Ainzland

Chapter 11: Ainzland (Edited)

With the disappearance of Lord Ainz, the Great Tomb of Nazarick descended into a period of gloom and melancholy.

The departure of their Lord had been so sudden and swift that the NPCs remained kneeling in shock, unsure of what to do.

Under the diligent guidance of Demiurge and Albedo, the NPCs had meticulously practiced and prepared themselves for the ultimate task of bestowing the world to their master - the Supreme One - Ainz Ooal Gown!

The NPCs were confident that Lord Ainz would be amazed by their unwavering diligence and shower them with praise, and their ultimate reward would be to receive the next part in his ten thousand year plan, spurring them to work even harder towards its realization.

Once said plan is accomplished, they would celebrate and etch their accomplishments into the annals of the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick.

However, things did not unfold as planned...

They were not graced by the praises of Lord Ainz, but graced by their Lord who was instead disappointed.

Have they failed him?

Was he going to leave them like the rest of the Supreme Beings?!

The NPCs - who knelt in silence - were swept up in a maelstrom of tumultuous thoughts, the mere idea of which was enough to shatter their unshakeable faith. The chaotic tumult of their minds threatened to destabilize their entire belief system.

Within the group of NPCs knelt a lone figure, Tsuare.

Tsuare was dressed in a flowing dress, shades of red. The dress was covered in rose petals and thorns, showing a hint of innocence lace with desire. The dress had a large cut that exposed her deep ravines of her cleavage.

Her blonde hair cascades over her dress like liquid gold. Peeking out from the golden strands of hair, are two cute horns curved back on her temples.

Tsuare was one of the few amongst them who understood the pain and struggle Lord Ainz might be going through. This was because of the horrific experiences she herself had suffered at the hands of the members of Six Fingers.

During Tsuare's harrowing ordeal at the hands of Six Fingers, she was consumed with fear and terror as she was violated and objectified. However, even in her darkest moments, she never lost the hope that someone would eventually rescue her from her tormentors.

Hope itself is not wrong, for it can be a guiding light through even the darkest of times. However, when hope gives way to despair, it can be a slippery slope towards the precipice of hopelessness.

Tsuare recognized that Lord Ainz, the one who had accepted her into Nazarick, was undergoing a similar experience to the one she had faced before. However, the depths of his despair might be greater than anything she had ever experienced because unlike her, there is no one coming to save him.

According to the tomes and myths that circulated within the Nazarick, Lord Ainz is an all-powerful being, considered to be one of the most exalted individuals in existence. Lord Ainz's status was so elevated that it dwarfed even creatures that could kill him. Only his fellow Supreme Beings stood on equal footing with him; no other entity, not even the most powerful NPCs, could come close to matching his immense status.

Despite Lord Ainz's deep love and attentive care for his subjects, a profound sense of loneliness remained hidden just beneath the surface.

In the New World, or as the inhabitants had come to call it, Ainzland, conversing with Lord Ainz in any meaningful way was a task that required delicate consideration of his exalted position.

Perhaps the only person to talk to him as an equal was King Zanac of Re- Estize Kingdom according to the rumors in Tomb. But he's gone.

This was more so, when Lord Ainz learned that with or without his direct knowledge, the surrounding nations had been conquered. Making the Sorceress Kingdom an utopia was his dream but when this was being made a reality without his involvement, Lord Ainz gradually secluded and devoted himself to studying matters that had piqued his interest.

And then, after nearly nine hundred years of research in seclusion, Lord Ainz emerged only to discover that the New World - Ainzland - had been conquered, leaving him with a profound sense of disappointment and a lack of purpose.

As Tsuare pondered these thoughts, she couldn't help but wonder why the other Supreme Beings had not returned. Were they content to watch their leader suffer while they continued to live freely, pursuing their own agendas?

While Tsuare had never encountered any of the other Supreme Beings in person, she couldn't help but feel a sense of disappointment towards them. Despite Lord Ainz being responsible for the maintenance and functioning of the Nazarick, they still exerted their influence, even in their absence, leaving Tsuare to question their purpose and usefulness.

Of course, Tsuare kept these thoughts to herself, wary of expressing them aloud, particularly in the presence of Albedo and Demiurge.

Although Lord Ainz had been lenient and had granted her a title - Aura Guardian outside Nazarick - her title had little sway over Nazarick's denizen. Though she was granted a title, she could not order anyone within the Great Tomb of Nazarick's hierarchy because she was not created by the Supreme Beings.

Fortunately, Tsuare enjoyed the privilege of being the wife of Sebas Tian, the Iron Butler.

As a gesture of congratulating their wedding, Lord Ainz had gifted them a Race Change Scroll, which he had fashioned using the skin of a Dragon Lord.

The Race Change Scroll is capable of transforming someone into anyone of these distinct creatures: a Devil, an Angel, or an Elf, each endowed with its own unique advantages.

Since Sebas Tian - Dragon God - was already of the Heteromorphic race, it was obvious that Lord Ainz had gifted the scroll to her.

Regardless of which race she chose, Tsuare was destined to become a powerful being, commanding extraordinary influence.

She was not quite interested in power, but since she wanted to spend eternity with Sebas Tain, she caved in. .

After a brief moment of thought, Tsuare picked the Blood Devil race, a rare type of devil with mastery over blood.

Blood Devils possessed advantages, such as being a demonic being with dominion over fire and darkness. They also resemble Vampires in the fact they can control blood but lack the weakness usually associated with bloodsuckers.

As a Devil - a level 65 servant - Tsuare was relatively weak amongst Nazarick denizens and susceptible to being influenced by higher-tier Devils, like Albedo and Demiurge.

As a means of protecting herself from manipulation, Tsuare strove to maintain a clear and pure mind - a challenging feat for many Devils but it was seemingly easy for her, perhaps owing to her prior human existence.

Naturally, Albedo and Demiurge had never attempted to exert control over her. As a devoted servant of Ainz Ooal Gown, few would dare to offend Lord Ainz by hurting her.

Lost in thought, Tsuare suddenly noticed Albedo rising to her feet. The other Floor Guardians and servants, including herself, quickly followed suit.

Albedo gazed numbly at the spot where Lord Ainz had vanished, her eyes misty and seemingly lost in deep thoughts. The pain of seeing her beloved master in such a state was clearly etched on her face.

Composing herself, Albedo took a few deep breaths and turned to address Demiurge, the Commander of Nazarick's Defense. "Demiurge, is there any reason beyond what is evident that may have caused Lord Ainz's distress? If not, then it seems that we are powerless to remedy the situation." She asked, her tone heavy with heartbreak and disappointment. Though Albedo had witnessed her beloved master's anguish, she felt helpless to alleviate it,as the Supreme Beings were beyond her understanding.

If she had the power, Albedo would forcibly erase the existence of the Supreme Beings from Lord Momonga's mind, but she knew if she did that, the man she loved would not be the same.

Lost in thought, Albedo suddenly felt a powerful aura emanating from the Mausoleum. Despite her deep loathing for her Creator, she found the aura impossible to resist. Disobeying it would be a risk she wasn't willing to take, for the consequences could be disastrous, including the possibility of her own obliteration.

Forgive me Father, for I have sin…

Demiurge raised his eyeglasses, his voice measured and thoughtful. "I don't believe there is anything aside from the absence of the other Supreme Beings that has caused Lord Ainz anguish. It's a feeling that we, as beings created alongside each other, cannot hope to comprehend. Even if we were to exist for a billion years, we would have each other, thus never experiencing the loneliness of Lord Ainz."

"….."

"Demiurge, I still don't understand," Shalltear Bloodfallen spoke, breaking the silence, the confusion obvious in her voice. "While it's true Lord Ainz is not accompanied by the other Supreme Beings, we are still by his side, shouldn't that make him happy? Why would he be so sad?"

"…."

Demiurge's eyes shone with an intense luster as he posed his question. "I guess without direct explanation, you all would remain confused. " Looking at the Floor Guardians and other servants, he continued. "Just ask yourself this, and everything will make sense: what, exactly, are we to the Supreme Beings?"

"Subordinates!" The Floor Guardians responded unanimous, no hesitation in their words. The servitude of the NPCs were etched deeply into their souls.

"That is correct. While being with Lord Ainz might have suggested something else, that is not true. We are servants, and servants will never be equal to their Lords." Demiurge could see the realizations on the faces present and continue, "Hands, ears and mouth are only to be moved at the whims of the master's thoughts. However, no matter how loyal or dedicated we are to Lord Ainz and the other Supreme Beings, we can never replace the special place they hold in his heart. It's not our place to fill the void left by the Supreme Beings, that's an impossible task."

"Nonetheless, there is no cause for concern. Unlike the other Supreme Beings, Lord Ainz will never forsake us." Demiurge declared, albeit with a hint of embarrassment. He couldn't help but recall how even his own Creator, Ulbert Alain Odle, had left him without so much as a word. But Lord Momonga - now - Ainz Ooal Gown, the one who reigned over all the Supreme Beings, had chosen to remain with them until the very end.

Demiurge was certain that Lord Ainz would return - the reason for this assurance was the treasure that they had created together, an item whose value exceeded some World Items, despite just being a Divine Item.

Regardless of the distance or dimension, Lord Ainz could always return to Nazarick by activating the item.

Demiurge said looking at the Guardian Overseer,"Albedo, please give us our orders. As Lord Ainz suggested, we should govern the world, until his return."

Demiurge still had to return to his happy farm to amass wealth for Nazarick. Though he has gained great progress over the centuries, he had to admit, his research is starting to stagnate. But how can that be? The growth of Nazarick cannot be stopped, by anyone!

One of his most important experiments has been the creation of the Ainzland gold coin. His original goal was to find a replacement for Yggdrasil coins but is becoming a difficult task. How can a low tier world generate the currency of the Supreme Beings? In retrospect, he should have realized this issue before attempting the experiment. He did gain some success in the creation of the Ainland gold coin though. It was ten times more precious than the coins once used in the New World, but it's barely equal to a Yggdrasil coin.

Thus far, Demiurge had only been able to generate Ainzland's gold, not Yggdrasil coins. This led him to deduce that Ainzland lacked the capacity to produce such coins - a reasonable assessment, considering the fact that the Yggdrasil coins came from a higher realm.

Albedo was the Guardian Overseer alright, she snapped back to her commanding role, "Servants listen and obey the will of the Supreme One! As Demiurge surmised, our mission is to fulfill Lord Ainz's will, and to do so I will split it into separate parts."

Turning to Shalltear Bloodfallen, Albedo spoke, "In our growing empire, the voice of the people is becoming too loud, it's time to silence them. However, we cannot use harsh means as that would undermine Lord Ainz's power. Shalltear Bloodfallen, I want you to grant immortality to a group of people - the winners of the Noble Tournament - this will shift the eyes of the masses away from what is going on.``

"I obey the will of the Supreme One!"

"Next is Aura Bella Fiora." Turning to face Aura, who has grown to become a beautiful woman. In comparison to Shalltear who still looked the same. "It has come to my attention that many races have taken to calling you the Master of Beasts creating idols in your name. For that reason, I wish for you to hold that power deeply in your hands."

"Yay! I obey the will of the Supreme One!"

"Mare Bello Fiore, your mission is twofold. Firstly, I will give you locations of strongholds to be destroyed. Secondly, just as Aura, you have been worshiped by many nomadic and tribal societies as a deity."

"I..obey!"

"Cocytus and Demiurge will remain within Nazarick, just in case of the unexpected. I will be supervising the Sorceress Empire with Pandora's Actor. That is all!"

"AH!" Without delay, the Floor Guardians acknowledged Albedo's orders.

The Floor Guardians and the rest of the servants bow their heads to the Throne of Kings before vacating the Throne Room, leaving Albedo alone. With a heavy sigh, Albedo gazed at the spot where Lord Momonga's banners once hung before she too departed.

Come back to me Lord Momonga, I'm waiting.