Ainz glanced over his notes so he would be ready for today's classes. It was not as though e could raise his had to ask for clarification. The class was scheduled to start a little after his morning meeting with Albedo. This was only the second day after what Albedo was insistent on calling their honeymoon. Ainz felt it best to let this slide in favor of returning to a sense of normalcy. The maid announced Albedo's arrival. Stacking his school papers neatly to one side the undead turned to look at the succubus ready to tackle the day's agenda.
Ainz's jaw fell open with a clack. "Albedo, your showing." Albedo's normally perfect hourglass figure was now displaying a noticeable baby bump.
""Yes. I was quite surprised this morning. But I guess this is just another way in which my lord is superior to all other men."
Saito's inner voice, "That doesn't make any sense! That's not how pregnancy works."
"As you say Albedo. What is the first thing on the agenda for today?"
Opening a leather bound book Albedo begins her report. Early this morning a coach from the Baharouth Empire crossed the border into the kingdom proper and was spotted by the dragon patrols. The border control report indicates that they are carrying books and documents that were requested by you, my lord. They do seem to be exercising due haest, for humans, and whipping their horses most enthusiastically.
"El Nix should really rent undead horses from us. Ours don't get tired and can run full out for months. I'll have to suggest it to him the next time we meet." Undead as a service would ensure full coffers for the diminutive Kingdom of Darkness.
"An excellent idea as always Lord Ainz. Having our mounts carry all diplomatic communications will certainly improve the pace of discourse." She left unsaid the second aspect of Ainz's brilliant plan. That this would let the Sorcerer Kingdom monitor who the Baharouth Empire was talking to. "I will await their official request with eagerness."
Johnath Black watched the unloading of the dead tree tombes used by humans from the carriage with the flag of the Baharouth Empire emblazoned on its doors. Just as they were finishing a figure in a brown cloak stole across the yard and dived into the coach's open door. The man then huddled on the floor in an attempt to remain unseen. The coaches attendee's pointedly did not notice the man as they closed up the coach and hauled their literary bounty into the former mayor's residence which was now serving as the temporary seat of power for the Sorcerer kingdom.
Sacred sap! Was that what passed for a clandestine operation in these parts? Pathetic. Convinced there was unlikely to be more to see here Jonathan leapt from his perch on the third floor's crenellation canceling his invisibility spell just as his body fell into shadow and landed softly on the cobbled street. Affecting a relaxed air the man headed off in the direction of the adventurers guild. Servicing a decent cover sure was a lot of work.
In a shadowed alleyway Bob noted down both men's' departures for his report to Lord Demiurg.
Albedo strode through the E-Rantel market district. She was on what Lord Ainz called a day off and she was determined to use the opportunity to find what the books in the great library of the supreme ones had called a maternity dress. One should always equip the proper armor for quests. Thus having packed all the gold she had received from Ainz's, own hand, in a purple rarity velvet sack and secured it in her spatial storage. However, on her hip was a larger brown sack of common cloth. I hope the coins in the sack will be sufficient so I don't have to part with any of Lord Ainz's precious funds. The concept of being paid for their service had confused the guardians at first. Cocytus had cleared it up as likening it to the supreme ones providing them with their weapons. Weapons that were of incredible value and intended to be used in service to their creators. After that All the guardians had pledged to be ready for the campaign of economic warfare Lord Ainz was preparing for.
As for the brown sack. That was filled with coins the merchants she dealt with kept giving her. There had been one merchant who had slid five gold coins across her desk with a wink. She had asked "Is this a bribe?" As if she would ever impinge on executing her duties. The merchant had gone pale and assured her that it was not a bribe. Just a customary show of appreciation for the job she was doing. Lord Ainz had wanted her to be understanding in her dealings with the lower life forms thus she tolerated their custom of gratuity. As soon as they left their offerings were dumped into the sack she kept under her desk so as not to clutter her work space. Perhaps she could redeem these troublesome tokens for something of true value.
Dress Shop
Joshua Trent took the nail from between pursed lips and taped it into the offensive floorboard. "Hopefully that will shut you up." muttered the kneeling man. Trent was a tailor formerly of the Reestes Kingdom. But he shared that distinction with many things including the city he had recently emigrated to. Putting the diminutive hammer back in his vest pocket the tailor placed his other hand on the floor in preparation to rise. It was at this moment that the silver bell over the entrance called out the arrival of a potential client. His head shot up to behold the whitest fabric he had ever seen. The miraculous cloth seemed to radiate an otherworldly purity. Had a goddess come to inspect his wears? Dismissing such fanciful speculation in an instant as his gaze reached the nobel woman's belly. However, his impression of godhood returned upon reaching her chest. Oh the stitching! He salivated at the thought of getting his hands on such a garment. Surly she wanted an adjustment to accommodate her condition. Excitement changed to panic as his eyes took in her face and the circlet of horn that graced this dark beauty's brow. "Lady Albedo." Slipped from his lips as his soul shrieked in terror. What was the prime minister of the Sorcerer Kingdom doing here?
One black brow rose slightly yet the perfect skin of her forehead did not wrinkle. The tailor watched with the attention of a rabbit for the wolf.
"Proper manners? Perhaps Sebas is right and they can be trained." In a louder voice Albedo bid the Tailor rise. He wouldn't be much use to her on the floor.
Trembling Trent regained his feet. The few contacts he had made in E-Rantel had cautioned him against giving any less than 10 gold when greasing the wheels of bureaucracy in this city. While expensive his fellow merchants admitted to the effectiveness of the measure. Decisions that in other jurisdictions could tally for months or even years if a nobel was involved, were typically posted the next day.
"How may I be of service to my Lady?" Eyeing the large sack the demoness had attached to her waist. His practiced eye judged it large enough to hold three dresses. Perhaps she has some clothes she wants mended. Joshua Trent hoped he wouldn't be required to use his own skin for the repair work.
"I wish to purchase a maternity dress. Do you have any white baby elder dragon skin?"
"Gulp, dragon?" Is that the sort of things the nobles wear here? As she continued with her inquiries more questions arose in the tailor's mind. What is a prismatic metal underwire?
"Your ladyship I feel I must remind you that exotic materials are quite expensive." Hoping the mention of money would pull his customer back from the fantasy land she had wandered off into. However, the prime minister pulled the sack away from her and tossed it in front of him. The movement had contained no hint of the crash the sack made on the wooden floor. Unsure of what to make of the clinking sounds that followed Trent reached out and opened the bag. The glitter of gold greeted him. If the nearly thigh high sack was really filled with gold coins as it appeared to be he doubted he could even lift the bag. "Right then. If your ladyship will step this way I'll take your measurements."
Within the hour several new resource gathering requests had been posted to the adventures guild.
AinZ's perspective
While the restless undead Overlord stalked the corridors of the Great Tomb. Albedo was in labour with his child. He was going to be a dad. His mind dug through his human memories for what he was supposed to do. Cigars had not been implemented in the game. The devs had likely wanted to avoid the anti smoking league's attention. He was granted a respite from worry over the impending birth by the realization that he hadn't seen anyone smoking in this new world. But his addled mind was all too quick to return to rattling the idea of a child around inside his empty skull. It had all happened so fast. It wasn't fair! He had expected to have at a minimum of nine months to acclimate. But here he was expecting to be summoned at any moment to greet his child a mere nine days since the event! Well there was also the anticipation of acquiring a rare item. But unlike with the lizard men he was going to be directly responsible for this child. Oh what have I done? It had only been a little over a week since he had given in to Albedo's desire for physical relations. And now he was going to have a child to raise without access to a wiki.
[Message] Lord Ainz this is Yuri Alpha. There is someone eager to meet you."
"On my way!" Gulp.
Ainz wished he could take a deep breath to relieve the imagined pressure in his chest but alas he had no lungs with which to do so. A moment's concentration and the ring of Ainz Ooal Gown was all that was needed to overcome the intervening space between him and the impromptu maternity ward. Girding his bones the ruler of Nazaric pulled open the right hand door and was greeted by clouds of rolling steam. "JuH what?" Given an egress the steam rushed past him and thus thinned sufficiently so that the king was able to make progress in to the suite. Looking around Aniz could see a number of large pots of boiling water and tables piled high with white towels. There was even a claw handled tub that had been raised on blocks of stone and was being heated by fire crystal nodes. The nodes had been placed underneath the bath tub. What is all this? They had turned the antechamber into a sauna. Thanks to Ainz's complete temperature resistance he was unaffected by the steam. Moving forward to the inner set of double doors, Ainz pauses to knock. Enrie and the village midwife had been adamant about his absence from the birthing itself. A stance he had joyfully submitted to. Pushing trepidation and wood aside Ainz Ooal Gown strode forward to meet his future.
It was a boy. A baby with the standard number of fingers, toes and limbs. This was hardly a given considering the boy's parentage. In almost all respects a normal looking caucation male child. The one exception was the baby's left eye. It wasn't there, instead a ridge of exposed bone escaped his son's flesh surrounding a pit of perfect darkness and at its heart a purple coal juttered.
The undead eye flared violet as it meets his own and glares back at Ainz. I'm a father but what am I a father of?
Human inner voice, "Holy crap is this what it is like to look at me?!" Enri's initial reaction made a lot more sense to Ainz now that he had an experience of his own for comparison. The child could pass for human, if he wore an eye patch.
Tearing his gaze away from the newest denizen of the Great Tomb's darkened halls; Aniz looked into the mother's face only to find that she had been studying him. "Have I done well Lord Ainz? If this one is not to your liking I could try again."
"Oh Albedo, you have most certainly done well."
Albedo smiled and the hand that was supporting the babe's head relaxed its grip just a bit.
The End of Chipped Bone.