Harrenhal - 295 AC
"Yep, just move it over a bit to the left there and- Oop, there ya go~!"
With Lupusregina's command, the [Death Knights] place down a carved stone block into a notch in the floor. The piece fits like a glove. A bug called [Rock Spitter] lines the seams with its saliva, sealing the stone.
A dozen other stone pieces are being laid down in precise shapes and patterns, making sure that the finished result will look amazing for the Supreme Being. She has the Guardian of the Sixth Floor, Mare Bello Fiore, to thank for all of this. If it wasn't for him, the work of just mining and cutting the stone would've taken her forever. Usually she would refrain from asking help from others; she takes pride in her work, after all. But upon receiving Momonga's words and gift, she had a change of mind.
I need to prove myself that I'm worthy of such gifts! And if that means I'll have to work differently, then so be it.
It was the first time Lupus ever met face-to-face with the Floor Guardian; they never had the chance during their time in Yggdrasil. Moreover, Mare is technically her superior as well, so asking help from him was somewhat nerve-wracking. Luckily, Mare is quite shy so it was easier for her to talk to him.
He didn't even open the door that time when talking to her, though she could hear the rustling of blankets. But it only took the idea of receiving gifts from the Supreme Being that he opened the door. The look on his eyes when he saw me wear that ring... Man, that boy can be scary~ And so, the two work together for the glory of Ainz Ooal Gown and the Great Nazarick Empire.
With Shalltear's own [Death Knights] helping them, the work should be done much quicker. In the space of a month, two-thirds of the tallest tower is finished with the others approximately half-done. However, the two still can't decide on what the interior should look like. She had the idea of making it fitting for the Overlord of Death: bones, spikes, and a dash of flavour from the Tenth Floor. However, Mare wanted it to look forest-like. Something about creating a regal display, yet Lupus has the suspicion that the dark elf just wants to grow some trees.
They wanted to ask Momonga for his opinion, but as he's on the way to an important meeting at Riverrun, they decided against it. Of course he also brought along Shalltear, so they're unable to get a third opinion on the matter either. Though Shalltear being chosen for this trip... Ah, I wonder how the Overseer will react to this? No doubt it'll be amusing~ Lupusregina smirks. The petty squabbles between Albedo and Shalltear are pretty useless; in her mind, there's already a clear winner here. Then again, he did give me a ring as well. She keeps the thought to herself.
"Hey Mare, how much stone do we have left for today?" Looking down from the tower, she can still see several undeads carrying stones.
"Oh, ah um," Mare fidgets, "I carved out fifty-seven blocks and regrew some of the oak. So, uh, I think we have about thirty left for today."
Lupus lets out a whistle. The creation of those blocks requires a lot of brute strength and mana, let alone regrowing the trees; she doesn't have the spells for that. But I shouldn't expect less from a Floor Guardian, she grins. Beneath his waiflike and clumsy appearance, Mare, along with his sister, are formidable. They were given life by the Supreme Being Bukubukuchagama to make the enemy fall into a false sense of security, something even Lupus enjoys doing.
Besides, nobody in Nazarick can be considered weak. Not even Victim... Oh, speaking of weak and frail~
"Mare, hold down the fort a bit."
"Wait, uh why!?" he exclaims.
"It'll be quick. Just need to take care of my little pet, that's all~" With that, she jumps down from the battlements, leaving the flustered Mare behind.
Falling through the air, she casts [Complete Invisibility] on herself before landing softly like a cat. She sees the old woman standing near the gates, holding herself up with a walking stick. Lupus approaches her, listening to the conversations between Shella and the guards. However, it's just some boring stuff about food supply and such. Y'know, Nazarick can easily provide that if you just kneel to Momonga-sama. But Lupus knows why the old woman is reluctant: she does not like the Supreme Being. No, more than just that. In conversations she would call him a monster, a beast, a creature fit to be slain. Insults, all of them. Even now, listening to them talk, the guards and Shella exchange blasphemous words.
Lupus kicks the cane from under her, causing the old woman to fall over. As she tries to get up, the maid pins the crone down with her sceptre, pushing it into her spine. The woman screams in pain as Lupus twists the sceptre in glee. At last she releases Shella, allowing her to be carried off by the guards to her private quarters.
Bad dogs get punished~
Lupus stretches her arms; her entertainment is gone now. Not wanting to fly back up to the tower, she decides instead to head out and see the world around her. As a Pleiades Battle Maid, she never left the Tenth Floor until their coming to this world. But upon setting foot on the surface, she now understands why the Supreme Being love the sky.
The air feels fresh. Though the Sixth Floor does have a plains and wooded section, this one she's in is real. The greenery, the mountains, the wide expanse of it all... It should all be under Momonga-sama's control, but these stupid humans have laid claim to it first. She wonders at what the Supreme Being has in store for them. With his powers and intellect, he would have no problem ruling over their undead corpses. However, he has taken great sacrifices to prevent any conflict with these human lords; gifts, agreements, even sparing the life of the old woman!
She shakes her head; there's no use in trying to discern his true intentions. Even Demiurge is in the dark for their master's movements. And if he's in the dark, there's not much Lupusregina can do to shine a light upon it. All we need to do is to serve him well when the orders come. Yet, she rubs the ring on her finger, for such a simple task... I will not disappoint him! Eager to please, she transforms into her wolf-form and stretches; it has been a long time since she has done this. Her fur feels fluffy in this summer air, though the weapon strapped to her back feels a bit awkward.
She sniffs the air and runs towards the smell. The scent of fire, the scent of people. The scent of prey. There should be a town south of here. Harrentown, was it? How unimaginative~ She overheard from the old woman that the town lies inside the lands of Harrenhal, and as such should belong rightly to Momonga. But the conversations of the guards begged to differ. Apparently, the town's mayor has gathered mercenaries, or "sellswords" as the humans call them, to protect them from the Supreme Being's welcoming embrace. They even built walls and spikes, intending to repel Nazarick's undead. Just the thought of that sends her into a rage, increasing her pace.
Within minutes she arrives at the town gates. At least, what she assumes to be Harrentown since she can't read a word of their sign. Sure enough, a ring of walls and a small, man-made moat have been built surrounding the town. She could just jump over it, but decides to take a look around first. As she circles the town, she notices that though the northern section of the walls are well-put-together, the same can't be said for the southern part. Sections are still unfinished, with men and women putting up planks and boards for the fortifications. She sees behind them buildings taken apart, no doubt to help the building process.
Lupus snickers. To think that these humans are so desperate. Ah... I should play with them. Just a little~
Invisible, she jumps over the moat and walks into the town. She watches them with the curiosity of a little boy with an anthill. Though the ones near the wall are serious and almost frantic in their motion and intent, most of the inhabitants seem to be just leading their normal lives. Fruit sellers and small markets are attending to their stalls, children are running about, a cat is trying to eat some leftover chicken bones... Though not what she considers clean nor sanitary, people are living the good life here. Whether they be guards, fishermen, spinsters, or any other, all are living comfortably. What a quaint little town.
...
With a howl, Lupusregina reveals herself in the town square to the screams of the horrified populace. Grinning, she leaps and grabs a fishmonger by the arm, tearing it off with a single bite. Swallowing it whole, she looks for more, leaving the man to die.
"D-Direwolf! It's a fucking direwolf!"
"C-Call the guards! Get me the hounds!"
"Everyone back inside! Quick and lo-" Before the woman could finish, Lupus bites her neck and rips off her head, crushing the skull between her massive jaws. The woman's children stare in fear at the brown-coated wolf. As blood and grey matter drip to the ground, she sniffs their terrified faces. She smiles, showing the gory remains of their mother between her teeth.
"Run."
The kids break off running, screaming and crying about a talking wolf. She chuckles at the pathetic sight. Looking around, most of the people have taken shelter in buildings; some brave souls are peeking behind closed doors. As she's about to charge into the largest one, she hears the clangs of armoured footstep. Turning around, a company of men decked out in armour and weapons approaches her. They form themselves at a narrow street, shields up and spears at the ready.
Lupus licks her lips. Eager for a challenge, she charges to meet them head on. The men flinch upon seeing the running wolf, closer to the speed of a horse than any dogs they know. They let loose crossbow bolts, only to have them bounce off of her furry hide. Realising this, they put up their spears and brace for impact. She leaps over the group and lands behind them, to the horror of the men.
With their slow reaction, Lupus bites into the first man easily, their woollen gambeson offering no resistance. A man charges at her with a sword but is thrown back with a headbutt. She leaps forward and crunches his skull, splattering blood on his terrified allies. A spear tries to jab into her side, only to be brushed off. "What are you," is all he could say as Lupus tears him open like a can with her claws, breastplate and all. Two dogs nip at her tail and legs. She kicks them aside, dashing their guts on the walls.
As she continues her rampage, Lupus huffs and puffs excitedly. No, she's ecstatic. All that time cooped up on the Tenth Floor, never encountering any battles, all of it; it's behind her now. In this new world, she can revel in bloodshed of the humans; the pride as the first Pleiades Battle Maid to spill blood.
One by one, men fall. Ripped open, torn asunder, crushed; the streets have become a scene of carnage. Before long, half of them are dead and some have fled. Guts and limbs litter the ground as she approaches the last three remaining men. Two men wielding spears, and another heavily armoured with a shield and sword. Ah, a knight or nobility are you? My my, leaving all that protection for yourself. What a bad leader~ She cackles, causing the men to reel and shiver. It'll be easy to kill them, but that's not what she's here for. She's here for terror. For chaos. For fun~
"I ain't dying here to some fucking beast!" shouts the armoured man. "Bracken! Jonny! Lower your damn spears and aim at its heart!"
"B-But, we don't know whe-"
"It's in its fucking chest you godd-" Lupus grabs the leader by his leg and throws him into a fish stall. With a snarl, the other two men flee. She closes in on him, watching the man slowly sit up from the pile of cod and trout. Trembling from her gaze, he starts to beg. "P-Please, I," he whimpers, "I don't know i-if you could understand but- Ah fish! Yes, you're hungry right!?" He holds up a smashed piece of cod to her snout. His face withers upon seeing her smile.
With a strong bite, she sinks her teeth into his shoulder, punching through the steel-plate armour. Howling in pain, the man draws his dagger and frantically stabs into her mane to no avail. As he starts shouting some nonsense names, she twists her head, breaking his shoulder blade and ribs. As the man's screams die down and his blood pools around her paws, Lupus lets go of the man. She then casts [Minor Healing] on him; not enough to heal the damage but enough to stop his blood loss. Satisfied with her little play, she turns invisible again and dashes out of town.
At the gates of Harrenhal, she transforms back to her maid form only to realise that she's completely drenched in blood and mud. "Ugh," she groans, "I really need to clean up." Though her pride as a Pleiades Maid tells her to take a bath, her werewolf instinct urges her to lick herself clean.
Hmm, I could take a little break~
Harrenhal - 295 AC
Mare sighs in defeat. I knew this would happen... I knew and let it happen.
From Lupusregina's [Message], it's clear that the Battle Maid will not be joining him again today. He rocks back and forth, fidgeting with his staff. He wants to stop her from doing anything rash, but her attitude and mannerisms just remind him of his twin sister Aura. That stubbornness and easy-going nature are hard for him to fight against.
It's why he got dragged along this project in the first place. Mare doesn't enjoy the bright sun nor the chilly winds atop the broken tower; he'd rather spend time in his room reading books under a soft, comfy blanket. But the ring on the maid's finger, the [Ring of Ainz Ooal Gown]...
It was extremely nerve-wracking trying to present their plans to Momonga. Just the sight of the Supreme Being alone sent him into a flustered and nervous wreck. He stuttered, jumbled up the castle's name, and may have let his true intentions slip. He nearly cried when the overlord of death patted his head, saying that he appreciated Mare's effort and willingness to help in the betterment of Nazarick. He didn't expect such kindness from such a fierce and powerful Supreme Being.
He still feels shame from the fact that his involvement in all of this stems from his selfish desires. That's why, atop the tower battlements, he swears to himself: his body and soul shall forever go towards the Supreme Being and the Great Nazarick Empire. No selfishness!
...
Well, maybe a bit is alright. Momonga-sama did say that it's always good to strive for a reward. But oh, what kind of rewards though? The ring is ni- He claps his face. "Focus! Just make sure the work's done for today." And that means going to the quarry of stone just outside of Harrenhal. Mare leans forward, looking down from the steep drop of the tower. The humans down below look like ants, so easy to trample. So weak, unlike Mare. The fastest way down is to just jump off like Lupusregina. But...
Mare is many things; a fan of tall heights is none of them. His creator, the Supreme Being Bukubukuchagama, made him the polar opposite of his sister: scared, shy, and easily nervous. He might be a Level 100 Floor Guardian, and thus will be unhurt from the small stunt, but...
No! he screams internally. I have to do this! Change myself for the greater good of Nazarick. He steps forward, a foot over the ledge. For Momonga-sama!
...
Mare dashes down the broken stairways of the castle, passing by many undeads and cobwebs. As he runs down the many flights, tears flow from his eyes. "Stupid, stupid!" he whimpers in the dark. "Why can't I just get it right!?" His fears overcame him then on the ledge. But he's confident. Confident that if Momonga orders him to jump, he would. I would, right? It's just because this is all so new to me. If it's in his presence, I will NOT make a mess!
Finishing his self-assurance, Mare steps out into the bright daylight. Shielding his eyes, he sees that his skirt and staff are covered in dust and cobweb. Dusting them off, he remembers the words of the maid Lupusregina, how appearance is everything and to always look presentable. Even if those he has to look presentable towards are just some humans.
Why are they still living here anyway? Don't they understand that this is Momonga-sama's castle?
In truth, their master's intentions are beyond the scope of what he could understand. Mare tried asking Demiurge, but the demon was still trying to gather his thoughts on the matter, leaving the dark elf completely blind. But Mare does understand one thing: Momonga may have a bit of a soft spot for the humans. In Mare's eyes, his master's immense kindness and pity is the greatest gift he has ever bestowed on those humans. Mare... kinda see that? He's not like his companions who would go the extra mile for pain and bloodshed, so he doesn't hate them. I just find humans less interesting than books, that's all. They're uncouth, stupid, short-lived, smelly...
OK, maybe I don't like them after all. He sighs. If he's to earn a ring, then tolerating those humans is a must. At the very least, tolerating the ones in this castle that's serving Ainz Ooal Gown. Even if they're not taking his grace to their hearts, he frowns.
Gritting his teeth, Mare briskly walks through the castle grounds, passing by many humans and undead. He's careful not to trip again and make a fool of himself. Seeing him, the knights and guards give him a wide berth; they know what happened last time someone mocked him. The man was lucky he died so soon. Yet, he still hears whispers sometimes that insults his authority over them. How he's but a "little boy" that doesn't know better. Though insulting, he smiles a bit at their foolishness; he's older than most of them.
But the longer he's around them, the more insults he hears about the Supreme Being. Some anger him, like calling his master a child slaver. Others are a bit more puzzling, like calling Mare a "Children of the Forest". Mare keeps his cool. Momonga is on an important trip, thus there's no need to disturb the Supreme Being with some silly news of the human's dislike of him. He'll just make a report to Demiurge; he's sure that the demon has a fitting punishment for those people.
...Do they know nothing of elves? he thinks to himself. Elves are of nature, so maybe they've just mistaken them as something else? Their poor knowledge regarding the basic, common races of Yggdrasil baffles him. Wow, they are stupid.
Mare enters one of the lower towers; the Widow's Tower, if he recalls correctly. Hmm, we'll need to rename it to something more fitting for the Supreme Being. Tower of Dread sounds nice... Undead and insectoids are rebuilding and reshaping the broken great hall into a greater glory. He can see the patterns on the walls and floor starting to take shape, decorated with the emblems of Ainz Ooal Gown and the 41 Supreme Beings. When it's all finished, the floor would be polished white marble. All that's missing is the throne. He doesn't support Lupusregina's idea of making it like the Tenth Floor; they already have the actual Tenth Floor, so it's redundant. Besides, this throne is not to replace that one, it's just an addition to the Supreme Being's glory.
He took great care in trying to design the throne; he referenced not only the Tenth Floor's [Throne of Kings], but also old designs taken from books in Ashurbanipal and the cultural aspects of this world. What design he ends up with is a throne of living weirwood, ever-growing and ever-lasting. Its white bark to complement Momonga's bones, and red leaves to signify his power over death. Even those humans can't help but bow before the Supreme Being, he imagines, squirming in delight.
All he needs to do is find a living weirwood; that's where he meets a wall. When the tomb appeared in this castle's "godswood", as the humans called it, it had displaced any trees within the confines of its wall. From what he hears, there's an island in a lake south of here that has a lot of weirwood. It should be easy to go there, but his master said otherwise. To avoid possible conflict with the humans or others, he decreed a restriction of movement for denizens of Nazarick to stay within the lands of Harrenhal. How kind of Momonga-sama to think of our well-being, Mare smiles, cherishing the notion.
Even so, Mare is confident that he can survive anything these humans throw at him. Observing the human warriors, he estimates them to be just around Level 10. Weak. Even weaker than most of the spawning enemies in the Great Tomb of Nazarick. So odd for them to be so weak. Don't they know how to get stronger through [Experience] and [Levels]? He almost pities those humans, but is reminded of Demiurge's words.
"Humans are like ants," he recalls. "One, ten, or a hundred, it'll be an annoyance. Yet even more, they can turn crafty. Damaging even."
And that's why he always needs to keep an eye out for them, lest they congregate and cause trouble. Mare sighs. I wish Lupusregina were still here. At least she enjoys listening in on people. I don't even like talking to them.
Nevertheless, he has a duty. Exiting the throne room, he eyes the shortest tower, his next destination. Though currently occupied by the human's previous leader, even that one is damaged. Oh no, there's still a lot to be done then! We have to fix up the walls, fix up the towers, get the throne ready... He slaps his cheeks again, regaining focus. Those are tasks for another time; he's here to observe their leader.
"Uhm, excuse me," he opens the tower door. "I'm coming in."
As the undead are fixing up the tower's upper floors most of the human's valuables and furniture have been sent down to the ground floor. Now, the hall looks quite full with couches, tapestries, rusted armours, and old emblems of long-dead families. Most of them are in bad shape, and to Mare should've been thrown away long ago. Sure, there's some gilded armour and decorative swords, but none of them are worth anything close to things in Nazarick. He pities them; the best they had was walls and lands, and they're now taken away as well.
At the centre of the hall is a large four-poster bed, decorated with frilly curtains and several quilted blankets. Shella Whent is being taken care of by a maid who's applying some smelly ointment on her back. As she turns to look at Mare, a flash of fear appears on her face before relief. "Oh dear, it's just you, Lord Mare," the old woman sighs. "Take a seat wherever you like, Lord Mare. Oh, Mia, please fetch some drinks for us."
The maid bows and looks at Mare with fear before running out of the room. "U-Um, hiya Shella." He sits down on one of the cushioned chairs next to the bed. Observing her closely, he finds the woman to be quite frail for someone of her age. As far as Mare is aware of, humans age faster than any other races. Even dwarves could outlast their lifespan by at least two-times. I guess that means she'll die soon, Mare thinks happily. "How are you feeling today?"
"O, just fine sweetie," she smiles at him. "I had a bit of a fall, that's all. Hurt my back a bit. That's what you get for getting as old as me." The woman's friendly tone is only shown to Mare, not to the other denizens of Nazarick. She holds a very condescending view of him, seeing him as nothing more than a small child being used by the tyranny that is the Supreme Being. To Mare, this couldn't be further from the truth. The woman's barely older than him after all. Yet, he never tries to correct her. As he's often reminded by Lupusregina, his childish appearance lulls the enemy into a false sense of security. And if that will help him better Nazarick, then he must exploit it to its fullest.
It's from here that she reveals to him the treacherous and blasphemous things she said about the Supreme Being. She believes that Mare holds the same view as her. When he initially heard her words, he wanted to kill the woman. But upon Lupus' suggestion, he let her live. Her loose lips may prove useful in Nazarick's information gathering. Besides, a [Shadow Demon] is already present in her shadow just in case things go awry. And so, he must endure hearing insults about the one he loves the most.
"I'm sorry to hear that, Miss Shella," Mare lies. "I-If you want, um, I could cast a healing spell on your wounds."
"Oh, there's no need for that, Lord Mare," she bows her head. "You're too kind." This is what frustrates Mare the most with these humans: they know absolutely nothing about magic. Every time his master suggests using magic to better their lives, they refuse. They cite humbleness, but Mare sees fear. Fear of his master's kindness. Not only that, but her worship of this Seven... Isn't that blasphemous? They should be worshipping Momonga-sama, yet I've never heard prayers to the Supreme Being. If all they worship are these false gods, then making them used to magic will be a lot harder. Mare sighs. At least with lack of help, they'll die soon enough.
For all the wit and wisdom she displays, her prejudices seem to be the greatest downfall in Mare's eyes. What was the term I read again? Rose-tinted glasses or something? Whether that be seeing magic as inherently harmful, or seeing Mare as nothing more than a harmless little boy. "You know, Lord Mare," she speaks softly, "I never see why you like that monster. It's not even human."
I'm not human, look at my ears! he wants to correct, but refrains from doing. He needs information, and with Shalltear away, there's not an easy and direct way to extract it. At least, one that won't leave her as a broken mess, that is. "He's powerful and cool, you know... A-and kind as well!" And Mare truly believes that. He's not his creator, sure, but he's very much deserving the title of the Guild Head of Nazarick, now Emperor.
"Of course you see it that way," she scoffs. Mare tries his best to hide his distaste, but even he lets out a frown at the insult. "Oh, don't be like that, Lord Mare. It's just... You're so young. I'm sure there are better people to follow out there than that thing." The maid enters the room and hands them their drinks. It's some sort of concoction with herbs and honey. "Thank you dear."
"You're welcome, Lady Shella," and she hurries out the room.
"My my, she's off rather quickly," the woman smirks. "A bit silly if she's scared of you, but maybe she's just like Pia and plays around with men. Hah... I do miss being young."
"How so?" Mare asks.
"Oh, I was a precocious girl you see. Unlike you, I had a great deal of freedom and met lots of people. No overbearing figure above me." There it is again... Another stab at the Supreme Being. He grips his magic staff in anger, but keeps his calm. "Of course, I had a bit of fun as well. You're too young to understand, but I played around with some of the knights."
I'm not sure by what she means too young. I've done combat sparring with Cocytus and my sister before, but I never took her for someone that wants to spar with knights. Does she possess martial techniques? I guess appearances do lie. "Oh, really Miss Shella? What did you do with them?"
"Ach, em, well... It's too early for you, Lord Mare. They were just some guards under House Whent, so no one in particular. Though, I did have some experience with some Tully and Stark knights. Only a few were ever good though," she sips her drink. "Oh, what am I rambling about to a kid..."
Starks... Where have I heard it before? Mare is not used to this kind of information gathering. He has to watch the person's expressions, find out their motivations, read behind their words, and so on. He's not Demiurge; he much prefers to read books and maps. But with the whole library burnt down, he's stuck with this kind of intel. A part of him really wants to give her to Neuronist and be done with it, but then he remembers his master's orders to not harm the humans. I guess this is the challenge that I must overcome for my reward then. "Starks? That's uh, that's a weird name."
"It's only weird since you have not lived here, Lord Mare," Shella answers, condescension lining her tone. "They're an old house, the Starks. The Warden of the North, currently led by Eddard Stark. An honourable bunch, unlike those vipers in the stinking capital. I reckon that's why they're so friendly with the Blackwood. All family-focused men."
There's a lot of names and titles to keep track of in this New World. Many are most likely going to be useless, but he doesn't know how to discern which from which. "Wow, the North? I heard it's a big and, um, cold place. How could he rule over all of that?"
"Unlike that monster," another insult, "Lord Eddard Stark is beloved and respected in the North. They protect the commonfolk from raiders and wildlings, after all. Even went so far as to provide men for the Wall. You know, they- Ouch!" Se leans forwards, rubbing the base of her spine.
"A-Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, Lord Mare. Just need a bit of rest, that's all." She lies back onto the bed, her form sinking into the blankets.
Mare still wants answers. Who are the Starks? What is the Wall? What are wildlings? What about the viper snake-people living in the capital? But it's clear that from the woman's discomfort, he's not going to get more answers out of her. With that, he excuses himself and leaves the tower. He needs to write all the things he has learnt down and give it to either Demiurge or the Overseer.
Albedo... She hasn't been quite right ever since the humans' visit to Harrenhal. I wonder why?