Chapter 9: The Commencement Ceremony

Hey guys, I'm officially back in action! I'll be posting as frequently as I can for the next week or so. Please review so that I know I'm on track and for me to improve my story as much as I can for everyone! If you have any questions you can message/review as well! As you all can see, I'm trying to make the chapters longer now. Enjoy!


In front of the gates of the Nazarick Hotel

Momonga would be lying to himself if he said that he never missed being human. The passive emotion nullification ability deprived him of his ability to enjoy food, drink, and all the…..other pleasures of life.

However, the Overlord understood that his emotion suppressor was a crucial tool for role playing the Supreme Being of Nazarick. Without it, he had little doubt that his façade would crumble at the very moment of crisis or temptation.

At that very moment, standing in front of the Nazarick Hotel, facing thousands of adventurers from all across the New World, Suzuki Satoru could not help but feel massively relieved that he no longer had a stomach.

He glanced at Albedo, who was standing a few paces behind him. The succubus's face bore an eager and excited smile as she looked back at him, her wings fluttering with anticipation.

He swept his gaze across the crowd in front of him. He could see Pandora's Actor, currently in the visage of Momon the Adventurer, standing in a clearing within the group of adventurers, with Narberal by his side. It seemed that few were bold enough to stand too close to the "Beautiful Princess", who currently wore her usual ice-cold expression. However, a rare sparkle of expectancy shone within her eyes as she stared up at Ainz.

Feeling his creator's gaze upon him, Pandora's Actor raised his gauntlet slightly to give a victory

V-sign. Ainz gave an inward sigh of relief when nobody else seemed to notice the gesture.

Maybe I should have let him play the role of the Sorcerer King. Wait, no, that would be a potential disaster. I'm on my own this time.

Ainz tried his best to recall the guidelines he'd read in one of his books, titled "Bosstips: A Guide To Presentation."

Act natural.

The Overlord tried his best not to show how stiff and awkward he felt. He moved in the graceful manner that had been drilled into him from hours of practice in his bedroom.

Use eye contact and hand motions to draw the audience in and keep them engaged.

….

Ainz tried to focus his gaze on one of the members of the audience. His eyes rested on a petite blond adventurer near the front of the crowd who was looking up at him attentively.

The moment their eyes met, the girl yelped and stumbled backwards as if struck. She lowered her head, unwilling to meet his eyes any further, and seemed to begin trembling. The boy standing beside her tried to steady her, clearly concerned.

Okay, that didn't quite work out….

Dammit, I've wasted too much time. Whatever, I'm just going to start.

"Nations are brittle. They erode with time, or are razed by the fires of conflict. Their rulers are often small, vulnerable individuals, clasping on to the reins of power, oblivious to all around them."

Ainz paused for dramatic effect, he remembered from the book that it was important to give the audience a little time to take every statement in before moving on.

"It seems that in this world, even gods are destined to fall. Heroes are fated to be forgotten alongside the evil that beckons them. Yet, despite all of this, a single truth remains."

"The goal of all life is death."

As he said this, there were several gasps from the crowd. One female adventurer in particular, who seemed to be dressed in a witch's outfit, widened her eyes in a mixture of awe and fear.

Huehue, I've always wanted to say that out loud. Tabula used to make fun of me when I said things like that while roleplaying. Ainz merrily thought to himself. Well, now I'm actually an Overlord.

He waited a bit before continuing.

"It is this unescapable reality that dooms even the mightiest of beings. It is this fear that unites all men, demi-humans and heteromorphs alike. To prevail against this reality is impossible, yet the struggle against death is what defines the strong."

"Many may believe that it is in the nature of the undead to hate the living. Perhaps you may assume that we are abominations, abandoned by the breath of life, doomed to walk the earth bearing the taint of death. However, that cannot be further from the truth."

"I tell you this: Death is not absolute."

"I am absolute."

There, I said it. This is what Demiurge wanted, right? …..Did I just hear Albedo squeal?

"A world without war, without crime, without poverty or hunger, without famine or disease. To most humans, this is a fool's dream, a fantasy of the naivest of rulers, doomed to failure."

"And yet, I have already achieved this. Within my domain lies such a sanctuary, a world beyond mortal comprehension. My very undying existence defies the reality you have always known. As such, I wield the power to make this impossible dream a reality."

"I have no interest in wealth or glory. I have no time for self-righteousness or hypocritical notions of justice. I have transcended the petty squabbles and prejudices between the mortal races."

"I once had companions who dreamed alongside me. Magnificent individuals who shared with me a goal-beyond death"

"They are gone now. But our dream persists. I shall make that dream a reality. I believe that the first key to unlocking my aspirations lies within the realm of adventurers. Lend me your strength, and I will ensure that your skills may go beyond anything you've ever dreamed. Adventurers are more than mercenaries who hunt monsters for a living. They are the vanguard of civilization, the explorers of darkness."

"The event that will take place over the next few days will be a taste of what I can offer to this world. The Nazarick Hotel houses luxuries the likes you've never seen. The Master Dungeon will test your very worth as an adventurer both individually and as a team. I ask only that you see for yourself the greatness that lies in wait for the adventurers guild of the Sorcerer Kingdom."

"With this, I commence the official opening of the Nazarick Hotel!"


Cerabrate was well aware how everyone thought of him. He had never wanted to form Crystal Tear in the first place. The swordsman recalled how that Saphira had looked at him when he first met the two aspiring members of "Crystal Tear". He had rejected the idea of forming a team with them straight away. If not for that man's persuasion, Cerabrate wasn't sure where he'd be right now.

It sure as hell wouldn't be this place.

Cerabrate was half sure that Draudillon Oriculus had sent him to the Sorcerer Kingdom hoping he'd be killed or get captured and slowly tortured to death. He knew exactly how the dragon queen thought of him.

It's okay. He reassured himself. I'll have my way with that little queen eventually.

Even if I don't….this trip was definitely worth it.

Many people assumed that Cerabrate only stuck around the Draconic Kingdom because he had an obsession with Draudillon Oriculus. However, that was only half true. Cerabrate may be a pedophile, but he was no idiot. As cute as that little dragon queen was, the "Fierce Flash" would never risk his neck time after time for someone who hated his balls.

The truth was, Cerabrate did in fact care about the well-being of the Dragon Kingdom. While he wasn't exactly a selfless individual, he could never truly bring himself to leave the place where he'd spent most of his life.

No matter how many lives he saved, or how many times he risked his life, Cerabrate knew that the words of gratitude he received would always contain an underlying hint of disgust.

Back then, it bothered Cerabrate. As a matter of fact, it bothered him a lot. His only remedy was to take it out on the next poor girl he dragged into his room.

But now, everything was different.

For the first time in his life, Cerabrate was completely and utterly in love.

It was love at first sight.

When all the other adventurers had been listening intently to the Sorcerer King's speech, Cerabrate could not take his eyes off of the platinum-haired girl that had been standing attentively among the undead being's attendants.

Initially, she wasn't the only servant of the King that had attracted his attention. The dark elf twin girls beside her looked absolutely gorgeous as well. However, after catching a closer glimpse of the pale girl's crimson eyes, Cerabrate knew that she was the one.

Cerabrate could swear that those ruby red irises stared right back at him, almost boring into him, but he knew that it wasn't physically possible, considering the fact that he was standing right in the middle of a large crowd quite a considerable distance away. Still, they made Cerabrate's heart pound harder than he'd ever had in battle or in bed.

Cerabrate had never felt this way before. The image of the girl was seared into his mind. The silver hair and pearl white skin shone with an otherworldly gleam. He trembled with excitement as he recalled the blood red glint within her eyes, more captivating than the finest ruby.

I have to find a way to make contact.

The main issue, he thought, was that the girl seemed to be a member of the Sorcerer King's inner circle. As drunk in love as he was, Cerabrate knew better than to do anything as stupid as following her to profess his feelings for her. He needed to come up with a practical course of action. Regardless of the complications, Cerabrate knew there was no way he'd be leaving the Sorcerer Kingdom without that girl.

However, one unspoken, aching doubt lingered within the corner of his mind. There was something off about the girl as she stood there, gazing back into the crowd, almost as if looking right back at him. The smile on her face that Cerabrate could not bring himself to forget contained a hint of something more than just beauty. It was….inhuman.


Remedios bit her lip in contempt as she witnessed the adventurers around her erupt into thunderous applause. The paladin could not bring herself to join them, even for the sake of acting.

They're all just applauding out of fear, there is no way anyone would believe anything this monster has to say. Everyone must be afraid that the undead would massacre everyone on the spot if they did not cheer at his words.

Remedios had absolutely no doubt that what she believed was the truth. It was absurd to even entertain the idea that people would support an undead ruler.

However, the paladin knew that at least one person in the crowd was cheering with genuine admiration for the Sorcerer King. Remedios put every fiber of her body into resisting the urge not to bash in the skull of the short haired girl next to her.

Remedios had initially been sent alone as a representative of the Holy Kingdom to participate in the event. The holy king and nobles had told her that her skills made her the only viable candidate for the venture. Their attitude made it almost seem as if they had wanted an excuse to get rid of her. However, Remedios knew that they would never do such a thing in face of a common enemy-the undead.

A change of plans occurs when Remedios had mentioned in passing to Gustav that she would be attempting to assassinate the Sorcerer King, even if it meant dying in the process. The day after her exchange with Gustav, Remedios was informed that Neia Baraja would be coming along with her.

Damn Gustav, he must be too worried to let me risk my life. He wants this brat to get in my way so I don't die trying to save the world. Why can't he just see the bigger picture?

As she thought of this, Remedios suddenly grew even more irritable. She shot a look of disgust at the girl next to her, who was still ogling at the Sorcerer King with an expression of awe on her face.

"Hey, you know he's lying right?"

As usual, Neia ignored her. It was the same approach the former squire of the Sorcerer King had taken for the past few days of travel. Neia always pretended not to hear the paladin whenever spoken to. Those large menacing eyes of hers refused to meet Remedios's gaze. Naturally, this annoyed Remedios a great deal.

"Don't say I didn't warn you. That monster will show his true colors soon enough, and I'll be there to defeat him."

After hearing those words, Neia Baraja finally could not help but snort incredulously.

Tsk, you can't even beat CZ-senpai.

Neia gleefully recalled what had happened just a week before she had left the Holy Kingdom.

CZ had come to visit for a few days, and one afternoon, while the demon maid was watching Neia rehearse in preparation for one of her famous speeches, Remedios happened to come across them.

The former leader of the Paladin Order had been in a terrible emotional state for months. She was cranky, prone to throwing tantrums, and in general, a source of headache for everyone who had to deal with her.

At the sight of CZ, Remedios's eyes flared with anger, and the paladin had the audacity to demand a duel with a servant of His Majesty himself.

CZ was initially reluctant to respond, stating that she had not received any orders from her master to fight. However, when Remedios charged at her anyway, the demon maid immediately went into combat mode.

Neia would have been lying if she said that she hadn't been looking forward to seeing a fight between two of the strongest individuals within the Holy Kingdom for quite some time. Naturally, she did nothing to stop them. It wasn't as if she had the ability to do so anyway.

[Flow Acceleration]

Remedios could feel the tendons within her body exploding with augmented power, and the entire world seemed to slow down as the nerves within her brain accelerated into a superhuman state.

[Strong Strike]

The paladin's sword arm whipped out at an astonishing speed, the weapon moving in a rapid blur towards CZ's throat.

Sensing that her opponent was attacking with the intent to kill, CZ's eyes immediately narrowed to assess her target, her combat mechanisms adapting to counter Remedios' movements. The automaton shifted her upper body only slightly, just enough so that the paladin's sword strike missed by a fraction of an inch. As Remedios struggled to launch another strike after missing, CZ Delta counterattacked.

CZ drew her gun and struck Remedios in the gut with the weapon, causing the paladin to stumble backwards, grunting in pain. Without room for pause, the automaton leapt backward, simultaneously loading her rifle and then firing four separate rounds straight at Remedios's face, stomach, arms and legs. The automaton completed the entire sequence of actions in a single flawless movement, too fast for her opponent to register and respond.

Remedios' battle senses kicked in, and her [Flow Acceleration] boosted her reaction time just fast enough for her to block two of the bullets with her sword. She managed to reposition just enough so that the shot to her stomach connected with plate armor instead of her vitals. The paladin felt a sharp pain in her ribs as the bullet embedded itself into the armor, but did not penetrate. Remedios barely managed to move her leg so that the fourth shot slid past her upper thigh, opening up a gash that began bleeding heavily.

So fast… I didn't even have time to use Fortress.

Remedios gritted her teeth, trying her best to ignore the intense pain in her leg and ribs as she looked back up at her opponent.

However, by that time, CZ had disappeared.

Looking around, the demon maid was nowhere to be seen. Remedios bit her lip in frustration.

Did she run?

Just as Remedios began turning to Neia for an explanation, a shimmer appeared right behind the paladin.

[Fortress]

Remedios' superhuman reflexes saved her just in time before CZ uncloaked herself and delivered a point blank shot straight into the paladin's spine. The martial art was enough to prevent the shot from killing Remedios, but the paladin could still feel her bones fracturing as she fell to the ground.

I'm not done yet….

Using every last ounce of her strength, Remedios turned around to unleash her strongest attack at CZ just before hitting the ground.

The paladin's holy sword, Safarlisia, glowed with an otherworldly golden light. The weapon became encased within a divine aura that burnt away all evil it touched. In Remedios' hands, it was the strongest attack of the Holy Kingdom's Paladin Order.

[Holy Strike]

CZ became engulfed within a ray of golden light, Remedios smiled as she felt the satisfaction of finally vanquishing a great evil.

Well, at least she did for half a second.

CZ stood in the same spot, completely unharmed, as she watched Remedios with the same indifferent expression.

"Uwah.. GG."

She raised her gun and pointed it at the paladin's temple.

"PLEASE, WAIT!"

Gustav Montagnés sprinted over, his voiced filled with panic.

"I sincerely apologize for the actions of our former leader. Please spare her life! I beg of you!"

CZ looked at Gustav and tilted her head, as if considering something.

"Threat nullified, target no longer needs extermination. Ainz-sama says to avoid trouble. Neia, let us go somewhere else. I have chocolate milk for you."

As she remembered CZ's carefree attitude after crushing Remedios in battle, Neia could not help but scoff at the paladin's absurd claims.

I can't believe I once looked up to this idiot.