经见过，同事靠出身地相同、体育上支援同一支队伍之类的接触点就抓住了交易对象的心。

Having once been Momon the adventurer, Ainz understood the life of the adventurer, to some extent. However, he had risen through the ranks so quickly that he could not say that he truly knew the hardships of being an adventurer. Thus, he had to let Ainzach -- who was a veteran adventurer and also the Adventurer’s Guildmaster -- speak for him to improve the other side’s closeness to him.
作为冒险者飞飞的安兹，对于冒险者的事还是有着相应的了解。但由于他的等级一路飙升，不能说真正体会得到冒险者的辛劳。因此才要让冒险者们眼里久经磨练的冒险者、又是工会会长的艾因扎克出面，以此来增加对方的亲近感。

In other words, the success of their little expedition to the Empire was reliant on Ainzach’s performance.
换言之，本次帝国之行的工作达成与否，可以说都取决于艾因扎克的表现了。

Still, the question is, how can I truly motivate Ainzach to help?
（但问题在于，到底怎么做才能提高艾因扎克的积极性呢）

If it was a matter of money, he could certainly pay. However, he did not imagine that such means would make Ainzach give his all.
取决于报酬的话只要支付相应的金额就行了。但无法想像靠那样就能使艾因扎克出力。

“Let’s go.”
「出发」

After commanding the driver, the coach began moving quietly. The driver in question was a creature which Ainz had summoned with what little gold he had left, a monster whose level was over 80, called Hanzo.
安兹这么向车夫下命后，马车便静悄悄地跑了起来。驾驶马车的是安兹用他那所剩无几的金币召唤出的、超过八十级的怪物“半藏”。

Hanzo was a humanoid ninja-type monster, and was skilled in countering stealth. There were others of roughly the same level, such as Kashin Koji, which was skilled in illusion. Fuuma, which was skilled in hand-to-hand combat and special techniques, Tobi Kato, which was skilled with weapons, and so on.
半藏是类人种类中忍者系的怪物，以反隐形能力见长。其他在这个等级段的还有擅长幻术的果心居士、擅长徒手战斗和特殊技能的风魔、以及擅长武器战的鸢加藤等等。

The interior of the coach wobbled with a katakata sound as it travelled forward.
随着马车的前行，车内喀塔喀塔地摇晃了起来。

Ainz had considered that using a heavily-enchanted coach would be very suspicious. Thus, he had chosen a regular stagecoach instead.
考虑到如果使用平时那种附加了很多魔法的马车，会让人觉得很可疑。为此才选择了一般的马车。

“...Then, Your Majesty. Since we have already arrived at the Imperial Capital, can you tell me what we will be doing here?”
「……那么，魔导王陛下。既然都已经到了帝都，是不是也该告诉我究竟要做什么了呢？」

AInzach furrowed his brows.
艾因扎克皱起了眉头。

“We will be recruiting adventurers for our country.”
「是为我国招募冒险者的事」

A bitter expression crossed Ainzach’s face. It was clear he was having trouble accepting that.
艾因扎克一脸苦涩，明显是难以接受的表情。

“...Could it be that you intend to persuade the adventurers of the Empire to join you?”
「……莫非，是要劝诱帝国的冒险者？」

“Indeed. We will be headhunting in this country.”
「正是如此。挖这个国家的墙角」

While it had been done during a time of war, the fact that he had killed so many soldiers of the Kingdom would make it very difficult to attract the adventurers of the Kingdom to his camp. In addition, Albedo was visiting the Kingdom, so he could not make things difficult for her. That being the case, their allied country, the Empire, was the ideal option.
虽说是战争，但在杀了那么多王国的士兵情况下，还去拉拢王国的冒险者恐怕是很困难的吧。而且雅儿贝德现在正在王国访问，不能做给她添麻烦的事。这么样一来，作为同盟国的帝国就最适合不过了。

The City-State Alliance was some distance away from here, according to Fluder’s intelligence on the countries. However, after consulting Demiurge and Albedo, he decided that intervening there was not wise.
都市国家联合这些稍微有段距离的地方，正通过夫路达收集国家的情报。不问过雅儿贝德和迪米乌哥斯的想法就插手并非上策。

“In what way will you proceed? I…”
「您想以什么方式进行呢？我……」

Ainzach took a deep breath.
艾因扎克做了一次深呼吸。

“...Your Majesty, I have engraved your views on adventurers deep into my heart. Thus, I wish to aid Your Majesty with all my strength. That said, am still a man of the system, for the most part. I feel that having adventurers abandon everything they have known up till now would be very difficult. This is particularly true for the adventurers of the Empire.”
「……陛下，我在拜听了陛下对冒险者的想法之后，确实深铭肺腑。所以我是想竭尽全力协助陛下的。然而，可能总体上来说我还是更接近体制一边的人吧。如果要让现役的冒险者们，舍弃至今为止所积累起来的一切。说实话，我认为很难。特别是帝国的冒险者，更是如此」

A sensation of new, fresh joy welled up within Ainz’s chest.
安兹胸中涌起一股新鲜感。

Indeed, Ainz wanted opinions like this.
没错，安兹就是想要这样的意见。

It was not that the Guardians were at fault, but they took his words as holy writ and rushed to execute them. Thus, Ainz was frequently uneasy about whether or not he had given the right orders. Because of that, he had longed to hear someone oppose one of his statements. That way, he would know where the problems lay.
并不是守护者们不好，但他们会将安兹的话当作圣旨来执行，所以安兹经常对自己下达的命令是否真的正确感到不安。为此，能对自己的意见持否定态度的发言，才是安兹一直以来想要听的。因为如此一来就知道哪里有问题了。

Ainz’s opinion of Ainzach went up by a notch.
安兹心中对艾因扎克的好感度稍稍提升了一些。

Still, he could not completely accept his views.
但是，可也不能完全接受对他的看法。

Heaven only knew why, but all his subordinates seemed to think that the Sorcerer King Ainz Ooal Gown was a genius. Thus, Ainz could not say or do anything to betray that faith. He could not disappoint them.
虽然天知道是怎么回事，但部下们似乎都认为安兹·乌尔·恭魔导王是一位智者。为此安兹不能做出背叛这份期待的言行。不想让他们失望。

“...How baffling. The benefits ought to outweigh the drawbacks. I do not understand. It seems I do not know enough about adventurers.”
「……这还真是令人不解啊。明明好处和坏处比较起来，应该是好处比较大才对，真难懂呢。果然对冒险者的认识还很不足吗」

This face of his which showed no emotion was a great help, because nobody could tell he was lying. It was the ultimate poker face.
这个显露不出任何表情的脸真是帮了大忙，因为即使说了谎话也不会被任何人读出来，无疑是究极的扑克脸。

At this point, Ainz stopped for a moment and looked Ainz straight in the eye. He could not imply that he was waiting for the man’s response.
说到这瑞安兹停顿了一下，从正面定睛凝视艾因扎克。不能表现出等待对方回应的态度。

“What would you do, in your case? Is there a proposal which would be attractive enough to make adventurers who have already picked out a home base change their minds?”
「是你的话会怎么做？有没有什么能让、一度决定了主场的冒险者们改换门庭的魅力提案呢？」

“...Your Majesty, must we start headhunting right now?”
「……陛下，必须立刻挖角吗？」

“What?”
「什么？」

“Are we going to start trying to entice the adventurers of the Imperial Capital right away?”
「现在必须即刻拉拢这帝都中的冒险者吗？」

Ainz cupped his chin with a hand as he thought.
安兹用手托着下巴思考了起来。

If possible, he would like to do so as soon as possible. However, if he could not, he did not mind waiting. After all, the aim was to sing the praises of the Sorcerous Kingdom.
可以的话，希望能尽可能的快。但要是做不到的话，也不是不能忍。毕竟使魔导国之名广为传唱才是主要目的。

Heteromorphs did not possess the concept of a lifespan. In that sense, there was more than enough time.
异形种没有寿命的概念。就某种意义上来说，可以说时间非常充足。

“Indeed, it is not particularly urgent.”
「确实，也没有必要这么要着急」

“Then, should we not lay a strong foundation first? We should build the desired organization within the Sorcerous Kingdom, and then make various other preparations as needed. Once the shell is ready, we can fill it at leisure, is that wrong?”
「那么，首先稳固立足点不也很好么？先在魔导国把设想中的组织做出来，然后把其余各种各样的设施都准备好。外壳做完了的话再去充实内在不就行了吗」

“That is an excellent suggestion, one which I have considered before. However, it poses a problem of its own. If we do not estimate the contents before we begin to build, the finished vessel may be too large or too small… Would you care to try?”
「确实这是个非常好的提案。我也有考虑过。然而却存在着一个问题。如果最初不预估出将会有多少内容的就开始建设的话，必将会出现太大或是太小的问题。……能做出预估吗？」

“In-indeed, that task is beyond me. After all, I remain unsure of how Your Majesty wishes to nurture adventurers, and I do not understand the extent of your plans for the Sorcerous Kingdom.”
「确、确实如此，是我的话没有办法担此重任吧。我既不清楚陛下心中所想的冒险者育成机构是什么程度的东西，也不了解这占了魔导国何种的规划」

“Indeed. Frankly speaking, I am still feeling things out. In particular -- I know you are interested in my words, but I do not know how many hearts they can move. In order to observe their reactions, I have come to the Empire to attempt a test recruitment, and to see the outcome.”
「也是呢。其实对我来说，也只是在摸索的阶段。特别是——虽然你们对我的话感兴趣，但完全无法估算能够打动多少冒险者的心。所以为了试探其反应才来帝国进行劝诱尝试，为的就是想弄清楚结果」

“I see… as expected of Your Majesty, you have already planned so far ahead. I am ashamed of my shallow thinking.”
「原来如此……不愧是陛下。竟然已经考虑的这么深远了。实在是令我对自己的浅虑感到惭愧啊」

“Certainly not. You and I are different beings. Because of that, I might make a mistake when it comes to the reactions of human beings. For all I know, I might say something which upsets others. Please tell me if such a situation occurs. In that respect, I will need a helper… Ainzach.”
「没有那样的事。我和你们是不一样的存在。正因为如此，才有可能在人类的反应之类的事上犯错。或许会说出让对方感到不快的话也说不定。如果出现那样的情况的话，就向我进言吧。在这层意义上我也是需要协力者的啊……艾因扎克」

“Yes!”
「在！」

“Then, I’ll be counting on you in future.”
「今后也拜托了」

Ainzach paused to think for about a second, and then he bowed his head deeply.
艾因扎克沉思了一秒左右的样子，接着深深地低下了头。

It looked just like how the Guardians of Nazarick did it.
就好像纳萨里克的守护者们所做的那样。

Ainz graciously nodded as he reflected on his previous words.
安兹落落大方地点头，一边回顾刚才的话。

In any case, can I really leave the task of appealing to the Empire’s adventurers to Ainzach alone?
（总之就吸引帝国的冒险者一事，全交给艾因扎克也没问题了吧？）

This was a very important point.
这一点非常重要。

He could do the presentation himself if need be, but it was not because he particularly liked it. If someone was more adept at a task and more capable, then he should hand it to them. However--
企划案虽然能恰如其分地做好，但并不是因为喜欢才做的。如果有更擅长、更优秀的人的话，全部交给他才是正解。不对——

--I can’t leave it all to him. If a problem comes up, I ought to deal with it as his superior.
（——全部托付也不行。至少当问题发生时，应该要由我这个上司来对应解决）

He did not want to be a bad boss. Ainz clung to that determination. Just then, he realized that Ainzach seemed to have fallen into contemplation.
不想成为糟糕的上司，安兹抱起了这种觉悟。就在这时，他注意到了艾因扎克似乎因为什么而陷入了沉思的样子。

“Is something wrong?”
「怎么了？」

“...Your Majesty, could it be that you do not intend to limit yourself to the current crop of adventurers, but to incorporate the adventurers of the future into your organization and have them explore the unknown world?
「……陛下，是打算不局限于现任的冒险者、将今后新生代的冒险者们也作为组织的成员，让他们去探索未知世界的吧？」

“That was my intention.”
「正有此意」

“With that in mind, I feel trying to persuade the present batch of adventurers will be very difficult. However, it might be possible to have those people who wish to become adventurers come to our Sorcerous Kingdom. That is to say, we will gather the hatchlings and then raise them.”
「如之前所呈，我认为劝诱现役的冒险者是很难的。但是让今后立志成为冒险者的人们志愿来我魔导国还是有可能的吧。就是说聚集雏鸟们再培养起来」

While adventurers knew no borders, the people who became adventurers belonged to a certain country. Ainz had thought of this point as well, but since this man -- who was more familiar with this world than Ainz -- shared his opinion, then it should be fine.
虽然冒险者无国界，但成为冒险者之前的人不是有国籍的么。虽然安兹本来是这么想着的，但既然比安兹更熟知这个世界的男人都这么说了的话应该就没问题了吧。

“I see. Then, what should we do?”
「原来如此。那么应该怎么做呢？」

“The strong have always been admired. Thus, may I ask how your Majesty feels about showing his might as a form of advertisement?”
「是的，强者从来都是被憧憬的。因此，展示魔导王陛下的力量，以此来进行宣传您觉得怎么样？」

And what would that accomplish? Ainz thought.
这么做又能怎么样？安兹想着。

That said, publicity was very important. After all, the reason why he was founding his own Adventurer’s Guild was to spread the name of the Sorcerous Kingdom of Ainz Ooal Gown.
然而宣传是很重要的。之所以要建立冒险者工会，本来的目的也是为了安兹·乌尔·恭魔导国的宣传。

“...So I have to show my might and do what adventurers do?”
「……要展示自己是强者，做和冒险者一样的事就可以了吗？」

All I have to do is make an Empire-brand Momon, then, Ainz thought. However, Ainzach shook his head.
再造个帝国版的飞飞就可以了吗，安兹一边这么想着一边问道，然而艾因扎克却摇了摇头。

“On that note, Your Majesty. This is the Imperial Capital. How would you feel about displaying your might in the Arena?”
「关于这一点陛下。这里是帝都，在斗技场展现那份力量您觉得如何呢？」

“Hoh…? That sounds interesting. Elaborate.”
「嚯……？感觉有点意思啊。详细说来听听」

***

The coach stopped in a spacious courtyard.
马车停在了一栋宽敞的宅院前。

Momon and Nabe had walked the streets of the Imperial Capital, but Ainz had never seen such a vast personal home during that time. Not even in E-Rantel had he seem a home more impressive than this.
虽然作为飛飛时有和娜贝一起在帝都参观过，但安兹从没见过如此宽敞的个人邸宅。至少在耶·兰提尔，安兹并不知道有比这更为气派的私宅。

“Is this the home of the Arena’s owner? This is quite an impressive place.”
「这便是斗技场之主的邸宅吗。这不是相当气派的吗」

Ainzach’s response to Ainz’s question was along the lines of “That might be stretching it.”
对于安兹的疑问，艾因扎克则以「这么说稍微有些语疲」来回应道。

“The arena itself is state property. People rent it for events, so calling them promoters might be more accurate. The person who lives here is among the most powerful of those people.”
「斗技场本身是国家的所有物。在这里的是租借那里，举办演出的————所以称其为兴业主，才比较正确吧。而住在这里的，则是其中最有力量的人物」

“I see… a friend of yours?”
「原来如此……是熟人吗？」

It would be good if that were the case. Regretfully, Ainzach shook his head.
如果是这样的话就好办了。但是遗憾的是艾因扎克摇了摇头。

“There are many events in the arena, and sometimes adventurers end up fighting monsters. I’ve only met this person a few times, when I captured those monsters and shipped them here.”
「斗技场举行的演出是多方面的，有时也会有冒险者与怪物的战斗。我只是在抓捕那些怪物、并搬运到这里来时，与其打过几次照面罢了」

“Is that so. Still, it ended up being quite useful indeed, so I must thank you for your connection. That said, what sort of monsters did you capture around the outskirts of E-Rantel?”
「是吗。但是，正因为那个能够派上用场，所以才不得不感谢你的门路啊。可是，在耶·兰提尔的近郊捕获的是什么样的怪物呢？」

Ainzach had an uncomfortable look on his face.
艾因扎克露出了有些为难的表情。

“We captured the undead from the Katze Plains. The undead didn’t need food, so they didn’t incur additional expenses after we captured them.”
「捕获的好像是卡兹平原上的不死者。由于不死者不需要食料，为此一旦将其捕获后、便不会再增加多余的经费了」

“Hoh. Good eye. You do know your stuff, after all.”
「嚯。着眼点不错嘛。这不是个挺懂行的人物嘛」

“Is that so? I don’t strike myself as a very likeable person… still, Your Majesty. I fear to offend you, but is it really alright to speak of capturing your kind?”
「是这样吗？对我来说倒是个喜欢不起来的人物……但是陛下，虽然很失礼，但是同族被捕获这样的事真的合适吗?」

Ainz looked straight at Ainzach.
安兹正面看向艾因扎克。

What on earth was he on about?
这家伙到底在说什么呢。

“Because they’re undead…”
「因为是不死者……」

“Ahh, I see -- well, there are many kinds of undead. I do not count all undead as my kind.”
「啊啊，这样啊——虽说是不死者但也有各种各样的啊。而且，我也不是对所有不死者都抱有同族意识的」

“Forgive my disrespect… Then, may I inquire as to what type of undead Your Majesty might be? If it does not offend, of course.”
「这还真是失礼了。……另外敢问陛下的种族是什么呢？如果不失礼的话，能打听一下吗？」

“I am an Overlord. Have you heard of those before?
「我的种族是死之支配者[Over Lord]。你有听说过吗？」

“My deepest apologies, but I have not. I was not inclined toward my studies, so I do not know.”
「不，非常抱歉。由于学业不精对此不甚了解」

Well, that’s to be expected, Ainz thought.
嘛，说的也是，安兹这样想到。

In YGGDRASIL, there were several types of monsters in the Overlord family: the Overlord Wiseman, which was skilled in magic, the Overlord Kronos Master, which could use time-related skills, the Overlord General, which was adept at controlling armies of the undead, among others. Even the weakest of those was at least level 80.
在YGGDRASIL中作为怪物的死之支配者，分为诸如擅长魔法的死之支配者贤者[Over Lord·Wise Man]，能够使用时间系特殊能力之类的死之支配者时间王[Over Lord·Kronos Master]，擅长指挥不死者的军队的死之支配者将军[Over Lord·general]等多种的存在，而其中最弱的也有八十级。

He had a rough grasp of the strength of this world and the amount of strength one needed to be considered powerful in this world. That being the case, the appearance of an undead being like an Overlord would cause a huge disturbance, particularly because the undead did not age, so they would continue ruling the land for all eternity until it was defeated.
这个世界的平均强度、和被称为强者的对手力量，已经在一定程度的掌握了。这样一想的话，如果有死之支配者这种不死者出现的话，绝对会造成不小的骚动。尤其是因为不死者是不老的存在，如果没有人能将其打倒的话，便将持续不灭的君临于那片大地之上吧。

In other words, the fact that nothing like this had happened implied that there were no Overlords here.
反过来说，没有这种事情也就说明了这里没有死之支配者吧，这种推测也是成立的。

“Is that so. Well, I intend to send adventurers into the unknown reaches of the world to collect information of that sort. It would be quite troublesome if others of my kind were around, bearing a hatred for the living. Do you understand?”
「是嘛。我想让冒险者前往未知的世界，去收集的就是这样的情报。如果有我的同族存在，并且对生命抱有憎恶的情况下，可是非常麻烦的存在哦？你能够明白吗？」

Ainzach’s eyes went wide, and he nodded.
艾因扎克睁大双眼，点了点头。

“It is as you say. I now thoroughly understand the true nature of adventurers.”
「正如同您所说。现在，我感觉从心底领悟到了冒险者的真正姿态」

“Indeed. Consider me an undead being that is an exception to the rules. I understand the value of humanity, so I will not engage in meaningless slaughter. However, other Overlords might not think the same way, no?”
「也是啊。把我想成不死者中的例外吧。我能够明白人类的价值，所以不会进行无意义的杀生，但是其它的死之支配者就有可能不是这么想的哦？」

“Is that really the case?”
「是这样吗？」

“That remains to be seen. I do not know if I am the exception, or if my species is an exception in itself. However, should we not assume the worst-case scenario and prepare accordingly?”
「没有确证。只有我是例外呢，还是我的种族全员都是例外呢。但是想定最坏的情况来采取行动，这不我们才是该做的吗？」

“...It is as Your Majesty says. I shall engrave it into my heart.
「……如陛下所说。我会铭记于心的」

Ainzach nodded.
艾因扎克点了点头。

If there were traces of one having appeared, and having being defeated -- it might have had some involvement with whoever brainwashed Shalltear. No, one could not rule out an Overlord being dominated the same way Shalltear had been.
如果有出现的迹象，并且被打倒了的话——说不定就能和对夏提亚进行了洗脑的对手扯上什么联系。不，死之支配者和夏提亚同样被魅惑支配的情况也不能说没有。

“Then, I shall go secure an appointment for the meeting.”
「那么，接下来我就去取得会面的约定吧」

“Thank you.”
「拜托了」

Ainzach got off the coach. After Ainz watched him leave, he took out his mask and put it on. He could go around barefaced in E-Rantel, but this was the Imperial Capital -- and he had crossed borders illegally to be here -- so at the very least it was better to hide his true face. His robe was also something that was more subdued.
艾因扎克下了马车。目送他离开后安兹取出假面，戴在了脸上。虽然在耶·兰提尔已经能以素颜普通的走路了，但是在这帝都——特别还是秘密入境的情况下，最低起码也得隐藏一下真面目比较好吧。
法袍也从平常穿着的、换成了更能冷静下来的东西。

Although it meant that his personal equipment would go down by one class, it could not be helped. After all, Ainz only had one set of divine-class robes. While he still had the things left behind by his friends, in the end, the armor his friends left behind was more customised than their weapons. Therefore, it was not so much that he could not equip them, but that he could not bring out their full power, being that he could not make use of the large amounts of data that were used to benefit their abilities. That being the case, it was still better for Ainz to use the items which had been made for him, even if it was a little weaker.
虽然以魔法道具的等级来说掉了一级，这也是没有办法的事。安兹自己也只拥有一件神器级的法袍。虽然还有同伴留下的东西，但是防具比起武器果然还是、更倾向于为同伴们个人所定制的东西。因此，虽然并不是不能装备，但是并不能完全发挥其能力。既然是这样的话，就算稍微弱一点还是用安兹为了自身用而做出来的东西比较好吧。

After swapping out his gear, a knocking came from the door of the carriage, followed by Ainzach’s voice.
将各种装备更换完后，马车的门被敲了敲，响起了艾因扎克的声音。

It would seem less than five minutes had passed.
貌似连五分钟都没有到的样子。

“My deepest apologies, Your Majesty.”
「非常抱歉，陛下」

“What happened?
「怎么了？」

“I regret to say that today does not seem convenient. The other party hopes we can come again tomorrow. However, I believe we can force our way in to convey Your Majesty’s words to his ears. What shall we do?”
「虽然很遗憾但今天貌似不方便的样子，对方希望我们明天再来。如果可以的话向其传达陛下到来的事，我想应该是可以强行进去的。该怎么办呢？」

“There is no need for that.”
「这倒不必」

Forcing an unsolicited meeting during a busy period would not endear anyone to him. On the contrary, when one looked at it from a business’ point of view, the very fact that they had come uninvited and had not only not been chased away, but given a time to visit again could be considered a major accomplishment.
对在忙的时候不由分说的来会面的人不可能会抱有好印象。不如说以营业的感觉来说的话，明明进行了强行会面却没被赶走，还能预约访问时间，不如说已经是值得万辛的成果了吧。

“Then, we’ll come again tomorrow. Good thing there’s been a lot of free time lately -- what’s wrong?”
「那么就明天再来吧。必须要感谢最近有空闲的这份幸运呢——怎么了？」

Ainz realised Ainzach was goggling at him, and so he asked him why.
安兹发现艾因扎克正睁大着双眼，于是便向他问道。

“No, it’s nothing. I just felt that Your Majesty was a truly generous person… after all, there are those nobles who look down on merchants…”
「不，不是。只是觉得陛下真是位非常宽大的大人……毕竟就连有些贵族都有看不起商人倾向……」

“And you believed I would insist on a meeting?”
「你以为我会命令硬着头皮进行会面吗？」

The fact that Ainz did not answer immediately told him “I did believe that” in a way that words could not convey.
没有立刻回答的艾因扎克，比起言语更加强烈的传达到了「就是这么觉得的」的意思。

Would that be the right thing to do from a ruler’s point of view, Ainz wondered. While it seemed a bit too late to think of that now, Ainz Ooal Gown was a king. If that was what a ruler ought to do, then he should do it, even if it seemed strange to Suzuku Satoru.
那样做以支配者的角度来说是否更为正确呢，安兹这样想到。虽然现在还这么说有些马后炮了，但安兹·乌尔·恭可是国王。如果这对支配者来说是才相称的态度，就算对铃木悟来说感觉有些奇怪，也应该将其执行的吧。

“This is my first time occupying a position over humans. Do you not think I would do so, if it was proper in human society?”
「我这还是第一次位居人类高层啊。如果以人类社会来说那才是正确的话，我可是会那么做的哦？」

An uncomfortable look appeared on Ainzach’s face again:
艾因扎克露出了为难的神情。

“I am unsure, Your Majesty. I have never met the King, so I cannot say if it is true or not. Although, personally speaking, I prefer Your Majesty’s point of view. But to high-ranking nobles, the use of force might be appropriate.”
「我并不是很清楚，陛下。我和国王并没有见过面。所以那是否是正确的，我并不能下结论。虽然以个人来说，我更喜欢陛下那样的想法。但是以高位的贵族来说，或许使用力量才是正确的姿态也不一定呢」

“Human society is so complicated.”
「人类社会这种东西还是复杂啊」

For some reason, Ainzach smiled warmly to Ainz after he muttered that.
结果还不是不知道嘛，安兹这样细语后，艾因扎克露出了亲切的笑容。

“It might well be as Your Majesty says. There are many complicated things indeed.”
「或许正如同陛下所言也不一定。麻烦的事情真的是很多呢」

Their chuckling filled the coach.
马车中回响起了两人小小的笑声。

Ainz clenched his right fist where nobody could see. It would seem Ainzach was no longer so guarded. Ainz was sure of it.
安兹在看不见的地方握紧了右手，看来已经大幅消除艾因扎克的警戒心了。安兹这么确信道。