Chapter 40

A lone elf sat in his lookout position on the tallest tree available. His black and white eyes scanned the grass plains to the south of him. His father had taken notice of the defiance his children had shown by taking over the entire province and sending an army to crush them once again.

'Useless' was the only words he ever heard from his father the very few times he met him. Ever since he could remember, he was always training, striving to live up to the expectations. Ultimately, he was tossed out on the streets, alone, at the age of forty-four. A child with no relatives, no friends, no parents.

His stomach grumbled at the memory of the months spent in a constant state of starvation. No matter, today he would either show his worth or die with his boots on. If fate permitted, he would see the forests and fields of his homeland green at least one more time.

Despite the cold weather, being outside made him happy. Even the bare trees and grey grass didn't dampen his mood. Taking steady breaths through his cloth-covered nose, his sharp gaze never left the horizon.

As predicted by the Honored Mother, the king's armies appeared from the south with overwhelming numbers. They were led by one of his siblings riding a large fox; the army marched towards the Family occupied castle. Quickly jumping from branch to branch, he reached the ground within seconds and ran to report this.

Their own forces didn't stand a chance, but they were done covering in fear. For once in their lives, they were prepared to take a stand, even if it meant certain death.

His nimble, well-trained body helped him move faster than most elves could. Just a ten minute run was all it took for him to appear at the castle gates. The large courtyard was filled to the brim with their own soldiers. He quickly located a masked figure and ran up to her.

The leader of the Family, the Honored Mother, was a symbol of their unity. Dressed in a white flowing robe and holding a sword, she turned her attention to him. The white elegant mask with drawn-on crying eyes was the only face the Honored Mother had. If she would fall in battle, the next would pick up the mask, becoming the new Mother.

"Ullas, child, report."

"The King's army has arrived. To my count, at least ten thousand strong. Honored Mother, you should retreat and leave us to face them."

"You want to rob me of my honor, child? If I should fall, the next will take my place. He may crush our bodies, but he will never wipe away his shame."

She was right, running was not an option. Their own force was barely three thousand strong. At best, they would deal noticeable damage before every last one of them was cut down. If they tried to hold the castle, the army would just surround and starve them out.

A sudden gasp turned his attention to an empty spot in the courtyard. A dark void has appeared. Through it stepped a nature elemental, followed by an older elf. The elf kneeled and put his hand to the ground, lowering his head for a moment with the elemental mimicking him.

It was a gesture universally recognized by his kind. A lost brother had returned home and expressed his respect for the land. After them, an elven girl with black and white eyes came. His sister, no doubt. She carried a large scythe on her back and stopped behind the older elf and elemental, but didn't kneel as they did.

'An outlander, it seems. Has the King's reach spread outside the elven lands?'

By the size of her weapon, one thing was obvious immediately; she was unnaturally strong. The trio walked towards the Honored Mother as more and more figures poured out of the void. Instinctively, Ullas put his hand on the sword's hilt in case the newcomers were hostile. Although he dreaded the idea of fighting someone who could wield a weapon of that size with ease, not to mention that the elemental radiated power he had not witnessed before.

Thankfully, his fears were unfounded as the elf bowed before the Honored Mother and said, "Greetings, my lady. We represent Nazarick and have come to help repel the attackers."

"Why?" the Honored Mother asked after a moment, her tone openly hostile.

"Muirin! Is that really you?" the elf exclaimed in surprise.

"Muirin died, not being protected by her useless husband! Why have you come here, Earan?"

Earan took a step back with his expression growing stone-cold, "You are in the presence of the God of Nature and He, in His mercy, has decided to save the elves from their cruel king."

"God!? We don't need no…" she said as the dead grass in the courtyard suddenly became green and sprung back to life.

As the confused elves look at the grass, Earan used the opportunity and exclaimed,

"Rejoice, my brothers and sisters, Lord Blue Planet, the God of Nature has come to help us in the name of Nazarick, the Empire ruled by the New Gods."

The Mother kneeled and touched the blades of grass. The most powerful of druids could not perform such a feat so easily. Even such a remote corner of the world had heard of the new Empire appearing and taking over multiple nations ruled over by beings of unimaginable power. If one of them had come to her homeland, there was no way for her to resist it.

Her husband's face had returned all the suppressed feelings and memories. The happy family she once had. How it all was torn away. This man standing beside the God was once her husband, someone she loved deeply, someone not strong enough to protect her and their daughter. Now he was standing beside a God as his mouthpiece.

"Lord Blue Planet, the incoming army is within reach. Shall we execute them?" a masked elf with a strange glowing symbol on his forehead asked.

"Yes, you can start. May they find peace in the afterlife." the elemental said, as he summoned some kind of strange floating crystal and let it fly upwards.

"Take your positions! Make them pay!" Muirin shouted and walked to the castle wall. With the newcomers, the battle might just end in their favor after all. Her husband and the God of Nature walked with her. Just as they assumed their positions on the castle wall, their forces had left the castle grounds and assumed positions outside.

Muirin had noticed the girl she saw arrive with her husband and the elemental, one with black and white hair, holding a large scythe. No doubt one she was one of the King's children as well. She stood in front of their forces. The opposing army had made a half circle and was ready to march forward. The enemy general walked out of formation and shouted.

"Surrender. You stand no chance."

'One of the children the monster deemed useful has come to slaughter his brothers and sisters. How twisted this world is.' Muirin mused grimly.

Without hesitation the girl charged, causing a loud shock-wave. Within the blink of an eye, the enemy general sat headless on his mount. Shocked, Muirin observed how the same girl crashed into the enemy line, starting a bloodbath she had not witnessed before. The rest of the newcomers teleported within enemy lines and started their relentless assault as well.

Within seconds, the enemy forces lost their formation and had their morale broken, routing and trying to run, to get away from the relentless killers and the madness that was the girl with the scythe.

"Just what in the world are they?"

"Lady Zesshi, the Apostle of War, and the rest are ones devoted to Lord Peros, the God of Murder." Earan said.

"What have you unleashed!?"

"Miss, I assure you they will not harm innocents." Blue Planet said.

She was already used to bloodshed and unnecessary violence, but nothing compared to the massacre before her. The Family's forces just stood and watched, just as shocked as she was. That girl, Zesshi, alone was a force of nature. If there was some divine justice, then she was witnessing it now. One of the King's children, the powerful one he tried to make all these years by raping countless women, was the one slaughtering his armies.

'Apostle of War. A fitting title for someone so… destructive.'

The massacre raged on as they slaughtered the retreating army. It gave her no satisfaction. The battle was already won. There was no need to kill all of them. Especially knowing that many of them were forced into being the king's soldiers.

"Is this necessary?"

"They wouldn't have spared you or anyone else for that matter!" Earan said, his voice bitter.

"You once had compassion."

"I have lost too much to feel compassion for the enemy."

The battle stopped suddenly as the few remaining soldiers ran away. According to her estimates, over ninety percent of the attacking army was killed. Zesshi was the first to return as she ran up to the castle wall and casually jumped up, taking her place beside Blue Planet.

"It's done, Lord Blue Planet. Was my performance satisfactory?"

The elemental turned to look at the girl, who clearly looked for his approval.

"Yes. You did great."

"I would like to talk with you, Lord Blue Planet. In private." Maurin as she took steps down the wall.

"Of course." Planet said and followed her. He was unsure how to react to the fact that she was Earan's wife and the fact that they both seemed to not be too thrilled to see each other again. The hard life and injustices done to them likely had hardened both of their souls, but maybe time together would let them remember at least parts of what once was.

Maurin led Blue Planet into a small room inside the castle.

"What will happen to us once the king is gone?"

"Nazarick will help to rebuild and protect elven lands."

"I am not a naïve child to believe that."

"Earan can tell you how life is for an average Nazarick citizen."

"So the Gods have come to save everyone, how noble." Maurin said with sarcasm practically dripping from her tongue.

"I understand you have been through a lot, but hostility towards me will not make things better. We can only help those who want our help."

"Help? I am old enough to remember the 'help' each new God brings. I am in no position to tell a God what to do but at least I could get the courtesy of not being lied to." Murlin said and then pointed outside the window at the crowds in the courtyard. "Those kids will believe. You will fill their heads with dreams and hearts with hopes, only to crush them later when the harsh reality sets in. If you have any compassion in that stone form of yours, you at least will not lie to them!"

She walked closer to the window looking down and added, "They have suffered enough. Don't give them false hope. What tyrants rule over our lands will make little difference in the long run, but don't make them believe that their saviors have come."

"I have seen what a truly hopeless world is like, I do not want for this one to become like that as well." Blue Planet said and left the room, leaving Muirin alone.

She locked the door, sat down, and removed the mask, rubbing her tired eyes. The mask was taking a lot out of her, as magic was necessary to see through it. Fate seemed to have a twisted sense of humor sometimes. Not only was she more helpless than ever in the current situation, but her husband had returned with a God to fight against the Elf King.

Too much of her old self was lost to still believe in a better world or any kind of justice existing. What likely would happen was that one tyrant would be replaced with another, an even more powerful one.

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Calca sat on the throne, awaiting the moment Neia would walk through the door. She already felt a knot in her stomach as her stress levels reached new heights. The morning routine had done nothing to help put her mind at ease. The signs of aging were getting noticeable once again. Kelart had tried to assure that she was still beautiful and youthful-looking to lift her mood, but her friend's white lies didn't help one bit. Not that it was an important worry in the first place.

None of the nobles were present today as she was adamant about not getting them involved. The only ones permitted to greet the Apostle of Life and Death, besides the Custodio sisters, were Neia's parents, Pavel and Acilia Baraja.

Having the same eyes as his daughter, Pavel had an intimidating glare, only diminished by his barely hidden smile. His wife stood beside him with a cold, unreadable expression.

Calca believed Pavel would be happy to see his daughter no matter the circumstance, but Acilia was a close friend of Remedios and shared some of her personality traits. She was just as fanatical and self-assured as Remedios and, on top of that, was a proponent of iron discipline in all facets of life. She, in fact, was Remedios' mentor and instilled those values into the fanatical paladin grandmaster.

Kelart flashed Calca a reassuring smile and once again whispered to her sister to calm down and not make a scene.

To pull her attention away from the thoughts of possible disaster, she scrutinized the throne room. One of the velvet curtains was uneven. How did the maids let that slide? She sighed heavily. Fewer servants in the castle meant that things like this were bound to happen. Tax revenue was going down too much for her to maintain the full castle staff.

The more she stared at the curtain, the more it vexed her. Of course, the uneven decoration by itself was a minor grievance, but it surely served as a target to put her aggravated attention on.

"Please do not worry, Your Highness. We will instill some sense into that girl once she is back." Acilia said with a bow.

"Acilia, I understand your devotion, but remember that Neia returns home not only as your daughter but also as a representative of a foreign monarch. Even if it goes against our faith, we are in no position to threaten him or his nation."

"She serves a monster, your highness. That girl has lost all sense of reason. I will…"

"You will do nothing! If we draw the ire of the Empire of Nazarick, we will not be able to offer a meaningful opposition to their forces. You can dislike her decision as her mother, but you will not act out as a member of a paladin order."

"My Queen, Acilia is right. Neia has betrayed everything we stand for…"

"Remedios, we talked about this. We cannot oppose Nazarick. If you want to show your dislike, all I permit you to do is to officially cancel Neia's training and dismiss her from the paladin order."

"Understood." Remedios said. Neia had crossed all possible lines in her eyes and sided with the evil undead, but if the Queen demanded it, she would remain calm and not strike the heretic down.

'I could arrange a more accidental death for the girl once she was out of the Queen's sight… To side with monsters, how could one with such a noble mother fall so low?'

With her sharp senses, Remedios could usually tell who was coming down the hall, but this time she heard nothing. The only sound reaching her ears was a guard turning and opening the doors for the former squire.

Neia came in with her chin up, looking forward with confidence that was previously unseen on the young squire. She stopped a distance away from the throne and bowed. For someone of her stature, it was far too informal of a way to greet the Queen.

"Greetings, Neia. Let me be the first to welcome you home. I hope your travel was pleasant." Calca said.

"Thank you, your highness. My master has blessed me with ways to avoid unnecessary travel."

"Your Master!? Have you lost your mind, girl?!" Acilia hissed.

"Greetings to you too, mother. I was sent to serve Emperor Ainz, and he has gracefully accepted my servitude."

Pavel put a hand on his wife's shoulder and whispered, "Calm down. Don't make a scene before the Queen."

Acilia shook his hand off and just silently glared at her daughter but refrained from other comments as Queen Calaca was already getting visibly nervous.

"Do you bring any news from the Empire of Nazarick?"

"Yes. The Emperor sends his regards." Neia said and took out a sealed letter. With an outstretched hand, she waited for the paladin grandmaster to take it as it would be inappropriate for her to hand it directly to Queen Calca.

Remedios walked over to her, snatching the letter out of her hands with a glare. Neia just gave a polite smile, aggravating the already pent-up paladin even more. As an Apostle, she was not about to give into this childish display from both her mother and the grandmaster.

Seeing Neia showing such restraint put Calca's mind at ease. Breaking the seal and reading the letter was easy enough and, to her relief, Emperor Ainz was not condemning her nor her nation for their human-centric views and expressed that he wished for cooperation to avoid unnecessary conflicts.

"I will provide a response soon. Meanwhile, please enjoy my hospitality, Neia Baraja."

"Thank you, your highness."

The crisis was averted. Both paladins managed to remain civil, or at least civil enough to not start an open conflict. But then Remedios just had to carry out the one thing she was allowed to.

"Before you go, Neia Baraja, we have other business to settle." Remedios said as she walked up to Neia and looked down at her with open distaste.

"As you now serve that undead, I hereby relieve you from your position as a squire on the grounds of betraying the very principles of the noble paladin order."

"How did you just call my master?"

Calca quickly motioned for Kelart to get in between them. Why did she even let Remedios be near the castle today?

"That undead, or do you prefer for him to be called a monster, Neia?" Remedios sneered.

"I will not stand idly and let you insult my master like that." Neia said with a raised voice.

"Remedios, stop this at once!" Calca shouted.

Both Remedios and Neia stared each other down. The paladin grandmaster was not used to someone like Neia standing up to her, and her defiance proved too much for the paladin to handle.

"Remedios! STOP!" Calca shouted as Remedios tried to grab Neia and save her pride. There was no way Neia would survive a fight with the legendary paladin. Kelart moved as fast as she could to get in between them, but then something unexpected happened.

Instead of Remedios grabbing and seriously hurting Neia, she was sent flying backwards with a sound of metal being struck hard. She hit one of the throne room's columns and rolled on the ground with a groan.

The shocked silence was interrupted with Remedios growling.

"You monster consorting bitch will pay for that. You and your stinking monster handlers will pay…"

Neia had moved faster than anyone could perceive and grabbed Remedios by her hair. With a furious expression, she slammed the paladin's face into the stone floor with a loud crack.

"You will apologize for insulting my master!" Neia shouted as an angel appeared before her. The clearly unconscious Remedios couldn't respond as blood poured out of her broken nose and shattered jaw.

"Heal her!" Neia ordered the angel, who obeyed her command without delay.

Remedios blinked in surprise, regaining her senses as she again was slammed into the floor, this time with less force. Neia lifted Remedios' head, who dizzily tried to look around.

"Apologize for insulting my master!"

"You b…" Her face connected with the stone floor again.

"Heal her!"

"Neia! That is enough. I will apologize on her behalf." Calca said hastily in sheer terror at what she had just witnessed. The paladin grandmaster, the champion of Roble, was crushed without any effort. A girl who recently was just a squire had grown beyond the strongest champions Roble could offer.

Neia let go of Remedios' hair and let her drop into the puddle of blood, with Kelart rushing to heal her sister and get her away from the throne room before the hotheaded paladin did any more rash actions.

"Neia Baraja, please accept my deepest regret for my servants' actions and let me apologize for her disrespectful actions towards you and Emperor Ainz Ooal Gown." Calca said in a shaky voice.

'That idiot just had to act out and make things worse. I hope Neia calms down. I hope she accepts the apology. Please accept it, please.'

"Thank you, your highness. I too apologize for the scene I caused and please let me pay for the damages."

"That won't be necessary. It was Remedios who acted out of line. It is only natural for a servant to defend her master's honor. For now, please enjoy my hospitality and spend time with your parents while I prepare a response to Emperor Ainz Ooal Gown."

Neia bowed and left the throne room, with her parents following. Once out of the throne room, Acilia spoke with a cold, hateful tone.

"You attacked the paladin Grandmaster in front of the Queen."

"I was de…"

"I didn't finish! At no point in my life have I felt such shame as I feel now. I have no daughter!"

"Mother…" Neia whispered, shocked. She knew her mother would be angry, but not like this.

"Come, Pavel, we are done here." Acilia said as she walked away from her daughter. Her husband wasn't moving, however.

"Pavel?"

"No! Just no! Our daughter was insulted and attacked, and you disown her? Are you out of your mind, Acilia?"

"Don't bother coming home," Acilia said coldly and walked off.

"Dad, I'm sorry, I…" Neia sniffled.

"Don't. Your mother crossed the line no parent should ever cross." Pavel said, hugging his daughter.

Neia hugged her father with tears flowing. How could her mother just do this? She didn't even give her the chance to explain.

"It's gonna be alright, kiddo. How about we go get the honey pretzels as we used to when you were little?"

"That would be nice." Neia said with another sniffle.

Whenever they would visit the capital, her father would always take her to market and get her the snack she loved the most. During the last few years, they hadn't made a trip to the capital together as she had started her paladin training and her father was stationed at the wall most of the time.

With at least a few hours to spare, the old tradition could be revived at least once.

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The short walk from the room she stayed to the quarters of the Goddess seemingly took an eternity.

'She was nice before. I have nothing to fear. I will just return the coat, thank her once again and be on my way.'

Lakyus couldn't explain why she was so nervous. Maybe it was because of her not knowing before? But nothing had really changed. She still believed in the six great Gods… Did she really?

Lakyus clenched her fists. 'If they ever were real, they have abandoned me.'

In less than a year, the world went through dramatic changes and the so-called six great Gods had done nothing. They weren't there for her when she needed it the most. They weren't even there to warn her about Renner's duplicity.

'She called me a friend. That monster used me all this time, lied to me. I believed her and did the Gods care? NO!'

She had seen her former friend. That sight frightened her. Renner still looked rather human, but her eyes, her soulless eyes, shook Lakyus to the core. It wasn't the demonic transformation that made her that way. Renner was a monster long before that.

'Poor Climb.'

Lakyus stopped and took a deep breath. She was getting angry once more. Her inner darkness was coming out again, and she needed to stop it before it twisted her into something resembling Renner.

'No, I am strong. I will not let my darkness overcome me.'

She resumed her walk through the long halls and corridors. The runes surely helped her to find the way. The sheer size of the castle was a divine miracle by itself. No other building in the world even came close to it. Not only that, but even deep inside, there was no stale damp air or barely lit, dark rooms. The magic in this place was so potent that the magic-fueled lamps filled the rooms with wondrous light and some unknown enchantments kept the air fresh, as if one was standing outside.

The monstrous denizens already worried her less and less, as she started to get used to the non-human presence. How could they not if there was no conflict between them? If not for their looks, there was no difference between monsters and humans. Sure, outside the castle the world was still a bit more divided, but the short walk she took with her friends undeniably showed that a world where all kinds of creatures could live in peace was possible.

Was it because the rulers were true Gods? Lakyus couldn't tell. No matter how she tried, it was hard to deny that there was something divine looking over the newly found Empire.

Lost in thought, she felt someone stop her with a hand on her shoulder.

"Careful, Lakyus, you might bump into someone if you don't pay attention to your surroundings."

She snapped out of her contemplation and looked up.

"You!" Lakyus sneered.

"Oh, you are not happy to see an old friend?" Renner asked with a smile. Lakyus could see that she didn't possess the needle-like teeth anymore. If not for predatory eyes, she would look fully human.

"You… After all you have done… you dare call yourself my friend?"

"Don't be so dramatic. So what if you didn't know the truth? We were friends, and you enjoyed my company."

"Leave me alone!" Lakyus shouted, drawing the attention of everyone nearby.

"No need to cause a scene. Let's walk a bit." Renner said, grabbing her hand. Being out of her element, she reluctantly agreed and walked with her former friend. If before Renner had exuded a warm innocence, even if it was a fake one, then now it was replaced by cruel confidence. The former princess knew she was in control and was not afraid to show it.

Instinctively, Lakyus looked around, hoping to see someone familiar. Anyone who could get her away from this monster.

"Relax. We can still be civil. A noble lady can keep up appearances, after all, no matter the situation."

"What do you want from me?" Lakyus asked quietly.

"Just came to see the next one."

"Next what?"

"Oh, you will find out soon enough. I heard you were making friends in high places, starting to believe." Renner said with a smile. Her tone was friendlier than usual, just like the one Lakyus remembered.

"You can't fool me anymore."

"I am not fooling you."

Lakyus chose to not spit anything back. She had manners, after all. Renner was looking forward as they walked. She wanted to ask where Renner led her, but by the memory, it was the path towards the Goddess.

"Do you want any advice?"

"From you? No!"

"A shame. I can help you see things clearly, without deceit this time."

"Fine, just say what you have to say."

"You walk in the house of Gods. The one who waits for you needs her most devoted one. Someone pure in heart. Let go of the past and believe."

"You think you can push your religion on me?"

"I am not pushing anything. It is you who is resisting the inevitable. I just want to make your path smoother… for old time's sake. We are here." Renner said as both stopped before the door guarded by two wolfmen.

Before Lakyus could say anything, Renner already walked away. Was it genuine advice? Her instincts told Renner was not deceiving her this time. But then again, her instincts never warned her about the monstrous princess in the first place.

"Lady Ankoro already awaits you." The older-looking wolf said and opened the door for her.

"Thank you."

How did they know who she was? Surely beastmen would not know her just like that. Lakyus suspected she was spied upon but then remembered that the same two wolfmen guarded Ankoro when she met her last time.

Stepping inside, she saw the familiar werewolf sitting by the table. Was she supposed to kneel? Just in case, Lakyus dropped on one knee and bowed her head, saying,

"Lady Ankoro, thank you for accepting my humble request."

"P-please, t-there is no need to k-kneel. Come sit with me."

Did she commit to the wrong gesture? Lakyus sprang back to her feet and approached the table. A seat and a warm cup of tea already waited for her. With an elegant motion fit for a young noble, she sat down and said with a smile,

"Thank you, Lady Ankoro."

"It's nice to see you again. How are you doing?"

"I am doing fine, my lady. Thank you for asking."

Ankoro suddenly lifted her cup of tea and took a sip. Lakyus mimicked her action instinctively and then noticed the werewolf's paws lightly shook. She was nervous?

"Can I ask you something?" Ankoro asked.

"Of course, my lady."

"When we met, you didn't know who I was?"

"No, I didn't, Lady Ankoro. I apologize for the disrespectful behavior; I should have known."

"It is fine. You don't have to apologize." Ankoro said, taking another sip.

Lakyus could clearly see that she was disappointed. Was it because she didn't know? Was she supposed to know?

"Oh, I almost forgot. I wanted to return this." Lakyus said as she handed over the rolled-up coat.

"Thank you." Ankoro said, putting it back into her inventory.

An awkward silence set upon the room. Lakyus started to wonder if she did something wrong. Maybe she didn't have to be so formal? But would it be proper when interacting with an actual Goddess?

"Lady Ankoro, there is one thing I would like to know." Lakyus started, she just needed to ask, "Why did you choose to help me?"

"Um, you looked like you needed help."

"But I am not even your follower. From all the people that need your help, you helped someone like me."

Ankoro shifted around nervously and said quietly, "There aren't that many people who need my help. Nazarick does a great job of providing food and shelter to everyone who needs it."

"But what about your followers? Surely they could use your aid?"

Ankoro looked down and mumbled quietly, "I… I don't have any…"

That surely wasn't a reaction she expected. Maybe an assurance that she was not forgotten, or that the Goddess had time for nonbelievers, but not that Ankoro didn't have any followers.

"Sorry, I-I didn't mean to imply."

"It's ok… I know I am not as godly as the others." Ankoro said. She felt this strange connection with this girl. Like she would understand and not judge her. "I mean, you look at Ainz or Buku and they are so… you know… You kinda get why people want to worship them, but me…? I am just me."

'Let go of your past and believe.' Although Renner was the last person she would want to take advice from, there was undeniable truth in those words. Before her was the Goddess of Compassion, a kind reserved Goddess who didn't demand worship but just sought people in need of help. If those were the ideals Ankoro wanted to bring to the world, then she was the Goddess Lakyus would follow.

Even in her insecurities, the divine radiated out of her new Goddess, Lakyus felt it. There was no denying it anymore.

She quickly dropped on one knee, surprising the werewolf, and exclaimed, "My lady, I wish to become your follower."

"You do?"

"Yes, I know in my heart that is the path I want to take. Please accept my pledge and let me carry out your will."

"Ok… Wait, does that mean you want to be my Apostle?"

"If a better candidate doesn't show up, I will carry this honor, my lady."

"Lakyus, can I ask something of you?"

"Anything my lady."

"Please don't kneel. Can we be more like friends and not you know…"

"How can I do that? You are a Goddess."

"But… But you could before."

"I… you are right, of course, my lady."

To be casual with a Goddess she now served felt surreal, to say the least, but if it was Ankoro's wish, she couldn't deny it.

Once Lakuys sat at the table the uncomfortable silence fell again.

"My lady. Where should I start to look for people who would follow you?"

"I am not sure. We could ask Buku."

"The Goddess of War?"

"Yes. But she is very nice. Buku comes off very tough, but she has always been nice to me." Ankoro said. A particular memory came to her mind but considering the current circumstance, she needed to reword in order to not say things Lakyus wouldn't understand.

"When I first entered Yggdrassil other players were mean to me. Most didn't like someone like me and they picked on me a lot. I was about to give up but then I met Buku. She introduced me to all her friends. They helped me and protected me from the mean players and taught me how to grow strong."

"Why were others mean to you?"

"Because I was a werewolf and human players didn't like everyone who wasn't a human, elf or dwarf. But I liked this form, you know? It looked so cute and fluffy."

"Form?"

"Everyone could pick how they looked."

"So Gods chose their forms?"

"Yes. Most picked a human one, but I found it boring. Monster races were more fun."

That was a strange revelation indeed. But it perfectly explained why the race of players was so different. For them, physical appearance was just a choice, not something they were born with. It also meant that the new Gods chose their monstrous forms on purpose.

It was strange to think of werewolves as cute and fluffy but it made sense. If she looked past her own prejudices, Ankoro was cute-looking.

Her one worry was how would her friends react to her new faith, but it wasn't a major concern. The twins would follow her, no matter what. Evileye clearly enjoyed the newfound acceptance from the public. The only worry was Gagaran. She was the most human-centric of the team, but Lakyus believed even Gagaran would come around once she interacted with the kind Goddess.

‹x›‹x›‹x›‹x›‹x›‹x›‹x›‹x›‹x›‹x›‹x›

'These public meetings are a pain. Tsar clearly dragged me along just so he wouldn't suffer alone.'

The giant dragon beside her clearly was just unhappy with the prolonged meeting as she was, but, as the King of Argland, he had to appear before the servants once in a while.

The eager servants wanting to outperform each other were the worst. Report after report. In each region the administrators of each region wanted to show their dedication to the new rulers, listing every minor accomplishment. If one would judge by knowing just Tsar, a dragon was not one for long talks. Oh, how wrong she had been. With speeches rivaling the orators of ancient Greece, the dragons sure liked to show off more than Rigrit would have imagined.

{ I wish master Ainz would not have revived me. }

{ And you wanted to suffer with me through this. What a sadistic monster you are. }

{ Anything for an old friend. }

{ I will get back at you for this. }

{ I know. }

Seemingly no teasing on her part compared to this slow-boiling torture. Though it made her wonder if Tsar actually secretly enjoyed it and chose to not show it. Lately, the tension between them had grown a bit. Tsar's human form was good looking and with her being young again, she was not denying that Tsar unintentionally made her frustrated from time to time.

With a barely suppressed yawn, she continued the meeting. Mercifully, the last regional administrator finished his speech and only Tsar's voice remained. The honorary position was made to assume a clear chain of command in his absence. The older dragon was much more reasonable and less talkative than most, so his report lasted only a few minutes. Finally, he added.

"Regretfully, the mermen have retreated from Argland. What are your orders, my King?"

"Watch out for their return. The underwater empire is openly hostile towards me and the Empire of Nazarick."

"Your highness, if the Underwater Empire is hostile, how would we stop the Empress from…"

"She was dealt with. Lord Ulbert took out the Underwater Empire's capital with a spell, and my aunt was still inside her palace at the time."

"A single spell!" The older dragon exclaimed with a wave of quiet murmurs following.

A predictable response. Even he was shocked to see the spell called Grand Catastrophe in action.

"Yes, our masters are the most powerful beings of our world. Keep up the good work."

"Of course, your highness. There is another less urgent matter left to discuss!"

"Go on."

"Considering your ascent to the title of the Dragon King, a question of your bloodline is yet to be resolved."

"My bloodline?"

"Yes. As your second in command, I could take upon the task to gather candidates who would be the mothers of your future children. Considering your current mate, should I look for suitable candidates not only among dragons but other species as well?"

"C-current mate!?" Tsar stuttered as the realization dawned upon him.

Rigrit could barely keep a straight face as the platinum-colored dragon became a shade redder.

{ Ha! Serves you right for dragging me along. So what will it be my 'beloved'? Will you take more wives? }

{ NOT FUNNY! }

"T-that won't be necessary for now!" Tsar said, glaring at his assistant with a murderous gaze.

{ Oh you are satisfied with just me. I am honored. }

{ STOP IT! }

{ But my beloved… }

{ RIGRIT! }

{ Ok, ok. You are off the hook for now. I will tease you more in private later. }

The older dragon, realizing that he had made his King angry, blurted out,

"I apologize for involving myself in your private matters, my King."

"It's fine. If there is nothing else to discuss, I will take my leave."

"Of course. I shall inform you if your direct input is needed."

Tsar practically shot like a bullet through the gate the moment Rigrit cast it. Once they were back in Nazarick's imperial castle, she giggled,

"So, my beloved, what now?"

Tsar returned to his human form with a growl.

"You think this is funny?"

"You have no idea."

"I am not like… ah forget it, everyone will think it anyway," Tsar growled as he stormed off.

'Hmm, maybe I overdid it a bit.' Rigrit mussed.

Seeing how casually the other dragons acted about the misunderstanding, she started to think it was just Tsar who had a big issue with it, not his kind in general. Or maybe he had feelings for her and was in denial? In any case, she needed to tone the teasing down a bit, as she may have actually hurt her friend.

Bonus Story - Apostle.

"So you finally got your first follower?" Buku said as she took a sip of wine.

"Yes. Maybe she will become my apostle. I like her." Ankoro said. She had finally gotten her first follower and couldn't be more excited. The girl seemed very nice and eager.

"Nice catch, actually. I didn't believe she would switch so fast." Buku knew Ulbert's witch was involved as usual. Renner liked to meddle in things she had no business to be involved in, but it was always beneficial, and Ulbert had assured everyone that the former princess was fanatically loyal to him and Nazarick. "But I have to comment on her being exactly your type."

"NO! It's not like that. I am not even human anymore, so it's kinda different now." Ankoro quickly said and hid behind her cup.

"Relax, I am just joking."

"You know I hate it when you do that."

"Come on, I have toned it down a lot."

Ankoro let out a mix of dissatisfied growl and a whimper as a protest.

"I'm sorry. If you are uncomfortable I will stop, ok?"

"It's fine. I can take jokes from you." Ankoro sighed and then asked, "What should I do now?"

"I don't think you have to do much. Lakyus is a priestess. Spreading your influence will come naturally to her. You can guide her when she asks for help."

"Will you help me?"

"Of course, I will. We will have to ease her into meeting other Apostles. Some are a bit, how to best put it, eccentric. And then there is Renner. I don't think they will get along anytime soon."

"Is she really that bad?"

"On the level of Demiurge."

"Oh…"

"Yeah. But Ulbert adores that psycho. Sees her as his daughter of sorts."

"But if she tries to harass Lakyus, what should I do? Ulbert is scary."

"Don't worry about it. I'll deal with her and Ulbert if need be."

"Thank you. You are always such a good friend."

"Don't mention it."

Edited by Edgy and Aterro.