Chapter 8: Friendly Faces?
AN: I want to note the obvious here: within canon there are no instances of another player finding Ainz/Nazarick. So while there is plenty of material to work off of, ultimately I am writing a lot of scenes without anything I can reference directly.
I will always try to keep the canon characters within their written personalities, unless something in this story changes how they act, but remember I am just an amateur author. To be completely honest I have been dreading releasing this chapter somewhat, as I'd rather not get picked apart about OOC-ness of Ainz/others.
Also I would like to note that I haven't read much of the light novel at this point, so if this seems off based on info exclusive to the LN, I apologize. I have had limited time to do much besides my job and other priorities recently.
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All of the noise faded away and Vörðr stopped dead in his tracks.
Momonga! Could the guild leader of Ainz Ooal Gown be here?!
In an instant Vörðr spun around and sprinted back to the guild hall. Bursting through the door he locked his eyes on the one that spoke and crossed the distance to him in a second.
"Did you say Momon?!" His gaze began to drill a hole in the man's head.
Clearly taken off guard, the adventurer recoiled. "Aye Vörðr-san." He eyed the adamantite adventurer warily. "There's another adamantite adventurer up north called Momon. He and his partner, Nabe, got promoted a couple of weeks ago for completing lots o' high-level quests. At least that's what I've heard."
"North?! Where up north?!" Vörðr pressed further; he needed more details!
"Uh… in Re-Estize, I've heard they typically do missions around E-Rantel…" The unfortunate man clearly had no idea why the powerful noble was so interested in Momon.
Just as fast as he entered Vörðr pivoted and rushed out of the building, much to the relief of the adventurer he'd targeted. If this other adventurer was the Momonga he'd known from Yggdrasil… that changed everything. All of his actions in Ylinford had been done with the assumption that he was the only player in this world. But if there was another, especially one that he'd actually known from his days playing Yggdrasil…
Vörðr needed to find this Momon and ascertain his true identity. Nothing was more important than this.
Fenrir obviously felt the energy radiating from Vörðr, and was bouncing back and forth on his massive paws as his master approached. Vörðr vaulted the distance from the ground and landed on Fenrir's back and the beast immediately took off. Within a minute they had bounded through the northern gates.
"Roc." Vörðr called out mentally, and heard nothing in return. He reached into his inventory and pulled out her summoning wand. As Fenrir bounded away from the city he reached into the sky and activated the wand. A bolt of lightning blasted into the sky accompanied by a crack of thunder; within a few moments he heard her voice in his head.
"You have need of me Master?" She sounded concerned, undoubtedly feeding off his anxiousness.
"Yes! I need to get north as quickly as possible." He scanned his eyes over the treetops and located her form swooping in from the west. Fenrir slowed to a stop as Roc approached and landed in the road ahead of them.
Vörðr didn't bother dismounting and launched himself off the back of his wolf mount. The Nebulous guided his body to land on Roc's head, landing gently. As his feet touched her massive feathers he looked down at his wolf. "Fen, did you want to get on?"
Interpreting for the Fenrir, Roc spoke. "He wishes to stretch his legs and run, Master. Your… mood has invigorated him." Fenrir barked once and started his dance again, waiting for them to take off. Nodding, Vörðr commanded Roc to ascend. The avian beat her wings and lifted off the ground with great speed. Wind whipped around him as she rotated her massive body and ascended into the sky. Within a minute they were a few thousand meters above the ground and Roc pushed them through the sky towards the Re-Estize Kingdom.
The quest to destroy that Black Dust facility had been the furthest north he'd been so far, so he wasn't sure how long it would take them to find the city of E-Rantel. With how fast Roc could fly, he hoped it wouldn't take more than an hour or two before they made it within view. Given how far up they were, and how good Roc's and his eyesight were, it wouldn't be hard to spot the city.
He was going to find this Momon. One scenario was this was just a huge coincidence, and none of his plans changed.
But the other scenario though…
If Momonga was truly in this new world too, he might understand what had happened to bring them here. Or at the very least Vörðr would have someone that could empathize with him and be a new powerful ally.
He thought back to how he'd met the infamous Momonga.
Vörðr and his group of hunters had been stalking a notorious group of PKers. His prey had been pursuing their own quarry, who turned out to be a few members of Ainz Ooal Gown. The Hunters had waited for the two groups to start battling before revealing themselves. It had been a tough brawl, but with the help of the Ainz Ooal Gown guildmates they succeeded in wiping the PKers out completely.
Once the dust had settled, Vörðr had introduced himself and his group. Fortunately for him, The Hunters were famous enough that no one questioned their intentions. They'd spent some time idly chatting while everyone healed back up, and before long Vörðr's group had been invited back to Nazarick. Apparently the guild was as honorable as they were powerful, and the players that they'd saved wanted to thank them properly.
Once they'd arrived at the guild base, Vörðr had been astounded by the hospitality they showed. A large portion of the online members had been present to welcome them, and Momonga himself had invited them for a partial tour of their base. Vörðr really admired all the hard work that the guild had put into Nazarick, and he had truly felt like an honored guest during the tour. The groups all met in a dining hall and had a "dinner" together in celebration.
Afterwards Vörðr had added Momonga to his Acquaintance list with the promise that if Ainz Ooal Gown ever had need of their services he would be happy to oblige. Momonga happily accepted as he knew that while powerful, outside of their own base even Momonga and his top guildmates were vulnerable to other players.
Roc roused him from his musings.
"I see a large walled settlement; this might be E-Rantel, Master. What shall I do?"
"Please set down a little way away. They don't know me yet, and will definitely assume we're hostile if you approach. Thank you for carrying me Roc." He patted her head and received a chirp in response.
"Of course Master."
Then an odd thought struck him. "By the way Roc… do you need to eat? I never even thought about that… I so got caught up in everything we were doing." He was genuinely apologetic, the fact that his huge avian actually might need to eat hadn't occurred to him.
She didn't seem perturbed, much to his relief. "No Master, I do not eat as Fenrir does. I sustain myself off of the energy in the sky and the naturally occurring weather that surrounds this planet." Wow, that was fascinating. And if he were to be honest completely fortunate. Considering her size, finding enough food to feed her would have been quite the challenge. "I appreciate your concern Master." She spoke as they descended and finally landed in a field. She began to lower her head for him.
"No need to Roc, I can survive a simple fall." He chuckled.
Vörðr hit the ground with a crash and stepped out of the small crater he had formed. "I'll likely be gone for a little while, but I'll call you when I can."
"As you wish." She flapped her wings and took off into the sky once more.
He was so excited about potentially finding Momonga that he actually ran through the trees towards the city. Sprinting at inhuman speeds he reached the main southern gate within a few minutes. As he approached, he slowed to a regular pace. Before long he was within a few paces of the gate and the guards appeared to spot his Adamantite plate, widening their eyes in surprise. He slowed down for a moment and looked at one of them.
"Where can I find the Adventurer's Guild Hall?" His tone was deep and serious.
He was a man on a mission.
The guard jerked a thumb up over his own shoulder. "About ten blocks that a'way and turn left at the Golden Fig. Then it's about nine blocks from there."
Vörðr nodded his thanks and began his march through the city. He noted the local populace was a little more fair-skinned than those in the theocracy, and many more had blonde hair. Gagaran wasn't lying about the blonde hair thing, he supposed.
Many people gave him a looked as he passed, no doubt noting either his armor or his adventurer plate. Not that he cared at the moment, he had a singular task.
He found the Golden Fig, noted with some small disappointment that it wasn't an actual fig tree, but merely a tavern. He turned left and marched his way up the cobblestone streets. He ignored just about everything he passed until he spotted the hanging green flag with the Adventurer's Guild insignia on it. He strode up and pushed the wooden doors open with a heave.
Vörðr scanned the room and noted the interior of this hall was almost identical to the one in Ylinford. Beyond a number of generic looking adventurers, he didn't see the huge robes of Momonga anywhere. He sighed once to himself; it looked like this wouldn't be as easy as he'd been hoping.
He marched up to the desk and singled out one of the ladies working there.
"How can I help you…" She began, looking a little uneasy, likely due to his imposing presence and outwardly sour appearance.
"Vörðr Stendahl, adamantite adventurer. I just got promoted recently, so I doubt you've heard of me." He waved his hand dismissively.
She shook her head. "No Stendahl-san, we receive a communique about all adamantite promotions, including yours. I hadn't seen you around here before, so I didn't recognize you. Your promotion caused quite the stir as well," she smiled pleasantly at him. "You're the first solo adventurer to be promoted based on your own efforts. Congratulations sir." She bowed.
Vörðr returned the bow. "Yes, thank you. I'm not here for quests though, but with a specific purpose. I am looking for the adventurer known as Momon. He is also adamantite, I've been told." He eyed her as she put a hand up to her chin.
"I'm sorry Stendahl-san," she paused briefly. "I have not seen Momon-san in a number of days."
"Shit." He whispered under his breath; another simple solution had failed him. "Do you know of anyone that has?" He pressed, hoping for some sort of lead.
The woman simply shook her head and looked apologetic. "He normally shows up around here every few days or so. So perhaps if you stick around you will find him." She tried to offer.
Vörðr rubbed his beard. "If you do seem him, would you please inform him that Vörðr is looking for him? It is of the highest importance that he speaks with me."
The woman nodded and smiled in return. "Of course Stendahl-san. I will make note of it and let the other guild workers know as well."
"Thank you for your assistance." He bowed and turned on his heel. He might as well go explore this city some, maybe if he asked others about Momon he would turn up. Who would know though? The guild had been his best bet.
Screw it, he'll just go to the top of the local food chain, so to speak: the governor or whatever the person was called here.
He made his way down the street until he saw which street would take him up and into the wealthier part of the city. He'd just find some local nobles or the governor and start asking. He was a "noble" too, and he also had an adamantite plate, that should get him just about anywhere he wanted to go.
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The next day Vörðr was still wandering around the city looking for any sort of information on Momon. The governor and many of the nobles had been next to useless… lucky him. Interestingly the governor reminded him a lot of Henvidd, although slightly more disgusting looking, if that was even possible. The man had simply shrugged when Vörðr had asked if he knew where Momon was.
It was early morning, and he was frustrated with how little help the locals had been. If only there was a way for him to reach out directly to Momonga.
Wait! Maybe there was!
Back in Yggdrasil there had been a message feature that allowed those on each other's friend or acquaintance lists to message each other. He hadn't tried to use it here in this new world, but he figured it could work as everything else from the game had transferred over in one form or another. Hopefully it would work similar to his other spells, and he could just use it as an innate skill.
Vörðr attempted to locate the message feature mentally, somehow knowing exactly how to "find" it. Then he spoke.
"Hello? Momonga?"
Silence greeted him… oh well, it was worth a shot. Vörðr began walking again, perhaps he would find him at the guild hall today.
"Hello?" A deep voice responded in his head.
This person didn't sound anything like the Momonga he had met, so he cautiously pressed forward.
"Momonga? Is it you?" As he was speaking to thin air, he noticed some stares from people around him. Realizing how strange he looked, he quickly darted away and to an area where he wouldn't be disturbed.
"I am Ainz Ooal Gown. Who is this?" The voice responded again, sounding puzzled.
That name was absolutely the guild name of Momonga's group, but wait… it was the guild name. There had never been a player called that, at least not one that he'd ever heard of. The guild leader was Momonga, so why would this person be going by that name? However, that meant there was undoubtedly a connection between this person and Yggdrasil.
"There was never someone named Ainz Ooal Gown before… It had been a guild. Why do you call yourself that?" Vörðr had been excited before, but confusion tempered his emotional state. Had this person simply found reference to the guild name somehow and was using it as their own? Had the guild been transported to this world empty and people here had found it?
"And how do you know that? Answer carefully, stranger." The tone coming from the other end of the message dropped low and almost felt threatening.
Vörðr felt as though he'd spoken some offense, but paid it no heed right now. There were too many oddities about this, so the player figured now was the time to press his luck a bit. "My name is Vörðr. I once knew an Ainz Ooal Gown guild in Yggdrasil. Are you from there?"
There was silence for a moment, and he feared the other person had cut their connection. Then the voice spoke up again.
"Yggdrasil…" The voice rolled the word around as if tasting it. "Vörðr… I seem to… recall a Vörðr."
More silence followed, and Vörðr himself began to tense, now was the moment of truth. The way this person was talking seemed like an old man just remembering a previous life. Like he'd been asleep for a long time, and was now waking up to a vaguely familiar scene, one that he couldn't quite grasp.
"Wait! A player!" The other voice finally pieced together what he was saying and its tone picked up. "You're from Yggdrasil! Another player! Holy shit!"
The energy now radiating from their connection was almost palpable, and Vörðr's own feelings began to bubble inside him once again. His chest felt tight and his breathing picked up. This person was clearly another player! And one that recognized him! Was it truly Momonga?
"That's…" The tone seemed to crescendo in excitement and realization before halting… and continuing on much more muted. "If you are truly who you say you are, then it is most important that we meet in person. Where are you located?"
"I am in a city named E-Rantel at the moment." Vörðr supplied, hoping this other individual was nearby.
"Ah, please meet me at the E-Rantel Adventurer's Guild hall. I will be there shortly." The connection cut out.
That was a bit of an… odd end to their interaction. He had expected more excitement or… really anything besides the dull and almost monotone voice.
Vörðr made his way back over to the guild hall to wait. Once there, he stood outside on the street. Part of him wanted to pace around in excitement, but another part of him wanted to hide and wait in secret for the person to arrive. He was confused and just a little suspicious, but given all that he'd experienced in this world so far, and even in Yggdrasil, Vörðr knew he could take care of himself if need be. He had a number of tricks that he could pull if he needed to make a hasty escape.
That voice was not one he recognized, and although the person seemed to recall him, the way they had spoken had been weird to say the least. Vörðr hoped he had made the right decision to drop everything and fly here. If it wasn't Momonga, and was simply a pretender, he might have some serious cleanup and investigating to do.
Regardless, that voice had a connection to his previous life, and he was here now to find out just who they were.
After what felt like an eternity, he heard the heavy footsteps of someone bigger than the common adventurer and turned to witness a tall armored man round a corner. He didn't recognize the form, but something told him that this man was different than everyone else. Then Vörðr noticed another figure beside the man, a much shorter woman in a brown cloak with black hair.
He definitely recognized the woman's face; she was one of the Nazarick maids! Or at least, he was pretty sure he recognized her. She wasn't wearing a maid outfit so it was somewhat hard to tell. Unfortunately, he'd only seen the Nazarick maids a couple of times, so he couldn't be sure. As they approached, he noted they were scrutinizing him just as carefully as he was them.
"Momonga?" He peered into the man's helmet, searching for any sign of his old acquaintance.
"Vörðr-san, please don't call me that here. Come with us." Vörðr nodded, doing his best to maintain his calm exterior.
This man's actions were odd, but Vörðr felt a raw sort of energy radiating off of him. He would follow them for now, and make a proper assessment once he better understood who this person was. He followed the pair through the streets and to a local inn, they went inside and up a flight of steps. Pulling out a key, Momonga opened the door and then turned to the woman.
"Nabe, please give us a moment." She nodded curtly and stepped away. Vörðr followed Momonga inside and he closed the door behind him.
Momonga removed his helmet to reveal a skeleton face with piercing red pupils.
"Is it really you, Momonga?" Vörðr whispered, trying his best to restrain his voice. He noted the skeleton nodded once and then the dam burst forth. "Holy mother of god it is... It's really you!" He brought a gauntleted hand up to his face and dropped his head down into it in relief and shock; he had finally found someone!
"Yes," Momonga's voice finally displayed some inflection again. "I was once a player in Yggdrasil named Momonga. I wasn't sure if I'd ever find another player..." Momonga fell into the desk chair with a thump. Then he paused and seemed to look him over. "Although, I recognize the name Vörðr, I don't recognize your face."
Oh, he was in his human form. He hadn't used it when he visited Nazarick, so Momonga's confusion made sense. Vörðr dropped his Coalescence and was pleased to see Momonga's jaw drop in surprise. His own emotions seemed to shift and mute ever so slightly, a result of his 'true' form coming to the surface.
"Ah." Was all that came out of Momonga's mouth. Then he put a hand up to his chin and nodded. "Yes, I remember now. You were the leader of that PK bounty hunter group, I think you were called The Hunters, correct?"
"Yes." Vörðr's chorus spoke with him. "I was the leader of The Hunters."
"Oh, wow!" Momonga spoke. "Your voice sounds so… interesting!"
"Thank you! This appears to be my natural voice now. And yours is much deeper than I remember."
"As with you my voice changed from what it was as a human. It's taken a while to get used to." The skeleton put a gauntleted hand up to his chin in thought while the Nebulous nodded in agreement.
After a moment's pause Vörðr spoke up again. "I'm so glad that I found another player! This is amazing!"
"Ha, yes! I am most relieved to have found someone else from Yggdrasil as well!"
"Yeah…"
Silence hung in the air for a minute, now that the initial energy had worn off.
"So… this New World is pretty crazy huh?" Vörðr spoke up lamely. He hadn't really thought this far ahead. If it had been a close friend of his, he would have hugged them so hard and probably started crying. While meeting Momonga was a huge relief, he wasn't quite sure what to do. It was like he'd thought he was the last person on Earth, and then found a coworker that he'd gone out to get a couple of drinks with once. They knew each other and were cordial… but that had been it.
The awkwardness was broken when Momonga simply started laughing. Then he began to laugh even harder still. His laughter gained volume until a sort of green light emitted from his body. Immediately the skeleton ceased laughing and coughed once into his fist.
"Yes, Vörðr-san, this place is most bizarre." Momonga nodded at him.
Vörðr cocked his head, once again, another weird reaction from the player. "What was that green light?" The stars that served as his eyes writhed and flared in apparent confusion.
"Oh, you can see it? No one else seems to notice it except for me. That light happens whenever I get too emotional." Momonga shifted in his chair slightly and gestured to himself. "It seems as though I've become an actual undead Overlord, and thus cannot get too expressive. Whenever I become overly… expressive that green light appears and I have my emotions suppressed." The skeleton shrugged, as if unconcerned about that fact.
"That sounds almost eerie. But now that you mention that, I think my 'race' has affected me too. I suppose we can discuss that later though." Vörðr gestured his hand towards the door. "Was that Narberal Gamma that was with you? Does that mean the rest of Ainz Ooal Gown are here too?"
Momonga shook his head sadly. "No other player was there at the end. But Nazarick and all of the NPCs came with me." Momonga put a hand on his head. "Oh, nothing came with you, did it? You had no guild base or NPCs?"
Vörðr looked at the ground, forlorn. "Nope. Besides my mounts I've been on my own so far."
Momonga stood up sharply. "Come with me to Nazarick!" He raised a fist in front of him and clenched it.
Vörðr was taken aback by the conviction in the skeleton's eyes. It surprised him how much the player was willing to trust him right off the bat. "Momonga must have been devastated to have none of his in-game family of players there with him," the Nebulous thought to himself. The trust had to go both ways though. It was even more dangerous for Vörðr if he went deep inside that tomb and his host turned out to be his imprisoner or worse, his executioner.
Vörðr had no doubt about his abilities and his items, but his odds of fighting his way out of that great mausoleum turned guild base were likely slim to none. His time in Yggdrasil had shown him he shouldn't have a reason to distrust the skeleton before him, but it was just that, wasn't it?
They weren't in Yggdrasil anymore, and more importantly in his mind, neither one of them were human anymore.
But if Vörðr was going to be honest with himself, all of his prodding doubts and nagging reservations seemed to fade away at the thought of having found a kindred soul in this new and strange world. If they became allies or even friends, he would be able to let his charade drop around someone and speak honestly. That alone meant more than anything else at this very moment, so he decided to nod fiercely in return.
"Ok Momonga, lead the way."
Momonga shook his fist almost imperceptibly before retrieving his helmet and putting it on, which reminded Vörðr to reactivate his human form. As always, a bright light filled the room, although it didn't seem to effect Momonga significantly.
The black-clad knight opened the door and found Narberal standing guard outside. He nodded at her as he strode through the doorway, and the three made their way out of the inn. The group walked in silence, with Narberal stealing glances over at Vörðr. He wasn't sure what her deal was, so he whispered.
"Hello Narberal-san. How are you doing?" He smiled at her surprised look. "Yes, I remember everyone I met in Nazarick, you all made quite the impression on me back then."
Narberal Gamma opened her mouth for a moment, before closing it momentarily. Once she seemed to find her thoughts she spoke quietly. "I don't remember your face, Vörðr-san. Although I do recognize your name."
He chuckled. "No worries, I only visited once so I'm surprised you recognize my name at all. And I didn't look human at the time." He watched her nod and then they both looked forward again.
Once the group had exited the city and was quiet a distance away from its high walls, Vörðr remembered his mounts. He reached into his inventory and called them both via their tokens. As the three of them continued their brisk pace, Vörðr noted the darkening clouds. Moments later the ground started to rumble and shake.
Fenrir burst over a nearby hill and bounded towards them with his usual haste, his armor gleaming in the sun. Vörðr took a small pleasure in watching his new companions reaching for their weapons.
"That's just Fenrir. No need to worry." He reassured them with a smile. The beast looked as though he would crash right into them, before he dodged deftly to the side before slowing dramatically and circling back around. As the wolf neared them, he bent his head low and began to inhale great gusts through his massive nose. He padded directly up to Momonga and sniffed the disguised skeleton in earnest. Despite the odd situation, for his part Momonga simply stood with his arms crossed impassively. Narberal on the other hand sprouted a frown on her face, clearly unhappy.
"Hey Fen! These are some old friends of mine." The wolf barked happily in reply just before a small bolt of lightning struck off in the distance. In milliseconds the massive avian crested over the treetops and once again his new companions looked ready for a fight. A screech echoed off the landscape as Roc descended and landed a short distance away.
"And that is Roc." Vörðr stated with pride in his voice. All of his legendary mounts were a huge source of pride for him, and he was happy that they could make someone like Momonga tense up, even just a little.
"Greetings Master. These are the ones you were searching for? I sense that they are not like the others of this world. There are… abnormalities within them."
"You are correct, Roc. This is Momonga and Narberal Gamma. I had known Momonga in Yggdrasil."
Momonga turned to him. "Your… bird, Roc, didn't say anything. Are you talking to it?" Vörðr went to reply, and then stopped just as he was opening his mouth. He hadn't really considered that others couldn't hear her. Could she connect with others the same way she did him?
"No Master, you and your other servants are the only ones I can communicate in this way." Her smooth voice entered his head while she simply chirped at the others.
"Ah. It seems Roc can telepathically speak to me but not to you." Vörðr rubbed his neck. "Sorry about that."
"I see. No problem at all Vörðr." Momonga then turned to Roc. He bowed and elbowed Narberal, causing her to imitate his bow. "Greetings Roc-san."
Fenrir whined at him. Clearly unhappy with the lack of greeting. Vörðr chuckled lightly.
Momonga turned to the wolf and bowed as well, followed by Narberal. "And you as well Fenrir, I'm glad to meet you." The huge wolf barked in response. "If those are your only two companions, we can continue towards Nazarick. Once we are within range, I can teleport us the rest of the way."
The paladin nodded, then looked up at his avian friend. "Roc is incredibly fast. Perhaps she can fly us there?"
The sorcerer brought a hand up to the chin of his helm for a moment. "Very well. I'm not entirely confident I could teleport her anyways." Momonga agreed with a nod of his head.
Roc craned her neck towards the ground and the group of three jumped up to land on her head. Fenrir merely barked at them, clearly waiting to see which direction she would take off in.
"So where to, Momonga?" Vörðr gestured an open palm out at the forests around them.
"Nazarick is north east of E-Rantel." Momonga bent to keep his balance as Roc took off with a powerful beat of her wings. The two from Nazarick marveled at the view as Roc soared high into the sky towards Nazarick. They both could utilize the fly spell, but typically didn't cast it, nor did they fly quite as quickly as she could. Within just a few minutes Momonga pointed towards a series of hills, in the center they could see the tomb entrance of the guild base. Roc sensed the acknowledgement from Vörðr and began to descend in that direction. She circled once around the base before setting down directly in front.
Once they had landed, Vörðr noted a figure walking in their direction clad in a bright red suit and tie. The paladin simply slid off her head and landed with a thud on the ground, while Momonga and Narberal floated gracefully. Moments later the red-suited figure was upon them.
Demiurge bowed. "Ainz-sama. Welcome back to Nazarick."
"Thank you, Demiurge. Please take Narberal with you and inform those of our home that we have a guest." Momonga instructed.
"At once my lord." He bowed again before turning to walk back towards the base with the battle-maid in tow. They entered the gates and disappeared.
Momonga transformed back into his normal mage robes and that was Vörðr's cue to drop his human form. Vörðr also decided to get rid of his "noble" armor. The grey armor disappeared into motes of light, and it left his simple clothing and under armor. This action left his bare arms and hands visible, exposing the universe he contained. He felt the weight of his war hammer on his back, the transformation complete.
The Overlord turned to him. "Your form is quite stunning, Vörðr. And is that the Eye of Odin?"
Vörðr nodded, pleased to have his prized weapon recognized. As Momonga began to walk towards a seemingly random shed nearby, the paladin mentally told his mounts to hold position for now.
As they walked, Momonga spoke up again. "Vörðr, I need you to understand. I am the 'supreme being' to those that were once the NPCs of Nazarick. In their presence I must act as such. Another note is that, I have changed my name. I am now Ainz Ooal Gown, or Ainz for short."
Vörðr nodded, "Okay, sure thing Ainz. One question though, do I need to… act like nobility as well? I can if I need to, as that's basically what I've been passing myself off as so far in this world. Well, that and a literal god. If I'm being honest though, acting prim and proper all the time isn't my favorite thing to do. It can get really," he sighed, "tiring."
Momonga shook his head ruefully. "I agree more than you can imagine. I will not restrict you like I must restrict myself, as I don't recall you being immature when we met last." The Overlord turned his head slightly and one red eye caught Vörðr's golden stars. "And thank you for understanding. We will talk more later." Momonga nodded his head at him, and then proceeded towards the cabin.
"So… what's with the shed?" Vörðr was curious, he didn't remember anything like this from Yggdrasil.
Momonga chuckled. "This was a necessary creation in this new world. We have to travel frequently back and forth from Nazarick, and many of my new home don't have the required teleportation rings needed to bypass the upper floors. So I had this semi-permanent portal created for ease of travel of everyone. This shed as you put it, houses that portal." He opened the large wooden door to reveal an even larger teleportation portal. "Welcome to my home: Nazarick." The Overlord turned and spread an arm towards the writhing purple void. Vörðr nodded at him and walked through it.
He felt nothing as he stepped through, the world seamlessly transitioned from that portal to a pair of huge doors opening to what he remembered to be the throne room. Above, massive crystal and metal chandeliers hung, glowing with almost uncanny flames. To the sides, enormous stone pillars rose up into the ceiling, each decorated with a flag. A huge red carpet spread out before him, embroidered with thick gold trim. At the end of the room sat a throne, no doubt for Ainz.
Along the sidelines adjacent to the throne stood a number of figures stood, looking toward the portal he emerged from. Vörðr turned to look behind him, and Ainz stepped through the portal a moment later. They walked side by side into the room. As they approached, everyone else kneeled down before their lord and his guest.
Even among the varied beings and creatures before him, Vörðr was still unique. He appeared as one from another dimension entirely, and he noticed a few of the less restrained beings present widened their eyes when they saw him. From what he recalled the guild of Ainz Ooal Gown didn't have any Nebulous among their ranks, and he was encased in armor during his visit. No doubt this was a first for almost every former-NPC here.
Vörðr felt it natural to stop a little way below the steps to the throne, while Ainz proceed forwards and sat upon it.
"Floor guardians, Pleiades, and denizens of Nazarick that have gathered here. Today is a day for rejoicing!" His deep voice rang out into the halls, and the assembled group looked on in anticipation. "I have found one of my kind! And he stands here before you!" Ainz reached out an open skeletal palm towards Vörðr.
The man of the hour, as it seemed, scanned the gathered beings as they turned to gaze at him. He recognized most of them, although there were a lot more "normal looking" maids than he remembered. They must be the 'homunculus' maids that Ainz had mentioned so long ago.
"I am most pleased to meet you all. My name is Vörðr." His unique voice rang out into the room, the chorus of whispers catching a few off-guard. It was clear his assumption was right; most definitely hadn't seen one of his kind before.
The woman closest to the throne, a succubus by the name of Albedo if he remembered correctly, spoke up first. "Welcome to Nazarick Vörðr-sama." She inclined her head politely.
He raised his hand in protest. "I'm fine with just Vörðr."
Demiurge shook his head as he remained kneeling. "Vörðr-sama, if Ainz-sama has declared you to be one of his kind, then you are above all of us. We can never refer to you as less."
Vörðr sighed to himself; this would no doubt prove to test his patience. Keishara calling him Kami had taken lots of restraint to get used to. Now there were a whole bunch more people calling him by some reverent title he didn't really deserve. "Very well…" he trailed off and looked at Ainz for confirmation.
The skeletal mage clapped his hands together, producing a sound other than rattling bones, weirdly enough. "All of you, I thank you for assembling at my request. However, please return to your duties for now. Floor guardians, stay here."
The group bowed deeply and as one spoke, "Ainz-sama." Then most of them rose and turned to head towards other parts of the tomb, back to their jobs apparently.
"Vörðr-san, Floor Guardians, please come with me. We have much to discuss." Ainz rose from his throne.
Vörðr spoke up before Ainz got far. "Actually, Ainz-san. Before we do, can we find a place for Roc and Fenrir? I don't like leaving them outside."
"Yes, of course!" The skeletal mage nodded. "Aura, please assist Vörðr in getting his companions to the 6th floor. Shalltear, please ensure a portal is large enough for his avian to use. She is quite sizable." He sat back on the throne. "Once you are done, please meet me back here."
The elf bowed. "As you command, Ainz-sama." She then turned and smiled at Vörðr, peering curiously at his form. "Please follow me, Vörðr-sama." They turned and walked back through the room.
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Ainz and the remaining Floor Guardians watched the pair leave the room. He was deep in thought, considering the situation at hand.
"He seems like a genuine person," Ainz thought to himself. "And I remember he was helpful and noble in Yggdrasil. When he had arrived here with his companions, they seemed to get along especially well with Touch Me-san. However," he tapped his chin with a bone finger, "I don't know his true intentions in this New World as of now, so the safety of Nazarick is tantamount. I should let the guardians know we need to be cautious." Clapping his hands, those around him turned their attention back to their lord and awaited his commands.
Making sure he looked and sounded commanding, Ainz met the gaze of his inferiors. "While Vörðr is present in Nazarick, we will need to determine whether he is an ally or a potential foe."
The guardians' eyes widened in surprise, and Shalltear even gasped softly, covering her mouth with her hand. It was obvious they hadn't even considered that Ainz would bring a potentially dangerous opponent to their very home.
Demiurge seemed to find the wisdom in his lord's plans though. "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer." He agreed with a knowing smile. A smile that meant that the Arch-Devil assumed Ainz had concocted some genius plan that was multiple layers deep. He then pushed up his glasses and they seemed to shine in some unseen light. The spectacles always seemed to slide down his nose, or Demiurge was simply created with that habit. It was likely that his creator, Ulbert, thought that gesture looked cool or intimidating.
Ainz paused. "I hadn't even thought of that, I just was so excited to find another friendly player that I invited him here. It was only just now that I realized he could actually be a threat! As usual, Demiurge found a way to make my plans sound even more intelligent than they really are." He bemoaned internally.
Moments later he found his voice 'commanding' again.
"Yes, Demiurge. That is exactly what I was thinking! Therefore, he is to be accompanied by at least one of you, or myself, the entire time he is within the Nazarick. Albedo, unless he is with me, I want you watching his every move with the viewing portal and I expect a full report on him every morning." He tapped his chin in thought. "Despite his status as a former acquaintance of Ainz Ooal Gown, he is to be considered an unknown for now."
Demiurge nodded again. "And I suspect that you would like her to cancel the spell, if she believes Vörðr knows what she's doing, correct Ainz-sama?"
"Ah, yes Demiurge. Please explain to the others why I would command such a thing." Ainz supplied hastily, having no clue what the Arch-Demon was about to say.
"Thank you for giving me the honor of explaining even a small facet of your grand plans Ainz-sama!" Demiurge spoke with admiration before turning to the others. "It is no doubt that our grand leader doesn't want his guest to know we are keeping an eye on him at all times. If Vörðr were to believe we were tracking his every movement, it might taint any future rapport that Ainz-sama decides to cultivate with him."
Those around him nodded their heads in agreement before looking back at their leader in awe.
"Thank you for that explanation Demiurge." Ainz nodded back, attempting to look knowing and wise. "Now, please keep Vörðr away from the eighth floor and the treasury, and do not show him your true combat potential. The only situation I permit such an action is if you must defend yourself." Ainz stood up from his throne to look down on them.
"My commands are not to be spoken to anyone else but the other Floor Guardians. That all being said, Vörðr is still our guest here, and will be treated with the respect that his position as a player deserves." He slowed his words and added a hint of pressure. "If I hear that any of you or your subordinates have disrespected him... I will punish you all. Severely."
Each of the guardians looked somber under his glare, while Mare quivered slightly. They didn't know exactly what their master would do to them should they fail his commands, but none of them ever wanted to find out. Their lives were worthless if they couldn't serve Ainz in the capacity he needed of them.
"We will not fail you Ainz-sama." Albedo pledged on behalf of the guardians. Then she looked up at him with a questioning gaze. "How long do you anticipate it will take to understand our guest? I imagine we will want to keep him under observation for as long as possible so that you can make the best decision about his fate?"
"Yes, you know my plans so well Albedo!" Ainz lied fervently once again. "I would like to convince Vörðr to stay here for as long as possible while we observe him. Dismissed!" He waved his hand, quick to let them get on with their duties before he verbally boxed himself into a corner.
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As Aura and Vörðr walked up to her floor of the base, the Nebulous noticed his dark elf guide kept sneaking peeks at him, similar to what Narberal had been doing.
"Yes, Aura-san? How can I help you?" He said in almost a teasing tone. Something about his guide's stature and demeanor tugged at his mischievous side.
She ducked her head in embarrassment. "Forgive me Vörðr-sama. You are just so magnificent! I can't help but stare at you."
That was an interesting way to put it, talking about him like he was a painting. Vörðr took the odd compliment in stride though. "Thank you, Aura-san. When we get a chance, you can stare at me all you like." He laughed as he noted a small blush rise to her cheeks.
"What are the names of your companions?" She sputtered, clearly attempting to change the subject.
"I have a wolf named Fenrir and a legendary bird named Roc." He supplied.
Her eyes widened in shock. "You have a Fenrir too!? That's so cool! I have a Fenrir!" She bounced as she walked, quick to change from embarrassment to excitement.
"Ah, that's a funny coincidence Aura-san. I'm sure they'll get along great." Vörðr hummed to himself. "Fenrir and Roc are both rather… sizable as Ainz put it. I seem to remember an area that was pretty spacious in Nazarick; something like an outdoor space. Is that the sixth floor that Ainz mentioned?"
Aura smiled wide. "Yup! That's my floor, Vörðr-sama!"
After some time Vörðr interrupted the silence again. "Aura, can we stop for a moment?" She turned to look at him curiously. "Can I… do something?"
She cocked her head to the side. "Sure Vörðr-sama, whatever you want." She then squeaked in surprise when he stepped forward to wrap his arms around her and pick her up.
"I can't believe I'm here! I finally found you all!" Vörðr spun her around and around, releasing some of the excitement that he had quashed earlier. His chorus of voices was melodic and joyful. "I've been here for weeks and thought I was all alone! I can't believe it!" He stopped spinning and just squeezed her tightly. After a moment he set her down and released his grip.
Vörðr sighed with contentment. "Thanks Aura-san, I needed that."
He felt like a cast away, drifting alone in an endless ocean. But now he had been found by a passing ship, and was overjoyed to see another friendly face again. Vörðr was thankful that he had his summonses or he might have totally gone off the deep end, but finding an actual player and guild base was a true relief. He wasn't truly alone in this new world anymore. If he had been in his human form, he might have even started to cry at that moment.
She blushed deeply and looked away, "Sure thing Vörðr-sama…" She turned to continue walking appearing to strain to keep her eyes straight ahead.
Some time later they arrived at the sixth floor and entered. Aura turned to face him. "This is the sixth floor Vörðr-sama." She nodded towards the large portal in front of them. "This will take us outside." She walked forward and through the pulsating disk and Vörðr followed closely behind.
Once outside, Vörðr spotted both of his companions nearby.
"Fenrir! Roc!" He called to them. "Please come back through this portal with us." He waved his arms and watched as Fenrir bounded through without a second thought.
"Who is this, Master?" Roc questioned.
"This is Aura, one of Nazarick's floor guardians." He nodded towards the elf.
Aura bent backwards and almost fell over as she peered up at the huge avian that towered above them. Her face broke into a huge smile, "Wooooooow, you're huge! You're Roc?!" She turned back to Vörðr, clearly thrilled about the huge beast before her. Vörðr nodded once.
"Nice to meet you Roc! You're so pretty!" She called up and Roc lumbered forward towards the portal.
Roc chirped. "She is pleasant."
"Roc says she likes you." Vörðr translated verbally.
"I love her already!" Aura bounced up and down in glee as Roc's steps shook the ground. Once Roc was through, Vörðr and Aura followed.
They reappeared in the underground forest and Vörðr observed his companions had already begun roaming the land. Content that Roc and Fenrir were inside and comfortable for now, he turned to the Dark-Elf. "Well, let's head back to Momo-I mean Ainz please. Thank you so much for helping me out here Aura."
Aura grinned bashfully at him and put her hands up behind her head. "Sure thing, Vörðr-sama! I'm so happy to meet Roc and Fenrir! I really look forward to getting to know them!" Vörðr returned her smile with a nod as his eyes flickered in mirth.