Overlordly Broken: Re

by oblivon2991

"Everything that has a beginning has an end..." At least according to the saying. Many those who embraced this thought reached their end... Many of them never understand the truth behind the quote... But what if the so called end means a new beginning instead of the promised end? What happens when a spark refused to die? Let's find out. (Overlordly Broken Rewrite) Enjoy! (AU)

25. ARC II Epilogue:Return to The Tomb of N

Written by oblivon2991

Proofreader: aGuestfromGreece45

Thank you for reading my fanfic and giving me a chance.

My mother language is not English, so please be patient about the grammatical issues.

I don't own the Overlord(オーバーロードŌbārōdo?) novel or anime series created by Kugane Maruyama.

I would like to thank the excellent job that the Skythewood translator team has done with the light novel translation.

Without their hard and persistent work, I surely couldn't write this story.

Please review it. I know I will make mistakes and I intend to correct them, as well as try to learn from them and improve myself.

Thank you!

Now let's continue our little story!

---

In the throne room of the great tomb, several beings gathered. As you may surmise, with the exception of Victim, Pandora's Actor, and the terrible Gargantua, all of the Guardians were present.

"Let's begin… Are you sure, though?" resounded a distinctly hard, male voice, and the present floor guardians, namely: Demiurge, Albedo, the twin guardians; Mare and Aura, the terrible Cocytus, and Shalltear Bloodfallen all gulped at the same time.

"…"

Shalltear had just resurrected after her defeat, her naked form sitting on the cold marble of the throne room, barely wrapped by the thin veil of a blanket made from an exquisite material.

With a weird expression, she was flabbergasted, looking around confused.

"Wha…"

Several golems and various creatures guarded the sanctum, refusing to accept the presence of any intruder.

"Wha!? What did I do!?" Shalltear was on the verge of crying after the scolding her workmates had thrown against her, unable to believe the accusations everyone aimed against her. Unable to grasp the true weight of her sin. Now, with teary eyes, the only thing she was able to muster was to just sit and sob, contemplating on her great sin she knew nothing about.

'Sob-sob…'

With the exception of one, all of her workmates refused to even look in her direction, twisting their faces with slight disgust. The fact behind this phenomenon was not only her crime but that she admitted the hard fact: "My chest is gone!" when Ainz asked: "What is the matter?" right after her resurrection. This one sentence made it all worse, earning, even more berating from her fellow floor guardians.

Now, only Demiurge stood on her side, explaining the situation to her thoroughly — as Ainz had decreed.

"Indeed, you and Auriel attacked Ainz-sama and Esdeath-sama. You really do not remember anything?"

This was strange for the Prince of Darkness, but honestly, he had calculated such possibility; Shalltear might not have remembered the events that had happened under her brainwashed state. It was the possible effect of a World Item after all.

"…" Shalltear remained silent for long moments, mumbling quietly to herself, trying to puzzle the events in her head. "That cannot be…"

Thinking on all of this, the vampiress just stared before herself with a blank expression. Strangely, she was unable to recall what had happened since the night her little group left E-Rantel. No matter how hard she tried, the last thing she could remember was the moment she massacred those humans, then one of them escaped, and then… she started to pursue him. That's all…

"How did this happen…?"

"Are you sure?"

In the next moment, her attention turned towards Ainz, and the person standing near him, gazing her with disbelief filled eyes.

"So it was true, Esdeath-sama has really returned." With a mutter, even more, shame-filled her unliving soul.

"Indeed, Ainz-sama found her under your brainwashed state."

An even more frightening depressive aura descended on her.

"How can this be…?"

Attacking and almost killing one Supreme Being was unacceptable! The greatest sin any Guardian could commit.

Not speaking attacking the great leader of the tomb. It made all of it worse… yet, it could be stepped up, as she went against not one, but two Supreme Beings! Her soul would forever burn in the deepest pit of whatever her master banished her. And it would be a mild punishment compared to what she really deserved.

"I am really the lowest…" she mumbled sourly, tears pouring from her crimson globes as she bit her finger hard, shedding crimson liquid from it.

"..."

Demiurge remained silent for a moment, meanwhile, the Guardians on the side remained well kept and collected, awaiting the chance to protect their masters if it's necessary.

"Yes, I am really sure. This is my burden, my responsibility. If I had actually come back that night… If I had watched the time, and not slept the intended time over… again, I would have been here, with you, with them. I could have done something. I could have prevented all of this, and we wouldn't be in this dire state. I will take all the responsibility my lateness caused."

Ainz, for a moment, said nothing, under his friend bowed apologetically, turning his sight, watching the sizable pile of gold that appeared from Esdeath's inventory not far from them.

"Are you sure? Your vault will be drained a little bit."

"I am aware. Thank you for your concern, but this small amount will not change the end result. If we fall, a measly 500 million will not change a thing."

In the game, for guilds comparable to Ainz Ooal Gown, 500 million was nothing. And players in their caliber considered this amount small change. Basically, it could be obtained by farming for two days. Even from the dragon, Esdeath defeated — before the shutdown concluded — she gained fifty million. Also, it dropped materials which could be sold for much more in the auction house. Some items worth more than a billion gold coins.

"..."

It may have sounded a lot, and it was indeed a lot compared to the strength of the enemy. But most world threat enemies used to drop at least 100 million coins, per player, and top-notch materials and items on the side. Compared to that, 500 million was a measly sum.

"Zero, prepare the countermeasures," Esdeath's confident voice resounded in the throne room, her expression turning determined.

"As you wish." The young butler raised his hand, pulling back the edge of his black leather gloves. Immediately, atomic thin threads blinked in existence, webbing the throne room around Ainz and Esdeath.

"Guardians. Be prepared. It may be in Shalltear's case she regained her control, but we can't be so sure the same will happen with Auriel as well. Don't forget; the brainwashing effect most likely came in existence from the malfunctioning of a world item. Strange things can happen. Be on your guard!" she commanded with her angelic, but strict, tone. Immediately, every guardian changed posture, sterning themselves. Even Shalltear's pupils turned slit, ready to pounce and use her body to shield her masters.

"I will prove my worth!"

Ainz just watched his friend solemnly, but ready, the lights in his eyes dimming up.

"Her tone… you really have changed. Back in the game you never took things so seriously. But… I understand your concern. It was Auriel after all who you killed… I don't even want to imagine how hard it was."

Thinking of Pandora's Actor, Ainz was not sure if he could have done the same. Hell, he even hesitated when it came to Shalltear. And it almost cost his life or unlife… whatever.

"…"

Before Esdeath, a black cylinder floated. Its surface was rippling with a strange light, changing between liquid, crystal, and gaseous state.

"It has been confirmed…" Esdeath watched the missing name in the list. Only her faithful butler, Zero's name was displayed in the interface menu.

"Indeed, just like in Shalltear's case," Ainz commented, the Angel of Death speaking next.

"Are you ready?"

"I was born ready, don't you remember?" Ainz gave away a weak chuckle, watching his friend expectantly.

"Yeah… papa bones are always ready." Esdeath just smiled weakly, remembering the numerous times Ainz's preparations had saved her from the trouble under their daily hunts. There were even times that said preparations saved the two from being annihilated by a raid of vengeful players who had brought reinforcements.

"Let's end this." Her expression immediately went from soft to deadly serious, squinting her eyes dangerously.

"Code Alfa, Charlie. 46453. Resurrection protocol initiate. Target, Auriel Michalis."

Since the game had become a reality, she didn't need to use the console to input commands. In truth, through this interface, she only needed to issue orders using mental commands, and it would have happened. Yet, she said it out loud, because it was more comfortable for her. Feeling the command actually sounding through the ether via a verbal interface, and not just a signal existing only in her mind, filled her with a strange calmness.

'Lub dub! Lub dub!'

The black cylinder rippled and started to emit strange black energy, attracting all the gold Esdeath had summoned from her inventory.

'Whum! Whum! Whum! Whum! Lub dub! Lub dub! Lub dub! Lub dub…!'

First, it was slow, then the magnetic effect accumulated rapidly, melting every coin into a mass of a golden river, slowly forming a humanoid shape near the interface node accompanied by the sounds of a rapid heartbeat.

"It's happening…!"

First, the forming figure was genderless, but as time passed, it rapidly gained curves, really generous curves forming a voluptuous, hourglass female figure. Then the gold gained hue, building hair, more delicate details like eyes, mouth, nose, ears, sex defining parts, fingers, and a belly button, giving a pale color to the skin and a golden luster to the hair.

"This…"

In the end, all of the gold disappeared, swallowed by Auriel's resurrected form. A halo came in existence over her head, multiple pairs of white, dove-like wings behind her back.

'Breath.'

Her chest tenderly raised as her lungs started to function once more. Though, because of the sheer volume of her assets, the movement made them jiggle sensually.

"… Wha…?" in the next moment, her eyes opened, the original lively, sacred blue hue filled the balls once more, looking around baffled. "What happened?"

Her voice was angelic, surely could repose the wildest beast with just one word.

Looking at the side, she was confused, her groggy vision and sensitive skin only registering a hard surface underneath her, not her lavish bed in her master's place.

"This place… is cold."

The fact the floor underneath her was rather cold also made things perplexing, and it was like… Was she naked? Even when she was sleeping, she covered herself with her long sleeved pajamas her master had bestowed her, doing it all the time, never sleeping without them.

"…"

Trying to regain her composure, a material was draped over her. A familiar scent her nose was so accustomed to filling her lungs, a scent she adorned with all her being.

"This…"

Sitting up, pulling the familiar material to cover her modesty, the Arch Seraph started to contemplate: Why was she naked? Why was this blanket over her? Why the Guardians looked at her so repressing? The expressions coming in her slowly clearing vision shook her mentally. She was completely lost about what exactly had happened…

"W-Why are you looking at me like that?! Di-Did I do anything bad?"

What confused her, even more, was the place she was in. The throne room, Ainz standing not far from her. Then her brother… Then… as she looked further, her eyes widened, immediately recognizing the person on Ainz's side.

"Mo-Mother?" she gaped, first not able to believe what she was seeing. It was like a dream. A perfect vision. Like she had broken out from the nightmare she had been stuck in since her creator had left her. Tears were forming in her radiant eyes.

"Auriel," Esdeath smiled, walking to her and draping her coat over her shoulder.

"Here, you will catch a cold in the end."

The light of her halo intensified immediately, her wings fluttering in confusion and joy.

"This… this must be a dream. A pleasant one I never want to awake from," she muttered, and her tears intensified, hugging her creator hard, pushing her against her bosoms. Any other normal being would have been grounded to dust under her grasp, yet, for Esdeath it was a pleasant, sweet, fragrant scent hitting her nose.

"Her hair smells good, her skin is soft to the touch, and…" she felt two gigantic mammaries pushing against hers, filling her chest with a warm feeling.

"This…!"

Under any normal circumstances, she would have fainted, forming perverse fantasies in her dreamscape within her mind. But now… she only imagined it once, seeing her "daughter's" perfectly made body and flawless face. But even then, just a weak trace of blood left her nose, forming a vein of golden outlined blackness she immediately wiped away.

Now, she could only think about the joy of seeing her alive, and well, once more.

"Nnnnnnnnn….!"

"It is okay. I am back. You are not dreaming; everything will be all right." she comforted Auriel who squirmed in happiness, embracing her even stronger.

Ainz just watched them, wondering how Pandora's Actor would react if the same happened to him.

"Ohohoho! Mein creator cares about me so much! How joyful!~."

No! Even imagining it was just embarrassing — a horrible experience.

"Ugh…" he could only groan in silence.

Auriel continued her hug and sobbing for a whole minute, crying out to her heart's content.

"Ssshhh… it is okay, let it all out. Everything will be alright."

Then, after her crying calmed, Esdeath wiped away her tears, and the Arch Seraph looked around confused once more, brushing the tears out from her hazy vision.

"By the way…" she pulled together the stylish coat her creator had lent her. "Why am I naked? Why am I in the throne room, and…?" her attention turned towards the present Floor Guardians and her brother. All those people who despite their softened expression still berated her with hard eyes. "Why is everyone looking at me like I have sinned? I-I am confused… Mother, what has happened?"

'Sigh…' Esdeath just shrugged tired, shaking her head. "So, you do not remember anything."

Auriel shook her head confused. "No, why? Did…?" she gulped hard. "Did I do anything bad? The last thing I remember is traveling with Shalltear-san." Her eyes widened, her face turning grim in realization and covering her mouth with her hand, like a person who had witnessed something really horrific. "Oh no! Is it because of that… is it because I slipped out to explore a little bit? I am so sorry! I never wanted to cause any problems! We… I just wanted to test Nazarick's defenses to make it more foolproof."

With a bowing head, she touched her forehead to the floor, and the draped coat slipped on the ground, revealing all her naked glory.

"Eh!" Esdeath immediately put it back to her forcing a bitter smile to her face, trying not to think of Auriel like that. After all, she was her fath… khm! Her mother, it was just unsightly.

"You will tell me about it later. But now…" she looked at Zero. "Please, Zero, can you explain the happenings to her?"

"As you wish." The faithful butler, who carried a frightening resemblance, but was more handsome than the young version of the Captain of the Survey Corps — from a certain anime utilizing human-eating, grotesque giants — stepped in front of her, raised her chin and started to explain the happenings.

"…"

"WHAAAA…!? WHAT DID I DO!?" Her loud scream resounded amidst the walls hearing the explanation about what she had unwillingly done — the surrounding Guardians were giving her their piece of mind, just like they had done with Shalltear.

"Heh…" Esdeath just sat accompanied by Ainz in one of the stairs leading to the throne, watching the comical scene with a tired expression.

"Really bothersome, huh?"

"Umu… Indeed. But at least the situation has been resolved. Did you check the interface?"

"Yes, her name has appeared once more, colored white," Esdeath explained, thinking back of what she had seen.

"…"

Auriel's name had appeared white in the screen of the interface node — which was the item through Esdeath could manage her custom NPCs' which were not part of the tomb.

"Just like in Shalltear's case, her name is in white. It means she is back to normal, no?"

She contemplated, thinking of the detailed explanation Zero had told her.

"And after that, Creator-sama was forced to kill you."

Strangely, no scolding or ill intent could be heard out from his words. Only dry facts, telling everything as it had happened. His explanation was thorough and detailed.

"Zero most likely feels himself gullible after he let her go. Or, more like, he simply understands her like no other, as an older brother is intended to with his younger sister..."

"Ei…"

Naturally, Auriel could barely stammer, overwhelmed by the scolding words of the Guardians — who from time to time interrupted Zero's calm explanation.

'Sniff…'

Her shoulders were quivering; she was on the verge of crying once more. Shalltear also wanted to say the same, express her distaste over such a betrayal, though she remained silent, knowing her crime was the same.

"I wonder…"

Just now, Esdeath wondered where Khajiit's and Clementine's bodies were after the cemetery accident, wondering if Rorschach had taken them. Or just one of them… or none of them? She had no idea what her servant had done that night with those people, what kind of scheme was running through his egg head.

Under the overwhelming series of events and happening in the last few days, she was surprised to even have enough time to communicate with him, though not enough to ask him what he was planning, how everything went along under his mission.

The last time they changed a few words was when they covertly communicated in the cemetery, and it was too vague to know anything useful. At least, it was for her, her servant most likely had a perfect picture about her in his head. About a person who knew everything one hundred steps ahead… or not. Honestly, she had no idea…

"I really need to catch up with things and the people around."

Not only with her doppelganger servant, but with her creations, her friend, the residents of the tomb, and most importantly, the events that happened with them since transportation. Yes, it was most likely the most important thing to do.

"Fufufuf…" on her side, Momonga gave away a heartily chuckle, a tone of happiness filtering through his voice.

"What's the matter?"

"Ah, nothing. It just makes me remember when our friends argued over measly things…"

"Which argument? There are a lot to remember." Her smile turned bitterly honest. Strangely, now she was able to recite each important moment in the guild's life. It couldn't be helped, since now, her brain was more advanced than ever before — thanks to her Esper classes and racial abilities pushing her computing capability to the possible limits — she could recite everything that had happened previously in an instant.

"Bukubukuchagama scolding Peroroncino…" informed her Momonga, and the memories popped up before her eyes immediately.

"Hmmm… I see. Events like that are really worth to remember. Even if it happened so often."

"Hahhh! True…"

For a moment, the two remained in silence, contemplating everything that had happened.

"What now? How do we proceed? Do you have any plans in motion?"

"You?" Momonga turned to her, and she could only watch the ground, resting her elbows on her knees with a slightly flustered expression.

"Honestly, I have a few irons in the fire. But they are not really in the stage to be of any use for us at the moment. Given time, they may be, but being I am not even in this country for around a week, time needs to develop them."

"Oh, I see…" Momonga hummed, fondling his sharp chin, but before he could answer and tell more about his plans, the sight of Albedo and the Guardians came to his view, Albedo offering her hand, and Zero awaiting his master's judgment; bowing, with his right hand slightly over his "heart".

Zero was the first to speak.

"Creator-sama…" he needed to say only as much, and Esdeath knew what he wanted. Indeed, he had been created by her, the first son of her "family", she knew him like no one else.

"Umu…"

Albedo followed him; then the other Guardians followed suit.

"Ainz-sama…" Her expression first was filled with the warmth of love, but when she slightly turned to Esdeath, this pleasant warmth was completely replaced with the calculative coldness of the businesswoman. "Esdeath-sama… please reprimand Shalltear and Auriel sternly."

"That's right! Please give this dummy and the tit monster a good scolding!"

"Ti-Tit monster!?" Auriel yelped first in astonishment, then puffed her cheeks offended, turning her head away.

"Indeed. They. Need. A. Stern. Lesson."

"You'll remember Ainz-sama's words of wisdom, won't you?"

"They need to be taught a lesson."

"Al-although, maybe it would be better not to be too strict... er, erm…"

"Fufufufu…" "Hahaha."

The two friends could not keep their laughter anymore, and it finally escaped their mouths, earning baffled looks from the Guardians around them. No, that laughter did not just come from their mouths, but from their very hearts.

After the two were satisfied, the duo silently turned back to Shalltear and Auriel.

"Shalltear, Auriel. I am not angry with you, and I think Ainz-san has the same opinion as me. Right?"

Waiting for a confirming answer, her eyes slid on her friend.

"Yes, indeed. I have told Albedo before, but the fault for this does not lie with the two of you, Shalltear, Auriel... It is I…"

For a moment, his words got caught on his throat, causing him to swallow his nonexistent saliva.

"…"

He could have said; it was all his fault, taking all the blame. But he knew too well his friend; she would surely disagree and start her overcomplicated reasoning of how it was all her fault. Knowing all of this, it was better to say the next:

"— Us… It was us who should have expected such an outcome, and act accordingly — I — who possessed all this information but did not consider the possibility of this happening. And Esdeath, who should have come back to the tomb at the moment she recognized something was off. "

Standing up, Esdeath bowed slightly, giving an apologetic posture. "Please forgive my lateness and the trouble I brought to all of you."

The guardians wanted to refute the possibility of a Supreme Being making a mistake, but Ainz's words preceded them, making their expressions gentler.

"It is us, both of us who most deserve to be rebuked for this. Shalltear, Auriel, the two of you did nothing wrong. Remember that."

"Thank you, thank you, Ainz-sama!"

"Tha-Thank you very much! Your benevolence is indeed worthy of praise."

Ainz waved their words away, then continued.

"Ah, then there's the matter of Sebas—"

"Sebas?" Esdeath raised her brow. "I thought he had been called back."

"Hmm. I never actually said that."

Reciting what she had spoken with Ainz, he indeed had never said such a thing. But being said he ordered a full retreat, she thought it would also include Sebas and Solution who traveled with him. What shocked her deeply was what left Ainz's mouth afterward"

"He will be bait."

"WHAT!?"

As Ainz calmly proposed using one of his subordinates as bait, the Guardians merely nodded with the attitude a proper minion should have. They were simply prioritizing the considerations of the master of the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick over the life of their colleague.

Though Esdeath had a different opinion than him and the guardians and was unable to hide her distaste.

"Ainz-san! You're really considering to risk-!?"

"I am not entirely willing to do this," he cut her abruptly. "But it cannot be helped… I do not know why Shalltear or even Auriel were targeted, but if the opposition is looking for a new victim, they might decide on Sebas, who was traveling with them. This was why I did not call him back to receive a World-Class Item… Albedo, select a few clandestine operatives to keep an eye on Sebas and his surroundings… He might be bait, but I do not intend to allow Sebas to be so easily taken. Inform these observers that their mission also includes preventing the enemy from approaching Sebas."

After issuing his orders, Ainz narrowed his eyes — in other words, the flames in his eye sockets grew dim. It was a sight Esdeath had never really seen back in the game. Making her feel a chill running through her spine.

"Ainz-san…" she muttered with a concerned expression, then nodded, turning to Zero.

"Zero, please help Albedo. I am sure your proficiency can help her when it comes to choosing suitable personnel."

"Esdeath-sama, I am truly grateful for your proposal, but…" For Zero, it was visible how much Albedo was struggling to upkeep her calm, collected mask. But in his eyes, the succubus failed to play her part.

"It is actually… not that bad of an idea," Ainz turned to Albedo after considering his friend's proposal.

"Albedo, Zero will help you out in this task. I am sure his expertise in the theme of espionage and tracking can help you out greatly. As well, his help will surely lessen your burden."

"As you wish." She needed to swallow the sour lemon her master offered, even if it was against her original plans.

"…"

Looking at Esdeath, Albedo suspected she was up to something, most likely aiming to separate her from her beloved. "I WILL NEVER ALLOW THAT! NEVER!" The light of the hunt lit in her golden orbs in the next moment, finding a suitable contender for the game. "... kukuku! Let the game begin, then!"

Meanwhile, a determined light lit in Ainz's eyeholes.

"...Someday I shall meet the person who used a World-Class Item on Shalltear, and of course, on Auriel. When that day comes, I… we shall return the favor with interest!"

Intense rage bubbled up in Ainz, calculating what he would do with the person responsible for all of this.

"Understood. I will help Albedo-san chose the appropriate personnel," Zero placed his palm over his heart, nodding forward. Yet, this did not stop him of shooting a very subtle smile to Albedo.

"That WRETCH!" Albedo boiled intensely, still keeping her charming smile, playing her part.

"Thank you. I appreciate your assistance."

"Umu…"

"Now all of it has been decided, thanks to Shalltear."

"And of course Auriel," Esdeath added.

"Yes, for her too. As I said, now we know that NPCs can be resurrected, but I do not wish to kill any of the NPCs my friends created again."

"Yes, indeed. It was… frustrating, and sad." Esdeath's expression turned gloomier, remembering her fight with Auriel. The things that her creation had thrown in her face in her craze.

…

"I refuse to accept! I refuse! I refuse! I refuse! She is gone! She is gone! She is gone! She is gone! She left me! She abandoned me! A vile, vile, vile monster! I hate her! I hate her! I hate her! I hate her! I hate her! I hate her!"

…

Those words hurt her more than anything. "Am I... really that bad? I mean… no, it was all my fault. If I just had set my alarm normally and come to play in time, maybe all of this wouldn't have happened at all." She really considered this possibility, thinking all of this actually was her fault.

"…"

Moved by the words of the Supreme Beings, the Guardians lowered their heads one by one. They had probably sensed how much Ainz and Esdeath valued them. However, since the two had actually voiced those feelings, the effect on them had been that much greater.

Shalltear seemed to have realized something had happened to her. A look of shock crossed her face, which soon turned into one of utmost regret. Auriel watched her brother for confirmation, unable to decide what to do with the situation.

"Nii-sama…" she mumbled uneasily.

Ainz gestured that they did not need to take it to heart. Just then, a voice came from the side.

"Ah, then, Ainz-sama."

"What is it, Mare?"

"Erm, ah, should... should I remove all traces of the battle?"

"There's no need for that. Did you know? When one breaks a spell-sealing crystal, it releases powerful energy, enough to level the surroundings."

"Really? I've never heard such a thing," Esdeath voiced her opinion with surprise, watching Ainz funny.

"...My apologies. It's a lie, of course," Ainz chuckled mysteriously. "What is false is true and what is true is false. Magic-sealing crystals seem to be rare items, so nobody should be able to test that. Albedo put a few scratches on the item Nigun was using, then, we'll need to have the blacksmith build some damaged armor…" he looked to Esdeath before continuing. "For both of us, and put some scorch marks on them, so it looks like it went through an intense battle."

"Understood."

"In addition, perhaps I have been too careless so far, which allowed hidden enemies around Nazarick to harm us. Thus, I wish to initiate a program to strengthen Nazarick. Part of that is to use my skills to create an undead army. I think I've mentioned that before… hm? Did I only tell Albedo about that? Forget that. In any case, this will be my top priority. I would like to make some preparations to recover corpses from E-Rantel which can be used to make an undead army." His gaze suddenly turned on Esdeath. "I hope you as well can help me out with this, my friend, and experiment with your summons once your time allows it. Those hybrids back then offered impressive performance. I hope I can see them in battle once more."

"Umu… It is natural; I would have done it without a word," Esdeath obliged humming. In truth, she wanted to mention it to Ainz beforehand, but the time was never appropriate. Considering their meeting had happened under such a short time ago and all the events condensed under it, it was not surprising in the slightest. "Though my summoning capabilities are far from ideal, I'll certainly do what I can."

"About that, Ainz-sama…"

"What's wrong, Albedo?"

"If I am not wrong when you use a human corpse as a medium for making undead, the undead created are quite weak, despite being mid-tier. Is that correct?"

"That…"

Esdeath just blinked; from Albedo's explanation, it seemed it worked differently than in the game. Though, she'd never really seen her friend summon anything in this world. As well, she only summoned Rorschach, and a few shadow demons using her racial, and item combination back then. It was indeed a possibility the mechanic of summoning worked differently here.

"Indeed. Is there a problem?"

The most potent undead he could make with the corpses of the Sunlight Scripture was level 40. Beyond that, the undead would vanish with the passage of time, along with the bodies that served as their medium.

"In truth, after receiving that order, I had considered ways of obtaining fresh corpses. Perhaps you could consider using non-human corpses?"

"...I trust you do not intend to use the corpses of Nazarick's vassals?"

"No, that is absolutely not my intention. I was thinking of using other demihumans."

Albedo smiled. It was a stunningly beautiful — and terribly cruel — smile.

"Aura discovered a Lizardman village. As well, a ratmen?"

Ainz turned to Aura, who just nodded, knowing not the race's name.

"I think the race name is Armat," Esdeath corrected them. "Ainz-san."

"Oh! You know them? How so?"

"Let's just say, the tribe is most likely the same who was controlled by the demon I defeated under E-Rantel and wanted to blow up the city after retreating. BOOM!" she imitated the explosion with her hands.

"Blo-Blow up the city?" Mare squirmed nervously, looking around.

"Ah, the news was true then," Ainz hummed considering his next step. "What do you think of attacking and destroying them?"

"Honestly speaking," Esdeath shrugged. "I spoke with a few of them under the disguise of Raidyn. They basically wanted to survive and were controlled by a mid-class demon of the lower echelon. Naturally, if they are standing our way, I have no obligation to come to their defense. But if they are willing to serve, they can be a better asset for us in the future as living entities with an intact mind, than mindless dead minions. No pun intended, Ainz-san…"

"Don't worry about it."

With a raised index, she continued.

"As well, that demon most likely didn't work alone, moreover, there is a chance it served someone, acting in its master's stead. If we destroy the tribe now, we may lose the chance to recover more information."

"Hmm. I see… I will consider your opinion."

"Shaa…" Esdeath sighted hard, her expression turning more and more exhausted since the two had returned.

"Hmm… That's all for now," Ainz hummed, turning slightly towards Esdeath.

"Is it normal to be exhausted this much? I hope nothing serious happened…"

Knowing his friend still had a flesh and blood body, despite her infinite stamina, she could still be affected by resource exhaustion. Ainz also felt it but considering he was an undead, the effect on him must have been milder than on her. Yet, it was strange, in the past, her character fought numerous enemies in Auriel's caliber and it never really caused her much trouble.

"Maybe, it is because of the different power system we use, it might come to that they act differently…"

In the created pocket dimension, something must have happened that left her in that state. Ainz did not ask it; his friend would tell him if she deemed it necessary. Though, that's what was in his mind. Deep inside he hoped everything was alright with her.

"Hmmm…"

Even so, he also needed to take into consideration the changed situation. This was not a game anymore — despite the similar mechanics behind their new bodies, it was definitely not a game! Anyway, there were too many unknown variables to know for sure. The two needed to investigate the situation thoroughly before taking a specific judgment.

"Please have some rest. You seem very tired, my friend."

"Yes…" nodding, she rubbed her eyes with her thumb and index, the dark circles under them clearly visible showing how exhausted she was. "Using my power here is certainly more straining than it originally was in YGGDRASIL. I may need some time to acclimatize."

"Understandable, please have some rest. Then come and speak with me."

"Okay, but before that, will you release my servants? Or do I have to do it myself…?" she chuckled, making Ainz smile full-hearted.

"Albedo?"

Reacting to Ainz's orders, she reported dutifully.

"They are already in your room, Esdeath-sama. Ainz-sama gave me the order to place them under house arrest in your room after the two of you left. Also, we placed your new servant in your room."

"New servant?" she watched Ainz funny.

"That girl…"

The Overlord pointed out, and her eyes lit in recognition. "Oh, really? Poor girl must be confused." With a chuckle, knowing the programming of her servants, she could only imagine what kind of treatment Ram, Rem, and of course her favorite cat, Schrödinger would give her. "Oh, how considerable, thank you," she beamed, appreciatively nodding to Ainz.

"Don't mention it," Ainz waved her away.

'Yaaawn!'

"Well then…" Sighing hard then yawning, in the next moment, her expression turned deadpan; first, she turned to the guardians. "Speak with you later, guys. Hopefully, we can catch up and have some chat."

"Of course, Esdeath-sama. We all waiting for a moment to catch up with you." The first one to speak was Demiurge, bowing with exuberant respect, joy radiating from his gem-like eyes.

The other guardians followed diligently after him, reacting the same way, only Shalltear remaining strangely silent.

"…"

In the next moment, she turned to the depressed girl, pointing at her winking with a smirk and forming guns with her hands. "Cheer up, Shalltear-chan. Give me a cheerful smile. Gloom will only ruin that peerless face. What would Peroroncino-kun say seeing you so sad? He would surely kick me in the butt making you that way." Suddenly, she pulled the two sides of her mouth upward with her thumb, making the guardians all around smile. "Smile! Give me a smile!"

Shalltear's eyes widened, unable to say anything for long moments, then with a softened expression, the girl bowed her head. "I will do my best. Thank you, Supreme One. I will do my best…"

"Okay then. Good! Just don't forget to practice."

Next, she started to march toward her servants, calling for them.

"Auriel, Zero!"

"Hai!" the two resounded at once, and she appeared near them in the next moment.

"Let's get back in my room; I am sure the two of you have much to discuss. And, oh… Auriel."

"Ye-yes! Mother!"

Though it was weird from Auriel calling "her" mother, she did not bother for now. "She needs this much joy, knowing her programming, she will certainly take it to her heart about what happened. I am still feeling a little bit agitated making her this way. It is like I intentionally made her feel guilty for things, not her fault. I am really a horrible person…"

Berating herself deep inside, Esdeath continued to cover her shame with some morbidly painted humor.

"We need to get some clothes for you," she smirked teasingly, pushing her index against one of the soft melons hanging from Auriel's chest.

"Ai!" the girl squirmed embarrassed.

"No matter how good you look naked, those fruits must remain mysterious before the all-seeing eyes of the public, and of course, a certain sage with exotic desires."

Ainz just facepalmed, Demiurge smiled amusedly. Even according to him who sought, and preferred the perfection of the supreme beings, Auriel did not look that bad.

"Fufufu… of course, this is because a Supreme Being created her. Truly is… wondrous! As expected."

"Yeep!" Auriel yelped, looking around frightened, and pulling the drape and her "mother's" coat tighter. Indeed, her face couldn't be any redder than in her current state.

"See you guys later." Esdeath threw a mock salute before her creations grabbed her shoulder and leg, teleporting away in the next moment using her guild ring.

"Idiot…" Ainz muttered with a small smile, ordering the minions to return to their duties.

---

Scene Change: Back in Esdeath's room: A little bit earlier:

An exhausted kitsune stretched on the lavish, one-person bed. Turning on her tummy, she looked like a person who would melt in the next moment.

"Please no more…" she muttered, looking at her side where a pink-haired maid — with a medium length bob cut pink hair which covered her left eye — stood with an expressionless gaze.

"My, my… that won't do. As the lady's new handmaiden, you need to look proper when she arrives. After all, it is a joyous occasion." For a moment, Ram's eyes flashed with excitement and adoration, then returned to her usual self-centered self. "Am I right, Rem, Rem?"

"Nee-sama! Nee-sama! As always, your deduction is peerless. Indeed, letting a dirty animal appear before our creator is the personification of sin itself."

A blue-haired maid who had a ghastly resemblance of the pink-haired one answered. The only difference Elysia recognized was the blue maid's slightly bigger chest, blue hair, and eyes.

"They are like twins…"

Then, in the next moment, she recognized what the blue maid had called her. Her eyes popped open, jumping up immediately.

"What did you call me again!?"

Her dirty adventurer gear had already been replaced by a well-designed maid uniform — which strangely fit her perfectly, and even a hole for her tail had appeared on it the moment she put it on.

"Nee-sama, nee-sama. Our guest is quite rash. Doesn't she need some conditioning before we can present her before the lady?"

"Rem, Rem. There is no help for her. For a crass person like her, taking responsibility is hopeless. Let's hope our lady will find her amusing enough. Or not…"

"This…!"

The two maids really started to get in her nerves. Not only had they spoken with her in a self-centered way all along, looking down on her, but they also ignored her threats like they did not really care about her. Even yawning lazily, but properly from time to time.

"This room is very nice and all… and I wonder how much it cost to Raidyn. But this…" she scoffed annoyed. "Her servants need to learn some manners!"

Just now, the kitsune started to remember how it came to this…

Flashback:

When she arrived, Yuri handed her over to the residents of the room — the two maids — after explaining the situation the head maid left only saying to "take care", leaving her to the twin servants' care.

Upon her arrival, Elysia had already seen several guards inhabiting the room, and even looking at them filled her with a tingle of dread. It was like the residents of this place were under house arrest.

"…"

The room was nice and all, she never actually imagined Esdeath had such a luxurious suite with so much room and space. And she hadn't even seen the half of it.

"This is just too much for one person… it is certainly a prodigality. A wasteful prodigality… just how much these guys spent on this game?"

She thought like that, and after Yuri left, a tinge of danger started to surface in her mind, seeing how the maids looked in her direction.

"Nee-sama, Nee-sama. Look at that, a filthy animal has entered in master's room," said the blue Oni.

"Rem, Rem. It must be the mistress' new pet," said the pink maid. "Certainly, our benevolent lady only picked it up from the street out of her infinite charity."

"Nee-sama, Nee-sama. Our creator is truly benevolent."

"Rem, Rem. Indeed, you speak the truth. Yet, we can't just let her like this. We need to turn her presentable."

All under this, no matter how Elysia wanted to retort, the maids left her no breathing room amidst their witty snarks.

"…"

And after this, the worst case of scenario happened.

"…"

Both maids pinched their noses with a slight disgust surfacing on their masks.

"Rem, Rem, this filthy animal needs to be bathed."

"Nee-sama, Nee-sama. You are right. We certainly can't present her to the mistress in this state. To receive her this way after all that time… truly unacceptable."

'Sniff-sniff…'

Elysia sniffed in the air, and her nose flinched slightly.

"Is it… really me?"

True, she was not clean, after all, what happened, it was expected. Her ultra-sensitive kitsune nose did not help either, she apparently felt the smell of sweat and dirt all over her gear and body.

Even so, she bathed just before the cemetery accident. She may have carried several days' worth of sweat and dirt, but aside of her, a normal human of this world would have considered her perfectly clean and pretty.

"It must be the standards of this place."

Ever since she entered the tomb, everything was ultra-clean from the lowest place to the highest chandelier. From the most open place to the darkest corner her eyes could catch. Even with her ultra-sharp eyes — she possessed now — she saw no dust or dirt anywhere. It was like the maids worked day and night to keep everything clear.

Considering the sheer size of the places she passed through, and what Yuri said. This floor was relatively small compared to others, for example, compared to the fifth floor, the ninth was only mid-sized.

"This is crazy… bunch of addicts…"

She didn't even want to imagine how huge those places could be. "It might come to that each floor is like a small city…"

To keep everything clean in such a huge place, multiple brigades of maids would have needed. Of course, it could be that this floor was an exception, being the "ninth" floor where the residences of the so-called Supreme Beings were located. It was possible the other floors were not taken care of so thoroughly as this.

"Rem, Rem. We can't allow it; the beast must bathe before the mistress arrives."

"Nee-sama, nee-sama. You are right."

"Yeah… bathing would be good."

Just now, Elysia really regretted saying this. As in the next moment, Ram waved towards one of the metal golem-like creatures, who grabbed Elysia without hesitation.

"Wha—! Put me down!" she tried everything to get away. Bite, claw, and use her daggers— which the guardians strangely let her keep. But the golem did not budge, simply carrying her towards the destination.

"Nee-sama, Nee-sama. Our guest is like a fly."

"Rem, Rem, indeed, annoying."

The little group proceeded deeper, and after one minute of fruitless struggle, Elysia could only sigh in depravity, exhausting all attempts to break free.

"I give up…"

After this — in her standards — a huge bathing institute with a pool sized bath and several smaller, steaming ones came in her view.

"This…" her mouth quirked in a smile. "Actually, I don't mind. This place seems promising."

Just for her hopes to be crushed to smithereens in the next moment by the two maids.

"Nee-sama, Nee-sama, the pet thinks she can bathe in the master's place."

"Rem, Rem. Indeed, our master found a joker. Truly miserable. Hopefully, her jokes will be better in the future. Or our mistress will expel her. I wonder if her role will be the new jester of her majesty."

Elysia seriously started to get irked by the degrading manner of the two maids and had no idea what they spoke about. "Majesty?"

"What do you mean I can't bathe here?! This is a huge place! And I am tired. Don't say you treat your master's guest this way!" she crossed her hands under her chest with a commanding expression. All along the golem carried her like holding a pinch of salt.

For a moment, the faces of the two maids flinched slightly but slowed not their moves.

"Nee-sama, Nee-sama. This animal really is silly."

"Indeed, Rem. And not in the slightest amusing. A pet is still a pet. Would you scrub your dog in the same bath you use? Truly, this girl is miserable."

"You!?" Elysia's eyes almost went bloodshot, but the restraint holding her back did not budge despite her best effort. "Then, where will I bathe?"

"As a new handmaiden — pet — we will bathe you in our quarters. Truly is, to disgrace this place with a filthy animal? It is like asking why we bother to clean it."

"I am a big girl… I can bathe alone…" she murmured quitely, but everyone ignored her.

Passing two more rooms, the little quartet passed near a room.

It contained an imposing tub in a generous size inserted in the ground. From the look of it, it might have been a multi-functional Jacuzzi made from black obsidian. From a few cracks, orange glow emitted. The floor, walls, and ceiling were patterned with hexagonal black marble, emitting hot air.

"Ah, I expected worse, this is actually not that bad…" with a sigh of relief, Elysia did not expect what came next.

"…"

Hearing her, the two maids stopped, watching each other with a blank expression.

"Rem, Rem… our guest really is stupid."

"Nee-sama, Nee-sama. I agree. She would never survive the magma bath our lady's gracious mount used to take in this time of the day. She would most likely melt right away."

"Rem, Rem. Worse, even stepping in the room would make her disappear."

"What are you talking about?" Elysia's eyes twitched, questioning the two maids.

"That's actually the bathing place of the lady's pet, Mr. Roaster…"

"What kind of name is that?" With an annoyed face, she had no idea how someone could name a pet Mr. Roaster. It was just ridiculous. And molten magma? What kind of pet used to bathe in that?

"Hahh…" the twins did not bother to answer, and just led the way through the corridor, reaching the servants' quarters.

…

Leading the way forward, the two maids arrived in a nice, well-furnished place. Though, compared to the previously visited main rooms, this lobby was quite bland. Even so, it fit the requirements of a fully equipped five-star hotel in her previous world. On the table above the entrance, Elysia read the label.

"Servants quarters…"

"Indeed, this is where Rem's and Ram's residence is located, as well a few guest rooms for guest servants. Please, don't make a mess," Ram notified her.

"This… how could this be a servants' quarters? This place is better equipped than a five-star hotel!"

Walking through the corridors of the servants' quarters, in the next moment, the little quartet entered a simple-looking bathroom, at least, it was simple-looking compared to the place the group walked its path. Though, Elysia discovered the maid Rem no longer walked with them.

"This is our bathroom; this is where you will bathe from now on. Even if you are a pet, Yuri-sama introduced you as our lady's new handmaiden. Thus, you will receive accommodation accordingly."

"Ah, I see… this is not that bad, actually," she muttered, seeing how Ram started to open the valves above the tub made from pristine white porcelain which was adorned with golden markings. From time to time, the maid poured exotic, but nonetheless enticing smelling liquid and bath salt into the tub.

"Hmmm, smells good."

In that time, the metal golem had already put her down, standing not far from them.

"Indeed, the lady is generous, as always. Because of her, we, I, and my sister are able to live in this wonderful place, and serve her with all our will and capability."

"Hmmm… I see." Elysia recognized it right away. Since her arrival, every servant she met looked in her way the same way. And when she asked Yuri about Esdeath and the other Supreme Beings, they all had this absolute reverence in their eyes. The two maids even more so, it was like the two were addicted to her, worshipping her like a subject their god.

"By the way, when Ra- I mean Esdeath, will come back? I need to speak with her."

Ram's eyes squinted with an angry expression for a second, but her cold, collected tone and face remained all the way. "Please address the Lady either Lady Esdeath, your majesty, or Supreme Being. Looking in her eyes is strictly forbidden, and you always have to keep a lower stature than her. Only speak when addressed."

"Is this some kind of joke?" she was truly disturbed. What's for sure, she would never follow these customs!

"No, this is etiquette a servant must keep when interacting with her higher-ups. Now, strip…" Ram commanded cold.

"What!? You are still here! There is no way I will strip before you."

"Hah… so crass, as expected." Waving towards the golem standing not far from her, the creature grabbed her, "Whaaa!?" stripping her down from her clothes with high efficiency, then putting her into the tub.

"Put me down!"

'Splash!'

The water was indeed hot, making her shudder in discomfort for a moment.

"Ugh! You bastard!"

"Now then…" Elysia's eyes widened seeing Ram holding a rough looking sponge, Rem arriving from her duty and closing the door with the key. "Now, we will make sure the mistress' new handmaiden will be properly cleaned."

"Indeed, Nee-sama. She needs to be cleaned badly. It seems her parents never taught her how to do so properly."

"Rem, Rem. Maybe you are right. Seeing how badly she took care of herself, it might be just that."

Although the water drenched her tail completely, all the fur started to point towards the ceiling feeling the approaching dread.

"Nee-sama, Nee-sama. Shall we start?"

"Rem, Rem. Let's start."

Knowing her own helplessness against the towering golem holding her down with just a hand, seeing the towering forms of the two maids, it was like the two timid girls had grown in size, their eyes emitting demonic red light under their bob cut hair.

"…" In such a situation, she couldn't help but yelp when the twins started to scrub her with rough motions.

"Heeelp! This hurts!"

Flashback end:

And that wasn't even the worst part… after the rough scrubbing session — repeated several times over — the maids even forced her to play dress up doll for who knows how long.

Honestly, Elysia did not know how long it took. How many attires the maids made her try. But in the end, she ended up in this maid uniform — the two maids sighing disappointed and saying, "As expected." resignedly.

The cloth she wore was similar of Ram and Rem — royally made, and was quite comfortable, yet, the girl never in her life was so exhausted after only taking a bath and trying clothes.

"Never ever try new clothes again…"

In her previous life, she loved doing the latter two — bathing and trying different clothes — but after what happened today, she never wanted to do it again.

"Nee-sama, Nee-sama. I think we broke her."

"Rem, Rem… it is quite a possibility."

Rem and Ram quipped solemnly, but their visible amusement could never be concealed. It had been confirmed, they had intentionally messed with her.

"Just kill me…" the kitsune muttered with a miserable expression, pushing her face in her pillow.

'Mumble, mumble…'

In the next moment, the alarm bell run, signing the event of importance.

"Rem, it is time to prepare Schrödinger-sama's usual meal," Ram turned to her sister.

"Nee-sama, I will go right away," bowed the younger and left.

"Good, until then…" Ram waved, and her inventory opened, making Elysia look in her way with a flabbergasted expression.

"What the…!"

Many books, towering above her appeared from the blackness right away.

'Thud!'

"Wha-! What is that?!" Even looking at the sheer number of the volumes that appeared, Elysia was sure she would not be able to read them even if she had several years to do so.

"This is basic etiquette, rule and task guide you will need to follow as her Majesty's new servant. It is important to know it all. Letter by letter…"

Elysia got up, opening a few sturdy books, flipping the pages.

"Maid guide, volume one. Basic duties of a simple maid. Court Etiquette for Dummies and Servants…" she read the labels one by one. Then… reached a certain one… "Duties in bed, Tricks for servants to satisfy the royal needs…"

Reading the labels made her mouth turn bitterly downwards right away. "To hell with this!"

Paging the books, only the most important parts were illustrated with pictures. Though the "Duties in bed" was very well illustrated, every other part was just small text.

"This… there are only small texts with no pictures at all. And what is this? Bed duty?" her eyes twitched hard, like a dissatisfied person after a bad meal, raising a certain thick book which was like the more detailed version of the Kamasutra.

"Indeed… unfortunately, the volumes here are only basic guidebooks for you to be a proper servant. You are not yet ready for the advanced version. As for that? As a handmaiden, it is expected to perform her majesty's bodily needs if she requests such a service."

"You — you are speaking seriously, aren't you?" Elysia froze for a moment, and the maid only nodded solemnly.

"If you want to practice, we have a life-sized doll which can change appearance if needed. With that, you can practice. Or, you can simply ask us to show things in practice. Or simply, ask Ainz-sama to lend a doppelganger for practice. I am sure his magnanimous self will comply with your request."

The maid's tone was completely stone cold and practical, but it made Elysia's face turn lobster red. An angry embarrassment mixed in her stomach."To hell with this!"

She threw the book hard, which was almost embedded in the wall it flew toward. Naturally, Ram leaned away gracefully.

"So crass… as expected from an animal. I wonder why her majesty picked her up from the dirt…"

Naturally, she was only around level 5, but being a heteromorph creature she had higher stats than a normal human or demi-human had, thus, she could dodge such a throw easily.

"…"

Picking up another book, before throwing it away, Elysia felt the strange texture of its cover. And she was surprised by how smooth it was.

"Is this, leather? What kind?" she fondled it for a moment, trying to figure it out… unfortunately, nothing could prepare her for the answer. Though, she could have expected it…

"Indeed, it is made from human and demon skin."

'THUD!'

A rumble resounded at the moment Elysia pushed the towering guidebooks away, looking distressed massively with an expression that symbolized the next sentence: 'What the heck!'

Ram could only sigh, shaking her head.

"You have one week to learn them."

"Which one?"

"All of them…" she stated cold.

"One week!?" Seeing the sizable pile on the ground, it was improbable. No! It was impossible! Elysia was a fast reader, but even she was sure she couldn't finish a book under one week, not speaking a whole pile of it!

"Indeed, you have one week to learn it all. Under that time, we will be lenient in your way making mistakes. Though, you also have to oblige your servant duties under that time."

"Tch! As if, I will never be a servant. I'd rather die than do that!"

Ram tilted her head, confused. "Then why are you here? Who does not work, will not eat. Simple as that. The lady tolerates no slackers."

Elysia looked at the side, knowing her hopeless situation. Seeing all the guards outside, the level difference, and the vastness of this place, she would never get out alive.

"I want to speak with your master, now!"

"Esdeath-sama is currently busy. Though, I doubt she will listen to you even if you ask her. You are a lowlife servant after all. Know your place. According to the court etiquette, servants like us can only speak once asked…"

Elysia was flabbergasted, but before she could ask further, Ram turned around, walking towards the entrance.

"Now, we are almost ready with your preparations. Don't forget, once her majesty arrives, lower your head and prostrate, follow our lead. In time, we will provide you with a more fitting uniform, but now, your current I lent you will do."

Walking forward, Ram stopped near the door, leaving the flabbergasted Elysia alone.

"It is like she completely ignored what I said…" Albeit frustrated, the kitsune was well aware, under her current circumstances, she couldn't do anything…

"Come, now, we have some time, I will lead you around. Keep attention; a handmaiden needs to know its master's residence after all."

Thus, having nothing better to do, Elysia sighed hard, deflated and defeated followed the maid through the vast residence of the Supreme One.

…

Around half a day passed, and Elysia was called in the lobby of the place from her room.

Thanks to the in-built phone system — each room contained something alike of an old, Victorian phone — she was informed hastily. Though, in the game, it was only a cosmetic addition. It seemed it worked perfectly well in this new world.

"What's going on?"

Walking in the monogamous lobby of Esdeath's residence, the servants already prostrated themselves before the master of the room, all of them kneeling with great respect, eyes turning towards the dust and their hands on their hearts across the chest.

"That…"

Raidyn— or more like Esdeath — looked completely different than Elysia remembered her. Sporting a white, military-like uniform, complemented with a cute hat and an open trench coat, and a black tie around her neck.

"This…"

Her aura of command was undeniable. Pair it with her beautiful face, perfectly balanced body only an artist could make, and strange eyes with black sclera; it was unquestionable her character looked quite unique.

"We welcome you, your Majesty. It is our eternal wish that has come true with your return," Ram's voice rehashed, and Elysia could only stare flabbergasted seeing the figures kneeling before Esdeath. Behind her with lowered heads two figures, Zero, and Auriel stood — Auriel already having received her clothes.

"Who are these people?"

She recognized the maids, but she had no idea who's the third kid. Speaking about it… with the exception of Zero, she knew not who was the busty woman tightly wrapped in exquisite nun custom.

"It is good to be back, I missed you all…" Esdeath's smile was angelic, patting the servants' heads one by one.

"Kommandant, it is gut to have you back," the boy with cat ears and military youth uniform quipped. Because of his hard German accent, Elysia almost missed some words.

"Schrödinger, Schrödinger, my loyal cat," she snickered amused, not angry in the slightest for her creation, fondling his dirty blonde messy hair, then scraping gently behind his cat ears.

'Purr-purr…' the werecat purred in satisfaction and glee.

"What means of chaos you caused this time."

"Eh, me? Chaos? My dearest Obersturmbannführer, you are joking, right?" the boy snickered amused, and Esdeath patted his head once more, smiling, and giggling for him warmly.

"We will speak about it, soon. But now…" she sighed. "I need to discuss with you a few things…"

Ram and Rem were on to leave…

"With you too, my faithful handmaidens. You did well while I was away. You need to be rewarded."

Ram and Rem beamed, smiling serene, a slight blush surfacing on their expressions.

"We are not worthy, Esdeath-sama," the duo resounded at once, bowing deep.

"Don't sell yourselves short…" she patted their heads affectionately, "… you are my dear servants. Of course, you are worthy."

"Ugh…!" This one sentence earned a blushing smile and squirm from the two maids, almost making them burst in joy. If not witnessing it, Elysia would have never believed it, the maids were able to express smiles… honest, happy, not snarky smiles.

"Who would've thought…"

Until now, Elysia remained in silence, suspecting it was most likely important for her companion to have this little reunion with her "creations". But she couldn't bear it anymore, she needed to say what she intended.

"Ra- I mean, Esdeath-san."

Immediately, her body froze, forcing her into a prostrating posture. A pressure able to grind her bones to dust descended on her, sharp, invisible strings moving her body downward, like a puppet. No matter how hard her resistance was, it was all for naught, she moved just like the puppeteer willed it.

"Wha..!? Ugh!" Even her mouth closed shut, unable to open it anymore.

"Ah, Elysia-chan. It is good to see you…" the Supreme Being watched Elysia, then turned to Zero with a calm expression. "Zero, please, release her."

The butler moved his fingers, and the invisible threads disappeared in an instant, bowing to his creator diligently.

"Please forgive me, my creator. But seeing the disrespect of the beast… it was disturbing."

Esdeath watched Zero for a moment, her face mirroring her thoughts: 'Seriously…' but with a simple motion waved the bad feeling away.

"Don't worry about her. She is my guest here. Please treat her accordingly."

"As you wish…"

Though none of the servants liked the current development; they had to oblige the words of the newly returned master, no matter how dissatisfying it was.

"Well then…" she turned to Elysia. "Please, Elysia-chan. I need to speak with my servants about a few things. After that, you can state your questions. Please, feel yourself at home until then…"

"Ugh… sure…" she dusted herself, still feeling strained.

In the next moment, her stomach started to grumble. 'GRRR!'

"Oh, are you hungry?"

"Obvious, isn't it?" the girl deadpanned, giving a flat expression to Esdeath, an accusing glare to Ram and Rem.

"Ram, Rem, didn't you ask her?"

"With all respect Esdeath-sama…" bowed both maids. "Yuri-sama notified us she would be a new addition amongst your servants."

"Nee-sama says the truth. Your Majesty, we showed her the kitchen, back then when we ate, she did not come with us. Besides…" the twins looked in the kitsune's direction. "She is fat; she needs to diet…"

"Indeed, Rem. The beast is fat. I propose we exercise her."

"You!?" with a boiling head, the kitsune was on to blow up, shaking her fist with a puffed face.

She? Fat!? Don't joke with her! True, since the two became famous adventurers, she ate abundantly, complementing that around half a month when her meals were mediocre at best. Still, it happened under a few days ago. No one could earn weight that fasts!

"In that case…" Esdeath winked at her. "She is my guest here. I need to speak with my servants for a few moments. Until then, you can find snacks and refreshments in the lobby. Help yourself. After my return, I am sure Zero will prepare us something nice. Am I right, Zero?"

"As you wish, master."

"Good, we will be in my study room. I will send for you once it is appropriate." With that, she turned around, leading the way.

"…"

Her every step was majestic, carrying herself like a true monarch. Even Elysia's eyes twinkled for a moment with a wish to serve, her eyes turning blank…, only after Esdeath left, her stubbornness and sheer will overcame this desire. True, it took a great effort from her part.

"What the hell was this?" she mumbled with fear, her eyes returning to normal from their previous blank state. "It was like… I was being mind controlled? Affected by some passive effects? No… that can't be…" she continued the mumble, looking towards where Esdeath left through the lobby.

Meanwhile with Esdeath…

In silence, the small entourage counting six members headed towards the study room.

Leading them with a royal elegance, Esdeath trotted in the front. Behind her, the five servants followed.

Auriel with a blushing and ashamed face, Zero with a cold expression, Schrödinger holding his hands behind his head with a mischievous smirk followed, and Ram and Rem trailing behind them.

"Nee-sama, Nee-sama. She is really extraordinary."

"Rem, Rem. Of course, our master is royalty."

The servants thought of her as an extraordinary being, seeing all her royal glory that came with her bloodline. But deep inside, on her face, a different expression could be observed.

"Calm down! Calm down! Calm down! You can do this! You only need to speak with them! They are your creations after all. They surely won't judge if you are making mistakes…"

She was lucky the group walked behind her. If they could see her face just now, that anxious expression of a girl, they would most likely ask if she was ill or something, or leave her immediately.

'GULP!' gulping deep, she was distressed. How should she admit she was sorry about what had happened, or ask them normally? She was not good at communicating with people at all. Moreover so with the beings, she herself had created.

"What now…"

She was never an outgoing person, not speaking she had to talk with her servants, her CREATIONS! What should she say to them? How should she start their discussion?

'Hey! How are you doing? I hope everything is fine. Sorry for leaving you for so long?'

That's bullshit!

Under such circumstances, if she did not hide her anxiousness casting [Calm] on herself continuously, making her sweat disappear with her powers before the drops could appear on her ash-colored skin, or even activating her bloodline passive ability; [Presence of the Royal Blood] — which gained her a massive amount of charisma, stability, and just made her moves more natural, and a few other things — the white-uniformed girl would have been drenched with perspiration from head to toe.

"Damn! What should I say to them?"

She was distressed, even keeping her current way of walking, making sure her moves followed the same way as she acted in the game was distressing.

"Dammit!"

True, the character, Esdeath Gorgon in the game was a joker, an easy going girl who cared not if the enemy ridiculed her, but laughed in their faces, using this confusion to win the battle.

Yet, also according to her lore, she maintained a certain dignity before her servants at all time. After all, her lore also said she was the last surviving member of the Nephalem royal family. The line of Pandemonum Gorgon … even when she did not use the first name, it was in her lore.

"…"

She did not even recognize, but she had reached her study room, the room which was connected with her lavish bedroom.

'Gulp!'

In truth, outside of its making, she never really resided here, and only had a faint idea of how it looked after all the time that had passed.

"Let's get over it…" with a mumble, she turned the knob and entered her room.

At that day, Esdeath Gorgon spoke with all her servants at once, at the first time since their creation, the first time since they had come here.

---

Scene Change: A few days later: Fifth Floor:

The cells the place contained were devoid, both the floor, the ceiling, the walls and the bars covered with thick ice.

"…"

The only noise disturbing the calm of the place was the passing patrols of the icy undead-like beings.

'Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!' Their hard boots resounded in the hard, ice-covered floor, assuming their patrolling duty diligently.

"Ugh…."

Yes, the dying moans of the undead patrolling this area were not strange for the residents of this place and was a common sight and noise accompanying the Frozen Prison of the fifth floor.

With their sinewy, pale grey-white skin which was stretched taut across their frames, it gave them a somewhat gaunt, leathery, and mummified appearance under their frosty sturdy armors. The white walkers, as they were called, wore black and dark grey armor, wielded swords and spears made from unique ice crystals and marched onwards.

'Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!' "Ugh…"

Most of them wore a helmet, but some of them were without it — usually, the figures leading the passing groups, having long, wispy, white hair, wisps of cold air emanating from their bodies.

"One hundred and nine…"

Mumbled the figure deep inside his cell. With the exception of his leather boots and brownish pants padded with leather and mail, his whole body was covered by the shadow of his cell.

"…"

The man couldn't help it but snicker amidst the darkness.

"It is like a joke…"

Recounting the past days, the man in the cell couldn't help but laugh on his own helplessness. All that strength he had, all the experience he had accumulated… in the end… worth nothing.

"Strange how things turn…"

Remembering that monstrous vampire, recalling the moment darkness descended on his world, finding himself in this 'frozen prison'. He couldn't help but laugh.

In all his life, he was praised, said to be a strong individual. A genius coming from nothing… coming from being a simple peasant.

A man said to be on par with the famous Warrior Captain of the Kingdom — even when he lost against him under the tournament, he was still a praised asset…

"…"

In all his life he had lost only once. Against Gazef… and it happened only because the warrior captain used his trump against him, catching the man with the blue hair off-guard.

"Ridiculous…"

He tempered his body, collected items, and practiced day after day ever since, refusing to join anyone thinking it would hijack his original goal, replacing it with other measly things…

"Hero…?" He didn't want to be a hero, he never wanted to be. He just wanted to be the best, and ever since, he lived like that day after day. Then… the meeting with that monster changed everything, beat him down to the dust, took his light away. Extinguished it! Trampled it to dust! Not even sparks remained…

That day… the man realised, compared to a monster, human beings are fragile, worth nothing — a cattle to be butchered.

"Truly miserable…"

A few days had passed since his capture. And the white beings that brought his food day by day shared nothing with him. It was like they ignored him completely. Ever since he found himself here, he never even had a minute of sleep. The man with blue hair just stared out from his head with a blank stare, even refusing to eat or drink.

'Clang, clang, clang…'

He had counted more than a hundred patrols since his stay here. Under such a short time, it was indeed a lot of patrols. Whether he was imprisoned in a small institute, or there was a terrifying number of guards around, he had no idea.

'Clang, clang, clang…'

The man's brown eyes were devoid of all life, contemplating what he had earned under all his life. And the end result was…

Nothing…

All his accomplishments, power, and all his experience worth nothing! And in this exact moment, the genius swordsman started to regret the fact, he was never more considerable and made friends. Dying here alone, knowing his powerlessness, helplessness… just felt miserable. If at least he had made some friends, not so desperately concentrating on his advancement, maybe, just maybe he would have something to be proud of, something worth to live for…

"I wonder how things would have turned out if I had accepted Gazef's offer back then…"

But being like this… his dream shattered, alone… a miserable existence, worse than trash…

'Clang, clang…'

The usual source of light coming from outside was blocked, and looking towards the disturbance, it was a human figure who stood before his door.

"I heard, you are the man my servant captured…"

The figure standing before the bars shadowed by the light emitted behind her, surely, was a female. From the outline, and her voice, it was impossible to miss.

"Yes… what of it?" He was not afraid of death. Not anymore… knowing his frail existence and past mistakes he was unable to decipher why he was still alive and hadn't killed himself already.

"According to our agents, you know Martial Arts."

"Tch, heh… yes, and what of it? Most decent warriors know at least one nowadays…" His tone was like a dead man, dismissing, blankly looking forward. His lack of sleep and refusal to eat or drink made his face slightly skinny, yet, his body remained tempered. Lean, but heavily muscled.

"Is that so?"

"Yeah, sure…"

It was ridiculous, how a person did not know this? But considering the angelic voice of the young maiden standing before his cell, it may not be surprising at all. Nobles used to shelter their daughters under all their life, then give them away to gain political advantages, or form an alliance with other families by forming a family bond.

"Maybe that monster is controlled by a noble family. No, it's just ridiculous… why a monster would serve humans?" the man envisioned the picture, and it was simply absurd.

"Why are you here? To make fun of me before my death, or you simply want to torture me? Sorry to disappoint you, but it is too late. There is nothing remaining to destroy…"

"Hmmm… You have an interesting view of your situation. Considering your captivity as a bad thing, when it can be turned into an opportunity."

"Huh… you are funny," the man snickered lifelessly, his throat dry from not drinking for a few days. "How can my situation be turned into an opportunity? I was beaten, miserably. I lost everything. My group, my will to fight and grow, and the dignity of a swordsman, the faith in my skills… how can this be an opportunity for me…?" he chuckled. "I appreciate your offer. But… there is nothing to save here. Just leave, let me die alone." His brown eyes leveled once more to the girl. "Let this miserable man grieve his dignity, his fragility as a human, alone."

The girl watched him for a moment, asking only after she measured him from tip to toe.

"What is your name? Care to share? After all, a dead man cares not if it's given."

"Hmmm… Brain, Brain Unglaus," Brain smiled solemnly, watching the ground. "At least, this is how I was called. But now… I think it does not matter anymore…"

"Hmmm… Brain Unglaus. I remember your name. I have a job offer to you."

"Sorry, I'll pass it…"

"Is that so? So depressing, but so be it…" she snickered, pulling down her strange military hat for a moment, then leaning closer, making Brain see her face.

"…"

Black sclera, blood red and blue pupils settled in her sockets, scanning Brain ever intensely.

Strangely, her eyes perfectly fit her angelic face, giving her a childish and stunning beauty. Her flowing white hair complemented the sight. Indeed, if he had ever seen the Golden Princess, Brain would imagine her face minimum that stunning.

"My name is Esdeath, Esdeath Gorgon. Call me if you want the job… call me, if you want to advance."

She turned around and was on to walk away. But, in the next moment...

"Wait!" Brain called after her.

Advance! He couldn't lose this opportunity! Whatever it cost, he would have it!

"…"

She just looked back, her smile stunning.

"What do you want?"

"Let's see what you can offer first…"

Just one sentence, but her mysterious chuckle froze the blood in Brain's veins.

What future awaited the genius swordsman, only time could tell.

---

Scene Change: Capital of Re-Estize Kingdom:

The news spread fast in the Re-Estize kingdom, and past the borders. The unrest caused not only shook the nation, but the surrounding countries as well.

First time in history, after defeating a dangerous creature, a higher vampire, not only one, but two adventurer teams rose to be adamantine rank.

"Did you hear it?"

"There are two new adventurer teams that have emerged in E-Rantel."

"What of it? There are many adventurer teams, many exceptionally skilled in the way of doing business," scoffed the adventurer wrapped in a priest attire.

"You don't understand! They are both adamantine rank!"

"What!?" the man almost choke on his beer, jumping up from his seat, hitting the table before him. "You are joking, right? There is no way two appear at the same time."

"But it is true! As the sun comes up on the horizon every morning, there are two appearing at the same time."

"Dammit! Shit…!" quipped the drunken man. "This will either bring great fortune, or…"

"Catastrophe, I know…" finished his sentence the sturdy warrior.

"…"

An adamantine adventurer team was already a significant force to be reckoned with. Every country which had at least one could boast with the fact. And previous, the kingdom had not one, but two, making it a considerable place to settle for adventurers.

But with the emerging figures of the two new adventurer teams of the highest rank, in one city no less… it might come to that the adventurer guilds of other countries would come here to request those teams to change residence, tempting them with good deals.

Also, the leadership of the surrounding countries — more precisely, for the instigation of the Baharuth Empire — could deem so many adamantine ranks in one place too much of a threat, making a move against the country, even forming an alliance to subdue it.

The kingdom and the Empire already clashed in a yearly margin; this gave the Empire a good reason for an all-out attack. It was like spilling oil to the already raging fire.

Even if that didn't happen… it might come to the Empire simply demanding the annexation of the guild from the kingdom, deeming it too much of a threat to let it reside in the country.

If that happened, not only the adventurers would be forced to find a new residence, or change their occupation, but the lack of adventurer presence would significantly reduce the Kingdom's potential military strength, income coming from the guild taxes, and of course, giving place to a monster uprising the adventurers kept at bay until now. With this, lowering the potential military power and financial status of the kingdom, accelerating a situation which already edged on the brink of civil war.

"…"

The adventurers looked at each other with a grim expression, sighing deeply.

'Creak…'

In the next moment, the flaps of the door opened, revealing the two adventurers entering the building.

"…"

Usually, such events did not raise any suspicion. The adventurers only offered a glance to the newcomers, then went on with their business.

"…"

Looking around, the two, highly cloaked figures with hoods took their ways towards the reception table where the counter lady welcomed them.

"Hello, how can I help you…"

"We came to see the guild master." The voice came under the cloak, behind the strange wolf-like mask. The tone was definitely of a young female, slightly distorted by a filter.

"May I know why do you want to see him?"

The second cloaked figure took out an envelope, and the girl read it. Her expression immediately turned more office-like.

"Identify yourself, please."

Pulling away from the cover a little bit, both adventurers revealed their tokens subtly, making the poor girl's eyes widen, almost bulge momentarily.

"I see, I'll notify him immediately. Raidyn-dono, Elysia-dono. I ask for your patience. Please, until then, take seats."

The counter lady hurriedly left, leaving the two alone.

"I hope you know what you are doing?" muttered the kitsune with slight distress in her tone.

"What? Don't you trust me? Didn't you survive our last mission?"

"Barely speaking, that basilisk almost ate me…"

Complained the black-tailed kitsune, a complaint Raidyn could only chuckle at with glee. "That's for not listening to me and trying to play the hero."

"Sush! That kid almost died…"

"The situation was under control…" Raidyn shut her down. "Showing ourselves too strong might raise suspicion."

"Right…" Elysia grumbled, taking out a cookie from her bag and starting to nibble on it. "By the way, I don't understand why the guild leader of the capital wants us to come here?"

"Honestly, I have no idea. Maybe because of a job?" Esdeath pondered, recalling the shadowy composition of the letter they received. "Ainzach-san was pretty distressed when he passed down the invitation. Like a kid who is on to lose his favorite toy. Don't forget, Momon-san also received a few, each of them from different cities. I suspect, Adamantine, or other high-rank adventurers like high-value goods. The guild likes to barter with them, an exchange between each other. Borrow them from time to time to complete a task."

"Do you think?"

Raidyn just shrugged. "Honestly. I have no idea. It is just a guess…"

Some people already watched them intensely, suspecting the rank of the two.

Because of the possible ruckus coming with it, both concealed themselves, hiding the identification plates under their cloak, only showing them to the counter lady.

"Do you think they are…?"

"I am sure; I heard the names Lisa called them…"

Yet, even now, it couldn't be avoided. A few people heard the names Lisa — the counter lady — said, starting to gossip and guess around them.

"Umu… I see, will do so…"

"Who are you speaking to?"

"Oh…" Esdeath smiled at her partner, already sitting in one of the couches. "Just chatting with my favorite bony friend."

The kitsune did not answer for the statement; just shrugging looked away.

"Weird…"

The two were weird since she got to know them. And things turned weirder and weirder with each passing day. Even now, she had hardly forgiven Esdeath's deception.

"Raidyn-dono, Elysia-dono. The guild master accepts you."

Hearing the names, the whispers intensified, creating a small rumble in the hall.

"I know those names…"

"It is possible?"

"It is them! The kingdom's new adamantine team, Silver Wolf!" shouted one of them.

"Thank you…" nodded Raidyn elegantly, and the two-member team followed the lady up in the stairs.

Under the way, Raidyn grumbled deep inside.

"Why couldn't it be A-Team? It sounds cooler. I mean, "Silver Wolf" also sounds cool… But… Stupid Elysia and Momonga! If we would just merge teams. There would be enough to have an A-Team. Momonga would be Hannibal, Narberal would be good for Faceman, Elysia, of course, she would be B.A Baracus — because she is always grumpy and is like an old man from time to time. And me? Of course, I would be Murdock. Everyone loves Murdock!" Raidyn beamed in her head for a moment, then started pouting about the naming of her group, rummaging about the heavy resistance she had encountered when she proposed the very idea. Hell! Momonga even ordered Narberal to vote against her.

"Traitor… abusing his authority…" she mumbled, continuing her way, following the lady.

What awaited her and her friends in the new world, even the wisest sage couldn't say for sure.

…

Under all of this, in a more scheduled place of the town. Near the central road, in an alley, in the trade district.

Around half a month ago a new shop had opened its business for the masses. A strange shop, with a strange owner, for strange customers offered strange, but widely spread wares.

The store was not the biggest, but neither the smallest. In truth, it was closer to small than big, located close to the poor part of the city than the rich.

For the outside, it was nothing out of the ordinary. Only its signboard was out of ordinary. A shield with two swords, enchanted to glow with a fiery blue and orange hue. The next label could be read on it.

"Tibbald's Arms and Enchanting Emporium…" mumbled a man with a sword on his side, watching the signboard. "Hmmm. Strange name, but it is indeed the place my men spoke about…"

A man in his thirties stood not far from the shop.

His face angular, muscled, sporting simple linen clothes with a sword on his side, watching the different armors and the different weapons in the shop window.

"Hmmm…"

His face carried slight wrinkles, and from his tanned skin it was apparent he carried some southern blood in his veins.

"…"

Watching the different goods for a moment, it was interesting to see. The man with the warrior posture had never seen such a method to advertise one's craft. And one might think by only protected a simple glass window, it was easy to steal the different wares from the show by the ruffians. Yet, his mystical sixth sense his warrior training had bestowed him whispered otherwise.

"I wonder…"

Touching the glass, immediately a slight shock hit his hand, materializing a defensive force field on the surface of the window.

"Ah! I see now. Very clever," he chuckled, a gentle smile forming on his face.

"Let's check it…"

Before the man could even take a step, the simple wooden door burst open, a man flying out from it.

"Ahhh!"

'Thud!'

The thug could barely breathe, and a few more followed it, landing on his back.

"Ugh!"

"And don't come back! You miserable faggots! Or the boss will cut ya apart!"

A dwarf stepped out from the shop, dusting his calloused hands. "Hmph!" Frown left his nose, almost like steam.

His bald head was dirty from the coal and smoke that came with his line of work, wearing a sturdy blacksmith apron that covered even his lower body.

"This is not the last time you will hear from us! You will regret this! You hear me!? Our organization will have what it wants!" Leaning against each other, the beaten up thugs looked quite miserable, with the most scrawny one barking, threats leaving his mouth.

"Oh! Really?" the rugged dwarf chuckled, crossing his stump-like muscled arms over his chest, smirking amusedly. "I would like to see that. Right? Boss?"

From the shop, sounds of well-made boots walking forward could be heard.

'Knock, knock, knock…'

Soon revealing a handsome man clothed in a regal attire with a white open coat.

"Oh, really? Interesting, I would like to see you try…"

His hair was blood red, messily made, almost covering both of his eyes, his skin well tanned, wearing casual clothes with a long open overcoat. A purse, a book, and a well-made rapier hanged from his side.

"You bastard! Who do you think you are!? You think you can defy us?!" threatened the leader of the thugs, a scrawny man with an unfriendly face.

"Spare your breath. Your threats are worth nothing…"

Raising his head, his turquoise eyes were revealed, with a scar running through his right one.

His hand moved faster than any normal man would be able to see, pulling his rapier and sliced.

'Swish!'

Yet, the warrior watching the scene saw his moves perfectly clear. His trained eyes could recognize talent when he saw one.

"Hmm… Not bad. Little rough on the edges… but definitely has talent."

The slice was clear, immediately slicing apart the strings and belts that kept the thugs' pants on them.

"Ahhh!" one by one, their pants slid down on their legs, and they desperately grabbed after them.

"Scram! Be glad I did not put your head on a pike. Tell your employer. If he wants to do business, come personally, or get lost. I have no time for his games," the redhead brushed his rune adorned gloved hands, then shrugged.

"You will regret this!" the muggers swore, miserably stumbling away, barely able to support each other and holding their pants on their place.

"Tch… childish…"

"Damn! Boss! You showed them good this time," sneered the dwarf gloating.

"Ah, don't mention it. You were the one who threw them out. Thank you for that."

The dwarf nodded silently, only then hearing the clapping sound nearby, making their attention turn direction.

"Pretty impressive swordwork. You took good care of them."

"Hmm…" Just now, the dwarf and the handsome young man looked in the spectator's direction.

"Who might you be, good sire? A customer?" asked the dwarf with a suspicious gaze, finding the man very familiar.

"Sorry for not helping you earlier. I saw you handle everything just well. I did not want to interrupt."

"Ah, don't mention it…" waved away the turquoise eyed man amidst a chuckle. "I am Tibbald, Tibbald Dracois Reinhard. The owner of this shop. And he is my aide, Zoltan Orefoot. The Smith, and the bouncer of my shop."

"Good to meet you lad," the dwarf nodded respectfully. "Eya! If I may ask, you seem very familiar to me. Aren't you related to the Warrior Captain of the Kingdom?"

The man smiled, it seems despite not wearing his usual arms, his appearance was widely known in the capital. "Indeed, it seems I can't keep it secret from others. Gazef Stronoff, at your service." With a knightly nod, he introduced himself.

"Ah!" the young man's eyes flashed in excitement. "The famous warrior captain? What a joyous day! My Lord. Do you came to visit my shop, or…?"

Gazef smiled gently, waving away the pleasantries. "Simply Gazef will do. I am not noble after all."

"Ah, I see… then warrior captain-dono."

"I am not on duty either," he added with an almost mischievous expression.

"Then why…?"

"It is simple…" he cut his words. "I like to walk in my free time, inspecting the people around. Oh, and my men started to whisper about a shop, offering quality armour and weapons for a good price."

"Ah! So it is. Indeed, my shop offers such wares. And many more," Tibbald looked at the sword on Gazef's side. "… Amongst them, custom made enchantments for weapons and armour."

In that time, the dwarf headed back to his smelter, many assignments awaiting it to be finished.

"See ya later boss. Need to finish the order of baron Regis…"

"Umu…" Tibbald nodded, meanwhile Gazef fondled his beard.

"Hmm… you say, for custom needs? I've never heard such a thing. Maybe, even the magician's guild is not capable of it."

"Thank you. It is my family's secret technique, embedding items with specific attributes," he explained, and Gazef nodded with a hum.

"I wonder just how much it costs to upkeep the shop. All the materials and taxes, it must not be easy."

"Hahh… it indeed is not easy," Tibbald sighed, looking in the far, then brushing his messy hair tired. "With the special area of expertise of my shop, we need to pay extra taxes for the kingdom and the magician's guild, and complete specific orders for the request of theirs."

"Oh, I see… my condolences," Gazef bowed his head understandably.

"Ah, don't, Gazef-san. I am hopeful," Reinhard beamed sourly. "The people buy quality wares for a good price. This, I am sure… calculating our possible future revenue and the turnover of our shop since the opening, we will manage. We just need a little bit more publicity."

Gazef nodded, looking in the direction of the thugs Tibbald and Zoltan chased away. "There are a lot of problems with criminals like them nowadays. Unfortunately, the capital is filled with them."

"I know. This was the third time they tried to ransom protection money. I can't manage the shop alone, doing the Smith and enchanting work all at once. I was lucky I found Zoltan. With him around, it is easier. Though, I might need to hire a few guards to make things more smooth around."

"Hmm, I see. If you want, I can send a few of my men to look out for your shop a few times."

"Gazef-dono… that's…"

"Don't mention it." With a wave, Gazef blocked the praise humbly. "There is a lot of newbies amongst them since…"

"Since…?"

Gazef remembered the day most of his veteran soldiers were killed by those Slane bastards! The same day when he met that Ainz fellow…

"Ah, it's nothing." With a solemn smile, the warrior captain continued. "They need to complete patrol duty anyway. Changing the route a little bit to go tap this district a little bit will be a little refreshment for them."

"Ah, thank you!"

"Well then," the warrior captain grabbed the scabbard of his simple sword. "Care to introduce your products? Suddenly, I feel the need for a new sword, and maybe a few armour pieces for everyday use."

"Of course, follow me, Gazef-san…"

Tibbald entered the shop, and Gazef followed him close behind. But before the door closed, the warrior captain on leave looked back, watching the small alley near the main street where the shop settled.

"I wonder what Gown-dono isdoing now…"

At that moment, the winds of fate brushed his chestnut hair, signing the coming of a new age.

What will happen with the warrior captain, what plans Tibbald have in his head, only the future can tell.

---

A/N:

Well, that's for now!

With this, I have concluded the second arc of the story.

I hope it was satisfying!

RNR!

Until next time!

---

Now then… the long-awaited character charts of two OCs:

Auriel Michalis

Sex: Female

Height: 171 cm

Race: Angel/Arch Seraph

Affiliation: Great Tomb of Nazarick, Esdeath Gorgon

Occupation: Loyal servant of her lady, master scribe, bard, diplomat, singer

Residence: Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick, 9th floor, Royal suites (Esdeath's room)

Karma: 350 / Very good

Hobby: writing, reading, sleeping, acting, singing

Class build:

Total Levels 100

Racial Levels: 35

Angel: 15

Dominion: 5

Seraph: 10

Arch Seraph: 5

Arch Seraph Archetype: Saint of the Ten Commandments

(Archetype: Each heteromorphic race's most evolved form. Allows the player or the NPC to choose an archetype, gaining further abilities and racial specialization)

Saint of the Ten Commandments: Allows Auriel to use Commandment laws of faith, piety, purity, patience, love, selflessness, truth, repose, pacifism, reticence.

Job Levels: 65

Paladin: 15

Knight of the Order: 10

Highlord: 5

Archer: 10

Dragon Hunter: 10

Other: 15

Approximate Status:

HP: 85

MP: 75

Phy ATK: 72

Phy DEF: 90

Agility: 70

Mag ATK: 55

Mag DEF: 75

Resistance: 85

Special Ability: 70

Total: 677

Appearance:

With the face of a true goddess, she is really a sight to behold. Her smile is charming, her cyan blue eyes are mesmerizing. Her long, slightly curly, silk-like golden hair usually are covered by either her wimple or her headgear. Despite her loose nun garb, her perfectly balanced body proportions are visible, almost overflowing.

An always calm, gentle expression settles on her face. A golden halo floating above her head as well six pairs of wings stretch behind her back giving her a true angelic look.

Personality:With the heart of gold she most likely is the purest being in Nazarick. (Even when she is not part of it). She is compassionate, kind and patient. She always listens to others' problems and tries to help them solve them. She doesn't like evil but when she meets one she tries to help them change for the better.

Yet, she is not flawless. From time to time she is clumsy, dropping things when she should not. All of this comes from her nervousness messing things up, or when she is very excited and forcefully tries to do something right.

Despite being an angel, she likes to sleep a lot and just hides in her room for days, writing her books and reading. Aside from this, she is a hard worker whose loyalty is unquestionable towards her master … possessing certain fetishes towards her.

She is often childishly innocent, but her mind is sharp. Maybe she is not as tactical as her brother but she sees the obvious.

PS: Don't let her near the kitchen or she will burn it down, or at least poison the people with her cooking skills.

She is a marvellous singer, actor and the perfect diplomat when it comes to negotiations. She knows every custom. She is rather peaceful, hating every kind of violence.

---

Esdeath (Pandemonum) Gorgon (true name: Abeloth)

Sex: Female (Male (formerly) before transportation to the new world)

Height: ~163 cm (changeable)

Race: Heteromorphic Race: Transcended Nephalem

Affiliation: Great Tomb of Nazarick, Silver Wolf, etc…

Occupation: Angel of Death, Enforcer of the Great Tomb, Supreme Being, Crazy Inventor, Adventurer etc…

Residence: Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick, 9th floor, Royal suites (Esdeath's room)

Karma: 0 / True Neutral (basic state, tangible karma, depending on the racial stance she uses)

Hobby: Collecting Rarities/Experimenting with Items/ 21st century anime, manga, movies, games, adventuring, etc…

Class build:

Total Levels: 100

Racial Levels: 30

Nephalem: 15

Royal Blood: Progenitor of the Original line: 10

Archetypes: Origin of Sin: Chaos, Darkness and Life/The One: Order, Light and Nothingness

(Inheritor of the original royal bloodline. Grants the inheritor both the abilities of the highest level Demon Emperor and the most prominent Arch Seraphim)

Transcended Nephalem (false): 5

Job levels: 70

Sword Saint: 10

Arcane Ronin: 5

Esper: 15 (reaching max level of the job class the user can choose a secondary weapon proficiency: Weaponmaster)

Conduit of Reality: 10 (psychic job class)

Truenamer: 10 (psychic job class, able to modify items changing/modifying their "Truename")

World Visionary: 5

Others: 15

Approximate Status:

HP: 93

MP: 23

Phy. ATK: 97

Phy. DEF: 96

Agility: 94

Mag. ATK: 20

Mag. DEF: 100

Resistance: 100

Special Ability: 100+ (Exceeds limit)

Total: 723+

Personality and background:

Back on Earth, before the transportation, Esdeath was a program engineer with a lot of experience behind his back. Due to his always prominent sickness originating from his weak immune system inherited from his parents, he was forced to constantly visit doctors and stay home most of the time.

Despite this, he oversaw many big projects for the corporation where he worked and many times overworked himself because of it.

Most of the times his superiors gave him and his team impossible deadlines with their work. Being him who carried the group on his back despite his constant sickness, his state started to turn worse drastically towards the end of the game. The doctors bode little time for him…

Due to his incompatibility with most artificial organs, he was forced to take expensive medicine, stay in an isolated area most of the times. Even going out, he needed a mask to filter filth from the air or else his state turned worse.

In his profession, he counted as a big shot. In truth, it was him who worked on the YGGDRASSIL console's neural interface to accept commands without the usage of hand or motion controls, just following eye movement and brain activity.

Because of this, the developers of YGGDRASIL presented him a huge contribution package, which contained two slots for creating level 100 NPCs without guild base and many rare and super rare paid items, as well paid him handsomely for his work.

With his guild members, he was almost always cheerful and often joked with his situation, rarely complaining, not to burden his friends with his problems (only when it became unbearable).

Amongst players, he was one of the most infamous, as well famous, Esper users. For obvious reasons of course.

He had a huge collection of items. All of it cosmetic, data crystals, cash items, weapons, and armors. Like Momonga and many of their guildmates, he was a hoarder in such a way never really throwing anything away but stashing it in his personal vault.

He even built a small private vault in his room spending at least two months worth of salary just to be able to finish this project.

He was the holder of the title: Seventh World champion after Touch Me. Although his reward choice was different than his friend's, his character gained a great boost after winning the championship.

According to his calculations, equipped with his two guardians — Auriel and Zero — he could even solo weaker guilds and clear several dungeons.

Being a male who played the female character, he used to tease the three female members of the guild giving them sometimes headaches, sometimes making them laugh.

Being an extensive collector and lover of movies, the films, the games, the anime and manga of the 21st century, he had quite a prominent digital collection, most of it imported into the game.

Aside from YGGDRASIL, it was his other hobby. Collecting digital copies of them. Keeping a copy of his collection in his in-game vault. Though, he also owned a few copies from the said items in the physical world.

He was usually very sarcastic and easy going when it came to everything, even when the situation was tight, never really showing anger. Yet, when the situation turned out that someone hurt his friends or creations, or joked with his real name Hiro — which he despised due to it being in the year 2138 a girl's name — god have mercy on the soul of the offender! Players that usually angered him/her that way left the game after a few days of being farmed constantly. Or pleaded, but still got killed.

As Esdeath Gorgon, she takes her duties very seriously, but has constant depression, thinking she is not worthy after leaving her friend and creations alone. Her massive paranoia and need to overcomplicate things coming with her previous line of work does not help either.

The fact she found herself in an unknown environment, in the body of his avatar — a girl — and being the souls of two rivaling existences inhabiting her body and mind made it even worse.

Esdeath shows no mercy upon those that offend her, ending them with a cold, pitying, emotionless face. Like a tyrant, as many would call her later…

He was the last one who remained with Momonga and helped him upkeep the guild day after day.

Being previous a man without a living family, with only his sister alive (who refused to speak with him or even look in his direction since their parent's death), he usually spent his salary (that was higher than a usual worker's fee) in the game.

He was one of the six people who programmed the NPCs of Nazarick.