"Shit shit shit shit shit!" That was what the dwarf was thinking when the gate opened in front of him, and he repeated that exact same series of thoughts when the undead King stepped through, he almost froze, but had just enough awareness and self control to drop to one knee before the one undead that every dwarf in the known world was bound to recognize on sight. He was their liege, the patron of their sacred craft, the savior of their civilization, nobody under the mountain did not know his name or face, but to be in front of him was still a terror, gratitude or no.

Leinas stepped through the portal behind the Sorcerer King and looked around, it was the entrance to a cave, however it was worn smooth from careful chipping and polishing, nothing crude, it was modified by skilled craftsmen. The guard was a dwarf clad in runecrafted armor and bearing a sword of the same art, this was no surprise to Leinas, after all she knew some time ago that the Sorcerer King had shown favor to this particular dwarven art so it was no surprise to see that they made use of it themselves.

"Hello." Ainz Ooal Gown said, somewhat awkwardly as it was clear the dwarf was to flustered to speak.

"H-Hail the Sorcerer King!" The dwarf said with eyes wide, staring, and terrified.

Ainz raised his skeletal hand, and the dwarf shook, "Be at ease." Ainz said, "I am not displeased with you, however I would like to see the council."

It was just at that moment that another armored and armed dwarf approached, evidently his colleague, and no sooner than he saw Ainz than the dwarf dropped to one knee and snapped out, "Hail the Sorcerer King!" with martial crispness.

"Rise, both of you, I'd like to be seen to the council, would one of you be so kind as to escort me?" He asked in his disconcertingly noble voice.

"I will, sire." The newly arrived dwarf said, much to the relief of the first one. "Please, follow me." He said, and he lead the way into the cavernous opening.

Dwarven tunnels were not at all the crude things that people imagined of cave dwellings, they kept the caves well lit, so that it was as if they were walking in daylight. The pathways were smoothed out so that one wouldn't trip over an errant stone, where canyons and deep crevices were present, well built railings were put into place to ensure a safe walk through would not be brought to an abrupt halt by a misplaced step. Dwarves, Leinas noticed, also seemed to be more artistic than she'd been lead to believe by their reputations, though not every inch of the cavern was decorated with carvings, there were many of them, displaying scenes of stories in carvings that had then been carefully painted.

"Excuse me." Leinas asked the dwarf in front of them, "May I ask about all the painted carvings cut into the rock?"

The dwarf looked back and shrugged, "Sure. Its practice. Mining can be rough hard work sure, but there are times when a more precision touch is needed, and by chipping into the rock like that, the students learning the mining craft get practice, as for painting, well some people just like art." He answered simply. Leinas felt her mind crack open just a bit, she realized she'd been thinking of other races as monolithic, just individuals that were otherwise identical to one another, without differing personalities...but they varied as much as humans did, having their own desires, natures, preferences, tastes, and so on. It was an uncomfortable moment for her, and as she looked at the Sorcerer King's back, she wanted to slap herself. He was vastly different from other undead, why shouldn't one dwarf be different from another dwarf? She quietly resolved to be more open minded in the future. As she looked at her King however, she could not help but be impressed, he clearly already knew about all that, so he must have already taken the time to learn about the peoples he ruled. 'It is no wonder Jircniv gave in to him. He truly is a supreme ruler.' She said softly.

As Ainz listened he casually thought, 'So that explains all those painted carvings...huh...neat.'

As they walked, they eventually came across a group of skeletons going in and out of a tunnel. The dwarf turned his head to look over his shoulder. "We are making ample use of your majesty's undead laborers, so much so that dwarf miners now get three days off in seven, with ample leisure time, we've put more effort into other endeavors."

"Such as?" Ainz asked.

"Why three fifths of life." The dwarf said, "Refining and expanding our beer production." He grinned widely. "As the sale of our beer has gone international thanks to the trade routes established by your majesty, we've had to ramp up production, and skeletons are not really suited for beer production, its an artisan's work to produce lovingly, not at all like the rote raising and lowering of a pick ax. We're now producing much more than we ever did before and at a much lower cost thanks to your majesty's instruction on indoor growing."

Ainz touched his skeletal finger to his chin, "I had planned to visit the council first, but I would actually prefer a tour of the domain first. After we encounter one of your comrades, have them send word to the council that I will be visiting them after touring the area. But for now, please lead on and tell me more."

"Of course sire." The dwarf said, stroking a fire red beard that drapped almost to the waist and was immaculately, even lovingly maintained. "We're actually not far from the growing areas, we make use of the deep chasms that the mountain has given us." He pointed to a nearby stairway cut into the very rock and secured against mishap by a long waist high rail. A gate blocked off the stairway, but it was unlocked, the dwarf lifted the latch and walked through, Leinas moved up and grabbed the gate to hold it open, and the Sorcerer King began to follow the dwarf down the steps, behind her, Leinas heard the gate close on its own and the latch resecure itself. They walked down what seemed a thousand steps the great chasm opened up enormously and she looked behind her, though everything was well lit by the glowing white stones, she could scarcely believe what she was seeing, the pit was easily the deepest she had ever beheld, bigger than any canyon she'd come across. It was a truly awe inspiring sight, the stone wall the stairs had been carved into had been cut flat and polished smooth, she wondered how much time had gone in to making it this way.

Eventually they reached the bottom, and they found themselves presented with a stone footpath which moved away from the stairs, and branched off periodically, guiding people around the crops.

"As your majesty can see, we favor the growth of mushrooms, we use the compost methods your majesty taught us to create rich soil," he started walking down the path pointing to the many tiers of mushroom growing troughs, "and this is in turn supported by moisture from these sluices, the water comes mostly from melted snow from above, we drilled holes in the mountain leading up, and created a collection point where snow would fall or water would run, and that passes through pipes and is allowed to just 'fall' into the collection point above the troughs, and then it runs along and some of the water falls through small holes to land in the troughs, as you can see, they go in a zigzag pattern downwards until they come to the lowest level where the last of the water falls, excess that collects unused at the end is carried by skeleton labor to be deposited into another chasm to create an artificial lake, it is nowhere near finished yet, but when it is, not only will we have a place to swim, but we intend to buy fish from the lizardmen, along with some other plant and insect life to keep it balanced, and we will supplement our diet further."

The dwarf said all this with great pride in his voice, they then came to a wheel that was turning as the water pushed it, "Oh and how could I forget this, yes as the water moves to the collection point it turns this wheel, which raises platforms that we call 'elevators' allowing dwarves to rise up to the upper tiered platforms where we grow food, and easily harvest what we have." He grinned like a child and walked over to one of the troughs, he pulled a lever built into the side wall next to the tier and a sheet of metal slid out, he stepped on it, and waited. The mechanism for the lift must have been built into the thin box like wall next to the troughs, and then he began to rise, soon he was four tiers up, and he stepped off the slow moving platform, and it slid off onto the upper floor. The dwarf took his time and walked over to the edge, leaned over, and waved down to the Sorcerer King and Leinas, and they gingerly waved back. After a moment, he returned to the platform point, waited until it came back up, slid it into the security point that held it, stepped on, and let himself be lowered back to the ground, where he pulled the lever and something came out, grabbed the platform, and pulled it back into place.

"Ingenious." The Sorcerer King said. "Your people deserve their reputation for engineering." The dwarf bowed deeply. "Thank you sire."

"It is though...a bit rude and inconvenient to be just thinking of you as 'dwarf' you have a name I trust, please provide it." The Sorcerer King asked...or commanded.

The dwarf, still bowing, said, "I am Himiline, one of the dwarf warriors guarding the East entrance."

"Very well, Himiline." Ainz said, "I'll remember that name."

Privately Leinas thought that those four words could easily make or break the young dwarf's future.

"I will tell my children and grandchildren of your words." Himiline said in a deeply honored voice.

"Do you have those already?" Ainz asked curiously.

"Not yet sire, but I hope that my husband will see to that soon enough." Himiline said with a wry laugh.

'A woman?!' Ainz thought with utter surprise, and grateful for the laugh, he joined in the joke with a laugh of his own to cover his surprise.

In her own mind Leinas was stunned, not only that she was being guided by a female...because of the beard and all, but as she thought about it, every dwarf she'd observed had a beard...so...clearly some of them must have been female. But of even greater surprise, the Sorcerer King seemed to have known it all along based on his joining in her laugh. 'He can tell the sexes of such a different people apart from one another?! How can he be like this...?!' She asked herself in shock.

"Well may you have many of both in the years to come." Ainz said politely, his noble voice sounded as if he was intoning a blessing, and in the years to come, his wish for Himiline would pass from wish to truth, as she had eight children and eight grand children by each of her children over the next hundred years, and constantly credited the Sorcerer King's blessing for it, and told the story of how a chance encounter with the undead king along with a passing joke, lead to her fondest wish for a family life coming true. The story grew so popular among her children and grandchildren that the story spread over centuries, all over the dwarven homeland, and the blessing of the unliving king became a popular children's story that was expanded upon with new details to teach moral lessons on hospitality, humor, and values. In time people sought out the Sorcerer King for similar blessings. though he never himself learned the source of the myth, it was so fitting to someone taking on the title of god of the new world that he couldn't find a way out of it, so he ran with it and found a way to make it work. Leading the Sorcerer King to develop a form of fertility magic by exploiting the shitty dev's magic mechanics in Nazarick by using its replicative effects, in combination with the potions of Nfirea Bareare that would be covertly mixed into drinks given to those who visited him for blessing.

...But in that moment they just shared an amused laugh, and the tour showed off the many innovations, and as other dwarves began to show up for their shift in the improvised farmland, they paused to gawk at the undead king, standing frozen at the base of the stairs until at last they turned and treked back the way they'd come. Himiline let out a 'harumph' to snap them out of their staring, for which Ainz was grateful, towering over them as he did, it was uncomfortable to be stared at. Himiline was quick to act, pointing to someone at the back of the crowd, "You, go inform the council that the Sorcerer King has come to visit his subject's domain and he intends to visit them today, tell them he is touring the area first and will be along when he is ready." She didn't bother to say, 'and they'd better be ready' because she didn't need to, it was implied by the status of the visitor. The dwarf she'd pointed to nodded numbly and fairly sprinted back up the stairs, "The rest of you, you make good doors, but bad doorways, clear a path and let the Sorcerer King pass through!" She snapped, and the rest quickly moved to one side or the other and knelt, creating a walkway through to the steps. "Hail the Sorcerer King!" one said, which prompted the rest to echo the statement, and Ainz passed through without a word, nodding politely and waving as he moved to the steps, grateful to get away from the uncomfortable moment.

When they got to the top, Himiline asked, "Would your majesty prefer to see the market district, the new mining district, or the runesmith academy?" She asked.

"Lets just go with what is nearest and work our way outwards." The Sorcerer King said.

"The market district it is then." She said and lead the way, clearly the hour had advanced, as the nearly empty area was now a bustle of activity that stopped dead as the Sorcerer King approached and drew notice. "Hail the Sorcerer King!" was taken up so loudly that it was being shouted even by people who surely could not even have seen him. In passing Ainz thought that even without the messenger, word would be carried to the council of his visit.

Ainz didn't want to have a crowd following him at every step, but it was hard to deny his popularity gracefully, so he raised his hands and said, "Hail to the dwarves, loyal citizens, fine artisans, and founders of their own futures, please go about your lives, I come to tour your fair city, and see the fruits that the garden of peace has given rise to. Know that my thoughts are with you, and I am eager to sing your praises to my aides and to all my other peoples...but I can't very well do that if I can't walk through your marvelous home to see what bears praising, can I?"

He let a hint of mirth through his voice, and it carried effectively, another call praising his name came up, and then the dwarves began to resume their business, pausing only to move aside and watch him as he moved past. When they arrived at the market district, Ainz was suitably impressed by the variety of goods on display. "I see peace and trade has served you well." He said to Himiline.

"It has sire. With our trade ties to Carne, E-Rantel, the Baharuth Empire, and the Abellion Hills, we've expanded our import and export markets, our beer and our gear are now both famous and our beer in particular is served as far away as the Southern Holy Kingdom. The adventurer's guild's members have been carrying our fame on their backs as they wear our gear out into the wider world, I expect it has served as a great recruiting boon to your majesty's cause as well as a boon to your majesty's vision of the future." Himiline said.

"It has been." Ainz acknowledged, "With such equipment as a reward for training and advancement, we are achieving more than the previous institution ever dreamed, now with the new arena, the first of what will in time be several of them, and a system of advancement into the guild through arena experience, we are poised for new and extraordinary growth when the dust has settled on current events."

"New arena?" She asked curiously.

"I built an Arena in Carne a short while back." Ainz said casually. Himiline blinked.

"I will have to travel there to see it." She said, stammering her words out in surprise.

"You will not be disappointed." Ainz said. "I see that jewelry is becoming more popular here." He said as he pointed to various shops.

"It has, as art has come to us showing people wearing it, and our more difficult times have passed and prosperity has increased, we've taken to importing more luxury goods, something I'm quite glad of." She said happily. "We've also taken to importing some things called 'rugs and carpets' which cover all or part of a floor, only the rich can afford the carpets, but ohhh how good they feel on the toes and feet." She said with a wistful sigh.

The rest of the time in the market was taken up with small idiosyncratic observations, culminating with Ainz noticing that the coins of his kingdom were the only currency in use. The former dwarven currency was completely absent, when he asked about it, Himiline said, "Well the council could tell you more than I sire, the trade minister would probably know the most about it. But from what I understand, well as your majesty no doubt knows, we were devastated by the war with the quoga, we nearly lost everything, hell, we're only now, years later, beginning to reoccupy some of our former homes in the other cities, and it will no doubt be centuries before we have enough of a population in any of them to say they are truly occupied again. This left our economy devastated too, we traded with each other and nobody else, but when your majesty's trade came to us, it came to us with coins of your nation, and it became the defacto standard for us to use, I myself didn't pick up another dwarf kingdom coin for a year after the first caravan came to us, though we used our coins with your merchants as it is all we had, we made no more of them, so we've run very short, making it useless as a currency to us except in very rare cases. The trade minister decided that we should simply adopt the currency of our liege, yourself, and use that to trade with all your other vassalized domains since they would also value it most highly."

Ainz nodded, "He is very wise, this trade minister."

"Given the prosperity that has resulted, I must agree, sire." She said.

By this time the market district was gradually put behind them, and in a not great distance a large building loomed, cut into the mountain like most of the other dwarven buildings. "I take it that is the runecraft academy?" He asked.

"It is, sire. Gondo founded it when he came home for a visit to his friends, he got permission to establish it near the new mining district close to material sources for forging, and here he has teachers instructing new students."

Ainz nodded along, pretending as hard as he could to know everything she was talking about.

"Yes with all the research taking place in Carne and the mining taking place here, it makes sense that training would also take place here, your finest runesmiths are allowed to use the tools and materials of Nazarick, but it would be wasted material on the unfamiliar..." He said.

"Precisely so, your majesty, so he has a cycle of teachers from among the experts in Carne who take their vacations here to instruct new students, in a few years the first graduates will leave the academy prepared to ply their craft as masters, whereever your majesty wishes them, with a handful remaining behind as faculty to offer further instruction to the next generation. I was not present for your majesty's speech to the remaining runesmiths years ago, but we have all of us engraved your words on our hearts. That you wished us to rediscover the lost arts of our craft, Gondo has become something of a folk hero among us for his stubborn refusal to let go of our unique heritage, and others strive to equal his passion for runecraft as a result." Himiline's voice was enthusiastic, like a kid being handed a treat.

"I would like to walk through it." Ainz said.

"Majesty I think they would lay their bodies on the ground for you to walk on them to keep you from touching the earth, before they would dream of denying you entry." Himiline said with a laugh.

"That will not be necessary." Ainz said with a cough that was somewhat endearing and very 'not undead like'.

They approached the school, opened the door, and dozens of dwarves in the building stopped and fell on their faces, shouting, "Hail to the new father of runecraft!' Ainz froze as Himiline leaned in, "Their esteem for the art is such that they think it a higher praise than to call you a 'mere king'." She whispered softly, hoping the Sorcerer King was not displeased, and she was relieved when he raised his hand and said, "Rise, all of you noble children of runecraft." They muttered pleasure at the title he improvised for them, unknowingly creating a nickname for the runecraft artisans that would see them called 'the children of runecraft' century after century in the far flung years to come.

"I wish to see what my investment in your talents has given to the world." Ainz said, and an administrator, an older dwarf, came running as a result of the commotion and prostrated himself before the Sorcerer King.

"It shall be done sire, we have a great open hall that is available for just such a purpose, intended for final year students to show off their graduation project. Give us but an hour, and we will have them all prepared for your viewing, in the meantime, please, follow me to the headmaster's office, I believe Gondo is here today, and would be overjoyed to see your majesty again, thus not wasting your time while these students prepare their display for you."

Ainz, Himiline, and Leinas followed behind the very clearly much older administrator, and soon Ainz found himself in a small but well ordered office, with a weeping Gondo kneeling in front of him. "Sire, it has been too long, I trust you've been pleased with all our work? Its so good to see you again!"

"Rise Gondo, yes, I am quite pleased with all you've accomplished. I'm eager to see what work the school has accomplished, but how do you train students in your craft?"

"Oh sire, allow me to show you!" Gondo leapt up and rushed out the door, and Ainz found that despite the much smaller stride of the dwarf, his energy and enthusiasm was such that the large undead king had to take great strides to keep up with him. Soon Gondo opened the door to an empty class, "In rooms like this the students spend the first year on runes." He said, gesturing to a chalkboard, they learn not only what rune means what, but also the magical principles that underlay them all, they have to be able to perfectly shape each and every rune, first on paper, then on wood, then on various ores, mastering their basic use without any potentially powerful object."

After they exited the classroom, he took them to a room that had heat fairly blasting out of it even from behind the closed door, they then entered and Ainz found that there were numerous small forges along the walls. "The students then learn the fundamentals of smithing, if they pass the rune year, they spend the next two years apprenticed in smithing, learning the fundamentals of this craft, though they do spend time on it in the first year, learning how the forge works and so on, most of that year is taken up just with runic principles, after two years of forge work, interspersed with continuous refreshers on runes and their application...they go here..."

He then lead them down the hall to another large room from which great heat emanated, the door opened and again they found themselves in a room with forges, but also containing blackboards and reference charts along the wall. "Here in rooms like this it is all brought together, runes are finally applied to materials, simple tools for farming are the most basic, but as the students advance they're allowed to create weapons and armor over the course of a semester. Finally, they spend their last year on a single project, forging one item to which their name is forever attached, a graduation project, completing that project in the final assembly which your majesty will no doubt be proud of, the top winners of the task will be selected to be sent to Carne to join the research team of rune developers, creating new runes and discovering new techniques, the remainder will be put into state employment providing equipment for your majesty and for high paying private clients seeking specialized equipment, such as shovels that won't break or axes that won't dull."

Gondo's voice was equal parts filled with pride as they'd walked, the whole thing had taken barely an hour as he pointed out individual implements and explained their use in the process, and just as he was wrapping up, and the elderly administrator approached them, "Sire, the senior class has laid out their work for your inspection in the main assembly hall, if it pleases you, they await your convenience."

Gondo looked at the Sorcerer King with a desperate hope that rivalled their first meeting.

The moment hung in the air, "It would please me to see these things, please, Gondo, lead on...but no need to rush it, let us take our time and enjoy the atmosphere." Ainz said sardonically.

Gondo blushed a bit, but took slower and more measured steps this time as they strode to the main hall, there was a large white marble double door of most intricate display, on it was carved a slew of figures kneeling before another, the ones kneeling were clearly dwarves, holding their hands outstretched as if to receive something. The one standing before them was a large skeletal figure, holding out a sword on which numerous runes had been inscribed, he was offering the sword out to the group.

"Perhaps your majesty remembers this scene?" Gondo said. "It was the moment our pride as runesmiths was restored, our fire rekindled, when your majesty presented us with that ancient blade of the runesmiths of old made from forgotten techniques, it restored our dignity and our desire as nothing ever did before, we immortalized that moment, a challenge to our students as our ancestors delivered their challenge to us through you. Note the sign above." Ainz turned his head up and it read, "Accept the Challenge".

"Our motto." Gondo said proudly as the doors parted before them, and as Ainz looked around, he was reminded of the science fairs of his youth, there were booths everywhere with projects on display, there were some one hundred dwarves scattered about, most of them looking nervous as they turned to see that their patron and the founder of their academy had come together.

"What do you think, Himiline?" Ainz asked the female dwarf warrior.

"They made my gear sire, I'm proud to wear it, they do good work." She said simply and directly.

"Agreed, now lets see what their next generation is capable of." He said and stepped into the hall, they went to the first exhibit, a nervous looking dwarf with a big black beard knelt immediately, and rose when permitted.

"What have you made?" Ainz asked.

The dwarf stumbled over his words, but he gestured to a large cask. "Sire, this cask is...well...will when it is finished, keep beer at the ideal temperature, frosted and chilled, no matter its surrounding conditions, it will also keep the beer fresh so that it doesn't spoil, so that it holds a perfect head when poured and does not go flat."

"I see, how does it work?" Ainz asked.

The dwarf, emboldened by the Sorcerer King's curiosity went on to elaborate, "Each of the bands runs 'through' the wood' rather than outside of it, and each band has a different rune carved on it, based on the magic principle of separation and contamination, each rune is able to function independently, but affects the nearest substance to it, the nearest substance being the beer. I used the runes for cold, youth, and clean. My initial design had also intended the rune for light, so that it could be easily transported...but I couldn't fit another band on without warping the runes by their close proximity."

"Did you not try using the bottom center for that one?" Ainz asked curiously.

The student blinked as the light came on at Ainz's question. "Tha-that didn't occur to my sire, that is genius...I will have four runes on this when my final project is due!" He grinned broadly.

Gondo's mouth fell open, "Majesty...are you a runesmith?"

Ainz laughed and shook his head, "No Gondo, just a fairly good magic caster who understands that sometimes to solve problems, you have to turn them on their head."

"I will engrave your majesty's words onto my heart." Gondo said softly.

"Also, when his project is finished, I'd like to place an order for one thousand such casks...after he's graded of course...to be divided between the adventurer's guilds, imperial barracks, and a few other places, I'll have a list sent to you later." Ainz said, "Apply for a patent through E-Rantel for your design, and you alone will be permitted to make and sell these for the next seven years." Ainz said to the dwarf whose eyes were almost as large as his face as they expanded at the prospect of such overwhelming profit and becoming so widely known all at once.

"I...well...we'll still have to do the official grade for the final, but I think it is safe to say you've passed." Gondo said to the student who was literally dancing with joy.

They went through a number of other projects over the course of several hours, some of them were very interesting and innovative, modifying ordinary objects into newly useful items, from dustbins that pulled dust to themselves, to a sword that could freeze or burn depending on which side of the blade was used, Ainz was impressed with what Gondo had accomplished.

At the end of it all, Ainz went up to the podium on stage and said, "I came to this realm to tour the lands of my people, I came to this school to see the fruits of your labor, to know if the investment in time and money and blood that was expended to save the dwarves and to save the art of runecraft had been worth it all. I am proud to say...it has been." His voice carried easily throughout the hall and it was quiet enough that a pin could drop and be heard, but no pin would dare to fall and interrupt his words.

"I have seen fascinating projects that improve the quality of life, excellent tools of war that will protect generations yet to come, the runesmiths of old would be proud of what you have accomplished, their legacy is made secure in you, who will be the first graduates of the Runecraft Academy. You are the first, that means like your teachers, you must set the bar for all others to follow, every class who comes after, will be compared to you, just as all future teachers, will be compared to these among the first of them, in your hands lies the future pride of all who follow, you ARE living up to it now, today, so do not let the future down tomorrow. Hold your heads up high, RUNESMITHS!"

Ainz finished the last word with a shout, resulting in cheers from every booth, and at the back of the room, administrators, teachers, and other students who had heard word of his visit to the school, had filtered in and quietly observed with nervous and hopeful eyes as the Sorcerer King judged what their students and classmates presented.

When Ainz finished his speech, there wasn't a dry eye at the back of the room or in its center. Gondo could barely see through the sheen of tears. "Majesty, that I should live to see this day, to hear those words...it is a fulfillment of a dream I thought mad and foolish, if I were to die now, I would have no regrets, thank you, thank you, thank you!" He said sincerely.

"It is my pleasure Gondo, keep up the good work, all of you." He said, "I suppose we should meet with the council now, I do have a great deal to do." Ainz said, somewhat regretfully.

"As you say sire." Himiline stammered out.

'He's got everything...' she thought to herself as she lead the way out of the academy and into the city center, dwarves stopped to gawk, but by now word had widely spread and near the center there was an honor guard of a dozen fully armored dwarves waiting for them.

"Your majesty, we are your honor guard, here to escort you to the council." A gruff and somewhat large...for a dwarf anyway, individual said.

"I will be in your care." Ainz said politely. Leinas followed along behind, silent as she took in everything around her, the buildings of the interior of the city were large, but clearly carved out of solid rock, they'd been squared off and hollowed out, the roadways had clearly been done the same, the buildings didn't seem to have 'bricks' they just seemed like they were part of the mountain itself, with various glowing stones placed about to provide the dwarves with all the light they'd need, it was orderly, grid like in its layout, and spoke of skilled architecture, it wasn't a place she'd choose to live, but she could see the utility of it all and it would not be an easy place to take. Then her mind flew back to the academy, and she wondered idly how he'd jumped to a solution for the cask so quickly. She licked her lips a little, she was rather fond of dwarven beer, and the notion of a supply that stayed fresh and frosty no matter how long it was stored was a mighty appealing thing, she snorted in dismissal at her foolish parents who had turned up their noses at 'common' things like beer, they had no idea what they'd missed, the rough and tumble life she'd lead had exposed her to many simple pleasures that nobles never learned of, though there was something to be said for noble comforts, good beer belonged in much higher esteem than it was usually held in, or so she believed.

When they arrived in the council chamber, they stood and bowed deeply to their savior, before Ainz asked them to sit, one chair remained empty, the forgemaster who had stolen the ingot had still not been found, nor had the ingot he stole, and they had not seen fit to replace him yet it seemed.

"Sire, we welcome you to our homeland, we hope you have been pleased with our work and our tributes to you?" The dwarf at the center said politely.

"I have been, but this tour of mine is not merely for pleasure, I have a far graver, greater need. Though I must first say your Runecraft Academy is an institution to be very proud of, your students are very impressive for mortals, indeed I ordered one thousand copies of one of the projects."

The council members looked at each other in shock and confusion, not sure what to ask first. "What...was it that they made?" One of the dwarves asked, settling the question of what to learn first.

"A cask that keeps beer fresh, frosty, with a firm head, no matter how long it is stored for, oh and which is lightweight for easy transport, allowing far more beer to be stored and transported. I told him to apply for a patent to give him exclusive manufacture and sale rights for the next few years." Ainz said casually.

"We want to buy some of those for ourselves." They said enthusiastically.

'Dwarves do love their beer.' Ainz thought. "I will give each of you one of the casks I've purchased as a personal gift, a show of my great appreciation for your support of this valuable school."

They stoood and bowed deeply once again. "We are eternally grateful your majesty." They said in unison.

"Now, on to the more serious matter. War is coming." He said flatly. "The Slane Theocracy has built an alliance that has grown to encompass many peoples, and they intend to march on my supporters and my nation and bring us all to ruin. I do not need to tell you how they feel about dwarves I suppose?" Ainz asked.

They swallowed hard. Though close to human, dwarves would not fare well under the Slane Theocracy any more than elves did, and they knew how elves had fared.

"What would you have of your servants?" They asked.

"I would ask for volunteers, and as many weapons of war as you can manufacture as fast as you can make them, I realize your numbers are not many, but they do not need to be, your numbers will be folded in with others, and I swear your lives will not be squandered needlessly. I will not command any of you to conscript your people by force, I ask only that those who are willing, present themselves at the base of the mountain in fifteen days time, to be armed and equipped at my expense and transported to the assembly point for training and preparation. They will be placed under the command of Zaryusu, a lizardman who may be familiar to some of you."

There was a host of muttering, but the council stood and bowed again. "We will have word sent through all our holdings asking for volunteers among our soldiers and common citizens. I think it safe to say that your majesty will have our full support in this war, it is the least we can do after you preserved us from the quoga." Their eldest figure said.

"I volunteer." Himiline said firmly. "Sirs, send your volunteers to me, and I'll make sure we're all ready to go in time." She said.

"Very well, you will have temporary command until going into the Sorcerer King's ranks." The military commander said with surprise.

"I'm glad that is settled." Ainz said, "Now, there is one more matter."

They looked uncertain.

"Alcohol." He said.

They looked very certain that they were very happy.

"I will have materials sent from Nazarick for an impromptu feast, I call it the feast of Lemuria, one I intend to make an annual event in peacetime when all is said and done, to celebrate a satisfying tour and seeing my subjects so prosperous and growing so strong." Ainz said. "If the word can be spread, and if you gather some servants to lay out tables and musicians to play, well I can be ready in short order." He said.

Gondo was clearly not the only dwarf who could move very quickly on short legs, and before long there were tables, chairs, musicians, and much more gathering in the main square, when Ainz opened a gate and undead servants began bringing out casks and casks of beer, bottle after bottle of wine, and countless varieties of food from fish to beef and numerous unrecognizable things, the dwarves were more eager than they could say. Within a few hours people were feasting, eating, and drinking, laughing, dancing, flirting, and otherwise enjoying themselves. The stern countenance of the average dwarf, Ainz decided, had an almost childlike enthusiasm for laughter and enjoyment buried just beneath the surface and needing only an excuse to come out, it was one he was happy to offer, and the goods of Nazarick garnered abundant praise that would see the tavern owners flinch as the estimation of their quality of goods necessarily diminished by comparison.

Such was the course of events well into what must have been evening, when drunk and happy dwarves either staggered back home or fell where they were. Ainz could not help but laugh at the scene, so much so that when he stood up to speak to announce his departure, he could only be grateful that his face showed no expression, as it was, he could only keep it short to avoid laughing more.

"Good dwarves, you have done great work, you have made your city something to be proud of, so I toast to your future, and I look forward to making this toast for ten thousand generations more, at the Feast of Lemuria that I host with your descendants yet to come, and I shall tell them this...that their ancestors knew very well how to have a good time!" He began the last sentence in an almost whispered conspiratorial voice, but finished it with a loud flourish and a raised mug that drew many more raised in return and many more loud cheers.

Ainz lowered his mug, regretting that he could not enjoy drinking as he used to, and he turned to Himiline. "It was a pleasure to meet you." Ainz said, and she bowed deeply, "Now my time is up, I have other places to be, but I will see you again I'm sure, so until then, good luck." He said, and created his gate, and then stepped through it, with Leinas following right behind him.

She looked around, and found herself in darkness.

"Ahhh, E-Rantel." Ainz said as he stretched out in a way Leians was sure that no normal undead would ever do, holding his arms out and leaning backwards so that his head tilted up to look at the sky, "Night time though, I suppose we can find an inn for the night, and begin tomorrow. But how I do love the stars, like jewels that decorate this world."