The Sixth Floor of Nazarick was a vast, dense forest.
High above the ground, two enormous dragons flew at an altitude of roughly one hundred meters, their draconic eyes scanning the surroundings as though searching for something.
"A forest, huh? They certainly know how to indulge themselves."
The Deep Darkness Dragon Lord looked down at the scenery below.
Compared to the frozen wasteland of the previous Floor, the temperature and humidity here were quite pleasant. The air was rich with the scent of greenery and an abundance of oxygen.
Most of the region was dominated by lush trees, forming a vast sea of foliage.
There were enormous pits filled with poisonous insects, twisted trees, beautiful lakes, the overgrown ruins of villages, bottomless swamps, and even forests of salt trees.
There was also a sky created through magic.
It followed the passage of time, complete with sunrise, sunset, day, and night.
It resembled an enormous screen that could only be admired from afar, never approached.
At an altitude of two hundred meters, an invisible wall prevented anything from climbing higher.
Even so, that did nothing to diminish the strangeness of this place.
After all, who could have imagined that such scenery existed inside a tomb?
Much like the Eight Greed Kings' castle floating high in the sky, the strongholds of the Filth were truly unlike anything else.
"Heh heh. Nothing that appears inside a Guild Base should surprise you. Instead of wasting time thinking about pointless things, we should hurry up and find that Platinum fellow."
"We don't have much time."
"Those NPCs could appear at any moment. We may have destroyed the teleportation magic array, but there must be other routes. Once we find the Platinum Dragon Lord, we need to head straight for the next Floor."
The Vampiric Dragon Lord frowned as he spoke rapidly, carefully maintaining his altitude.
With mealtime approaching, his voice was filled with urgency.
The Deep Darkness Dragon Lord could not help glancing at him. He had not expected the Vampiric Dragon Lord to take this so seriously.
Still, it made sense. They had ventured deep into the Filth's stronghold, and even a True Dragon Lord would inevitably feel uneasy.
He himself remained so fearless only because he still had a contingency plan.
With that thought, the Deep Darkness Dragon Lord looked away.
He had more or less memorized the layout of this area. It was indeed time to begin searching seriously for the Platinum Dragon Lord.
The battle to seize the Guild weapon would undoubtedly be fierce.
Although the Filth's item could heal his body and restore his injuries, one pair of claws could hardly contend with four hands.
If possible, he did not want to use his second trump card, that World-Class Item.
...
Meanwhile, in the Sorcerer Kingdom.
"I say, don't all stare at me like that. You're going to make me blush."
Inside the lavish palace, four figures sat around a table.
Facing the three people from his homeland, the God of Wind rubbed his nose and became the first to break the strange silence.
Judging by his joking tone, he seemed to be trying to lighten the mood.
"...The God of Wind, Kikotenshin Nekonyan, correct? A member of the gaming Guild [Great Cat Kingdom]. I never expected our first meeting to happen like this."
After a moment of silence, Momonga responded.
As he spoke, the flames of his soul blazed within his eye sockets. Combined with his skeletal appearance, they gave him a uniquely oppressive presence.
"You established businesses in every city across the Nine Worlds, with at least a hundred cat cafés in total. Come to think of it, my companions and I visited one of them before."
The slime covering Herohero's body trembled slightly as he spoke, as though recalling the past.
Although the Guild [Great Cat Kingdom] was small, it was extremely well known. Nearly every one of its members was obsessed with cats, to the point that they were willing to spend enormous amounts of money on Cash Shop Items for their sake.
"Haha. Cats are the most wonderful creatures in the world, after all. Our Guild's goal was to let more people experience just how wonderful they are."
"And... if we're talking about fame, wouldn't your Guild, [Ainz Ooal Gown], be the better example?"
"Ranked third among all Guilds, the strongest Heteromorphic Race Guild, and also... the Guild that possessed the greatest number of World-Class Items."
After hearing their praise, the God of Wind smiled and responded in kind.
So they wanted to expose his background? Anyone could play that game.
Momonga and Herohero reacted slightly to his words, but nothing more.
They had long since prepared themselves for the possibility that the Six Great Gods would discover their identities.
The adventurer party [Ainz Ooal Gown] had been far too conspicuous in E-Rantel. Their identities would never withstand a thorough investigation.
"All right, that's enough meaningless small talk."
"What brings you, a cat slave, to the Sorcerer Kingdom this time? And why did you bring Zesshi Zetsumei with you?"
Watching the three of them stare each other down, Naohara clapped his hands and drew their attention.
Psychological warfare might have its uses, but it was entirely unnecessary here.
After six hundred years, even a pig would have grown cunning, let alone a human.
"Friend... Never mind. I can't be bothered to argue with you. As for why I came, I'm here to fulfill the Non-Aggression Pact."
The God of Wind wanted to object.
How did he qualify as a cat slave?
Had anyone ever heard of a cat slave who did not own a cat?
At present, he did not even have the qualifications to be one.
The thought filled the God of Wind with sorrow. Looking dejected, he tossed a figure out of his storage space.
A crisp thud sounded as the body struck the floor.
The Elf King, [Decem Horgan].
This descendant of the Eight Greed Kings had been discarded to the side like common trash.
"You can have this guy."
Before Naohara had met the Six Great Gods, the priests of the Theocracy had already signed a Non-Aggression Pact with the Sorcerer Kingdom.
One of its clauses stated that the Elf King and half of his territory would be handed over to the Sorcerer Kingdom.
The Six Great Gods could hardly go back on that agreement.
[His soul is in terrible condition. His memories have been forcibly extracted at least twice, and there are signs that he was tortured.]
Herohero extended a tentacle, bound the Elf King, and dragged him closer. After examining him, he sent a [Message] to Naohara and Momonga.
[It doesn't matter. As long as he's alive.]
Momonga replied through [Message].
As long as the Elf King reached Nazarick alive, he would not be allowed to die. They had plenty of ways to deal with him.
"As for Zesshi Zetsumei, the younger generation should be allowed to handle its own affairs."
"You know as well as I do that no one in the Theocracy can control her with the strength she possesses."
The God of Wind continued speaking.
He certainly could not admit that he had deliberately brought her here.
Besides, what he said was not wrong. No one in the Theocracy truly had the ability to restrain her.
The only one who could was an Undead.
"Tsk..."
Naohara clicked his tongue but did not pursue the matter.
"Now that the Non-Aggression Pact has been fulfilled, you can go back where you came from."
"Ahem. There's no need to be so distant."
"It isn't often that I visit the Sorcerer Kingdom, so I'd like to look around properly. Also... have you received any news about the Deep Darkness Dragon Lord?"
When Naohara began trying to drive him away, the God of Wind hurriedly spoke.
Wasn't that a little too cold?
They might have been scheming against one another, but they were still from the same homeland. The least Naohara could do was show him some courtesy.
Besides, he had private business to discuss with them. He could not simply leave with his tail between his legs.
"There's no need to worry about the Deep Darkness Dragon Lord. In a few days, we'll send the Theocracy a few local specialties."
The Six Great Gods had, after all, provided them with information about the Deep Darkness Dragon Lord.
Though it would not have mattered even if they had not.
Of the six dragons involved, including the Deep Darkness Dragon Lord, four were already spies.
Still, courtesy called for reciprocity, so they ought to provide some compensation for the trouble.
Perhaps they could send a dragon whip. It was highly nourishing, after all.
Naohara and the other two silently reached the same conclusion.
"Oh... all right."
The God of Wind did not ask any further questions. From Naohara's words, he could more or less guess what fate awaited the Deep Darkness Dragon Lord.
After letting the subject drop, he hesitantly brought up his true purpose.
"Um... Momonga, the ring on your finger is the Cash Shop Item [Shooting Star Ring], isn't it?"
"That's right. Why?"
Momonga glanced at the ring on his bony finger. Although slightly surprised, he still nodded.
"I'd like to make a private trade with you."
"In exchange, I'll offer you some exclusive information."
"Have the three of you ever heard of the concept known as [the Sea]...?"