Servant Quarters

"Did you hear about the Elves?" Lilia was asked as soon as soon as Luna Diamante realised she was awake.

"Yes. Shocking hey? Who knew the Elf King had that much power amongst his offspring."

"It all seems too convenient, don't you think?" Lilia was surprised by this question. Nowadays that word was used to describe a certain King in the South.

"Do you think the Sorcerer King is behind it?" Lilia had to clear her suspicions.

"What do you think of the Sorcerer King?" Lilia thought this an odd question considering she had never met him. Luna drew in a long breath then sighed. "Based on what you've learned from our guests." They were still exhausted from all the running around they did the previous day searching for Momon and Nabe, but she knew that sigh was more from exasperation than exhaustion.

"From the Prime Minister he seems like an other worldly being, whose might and intelligence knows no second. If this is only her personal view, then I learnt nothing. If it is simply his subordinates view he must be under a lot of pressure to prove them right, but if what she says is true then we made a mistake in the way we went about dealing with the Sorcerous Kingdom."

"You sound a lot older than you look." Luna noted.

"And you? What did Momon tell you."

"It seems Momon-sama believes he is a man of his word, that unless provoked he will not act, but still has a mind to make sure things go his way."

"Do you think this means Argland is next?" The two sighed. If it did then there was very little they would be able to do about it.

"Did you at least complete your mission?" Luna changed the topic again.

"Of course! I made sure Vaison-sama had a private audience with Momon-sama." Lilia sang happily.

"What about the second part?!" Luna cut through her celebration. Lilia didn't look Luna in her eyes. "Momon-sama hasn't responded."

"You are supposed to convince him to accept!" Luna snapped. Lilia said nothing as she slowly dressed.

"Aren't you with Momon longer than I am? Why should I do your job too?!" Luna didn't have a response. Lilia was used to her dumping most of her tasks on her, but now it was getting out of hand.

"Momon-sama said he'd handle the Sorcerer King in his own way."

This of course was a lie. Lilia had a bad feeling about bringing Momon into the fold, but Luna wasn't the type to accept decisions made on intuition. She had been planning on telling Momon that the offer was off the table. She hoped he wouldn't be upset but now she had a very unsettling feeling that she was making the wrong choice. Nothing made sense to her anymore.

"What about Albedo's notes?" Luna didn't press her further, but she clearly didn't let this go.

"Nothing, they weren't anywhere."

"What do you mean?"

"I was certain she put them in the drawer but no matter how many times I looked, or where I looked they weren't there."

"What are you good for if you can't even find any notes?" Luna wasn't going to let this failure go.

"I don't remember you doing anything! Didn't you say Momon-sama was writing notes too?"

"It was a list of sights he saw, and a few things he wanted to petition the Sorcerer King to implement in their borders. It seems that no matter how much military power they have it's not enough to ensure the day to day prosperity of the nation." Lilia was stumped. She had essentially failed at her mission and depending on how one looked at it, betrayed her country.

Dining Hall

"Did you hear?" one human female delegate whispered to a dwarf thinking Albedo couldn't hear them at the breakfast table. Albedo didn't let them know she could hear them as a way to get some information, she knew that as long as they thought she couldn't hear them they would sing like canaries.

"What?" the dwarf asked sceptically, apparently it was female.

"Momon-dono and Nabe-dono went for a 'walk' last night and guards reported that they only returned early this morning."

"So?"

"Why are they sneaking around the city? I'm pretty sure the rooms around here are more luxurious, right?"

"I still don't see where you're going with this."

"You really do have a carrot up your ass don't you?" clearly human relations mattered not to the dwarf.

"No, it's just that I heard that The Faceless One was moving towards the Slane Theocracy. Apparently the Elves won the war. Petty relationships don't affect the world but relationships like those do."

What?

The bubbly sounding delegate had gone quiet.

"I don't see what she has to do with that. Doesn't her 'religion' deify the Sorcerer King, wouldn't she be at odds with Theocracy?" She finally said

It was now time carrot-up-her-ass to keep quiet.

"Apparently it's more of an ideal or was before the second massacre. Maybe she is actually going to the Draconic Kingdom. They have garnered favour with the undead recently right? So maybe it's like some crude initiation or something." The dwarf eventually said.

"An ideal wouldn't take over the temples! We can't know so little about our neighbour! Like them or not you never know when this might be turned on us!"

"You're one to talk, you don't even worship those gods of theirs, besides the Holy Kingdom wasn't supposed to be our neighbour. It's all changing too fast. Do you think he'll assist them again? Or do you think he'll just seize the land that favours him out of the goodness of his heart?" they were now talking at a normal volume. Albedo didn't miss that jeer at her beloved, she would have their heads when this was all over.

"What does it matter? He took Re-Estize by force and everyone else jumped under his umbrella. For whatever reason he may already have his eyes on us. At this stage it's only a matter of time."

Albedo realised that they didn't care whether or not she heard them anymore.

Albedo's Guest Room

"How long have you been here?" she asked the doppelgänger who was splayed out on the sofa when she entered the bedroom. She was surprised when Narberal informed her of this but everything she had learned now made sense.

"Since I got back this morning, was surprised you took such an early breakfast. Is Narberal still standing guard?"

"Yes."

"Tell her to sit down, it'll be suspicious if someone decides to burst in. Those two have been searching the contents of my reports, since I suspected it I left nothing worth noting in my desk. Other than that I've secured the room."

The rabbit wasn't hard to figure out. Wait is he giving me orders?

Even though she wanted to argue she was well aware of what ploy he was using to ensure he entered this room and it wouldn't do for her to remain too long in this room either while he was here, so she did as she was asked – or told, rather.

"What could be so important that you want would to talk to me about it? You've been taking bold actions on your own for a while now."

Pandora's Actor told her the full details of the meeting with Riku and some of his thoughts on the matter.

"So, what do you think I should do?"

"It's odd that you would ask me." Albedo stated in matter of fact tone.

"Oh no, don't get me wrong, I was simply asking for your input, not direction. I was hoping more opinions could influence my decision."

He is testing me! Why is he testing me?

"What about you? How did you confirm that Riku Agneia was the Platinum Dragon Lord?"

"Kukuku. How I wonder?" he said looking at her in the eyes. It was a clear imitation of her when she when she knew something no one else did. She didn't like it.

"He approached you then what did he say that convinced you?"

"Mademoiselle! That man has no idea's of his own, yes! He played the same trick we used on him! He tried to recruit me!"

He's back?

As energetic as he sounded it wasn't followed by a random selection of movements.

"That doesn't explain how you came to the conclusion."

"Albedo. It would do you some good to think for yourself."

"Did you accept his offer?" Albedo hid her irritation.

"Of course not. He already gave me more than enough information especially about his personality. Well at least I haven't given a response ..." Albedo nodded indicating he should continue.

"Unless he has access to multiple powered suits like Nazarick, he would immediately abandon someone if they became a liability, or if someone better came along. Like Ainz-sama planned he also believes himself to be in a superior position. He also believes himself a genius. It's quite sad really."

"Then wouldn't it be better to get close enough to see his real body or at least get the location."

Pandora's Actor sighed. "If it was just me I had to worry about then I would, but I'm unsure if I can protect Narberal from a level 85 being while ensuring information about Nazarick isn't leaked."

"She would kill herself if she became a burden to Ainz-sama's plan." She said this without a second thought because she truly believed it.

"Normally I would be inclined to agree with you but Ainz-sama would be sad if we all just went throwing our lives away, especially without the order to do it." This was true, her master had forgiven mistakes she and other NPS's had made that were worth taking their lives for and had ordered them not to take their own lives so lightly.

"Besides, we don't know anything much about this ancient or wild magic. And if it's connected to world items the possibility she might actually have a chance to even take her own life is slim. So essentially my hands are tied."

Albedo thought for a while.

"But what makes you certain they will target her, Pandora's Actor?"

"No one proposes a deal without ensuring they have the upper hand, if he believes Momon's strength to be a possible liability wouldn't he at least get some insurance? Like maybe, a hostage? Only desperate people enter a contract that may or may not ensure their benefit.

"If you watch Momonga-sama you'll be able to see that no matter what he always has the upper hand, and that he gets the lions share of the deal. Everyone that's come to Momonga-sama had to accept his terms, no matter what those terms were."

"That's true! The Supreme One always gets his way."

"So? Do you think I should accept anyway?" he asked before she started swooning.

"You've already made your decision, I see no point in arguing with it. If you were to accept you said yourself that the dangers to Narberal are high and if he is the type to do that then my pursuing it further will only be a hindrance in effectively combating him. This is still effectively your mission. But personally I would accept, let them believe everything is going his way to make the defeat that much sweeter like my Lord plans on doing.

"But, I have more pressing matters. What of our other mission? Did you get any leads on that end?" Albedo remembered how her own end wasn't very fruitful.

"A few things here and there suggest a possible existence but it's similar to that of the Theocracy, I doubt any of them were connected to Ainz Ooal Gown, but with very little information there is nothing I can do."

"There is still the rest of the world to search, there is no need to be so concerned."

"Ich war nicht."

"Did you hear about the Elves?"

"That's all everyone was talking about since I returned. Anyway, I'll be preparing for another day, this won't happen again. So before I leave if there is anything else ..." he let the question hang.

Wait.

"When did you start calling him 'Momonga-sama'?" this was vital information. If he was granted permission as a reward she wanted in.