Aura had been racking her brain ever since their master sent them out.
He’d suggested playing with the dark elf children to learn about dark elf culture. But she had her doubts about that.
It wasn’t like children knew nothing of their culture or were completely ignorant creatures, but learning through them seemed inefficient. Learning from the adults would give them a far better idea of how the dark elves in this forest thought. If they didn’t know the truth, learning about a subject from children was inherently risky.
It’s certainly very childlike to get things wrong, so maybe that’s the goal here? As children, we’re allowed to make mistakes?
Maybe she was overthinking it. But she remembered what Albedo had said before she left—to never stop thinking.
Aura and Mare were the only ones accompanying their liege. That meant they had to think everything through and avoid doing anything that would embarrass the guardians.
She wrapped her hand around the acorn necklace, using its power to talk to Mare. He responded right away.
Aura filled him in on her current thoughts and doubts.
“Mm, I agree.”
Mare did not grip his necklace. That gesture was required only by the person initiating contact—the one who activated the item. The recipient could answer without doing anything special.
“…There’s more to this playing games than learning about their culture. But what? He said we had to stay friendly here—is this part of that? Does playing with the children make us look friendly?”
“That might be part of it, but…hmm… Oh, are we recruiting the children?”
“No way. The grown-ups would be way more useful. They’ve been bugging me, but several of them seem easy enough to bring over.”
The point of this was growing still more obscure.
“Then does Lord Ainz have some plan to use these children?” Mare asked.
Aura looked up at the kids ahead.
Weak and frail, no real status. She couldn’t see what benefit there could be.
“Use them how? As hostages?”
“I can’t rule that out, but I doubt it somehow.”
“Children…children…using them to gather info?”
“Hmm. But how much do kids really know?”
“Good point…”
It was hard to imagine they’d have any secrets that really mattered. Or had their master analyzed things from every angle and discovered these children possessed some kind of vital information?
“Also, all you’re doing is shooting down my ideas. Don’t you have anything of your own?”
“Um…” Mare paused for a beat. “Oh! Is he thinking about taking these children to E-Rantel?”
“Oh. That could be it, but even then, adults would be better.”
“Children’s ideas aren’t set in stone, so it could be easier for them to adjust…or maybe it’s not just the kids but the whole village?”
“Aha. But if it was all the villagers, I don’t see the point in playing with the kids or getting closer to them.”
Even if Mare’s idea was on the money, it would be better to take the adults under their wings. If the kids were especially opinionated, that might make sense, but she’d been here three days and seen no signs of that.
She just couldn’t find any particular value to them.
“Then I guess it must be acting friendly to extract intel,” Mare said.
“I guess so… Nothing else makes sense. At least, not that I can think of. Maybe children would let something slip the adults are all keeping under wraps? Mm! Ainz really values information, so that does sound like something he’d think. We’ll just have to keep the conversation going.”
“Good luck!”
“You’d better help! You can talk easily enough when it’s just us. This’ll be good practice!”
“We’re using the necklace…”
The children ahead stopped.
They were inside the village, but there were no signs of any toys around. Aura had seen enough of the village to know no such thing existed.
She quickly corrected that impression.
The children here might make their toys from trees as needed.
Her ranger senses told her there was only one adult watching.
“Oh, him. He’s watching me again.”
“Who?”
“Don’t look. On our seven. Best hunter here. He’s been staring at me from time to time since I showed up. Never comes close.”
“He suspects something but doesn’t have proof, so he’s monitoring what you do?”
“Seems likely. Best make sure you don’t do anything to rouse his suspicions. We’ll have to report that to Lord Ainz later.”
Aura carefully ignored the man.
Did he actually think she hadn’t noticed him? Or did he want her to notice? Was the message that he was watching her every move?
As obnoxious as that was, she couldn’t just kill him. She needed her master’s permission to do that and would have to arrange the death so it looked like the ankyloursus or some other beast got him—ensuring she had an alibi.
She was a beast tamer, though, meaning this wasn’t a real challenge.
“…So what are we doing here?”
“Okay!” the biggest boy yelled. “We’re playing house.”
It almost seemed like he thought if he said it loud enough, they’d agree.
House?
Aura was at least aware of the concept.
A type of role-playing. I remember Lady BubblingTeapot grumbling about Lord Peroroncino saying, I wanna be a baby! Someone be a mommy and pat my head! Is that what this is?
Aura pictured herself patting Shalltear’s head.
Hmm, could be right. Am I doing that or are they?
Being a mom was one thing, but being the baby would be unbearable. She was a floor guardian, made by one of the Supreme Beings—it would be rude to Lady BubblingTeapot to role-play a baby.
When she told them about Lord Peroroncino, Lady Yamaiko and Lady Ankoro Mocchi Mochi both laughed. But I still bet it would make Lady BubblingTeapot mad.
It was easy enough to say she didn’t want to. But—if they needed good info and to loosen up their lips, playing along seemed like a good idea. That was how these things worked. Everyone liked having their suggestions accepted. And playing the same game brought people together.
But what would happen if she refused?
They’d ask what she wanted to play, and Aura didn’t have many ideas there.
There were things she could suggest. Racing, climbing, play fighting. But the ability gap was so high, the outcome of all those games was clear as day. There weren’t any kids around who could match the two of them—especially Mare—in any physical activity.
It wouldn’t be fun when it was obvious how everything would end. If they wanted to keep these kids happy, they could intentionally lose. But Aura had already driven off the ursus lord—officially, anyway—and everyone knew it. If someone that strong lost a race, the children would all know she was just humoring them. If that was all it took to please them, these children were something else.
The only other option was to not play at all, and that wasn’t on the table.
Their absolute ruler had told them to go play.
In which case…
“A-Aura, i-is this…?”
He looked very concerned. Likely remembering the same thing she had and reaching the same conclusions.
She flashed her best and brightest smile.
“Our toughest assignment yet, Mare!”