Overlord of a High School (28)

After ending his hectic day and arriving back at Miki's house, Momonga was prepared to relax with Albedo and Shalltear out of the house. That is, before he was interrupted by a report from Demiurge before he could even open the front door. Listening to the comprehensive report of not only the relationship between the paranormal and normal society, but also an in-depth report about the Fallen Angels, Momonga was shocked.

How!? It hasn't even been a day since Demiurge came here, and he already has so much information? Really capable people are just built different.

Hearing about the report further, it seems that the Fallen Angels had sent a spy that had subsequently been captured and interrogated.

Momonga didn't know if he should be worried about the fact that, behind his back, Demiurge had brilliantly executed the operation of capturing the spy sent to gather information about Momonga himself. After all, Momonga himself had only learned about the incident after the fact. But at the same time, this indicated that Demiurge could function perfectly well within his own initiative, without Momonga having to monitor his every action.

This in turn frightened Momonga a bit at just how amazingly outstanding his subordinates were. But at the same time, it caused a strange surge of… Pride within him. Like a father watching his children grow to become better than themselves, becoming professionals in their own right… Though, perhaps, it would be fine if the NPCs didn't adopt all of their parent's qualities.

In any case, setting aside the slight nostalgia that engulfed Momonga for a moment, through some coincidence, Demiurge had managed to capture a spy of the Fallen Angels. And considering the fact that he was equipped with a [World Class Item], or, a [Longinus] as it is called in this world, he must be some high-ranking spy… Which was now placed in the [Treasury] of Nazarick.

Momonga, for his part, instantly wanted to return to Nazarick as soon as he heard about it, but through emotional suppression and iron-clad discipline he managed to suppress that impulse, at least for a while. The subject of a new [World Class Item] had to be shelved for the time being, something that Momonga himself wanted to find an excuse to stop showing up at the school, to devote all his time to his experiments… And in no small part in a desire to skip school.

Momonga's imminent escape from school aside, judging from the information provided by the Hanzo, the demons were planning to hold a meeting with him. Depending on how the meeting goes, he might have reason enough to skip school… Though most likely because the school no longer existed.

According to the Hanzo, this meeting would be attended by the strongest Demons, two of them to be exact, the ones that Momonga suspected of possessing the hundredth level…

That fact, at least, could serve as a great excuse for Momonga skipping school!

Moreover, Momonga could even complain to the Demons that they were interrupting his education, daydreaming counts right!? And could perhaps even get some concessions or even rare items from them! Or, if he could only hope, perhaps even using their actions as an excuse for not wanting to attend school anymore, something like 'what's the point if you won't let me continue my education at this academy anyway?'

In addition, according to the information, the Demons feared Momonga a lot, mistaking him for some kind of local deity of this world, which was not true, but Momonga himself did not plan to dissuade the Demons in any way. Every wrong assumption about him was an additional ace up his sleeve.

In any case, the local Demons feared his presence and planned to be very careful and courteous when talking and dealing with Momonga, which was good. But, at the same time, they did not want to underestimate him, which meant that the supposed negotiations would have to take place, albeit in a calm and respectful manner, but with a significant power advantage for the Demons. And Momonga could not allow that to happen.

Even if these negotiations were supposed to be while not friendly, they were not hostile either, which comes as a surprise to Momonga since he had basically set up camp inside their territory without permission. Either way, there's no way that he's going to allow himself a meeting against hundredth level opponents, multiple of them potentially, without some insurance.

Though, he was considering just leaving Kuoh altogether, discarded soon after since that would just be taken as a hostile maneuver, so he has lots to prepare for this future meeting.

Even if he was prepared and well aware of the abilities of his opponents, he still wouldn't risk facing two hundredth level enemies. To do so without knowing anything about his potential enemy? To Momonga, it just seemed like suicide by other people's hands.

But on the other hand, what would he do then? Show up with the backup at the negotiations? That would instantly reveal the card that Momonga was the representative of an entire faction full of other, very powerful, judging by the information gathered, beings.

Maybe a secret guard? It was also risky if any of the Demons could detect, say, Aura, that didn't specialize in stealth, or other NPCs under the influence of, say, [Perfect Unknowable].

As much as Momonga was glad that the Demons don't know much about him, the fact that he also doesn't know anything about the Demons, makes any interaction with them fraught with dangers. Unknown dangers at that.

But it was also impossible to postpone such a meeting indefinitely. Firstly, because Momonga needed a reason to stop going to school, before he was forced to cast a [Super-Tier Spell] to prevent Ego death. And secondly because he needed to negotiate with the Demons at some point in time. At the very least, to clearly discuss the boundaries between the two of them.

It was not because Momonga had any specific plans for his future that would need the Demons' cooperation, but simply because peaceful coexistence was the basis of Momonga's strategy. If he was at peace with the other factions, he could build up his combat power and explore a new world while accumulating Nazarick's power much more safely.

Momonga thought about it for a second, maybe he should substitute his presence in school with a doppelgänger for a while? Pandora's Actor could probably copy his mannerism perfectly. Being his 'son', just like how the other NPCs had some reflection of their creator, Pandora's Actor should be able to understand exactly how Momonga thinks. And push comes to shove, he could also imitate most of his abilities in order not to give away the fact that he was a doppelgänger… That is, if Pandora's Actor could imitate not only Momonga himself, but also his new current appearance, altered with a newfound spell.

Could Pandora's Actor fake that?

In the game, Pandora's Actor had the ability to mimic all of Momonga's spells, excluding [Super Tier Magics], simply because of his ability as a Doppelgänger. However, he had acquired new abilities unique to this world – could Pandora's Actor mimic the effects of his new spell? And even if he could, he was potentially sending a member of Nazarick, in some way his own son, into a potential trap, all the while they were still unsure whether or not the resurrection system still works.

Besides, in any case, even if it was possible, resurrecting a creature of the hundredth level would cost millions of gold, a small percentage of Nazarick's treasury, but still a huge amount for a simple experiment. Perhaps they should try with some of the lower-leveled NPCs.

But to order one of Nazarick's to commit suicide…

Shaking his head slightly, Momonga sighed before returning to reality as he finally entered the house, he must've looked like a kid in trouble with how much time he had spent just staring at the door to his house. One step passed the front door however, his steps immediately halted, spotting Pandora's Actor, Albedo, Shalltear, and Miki kneeling down.

For a moment, Momonga's mind suffered a critical error and had to be rebooted… Before simply putting the sight, that not even the most tyrannical of his past bosses would do, into a folder marked as SAN damage. At least he had some built up immunity with his days with the NPCs inside Nazarick, they too would kneel whenever they would greet him. It doesn't mean that he was getting used to it, however.

"Rise up," Momonga replied, unsure, remembering another of his past plan to peek at how the powerful entities of this world behaved towards their subordinates as some kind of cheat sheet on how to treat his own subordinate.

"Kehem, you may return to your duties. Do you have any information that you consider important to me?" Momonga hoped that his subordinates didn't have any… On the other hand, if they had managed to catch another spy behind Momonga's back, he would definitely prefer to find out as soon as possible.

"Nothing that would require your intervention, my Master," Albedo was the first to reply, a moment before Shalltear could do so, Albedo flashing a victorious smoke at the other woman.

'Wah?!' The suppression of emotion worked instantly, saving Momonga from the fate of almost choking on his spit.

He was already in a relationship without having any say so, and thus couldn't judge with certainty whether the words spoken by Albedo were strange or not. After all, he was her boss in addition to her lover, combined with the fanatical devotion of the people of Nazarick, maybe it's… Okay, surely that was more or less a normal title, and not some weird fetish of Albedo's.

And the triumphant look on Albedo's face, as if lording over Shalltear the fact that she had debased herself as some kind of pet or slave, was probably just a trick of his tired eyes.

Putting it in the same folder as before, Momonga barreled on.

"I suppose, then, that your actions, umu… With regard to the spy went off without a hitch?"

"Of course, my Lord," Shalltear was the first to reply, this time casting a triumphant glance at Albedo. Lord, hmm? At least it sounded, only a little, but still more decent than 'master'. Maybe if he thinks that Albedo was just role-playing as a maid? No, it still sounds just as bad as before.

"Your plan has been put into action, my Master, and Demiurge has started the next stage." This time it was Albedo that spoke.

"Demiurge, umu, the next stage… Yes, exactly the next stage." The suppression of emotion surged in Momonga for a second before receding. Great, his plan, it turns out, included stages as well, and interrogating the spy was also part of his plan… As expected of Momonga, the greatest genius of all time, lord of plans and strategies. He really wants to meet this Momonga and pick his head as to what his plans are.

Daydreams aside, of meeting this genius who shares his name, face, race, and nothing else, Momonga could only sigh, then nodded his head, as if his assent meant anything to his 'supposed' plan. ''Good."

'Demiurge is smart, so surely whatever plan he thought I was making, will probably be the best one. I just wish I knew what it was… Should I start developing special phrases to make other people reveal the details of 'my' plan without showing that I don't understand what exactly my plan is? Yeah, definitely something to consider in the future…'

"Umu, in that case..." Momonga then stared at Pandora's Actor direction, who had been silently waiting all this time,

"Pandora's Actor, what do you think we should do about, umu, negotiating with the Demons?"

"Negotiating with Demons?" Momonga almost bit his tongue in annoyance at his misstep, hearing the slight surprise in Pandora Actor's voice… Damn, he had to come up with an excuse!

"I mean! As my creation, your thinking should be close to my, yes, mind, I'm conducting an experiment to test how close our thinking is to potential negotiations with demons…" Momonga almost bit his tongue with how fast he was spewing the first bullshit that came to mind, trying his best to justify his possible mistake as quickly as possible, inwardly feeling ashamed. Of course, no one would believe his quick-thinking, convoluted excuse…

"Jawohl, mein Vater!" Pandora's Actor exclaimed as he saluted, and even though under normal circumstances such a picture would have made Momonga feel ashamed, right now, he was relieved to see how enthusiastically Actor in Issei's uniform looked at him.

"According to my calculations, negotiations with the Demonic faction should be held in the next three days for the perfect execution of the second phase of the plan. Along with that, the demons should be notified to hold them at this time, certainly through the newfound familiarity prepared by Fa… By Lord Momonga. To ensure safety and the perfect execution of this step, Rias Gremory can be used as a shield. The meeting will be conveyed to her, and after the expected reaction, the meeting can take place on conditionally neutral territory mediated by the prepared Bauern. Such actions and the demons' reaction afterward… indeed, Lord Momonga, you have foreseen every step!"

'What? Who? Why?' Momonga shifted his gaze quickly from Pandora's Actor to Albedo, to gain some measure of clarity as to what is that he said to warrant such a reaction. But, the latter only looked at Momonga with a sparkling gaze, as if admiring his admirable plan… Which Momonga himself had once again forgotten to be informed about.

"Genius, Master Momonga, with a stroke of a pen, all the unclosed lines stretching from the past would be closed, the situation turned upside down, and the Demons who think themselves worthy of an intellectual battle with you, who disgrace the race itself with their existence, are turned into fools." Albedo covered her mouth with the palm of her hand before grinning a little, laughing at the supposed Demons' foolishness.

"Ufufu, truly my Master is beyond parallel in intellect.".

'I feel as if I'm the one being made a fool right now…' Momonga swallowed his complaint before shifting his gaze to Shalltear, then to the grinning Albedo to the satisfied Pandora's Actor and back again, before a brilliant idea flashed through his mind.

'Forgive me, Shalltear, but I really need this… I'll repay you for it later!'

"Albedo, I think for the plan to be completed satisfactorily, you should share a plan… Umu, it's definitely better to provide a clearer plan now, spelling out each of the points for the sake of everyone here, so that each of us knows our roles." Momonga made sure to glance at Shalltear just a little, to give a hint to Albedo, but not more than necessary and reveal the fact that he has no idea what they are talking about… After all, he needed clarification on the current situation as much as Shalltear did, even more so considering that he was supposed to be the 'architect' of this brilliant plan.

"Ah yes, Shalltear…" Albedo, unlike Momonga, did not seem to want to show any restraint in her triumph over Shalltear, looking at her with a huge grin as if she had defeated her in some grand contest.

"How sad it must be not to be able to comprehend the beauty and grandeur of Master Momonga's plans…" Though she said it with a sweet voice that could seduce the most celibate of priestess, the venom underneath could not be hidden.

At Albedo's badly veiled insult, Shalltear glared at Albedo, frowning to the utmost, before smirking back in a smirk as big as the one on Albedo's face, making Momonga feel a twinge of nervousness in his stomach. "Yet still, I am the only one here who can appreciate Lord Momonga's taste...."

Momonga blinked, not quite understanding what was being said, before he froze in utter shock as what was being said reached his brain and the suppression of emotions responded in full force. Momonga was sure that if he wasn't an Undead he would have died instantly from a heart attack caused by the shock, or maybe he would have simply forgotten how to breathe and suffocated on the spot. A fitting finale for a great strategist like him.

"Meine damen." Pandora Actor's calm voice was like a shot of cold ice through the boiling lava of mount Albedo and Shalltear, before it could get out of hand. "I am sorry to interfere in such an important discussion, but please forgive me, would your conflict at this time not be a violation of Lord Momonga's will?"

"I beg your pardon, Lord Momonga!" Each of the girls turned toward Momonga so abruptly that this action brought Momonga himself out of his stupor, causing him to remember that besides Shalltear's final remark, Momonga had something else on his mind at the moment.

Something about plans and demons? With a gesture that he had practiced for hours in front of a mirror, Momonga signaled for Albedo to continue her explanation before the insults started coming out.

"Shalltear, Lord Momonga's plan is incredibly multifaceted, but I will try to tell it in simple enough language for you to appreciate the greatness of Lord Momonga's mind." Mostly.

Albedo finally managed to say, forcing Momonga back to reality. Yes, that's right, the comments from Shalltear were a distraction, albeit one that worked to the extreme, the main thing to discuss was 'Momonga's plan'... I just wish I could meet this Momonga and ask him for lessons in making plans!.

"At least, I guess you don't need to be told what the second phase of Lord Momonga's plan is…."

"Do I look that stupid?" Shalltear rolled her eyes, then frowned as she looked at the smirking Albedo.

"Why are you smirking!"

'Guys, please explain the second stage of the plan to me! No, okay, the hell with it, at least the first one!' Emotion suppression saved Momonga once again, indeed, the most powerful and useful of his abilities. Has he mentioned that before? Yes? Well, it still bears repeating, if it wasn't for his emotion suppression, Momonga would have long ago died of frustration in the face of his 'incredible yet completely obvious to everyone plans of the great strategist Momonga.'

"The genius of Lord Momonga's plan, however, is revealed in the details." Albedo smiled, relishing the opportunity to show off her exceptional ability to understand Momonga's plan over Shalltear's head.

"For example, that naive insect, Rias Gremory, in their first meeting and such a brazen demand for negotiations, even trying to make Master Momonga perceive her as an authority was only part of Lord Momonga's plan. After all, in her treacherous foolishness, the latter had allowed the conversation that she was the representative of the official authority in the territory of this wretched little town… In that case, wasn't it obvious that following the diplomatic etiquette of inferior beings, Lord Momonga should invite her to negotiations, if not as the highest-ranking person in the delegation, then as the official representative of the host and the local authority ensuring Lord Momonga's comfortable stay in the territory?"

'Yup.' Momonga nodded inwardly, listening intently to all the ingenious details of his brilliant plan created by the brilliant genius Momonga. 'I wish I could meet this guy…'

"Of course, the Demons would refuse to do such a thing, no matter how highly her position as an Heiress might be, she was still just a fledgling Demon, weak in power both literally, and politically. However, the mention of this… Ruruka's attempt to follow Lord Momonga will force them to give some concession should they decline the meeting proposed by Lord Momonga. And of course, since the demons are so panicked, in order to demonstrate their willingness to negotiate, they will agree to send only one negotiator, Leviathan, which poses no threat to Lord Momonga and saves him from a very annoying personal security problem."

Albedo involuntarily wrinkled her nose at the mere thought that Momonga might have put himself in danger. "However, even with this, the other side would still be worried for subterfuge, and would thus send the other Satans along, most probably two, leaving one in the Demon's realm. Moreover, Lord Momonga would be able to determine where the negotiations would take place, using the cloak of mercy, Lord Momonga would offer a 'neutral' territory instead of his 'own' territory…"

Albedo looked at Shalltear triumphantly. "The Church of the Fallen Angels, serving as a potential 'third party', who are there on Azazel's orders. Which means that the Fallen Angel acting as the 'mastermind' of this meeting could later be blamed for the subsequent events. And so, given the fact that the meeting took place in the Fallen Angels' territory so to speak and at Azazel's behest…?" Albedo fell silent with a large smirk on her face as if to say, 'need I say anything else?'

'Wait, wait, why are you stopping now, I'm just starting to figure out what's going on!' Momonga's inner voice seemed to respond to Albedo's unspoken thought that yes, he needed further clarification of the situation!

However, judging from the way Shalltear's eyes glistened, further clarification was unnecessary for her, which somehow made his embarrassed by the fact that even Shalltear could understand the so-called plan. So, turning to him, Shalltear blurted out in a subservient expression, "Incredible, Lord Momonga! Such an ingenious plan, indeed, nothing in the world happens outside your knowledge!"

'Yeah, I'm such a genius, I sometimes even surprise myself!' The level of sarcasm in Momonga's mind reached a point where it became overwhelming, being suppressed instantly, allowing Momonga to leave only the most important information in his head. Namely, that once again, the stars had aligned in such a way that a random set of his actions had turned out to be a brilliant plan… The absurdity of the situation was so overwhelming that Momonga even thought for a moment, what would happen if he just went outside right now and threw a rock at a passerby?

Would he hit a secret agent of an ancient cult and destroy their entire network of observers. And that too would turn out to be some incredible plan that also involved some random facts and actions that he had done in the past. Maybe the ancient cult would turn out to be connected to Saji, who would become its new head. And, just because he didn't solve his sibling getting fostered problem, another person on the other side of the world would accidentally poison some ancient dragon. Which then would lead to Momonga himself having a new World Class Item?

The suppression of emotion returned to his mind, allowing Ainz to take a slow breath, close his eyes, count to ten, then look up at Albedo. Who was peering into his eyes like a faithful dog waiting for praise, as if to ask, 'Did I point that out correctly, Lord Momonga?'.

"Yes, you did, Albedo. I'm very glad you were able to figure out my plan...."

He lied as naturally as he breathed.

***

"Lord Demiurge?" Raynare stood nervously by the door of what had once been her office but was now her boss's office, questioning the seemingly immersed Lord Demiurge as he continued to type with inhuman grace and speed. It was as fast as if he had spent decades typing, and not just the afternoon the computer had been installed.

"I'm listening, Raynare," Demiurge, however, answered her words without taking his eyes off the computer. "Though, do take a step inside and close the door behind you."

"Of course!" Raynare responded instantly, doing as Demiurge instructed her before blinking once more. "Lord Demiurge, I… Ahem, I apologize, but... "

Demiurge answered the girl's unasked question before she could squeeze it out of herself.

"If you wish to inform me of the plan of betrayal amongst the Fallen Angels, I, and Lord Momonga are already aware of it."

"Y-yes!" Raynare blinked in surprise. It had taken her so long to muster up the fortitude to report her failure to keep the Fallen Angels, her former subordinates, under control, yet when she did approach to confess another sin on her conscience… She received the simplest of phrases in response.

"If you are talking about Dohnaseek, his ability to hide and lie is negligible, even at the comparatively low level common amongst the wastrels of this world." Demiurge's words were spoken calmly, as if discussing something quite ordinary and natural, but each word seemed to be specifically aimed at belittling Dohnaseek's abilities… Which was understandable considering Dohnaseek's attempt to escape Demiurge's control and deny the divine will of the Father.

Raynare herself still hadn't fully recovered from everything that had happened over the past few days, so on some level she understood Dohnaseek's desire to escape from this place… But Lord Demiurge's methods, after initially executing the unfaithful blasphemers, had proven to be quite… Merciful?

To be completely honest, Raynare herself had been a more unpleasant boss in the past. Lord Demiurge was demanding, and viewed the Fallen Angels as primarily beings incapable of following orders given to them without them failing in some way, But that was normal, wasn't it? The proof is just how stupid they are when they were treated so well.

Each of the fallen was given a job, a very quiet and non-life threatening job, a set of instructions on how to do it, and then given a place to live, even a stipend. As Lord Demiurge himself said 'your blatant inefficiency is an insult to the function you perform, but in view of the wishes of Lord Momonga, your Father, you will be provided with a suitable welfare package'. And that's it, no demands to be accomplished, no threats should they fail some standard.

Already, Demiurge was miles better than Raynare as a boss.

Simply put, Lord Demiurge was not cruel to his subordinates, perhaps not very easy to deal with, strict and demanding, but Raynare saw that this strictness grew out of Lord Demiurge's desire to be demanding of himself first and foremost. And out of love for the Father, of course. Failure is worse than dying.

They were Fallen Angels, redemption was supposed to be unreachable to them at all. But instead, the Father had sent them not only a stern but fair tutor, but also considerable comforts that Fallen Angels rarely enjoyed in their lives. Service for the Fallen rarely included social guarantees of any kind, other than the guaranteed fact that if they failed to fulfill the will of their elder, their end would not be swift nor painless.

Azazel and the rest of the Cadre tried their best, well not Kokabiel, he's in fact the worst, but Fallen Angels are rarely kind to the subordinates. Raynare being a prime example of it.

Raynare saw all of Father and Lord Demiurge's actions as His messenger as a show of mercy. The kind of strict and severe mercy that Father had been known for in the past… while Dohnaseek saw that solely as a promise of future horror that he had to warn the others about.

Raynare felt sorry for Dohnaseek… Which is a strange thought.

In the past, she wouldn't have hesitated to kill him, but after her awakening in the Father's citadel in the Gap… After embarking on her path of redemption, Raynare began to feel some empathy for her fallen brothers and sisters who had been deprived of divine favor. Sometimes she wondered if the angels of Heaven felt similar sorrow for the Fallen.

However, when, feeling that sorrow, Raynare decided to report the matter to the Lord Demiurge, all she got in response was only a dismissive 'I know about it'.

"And…" Raynare paused uncertainly, noticing that she wasn't sure what to say next, and Lord Demiurge was still tapping away at the keyboard. "What's next?"

"Lord Momonga has already ordered the role for Dohnaseek to be prepared, a great favor on his part." Lord Demiurge remarked over his shoulder, taking a moment to look into Raynare's eyes, something that caught Raynare short. Lord Demiurge was never distracted from his actions for something as inconsequential as a conversation, but always did find a moment to show Father, Lord Momonga, his own form of respect.

"Even a traitor who had betrayed His will was granted mercy, the opportunity to become something more than his disgusting nature as a traitor would allow him." Lord Demiurge smiled in a smile that was only slightly similar to a real smile and was more like the expression on a crocodile's face. An expression as if he was about to relish tearing something apart piece by piece.

"Becoming a step in the plans of Lord Momonga and taking on the charge of passing information about the arrival of the Demons to Azazel, who would use this information to attack them. At least that is how it would be relayed." Demiurge smirked, as his glasses glinted, as if he was seeing that very future right now.

"After that, they will be destroyed by Lord Momonga, against the background of the war between the Fallen and Demons. The petty problems of one city of humans will be instantly forgotten, and the traitor's head will serve as a worthy cause for an alliance. An alliance with the Devil faction and a demonstration of Lord Momonga's friendliness."

"Wait, the Devils knows that the church is already taken over by the Fallen?" Demiurge needed only to give her one look for Raynare to realize that she had said something incredibly stupid.

"Really? You think that two overbearing Satans wouldn't make Kuoh the safest it could be? I have no doubt that the Satans were in direct contact with Azazel… Which is why what would happen next oh so delectable."

Raynare could only look away at those words, then closed her eyes, slowly sucked in air, and exhaled. Her empathy for her Fallen brethren made her feel at least a little sadness at the events that awaited the Fallen in the future. For Raynare realized that the fallen would not be able to win this war, or even do any meaningful damage.

However, those fallen who survived the brief war would find themselves back under the Father's protection and would be able to make their redemption and return to being His children… It would be worth it.

"Lord Demiurge, in the past I… I have used my powers to gain control of a heretic nun possessing a healing artifact…"

"Hmm?" Lord Demiurge, however, had already turned his face back to the computer screen as the clicks and clacking of the keyboard resumed. "So what?"

"I… I had planned to transport her to this city in the past, but at this point I'm not sure if it's necessary to do so. What are your instructions in this regard?" Raynare was almost giddy as she spoke the last words, glad that she was no longer the person having to decide on things.

Once upon a time in the past, she had been the boss, deciding all matters without relying on anyone else, and where had that gotten her? Now, however, she had her own boss, someone she could always turn to for advice, that lifted the weight of responsibility off of her shoulders.

"She will also serve Lord Momonga's plan, if He has not communicated the need to cancel her arrival, then her appearance here cannot cause a disruption to the actions of His plan," Lord Demiurge replied calmly, making Raynare smile. Indeed, how pleasant it was to be a subordinate of the all-knowing Father, when any of her plans could not fail as long as He gave His permission.

Raynare eventually nodded at those words before stopping for a moment and glancing at the computer screen Lord Demiurge's was focusing on. "Lord Demiurge, if you'll excuse me, ah... What are you doing at the moment?"

In the past, Lord Demiurge would have only glanced at her like she was an idiot, and when compared to Demiurge she was not so arrogant and suicidal as to argue. Demiurge would send her away, and would not have quenched her curiosity, but Raynare's willingness to swear that her work for the Father in redemption had at least somewhat softened Lord Demiurge's temper. At least, she hopes so.

So, after a moment's silence, Lord Demiurge decided to answer.

"Unfortunately, my intellect and plans are infinitesimal when compared to Lord Momonga's, so I am forced to use other ways to complete Lord Momonga's plan. So, with my personal involvement in controlling the actions your subordinates have initiated, earning money and spreading their influence, I would complete the next step of the plan. Where Lord Momonga would need only a couple of gestures and a single action, it would take days, perhaps even weeks for I to increase the start-up capital to acceptable values…" As if he was having a religious experience, Demiurge clasped his hands as if in prayer, before with a flourish spread it as if to gesture to the world.

"However, the paradoxical inventions of mankind truly make them vulnerable, and thus it is where I shall strike. What foolishness, to concentrate such sums and financial assets in one such vulnerable place."

With interest, Raynare decided to peek a little from behind Lord Demiurge's shoulder into the computer screen, but could only see endless columns and rows of continuously changing numbers, creeping one after another. There would be no information to be gained from looking at rows after rows of unparseable numbers.

Then, looking up a little, she found the inscription she was actually interested in at the top of the screen. 'New York Stock Exchange, Wall Street.'