7 Secret

With steady steps, Saigou made his way from the Tenth Floor to the Ninth Floor after leaving the Throne Room. Behind him, Albedo followed closely, her silk-gloved hands gracefully folded in front of her, moving with the poise of an elegant noblewoman.

Her iridescent eyes, glowing with a golden light, were fixed on Saigou's back, adorned in a magnificent robe. Her gaze occasionally flickered, and a blush colored her cheeks. The long, slender legs beneath her silk gown moved in unison, her body trembling slightly, her eyes distant, lost in thoughts unknown.

Suddenly, Saigou came to a halt.

Albedo, who had been somewhat lost in her own thoughts, quickly snapped back to attention. She stopped at a respectful distance behind Saigou, lowering her head in a gesture of deference.

Though Albedo wished she could be closer, she knew that such proximity would be an overstep, a breach of respect toward the Supreme Being—something she would never dare to do.

"Albedo!"

Saigou's deep, authoritative voice emerged from beneath his hood, where his face, formed by the dark flames, resided.

"I am here, Lord Zarathustra!"

Albedo responded with a soft, enchanting tone.

"This is far enough. You may leave now. As the Overseer of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, you have your own duties to attend to."

"…With the current situation, you must be even more vigilant in fulfilling your responsibilities as Overseer."

Saigou gave his orders without turning to face her.

Albedo felt a pang of disappointment. She had hoped that this time she might be allowed to enter Lord Zarathustra's chamber and receive his favor.

But the Supreme Being is, after all, the Supreme Being—unperturbed by such emotions, focused solely on the truths of the world and grand matters of importance.

With her head bowed, she replied softly, "…Yes, Lord Zarathustra. I will heed your words and fulfill my duties as Overseer."

Saigou nodded slightly and added, "…Very well, then go and attend to your responsibilities. And by the way, from now on, you will personally clean my room. There's no need to trouble the maids."

Albedo, upon hearing Saigou's words, trembled with excitement, her face alight with rapture, her mouth involuntarily stretching into a terrifying grin.

However, she quickly felt that her current demeanor was unbecoming of a lady, her reaction slightly out of place.

Suppressing her inner joy, she made an effort to maintain her composure and, with a graceful bow, responded, "…Your will, Lord Zarathustra!"

"Go on," Saigou waved her off.

"Albedo present her loyalty to the Supreme Being!"

Albedo knelt on the ground, performing a grand salute, then rose, bending forward with her head lowered, hands gracefully clasped in front of her as she retreated slowly.

As soon as Albedo's figure vanished from view, Saigou could almost hear the distant sound of the white demon's laughter.

He shook his head and entered his own room.

The Ninth Floor of the Great Tomb of Nazarick housed the Royal Suites, reserved for the guild members.

Here, whether in the game or now, these rooms had little practical use, serving mostly as locations to log in and out. The exquisite and lavish furniture, though detailed, were merely decorative textures in the game.

Now, however, with the game turned real, these furnishings had found their purpose.

Saigou's room was immense, resembling a small palace with a grand Baroque style and Romanesque splendor.

Knowing that the possibility of his traversal becoming reality was high, Saigou had meticulously designed the room's decor.

He was well aware of Albedo's intentions.

As someone who had achieved significant success in reality, Saigou was not shy about indulging in the beauty he could command. His calm and rational demeanor was not due to any imminent guild danger but simply because—

Standing before a full-length mirror in his room, Saigou looked at his current form.

He was dressed in a pure black robe edged with gold, his entire form composed of dark flames.

His fearsome and beautiful appearance would elicit a chilling sense of terror in anyone who saw him, evoking the thought, 'This person is a demon.'

Now, Saigou resembled an entity of elemental and decaying concepts, akin in essence to Momonga's skeletal form.

"Damn it, I'm no better than a joke now!"

Saigou muttered under his breath with a tone of resignation.

Fortunately, this was merely one of his demonic forms. As long as he could unlock other forms, he would still have options beyond this.

Saigou had always known that his power did not originate from the game Yggdrasil but rather from the gifts of the Mother of the Evil Gods and the Third Stellar Particle in his blood!

Holding the Another Cosmology, Avestā, in his hand, Saigou was certain that Yggdrasil did not possess the capability to materialize such an object.

If the gifts from the Mother of the Evil Gods were a complex machine with various mysterious abilities, then the Third Stellar Particle was the energy used to activate these incredible powers.

"Sorry, Tabula, although we have a good relationship, to minimize the unknown, it's better not to bring you along."

"...But you need not worry about reality. I have transferred some of my assets to your name, which should be enough to ensure a comfortable and worry-free life for you."

Saigou sighed.

He was an emotional person. Having known Tabula for twelve years, he could be considered his best friend in this world.

But who could say what unknown consequences might arise from bringing Tabula along on this journey? Saigou was unwilling to take that gamble.

As for the other members of the guild, Saigou had no intention of involving them.

Putting aside Momonga's well-meaning personality, Saigou had already anticipated the outcome if all members of Ainz Ooal Gown were to traverse into this new world.

It would undoubtedly result in the disintegration of Ainz Ooal Gown, with most of its members perishing in this new realm.

Although their moral values in the game were all 'negative,' representing extreme evil, that was merely data; it did not reflect their true selves.

For instance, Touch Me was filled with a strong sense of justice, while Ulbert was genuinely malevolent.

If these two were to traverse together, they would certainly come into conflict, leading to the total annihilation of one side.

"I remember a setting called the Eight Greed Kings, who perished entirely due to internal strife."

Saigou shook his head lightly.

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and began to contemplate the Mother of the Evil Gods.

In the next moment, Saigou found himself in a world of dark void.

This realm of darkness and emptiness was Saigou's greatest secret!