Chapter 6 - Announcement

AN: Full uncensored version of this chapter with the detailed smut scene can be found in https://archiveofourown.org/works/48447391/chapters/122201149

In the evening, Ainz was leading his friends to the throne room.

As the one to announce their new names and titles, Ulbert had, of course, already practiced his speech. Ainz would address everyone after that. They approached the throne room at a brisk pace exchanging nervous glances.

Almost all of Nazarick's important NPCs awaited them. On top of that, Ainz had promised some sort of surprise, making his friends extra nervous. He wasn't known for being spontaneous or making surprises for the hell of it, so it was quite out of character for him.

Ainz was the one opening the throne room doors. Seeing them, everyone kneeled beside the long red carpet leading to the throne. He stopped for a moment but once his emotional suppression kicked in, he resumed walking at a slow ceremonial pace leading his friends toward the thrones.

As they walked forward, five thrones instead of one came into view. Ulbert, seeing the lofty obsidian seats decorated with platinum accents, couldn't hide his smirk. Ainz had prepared a throne for each of them. { Heh, there is a showman in you after all. } Ulbert messaged Momonga and the others, creating a group chat in their heads.

{ I thought it would be fitting for each of us to have one. } Momonga replied.

{ I want that one to the left of the central one. } Buku pointed at the one she wanted for herself, walking right after Momonga with her plate boots making a clicking sound even on the thick carpet.

{ I'm taking the one to Momo's, I mean Ainz's right, so sure, you can sit on the one to the left. } Ulbert said, slowly pumping himself up as he glanced over the sea of kneeling figures.

{ Fine! If I don't like that one I'll just sit in Ainz's lap. } Buku retorted.

{ Wha… } Ainz almost tripped.

{ I'm joking. } Buku laughed in everyone's mind.

{ Someone wants to get murdered by Ainz's waifu. } Pero remarked.

{ It's just a… she is glaring at me already. There is no way in hell she is included in this conversation, right? } Buku asked nervously.

{ Let's just get on with it. } Ainz interrupted the banter.

They had reached the thrones. Ainz sat down on the Throne of Kings, Ulbert took the one to his right while Buku sat to his left. Pero sat down next to his sister and Tabula took the last throne next to Ulbert's.

Albedo was kneeling in front of the central throne; beside the throne stood Rubedo, and the third sister, Nigredo, was watching from the crowd. Albedo waited for the players to sit down on the thrones and then spoke. "Supreme Ones, the throne room is prepared just as you asked. We hear and obey."

The first line in the crowd were the floor guardians, except for Gargantua, who could not get into the throne room due to his immense size. Since he had no sentience, there was not much point in including him in the ceremony in the first place.

"Thank you for gathering everyone here today. We have some announcements." Ainz said and motioned at Ulbert.

Ulbert stood up but paused a bit seeing the crowd look up at him nervously. 'Time to put on a show.' He switched to a confident smile and stepped forward embracing his demonic side to the fullest.

"We have gathered you here to announce our plans and our new titles." Ulbert started while reading the crowd's reaction. There was some nervous shifting here and there and the unease was palpable.

"I will start with introductions and our new titles. Starting with Lord Tabula Ooal Gown, the God of Knowledge, who will take the role of Grand Scholar of Nazarick." Ulbert waved at the brain eater. Tabula raised his hand and nodded.

Meanwhile, Ulbert moved on. "Lord Pero Ooal Gown, the God of Murder, who will take the role of Grand Master of Assassins." Pero waved at the crowd.

With the crowd still showing nervousness and unease, Ulbert started to ramp up his tone and energy. "Buku Ooal Gown, the Goddess of War, who will take the role of Grand Marshal of Nazarick."

Buku nodded at the crowd with a sly smile as Ulbert's frantic energy spilled into the crowd, and faces lit up with excitement one by one.

"I, Ulbert Ooal Gown, the Demon God of Trickery, will take the role of Grand Inquisitor of Nazarick."

Now Ulbert was shouting his words out. "And finally, Ainz Ooal Gown, the God of Life and Death, will be our Supreme Overlord of Nazarick," he shouted the title as loud as he could and was met with a loud cheer.

Now it was Ainz's turn to put on a show. He raised his hand, and the entire room fell silent.

"I want to thank you all for taking great care of our home, The Great Tomb of Nazarick, and my deepest wish is for us all to continue doing so. My friends and I will watch over you to ensure the glory of Nazarick." he waved his hand over the crowd.

While Ainz took a breath out of habit to continue, a quiet squeal was heard from the crowd "Lord Ainz is so cool!" followed by the sound of a hard smack.

Ignoring Lupus' squeal and the subsequent silencing of her by Yuri, Ainz continued, "My friends and I have decided that our ultimate goal is to conquer this world and remake it in our image."

Albedo, taking his cue, stood up, "We, all of us, will make it our life's goal to deliver this world to the hands of the Supreme Ones, led by our supreme leader Ainz Ooal Gown!"

The entire crowd in unison then said, "This we swear."

"We are pleased with your determination. Floor guardians, step forward one by one. You each will be entrusted with a ring of Ainz Ooal Gown as a reward for your loyalty."

They shot nervous glances at each other. Such an item was meant to be worn only by the Supreme Beings to signify their belonging to the guild. Yet to deny a gift in front of not only their peers but every named NPC of the Great Tomb was not acceptable either. In short, the trap was set for them to accept the gift.

Each of the floor guardians then walked forward up to Ainz's throne and took a ring from his outstretched hand. Pandora's Actor did the same and as he put it on his finger, Ainz spoke.

"Let me introduce my creation, my own son, Pandora's Actor. Until now, his only duty was to guard the treasury, but now I ask you to take him in your midst and work together for the glory of Nazarick."

Pandora's Actor bowed and thanked Ainz before returning to his spot.

The last one to come up was Rubedo, who took the ring at Ainz's invitation.

"Since most of you don't know her, let me introduce Rubedo. She will serve as my personal bodyguard from now on, so please welcome her to our ranks."

She then bowed towards Ainz and said with an emotionless voice, "Thank you Lord Ainz Ooal Gown for entrusting me with this most honorable duty."

Rubedo took her place between Ainz's and Ulbert's thrones. With her standing motionless once again, Ainz addressed the crowd, "This is all for today, you may return to your duties."

Soon the throne room was almost empty save for the five of them and Albedo and Rubedo who remained standing in their places.

He first addressed Rubedo. "There is no need to guard me all the time within the Tomb, you may go and rest for now and return by my side in the morning."

Rubedo nodded without changing her expression and walked off. He then turned his attention to Albedo. "Did you need anything else?"

"No Lord Ainz. I stay in the throne room when I do not need to be elsewhere, should I leave?" She replied.

"Why are you staying in the throne room, is something wrong with your room?" Ainz asked her.

"I don't have room, my Lord."

"You don't have a room!? But where do you keep your belongings and sleep?" Ainz asked and then turned his head to glare at the brain eater who flinched and looked away.

"My belongings are in a bag on that small balcony and I have a ring of sustenance, so I don't sleep." Albedo pointed at a small balcony close to the ceiling behind the thrones.

"You didn't make a room for her!? What the hell is wrong with you!?" Buku shouted at Tabula in anger.

"It slipped my mind," Tabula mumbled while looking away from her, clearly embarrassed.

Ainz resisted facepalming. Tabula was known for his absentmindedness but forgetting to give a room to his daughter was a low point even for him. Ainz of course wasn't about to leave the situation as is, "Albedo, you may take one of the unused main quarters on the 9th floor."

"Lord Ainz, I can't. These quarters are reserved only for the Supreme ones, a mere servant such as myself is beneath using them." Albedo shook her head.

"Albedo, you are taking one for yourself and that's final. I will help move your things!" Buku addressed Albedo in a stern tone, making it clear there was no room for arguing on the matter.

Albedo just quietly nodded and flew up to retrieve her bag, and then followed Buku out of the throne room.

"Wow, this was intense… Who is up for a drink?" Pero asked in a chipper tone.

X

After sharing a drink in the bar with Ainz, who was the only one to take his offer, Pero returned to his quarters, only to find a nervous-looking vampire bride waiting for him.

She kneeled the moment he entered his private area, saying, "Lord Pero Ooal Gown, Lady Shalltear has gifted me to you."

"You sound so tense, you can stand up and relax." Pero said, giving the young vampire woman a thorough look. Her slim body had curves in all the right places, as her white dress laces struggled against her massive breasts. Her snow-white, narrow face contrasted with her blood-red lips and red eyes with black sclera. A pair of elf-like, pointy ears peeked out of her shoulder-length black hair. 'Shame none of them were on the flatter side but this one is still hot as hell.'

The vampire bride stood up, still visibly nervous, and asked, "Of course my Lord, how should I please you?"

"When we are in private, call me Pero!" He then walked up to a bar he found in his quarters and asked, "Would you like a drink?"

Vampire bride tilted her head in confusion. "D-drink? My Lord, you don't have to be so kind to me. Use me however you like."

"Nonsense, if I spend time with a girl, I should make her feel comfortable and appreciated." Pero waved for her to come closer.

'Why is Lord Pero so nice to me? I thought he would care even less than Lady Shalltear about a lowly servant like me.' She shyly approached the avian, unsure why he was treating her like someone important.

"What kind of drinks would you like?"

"Anything will be fine, Lo.."

"Pero will be just fine. Come, let us pick something."

She followed him to the bar as Pero put a glass in her hands. He already had a general idea of how Shalltear treated her subordinates. The girl was obviously terrified about doing anything wrong.

Pero wasn't the most tactful man, but he wanted the girl to feel comfortable around him, so he looked at what was in his small private bar. To not lose face in front of the vampire bride he picked one of the wine bottles at random, trying to give off the impression that he knew what he was doing.

Pero poured some wine into the vampire bride's glass and took one for himself too. He was curious about how the wine tasted since he couldn't afford it on Earth. The girl drank the glass in one gulp, and he did the same.

'Not bad but I don't see what is the big fuss about the wine. At least looks like she enjoys it.'

The vampire bride seemingly starting to enjoy the decent treatment, calmed down as a small smile appeared on her face and her pale cheeks turned slightly red.

'Man, that girl is getting hotter by the minute. Uhh, those rosy cheeks are doing it for me… maybe another… Shit!' He suddenly realized that at no point since her arrival, he had asked the girl's name.

"Hey, I'm sorry I didn't ask you right away, but what is your name?"

"I don't have one, my Lord. We vampire brides are low-tier summons and Mistress Shalltear doesn't bother naming us." The vampire bride replied, lowering her head.

'Right, Shalltear didn't bother to name anyone. I guess I could give her a name.'

Recalling a cute vampire character from one of his favorite porn games, he decided to just use it. "How about I call you Eztli? Would you like that?"

The vampire bride blushed with a wide smile and replied, "I'm delighted to be named by you, Lord Pero."

Seeing her getting more relaxed, Pero filled her glass with wine again and motioned for her to follow him to a nearby sofa. He sat down and patted his lap.

Etzli stood motionless for a moment and then sat down on his lap. Pero slid his hand around her waist, careful to not scratch her with his talons, and remarked. "You have a nice, toned body."

"Thank you." She responded and leaned in more.

The girl's increasing eagerness surely promised a very pleasurable night.

Pero woke up in the morning with soundly sleeping Eztli next to him. He glanced over at her pale, gorgeous body. Even though Pero preferred flatter girls, someone like her would have been way out of his league on Earth.

With a smirk, he took out a notebook, crossed out 'a hot vampire' from the long list, and put the book back in his storage. 'One down, few hundred more to go.'

With the almost endless opportunities, he surely wasn't about to stop at just one girl in his collection.

With no hurry to get out of bed, and not wanting to disturb the exhausted vampire bride for some morning fun, he messaged Shalltear.

{ Thanks for sending one of your vampire brides over. I enjoyed her company. If you don't mind I would like to keep her. }

{ I knew she was a good pick. Should I send a few more over to you, father? } Shaltear eagerly replied.

{ That won't be necessary. One of them is enough for now. I want my collection to be diverse. } He unashamedly laid out his plans to his daughter.

{ Of course, as I would expect from my creator. Should I help you with expanding your collection? I would be honored to spend more time with you. }

{ We'll see. You know we can just hang out when we both are free. I think you can come over when your daily duties are done. }

For a moment he could swear he heard a high-pitched squealing sound of delight in his head. { I will visit you the moment my duties are finished, father. } She replied eagerly.

{ I'll be waiting. Take care, sweetie. }

'What should I do now?' He mused, glancing at Etzli. The poor vampire bride clearly was brought to her very limits yesterday while the avian was not even close to his.

"I'll let you sleep for a bit more." he gently stroked her cheek with Etzli smiling in her sleep.

X

It would have been adorable if not for the extreme nature of the plans his creation presented to him. Ulbert flipped through a document filled with Demiurge's ideas while the archdemon looked at him like a proud five-year-old presenting his drawing to a parent.

'Why does this sound awfully similar to a concentration camp?' Ulbert could not help but draw a comparison to a livestock resource gathering project Demiurge called The Happy Farm.

Both sat on sofas in the guest area of Ulbert's quarters with Demiurge leaning forward in his seat while Ulbert sat in a comfortable position leaning back into the sofa with a document in one hand and teacup in the other. The base telekinesis spell let him flip the pages with his mind thus eliminating the need to use both hands for reading.

"I mean, this sounds efficient but at this point, we aren't even sure what sort of creatures the outside world has," Ulbert remarked.

"I assure you, Lord Ulbert, I can make modifications to accommodate almost every known living creature. The initial plan of using humans and other bipedal races hostile to heteromorphs is based purely on the most common enemy the Supreme Beings had faced in the past." Demiurge explained.

"I see." 'This is definitely on me. I made him as evil as possible. Good thing he and no one else in Nazarick knows we were humans. Still, I better test the waters just in case.' Ulbert subtly gulped and continued. "For now do not consider humans or any other race our enemies by default. We do not know how intelligent races in this world, if there are any, view our kind."

"Of course, I will follow your lead, my Lord."

"You can call me just Ulbert in private, or father if you prefer."

"T-thank you." Demiurge became very emotional once again. "It is an honor to be allowed to address you in such a personal manner."

"You are my creation so it's only natural," Ulbert replied, flipping a page.

The methods on how so-called livestock would be utilized went into excruciating detail with an efficiency that would make torment camps from Earth's past look like leisure resorts. Ulbert finished with the plan, noted on the front page 'for future consideration', and put it down on the table.

"Ohh, this is more interesting." Ulbert picked up another think folder. "You have already drawn a plan for a spy network. Let's see…"

Ulbert quickly flipped through the lengthy text taking full advantage of the photo-reading ability his new form provided. "This is excellent. You have saved me a lot of work."

"Your planning capabilities surely dwarf mine, father. I just tried to give some rough outline in hopes that some minuscule parts are usable." Demiurge said, fixing his glasses.

"Don't undersell yourself. I made you fully rival not only the brightest minds of Nazarick NPCs in terms of intelligence but to be smarter than most of the guild members."

"You are giving too much credit to me, father." Demiurge couldn't help but break into a smirk hearing the praise from his creator.

"I'm really not. We will adjust the plan as we go but there isn't much I need to change." Ulbert dropped the plan on the table and took a sip of tea. "But enough about work. How have you been?"

"We did our best under the wise rule of Lord Ainz. It is only thanks to him that the Great Tomb still stands."

"So I heard." 'If I ever want to annoy Momo, all I need is to suggest making some tribute to him and within a day the NPCs will make something akin to Giza or the Taj Mahal in his honor.' Evil thoughts filled his mind again. "But I wanted to know more about what you do outside your duties?"

"Outside my duties? I'm sorry, Lo.. father, but I try to spend every waking minute benefitting Nazarick."

"Just a heads up, son, we plan to enforce mandatory time off for every single servant, so you better think of a hobby," Ulbert said observing Demiurge's face.

The demon obviously became confused. "May I ask why? Who was so ungrateful to the Supreme Ones to ask for such a waste of time?"

"This is our idea. Let me put it this way. If you work all the time your mind and body get more and more tired, mistakes start to happen, and productivity falls. Hence time off is not only beneficial but necessary." Ulbert recited a line from management basics he had picked up from the library and read this morning.

Of course, on Earth, the management mostly ignored this very basic and necessary rule, overworking their employees.

"Ah, how fascinating. I was not aware of this flaw. Maybe a method to eliminate this weakness…"

"Son, what I mean is that we are not seeking a cure but letting our servants rest and have hobbies because we want them to have lives outside their prime duties." Ulbert interrupted him.

"Oh, I apologize for misunderstanding you, father."

"Don't worry about it. Do you have any ideas about what you want to do in your free time?"

Demiurge fixed his glasses and left his index finger on the bridge lost in thought. "I… I think I would want to try woodworking or crafting with other easy-to-manipulate materials like bone or clay."

"That sounds like a great idea. I'm looking forward to seeing what you can make." Ulbert replied like a proud father.

Thinking of this grown demon as his son surely was bizarre but at the same time strangely fitting. At this point, it was obvious that the game data played a large part in his new personality, and the idea of still being a human started to fade at a rapid pace.

X

He was forgetting something very important, something he should not have forgotten but no matter how hard Tabula tried the answer eluded him. Sure, forgetting about the fact that Albedo didn't have a room to live in was embarrassing, but something even more important had slipped his mind.

'What is it, dammit.' he paced back and forth in his quarters. After a frustrating ten minutes, he stopped, let out a sigh, and sat down. Albedo would come in any minute and help him with his first project.

'No matter, I will remember it. Maybe during the next meditation, it will just come to me.' Tabula moved the plan to remember what he had forgotten for later.

He glanced at the maid at the door who was following him with her eyes trying to keep a neutral expression.

"Is something wrong?" He asked the maid.

"No, Lord Tabula. I apologize for doing something that has distracted you." The maid bowed.

"Please, don't worry, you are not distracting me. You can sit down and read if you like while there is nothing to do." Tabula motioned at the massive bookshelf that went from wall to wall.

Maid froze up at the suggestion and stammered. "T-that w-would be improper of me."

A knock on the door snapped the maid back to her duties and she opened the door letting in Albedo. She bowed, saying, "You wished for my assistance, father?"

"Ah, yes. Please don't be so formal." Tabula stood up. "I wanted to create a laboratory connected to my quarters. Is it still possible to change the layout of the floor?"

"I can rearrange the ninth floor, but I think Lord Ainz's permission is necessary." Albedo replied.

"Of course. Can you ask him?" Tabula walked towards an empty spot at the furthest wall, where he envisioned the door leading to his laboratory.

Albedo put a finger to her temple and after a moment said. "Lord Ainz permits us to make changes as long as it doesn't endanger the integrity of the Great Tomb of Nazarick.

"Excellent. Can you create a room, sized about twenty by ten, behind this wall and split it into three parts." Tabula pointed at the wall.

Albedo opened the UI panel and after inputting a row of commands a door appeared right in front of him. "Current gold spent is fourteen thousand seventy-four." She reported.

"You can write it in my tab. I'm sure my spending won't exceed the guild's maximum." He dismissed the money concern and walked through the door.

"I need an alchemical set there. Put a row of holding pens for test subjects there and an operation table here." Tabula listed everything he wanted to set up with Albedo dutifully following and creating everything her father had requested through the Tombs UI, racking up the bill even more.

Within twenty minutes, the laboratory had all the equipment the brain eater wished for. Of course, it still needed raw materials and test subjects but that would come with time.

With all old moralities not applying anymore, he could do all the experiments that would benefit the goals of his friends and fuel his never-ending thirst for knowledge.

Bonus Story - Forgotten.

Something was off. A succubus walked through the astral version of the apartment her husband lived in on Earth. Her leathery wings were neatly folded behind her back to not clash with the narrow space.

'Where is he? Why isn't Tabula home?' She blinked her yellow catlike eyes switching from astral to ethereal, to finally physical sight, looking for any clues about where he might be gone.

Her husband didn't have a habit of disappearing like this even with his forgetful nature. In case of urgency, he would have left at least some sort of message with a thought form.

Mariposa tried to sense where he had gone but could not detect his presence anywhere on Earth. After another try, she sat down on the bed and cleared her mind. 'Where are you? If you died I would know.'

Their linked souls should be able to find another no matter what, yet there was no trace of him.

With a clear mind, she looked through the apartment one more time and found a faint trace of her husband's energy in the VR gear he often used. 'Something is off.' She looked in the imprint of the past and there it was.

Tabula died connected to the VR gear and in the usual cruel efficiency of the world, his corpse was removed the next day when one of his friends visited and found him dead. Tabula had a tendency to give his apartment key to people he trusted and many of his friends came and went as they pleased.

'He died then. But why can't I sense his soul.' She shifted her presence to their palace in the astral realm. "Where is Tabula?" She asked the first thought form that came into view. The figure resembling a simple maid with barely distinguished human features replied. "Can't sense Tabula."

'This is bad! He didn't have any deals signed to his soul so no one could have claimed him!' She started to run out of possibilities of what had happened to her beloved husband.

With no options left to explore for herself, she contacted her superior. { Mistress, I have a problem, could you please assist me? }

{ He is gone. I can't help you. } The elder succubus responded.

{ Mistress, you knew!? Why didn't you warn me? We had an understanding that no one would come between us! } Mariposa raised her voice.

{ Calm down. What happened to Tabula Smaragdina was beyond my control. His passing took us all by surprise. And do not forget about rank when speaking to me! } Her superior's stern voice invaded her mind with an overwhelming presence.

{ What happened? His soul should be in our place. } Mariposa's thoughts became more frantic.

{ I'm sorry, Mariposa, but I have no answers. Pray to the Great Mother and maybe she will give you guidance. }

{ Thank you for your advice, mistress. } Mariposa sent the last message and shifted her presence to the castle's altar room.

She kneeled before the statue of her Goddess Lilith and spoke. "Great Mother, please guide your child in my moment of need. Tell me what happened to my husband."

The room grew darker as a massive presence surrounded the young succubus. { My dear child, I'm afraid Tabula Smaragdina is lost to you. I know it will break your heart but you'll have to move on. }

{ What happened? Please, I need to know what happened to him. } Tears formed in her eyes.

{ He is gone beyond your reach. He has forgotten… do not seek further, only ruin awaits you there. }

{ Why? How could he forget me? I still feel him within my heart, I feel his love. He could not have forgotten me. } Mariposa asked through the tears.

{ Move on, young one. Your broken heart will heal in time. } Lilith's voice sounded that of a soothing mother wanting to console her daughter after a painful breakup.

And like that Lilith's presence was gone. Mariposa stood up with tears falling freely. "He could not leave me. He could not forget! Something is wrong. Something is very, very wrong."

At that moment she sensed something; a calling. Some entity was inviting her for a talk. She shifted her location once more and arrived in a green garden. A man was sitting by a table with a parasol over it sipping tea in a refined manner. The man noticed her presence and motioned for her to sit down.

"Why did you call for me?" Mariposa asked, accepting the entity's invite.

"You seek answers." The man said with a warm smile. "And maybe I can give you some."

She tried to make sense of what sort of a being was in front of her but there was nothing to read. By all means, this being didn't even exist. 'This is weird. He is not hiding his energy, there simply isn't one.'

"What are you?" Mariposa asked. For a demon like her, it would be hard to fall for another demon's trick's even if the said demon was much more powerful than her. Gods, on the other hand, would not invite her to talk but likely deal with her Goddess directly.

"Oh, I'm no one special. Just a man with a few answers." The man answered as another entity showed up and put a cup of tea in front of her.

Out of politeness, Mariposa picked up the cup and took a sip but checked if there weren't any devious imprints or sigils in the cup or tea itself just in case.

"Where is my husband then?" She asked.

"On a forgotten world."

"How can I reach him?" Mariposa asked, clearly showing her deep desire to be reunited with her husband.

"You can't. Your dear mother won't let you find him." The man said.

"Why? How do you know these things? You are not a demon or angel or God or…" She remembered a dire warning all her kind knew. 'Never make a deal with a traveler, even Great Mother Lilith will not be able to help you if you do.'

"You! You are one of them." She jumped to her feet and took a step back.

The man smiled, giving her a small clap. "I admit I thought it would take longer for you to figure it out."

Mariposa was about to leave the place of this dreaded being, desperately hoping that she could do that. 'I must beg Great Mother to help me. But she knew… Why would a traveler want something from my husband?'

She nervously shifted around and was left standing where she was.

"You are a smart girl. But the choice is yours. I'm not holding you here. If you want to leave you can do so." The traveler flashed her another smile.

"What have you done to my husband?" Mariposa crossed her hands and asked with a barely hidden animosity.

"Nothing. The choice was his and he made it. I did not bring him to that world, he just walked through the door." The man responded watching her reaction.

"I won't make a deal with you!" She hissed.

"I haven't offered you one yet. For now, we are only talking."

'I must leave now… but…' She would not see her husband again. No one else would or could help her. Even the Great Mother would not guide her.

Mariposa closed her eyes, remembering her husband's happy smile the last time they spent a night together. 'This… this traveler knows I would sell myself away to get my Tabula back. Great Mother, why did you forsake me?' "What must I give?"

"Oh, not much. All I ask is a small favor when I need it. And before you think, if I demand something unreasonable you can reject my requests two times." The man smiled.

'A favor?' "What kind of favor? I won't go against my kind!"

"Nothing of the sort. Maybe you'll have to whisper something in a mortal's ear. Maybe guide those around you to beneficial ends. Or maybe something as simple as delivering a message in my stead."

'I would be stupidly careless to accept but… it's this or nothing… Tabula, why did you do this to me? Did he trick you as well?' Mariposa sighed and said. "I accept. How can I reach my husband?"

"Soon you will hear a call. One of his friends will try to summon your kind and when he does you will answer that call."

"What? You won't do anything!?" She hissed in anger.

"I will make you hear that call. It's up to you to accept it or not. You already agreed to the deal, so it doesn't matter what choice you make, you owe me a favor either way."

"Keep your end of the deal and I will keep mine!" Mariposa said with scorn. This one piece of information had made her indebted to a being Gods and even the Infernal Lords would avoid.

All she could do was wait for the call and answer it to find the man she would give everything for.

Proofreading by Visur Nyxan, Dtackt, Sad_Smiles, Ethal07, and Tophrel.

AN: Thank you for reading the story, and if you have caught up to the latest chapter, you can check out my other work or join my discord server (Link is in my profile) where additional chapters are available or if you are interested in becoming a beta reader.