Chapter 117: Triumphal Entry
When the city gate appeared at the end of the road, E-Rantel's outline stood sharp and clear in the afternoon sunlight.
Momon rode on Rurarus's back.
His arms were crossed loosely at his chest, and his posture was less that of someone riding a half-human, half-serpent creature than that of someone reviewing troops about to receive his command.
Rurarus let out a sigh that was barely audible.
The gate guards' reaction was more intense than expected.
The young spear-bearing guard saw Momon first. The name of the Mithril-rank adventurer Momon was already not entirely unfamiliar in E-Rantel.
He instinctively straightened his back and prepared to offer a respectful greeting. Then his gaze fell on the mount.
His spear slid from his hands.
"This... this..." The young guard's lips trembled, his finger shaking as he pointed at Rurarus.
The Naga's serpentine tail moved slowly across the stone paving, scales against stone producing a fine, dry rasping sound. The wrinkled old face turned, cloudy slit-pupils settling on the guard, the corner of its mouth pulling into something that was approximately a smile.
The guard stepped back one step and hit the city wall with his back.
"The Western Serpent." Momon's voice came from beneath the helmet. "The Western Serpent of the Tob Forest. It has submitted to me."
The guard opened his mouth and said nothing. The veteran guard beside him was the first to recover — he grabbed the young guard by the back of his collar, dragged him aside, and called out in a tone of barely contained awe: "Let... them... pass!"
Rurarus carried Momon through the gate. Hamusuke followed on four short legs. On Hamusuke's back, Narberal pressed her head even lower.
E-Rantel's main street was at its most lively at this hour.
A bread-selling woman had just set freshly baked rye loaves on her stall. A blacksmith's apprentice was sweating hard at the bellows.
"That... is that Momon?" someone murmured.
"What is Momon riding? A serpent... no, half a person — it's a Naga!" "A Naga? Isn't that the legendary Western Serpent?"
"Momon tamed the Western Serpent! And the Wise King of the Forest too! Look over there — Lady Nabe is riding the Wise King!"
The crowd's stir spread like ripples from a stone dropped in water, expanding in rings. From shops on both sides of the street to second-floor windowsills, more and more faces leaned out.
A small girl leaning over a windowsill went wide-eyed and tugged at her mother's sleeve. "Mama, that black armor is so cool!"
Momon raised his right hand. The noise of the entire street went still for one brief moment.
He nodded toward the bread shop on the right, five black-gloved fingers pressed together, and performed a German military salute.
The citizens of E-Rantel's excitement surged higher.
"Lord Momon! Amazing!" "He's so cool!"
Cheers broke out on both sides of the street.
Momon raised his hand again in acknowledgment, each wave falling with precise timing as the cheering reached its peak.
---
Great Tomb of Nazarick.
Ainz Ooal Gown was feeling faintly unsettled, wondering how Pandora's mission was going — whether anything unexpected had come up.
He raised his hand and activated the spell.
A translucent [Crystal Screen] unfolded before him, the light rippling briefly, then stabilizing and resolving into an image.
Ainz's jawbone tilted slightly upward. A small sense of anticipation moved through him.
Pandora's Actor. His greatest masterwork. One of Nazarick's most intelligent beings.
The chuunibyou design did cause his creator a degree of embarrassment when observed at close range — but right now he was watching from a distance, as an audience.
It would surely look quite impressive.
The image became clear.
Ainz first saw Narberal. The battle maid was riding on Hamusuke's back, head lowered, her entire face almost buried in the fur at Hamusuke's neck.
Ainz's brow furrowed slightly.
What was wrong with Narberal? Was she ill?
Her disease resistance should be more than enough to prevent ordinary illness. Could it be some special affliction of this world? Or a magical effect? She didn't look injured.
His gaze moved to the center of the image.
Ainz's jawbone dropped open. The dark red light in his eye sockets flickered wildly.
What was that?
A half-human, half-serpent Naga was making its way along E-Rantel's main street, the wrinkled old face wearing an expression of completely resigned acceptance.
And on the Naga's back, sat Momon.
A green flash moved through Ainz. He closed his jawbone.
No, wait — Pandora doing this may have its reasons.
Ainz worked to convince himself and settled into calm. But then —
He watched Pandora raise his right hand, five fingers together, aimed toward the bread shop at the side of the street, and perform a perfectly standard German military salute.
Ainz covered his face with both hands.
The green light of forced calm flashed again and pressed the shame down by force.
But Ainz discovered a disturbing fact: this time, the forced calm seemed less effective than usual.
The shame had not fully disappeared. He still felt it — right up until forced calm triggered a second time.
Why...
Ainz was thinking about this.
"Why... are the citizens of E-Rantel cheering?"
He raised his head, looking through the gaps between his finger bones at the [Crystal Screen].
"Lord Momon! Our dark hero!" "Amazing! Riding a magical beast! He's so cool!"
The whole of E-Rantel appeared to be holding a grand celebration, and the object of celebration was the black warrior sitting on the old-man serpent's back.
Ainz's jawbone dropped open again.
He genuinely could not understand this.
Pandora's posture was admittedly quite impressive — this he acknowledged. Impressive enough that he felt a faint urge to study it.
But riding on a creature whose upper half was humanoid — shouldn't that strike people as bizarre?
Not to mention the exaggerated black full-body armor and blood-red cape, and the salutes to the roadside at regular intervals.
Ainz's gaze moved involuntarily to Narberal.
The battle maid was still slumped over Hamusuke's back, face pressed firmly into the fur at Hamusuke's neck, the flush running from her ears all the way to her collar, a light pink even reaching the back of her neck.
She occasionally lifted one eye, took one glance at Momon, then immediately lowered her head again — her face full of undisguised discomfort and distaste.
Good.
Ainz quietly exhaled somewhere inside himself. There was still someone with her head on straight.
At least Narberal's reaction was normal. Which meant this world had not completely lost its senses.
The adventurers' guild came into view.
Buldon Einzak, the guild master of the E-Rantel Adventurers Guild, was personally standing at the entrance to greet them.