33 - Expansion.

Another long day of pointless political debates. Calca dismisses her handmaidens and sits by the mirror in her private quarters. The first signs of crow's feet at the corner of her eyes again. The daily stress of a ruler is aging her more than it should.

She takes out a small metallic box and opens it, revealing it to be half full with a pleasant-smelling white cream. A quick cast of restoration magic to get it back at its full potency and the cream that can be applied to her tired face and do the restorative work on her skin.

Nobles were already talking behind her back. 'An Old Maiden', how much she hated the term. It was not her fault there were no decent suitors for her hand. Once there were talks of her marrying the crown prince of Re-Estize, but it fell apart when he married the daughter of a local noble.

No matter how the reflection told her that was running short, Calca was not about to admit her aging. Yes, she was past the usual marrying age of mid to late teens, but she was still young, still beautiful.

There was no point in having an inner argument again. Just a momentary relaxation was much more needed. Not that the next day will be any easier.

A sudden blast of warmth she had not felt before filled her. Calca gasps and swings around to see an angel with six wings standing behind her with a warm smile.

"Queen Calca, my master, Emperor Ainz Ooal Gown, sends his regards. The gift you gave him is indeed wonderful."

Young queen blinks in surprise. "Gift?"

"The servant girl. Poor soul didn't see her own worth, crushed by a sense of inadequacy feeling sold out by her own ruler."

"What, I had no intentions to sell her out! She had to just deliver a message and then return home. There must be some kind of mistake!"

"Please do not worry, Queen Calca. My master accepted the gift. The spearhead to spread his religion has been chosen. One that will unite the faithful ones under the light of true gods."

True Gods. Those words sounded like heresy. She had gods she worshiped. The great six who once saved humanity and gave them hope. There was an underlying, sinister feeling about this creature of light in front of her. But she could not openly denounce the Emperor of Nazarick as a false god, especially in front of an angel who served him.

"As a follower of four gods, I, too, understand devotion. Please bring Neia my best wishes in her new position and that she is always welcomed back home."

"I will tell her that," Angel says with a slight side bow of the head.

"As I said, my master is grateful for the gift, and in return, he asks what sort of relationship you expect between the Empire of Nazarick and the Roble Holy Kingdom."

The disdain was very noticeable when the angel practically spat out the word holy. It was getting harder to not take the bite.

"I hope for peaceful coexistence between our nations despite the different set of beliefs and different gods we each follow."

"You are not following gods but false idols that died centuries ago as mortals they always were!"

And the breaking point finally came. Tired and irritated, Calca just couldn't take such an insult.

"With all due respect, being of light, I have been nothing but respectful towards your own set of beliefs and do not appreciate tarnishing the saviors of the human race."

Angel smirks and then says with a voice that sounds plain sinister,

"If you want to see the truth, I can show it to you. What really happened. Where your 'gods' went."

"Show me then, angel!"

Angel takes off her plate glove, revealing a delicate hand with sharp nails, and then grabs Calca's forehead.

A vision. Her gods are arriving. Finding humanity, strong-willed, defiant. Fighting for their place in the world by employing smart tactics and holding back beastmen on their own. Her gods take over. Make humanity worship them. Making humans build grand monuments and places of worship. But at the same time, teaching them magic and spreading their bloodlines by taking human women as their own. And then they died one by one. Either of old age or by hands of the monstrous creatures. The Greed Kings.

Vision shifts to show six souls in what looks like heaven. Fighting to keep what they took in their hubris and still claiming godhood ultimately unable to attain it. She saw them reborn as simple mortals in different worlds once again as they always mean to.

Mortals. her gods were nothing more than powerful misguided mortals that got lost in their power even if they meant well. Her mind, her soul, wanted to deny what was shown but couldn't. She felt it was the truth.

The vision ends as Calca drops to her knees and weeps. It must be a lie. But she knew in her heart that it wasn't. All her people were worshiping false idols. She was worshiping them. The gentle cruelty of truth left an only void where once her core beliefs lay.

She looks up at the angel and, for the briefest of moments, sees two horns on her head that disappear once she blinks. Was it an illusion created by her mind fighting the truth, wanting to see the angel as a dark, cruel being?

"Now you know. Be grateful for the gift I gave you. Truth hurts, but at least now your path is not clouded anymore." Angel says, her voice caring once again.

"LIES!"

There is an expression of pity on the angel's beautiful face. She kneels as well, bringing her face close to Calca's, who parts her lips and exhales heavily and then closes her eyes as tears flow from her eyes. With a gentle motion, the angel touches her face and wipes the tears away, saying,

"He can give what you wish to receive. All you have to do is believe."

"Lies… you twist…"

"I sense your heart's yearning. The eternal youth can be yours. My master can gift it to you, but you have to believe and serve."

Calca closes her lips and opens her eyes. To feel desire towards an angel felt so wrong. Same as indulging in her selfish wish to keep the fainting youth.

"My people come first. You want my belief, my worship. I will drop on my knees and worship your Emperor day and night if it means to keep my people safe!"

"Empty words. You must believe first to worship. To fill your heart with truth."

"What else do you want?"

"It doesn't matter what I want. I am but a servant. A messenger of God, but fear not, even a nonbeliever, can receive his protection, for my master's mercy knows no bounds."

With a fluid, graceful motion, the angel stands up, waving her hand. With a flash of light, another figure appears. An angel in a white flowing robe appears next to her. It spreads two snow-white wings and turns to face Calca. A porcelain-like androgynous unmoving face looks down as a hand reaches down to help her up.

The Queen accepts the new angel's hand and stands facing the two angelic figures.

"I will leave the virtue of purity in your care. Consider her your contact with me and my God. You may not believe in new gods yet. But one day you will and my master will mercifully let you in his light."

As the six-winged angel just disappears Calca couldn't help but stare at one left behind who just stands there waiting for a command. How to even explain what had happened? A virtue of purity was a sixth-tier summon. No mortal could summon an angel of such power, yet one was just left in her care. What the six-winged angel was, she did not know, but the radiance of such a being was a more mortal heart that could endure for long. A warm longing feeling of that radiance is only overshadowed by the void of shattered beliefs.

How to explain the event to others. Not even her two closest friends would accept the truth she now knew.

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His new body felt so much more powerful. The immense wings leave small shock waves with each movement. None of his kind dared to interrupt his journey, scattering away at the first sight. In a few minutes, he would reach the capital of Argland Council State. With her aunt out of the way, this was the best time for the next move.

A move that likely will save more of his kind than any other action. Tsar's master gave his word to spare subjugated dragons and let them live under the rule of Tsar. That was the bargain they made. Now needed to put all his kind under his paw and crush any desire to rebel. A necessary tyranny.

Time spent on the other side had given him a new perspective on life. Five Lords were on a path to become true gods, unlike the ones who came before and were gods in name only.

During his flight, another thought bugged him. Rigrit's attitude towards him. How furious she was about him dying. And then there was her increasingly casual attitude in their shared mansion.

Maybe it was just him not too well versed in human customs, but the feeling that he was missing some crucial information didn't leave.

The spires of the Dragon Lord Sanctuary come into view again. Every single dragon disperses to not be in his path. So much for the brave defenders of the capital. With a slam, he lands on the platform, shattering stone slabs beneath him. Unlike other times, there was no human servant waiting for the Platinum Dragon Lord.

His so-called follower cult was executed. Executed because of him. At least, that is what Lord Ulbert told.

Humans guarding the entrance ran the moment they saw him approach. No matter, he could open the doors himself. With one paw he shatters the heavy metal-clad wooden doors and enters the spire.

The halls feel small now, too small for him to traverse freely. Some statue falls accidentally knocked over by his wing. He pulls his wings closer in response and moves on.

With another shattered door, he enters the council chamber and finds all four dragon lords present. He half expected them to flee. Even before his death, all four combined were not strong enough to take him down.

"Tsaindorcus! You died." Suveria, the Blue Sky Dragon Lord, hisses, taking a step back.

Tsar sits down and looks down at his fellow council members, saying,

"I died, but my master brought me back stronger than before."

"You traitor, Graladansa will not sit idly by, you will…" shouts Omnaadsence, the Diamond Dragon Lord.

"ENOUGH! My aunt likely died when Nazarick retaliated. The Capital of the Underwater Empire is no more!"

Four dragons take a few more steps back, bumping against the walls. Tsar takes a step towards trembling dragons. They would never be loyal to Nazarick, meaning they were only one use of them, as an example.

With a single swipe of his tail, Tsar crushes Diamond Dragon Lord into the wall, killing him instantly, and grabs Blue Sky Dragon Lord's neck, snapping it.

The remaining two run around the wall to avoid the much more powerful Platinum Dragon Lord.

The Wyrm dragon Lord only saw the Obsidian Dragon Lord's head roll off his shoulders before dark void spikes tore through his body.

In just a minute, the Argland council was no more. All four dragon lords were executed swiftly and without mercy. Their remains were scattered around the devastated council room. Tsar sighs, sitting in silent contemplation with only distant screams as a momentary interruption.

Servants knew what had happened, leaving the dragon lord sanctuary in a hurry and spreading the news. It was time for him to embrace his new role fully.

He picks up all four bodies, dragging them behind him through the hall. Once outside, Tsar drops them in front of the sanctuary with a loud thud. Many eyes locked on him, staring, scared, uncertain.

There were at least a hundred dragons in the air. Tsar takes flight, lands on the sanctuary's roof, toppling over a few spires, and lets out a roar of challenge.

A few tense moments later, it was more than clear none dared to accept it. Tsar resists the urge to let out a relieved sigh to remain in the role and speaks with his voice booming over the capital.

"I Tsaindorcus Vaision, the firstborn of the Dragon Emperor, claim my birthright of lordship over dragon race!"

It took a lot to remain in the role. The line itself, suggested by Lord Ulbert, felt like something he would never say in his previous life. But better to be a tyrant and save his kin than to let them die.

One by one, dragons land and lower their heads in submission. It didn't take long for various dragon cult leaders and officials to show up and kneel as well.

Looking over the sea of people and dragons, old, forgotten memories came back. When he was but a whelp standing beside his father overlooking subjects. He remembered his father once saying that one day he may have to take the reins of a ruler.

It was back then before father performed the mad ritual before every single soul of the old capital was consumed. Was he going mad as well? A few months ago, he would not have believed his own current actions.

Strange how things change. But choices were made, and it was not the time for regrets.

"Listen and obey! From this day forward Argland became part of the Empire of Nazarick. Listen to the word of representatives as mine!"

Many gates open at the front of the sanctuary as Nazarick's forces march through. Emperor Ainz's undead and angel servants, Lord Ulbert's demons, and countless others.

A long and grueling task of spearheading the assimilation and reorganization was ahead of him. Only recently Tsar found out just how wide Nazarick's information network was and how deep planning went.

They knew more about the administration of Argland than he and other dragons did and planned around it. He could already see the liches approaching the region rulers that were present at the moment.

Angels spread to designated churches to assist local priests and slowly take the dragon-oriented religion and change it to worship of five new gods. With or without him, Argland would have no chance of resisting.

At least this way he had a chance to prevent the extinction of his kind as he still would rule over them as the dragon king.

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He was already late for the meeting. Even if it was in a casual setting, Pero's club, he prided himself on being punctual. Walking there was out of the question. There was no reason to make his friends wait for him. Ainz activates the ring of Ainz Ooal Gown and appears at the entrance, opening the door immediately.

Met with a loud chatter of his friends, he approaches the coach where Peros is showing Ulbert his game console with enthusiasm. A momentary distraction, but a welcomed one.

"Hey, Ainz is finally here! How is Albedo?" Buku asks, half cheerful, half concerned.

"She is doing fine, but all signs show that she will give birth soon."

"Damn, succubi needs less than two months of pregnancy. Color me impressed." Buku says.

"She is a special case and my grandchild is already more than I could have ever imagined," Tabula interjects with a quiet, matter-of-fact voice.

Special was one way to describe it. The child had taken so much of his energy that his mana pool had once again expanded just to keep Albedo energized enough to even walk around. It was hard to watch his wife's daily struggle, but in the end, it will all be worth it.

Even his unmoving skeletal face beamed with pride and happiness. He will be a father soon, an idea he had all but abandoned in his previous life.

"I think we should begin. I would prefer to not drag out the talks and start preparing the ritual."

Ainz snaps out of his bout of happiness and sits down beside Tabula just as Freeze puts down a large mug in front of him.

"Of course, carry on. Did you manage to find a way to contact Bellriver?"

"In a sense. He is reborn already in a different world. Happier world. Souls are leaving our old earth at a rapid pace, not choosing to be reborn there anymore. You see, the astral flow…"

"Tabula, get to the point!" Ulbert says, with an annoyed expression.

One unsatisfied grumble later, Tabula continues,

"As I said, Bellriver has moved on and his higher form rejected the prospect of being summoned here. Overall, it wasn't the easiest task to locate all the guild members, as I didn't know most of their human names. But more or less I managed to map out their location and put astral anchors on them to monitor the remaining thirty-five and two of them have already passed and the time window to interact at the moment of death is closing soon."

"Do we have enough energy to get two in full form?"

"Yes. I can carry forward by asking them first. But if any of them refuse, who is the next candidate in line?"

"Who are those two?" Peros asks.

"It is unclear for now. As I said, it was hard to track them down and at this moment, I only know they were part of the guild and nothing more. But if they refuse and I have more time to investigate, I can find specific members."

"Punito and Amano would be very useful." Ainz says, "But those with terrible life or close to death take precedence."

"So we can forget about Touch," Ulbert says with scorn.

"Still can't let it go?" Buku says.

"I will never forget that prick's self-righteous attitude. And what do you think he will say when he sees what we have accomplished? Most likely whine that there was no justice and we should follow some ass-wipe protocol he has made up!"

"He was one of us. But I agree, Touch Me likely is not a priority and would not agree to come without his family." Ainz says before Ulbert could go on an even longer rant.

Their clashing worldviews were a frequent cause of two of them bickering and arguing. But despite that, leaving Touch Me in a dying world even in a better situation than most guild members just felt wrong.

"I think Wish had it rather hard too, from what I remember," Peros says, thinking intently.

"Then two deceased ones are a priority and then if it is possible to go with those who have particularly dire circumstances, my personal suggestion would be Punito as the chief strategist and Amano as a crafter," Ainz says.

"Yeah, pulling friends out of shitty situations comes first. Otherwise, I would prefer Yamaiko or Ankoro." Buku adds.

"I will take all of it into consideration. But there is another question. Considering that we need about a million souls for a full form and just forty thousand for a human, are we waiting for enough souls to bring everyone into their full form?"

"I would say yes, knowing that we face," Ulbert says.

"Agreed." Adds Ainz, finally taking a large gulp from his mug as Freeze was already looking somewhat unhappy to not be useful.

"Then I will take my leave and start preparations."

"You could chill from time to time Tabula or missus not letting you have nights out?" Peros asks with a mocking laugh.

Tabula just waves his hand dismissively, not taking the bait, and teleports away.

"I will go as well," Ainz says, standing up. He didn't like to be away from Albedo in the current situation, Despite Pestonya being at her side all the time as an assigned midwife. Pero was about to say something, but the angry glare from his sister made him keep his mouth shut.

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Favoritism wasn't something Ainz wanted to indulge in, but this was a special case. Most of Nazarick's guardians spread throughout the world on various missions requested a position of the honor guard on the day Albedo will give birth to a new supreme one. But there was one candidate he couldn't turn down, his own creation, Pandora's actor. Although arguably ways of creation were vastly different, he will have a younger sister.

There was some time to spare as Albedo drained some of his mana about fifteen minutes ago and was now sleeping. The child was taking more and more energy the last few days to prepare for the birth that even Ainz's mana reserves were getting low.

One quick warning about his arrival and ten minutes later, he steps through the gate, arriving at the entrance of Dragon Kingdom's royal castle. Only Rubedo acts as his bodyguard this time. Eleleth, to Ainz's surprise, volunteered to deal with the Roble Holy Kingdom. Her offer was gladly accepted, as sending an angel to the rather fanatical nation was the best option, after all.

Two human guards at the castle doors kneel with shaking hands. Humans were still fearing him, there was no helping it. With a silent sigh, Ainz walks in and almost crashes into Draudillon, who promptly bows.

"Emperor Ainz, it is an honor. Please forgive me for the poor reception."

"Please do not worry, Queen Draudillon, the fault is mine this time for arriving at such short notice."

It wasn't hard to guess the reason for Queen's current permanent looks. One of Peros' concubines and from what he had heard, she was one of the main ones. She clearly knew how to keep Ainz's best friend wanting for more. Aged to her early twenties, petite, and still kept all her dragon attributes. Maybe too flat for Ainz tastes, but definitely not for Peros.

"I wish to express my deepest gratitude for what Nazarick has done for my homeland. If not for your help, we would be in a dire situation."

"Thank you, but credit should go to Pandora's actor."

"Ah yes, your son's administrative abilities are incredible. Speaking of which, he already awaits you in his quarters, my emperor."

Draudillon says with a bow and leads the undead emperor towards Pandora's quarters.

From what he had heard, before Nazarick's takeover, the castle was rather barren of servants and somewhat run down. But the perfectly kept and intricately decorated corridor now painted a different picture. Countless human servants hurrying around.

One of Pandora's reports mentioned that because of the devastated economy the crown employed a large part of the capital's populace, mostly paying with supplies and food to help them get by. The wary faces of servants showed what Ainz already knew: they still mistrusted monsters.

He found Pandora busy in a crafting room transformed into Amanomahitotsu, tinkering with what looks like a magitech sniper rifle.

"Ah, father. I am fou de joie to see you once again." The Doppelgänger says, putting the gun aside and changing back to his natural form.

"Pandora, son!" Ainz responds and freezes. Would it be appropriate to hug his creation, his son? Quickly snapping out of his momentary indecisiveness, he pats Pandora on the shoulder, adding,

"It is good to see you, too. Is everything going according to your plans?"

"Ah yes, padre. The Required armies are almost fully summoned and equipped. The Minotaur Kingdom WILL BE CRUSHED! I will deliver their lands to Nazarick in your NAME." Pandora says, raising one hand twisted in a fist.

A bit of old cringe memories come back with his creation's theatrics, but then again he was parading around as an actual god, so Pandora's antics were forgivable.

"I see my trust in you wasn't misplaced."

"Would you like to go on a tour мой бог?"

Just how many languages does Pandora have access to? Ainz couldn't figure out where his creation got this knowledge.

"Yes, of course. We have some time before returning to Nazarick. It may be favoritism, but I believe you deserve to be in Nazarick at the moment of your sister's birth."

"F-father… I am moved… thank you." Pandora says with his voice getting shaky, making Ainz urge his son to start the tour before he gets too emotional.

A large and well-organized army was a given counting that Pandora would use most of the abilities of all forty-one Ainz Ooal Gown members but see a full-on military factory where skeletons work on magically fueled assembly lines and liches provide raw materials by using creation magic and enchant the advanced weaponry.

There were plans for research in magitech, but to see a fully constructed factory producing weaponry and armor at a rapid pace made him realize once again just how smart Nazarick's denizens could be.

And when he started to get used to the idea of a semi-modern monster army, the next thing shocked him. Artillery! Pandora was beaming with pride as what looked like world war two artillery canon devastated a mountainside.

Should he stop this? Was magical pollution even a thing? Just how far Pandora could bring such technology if left unchecked.

"Pandora, I am proud of your accomplishments, but I will have to impose a heavy limitation. For each new device, weapon, or technology, you send blueprints back to Nazarick back for approval. There are certain risks with innovation if it is left uncontrolled."

"Of course. I am sorry, padre, for not thinking of doing that before. My rivalry with Demiurge had blinded me. If I am unsuited to continue, please replace me with a more suitable candidate."

"It is fine. You are doing a wonderful job. Just from now on, send your ideas for approval, that's all. I trust you would not overlook dangers either way."

"Thank you. Shall we proceed to the army inspection?"

"Yes, carry on."

The orderly lines with various creatures in black, armored uniforms with guns in their hands were a sight to see. If one could compare them to Ainz's own armies, this one looked like a presentation of what Nazarick could make after a few centuries of progression. Fear crept in suddenly. Demiurge was doing the same, fueled by rivalry and competitive nature. What kind of armies had he assembled to invade three western countries?

But that was a worry for another day. No doubt Ulbert was keeping an eye on his son and even with his chunni tendencies, was just as aware of just how badly the world gets messed up with careless innovation.

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The cart slowly bumps over the muddy, uneven road towards the next destination. Shuddering from the cold winter wind, Neia wraps herself tighter in the thick coat she is wearing. People with her, mostly soldiers loyal to king Zanac, riding the cart, seemed just as unhappy about the cold weather.

She was one of the humans in the army moving towards the next target. Behind the horse-driven carts filled with humans is a long row of monster-pulled carts filled with grain and ready-to-eat food. On both sides of this long row march countless undead. Soldiers and workers were ready to help liberate and repair the western parts of the land, still controlled by the mad king Barbo. The capital still was surrounded by hostile lands with only a small controlled path leading to the loyal eastern provinces.

Her new master, Emperor Ainz, in His mercy, had given uncounted amounts of resources to help the civil war plagued country.

Neia turns and looks at the carriage in front of the whole liberation army. Scouts on horses, approaching it from time to time. One of Pleiades, Shizu and a Re-Estize minor noble were inside it.

During the short time fighting together, Shizu had become a friend of sorts. She didn't mind Neia's eyes and, by the looks of it, was just as introverted and uncommunicative around others. With Neia, now being a direct servant of the God of Life and Death, and a devoted servant at that, had earned the Pleiades liking.

The latest sticker still decorates her forehead, earning envy from the beautiful girl's many admirers. To receive stickers from her was a rare honor and Neia, to anyone's knowledge, was the only one receiving four different stickers and now was getting a lot more attention by proxy. A strange and new circumstance for her.

The caravan was about a five-hour ride away from Re-Boulorel so only a small detachment moved to a nearby village. The usual tactic was to send human soldiers first and reassure peasants that the undead are harmless and then bring in food.

Having the firsthand experience of just how hard things were for the simple folk, the food, and the undead workforce was a blessing they had not received their entire hardship-filled lives.

As the carriage slowly drives away from the small village, Neias thoughts once again return to faith. She had accepted the truth and devoted herself to the worship of new gods, with her master in particular. And during the long boring ride, one strange fact was on her mind. Four of the gods had their most devoted servants, four apostles, but her master didn't have one.

Someone like her would never be worthy of such honor, but she could put all her effort into finding a worthy candidate to become her master's apostle. Maybe the high priestess of Roble. Her talent with magic was well known and, besides the queen, she was well known for her charisma and devotion to gods.

Maybe there was some way to convince her, to show the truth, and turn Kelart Custodio into a worthy apostle. Neither Queen nor paladin order grandmaster felt like a worthy candidate. One for her vanity and the other for her narrow-minded fanaticism and petty nature.

The long road has made her sleepy and despite the deep contemplation dozes off.

"Hey mad-eye, we are at the city walls. Get ready." One of the soldiers says while poking her.

Neia jolts up and looks around. Shizu was already outside of her carriage and the messenger was approaching the city. The moment archers shot him down, the outcome was obvious. The city will have to be taken by force.

Taking the most trusted weapon of her shoulder, the enchanted bow her master gifted to her, Neia jumps out of the carriage and approaches Shizu. At this point, she was way above an average human archer in terms of ability and equipment.

Maid just gives a small nod as Neia stops by her side.

"Looks like there will be no talks of surrender. Shall we proceed?" The noble, commanding human part of the army asks.

"Yes. Begin." Shizu says and aims.

Neia waits for Shizu to take the first shot, then follows suit hitting one of the archers on the wall. Not that she could keep up with the direct creation of gods, Neia still takes out target after target standing out of opposition's reach. Just two minutes is all it took to clear the entire section of the wall.

The undead force marches forward, preparing to climb the wall. It was time to make her move as well. Considering just how powerful she has become after her master changed her, Neia just breaks into a run reaching speed impossible for a regular human.

With one swift jump, she gets on top of the wall and unleashes a barrage of arrows at approaching soldiers. The enchanted quiver giving her a never-ending supply of magical arrows was a perfect tool for rapid fire archery. Ten, twenty, then fifty soldiers fell by her precise shots. Not a single miss, not a moment of hesitation. She was an instrument of execution on her masters task.

The skeletal soldiers finally climb the wall and start spilling inside the city. The precise machine of Nazarick's army ignores civilians' targeting only armed resistance.

It will not take long before the city is free of the corrupt nobles and the poor masses will get their first decent meals in a long time. How could such a righteous cause not fill hearts with devotion.

After the battle, she would spread the word of her gods, but for now, she was an instrument put in the right place for the right job.

Bonus Chapter - Truth.

Her pace was slow, almost dragging. Rigrit knew her destination and hoped she would still be welcomed after revealing her choices and who she really is. It was time to come clean to her friends. They always were the daughters she didn't have and spending time with Blue Roses was always a pleasant endeavor. Truth would come out eventually and it was for the best if she herself explained things to girls.

They would understand. At least, that's what she hoped for. An undead patrol walks by her. Re-Estize was not an independent country anymore. Her inside knowledge let her see what was going on much more clearly. Of course, Ulbert was secretive and held his cards close, but crumbles here and there slipped through and the Re-Estize takeover plan was not a secret among Nazarick's ruling circles.

Many likely already knew better and had accepted the fact. With undead patrolling streets and angels occupying churches, even the lowliest of peasants would at this point know that Nazarick had taken over. But for prosperity and security most will dance to an even devil's tune. After all, the city already looked better than she could remember. Roads getting paved. Trash and filth removed from streets. No beggars in poor districts.

The gate of a small mansion in the noble district came into view. The current base of Blue Roses. From what she had heard, besides working for the princess, they had gotten no other job in recent times and spent most of the time with nothing to do.

There was no one outside, but Lakyus' wards likely warned the team of her coming into the mansion's front yard. A momentary hesitation while standing at the door and as she reaches out to knock, the door is opened by Tia.

"Can I help you, miss?"

"Right, you don't recognize me. Good to see you, girl. It's me, Rigrit."

Tia's eyes young woman suspiciously with the moment of realization clear as day, silently stares for a moment, but then steps aside to let Rigrit in.

While Rigrit takes off her boots, Tia says,

"I will go tell others. Good to see you too gran… Rigrit."

Rigrit chuckles, and to lighten the mood, says,

"You still can call me granny or old timer."

"Sure…"

Tia rushed ahead as Rigrit walked behind her. Rest of the team waited for her in a spacious leisure room. You could hear a pin drop when Rigrit finally faced them with her new look. Gagaran spoke first,

"Old timer, how?"

"It came with the new job position." Rigrit says quietly.

They were smart girls. Of course, they figured out who the new employer was right away. Silently, she sits down and waits for a response.

"Why?" Lakyus spurts out.

Rigrit grabs wine bottle sitting on the table, takes a long gulp straight from the bottle and says,

"Because it was the best option, Tsar, and I had."

"Rigrit, we can help you if they are…" Lakyus says, but is interrupted by Rigrit.

"No, you can't. Look girls, this world has more secrets than even I knew about."

"But they are monsters. You saw them already crawling around the capital. How can you just join them? You… you…" Gagaran says. Rigrit couldn't help but notice that she was already at least tipsy if not outright drunk.

"They are… I guess there is no point hiding it anymore. I need to come clean to you all. I am what you know as a player."

Silence. Girls just stared at her as if she just told she had grown a second head.

"Why tell us now?" Evileye asks. Her tone was cold, suspicious.

After a long sigh, Rigrit speaks up.

"I wanted to take that secret to my grave. You know my life was at its twilight until now. I thought I had a decade, maybe two left. But now things have changed. And no, I didn't join them just because I wanted to be young again. That was just a hiring bonus. For them, it was a minor thing to give. Lords of Ooal Gown may seem cold and evil, but they still have parts of their humanity left."

"What humanity, old timer. They are monsters."

"All players started out as humans. Every single one. In our original world, technology was so advanced that we created new worlds to live in and in these worlds, we chose these current forms. No matter what we are now, some part of that human soul remains."

Their shock was expected. The information she just lied out was no doubt hard to handle. But it was Lakyus' confused, fearful expression that made Rigrit worry.

"Lakyus, girl, are you ok?"

No response, just distant stare.

"Lakuys?"

"Are you a god?" She finally mumbles.

"No, I never wanted to be one, but some players did claim godhood. What kind of god would just grow old?" Rigrit says with a chuckle. A lie, but a needed one. She couldn't just tell Lakyus that gods she worshiped were just humans, just like her.

"Damn, old timer, my head started hurting just by thinking about all this. I need a drink." Gagaran says, snatches the bottle out of Rigrit's hands and takes a big gulp.

"I know it's hard to process. But believe me, the empire of Nazarick is not the worst thing in this world. No matter what you think of monsters, you must admit the lives of people have gotten better in the capital."

"Do you trust them?" Evileye asks. Her tone was hard to read, but it at last didn't sound hostile anymore.

"Not blindly, but joining Nazarick was the best option I and Tsar had. Look girls, I grew to care about you all and I promise I look after you."

"We already knew we can't fight them. I guess your mask was not as visible as mine. Anything else you want to tell us."

"Few things, but first, let's get a round of drinks. I can do all nighters once again."