Chapter 9. Within the walls of the Great Tomb, a shadow stalks the halls
There was great unrest within the halls of the underground tomb, where magical creatures and monsters of legends served the Supreme Being. Where children were stiffly lead through the grand halls of the 41 supreme beings, and where demons and undead stood guard.
Ronald was among them, and he was not immune to the charms and magnificence this place exuded. Riches he couldn't even imagine decorated every hall on the 9th floor, and maids stood ready at every corner, like in a royal palace. They were beautiful, as if handcrafted by higher beings, and if the words of the servants were to be believed, maybe this assumption wasn't so far off from the truth.
He was led to an enormous guest room alongside a dozen or so children, who were mostly unaffected by the carnage this morning, though they were shaken, they yet remained whole. They did not suffer the touch of those horrid shadows, and they still held onto hope. It could only get better, they said, and repeated one after another.
Meanwhile, Ronald could only think of what he saw that morning, the shadow, the girl, and that darkness. The girl had a guardian angel, or so it seemed. Though it was of a darker origin, it did its job well, and protected her. However, Evelyn was not with the group. She was separated by the servants of the Sorcerer King. Where did they take her? He could only wonder, and worry.
(…)
The throne room was occupied by a larger-than-life figure, and several guardians, inferior only to the supreme beings, stood in attention. They were discussing the topic at hand—what transpired this morning. And the precautions which needed to be taken if they were to proceed as planned.
Ainz sat on the throne of kings, and listened to Demiurge, who true to his character, overthought every miniscule detail, and somehow arrived at the conclusion that this was all part of the 'plan'.
Ainz buried his skeletal face inside his white bone palms as he listened to Demiurge, not neglecting to utter an '-umu' or '-you are right' to signal that he was still in fact in the know. The guardians gave sighs of relief, and soon their gazes were filled with awe as Demiurge explained away the master plan—their Lord had concocted.
"-and so, I need only to make minor adjustments to our initiative in the Holy Kingdom, while the greater picture remains unchanged." The archfiend fixed his glasses and nodded. "But of course, Lord Ainz had already foreseen this possibility, and created his plan to subvert such scenarios!"
""As expected of a Supreme Being!"" The twins exclaimed, their eyes sparkling in admiration and awe. "L-lord Ainz i-is amazing!" Mare added, awkwardly clutching onto his wooden cane.
"To think Lord Ainz already thought about this possibility and incorporated into his 10 000-year plan!" Shalltear added proudly, not wanting to be outshined by anyone.
"Ah-h-h, Lord A-ainz~! Punish me for doubting your most sublime decision!" Albedo squealed, and her wings fluttered uncontrollably behind her back.
"Truly. Such. Wondrous. Foresight." Cocytus added through breaths of freezing air.
Sebas merely nodded to himself, reinforced in his belief that the 41 had chosen wisely, and indeed, who else would be a more capable leader than Lord Ainz himself.
The Overlord coughed into his palms and cleared his throat. Both actions were unexpected of an undead, however the guardians had already gotten used to the weird ways their Lord sometimes conducts himself. They chalked it up to the fact that he is a Supreme Being, therefore laws and rules cannot possibly apply to them, and whatever they do must be the right, natural way of things.
"-umu. You are right, Demiurge. The 'plan' will proceed, but we must be ever vigilant. Our enemies must be waiting in the shadows for us to reveal our cards, and when they are confident that they can win, we will ambush and destroy them." Ainz glanced to the sides, checking whether his words got through to the guardians, and indeed, the gazes of admiration intensified tenfold.
The Overlord continued after a brief aura of green enveloped his bones. "Yaldabaoth will be bait, and we will strike when they least expect it."
"Ainz Ooal Gown doesn't know defeat." Ainz declared, as he stood, and the guardians erupted in cheers.
Gradually the cheers and storm of praises died down, and Ainz continued; "-the next topic at hand…"
(…)
Evelyn calmed herself, breathing slowly, she gradually felt her courage return. The massive double doors before her were both beautiful and terrifying. One side depicted a terrible demon, and the other a holy angel. One was welcoming, and the other promised certain suffering.
She was separated from the other children and kept isolated since their departure from the orphanage. She couldn't complain though. The maids were kind and nice, though the red-head tried some tricks, she was soon reprimanded by her older sister, and her behavior too became exemplary.
The service and the lodging were top notch, but the absence of the others made her uneasy and anxious. Now she was here, standing before the doors where fate would branch out, and her future would be decided. She held the book close to her chest when the double doors slowly creaked open.
She walked inside, and the elderly kind man accompanied her as she made her way to the throne.
Death sat upon that throne, and by both sides monsters of legends flanked the undead. The mad lady with an axe was also here, smiling ominously, Evelyn shuddered when their gaze met. However, there were others, an iron tailed demon, a huge freezing insect, a little girl with bloodred eyes, and children. There were two other children here besides her. Though, they were not human. They had emerald eyes that spoke to the soul, and elongated ears. Elves. No, that wasn't right. Dark elves.
She anxiously waited, fidgeting with her hands, while the butler stood next to her like an unseen wall of iron, he supported her, and somehow, she wasn't so afraid anymore, and the fidgeting lessened.
"Evelyn, was it?" Ainz inquired and appraised the child. She shuddered slightly, appraisal -curiously enough- was not undetectable, and more certainly than not uncomfortable.
Hmm, level 11, somewhat high—unusual for this world's standards, but nothing threatening. That book however… Ainz thought, and cast appraisal again, this time targeting the item in her grasp.
The whisps of flames blinked inside the hollow eye socket of the Overlord, as Ainz recast appraisal. The spell did not work. There were only a couple of scenarios where it gave back no data at all, and the possibility made the Overlord giddy with excitement. So soon in this new world, he may have already attained a new world class item, and therefore strengthened the Great Tomb.
"Will you let me take a closer look?" Ainz asked rhetorically, and signaled for Albedo, who took the tome, and delivered it to Ainz.
Interesting. The Overlord thought as he dragged his bone finger across the cover. It read; the book of Revelation, and after a moment's hesitation the Overlord opened the tome.
He looked inside, and the pages were turned carefully, meanwhile the guardians waited for their master's insight, some could feel the tension building up in the throne room. The Overlord's gaze could burn through the book with the intensity it surveyed its pages, however after a long minute has passed Ainz closed the book and handed it to Albedo. "Return it to her."
Evelyn hesitantly took back her book, and waited anxiously to the judgment of the Overlord, meanwhile the guardians were sharing stares, searching in each other's gazes the understanding of the current events. However, after a grueling silence it was their Lord who enlightened them.
"Open the book, Evelyn. And tell me what you see." Ainz said and waited patiently.
Evelyn looked up at the kind butler, and after he nodded, she complied. Everything would be alright. She reaffirmed herself as the book opened, and she began to recount what the pages told. She could not read, not yet, no-one had taught her, but the depictions, the pictures and drawings told of a tale of an ancient times.
"I see-" She began hesitantly. "I see cities of silver, and towns of gold."
As the words left her mouth her eyes took on a hue of silver and gold. And the pages began to turn on their own. Sebas took a few steps back but did not stop the girl as the book began to float.
"I see angels and demons. Monsters of Old."
"I see a battle, a fight, a struggle for supremacy."
"I see an endless battlefield stacked with light and dark."
"I see realms crumble and disappear."
"I see death in its truest sense."
"And I see something else." The girl spoke, her voice growing hoarse.
While she talked the chamber gradually grew dimmer, and the sumptuous chandeliers lavishing the throne room in opulent light lost most of their luster.
"Something in the dark." The guardians were anchored in place as Ainz held out a hand, stopping any unwanted interference as he listened, intrigued. The crimson orbs flickered and seethed.
"Something is there. It is there, in me—" The book abruptly fell, and the tome was shut close. When her eyes closed, and she collapsed, so did the light return to the throne room of the 41. Sebas moved swiftly, and caught the falling child, meanwhile a deathly silence ruled the throne room.
The guardians —trying to make heads and tails of what this worm had uttered before their supreme master— stood guard on both sides of the throne, but to their eternal shame, they could not figure it out. They waited patiently, the silence grating on their nerves, eventually, their savior spoke. And a spark of understanding ignited within their souls.
"As I thought." Ainz muttered, and he regretted it instantly, for he could not renounce his words before the guardians, who all turned to their master for directions with awe in their eyes. He decided to elaborate. "I could see nothing in those pages. They were completely blank. But she could see it. She could use the book, whatever its power may be. It would seem somehow, they are connected." The Overlord revealed his thoughts to the guardians, but he also lectured them.
"This limits our options. But this also opens new possibilities."
"It would be unwise to kill her, if she were to die her items would normally transfer to us, but this is not an Yggdrasil item I know of, therefore its rules may vary. I'd rather not risk it."
The guardians nodded in agreement.
"Sebas take her to rest, meanwhile we will finish our discussion."
"As you wish, Lord Ainz." After a slight bow, Sebas left the throne room, gently holding the child, making sure not to disrupt her dreams. It was a long day for her. It was a long day for all of them.
When the door closed behind them, Demiurge stepped forward. "Lord Ainz, what do you plan to do with the children you so graciously rescued?"
"Umu. It is yet to be decided. They should be used for the greater benefit of Nazarick. Do you have something in mind, Demiurge?" Ainz questioned, while he rested his chin on his hand. His mind elsewhere as he thought about the meaning which may lay behind the words of that child. Was it literal? Or was it rhetorical? Maybe something else… He would have to question her when she wakes. While he pondered Demiurge didn't wish to waste his master's time with useless chatter.
The archdevil fixed his glasses. "Then how about I employ them at my Happy Farm, I'm certain they will be of much help." Albedo smiled ominously behind the Overlord, naturally it had gone unnoticed by Ainz.
Without much thought Ainz agreed. "Umu. It would be great to take their minds off from what happened today. If they wish, let them work. Umu. Good suggestion, Demiurge."
"You flatter me, Lord Ainz." Demiurge bowed with a subtle grin and left the room.
"Albedo, is there something else?"
"Yes, Lord Ainz, concerning the new vassal state…"
(…)
A figure dressed in brilliant light stood in a white throne room, conversing lightly with the locals. The atmosphere around the angel was stifling to all things evil, but it was a blessing to those who nurtured good in their hearts. The paladins stood in awe at their ruler's side, who relayed their plight to the heavenly savior. Their Holy Queen could reserve her admiration and act befitting of her station, truly they were blessed. Even Remedios Custodio grandmaster of the Paladin Order stood in awe, and without protest, as the angel spoke, she hung on every word as if possessed.
A melodic voice tinged in honey, so sweet it spoke to the soul resounded in the air. "I understand, Queen Calca. Rest assured, if it is indeed such a powerful demon, I will personally handle it." The First Angel spoke. Several archangels stood next to the first, meanwhile dozens more guarded the area.
"Yaldabaoth…" The first angel trailed off, "if we speak of the same being, it might be a challenge…" However, finding the culprit behind the dimensional breach may be easier than we thought, only a being with great prowess and even greater intellect could break into and navigate within the infinite corridors… Yaldabaoth, a great evil deity of creation and usurper of the throne of GOD-
The doors to the throne room were blown open, and a beauty with 8 wings on her back entered. "Lord Samael...!"
A/N:
Let me know what you think! Review! : )
I mean, Overlord relied heavily on side characters, maybe since they are OCs this time it got confusing for you, and that's understandable. But if this were not an overlord fanfic, I wouldn't have posted here. Hope I've cleared up any confusion you've had.
I'm open for suggestions, as long as they are reasonable.
"Power levels will be adjusted and somewhat explained from Ainz's POV in next chapter. He will face a challenge. : ) " – if only I could count. I meant chapter 10.
Take care, Eternity 999.