Shalltear was beyond giddy, right now. After nearly a month's worth of training and preparations, she's finally on her way to the Baharuth Empire, specifically the capital, Arwintar. She was going by the name of Zara Dell Fjora, a young noblewoman that enjoys travelling to other countries. While Baharuth's Emperor, Jircniv, had stripped the nobles of their wealth and status, she's confident he would do that to a foreign noble without due cause. She had changed her appear to that a fair-skinned, blonde, blue-eyed woman in a white dress(A/N: It's the same look she had during Demiurge's attack on E-Rantel minus the mask). She was eager to please Lord Momonga, but remembered his advice on not letting her temper get the better of her during this assignment.
"We'll be approaching the capital in a hour, Lady Zara" the carriage driver, one of her Vampire Brides in disguise, said.
"Ah, good. I was wondering when we'd arrive" Shalltear said.
"Yes, it was quite the trip. Now, Lord Momonga has stated he's purchased a sizable house in the capital to serve as our center of operations during our stay there. Once we have settled, we can begin our mission" Sebas stated, sitting across from her.
"Yes, I'm well aware, Sebas. While I have my doubts we'll find anyone of great value, we were given our orders. Hopefully, this Emperor Jircniv won't get suspicious of us during our stay" Shalltear said, glancing out the window.
"As long as we mind ourselves, he shouldn't give us any problems. He seems to be quite reasonable by what our reports say" Sebas said.
"Excellent. Once we arrive, we'll have much to do" Shalltear said with a smile as the capital, Arwintar, came into view.
"So, this Nazarick…" Ninya muttered. She and Brita were standing in the center of a large arena under a dark sky and surrounded by a vast forest. Awaiting for Sakuya to arrive. They were both curious and nervous about what she has in store for them, especially now that Momonga wasn't with them, having had to attend to something important. They weren't totally alone, as they were in the company of Mare and Aura, a pair of Dark Elf Twins that, apparently, live here. Aura was pretty fun and energetic while Mare was meek and shy. The shocking part was that Mare was really a boy, leading to Brita joking saying that "Mare pulled a Ninya" much to the Magic Caster's embarrassment.
"Yep, this is 6th Floor Amphitheater. It serves as both a training ground and source of entertainment for the Supreme Beings when they have captured invaders" Aura said, happily.
"And you are, what, its caretakers?" Brita asked.
"We're both the Guardians of 6th Floor. Our job is to watch over it when we're not carrying out our Masters' orders" Mare said, shyly. Brita was still trying to get over the fact he's a boy in a dress. Mare said he was a crossdresser or something, but was too shocked to fully listen. Having been doing it, herself, Ninya accepted it, rather easily.
"So, are there other floors and Guardians in this tomb?" Ninya asked.
"There are ten Floors in the Great Tomb of Nazarick. The 1st-8th Floors each have their own Guardian while the 9th and 10th Floors share one, who's also the Overseer of the Guardians, as a whole" Mare explained.
"Overseer?" Ninya asked.
"Yeah, the Overseer is the highest ranking position in the whole Tomb. Only the Supreme Beings themselves have more authority than her" Aura said. Suddenly, the two Humans' vision was engulfed by a flash of light and when it vanished, there stood a six foot tall woman in a black and gold outfit and blonde hair. Her most distinctive feature was the large black wings on her back.
"The Black Angel" Ninya said in awe. Almost immediately, Mare and Aura knelt before the woman.
"Sorry it took so long. Getting this Tome isn't as simple as it looks" she said, and Brita finally saw the large book in her hands. It was a dark brown and covered in letters of a language she's never seen before.
"Now then, onto business. Has Momonga explained what I plan to do with two?" she asked. Brita and Ninya shook their heads.
"Alright, then. I'll be frank with you both: you think this is the first time I've met either of you, but that's actually false. You see, I've monitoring your entire journey using Reconnaissance Magic from within Nazarick. The original goal was to gauge you over the course of several long-term jobs with Momonga, but this whole Undead incident ahs forced me to skip that step" Sakuya explained.
"You were watching us? What for?" Ninya asked.
"I was judging your worth. Ever since Nazarick arrived here in this World, I've been working on a side project: the Grigori, an all Angel task group to serve as elite soldiers for us. And you two are to be the first recruits" Sakuya replied, shocking the two girls and even the Dark Elf Twins.
"But, neither of us are Angels" Brita weakly commented. Sakuya merely smiled.
"Not yet, you aren't. I have the power to turn you into Angels, right here and now. Before, I go on, there is something extremely important you must understand" Sakuya said, seriously.
"What is it?" Ninya asked.
"You both will be servants of Nazarick, and nothing more or less. As such, you will put this Tomb's well being before anything else, even your lives. This means that when me, Momonga, or our third comrade, Boldric, give you an order, you will be expected to obey it without question. Thankfully, we are very reasonable and won't assign you jobs or missions that will upset that often. Finally, as members of the Grigori, you will represent and uphold what it means to be Angel. As such, I expect you to never perform any deeds that would slander that code. Now, before we continue, do either of you have any questions?" Sakuya asked.
"Yeah, what about our lives as Adventurers?" Brita asked.
"An excellent question, Brita. Officially, you both died in the cemetery after being overwhelmed by Undead. As neither of you were particularly well-known Adventurers, the appearance of two strangely similar women shouldn't be that big of a deal" Sakuya explained.
"I have a question, as well, but mine's a bit more personal. You see, I originally became an Adventurer to find and rescue my sister. Will I still be able to do that?" Ninya asked. Sakuya could barely keep herself from smiling.
"You will, but only when you aren't on an assignment or training to become stronger. Now, enough questions, it's time to decide. You have one minute to choose" Sakuya stated. The two girls glanced at each other.
"We accept your offer" Brita said. Ninya nodded in agreement. Sakuya smiled.
"Excellent" was as she said before speaking in some strange language. Green-colored energy shot from the Tome's pages and engulfed both girls. Seconds later, the two were panting heavily, having slunk to their knees, but didn't look any different.
"Uh, are you sure it worked? I don't look or feel any different" Ninya said, searching herself.
"Trust me, it worked. But, as like all Heteromorphic Races, you won't gain your distinctive traits until you have invested enough into your Racial Class. There are several forms an Angel can take and I have a catalogue of these races, along with the various classes you can train in, in our library. You can choose any race you like as long as it falls under the Angel Racial Tree" Sakuya explained.
"How long will it take us to become strong enough for your liking?" Brita asked.
"That's a tough question. In Yggdrasil, it was easy to gain experience and levels, but here, I'm not so sure. We'll see how that goes" Sakuya said. By this point, Albedo and Cermone appeared.
"Lady Sakuya, we have gathered here as you requested" Albedo as they bowed.
"Good. Brita, Ninya, this is Guardian Overseer Albedo and my daughter, Cermone. Albedo will teach you about how Nazarick and all of its denizens. And Cermone will act as the leader of the Grigori, as she was instructed. Do you both understand this?" Sakuya asked Albedo and Cermone.
"Of course, My Lady. We will endeavour to teach them to be proud servants of the Supreme Ones" Albedo replied.
"In that case, I'll leave you to it. You all have a lot to cover" Sakuya said and teleported away.
"So, when do we begin?" Ninya asked.
"Right now, of course" Albedo replied. Albedo spent the next six or so hours drilling all of the proper etiquette into the two girls in a gentle, yet stern fashion. Considering how fanatic she seemed, they did their best to memorize all the information, as they didn't want to see what happens if she's upset in any way. How to address the "Supreme Beings" as she calls them was very similar to how one would address a king, so that was the easiest part. Since they were under the direct command of Cermone, they were to address her and the other Floor Guardians, as such, as well. The hardest part was learning the layout of the Tomb, which was seemingly large enough to be its own city if the map was any indication. Ninya had an easier time learning and Briat made a note to study with her later. Once the lesson was concluded, Albedo summoned a maid to escort them to their new living quarters. They'll be sharing the same room to maximize space, as they're certain more will be recruited in the future.
"Man, I'm beat" Brita said, plopping onto a bed without hesitation. She was surprised by how soft the bed was or how fancy the room itself, is, as if they were in a palace rather than an underground tomb ruled by a powerful Undead.
"Oh, come on, Brita. You can't be exhausted, we didn't have any actual training, yet" Ninya said.
"Ugh, that 6-hour lesson was really boring and put a lot on my brain. I really hope she doesn't test us on this stuff" Brita moaned, not moving.
"It wasn't that bad" Ninya said with a chuckle.
"You seem to be taking all of this rather well, even the death of your friends. I know I would be going through depression if that ever happened to me" Brita commented, making Ninya lower her head in thought.
"I'm not entirely sure, myself, but I think I always knew they could die, someday. Being an Adventurer is a hard life, after all. You could die at anytime if you're not careful. Guess I, subconsciously, already accepted it without even realizing it. Besides, I still have plenty to live for and I know they would want me to keep going, no matter what" Ninya explained, smiling at that last part. Brita couldn't help but smile back.
"Good to hear. On a different note, you still gonna dress as a boy?" Brita asked.
"Probably not. I don't have a reason to, now, and I'm pretty sure Lady Sakuya will make me wear something feminine. Speaking of which, what do you think she's doing, right now?" Ninya asked.
"If I had to guess, giving Clementine her dues. I don't think I want to know what's being done to her" Brita replied with a shudder.
"Well, I'm going to get out of these clothes. I won't be wearing these, anymore" Ninya said, walking to a door which she was pretty sure led to the bathroom. Sure enough, it was. A minute after closing the door, a knock came at the door. Brita got up and opened the door. A maid with two sets of clothes was waiting outside.
"A gift from Lord Momonga" the maid said, bowing as she held out the clothes. Brita, a little confused, simply took the clothes with a simple thank you. The maid bowed again and left. Brita closed the door and looked at the clothes in her hands. They seemed to be a rather simple tunic, pants, and boots combo. Brita wondered if they'll get to wear anything as fancy as what Momonga, Sakuya, and all those Guardians were wearing.
"Hey, Brita, what are you holding?" Ninya asked, having come out of the bathroom. She was still wearing her pants and breast bindigs, though a bit looser than before.
"Some clothes Momon-er, Lord Momonga sent us, apparently" Brita replied.
"Really? They don't seem that fancy" Ninya commented.
"They'll do, for now. I'm sure they don't want to ruin anything fancier while we're training" Brita said.
"Okay" Ninya said, taking one of the outfits.
"So, what are we going to do for the rest of the day?" Brita asked.
"Perhaps go down to the library. Lady Sakuya did mention she had a catalogue of Angel races and I'm sure she'd want us to choose one, eventually" Ninya replied, slipping on the tunic. Brita sighed and followed Ninya's lead, changing into the new outfit. She she removed her tunic, Ninya caught a glimpse of her rather large muscles.
"I don't think I have ever seen a woman as muscular as you, Brita" she commented.
"Yeah, took me forever to get all this bulk, but it was worth it" Brita said, proudly, flexing her arm. Ninya chuckled and the two finished changing. The two exited the room and saw that the maid was still there. She bowed in respect.
"How come you're still here?" Brita asked.
"Lord Momonga assigned me to be your personal guide until you become familiar enough with the Great Tomb of Nazarick to navigate on your own. Is that a problem?" the maid asked.
"No, it isn't. And since you're here, can you direct su to the library?" Ninya asked. The maid's face lit up.
"Of course! Please follow me" she said. The duo followed the eager maid down the rather impressive hallways of the Tomb. They reached a pair of double doors, which lead to the truly massive library. The duo former Humans were in awe.
"It's massive!" Ninya said.
"Yes, this library was constructed and all of the knowledge held within was gathered by Lady Sakuya and there are few that rival its wealth of information. She spent a great deal of her time to organize all of the volumes in alphabetical order. You are welcome to whatever books you wish to use, but you are expected to return them to their proper place once you are finished" the maid explained.
"Okay, so where would a book on Angel races be?" Brita asked, not confident they'd find one book in this whole place in a single day.
"Ah, you'd be looking for "Angelic Races" under the A section. I will retrieve it, for you" the maid said, ducking out of sight before either could react. She seemed really eager to please. After a few minutes, she came back with a large dark brown book in hands.
"If there is anything else you require, feel free to ask" the maid bowed and went to stand by the door.
"Alright, let's see what we have… wow, there's quite a few Angel races. Cherubim, Ophanim, Nehphilim, Draconic Angel…" Ninya trailed off as she read the entries with keen interest.
"Wait, Draconic Angel?" Brita asked, surprised.
"Yeah, is says, here, it's essentially an Angel/Dragon hybrid" Ninya replied.
"Wow, that sounds impressive" Brita said in amazement. Ninya nodded and they kept reading through the book for a rather long time.
"My, my, Lord Momonga certainly spared no expense for our assignment" Shalltear mused, gazing around the parlor room of the mansion that will serve as their home and HQ for the time being.
"Indeed. This mansion will do nicely" Sebas said, sitting across from her.
"Now, onto business: Lord Momonga desires beings of great Magical skill, has a very useful Talent, or possess impressive Martial Art Skills. Also, lady Sakuya has requested we search for any worthy candidates for the Grigori project she's been working hard on. The biggest problem I see, so far, is an effective way to conduct our search without arousing suspicion" Shalltear said.
"Yes, that is a problem and it will make our mission difficult. One method we could use is sending out a notice for a group to serve as extra security. We'll be able to easily monitor their strength with ease, though this runs the chance of us being discovered" Sebas explained.
"Sadly, I have no other alternative plans. It may be our best method, for now. The lack of the so-called Adventurers Guild as Lord Momonga put it does make it hard to pinpoint where to send the request, but I'm sure we can work around that" Shalltear said.
"Excellent. I shall prepare notices, right away" Sebas said, leaving. Shalltear remained seated and stared out at the sky, hoping she pleases her masters.
Well, this turned out shorter than expected, but hey, I don't mind. Now, before anyone says so, I'm not going to be turning everyone female character in Overlord into Angels. I'm not saying that because of a complaint or anything, but so I had gotten that off of my chest.
And yes, Draconic Angels are a thing. Any dedicated D&D player can tell you that.
Also, since the fight between Shalltear and Momonga won't be happening, I'm stuck as how to end this first season with a fight. If you have any suggestions, I'm happy to hear them. I've already gotten some good ideas for Demiurge's assault on E-Rantel, and I'm eager to try them out.