It was a pretty good plan.
Momonga could not help but congratulate himself. Had he ever been so cool and calculating in the past? However, there was nobody here who could answer Momonga's question.
He cast aside the doubts in his mind, and focused on using the magic of YGGDRASIL.
There were over six thousand spells in the ga, from Tier One to Tier Ten, as well as Super Tier magic. These spells were divided among various types and schools, and Momonga could use seven hundred eighteen of them. A normal level one hundred player would only be able to use three hundred of them, so Momonga was an exceptional case.
Momonga had morized almost all of these spells, and he considered which one to use now.
To begin with, because the restriction on friendly fire had been lifted, he needed to know how the effective radius of a spell would show itself.
Therefore, he decided against a single target spell, but picked an area effect spell. Next, considering his target was a strawman, he should—
In YGGDRASIL, he could cast a spell by tapping its respective icon. However, there were no icons for him to touch. Therefore, there had to be so other way.
He was not sure, but he had a faint idea of how to use his magic.
It was a power hidden within him. Just like how he had deactivated his negative touch, Momonga focused within himself. An icon appeared, as though floating in mid-air—
And Ainz smiled in delight.
He was fully aware of information like the spell's effective radius, its recast delay, and so on. Knowing this information, being sure of his power filled him with a surging excitent and warm satisfaction. Unlike in YGGDRASIL, he felt that the magic was part of him. This was a satisfaction he could never have experienced in YGGDRASIL.
He channelled the jubilation in his heart — although his mood cald quickly, he could still feel joy and excitent — into his fingertip, and spoke the words:
"「Fireball」."
An expanding globe of fla shot out from the finger pointing at the strawman.
The fireball struck the strawman unerringly, as he had predicted. It burst, releasing a wave of scorching fla that blew the strawman away. The inner part of the fireball exploded, turning the strawman and the surrounding area into a sea of fire.
All this happened in an instant. Then, besides the blackened strawman, there was nothing left.
"Fufufufu..."
Aura and Mare watched Momonga snicker, clueless as to what was going on.
"—Aura, set up another strawman."
"Ah, yes, at once! Hurry up and do it!"
One of the Dragonkin picked up another strawman, and placed it beside the burned one.
Momonga paced around the strawman, before casting a spell on it:
"「Napalm」."
A column of fla appeared beside the strawman, engulfing it in fire. Momonga paused a beat, then cast another spell on the remnants of the strawman:
"「Fireball」."
The fireball struck the remains of the strawman, scattering its ashes in a puff of smoke.
The recast ti between spells was the sa as in YGGDRASIL. The actual process of casting was faster than in YGGDRASIL. Previously, in order to cast an area effect spell, he would need to choose the spell, then move the area effect cursor over the desired area. The process now was quicker than that.
"Perfect," Momonga said, his voice filled with the sa satisfaction he felt in his heart.
"Momonga-sama, should I prepare more strawn?"
Aura still did not understand. She was already aware that Momonga was a mighty magic caster, so she did not feel the show before her was anything special.
However, that was the impression Momonga wanted to give them, and from the look on the twin's faces, it would seem he had succeeded.
"...No, there is no need. I wish to try sothing else."
After rejecting Aura's suggestion, Momonga began his next experint.
"「ssage」."
The first party he tried to contact was a GM. In YGGDRASIL, when one used the 「ssage」 spell, as long as the other party was within the ga, one would hear a call tone. Otherwise, there would be no sound, and the spell would imdiately terminate.
What happened now was sowhere between both of those. It felt like sothing was constantly reaching out, as though looking for sothing to connect to. This was the first ti Momonga had experienced sothing like this and it was difficult to describe.
This feeling continued for a while, and in the end, after failing to connect, the 「ssage」 spell ended.
A profound sense of disappointnt flooded through him.
Momonga tried casting the sa spell again. This ti, he did not choose a GM.
This ti, he picked one of his comrades from the past — a mber of Ainz Ooal Gown.
He cast the spell, though his heart was filled with one part of hope and ninety nine parts of resignation. As expected, there was no response. He tried to contact the forty, no, forty one mbers of the Guild with a 「ssage」, but after receiving no reply, Momonga gently shook his head.
In truth, he had expected this outco and had resigned himself to it, but actually being confronted by that fact filled him with an incomparable feeling of despair.
In the end, Momonga decided to contact Sebas.
—It got through.
This proved that the 「ssage」 spell was working, and that most likely, it could only contact people within this new world.
"Momonga-sama."
A voice of deepest respect echoed through his mind. Momonga considered that Sebas might have been bowing to him on the other side of the 「ssage」, like in real-life companies.
Just then, Sebas spoke again, as Momonga fell silent from thinking about these ridiculous things.
"...May I ask if sothing is wrong?"
"Ah, ahhh, forgive . I spaced out there. That's right, how are the surroundings like?"
"Yes. We are surrounded by plains, with no intelligent creatures in sight."
"A plain... not a swamp?"
The Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick should have been bordered by a swamp that was inhabited by frog-like demihumans called Tuvegs. The swamp was shrouded in mist, and it was poisonous.
"Yes. There are only plains around us."
Momonga could not help but smile.
All this was too much...
"In other words, the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick has been wholly transported to a different place? ...Sebas, is there anything floating in the sky, or did anything like a ssage appear?"
"No, there is nothing like that. The heavens are as boundless as the Sixth Floor's night sky."
"What!? Did you say night sky?... Is there anything suspicious around you?"
"No... I have not seen anything unusual. Besides the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick, there are no other man-made structures in sight."
"Is that so... is that so..."
What should he say? All Momonga could do was grab his head and try to think. But in his heart, he knew that this was most likely the case.
Sebas's silence was a subtle hint that he was awaiting orders. Momonga glanced at the strap on his left wrist. In another twenty minutes, the other Guardians would arrive. If that was the case, there was only one order he could give.
"Return in twenty minutes. When you co back to Nazarick, head to the Colosseum. All the Guardians will be coming, so when you arrive, I hope you will tell them about what you saw.
"Understood."
"Then, gather as much information as you can before you return."
After hearing Sebas's acknowledgent, Momonga terminated the 「ssage」 spell.
Just as Momonga was about to sigh in relief that everything was over, he rembered the expectant looks on the twin's faces.
He had already told them he was going to verify the Staff's power, so he had to let them see it. Momonga grasped the Staff, and pondered which fraction of its might he should reveal.
The numberless powers within the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown seed to be begging Momonga to unleash them.
Right now, he needed a flashy spell.
"「Summon Primal Fire Elental」."
In accordance with Momonga's will, the Orb of Fire grasped within one of the Staff's snake mouths pulsed with puissance. Momonga could feel the movent of a mighty, invisible power and thrust the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown forth. A vast ball of light blood from the tip of the Staff, and a vortex of roaring fla spilled forth from that globe of radiance.
The fires spun faster and faster, until the tornado of fla reached a width of four ters and a height of six ters.
The crimson inferno threw off gusts of scorching air in all directions.
From the corner of his eye, he could see the Dragonkin protecting Aura and Mare with their vast bodies. The searing winds made his cape flap violently. So intense was the heat that it would not have been unusual for a normal person to be burned by them, but Momonga had acquired a complete immunity to fire damage in order to negate one of the weaknesses of the undead, so it had no effect on him at all.
Soon, the vast cyclone of fire, swallowing the surrounding air as it burned hot enough to lt tal, began to flicker and shudder as it took a humanoid form.
Primal Fire Elentals could be said to be among the highest ranking among all elental monsters. They were over level eighty five. Just like he had with the Moonlight Wolves, Momonga felt a mysterious connection to the Primal Fire Elental.
"Uwah..."
Aura was watching it intently as she made noises of surprise.
As she looked upon the top tier elental, sothing that even her summoning powers would not be able to bring forth, Aura's face bore a look of excited admiration, like a child who had just received a dearly beloved present.
"...Do you want to fight it?"
"Eh?"
"Ehhhhh?"
After a mont of hesitation, Aura grinned innocently. Compared to a normal child's smile, hers was a little — no — the truth was that it was quite scary. In contrast, Mare's smile from the side seed more like that of a child.
"Can I?"
"Don't worry. It'll be fine even if you defeat it."
Momonga shrugged to indicate that it was all right. The Staff could summon one Primal Fire Elental a day. In other words, the Staff could summon another such being after one day had passed. As such, defeating it would not be a great loss.
"Ah, I suddenly rembered that I had sothing urgent to do..."
"Mare."
A hand reached out and firmly grasped Mare's arm, not allowing him to escape. His sister had no intention of fleeing. Aura's smile stopped Mare in his tracks. Perhaps to Momonga it might have been a cute girl's smile, but to the other person present, who looked almost the sa as Aura, it was anything but cute, and Mare's face froze solid as he looked on it.
She dragged Mare in front of the Primal Fire Elental. Mare's eyes looked around, and he looked desperately to Momonga for help.
In response to his hopeful smile that blossod delicately on his face, Momonga simply clapped.
The flower of hope promptly wilted.
"All right, try your best, you two. Don't bla if you get hurt."
"Kay~"
Aura responded energetically, in contrast with Mare's nearly inaudible and despondent reply. Momonga felt that as long as Mare was around, neither of them would get hurt. Thus, by the power of the connection between himself and his summoned creature, he ordered the Primal Fire Elental to attack the twins.
As the conflagration that was the Primal Fire Elental approached them, the twins t its attack with Aura as the frontliner while Mare was the rear guard.
Aura slashed at the Primal Fire Elental, holding her whip in both her hands, while Mare used magic to deal damage.
"Well, it seems it'll be an easy fight."
Momonga's eyes left the one-sided battle taking place before him and began to ponder the other things he needed to investigate.
He had already finished verifying that he could use and activate his spells and equipped magic items. Thus, the next things he had to check on were his other items. Scrolls, wands, and rods were particularly important. All of them were magic items that could produce a spell-like effect. Scrolls were one-use expendables, while rods and wands had charges, which they consud to produce their effects.
Momonga possessed many magic items. He was a hoarder by nature and did not like using expendable items because he felt it was a waste, to the point where he did not even feel like using high-end recovery items when he encountered a boss. This went beyond re prudence to miserliness, which was why his stock of items was so great.
In YGGDRASIL, all of these were stored in his personal inventory. Then, in this world, where had his inventory and all its contents gone?
Momonga recalled how he had opened his inventory in the past, and reached his hand into the air as though searching for sothing. It felt as though he was reaching his hand past the surface of a lake, and an observer would think that Momonga's hand and part of his arm had vanished into nothingness.
Then, like he was opening a window, Momonga swept his hand to one side. A hole appeared out of nowhere, and within it were many beautifully-crafted magic staves. It was exactly like the inventory in YGGDRASIL.
He moved his hand in a scrolling motion. In the space revealed, one could see all manner of scrolls, wands, weapons, armor, costic items, gems, potions, other consumables... the sheer number of magic items in there was awe-inspiring.
Thus relieved, Momonga could not help but laugh.
If this were the case, Momonga felt that he could guarantee his own safety even if everyone in the Tomb set themselves against him.
As he absently watched Aura and Mare's intense battle, Momonga considered the things he had learned so far.
Were the NPCs he t programs?
No, their sapience was such that they were indistinguishable from human beings. Programs could not show such complex emotions. He could assu that for so mysterious reason, they had ended up like human beings.
And what was this world?
He had no idea. Since he could use YGGDRASIL's magic here, it made sense to think of this place as being in YGGDRASIL, but after observing various discrepancies, it did not seem like he was in a ga. Was he in a ga, or a new world? The answer was probably one of those.
How should I deal with future events?
Momonga had already verified that he could use his abilities from YGGDRASIL. That being the case, if the data for the monsters and NPCs of the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick had carried over as well, he could be reasonably sure that they were not his enemies.
The thing was, if they were not data programs, but so other kind of being, then he would have to treat them differently. For the ti being, it would be best to display the attitude of a superior being and put on an act of stern majesty — provided he could pull it off.
In what direction should I proceed in the future?
He should search hard for clues. Although he was not sure what was going on with this world, for the ti being, Momonga was simply a clueless wayfarer. He had to take small steps and carefully gather information.
If this is another world, should I try to return to the real world?
There were doubts in his heart. If he had friends in the real world, then he should go back to it. If his parents were still alive, he would desperately find a way back to them. If he had family mbers to care for, or a girlfriend...
But he did not have anyone like that.
His life was an endless cycle of going to the office to work and returning ho to log onto YGGDRASIL, where he would prepare for his comrades to co back. But now, none of that waited for him. Then, was there any point at all in going back?
But if he could go back, then he should think of a way to get back. It was better to have more options, because the world outside might be a hellish one.
"What should I do..."
Momonga's quiet mumbling carried softly through the air.
***
The gigantic Primal Fire Elental vanished slowly, as though lting away into nothing. The blazing heat that it left in its wake began to cool off. As the Fire Elental disappeared, Momonga could feel the link he had to it fading away, like smoke on the wind.
The Primal Fire Elental possessed extraordinary attack power and stamina, but to Aura, who could ignore the damage of its area effect flas and could nimbly evade its blows, it was little more than a giant target.
Although Aura would still lose HP if she were attacked, Mare the druid would not permit that to occur. In fact, he had cast all sorts of buffs and debuffs to great effect during the battle.
The two of them played their roles as frontliner and rear guard perfectly, with flawless teamwork. At the sa ti, Momonga could feel the reality of this battle, completely unlike those he had fought in the ga.
"Spectacular... the two of you put on a good show."
The twins smiled happily as they heard Momonga's sincere praise.
"Thank you, Momonga-sama! It's been so ti since we had to work so hard!"
The two of them tried to wipe off their sweat, but right after they did, more of it beaded on their skin, rolling down their dark skin.
Momonga silently opened his inventory, and withdrew a magic item — a Pitcher of Endless Water.
In YGGDRASIL, there were statuses like hunger and thirst, but neither of those applied to the undead Momonga, so he had no use for items like those. At most, he used them on his mounts.
The glass pitcher was filled with water. Droplets of condensation imdiately ford on the surface of the glass; probably because the water inside was very cold.
Momonga then took out a pair of beautiful glasses, filled them with water from the Pitcher, and gave them to the twins.
"Aura, Mare, have a drink."
"Eh? But that's not good, right, Momonga-sama..."
"Y-Yes, I can make water with my magic too..."
Momonga smiled bitterly as he saw Aura waving her hand and Mare shaking his head.
"Think nothing of it. The two of you have always done well. Think of this as my thanks to you."
"Fuwa~"
"Fuee~"
Aura and Mare's ears turned red, and they shyly, nervously reached out to take the glasses.
"Th-Thank you, Momonga-sama!"
"To, to think you would pour water for us, Momonga-sama!"
Was this so delightful?
Aura, who had ceased her protests, took the glass in both hands and downed it in one gulp. Droplets of water escaped the corner of her mouth, down the smooth curves of her pulsing throat and into the jerkin covering her chest. Mare held his cup with both hands and slowly sipped from it. The differences between them were obvious even in the way they drank water.
Momonga touched his throat as he saw the two of them. It felt like there was a thin layer of skin around his neck bones.
To date, this body of his had not felt thirst, so it did not bother him. Although he was well aware that the dead would not feel this way, he could not help but think this was all a joke once he realized that he was no longer human.
Momonga continued touching himself. He had no skin, muscles, blood vessels, nerves, or internal organs. His body was nothing but bones. He vaguely understood it in his heart, but it felt so unreal that he could not help exploring his body with his fingers.
His sense of touch seed duller from when he was a human being, as though there was a thin layer of cloth between his fingers and whatever he was touching. In contrast, his vision, hearing and other senses were sharper than before.
One might expect a body composed solely of bones to be easily broken, but each bone felt stronger than steel when he touched them.
At the sa ti, he felt a strange sense of completion and satisfaction, that this was his real body, despite it being completely different from his old one. Perhaps it was because of this feeling that he was not afraid, despite his transfiguration into a set of white bones.
"Do you want more?"
Momonga raised the Pitcher as he asked the twins, who had finished their water.
"Er, thanks! I've drunk enough!"
"Is that so? Then, Mare, do you want so more?"
"Eep! Er, er, I, I've also had enough. I, I don't feel thirsty any more."
Momonga nodded as he took back the glasses, before returning them all into his pocket space.
Aura suddenly whispered, "I thought Momonga-sama would be scarier than this."
"Oh? Really? Well, if you feel that way..."
"Now is good! It's the best!"
"Then we'll leave it at that."
Momonga was taken sowhat aback by Aura's passionate answer.
"Mo-Momonga-sama, are we the only ones that you're nice to...?"
Momonga was unsure how to answer Aura's muttered question. Instead, he patted her lightly on the head.
"Ehehehe."
Aura looked like a puppy that had just seen sothing she liked, while Mare had a jealous look on his face. Just then, a voice rang out:
"Oya, am I the first to arrive?"
The tone was archaic and formal, but the voice itself sounded like it belonged to a young person. A shadow ford over the ground, and then the shadow turned into what looked like a door, from which a person erged.
She wore a black ball gown which looked soft to the touch. Her skirt was puffed up into a voluminous bell shape. On top of that was a bolero edged with frills, lace, and ribbons, as well as a pair of long silk gloves. Together, they covered up most of her skin.
Her skin was as pale as wax, and her looks could only be described as stunningly beautiful. Her long silver hair was tied up into a ponytail that descended from one side of her head, exposing her face. Her deep red pupils were filled with a seductive look of delight.
She looked to be fourteen years old, or younger, and her innocent, youthful appearance combined the qualities of cuteness and beauty into a single whole. However, her breasts bulged proudly forward in a decidedly unchildlike manner.
"...Weren't you told not to frivolously use 「Gate」 in Nazarick? We are warded against teleportation, after all. You should be able to walk here, so shouldn't you have co on foot, Shalltear?"
The annoyed voice ca from beside Momonga. There was no trace of its previous puppy-like obedience in those cold words, only a burning hostility.
Mare was trembling by the side, and he slowly edged himself away from his sister. In truth, the speed at which the leopard called Aura had changed its spots startled Momonga as well.
The girl who had co here via the highest tier of teleportation magic was called Shalltear. She did not even bother looking at Aura, who was scowling at her. Instead, she swiftly advanced before Momonga.
The bewitching scent of so kind of perfu hung around her.
"...Sothing stinks," Aura spat. Then, she followed up with, "Don't tell you started rotting because you're undead?"
Perhaps she saw Momonga reflexively raising his hand to sniff himself, but Shalltear furrowed her brows unhappily and replied:
"...Is that not quite distasteful? Momonga-sama is undead as well."
"Hah? What nonsense are you talking, Shalltear? Momonga-sama is no re undead being. He's more like a super undead, or a godly undead."
Momonga was sowhat baffled as he heard Shalltear and Mare going "Ah," and "Mm," respectively. The fact was that in YGGDRASIL, he considered himself to be an ordinary undead creature... which was what Momonga thought as he rounded his shoulders.
In any case, there were no such things as super or godly undead.
"But, but Nee-chan, maybe you shouldn't have said that..."
"Is, is that so? All right, then, ah, take two, then. Ahem... Don't tell you started rotting because you're a walking corpse."
"That... er, well, that seems okay, sort of."
After agreeing with Aura's take two, Shalltear placed her slender hands on the sides of Momonga's head, as though to embrace it.
"Ah, my master, my beloved master, the only one whom I cannot rule over..."
Her carmine lips parted, revealing a moist, slick tongue. The tongue moved like a living creature as Shalltear lovingly licked her lips. Her fragrant breath wafted out from her open mouth.
Although she was perfectly suited for the role of an alluring seductress in all other ways, she was far too young for it. The discrepancy between her expectations and reality was laughable. In addition, she was far too short. When she reached her hands out to hug Momonga, it looked like she wanted to hang from his neck instead.
However, this was too much affection for Momonga, who was not used to girls. He wanted to take a step back, but in the end he decided to stand his ground.
Is that how she really is? That thought echoed endlessly in his head. However, when Momonga thought about the fact that she had been designed by his comrade Peroroncino, he mused that she might have been designed with such a personality. After all, Peroroncino loved H-gas and proudly declared that they were his life.
Shalltear Bloodfallen was made by such a rotten individual.
She was a "True Vampire", the Guardian of the First to Third Floors of the Great Tomb of Nazarick.
At the sa ti, she was a girl created by an H-ga aficionado and her character design was filled with nods to various H-gas.
"...That's enough out of you..."
Shalltear reacted to the low growl for the first ti. In a mocking tone, she told Aura, "Ara, are you still here, shorty? I couldn't see you, so I thought you were gone."
Momonga did not wish to add to what Shalltear had just said.
Aura's face was twitching uncontrollably, and then Shalltear ignored her and said to Mare, "It must be pretty tough for you, having to deal with a weirdo sister like that. You'd best leave her soon, lest you beco a weirdo like her."
Mare's face blanched instantly, because he knew Shalltear wanted to use him to start a fight.
However, Aura simply smiled. And then—
"Shut up, fake tits."
— She dropped a bombshell.
"...What the hell are you talking about—!?"
Ah, her character's broken down, Momonga muttered under his breath.
Now that Shalltear's true nature had been revealed, she dropped the cultured act.
"Hmph, it's so obvious — damn, that is one weird chest, how many pads did you stuff in there?"
"Uwah—uwah—"
Shalltear was waving her hands in panic, as though she could disperse Aura's words with them, while she had a suitably childish expression on her face. On the other hand, Aura grinned evilly.
"You packed so much in there... I bet it shifts when you run, right?"
"Kuhii!"
Shalltear made a strange noise as an extended finger poked her.
"I was right, wasn't I? Kukuku! Where have they gone—!? So that's why you didn't run, even though you were worried, and instead you used a 「Gate」—"
"Shut up, shorty! It's not like you have anything of your own! At least I... no, I've got a lot more to show off!"
Aura simply grinned in the face of Shalltear's desperate counterattack. A shocked Shalltear stumbled back, and reflexively covered up her chest. It was a sorry sight.
"...I'm only seventy six, and I've got lots more ti to grow, unlike an undead with no future like you. Ah, how sad — you will never grow again~"
Shalltear moaned in frustration and took another step back. There was a desperate, harried look on her face, which only made Aura smile in a frightening manner.
"To think you're actually happy with that bust of yours — hmph!"
Momonga imagined he could hear Shalltear snapping.
"You shitty brat—! It's too late to regret your words now—!"
Roiling black mist boiled off Shalltear's hands. Aura readied her whip in anticipation. Momonga and Mare, watching from the side, were at a loss for words.
The scene before Momonga's eyes was vaguely familiar, and he wondered if he should stop them.
Peroroncino-san, who designed Shalltear, and Bukubukuchagama-san, who designed Aura and Mare, were younger brother and elder sister, and at tis they would argue in a friendly manner, like what was happening now.
Momonga recalled the forms of his forr comrades as he stood behind the quarrelling pair.
"What. A. Ruckus."
The inhuman voice ca just as Momonga was reminiscing about the past. The strange, monotonous voice finally silenced the two of them.
As he turned to look at the voice's origin, he saw a heteromorphic being shrouded in chilled air.
It stood two and a half ters tall, and resembled a bipedal insect. It looked like so fiend had lded a praying mantis and an ant together. It had a tail that was twice as long as its body, and it was covered in sharp spikes which resembled icicles. Its powerful-looking mandibles looked like they could sever a man's arm in a single bite.
It grasped a platinum halberd in two of its hands, and in its other two hands were a masterfully-made mace wreathed in a black aura, and a gnarled-looking broadsword which did not look like it could be sheathed.
It was surrounded by a frightening aura of cold. Its exoskeleton was a dull blue color and sparkled like diamond dust. Protrusions which looked like icebergs bulged up from its back and shoulders.
He was the Guardian of the Fifth Floor, the "Ruler of Glaciers", Cocytus.
The hilt of his halberd slamd into the arena floor, and the ground around it began to freeze.
"You. Stand. Before. A. Supre. Being. Contain. Yourself."
"This brat started it!"
"Actually—"
"Awawawa..."
Shalltear and Aura locked gazes, while Mare panicked from the side. Momonga could not hold it in any longer, and curtly addressed the two of them.
"...Shalltear, Aura. Playti is over."
The two of them shuddered in shock, then lowered their heads simultaneously.
"My sincerest apologies!" they said in unison.
Momonga magnanimously accepted their apologies with a nod. Then, he turned and said, "Cocytus, you've co."
"I. Ca. Imdiately. Upon. Receiving. Your. Summons. Momonga-sama."
The water in the air froze with a crackling sound as it made contact with the white vapor puffing out of Cocytus's mouth as he spoke. This cold was every bit as frigid as the Primal Fire Elental was hot. Anyone standing near him would suffer the effects of the lowered temperature, and they might even sustain frostbite. However, Momonga did not feel anything. The fact was that everyone here was resistant to fire, cold, and acid attacks, or had so way to deal with them.
"You must have been very free with no intruders around, no?"
"Indeed."
The clacking from his lower mandibles sounded like the threatening noises of a wasp. However, Momonga had the feeling that he was laughing.
"Even. So. There. Are. Still. Things. Which. Must. Be. Done. So. I. Was. Not. Free. At. All."
"Oh? Things that had to be done? What things were these, may I ask?"
"Training. In. Order. To. Be. Ready. To. Deploy. At. Any. Ti."
Although it was not too obvious from his appearance, Cocytus was designed to be the quintessential warrior, be it in personality or body. Therefore, from the perspective of a weapon user, his attacks were the strongest in the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick.
"You've done all this for . You've worked hard. My thanks."
"After. Hearing. Your. Praise. The. Task. Is. Not. As. Tiring. I. See. Demiurge. And. Albedo. Have. Arrived."
Momonga turned in the direction Cocytus was looking, at the entrance of the Colosseum, where he saw two figures enter. The one in front was Albedo, while a man followed behind her like a lackey. Once she got close enough, Albedo smiled to Momonga and bowed deeply.
The man bowed and said, "Forgive for keeping everyone waiting."
He was about one hundred eighty centiters tall, and his skin was darkened from the sun. His facial features looked to be Oriental, while his jet-black hair was neatly combed back. The eyes under his pince-nez glasses could not even be said to be narrowed. It was doubtful whether they were actually open at all.
He was dressed in a Western suit, with a matching tie. He gave the impression of being a professional businessman, or a skilled lawyer.
However, his gentlemanly appearance was hard-pressed to hide the evil air about him. A tail sheathed in silvery tal extended behind him, tipped by six sharp spikes. He was limned by flickering black flas.
This man was the "Creator of Blazing Inferno", Demiurge.
He was the Guardian of the Seventh Floor of the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick. This demon was designed to be the defense commander of the NPCs.
"It seems everyone is here."
"—Momonga-sama, there are two more people who have not yet arrived," said a resonant voice that seed to pour into one's heart.
Demiurge's words were empowered by a passive skill. This skill was called 「Command Mantra」, and it could instantly turn the weak-minded into puppets dancing on Demiurge's strings.
However, this skill had no effect on the people present. It was only useful on people below level forty, so to everyone here, it simply sounded good.
"No. Those two Guardians are only to be moved under special circumstances. Therefore, there is no need to call them over at the mont."
"I see."
"...My. Allies. Have. Not. Arrived. Yet."
Aura and Shalltear froze as they heard those words, and the smile froze on Albedo's face.
"...That, that fellow is just an Area Guardian in one of the floors which I... which we are in charge of."
"Y-Yes..."
Shalltear and Aura smiled stiffly, while Albedo nodded vigorously in agreent.
"...Kyouhukou, is it. Indeed, it would be good to inform the various Area Guardians. Then, let the Area Guardians like Guren and Grant know about it as well. I will leave that task to the various Floor Guardians."
There were two kinds of Guardians in the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick.
Floor Guardians, like the ones before Momonga at the mont, were responsible for one or more floors. Area Guardians were responsible for an individual area within a floor. Simply put, the Floor Guardians were in charge of the Area Guardians, who were in turn in charge of a specific domain. Since there were many of them, they were individually not very important. In Nazarick, the term Guardian usually referred to a Floor Guardian.
After the various Floor Guardians showed that they understood Momonga's orders, Albedo commanded:
"Then, everyone, let us pledge our loyalty to the Supre One."
All the Guardians nodded as one, and before Momonga could interrupt, they had lined up before him. Albedo stood at their head, while the other Guardians ford a line behind her. All the Guardians had solemn, respectful expressions. They showed no sign of playing around.
Shalltear, who stood on one end of the line, stepped forward:
"Shalltear Bloodfallen, Guardian of the First, Second and Third Floors, presents herself to the Master."
She went to one knee, one hand pressed against her chest, and bowed deeply. After that, Cocytus stepped forward and said:
"Cocytus. Guardian. Of. The. Fifth. Floor. Presents. Himself. To. The. Master."
Much like Shalltear had, he knelt before Momonga like a vassal before a lord. Then, it was the twin dark elves' turn:
"The Guardian of the Sixth Floor, Aura Bella Fiora, presents herself to the Master."
"Al-Also a Guardian of the Sixth Floor, Mare Bello Fiore, presents himself to the Master."
They knelt respectfully and lowered their heads to Momonga. Shalltear, Cocytus, Aura, and Mare all had different bodies and thus they should have each taken their steps forward differently. Yet, the way with which they knelt was identical, and they lined up neatly.
After that, Demiurge advanced in a dignified manner.
"The Guardian of the Seventh Floor, Demiurge, presents himself to the Master."
Following his crisp words, Demiurge went to one knee in a graceful descent, as though expressing his heart through his actions. Finally, Albedo stepped forward as well.
"The Guardian Overseer Albedo presents herself to the Master."
She smiled to Momonga, and knelt like the other Guardians. However, Albedo continued speaking in a high and clear voice as she delivered her report to Momonga.
"With the exception of the Fourth Floor Guardian Gargantua and the Eighth Floor Guardian Victim, all the Floor Guardians are gathered before you. Thus do we offer up our utmost loyalty to the Master."
Momonga could not speak as he looked at the six lowered heads before him. A strange pressure veiled the entire area, and perhaps only Momonga could bear the painful, crushing air.
—He did not know how to proceed.
He had never seen anything like this before in his life. In his confusion, Momonga accidentally activated a skill. A dreadful aura roiled out over the surroundings, and a halo of black radiance ford behind him.
Momonga had no ti to cancel the skill as he frantically racked his brains to recall a scene from movies or television which would tell him how to respond appropriately here.
"Raise your heads."
With a sha, everyone raised their heads. Their coordination was so immaculate that Momonga wondered if they had practiced that movent together.
"Then... first, I thank all of you for coming here."
"There is no need for thanks. We are all Momonga-sama's loyal subordinates. To us, Momonga-sama is our Supre Overlord."
None of the Guardians opposed her statent. As expected of the Guardian Overseer.
Momonga looked on the Guardians with a stern face, and he felt a choking sensation in his nonexistent throat. It was the weight of being a leader bearing down on him.
In addition, any orders he gave now would affect his relationship with them in the future. He could not help but hesitate as he contemplated the possibilities.
Would he lead the Great Tomb of Nazarick to destruction because of his decisions — the unease generated by that thought flooded his heart and mind.
"...Momonga-sama, it is only natural that you should have doubts about us. After all, our abilities must be miniscule in your reckoning."
Albedo removed the smile from her face, and continue in a respectful tone that was laced with a stern strength.
"However, if Momonga-sama gives the order, we — all the Guardians will accomplish any task set to us, no matter how difficult or arduous, with every fiber of our beings. We hereby swear that we will never allow the Forty One Supre Beings of Ainz Ooal Gown, our creators, to be disgraced by our actions."
"This we swear!"
The Floor Guardians chid in right after Albedo. Their voices were filled with power, and that adamant loyalty and determination would not be diminished by any number of foes. It was as though they were mocking Momonga's previous worries that the NPCs might betray him.
The darkness in his heart vanished like shadows in the morning sun. Momonga was moved to the bottom of his heart that the NPCs designed by the mbers of Ainz Ooal Gown were possessed by such excellence.
The golden radiance of the past still remained.
The embodint of everyone's hard work, their cunningly crafted creations, were still here. It filled him with joy.
Momonga smiled, although his skeletal face could not display any emotions. The points of crimson light in his eye sockets seed to shine exceptionally bright. His prior unease had was no longer existent, and he simply spoke the words expected of a guildmaster.
"Excellent. Guardians, I know that you will understand my aims and successfully carry out my commands. There may be so things which are difficult to understand, but I hope you will pay attention and listen. I believe the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick has been caught up in so kind of unknown situation."
The Guardians' faces were still stern, and there was no trace of surprise on them.
"Although I do not know what has caused this incident, the Great Tomb of Nazarick has been transported from its place in the swamps to a vast plain. Did anyone foresee the occurrence of this strange event?"
Albedo looked back at the Guardians, and after seeing the reply written on their face, she said:
"Regretfully, none of us have any idea of what is going on."
"Then, I have a question for the Floor Guardians. Have any of you discovered anything strange in your floors?"
After hearing this, each Floor Guardian responded:
"There are no abnormalities in the Seventh Floor."
"Sa with the Sixth Floor."
"I-It's as Nee-chan says."
"The. Fifth. Floor. Is. The. Sa."
"Nothing strange has been sighted in the First to Third Floors."
"—Momonga-sama, I shall investigate the Fourth and Eighth Floors right away."
"Then I will leave that matter to Albedo. However, you must be careful on the Eighth Floor. If an ergency situation occurs there, a situation may erge that you cannot deal with."
Albedo bowed her head deeply to indicate she understood, and then Shalltear said:
"Then, I shall handle matters on the surface."
"There is no need. Sebas is currently reconnoitering the surface."
Surprise flashed across the faces of Albedo and the other Guardians.
In the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick, there were four NPCs who were exponents of lee combat. Cocytus had the strongest attack power when using a weapon, Albedo had an impregnable defense when in her heavy armor, while Sebas in his true form was stronger than either of them in lee combat. And then was one more, who was superior to all of them.
There could be no other reason for the Guardians' surprise. Sebas, who could sweep away anyone before him in hand-to-hand combat, had been assigned to the simple task of reconnaissance. They could tell how seriously Momonga was taking this strange occurrence, and everyone was on their guard as a result.
"It's about ti for him to return."
Just then, Momonga saw Sebas jogging over to them, until he reached the Guardians genuflecting before Momonga and went to one knee as well.
"Momonga-sama, forgive my lateness."
"It's fine. Then, your report on the surrounding conditions."
Sebas raised his head and looked around at the Guardians kneeling beside him.
"...The situation is critical, so obviously the Floor Guardians need to know as well."
"Yes. To begin with, the terrain surrounding us for a kiloter in each direction is a plain. There are no signs of man-made structures. I spotted so small animals, but there were no humanoid or large creatures."
"Were those small animals monsters?"
"No, they were life forms which had no combat power."
"...I see. Then, were the plains you spoke of covered in frozen grass which would cut you as you passed them?"
"No, it was simple grass. There was nothing special about it."
"And you did not see any sky castles or similar buildings?"
"No, I did not. There was no sign of man-made illumination in the sky or on the land."
"I see, so there was only a starry sky... Thank you for your hard work, Sebas."
As he praised Sebas for his efforts, Momonga was sowhat disappointed because he had not obtained any useful information.
However, he was slowly realizing that he was no longer in the ga world of YGGDRASIL, although he did not understand why he could use YGGDRASIL's equipnt and use its spells.
He did not know why they had co here, but it would be wise to heighten Nazarick's combat readiness just in case. For all he knew, this might be soone else's territory, and he might be censured for having co here without permission. No, he would be lucky if that was all that happened.
"Guardians, increase the readiness of each floor by one level. We are unsure of what has happened, so do not act incautiously. If you encounter an intruder, do not slay them, but capture them alive at all costs. When you capture them, do as little harm to them as possible. I apologise for imposing such demands on all of you at a ti like this."
The Guardians voiced their acknowledgent and nodded in unison.
"Next, I would like to understand the administrative operations of the Tomb. Albedo, how is the exchange of security information between the Guardians of the various floors?"
In YGGDRASIL, the Guardians were simple NPCs, and they could only act according to their programs. There was no way the floors would exchange security information and monsters.
"Each Floor is administered by its respective Floor Guardian, but Demiurge is the overall defense commander, and everyone can share information with him."
Momonga was a bit surprised, but then he nodded in satisfaction.
"Excellent. Nazarick's defense commander, Demiurge. Guardian Overseer, Albedo. The two of you will be in charge of drawing up a more comprehensive administrative system for Nazarick."
"Understood. Will the plans for the managent system include the Eighth, Ninth and Tenth floors?"
"The Eighth Floor is managed by Victim, so it'll be fine. No, entry to the Eighth Floor is forbidden. I rescind the order I just gave to Albedo as well. In short, entry to the Eighth Floor will only be effected with my permission. I will undo the seal and permit direct access from the Seventh Floor to the Ninth Floor. After that, plan for the Ninth and Tenth Floor as one whole."
"Is, is that your will?"
Albedo seed quite surprised. Behind her, Demiurge's eyes went wide, revealing his thoughts on the matter.
"Will the underlings be allowed to tramp through the domain of the Supre Beings? Must they be given that much freedom?"
The underlings in question were not the NPCs and monsters designed by the mbers of Ainz Ooal Gown, but the automatically spawned (pop) monsters from the dungeon. The fact was that the Ninth and Tenth Floor lacked such monsters, barring very rare exceptions.
Momonga muttered to himself.
Albedo seed to regard that place as a holy sanctuary, but that was not the case.
The reason why there were no pop monsters on the Ninth Floor was simply because if any intruders could overco the NPC defenders of the Eighth Floor, the most powerful beings in the Tomb, then Ainz Ooal Gown's chances of victory would be slim. Thus, it would be better to play the role of a villain to the hilt, and et the invaders in the throne room for a final showdown.
"...It will be fine. Because it's an ergency, we need extra hands for security."
"Understood. I shall select only the finest and most potent troops for this duty."
Momonga nodded, and looked toward the twins.
"Aura and Mare... can you conceal the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick? Simple illusions don't seem very reliable, and thinking about the cost of illusions gives a headache."
Aura and Mare looked at each other and began thinking. After a while, Mare spoke up:
"U-Using magic might be tricky. If we had to hide everything along with the surface... although, we could cover the walls in mud, and then add plants as camouflage."
"Do you intend to soil the glorious walls of Nazarick with base dirt?"
Albedo said that with her back turned to Mare. Although her voice was sweet and velvet, the tone it carried was anything but.
Mare's shoulders trembled, and although the surrounding Guardians remained silent, their attitudes suggested that they shared Albedo's opinion.
In contrast, Momonga felt Albedo was being too much of a busybody. The situation was hardly serious enough to warrant such a reaction.
"Albedo... don't speak out of turn. I am addressing Mare."
His voice was so deep that it surprised Momonga himself.
"Ah, my deepest apologies, Momonga-sama!"
Albedo's head was as low as it could go, and her face was frozen in fear. The Guardians and Sebas stiffened up as well. Perhaps they thought that scolding was directed at them as well.
A twinge of remorse struck Momonga as he observed the quick change in the Guardians' attitude, but he continued speaking to Mare:
"Can you conceal the walls by heaping dirt onto them?"
"Yes, yes I can, if you allow it, Momonga-sama ... However..."
"Yes, an observer from a distance would think the ground was bulging up unnaturally. Sebas, are there any nearby hills or the like?"
"There are none. Regretfully, we are surrounded by flatlands. However, since there are nights here, we should be able to perform so sort of eye-deceiving camouflage while the sun is down."
"Is that so... if all we intend to do is hide the walls, Mare's idea will be enough. Then, what if we piled up the dirt from the nearby land to make dummy hills as camouflage?"
"Then we would blend in."
"Very well. I shall assign Aura and Mare to carry out this task together. While doing so, you may draw the necessary supplies from each Floor. Since we cannot camouflage the view from the air, we shall use illusions after finishing the earthworks, so nobody will be able to detect Nazarick from the outside."
"Y-Yes. U-Understood."
That was all he could think of at the mont. There were probably a lot of holes left in the plan, but that could be dealt with slowly, later on. After all, it had only been a few hours since all this had happened.
"Then, you are dismissed for today. Everyone, take a break before beginning your duties. There are many things we do not know, so do not push yourselves too hard."
The Guardians nodded as one to show that they understood.
"Finally, I have a question for the Guardians. To begin with, Shalltear — what kind of person am I to you?"
"An incarnation of beauty. You are the most beautiful person in the world. Even jewels pale in comparison to your snow-white body."
Shalltear did not pause to think about her answer before she gave it. From the lack of delay in her reply, she must have been speaking from the heart.
"—Cocytus."
"One. Who. Is. Mightier. Than. All. The. Guardians. And. Deserving. Of. The. Title. Of. The. Supre. Overlord. Of. The. Great. Underground. Tomb. Of. Nazarick."
"—Aura."
"A rciful leader with great foresight."
"—Mare."
"A, a very gentle person."
"—Demiurge."
"A wise leader who makes decisions and acts on them quickly. Truly, a man worthy of the title 'inscrutable.'"
"—Sebas."
"The one responsible for assembling all the Supre Beings. In addition, the rciful leader who did not abandon us, but stayed by our side until the very end."
"And finally, Albedo."
"The man who rules over the Supre Beings, and our highest, most exalted master. In addition, the man I love most deeply."
"...I see. I have heard and understand your opinions. Then, I shall hand the tasks that were once perford by my forr comrades to you. Carry them out faithfully."
After seeing the Guardians genuflect once more, Momonga teleported away.
The scenery before his eyes changed in an instant, from the Colosseum to the chamber of the Golems of Legeton. After looking around to make sure nobody was looking, Momonga sighed deeply.
"I'm so tired..."
Although his body did not feel tired, the ntal fatigue was weighing down on his shoulders.
"...Those guys... why do they think so highly of ?"
They were describing soone else entirely. After hearing the Guardians take turns to share their opinions of him, he wanted to laugh and mock them, but from the looks on their faces, it did not sound like they were joking at all.
In other words, their words were sincere.
If he did not act in a manner which fit their views of him, it might disappoint them. As he thought about that, the pressure on him grew and grew. And in addition to that, there was another problem, which made Momonga frown.
Of course, his skeletal face could not show expressions, yet it seed as though it did.
"...What should I do about Albedo... if this keeps up, how will I face Tabula-san..."
-x-X-x-
[Pov Guardians]
The pressure crushing their heads to the ground suddenly vanished.
Even after the departure of the master of their revered creators, nobody raised their heads. After a while, soone sighed in relief. The tense atmosphere was gone now.
The first to get up was Albedo. Her white dress was stained where her knee had touched the ground, but she did not mind at all. She flapped her wings to swipe off the dirt on her feathers.
After seeing Albedo rise, the others followed suit, though nobody dared to speak.
"That, that was scary, Nee-chan."
"Yeah, I thought I'd be squashed flat."
"As expected of Momonga-sama, to think his presence would have such a great effect on us Floor Guardians..."
"As. A. Supre. Being. His. Might. Overmatches. Ours. But. I. Did. Not. Expect. Him. To. Be. This. Powerful."
Thus the Guardians shared their impressions of Momonga.
The aura that Momonga emitted was the source of the power that had crushed the Guardians to the ground .
「Despair Aura」.
Besides inflicting a fear effect, it could reduce the stats of its victims. Normally, it would not have an effect on the level one hundred NPCs, but on this occasion, its effects had been strengthened by the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown.
"Momonga-sama must have unleashed the air of authority that represents his right to rule."
"Indeed. Before we stated our positions, Momonga-sama did not exert his might. However, once we showed ourselves in the role of Floor Guardians, he must have revealed a fraction of his aweso power to us."
"In. Other. Words. Momonga-sama. Revealed. His. True. Ability. As. A. Ruler. In. Response. To. Our. Pledges. Of. Loyalty."
"That does seem like the case."
"He didn't radiate that aura when he was with us. Momonga-sama was kind, and gave us sothing to drink when we were thirsty."
Aura's words caused the other Guardians to emit an air of tension. It was condensed jealousy that was almost visible to the naked eye. The worst-off was Albedo. Her clenched fists shuddered and her nails threatened to rip through the fabric of her gloves.
Mare's shoulders trembled, and then his eyes went wide.
"That, that must have been the true power of Momonga-sama, the ruler of the Great Tomb of Nazarick. It was amazing!"
That changed the mood instantly.
"Exactly! He showed us his ability as an absolute ruler in response to our feelings... as expected of our creator. The zenith of the Forty One Supre Beings, and the kind master who remained here with us until the very end."
Albedo's words put a blissful look on all the Guardians' faces, although the expression on Mare's face was better described as "relaxed."
There was nothing which could delight them more than the master who created them, the master to whom they owed their utmost loyalty, revealing his true face to them.
The Guardians, no, every entity created by the Supre Beings wanted nothing more than to aid their creators in so way. The next best thing would be to receive their trust and to be treated as useful servants.
This was a simple, natural truth.
This was the greatest joy in life for these characters who were created to aid the Supre Beings. Then, as though to wipe away this jubilant atmosphere, Sebas said from the side:
"Then, I shall take my leave first. I do not know where Momonga-sama has gone, but I should stay by his side."
Jealousy was written all over Albedo's face, but she quashed her feelings and replied:
"I understand. Then, Sebas, serve Momonga-sama well and do not disgrace him. Report to if anything happens. In particular, if Momonga-sama summons , you must let know imdiately. Everything else is of secondary importance to that!"
A pained expression crossed Demiurge's face as he listened quietly from the side.
"But if he desires in his bedchamber, you must inform Momonga-sama that I might be a while, in order to bathe and cleanse myself for him. Of course, if he wants to proceed to him imdiately, that is fine as well. After all, I do my best to keep clean for him, and my clothes have already been selected so I can heed his call whenever it cos. In any case, Momonga-sama's wishes will always co first—"
"—I understand, Albedo. If I waste too much ti here, I will not have enough to properly serve Momonga-sama, which would be disrespectful. Therefore, forgive my abrupt departure, but I must take my leave. Floor Guardians, I bid you all a good day."
After saying his farewells to the wide-eyed and open-mouthed Guardians, Sebas imdiately jogged away, as though to leave Albedo (who was preparing for a long monologue) behind.
"Speaking of which... it is fairly quiet around here. Shalltear, is sothing the matter?"
After Demiurge's question, everyone's eyes went to Shalltear. She was still on her knees.
"What. Is. Wrong. Shalltear?"
She lifted her head after she was called on again. The dazed look on her face would make people think that she had just been woken up.
"...What. Happened?"
"Ah, after being exposed to Momonga-sama's aweso presence, I could not help but get excited... I fear my underwear has gone through a bit of a crisis..."
Silence.
Everyone looked at each other, unsure of what to say. The Guardians mused that Shalltear had, by far, the most fetishes among them, and that one of said fetishes was necrophilia. They facepald as they thought about this, although Mare didn't quite get it and was thoroughly confused. No, one of the Guardians was not content to simply shake her head and sigh.
That was Albedo.
The jealousy surging in her made Albedo co out and say:
"You slut."
Shalltear sensed Albedo's hostility as she heard those scornful words. Her lips curled in hostility, and she responded with a bewitching smile.
"What? Having Momonga-sama, the most beautiful of the Supre Beings, bless us with his energy is a reward! Anyone who doesn't get wet from that must have sothing wrong in their head! Or could it be that you don't just look pure, but you don't have any fleshly desires at all, you big-mouthed gorilla!?"
"...You lamprey!"
The two of them glared at each other. The Guardians did not know if they would fight as a result of this, but the way they were looking at each other was very unsettling.
"My appearance was created by the Supre Beings; are you unhappy with it?"
"Shouldn't that be my line?"
Shalltear slowly stood back up, and the two of them approached each other. Even so, their eyes remained locked. Eventually, the two of them ca so close that they collided into each other.
"Don't think you've won just because you're the Guardian Overseer and can stay next to Momonga-sama. If you really think that way, I'll laugh my ass off."
"Hmph. That's correct. While you're stationed in a faraway place, I'll swoop in and achieve a complete victory."
"...What do you an by 'a complete victory?' Teach , Guardian Overseer-sama."
"As a slut, you should be fully aware of what that ans."
Throughout their trade of verbal barbs, neither of them had turned their gaze from each other. They simply looked into each other's eyes with a blank expression on their faces.
With a pacha, Albedo unfurled her wings in a threat display. Black mist wreathed Shalltear as she responded in kind, unwilling to admit weakness.
"Ah — Aura, matters between won should be settled by a fellow woman. If anything happens I'll co to help, let know when the ti cos, all right?"
"Hey, wait, Demiurge! Are you planning to dump all of this on ?"
Demiurge simply waved lazily as he walked away from the feuding pair. Cocytus and Mare took a step back as well. Nobody wanted to get caught between them.
"Really, do they have to argue over this sort of thing?"
"Personally, I would be quite interested in the result."
"What do you an by 'the result,' Demiurge?"
"I refer to the increase in our fighting power, the future of Nazarick, and so on."
"D-Demiurge, what do you an?"
"Hmm..."
Demiurge pondered how he should answer Mare's question. For a mont, an evil impulse swept through Demiurge's head and he thought of infusing the simple Mare with adult knowledge, but he promptly discarded that line of thinking.
Demiurge was a devil, and he was cruel and ruthless, but that only applied to people outside Nazarick. To Demiurge, the characters made by the Forty One Supre Beings were his comrades.
"Any great leader requires a successor, no? Momonga-sama may have stayed with us until the end, but if he loses interest in us one day, he may leave for another place like the rest of the Supre Beings. Thus, there is a need for a successor to whom we can pledge our loyalty."
"I see. Then, which of us will be Momonga-sama's successor?"
"How. Disrespectful. As. Guardians. We. Are. To. Serve. Momonga-sama. Faithfully. So. He. May. Stay. That. Is. What. We. Were. Made. For."
Demiurge turned to the interrupting Cocytus.
"Of course I understand that, Cocytus. But do you not wish to pledge your loyalty to Momonga-sama's heir?"
"Hmm... Of. Course. I. Would. Like. To. Swear. My. Allegiance. To. Momonga-sama's. Heir..."
Cocytus began imagining himself running around with said heir on his shoulders.
Then he began to imagine himself teaching him swordsmanship, drawing his blade to defend the Young Master, and even hearing the full-grown Young Master giving him orders.
"...Oh. How. Wonderful. What. A Glorious. Sight... Uncle... Uncle..."
Sowhat unable to bear it, Demiurge averted his eyes from Cocytus, who was fully into imagining himself as a cool old uncle, faithfully serving Momonga's heir.
"Well, that aside, I'm quite interested in knowing what our children can do for the strengthening of the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick. How about it, Mare, do you want to make a child?"
"Er, eh?"
"Still, you don't have a partner... if you discover any Humans, Dark Elves, Wood Elves, or similar species, would you kindly capture them for ?"
"Eh? Ehhhhh?"
After thinking for a bit, Mare nodded and said, "If, if it helps Momonga-sama... I'm willing to contribute. But how will I have children?"
"Well, I'll teach you about that when the ti cos. But if you decide to try so breeding experints on your own, Momonga-sama might scold you. After all, the operations of Nazarick are perfectly balanced."
"That, that's true. I've heard that all the underlings were created after careful calculation by one of the Supre Beings... if we carelessly increase our numbers, we'll be scolded. I, I don't want to be scolded by Momonga-sama..."
"Of course, I don't want to be rebuked by the Supre Beings either... if only I could set up a farm outside Nazarick..."
As Demiurge thought of this, he decided to ntion the one thing nobody had teased him about:
"Ah yes, Mare, why are you dressed as a girl?"
Mare grabbed at his miniskirt to hide his legs after Demiurge asked his question.
"This was Bukubukuchagama-sama's decision. She said this was called a 'trap,' so it should have nothing to do with my gender."
"Oh, so this was Bukubukuchagama-sama's decision. Well then, those clothes should be fine on you... although, should all boys dress in that way?"
"I, I don't know about that."
The Forty One Supre Beings were no longer around, but even so, the ntion of their nas still compelled obedience. Or rather, in the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick, Mare was dressed as he should be, and nobody apart from another Supre Being could change his wardrobe.
"...I wonder if I should talk to Momonga-sama about this. Perhaps all boys should be dressed like that. I say... Cocytus, it's ti to wake up."
After hearing his colleague's words, Cocytus shook his head several tis, a deeply satisfied smile on his face.
"Ah. What. A. Beautiful. Sight... Truly. it. Was. Everything. I. Have. Ever. Dread. Of."
"Is that so... well then, that's good.... Are Albedo and Shalltear still fighting?"
The feuding pair's eyes were slightly averted. However, the one that answered Demiurge was the tired-looking Aura, standing by the side.
"They're... done. Right now, they're arguing about..."
"The problem of who should be the first wife."
"It would be strange for the ruler of the Great Tomb of Nazarick to only have one wife. The question now is who is worthy of being Momonga-sama's first wife..."
"...While that is quite an interesting question, we should probably discuss that later. All right, Albedo, won't you give us our orders? There will be many things to do later on."
"Indeed, you're right. I need to issue orders soon. Shalltear, I'll discuss this matter with you at length soon enough. We'll need to spend so ti on it."
"I have no objections, Albedo. No other matter is more worthy of our ti."
"Very well. Then, let us move on to our plans for the future."
After seeing Albedo recover her dignity as the Guardian Overseer, all the Floor Guardians lowered their heads in respect. However, they did not genuflect.
Of course, they had to show their respect to the Guardian Overseer Albedo, but she was not their master. While the Forty One Supre Beings had set her over all the other characters that they had created, but even the position of Guardian Overseer was rely one set down by the Forty One Supre Beings, and as such the other Guardians needed only to pay her the respect due to her station. Thus, they lowered their heads to her. On her part, Albedo was not angry at this, because she knew that was the most correct course of action.
"Firstly—"
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