Reflecting the grand light of the great tomb, Demiurge's glasses glimmered and a small smile adorned his face. With vigorous steps and his usual elegant form, he approached his master's sanctum. Absentmindedly patting the stack of papers on his right arm back into perfect shape, he allowed himself a small luxury of a few seconds. Glancing upwards towards the grand chandeliers illuminating the hall and the tapestries hanging by the walls, exalting the great ones. The demon felt warmth inside his heart.
Nodding to himself, the man resumed walking towards the nearby chamber, glad to have completed one more of their master's mandates in such an a efficient manner that would no doubt make the great one proud. Although he did ponder for a moment why the mortals polluting his lord's lands deemed it right to take longer "breaks".
With a wry grin he once more exalted the supreme one's inscrutable planning and fathomless mercy, it was clear that the 'albion sheep' required a firm guiding hand.
One of the Pleiades interrupted his musings through a [message]. "Lord Demiurge, I beg your pardon."
"Mmh, what is it Solution?" he asked.
"It pertains to the item Lord Ainz requested you deliver to him. And which you entrusted us with delivering"
His brow furrowed, "Yes, what of it maid?"
"My lord, it is dead. And what's even more curious is that is has been found quite a distance from where my sisters had stored it while waiting for permission to transport it, its unclear if it escaped on its own or not."
This-this was bad, good mood thoroughly ruined, Demiurge prepared to teleport to Solution's side, it seemed they had a dissenter amidst their ranks. At the very least the maid was above suspicion, she was the one who had warned them of Sebas problematic thoughts after all.
"Who found the remains, is anyone with you right now Ms epsilon?"
"One of the low tier workers did sire, as they were in the process of renovating the great one's woodland 'retreat house', before they notified one of the lower maids. And no my lord, I am currently alone in the area."
Mind racing, ideas and schemes measured and found wanting within seconds, the second brightest mind in all of Nazarick, despite what Albedo might think, decided on a course of action.
Falling to a knee within the empty hallway he contacted Ainz, "My lord, my most sincere apologies, a..small matter has come up and it unfortunately requires my personal touch. I beg your pardon but if it is alright with you I would ask that we delay the daily briefing until I resolve the issue."
"Mmh. Yes-very good Demiurge. See to it." Within his mind's eye the man could almost see His bony radiance scratching his pale cheek with one finger.
Naturally his lord already knew everything about this issue and being his magnanimous self allowed His limited servant to redeem himself. Or, if he hadn't bothered to expend even the faintest of moments to ponder it, Lord Ainz clearly suspected most of it still. Sasuga!
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Appearing by the blonde's side the tactician of Nazarick's sharp mind catalogued everything about the scene before him in the blink of an eye. From the deceased experiment, to the various marks and other signs of damage littering the holy one's room. And of course the maid currently ensuring that the culprit didn't get the chance to return and alter the evidence.
The small 'tsk' escaping his lips was the only sign of the demon's opinion about the skills of the perpetrator. Clearly they had tried to hide some of the marks before panicking and abandoning the job as to hard. 'So sloppy'
Alas, unlike Demiurge's desires this wasn't the smoking gun that would reveal the traitor. For despite Lord Ainz's hopes, his servants were quite fallible. The tactician himself simply being the closest to his lord's perfection thanks to his personal teachings.
He sighed, it seems that they would have to solve this the hard way. At the very least he had one thing going for him, the gift he had prepared for their lord was quite resilient..Well my mortal standards that is, he and any of the guardians would have little difficulty in dispatching it. Even the Pleiades would manage to do so. This narrowed the list quite a bit. A small whisper in the back of his mind had him pause, 'what if there where more than one traitors?'
His frown deepened, this complicated things.
"Maid, when I give you the all clear contact the rest of your group and have them gather here. This could prove tricky. I have preparations to make to ensure Lord Ainz's protection, before contacting the rest of the suspects"
Solution's already pale form paled further at Lord Demiurge's words, a traitor? Again? Had Shalltear and Sebas's traitorous thoughts and conduct not been enough, why did her comrades continue to test their lord's willingness to remain in Nazarick.
"Very well my lord, shall I eliminate any of my sisters or Lord Sebas?"
"Ahh no, that won't be necessary, we don't want to tip our hand just yet Solution. Although your loyalty is splendid." Replied the man with an approving grin.
"Anything for the supreme ones" declared the girl.
Demiurge nodded in agreement, anything indeed..
He had preparations to make.
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"So why have you gathered us here Demiurge?"
Gazing at the cool beauty that was the Overseer of the guardians, the man simply smiled in lieu of answering. Electing instead to once more glance at each of the new arrivals within the room.
Finally finding what he was looking for he fixed his glasses with one hand and replied, "I requested you all here for one simple reason, it seems we have someone who has grown weary of following Lord Ainz's orders" he pointed to said man sitting silent upon the chair he had prepared for him back when Shalltear's punishment was to be decided.
Seeing Albedo's tensing as she looked upon their Lord he made an, to anyone else, imperceptible movement of his eyebrow. The woman catching it, immediately relaxed. Good he had been reasonably sure but this confirmed it, having such an ally if things went awry could prove useful.
"You see, our lord confided in me a few days ago that he had grown bored. And wanted something novel which could amuse him for a short while." The tactician shrugged self deprecatingly, "naturally I didn't hope to reach the realm of the supreme ones talent with my creation, but I did do my best and had high hopes that thanks to his boundless mercy, the supreme one would find this toy somewhat amusing. Alas someone killed it"
"Wh-why did you look at me" squawked a flustered Shalltear. "I saw you look at m- there you did it again!" cried the vampire
Giving her the side eye the black haired beauty mused, "Our lord did mention that those with guilty consciences often can't help but show their guilt"
The girl spluttered before turning towards the overseer with rage clear on her face, causing a small amount of amusement for those gathered, "What did you say?! Just what are you implying you stinky gorilla?"
"Oh nothing, just musing aloud you aerodynamic lamprey!" fired back the woman with her own nasty grin.
"Ahem, ladies please?" interrupted the man his gaze lingering for a second at the stoic Buttler, who hadn't yet shown any obvious reaction. Hmm.
"The good news is that the 'toy'," he inclined his head towards the fallen creature whose 3 eyes, laying open in death retained obvious sign of terror, "was quite resilient. So this reduces our list of suspects quite a bit. As nobody outside this room could have managed to kill it so easily. And for that matter nobody else knew about it."
"So why did you think any of us did it?" interrupted the goth once more.
Once more catching Albedo's eye and making a tiny motion towards Solution, who even now was stationed amidst the Pleiades in such a manner as to strike if ordered, and towards the quivering elf trying to disappear in a corner. The two of the three greatest minds within the holy tomb communicated non verbally. Seeing that she understood once more, he replied. "ahh, I am afraid that is simple Ms Shalltear. The means employed by the culprit as well as their effects on the surroundings imply a certain..mhh lack of grace you could say."
She raised a skeptical eyebrow, "and you think I could have done that?" the vampire pointed towards the haphazard slash rending the chest of the beast, "I wield a lance you doofus, or my umbrella I guess. Why would I cut it instead of piercing it before bisecting it."
Jerking her head towards her rival for Ainz sama's heart she added, "if anything it sounds to me like something the gorilla over here would do. Her axe is as ugly as her mug and she wields the poor weapon with the grace of her species"
Narrowed eyes glared back at the loli, "You-dare- imply that I would betray my love?!" she all but shouted.
The Pleiades, with the ever stoic Sebas being the exception gazed with now obvious amusement.
"E-ehm, please don't fight? Not in front of Lord A-Ainz?" pleaded the small elf.
Coughing, both girls ceased their bickering and re-composed themselves, "ahem, thank you Mare" said the demon.
"G-glad to help Lord Demiurge!"
Allowing a small smile towards the loyal child he continued, "No I am afraid not, Shalltear. Disagreements about Albedo's grace aside there is no denying her..ahem devotion to our lord or her strength. Even a glancing hit from her axe would have torn the toy in half"
Grudgingly the vampire conceded the point.
Not one to mince word Sebas spoke, "My lord similar to Lady Shalltear I have to ask, my weapon of choice are my fists. Even if I intended to perform such a despicable act, why use a weapon unfamiliar to me. Especially when even using my fist as a blade I could perform a much cleaner cut than that."
Here the demon smiled, a hungry malicious crack forming upon his face, "Ahh but this doesn't exonerate you my friend, for it is precisely what a novice would do to cover their tracks." A pause. "As for why this is so important that no-one is above suspicion.. Narberal"
Said maid, hearing her name perked up, her hollow eyes gaining a touch of life. "My lord?"
"Please inform us, what where you doing yesterday?"
"At Lord Ai-.." she paused remembering her Lord's orders, "Momon..Momon-san's urging we spent the day performing quests for the guild of lower lifeforms. Then we retreated to the inn where we resided until morning"
"This is why my friends, our lord, the last of the supreme ones who deigned to remain behind with us.. was outside the protections of our home last night. At the same time when someone apparently had other ideas."
At this all present tensed, the overlord was of course strong, very strong. But no matter how remote the chance of harm befalling their lord, everybody now looked more alert as they gazed suspiciously at their neighbor. 'Good, as they should' thought the tactician, "But don't worry, your words and actions were enough I know who the perpetrator is."
Albedo, even though given less time to collate the info had a pretty good idea who Demiurge was hinting at, she prepared to summon her armor. Nearby Mare and Solution readied themselves to act.
As he opened his mouth to speak and pass judgement a flash of teleportation froze everyone.
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Some minutes before, in Nazarick
Suzuki Satoru, more commonly known as Momonga by his friends and subjects and recently Ainz, was perplexed.
An hour or two ago Aura had come to him with a request, seeing as his loyal subjects oh so rarely showed such initiative, much to Momonga's chagrin and despair he was all to happy to oblige. Following the elven teen to her coliseum he did not expect to find so many of his subjects waiting for him there.
For a moment he felt nothing but sheer panic before his [emotion suppression] activated, and Cocytus informed him that they had prepared an exhibition for him. Seeing his friends enjoying themselves so much, Ainz also felt happiness within his undead heart, that is until Aura and Victim who had stayed by his side the whole time asked him some difficult questions.
"My lord, how are babies made? Will you create an heir soon?" switching gazes from the elf to the stillborn cherubim Ainz only felt despair. Their innocent and well-meaning attack had caught him unaware. Casting a glance upwards to the warrior by his side he felt his hope plummet.
Cocytus who before had been narrating the procession of Nazarick's best going down bellow non stop, had gone suspiciously silent.
"Err, mmh. Humu! That is.." a moment of clarity provided him with his salvation, and so he grasped it with both hands, "I believe Demiurge would be better able to answer that. I'll go get him."
Activating the teleport he barely caught the blossoming panic in the pair's eyes, odd. But even if they didn't fear the talk from him for some reason he was sorry, they would have to settle for the demon.
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The light cleared, and with it Demiurge felt his chest clench. They had failed, for whatever reason the ones he tasked back at Nazarick were unable to distract their lord. But then again why was he surpr-
"Mmh, Demiurge good, I have need of your..ah that. I see." Ainz paused mid speech as his gaze landed upon the ruined toy.
Hearing his lord's obvious disappointment, which seemed to intensify as he looked upon everyone within the room everything clicked inside his head. Sasuga Ainz sama! Now to understand the motive..
"My lord, please be careful" shouted Albedo as she jumped in front of him and shifted into her armor before landing, holding her axe in a warding manner against the rest of the room.
Behind him, "Ainz" his form fading stood an equally serious Pandora's actor, ready to crush anyone who would harm his creator.
"Mmh, relax Albedo. We are all friends here." He said, scratching a bony cheek as he did so.
Once more Demiurge was enlightened. "Magnificent my Lord! As usual!"
A flaming eye gazed at him in obvious approval, before giving him a small nod allowing him to explain.
Turning towards his comrades he did just that, "my friends, it seems that Lord Ainz had once more foreseen a host of issues that we have yet to resolve. Thus as with the tale of the gordian knot he found a way to resolve several of them at once."
Frowning, Shalltear looked at him. "So no one's a traitor? But then what of the dead creature?" warmth blossomed through the demon's chest, it seems that thanks to their lord even creatures as dimwitted as she could improve and attempt at logic.
"That is partially correct" he allowed, ever one to encourage talent. "indeed we have no traitor in our midst, as for the creature try and remember what I told you about it."
The girl frowned harder, "It was..quite resilient?" she tried.
A mad grin split his lips, "Exactly! Nobody below the Pleiades could even dream of harming it, and only some of those gathered here today where under suspicion. Those left behind at Nazarick and whom I had tasked with guarding our lord being irrefutably innocent." He inclined his head towards the elven child, "Mare and his sister had been with me the whole day, as I required their aid in a particular project."
Blushing Mare replied, "it was our pleasure Demiurge sir."
Showing another rare flash of brilliance Shalltear made an 'oh' face, "then it could only have been-"
"Lord Ainz, yes."
Tension draining away, everyone relaxed and Albedo dismissed her armor as she turned to gaze lovingly upon the overlord. Curiously Pandora's box seemed even more tense at that for some reason.
"But why?"
He nodded, "I've been pondering that myself. And I think I see almost 2/3 our of our lord's plot"
Pausing in her attempts at molesting her beloved Ainz, the overseer turned, "that's impressive I only got half of it so far." She grudgingly admitted.
Pleased internally but showing no sign of it he continued, "As I was saying, our lord wanted to point out to us our many blind spots, as well as the fact that we lack enough surveillance and confirmation of each other's movement at all times. Or of our lord for that matter. Narberal-"
The girl who had been looking grim at the realization that Momo..Momon-san had disappeared while He has, supposedly, beneath her protection perked up.
"You were unaware at our lord's actions yes?"
Wincing at having it said out loud the girl looked torn between crying and begging for forgiveness.
"Ahh, Demiurge. That was my intent."
Pausing at his lord's intervention he hid a wince, realizing now how this might have sounded, "Hm, I see apologies for this Narberal, I did not mean to imply you failed. As it was indeed our lords desire for you to be unaware of his act."
Still ashamed but no longer feeling guilty the girl seemed happy, or at least sort of? At least her sisters were no longer glaring at her.
Albedo, having finally caught up continued, "And remember what Demiurge had said earlier. Our Lord was bored. Also per his own words, Demiurge could not hope that his creative skills would match that of the supreme ones." The demon acknowledged the dig, with a frown. But it was the unfortunate truth.
Turning towards the overlord, her eyes glowing with mad love, the succubus resumed her explanation, "But our lord is magnanimous, and thus he did use the toy. Just not in the manner that we all thought he would. After all what better toy is there than one which only the supreme ones are allowed to use?"
Nodding at her callback to his words to Lord Ainz back when Shalltear's punishment occurred, he opened his mouth.
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Eyes jumping from guardian to guardian Ainz only felt his despair and confusion grew. 'Plan?! What plan? I just wanted to get away and explore without worrying poor Nabe for once!'
The ruler of Nazarick looked upon the dead abomination, 'And when did I order that! I thought it was a weird monster that was attacking the house my friends worked so hard to build me.'
Seeing Demiurge turn to him questioningly he gave the appropriate hum while urging him to continue, wincing as a moment later said man extolled his purposefully shoddy swordsmanship. 'I was just attempting to emulate a cool technique from an anime I saw once, hell I was lucky at least one hit connected with the beast.'
Albedo, as the demon paused a few seconds later inclined her head and indicated that this was about a third of the plan.
He despaired, 'What PLAN?!'
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Hello hello, this bunny came to me as I was enjoying the movie event in fgo and somehow my mind made a connection to the previous event and Reines and then I thought of overlord and then..Well this is the result.
Poor Ainz, it seems that he can never escape his servants and their eagerness to please.