Chapter 6 Disturbance in the Royal Capital: Introduction

The door to the drawing room slowly opened.

The well-oiled door should have opened smoothly, but now it moved

slowly, heavily, as if against a wall of pressure. At that speed, it might well

have been reading Sebas's mind.

If the door really knew what he was thinking, he would have rather it

didn't open at all, but it did indeed give way to reveal the drawing room.

The parlor was the same as always, but the four grotesques waiting for

him inside were not.

One bore the appearance of a light-blue samurai. His chilly aura was

deactivated, and he was at attention, silver halberd in hand.

Another was a demon. What inner thoughts did his sarcastic expression

hide?

And in the demon's arms was an angel resembling a fetus with wings like

withered branches.

Lastly—

"I humbly apologize for my lateness."

Keeping his voice steady by sheer power of will, Sebas directed an almost

religious bow at the sole seated being in the room. As both house steward and

butler, Sebas held one of the highest positions among his peers—but the

being that both frightened and awed him was none other than one of the

Absolutes, the Forty-One Supreme Beings.

Ainz Ooal Gown.

He was the ruler of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, with the greatest power

at his disposal. The Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown in his hand was giving off a

black aura.

Hazy red lights glowed in his vacant orbits. Their gaze slid up and down

over Sebas, taking him in—he could feel it despite his lowered head.

The vibrations in the air told him that Ainz, finding this tiresome, had

waved his hand dramatically.

"…It's fine. Don't worry about it, Sebas. That's what I get for coming

with no notice. More importantly, standing over there bowing doesn't get us

anywhere. Get in here."

"My lord!" Sebas raised his head in response to the dignified voice and

slowly stepped forward—and a chill went up his spine. With his keen senses,

he was detecting skillfully concealed hostility and murderous intent.

He slowly shifted his gaze. The two guardians in his field of vision didn't

appear to be paying any special attention to Sebas—or so it might seem to the

common observer.

Sebas realized it well enough.

There was nothing amicable about the tension around them. In fact, it was

the exact opposite. Their vigilance was not generally found in the presence of

allies.

Sebas understood their caution, and the pressure made him wonder if

everyone in the room could hear his violently pounding heart.

"I think you should stop right there." Demiurge's cool voice halted Sebas

in his tracks.

The spot Demiurge indicated was slightly removed from their master. Of

course, it wasn't so far away as to make conversing difficult, and it would

serve as an appropriate distance for an audience with a superior, on the

whole. But normally, Ainz would have said he was too far away and asked

him to approach. His silence created a sense of distance wider than the

physical space, and that weighed heavily on Sebas.

It was also the optimum range for Cocytus to attack, which made him

only more anxious.

Incidentally, Solution had entered the room along with Sebas, but she

remained right next to the door.

"Now, then…" Ainz cracked his knuckles, though it was unclear how he

managed with nothing but bones for fingers. "First, I'll ask you if I need to

explain why I've come."

There could be only one reason. The circumstances alone said as much.

"…No, that won't be necessary."

"Then I'd like to hear it straight from you, Sebas. I didn't receive a report,

but apparently you recently picked up a cute little pet. Is that right?"

I knew it.

Sebas felt like an icicle had impaled him in the back. Immediately

afterward, he realized he hadn't replied to his master and hurried to raise his

voice. "Yes, my lord!"

"…Your response was delayed. Sebas, I'll ask you again. Is it true you've

picked up and are caring for a cute little pet?"

"Yes, I am!"

"Good. Then I'll ask you this. Why didn't you report it?"

"Right…" Sebas's shoulders trembled slightly, and he stared at the floor.

What do I say to avoid the worst?

Sebas stood there in silence, and Ainz, watching him, slowly leaned back

in his chair. The abnormally loud creak filled the room. "What's wrong,

Sebas? Seems like you're sweating bullets. If you need a handkerchief, I'll

lend you one…" Ainz theatrically drew from somewhere unknown a snowwhite handkerchief between his pointer and middle fingers. He casually

tossed it in Sebas's direction. The handkerchief opened as it fluttered over the

desk and down to the floor with a motion that could be described as a fwah.

"You have my permission to use it."

"Thank you, my lord." Sebas took a single step toward Ainz and retrieved

the fallen handkerchief. Then he hesitated.

"…It doesn't have your pet's blood on it or anything. I just can't stand to

look at you with all that sweat."

"Oh… Apologies for my unsightly appearance." Sebas unfolded the

handkerchief and wiped the greasy moisture off his forehead. The cloth

absorbed more than he expected and turned dark.

"Now then, Sebas. When I dispatched you to the royal capital, I ordered

you to take note of anything and everything, then send those observations to

Nazarick. I did so because it's hard to discern the valuable information from

the garbage without more input. And in the documents you sent, you even

wrote up things as minor as street rumors, correct?"

"Yes, that's correct."

"Then, Demiurge, just to confirm, let's hear from you as well. I had you

read the documents Sebas sent, too, right? Did he mention anything about his

little pet?"

"No, Lord Ainz. I read them over several times, but I could not find the

slightest hint of such a thing."

"I see. So again, Sebas. I'll ask with that in mind. Why didn't you report

it…? I want to know why you ignored my orders. Were the words of Ainz

Ooal Gown not worthy enough to bind you?"

The question rocked the room.

Sebas answered in a desperate rush. "Of course they were, my lord. I

simply did not think the matter merited a report to you."

Silence fell.

It felt to Sebas like four bloodthirsty gazes were boring into him. They

emanated from Cocytus, Demiurge, the angel in Demiurge's arms, and

Solution, who would undoubtedly attack him with a single word from their

master.

Sebas didn't fear death per se. Sacrificing himself for Nazarick would be

his greatest joy. But the idea of dying a traitor's death made even the thickskinned butler shudder.

As a creation of one of the Forty-One Supreme Beings, he knew there was

no greater humiliation than to be executed for treason.

After a pause long enough to leave Sebas's forehead covered in sweat,

Ainz spoke. "So you're saying…it was a silly decision on your part?"

"Yes, just as you say, Lord Ainz. Please forgive my foolish error!"

"…I see. Hmm… I understand."

Sebas heard Ainz's voice, devoid of emotion, while his head was still

lowered in apology. Since he hadn't been immediately disposed of, the mood

had lightened, if only slightly.

But Sebas couldn't relax—because before he could, Ainz said something

that made his heart leap into his throat.

"Solution, bring Sebas's pet here."

"Understood."

Solution left, and the door closed quietly. Sebas's sharp faculties sensed

her receding on the other side.

He swallowed hard.

There were four grotesques present: Ainz, Cocytus, and Demiurge, plus

the strange angel. Demiurge didn't look much like a grotesque, but with the

other three, their nature was clear at a glance.

Are they not concealing their forms because it won't be a problem if she

sees them?

If a member of the Great Tomb of Nazarick chose to silence someone, it

was always with death.

I should have let her go sooner.

Sebas mentally shook his head. It was too late for such thoughts now.

Before long, Sebas detected two presences approaching the room from a

distance.

What should I do?

He shifted his focus and stared into space.

If she entered the room, he would have to make a decision—and there was

only one option.

He looked to Demiurge, who continued to observe him, and then to Ainz.

His gaze dropped helplessly to the floor.

A knock sounded at the door before it opened. Unsurprisingly, two

women appeared—Solution and Tsuare.

"This is her."

Though he wasn't facing her, Sebas could hear her breath catch slightly

by the entrance. Was she taken aback by Demiurge's appearance as the devil

incarnate? Had she shuddered in horror at the giant light-blue insect Cocytus?

Was she frightened by the disturbing infantile angel? Or awestruck by Ainz,

who embodied death? Perhaps she felt all those things at once?

The guardians' displeasure increased with the human's appearance.

Tsuare was the physical symbol of Sebas's crime, in a way. She trembled

under the enmity directed toward her.

The animosity of the Absolutes of this world, the Nazarick guardians,

terrified all manner of weaker beings. It was a wonder she didn't burst into

tears.

Sebas didn't turn around, but he could still sense Tsuare's eyes on his

back. In other words, her courage stemmed from his presence.

"Demiurge, Cocytus, knock it off. Follow Victim's example," Ainz said

quietly, and the room's atmosphere changed. Well, the only difference was

the disappearance of the rancor directed at Tsuare. After reproving the two

guardians, Ainz slowly held out his left hand in her direction. Then he turned

his palm to the ceiling and unhurriedly waved her closer. "Come in, Tsuare,

Sebas's human pet."

As if his words compelled her, she took one trembling step, then another,

into the room.

"You must have courage if you're not running away. Or did Solution tell

you—that Sebas's fate depends on you?"

Tsuare, shaking, didn't answer. Sebas felt the gaze on his back

intensifying. It conveyed her thoughts louder than words could.

Now that she was in the room, Tsuare unhesitatingly moved next to

Sebas. Cocytus slowly went to stand behind her.

She grabbed the hem of Sebas's jacket. He suddenly remembered when

she'd grabbed the cuff of his pants in that alley. At the same time, he was

filled with regret—if he had only acted more intelligently, none of this would

have happened.

Demiurge looked coldly at Tsuare. "Knee—"

A finger snapped.

Demiurge promptly heeded his master's will and snapped his mouth shut.

"—It's fine. It's fine, Demiurge. I'll praise her courage for not fleeing

before me and forgive her rudeness."

"My mistake, my lord."

Ainz nodded benevolently in response to the apology. "Ahh." The chair

creaked as he leaned against the back. "First, I'll tell you my name. I'm Ainz

Ooal Gown—Sebas's master."

That was correct.

Ainz Ooal Gown—one of the Forty-One Supreme Beings—held absolute

power over Sebas, including whether he lived or died.

To hear such a thing from one's unconditional ruler was the greatest joy.

But for some reason, Sebas didn't feel the gladness he usually expected; in

fact, he experienced so little that he shivered in alarm. It wasn't due to

Tsuare's presence. For just that moment, he'd practically forgotten she was

there. There's some other—

The conversation continued while these things whirled through Sebas's

mind.

"Oh, I—I…"

"Never mind, Tsuare. I know about you to some degree. And I'm not

interested in you beyond that. You can just keep quiet and stand there. You'll

know why I called you in a little while."

"O-okay."

"Now, then…" The red lights in his vacant eye sockets shifted. "…Sebas.

I'd like to ask you something. I told you to operate without drawing attention

to yourself, did I not?"

"You did, my lord."

"But instead you invited trouble for the sake of this worthless woman. Am

I wrong?"

Tsuare flinched at the word worthless, but Sebas answered without

reacting. "You are not, my lord."

"You didn't consider that to be ignoring my orders?"

"I deeply regret that my indiscretion has invited your displeasure, Lord

Ainz. I'll take sufficient care that this never happens aga—"

"Very well."

"Huh?"

"I said, 'Very well.'" Ainz changed posture and the chair groaned again.

"Everyone makes mistakes. Sebas, I forgive your silly error."

"I humbly thank you, Lord Ainz."

"However. Mistakes must be paid for. With death. Go on."

The tension in the room thickened, and the temperature seemed to drop a

few degrees. No, that wasn't true. Sebas was the only one affected. The other

members of Nazarick were fine.

Sebas gulped.

Who was he supposed to kill? He didn't have to ask. Still, though he

already knew, a longing to be wrong pushed him to pose a question despite

his mouth's unwillingness to move. "Beg your…pardon, my lord…?"

"Mm…I mean that if you eliminate the root of your error, we can say that

you never made it in the first place. If the cause of your error remains, it'll set

a difficult precedent for the others, don't you think? You're Nazarick's butler

—you're supposed to be in charge. We can't very well leave things like this."

Sebas exhaled. Then he took another gulp of air.

Sebas's breathing was always steady, even before a powerful enemy, but

he was now gasping like a small animal in the face of a predator.

"Sebas. Are you a dog who obeys m— The Forty-One Supreme Beings?

Or do you abide by your own will?"

"I—"

"You don't need to answer. Show me."

Sebas closed his eyes for a moment before opening them again.

He hesitated for an instant. No, for an eternity that others might call an

instant. The pause was long enough for Cocytus, Demiurge, and Solution,

fanatic devotees of the Supreme Beings, to show their displeasure.

Then, finally, he made up his mind.

Sebas was Nazarick's butler.

Nothing more.

It was his foolish indecision that had led to this. If he had sought

permission sooner, this wouldn't have happened.

Everything had been his fault.

A hard glint appeared in Sebas's eyes—the sparkle of steel. Then he

turned to face Tsuare.

The fingers clinging to him retreated. They faltered briefly in the air and

then dropped helplessly.

She must have seen his face and understood his decision.

Her eyes closed as she smiled.

Tsuare's expression showed neither despair nor fear. She acknowledged

and accepted what was about to happen. It was the face of a martyr.

Sebas's movements were also calm.

His heart was already at ease.

Standing there was a servant with ironclad devotion to Nazarick. There

was no reason for a loyal retainer to not follow his master's absolute order.

He had cast aside his hesitation. All that remained was earnest devotion.

Sebas's tightly balled fist flew at Tsuare's head at a speed that ensured a

mercifully instant death.

And then—

—something hard stopped it.

"What are you—? What do you mean by interfering?"

"…NGH."

"…"

Sebas's punch, about to obliterate Tsuare's head, had been blocked.

Cocytus had reached out from behind Tsuare, whose eyes were still

squeezed shut, to stop the fist.

If he's blocking a strike ordered by a Supreme Being, does that mean he's

revolting?

But the question in Sebas's mind was resolved immediately.

"Step back, Sebas."

Though he was irritated and confused, he had been about to throw another

punch, right up until he heard Ainz; his fist relaxed completely. It wasn't a

rebuke to Cocytus but an order holding Sebas back. That was to say, the plan

all along had been for Cocytus to block the attack.

The whole thing had been a setup. In short, they'd done it to test Sebas's

will.

Tsuare cracked her eyes open and seemed to realize she'd narrowly

avoided the guillotine looming before her. Once the threat to her life had

receded, the tension in her snapped like a string, and she trembled with tears

in her eyes. Her legs were shuddering so violently she seemed likely to fall,

but Sebas didn't move to support her. Or rather, he couldn't.

What could he do now? He had completely forsaken her.

Ignoring Tsuare's fear, Ainz and Cocytus began a discussion.

"Cocytus, would that attack have killed the woman for sure?"

"NO DOUBT. THAT STRIKE MEANT INSTANT DEATH."

"Then I hereby judge Sebas's loyalty to be sound. Good work, Sebas."

"My lord!" With a hard expression on his face, Sebas bowed his head.

"Demiurge, any objections?"

"None, my lord."

"Cocytus?"

"NONE, MY LORD."

"…Victim?"

"Peach-clay-scarlet-grape-brown-ash. <None, my lord.>"

"Okay, then on to the next item of discussion." With a snap of his fingers,

Ainz stood and spread his arm to the side. His robe billowed. "Thanks to

Sebas's and Solution's work, I think we've gathered enough intelligence.

There's no reason to stay here any longer. Effective immediately, I'll have

you vacate the mansion and return to Nazarick. Sebas, you're responsible for

the woman's fate. Since we've proven your loyalty, I won't tell you what to

do with her—is what I'd like to say, but we need to think things over before

releasing her. Don't you agree there will be trouble if she goes around

blabbing about Nazarick, Demiurge?"

"Indeed, I do. As long as we face an unknown enemy, we should avoid

information leaks whenever possible."

"So what should we do?"

"…Perhaps we should check on some things."

"Right. Sebas, wait a little while on disposing of Tsuare. I don't think

you'll have to kill her, but I can't say for sure."

Sebas couldn't hide his surprise that even Ainz, Nazarick's ultimate

authority, couldn't decide immediately and was leaving the issue of what to

do with Tsuare unsettled. "Lord Ainz, are we withdrawing from this mansion

—from the royal capital—due to my mistake?"

"…Sort of but not really. As I mentioned before, I think we've gotten

nearly all the intel we need out of this place. There's not much benefit to

staying entrenched here any longer. I figure it's safer to withdraw. Demiurge,

I'll take Victim back. Give them here."

Having taken the baby angel from Demiurge, Ainz cast a spell. "Greater

Teleportation!" At the same moment, he flourished his cape dramatically, like

a stage actor. Then, in a ball of raven black collapsing in on itself, he

vanished.

Sebas was briefly stunned by the strangely theatrical departure, the likes

of which he hadn't seen before, but he came back to himself with a start.

"Well, she seems a bit tired, so I think I'll let her rest in her room for a little

while. There's no issue with my escorting her there, right, Demiurge?"

"…No. It's as you say, Sebas." Demiurge smiled demonically and

gestured elegantly toward the door as if to say, Go ahead. "Just keep in mind

that you could be summoned again. I don't think you need to worry, but I

don't want to have to go chasing you around the capital."

"Come with me."

"…Okay," Tsuare replied in a hoarse voice, tottering after Sebas.

They left the room, and the two sets of footsteps tapped down the hall.

They walked without speaking, and eventually the door to Tsuare's room

came into view. They hadn't gone very far, but it felt like they'd been

traveling for a terribly long time.

When they reached the door, Sebas finally seemed to have made up his

mind to speak. "I don't intend on apologizing."

He sensed her flinch behind him.

"But it is my fault that I was ordered to dispose of you. If I had handled

things differently, this wouldn't have happened."

"…Master Sebas…"

"I'm a loyal slave to Lord Ainz—and the Forty-One Supreme Beings. If

the same thing happened again, I'm sure I would act no differently… So I

think you should go be happy in the human world. I'll request permission for

you. Lord Ainz should be able to manipulate your memories. We'll erase all

the bad ones, and then you can go."

"…What about you?"

"…I'll have him erase mine, too. Nothing good can come of remembering

this."

"What would be 'good'?"

Sensing the intense will behind her words, Sebas turned around.

He was met with the sight of a woman glaring at him through her tears.

Slightly shaken, he considered what he could say to persuade her.

Certainly, Nazarick was an exceptionally wonderful place, truly blessed

by the gods. But that held true for only Sebas and the others created by the

Forty-One Supreme Beings, along with the lower minions of the Great Tomb.

To an ordinary human with no aptitude or powers, such a place could

never be a home. And he didn't think it would accept Tsuare, a weakling with

a nearly worthless life. No, it wouldn't be possible without the protection of

Nazarick's supreme master.

"…I'm saying you should go be happy in the human world."

"My happiness is where you are, Master Sebas, so please take me with

you."

Tsuare stated her wishes clearly, and Sebas pitied her.

"You seem to have experienced some happiness from this minor sequence

of events, but it's only because your heart is numb from the hell you

endured."

She had seen the worst the world had to offer, so she thought she could

live a pleasant life in this problematic place that was only a small step up—

that was all. That's what Sebas had decided, but Tsuare laughed.

"I don't think this is hell at all. I get to eat till I'm full, and you give me

honest work to do. I was born and grew up in a tiny village. Life there was

hard, too." Tsuare's eyes focused on something far away for just a moment.

She returned to herself immediately and looked straight at Sebas. "We

worked the fields while we were racked with hunger, and then the lord of the

domain made off with most of the harvest anyway. There was barely

anything left to fill our own stomachs. And on top of that, the lord treated us

like toys. He'd rape me and laugh when I screamed. He laughed! I don't—"

"I understand." Tsuare was smiling weakly when he pulled her in close,

folded her into his breast, and put his arms around her trembling shoulders.

Just like before, she cried like a dam had broken, and he felt her tears soaking

into his shirt.

The world she had seen and lived in couldn't possibly be all there was.

Still, to her, that was what human society represented.

Sebas deliberated.

What would be best? No matter how much he thought it over, he could

come up with only one answer. But there was a good chance it would

infuriate his master and end with an order to kill Tsuare.

"You might die, you know."

"If you have to kill me, then at least I'll die by the hand that granted me

warmth when I was nothing more than a breathing corpse…"

The expressive face gazing up at Sebas gave him the determination he

needed. "Okay, Tsuare. I'll ask Lord Ainz his permission to bring you to

Nazarick."

"Thank you."

"It's too soon to thank me. This supplication could result in an order to

kill y—"

"I know."

"I…see."

Tension receded from his arms around Tsuare's shoulders, but she didn't

move away. She clutched Sebas's jacket and gazed up at him with glistening

eyes.

They were filled with anticipation. Sebas instinctively understood that, but

he didn't know what she was hoping for. He did remember something he

wanted to be sure of, though.

"Just to confirm, you won't have any regrets if you leave the human

world? There's nowhere you might want to go home to?" An invitation to

Nazarick wouldn't entail that she could never have any contact with the

human world ever again—he wasn't whisking her away to imprison her—but

there was still a chance she would never go back.

"…I…would like to see my little sister again. But my wish to forget the

past is stronger…"

"I understand. Please head to your room for now. I'll go see Lord Ainz

again."

"All right…"

Tsuare released Sebas's jacket and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Sebas didn't let it show on his face, but he had no idea what to do now.

Ignoring him, she stood on her toes.

Their lips met.

The gentle touch lasted for only a moment. Tsuare pulled back almost

immediately. "It's prickly." She moved away, touching her lips with her

fingers. "That was my first happy kiss."

Sebas couldn't say a word, but she gazed at him and smiled brightly.

"I'll be waiting here. See you soon, Master Sebas."

"U-uhh…y-yes. Please wait just a little while."

"What happened? Your face looks red…"

It was the first thing he heard when he returned to the drawing room.

Upon realizing he was blushing, Sebas began taking long, slow breaths. This

display of agitation from before was a failure for a servant about to meet his

master. His hand nearly went to his lips, but he refrained and assumed an

expression appropriate for an ideal retainer.

"It's nothing, Sir Demiurge."

"You don't need to use 'sir,' Sebas. You can talk just like we were when

Lord Ainz—the sole absolute Supreme Being—was here. What do you say,

Cocytus?"

"I AGREE."

Sebas acknowledged that he understood.

Five minutes later…space warped.

When the rippling fabric of reality smoothed out, a figure appeared. Of

course, it was Ainz. He was no longer carrying the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown,

and he had not brought Victim with him, either.

Sebas, Cocytus, Demiurge, Solution. All four of them fell to one knee

with their heads lowered.

"Thanks for meeting me." Ainz circled around the desk and sat down in

the chair. "Rise."

The four of them stood at once and focused on Ainz, who seemed to be in

extremely high spirits.

"Now then, now then, Demiurge. This is proof that you're a worrywart. I

didn't think for a moment that Sebas would betray us. You guys are paranoid.

I even checked in the Throne Room."

"My apologies. And thank you for entertaining my foolish dissenting

opinion."

"That's fine. Even I overlook things sometimes. With you checking up on

them, I can rest easy. And I'm not so petty that I'd complain about your

worries on my help." Demiurge bowed low, and Ainz shifted his eyes away

from him. "Now then, we were going to discuss what to do with that woman,

right, Sebas?"

Sebas's body was rigid with nerves. He mustered a "yes, my lord" and

paused. After a glance at Ainz's expression, he resolutely asked, "What shall

we do with her?"

After a momentary silence, Ainz replied with a question. "Mm, if we

release her, Nazarick intelligence will leak, I suppose?"

Demiurge nodded when Ainz looked at him. "Yes, that is correct, but

what should we do?"

"Let's just adjust her memories. After that…all we need to do is give her

some money and drop her in a suitable place."

"Lord Ainz, I think killing her would be easier and more definite."

Demiurge offered his opinion, and Solution nodded her agreement.

Ainz watched them and thought, If they both feel that way…

Sebas experienced utter chaos internally.

Once their master made up his mind, it wouldn't be easy to change.

Although he'd been pardoned, Demiurge, Cocytus, and Solution were

probably thinking less favorably of him now. If he voiced an opposing

opinion in the wrong way, he might offend them.

But he had to say it.

Sebas opened his mouth to disagree with Demiurge. But he didn't. That is

to say, Ainz spoke first.

"…No, Demiurge. I'm not fond of killing when there is no particular

benefit to us. Or rather, if you kill a weakling, you can't use it later. We need

to consider how she could be useful to us alive."

Sebas suppressed his sigh of relief. Ainz hadn't decided what to do with

Tsuare yet. There was still a chance.

"Understood. Then…shall we have her work at the farm I'm running?"

"Oh right, you've got khimaira, right? By the way, you don't want to kill

some and eat them, do you? We need to improve Nazarick's food situation."

Demiurge averted his eyes from Ainz, who was murmuring, "Khimaira

steak—no, burgers…," and stared into the distance.

Then he returned to himself. "The meat is bad quality—it doesn't make

the cut for food. I don't think it's worthy of feeding glorious Nazarick…"

Demiurge's smile suggested he couldn't recommend it. "Well, we do feed

dead livestock to the others. They don't eat it as is, so we grind it up."

"Hmm. They eat their own kind? So they really are just animals."

"Exactly as you say, Lord Ainz. They're so foolish, and that's what makes

them adorable playthings. However, they are omnivorous and also eat wheat,

so if you have any extra, might I trouble you for some? We're not quite

getting by on what we can steal alone…"

"They are the source of our precious parchment supply. I don't mean to

starve them. Yes…before you withdraw, Sebas, buy a large amount of wheat

and give it to Demiurge."

"Understood. For a great quantity, I think I'll rent a warehouse and store it

there temporarily. How should I transport it to Nazarick?"

"Hmm…Call Shalltear and have her use Gate. You don't mind if we leave

it up to you for the rest, do you, Demiurge?"

"Of course not. We'll transport it from there."

"Good. By the way, Demiurge, your work truly stands out from the rest at

Nazarick; I can't thank you enough."

"Thank you, Lord Ainz! That sentiment is enormously encouraging for

me."

"…Uh, well, calm down. I want to ask you something, too. Are you sure

you don't have too much on your plate? I summon you whenever I need you,

you're running the farm to stabilize our parchment supply, you're making

demon king plans—I've left a lot of important things up to you. I keep

wondering if you're actually okay."

Demiurge smiled ear to ear. It was a pleasant smile, devoid of malice, that

Sebas had never seen on him before.

"Thank you so much. I am utterly unworthy of your concern, but please

feel at ease. All my work is extremely rewarding, and none of it is

burdensome to me at the moment. If I begin to feel I require assistance, I will

be sure to ask."

"I see, I see."

Listening to their master's happy voice, Sebas frowned and ruminated on

the true nature of Demiurge's farm.

As a fellow servant of the Supreme Beings of Nazarick, Sebas knew

Demiurge's personality inside and out. There was no way he would simply

manage a farm, even if he was raising monsters like khimaira…

A striking scene flashed through Sebas's mind—because he'd guessed the

identity of Demiurge's livestock.

Could he really send Tsuare to such a place? Certainly, Demiurge would

guarantee her bodily safety, but he probably wouldn't go as far as to assure

her mental well-being.

The pair's discussion reached a pause. If I'm going to interrupt, now is the

time, Sebas decided and addressed their master. "Lord Ainz."

"Hmm? What is it, Sebas?"

"If it's all right with you…" He held his breath. This was a gamble. An

extremely dangerous gamble. But he had to do it. "I'd like to put Tsuare to

work in the Great Tomb of Nazarick."

A silence descended, and as all eyes gathered on Sebas, Ainz quietly said,

"I asked Cocytus a similar question once before, but what's in it for us?"

"Indeed. First, Tsuare can prepare meals. Currently the only two members

of Nazarick who can cook are the chef and the sous-chef. I'll take the liberty

of excluding Yuri and her ilk. Considering the future, I think it would be

beneficial to have more people who can cook. Also, I think having a human

work in Nazarick as a test case is value enough on its own. I should think if a

lower life-form like her could eke out a living there, it could set a promising

precedent. In addition—"

"Okay, okay." Ainz raised a hand to stop the torrent of appeals to Tsuare's

usefulness. "I get it, Sebas. I understand very well what you're saying. I was

thinking we should take our lack of cooks into consideration."

"But Lord Ainz, will she be able to prepare dishes worthy of Nazarick?"

Sebas shot a quick, sharp glare at Demiurge. The devil smiled back at

him.

That jerk. Sebas killed the words on his tongue.

Ainz may have forgiven Sebas, but Demiurge hadn't. Surely that was why

he was trying to take Tsuare's case in an undesirable direction.

"That's critical, isn't it? How about it, Sebas?"

"…Tsuare makes home cooking. As for whether it's worthy of

Nazarick…it's hard to say."

"Home cooking?" Demiurge scoffed. "I doubt we'll be serving many

steamed potatoes or whatnot in Nazarick."

"I have to say, Demiurge is being too hasty. Her knack for classic dishes

means that if we ask the chef to teach her, I'm sure she could master other

cuisines. We need to consider not only her present skill but her future

potential."

"In that case, I'd like her to help with that on my ranch. It's tough work

mincing all that meat."

"I—"

The pair's noisy conversation continued. Ainz watched them.

He watched them and the scene appearing behind them—the figures of

their creators, a vision of the old days.

"So where are we going today?"

"To fight the fire giant."

"To fight the demonic ice dragon."

"Hmm… Ulbert, don't you remember? We said we were going to go get

the rare drops from that fire-giant boss, Surtr."

"Don't you remember, Touch? Some people need to go hunt demonic

dragons to fulfill the special-class change conditions."

"That may be, but Yamaiko needs those rare drops to get stronger."

"Oh, I'm fine…"

"Original Fire, right? Which means she needs Original Ice, too, right? So

let's do the demonic dragon first."

"…I paid real money to get a higher drop rate. Surtr's normal rate is lower

than the demonic dragon's, so don't you think we should get that out of the

way first?"

"I'll pay next time."

"Bu…but…"

"…Maybe we should go abyss diving and hunt sexy monsters like

succubi?"

"Dearest little brother, shut up."

"If we're gonna do demons, I'd rather go take out the Seven Sin Lords,

although I think it'll take a lot of prep work."

"Touch, now's not the time to insist on getting your way. If you take a

look at who we have here, it's clear we have a better shot at killing the

demonic ice dragon."

"Uhh, you're the one insisting on getting your way. Plus, we're not the

kind of players who only think about efficiency."

"Come on, no need for our strongest caster and our strongest warrior to be

fighting…"

"Those two have always been like that, even back when they first reached

out to me."

"Touch sure is a great guy to reach out to a pink meat stick like you."

"Teapot and Peroroncino, you need to put away your weapons, okay? Or

I'll use my guild master powers."

"Didn't some guild beat the Seven Sin Lords?"

"Apparently Pride got killed. Someone posted about it online."

"You must get a World Item for beating all seven, right? They're World

Enemies!"

"Speaking of World Items, let's use the Caloric Stone as the main core

and build the strongest golem ever."

"Noobow, I think it'd be better to embed it in a weapon."

"Armor wouldn't be a bad choice, either, but that's just my opinion."

"Well, there're a lot of things to consider with that. We can use it to make

a request to the admins, too, so we should think a little more."

"Yeah, you're right, Momonga."

"We figured out how to get the Caloric Stone as many times as we want,

but it does take a ton of metal from the Seven Hidden Mines."

"It's such a headache. We can't get it for sure unless we monopolize those

mines."

"Yeah. The mines are controlled by all different guilds, so if we use it

now, we'll probably never get it again. And I doubt we can all be nice and

take turns… What if we sold some info to Trinity? We could get a bunch of

greedy peeps to bump heads and snatch it out from under their noses."

"You mean sell to the coalition at the same time and have them clash over

it? That's Squishy Moe for you. Such a tactician…"

"Speaking of the coalition, I hear they're working on another alliance."

"What? Why?"

"I heard they stole some guild's World Item, so that guild changed their

plans."

"Ah, geez. But I think it'll just turn out like last time. It's hard for highlevel guilds to maintain alliances…"

"—So why don't we just have Momonga decide?"

"That should be good. What should we do, Guild Master?"

"…Huh? About what? I was doing everything I could to ignore your

convo…huh? You're asking me? …Sheesh… Then let's just do what we

always do and decide by majority rule so there's no trouble later."

"I've got no objections."

"Me neither."

"Then let's say a new gold piece for Ulbert and an old one for Touch.

Okay, everyone, get your coins ready. They're about to begin their

arguments!"

"—CONTROL YOURSELVES. YOU'RE IN THE PRESENCE OF LORD

AINZ!"

The argument between Sebas and Demiurge had been gradually escalating

until Cocytus's voice hit the pair like a bucket of cold water.

They turned and found Ainz staring at them intently, and their faces

changed color. They couldn't read his emotions from the flames flickering in

his hollow eye sockets, but there was no mistaking the power in his gaze.

Realizing that a violent reprimand wouldn't be unwarranted, they both

leaped into action at once.

"Please excuse my poor behavior, Lord Ainz."

"My apologies for such a foolish display."

His response to their bows and apologies was extremely strange. "Ah-haha-ha!" Laughter suddenly echoed through the room—merry, bright laughter.

Neither Cocytus, Demiurge, Sebas, nor Solution had ever seen Ainz

cackling in such high spirits before. It was so unbelievable to them all that

they just stood there blinking.

"It's fine. I forgive you, I forgive you! Yes! Sometimes you have to fight

like that—ah-ha-ha-ha!"

What had touched Ainz's heart was a complete mystery, but Sebas

breathed a discreet sigh of relief; it seemed like things would work out

somehow.

"Ah-ha-ha… Tch, maybe it was suppressed…"

Their master had calmed down all of a sudden, as if a string had snapped,

but it wasn't just Sebas's imagination that he was still in a rather good mood.

Ainz addressed him cheerfully. "I understand what you're saying, Sebas,

but unfortunately, inviting a human into the Great Tomb of Nazarick would

be…you know. Still, I'd like to see Tsuare. Bring her here."

"Eh? Uh—yes, my lord! Understood." Though he was inwardly confused

by Ainz's strange request, Sebas promptly exited the room and brought

Tsuare back.

"Lord Ainz, here she is."

"Yes, bring her over…" Ainz leaned forward in his chair. There was

something strange about how closely he was examining her.

Sebas observed her out of the corner of his eye, wondering if she'd done

something to displease him, but she was no different from before, and he had

no idea what the reason for his master's behavior could be.

"…There's definitely a resemblance." He probably hadn't intended to say

it aloud. "…Good of you to come, Tsuare. First, let me say this: I generally

don't give warnings twice. I respect other people's choices, even if those

choices lead them to unfortunate outcomes. With that in mind, I have a

question for you. If you lie, that's the end of the discussion, and if your

answer is undesirable to me, it'll be over then, too."

Sebas, standing next to Tsuare, heard her gulp. That was only natural. In

the face of a threat like that, she was probably unbearably anxious about what

would happen next.

"Now then, the question. Tell me your full name."

Sebas couldn't understand Ainz's intentions. Why would he ask such a

thing?

He peeked out of the corner of his eye at Tsuare and saw her gaze darting

around the room. The reaction spoke volumes.

Answer honestly, Sebas prayed in his mind.

She hadn't even told Sebas her full name, so chances were good that there

was something about it she didn't want people to know. Still, lying to his

master would only lead to the worst possible result.

The silence continued until Ainz started getting impatient, and she

murmured in a voice as tiny as the buzz of a mosquito, "Tsu-Tsuare…

Tsuareninya."

"And your last name?"

"Tsuareninya Veyron."

"I see… I see… Then I ask you, Tsuareninya, is it your wish to come to

the Great Tomb of Nazarick—the land I rule—and live there…? The Great

Tomb of Nazarick is not home to humans. Not that it could never be, just that

there aren't any. For that reason, I'm not sure it's a suitable habitat for you…

You also have the option of accepting a vast fortune from me and living

somewhere far away in human lands, you know."

The proposal was so grand she wondered why he was making it to her, but

she replied without a moment's hesitation, "I—I want to live with Master

Sebas."

Ainz slowly nodded.

Curiously, the red light burning in his vacant eyes softened.

"Very well. Listen, my minions."

Everyone straightened up, and Tsuare hurried to copy them.

"Tsuareninya will be under our protection from now on, on my honor as

Ainz Ooal Gown. We can welcome you as a guest of the Great Tomb of

Nazarick, but what is your wish?"

"Th-that's very kind of you, b-but please let me work with Master Sebas."

"If that is your desire. So we'll tentatively make Tsuareninya a maid who

reports directly to Sebas. Sebas, give her appropriate work to do. At the same

time, we'll transition the Pleiades to the Pleïades and change the team leader

as prescribed. However, we won't have her move from her current location,

so Yuri Alpha continues as the acting leader."

Solution bowed her head low.

"And tell all the members of the Great Tomb of Nazarick that Tsuareninya

is protected under the name Ainz Ooal Gown and that she will be working

alongside them."

Everyone in the room besides Ainz and Tsuare bowed at once.

"Demiurge, do you have any objections to my decision?"

"Not a single one, my lord. Your word is law in the Great Tomb of

Nazarick. That said, I imagine many will find it hard to comprehend

welcoming a human to our blessed land. How shall I explain it to them?"

"If we step back and think about it, Nazarick welcomed Yamaiko's little

sister Akemi, who's an elf. So her being a human alone shouldn't rule her

out. If we say that, then—" Ainz looked at Solution as he continued, "—we'd

have to expel your littlest sister, too."

"I'm not sure if you can call an immortal being human, but…"

"Hmm, that's true, Solution. Now then, Demiurge. Tell them those were

my words. If anyone has objections, have them come see me, and I'll

explain."

"Understood. For my part, I have no further questions."

"Okay, then, to confirm: First, we begin withdrawing from this mansion.

We'll send all the guards stationed here back to Nazarick immediately. Sebas

and Solution, your final job in the royal capital will be to buy the wheat

Demiurge requested and move it to a storehouse. Once you've collected it

there, we'll send Shalltear to transport it to Nazarick using Gate. That's it, I

think?"

They all bowed their heads without a word, and after glancing around,

Tsuare hastily followed suit.

"What should we do with Tsuareni—with Tsuare, Sebas? Should I take

her back with me? Or should we have her go with you?"

"I should think it would be less troublesome for her to go with me, in

more ways than one."

"Okay, got it. Then Sebas, Solution, bring all the guards here. I'll send

them back with my magic."

"Understood!"

Watching the three of them leave the room, Demiurge asked Ainz, "Do

you know that woman?"

Ainz slowly rose from his chair without answering and turned toward the

wall, as if to face someone. After a pause, he spoke. "Demiurge, I believe

kindness deserves kindness in turn and harm should be avenged with harm. In

the same way, debts must be repaid."

Ainz pulled a book out of thin air. It had a leather cover and was so

shoddily bound with a string it was nearly falling apart.

"I have a version the librarian translated for me, but this is the original.

This journal belonged to…a girl who was burning with rage after her elder

sister was spirited away by a noble…"

In a certain village, there had once lived a pair of sisters who loved each

other. Their parents had died too soon, leaving the girls destitute, but they got

by and helped each other out.

Then one day, the elder sister was taken as a mistress by the lord of the

domain, about whom no one had anything good to say. If this could have led

to a happy life, the younger one might have held back her tears and

celebrated, but she guessed from the rumors that her sister would be toyed

with and discarded like garbage once the man was done with her.

Her guess turned out to be correct. Furious, she left the village to seek a

way to save her sister—because no one would help her.

Eventually, she realized she had an aptitude for magic, so she cultivated

her power in order to stage her rescue. But before she could reach her goal,

her quest was cut short.

Much was written in the journal, but on the last page was a single, simple

line praising two adventurers, Momon and Nabe, with whom she'd gone on a

journey to gather herbs.

"I learned a good deal of the ways of this world from this journal, so I'm

indebted to you. I'll repay that debt to your elder sister."

Ainz stroked the faded leather cover and put the book away in space.

"Then Lord Ainz, there's a favor I'd like to ask of you."

"What is it, Demiurge?"

"While I was reading the materials Sebas sent, there was one thing that

interested me, and I was wondering if I might have some time to investigate."

"Something caught your attention?"

"Yes, there's a place I'd like to go visit. I'd like to be back by the time

you return, but I need to look for it first, which may delay me… It would be

extremely rude of me to keep you waiting, my lord, but if at all possible, I

beg you…"

Ainz replied cheerfully to put the grim-faced Demiurge at ease. "No

problem, Demiurge. You're acting for the benefit of Nazarick, right? Waiting

for that doesn't bother me at all. You should go."

"Thank you!"

2

4 Late Fire Moon (September) 3:01 PM

In the morning, Sebas and Solution's busy day began.

They could have left without saying anything, but destroying the

reputation they'd built as merchants would be a waste, so they decided to act

as though they were returning to the empire.

Solution had met everyone only once, but Sebas took her with him to tell

all the merchants and guildsmen he'd interacted with that they were leaving.

The visits couldn't very well end with just that; for friendly human

relationships, small talk was unavoidable. No man was averse to chatting

with a woman as beautiful as Solution, either, which only exacerbated the

situation.

As a result, they were trapped at each stop for half an hour or more, and it

had gotten quite late by the time they finished.

"That took a long time, but the temporary storage and transport of the

wheat is done. Now we should be free to return to Nazarick, right?"

Solution sounded delighted—which was rare for her. Sebas could tell she

was happy to go home to the Great Tomb of Nazarick, as well as satisfied she

had carried out their master's orders. Since Sebas had been the one doing the

majority of the intelligence gathering around town, she probably hadn't

encountered many opportunities to feel she was accomplishing anything with

her work.

The farewell visits they'd gone on were work and a place for Solution to

shine as the public-facing lady of the house. It must have been very fulfilling

for her. She even seemed ready to start humming a song.

In fact, thanks to her good mood while she was talking to all the

merchants, negotiations on various fronts had progressed to their advantage.

Even discounting their bulk purchase of wheat, the prices for the storehouse

rental and so on were exceptionally low.

Being a pretty lady has its perks. Reflecting on how great that must be,

Sebas parked the carriage on the grounds of the mansion and walked up to

the door with Solution.

Sebas took out the key and inserted it into the keyhole.

But when he turned it as he always did, there was no click or response of

the lock.

Suspicious, Sebas furrowed his brow and looked at Solution.

The door's unlocked?

When he pushed, it opened slightly.

They'd left Tsuare there alone. She never would have gone out on her

own.

"There are a number of new scratches on the keyhole. There's a good

chance someone picked the lo—"

Without waiting for Solution to finish, Sebas flung open the door. He

didn't even think to consider a trap. If there was one, he would crush it

underfoot.

They'd already mostly moved out of the mansion, so it felt vacant and

empty. He stepped inside, activated all his detection abilities, and searched

for the chi of a living thing—for Tsuare.

But there was no sign of any human.

"Tsuare! Tsuare, are you here?" he shouted and searched the house.

He looked everywhere, but she wasn't there. Not only could he not find

her, but also he didn't discover any trace of what might have happened to her,

either. It was as if she'd simply vanished.

No, someone definitely broke in. I don't smell blood, so they must have

just taken her. So they've kidnapped her, and they'll demand…

Sebas clenched his fists.

Just as I thought, it was a mistake to leave her alone while we said our

good-byes. His error grated on him.

He'd been nervous about leaving Tsuare all by herself in the mansion.

Thanks to their run-in with an underground organization, he had doubted

danger could be too far away.

The reason he'd left her alone regardless was because she was still

frightened of other people and going outside. She hadn't healed from her

trauma. Her composure during the audience with his master and the others

was probably because she hadn't registered them as people. Her reaction

back then hadn't been one of someone with mental scars but of any normal

person encountering monsters. Even just having her sit in the carriage could

have been an issue, which caused him to opt for leaving her at the mansion.

He'd also figured that since they'd totally destroyed the brothel, it would

take time for their enemy to regroup and plan an attack.

All he could say now was that he'd been too optimistic.

Sebas was anxiously hurrying down the hall when a voice called out to

stop him. It came from the drawing room.

"Master Sebas, in here."

"Solution! Is she there?"

She couldn't be. He'd glanced in a moment ago. Still, he held out hope

despite the slim odds.

When he entered the room, Solution was standing in the middle of it

holding a sheet of parchment.

"It seems like something is written he—"

"Please let me see it." Without waiting for her reply, he snatched the

parchment out of her hands. He activated a magic item, read the words on the

sheet, and crumpled it up with a furious expression. "She was abducted, so

I'm going to save her."

The response was quiet and measured. "I think that's fine."

Sebas's eyes widened. He never would have expected that from Solution.

"But Lord Ainz's orders were to withdraw to the Great Tomb of

Nazarick," she added. "Shouldn't you prioritize that?"

"We're supposed to bring Tsuare."

"Master Sebas. If you act on your own again, you'll be putting yourself in

a very dangerous situation. Where are you even going to go in the first

place?"

"They were kind enough to specify a time and place. It seems they're

connected to the organization that was running the brothel I destroyed."

"I see. But before you leave, you should report to Lord Ainz. If you hadn't

destroyed the brothel in the first place, none of this would have occurred.

Didn't this happen because you neglected Lord Ainz's wish that we operate

quietly? If you act independently again, you'll be ignoring his orders again…

Besides, have you forgotten what our master said?"

The words flashed in his mind—under whose name Tsuare would be

protected.

"Report to Lord Ainz. Tell him she's been kidnapped and ask what to do."

3

4 Late Fire Moon (September) 3:15 PM

"La-la-laaaa."

Cheerfully humming a song she made up, Albedo slid a needle through a

loop of yarn. She tugged it tight. Again she inserted the needle, again she

pulled it taut. After several repetitions, she'd sewn black fabric onto a sphere

made of white yarn. Next, she stuffed some cloth into the white ball to make

it especially round.

She took a hard look at her yarn doll, which was nearly a perfect sphere,

and then smiled tenderly—a smile brimming with love like that of a goddess.

"Okay, Lord Ainz's head is done!" Satisfied, she squeezed her hands into

little fists and then pet the figure's skull.

It was an exceedingly adorable item, with appliqué eyes and mouth; it

would surely make Ainz blush if he saw it.

"Next, I need to make his body…"

She very gently placed the skull on the corner of the table and got up to

get the ball of white yarn.

Albedo was in her room.

Originally, she didn't have personal quarters, since she was assigned to

defend the Throne Room.

Ainz felt it was wrong for the captain of the guardians of the Great Tomb

of Nazarick not to have her own chambers, so on his orders, she'd been given

one of the Forty-One Supreme Beings' spare rooms.

Like Ainz's, Albedo's quarters were spacious. Since she hadn't had many

belongings to bring with her, she'd honestly thought it was too empty.

But after living there for two months, that was no longer true.

One of the reasons for that was the dressing room she was about to open.

It was completely full of Ainzes.

Of course, they were artificial. She had innumerable Ainzes, from life-size

body pillows featuring him in different poses to adorably deformed Ainzshaped plushies.

This was a top secret chamber, an unbreachable holy ground where not

even the maids who came to clean were allowed. She called it her harem

room.

"Tee-hee-hee-hee-hee-heeee!"

With an odd little shout, she took a flying leap, slowed her fall with the

wings at her hips, and landed on a body pillow. The movement was

reminiscent of a rugby tackle.

Still embracing the pillow, she rolled across the floor with her momentum.

There were all kinds of Ainzes strewn around, so it didn't hurt at all.

From underneath three Ainz pillows, she giggled in that strange manner.

"Tee-hee-hee-hee-hee. My newest body pillow, made with Lord Ainz's

sheets… In other words, I'm indirectly sleeping with him. Tee-hee-hee-heehee…"

Burying her face in the pillow, she sniffed.

"It doesn't smell like…anything." She sounded extremely disappointed—

to the point of inspiring pity, had anyone heard her.

Ainz was an undead who didn't require sleep, so he didn't use his

bedroom to begin with. Plus, since his body was all bones, he didn't have any

particular body odor. He did bathe to rinse off dust and the blood of his

opponents, but his own body didn't secrete anything that would smell.

"Hm…? Is this…? Could it be?! Lord Ainz's…"

But this virgin in love could detect Ainz's nonexistent scent—although it

might have been an olfactory hallucination.

"Hee! Tee-hee-hee-hee-hee-hee-heeeeeeee!"

Resembling a pervert more than a captain of the guardians, she inhaled

deeply with her face still buried in the pillow.

"Ahh, I'm so happy."

As captain, Albedo bore the brunt of an extensive workload. Her job

included many painstaking responsibilities, such as various tasks related to

positioning Nazarick's soldiers and building the area's security network,

confirming Nazarick's internal security, checking the statuses of everyone

serving in the Throne Room, and so on.

For that reason, it was very important to her to use this space to rest and

recover.

"Ohhh, I wanna see Lord Ainz. I wanna see Lord Ainz. Ahhh, I wanna see

him." She was irritated with Narberal, who was traveling with him, but

tightly hugging the pillow helped her decompress. Just then—

"Albedo."

She jumped.

Cold sweat broke out on her forehead as she glanced around the room,

face twitching. Then she realized she'd heard the voice via a spell.

"I-if it isn't Lord Ainz! Whatever could it be?"

"I just got a Message from Sebas—no, Solution—saying that Tsuare, the

woman he picked up, was kidnapped, so I'm asking you to put together a unit

to support him."

When he said "Tsuare," she remembered who it was right away.

Immediately after Ainz returned, he'd left for E-Rantel to be Momon, but

she'd heard the rest from Demiurge, who'd stayed.

"Please forgive me the foolishness of objecting to your decision, but is a

lower life-form like a human really worth the trouble of forming a special

unit to save? I understand if the people responsible for the Shalltear incident

are behind it, but…"

"No, I don't think it has anything to do with Shalltear. This time it seems

to be a crime syndicate lurking in the kingdom's underground."

"Then that seems even more…"

"Albedo. I promised to protect Tsuareninya on my honor as Ainz Ooal

Gown. Do you understand?"

The tone of their conversation changed completely.

His searing anger reached her loud and clear. Albedo's voice stuck in her

throat; she couldn't speak.

"You get it, right? You understand?! I swore on my name to protect her!

And then somebody kidnaps her. My friends and I came up with that name,

and now someone is slighting it. Even if they didn't mean to, I can't let that

stand!"

After his declaration, his hatred seemed to abruptly subside.

He'd probably quelled his emotions after they passed a certain point.

"…Sorry. Got a little upset with those asshole kidnappers. Forgive me,

Albedo."

Now that her master's voice was more composed, Albedo finally calmed

down enough to be able to speak. The wrath of a Supreme Being stressed her

out even when she knew it wasn't directed at her. "Th-there's nothing you

need to apologize for, Lord Ainz."

Despite his physical absence, Albedo bowed low.

"So, Albedo, this is an order. Rescue Tsuareninya and keep her safe and

sound!"

"Understood! And when we rescue her, we'll bring an iron hammer down

on the human scum who displeased you!"

"Yeah, I'm counting on you. By the way, is Demiurge still there dealing

with the wheat? Put him in charge of the operation."

"I'd like to go directl—"

"No, Albedo, I need you to guard Nazarick. Send Demiurge. And tell him

to be careful not to let his true identity be exposed. Okay, so I'm leaving the

royal capital stuff up to you and Demiurge. Do it right."

"Yes, my lord!"

The Message ended, and silence returned. Albedo stood slowly and

carefully tidied up the body pillows.

"I don't get it…" There was a strangely hard glint in her eyes as she

murmured those words. She was facing one corner of the room.

One of the reasons she didn't let any maids in her space was because she

didn't want anyone else touching her legion of Ainz dolls. But there was

another reason in that corner—the flag with the crest of Ainz Ooal Gown

embroidered on it.

Usually it would be hung so it was visible immediately upon entering the

room, but instead it was gathering dust in the corner. It received no respect or

esteem there, just contempt, anger, and hostility.

"Ainz Ooal Gown…? How stupid."

Albedo thought of the giant flag she'd hung instead of the Ainz Ooal

Gown flag. It was too big, really—like a great theater curtain.

"The Great Tomb of Nazarick belongs to you and you alone. I devote

myself to you and only you, my lord. Ahh, I hope to hear your lovely name

once more someday …"