Volume 10 Chapter 3 - JUST

Part 1

Albedo had left for the Kingdom on a clear, sunny day, and Ainz came to the courtyard of his residence to send her off.
雅儿贝德出发去王国之日是个大晴天，安兹为了送别她而来到了宅邸的庭院。

There were five luxurious coaches parked there. One of them was for Albedo and another was for her luggage. One of the remaining coaches contained gifts to the King, to impress upon them the difference between the might of the Kingdom and the Sorcerous Kingdom. Surrounding these carriages were the 20 Death Cavaliers Ainz had created.
在那里停泊着五台豪华的马车。雅儿贝德所乘坐的马车和装载她行李的马车，然后剩下的马车里一台是装载给王国国王赠礼的马车，那是为了让他们知道王国与魔导国之间的国力差距的礼品。而有在马车周围将它团团围住的，则是由安兹所创造的、共计二十骑死亡骑兵[Death Cavalier]。

It would have been simple enough to just teleport to the Kingdom, but they had not chosen to do so.
使用转移魔法前往王国是很简单的，但是并没有选择这么做。

Albedo and her party were responsible for demonstrating the Sorcerous Kingdom’s power. Part of that was using monsters in place of horses to pull their coaches; an implied threat, so to speak.
雅儿贝德一行人同时也肩负着、彰显魔导国实力的使命，用怪物取代马来拉车也是其中一环，既是所谓的示威行为。

“Then, Ainz-sama, please take care of yourself for a while.”
「那么安兹大人，就得请您暂时留守一段时间了」

“Umu, be careful. We haven’t found the people who brainwashed Shalltear yet. Thus we cannot rule out the possibility that they might seek to control you, and then use you as part of a great gamble to inflict massive damage on Nazarick.”
「唔姆、要注意。至今都还没有发现洗脑夏提雅的人。他们计划着操纵你，从而使出乾坤一掷的方式、来对纳萨力克造成巨大损害的可能性，也是无法舍去的呢」

“Of course. I will be careful and never let this leave my person.”
「这是当然。我会注意，绝不让这个离开我身边的」

Albedo was hugging a World-Class Item to her breast.
雅儿贝德紧抱在怀中的是世界级道具。

“I believe possessing that should eliminate the risk of being brainwashed by a World-Class Item. However, the opposition might not be limited to just that item. In addition, while that is the most powerful World-Class Item against physical objects, don’t forget that it is not very useful against individual targets.”
「虽然我想只要有那个的话，应该就能免去世界级道具的洗脑效果了。但是对方拥有的东西可不一定仅限于此。而且说到底，那个虽然是最强的对物体世界级道具。但不要忘记如果要用它来对付个人的话，可能并不是那么管用吶」

“Is that so? My main weapon is the transformed version of this…”
「是这样的吗？我的主要武器是使用这个的形态变化后的东西……」

“It’s weaker than a specialized divine-class item. Still, it’s still quite strong in that it will never be destroyed or damaged. All I want to say is, don’t be careless because you’re strong. Although I don’t think you’ll make a mistake like that..."
「比起特化的神器级道具要略逊一筹。嘛啊、考虑到绝对不会被破坏、不会劣化这点的话倒也很强，吗。我想说的是，不要因为身为强者就粗心大意了，虽然我认为雅儿贝德应该不会犯那种错误……」

Come to think of it, Albedo had never been outside until now.
仔细一想的话，雅儿贝德至今为止都没有去过外面。

He had stationed her in Nazarick and had her serve as a rear guard. Because of this, Ainz felt worried, as though he was letting a child go out on an errand by themselves for the first time.
总是配置在纳萨力克里，让她在后方防守。为此、安兹的心中总会涌现出、有如让小孩子第一次出门买东西时那样的担心。

“Remain alert and do not be careless. If you feel there is danger, retreat immediately. Do you have any teleportation items? Some of them need time to take effect, so does yours work immediately? Some enemies can also impede teleportation before attacking, have you thought of a way to deal with them? There might also be enemies who distract you with bait before ambushing you. Don’t be fooled by your enemies’ strength, alright? Although I’ve heard you’ve gone through combat training in order to improve your flexibility, you still need to study up a bit more. In addition―”
「要时常警戒，不要大意。只要觉得有些许危险就马上撤退，有没有带转移系的道具？一部分的转移系道具在发动之前会花费一点时间，有能够立刻转移的道具吗？也有一些敌人会阻碍转移并攻击，那种敌人的对应方法已经想好了吗？使用诱饵吸引目光，潜伏过来的敌人也是有的。不要被敌人的强度所迷惑了哦？虽然听说你为了提高对应能力，而进行了战斗训练。但是不钻研地深一点可是不行的哦，除此之外——」

He thought, it would have been good if I had lectured Shalltear like this while he thought about the tactics he would use for PKing. As he did so, he sprayed Albedo with a stream of words at machine-gun speed.
一边想着、如果当时有对夏提雅也进行同样的说明就好了，一边思考着、如果是自己在PK时会策划什么样的作战。然后以有如机关枪般的语速，将其投向雅儿贝德。

How long had he spent on thinking up all kinds of attacks? Ainz only returned to normal after he realised Albedo was looking at him with a delighted expression on her face.
关于能够想得到的各式各样的攻击，到底说了多长时间呢。当安兹发现雅儿贝德正一脸高兴的注视着自己时，他这才赶忙恢复了常态。

This was terribly embarrassing.
这样的行为实在是太过羞耻了。

Ainz coughed.
安兹咳了一声。

“Well, something like that. I believe that you of all people, Albedo, will not slack off on preparations and countermeasures. I’m sorry for delaying you. Take care when you travel.”
「差不多就这样吧。我相信如果是雅儿贝德的话，应该是不会怠慢这些对策和准备的吧。挽留住你真是抱歉了啊，出门要小心」

“Understood, Ainz-sama.”
「遵命，安兹大人」

“Although it might not be appropriate to ask right before you go, about Demiurge ― no, never mind.”
「虽然在你去之前这么问可能不太合适，但有没有从迪米乌哥斯那里——不，没什么」

“He should be fine, I believe?”
「不问也没事了吗？」

If he had received some communication from Demiurge, he would not have a huge pile of questions to ask him. For instance, Albedo had not opposed the formation of the Adventurer’s Guild, but it might be better to ask him in person when he returned. Albedo seemed surprised, but after she realised that Ainz did not intend to reply, she resumed her usual gentle expression.
如果从迪米乌哥斯那里有联络过来的话，想要不经意地问的事已经堆成小山了。比如雅儿贝德并没有反对的冒险者工会的事之类，但那等他回来后直接询问就好了吧。雅儿贝德虽然露出了不可思议的表情，可不知是否察觉到安兹没有回答的打算，没过多久便换回了一如既往的温和神色。

“Then, Ainz-sama. As the Guardian Overseer, I will show you results which will not bring shame upon the office.”
「那么、安兹大人。作为守护者统管，我定将拿出不辱其名的成果」

“Your actions have never insulted your station.”
「你一直以来的作为，就从没有辜负过你的职位哟」

Granted, right after that he recalled Albedo mounting him cowgirl-style, but that was not the sort of thing one could bring up at this juncture.
虽然在这么说了以后，才回想起来之前有被雅儿贝德推倒过的事。但这也不是能在这种场合下说的吧。

“There is one more thing I have to say. While you are immune to disease, this world might possess illnesses that can bypass even that immunity, so be careful. I’ve heard that it’s exceptionally easy to catch sicknesses at the turn of the season.”
「最后还得说一句呢。你虽然对于疾病有完全抗性，但这个世界可能会有连那个都能突破的疾病也说不定，要多注意哦。我曾听说过，在季节交替之际特别容易感冒啊」

The transition between the four seasons was not very clear in Suzuki Satoru’s world.
在铃木悟生活过的世界里，并没有这么明显的四季变化。

A thought struck him -- what would Blue Planet do if he were here? He would probably have the same sparkly-eyed expression that Albedo did. ...Although, whether he could actually make that expression was a different matter entirely.
忽然想起，如果蓝色星球也在这里的话会有什么反应呢。如果是他的话，应该也会和眼前的雅儿贝德一样、露出这般闪闪发光的表情的吧。……虽然那个外表能否做出那种表情，就是另一回事了。

Then, Albedo volunteered a suggestion, with a look on her face like a freshly-blossomed flower:
浮现出犹如盛开的花朵似得表情，雅儿贝德这么提案道。

“Ainz-sama! I, I know of a preventive medicine that works very well against illness!”
「安兹大人！我、我知道有一种对于疾病非常有效的预防药」

“Hoh...?”
「嚯喔」

That was quite a surprise. He had not expected her to know of medication which was unique to this world.
居然会知道这个世界独有的预防药，这还真是令人惊讶啊。

Nfirea the herbalist should not have come into contact with Albedo. That being the case, could it have come from knowledge within YGGDRASIL, or perhaps something Tabula Smaragdina programmed into her? His curiosity now aroused, Ainz looked forward to what she would say next.
身为药师的恩弗雷亚应该没有和雅儿贝德接触过才对。这样的话，该不会是在YGGDRASIL里的知识、又或者是翠玉录的知识吗。受到好奇心刺激的安兹盼望着接下来的言语。

“A kiss!”
「是接吻！」

“...A kiss?”
「……………………接吻？」

“Yes, kissing relieves stress and activates the parasympathetic nervous system. Once the efficiency of the parasympathetic nervous system increases, the performance of the immune system improves with it. In other words, if you get kissed, you won’t get sick!”
「是，接吻的话就能缓和压力，将副交感神经活性化。只要副交感神经的工作效率高的话，免疫系统的机能也会随之提高。也就是说被接吻的话就不会得病了！」

“What you’ve said sounds kind of familiar…”
「这么说来，好像确实在哪里听过啊」

He recalled someone mentioning something about the parasympathetic nervous system while he was playing YGGDRASIL. That must be it. However, he did not feel that it would be effective in this world too.
在玩YGGDRASIL游戏的时候，记忆中好像有人说过副交感神经如何如何之类的话题。一定就是那个吧。但是，不觉得那个在这个世界里面也有效啊。

“Therefore, I want a kiss~”
「所以说、我要亲亲！」

Albedo closed her eyes and puckered her lips.
雅儿贝德将眼睛闭上、撅起了嘴唇。

All he could see now was an octopus.
这里有只章鱼。

That description might sound like it was slandering a great beauty, but the truth was, her looks had not been greatly diminished. After all, a beautiful woman remained beautiful no matter what expression she had on her face.

That untimely thought flashed through Ainz’s mind.
该怎么说呢感觉好像糟蹋了美人，但那美貌却又没有崩坏到那种程度。所谓的美人不管做什么表情都是美人啊，安兹心中不合时宜的出现了这样的思考。

Ainz had considered running away at this point.
思考逃避就到此为止吧。

He wanted to say, “Certainly not”, but it was plainly obvious that she was hoping for  a kiss. In addition, this was a wish from someone who was about to run a work errand, so he wanted to help fulfil it, to a certain extent. In addition, it would make his heart ache to ignore the wishes of Tabula Smaragdina’s daughter.
不带那样的吧，虽然很想这样吐槽，但她期待接吻是一目了然的。而且，毕竟这是即将因公出差的人的愿望，在一定范围内的话还是想为她实现的。而且无视翠玉录女儿的愿望的话也让人心痛。

Ainz took Albedo’s chin in one hand, and planted a kiss on her cheek. That said, Ainz had no skin, and thus no lips, so the kiss Ainz gave was little more than pressing his front teeth against her. In addition, since he had no saliva, all she could feel was something dry and hard poking her.
安兹将雅儿贝德的下巴用单手固定，在那脸颊上亲吻。就算这么说由于安兹没有皮肤，也因此没有嘴唇，所以安兹的吻其实只是用前齿压上去而已。而且由于没有唾液之类的，所以能感到的也就只有、被干干硬硬的东西碰了一下吧。

Although this was terribly embarrassing, he had to inflict himself on her.
虽然这实在是实在是太那个什么了，但没办法也只好让她忍耐。

I’m glad I brushed my teeth, even though I didn’t eat anything.
（虽然什么都没吃过，但是有好好刷牙真是太好了啊）

After his hand left her chin, he met Albedo’s wide-eyed gaze.
手从下巴离开后、视线与眼睛睁地大大的雅儿贝德交叉。

“What, what’s wrong? Besides, it would have been too much to kiss you on the lips, so the cheek will have to do. Was it not right?!”
「怎、怎么了？再这么说在嘴唇上的亲吻也太过头了，所以就在脸颊上了。有什么不适合的吗！？」

“...I did not think you would have considered it at all.”
「……我还以为绝对没被您当成一回事呢」

Before Ainz could ask her about what she really meant, tears welled up in the corner of Albedo’s eyes.
在安兹问她的本意之前，雅儿贝德眼睛的一端便涌出了泪珠。

“Fueeeen~”
「呜唉—」

Albedo wept. Those were not crocodile tears. She was truly crying.
雅儿贝德哭了出来。那并不是什么虚假的眼泪，而是真的哭了。

After the long-awaited shock of his emotional suppression washed over him, Ainz hurriedly scrambled to do something. That said, he had no idea how to proceed.
在受到了久违的强制精神平静化程度的冲击后，安兹慌慌张张地想要做些什么。但话虽如此、完全不明白该如何做。

In the past, when he had made Albedo cry in the Treasury, he had thought of something comforting to say. However, nothing came to mind now that Ainz had made her cry after kissing her. What would that prettyboy Emperor (Jircniv) do at a time like this? Although he thought about that topic, it would seem that none of the scenes which Ainz witnessed had ever covered a situation like that.
以前，在宝物殿将雅儿贝德弄哭时马上，就能想到安慰的话语。但在接吻之后弄哭的对应方法，安兹却怎么也想不出来。在这种时候那个帅哥皇帝[吉克尼夫]的话会怎么做呢。虽然试着去回想着这些，但是安兹所偷窥到的场景中却并没有碰上这样的事情。

“Albedo, please don’t cry.”
「雅儿贝德，不要哭泣」

He desperately wanted to look to the duty maid behind him for help, but he had already embarrassed himself badly enough. He could not disgrace himself even further.
虽然很想向站在身后的值班女仆、送去求助的视线。但现在已经很丢人了，可不能再展现更丢人的一面。

“Albedo, don’t cry.”
「雅儿贝德哟，不要哭了」

Ainz pulled Albedo into his embrace and gently patted her back.
安兹将雅儿贝德抱在怀里，轻轻地拍拍着她的背后。

They stayed like this for a while, and then Albedo sniffled. It would seem her tears had stopped.
就这样保持了一段时间后雅儿贝德发出乐抽泣声，看来眼泪已经止住了的样子。

Ainz released the hands holding Albedo, as relief washed through him.
安兹感到安心的同时将围绕在雅儿贝德背上的手移开。

“Are you all right, Albedo?”
「没事吧，雅儿贝德」

“Yes, Ainz-sama. I am very sorry for letting you see that shameful side of me.”
「是的，安兹大人。让您看到此等丢脸的模样真的是非常抱歉」

Though stained with tears, hers was still a very beautiful smile.
虽然还残留着泪痕，但那仍是个非常好的笑容。

There was only one reason she could be crying.
她哭泣的理由只有一个吧。

His nonexistent stomach began aching after he realized how cruel he had been. Because the game’s ending soon -- if only he had not thought that way, she would not have cried like this.
切身的体会到了自己所做之事是有多么的无情之后，不存在的胃又开始了疼痛。反正是游戏的最后——如果当时的自己没有这么想的话，就不会让她流下这样的眼泪了吧。

“Is that so. ...Well, it’s about time. You should set out if you’re fine.”
「是吗。……时间差不多到了吧。如果没有问题的话就出发吧」

“Understood! Momonga-sama!”
「遵命！飞鼠大人！」

***

The curtains mounted in the coach windows opened, and he saw Albedo waving to him. In response, Ainz waved back to her.
垂挂在马车窗户上的窗帘被拉了开来，能够看见雅儿贝德正向着这边挥着手。为此安兹也像是回应般的挥了挥手。

This was a scene straight out of those railway train farewells one might have seen on television.
这简直婉如曾经在电视上看到过的，电车上的离别情节一般。

The coach stirred slowly into motion, and the sentries began moving as well.
马车缓缓地开始了移动，警戒员也随之开始了行动。

Ainz watched until he could no longer see Albedo’s coach, and as he stared into the distance, he issued a somber, grave command.
安兹目送至直到看不见雅儿贝德的马车后，看着远方并尽可能以沉重的语气告诫道。

“Forget everything that happened here.”
「忘了在这里发生的事」

“Understood.”
「遵命」

Ainz walked past the maid, whose head was lowered. Ainz had no way of seeing what sort of expression she had on her face at the time.
安兹从低下头的女仆身边走过。此时的她究竟是一副什么样的表情呢，安兹实在是没有办法去确认。

Part 2

The Bloody Emperor, Jircniv Rune Farlord El-Nix clutched at his head.
鮮血帝、吉克尼夫・伦・法洛德・艾尔・尼克斯紧抱着頭。

This was not a recent thing. He had been this way for quite some time now.
这并非最近一两天的事，这段时间一直都是如此。

In the past, he had purged all manner of nobles, heard about treachery which could shake the Empire, and learned of deteriorating relationships with neighboring countries. Through it all, this man had neither panicked nor fallen into confusion. However, in the face of an insoluble problem, even this man could do nothing but bitterly cradle his head.
无论是肃清怎么了不起的大贵族时、听闻了足以动摇帝国的叛乱计划时，又或者是与邻国的关系恶化时，这个男人也绝不曾慌张、混乱过。但即使是这样的男人，在没有办法得出解答的问题面前，却也只能苦苦地抱着脑袋。

“Dammit! You son of a bitch! Die! Die and rot away!”
「可恶！那家伙！去死吧！给我死了然后腐烂吧！」

While the power of magic could curse someone to death, Jircniv did not have that kind of power. Therefore, he was simply speaking offensive words. If he could actually kill that hateful man who had wrought such devastation on his mind and his stomach lining for the past few months, he would gladly seek out such techniques.
虽然通过魔法的力量确实能够诅杀对方，可吉克尼夫并没有那种力量。因此这不过只是骂声罢了。如果真的能够抹杀掉那个，这数个月来、对自己的心理和胃里造成负担的可恨男人的话，那么他肯定会愿意去修行并学习那门技术的吧。

“No, wait. It would be better to tell him to “live”, right? Or maybe, ‘be destroyed’ would be more appropriate? I’ve heard of some priests destroying the undead with sacred power.”
「不、慢着。活下去、才比较正确吗？又或者说是，被破坏，才比较好吗？确实有听闻过神官有将不死者，以神圣之力破坏的事例吶」

He was even thinking about such meaningless things.
甚至考虑起像这样无聊的事。

Jircniv’s stomach ached and strands of his fallen hair adorned his pillow every morning. The culprit responsible for all of this was the Sorcerer King, Ainz Ooal Gown.
吉克尼夫的胃之所以会如此疼痛，早上起来时枕上之所以会有脱落的头发。这一切的元凶都是那安兹・乌尔・恭魔导王。

There was no satisfactory solution to the problems posed by the Sorcerer King.
对于魔导王所引起的问题，吉克尼夫根本就没办法采取完美的对应策略。

The first problem concerned the casualties among the Imperial Knight Corps at the Battle of the Katze Plains.
第一个问题，关于在卡兹平原的战斗中产生的帝国骑士团的死者。

There were only 143 deaths; a trivial number, if they had clashed directly with the enemy. However, the losses at the Katze Plain had been entirely self-inflicted.
数量只有一百四十三名，如果是正面与敌人作战的话，这种程度的消耗也是无可奈何的。但是，在卡兹平原的死者们却都是自灭的。

In addition, 3,788 people had expressed their desire to leave the Knight Corps upon their return to the Imperial Capital. In other words, over 6% of the 60,000 men of the Imperial Knight Corps had lost their courage.
不仅如此，回到帝都时希望脱离骑士团的人数更是高达三千七百八十八人。也就是参加卡兹平原战争的帝国骑士团的六万人中有百分之六的人丧失了勇气。

And then, there were thousands of people who complained of uneasiness and night terrors. According to the reports, there were at least 200 mentally unstable people as well.
再者，还有数千人以上的人诉说着不安、夜晚难以入眠。呈上的报告书中，精神不安定的人最少也有两百人。

Knights were professional warriors, and training even a single one of them entailed considerable expense.
骑士是专业的战士，为了培育一人也需要花费相当的金额。

Nor was it just a matter of money. Training time was also essential. One could not simply grab somebody off the streets and say, “From tomorrow onwards, you are a knight.”
不只是金钱，训练时间也是必要的。并不是随便在路上抓一个人来、就能对他说「明天开始你就是骑士了」。

The Empire would need to spend a great deal to fill the shortfall in the number of knights. But where would he get the funds for those expenditures?
为了填补缺口的骑士数量所必需的帝国开支、补贴的资金又到底该从哪里调过来呢。

At this critical moment, it was too risky to purge the nobles and seize their assets to make up the required amount.
在这个节骨眼上，用肃清贵族并夺取的财产进行补贴的话风险太大。

The reason for that was because of the second problem -- namely, the petitions which the Imperial Knights themselves had submitted to Jircniv.
而之所以会变成这样，则是由于第二个出现的问题。帝国骑士们所呈上来的请愿书。

The Knight Corps were permitted to make proposals to Emperor Jircniv. This was because there were some things which only blooded veterans could understand, and it was also to reduce the conflicts between military officers and bureaucratic officials. At the same time, it was also to give the impression that Jircniv -- who had a martial background -- was especially fond of the Knight Corps.
骑士团是允许直接向皇帝吉克尼夫提出意见的。这是因为某些事只有在实战中流血之人才能够理解的，也是为了缓和文官和武官之间的冲突，同时也是为了给人一种，吉克尼夫以武力为背景而对骑士团特别照顾的印象。

Of course, one could not expect such letters to always be positive, but the recent petitions were harsh indeed.
当然了即使是形式也不完全是徒有其表的，但最近的请愿书内容实在是太严重了。

These petitions, from the upper echelons of the Knight Corps’ command structure, expressed their desire to avoid warfare with the Sorcerous Kingdom.
请愿书上由骑士团上层联名写着，希望能够避免与魔导国之间的战争。

Jircniv could understand that sort of thing even if they did not bring it up.
那种事就算不用说，吉克尼夫也能够理解。

Anyone who dared face that Kingdom in open combat would be far beyond a mere fool; he would be an absolute madman. That was a nation which could trample 200,000 enemy troops which a single spell. There was no way Jircniv would conceivably pick a fight with such a foe.
敢与那个国家正面作战是远超愚者的举动、是狂人。那可是仅凭一个魔法便能蹂躏二十万敌军的国家，吉克尼夫根本不可能去找那样的对手干架。

Even so, the reason why the Knight Corps had tendered such a petition was because they had lost their faith in Jircniv.
但明明是这样，之所以骑士团还是会呈上、这样的请愿书。是因为他们已经失去了对吉克尼夫的信赖。

Before the Battle of the Katze Plains, Jircniv had proposed to the Sorcerer King: “I hope you will use your strongest spell”. The upper echelons of the Knight Corps knew this, and laid the blame for that miserable hellscape squarely at the feet of Jircniv.
在卡兹平原的作战前，吉克尼夫曾经向魔导王提出「希望使用最强的魔法」的提案。而本就知道这一点的骑士团上层，便将引起那个凄惨的地狱画面的最大的原因归咎于了吉克尼夫。

In other words, they were using him as a scapegoat.
也就是把他当成罪魁祸首了。

When he learned of that, Jircniv had been furious and frustrated in the extreme.
在得知这件事时，吉克尼夫真的非常生气、极为恼怒。

If he had known that such magic existed, he would never have said such a thing.
如果他事先知道有那种魔法存在的话，是绝对不会说出那样的话来的。

Besides, the reason why Jircniv had asked that damnable Sorcerer King to use his strongest spell was to verify how powerful his magic was.
而且说到底，吉克尼夫之所以会请求那个可憎的魔导王、使用最强魔法的原因，就是为了弄清楚他的魔法到达了何种程度。

Originally, it should have been the other way around. “Thank you for drawing out part of the Sorcerer King’s power. Now we know better than to casually make a move on him,” they should have said while expressing their gratitude. After all, if things had gone poorly, that magic might have been unleashed in a city.
本来的话，应该反过来是「谢谢您将魔导王实力的一角引出，这样就知道不该随意的对其出手了」，这样的感谢才是啊。如果运气差点的话，甚至有让那个魔法在都市中炸裂的可能性。

However, the Knight Corps did not see things that way. It was because they felt that Jircniv was a splendid Emperor that they believed he had asked for the use of that magic, knowing full well what it did. Thus, many suspicious gazes now shot toward Jircniv.
但是，骑士团却并不是这么想的。正因为吉克尼夫是一个非常优秀的皇帝，所以肯定是在知道那个魔法的前提下让他使用的没错，像这般怀疑眼神不断地射向了吉克尼夫。

This was the first time Jircniv had been so disgusted by his own reputation.
这令吉克尼夫第一次对自己的名声感到如此厌恶。

However, crying and complaining would not help things. If someone could do something in his place, Jircniv would gladly cry and scream and rest until his stomach pains went away. Of course, nobody could do Jircniv’s job for him, so he had to handle it himself.
但是、就算哭丧着抱怨也于事无补。如果真的有人能代替吉克尼夫来做些什么的话，还真想要哭天喊地去求他，好让自己休息到胃痛消失为止。然而根本就没有人能够做吉克尼夫的工作，所以还是不得不由他亲自去做的。

“Damn that Sorcerer King! It’s all his fault!”
「可恶，魔导王！都是那家伙的错！」

He pressed against the pain that radiated from his stomach, no -- Jircniv paused to think.
从肚子上捂住着疼痛的胃，不——吉克尼夫这么思考道。

This was not “the Sorcerer King’s fault”. This was “the Sorcerer King’s conspiracy”.
这不是「魔导王的错」，而是「魔导王的阴谋」不是吗。

It was very possible that the state of the Empire might have been orchestrated by him. When he calmed down and considered it, the possibility of that was very high.
现在帝国的状态全都有由他一手策划的可能性。冷静下来仔细思考的话，这个可能性确实非常的高。

Jircniv took out a key and opened a drawer. He withdrew a bottle from within.
吉克尼夫将钥匙取出，打开抽屉。将其中摆放着的一长列瓶子取出了一个。

Then, he pressed the silver ring he wore on his left hand against it.
然后将戴在左手的银色戒指，靠了上去。

The Ring of Unicorn -- an item which could detect poisons and which enhanced resistance to poison and disease, which could also heal wounds once a day. After confirming that there was no reaction, he gulped it down.
独角兽戒指[Ring of unicorn]——这是具有毒物探知、对毒或疾病的抗性强化、一天一次治疗伤口能力的戒指。确定没有任何反应后一口气饮尽。

Jircniv placed the bottle on his desk, and frowned.
吉克尼夫将瓶子静静的摆放在桌子上后，皱起了脸。

He took a mouthful of water from the bottle on the desk, to wash away the now-familiar astringent taste spreading through his mouth. After that, Jircniv pressed the area around his belly again.
为了消除口中扩散开来的、熟悉的刺激性味道，喝了一口放在桌子上瓶中的水并向后仰去，吉克尼夫再次压住胃部周围。

Was it just a placebo effect, or had his wound really been healed? While there was no way he could know for sure, at least his stomach pains had subsided for now.
是自我安慰起效了吗，还是说伤口真的被治愈了呢。虽然具体不得而知，但是胃痛却真的平息了下去。

“Haaah~”
「哈啊——」

After that abnormally heavy sigh, as though ponderous tasks awaited him, he continued his work. First, he had to start with that accumulated pile of documents.
吐出有如每天必做功课般的、异常沉重的叹息后、继续进行业务工作。首先得从这累积的文书开始。

A quiet knocking rang through the room, as though it were waiting for his hand to reach out.
彷佛正等待着手伸出的那一刻似得，室内响起了小小的敲门声。

The man who entered was a scribe. All of Jircniv’s hand-picked scribes were excellent workers. However, this man was easily the equal of Roune.
进来的是一名秘书官。虽然由吉克尼夫选中的秘书官，不论哪位都非常的优秀。但即使在其中他也是能和罗内比肩的男人。

Incidentally, there were no women among the scribes. Jircniv felt that the only woman who could handle this sort of work was one of his concubines.
顺带一提秘书官中没有任何一位女性。吉克尼夫认为以女性身份能够担任此类工作的人，很遗憾就只有自己的侧室仅仅一人而已。

“Your Majesty--”
「陛下——」

Jircniv waved to cut short a greeting that might take a very long time.
吉克尼夫挥手将可能会变得很长的寒暄打断。

“--No need for that, spare me the greetings. Don’t waste time, get to the point.”
「——不需要不需要，寒暄就免了。浪费时间。有何事快说」

“Yes, Your Majesty. Those traders from that nation have finally replied to us. They seem to have very good stock ith them, and they will be visiting the Imperial Capital soon.”
「是的、陛下。实际上那个国家的商人终于传来了联络。他们好像带来了质量非常好的商品，并会于近期之内到访这帝都」

“Really now!”
「是吗！」

Jircniv smiled at this, the best news he had heard in the past few weeks.
吉克尼夫因这个最近几周以来，最好的消息而露出了笑容。

The nation in question was the Slaine Theocracy. Needless to say, the trader in question was an emissary from them.
那个国家指的是斯连教国。不用说也知道，所谓商人指的就是教国的使者。

While this room was warded against spying, after witnessing that spell from the Sorcerer King, he had come to believe that all these countermeasures were little more than stage dressing. The fact was, he had come to feel that someone was spying on him of late.
虽然这个房间施行了对间谍的对策，但是在看到那个魔导王的魔法后。便会产生一种这种程度的防范，不过是纸老虎的错觉。而且事实上，最近也确实感觉有被谁一直监视着。

Still, no matter how many people he sent to investigate, they found no observers. The only conclusion they could reach was that this was a paranoid delusion on Jircniv’s part. Granted, his nerves had been wound up quite tightly of late, so it might actually be the case. However, he could not get rid of the sense of foreboding that came from being watched.
但不管让多少人调查，却都没有发现监视者。这是不是吉克尼夫的被害妄想症呢，最后只能得出的这样的结论。确实由于最近神经一直绷得很紧，说不定真的有这种可能性。可是，时而会感到视线的违和感，却一直都没有办法被抹去。

In the past, he might have let Fluder set up anti-spying measures, but he could not do that now. For all he knew, Fluder might already have betrayed him. Therefore, Jircniv had to operate under the assumption that spies had already infiltrated the Imperial Capital.
以前的话还能让夫路达担任、制定间谍防范的一部分任务，但现在却不能够使用、说不定已经背叛了的他。为此现在吉克尼夫只能，在间谍已经潜入了帝城的前提下采取行动。

Therefore, all policies concerning important matters needed their own codewords. Of course, there were a few small problems which cropped up at a result, but it was still better than letting the alliance against Ainz Ooal Gown be exposed.
因此作为对应策略的一环，关于重要案件都有指示代词。当然，也因此发生了几个必然会出现的问题，但即便如此也要比，反安兹・乌尔・恭同盟被暴露要来的安全。

“Then, when will it be?”
「那么，是什么时候？」

“I believe they hope to arrive within the next few days.”
「是的。好像希望是在近日内」

Normally speaking, he would have openly invited them to the Imperial Capital, but that would be far too obvious.
本来的话是应该将其招待到帝城来的，但是那也未免太过醒目了。

It’s best to meet them while pretending that it was a coincidence. However, what sort of location would avoid suspicion?
（虽然伪装成偶然，与他们会面才是最好的。，但怎样的场所才不会被怀疑呢？）

He was out of options, but even if that were the case, he could not give up like this was just a regular game. Casting that spell of utmost cruelty was essentially telling Jircniv, “I am undead, so slaying the living is only natural”. He could not possibly ignore a being like that.
已经什么办法也没有了，但就算真的如此认为，像是单纯的游戏一般放弃是不可能做到的。施展了那种程度残虐至极的魔法，简直就像是在对吉克尼夫说「因为是不死者所以夺取生者的生命是理所当然的」一样，对那样的存在根本就不可能置之不理。

It was the duty of the Emperor of the Baharuth Empire to raise his chances of winning, even if it was only by a little.
哪怕只是少许地提高一点胜算，这才是身为巴哈斯帝国皇帝的责任。

In order to achieve that aim, one of the measures he had taken was to forge a secret alliance with the Slaine Theocracy. The Theocracy was a country with a longer history than the Empire, and it also counted divine magic as one of the pillars of their nation. There was no doubt that it was the best nation one could appeal to for ways to deal with the undead.
而为了达成其目的，手段之一便是与斯连教国的地下同盟。教国是比帝国更为历史悠久的国家、同时也有将信仰系魔法作为国家支柱之一。寻求关于不死者的对策的话，它无疑是最棒的国家。

However, it would be very bad if the Sorcerous Kingdom learned of his contact with the Theocracy.
但是，与教国接触的事实若是让魔导国知道的话会变得非常不妙。

The Empire was now an ally of the Sorcerous Kingdom, and one which helped guarantee its sovereignty. The reason why the Empire had done this was to understand the strength and organization of the Sorcerous Kingdom, as well as everything else within it. If they discovered that they were working against the Sorcerous Kingdom, the first target for the might of the Sorcerer King would undoubtedly be the Empire.
帝国现在的立场是协助魔导国建国的同盟国。而之所以帝国会取得这协助者的立场，则是为了了解魔导国的力量和组织构成、以及其它所有事物。如果反魔导国的行动被发现的话，魔导王的力量最初所朝向自然也就是帝国了。

“Permission to speak, Your Majesty.”
「能允许我发言吗，陛下」

Jircniv raised his chin, indicating that the man should continue.
吉克尼夫沉默着扬了扬下巴，指示他继续说下去。

“Is the act of opening hostilities with the Sorcerous Kingdom not a most foolish course of action?”
「与魔导国交恶，事到如今已是最愚蠢的行为不是吗？」

Jircniv glared at the scribe. You too, huh. He chucked a scroll case into a specially designated trash bin as he thought that.
吉克尼夫向秘书官送去锐利的眼神。你也是这么说的、吗。随意一撇专用的垃圾箱里丢掉的羊皮纸询问道。

Don’t crush my flagging heart, please… However...
（不要将我已快屈服的心完全粉碎啊……。但是……）

“Then, what would you suggest we do?”
「那么、你说该如何是好？」

“Well, about that…”
「那个……」

Jircniv smiled as he watched the scribe gulp audibly.
看到秘书官咽了口水、有些难言启齿的模样，吉克尼夫苦笑道。

“Relax. I will not censure you for anything you say. Come, speak your mind.”
「安心吧。无论你说出的是怎样的话，我都不会问罪。说出你的看法」

“Yes, then, I apologize beforehand for any offense I might cause.”

With a cough, the secretary shared his thoughts:

“I believe we should continue strengthening our bond of alliance, and if the Sorcerous Kingdom has any requests… we should give in to them.”
「是的，那么失礼了」嗯哼地咳了一声秘书官将自己的想法阐述了出来「持续强化同盟国的立场，如果魔导国有什么要求的话………我认为只能屈服了」

The scribe’s face was still pale despite Jircniv’s guarantee.
即便吉克尼夫向他约定，秘书官的脸色也依然铁青。

Within his heart, that treasonous statement warred with the fear that his very life might be extinguished.
这有如卖国一般的发言，与自己的性命很有可能消失的恐怖正在交战吧。

Jircniv once again smiled bitterly.
吉克尼夫再次露出了苦笑。

“You’re right.”
「你所说的是正确的」

“--Hah?”
「——哈？」

It was because he knew the man’s caliber that he felt that his gaping mouth was quite comical. Jircniv smiled in a different way than before, and then continued speaking:
正因为知道他的优秀，才会觉得他嘴巴大张样子好笑吧。吉克尼夫浮现出与先前不同的笑容，把之后的话说了下去。

“I feel what you are saying is correct. In your position, I might well make the same proposal. No, it would be strange if any man I appointed as a scribe did not suggest such a thing.”
「我说你所说的事是正确的。我如果在你的立场的话，也绝对会如此提案的吧。不、将不这么提案的家伙，放在秘书官的位置上才有问题吶」

Simply put, the Sorcerous Kingdom was far too powerful.
明白的说，魔导国太过强大了。

Though they could only judge from a military standpoint, it was clear that the Sorcerous Kingdom was on a level that they could not hope to even deal with.
虽然只能够判明军事力量，但仅此就已经到达过于异常且没有办法对应的等级。

The personal power of the Sorcerer King Ainz Ooal Gown alone was already far too risky to face. Then there was the army of the dead he had brought to the battlefield, each of which was rumored to be able to level a nation by themselves.
魔导王、仅以安兹乌尔・恭一己之力就已经太过危险了。再加上被带去战场的不死者军团，据说那都是单体就能够亡国的怪物。

They were in completely different dimensions. When one thought about it, the very idea was laughable.
次元完全不同，认真的思考反而让人觉得很可笑。

“Although I feel that is the best choice, does that mean we should not prepare to take some other action? For instance, if the Sorcerer King intends to destroy the Kingdom, do you think bending the knee to him will suffice to spare us?”
「虽然我也是觉得那是最佳选择，但这不意味着可以不准备除此之外的手段吧？假设魔导王想要毁灭帝国的话，光是下跪屈服是否又真的能够得到宽恕呢」

He had not yet heard of any massacres in E-Rantel.
現在还沒有听闻在耶・兰提尔有发生虐杀的行径。

Could it be that the undead were not there? After trying to gather some information, he discovered that the undead openly occupied the city, turning E-Rantel into a demon city.
难道是不死者们都不在吗，試着收集情报后发现，似乎正在城内飞扬跋扈的样子，在各种不同的地方配置着的不死者，已经将耶・兰提尔完全化为了魔都。

It might be that he intended to rule the residents of the area without slaughtering them, but that was jumping to conclusions. After all, there was the news of how he had subdued that adamantite-ranked adventurer (Momon), so just from that point alone, it was dangerous to think that the Sorcerer King’s tender mercies would extend to the Empire.
或许是没有打算杀害支配地区的人类也说不定吧，但是这么判断的话也有些太轻率吧。毕竟有听说是被那个精钢级冒险者[飞飞]给压制住了的传闻，所以光凭这点便认为、魔导王的慈悲能够延续到帝国的话未免也太过危险了。

“It is as you say. It would seem I was so cowed by the Sorcerer King’s overwhelming power that I could not even make such a rational decision. My deepest apologies.”
「正如您所说，看来我因为恐惧魔导王那压倒性的力量，连这么理所当然的事都不能正确判断了啊。真的万分抱歉」

“No need to apologize. After all, the thought came to mind in the past… back to the point, where have the traders of that country chosen to rest?”
「没有道歉的必要 ,毕竟我也是想过同样的事情……回归话题 ,那国家的商人选择了哪儿作为停留处?」

“It seems they will be lodging in the largest of the second of four.”
「好像是会停留在四之二的最大的地方」

The second of four referred to a shrine of the God of Fire. The word “largest” was not code, so it probably referred to the largest shrine in the Kingdom -- the Central Temple.
四之二所指的是火之神殿。另外由于『最大』并不是暗号 ,所以大概指的是帝国最大的神殿——中央神殿吧。

From this point on, Jircniv began nonchalantly chatting about random issues, with some lies sprinkled into the mix.
从这儿开始，吉克尼夫便装作若无其事地进行了些混杂着谎话的杂谈。

Sometimes, he would casually speak of made-up things. Even if anyone heard, investigating the truth of those words would be a tedious process. For the time being, he might have to continue this brain-straining work. As he thought about this, he realised they had been talking for several minutes.

Jircniv then decided to get to the main issue.
有时候 ,说一些随便的、装模作样的内容。就算是让谁听见了，想要调查情报的真伪也要辛苦一番。
短时间内，恐怕还得继续这会令脑袋带来负担的工作吧。在这么想到的同时，也谈了数分钟了差不多就这样吧。接着吉克尼夫开始转入了正题。

“How is your family? Are they still well?”
「那现在你的家族怎样了？还健康吗？」

“Hah? Ah, yes. They’re very well.”
「哈？啊,是的。他们现在非常的健康」

“Is that so? That’s great. Good health is the most important thing, after all. I won’t lie; the truth is, my body’s been doing quite poorly of late. Medicine only keeps it at bay for a while. Do you think I should bring a priest over?”
「是吗？那就太好了，果然健康才是最重要的啊。不瞒你说，其实最近我的身体状况有些差啊。药物也只能抑制一段时间而已了，你认为是否应该传召神官过来呢？」

“It seems the temples are not too happy with Your Majesty’s recent actions. Applying pressure might result in a backlash. Why not visit in person, Your Majesty?”
「由于神殿对最近陛下的作为好像有些不快的样子。若是采取高压的态度，可能会引起他们的反抗。不如亲自前往会见，陛下您意下如何呢？」

“What a wonderful idea.”
「真是个不错的提案啊」

The temples which battled the undead -- to the priests, the founding of a nearby country which was ruled by a powerful undead being was something about which they were very wary. Thus, they had sent many requests to meet with Jircniv.
与不死者战斗的神殿——对神官们来说 ,邻边建成了由拥有强大力量的不死者所支配的国家 ,是十分需要警戒的事态。为此由对方数次呈上了，希望与吉克尼夫会面的文书。

However, Jircniv had refused each time.
但每一次吉克尼夫都表示了拒绝。

Jircniv was now in a state where he would take any help he could get, but he had his reasons for not accepting. One of them was because he did not trust their ability to keep out spies. The other was because Jircniv feared that if he told them what he knew, they might do something which he could not predict.
明明现在的吉克尼夫正处于、哪怕多一个帮手都想要的状态。但他却有着不能够接受的理由。其一、是对他们的防谍能力不够信赖。而另一个原因，则是害怕如果告诉了他们吉克尼夫所知道的情报后 ,他们会做出吉克尼夫所不能预测的举动。

If both sides reached an accord, and the priests then decided to declare war on the powerful Sorcerer King “because he is undead”, the consequences hardly needed to be stated. It would result in the Empire being caught up in their suicidal actions.
如果双方达成协力后，神官们以『因为是不死者』的理由，从而向有着那么强大的力量的魔导王发起挑战的话,即使不说出来也能想象得到后果。那只会使得帝国被其自杀行为所牵连。

In short, Jircniv was afraid that once he made contact with the temples, the Sorcerer King would assume that the Empire was hostile toward him.
就结果来说，吉克尼夫心底深处真正所想的是，怕与神殿接触后，而被魔导王认为帝国对其抱有敌意。其实也就是害怕了。

Jircniv sighed deeply.
吉克尼夫深深地叹了一口气

Although he had hoped they would wait for the right moment, it would seem they did not understand that point, However, the Theocracy’s diplomatic party had covertly reached the Imperial Capital. Perhaps if he waited for them to make contact with the temples, there might be a chance to turn it all around.
虽然希望对方等待时机 ,但看来他们是没有明白这一点的样子。但教国的外交团已秘密地到达了帝都 ,等待着与神殿势力接触或许还存在着逆转的机会也不一定。

“Then, I should make some time in the next few days to visit the temples and let them take a look at my body.”
「那这数日内，就抽空去神殿让他们看一下身体的状况吧」

“That seems like a wise course of action. Then, I shall go make the arrangements now.”
「那样应该才是最为妥当的，那我现在便去安排准备」

“Thank you. Then, what shall we do about the Colosseum? I remember there was an exhibition match scheduled soon; shall we let it go on as planned? I’m not going to be stopped by words like ‘you said you were going for a checkup, so you can’t go there’, you know. If any of you wants to watch the fight with me, you may do so with me in my VIP room.”
「麻烦你了，然后斗技场那边要怎么办呢。我记得下次是有观战予定的吧，就这么保留现状吗 我可不会被，明明说是去诊断身体的状况,不能去那种地方啊，这种话阻止的哦？你们之中有谁希望一起观看的话,，就淮许你们和我一起在贵宾室观看吧」

The scribe’s eyes widened, and his eyes gleamed as he tried to divine the true meaning of that statement.
秘书官的瞳孔中，散发出了像是打算要看破其真意似的锐利眼光。

Yes, that’s right. You’d be right to suspect me. Come, see what I really mean.
(是的 ,就是这样。你会怀有的疑问是理所当然的吧。看穿我的真意吧)

Jircniv wanted to avoid meeting the people of the Theocracy in the temples.
想要避免在神殿与教国的人会面 , 吉克尼夫是这样想的。

The temples contained knowledge on healing and various other kinds of wisdom. If they were chosen as targets for a pre-emptive strike, far too many things would be lost, at a time where this accumulated knowledge was more important than anything else.
神殿保管着包括有关治疗的，各种各样的知识。若这场所被选为先制攻击的对象，会损失的东西就实在太多了，积累起来的知识有比任何事物更重要的时候。

“Understood. Then let me handle the arena. I believe you were scheduled to visit the war wounded at the hospital on that day as well?”
「遵命 。斗技场的便由本人来处理吧。可当日不是还有，亲访收容战伤者医院的予定吗?」

Jircniv had not received this news, so this was probably a bluff.
吉克尼夫并未收到这样的消息，所以这恐怕是个幌子吧。

In other words, he was suggesting to Jircniv that the hospital might be a better location than the arena.
也就是说他是在向吉克尼夫这么提。比起斗技场, 去医院不是更好吗。

Jircniv had chosen the arena because he had heard that the arena often hired priests to heal the wounded. With that in mind, he was thinking of bringing the emissaries from the Slaine Theocracy over in the guise of those priests.
吉克尼夫之所以会选择了斗技场，是因有之前听过、为了治疗斗技场的负伤者而请来过神官。为此他在想能否以这种方式请教国的使者们混进来。

“Delay the visitations. We’ll follow the schedule we agreed on earlier.”
「将亲访延后。比起这个，就按刚才说的行程表推行好了」

With that, all talk about the traders had disappeared halfway through the conversation. If there were any eavesdroppers, what would they think of this? What could they learn from the phrase “two of four”?
那么 ,由于和有关商人的话题半途中便消失不见了。对此，如果真的有间谍潜伏着的话又会怎样看呢。只有四之二这个数字又能察觉到何种程度呢。

Even if the Sorcerer King possessed demonic levels of intelligence, he could not make any plans without any information to work with. In addition, not all of the Sorcerer King’s subordinates could be as intelligent as he was. Also, the more spies there were, the higher the chances they would be exposed. Since no information on those spies had been found yet, there probably were not many spies. Or rather, he hoped that was the case.
即使魔导王是拥有着恶魔的智谋的存在 ,只要收集不到情报 ,便不可能作出对策。而且不可能其所有部下都有着和魔导王一样的睿智。更何况间谍的数量越多 ,暴露的机率就越大。既然至今也未被找到任何情报，那么间谍的人数就应该不多才是。不，该说是希望如此吧。

The specter of the Sorcerer King’s absolute and undeniable magic haunted his mind. Part of him constantly thought “Since they’re the Sorcerer King’s men, they must be exceptional too”. Indeed, he had seen many incredibly powerful beings arrayed before that throne, so that implied that those spies might be of the same caliber as them.
魔导王那绝对性的魔法，不停地在脑海中闪现着。心中的某处总感觉有人在低语着「既然是魔导王的手下，那肯定也都是精锐」。在那王座之间确实排列的、诸多拥有着压倒性的强大的存在，那么间谍们说不定也是与它们同等的存在。

If that’s really the case, then we don’t have a chance at all… if swearing vassalage to him will settle things, then wouldn’t that be the best course of action?
(若真是这样的话 ,便真的是无济于事了啊……只要成为其附属国就能了事的话，果然那才最善的选择吗？)

He had just drunk a healing potion, but Jircniv felt a spike of pain in his stomach again.
明明才刚刚饮用了治愈药水，但吉克尼夫的胃却有开始刺痛了起来。

***