20 Chapter 20: Prepping for travels P.2

Zelphyr was walking down a desolate hall. Despite its eerie atmosphere, the walls and floor were spotless, a true testament to how skilled the maids of Nazarick were. His eyes scanned his surroundings, something he had caught himself doing everytime he teleported. He was on his way to meet possibly one of the strongest and most vital members in Nazarick, with the exception of Zelphyrs trump card.

He stepped closer towards the end of the dreary hallway, as he did, he took note of the scenery changing. At the end of the hallway, Zelphyr was met with a mesmerising sight. A miniature forest full of cherry blossoms trees filled his sight as Zelphyr enjoyed the feeling of experiencing it with his true body. Despite his prior worlds amazing advancements in technology, they were still far off of replicating the true experience one would get from witnessing it themselves.

"Breathtaking"

Zelphyr spoke aloud. This wasn't him speaking to himself as he felt multiple presences around him. These presences seemed to look at his with devotion, however they remained static without revealing their appearances.

"Thank you for the warm welcome, Uka-no-Mitamas"

The presences visibly shook with happiness as they heard Zelphyr mention them. Although they remained hidden from sight, Zelphyr already knew of their appearance. They had two forms, one was a small girl with a fox mask permanently covering their faces, whilst the other was a bestial form that mimicked the likeness of a fox however quite a bit taller.

After saying his thank yous, Zelphyr walked further in. The further he got, the denser the trees had grown, however as though the forest was moving by itself, the foliage created a open and unhindered path all the way to the central point. Ever since Zelphyr had arrived in this world, this was the first time that he was experiencing Illusion Magic. Within this floor, there were a type of monster proficient in illusions that helped safeguard the floor, as well as the rooms natural illusion increase ability that Zelphyr had invested in.

Eventually, he made it to a clearing with a large ornate podium in the middle. This podium looked similar to the shrines used in Japan for their Shinto Gods. It truly fit with the scenery around it.

"It is good to see you Aureole Omega, might I ask for you to wrap up your illusions?"

A soft chuckling was heard from next to the shrine, which soon turned into a playful laughing.

"I am honoured to see you Lord Zelphyr"

Aureole Omega knelt down and paid tribute to her Lord. This was their first deep meeting after all. From before the New World, the NPCs had only really caught glimpses of the Supreme Beings other than when they were developing their creations. As a result, it felt like a first meeting for everyone.

"I am glad to see that you're maintaining the Sanctuary. I am quite fond of it. After all, this serene vibe really does not suit the reputation of this floor"

Zelphyr spoke with a soft smile as he saw Aureole Omega fade back into existence.

Her striking red hair was complemented by her traditional Shrine Maiden clothing, additionally, the pale white skin she possessed seemed almost divine. Her beauty was completely different to Albedo, after all they were different races. Aureole Omega was the only Human within Nazarick, thus she exuded a more natural beauty when compared to Albedo who seemed almost supernatural, even if you excluded her wings.

"Well, you saw through our illusions my Lord, we hardly deserve the reputation. Besides, this section is completely isolated from Victim and his mystery groups"

Despite her polite tone, there was a sense of teasing within it. Had any of the Floor Guardians been present, they would have gotten angry at her remarks. Especially since Aureole Omega was considered as one of the strongest combatants of Nazarick.

"Had you chosen to boost the illusions with your own abilities and magic, even I may have taken a few seconds to pinpoint you. As for the 8th floor denizens, they are a last resort after all, much like yourself"

The 8th floor was considered the hardest floor to conquer, having had crushed a full force of players alongside wiping out many other guilds who managed to make it past one way or another. Due to its high secrecy, many of the denizens of Nazarick have come up with a theory as to why the 8th floor is so hard. The most popular one being the combatants on that floor are as strong as, if not stronger than Rubedo.

"Maybe next time then, so Lord Zelphyr, may I ask what business there is for you here?"

Although it sounded rude, it was Aureole Omegas personality that caused this, thus Zelphyr paid it no mind.

"I have brought this, I would like you to keep hold of it."

Zelphyr pulled out the 'Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown' and handed it to Aureole Omega. The lady in question shook slightly as she felt the incredible pressure being exuded by the staff, as though it was rejecting her presence.

"I suggest not touching it too much, it is a fickle partner of mine. Should it not be me wielding it, there will be a backlash"

This was an implementation Zelphyr had added to the staff during its creation by editing its flavour text alongside a plethora of other features, many of which were suited to himself.

"I can tell My Lord, its got a bad attitude"

Zelphyr nearly tripped when he heard her blunt description.

"Whatever you may think of it, that is a priceless treasure that must never be stolen. After all, whoever possesses the Guild Weapon, will immediately have access to Nazarick as their own"

Aureole Omega shivered as she thought of the subtle meaning behind those words. That Staff was the very essence of the Guild.

"Now then, I would like you to initiate it's defensive protocols"

Taking the Staff to the shrine, Aureole Omega slotted the end into a small slit in the stone, similar to King Arthurs Sword in the Stone tale. As she let go, the shrine started to pulse in a bright gold colour, a mixture of black and yellow converging to form a dark gold that rushed towards the ground. Following this, the dark golden pulse flowed through the ground and rushed towards every inch of Nazarick.

Every Denizen stopped their work as they watched this unfamiliar phenomenon.

"That should do it. As you already know, I am leaving soon. This must not be removed and should someone get past the 8th floor, I would like you to activate stage 2"

This was one of the major abilities and mechanism Zelphyr had invested in when it came to the Cherry Blossom Sanctuary and the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown. Its power had linked to Nazarick itself, therefore by Aureole Omega using her Shrine Maiden magic from the Cherry Blossom Sanctuary, it amplifies over the whole of Nazarick, affecting everyone linked to Nazarick with whatever buff she had used, just a lot more powerful.

This feature is something that he could not use constantly, since the effect does not activate until the Guild Leader is out of the guild domain. This seemed like a major setback, however for scenarios like this, it was perfect as it bolstered Nazaricks defense whilst he was away.

"I will not let you down My Lord"

Zelphyr nodded and said no more, as much as he wanted to continue their talks, he noticed that the monsters of the Cherry Blossom Sanctuary were getting slightly overwhelmed by his presence. This was due to the fact that they were technically not his creation but instead the dungeons, as a result, they have an innate level of fear and obedience within them as they're created.

"I shall be leaving now, Nazarick is in your hands"

Saying this, Zelphyr teleported to his room, his body seemingly in a higher tension than before. His gaze immediately went to the bed, noticing a presence sprawled out across the bed. Laid with her head snuggled into a pillow, a half-naked Albedo was open for all to see.

Zelphyr sighed in exasperation as he saw this sight. As stunning of a sight as it was, he did not intend to arouse his Dragon Instincts at the moment, after all next time, he knew he would not be able to hold the instincts back.

"Albedo, what are you doing?"

Albedos head slowly rose from the pillow with a drowsy look in her eyes. As her gaze focused slightly, her expression dropped. Panic consumed her as she looked around in search of a hole to hide in.

"Albedo. What are you doing?"

Zelphyr repeated with a stern voice this time.

"O-oh, Lord Zelphyr. I was just... warming your bed... for you..."

Albedo spoke with a blush on her face. A deadly combo attacked Zelphyr as he saw Albedos cute actions mixed with her sensual body.

"No more. I will summon you whenever I am up for those activities. I do not intent to abandon you, however you must follow the same etiquette as all within Nazarick, especially with such a prominent position"

Albedos previous teary face cleared up as she straightened out her expression.

"My apologies my Lord for such an unsightly display. It will never happen again"

zelphyr nodded as he heard the seriousness in her voice.

"Good, after all, there will be a time when I summon you, do not worry. For now, we need to focus on Nazarick for a while."

Albedo hopped off of the bed with her staple motherly smile, however her eyes hid a deep desire within them.

"I look forward to it My Lord."

With those parting words, Albedo teleported away, leaving Zelphyr alone again.

"Now then, last task before I set out..."

He had one final person to speak to before he left when his orders were done. He wanted to use these few days to make sure Nazarick ran smoothly thus, he needed to get these tasks out of the way.

"That reminds me, I wonder what their reaction will be... actually I think I will just call"

Zelphyr decided against meeting, his mind thinking of the demerits outweighing the merits to visiting them face to face.

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