Chapter 1 The Nation of Darkness, Ainz Ooal Gown Part 1

The King of Darkness—that is, the absolute ruler of the Great Tomb of

Nazarick and the Nation of Darkness, Ainz Ooal Gown… He was the leader

of the Forty-One Supreme Beings, the one who stayed in Nazarick until the

end, attended by his subordinates, and at the moment, he was lying on his

stomach in a soft bed reading a book.

This bed, which had been brought from the Great Tomb of Nazarick to

Ainz's room in the partially refurbished home of the former E-Rantel ruler,

Mayor Panasolei, didn't give off the same nice fragrance of the one in his

private chambers in Nazarick.

It's probably because this one hasn't been spritzed with perfume, thought

Ainz as he lay on the bed.

Of course, as an undead, Ainz didn't require sleep.

Certainly, there were times he lounged in bed to cool his head and heart

when the remnants of his humanity pled mental exhaustion, but those

moments were brief. There was no point in long stretches of lying around like

he was doing now.

But there's an exception to every rule.

For example—when reading. Especially when he was conscious of how

he was perceived by other people.

The sun should be coming up soon… Oh!

Grasping the approximate time of day from the light spilling through the

crack in the drawn curtains, he readily thrust the book he had been reading

under his pillow.

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Then he glanced at the corner of the room without turning his head.

A maid was there.

She was one of the regular maids of Nazarick, and today she was on Ainz

duty— Well, technically she had been on shift since the day before. She was

sitting perfectly straight with gorgeous posture, and she hadn't shifted at all

since the previous night. As far as Ainz knew, not a single maid ever relaxed

their posture.

Ainz was bathed in her stare. It was unceasing, barring a few blinks.

The pressure was indescribable.

Surely she didn't mean to intimidate him. She probably only wanted to be

ready to assist him at a moment's notice, but the normal guy Satoru Suzuki

wished she would give him a break.

This was probably true for anyone, but he felt awkward with someone

constantly staring at him. Particularly when someone of the opposite sex was

staring, he felt like he must have been doing something wrong even if

nothing had happened.

The biggest issue was that anytime Ainz made the slightest move, she

would sync up and silently begin to move with him.

Let's be frank.

It was torture.

Of course, Ainz was the absolute ruler. If he told the maid to stop, she

surely would. But remembering the look on her face when he brought up the

subject in a roundabout way, he couldn't bring himself to give her the order.

Almost immediately after coming to this world, he had set out

adventuring as Momon, meaning this was the first time he really had maids

working at his side. This explained the surprising degree of loyalty with

which they performed every task. Ainz understood that, so it didn't feel right

to simply enforce his will on them.

Maybe they'll get sick of it after a little while.

It had already been a month since he started thinking that.

Though he was mildly concerned at the possibility things might always be

like this, he set the issue aside for the moment because it would take fortyone days for all the maids to take their turn at Ainz duty anyhow.

So this is the struggle of being a ruler… There's the work to maintain

Nazarick, planning for the organization's future, and living up to my

subordinates' expectations… I sure do admire people at the top. No wonder

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they get paid so much.

Ainz slowly sat up as he contemplated how off base he had been, once

upon a time, thinking that executives were awarded fat salaries for doing next

to nothing.

In the same instant, the maid soundlessly rose from her chair as if they

were connected by string.

Despite being on watch the entire night, she employed brisk movements.

"—I'm getting up."

"Yes, my lord. Then if you'll excuse me, I shall take my leave. After I

brief today's maid, she will take my place."

Instead of thanking her, Ainz merely uttered a dignified "mm," waved a

disinterested hand, and gestured for her to get going.

Even Ainz felt he was being awfully arrogant.

But apparently people liked it.

When he had Hamusuke survey popular opinion, their number one

reaction was, It feels like I'm being dominated and Lord Ainz is fully in

charge. At first he wondered if they were all kinky masochists, but after

thinking on it further, he realized that there was a suitable way for rulers to

comport themselves. He figured that was what his subordinates wanted.

At the office, employees naturally wanted their boss to carry themselves

in a manner becoming of a company president.

In that sense, he felt this attitude was appropriate for the King of

Darkness, and in actuality, whenever he had a free moment to spy on the

ruler of the empire, Jircniv Rune Farlord El Nix, he saw that he acted the

same way.

Still, from Satoru Suzuki's working-adult perspective, not expressing any

appreciation was strange.

"…Then have a nice rest."

"Oh! I humbly thank you for your kindness, Lord Ainz." The maid bowed

low in gratitude. "But thanks to this item you lent me, I can work for you

without rest."

No, that's not what I was going for, said Ainz in his head.

Certainly with the Ring of Sustenance equipped, the maid could stay

awake day and night, no problem. But wasn't it hell sitting in a chair all night

long doing nothing but watching him? He understood that attending him

made his subordinates happy, but there was no need for this much service.

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I think we could at least get rid of night duty…bed duty.

To the maids, it was only natural to give their all for their master.

One of them said something to that effect.

Give their all for their master? What would happen if I said I was going to

be their equal?

Unlike when he was first transported here, he was now confident that his

subordinates' loyalty was absolute. The possibility of a revolt, barring outside

influence—and assuming Ainz didn't do anything to disappoint them—was

zero. So perhaps changing their relationship and living among the NPCs as

their equal was an option.

Then he would be free from this ruler lifestyle that was constantly tying

his brain in knots. Plus—

—maybe it could be like the old days with the guild.

Sometimes when Ainz talked with the NPCs, he saw his old friends in

them. That made him want to interact with them not as ruler and subordinate

but—

No. Ainz mentally shook his head.

As long as he wasn't sure what might disappoint them, it would be

dangerous to change the system too much. And if they wished for a masterfollower relationship, then it was his job as their master to maintain it. It was

his duty to the guild's NPC children as the last remaining creator.

The maid excused herself and left the room.

That moment, as if in direct response to her exit, Ainz got busy. First, he

took the book out from under his pillow and replaced it with a different one.

It was one with a difficult title; a single glance was enough to make anyone

lose interest in reading it. He took the book he'd been reading during the

night and stored it in his space—his inventory.

Having put it somewhere it couldn't be stolen very easily, he breathed a

sigh of relief.

This was one of his duties as a master.

He didn't want to spend all night reading books so hard they would make

his head hurt. If possible, he wanted to read how-to books or fun stuff. But if

the others found out he was reading that sort of thing, it would reflect poorly

on him as a ruler. That was why he obsessed over details like this.

Incidentally, he came up with this plan because he knew that the maids

would move the book when they made his bed.

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After finishing everything he needed to do there, he pushed aside the

delicate silklike fabric hanging down from the canopy and got out of bed.

Right then, there was a knock at the door. The next maid entered.

When she saw Ainz rising from his bed, her face filled with joy, and she

approached. The one in charge of serving Ainz—"on Ainz duty"—must have

been her.

"Morning, Fith."

Her face lit up so much, she was positively dazzling. "Good morning,

Lord Ainz! I'm happy to serve you today!"

If Fith had a tail, she would have been wagging it with all her might. He

suddenly remembered that Pestonia wagged her tail.

Fith wore the same maid outfit as Foth before her. Unlike the combat

maids, all the regular maids wore the same uniform. But when their

appearance changed—or more specifically, when the girls who wore the

uniform changed—there was still something refreshing about them.

He recalled a friend's words, which had been stressed so often it was

obnoxious: "Simple maid outfits are great, but ones with all sorts of accents

are the best." They continued. "In other words, maid outfits are fantastic any

way you do them. The maid outfit is the greatest invention in the history of

humanity. Viva maid outfits!"

Ainz didn't know the word viva, but he guessed it had something to do

with admiration. Or maybe his friend had made it up. Even moments like this

reminded him of his old guildmates.

He gazed at the maid with a wry smile—although, naturally, his face

didn't move.

"L-Lord Ainz, is something the matter?"

When Fith, clutching her apron, asked him that with an embarrassed look

on her face, he realized how impolite he was being.

"Sorry. I was just… Yes, I guess you could say I was fascinated."

"—!"

"Shall we go, then?"

"Yeegh? Er, yes. Understood!"

The maid answered in an energetic, albeit slightly flustered voice and

followed behind Ainz as he passed through several rooms.

The difference between this place and the ninth level of the Great Tomb

of Nazarick was so great, the two were impossible to compare. For that

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reason, when Ainz announced he was moving in, the guardians were against

it.

Because it wasn't luxurious enough for a Supreme Being.

Because it lacked the proper defenses and counterespionage measures.

Because, because, because…

But Ainz overrode all their concerns and declared the place as his

residence—because it seemed to him that it was part of his duty as king, in

the same way that Jircniv lived at the imperial palace in the empire's capital.

And to Ainz and Satoru Suzuki, the mayor's manor was plenty splendid in

the first place. Remembering his house in his original world, there wasn't

even a way to compare the two. Besides, his room on the ninth level of

Nazarick was a bit too big and showy anyhow.

When it was a game, the interior design hadn't bothered him, but when he

actually started living there, he didn't know what to do with himself. He had

wanted to just curl up in a corner. Followed by Fith and the eight-edged

assassins who came down from the ceiling of the room connected to his

bedroom, Ainz walked over to his dressing room.

Several maids on standby there bowed reverently. Fith quickly took her

place in line with them.

"Lord Ainz, what will you wear today?" Fith asked, full of energy.

…Oh, her eyes sure are sparkling. Well, I have the feeling every maid's

eyes sparkle at this. I've heard that women like clothes, but…is that why? Or

do they enjoy coordinating outfits?

He was slightly fed up with the fuss but didn't let it show. Instead he said,

"Hmm," in a voice he thought sounded distinguished—and he was confident

because he had rehearsed it.

Honestly, there was no reason for Ainz to change his clothes.

One night rolling around in bed with a magic robe wasn't going to wrinkle

it. And his body didn't produce anything like sweat that would dirty it, either.

All that would ever get on it was dust in the air, which would come off if he

so much as brushed it. Everywhere he went had been meticulously cleaned by

the maids, and he didn't eat or drink, so there was no way for him to get his

robe filthy.

He would have had no problem wearing the same thing every day.

But none of his subordinates would allow it. Well, it made sense. If their

absolute ruler never changed what he wore, it would affect his reputation.

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That being said, Ainz wasn't very confident when it came to coordinating

an outfit.

He could select the proper gear when he made battle preparations after

taking the abilities and skills of his opponent into account while speculating

about their likely tactics and devising a strategy to counter them, but…

Satoru Suzuki could tell to some extent whether a certain necktie went

with a certain suit or not due to the limited experience he had accumulated.

But for the question of whether this combination of a purple robe with a

silver pattern and a silver necklace with four large diamonds went well

together or not, he had no idea. Plus, his body was all bones.

But if he didn't look sharp, there was a possibility that his character as a

ruler would be brought into question. That would amount to a betrayal of the

subordinates who served him so faithfully. He needed to put his all into

clothing just like everything else.

There was just one critical problem.

Even if he looked bad, who would tell him? This was exactly like how no

one would dare say a word when a major company's president's toupee was

slightly off-kilter.

Given all those factors, he had only one choice.

"—Fith, I'll leave it up to you. Find something appropriate for me to

wear."

"Understood! You can count on me, Lord Ainz! I'll put my body and soul

into the selection!"

You don't have to get that pumped up about it—is what Ainz always

thought, but he never told any of the maids that.

"Red would look very dashing on you, Lord Ainz! So I think today's

outfit will be built around the color red. Is that all right with you?"

"…I told you before that I would leave it up to you. No need to ask."

"Yes, my lord! Understood!"

If he wasn't confident, he would have someone else decide—all he

needed was to have the maids choose for him.

The crimson robe she brought out gave him pause. It was such a bright red

that it nearly gave him a headache, and it had several large gems attached to it

like buttons. It would have been fine if they were all one color, but the gems

sparkled in a total of six various hues. On top of that, there were mysterious

letters embroidered around the edge in gold thread.

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Is this a proper piece of clothing? Does this fall within the realm of

fashion common sense?

He felt like one of those guys sandwiched between signboards, decked out

in neon lights. He never would have chosen this on his own. Moreover, he

wondered why he had ever bought such a robe in the first place. He didn't

recall any of the guild members forcing it on him, so by process of

elimination, it had to have been his own doing.

Was it a bonus item? Was I forced to accept it alongside something else?

…Well, I guess it doesn't matter now.

Remembering why he owned the thing wouldn't make it disappear.

It would have been easy enough to reject it, but that would have meant it

was a lie when he said he was leaving everything to Fith. Besides, it was

possible that the only one who thought the outfit looked lame was Ainz and

that the majority of people found it fabulous. No, there was a pretty good

chance that was the case.

Finally, although it sounded nasty, the one who chose the robe was Fith,

so if anyone said anything, blaming her was an option.

I'm the worst boss.

Ainz felt guilty and realized perhaps this was what it meant to be corrupt.

He was well aware that deflecting blame wasn't how a boss—or anyone at

the top—earned praise. Still, there were things he had to protect.

In order to defend his position, he was willing to sacrifice his subordinate.

This was what it was like to be forced into that situation.

"—Sorry."

"Oh, my humble apologies!"

"No…I was just talking to myself. It's nothing you need to worry about.

By the way…" He decided to try asking just in case. "I was wondering: You

don't think this robe is too loud for me?"

"Not at all! You look great in anything, Lord Ainz! And while I think

your mainly black and dark-brown robes are charming, if that's all you wear,

there's other good sides of you we don't get to see! This one expresses your

tremendous power and—"

He interrupted the torrent of words. "Ah, if it looks good, then that's fine.

Will you dress me?"

"Understood!"

Fith glanced at the other maids.

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Ainz stood there, and the maids disrobed him without a word.

Being dressed by women was a slow-roasting embarrassment, even as a

skeleton.

But apparently, for an absolute ruler, this was utterly normal.

Or rather, it was for Jircniv. The same thing was mentioned in a book

Ainz had read, too.

He watched silently as the maids did their thing.

Before long, Ainz stood before the mirror in the crimson robe. It really

was garish. That was the only word for it.

…Well, aesthetics in this world are pretty different, right? There's a good

chance this is the proper way for a ruler to dress…probably?

To quash his lingering anxiety, he recalled the example of how people

reacted to Hamusuke.

"Well then, shall we go?"

As he headed off with Fith, Ainz thought in his heart of hearts, I could

really use some time to relax.

With his garish red robe fluttering behind him, Ainz headed for his office.

When he reached the entrance, Fith hurried ahead and respectfully opened the

way for him.

I can at least get the door myself was something he thought on a regular

basis, but the maids always seemed to enjoy their work so much with

expressions that seemed to say, Yay, I'm working! leaving Ainz no choice but

to silently accept this automatic manual entry system.

Ainz brought Fith and the eight-edged assassins into his office.

In the center of the room, exactly like in Ainz's office in Nazarick, rested

a massive desk that oozed dignity. This, like the bed in the other room, was

spare furniture brought from Nazarick. In the back of the room was the flag

of Ainz Ooal Gown—the flag of the Nation of Darkness.

Ainz crossed the room and went to the bay window. On top of a nearby

shelf was a not terribly large glass box with a miniature forest reproduced

inside. It didn't look like there were any creatures, but Ainz stuck a finger in

and flipped up a leaf.

There, hidden from the sun, was a tiny animal.

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Its slick, flesh-colored form was coated with a slime it apparently

secreted, and on one end, its body resembled human lips.

Ainz observed the Lip Bug closely.

"Nice complexion. I'm glad to see you doing well."

He remembered being told that the color was important. He had been

shown a few different Lip Bugs and learned how to tell which one was in the

best condition. This one was definitely doing better recently.

Ainz took some fresh cabbage off a plate nearby.

"Look, Slimy Boy! Time to eat!"

When he moved the cabbage toward the Lip Bug, it chomped down. He

let go and the bug continued munching away.

The creature finished the cabbage in the blink of an eye, and Ainz gave

him a couple more leaves.

Entoma had warned him not to feed it too much, so he left it at that.

Having eaten its fill, the Lip Bug must have been satisfied. It slowly

returned to the shade of a tree in the box, where it could relax.

"At first this thing creeped me out, but now that I've had it for a while,

it's pretty cute," he murmured to no one in particular with a sunny smile on

his face before replacing the box's thin lid. The fact that he used a lid that

wouldn't pose much of an obstacle if the bug was serious about escaping

showed that he was caring for it properly. Then again, it was a mercenary

monster that he'd summoned with gold pieces, so he wasn't sure if it would

just run away eventually on its own.

Ainz wiped his hands with the cloth sitting next to the box. He sat in his

chair and leaned back after completing his morning routine.

Work? It's not as if I have a set start time, but once it reaches around this

hour, I begin feeling gloomy. I guess I haven't really managed to shake my

old habits…

There wasn't a single document on his desk or even a speck of dust.

It was very different from Satoru Suzuki's workspace.

The reason for the tidiness was that he didn't have any work that carried

over to the next day. Ainz's job was to make big decisions not carry out

miscellaneous tasks. Once the decisions were made, the rest was left to his

subordinates.

…It's so rough, though. For the first time, I've realized that it's the weight

of responsibility that makes work so unbearable… That mental exhaustion—

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the pressure—is tougher to handle than physical labor. Also, I think it's

about time for that thing to get started.

He didn't even have to look at a clock.

Just then, there was a knock on his door. Fith, who was standing by,

confirmed the identity of the visitors.

"Lord Ainz, it's Mistress Albedo and the elder liches."

Her tone was deferential even when speaking of the elder liches because

Ainz had personally created them.

"I see. Let them in."

Fith yielded the way to the visitors. Albedo led six elder liches, each

holding paperwork, into the room.

"Good morning, Lord Ainz."

Following Albedo's greeting, the elder liches all bowed deeply.

"Right. Morning, Albedo. Seems like we'll be having good weather again

today."

"Yes, I heard the sky will be clear all day. Of course, the weather can be

changed to whatever the absolute ruler of this world wishes. Do you have any

requests, Lord Ainz?"

All I wanted to do was use a benign topic as an excuse to have a

conversation, and that's where you go?

"That won't be necessary. I'm not against fluctuations in weather. Sun is

nice, but rainstorms with lightning have their own charm, and silently falling

snow is rather atmospheric. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that each

day begins with the pleasures of capricious weather."

He wasn't opposed to the changing weather in this world. With its healthy

environment, the rain was actually a blessing, just as Blue Planet had once

explained to him.

It was good for nature to stay natural.

"Understood… I did notice that you weren't interested in controlling the

weather, but I took the liberty of making the suggestion just in case—since

you don't always order us to fulfill your desires."

"…I don't? I'm pretty sure I do…"

When he thought about it, there wasn't really anything specific he wanted.

Back when he was Satoru Suzuki, there wasn't anything unrelated to

Yggdrasil that he really pined for. And now there was even less. He wasn't

sure if it was a side effect of becoming an undead or not, but there was a

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good chance it was simply his personality. If there was anything he wanted, it

was rare items to add to his collection. And…

Ainz smiled sadly and shook his head gently.

"Well, maybe that's true. But it's only because there's nothing I truly

desire. If I think of something, I'll give the order."

"When the time comes, I, as captain of the guardians, will promptly select

those most capable of satisfying your request." Albedo bowed her head

slightly, and when she lifted it up again, her face was a little red. "By the

way, your outfit today is delightful. It's radiant. No, the clothes are radiant

because you're the one wearing them, my lord."

Albedo really laid on the praise.

I'm gleaming because this thing has jewels instead of buttons. It's not like

my head shoots out beams of light, thought Ainz as he nodded.

"Is that so? Thank you, Albedo."

"You needn't waste your thanks on me, my lord. I only speak the truth.

You really are—"

Albedo was getting excited. He sensed she was going to start rambling

and held up a hand to stop her. "That's plenty, Albedo. Now then, those are

the documents you guys processed yesterday, right?"

"…Yes, my lord."

Albedo's cheeks were pouting slightly in a cute way as she directed the

elder liches to set the papers on the desk.

Each bundle was thick. Ainz didn't have that many things to deal with,

but the information accompanying each matter was extensive. In this world,

like at a company, solving complex problems required lots of data on a wide

variety of subjects.

Ainz braced himself mentally. Morning was always a time to steel his

resolve.

Satoru Suzuki had been a mere employee. He had never been involved in

running the company he worked for. If asked whether such a person could

rule an entire country, he could say with confidence: No. Even someone

involved in operations at a company would undoubtedly have had a hard time

running a nation.

Even worse, Ainz was an absolute ruler. Even if what he said was wrong,

his subordinates would execute his orders to the letter.

Was there anything more terrifying than that? With one wrong word, Ainz

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could cause a mass suicide.

So what was a king to do?

The answer was simple—he would deal with it the same way he handled

the clothes he was wearing. In other words, delegate matters to someone who

had the ability.

The skill required of a boss was to assign personnel duties that matched

up with their strengths.

That said, handing off every single thing would be bad. Sure, he could

leave everything to Albedo, but even if he was king only for show, the

position entailed responsibility.

There were certain times and jobs where it was impossible to run away by

uttering the phrase I don't know.

Consequently, he always properly reviewed all the papers that came to

him before stamping them with the state seal.

After clearing a few at a rhythmical pace, he paused, internally chose one

as his goal for the day, then read everything he was supposed to know about

it. But…

…I don't understand this. It's about supplies, right? Is it important? I bet

the elder liches know… I created them! What's with this gap in

comprehension…? This is so hard to read. It's like a law or something.

There were numerous points where it said to refer to the appendix, which

sent him flipping through the documents, but then he encountered words at

the bottom of some pages that negated the conclusions above. On top of that,

there were multiple negatives in one sentence, which made it difficult to

parse.

"Albedo."

"Yes, Lord Ainz! Is there something bothering you?"

"No, it's unrelated to this, but I just remembered: What's going on with

the laws?"

Though they were calling themselves the Nation of Darkness, they didn't

have any of their own laws yet and were simply using the kingdom's in the

meanwhile.

"I'm in the process of drafting them, but if we force them on people, we

can expect discontent to build in various corners, so I'm unsure how to go

about it."

Albedo thought nothing of humans, so the statement was rather unlike her,

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but Ainz was relieved.

"I consulted with Demiurge, and…with the current laws of the kingdom,

your powers as absolute ruler are weakened. Therefore, we were considering

adopting only the first chapter of kingdom law and strictly enforcing that."

"I'm fairly confident in other matters, but"—that was a huge lie; there was

almost nothing he felt sure about—"unfortunately I don't know much about

laws. You guys can do what you think is best. I trust you."

"Yes, my lord! Understood."

Albedo looked happy. Her wings were also fidgeting. For some reason he

couldn't fathom, she—and Demiurge—still thought that he was a genius who

was always thinking one step ahead of them. So whenever he said he didn't

understand something, it seemed that they were thrilled to have a chance to

fulfill their purpose as beings created to be intelligent and knowledgeable.

"But I will say, Lord Ainz, there's no need to lie and claim you don't

know much about laws…"

"No, it's really true. I have no idea how to handle legal issues."

"Ah, I see now. You're coming from the perspective of an absolute ruler,

unbound by legislation. I understand."

Ainz had the feeling she was misunderstanding him, but he didn't say

anything—mostly because he didn't know what to say. Instead, he let a

suppressed laugh slip out. Though he was barely familiar with the concept, he

felt like this might be like when a child wanted to proudly announce

something to their parents.

"Did I amuse you?"

Albedo's puzzled face made Ainz even happier. But it was rude to laugh

on his own.

"Sorry. You're cute when you're happy—or something like that. It's hard

to explain."

The moment he said it, the eight-edged assassins flinched on the ceiling,

but there was no further movement.

"Oh dear! How embarrassing!"

Albedo hid her face in her hands. Then Ainz noticed how hard she was

blushing and finally realized how mortifying his words were. He cleared his

throat and tried to look anywhere else. It seemed that he always ended up

spewing cheesy lines whenever he interacted with the NPCs, whom he loved

as his friends' children.

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While he chided himself, he stamped the last of the documents. For now,

his work was done.

When he handed them to Albedo, who had been busy wiping her mouth,

she turned them over to the elder liches.

"Okay, let's do our usual thing. Here are today's suggestions."

Ainz took a sheet he'd prepared out of a drawer. This was a list of

proposals from all the various members of Nazarick. He was collecting

opinions and ideas about where the future of the Nation of Darkness might be

headed.

Ainz always ran his eyes over it and presented a clean version to Albedo

in the morning.

"It's such a waste of your precious time for you to do things like edit this

list."

"No, there could be suggestions for me personally in there. And besides, I

don't sleep. I have to do something to keep busy."

That was a lie. Well, it wasn't a lie that if he was doing nothing, he would

be bored, but he had no shortage of diversions: reading, soaking in a bath,

rehearsing his acting, mock battles, etc. So to have to do this sort of thing was

a bit…

Actually, some of the ideas were Ainz's.

If he suggested them directly, he risked everyone bending over backward

to realize an idea they were secretly unhappy with and ending up with

miserable results. He wanted Albedo to consider the proposals fairly, so he

kept everything anonymous. By the same token, his competence would never

be brought into question, so keeping everyone's true identities hidden killed

two birds with one stone.

Ainz read the first proposal.

"Hmm… 'It would be good to build a facility to educate children.

Discovering promising individuals and training them will lead to a future

increase in Nazarick's power. Even if it isn't a direct boon, it could still lead

to discovering new technologies and the fortification of the tomb,' is what

this person has to say."

Ainz looked straight at Albedo and readied a question for her. "This is a

solid proposal that clearly outlines the benefits of its plan. I can tell whoever

submitted this has a great mind. We could even distribute this as an example

of a strong proposal." After praising the document from the perspective of a

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working adult, he returned to a more serious expression—although his face

didn't move, of course. "Who do you suppose wrote this?"

"I think it was Yuri Alpha."

She answered immediately. And Ainz agreed.

"Right. It must be Yuri. So what do you think about it, Albedo?"

"I think it's utterly stupid. Pigs should live as pigs, be useful to their

owner, and then die. They shouldn't live any other way. There is no reason

for them to know another lifestyle, nor do they have the right to choose one."

"That's a harsh way to put it, but I agree. You can become a cog in

society with a bare minimum of education. Living and dying like that is good

enough. Spreading technology is tantamount to giving away the power to

threaten— Hmm?"

"What's the matter, Lord Ainz?"

"I remember having a similar conversation a while ago. Who was I talking

to? Narberal and…oh, Lupusregina. Right, about potions… Oh, I didn't need

to explain all this stuff to you, since you already understand. How

embarrassing. Do me a favor and forget I ever mentioned it."

"N-no! I believe it's important for us to compare ideas! So please! Please

continue!"

"O-oh… Well, it's embarrassing, but, well, I'll warn you that these are

just my personal thoughts. If anything is wrong, correct me."

There was nothing more embarrassing than explaining something cleverly

to someone who was already well versed in the subject. Though Ainz worried

that Albedo would think he was an idiot, he shared his opinions about

technology.

Knowledge and education, as well as information, were the first weapons

that humans—and in this world, other beings as well—could wield. While the

spread of knowledge could increase a nation's strength, it also had the

potential to foster discontent that didn't exist before.

That was why a ruler had to consider whether to give the people a weapon

or not. There was a real chance that it could be turned against them.

Ainz had learned good lessons on the value of information back during his

days in Yggdrasil. That was why he dispatched the two Baleares to make

potions in Carne, a location that he had under adequate surveillance. He

could monopolize the advancements and ensure they didn't leak.

Ainz wanted the ruled to remain under his rule and to keep the ignorant

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living in ignorance. But it was imperative to develop new technology and

increase his nation's strength. Ultimately, it was a question of which way the

weapon of knowledge was pointed.

"In conclusion, new technologies can be shared with and used among

those who are absolutely loyal to the Great Tomb of Nazarick. Older

technology that won't cause issues if the masses use it can be allowed to

spread freely. I think the saying goes, 'The fruits of wisdom are only valuable

if monopolized,' if I'm not mistaken." After speaking his mind, Ainz stole a

glance at Albedo's face. She didn't seem confused or distrusting. "And here

is my main point—Albedo. This is going to sound like the opposite of what I

was just saying, but I think we should adopt this proposal."

Albedo's eyes grew wide for a moment.

"To what end, my lord?"

"Sentiment. And I think Yuri has a point."

"It seems to me that the disadvantages are far greater… Or is it that you

would plan to establish the school in a remote region? Certainly if you made

sure no information leaked to the outside world via brainwashing, there

would be more benefits…"

"I won't be doing anything like that. It's a bit different from Yuri's idea,

but I think it would be good to build an orphanage in this city."

While living as Momon, Ainz had learned that shrines ran orphanages. If

that was the case, he figured he could open one in the name of Ainz Ooal

Gown.

"Basically, the core issue we're contending with is the possibility of

Nazarick's technology leaking to the outside world. To prevent that, all we'd

need to do is simply operate the facility normally and not share any

knowledge greater than what any local would know. And if someone shows

promise, then and only then would we start to think about their future. That

would work, right?"

"…I see. Certainly if that was all, then it wouldn't be a problem."

"And I'm thinking we could employ widows as the staff."

"So you would be giving jobs to—and thus saving—women who must be

struggling in poverty after losing their husbands in that battle where you

displayed some of your great power. Rescuing widows and orphans sounds

like a brilliant way to boost approval in your rule… I expected nothing less

from you, my lord."

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"Indeed. However, taking action after various widows appeal to Momon

with their plights will only improve his reputation. If that happens, mine will

hardly budge. That means we need to act quickly, before anyone comes to

him with the idea. In order to do that, first of all…I order Pestonia and

Nigredo to be released from disciplinary confinement."

Ainz was sharp enough to notice the light in Albedo's eyes change

slightly.

"With all due respect…I fear that pardoning the crimes of those who went

against your judgment without punishment will upset the rule of order in

Nazarick."

"Didn't we punish them by putting them in disciplinary confinement?"

"I find that extremely lenient. Your words are our everything, Lord Ainz.

Going against them is the greatest sin. Personally, I suggest beheading."

"That's…" He had been about to say ridiculous, but he realized how

much the denizens of Nazarick worshipped him and the other Forty-One

Supreme Beings. To deny that would be cruel.

That was also precisely why they had to be forgiven. Ainz's friends were

the ones who designed their personalities. It could have been said that

Pestonia's and Nigredo's actions were the will of his friends.

If Ainz demanded it, Albedo would no doubt obey. But that was his last

resort. First, he wanted to try to persuade her.

"Ultimately, the order I issued was to prevent the outside world from

discovering that Nazarick was pulling the strings behind the incident in the

kingdom. We needed to dispose of children as well, of course. But Pestonia

and Nigredo saved an infant who won't remember a thing. That means there

was never a need to eliminate the baby. You could say they accurately

interpreted my intentions."

"They twisted your words as was convenient for them. That sort of

behavior mustn't be tolerated."

"Albedo—"

Albedo was the captain of the guardians. He understood how she felt.

That's why he was trying to find a good way to persuade her. The wry smile

he wore when he wasn't sure what to do appeared on his—naturally

immobile—face.

"Lord Ainz, making that face is no fair…," Albedo murmured, blushing

slightly.

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Ainz touched his face. "Hmm? Really?"

"Yes," she said in a faint voice before averting her eyes and sighing.

When she looked back up, her expression was back to normal. "Understood.

After all, your words are our everything. I will happily obey."

"I'd really like you to agree based on logic not emotion…"

"That's no problem. I doubt there is anyone in Nazarick who would be

dissatisfied with their release other than myself."

"I see… That's good. Then I'll have those two run the orphanage."

"Understood. I will inform them of the decision."

"Thanks. I guess we should move on to the next item?" Ainz swallowed

hard. Next on the list was something he'd suggested. "…Hmm. This doesn't

seem like that great of an idea, but…well, I'll read it anyway." He continued,

glancing at Albedo to observe her expression. "Someone says we should

create uniforms to increase solidarity within Nazarick."

Albedo's beautiful eyebrows angled downward immediately. "…What an

outrageous, trashy proposal. Who submitted that?"

Ainz suppressed his urge to reply, I'm sorry, and instead appeared

flummoxed. "Ah, well…I don't know. I already got rid of the original slips of

paper."

"This is no good. I can't believe someone would waste your precious time

with this utterly inferior suggestion. I think we should perform a survey and

come up with some punishment for whoever turned it in."

"W—! We don't need to do that! Got it, Albedo? Absolutely no survey."

Despite internally going, Whoa—whoa—whoa, Ainz stated his position with

confidence. "I wanted to hear a diverse range of opinions from all sorts of

beings who reside within Nazarick, which was why I declared I wouldn't be

upset no matter what kind of proposals are suggested. If you rebuke any of

them, that would make what I said a lie. That could instill the belief that

everything I say from here on is a lie. If everyone begins to shrink away like

that, it'll make asking for their opinions in the future more difficult… The

moment you set foot outside this room, you erase that proposal from your

brain, Albedo."

"Yes, my lord! I shall do exactly as you say!"

"G-good. That's the way."

Ainz was grateful to have a body that didn't sweat. Otherwise he would

have been drenched. But despite his wonderful mind and body, he hadn't

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completely recovered from the pain of having his idea called "trashy."

"…Lord Ainz, this is just a suggestion, but perhaps from now on, I should

screen them for you—so no ideas this bad get through."

"Guh… No, that won't be necessary. Then it would be you choosing them

and me simply approving. If we did that, there wouldn't be any point in us

having this meeting."

"Oh! Y-you're right, Lord Ainz. This is our joint task, after all."

Albedo's wings flapped, and as if in sync, the eight-edged assassins

plastered to the ceiling all flinched.

"O-okay! Looks like you understand, so let's move on to the next item."

Personally, he had no idea what that was all about, but it didn't seem like this

was the right time to ask, and he didn't have the confidence to return to the

topic later. "So up next we have…"

As he was about to read it, there was a knock on the door.

The two of them looked to Fith, who bobbed her head and identified the

visitor.

From beyond the door, he could hear one energetic child's voice and

another faint voice lacking in confidence.

…Pretty sure this is the first time those two have come here at this hour.

Is there some kind of trouble? If so, I'm lucky they came while Albedo is here.

He knew who it was, so he could have given the permission to enter

immediately. But if he allowed them to enter before Fith reported their

names, he would be robbing her of the task she was so thrilled to be

performing. Going over workers' heads would rob them of their motivation.

It was important for those at the top to have that kind of consideration.

You must think the same way, Jircniv. You have maids doing all sorts of

things for you, too. Ainz spoke in his head to the mental image of the person

he was observing as a model king.

He wanted to be able to discuss their struggles as kings together someday.

"Lord Ainz, it's Mistress Aura and Master Mare."

Once Fith had fulfilled her duty, Ainz granted the pair's entry.

The door opened and two little dark elves came in. They were beaming,

and it didn't seem like anything had gone wrong, so Ainz was relieved.

"Good morning, Lord Ainz!"

"G-g-good morning, Lord Ainz."

"Yes, morning, you two. I'm glad to see you both looking well."

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After they both exchanged greetings with Albedo, Aura walked around

the desk and stood beside Ainz.

Having come extremely close to him, she opened her arms in a V shape.

"Mm!"

In response to Ainz's confusion, she emitted a sound that wasn't a word

and lifted her arms again. Then she looked at him expectantly, eyes sparkling,

and hopped up and down slightly.

When he finally realized what she wanted, he scooted his chair back, put

his hands on her sides, and picked her up.

"Wh-what are you doing, Lord Ainz?"

Albedo emitted a dry shriek, but he paid her no mind as he flipped Aura

around 180 degrees and sat her down on his right femur. Without a soft thigh

of his own, all he could offer her was hard bone, so he had her sit sideways in

an attempt to mitigate her discomfort.

"Eh-heh-heh." Aura laughed half-bashfully, half-happily and smiled up at

Ainz. Then Ainz shifted his gaze and waved over Mare, who was standing

there fidgeting. Mare approached timidly, but Ainz lifted him up and put him

on his left femur all the same.

"U-umm, L-Lord Ainz, m-me too…"

Ainz had just been thinking maybe he should prepare a cushion for next

time when Albedo hesitantly approached him. But seating a grown woman on

his thigh…bone was plain embarrassing.

"No, sorry…can't do it."

"B-but…both of them get…"

"…Albedo, they're still children. You're an adult, aren't you?"

For just a moment he felt like he saw a lightning bolt embodying her

shock strike behind her. He did feel like he had been slightly mean, but

embarrassing things were embarrassing. In the first place, wasn't asking for

that a form of sexual harassment?

"And what in the world is it, you two? Did something happen?"

The fortress they were building in the Tove Woodlands—the supply

stockpile, the fake Nazarick—was complete. The next tasks he had assigned

to Aura were the strengthening of its defenses and its concealment.

Originally, the plan had been to flee there if any enemy had appeared—to

save the real Nazarick from being discovered—but since he had already

given the location of the Great Tomb to Jircniv, they were prioritizing the

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forest compound as a stockpile and evacuation site.

He'd also ordered Mare to build a subterranean tomb on the outskirts of

E-Rantel.

There were no immediate plans to use it, but he didn't want any power to

go to waste.

When employing people, personnel expenses were incurred, but with

golems and the undead, he didn't have to worry about that, and Mare could

create simple stone and other materials with his magic.

Incidentally, the other guardians had also been assigned jobs: Shalltear

was guarding Nazarick and helping with transportation using Gate, Cocytus

was in charge of overseeing the lizardman village and the whole lake area,

and Demiurge was on business in the Sacred Kingdom.

Thus, at this time, all the guardians stationed in E-Rantel were present

before Ainz.

So what had the siblings come for if they already had jobs?

Aura gave a simple answer to Ainz's question.

"We missed you, Lord Ainz!"

The innocence of the exclamation made him crack a smile. "I see. I'm

happy to see you guys, too."

Ainz pet Aura's head. His hand must have felt good, because Aura

snuggled against it. It was like he was petting a cute little puppy.

"U-uhhh, Lord Ainz, what were you doing? I—I hope we aren't annoying

you."

"That's exa—"

"Not at all. How would seeing you ever be annoying?" Ainz said to Mare

before turning to Albedo. "Sorry, Albedo. You were about to say something,

but I interrupted. Oh, right. Of course I'm never annoyed to see you, either."

"Y-yes…" Her face was bright red, but she put on a dignified expression.

Then she said, "Lord Ainz!"

What? he was about to ask, but instead his eyes grew large.

"Ogyaa!"

Ainz doubted his ears. What is she saying?

Proving that he hadn't misheard her, she bashfully said it again. "Ogyaa!"

…She's definitely imitating a baby. I mean, if it was anything else, I'd be

scared. Why is she doing that? Is it stress because I piled too much work on

her? Oh! It could be something to do with Nigredo. We were just talking

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about releasing her from disciplinary confinement before.

As Ainz was feeling confused despite being undead, Mare began to

squirm.

"Umm, I'm, uh, okay, so…if Albedo wants to…"

Those words were a revelation to Ainz.

Basically, in response to him saying that these two were kids and she was

an adult, she was putting on an act to say she was a kid, too.

But why an infant? And I still don't think having Albedo in my lap is…

Then again, she had dared to do something so embarrassing in order to

make her appeal. As the one at the top and as a man, he couldn't ignore that.

And Albedo was actually, like Aura and Mare, a being similar to a child. It

wasn't right to pick favorites.

"Sorry, Mare." Having made up his mind, he let Mare down and waved

Albedo over. "Come, Albedo."

"Yes, my lord!"

Her embarrassed expression from a moment ago had vanished, and she

seemed to be bursting with as much anticipation as a puppy about to be taken

on a walk when she appeared beside him instantaneously.

For Ainz, still seated, trying to lift Albedo by putting his hands under her

arms was more than a little difficult.

"…Sorry, could you sit down from where you are?"

"Yes, my lord! Understood!"

Having traded places with Mare and sitting on Ainz's left femur facing

away from him, she nestled in.

The first thing Ainz felt was softness. She had a mature softness to her

body that the children didn't. Then came a warmth that seemed to seep into

him, making him restless.

Wow, is she soft!

She was a level-100 warrior, but it was hard to tell where she was keeping

her muscle; to put it unkindly, she was as soft as a mollusk.

"Tee-hee-hee-hee-hee."

He heard her quietly giggling.

The fragrance wafting up from Albedo's hair tickled Ainz's nostrils.

"Hmm?"

That moment, a spark seemed to flash through the brain he supposedly

didn't have.

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I've smelled this somewhere before. Albedo's clothes? No. Perfume?

Ainz had definitely smelled Albedo's somehow relaxing scent before. But

he couldn't manage to find the right memory.

"Hmm…Albedo. Are you wearing some sort of perfume?"

"Yes, I am. Does it displease you?"

"No, not at all. It smells nice."

Albedo abruptly turned to look at him. Her eyes were open so wide, they

scared him a little.

"You think so, Lord Ainz? If you like, you can smell me some more. For

an hour—or a whole day!"

"No, I don't think… An hour is a bit…" To tell the truth, though, he was

ever so slightly interested. And if he smelled it more, perhaps he would recall

the memory. "Mm, well, will you let me smell just a bit?"

Ainz moved his nasal bones in a little closer and inhaled Albedo's scent.

Since he was closer than before, the somehow comforting fragrance was a bit

clearer. Yes, he had definitely smelled it before, but he couldn't quite

remember where. As he desperately followed the threads of his memories, he

was interrupted by an icy voice.

"…Lord Ainz."

For a second, he didn't know who the speaker was, but then he realized it

was Aura. When he nervously shifted his gaze, she had narrowed her eyes in

disgust. Her lips jutted out slightly, her cheeks puffed and pouty.

"You're being kind of creepy."

"S-sorry."

She's right.

He cursed himself for being foolish enough to do something like that in

front of a child. From a moral education standpoint, it was awful. At this rate,

his old friends would call him out in the tone they'd use if they were angry at

their little brother.

"A-all right, both of you. Time to get off my legs. Albedo, let's continue

the conversation we were having before."

But they didn't move.

Neither of them budged. They seemed to be waiting to see who would go

first.

"Sheesh…"

Ainz picked Aura up and set her on the floor. He heard Albedo chuckle to

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herself. "Tee-hee-hee."

"…Aura was the first one to sit, that's why. You get down, too, Albedo."

"B-but Aura was sitting there for three minutes and forty-one seconds.

I've only been here for fifty-seven seconds. I humbly request that I should be

allowed to stay for three more minutes."

"But, Albedo, you spend more time with him."

"That's just how it goes. It's work."

"Oh? So it's just work? I'm here because I wanted to see Lord Ainz."

"Ngh!"

Albedo's butt squirmed on Ainz's thigh, and the two girls glared at each

other.

He knew why Albedo wanted to sit in his lap, but what was Aura's

reason? Surely she didn't love him the way Albedo did. In the first place, he

didn't remember doing anything that would be worthy of so much love, and it

was too soon for a child like Aura to have romantic feelings. So then…

Having thought that far, Ainz reached an answer.

I see. She wants me for her own?

It was possible she wanted a father figure. Aura and Mare had been

created young. They were at an age where they should have had parents. So

maybe she was trying to get what she was missing from Ainz?

He had been thinking that if there was a dark elf country, he wanted to go

there to find the dark elf siblings some friends. But Satoru Suzuki had never

yearned for a father figure, which was why he never noticed the possibility

that Aura and Mare might.

I wonder if the library has moral education books for kids.

When they were merely data, it wasn't an issue, but now he needed

something to make sure Aura and Mare had proper mental development.

Yeah, they need to make dark elf friends! I'll make that higher priority.

Speaking of which…

"Aura. There's something I wanted to ask you. What happened to those

three elves I gave to you and Mare?"

"You mean the ones who tramped into Nazarick with their dirty feet but

were pardoned because you're so compassionate?"

Ainz nodded.

He had given the slave elves accompanying the workers he had

summoned to Aura and Mare. Really, he didn't want to leave any uninvited

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trespassers alive, but they hadn't entered Nazarick by choice and they weren't

there to steal his treasures, so he figured it was okay to have mercy on them.

He also thought that since they were elves, maybe they would have a good

effect on Aura's and Mare's development.

"I see. We left them on our level for now."

"Left them?"

"Yes, for some reason they bustle around trying to take care of us. It's sort

of annoying."

"I-it's like Aura said. W-we can dress o-ourselves, but they still try to

help…"

"You need to get your act together, Mare. That's why they try to change

your clothes for you. They don't do that to me."

I see. So they try to take care of them, hmm? I guess they are acting sort

of like my maids. I identify with your suffering, Mare. Still, it seems to have

been worth saving those three. But are former slaves bad for moral

education? Hrm.

"Well, we spared them. Don't get angry and kill them or anything. If

they're too much of a nuisance to you, tell me and I'll send them somewhere

else."

"Understood! Thank you."

After Mare nodded, Ainz said, "Now then"—and turned a cold gaze on

Albedo—"Albedo, it's about time for you to get down. I'm sure it's been

three minutes."

She looked reluctant for the briefest of moments but obeyed silently and

got off his lap.

"By the way, what are you guys doing, Lord Ainz?"

"Hmm? Oh, we're going through the suggestions everyone in Nazarick

had about making the country better. Do you two have any ideas? Anything

at all."

Aura's face brightened up.

"I have a great idea, Lord Ainz!"

"Oh-ho. What is it, Aura? Let's hear it."

"Okay! I think boys should dress as girls and girls should dress as boys!"

…BubblingTeapot!

Ainz howled his old friend's name internally.

For a moment, he hallucinated a pink slime apologizing—Sorry—in a

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cute voice that didn't match its appearance at all.

"I see. Lady BubblingTeapot's idea, huh? Certainly, it's not a bad idea.

And implementing the will of the Forty-One Supreme Beings in this country

would be good."

Really? Ainz wanted to say out loud, but he couldn't.

Anyhow, he needed to veto the idea. But there was a problem.

These two dressed the way they did out of obedience to BubblingTeapot.

If he was going to reject Aura's idea, he needed to come up with a reason

why it was fine for them but not everyone else.

He couldn't think of anything on the spot.

"Lord Ainz. Shall I begin the process of carrying out Aura's proposal?"

Why are you in such a hurry?

There's no time left.

If I allow this, it's as good as announcing that the Nation of Darkness is a

country with deviant tastes. We can't have that. The only one who would be

happy is BubblingTeapot. No, even if she were here, I bet she'd never visit

our country.

There are a few people who, if they heard the NPCs they created had

attained consciousness, would actively avoid them, never mind coming to

visit. BubblingTeapot is definitely one. Yamaiko and Ankoro Mocchi Mochi

would probably come, though. They're all women, so why is she so

different…?

Thinking back on her fondly, Ainz stood and gazed out the window. It

wasn't as if there was any meaning in that gesture. He was just buying time.

Once he had a way to start figured out, he spun around and looked at all three

of them.

"I definitely reject that idea."

"B-but why?"

Of course you would ask that… But giving all men without a partner on

Christmas a mask would be a much better law that that one.

He exhaled deeply. Of course, it didn't mean anything. He was simply

buying more time.

"There are multiple reasons. Do you need me to explain each one,

Albedo?"

"Y-yes, p-please."

He had intended the question for Albedo, but Mare intercepted. He's

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normally so docile, so why is he being so vicious now? Ainz thought to

himself sadly. He was sure Albedo would have said, No, that's all right. I'll

explain to these two. But under these circumstances, he had to explain it

himself.

"…All right. I'll explain. I wonder where I should start."

Ainz brought a hand to his chin and hmmed. It goes without saying, but

that was also to buy time. After thinking so frantically, he nearly broke out in

a cold sweat, he had an idea.

"First, hmm. You probably thought that since you two are dressed like

that, everyone else should, too, right? That that's what BubblingTeapot

would want? But that's not true. Yes, you guys are special."

"We're special?"

"Exactly. BubblingTeapot has you two dress that way because you're so

special to her… Do you want to make everyone special like that?"

"Of course not!" Surprisingly, the one who shouted was Mare. "I would

hate that! I don't want a ton of strangers to have what Lady BubblingTeapot

gave especially to my sister and me!"

"Y-yeah. That's what I think. You get it, right, Aura?"

"Yes! It was stupid of me to not consider Lady BubblingTeapot's

feelings!"

Whoo! Ainz suppressed his urge to do a fist pump.

"Other than that…"

Aura and Mare already agreed. Letting the conversation end on a vague

note was probably fine. There was just one thing he was worried about.

Albedo murmured, "So we rejected a few," and Ainz turned to look at her.

With her uncommon intellect, she might have been thinking about

something beyond what he could follow. He was worried she might find it

weird if he ended the conversation there.

When their eyes met, she cocked her head and smiled.

Ainz averted his gaze, unsure what her reaction meant. An elder lich

happened to be standing where his eyes ended up, and his gaze was drawn

naturally to the documents in its hand.

"Ah, so you were thinking about that, too, Lord Ainz? That was the one

you looked at the longest. I think it would be fine to discuss it with these two,

if you like?"

The sudden remark made him shift his eyes back to her.

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"Hmm. So you were thinking about it, too, Albedo."

"Yes. I was sure you would bring it up. You must have thought it would

be all right to talk about it with them, right?"

"I'd expect nothing less from you, Albedo. Even if I don't say a word, you

know what's on my mind."

"Nonsense, my lord." She bowed with a smile and Aura puffed her cheeks

up crankily. "But more importantly, I hadn't considered what you said about

Lady BubblingTeapot's feelings, either. Such is the brilliance of our creators,

the Supreme Beings. Your points of view are simply beyond me."

"Oh, don't say that, Albedo. I think someday your abilities will surpass

even my own."

She was already way better than him. Ainz wondered, embarrassed, what

he was even saying, but Albedo nodded with a face full of determination.

"Yes, my lord! Someday, for sure!"

"Umm, were there any other reasons?"

"Ah yes, Aura. Albedo, tell the other two. Make your explanation simple

so even children can understand. Yes, make it easy to grasp."

Having told her that, he turned once again to the window as if to say, I'm

not talking, you are. But every bit of his attention was focused on his hearing

so he wouldn't miss a word Albedo said.

"Yes. Actually I was thinking of suggesting it to Lord Ainz later, but there

is a bit of a problem."

"What? Who's causing trouble? Should we go kill them quick?"

"No, it's not like that. Actually, we've learned that in the near future,

there will be a supply shortage. If we told everyone to swap clothing now, it

would be a headache unless we told everyone to exchange used clothes."

What? Really? It wasn't as if Ainz could actually ask. He frantically

recalled what was written in the documents from before.

There was something about materials, but he felt like there was quite a

good amount. But if Albedo said they would be running short soon, it must

be true.

Isn't that actually really bad? But couldn't we also just buy stuff from the

empire or the kingdom? We should still have assets for that in the city.

Albedo answered Ainz's natural question. "This is a commercial city

doing a fairly good job fulfilling its economic role of supply stockpile. But

since Lord Ainz took over, almost no merchants have visited from the three

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neighboring countries. For that reason, our supplies are gradually being

depleted."

"Couldn't we just bring some in from somewhere that has some? What if

we stole from the empire or the kingdom?"

"Sis, th-that's a bad idea. 'Cause, uh, umm, didn't Lord Ainz prohibit the

use of military force against our three neighbors?"

That was right. He wasn't sure what the future would hold, but until the

city was fully under his control, he wouldn't allow anyone to exercise

military might. Of course, it would be a different story if someone attacked

them first.

"Then what'll we do?"

"Uh—uh, we don't have to worry, I don't think. Umm, uh, Lord Ainz will

figure something out."

Ainz wanted to say, So you're dumping this in my lap now? to Mare, but

he held himself back. Who could betray the trust of these two kids as Aura

chimed in with an "Oh!" while she stood beside Mare?

But as a run-of-the-mill company employee, there was no way he could

come up with a proper plan to assuage the city's economic woes. That was

why he played one of his two trump cards.

He slowly turned around and said as if he was completely confident,

"Albedo, you're already working on it, right?"

In other words, he was throwing it at someone capable.

"Yes, soon we'll be reaping the seeds Demiurge sowed."

"There you have it. You two don't need to worry about a thing."

He did feel a bit guilty when everyone in the room looked at him with

gleaming eyes as if they were observing someone amazing—as well as fear

of the disappointment that would appear in their eyes when they found out it

was all a sham.

But Demiurge, huh? I dunno what kind of plan he's been concocting, but

I'd expect nothing less from him.

Ainz wanted to ask more about this harvest, but there was no way he

could do that—because Ainz Ooal Gown was supposed to have a handle on

everything.

I know I should probably study economics, but when I read difficult

books, my eyes just kind of glaze over… Like, c'mon, there must be a simpler

way to explain Keynesian economics. Is my mind simply not as flexible

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anymore because I'm getting older…?

Ainz had been plenty capable of learning the game systems in Yggdrasil.

He never bragged, but he had astounded his guildmates by memorizing over

seven hundred spells he had acquired. On top of that, knowledge of spells he

didn't have was a weapon that allowed him to read his opponents' abilities,

so he had done his best to learn about all the magic in the game. As a result,

he was probably one of the top five in the guild when it came to magic

knowledge.

He had accomplished all that, but academic books were simply beyond

him.

Hmm? Is it possible I can't learn anything else because I don't have a

brain?

That was impossible, since he had learned a ton of things since coming to

this world, but the terrifying thought sent a chill up his spine.

"Lord Ainz, I was actually hoping to obtain your permission for

something…"

"What? Permission?"

He didn't think Albedo's proposals required prior authorization. She was

so sensible that she would surely make even better decisions than him. But an

organization couldn't function that way. The job of the one at the top was to

take responsibility for the actions of those below. For that, authorization was

necessary.

"In order to get those humans moving, I was thinking we should send

someone to the royal capital. May I go?"

"What?!" Ainz was so surprised, he raised his voice.

He was nervous to send Albedo anywhere with Demiurge out. Not to

mention that the city wasn't fully under his control yet.

More than anything, though, his surprise was largely due to this being the

first time Albedo had ever proposed anything like that.

"…It would be…pretty inconvenient to send you away…"

"Oh!" Albedo seemed happy to hear that. "Don't worry, Lord Ainz. I'll

get the job done as quickly as possible and hurry back to your side."

"I see… Maybe it's not a problem if it's for only a short time. Who are

you planning on having manage the city and Nazarick while you're gone?"

Since Aura and Mare looked curious, it clearly wasn't them. Ainz figured

it definitely wasn't him, so he had to ask.

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"I was thinking of entrusting things to Pandora's Actor."

He heard Aura and Mare say, "Pandora's Actor should be fine."

"…Him?"

"As you created him, Lord Ainz, he's a highly valuable asset. The apple

really doesn't fall far from the tree—do excuse me. I didn't mean to imply

that we are like your children simply because you and the other Supreme

Beings created us. Please forgive my rudeness."

Ainz was bewildered and blinked furiously at the unexpected apology—

that is, the sparkle of the red points of light in his eyes dimmed.

"You don't need to apologize. He is, well, my child… Sorry. It's not as if

I dislike him, but he is an incompetent child… No, I don't mean he's bad or

anything like that… Agh, what the heck. He is like a child, yes."

They ended up facing each other in silence, and that wasn't going to get

them anywhere, so Ainz posed a question.

"If Pandora's Actor is going to be managing things, then what about his

job acting as Momon? Am I supposed to do it?"

"No, I certainly don't mean to foist such basic tasks off on you, my lord. I

intend to set things up so that Momon takes on a request to patrol this area."

Ainz nodded with a grunt of approval.

He had been feeling like he'd like to be Momon for the first time in a

while and stretch his wings, but when he thought about it, the situation was

very different when compared to his first carefree adventures. There were

more nuisances, more matters that required him to stay on his toes. Perhaps it

was best to have Momon go on patrol.

"U-umm, but if S-Sir Momon leaves, will there be problems with the

humans in the city?"

"No. Lord Ainz's ploy was a critical success. Because we haven't done

anything nasty to the humans—not that anyone intended to in the first place

—they truly trust this Momon character. So if Momon gathers the people of

influence in the city before he leaves and tells them to do as we say, there

won't be any issues. And I'm so impressed that they don't realize they're

being manipulated by a puppet. All I can say is that it was brilliant of you to

have seen so far ahead and planned for this right after we were transported

here, Lord Ainz."

"Nnnn…it's sort of convoluted that they believe in Lord Ainz because

they believe in Sir Momon."

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"That's true, but what other choice do we have to govern the city

peacefully? We'll gradually remove Momon from the picture as we cultivate

their allegiance to Lord Ainz. It might take a few years, but that's just how it

will have to be."

"All right. Albedo, leave things up to Pandora's Actor, and once you're

done with all your preparations and handoffs, go harvesting. Is there anything

you'd like to request to get you started?"

"Understood. Well, I suppose while I'm there I'd like to meet with the

human king and negotiate some things. I'll draft my proposal, so could I

trouble you for a review?"

"Sure. Bring it over later."

He was confident that if it was Albedo's plan, all he would have to do was

give it his stamp of approval.

"Also, this is somewhat awkward to ask for, but could I have a few outfits

to wear? I think I'll need to change while I'm there."

"I see. Then I'll give you some things from my collection. Come by in a

bit. By the way, is Demiurge—? Ah, never mind. It's fine. Shall we move on

to the next item…? Since you two are here, I might as well ask your opinions,

too."

2

Once their work was finished, the three guardians and the elder liches left the

room, leaving only Ainz and Fith—plus the eight-edged assassins clinging to

the ceiling.

Actually, Ainz's work was done now, meaning the rest of his day was free

time. He had things he could do, but if he did them early, it just meant he

would have nothing to do later. Ainz wondered how to best use this time for a

while, then he stood up as he stumbled upon an idea.

"I'm going to go see Pandora's Actor."

When he made that declaration and set off walking, Fith followed behind

him without a word. Naturally, the eight-edged assassins did, too.

When they left the house, the outside air was still cool—the calendar

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would've told him as much. Ainz thought there was a comfortable breeze

blowing, but when he considered that he had complete resistance to chill, he

couldn't help but glance quickly at Fith before they set off.

The complex was mostly made up of three buildings: the main house they

had just been in, the offices of the domestic officials, and the second

residence. Pandora's Actor—or rather, Momon—was staying in the second

house.

Really, it would have been appropriate for Ainz to have Momon come to

him, as the ruler, but he wanted to enjoy a change of pace.

"Huh? What's going on?" Ainz murmured to himself as they approached

the second house. He was peering at a little structure adjacent to it. They

called it a stable, but the only one sleeping there now was Hamusuke. Or

rather, that's how it was supposed to be.

As Ainz approached the little stable with a question on his mind, he heard

some snoozing breaths. Sleep was a privilege of the living. Hamusuke must

have been there.

The sun had already risen pretty high, but apparently she was still

sleeping.

Hamusuke had eyes like a cat, so she could see in the dark, but according

to her, she didn't operate in terms of day and night. Her lifestyle had been to

eat and then sleep until she was hungry again.

Honestly, when Ainz heard that, the first thing he thought was, How did

you earn the title of the Wise King of the Forest? He felt stupid for expecting

more intelligent behavior.

"If I can get this close before she realizes it's me, does it mean she's gone

soft? Geez…she's let herself go. Well, no, I guess I have to consider the

possibility that she was up late working last night."

"She wasn't. Mistress Hamusuke was here all day yesterday."

Upon hearing Fith's damning remark, Ainz tried to come up with

something to say in Hamusuke's defense, but he couldn't.

Well, she's a pet anyhow, so expecting more out of her would be barking

up the wrong tree. I don't care if she lets herself go…but it is kind of

offensive to have someone around who is just hanging out while I'm working.

Of course, that's just me taking out my frustrations on her…

When he peeked inside the stable, a giant hamster was lying there asleep.

It was an image of slovenly sleep that could be perfected only by a nose

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bubble.

But there was something else that caught Ainz's eye besides the bold

sleeping posture more appropriate for a middle-aged man than any hamster

he had ever seen.

Curled up in Hamusuke's tail was a death knight. That was the mystery

undead Ainz had detected from outside.

He had a sensory link with the undead he created, so he had a general idea

of where they all were. But when they moved to E-Rantel, he had brought so

many that sometimes it felt like a big jumble. To be honest, it was difficult

for him to tell exactly what undead he had and where they were at the

moment. Still, he hadn't assigned any to this stable, so detecting one had

surprised him.

"Wake up, Hamusuke."

"Mrrf, that I say."

Hamusuke rubbed her eyes dexterously—or perhaps it was best described

as "in a human way"—and turned around, catching sight of Ainz.

"Ohhh! I wondered who it could be, I did. If it isn't my master!"

"Right now, no one's around, so that's fine, but normally you need to call

me Lord Ainz. You're Momon's mount, not mine."

"Of course, that I will, master!"

"Okay. If you understand, then that's fine…"

Her reply made him want to ask if she really got it or not, though.

Magical beasts, due to their nature as beasts, were particularly susceptible

to mind control. That was why he was lending her an item that gave her

immunity to those types of spells, but he was still worried that she might end

up leaking intelligence for some reason completely unrelated to magic.

"Well, you haven't made any mistakes yet. I'm putting my trust in you.

Now about what I really wanted to ask you: What's with this death knight?"

"Ohhh! This is my training friend, that he is."

That's when Ainz remembered.

Apparently, this was the death knight he had assigned when Hamusuke

was acquiring the warrior class—the undead they had used in tests to see if it

could level up as a warrior and acquire martial arts.

Ainz had even equipped the death knight with an artifact that dramatically

increased experience point gain in exchange for decreased ability points, but

he never leveled up. Ainz wasn't particularly upset because the results were

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as expected, but Hamusuke began to protest about this and that, so after

retrieving his artifact, he let her have the death knight.

That guy…? But the spikes on his armor are rounded off… I didn't give

him to her as a body pillow. I was hoping maybe she would master something

as a warrior… Well, whatever. I have plenty of death knights. Letting her

have one won't cause any problems.

At this point, Ainz had so many death knights, it was overkill—he had

even been creating them as part of his daily schedule.

"I see. Got it. But even if you're not a wild magical beast anymore, it's

pretty bad if you don't notice someone until they get this close to you. We're

not Aura, after all. Shouldn't you be a little warier?"

Hamusuke looked dejected, and her whiskers drooped. "I am sorry, that I

am. In the forest, I was the strongest, that I was. I was never attacked, so I

never really had to be on guard, no I didn't."

"Didn't you ever have a child…hood? But wait, what about the Giant of

the East and the Magical Serpent of the West?"

"Who? That I ask. Who are they? East? West? What are you talking

about? That I wonder."

A question mark appeared above Ainz's head. "…The other two you split

the rule of the forest with."

"Oh-ho! I was not aware such creatures existed in the forest, that I wasn't!

Brilliant, master, that you are! I'm impressed with your knowledge, that I am!

I don't know much about the world beyond my territory!"

"You call yourself the Wise King of the Forest, but…"

"It was a human warrior who came into my territory a long time ago who

named me, that it was. It was a rather cool name, so I let that warrior go, that

I did. How nostalgic!"

Ainz had the feeling he had figured out what happened.

The warrior who had been allowed to escape must have exaggerated the

story of facing off against Hamusuke. Even if it was only to justify why they

survived while all their friends had been killed.

He could understand the logic of it. Hamusuke was actually quite strong

by this world's standards. The only humans he had met who could defeat

Hamusuke were probably Clementine and Gazef.

Ainz suddenly thought of Gazef.

"Hmm? What's wrong, master? That I ask."

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"Ah…it's nothing. Just, right… You're not qualified to be Wise King of

the Forest. You're the Hamster of the Forest."

"If I remember correctly, a hamster is that animal you mentioned before,

master, that it is. You really think I'm a hamster, do you?"

"Yep. You're a giant hamster."

"Ohhh! I'm a giant hamster, then, that I am. Do you know where I might

find some more of me? That I wonder."

"Nope."

His firm negative depressed her.

Ainz felt like maybe he had been too mean, so he consoled her. "I

guarantee those who work for Nazarick commensurate rewards. If you

continue to work for Nazarick, I'll make sure to find you some relatives."

"Ohhh!" Hamusuke's whiskers perked up. "I've always been loyal to you,

master, that I have, but now I'll redouble my efforts to be loyal, that I will!"

"Good, good. So, Hamusuke. Is Momon—I mean, Pandora's Actor—

home?"

"Your double, master? I'm not sure if he's in, no I'm not. He rides in

carriages the humans send around, so he doesn't always go around with me,

no he doesn't."

"Ahhh, I seem to remember him telling me he was using the carriages to

share information.

"Heh-heh." Ainz chuckled deviously.

That was all according to his calculations. The people were convinced that

they were telling Momon things that Ainz was keeping secret from him and

aiming to get him to defect, but actually, Pandora's Actor was feeding them

lies without them realizing.