Winter's Crown: Act 2, Chapter 17

Seated in the darkness of a small room in the Great Tomb of Nazarick, a figure worked without pause before a small desk.

"This form goes here…this field is from this table…"

A pale hand stretched out and withdrew a thick binder from a row arrayed at the edge of the workspace. The binder was opened to the appropriate page, and a finger traced the table laid upon it. Crimson eyes narrowed in concentration as a pen twirled absently in the free hand.

"F-3…C-5…"

The hand reached out again for another binder. The activity continued, the silence of the pitch-black room interrupted occasionally by soft muttering, the rustling of crisp parchment, and the scratching of the pen. Without the sound of breath or even a heartbeat within, one might have mistaken it for a crypt where a Lich conducted its studies but, if light were shed on the scene, the opinion of the observer would take a complete turn.

Rather than an old stone office filled with dry tomes coated by the dust of ages, it was a room that a Human in the surrounding nations might have thought belonged to the daughter or a count or a wealthy baron. Creamy pastel wallpaper covered the walls, and a rich carpet was laid over the cold stone floor. The room was furnished with tall wardrobes, a small desk and a modestly-sized four-poster bed. Within the translucent veil of the bed's canopy, upon the scented silk sheets and the fluffy pillows lay the Supreme Overlord of Nazarick, Ainz Ooal Gown.

Well, a plush version of him, anyway. It had cost her much to have Albedo make one. Frowning down at her piles of paperwork, Shalltear Bloodfallen made a tired noise. The Undead did not suffer from physical exhaustion, but stress and mental strain would still add up. The work was something she could have delegated to her Vampire Brides, but she had imposed a portion of it on herself in order to become intimately familiar with the transportation network she had been charged with creating.

She looked at the pile of completed documents on the right corner of the desk: the product of twelve hours of work. Ainz-sama would surely appreciate her efforts. Her master had also instructed all of the Guardians to take regular breaks, so she rose from her seat. She stretched her arms above her head, feeling her crimson silk camisole slide over her skin as she went over to her bed. Throwing herself onto its luxurious covers, she reached out to lovingly pull the plush figure to her breast.

"Ah, Ainz-sama~ Lend me some of your magnificent energy…"

She turned her head down to press her lips to the doll's head, but a familiar scent rose to meet her gentle kiss.

Shalltear looked back up with an annoyed look, even as she squeezed the doll tightly to herself. As much as it had cost her, she had been surprised that Albedo was willing to make it for her at all. The request was initially for a body pillow, but the Guardian Overseer refused in no uncertain terms. Obtaining the doll had taken weeks, and it was only after she had returned happily to her bedroom to partake of her new acquisition that she understood what the Guardian Overseer had done.

No matter how many times she had washed it, Albedo's scent remained infused in the doll. Shalltear was being mocked – it was as if Albedo was declaring to Shalltear that Ainz-sama was already marked as hers. She hated that the doll carried Albedo's scent, but she refused to let go of Ainz-sama, so she was caught between the two feelings whenever she embraced her beloved.

Shalltear wriggled under her covers, pressing the doll to her under the sheets. It was the best compromise she could come up with, but, in the end, her bedsheets would end up being laced with Albedo's scent and her attendants would have to do something about it.

I'll get that bitch back for this someday.

She consoled herself as she closed her eyes and settled down to rest after a long week of work – Undead did not need to sleep, but rest was rest. With so many of her Vampire Brides otherwise occupied, it was a simple alternative for quickly relieving mental fatigue: a few hours was much more effective than meditation – not that she had the patience for that – or slowly recovering while performing less arduous tasks.

Shalltear sighed as she snuggled with her Ainz-sama doll, conjuring pleasant thoughts to accompany her.

『Shalltear』

This timing…is she using something to scry me?

It wasn't possible, of course. Nazarick had been warded tightly against such magic within an hour of its appearance in this strange new world.

『Yes, what is it–arinsu?』

『We're convening for an emergency meeting – be in the throne room once you've made yourself decent.』

『Emergency? Did someone declare war on us?』

『If only it were so simple. The available information will be disclosed once everyone has assembled.』

The message cut off abruptly, in absence of any pleasantries. Really, she was a gorilla through and through.

Giving the doll one last, affectionate squeeze, she threw back her covers and swung her legs off of the edge of the bed. Outside of her room, a Vampire Bride greeted her as the door opened. She bowed low as she greeted Shalltear, and her full breasts strained against the diaphanous fabrics of her alabaster dress.

"Thank you for your hard work, Shalltear-sama."

Shalltear's lips turned up at the enticing sight, and her hand stretched out to trace the line of Vampire Bride's jaw.

"There's to be a meeting in the throne room," Shalltear told her as she tipped her attendant's chin up to face her. "Make the appropriate preparations."

"Yes, Shalltear-sama."

The Vampire Bride straightened herself and hurried away, steps whispering over the stones. Shalltear made her way through the rooms of the Adipocere Chamber, brushing aside the chiffon veils draped from the ceiling. Upon reaching its central area, she found three Vampire Brides awaiting her.

"Shall we draw a bath, Shalltear-sama?"

"No, we've only a few minutes."

The Vampire Brides immediately moved to attend to her, falling into the routines and habits instilled into them. They were her handmaidens, her soldiers, and her concubines…though she hadn't had the time to play with them recently. Most of them were away, taking turns working at and around the various posts of the new aerial transportation network, while others functioned as administrators who coordinated and compiled all of the information coming in to create a comprehensive overview of the logistical needs of the Sorcerous Kingdom, as well as that of the territories using their services. Even the three who were now fussing over her appearance had experience in assisting her with her paperwork.

As much as she would have liked to, she couldn't toy with them as she did before. They were pop mobs that would respawn after a short period of time if they died as a result of her tender attentions, but they would not remember anything that they had learned. In her zeal to serve Ainz-sama, she had thrown all of her resources into getting the transportation network up and running, so she had to restrain her urges for the time being. Once she felt that things had stabilized and were well on their way, she could set aside a few for her personal use and return to her customary pleasures.

"Is everything to your satisfaction, Shalltear-sama?"

She turned her attention from her thoughts to the Vampire Bride holding a body-length mirror before her. Bathed in the sultry light of the chamber, her reflection looked back at her, adorned in her black ballroom gown. She took a turn, inspecting every detail closely.

"It should be sufficient, given the nature of this meeting," Shalltear nodded.

She made her way towards the exit of the chamber. One of her attendants walked ahead to hold the door open for her. Shalltear stopped, her foot hovering over the threshold. Was her appearance actually appropriate? What was the nature of this meeting, exactly?

A slight frown marred her face. Emergency meeting. Throne room. Several irregularities stood out to her already. Most of Albedo's meetings were now held in E-Rantel, as the lion's share of their work now revolved around administrating matters involving the Sorcerous Kingdom. If the meeting was in the throne room, it should be some business regarding Nazarick – either that, or it was something the 'Prime Minister' wished to discuss behind closed doors, so to speak.

Then there was the possibility that Ainz-sama would be there. Many matters concerning the governance of the realm obviously did not require the Supreme One's direct attention, and so he did not grace the vast majority of their sessions with his presence. Albedo could have very well requested that Ainz-sama attend, as it was an 'emergency meeting'. Was her appearance suitable for an audience with Ainz-sama? No, nothing could be good enough for her beloved. Maybe she should take that bath, also a manicure…was her hair really okay? Her hesitation grew as she fell deeper into her grave thoughts.

No, wait…this was a trap. If she took the time to make suitable preparations, she would be berated for being late to an emergency meeting regardless of whether Ainz-sama was there or not. If she came as she was, her appearance would be drastically inferior to Albedo's, who had foreknowledge of the meeting and would have made the appropriate preparations.

"Shalltear-sama?"

"Hold on, I'm thinking!"

She was already caught in Albedo's schemes. Was there some other way to save face? Since it was an emergency meeting, she could go in fully armed and equipped – shifting the focus to an image of readiness. No, that wouldn't work. The content of the message conveyed the idea that there were no immediate threats, so joining the meeting in such an appearance would indicate that she was incapable of gauging the situation. Albedo had sealed away her only avenue of escape as well. There was no choice but to advance into whatever traps were laid out for her.

Stepping across the threshold, she crossed the bridge into the catacombs and turned up the corridor towards the nearest teleportation gate. Usually a trap when Nazarick was under threat of intrusion, it was reconfigured by Aureole Omega to serve as a way for Shalltear and her vassals to easily access the inner portions of Nazarick from her home far closer to the surface. She stepped onto the tile, and the dark catacombs of the upper floor were replaced by the antechamber of the throne room.

The great doors were open; she noted that the vassals of several of the other floor guardians were waiting to the side of the entryway. She waved her own attendants away to join them, making her way past the towering doors and into the highest Hall of the Supreme Beings. Shalltear lowered her head respectfully as she crossed under the forty banners along the way. At the base of the stairs leading up to the Throne of Kings, a number of figures had already assembled.

Some, she had expected due to their vassals being stationed in the vestibule: Cocytus, Aura and Mare. As Demiurge's vassals were not present, it was not a surprise that he was absent. In addition to the Floor Guardians gathered, Sebas, Pandora's Actor, and Narberal Gamma stood in their places amongst them. Unexpectedly, Yuri Alpha and Pestonya were there as well. Shalltear completed her approach to stand in her position as the Floor Guardian of the First, Second and Third Floors, pondering the strange combination of attendees for this 'emergency' meeting.

A few moments following her arrival, Albedo stepped forward from where she stood beside the throne and Shalltear inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.

Ainz-sama doesn't appear to be attending…

A large part of her was disappointed that she couldn't see him, but she did not want to appear before him when she was at such a disadvantage. The Guardian Overseer's gaze swept over those assembled, and Shalltear thought she saw Albedo smirk as their eyes briefly met.

Everything was on purpose!

An unpleasant scowl grew on Shalltear's face as the realization dawned upon her. Albedo appeared to be fully groomed and ready to receive Ainz-sama – she was silently declaring her superiority over her, toying with her feelings and lack of control over the entire situation.

Shalltear opened her mouth angrily.

"So…what's this emergency?" Aura's voice came loudly from beside her before she could say anything.

The Dark Elf had a frown on her face: one that silently spoke on everyone's behalf: why had they been called away from the important duties that Ainz-sama had assigned to them?

"An untenable situation has arisen in E-Rantel," Albedo replied. "One that needs to be resolved as quickly as possible."

The NPCs stirred at the statement, various expressions painting their faces.

"Is it…rebellion?" Cocytus spoke first, a blast of cold air punctuating his words.

"I have neither heard nor witnessed any signs of such," Pandora's Actor said.

Shalltear looked back and forth as the others confirmed the Doppelganger's words.

"T-the Adventurers are focused entirely on training," Mare said. "They don't seem unhappy either, even when they die once in a while…"

"The Demihuman Quarter is at peace as well," Yuri Alpha added, "as far as I could tell from the orphanage. Perhaps Nigredo-sama would be more useful here?"

The Adventurer Guild and the Demihuman Quarter were where the most powerful members of E-Rantel's citizenry were concentrated, making them potential locations for dissidents to appear.

"Is it the Temples-arinsuka?" Shalltear ventured, "Ainz-sama has instructed us to not interfere in their matters unless they disrupt the peace of the city. The so-called faith of The Four is slowly crumbling away with their impotence in full display – are they finally beginning to flail in desperation?"

Putting down a religion that took such a vehement stance against the Undead was a delicious prospect. Imaginings of the devastation and suffering she would render against them started to fill her mind…

"No, it appears that Ainz-sama's measures in regards to the Temples are playing out perfectly," Albedo replied. "The problem the city is experiencing stems from a rumour."

The NPCs exchanged glances in confusion. Why had an emergency meeting been called over a rumour? The city was at peace, trade had returned and the implementation of Ainz-sama's mandates were going as smoothly as could be expected. Perhaps the Guardian Overseer was simply imagining nails that needed to be hammered down.

"If it's a rumour," Shalltear replied, "then I suppose we should go out and collect some tongues."

"It's far too late for that," Albedo told her, "the problem has become widespread."

"Rather than having us imagine some vague threat, perhaps you should provide the specific details of this 'rumour'."

"That's right," Aura agreed with Pandora's Actor. "Without a target, I don't even know what I'm supposed to be tracking."

"I concur," Sebastian added. "Perhaps we have heard it in passing – with some details, we should be able to piece together something between us. The source could be entirely benign."

It dawned upon Shalltear that all of those present had a significant presence in the city, either through their subordinates or by being there directly. The NPCs awaited the Guardian Overseer's answer.

"This rumour is one that affects our future relationship with the Dwarves," Albedo said. "Something that undermines the citizens' confidence over whether commercial activity can be conducted safely. Several petitions have filtered to my desk through various avenues about the Frost Giants in the Azerlisia Mountains and the threat that they represent to our commerce."