“If that’s the case...”

Just as Ainz was about to make a move, the sound of a [Message] rang within his head.
「那样的话」就在安兹想要展开行动的时候，脑海里突然响起了<讯息>(Message)的声音。

『Ainz-sama.』
『安兹大人』

“Oh, it’s Entoma.”
「唔，安特玛吗」

『Yes. I am currently travelling with Shalltear-sama and we have reached the village of the Lizardmen. Cocytus-sama wishes to send over a Lizardman with a report concerning the village’s status and seeks your permission to open a [Gate]. What should be done, Ainz-sama?』
『是。属下现在正与夏提雅大人同行，来到了蜥蜴人的村落。正好科塞特斯大人想派一只、带着有关村子现状资料的蜥蜴人过去，于是便向安兹大人请求开启<传送门>(Gate)的许可。请问该如何是好？』

Cocytus would occasionally send over reports on the village which he was tasked to run.
科赛特斯有时会将自己正在进行中的政策和村子的状况做出书面报告提出。

Ainz did not really know how well Cocytus had done, so typically he would give these reports a quick once-over and reply with a “Good job.” There were times that he wanted to say, “You don’t have to do this anymore”, but reporting to one’s superiors was the proper attitude to have, and in turn, he had to fulfil his responsibilities as Cocytus’ superior.
而就算看了也看不出什么名堂的安兹，通常也只是瞄了一眼并用一句「做得好」给打发过去而已。因为这个缘故，虽然他很想说「不用再这么做了也行」，但向上司报告是正确的态度，在上司承担起责任时也是很重要的。

“Then open the [Gate] at the usual place… ah, no, the defensive spell should still be active. Wait an hour before…”

Ainz took out a schedule sheet and made sure of the time.

“Cast the spell at 13:46. I will lower the defenses for about two minutes at that time.”
「那么就在指定的地点打开<传送门>……啊，不对，防御魔法现在应该正展开着。再过一个小时后——」安兹取出表，确认了时间「于十三时四十六分——那时候发动吧。我会在那时解除大约两分钟魔法」

While this building was not Nazarick, it was still shrouded in magical fields which impeded teleportation and the like, powered by the MP of high-level vassals. These fields were strong enough to impede very high-tier spells, but they drained the vassals to the point where he had to rotate them out several times a day, and they also impeded friendly teleportation.
这座建筑物虽然不及纳萨力克，但靠着把高位的仆役的MP当作充电电池使用，展开了妨碍传送之类的魔法力场。因为让他们消耗到一天必须换班数次的程度，为此能够妨碍相当高位的魔法，不过这当然也会妨碍到己方的传送等行为。

This was because of the friendly fire effect, which did not exist in YGGDRASIL.
这是由于YGGDRASIL时代所不存在的友军攻击的缘故。

Thus, there were occasions when he needed to briefly disable the defense grid to permit direct teleportation to this place. Of course, lowering the defenses meant that enemies could teleport in as well. In order to keep them from being hit by an “explosion” -- as they called it in YGGDRASIL -- Ainz decided to limit these brief openings to predetermined periods.
因此有必要暂时解除防御网以便直接传送到这里。当然解除防御的话敌人也能进行传送，所以为了不遭受到被称为"爆击"——YGGDRASIL中的俗称——的攻击，以只在约定好的短时间内打开的方式来对应。

『Understood. I shall relay your message to Shalltear-sama.』
『遵命。那属下就这么传达给夏提雅大人了』

Ainz replied, “Good” before cutting off the [Message] and rising to his feet.
切断<讯息>，安兹说声「好啦」后站了起来。

“...I’ll leave the choice of my clothing to you. A Lizardman is coming as an emissary of Cocytus. Pick something which won’t embarrass me.”
「……服装的选择就交给你了。蜥蜴人是作为科赛特斯的使者而来的，去挑选出不至于丢脸的打扮吧」

“Yes, sir!”
「是，遵命！」

A fire blazed in Decrement’s eyes.
从蒂克莉蔓的眼中能够看到熊熊燃起的大火。

Her too? Ainz thought, but he did not give voice to those words. A man with no confidence in his sense of style could not say such things.
果然她也是这样吗，虽然心中这么想但却没有说出来。这不是对自己的品味没有自信的男人该说的话。

With Decrement in tow, Ainz walked while giving orders to an undead being he had created on the fly. Said orders were to inform the undead guarding the great hall of this manor about the arrival of a Lizardman via a [Gate].
安兹带着蒂克莉蔓，一边移动一边对临时生成的不死者下命令。命令的内容自不用说，就是向守在<传送门>要开的本馆大厅中的不死者警卫们传达蜥蜴人要来访的事。

As he watched the undead being recede into the distance, Ainz contemplated the effective use of the undead which he had created.
看着不死者远去的远去的身影，安兹在心里盘算起了像这样创造出的不死者的有效利用。

If Ainz’s undead could report to him, then he could place them all over the world and create an undead intelligence network. Unfortunately, that would be very difficult to accomplish. Even if Ainz gave a command, the undead could only give vague responses. In addition, it was very hard for Ainz to manage the massive increase in the amount of undead which he had created. There was always the risk that he might slip up and give an order to a completely unrelated undead being by accident.
要是被创造出的不死者这端也能够向安兹报告的话，就能在世界布下不死者的情报网了，但遗憾的是这很难办到。即使安兹这里作出指示，不死者那端也只能做出模糊的回应。而且像现在这样创造出的不死者数量大增的话，安兹这里的管理起来也会变得很辛苦。说不定有时会因为疏忽，而向完全无关的不死者下达命令的危险。

In the future, he might be able to set up some sort of system to address this problem, but that was impossible given the present circumstances.
未来是有可能组建什么系统也说不定，但现状来说是不可能的。

Perhaps I could let Pandora’s Actor handle that sort of thing in my place. But then I’d have to deal with the problem of all the undead he made freezing up when he’s not in my form.
（将来或许会让潘多拉·亚克特替我处理像这样的工作，但那也必须等想办法解决，不变化成我的样子那家伙做的不死者就完全只是个稻草人的问题后）

He would have to consider the matter in earnest after seeking the opinions of Albedo and Demiurge. While pondering this problem, Ainz reached his changing room.
这是在参考了雅儿贝德和迪米乌哥斯等智者的意见后，不久的将来要认真考虑的案件。一边这么想的安兹来到了更衣室。

As usual, the two lines of maids greeted him with eyes aglitter. In particular, Decrement’s eyes -- as Ainz’s duty maid -- were practically bloodshot.
和平常一样，排列着的女仆们两眼发光的盯着这里。至于当安兹班的蒂克莉蔓则完全是一副眼睛充血的模样了。

Ainz permitted the maids to help him change while asking about Aura’s location.
安兹一边问着亚乌菈下落的同时，一边让女仆帮自己着装。

Today, he would wear something in pure white.
今天所要穿着是纯白的服饰。

It seemed too flashy for someone like Ainz, who was used to wearing dark browns.
对于习惯了暗褐色的安兹来说，果然还是——太花俏了。

On top of that, the maids adorned him with a gigantic necklace made of gold and other metals. It made him worry that the magpies would try to steal it on account of its shininess.
而且还是带着一身巨大的黄金项链之类的贵金属，甚至让人担心起会不会就这样被乌鸦叼走的闪亮装束。

But the part of the outfit that made the least sense was the feathers which protruded from his back.
最令人费解的还得属从背后冒出来的羽毛。

Am I a peacock or something? Ainz wanted to say, but when he glanced around, he saw a shared look of pride and satisfaction on all the maids’ faces. None of them looked worried, or had any expressions that could be considered anywhere close to negative. All of them had the same look of nervous awe on their faces, their cheeks tinged pink.
我是孔雀还是什么吗？虽然想这么吐槽，但是斜眼看去，女仆们的脸上够挂着一副自豪的神情。没有一个人是在担心的。不仅如此就连哪怕一个抱有负面情绪的人都没有。全部人都露出彷徨的神情，脸上泛着蔷薇色红晕。

They were like a bunch of fangirls standing before a beloved idol.
彷佛像是憧憬的偶像就在面前的少女一般。

Is this really all right? Is this really so attractive to ladies? ...Looks like I have no fashion sense, after all.
（这样真的可以吗？这对女性来说很有魅力吗？……我、果然很没有审美力呢）

As Ainz waxed melancholy within his soul, the maids finished dressing him up.
就在安兹在心中独自无精打采的时候，女仆们的换装好像也已经完成了。

From the mirror, he noticed that there were feathers sprouting from under his arm, which made Ainz think of a monster from YGGDRASIL.
镜子里照出来的自己那手臂下方也长出羽毛的样子，让安兹不禁想起在YGGDRASIL见过的魔物。

Was it an Archaeopteryx or something… I think they were pet dinosaurs for druids.
（好像是叫始祖鸟来着……服从森林祭司的恐龙中也有的吧）

They ruffled when he folded his arms in front of himself, which was quite annoying.
双手在胸前交叉就会沙沙摩擦的相当烦人。

But what would they say if he told them, “this outfit won’t do”? They would reply with something along the lines of “How is this unsuitable? Please tell us what clothes we should pick in future.”
但要是说了「这套衣服不行」的话又会被说什么呢。肯定又会被问「请问是哪里不行呢，以后要怎样的衣服才好呢」这样的问题的绝对没错。

“All right!”

In the end, Ainz decided to cast these bothersome things aside.

“Let’s go!”
「好！」最终安兹还是决定将烦人的事都扔到一边「走吧！」

***

When the appointed time came, Ainz felt a magical portal -- a [Gate] -- open in the great hall.
于指定的时间安兹准时的感觉到魔法之门——<转移门>即将出现在了中央大厅。

While he had already dispelled the magical field surrounding this building, the person passing through the [Gate] did not appear right away, thanks to the [Delay Teleportation] spell he had cast.  The effect was much like how it had been during the battle with Shalltear.
虽然已经解除了这座建筑物的魔法立场，但由于和夏提雅战斗时所用过的<转移延迟>（Delay Teleportation），<转移门>中并没有马上出现人影。

[Delay Teleportation] briefly hindered teleportation effects that had their destination near the caster, buying them several seconds of time, which the caster would typically use to flee or prepare an attack. In addition, the spell also informed the caster of how many beings would be teleporting into their vicinity.
<转移延迟>能够暂时阻碍通往施术者周边的转移，不仅能使转移者从消失到出现为止增加数秒的时间差——施术者通常会用这几秒来拉开距离，又或者是准备攻击——而且还能让施术者知道具体有多少人数会转移到哪里。

Thus, Ainz knew that only one person had teleported here.
为此安兹得知了转移来的就只有一人。

Entoma might not have come here with Shalltear, but she would probably be arriving soon.
安多玛虽然没有和夏提雅同行，不过很快也会达到的吧。

[Delay Teleportation] only delayed a teleport. It could not cancel it entirely. Thus, some time later, a black half-sphere appeared within the area of the [Delay Teleportation] spell.
<转移延迟>终究也不过是延缓了转移，并不能将之消除。所以一定时间过后，半球状的黑色球体在<转移延迟>所设定的区域扩散开来。

Shortly after that, a Lizardman fearfully poked its head out from within.
紧接着一只蜥蜴人惶惶恐恐地从中探出了脑袋。

As he -- it should have been a he, right? -- looked around, his line of sight met that of Ainz, who was seated upon the simple throne in the middle of the great hall.
就在他——应该是吧，大概——环视着四周的时候，正巧与就坐于大厅之中简易王座上的安兹撞上了视线。

“Your, Your Majesty, Ainz Ooal Gown-heika. Forgive your servant’s rudeness before you.”
「这，这是安兹·乌尔·恭魔导王陛下。尊驾之前属下失礼了」

Ainz could not fully conceal his consternation at the Lizardman’s eloquent speech. While Zaryusu and his friends were a cut above the rest, this Lizardman’s diction sounded polished and natural.
安兹没能完全隐藏住，对于蜥蜴人可以流利道出文明之语的困惑。虽然那个萨留斯和其他同族比起来也是确实有些与众不同，但这个蜥蜴人语调干练，听起来已经习以为常。

Is this the result of Cocytus’ training?
是科塞特斯施教的结果吗。

The question percolated in his mind, but there was something to do before that.
虽然脑子里在悠闲地琢磨这种问题，但在此之前还有要做的事。

Ainz’s [Delay Teleportation] spell had already told him that only one person would be coming. Once he was sure that nobody else was coming, he ordered a Death Knight standing by on the sidelines to reactivate its magic item. The Death Knight nodded in acknowledgement and strode forth, and then Ainz turned his gaze to the kneeling Lizardman.
虽然由于<转移延迟>安兹早就知道转移者只有一人，但在确认过<传送门>中已经没有继续出现人员的迹象了后，安兹对静候在一旁的一具死亡骑士[Death Knight]下令再次启动魔法道具。看见得令的死亡骑士点头回应，迈步而出的同时，安兹把目光转回跪拜着的蜥蜴人身上。

At the same time, Decrement -- who stood at Ainz’s side -- chimed in with expert timing.
与此同时侍奉于一旁的蒂克莉蔓，以仿佛可以媲美时钟般精准时机开口道。

“Lizardman, you are granted an audience.”
「蜥蜴人，许可拜谒」

This was completely different from how she had been when picking out clothes for Ainz.
和为安兹选择衣服时判若两人的态度。

She radiated the air of an icy princess.
她散发出一股可称为冷酷女性的气氛。

Under normal circumstances, most people would be upset at a maid in a palace (or a similar location) taking this tone with them. The supplicant might well smirk as he noted that the ruler doing so was accompanied by just a single maid. Alternately, he might pity the Sorcerous Kingdom for having so little manpower that a maid had to perform such duties.
通常来说，在宫殿之类的场所女仆摆出这样的态度大多数人都会感到不快的吧。而且话说回来，王者的侧畔只有女仆这一事实，说不定会让拜伏谒见的人脸上露出嘲笑。又或者说，会对只能让女仆担任这一职责的魔导国的人材不足感到怜悯呢。

However, these Lizardmen had been trained by Cocytus, and they fully understood that any of the NPCs was vastly superior to them. Therefore, they did not question Decrement’s attitude.
然而这些蜥蜴人由于科塞特斯的教育，对于NPC的地位凌驾于任何仆从这一事实知之甚详。所以对蒂克莉蔓的态度也应该不会表现出什么疑虑才是。

Ah, what a pain. Why can’t you dispense with this nonsense and speak plainly? Well, that’s what I think, but as the saying goes, when in Rome, do as the Romans do.
（真是麻烦啊。别费这么多功夫平平常常讲话不就好了嘛，虽然我这么想……但所谓入乡随俗指的就是回事吧）

Ainz Ooal Gown was briefly troubled by the remnants of the spirit which belonged to Suzuki Satoru the salaryman, but that could not be helped.
虽然残留着社会人铃木悟精神，让安兹·乌尔·恭感到稍微有些难以接受，但这是也无可奈何之事。

The Lizardman rose to his feet, unaware of Ainz’s inner turmoil. In truth, Ainz could not tell the difference between one Lizardman and another. If their scales were a different color, or if they had obvious distinguishing features -- brands or an abnormally large arm, for instance -- it might have been possible, but he could not tell how the Lizardman before him differed from any other.
对安兹内心的纠结一无所知，服从命令的蜥蜴人们站起了身。说实话，安兹根本看不出蜥蜴人之间有什么区别。如果有鳞片的颜色不同，或有显眼的特征——比如烙印，一只胳臂格外粗大——之类的话倒还好说，但面前这只蜥蜴人看上去和一般的蜥蜴人并没有什么区别。

In any case, Ainz had Decrement command the Lizardman to identify himself.
总之安兹先命令蒂克莉蔓让蜥蜴人们报上姓名。

“Ainz-sama graciously permits you to state your name.”
「安兹大人恩准尔等报上姓名」

“Understood! I thank you for your magnanimity! Your servant is Chuku Zuzu, former chieftain of the Razor Tail tribe!”
「遵命！感谢大恩！ 属下是原锐尾族族长、丘库·滋滋」

Ainz had never heard that name before.
那是安兹没有听过的名字。

Should he openly display his ignorance, or pretend that he knew? Ainz chose neither of these, but picked a third option -- in other words, he nodded to continue the flow of the conversation. After all, Cocytus might have mentioned this during a previous report.
是老实表现出不知道的态度，还是佯装知道更好呢。在这两个选择中安兹哪个都没有采用而是选择了第三个选项。也就是泰然自若地颔首，让话题继续。毕竟在科塞特斯以前呈上的报告书中，说不定就有提到过这样的事。

Following that, Ainz ordered Decrement to have the Lizardman tell him why he had come here.
接下来安兹命令蒂克莉蔓让蜥蜴人报上谒见的理由。

What a pain!
（真麻烦啊！）

This was basically how things went whenever he met with a vassal -- a servant.
在这里会见属下——臣仆的时候基本都是这个样子。

If I wasn’t worried about people looking down on the Sorcerous Kingdom, I would have suggested doing away with this bothersome business...
（如果不是担心魔导国被人轻视的话，我早就想提出点把这方面的麻烦事减少的提案了啊…）

Just as Ainz sighed internally, Decrement gave the Lizardman a command.
就在安兹的内心正在叹气的同是，蒂克莉蔓也对蜥蜴人下了令道。

“In his mercy, Ainz-sama permits you to state the reason for seeking an audience with him.”
「安兹大人恩准尔等报上请见的缘由」

“Understood! Cocytus-sama, the ruler of our villages and the master of the lake, wishes to present something to His Majesty the Sorcerer King Ainz Ooal Gown, Supreme Overlord and ruler of the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick, as well as the liege of Cocytus-sama.”
「遵命！ 我等村落的支配者、及湖泊的统治者科塞特斯大人，有要向无上至尊、纳萨力克地下大坟墓的支配者，同是也是科塞特斯大人之主的安兹·乌尔·恭魔导王陛下呈上的东西」

Ainz was surprised by how many titles the Lizardman had managed to string together, but he did not show it on his face. Instead, he inclined his head toward Decrement, who stepped forward and received a scroll from the Lizardman. Then, Ainz had to wait for Decrement to return and present it to him before he could finally read it.
这头衔是有多长啊，安兹虽然惊讶但却没有表现出来，只是向蒂克莉蔓斜首示意道。蒂克莉蔓随即走向蜥蜴人，收下了一个纸卷。随后安兹又不得不再从蒂克莉蔓手中接过，最后才终于能够得以展开阅览。

It was covered in Cocytus’ script. There were so many numbers recorded within that it would take quite a while to read through it here.
那上面用科塞特斯的字迹书写了很多内容。而且字数颇多，如果就在这里阅读的话大概会要花一些时间。

Therefore, Ainz rolled the scroll back up and gave it to a Death Knight who was standing nearby. Only then could he finally address the Lizardman directly.
于是安兹将文件照原样卷好后，叫来了在一旁待机的死亡骑士并将文件暂且交给它保管。然后他总算是可以不经由他人直接说话了。

“Well done.”
「辛苦」

“Your Majesty is too kind!”
「不敢！」

While that was all Ainz could say, he did not intend to end the conversation there.
虽然安兹能说的这就只有这些，但他可没有打算就此结束会话。

Ainz rose from his throne, and spoke to the Lizardman.
安兹从王座上站起来，向蜥蜴人们开口发问。

“I will now ask you a question, not in my capacity as the Sorcerer King, but as the master of Cocytus. After all, they say speaking to one’s vassals directly will deepen their mutual understanding.”
「接下来——这并非以魔导王的身份，而是作为科塞特斯的主人对你们发问。毕竟直接听取属下们的言辞，也能进一步加深彼此间的认识啊」

The Lizardman looked vaguely confused. This was because he had no idea how to handle being directly questioned. At least, that was what he thought was going on, despite the difficulty of reading a Lizardman’s face.
蜥蜴人的目光稍微有些困惑。这是由于被直接发问，而不知该采取何种对应所至。虽然蜥蜴人的表情有点难观察，但或多或少有种这样的感觉。

“Be at ease. This is not a formal interview. Once you leave this place, no trace of the events here will linger in anyone’s thoughts or memories. Neither will I censure you for any lack of respect in your behavior.”
「放轻松些。这并非正式场合的觐见。而是只要离开这里，就不会留在任何人记忆中的幻梦。即使你做出无礼的举动，我也不会追究」

These words were addressed to Decrement and the surrounding Death Knights, as much as they were directed to the Lizardman before him.
这是与其是对蜥蜴人，倒不如说是对侍立在旁的蒂克莉蔓和死亡骑士们所做出的宣告。

“Now then, how is Zaryusu? I understand he has remained within the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick as of late?”
「那么，直到最近为止都还在纳萨力克地下大坟墓的萨留斯还好吗？」

“Indeed! By Your Majesty’s grace, he has done very well. He is the father of a healthy child, and his relationship with his wife is similarly excellent.”
「是的！ 托陛下的福一直很好。产下健康的孩子，夫妇感情也非常良好」

“Oh, is that so! I permitted him to return because his child was about to be born, and now it has. I see, I see. Well, it is good that the happy couple are getting along.”
「噢噢，是吗！当时就是因为孩子差不多快出生了所以才让他回去的，现在已经出生了啊。是吗。是吗。夫妇和睦可是件好事啊」

There were married people within the guild Ainz Ooal Gown. Ainz could not help but remember them. “My wife’s kind of grouchy” became a curse of sorts which expressed the dissatisfaction that they could not show outside the game.
“安兹·乌尔·恭”公会里也有已婚人士。安兹的脑海中不禁冒出了对他们的记忆。老婆的心情有点不好，这是句在游戏途中下线也没有谁能表示不满的魔法咒语。

Smiling from the memories of the past -- although his expression did not change -- Ainz continued asking questions.
因为过去点滴的回忆而绽开了容颜——安兹的表情是不会有丝毫变化的——安兹继续提出了疑问。

“Was the child white as well?”
「产下的孩子也是白的吗？」

Zaryusu’s wife was the white Lizardman. Being that she was a very rare breed of Lizardman, she aroused the collector’s spirit within Ainz, and left a deep impression on him.
萨留斯的妻子也就是那只白色的蜥蜴人。由于是非常罕见的蜥蜴人，所以对于收集稀有物的玩家魂被强烈刺激过的安兹，对其留有了很深的印象。

“Yes, Your Majesty. It is as Your Majesty has surmised. While the child will assuredly be a superior individual regardless of whose bloodline it inherits, it would seem it has tended toward its mother’s ancestry, being that its scales are snow white.”
「是的，陛下。如陛下所言。虽然不管继承哪方的血脉将来都会是优秀的孩子。但大概是继承了更多母方的血脉吧。身体是雪白的鳞片」

“Oh, so there’s only--”
「嚯，只有——」

Ainz closed his mouth before he could blurt out “one hatchling”. Referring to them as people would probably be more prudent. While none of them would actually express displeasure at that, this did not mean Ainz could casually make mistakes. If his poorly chosen words led to problems in Cocytus’ rule, Ainz would not know where to begin apologizing.
差点说成一只，安兹合上了嘴。这里的量词果然用「人」更保险些吧。虽然无论是哪种他们都不会表示出不满，但这不意味着安兹就可以随便出错。若是以这失言为契机，科塞特斯的统治发生什么问题的话，那安兹可不知道该如何谢罪了。

“--Only one child, then?”
「——一人吗？」

“Yes, Your Majesty. Just one.”
「是的，陛下。只有一人」

“Oh… I see. Only one child, then.”
「唔……是这样啊。只有一人吗」

It would seem they differed from reptiles, who had big clutches. Still, as long as the couple had a good relationship, they might well have more children in the future.
看来似乎与多产的爬行类不同啊。但尽管如此只有夫妇感情和睦的话，搞不好之后还会再生出更多的孩子来。

Ainz felt the collector’s blood stir within him. He kind of wanted to know if he could have one of them to play with, but forcefully separating a child from its parents was a poor thing to do.
安兹感觉自己身体里流淌着的收藏家之血正在躁动着。虽然有点想知道能不能要一个孩子来玩玩，但强行让孩子与母亲分开也未免太可怜了吧。

However, he had heard that the Lizardmen had a tradition of branding themselves before travelling on long journeys. If Zaryusu’s child chose that path, then he might be able to train them up as an adventurer.
不过，听闻蜥蜴人有烙下印记出去远行的习俗。如果萨留斯的孩子选择了这条道路的话，将其作为冒险者来锻炼倒也未尝不可。

The Adventurer’s Guild Ainz envisioned was an organization made up of many species. If he could get a rarely-seen Lizardman in there, it might end up being good for publicity, like an idol enrolling in a school.
安兹梦想中的冒险者工会应该是，各种各样的种族均有所属的组织。如果有及其稀少的罕见蜥蜴人加入的话，说不定能够起到偶像入学那样的宣传效应。

“How are the mother and child? Are they being fed well?”
「母亲和孩子的身体状况如何呢？营养之类还充足吗？」

“Yes, Your Majesty. Many thanks for your kind concern. The mother and child are in good health, and the child looks like it will grow to be exceptionally lively.”
「是，陛下。万分感谢您的厚恩。母子都很健康，特别是孩子让人感觉将来会成长的格外活泼]

“Really now, is that so. This is certainly cause for celebration. Then, to commemorate the birth of a child with a glorious future ahead of him, permit me to present a gift. However, I am not fully apprised of the intricacies of birth-gifts within Lizardman culture. Share your opinion with me, then; what would be a good present?”
「是吗。是吗。这岂不是让人欣喜万分的事吗。那么为了纪念将来前途无量孩子的诞生，就让我赠予些什么吧。不过，就算是我，也并不具备蜥蜴人的庆生礼方面的知识啊。就让我听听你的意见吧，你觉得什么样的东西比较合适？」

It would be terribly boring to give fish or something in place of a birthday cake. He would rather give them something more tangible and permanent.
代替庆生蛋糕用鱼什么的话也未免太无趣了。可以的话还是想送些能留存下来的东西。

“I understand. While my tribe does not have the practice of giving gifts to celebrate births… I feel that Zaryusu would be delighted to receive arms and armor.”
「遵命，虽然我族并没有为庆祝生产而赠送礼物的习俗……但若是萨留斯的话，属下觉得赐下武具的话他应该会高兴的吧」

“Wargear, then… umu.”
「武具吗……唔嗯」

If possible, he would have liked to give something which would please his wife as well, but since armor would protect her husband’s life, one could say that it would indirectly make her happy.

Just then, Chuku fearfully spoke up.
可以的话希望能提出些让妻子也会喜欢的礼物啊，不过防具是保护丈夫生命的东西，这样想来也不错。这时丘库有些惶恐地开口了。

“--May your servant venture a question, Your Majesty?”
「——属下可否斗胆一问，魔导王陛下？」

“What is it?”
「什么？」

“Why is Zaryusu worthy of such high praise?”
「萨留斯为何值得您如此高评？」

The fact was that Ainz had no intention of praising Zaryusu. He merely thought of him as the husband of a rare white Lizardman. Still, he could not actually say that, so he racked his brains for an excuse to give.
安兹倒没有如何高评萨留斯的打算，不过只是作为稀有白蜥蜴人的丈夫在评价他而已。但在怎样也不能把这种话直接说出口，于是安兹绞尽脑汁挤出了几句话。

“...He is an outstanding man. In truth, I hear that his training in Nazarick has shown admirable results. As such, I shall reward loyalty and excellence with matching largesse.”
「……他是个非常优秀的男人。实际上，我也听闻他在纳萨力克内的训练中也拿出了非常可喜的成果。正因为如此，对于优秀且尽忠的属下，我都会予以正当且对等的赏赐」

“I am eternally grateful for your kind words, Your Majesty. We shall strive to show greater loyalty and devotion in the future.”
「能够得到赐言，万分感谢，陛下。今后，我等定会更加尽忠职守」

“Mm. Hold on to that determination of yours.”
「唔，可不要忘了那份决心啊」

After nodding in an exaggerated manner, Ainz considered if there was anything else he wanted to ask. A truly excellent ruler would probably want to hear about the status of the Lizardmen’s villages and compare it to Cocytus’ reports, and as such he would immediately have more in-depth questions to ask. However, Ainz could not do that.
装模作样地点了点头，安兹检索起了还有没有其他想问的事情。如果是真正了不起的统治者，那么从他的口中听取蜥蜴人村落的状况，和科塞特斯报告内容相比较，就会更加深刻全面地找出问题所在的吧。然而，安兹却是无法做到那一点的。

Just as Ainz was about to dismiss him, something came to mind.
而正当打算开口让他退下时，安兹突然心头一动。

“This may not concern your village, but what do you know about the Dwarves of the Azellisia Mountain Range?”
「虽然这是和你们村落无关的话题，关于住在安杰利西亚山脉矮人的事情，你有什么了解吗？」

The village of the Lizardmen was located at the base of the Azellisia Mountain Range.
蜥蜴人的村庄就位于安杰利西亚山脉的山脚处。

“Your Majesty, I have some knowledge of them.”
「是的，确实有所耳闻」

Ainz had not expected an answer to his casually-posed question. Ainz ordered the Lizardman to tell him about the Dwarves as he rejoiced within his heart.
原本并不抱希望的随口一问，却无心插柳得到了这样的回答。安兹一边暗自惊喜一边命令蜥蜴人道出见闻。

“With the greatest respect, your servant submits that the following was merely overheard from a friend. The Dwarves are a species which builds cities in productive mines, and they use the ores thus extracted to manufacture all manner of wargear. Among those are weapons and armor made of ultra-rare metals.”
「虽惶恐但属下也只是从熟人口中听说的，那是经常能开采出矿石的矿山中建造都市，再以那为据点发掘各种各样的矿石制作生产各式武装的种族。其中也存在着用超稀有金属制作的武具」

“Ultra-rare metals, you say?”
「超稀有金属？」

For a moment, Ainz thought that he had gulped in surprise.
安兹一刹那产生了自己咽下唾液的错觉。

Those words were extremely tempting to a player that loved collecting rare items.
这是对酷爱收集稀有物品的玩家来说极具诱惑力的话语。

“Do you know what these metals are called?”
「有听说过那种金属的名称吗？」

“Regretfully, your servant does not, Your Majesty. My understanding does not reach that far.”
「属下不知，陛下。还没有了解到那种程度」

Disappointment set in for Ainz, and he chided himself for his foolish expectations.
安兹稍微有点遗憾，同时又对自己无聊的期待自责。

While adventuring as Momon, he had learned about metals, but there had been no news about anything harder than adamantite. In this world, even orichalcum and adamantite qualified as ultra-rare metals. It was hard to imagine the exotic metals of which the Lizardman had spoken being anything more than that.
作为冒险者飞飞行动的时候，虽然也得到了关于金属的情报，但却再也没有关于硬度超越精钢的金属的信息。而且在这个世界连山铜和精钢都能被叫做是超稀有金属。再怎么稀有想必也不过只是那种的货色而已。

Even so, Ainz could not suppress the swelling anticipation within him.
但即便是那样，安兹还是抑制不住心中不断膨胀的期待。

If they were a race that lived within the earth, would they have access to metals which were rare even by Ainz’s standards?
如果是和大地共生的种族，会不会拥有连安兹都会感到少见的金属呢。

If… yes, if. What if this world possesses the prismatic ores of YGGDRASIL, and the Dwarves are mining them? Granted, that assumes that there are prismatic ores in this world, but if that was really the case, could it be possible to have them produce a [Caloric Stone] -- one of the hidden items of YGGDRASIL?
（如果，没错，如果的话。这个世界也有YGGDRASILII中存在的七色矿，而矮人们也对其进行了开采的话又如何呢？虽然这不过是建立在这个世界也有七色矿上的假设，但如果是那样的话就可以试着确认，是否有方法让“热素石”[[Caloric Stone]]——YGGDRASILII中的隐藏道具出现了）

The [Caloric Stone] was a World-Class Item. It could only be obtained by gathering vast quantities of the prismatic ores and then expending them. Usually, that would entail an extremely difficult process, but Ainz Ooal Gown had done it once.
世界级道具之一，热素石需要靠大量收集七色矿，然后消耗一定量的各种类矿石才能够得到。一般而言是及其困难的，但安兹·乌尔·恭过去却曾经做到过一次。

They had found a hitherto undiscovered mine for Celestial Uranium, one of the seven prismatic ores, and a critical element for the [Caloric Stone].
让其实现的要素就是，七色矿之一的、名为“天界铀”的未曾被发现过的金属矿山，被安兹·乌尔·恭率先发现了。

Under normal circumstances, a guild which found a new mine would thoroughly exploit it before selling its produce on the market. That was because tapped-out mines in YGGDRASIL would slowly recover and be ready for further harvesting. Ainz Ooal Gown had planned to do just that.
一般而言发现新种矿山的公会，会将其矿石全部采掘后在市场进行流通。那是因为YGGDRASIL的矿山会在矿藏枯竭后缓缓回复，得以再度开采。而安兹·乌尔·恭本来也是这么做的。

That said, the reason why they had managed to attain that World-Class item was entirely due to an extraordinary stroke of luck.
尽管如此之所以他们能够入手世界级道具，却全都是建立在非凡的幸运之上的。

At the beginning, they had let the prismatic ores trickle into the market, hoping to drive the price up due to its rarity. And then, the large stockpiles of prismatic ore in the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick underwent a spontaneous reaction.
在最开始，将七色矿少量流出到市场，想要观望因其稀有度而飙升的价格的时候，堆积在纳萨力克地下大坟墓的七色矿自然发生了反应。

Ainz could still vividly recall the bizarre mood in the air, generated by everyone as they realised almost all the prismatic ores had disappeared, and in their place was an item which had rolled to the ground. Should we be happy for this, they wondered as they glanced at each other, a vague look of emptiness on their faces.
在失去了几乎所有七色矿的空荡荡的矿石贮藏库里发现滚落在地的道具的时候，众人间漂浮着的那微妙的气氛，即使是现在安兹也能够历历在目的回想起来。这真的应该感到高兴吗，面面相觑后发出带着些许空虚感的欢呼的那个瞬间。

After that, they had used the [Caloric Stone] when they learned that they could obtain that expendable World-Class Item in the same way as before. Then, they had tried to produce it again, but sadly, the Celestial Uranium mine had been taken from them, and that dream had gone up in smoke.
在那之后不久使用了热素石以后——知道了这消耗品类型的世界级道具能够用同样的方法再次入手——虽然想要试着再一次入手，但遗憾的是因为天界铀矿山被夺走了，计划就这么化作了梦幻泡影。

As Ainz and the others saw the Celestial Uranium being sold at a high price, they were equal parts happy and disgruntled. Given the way it was being handled, there was no way for them to produce a World-Class Item.
安兹等人看到夺去矿山的公会将挖到的天界铀高价流出的时候，半分愉悦，半分不甘地笑了。照他们那样是绝对无法得到世界级道具的吧。

A wicked smile appeared on Ainz’s face as he basked in his memories, and he mocked them in his heart.
沉浸在回忆中，安兹脸上浮现出了邪恶的笑容，心中嘲讽道。

You idiots. You need to monopolize it to stock up the necessary amount. There’s no way you could produce it if you put the ores up for sale. Unless--
（白痴吗。正是因为独占才能确保必要的数量。将其流入到市场是绝对不能入手的。还是说——）

Ainz recalled Punitto Moe’s words.
安兹想起了布妞萌的话。

“There should be other sources of Celestial Uranium besides the one which Ainz Ooal Gown (us) discovered. For all we know, they actually have other mines for it, and they took ours in order to keep it hidden from outsiders,” he had said.
「天界铀矿山除了安兹·乌尔·恭[我们]发现的以外应该还有几座才是。说不定他们正是因为拥有着其他矿山，所以为了将其从人们的视线下隐藏起来，而夺走了我们的矿山的吧」他是这么说的。

However, he quickly refuted his own deduction. That was because he learned that the guild in question had used the World-Class Item [οὐροβόρος] to banish Ainz Ooal Gown from that mine. “Even if they wanted the ability to reliably produce the [Caloric Stone], was it really worth expending one of the World-Class Items known as The Twenty?” he had wondered.
(TL Note: Ouroboros)
然而，他很快就否定了自己的推测。那因为他得知了那个公会为了夺走矿山，而使用了世界级道具“永劫之蛇戒”[οὐροβόρος]，来将“安兹·乌尔·恭”排斥在矿山外的缘故。即使是看中了能够反复入手“热素石”这一点，有真的值得耗费被称为二十的世界级道具来虚张声势吗，他产生了这样的疑问。

Ainz shook his head, chasing away the memories of the past from his mind. Even so, he could not fully eliminate the idea that had come to mind.
安兹摇了摇头，从脑海中赶出过去的记忆。即便如此也无法完全消去浮现出的念头。

...Even if there’s no prismatic ore there, the Dwarves might know about other metals. What if there was knowledge there which had not spread to the outside world? If I used a charm spell or the like -- oh, I’m being too hasty. I shouldn’t let my imagination run wild. Still, this does involve runes as well. As I thought, this is a top priority and should be addressed immediately.
（……即使没有七色矿，若是矮人的话也很可能拥有其他各种金属的相关知识。说不定会有着未曾流传在外的知识哦？用魅惑之类的魔法——哦，太着急了。不该在想象上进一步想象。不过，也有关于卢恩符文的事情，果然应该作为最优先事项立刻展开行动啊）

Just then, Ainz noticed the Lizardman sneaking peeks at him. Apparently he had been lost in a world of his own.
这时安兹注意到了偷偷看着自己的蜥蜴人。似乎稍稍沉浸在了自己的世界里啊。

“...It seems I was lost in my contemplation.Tell me, who told you about the Dwarves?”
「……像是有点沉思过头了啊。那么矮人的事情是从谁那里听来的？」

“Your Majesty, that would be Zenberu, a fellow tribe leader alongside me.”
「是的。是和我一样领导着部族的泽贝尔」

“Hoh! That Zenberu, hm? ...Umu. Are you saying that Frost Pain was also a creation of the Dwarves? Was it a gift Zenberu gave to Zaryusu as a sign of their friendship?”
「嚯！是那个泽恩贝尔啊。……哼嗯。难道说冻牙的苦痛也是矮人的作品么？是泽贝尔送给关系好的萨留斯的礼物之类的？」

He had heard about the origins of the sword from Zaryusu. However, it would be wise to ask others about it as well.
有关剑的来历已经从萨留斯那里听说过了。不过，保险起见也问问其他的人吧。

“That was an heirloom from days past, and it did not come from Zenberu.”
「那是自古以来传承下来的宝物，并非来自于泽贝尔」

“Is that so…”
「是么……」

It was exactly as he had heard. However, there might be something there which the Lizardmen did not know about.
果然与自己听到的一样。不过，但也有可能只是所以蜥蜴人都不知情而已。

There are quite a lot of weapons in this world which couldn’t be made in YGGDRASIL. For example, there’s that weapon with the passive ability to cut through defenses...
（在这世界有不少YGGDRASIL做不出来的武器。以他持有的能够切开防御系被动技能的武器为代表……）

The magic weapons in this world were made by having a magic caster enchant a weapon produced by a blacksmith. In other words, a skilled magic caster was more important than a skilled blacksmith when it came to making a powerful magic weapon.
这个世界的魔法武器，是由魔法咏唱者向铁匠做出的武器上施加魔法做出的。也就是说，为了做出精良的武器，比起优秀的铁匠，优秀的魔法咏唱者才更为重要。

However, there were exceptions to that rule. Fluder’s could make the stilettos which Clementine carried through his magical knowledge, but the same could not be said for Gazef’s sword.
然而，也有例外。虽然克莱门汀持有的武器可以通过夫路达知道的魔法知识做出同样的武器，但葛杰夫的武器就不行。

“Perhaps,” Fluder had begun by saying, “Gazef’s sword was spontaneously created by the natural absorption of mana, or perhaps through the magic of the Dragons.”
恐怕，夫路达以这两个字为前置说道，葛杰夫持有的那类魔法道具是吸收了魔力而自然生成的物品，又或者说是用了龙之魔法而制造出的东西，他是这样说的。

Still, I can’t be certain that he was correct. There’s many things Fluder himself does not understand. Could the Dwarves make a weapon like that as well? While I know I’m looking forward to this a little too much...
（然而，无法一口咬定他说的都是正确的。夫路达也无法弄明白的事情也有很多很多。若是矮人的话是不是连那样的武器也能制作呢？虽然知道是有点过度期待了……）

YGGDRASIL’s weapons -- a few Guild Weapons aside -- possessed a data capacity that was determined by the value of the materials used in their construction and the skill of their maker. This data capacity limited the number of data crystals which could be added to it. Thus, rarer metals allowed for the creation of a correspondingly more powerful weapon.
YGGDRASIL的武器——除去公会武器等一部分例外——都有着通过金属的价值和用量，以及工匠的特殊技术计算出的数据容量。必须根据这个容量，有限制的添加数据水晶。为此，有稀有金属的话就能做出相对强力的武器。

The smith was also a key part of the equation. While it was also the case in this world, the humanoids called Dwarves in YGGDRASIL had faster growth in crafting-type classes. Therefore, Dwarves were very popular among those people who wanted to play weaponsmith or armorsmith characters.
而所谓工匠则是关键词。虽然这个世界也是如此，YGGDRASIL的叫做矮人的人类种也是在创造系的职业里有着加成的种族。因此，在扮演着武器或防具的工匠这一角色的人群里，矮人是相当有人气的种族。

That being the case, would they possess weapon-crafting knowledge which Fluder did not?
这样的话，他们会不会有着夫路达也不知道的武器制作的知识呢。

Does that mean runes are part of it? Mm. Taking control of the Dwarves… Not bad. The Head Librarian and Demiurge are conducting experiments with scrolls. Nfirea is working on potions. Fluder is handling magic items. Then I shall let the dwarves take charge of weapon manufacture.
（这么说卢恩符文也是其中之一吗？嗯。将矮人掌控在手中么……。不错啊。卷轴的话司书长正在用迪米乌哥斯拿来的材料进行实验。药水的话恩菲雷亚在做。魔法道具的话有夫路达在。然后武器的制作就交给矮人）

All sorts of experiments to strengthen Nazarick were taking place concurrently. Ainz smiled in satisfaction as he thought about them. And then, he realised that if the Six Great Gods really were players, then Ainz might well be 600 years behind them.
让纳萨力克变得更加强大的各种各样地实验正在有序进行着，安兹对这现状露出了满意的笑容。然而与此同时必须注意的是，如果六大神也是玩家的话，安兹的进度很可能已经比他们晚了整整六百年。

We may need to spend the next few years, no, the next few decades on technological development. We can’t be careless here.
（因为是技术的开发，接下来的几年，不，几十年，说不好几百年都要花费在上面。大意不得）

For all he knew, others may have noticed those things which even he had picked up on. As a leader, he had to eliminate the baseless notion that he was special or unique.
区区安兹都能注意到的东西，哪怕早就被别人想到也一点不奇怪。只有自己是特别的，这种毫无根据的想法是领导者必须舍弃的。

If someone was thinking along the same lines as me, then there’d be a higher chance of discovering something useful among the Dwarves. Other players might have asked the Dwarves to help develop technologies or commissioned weapons from them, and in the process they would have learned about their application of runes. ...Should I get Albedo and Demiurge’s opinion on this, and ready our forces for a full-scale operation?
（要是有与我想法相同的人，果然还是在矮人那里有所发现的可能性更高。玩家拜托矮人进行技术开发，委托他们制作武器，在这过程中教会了他们卢恩符文的用法之类的。……是否应该听取雅儿贝德迪米乌哥斯的意见，整备军队展开行动么？）

An hour ago, he had still been thinking about visiting the Dwarven Kingdom with just himself and Aura for company. However, given that the Dwarven Kingdom had just gone up in priority, the plan for that excursion had to be remade.
虽然一小时之前还想仅以自己，夏提雅和亚乌菈的少数精锐前去访问。但若是矮人国的优先度变高，计划也得有重新制定的必要。

He had to learn about the Dwarven Kingdom and ensure that his spy could recover information in a clandestine manner. At the same time, avoiding magical surveillance was very important.
收集有关矮人国的情报，让间谍们悄悄地潜入其中窃取情报。与此同时避开魔法的监视也很重要。

The problem now was how long all this would take.
可问题在于不知道要花费多少时间。

If the player who brainwashed Shalltear was hiding there, it would be extremely dangerous to give the opposition too much time. If they took a passive stance, the enemy might well pick the right time to launch an attack. In order to avoid this, they had to take the initiative and make the first move.
要是洗脑了夏提雅的玩家真的潜伏于那里的话，给对方太多时间是非常危险的。一直被动应对的话，对方就很有可能在状况适合的时机发动攻势。为了避免这点，己方主动出击是最合适的。

…So this is going to be a gamble, after all. An ambassadorial party, then. We will establish diplomatic relations with the Dwarven Kingdom. If any players launch an attack, it will be a casus belli for us to launch an invasion. We can then dig out the necessary information from the debris.
（……这里果然还是得出手赌一把啊。外交团。由我方主动与矮人国开展外交关系。要是有玩家发动攻击，也能以此为大义名分将其攻陷。然后从瓦砾中把知识挖出来就好了）

Ainz enumerated the things he had to do after meeting the Dwarves.
安兹按顺序从头考虑起了与矮人会面后该做的事情。

One: verify the presence or absence of players.
一、确认是否有玩家存在。

Two: investigate runes and their origins.
二、调查卢恩符文及其来历。

Three: Obtain information and samples of their metallurgy and ores.
三、与他们的锻造技术和矿物相关的知识和样品。

Something like that.
大概就是这样吧。

However, they would hardly tell all of that to Ainz up front. It was only natural to conceal one’s technological prowess. Information was more valuable the more hidden it was.
不过，对方也不可能说告诉你就告诉你的吧。技术的隐匿是理所当然的事情。所谓情报就是藏得越隐秘才越有价值的宝物。

If there were YGGDRASIL players who let their knowledge leak out all over the place, Punitto Moe would surely give them a vicious tongue-lashing.
如果有着作为YGGDRASIL玩家还巴拉巴拉地泄露情报的家伙，真该让那家伙去被布妞萌狠狠地批评一番。

...Also, what if I could get them to export weapons to the Sorcerous Kingdom so our adventurers could acquire them at a lower price? Pretty attractive, no? But in order for that to take place, I’ll have to be on good terms with the Dwarves. While I could always take them as slaves within Nazarick, that will be a last resort. I’d like to make my words to Ainzach that much more convincing.
（……另外要是能把他们的武器输入国内，让我国的冒险者能以更便宜的价格入手又怎么样呢？不是相当有魅力吗？可是那样的话，就得与矮人进行友好交往的必要了啊。虽然让他们在纳萨力克里像奴隶一样工作也可以，但那是最终的手段。可以的话还是想让和艾因扎克说的话更有说服力一点）

Still, all this was ultimately nothing but conjecture.
但说到底，这也不过是在纸上谈兵。

“...Lizardman. Does Zenberu know about the Dwarven city?”
「……蜥蜴人哟。泽贝尔了解矮人都市的事吗？」

“Yes. He told me that he had lived in the Dwarven city for some time.”
「是的。他和我说过，他在矮人的都市居住过一段时间」

“Is that so. Do you think Zenberu would take me there?”
「这样啊。你认为泽贝尔能把我带去那里吗？」

The Lizardman fell into thought, and then tilted his head.
蜥蜴人陷入沉思，接着歪了歪头。

“My deepest apologies, but your servant cannot answer that question. Of course, I am certain that if Your Majesty orders something, Zenberu will strive eagerly to fulfil it. However, it has been several winters since he returned from the Dwarven City, so I am not sure how much he still remembers…”
「万分抱歉。关于这个问题属下实在是答不上来。当然，若是陛下下命，我想泽贝尔一定会努力的。只是，自他从矮人都市返还以来好像已经过去了好几个冬天，他到底还记得多少就……」

“Really now… Well, if that’s the case, I can deal with it using magic. It’ll be fine.”
「是吗……。若是那样我可以想办法用魔法解决，没有问题」

[Control Amnesia] might well be able to clear things up.
使用<记忆操作>[Control·Amnesia]的话，说不定能够弄明白吧。

After praying that Ainzach or Fluder knew something about this, Ainz permitted the Lizardman to leave.
祈祷着艾因扎克或夫路达能知道些什么，安兹向蜥蜴人下达了退室的许可。