Author Notes:

Another Saturday means another translation of the Overlord novels, go read them if you haven't yet. This time I was pretty happy since they revealed more setting information, which is priceless when one's trying to properly build into a story that takes place within a similar continuity.

Not much to say about this chapter, other than people's guesses as to who the unnamed figures spoken of before were pretty good. Of course, the number of AOG members we know anything about can be counted on one's fingers so it wasn't really too hard. Still, kudos to them.

The latter half of this chapter was written while I was halfway comatose from a lack of sleep, so forgive me for any typos that might pop up there. I'm going to be busy with finals very soon, and there are some tests coming up so I wanted to get this one out as fast as possible.

Here's the next chapter, and the start of the Kingdom/Exploration arc. (Also I'm writing it as 7.5 so I can finally make the next chapter number 8 to match the index, I'm such a genius)

Chapter 7.5: Start of an Adventure

"...up, Herohero-sama!"

Kazuo stirred, hearing a muffled voice slip in through the silky, warm covers of his bed. His mind felt muddled and hazy, just as if he were waking up from a long dream. Just who was it that was calling him so early, and by his MMO nickname to boot? None of his workmates played YGGDRASIL, and he'd always lived alone…

"Hauu… He told us to wake him up at dawn, but he's not moving at all…"

"Wh-what should we do, Nee-chan? If Herohero-sama is tired, shouldn't we leave him alone?"

The two girls' voices rang familiar in Kazuo's head, but for the life of him he couldn't remember where they were from. Considering Kazuo almost never talked with girls -he lived for his work, after all-, that was strange.

"D-don't worry, Latte! If I remember correctly, the Supreme Beings spoke of such situations. It seems that after sleeping, there is a curse that prevents them from regaining their motor skills for a while." He heard a gasp of horror, as a high-pitched yet hushed 'Oh no!' echoed through his senses. "Fortunately, it seems there's a way to dispel it. But… Fetching a bucket of cold water might take too long…"

Hearing some outrageous words took Kazuo's desire to sleep out of the window, and he started quivering under the sheets. Groaning, he reached with his hand out of the bed and pulled the sheets off, noting how their exquisite texture brushed against his soft, slimy body.

"I'm up, I'm up already! What's the…" Kazuo blinked, the words dying in his throat. His mind ground to a halt, as the events of yesterday came to him like a flood. How after logging out from his favorite game, he had been transported as his own game character to a fantastic work, and the circumstances that had led there…

-That's right… That's my name now. Herohero sighed, trying his best to cope with what had happened. The fantasy-like scenario he'd experienced had not been a dream, after all. There was so much he'd gone through yesterday, that he could barely remember how he had even ended up in a bed.

"H-he's awake! Nee-chan!"

-It was then that Herohero remembered that he wasn't alone in the room, after all.

"-As I thought. Good morning, Herohero-sama!" Herohero turned towards the two voices who greeted him so earnestly, but his breath hitched before he could even utter out a response.

Herohero did not consider himself a lustful man. Years of slaving over his work had driven him to become desensitized from most worldly desires to the extent he could have been considered on his way to a coffin already, but that didn't mean he did not have an appreciation -and an attraction- for beauty.

That was why he couldn't help but think the two girls that were waiting at his bedside couldn't be called anything else but beautiful. It was not a simple prettiness that captured the eye, but rather a breath-taking beauty that could only be found on the most exceptional things. Both of the girls possessed such glamour, with skin that was a smooth as a doll's and heart-throbbing faces that looked almost sculpted to symmetrical perfection.

-Fitting, considering they were both video game characters designed to look that way.

The first of the two was Latte, who he'd designed with the angle of 'childish innocence' as a form of appeal. Her brown hair was long and straight, and so light that under the right light it could even be confused for blonde. A single ring of braided hair framed her face, and its even lighter shade made it look as if it was a halo circling her head.

She gazed at him with huge, doe-like blue eyes as she folded her dainty hands over her waist and gave him a formal bow to greet him. With her petite form that was like that of a 14 year old girl, however, instead of respectful formality, Herohero's heart could only shout at what an extremely cute gesture it was.

The second of the two gave a cooler air and unlike her 'sister' was no child, as both the size and shape of her body could attest. Herohero wasn't really sure what had possessed him to make Laplace's design- At first he'd wanted a cool, logical woman to act as the 'boss' of his little circle of NPCs in Nazarick, but somehow or another he'd flipped the design on its head so the final product only acted that way while hiding an almost motherly affection for the rest.

She was also as beautiful as Latte, but her appeal was less angelic and more seductive. Her lustrous black hair was pulled aside in twintails that framed her attractive face, and her pink lips hinted at the slightest pout. Her uniform did little to conceal her curves, and unlike Latte who invoked the cuteness of a child trying its best, Laplace's bow made Herohero feel like he was catering to some kind of fetish eroge.

As expected of Whitebrim-san… The time he spent modding Elder Scrolls games was well-spent. He thought words of prayer towards their guildmate who had been renown for devoting his entire life to spreading the beauty of maids across the world. It was that zealous devotion to his fetish that had granted him his god-like graphical design skills and made it possible for him to become a world-famous mangaka.

"Herohero-sama, is something the matter?" Laplace tilted her head, confused at the way Herohero was staring so intensely at them. Was he feeling alright? If he had really been cursed after sleeping, then she might need to go fetch the bucket after all.

"...No, it's nothing. Good morning Laplace, Latte." Herohero slipped out of the bed's silky covers, finding it laughably easy to slip out of the tangle of sheets with his amorphous body. The two maids stepped aside to give him space as he stood to stretch- Even though none of his muscles felt sore… Likely because he lacked any.

"By the way, could this be… My room in the ga- Nazarick?" Herohero looked around. The room he found himself in seemed less like an ordinary bedroom and more like something you would find in a royal suite. The floor was covered in a lush carpet, the walls were decorated with ornate paintings and several random items were placed the room's tables, boards and the rest of the furniture. Herohero recognized them as some of the decorative souvenirs he'd acquired from doing events or obtained as bonuses from cash purchases.

"That's right, Herohero-sama." Laplace puffed up her chest, as her voice filled with pride. "We have worked very hard to keep your room in a state worthy of your return. Everything is exactly as it was since your last visit!"

"Is that so…?" Herohero looked at the room appreciatively. Laplace's words were indeed true- The room was so clean it could only be called spotless in imperfections. It literally sparkled with its cleanliness. Even though the suite felt way too extravagant for him… "Thanks, Laplace. You did a great job."

"E-eh!? Ah… Thank you, Herohero-sama…" Laplace sputtered in a sweet voice, as her face turned red from the praise.

"Herohero-sama! I worked really hard with Nee-chan, too!" Latte burst in, looking at the slime with her sparkling blue eyes. Her hands were balled into little fists, and her determined expression made Herohero feel like ten years of his life had been returned to him.

"Is that so, Latte-chan? You did very good as well." Herohero reached out to the adorable maid, using his arm to pet her head as praise. Her pleased reaction was even more ridiculous than Laplace's, as she squeaked out an 'Awawawa' before bowing and thanking him profusely.

-Suddenly a deep growl echoed through the room, causing all three of them to freeze.

"...Sorry." Herohero blushed, looking down at his slime body which was vibrating from hunger. He hadn't really realized that ever since he came to this world, he hadn't eaten anything.

"Oh my, was that Herohero-sama's stomach?" More maids strode into the room, pushing along a trolley that carried expensive-looking chinaware, along with a tray that was filled to the brim with scones. "How fortuitous I did not forget to preserve yesterday's food, then!"

Herohero looked on as all nine of his maids poured into the room, giving him their greetings while they set off to do various tasks. He watched as they neatly tidied the bed he had been sleeping on seconds ago, saw them fuss over the angle the paintings were hanged at, and even had to reject an offer from them to get him into his dress clothes.

However, what he had not turned down was their offer of breakfast. He was positively famished.

"I-It's delicious!" Herohero moaned, shoving the steaming buns down his mouth one after another. As someone who was entirely resigned to eating instant food for the rest of his life, something like proper treats for breakfast other than a toast seemed inconceivable. Yet there he was, a veritable feast laid out only for him.

"Fufufu. Would you like more tea, Herohero-sama?" The question came from Midori, the most motherly and, kept secretly in Herohero's mind, most attractive of the maids. With a body most girls would kill for, and a gentle expression whose occasional gloom only enhanced its beauty, she was by definition angelic.

However, she was also clumsy. She performed her tasks well, of course, but whenever she got excited she'd often forget important details just to fuss over what had captured her attention. Herohero thought that it only added to her motherly charisma, but he was a little worried that it might impact her life now.

"You'd better eat everything! We worked really hard to make that food perfect, you know!? N-not that I want you to, or anything…" Another maid stammered with a fierce voice, even as her hands perfectly poured tea into his waiting cup. She was Rie, and she was one of the girls that Herohero had had the most fun designing.

Originally he had wanted to make her a high-level battle maid, but Whitebrim's insistence on sticking with the Pleiades and Homunculus maid schism drew him to switch up the design a little. Instead of an actual fighter, he had just made her a fan of various fighting manga clichés. She sincerely thought that things such as giant robots, massive unwieldy swords and 'magic high-school' settings were amazing things, and Herohero had even gone out of his way to place a collection of old manga from the library on her quarters to reflect that.

-It was only fitting, considering the fiery ponytailed redhead was the embodiment of the 'tsundere' and 'tomboy' stereotypes. She even wore spats under her maid dress, not that Herohero had confirmed such a thing outside of setting knowledge.

"Fwaah! That was a good meal…" Herohero sighed contentedly, his hunger sated at last after he'd emptied the entire food tray. "By the way, um, girls… Do you know where Momonga-san is?"

"Ah… Momonga-sama should be in the throne room at the moment, Herohero-sama. Apparently he has been talking over some issues with the guardians. I am not sure what those are however, please forgive me…" Laplace bowed her head.

"Th-that's okay. Then, I guess I should get going." Herohero said, then looked down at his body for a moment and frowned. As expected, no matter how unbothered he was by his new form… He didn't like being a slime that much.

He wanted to shapeshift into a human being, but…

"Could you leave the room for a second so I can get dressed?" His slime eye twitched slightly as all the maids fussed over him.

...There was no way he could do that in this situation, was there?


"Somehow, I managed to get away…" Herohero sighed, now back in humanoid form while wearing his full set of gear. After exchanging greetings with most of the people in the 9th floor, he'd finally been able to make his way to the 10th Floor in order to go see his friend.

Unlike the unassuming appearance he'd taken in the village, this time Herohero had decided to bring out most of his high-level gear just to see if they were still working properly. He'd even gone and equipped his primary weapon, just to see if its effects still functioned correctly.

The results were that he cut in a rather intimidating figure. As a member of Ainz Ooal Gown who had spent close to 12 years playing YGGDRASIL, Herohero possessed a wealth of magic items. Among those, his favorites consisted of three different Divine-class items with very powerful effects.

The first were a pair of cestus named [Heavenly Tusks of Airavata]. These gauntlets were made with some of the most expensive crafting materials in the game, and they possessed the data crystal of a rare dungeon boss that needed many resources and time to beat. The hide that wrapped around his hands was white as the snow, and seemed to reflect light in a way that should've been impossible for leather. Golden metal plate pressed against his padded knuckles, and if one looked hard towards the faintly glowing metal, they would see the ornate design of an elephant's face engraved over the plate.

The second were a pair of metal-plated boots called the [Wings of Hermes]. They were one of the most essential items for a melee fighter like him, as they possessed a passive enhancement that granted complete freedom of movement, preventing being entrapped or held down by skills or abilities that weren't a direct grappling check. They also protected against several dangerous status effects, such as Paralysis or Time Stop.

The third was a dark blue headband with golden trim, which he'd dubbed [Crest of Unending Fighting Spirit]. Despite its embarrassing name, it was a powerful Divine-class item that granted numerous protections and possessed a powerful buff that reduced damage taken and increased damage dealt in proportion to HP loss.

Coupled with his Dragonhide light armor, these items gave him so many status bonuses that they placed him at the mid-high tier of players, which was dominated by either those characters who lacked 'god-level' gear but specialized in their combat classes and those who made up for their weaknesses through the use of expensive items.

However… There was a slight problem…

This is so lame…! All I need is some belts and I'll be in the next Final Fantasy! Herohero placed his palms over his face, remembering how Rie had started gushing when she saw him in his full gear. Now he wished that he'd made his items with a more minimalistic look in mind, or something a little more fitting such as Momonga's own robes.

Banishing the evil thoughts from his mind, Herohero proceeded to make his way down to the 10th Floor using the Ring of Ainz Ooal Gown. His form appeared just before the huge set of double doors that led into the Throne Room, which caused the ones who had been guarding it to become startled.

"-Ah, Herohero-sama. How was your rest?" Herohero blinked, looking at the stone-faced butler that greeted him. There was a brief moment where Herohero wanted to ask what Touch Me was doing dressed as an old butler, but he shortly realized that it was just an NPC that was modeled after Touch Me's real life looks.

"I'm doing good… Sebas Tian, was it?" At the butler's nod, Herohero gave a mental sigh of relief. It would be really weird to explain himself to the NPC if he'd forgotten his name.

"Oh, it's Herohero-sama! What's up~?" Herohero almost jumped when a voice spoke behind him, and he turned to glare at the smiling maid who'd surprised him from behind.

"Lupusregina, how dare you-" Sebas stepped forward, a severe expression on his face before Herohero extended an arm to stop him.

"It's alright… Yes, Lupusregina-san. That is exactly why I am here." Herohero frowned, looking at the smiling maid with a wary expression. Is she using concealment abilities in the middle of the 10th floor? Now that I think about it, could she be made by that guy Luci Fer?

Herohero made an unpleasant face as he recalled the member of Ainz Ooal Gown that most of them tended to refer as 'That Guy'. He was a brilliant programmer and one of the biggest money-makers in the guild, up there with Touch Me. He worked in America, but used the Japanese servers nonetheless.

However, his personality was best described as that of a malicious troublemaker. He had a bad sense of humor, frequently talked with Peroroncino over trivial issues that popped up in the '2ch' message board, and prided himself on making others upset. Whenever he took part in guild raids, he always made sure to contribute an elaborate twist on their strategy to humiliate the enemy he called a 'master ruse'.

If Lupusregina was anything like him, Herohero could understand why the butler felt irritated at her actions.

"Ah, is that so~? Momonga-sama is talking with Demiurge at the moment, but he'd been asking for you for a while." Lupusregina said, the smile still plastered on her face even as she bowed in greeting.

"Lupusregina! How dare you leave your post and run like this!" Herohero saw another maid approach, this one dressed in a way that made Herohero gulp. With a beautiful appearance, a maid 'uniform' that left little to the imagination yet was clearly meant to be some kind of combat gear, she was figuratively and literally dressed to kill.

However, the dangerous-looking maid reacted in a way he couldn't have expected. When their eyes met, she seemed to freeze for a moment before her form turned fidgety and she averted her eyes.

"H-herohero-sama! Y-you are looking very splendid today." The alluring maid spoke in a surprisingly shy voice.

Herohero looked confused for a moment, before a thought crossed his head. Wait a second, she doesn't…

"...Thank you, Solution. Y-you seem to be doing well, too." As he said that, Solution looked at him with a surprised expression before quickly turning her head away. I knew it…!

Herohero clenched his fists, feeling exhausted once again.

It's these clothes, isn't it? She's looking away because she thinks they're totally lame! Herohero was certain that was the reason the combat maid was being so awkward around him. That or she had a crush on him, but that would be completely unrealistic. Ahhh, next time let's just use the normal gear from the village…

Lupusregina just looked on with a smile that was growing wider and wider.

Suddenly, there was a disturbance that interrupted Herohero from his brooding. He watched as the double doors that led into the Throne Room were pushed open, and an impeccably-dressed man in an orange suit and glasses stepped out, his tail lazily swishing. It must have been his imagination, but he looked a little downcast.

"-Ah, Herohero-sama. Momonga-sama was waiting for you. If there is anything you need, I shall be in my quarters within the 7th Floor." Demiurge said briefly as he bowed to the slime, before striding out of the room.

"...Well, I guess I'll be going in then." Herohero said. "Take care, Solution, Lupusregina, Sebas." Herohero bode the Pleiades and the Head Butler farewell, and moved towards the still open doors of the Throne room.

Alright, time to work. How worse could it be than programming?


The Sniveling Raccoon was the most popular tavern in the city of E-Pespel. Featuring a grand five floors for rooms and a massive ground floor bar for people to drink away their woes and share a hearty meal, it was the hot spot for most of the Adventurers that lived in the city.

Much like always, the tables were filled to the brim with adventurers of every rank. It was a lively scene, as adventurer parties gathered around a table to boast about their exploits or flirt with the serving girls. Some of them were more serious, in that they were fishing for rumours or gathering information they could use against monsters.

E-Pespel was one of the cities with the most adventurers on it. Because it was located at the outskirts of a forest that connected with the mountain ranges of the Slane Theocracy, its territory was highly populated with demi-human races that fled from the Theocracy to seek better places to grow. It even had a sizable population of elves, who had settled near the city for similar reasons.

-However, this wasn't something entirely good. While the presence of adventurers was powerful, it also meant that there were more monsters that called for their efforts. It wasn't uncommon for novice adventurers who were patrolling the forest to be attacked by a powerful creature and lose their lives in a tragic accident.

Nonetheless, it was one of the most prosperous of the Kingdom's cities and one that took pride in the strength of its adventurers. Because of certain circumstances, it was currently prized as the first-ranked Adventurer city even though it had only been in third place six months ago. Many flocked to it in search of new opportunities or a chance at earning fame and fortune like the Kingdom's most popular heroes.

There were many such figures, most of them adventurers of Mithril rank or higher. Individuals such as the 'Spear Lord' Clight Duane, or the 'Wise Mole' Digger Nole were regularly the hot topics of most young adventurers, spoken of with admiration similar to that shown towards legends or exceptional places.

Among all those figures, however, there was one who stood out in particular. He had only appeared around six months, but his actions had forever altered the balance of power in the city. Many praised his name to the high heavens, while others cursed it with their mouths as much as with their hearts.

He, who had quickly burrowed into the hearts of E-Pespel's citizens, the man who possessed an irrepressible charisma but was cursed with an uncontainable lust for glory and women. The one with a devilish heart and the strength of a hero, who was called the 'Golden Demon'. That warrior who was called the strongest adventurer, his name was-

"BARMAN!" The doors of the tavern flew open, as a person brazenly made his way into the tavern lounge. The intruder's arrogant voice caused everyone in the floor to turn their heads towards him, but their looks of scorn quickly turned into shock and awe.

The figure calmly walked past the adventurers' tables, as the entire bar seemed to grow quiet. Formerly loud conversations were reduced to hushed whispers as most of the adventurers maintained their gazes trained on the man who even then was heading straight towards the man at the serving counter.

As the building's lights were cast on the figure, his features were revealed. The man's armor was limited to a vest he wore over his casual clothes, which consisted of little more than a shirt, leather pants and boots. However, he was undoubtedly a fighter. A belt on his waist holstered the sheath for his falchion, a famous curved sword renowned for its cutting power.

In addition, there was a longbow strapped to his back. The weapon was almost as tall as the man himself if not taller, and it was made of a strange black wood that seemed to glimmer under the torchlight. Strangely enough, there was no quiver on his person.

He stepped up to the counter and stared down the middle-aged man who was preparing the drinks. With his tanned skin, dark hair and sharp features, there was a murky shadow lying behind his handsome face which was only enhanced by his bright golden eyes, which seemed to burn brighter than even the tavern's lanterns.

"Listen up. There's something I want you to do." He spoke, raising his head. The barman drew back instinctively, and waited in awe-filled silence for what he would say.

The man with the golden eyes gave a wide, glowing sneer-

-Right as he reached within his clothes and slammed a bright golden coin on the counter. The tavern's light shone on the man as he placed the money on the table, reflecting the gleaming plate of adamantite tied on his neck.

"I want you to give a free round to every slimy son of a bitch in this place!" Leaving the gold coin in front of the astonished barman, the smirking man turned back dramatically and spread out his arms. "Chin up, boys! Peron's on the house today!"

There was a second of silence-

-Until the tavern exploded into rambunctious cheers, as all of the adventurers gave out cries of joy. "PERON! PERON! PERON! PERON! PERON!"

Peron cheerfully waved at the adventurers who praised him, and made his way to a single empty table in the room. Everyone who came by his way greeted him in some manner, either asking for advice or inviting him to join them in some form of quest. Everywhere around him, excited chatting started to pop up.

"Hey, isn't that Peron, the Golden Demon?"

"Seriously!? That's the man known as the 'One-man Army' who single-handedly beat down a Red Wyvern?"

"Man, look at how smug he is. He isn't even trying to hide it."

"Are you kidding? That's the insatiable Golden Demon. He's the only man insane enough to flirt with Blue Rose and live to tell the tale!"

"I can't blame him, but… Really? Even if you're adamantite as well, there's a limit to the balls one can have…"

"Some say he flirted with everyone, even Gagaran. Even in the Theocracy they don't marry like that!"

"As expected of the Golden Demon! Hahahahaha!"

"What will you be having today, Peron-sama?" One of the prettier serving girls approached him, blinking at him with wide eyes and a bright smile. Peron gave a small hum, placing his legs over the table and rocking back his chair as if pondering.

"I guess I'll just take the finest as every other day. Your finest to drink, your fullest main course, and for dessert…" Peron's hands moved with blinding agility, and before she knew it the girl was being held on Peron's lap. "...I think I'll have you, Litia-chan."

"N-No! Peron-sama, that's so sudden…!" The girl looked away and huffed, but the way she squirmed against him made Peron laugh like a smarmy old man. The adventurers in the background sweatdropped collectively at the girl's obviously fake display.

'Peron' grinned. It's only been a month and half, and she's already this well-trained. Good job, Peroroncino!

Oogami Agito used to not believe in Gods.

Ever since his early teens, the only subject of worship in his life had been the Eroge industry and the perky, busty girls that existed in the dimension beyond his screen. He had been a shameless, unrepenting otaku whose list of fetishes was about as long as the number of anime he'd marathoned.

For him who had been doomed to put his mind into work in order to support his hobbies, there had existed only two joys- His prized eroge collection, and his YGGDRASIL account. When that virtual game had come out, Agito for the first time in his life felt that something was calling to him.

He devoted himself to that game, and eventually got together with a party of eight other people who accepted him despite his hobbies, and the nine of them went on to become the founders of one of the greatest guilds in the server.

Ainz Ooal Gown was the coolest thing he'd ever done in his life. Nothing, not even shooting down trolls over the internet with their nonsensical arguments, compared to being able experience a fantasy world in virtual reality that he could bend to his will with overwhelming power.

It had cost all 41 of their guildmates a pretty penny as well as ages of effort, but they'd managed to build an unconquerable dungeon and collectively spank the proverbial rears of the Human Race players that'd hunted them down at the beginning of the game.

However, eventually Agito realized that he had to give it up. It was sometime after they'd forged the guild item for Momonga, that he'd realized it.

After everything they had gone through, after all the events they had accomplished and the mountains of treasure they had collected…

They had run out of things to do.

The game devs had started to give less importance to new events and mostly maintained the server with existing data, which left most of the high-level players with little to do.

In addition, there were many games which were employing new high-definition VR technology, and some of them made Agito positively drool. Virtual Reality was there to stay, and gradually the government had become more lax on the rules for virtual reality which enabled all sorts of new possibilities for eroge.

It had made him sad, to abandon YGGDRASIL before its time of closure. However, he hadn't felt like being tied to the game anymore and most of the guild had already abandoned as well, so it had been with a heavy heart that he had given away most of his gear to Momonga and prepared to logout for the last time.

However, the moment he pressed the logout button, he did not wake up to see his bedroom and return to his boring, normal life. The place he found himself instead was completely unfamiliar… But his body was not.

With the single press of a button, the skinny otaku Oogami Agito had disappeared… And the mighty warrior Peroroncino had been set free.

He didn't know if it was because he had finally reached 30 years of being a virgin or if it was a mere act of divine providence, but Peroroncino still thanked whatever being had brought him here.

He had been confused and lost at first, but over several weeks he had learned about the new world he'd been transported to and became adjusted to its reality. Using one of the few items he'd kept to change shape into a human form, he'd slipped into this world's society and became one of its greatest adventurers by virtue of the seemingly massive level disparity between himself and the rest of the planet.

Eventually, Peroroncino had noticed it- Something that he thought he would only see happen in movies or games, or to anyone else but him. Everyone in the city had grown to admire him. People regularly sought his friendship or even asked him for simple handshakes, and girls that would've once looked at him with revulsion instead sized him up like a piece of meat.

-Oogami Agito had not believed in Gods. But Peroroncino sure did, and he was in heaven.

"Hahahaha, isn't that what you said the last time, Litia-chan?" Holding the girl like she weighed less than a feather, he brought her close to his muscled chest, grasping her jaw to press their foreheads together. "That's no good, you know?" He whispered. "People will call you an easy girl."

Peroroncino felt one of the girl's hands grope his chest, and that was all he need to know that he'd just scored for the evening. Litia was a nice girl- She was cute, she was bold and she hadn't been afraid to approach him despite his sleazy reputation. He genuinely liked her, and in his own world might have even put a ring on her.

But in this world, Peroroncino felt much more free. He couldn't let something like marriage tie him down from chasing after the countless cute girls that surely existed out there.

Even so, he'd been going at it steadily with Litia, her trying to control him while he simply had his way with her. After showing her just what he could do with thirty years' worth of erotic material in his brain as well as the stamina and skills of a level 100 player, however, she had become putty in his hands.

"Back to see Litia again, eh Peron?" 'Peron' blinked, looking towards the approaching adventurer that smiled down at him. He was young-looking like him, but the orichalcum plate on his neck revealed that he was a high-ranker whose status rivalled his own.

"Oh, it was just Nale." He smirked as he continued to 'play' with Litia. "How's your team doing? Old bear got any new scars, or did he just up and finally keel over?" He said, referring to the massive druid that often partied with his drinking buddy.

Nale Würst shrugged. "Dunno man, it's impossible to tell when that guy changes shape more times than I change clothes. You never know if the old bastard got wasted for trying to fuck a goat or if he just charged into a rain of arrows again."

Both of them shook their heads and sighed collectively. "Druids."

Peron suddenly looked sullen, and Litia blinked when she noticed that he'd stopped reacting as he usually did. At some point during his chat with Nale, he had started to stare off into space.

The truth was that Nale's words had brought Peroroncino to remember the time he'd spent in YGGDRASIL with his friends, as well as the strange tablet he'd found three days ago in a dungeon.

The first surprising detail about the Tablet was that it had been written in Japanese. To Peroroncino it had been effortless to read, but most of it had been basically nothing more than experimental logs about the new world which while fascinating were not very relevant to his own interests.

No, he'd been more surprised by the crest that had been engraved in the tablet. It was a design that only a YGGDRASIL player, and even then only one of few would have been able to recognize.

-After all, that crest was nothing less than the Guild Emblem of Ainz Ooal Gown.

Knowing that, Peroroncino was worried. He'd spent so much time enjoying himself…

...That he'd completely forgotten to search for his friends in this world.

"W-well then, Peron-sama." Peron blinked when Litia let herself down, shaking him out of his thoughts. The girl was looking at him with her arms crossed, not really annoyed but not too happy either. "I'll bring you your order right now, so sit tight, okay?"

Before he could stammer a reply, the girl leant forwards and planted a wet kiss on his lips. Immediately the tavern erupted in a cacophony of whoops and jeers.

Watching her walk away, both Nale and Peron could only sit there with their mouths agape.

"God damn." Peroroncino whispered in awe.

He'd found something that had given his life in this world a new twist. It was likely that from here onwards, a lot more trouble would rear its head in eventually. Since he'd found evidence that his friends were in this world, he could no longer laze around and take it easy as he'd done for months.

Still, for the moment he had to say…

...Life is good.


"This sucks..." Herohero complained, banging his head against the conference table. "How are we supposed to plan what to do when all we know about the world is hearsay?"

"Hahaha… I feel the same…" Momonga replied, idly scratching at his skull while he shared in his friend's frustration.

Somehow or another, the two of them had ended up in the exact same place where they had given each other their last farewells- The great conference table of Ainz Ooal Gown. Originally Momonga had wanted to discuss things in the Throne Room, but when he realized that it made him look down on Herohero he'd gone ahead and switched to this location.

In a way, it made Momonga feel happy that they were discussing their next course of action in this room. Even if they were only two people, it was still better than the lonely days he'd spent when none of his other guildmates had logged in.

Even the mood of the room seemed to somewhat reflect this. The vacant seats Momonga saw around the table were no longer reason to despair the loss of his friends, but rather a reminder of his promise.

"Alright…" Herohero sighed. "So, let's go over things bit by bit again. Momonga-san, what exactly has carried over from Nazarick to this 'New World'?"

"That's… A difficult question." Momonga looked down, looking thoughtful as he considered the best way to answer. "As you have seen for yourself, all of our skills, spells and items are functioning properly. The same goes for the NPCs, they seem to have no trouble exercising their abilities. As for game aspects, it's mostly hit and miss. For example, I have no problem taking a sword into my hand but I can't use it as if I was a warrior, at least not unless I create one as a magic item."

"What about the guild system? We had a lot of automated defenses. If those stopped running, then we'd be in real trouble…" Herohero said, remembering the automatic system in Nazarick that spawned mobs under level 30 en masse in order to deter invaders. It wouldn't be so bad in the lower levels, but the respawning monsters made up the meat of the 1st to 3rd floors' lines of defense, not counting the Old Guard and other superior undead in the 3rd Floor.

"Everything in the guild system seems to still be working, though it still consumes gold." Momonga said, though he appeared concerned for a moment. "I am not so sure about resurrection of custom NPCs, though… I didn't really have the courage to test it out."

Herohero stiffened, trying to imagine if he really could sacrifice one of his creations to test if they'd get back up. "...Yeah, I don't like it either. Let's hope it never comes to that." At Momonga's relieved nod, Herohero continued. "...Alright, what do we know about the NPCs themselves. How close do they stick to their settings?"

Momonga winced. "I'd be lying if I said they didn't stick to them a lot. You know how I modified Albedo's settings before the transition, right?" Herohero nodded, remembering the scolding he had given the poor skeleton (although the alternative was not much better). "She seems to believe she had always been that way."

"So, if the setting said that they were creatures of absolute evil…" Herohero started, already feeling the headache coming. At Momonga's numb nod, he let out a painful groan. "That can't possibly be good."

Momonga hesitated. Should he really share this with Herohero? "Actually…" He begun, trying to word himself carefully. "...I might just have prevented one of the NPCs from starting a world conquest in my name."

"...What." Herohero stared at Momonga blankly, his vacant eyes numb to the point they looked like little dots. "What did you just say."

"Yeah…" Momonga chuckled awkwardly, remembering how that particular incident had gone down.

"Momonga-sama, I don't understand… Why did you not tell the others of your second great objective?"

"...What do you mean, Demiurge? I allow you to speak."

"Very well. Then, remember when we talked about the sky last night?" Demiurge started to relate what he'd interpreted from Momonga that day…

"And then he told me, 'if it is Momonga-sama's will, then conquering this world would be a trivial task for us Guardians'. Can you even tell how I felt!?" Momonga complained, all the while Herohero continued to smack his head against the table.

"Momonga-san, it was a bad decision to unleash your inner chuunibyou just then…" Herohero shook his head, though secretly thankful that they had dodged that bullet before it became a terrible issue that got out of hand.

"Yes… Bad decisions aside, have you considered what I told you yesterday? Since I heard about them existing in this world, I just couldn't stop thinking about it..."Momonga said, referring to an earlier conversation they'd had at the end of last night.

"Adventurers, huh…?" Herohero said, pondering the idea. What Momonga had proposed back then was that they posed as adventurers as a way of gathering information. Certainly, the tales of hunting monsters and protecting the kingdom while achieving fame and fortune could only be called a 'man's romance', but while Herohero did find the idea appealing…

...He shook his head. "I think it's a good idea, but not one we should go into together." When Momonga made a surprised noise, Herohero pushed forwards before the train of thought could escape him. "Think about it, Momonga-san. Stronoff-san just gave us a premium invitation into the capital. Isn't that something we should check out as soon as possible?"

"Y-you're right. But, is revealing ourselves so soon really such a good idea? If we just go and walk into a palace, there's no telling what they might try to do to us!" Momonga argued, thinking that it was too sudden to take Gazef's words for granted without first confirming the state of the kingdom itself.

"I agree… Which is why we're going to investigate the closest city first of all." Herohero shook his head tiredly. "I just don't want to do it as an adventurer. If our objective is to gain fame, then a single one of us will do as good a job as two of us. Furthermore, Momonga-san…"

Herohero looked at his guild master with a dry gaze. "...If both of us run off to become adventurers, who's going to hold down the fort if something urgent happens while we're both role-playing?"

Momonga titled his head in defeat. "You're absolutely right." He couldn't tell Herohero that the reason he'd insisted in the both of them becoming adventurers was because of his nostalgia, when Ainz Ooal Gown would go to raid dungeons and fight bosses.

Even if it was just playing around, he thought that if both of them started adventuring together, it could be really fun. However, Herohero was right.

-No, it was Momonga who had been wrong to let his nostalgia blind him.

What mattered the most was getting his friends back, and working to keep Nazarick safe. If he became drunk on the dreams of the old days like a puppet with its strings cut, or let his own bias hinder his decisions, then that could eventually become a threat to Nazarick and his friends. If he couldn't restrain himself from that much, then he didn't deserve his position of Guildmaster.

"Then, let's work hard to find our friends back, Herohero-san."

"Yeah!"

The two of them shook hands.

One Month Later

"So that's E-Rantel, huh?" Herohero stated, looking down at the massive city that stretched out in the distance. It had a breathtaking design, with tall city walls that protected it like a fortress and certain landmarks so large that the three of them had no trouble distinguishing their features.

"Seems like it." Momonga joined Herohero in his sight-seeing. He crossed his arms, as the crimson cloak of his black armor billowed in the wind. This armor was the essence of his current persona, the adventurer 'Momon'.

"What a filthy nest of lower lifeforms." Both of them turned to look at the dark-haired beauty who'd spouted those words, as she arrogantly turned her face up towards the distant city. She was Narberal Gamma, one of the battle maids of the Pleiades who would be going under the name of 'Nabe' for this mission.

Momonga and Herohero exchanged a brief glance.

Yep. -Bringing her was a terrible idea!

...However, despite Narberal's odd reaction, neither Momonga nor Herohero felt much stress. The sight of E-Rantel filled their hearts with hope. There was an entirely new world out there, full of magnificent sights such as these. There was no telling what they might find within those walls, but whatever it was they were prepared for it.

Somewhere out there, their friends were waiting.

One city, two cities, or even all the settlements in the world. No matter how they were like, they wouldn't stop scouring these lands until they uncovered the locations of their friends.

The adventures of Ainz Ooal Gown, and their quest to retrieve their lost comrades...

"-Let's go, Momon-san. The world is waiting for us-!"

"Yeah!"

...They would begin here, in this city.


Next: The Swords of Darkness