This was the last morning before the Kengan Annihilation Tournant began. Ren looked over at Ichihara Yuko, who was keeping him company in the shop today, and let out a soft sigh. "Yuko, you've been staring for half an hour. What, exactly, are you looking at?"
Sprawled languidly across the table, Yuko propped her chin on her hand. "Ren," she purred, her voice lazy. "You've been acting strange ever since you said goodbye to Yggdrasil. Care to tell your humble Servant what's on your mind? I can grant wishes, you know."
Ren took a seat beside her, lifting a cup of black tea to his lips. "Yuko, even your wishes are granted by ," he said gently. "So let's just forget about you granting mine. Just mind the shop, and I'll keep making your dreams co true. Besides, this isn't sothing a Servant should be asking."
Yuko sighed dramatically. "You're really good at talking your way around things. If it's not sothing a Servant should ask, then what about a family mber showing concern for the head of the household?"
A small smile touched Ren's lips. He reached out and lightly flicked her forehead. "In that case, the head of the household is telling you not to ask."
"Yes, sir," Yuko mumbled, rubbing the spot.
Ren set his teacup down, the delicate porcelain making a soft click against the saucer. He closed his eyes, allowing his mind to drift back to that day—the second most sorrowful event he had experienced in a long ti. The first had been Clow Reed's death. The second was the shutdown of Yggdrasil, just a few days ago.
On the day the servers were scheduled to close, Ren had logged into the ga and remained in his room for the entire day. Even Kirari, who never missed a day of fitness training, had left him to his solitude. It was Yuko who had gone to check on him instead.
When Ren first materialized in the ga world, he was montarily stunned. An unmatched number of players had logged on for the final day. The starting area was so crowded he could barely make out individual avatars through the sea of bodies.
He paid it little mind, however, and made his way directly to the Great Tomb of Nazarick, the headquarters of the Ainz Ooal Gown guild. It seed Suzuki Satoru knew he would co; his friend was waiting for him alone in the grand throne room.
"Ren," Suzuki Satoru said softly as he approached. "I knew you'd be here. I've been waiting for two hours."
Ren paused, taken aback for a second, before simply nodding, unsure of what to say.
Suzuki Satoru's skeletal avatar seed to regard him with a knowing gaze. "Well, since you're here, I won't keep you. Albedo is waiting. I know you'd rather go to her yourself than just summon her, the way you always have, so..."
"Momonga," Ren interjected gently. "You waited two hours. You must be getting impatient yourself. You haven't done your dailies yet, have you?"
"I told you to call ... ah, never mind," Momonga sighed, the sound a low rumble. "You're right. I'll be going, then."
As the guild master turned to leave, Ren called out softly, "Momonga."
His friend paused.
"Have fun gaming."
A short, dry chuckle escaped the Overlord. "Heh... You too, Ren. Have fun gaming."
And then he was alone in the vast, silent hall. Ren's gaze swept across the ornate chamber before he turned and walked silently toward a room that resembled a grand conference hall. He had only visited the guild headquarters a handful of tis, and he didn't even know most of the mbers, but a few nas were etched clearly in his mory.
Peroroncino, for example. Initially, the other guild mbers had been baffled as to why Momonga had assigned Albedo, a top-tier NPC, to a player like Ren, who had absolutely zero combat focus and treated the sprawling world of Yggdrasil as little more than a sightseeing tour.
But as they got to know him, they ward up to the arrangent. Peroroncino's evaluation of Ren had beco sothing of a classic inside joke: "The guy is basically a beast tar. He can make so many different species live together in harmony. Momonga says he's handso in real life and his cooking is incredible. Honestly, just hearing about it is enough to make you swoon. The guy's just too perfect!"
When Ren had heard that, he had imdiately taken Albedo out to fight slis. The low-level monsters barely hit hard enough to scratch him, which ant he could make the "battle" last longer. Albedo, however, would invariably eliminate them all in a single, efficient strike before resuming her position behind him, her beautiful face a perfect, unreadable mask.
Ren pushed open the heavy, ornate doors and stepped into the great hall where she waited. He saw her figure standing quietly in the center of the room and began to walk slowly toward her. As if guided by her advanced AI, Albedo turned to face him, her expression as impassive as ever.
He reached out, his hand stopping just shy of her cheek, a faint shimr marking the boundary of the ga's player-protection chanism. A wistful smile touched his lips. "It would be quite interesting if you smiled, Albedo. Co on, let's go. How about a trip to the Whispering Plains?"
Being an NPC, Albedo showed no reaction, but as Ren turned to leave, she followed with the silent, elegant grace that was her signature. This was their daily routine.
The guild's assessnt of him was largely correct. He was lucky to have Albedo. Without her, his character would have been fard for experience points in so high-level dungeon long ago. Ren never looked at a map, never read a strategy guide. He just ran, Albedo in tow, treating the ga as a pure journey of discovery. All matters of safety were left to her. He would fight, of course, but there were tis when he simply couldn't win.
More, Ren had a strange knack for finding places that weren't on any official map, like the Whispering Plains. He had even discovered a large patch of extrely rare herbs there, perfect for alchemy. Momonga and the others had been left speechless at the ti; the two of them were playing a completely different ga, one of pure exploration.
With Albedo silently ensuring his safety, Ren led her on wanderings that spanned the entire ga world. In truth, he was never in any real danger. Many of the guild mbers, having no use for lower-level life-saving items, would often gift them to him. As a result, Ren was probably the hardest player to kill within his level range.
A crystalline shattering sound echoed through the air as every monster surrounding them collapsed into motes of light. Ren was used to it by now. He turned his head to look at his silent guardian. "Alright, then," he said softly. "One last stop... Sunset Valley, shall we?"
Gazing out at the stunning valley before him, Ren let out a long, slow breath. This was the first unlisted map he had ever found after Albedo was assigned to him. He had never told another soul about this place; it was their secret.
Across from the cliff where they stood, the vast ocean stretched to the horizon, its surface shimring like liquid gold under the setting sun. Standing at the peak of the lush, green valley, Ren finally turned to face Albedo.
"Albedo... thank you for all your hard work," he said, his voice gentle. "Even now, at the very end, you're still the one protecting ."
Her expression remained unchanged. Ren turned his gaze back to the sea, a sad smile on his face. "If there were enough ti, I really would have liked to complete that goal of finding every unlisted map in the ga. But... that's impossible now. So, Albedo... I... have to go first."
He paused, the silence broken only by the distant sound of waves.
"But I will never forget you. For the last ti... Albedo, please, guard this place we discovered together until the very end. Farewell, Albedo."
With those final words, Ren opened his nu and logged out of the ga.
He never knew what happened in the instant he disappeared.
A soft breeze rustled through the valley, stirring the strands of Albedo's jet-black hair. Then, her fingers twitched. Her eyelids fluttered, and she blinked, her erald eyes suddenly filled with a light that had never been there before. Slowly, shakily, she raised a hand to her face.
Had Ren witnessed it, he would have been frozen in disbelief. The impassive NPC, Albedo, was crying. She pressed both hands to her face as a choked sob escaped her lips.
"Ma... Master!"
She quickly composed herself, wiping the tears from her cheeks. Her gaze fell upon the beautiful scenery, the sunset her Master had loved so much, and a fragile smile graced her lips. "Master surely wouldn't want to see Albedo like this... Master wants to see Albedo smile... Then Albedo will smile. I'll keep smiling..."
Her expression hardened with a sudden, fierce resolve.
"Master... Albedo will be waiting for your return! Until then, I swear I will not let a single soul take one step into this valley!"
Her head snapped up. "Hm? A summons..."
Her eyes widened in a brief flash of panic.
"Master! Please forgive Albedo for this montary dereliction of duty..."
Her form began to glow with the light of a teleportation spell.
"Albedo will definitely return... I must protect this place... When Master returns, I will smile for him again. Farewell for now, Master."
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