9th floor of Nazarick, Ainz's office...
Ainz POV:
So, I've got three of my subordinates figured out, now what do I want for the 4th one? Following the boundaries I set for them, theres still quite a few I can think of. I'd like the last one to be special… maybe a lizard man? There was one who visited the dwarves… but no, they've got families there. Maybe a new worlder in Nazarick? Perhaps Hamsuke? Although, a representative of Nazarick being a giant hamster… I don't like the idea. Who have I met in the past that would make a good representative?! Think Ainz!
Ah. Yes, maybe he would work. It would be an interesting experiment...
I stand up, place my hand on Foíres shoulder, and teleport to the sixth floor.
Sixth floor, Amphitheater...
Ah… I don't think I'll ever tire of looking at the sixth floors sky. Foíre, the maid on duty today, has a blush on her face from me touching her. After I take my hand off, she quickly runs behind my back, and I start walking towards my destination.
What is my destination you ask? The pens for Auras pets of course. Ah, speak of the devil and she shall appear. In the distance, I see Aura running at me full speed, leaving a trail of dust in her wake.
When she does arrive, she slides to a stop and leans into a deep bow in front of me.
"Hello, Ainz-sama!"
"You may rise."
She raises her head, and has the biggest grin that I've ever seen on her face, as always.
"What brings you to my floor today, Ainz-sama?"
"As you might've heard, I'm beginning to recruit a few more subordinates. The two I've already brought in are Fluder Paradyne, the magic caster from the empire, and Zesshi Zetsumei, the Theocracies trump card."
"Mm, I heard about them. But, might you allow me to ask a question?"
"Go ahead."
"Why are you taking them in? Have we… displeased you in any way?"
Her smile fades, and is replaced by glistening eyes and an unsure grimace.
"Not at all. There's multiple reasons why I'm using them. First, I'd like to see how strong people from the New World can get. Perhaps they can use tiers of magic I cannot, or maybe there is no level cap. I want to see and document all of the martial arts, and see the heights heroes can reach. The second, is because our territory is expanding. More territory means I need more people to run the territory. When we conquer the continent, what's the next step? The seas, and the lands beyond it of course. For that, I'll need more people. No matter how smart or strong I am, I can't rule the world by myself. I need subordinates."
"I see… thank you for explaining that to me, I think every guardian has the same fears though."
Her smile comes back, and she resumes her usual demeanor.
"Now then, I've already decided on the third subordinate, but I want one more. That's why I've come here."
"Is that so? Who ever could you want?"
"I'd like the dragon from the Dwarves. If you aren't using him of course."
"Well, there's not much I can use him for, he mainly just sleeps and reads."
"Indeed. He reads. He's smart. That's why I want to use him. He's also a dragon, which is a natural show of power. Dragons in this world have special magic, and I wish to see if he can use it."
"Oh… I see! As expected of Ainz-sama! Well then, follow me!"
She sets off with her hands behind her head, so Foíre and I follow.
After a couple of minutes of walking, we arrive at Auras pen. There are all manner of creatures, but the one we're looking for is at the end. Although I do stop to pet Fenrir, in which she leans into my hand, nuzzling it.
Bukubukuchagama-san really went all in on this place. It's made entirely out of stone, with the roof above the stalls being made of vines that can come closer or pull apart depending on the weather of the day. The stone has lots of various carvings, and also has metal mixed in at the corners and pillars. (If you want a basic idea of what this looks like, look up "dwarven ruins skyrim".)
Walking further, we arrive at the biggest pen in here, housing my future test subject. This particular dragon's name is Hejinmal, who is quite fat for a race renowned to be apex predators. He has a stack of books outside of his pen, and various pieces of paper with failed attempts at writing on them. It seems he's trying to document his findings and research? He'll be a great asset to Nazarick. I think.
At our arrival, he stirs from his nap, and groggily opens his eyes. When he recognizes me, his eyelids shoot open, and he raises his head into a bow.
"Greetings Ainz-sama! Thank you for taking the time out of your day to visit me! What can this one do for you!"
"Umu, hello Hejinmal. I'd like you to come with me to the Amphitheater for a little bit."
"Yesofcourse!"
We walk back to the Amphitheater, and Aura and Foíre take place behind me, whilst Hejinmal bows in front of me.
"So Hejinmal, I'd like to ask you a few questions. First, what do you know about wild magic?"
"Ah… not as much as I would like to, my lord. I know a tiny bit more than the average person, but not by much."
"Tell me. Anything you know will be useful."
"Well, first there's the basic information. It can only be cast by true dragon lords, and it was the magic that existed before tier magic. That's all that I know."
"Umu. Second question. How would you like to serve under me as a direct subordinate, not one who simply hides in his pen all day reading spare books?"
"U-um…"
"You'll have to get stronger, but if you do enough work for me, I'll allow you to access my library."
His eyes widen at this, and he seems to start thinking.
"As you are a unique dragon who shows interest in knowledge and not gold, I've got quite a few experiments I'd like you to take on. I'll teach you how to read and write, and grant you a cave on this floor, where you can write your findings on stone tablets. I'd like to see how high of a level you can become, and if you can become able to cast wild magic. Although… I'd also like you to train your dragon senses and strengths as well. You need to train your racial levels to become a proper representative of Nazarick. I can also have you talk to one of my subordinates about information on the outside world as well, and you need to become a proper leader."
"I… accept. I accept, Ainz-sama."
"Good. I look forward to seeing the fruits of your efforts. Speak to Mare about being taught language, and granted space on this floor. I'll have a subordinate come down later with a magic item that lets you in the library."
On that note, I turn around and pull a ring out of my inventory. I hand this ring to Foíre, and she blushes and puts it on. This is a ring of frost resistance, as she'll need it to traverse the 5th floor.
5th floor, Frozen Glacier...
Zesshi Zetsumei is focused on melee combat, as such, she'll need a melee combat teacher. Sebas is working in E-Rantel, and taking Albedo away from her current work is unthinkable. That leaves the guardian who currently has the least amount of work assigned to him, Cocytus, up to the task. On who will be training Fluder, I think I'll have Demiurge write down demonic spells for Fluder to research and try for himself. But, this will all come in due time.
Me and Foíre teleport to the 5th floor, and are greeted by a blizzard. Like always. I grab ahold of Foíre's shoulder and pull her into my chest, below my arm, so that way I don't lose her in the blizzard. She's shaking, but not from the cold. I know exactly why, but I think this is better than holding her hand.
We walk a few paces, then Cocytus becomes aware of my presence on his floor, and turns off the blizzard. Now, only a light snowfall is coming down. I let Foíre out of my robes, and she leaves, although reluctantly.
In the distance, I hear heavy feet and the crunching of snow. This is Cocytus, coming to greet us.
"Ainz. Sama. Thank. You. For. Gracing. My. Floor. With. Your. Presence."
"Hello Cocytus. I have a task for you."
Once Cocytus fully reaches us, he bows before me.
"What. Is. It. Ainz. Sama?"
"You are officially removed from the duty of training the lizardmen."
His mandibles click at this. Him, Shizu and Entoma are the most annoying ones to talk to! I never know what they're thinking.
"Instead, you will have one month to start training the newest subordinate of Nazarick, Zesshi Zetsumei. You will have access to all of Nazaricks materials, including anything you require from the treasury. This order starts tomorrow. At the end of the day, I will be calling a meeting with the guardians and Pleiades in attendance, in which I will announce the plans I have for you going forward. Understood?"
"Understood. Ainz. Sama."
His mandibles click repeatedly, and frost comes out of his mouth.
"Umu, then I think we're done here. Although Cocytus, is there a certain domain in which you'd like command over in this new world?"
"...Allow. Me. To. Research. And. Announce. That. At. The. Meeting. Tonight. Ainz. Sama."
"That is fine. Well then, I bid you farewell Cocytus."
I take Foíres shoulder in my hand again, and teleport back to my office.
9th floor, Ainz's office...
Now then, for our next order of business, I suppose I should call Demiurge here.
"Message."
'Demiurge.'
'Yes, Ainz-sama!'
'Come to my office.'
'Understood, Ainz-sama.'
As I wait for him to arrive, I decide to talk with Foíre.
"Foíre."
"Yes, Ainz-sama?"
"What do you think of… the new arrivals?"
"Um… forgive me Ainz-sama, but what do you mean?"
"What do you and the other maids think of the new subordinates? What is your general opinion on them?"
"Ah… I haven't met her, but Zetsumei is… talked down upon. She wasn't created by the supreme ones, and she was one of the recent invaders. As always, we are amazed by how kind you can be. With Fluder, I've had the pleasure of talking to him in passing once. He's quite… weird? Perhaps that's the word for him? But I can tell he's been completely and utterly dominated by you, so it's nice to see humans truly understand their place in this world for once. He sees you for how you truly are, a god amongst children. As for the dragon, I don't really have an opinion on him, but he also knows his place, so that's good. I also heard Shizu-chan and Lupus-san talking about Neia in passing, and they were speaking quite highly of her. I also heard she founded something called the, 'Cult of Ainz'. Is this true?"
"Y-yes it is. Whilst I'm flattered by Baraja-sans… devotion and enthusiasm? I don't really think calling me 'justice' is the proper word."
"Justice?"
"Mm. She believes that strength is justice, and whoever has strength is right. Of course, I was the one who told her that the strong make the decisions, not the weak. Although I didn't expect her to see it in such a way. But as I'm the strongest in the world, she sees me as a god, and made a religion out of it."
"Ainz-sama is justice… I never thought of it that way! I'd very much like to talk to her about this… I'm sure we all would. Thank you for informing me of this Ainz-sama!"
Why do I get the feeling I just started something really bad in Nazarick? This is your fault, Baraja-san!
At this, we hear a knock on the door, and Foíre moves to open it.
"Ainz-sama, Demiurge would like to speak with you."
"Let him in."
She opens the door, and in steps the most nefarious resident demon of Nazarick, Demiurge. He kneels in front of me, and I begin.
"Rise. So Demiurge, I would like your opinion on something."
His mouth opens in shock, and his hand goes over his heart. He starts to shake, and says,
"To think Ainz-sama would call on me for such an honor… I am most gracious for this opportunity, Ainz-sama! I will do my best to answer to your liking!"
"Umu, good. I am the supreme ruler of Nazarick, the last Supreme being, and am amazing at what I do. However, I can't run a country by myself. I need subordinates, smart subordinates, to run certain areas of the country. I will put Albedo in charge of the newly destroyed kingdom, and have her call the shots to rebuild it. Depending on what goes on in the council state, it's possible she will take charge of that as well. I will be putting you in charge of the Roble Holy Kingdom, and the Abelion Hills next to it. I need one more person to rule over the newly acquired Slane Theocracy, and I would like you to recommend someone. Of course, I already have an idea in mind, but I would like to hear yours."
He thinks for a moment, and then composes himself.
"First of all, allow me to express my most heartfelt gratitude at being allowed that land. Secondly, I would like to recommend Princess Renner. She matches me, Albedo and Pandora in knowledge, and would be the good choice to rule over a human country, as they believe she's still human."
"Umu, good. It seems we both had the same person in mind."
At this, Demiurge's mouth opens even further, and he begins to giggle and whisper to himself.
Of course, I didn't actually have anyone in mind.
"Now then, onto the next order of business. How is Fluders transformation going?"
"Ah, it's painful, as expected. But he should be done in a few hours."
"Umu, good. I'd like you to write down some books on demonic spells for him to research. And, in your free time, if you could teach him. Of course, if you can't, that'll be fine. I can have Pandora teach him."
"Understood, Ainz-sama."
"At the end of today, I will be calling a meeting in the throne room to discuss the fire of my Kingdom, and various other things. I look forward to seeing you attend."
"Thank you, Ainz-sama!"
I wish they knew different words….
"Umu, you are dismissed."
He bows again and leaves, leaving only the two of us in the room.
I feel quite confident ordering them around right now. Why? Because I know what I'm doing! I know how to run a company properly, I researched as a human, and as an undead! The first thing you must do is put your employees in the right spots. Demiurge has been dealing with the Holy Kingdom and beastmen for a while, so kicking him out now wouldn't do any good. And Albedo dealt with the kingdom a bunch, so I trust her to rebuild it.
I think I'll set my sights on the Dragon Kingdom next though, I'd like to show the remaining parts of the world some things.
Nazarick, Throne room...
Ah… it's time for the meeting that I called for. I've called Pandora and Victim here too, I want them to be present.
I teleport into the throne room, and sit down on my throne. Gathered in front of me are the Pleiades, and the Guardians. Albedo is also kneeling with them as well.
Let's begin.
"I'd like to start by addressing some concerns Aura brought to my attention. In recent days, I recruited three new subordinates. These people were from the new world, and we're not created by my friends. She said that you feared you displeased or disappointed me in some way, and I assure you, that is not the case. In fact, it is the very opposite. My pride at seeing the servants of Nazarick carry out their tasks given to them so flawlessly is beyond measure. There were only a few people who messed up when we came to this new world, and when they did, it was because I failed to explain the full concept of my plans to them."
They begin to open their mouths to protest, to say that it was the other way around. That it was their fault for not grasping my plans correctly, their fault for messing up. I've heard it a million times before, I'm quite tired of it. I hold up my hand to silence them.
"Silence. In the coming months, I will be taking the reins on most operations, and changing the way things have been going until now. I allowed Demiurge and Albedo to control most tasks up until now, and give them a chance to show me their abilities. So, I think you'll all like what comes next."
I let out a little laugh, I'm quite excited at being able to show off like this. I let them control everything, because that's what needed to be done. They needed to take over the larger countries, so that way I had room to do my thing. The Sorcerer's Kingdom has taken over the three largest countries on the continent in under a year, so we are now untouchable. Now, it's just the matter of meeting the remaining three rulers on the continent, and securing their vassalage. It's… a sales pitch. Convincing people is what I do best.
"First things first. Shalltear."
She looks up.
"You will be in charge of my security. Whenever I travel abroad, I will have you by my side."
Everyone in the room lets out a gasp at this. Albedo speaks up.
"Ainz-sama, if-"
"Hush. I have plans for you Albedo. Now then, what are your thoughts on this Shalltear?"
"... I… I am…"
A grin of pure glee spreads across her face, and she starts shaking in place. Her eyes refocus on me, and she continues,
"I AM MOST GRATEFUL FOR THIS CHANCE, AINZ-SAMA!!!"
"But Ainz-sama! I have the highest defense in Nazarick, would it not be better for me to be your guard?!"
"No Albedo, you are needed elsewhere. I will explain everything in this meeting. Next, Cocytus."
"Yes. Ainz. Sama?"
"You will be in charge of all military operations. You have the rights to request anything from the treasury, command all of our forces and assets, the guardians, and even me, should the situation call for it. You can also use any area guardian you want, except for Aureole Omega."
"AINZ. SAMA!! THANK. YOU! MY. JOY. IS. INEXPRESSIBLE!"
"However. This does not take effect immediately. You still have the duty of training Zetsumei. During the time in-between training her, I want you to read up on war books. Go to the library, and request war strategy books from Titus. I expect you to keep a good schedule between studying and training."
"Yes. Ainz. Sama."
"Have you made your decision on what area you want to control in the new world?"
"Yes. Ainz. Sama. I. Would. Like. The. Azeralia. Mountains. And. I. Would. Like. To. Oversee. The. Dwarven. Country."
"Granted."
"Thank. You. Ainz. Sama."
"Next. Aura and Mare."
"Yes, Ainz-sama?"
"Y-yes Ainz-s-sama?"
"I need you two to begin searching for dragons. Dragon lords specifically. They could be a potential threat to Nazarick, and I want them eliminated as soon as possible. HOWEVER. This does not mean you are to engage them. When you find one, you are to immediately message me, and come back to Nazarick. I will meet you in my office. When we have the locations of all the dragon lords, is when I will put the plans I have for them into motion. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES, are you to attempt to fight one. When outside of Nazarick, the both of you will carry your world items with you at all times. This task is even more important than Shalltear's, as I may be able to be revived. I hope you carry out your tasks well."
"Understood, Ainz-sama!"
"L-likewise!"
I really hope they don't mess this up. The dragon lords are the only people who can really stand up to me. Although I won't be letting my guard down against the other countries either.
"Demiurge, you will also be taking over Shalltear's job. Coordinate with Albedo to control shipments of supplies across the continent."
"Understood, Ainz-sama."
"Albedo."
"Yes, Ainz-sama?"
"You will be in charge of rebuilding the Kingdom. When it's rebuilt, you will rule over that domain. Depending on what happens with the Council-States, you will also rule over them. You can use whatever you need to re-settle that land, but make sure you re-settle it. I want to hear no rumors about the Prime Minister discriminating against humans, understood?"
"U-understood, Ainz-sama."
"Pleiades. Every guardian has the jurisdiction to use you all however they see fit. I expect you all will be seeing alot of action in the upcoming months."
They bow their heads in unison.
"Sebas, you will stand guard in Nazarick. We cannot leave the tomb undefended. As for the land of the Slane Theocracy, Princess Renner will take charge of the land, and rule over it in my upcoming absences."
I stand up, preparing to end this meeting with a speech.
"The people of Yggdrasil who came before us called themselves Gods and Kings, yet they got wiped out by dragons weaker than them! Ainz Ooal Gown will not make such an idiotic mistake. The name Ainz Ooal Gown has never known defeat, and I do not plan to lose to a bunch of idiotic, greedy dragons who know nothing about us, and only seek our treasure! We will conquer this continent, and then the world, as that is the bare minimum we deserve! You all are my children, and I look forward to ruling the world with you!"
The guardians and pleiades have smiles on their face, as they look up, and pledge their loyalty to me once more.
That's chapter 3 finished! Now you all know what's going to be going on in this fic, and the story line it will follow.
This chapters a little short, but there was little I could do about it. It was just Ainz going around and talking to guardians. But now we have the main cast!
Next chapter I release might be for this one, or for Shota Suzuki, idk. Leave thoughts and comments!