Looking back and Moving on

"devirra ev'eW." (We've arrived.)

Victim had finally led Pandora and Shalltear to the landmark of the 8th known as the Twisting Nether. Far off-ways from the forest, an unmarked cliff-side laid as a dead-end. Contrasting to most of the floor, this area felt like it was stricken by some otherworldly force. Bits of land could be seen floating ominously over the edge of the cliff, purple rays of lightning and lilac streaks of mana flew above the space. The sky was covered by an ever shifting spiral of violet clouds, and the humming of whirring engines and burning mana would always ring inside your head.

If one dared venture off enough to look downwards the cliff, they would only be met with a consuming void, staring them right back.

Shalltear marveled at the sights. 'It certainly seems to be the work of the Supreme Beings!'. But even she could tell something was off about this place, like a great fight once took place here.

Pandora's Actor was much the same. 'Na, so was! It was already a surprise to see more of Victim's kin floating around the Cherry Blossom Sanctuary, but this!'. He wondered if it would offend Ainz to ask him the origins of this twisting nether, and what machines once laid here that you can still hear the echoing of their engines, eras after they've been wiped out…

The downcast succubus wouldn't feel any of those wonders though, barely registering her surroundings as the doppelganger carried her off.

"End of the line, Albedo."

Pandora's Actor carried her this far, intending on leaving her alone at the center of the cliff. Surprisingly, he took off her chains himself.

'It's not like they would have resisted much anyways, at least she was still courteous enough to not fight back.'

Behind the both of them, Victim had already announced his departure to his assigned area and Shalltear was preparing a [Gate] to take her and Pandora back.

"I guess we're done here. Pandora?"

"Don't let me be the one to keep you waiting, my lady!"

Those two could be called the strongest floor guardians on most conditions, so it was unsurprising their lord would assign them together for this mission. Still, Shalltear couldn't help but wonder a few things. If he can really take the form of any Supreme Being, maybe she could ask him to take the form of Lord Ainz, or even Peroroncino!

'Aaahh! I'll wonder about such sweet things another time…' The True Vampire just closed her eyes and held her hands to her cheeks, losing herself in her pleasurable thoughts as she traversed the portal.

Pandora's Actor had soon turned to follow her, but something, rather someone, interrupted him midway.

"Wait! Pandora's Actor! Please-"

"You're not overseer anymore, Albedo."

His voice had gone several degrees lower, as if wanting to say "You can't order me around." The succubus simply lowered herself to beg.

"Please...You're Lord Ainz's creation, I beg you! What you saw of him in the room…" She quivered "What did you think?".

He almost couldn't decipher what she meant, but after having his back to her for a while, he lowered his cap and turned.

"Pain. He was in pain, Albedo."

He left the succubus at that, walking through the [Gate] that still lingered. Now Albedo's only company was the cacophony of the dead machine laid before her.

Ainz sat alone in his mournful throne. He had sent the floor guardians away, but the afterimages of the still loyal lingered inside his mind.

'I didn't think silence could be this overwhelming...'

He would usually appreciate a moment of peace like this when he didn't have to put on a kingly act for anyone, but the stress of the past few scenes of this day still hadn't left him.

The overlord tapped his phalanges in the gilded armrest, deciding he had no use mimicking the statues of him sitting and promptly getting up. To his side, the golden staff floated almost anxiously.

"Fine, I can bring you in too. I just hope you're not skipping out on any tea parties with Aureole."

He laughed lamely at his own bad joke before walking out the tenth floor, trying not to pay much attention to the empty spot Albedo once occupied.

'Very well, where should I go first? There's nothing for me to do here, besides working that is, but that's out of the question!...For now, at least.'

The 9th floor was barren as usual, save for the occasional maid passing by and keeping things clean. Ainz couldn't help but think the NPCs might get overprotective of him for walking around without a consort, but that he should be fine since he's not leaving the Tomb.

"My lord! Have you come to request anything special from us?" Fith was the one speaking, the other maids suddenly turning to note the presence of Lord Ainz and bowing for him.

"Fith. I'm glad to see you're in good health. Unfortunately, I just happen to be passing by."

"Don't say that, lord! It is to our great pleasure to see our ruler bless us with his presence!" Ainz couldn't help but notice the maids in the back nodding in perfect sync. How do they even practice that?

Suddenly though, a particularly unpleasant memory came to him.

"Actually, Fith, there is something. Could you point me to the overseer's room?"

The tiny maid seemed to flinch for a moment.

"W-We're not allowed to enter the Harem Room, my lord, but I can personally bring you to it!"

Ainz took care to not let his internal sigh actually leave him. 'Albedo must have forbidden them from entering so they wouldn't find out about the crumpled flag. Even the maids were being affected by this.'

"That would be most welcome, Fith."

The maid kept a bright smile while walking the undead king towards one of the many marked rooms of the ninth floor. Behind those doors, a luxurious room adorned with opera curtains, illuminated by shadowflame lanterns of the most beautiful kind awaited. Fith remembers cleaning the room only a few times before it was personally given to Albedo, she was honestly curious at the state the guardian overseer kept it in, but knew better than to try and look.

"We're here, lord!"

"Thank you, Fith. You made things a lot easier for me."

Fith gave her thanks and bowed to her lord, but suddenly felt a chill as she went to turn back and resume her maid duties.

"Actually Fith, do stay with me for the meanwhile." The maid seemed conflicted only for a second, but she obviously would obey her lord above all else. "Don't worry, you have my permission."

"Of course, Lord!"

'She seems happy. I guess the opportunity to clean a walled off place must be something that excites the maids.'

Seeing the new orders laid ahead for her, Fith went ahead to open the doors for her lord, still letting him pass first, of course.

"Please come in, Lord Ainz!"

The Overlord walked in, his emotional nullifier ringing in almost immediately.

[She is madly in love with Momonga.]

'When did she even have time to work on all these things?!'

Ainz remembered Albedo's settings just then, how she was designed to be the perfect housewife. It seems she had been putting the sewing skills to good use.

Fith, however, looked like she just walked into the most glimmering treasure room there ever was. Ainz doubted she would look half as intrigued seeing the Treasury. Speaking of…

[Message]

  [Pandora's Actor, please come and see me at the earliest convenience.] 

An eagerly excited voice could be heard in the other side of the [Message]

  [Of course, Ainz-Sama!] 

"My lord…" Ainz turned to face Fith, she held a bewildered posture looking into one the walls. That must be…

"Umu." One of the banners holding the crest of the guild laid crumpled, defaced lying on the floor.

This time he couldn't hold back his sigh. "Fith, after we're done here, please clean this up and bring this banner to my room."

"Of course, lord."

Suddenly, she turned her head up to see a black vortex appear before them, a familiar face stepping out.

"My father, I have arrived as you ask! How can I be of use?"

"I'm glad you came on time, Pandora's Actor."

Fith couldn't help but think back on the last time the three of them were together in the same room. She must have been truly lucky, to be able to witness the private moments where Ainz held such a familiar bond with one of them.

"This is Albedo's room. You can see she had made...A lot of tributes to me."

Plushies, dolls, even body pillows and other figures laid scattered across the overlord-sized bed. Just looking back at them made Ainz's emotion stabilize again.

"Please, collect them and find a spot for them in the Treasury, that is all."

"It will be my pleasure, father!"

Pandora immediately turned to face the "tributes", no doubt gauging in his mind their priceless value and trying to figure out how he would organize them.

'It has been a while since we've looted such a hoard! I will take all the time I need, and more! To set up these fine treasures.'

Ainz thought he would be finally getting out of there, but a small whimper interrupted his thought process.

"Eh?"

It was Fith, she suddenly looked very depressed, sniffling in the corner. Not crying happy tears like when she witnessed Ainz call Pandora his son, but very sad ones.

'Oh no, did she figure out what is going on with Albedo? I may need to tell her to keep it to herself. Damn it, why did you have to do something like that Albedo? Wait, is she crying because of that or…'

"Actually, Fith, w-why don't you keep this one? You can have it as a gift from me."

Ainz picked one of the things off the bed in a hurry, a cute plushie bearing his resemblance.

He never saw one of the maids wearing such a bright smile.

"M-My lord, I couldn't possibly…!"

'So it was that.'

The maid couldn't even finish her own polite denial before she grabbed the plushie in pure, sheer admiration.

"I love it, my Lord! I'll work a hundred times as hard just to be worthy of this gift!"

"I-I appreciate it, Fith"

Ainz didn't think the maid actually listened to him seeing the starry eyes she was giving the plushie, holding it with her arms outstretched and then bringing him close for a hug. He hoped it wouldn't cause problems between the maids…

'Agh, who am I kidding. I'm going to have Shizu beating on my door the second she finds out. That's if she doesn't drown Fith in 1-yen stickers first."

Ainz couldn't help but chuckle to himself, even in the unfortunately realistic situation he put himself in.

"A-Ainz sama, can I…?"

"What is it, Pandora-"

He looked back to see Pandora's Actor holding something near to his chest with both his hands, looking closer at it…

'An action figure?!'

8th Floor

Cherry Blossom Sanctuary

In the middle of the flower-felled haven, a young girl wearing a Miko dress sat still, she had just finished arranging her usual preparations for this time of the day. She was lonely sometimes, but Victim kept her company, as did the rest of the Cherubim who rather served as critters and decoration more than anything.

Right now though, something was bothering the maid.

"Sigh, I guess he's not coming to the tea party after all."