17 September 2019:
Author Note:
Sometimes I wonder, is it alright for me to write a story like this? Would I ruin people's expectation of the story? Is it my rightful place to even write one? Am I allowed to do so?
Considering what this story has been through in the beginning, I thought to myself, "Just drop it." or "You're wasting your time."
I thought I wasn't allowed to write this story. The plot is just too massive for me to understand, or that the readers already liked certain types of stories.
There is no point in me writing this story. What would I gain? Absolutely nothing.
So why do I keep posting? Why do I keep coming back even though it's such a massive waste of time?
This is because I am not writing for the sake of my readers nor because there is some message I wanted to send to you.
I am just projecting my own aspirations onto the page.
This is what I want.
This is what I want it to be.
Why was I so worried about what others would think?
Writing this story is one of the things I do for myself.
I understand that being 'new' is a great identity, and there are plenty of people who crave for it. Once you have managed to do that, I am well aware that you can bridge those who have no interest in the story and those who absolutely live and die for it.
But I don't desire that.
I don't want to be a great writer.
I just want to be me.
And that is absolutely okay.
20 September 2019: This is an AU, SI-OC fanfic. If you don't know what that means, then perhaps another fanfic can better suit your taste.
Also, I would like to mention that I've never received so much overwhelming support. I didn't know that this story was beloved so much by the readers but I know that now because of your reviews, thank you. Truly, from the bottom of my heart.
I would like to explain why I published the A/N like so. If you aren't interested, then please go ahead and skip this part, but I feel like there are some things that need to be addressed.
When I first started writing, as you can see in the reviews, it was littered with so many flames, which I received with an open mind. I even encourage them to send it because of how idiotic they sounded, especially after I proved them wrong that they litterally just stopped.
Long story short, I got fed up.
Especially with reviews that were just nitpicking every little thing from the story. They only criticize without telling me how I can improve it.
I am human too, I am just as vulnerable as you are.
I cannot tell you how many chapters I have thoroughly enjoyed writing that were then completely wrecked by someone tainting them with meanness. I can't even look back and read my own creation.
I worked hard on them, I was proud of them, and I wanted to enjoy them.
This is something that I always told hackslashbash in private: "I am traumatized of reading the reviews to my story."
Everytime a review came into my email, I always thought they were flames. The only reason that I didn't turn off the notification is only because of the positive encouragement I have received over the past few months.
With that being said, the A/N I published before is a declaration of war.
I will continue writing what I want together with my co-author hackslashbash. There is no need for me or my co-author to justify our story to you who always criticize without helping. If you want to continue reading then go ahead, and if you don't, well, then don't.
Collection of Ashurbanipal - Volume XLI: Tiamat: The Goddess of Dragons, A Myth - (i.e. Player Written Fanfiction)
Chapter I: Tiny Youngling
The Baleful Dragon Nidhogg was born immortal, but despite his already impressive might, he desired even more power. In the cold depths of Niflheim, the treacherous Dragon hatched his schemes. From the ashes of Lava that brought life, and the fruit from the World Tree that he ate, Dragons were born.
Amongst the enormous brood of the Traitor Dragon, there was Tiamat, a tiny youngling, smaller and weaker than her siblings. While her siblings flew and fought, she stayed behind. But one thing was certain.
Her scales were tougher than any of her siblings, almost impenetrable.
Of course, since most Dragons were born strong, they did not pay any heed to this fact.
What they didn't realize, was that out of all her siblings, the weak and tiny Tiamat survived every battle, growing stronger and stronger in ways they have never imagined.
Her scales grew harder and harder with each desperate struggle, forged into an armor that could stand against the very gods with the fires of combat.
As eons passed, the young dragon finally gained access to the most sacred of elements: fire. For fire birthed the mightiest beings into existence, and with fire, would the Nine Realms know the wrath of the Black Wyrm.
Though fire was the birthright of all the progenitor dragons, Tiamat's flames were special even among her broodmates. It was a searing divine flame that was almost golden in color, a fire so hot that even the souls of her victims burned in its everlasting glow.
Thus began the saga of the Weakest Dragon in YGGDRASIL
Chapter 19: Free Will
The Adventurer's Guild was bustling with life.
However, there was one thing that was different.
Everyone was gossiping about the same thing.
The Hissing Vipers who were sitting at one of the tables resting could hear the whispers.
"It seems that Hannah-sama has gathered a lot of admirers," Antonios sighed, resting his head against the wooden table.
"This was to be expected," Borg nonchalantly replied. "Especially after the Vampire Incident a month ago."
Antonios sighed yet again, and turned his head to look at the notice board.
Right now the Hissing Vipers were currently waiting for a potential client. Of course there were jobs on the notice board that they could do, however, there were so few quests to begin with and none of them were within their range of expertise.
Since their team consisted of mainly swordsmen, they could only take a limited number of quests.
Things like espionage or subduing a monster that wielded magic were merely small examples of what they were incapable of doing.
"Hannah-sama, huh…"
When Antonios first heard the news, he thought they were insane.
A month ago, Hannah, the Silver Priestess—an Adamantite—together with Dark Warrior Momon and Kralga—both Mythril adventurers—went to subjugate an undead monster that was categorized as a Vampire by the guild.
He wanted to help obviously, but Borg stopped him after the tremors were heard all the way to E-Rantel. That was why he was not surprised to have heard that Kralga had been annihilated in the crossfire.
There weren't even any remains of their ashes.
The land was scorched black and had been reduced to a smoldering lava field. It was startling to see it with his own eyes when he took a detour to see the battlefield for himself.
The most surprising thing was that apparently Hannah-sama and Momon-san were rumored to have come from the same country, possibly explaining why they were so strong.
Rumors about the two spread like wildfire.
"I heard that she was a Princess from that country who ran away and is hiding as an adventurer because she was dethroned. Momon was her personal guard."
"No, that's not possible. Have you seen the two of them together before? Their timing doesn't match up. If what you're saying is true, wouldn't they have registered together?"
"I also heard that she had to beg her goddess to release her holy seals to defeat that Vampire."
"Why?"
"Are you stupid? Someone who almost bit the dust after defeating the Pandemonium couldn't possibly beat that Vampire."
"You weren't even there during the incident! The scene was magnificent, so don't you dare say that about our Saint!"
"Not only that, but my friend who was working at the temple said that the Priests there were enraged that Hannah-san had healed us all after the Pandemonium."
"Amazing, as expected of the Silver Priestess…"
Those were the pieces of gossip that had been spreading around the past month.
Afterall, they were the only two who had returned safely after that battle and seized victory.
While Hannah-sama received positive responses, most of the Adventurers in the guild had mixed opinions regarding Momon-san; they thought that he was some rich boy trying to play hero. Funny to think that they used to think the same thing about Hannah-sama.
But now they knew that Momon was someone powerful enough to compel respect from them.
Just as he was fantasizing about when he would reach their pinnacle of strength, he heard the sound of the door opening. Almost immediately, a wave of commotion swept through the guild like an open fire catching the wind.
As soon as Antonios turned his head around, he understood the reason for the disturbance as he worshipfully gazed at the person that was on his mind the entire time.
It was Hannah Annafelowz, the Silver Priestess. The Saint of E-Rantel.
"Hannah-sama!" Antonios said out loud, shooting to his feet at just a glance of the slightest strand of her hair.
"Antonios-san," she returned the greeting.
After she and Momon had returned from the battle, everyone saw the heavily damaged high-end full plate armor and holes and burn and claw marks on her tattered dress. When they had finished their business in the guild, Momon-san was taken away to the Magician's Guild to repair his armor while Hannah-sama was taken by Paolo, the best tailor in E-Rantel, who insisted on making her a new dress.
Although he couldn't pinpoint anything different with her new dress aside from the style that he was much more familiar with, his attention was drawn more to the staff she was carrying with her.
Her staff glittered under the rays of sun, a sheen that only an artifact of pure Adamantite could emit. The new staff was the result of the combined efforts of every magic caster in the Magician's Guild coming together to repair it.
At her hips hung a metal plate that belonged to living legends, objects of worship amongst adventurers. They were the trump cards of humanity that would protect them from being ravaged by the powerful races of the world, an adamantite plate.
There was also gossip that the Guild wanted to give her and Momon-san a new rank, but because humanity hadn't found a metal stronger than Adamantite, the plan was put on hold.
But everybody knew that when that time came, those two would be the first ones to receive it.
Afterall, her accomplishments had surpassed even Adamantine, and there had never been one of those in E-Rantel before.
"Oi is that…?"
"The rumors were right, she is indeed a beauty."
"The Kingdom's Adamantite Soloist."
"They said she burned down the forest with Seventh Tier magic…!"
"No way! Doesn't that mean she's passed the pinnacle of humanity?"
"Well, Adamantite Adventurers are the type of people who could do it right? To be honest, I wasn't surprised to hear that the guild is considering a new rank higher than Adamantite for her and the Dark Warrior."
"Who's that behind her?"
The new individual stirred the guild into even more of a frenzy.
"Hannah-sama, who is that?" Antonios asked, pointing at the person behind her.
At his question, the rest of the curious adventurers gave Antonios a thumbs up.
This time she wasn't alone.
A beautiful maiden with glasses followed closely behind her, already receiving adoring looks from the rest of the Adventurers. She wore a simple white dress almost similar to a nightgown tied together with a brown leather corset, completed with a blue choker and ribbon on the low cropped bun at the back of her head.
"Ah! This is ...uh... Lily," Hannah introduced her to Antonios, "My...disciple."
"You must be Antonios-san," Yuri bowed with impeccably, manners befitting those of a noble's daughter. "It is nice to finally meet you. My Lady had told me a lot about you."
Tiamat gave Yuri a slight nudge.
"I told you not to address me like that!" she spoke to Yuri in hushed whispers. "There's no need for formalities here, Lily."
"B-But still…"
The rest of the Adventurers didn't fail to hear those whispers.
"It seems that the rumors were true..."
"Right, I told you she's a Princess!"
The gossips once again burned Tiamat's face. Feeling a bit shy from the completely exaggerated rumors, she turned to Antonios.
"If you'll excuse us, Antonios-san."
"Oh, of course Hannah-sama!" he stood to the side, making way for the Silver Priestess and her newly disciple.
They nonchalantly walked to the receptionist.
"Good morning," Tiamat greeted the receptionist as usual.
"Good morning, Hannah-sama," the receptionist replied with a smile, "I'm sorry to say but Dark Warrior, Momon-sama had taken all the quests, so there's no more work left. I am very sorry," the receptionist rose to her feet and bowed deeply to her.
"That's alright. I just want to register her into the Adventurer's Guild," Tiamat said to the receptionist, casually putting her hand on Yuri's shoulder.
"Certainly. I am sure you already know the procedure."
Tiamat nodded, and put five silver coins on the table, writing Yuri's fake name in the Adventurer's book before receiving a copper plate in her stead.
"Thank you," Tiamat sincerely thanked the receptionist.
"It is us who should be grateful, Hannah-sama."
Tiamat nodded and turned, her dress billowing with her gentle movements as she walked away with Yuri tailing behind her.
"Antonios-san, we'll be leaving first. See you later," she waved before she walked out of the door.
Antonios could only wave his hand with a dumb smile on his face.
The rest of the Adventurers clicked their tongue at Antonios.
"You lucky bastard."
The man only sheepishly grinned in response.
ᕦ( ✿ ⊙ ͜ʖ ⊙ ✿ )━ ゚.*・。゚
Yuri had a spring in her steps as she followed Lady Tiamat out of the Adventurer's Guild.
She was happy that she finally had her wish fulfilled; her wish to protect the Supreme Being.
'Finally,' Yuri fist pumped, 'I can finally brag to Narberal!'
Tiamat looked at Yuri with a smile on her face. It was rare for the mature maid to act so out of character.
"Are you that happy?"
"Of course, My—" the Dullahan corrected herself. "Hannah-sama."
The Dragoness eyes twitched, it sounded as if Yuri had a lisp.
"You can drop the sama, Lily..."
Yuri gasped, "How could I? That would be disrespectful towards you M—Hannah-sama."
"Well, at least you're consistent…" Tiamat sighed, deciding to let the matter go. "By the way," Tiamat leaned closer to Yuri's ear to whisper something. "We need to go to the blacksmith to get your gauntlets."
"Why can't I use my usual ones?"
"The quality of Nazarick's items are simply too high. At most, the usual level of equipment here is level twenty to thirty at the highest. Plus, if the people here found out that the equipment is not something of their standard, we could be investigated!"
Yuri nodded in understanding.
They were walking down the streets whispering to one another.
The bystanders who watched them interact could only watch in confusion.
'Just what are they doing?'
Some of them who were close enough to eavesdrop could hear some words like, "Quality...too high...investigated."
That was how they drew their own conclusions.
'The Silver Priestess finally got a disciple because she was about to get punished by her Goddess for breaking the seal. The Disciple is not her Disciple but some sort of Guard to manage her.'
Another ridiculous piece of gossip weaved its way throughout E-Rantel once more.
The stares from the bystanders were getting more intense by the minute.
"Hannah-sama, is indeed amazing…" Yuri said to Tiamat.
"How so?"
"For you to receive their uncomfortable gazes without flinching...truly you are a force to be reckoned with." Yuri said, raising her voice by a notch.
Immediately, the bystanders looked away in shame.
"L-Lily!" Tiamat covered the Dullahan's mouth with the palm of her hand. "You're too loud, they can hear what you're saying you know," she whispered.
"Eh? But that's the point…" Yuri looked at the Goddess as if it was obvious. "For them to so easily dare to lay their eyes upon your figure is unforgivable!"
Yuri gave the man who walked near her a death stare, and he fearfully turned away to walk in the opposite direction.
Tiamat sighed, clutching her forehead as a headache started to grow.
"I wanna go home…" she cried to no one in particular.
ᕦ( ✿ ⊙ ͜ʖ ⊙ ✿ )━ ゚.*・。゚
The sound of the bell chiming against the wooden door signalled that he got a customer.
He didn't look up from where he was currently sitting, and continued wiping the grime away from one of the weapons that he was going to display.
A named Gold Adventurer had made an appointment with him because he had created a masterpiece.
Two women were chattering as they went inside the display room.
"Welcome," he said plainly. He had next to no desire to entertain mere female Adventurers.
He almost clicked his tongue in annoyance as he reminded himself that they were customers.
They should just stay at home and take care of the children. He couldn't understand why weak creatures like them would take such a dangerous job.
None of the female adventurers were as strong as the male adventurers afterall. Their build was simply too different. Since males were stronger and much more durable compared to females, it was obvious who would be better suited for the rough life of adventuring. True, female adventurers were typically quicker. But still, if he had to choose between being quick or being able to hit hard, he would obviously choose the latter.
Sometimes their bodies were marred with scars. Scars that even the temples couldn't heal, and it saddened him because he was always reminded of his newborn baby.
He promised himself that he would strictly raise her and make sure she won't ever need to become an adventurer!
The two female adventurers seemed to be frolicking around looking for a suitable weapon, but he couldn't care less. As long as they were able to pay what they bought and quickly get the fuck out of his store.
"Excuse me," asked one of them softly, definitely a woman's voice, he noted. But still, he did not raise his head. "We are looking for a gauntlet."
"Goddamn it woman, can't you find them with your own eyes!" he raised his voice in annoyance.
This time a different voice replied to him. "How dare you—" she seethed.
But the first one who approached him stopped her from saying anything more. "Y—Lily, it's alright," she said, calming down her friend.
He sighed angrily, "Why do you need a gauntlet anyways? It's not like you're actually strong enough to use it."
"It doesn't matter," she softly continued, undeterred by his inhospitality. "We want to buy your best gauntlet."
"Tch, I don't sell any of my precious weapons to you female adventurers," he fumed as the last two words were filled with absolute disdain. "So you can just fuck o—"
He raised his head and immediately went silent.
Since he was a blacksmith, the first thing he noticed was the staff she was holding. Adamantite coated the entire staff as a blue orb lay on top of it, floating through some mystic means. That staff was a Masterpiece; he acknowledged whoever had made it.
His brain immediately went into overdrive.
There was only one person who owned that staff.
His pupils slowly travelled to the silver hair, just like what they said, the delicate color of the moonlight shone through her, and her amethyst eyes that pierced through his soul and found him wanting.
In front of him was Hannah Annafelowz, the Adamantite female adventurer in E-Rantel.
And he had belittled her.
"H-Ha-Ha-Hannah-s-sa-sa—" he was so shocked that his lips couldn't even utter her name correctly.
Tiamat looked at him as understanding crossed her features.
She understood very clearly that it was hard for female adventurers to slot through the ranks since they were physically different from the male adventurers. They were slowly gaining popularity because of the ascension of Blue Rose, the strongest group of adventurers in the Kingdom who happened to be all-female.
If it wasn't for them, there would be no more female adventurers registering with the Guild.
"Ah," Tiamat smiled at him, "Is this an exclusive store for male adventurers? There weren't any warning signs outside the door, so we didn't know. We're really sorry about that."
Tiamat turned back and dragged Yuri away.
She didn't want a fight to break out. After all there were a lot of blacksmith shops in E-Rantel. It really was a shame though, because she had heard from the Hissing Vipers that this was the best blacksmith shop there was.
"Let's find another place, Lily."
"Yes, Hannah-sama."
"W-W-Wait!" he screamed out, desperation edging into his voice. "Y-You want gauntlets right? I sell the best weapons in E-Rantel. There's no better blacksmith here than me!"
They stopped, one foot out the door.
"What do you think, Lily?" Tiamat asked.
"Hmph," Yuri looked away from the man in front of her. "There is no need to waste your money at a store who is incapable of properly greeting you, Hannah-sama."
"Maa," Tiamat waved her hand, "We could see what he offers us and if you don't like it we could leave, how about that?"
To be honest, Tiamat didn't want to leave the store. She wanted to see what kind of weapons the best blacksmith in E-Rantel was capable of producing.
He saw this as an opportunity, "Yes, you won't be disappointed!" he ran to the backroom and found the best pair of gauntlets he had. "What about this, Hannah-sama? This Gauntlet is coated with gold, at the cost of 15 gold coins. But since this is the first time you came here, I will give you a 50% discount."
"Uhm," Tiamat sheepishly smiled at him, "I'm not the one buying it…"
"If it's not you, then…" he looked to her left, and the lady in spectacles was frowning.
"My, can I really use that, Hannah-sama?" Yuri asked smugly. "He said that I'm not strong enough to use it after all."
"Then why don't you give it a try?" Tiamat suggested, she had seen movies where people swung a sword a few times before buying them. Perhaps Yuri could do the same?
"E-Eh…" the blacksmith couldn't even stutter out a reply.
"Is it okay if we try it out first?" Tiamat asked him.
Before he knew it, he was nodding enthusiastically, but his heart wept. "O-Of course you can."
Yuri grabbed the golden gauntlet from the blacksmith's hand, and tried it on. Since the gloved gauntlet was designed for a male to use, it was hanging off Yuri's wrists.
"It seems that the gauntlet is too big…" Tiamat commented.
"N-No, it's alright Hannah-sama. We can always adjust the gauntlet for the Lady later on."
"I see!" Tiamat looked at Yuri excitedly. Since Tiamat's build was incapable of wielding most weapons—and because there were no weapons that visually appealed to her in YGGDRASIL—she decided not to use them.
But she couldn't deny that it was thrilling to be shopping for something Yuri was going to use in the future.
"Try it out, Lily!" the Dragoness urged her.
"But there is no target, Hannah-sama," Yuri said with a poker face.
"Hm…"Tiamat decided to give it some thought, "Then punch me instead!"
Both Yuri and the blacksmith looked at the Silver Priestess in disbelief.
"Nononononononono! That would be an insult, My L—Hannah-sama!" Yuri frantically waved her hands in front of her, horrified by the idea.
If one of the Eight-Edged Assassins reported this to Ainz-sama, Yuri would get scolded!
"Ehh~ its fine, its fine!"
'NO, IT'S DEFINITELY NOT FINE, MY LADY!' Yuri wanted to scream out.
Tiamat stood in front of Yuri at a close enough range that if Yuri swung her arms, the Dragoness would definitely get hit.
"Come on, come on!" Tiamat urged.
Unable to refuse, Yuri slowly swung her right hand and lightly hit Tiamat.
Poof... the sound of the gauntlet softly hitting her in the shoulder.
"I think you can do better than that..."
"M-My L—H-Ha-Hannah-sama," Yuri's head seemed to spin. "I CAN'T. I'LL DEFINITELY BE SCOLDED!"
"You can do it, Yuri! I believe in you!" Tiamat encouraged her.
Tiamat's smile was so bright and so happy, causing Yuri to nearly cry in frustration.
But since Yuri was still trembling in place, Tiamat decided to try out a different strategy.
"Lily…" the Dragoness's voice turned cold. "If you don't punch me, I'll ask Nabe-chan to accompany me instead."
At that threat, Yuri's glasses glinted.
"Oho…" the Dullahan let out a strained smile, Lady Tiamat sure knew how to push her buttons, "Is that so Hannah-sama? Then please take responsibility if I get scolded later on."
"Ok," Tiamat said cheerfully.
"Then, here I go." Yuri prepared her stance.
While Lady Tiamat was working on paperwork, she had secretly trained with her sisters on the breathing exercises Ainz-sama himself had created.
"Do your best," Tiamat replied.
Yuri lowered her knees down to a squat. Her left knee forward and the right leg was pulled back as she put her right hand down to her waist.
She took a deep breath, "Ka…"
The air seemed to be thick with tension.
"Me…"
The blacksmith was sweating in places he didn't know could excrete sweat.
"Ha…"
Yuri pulled back her hand even more, and the blacksmith could see the veins on her arms.
"Me…"
Tiamat prepared herself.
"HAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
This was what Mister Blacksmith saw.
The wind formed from a mere swing of the spectacled lady roared as loud as thunder and shattered his windows. It blew away all of the weapons on display, which created a deafening clatter as they fell to the ground. The rolling wind even lifted the heaviest weapons and armor with ease out the window.
Her fist hit the Priestess with the sound of a roaring thunderstorm.
The impact caused his doors to be blown wide open and broken beyond repair, glass shards were everywhere, and everything, everything was turned upside down.
Despite that, the Silver Priestess was unscathed.
Then, the gauntlet did something that shouldn't have been possible.
It broke into pieces like his glass window.
"Ah, it broke," Yuri simply said.
"The gauntlet was not as strong as I thought it was…" Tiamat pouted, clearly disappointed by the turn of events.
"That shouldn't be possible, y-you…" The gawking blacksmith pointed his finger at Yuri. "You're just a woman! So how…"
He looked at his broken store one more time, before fainting, foam forming at his mouth.
Ever since that day, he promised himself that he wouldn't ever underestimate female adventurers again.
Tiamat called out the people at the temple and paid for his medical expenses as well as the cost to repair his store.
Both her and Yuri agreed, that there was no need to buy a gauntlet with that kind of quality, and decided to stick to Yuri's original gauntlets. But she could only wear them on quests.
After this incident had come to light, the Guild immediately gave Yuri a gold adventurer plate.
Funnily enough, Tiamat later found out that the gold plate was made from the gauntlet Yuri had previously destroyed.
ᕦ( ✿ ⊙ ͜ʖ ⊙ ✿ )━ ゚.*・。゚
Tiamat and Ainz were sitting together in the common room, and in front of them was a 『Mirror of Remote Viewing』.
The two were sitting on sofas opposite to each other, but their eyes were glued to what they were seeing.
Throughout the entire fight, Ainz had controlled the Mirror in the direction he wanted to go, and Tiamat just watched intently, like a kid watching a cinematic movie while munching on popcorn.
"I have to say," Tiamat admitted to Ainz, "They are really adorable."
Ainz's tone betrayed his amusement.
"How could you even think about that right now…"
On the mirror, the two watched as the lich Ainz had created wreaked havoc on the lizardmen lines.
They watched as what seemed to be the strongest among the lizardmen regroup and assault the lich, supported by Swamp Elementals the albino one had summoned.
They watched as the lizardmen heroes struggled against the lich until the relentlessness of a hydra gave them the opening they needed.
Finally, they watched as the lizardman bearing the ice weapon slayed the lich, roaring over the body of his undead foe.
"Not bad," Ainz hummed.
"I think it's the dragon in me, but they look absolutely adorable! They look like itty-bitty dragons. That white one is especially pretty," but then she frowned. "They hadn't done anything wrong yet after all..."
"They're an isolated group. If they end up getting completely exterminated, no one would be able to trace it back to us," Ainz waved at what she had said and returned his gaze back to the screen.
Tiamat looked at the screen intently, and without realizing, she mumbled to Ainz.
"I didn't expect you to be so mean towards Cocytus..."
Ainz just looked at her.
"I mean, even I could see that this battle was impossible to win. Not only have they managed to combine their tribes in just a week, their fighting spirit was increased by tenfold. You knew about all this, yet you limited Cocytus to a really weak army. Why is that?" she asked.
Ainz who was sitting on the sofa, leaned back against the plush pillows, getting more comfortable. This was going to be long explanation.
"You haven't realized?"
Tiamat shook her head. "No, is it some sort of secret mission I don't know about?"
"It wasn't a secret mission per se, but you are right, I hid this fact from all the Floor Guardians," he sighed, it was really hard to keep a secret for weeks on end. Tiamat looked at him, stopped munching on her snack and started listening intently.
"After I saw your fight with Shalltear, I realized that they don't have enough battle experience."
"Battle experience?"
"Yes. Did you know that when you were fighting Shalltear I had asked Cocytus about what he thought your odds of winning were? He said one to nine. That's a massive difference, but you still won regardless."
Tiamat closed her eyes, refusing to remember the fight she had with Shalltear before, so that her mood wasn't ruined. Just when things with her and Shalltear were getting better.
She didn't want to destroy that.
"I think that's a given, considering our battle styles," Tiamat said matter-of-factly.
Ainz nodded, "Hm, you're right. But you only say that because you have battle experience. What Cocytus was looking at was numbers."
"By numbers, you mean stats?"
Even without Ainz's confirmation, she knew what she had said was correct, and Ainz continued, "Just looking at stats doesn't guarantee that you'll win a fight. The amount of strategy involved, how to counter each attack, and how you will bring them down are necessary pieces of information in a PvP. But it seems that most of the Floor Guardians are unaware of this fact. That is why I limited Cocytus so heavily."
Tiamat put her hand on her chin in contemplation, "Make sense. Just how long have you planned this?"
"It's been a while, actually." Ainz's orbs glowed red, "I want the Floor Guardians to be able to grow, not just some NPCs who are big headed because they're far stronger than most of the New-Worlders. I want them to actually think and strategize."
"That's a pretty good idea," Tiamat's thoughts strayed to some unpleasant memories. "I realized when watching the recording of the fight that day that Shalltear only charged at me head on…"
"I have faith in them. I know for sure that they will grow better and better and will bring the name of Ainz Ooal Gown into the annals of legend!"
"Uwaa..." Tiamat sighed, looking at the chuunibyou act done by the Leader of Ainz Ooal Gown himself. A feeling of discomfort that had been bubbling since they attacked the lizardmen finally rose up.
"It's just that...why are your plans always so...bloody? I was okay with this whole test thing, but...these lizardmen are actually people. People that we are killing."
"I want to see if we can improve the New-Worlders outside of Nazarick, but we need to have total control of them first," Ainz replied as if it were obvious.
"Isn't there a better way to do this? The whole plan sounds like we're a final boss of some RPG or something…"
"That depends on the people we are trying to subjugate. If it were humans, I would use a different strategy than the lizardmen. Afterall, the best way for people to cooperate is to instill fear in them. I believe Punitto Moe said that came from some person called 'Machiavelli'."
Tiamat remained quiet, but it was clear from her expression that she disagreed with what Ainz had said.
She put down her popcorn bowl on the table, stood up and went towards Ainz.
"What are you doing?" Ainz asked her when she immediately stood up. But she didn't say a word.
She stopped in front of him.
"Tia…?"
The Dragoness proceed to knock his thick skull with her fist.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Ainz floundered in confusion, the unexpected attack had taken a bit of his HP, it wasn't critical, but it still stung for a little bit.
"Ainz, for someone so smart, I didn't expect you to be so stupid."
"What are you talking about?"
"Your plan won't work in the long run," Tiamat slowly explained, huffing her breath. "Oppression. Rule by fear. Dictatorships. Throughout history, for some reason, the lives of such rulers have always ended in the same way. Death. Now, isn't that strange?"
Ainz pondered quietly for a moment, considering what Tiamat had said.
"I disagree, in those kind of situations, almost every time, there were always a few things the oppressors lacked."
"What is it?"
"Lack of desire for power," Ainz said, lifting a single skeletal digit up. "In most cases, dictators rule in pursuit of greater wealth, fame, and whatnot. Us two however, obviously have no desire for such things. Protecting Nazarick is enough after all."
"So?" Tiamat responded, confused.
"So dictators were driven to that extent because of selfishness. Because they ceased to provide a tangible benefit for those they ruled. On the other hand…" Ainz trailed off, staring into the distance.
"Momo-chan…?" Tiamat was worried that her friend got another stupid idea in his head.
"Maybe… just maybe… We could create a Utopia, a world where everyone of all races can live happily. A world that our friends would have been proud of. A world that we didn't get to be born in." Ainz's eyes flared in excitement as a green aura washed over him.
Tiamat stared blankly at him for a few moments.
She was right.
He had come up with an absolutely foolish idea.
Even so, why was her heart pounding so hard?
Was it out of fear? After all, she was only a mere baker and Momonga was only a salaryman. Plus, this wasn't a game anymore; the actions they took now had real consequences.
Or was it out of excitement?
They had the power to unite the surrounding nations. Nazarick certainly had the wealth to build up infrastructure. And who knew what magic was fully capable of in this new world?
Maybe it was possible.
Just maybe.
She was willing to bet on that maybe.
Especially if it meant that there wouldn't be any more orphans like her.
"...alright. But I still think we shouldn't rule by fear or kill a bunch of the lizardmen."
Ainz sighed, "Of course, you've always been the most empathetic out of all the guild. Well, that's not a bad thing, I suppose, seeing as I've lost most of my emotions." Ainz turned to look at her, with what would have been a bitter smile. "You'll just have to empathize enough for both of us."
Tiamat smiled warmly. "Don't worry about that. I'll always be here to keep you grounded, no matter what."
Ainz looked at her for a bit longer before turning back to the mirror while coughing into his fist.
Tiamat stared at him in confusion. Did skeletons need to cough?
"I-In any case," Ainz tried to force his voice back to a serious tone, "I agree with your suggestion to reduce our use of violence. After all, it would be a poor start for a Utopia to be founded on bloodshed."
"However," he looked back at her, red pin pricks piercing through her, "What do you suggest we do instead?"
"It's simple. The path of least bloodshed would be the one where people follow Nazarick out of their own volition."
"I see. And how do you hope to accomplish that?" Ainz raised his invisible eyebrows.
"Easy."
And so they plotted, souls pulsing with new purpose.
ᕦ( ✿ ⊙ ͜ʖ ⊙ ✿ )━ ゚.*・。゚
The sound of heavy doors opening came from behind as a two pairs of footsteps made their way into the hall. Needless to say, they were the Supreme Beings of the Great Tomb of Nazarick.
"A warm welcome for Ainz Ooal Gown-sama, Supreme Overlord of the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick, as well as Lady Tiamat, the Goddess of Dragons."
The voice belonged to Albedo, the Guardian Overseer.
They could hear the door and the crips sound of a staff tapping against the ground. It was followed by small footsteps treading across the ground following the person in front of her.
Normally, when their master entered, they would have bowed to show their respect for him. However, nobody present did so. That was because of Lady Tiamat who expressed her discomfort when treated in such a way.
Ainz-sama agreed with her, saying that formalities didn't matter; what mattered were the results of their work for Nazarick.
Because of this, unease filled Cocytus's soul and was manifested outside his body as he blew a huff of cold air.
Through the use of a skill, Cocytus could sense the other Guardians shifting their attention to him. Even Albedo who was wearing a gentle demeanor radiated an anger that she was trying in vain to suppress.
The footsteps slowly passed around the line of Guardians, ascended the steps, and then reached the throne. As usual, Ainz-sama sat down on his throne with Lady Tiamat stood to his left.
"You may raise your heads to gaze upon the glory of Ainz-sama and Lady Tiamat."
The assembled Guardians looked up—their movements perfectly coordinated—looking up at their Supreme Beings who were on the throne.
Cocytus also raised his head immediately.
When he finally gazed upon his master's figure, he could see the Supreme Being was wreathed in a dreadful aura, backlit by a mysterious black radiance, while Lady Tiamat was the opposite.
Her expression was warm and kind, accompanied with her trademark smile gracing her lips. Her long flowing red gown matched her hair, and he saw a tail peeking out the end of it. She looked divine.
Albedo was satisfied with what she saw and nodded before turning to the Supreme Beings.
"Ainz-sama, Lady Tiamat, the Guardians of Nazarick are gathered before you. Please bestow your orders upon us."
Ainz hummed in acknowledgement in a deep, regal tone, before thumping his staff heavily upon the floor. The gesture drew everyone's attention, including the Supreme Being who stood on his left.
"Welcome, you Guardians who are assembled before me," Ainz bestowed upon those who were present. "Now then, I shall first convey my thanks. Demiurge!"
"Yes!"
"You have my thanks for ensuring a stable supply of low tier spell scrolls. However, do not allow yourself to grow lax. After all, our enemies might come up with a way we have not anticipated."
"Your praises are too lavish, Ainz-sama. I am but your humble servant that requires no thanks. As you mentioned, there will be no problems at all in that respect."
Demiurge bowed deeply as he trembled in delight.
"Ah, I saw this in Demiurge's report, didn't you call them Abelion Sheep?" Tiamat curiously asked Demiurge. "But what is that animal? I have never heard of it in my entire life."
Demiurge paused briefly to think, the corner of his mouth accidentally rising up when he heard his Lady call them an animal, and she was right; they were just intelligent creatures even lower than that of a monster. Then he continued.
"They are two legged sheep from the Holy Kingdom, My Lady."
Somehow, Tiamat could feel the shade of cruelty under his good-humored facade, but she brushed it off. Given Demiurge's personality, something might be off, and so she asked further.
"A two-legged sheep? You mean a satyr?"
Seeing Ainz who was staring at their Lady in amusement because of her question put a smile on Demiurge and Albedo's faces.
"While I think goats would be better," Ainz interjected, "That name will do. Skin of sheep huh... Would excessive capture effect the local ecosystem?"
Ainz didn't want the tragedy of his planet repeated here in the New World.
"I doubt it. In addition, the use of healing magic allows us to skin them again. Therefore we will not need to capture them en masse if we do not engage in large scale production."
"So, is it a satyr? A sheep? Or a goat? This is making me confused," Tiamat's eyes seemed to spin at the new found information.
"Perhaps you would like to see the farm one day, My Lady?" Demiurge offered good-naturedly. He found nothing wrong with quenching the Dragoness's curiosity.
"Can I do that?" Tiamat asked Ainz.
Ever since the Shalltear incident, Ainz-sama had urged Lady Tiamat to contact him whenever she went out, for her own safety. But here was another example of the Dragoness's thoughtfulness towards the Overlord, for Demiurge knew that his master would do everything to protect her.
"Sure," Ainz agreed. "But that discussion will be put on hold for another time. Carry on."
The Dragoness smiled happily at his approval, humming in delight.
The rest of the Floor Guardians smiled. Lady Tiamat easily dispersed the heavy mood in the Throne Room, making it light-hearted and pleasant. All except for one.
"Understood. I shall begin harvesting them according to age and gender. Once that is done, could you tell me which age of skin is most suitable?"
"I will let the Head Librarian handle that. Next, Victim."
"Yes, Ainz-sama."
"I have summoned you here for one critical reason. If something unexpected happens, I may need you to protect us and the other Guardians with your skill...I apologize for that, and I promise I will resurrect you immediately. I hope you understand."
"Demiurge has already told me about that. Please do not worry, Ainz-sama, afterall I am also your servant. In addition, the goal of my life is death, so there is no greater joy for me than to aid the Supreme Beings even in the slightest of ways."
Tiamat winced when she heard the fetus mention his death so nonchalantly. But she understood he was designed this way.
"Forgive us Victim...we'll do our best so that it may not come to that."
Victim gasped in surprise when he heard what Lady Tiamat had said. There was a look of bewilderment and shock on his face.
"If special circumstances arise, we may need to kill you in order to keep the foe from escaping," Ainz explained further. "Even in that case, I hope you will accept that we are not killing you out of malice. You are one of my beloved children and I do not wish to hurt you, but we may all suffer if we let an unknown enemy be."
"There is no need to explain, Ainz-sama. I am fully aware of your intentions."
"There is a phrase used in one of Nazarick's mechanisms. It goes, Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. That phrase describes you perfectly. Thank you for your love."
Ainz's gaze moved from the Guardian who had pledged his loyalty to the death, and shifted to another Guardian.
"Next, Shalltear."
Shalltear's shoulders trembled. She had not expected that she would be called, and her reply seemed abnormally high-pitched.
"Y-Yes!"
"Come forward."
Unlike the other Guardians, Shalltear was the only one who has called in front of him. She rose to her feet, both surprised and panicked. Her unease was clearly apparent from her back, and she looked like a condemned criminal being sent to the chopping block. Still, she held her head high and thrust out her chest, as though she was walking to glory.
Shalltear stopped a few meters before the stairs.
"Shalltear, you know why you have been called, right?"
As her master spoke those words, Shalltear immediately knew what he was talking about, and her face was filled with shame and guilt.
"Yes, Ainz-sama."
Shalltear's voice was loud and confident, as it echoed through the Throne Room, and Cocytus found himself empathizing with her. No, any Guardian—in fact, anyone who was made by the Supreme Beings—would be able to understand how she felt.
"Really now…"
"Yes…"
His eyes glinted. "In that case, you will pay for the reparation of the damages on the Throne Room's door."
Tiamat lifted her head a bit and glanced at the slightly crooked monolithic doors. She didn't know Shalltear had rammed into it that hard.
"Y-Yes, Ainz-sama," Shalltear ventured as she nervously lifted her head, almost scared to death.
"Even though I did plan to trap you here in the Throne Room so you could have a private discussion with Tiamat without escaping, I failed to miscalculate that you would do so much damage," Ainz sighed.
Tiamat smiled at both of them. "I'll help," she said as she raised her hand.
"No, this is entirely my mistake, My Lady! If I had controlled my emotions properly, that wouldn't have happened," Shalltear refused adamantly. "This was my foolish mistake, so I will take the appropriate punishment!"
"Then, it's settled. Tia, I prohibit you from helping Shalltear in any way."
Tiamat huffed, "Fine…"
Mare and Aura smiled at the peaceful scene.
Even Demiurge had a happy smirk on his face.
Cocytus was somewhat envious of those who could afford to feel that particular emotion, and he looked longingly at his loyal colleagues' smiles.
What Shalltear had feared most was being abandoned by the Supreme Beings, especially after her fight with Lady Tiamat where the Dragoness had experienced troubles and hardships along the way.
But as soon as Ainz had his plan running, Tiamat had obliterated her unease easily.
Cocytus watched Shalltear silently with jealousy in his eyes. How happy she must be now…
Shalltear returned back to her position, her red eyes even redder as she tried to hold back her tears at the Supreme Beings' kindness and bowed with matchless devotion to her masters.
Finally, it was his turn.
"Cocytus, Ainz-sama has something to tell you. Pay close attention," Albedo said, almost glaring.
The air was filled with tension.
The Ruler of the Frozen Glacier bowed his head low, very low. Even if the posture only allowed him to see the floor, he wanted the Supreme Beings to see this as a sign of his utmost respect. How dare he who had failed them have the courage to look directly at them.
"I have seen your battle with the Lizardmen, Cocytus."
"Yes!"
"It ended in defeat."
"Yes. The. Blame. For. That. Failure. Lies. With. Me."
"Indeed. What do you have to say for yourself then?"
"Nothing! Punish. Me. As. You. See. Fit."
Tiamat glanced at Ainz. This wasn't going the way they were hoping.
Then again, maybe they should have expected such a reaction.
"Let me rephrase my question," Ainz said after pausing for a moment, "What do you think went wrong with the expedition?"
"I. Am. Deeply. Remorseful. For. My. Inability. To. Achieve. Victory. Even. After. Receiving. Command. Of. My. Own. Troops. And. For. The. Loss. Of. The. Elder. Lich. Commander. That. You. Personally. Made. Ainz-sama."
"Did you mean the army of undead? It's hardly a loss since you can get undead like that from anywhere, so there is no need to worry about that, Cocytus. But it seems that you didn't understand my question."
The Guardians and the vassals behind Cocytus were confused by those words.
"What I want to know is how you felt when you were commanding your troops," Ainz continued.
Cocytus was absolutely bamboozled. What did his master mean?
In desperation, he looked for answers from the all-knowing smile of the Dragoness. She looked as if she was anticipating what he was about to say.
"Commanding. The. Battle?" The Rulers of Frozen Glaciers shifted uncomfortably, for he did not know how to answer that question.
Seeing his confusion, Tiamat interjected. "Let's put it in a different way. What do you think you should have done to win, Cocytus?"
Cocytus began thinking in silence.
"I. Underestimated. The. Lizardmen. I. Should. Have. Been. More. Careful."
Ainz and Tiamat nodded at his response.
"Is there anything else?" Ainz asked.
"Yes. I. Did. Not. Have. Enough. Information. I. Learned. That. My. Chances. Of. Victory. Would. Be. Slim. If. I. Do. Not. Know. The. Enemy's. Strength. And. The. Terrain."
'Very good, Cocytus. Anything else?"
"The. Commander. Was. Inadequate. Since. The. Troops. Were. Low. Tier. Undead. I. Should. Have. Asked. For. A. Commander. Who. Could. Adapt. To. The. Circumstances. And. Issue. Timely. Orders. Also. I. Should. Have. Attacked. With. The. Zombies. To. Tire. The. Foe. Or. At. Least. Kept. The. Troops. Together. And. Attacked. All. At. Once."
"Is that all?" Ainz continued.
"My. Deepest. Apologies. But. That. Is. All. I. Can. Think. For. Now."
Contrary to what he expected, the Dragoness beamed at his answer as her eyes filled with hope. Looking at her bright eyes, he understood a little bit of what Demiurge meant when he said that Lady Tiamat was like an opened book.
"I see," Ainz replied, satisfaction evident in his voice. "That was an excellent analysis. Of course, there is room for improvement, but that is acceptable for now."
"Cocytus," Tiamat smiled at him. "You did great!"
"Indeed. As long as you can improve yourself and avoid future mistakes, then there is meaning to this defeat. I'm pleased that you have learned something." Ainz said proudly. Instead of being thoroughly disappointed, Cocytus could sense that he was smiling.
"Thank. You. Very. Much. Ainz-Sama! Lady Tiamat!"
"But, the fact remains that you were defeated."
Cocytus's elation from the Supreme Ones' praise vanished instantly as he once again was wracked with uneasy as he waited for the Overlord to pass his judgement.
"What do you think Tiamat?" Ainz head turned to his left, looking at the standing Dragoness. "Should we kill the lizardmen?"
Cocytus shuddered when their kind Lady had a grin on her face; a grin similar to Demiurge's, a cunning, deviant, and rebellious grin.
He breathed in and out several times.
"Well," Tiamat waited, peeking at Cocytus from the corners of her eyes. "Should we?" she asked Ainz back, but to Cocytus it felt like she was asking him, the Ruler of the Frozen Glacier, in a roundabout way.
The Supreme Beings went quiet as they both looked at Cocytus.
A weighty silence filled the air.
"What do you think, Cocytus?"
Lady Tiamat had asked him in a gentle voice, as if to ask the opinion of a child. There was no anger in her voice, just patience and understanding, which made it more frightening.
It was as if he was looking at a gentle warm fire, but he knew that if he let it fester, it would consume him.
After gulping, Cocytus raised his head and looked at the Supreme Beings.
"I. I. Oppose. The. Extermination. Of. The. Lizardmen. And. I Beg. Of. You. To. Show. Them. Mercy."
At his answer, the Goddess's grin became even wider.
"Hoo, you're interested in the Lizardmen then, Cocytus?"
Cocytus straightened himself further when he saw amethyst eyes glinting with surprise and amusement.
Was he that obvious? He wondered.
But the Supreme Being in front of him wasn't wrong. He wanted to offer praise for that exciting battle he had just think the foe had actually turned the impossible into the possible.
As a Warrior, Cocytus was deeply impressed.
"You're. Right. My. Lady. In. The. Future. They. Might. Be. Mighty. Warriors. Therefore. It. Would. Be. A. Shame. To. Wipe. Them. Out. Right. Now."
"But why would we do that?" Ainz calmly asked.
Tiamat was surprised at Ainz's response.
"Ainz!" she whispered, as if she was giving him a warning, but he waved it off.
"This is a question that needs to be asked, Tiamat. If we make use of the Lizardmen, we have to worry about their care and feeding. The only advantage we have in using them is their natural increase in population, which will take a long time to be seen," Ainz explained. "You must understand Tia, afterall, you were the one who managed the use of resources in and out of Nazarick."
"Also," he leaned towards her, lowering his voice to a whisper. "This is to help Cocytus grow more too."
Tiamat nodded in understanding before glancing back at the Guardians, who were all staring at her in surprise, save for Albedo.
They all expected Lady Tiamat to help the Leader of Ainz Ooal Gown, however, they didn't expect their Master to give their Lady such an important job.
Considering her easygoing personality to the Overlord's diligence, they thought she would just help Albedo in small matters or that Ainz-sama only gave her the punishment because he wanted someone to accompany him while he was doing his job.
Albedo who was looking at the confused and shocked faces of the Guardians, smiled in reply.
"That's right," she confirmed, "Lady Tiamat has managed the use of Nazarick's resources efficiently, moreover, she has made a lot of contributions behind the scenes," Albedo said proudly. "Most of the money she got from Adventuring has gone to help Nazarick grow without even spending a single coin out of Nazarick's treasury."
The Guardians' respect towards their Lady had increased tenfold.
The Dragoness's face burned at the unexpected compliment.
Ainz nodded, "With that being said, to spend some of Nazarick's resources that are limited on those Lizardmen would be a waste. Isn't that right, Tiamat?"
His red orbs looked at Tiamat, and she immediately understood why he had asked such a question.
She decided to play along.
"You're right," Tiamat agreed reluctantly, "Considering from what Cocytus had written in his report, it seems that the main diet of the Lizardmen consists of fish and alcohol. Even though we brew our own alcohol in Nazarick, we have no means of creating a food reservoir for the Lizardmen. In addition, if we were to take them in, we have to consider their ecosystem as well since they have to live near some sort of water source."
Cocytus looked at his Lady in amazement, because he had only thought of saving the Lizardmen out of personal consideration, paying no heed of the bigger picture.
It was clear that he had not thought that far, and he was ashamed at his shortsightedness.
"This means that it would be extremely difficult to bring them back to Nazarick," Tiamat continued. "All in all, it would be a huge investment with little return."
"With that being said, does your request hold any benefit to the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick?" Ainz asked his orbs glinting.
Cocytus's heart burned with anxiety.
He racked his brains as hard as he could but he could not find an answer.
"What's wrong Cocytus? Can't think of anything? Then it'll be extermination, no?" Ainz asked the same question as before.
The Ruler of the Frozen Glazier felt like his mandibles weighed a ton as his thoughts spun in endless circles. His mind was drawing a complete blank.
What could the Lizardman do to benefit Nazarick? He continued asking himself over and over.
A silence filled the Throne Room, and Ainz answered in his stead.
"What a shame…"
"Indeed," Tiamat sighed.
Those words of regret that were breathed out by the Supreme Beings threatened to crush the very breath from Cocytus.
In actuality, both Ainz and Tiamat was disappointed.
The point of their questions were to see whether Cocytus was able to think out of his own volition. Even though he was able to strategize in battle, there was little to be desired out of his programmed coding.
But that did not mean that Cocytus was not able to think on his own, afterall, he had explained his desire to save the Lizardmen because he was impressed by them. Only his thoughts were not as well expressed.
This was what they had planned.
If Cocytus had explained his reasoning, they would immediately agree to what he suggested, perhaps tweaked it a little bit so it would suit their plan.
If Cocytus hadn't, then they would suggest what to do.
It seemed their expectations towards the Guardians were too high since Cocytus wasn't able to answer Ainz's question.
They looked at each other and had the same thought.
'We have a lot of work to do…'
Just as they were thinking of that, a calm voice interjected.
"Ainz-sama, Lady Tiamat, please allow me to interject."
"What is it, Demiurge?" Ainz replied.
"May I be allowed to supply my humble opinion with regards to the Lizardmen?"
"By all means."
Demiurge clears his throat. "To begin with, regardless of how Nazarick turns out in the end, we will ultimately need to gather various forces or exert control over various species. Your servant submits that when the time comes there will be a great difference in the results depending on whether or not we have performed experiments in rulership."
"Oh, that does sound interesting, an excellent suggestion Demiurge."
"I am deeply grateful." Demiurge smiled. "If I may be presumptuous, but are you perhaps waiting for Cocytus to bring it up?"
The Supreme Beings didn't answer his question. Ainz just stared at Demiurge, nothing in his face betrayed his thoughts. But the Goddess next to him was different; as soon he had asked that question, she had broke her eyes from his gaze.
Her attitude said everything the Guardians needed to know.
"You praise us too highly Demiurge. We were merely hoping that all of you would express your opinions more freely," Ainz answered.
It was clear at this point that the Overlord was just being humble.
"With that being said," Ainz continued, "We will place the Lizardmen under our rule. To be honest, me and Tiamat had discussed this previously, and as you all may know, our aim is to bring a perfect Utopia into this world while spreading the name of Ainz Ooal Gown. However, Tiamat had mentioned a flaw in my plan."
The Overlord urged the Dragoness to continue.
"Ruling by fear is easy, but it will make loyalty hard to earn. If we commit to peace, we will be choosing the path with the least bloodshed, and the most gratitude. That is why we have come up with a different plan."
"A different plan?" Demiurge asked.
"Are. We. Not. Going. To. Exterminate. The. Lizardmen?"
"No," Tiamat answered. "I will go to bargain with them."
Canon Omake: Through Her Eyes
At first she was just asking Yuri because she wanted to see Yuri bust out her moves; maybe some katas here and there to show whether the Gauntlet was comfortable or not.
You know, like when someone goes shopping for a new pair of shoes, they choose the one they liked, but they always made sure to try them on first.
She didn't even think that the shopkeeper's attitude was annoying, afterall, there were far worse examples of customer service back on earth than this one. At least they were still allowed to look around the shop.
Some shops had turned down customers at the door just because of the color of their skin.
When Yuri lightly hit Tiamat, the Dragoness was actually offended.
Tiamat was a level hundred dragon heteromorph with most of her stats invested in defense and resist. She could handle a level fifty-one attack.
That was why Tiamat activated『Phobos Ambience』for a split second on Yuri.
But she didn't expect such an outcome…
When Yuri had uttered the first few syllables, Tiamat immediately went to think about any physical attack that started with the word Ka.
When Me came in, she was utterly confused because there were no spells that started with those two syllables.
Then the next syllable came in.
Ha.
There Tiamat realized the utter severity, and stupidity of the situation.
"Err, Y—Lily…." Tiamat started, cautiously raising her hand to stop Yuri.
"ME!" Yuri continued.
'OHSHITOHSHITOHSHIT!'
Tiamat went into her battle stance, casting a quick 『Aegis』 on the shopkeeper so that he wouldn't die.
There was no way she could ever bear the shame of people asking her what kind of spell had killed the shopkeeper.
Then the last syllable escaped from Yuri's delicate lips.
Tiamat thought an actual shockwave was coming—a laser beam from Yuri's palm—completely devastating part of the city.
But it was a mere gust.
True, the shop was basically decimated, and the shopkeeper had fainted. But none of that was important.
She had been duped.
It felt like when she was watching an awesome video with an epic thumbnail, waiting in anticipation, only to get Rick Rolled.
"Ah, it seems that was too much…" Yuri said nonchalantly.
The Dragoness smiled at Yuri.
"Y—" she took a furtive glance at the passed out shopkeeper, "—uri."
"Yes, My Lady."
"Who taught you that?" she sweely asked her. Even though her voice was soft, there was an edge to her voice that Yuri could not describe.
Still, she answered the Dragoness question with honesty and pride.
"It was Ainz-sama, My Lady," Yuri's eyes gleamed in satisfaction when she saw that the breathing exercises Ainz-sama had given her were a success.
"I see, Ainz, huh…" she whispered. "By the way Yuri, I was planning to cook a triple layered chocolate cake today."
"Is that so, My Lady?" Yuri exclaimed excitedly.
Out of all the desserts the Dragoness had cooked, her chocolate cake was and always would be the best.
When Yuri closed her eyes, she could imagine the soft, decadent chocolate in the background. The bitter-sweet taste of the velvety chocolate.
She almost drooled in public.
"But I won't give you any," Tiamat simply said.
The heavenly chocolate background shattered to pieces.
"What! Did I do something wrong?!"
Tiamat looked around.
The overturned weapons, shattered display glasses, broken doors and windows.
Then she turned back to Yuri who was kneeling in despair, demanding a fair trial.
"Yes," Tiamat replied, a giggle breaking out of her.
That day, Yuri's salary had been cut off to pay for the reparation costs of the shop.
But her misery didn't end there.
She had to watch her sisters eat the entire cake without her.
A/N: I've spoiled you peeps too much, so this chapter is ten pages shorter than the last two chapters. BTW, the scene where Yuri said it was Ainz who taught her to do that was the Purepurepleiades episode where Ainz gave them some sort of breathing exercises, I don't think he taught them kamehameha, but let's say he did for the sake of this chapter lel.
17-September-2019: By the time this chapter is published, we have already finished Chapter 20 and 21, DOUBLE UPDATES FTW~ Go join our discord to read them in advance!
Discord: 'Tiamat: The Goddess of Dragons' Discord Link: Hector Tries To Pivot Stuff (colon) (slash) (slash) daddy is so craving orangerefreshing drink . gg (slash) JUejk8J
Tell me in the reviews if you can spot all the memes I have scattered throughout the chapters!
Hackslashbash: We'll try to work more on 'YGGDRASIL' fanfic of AOG members. No promises though. This is what Mare reads in his spare time. Also, next chapter will be uploaded in two weeks, but discord members can view them as soon as we finish them. Link is in our profiles. ALL OMAKES ARE CANON UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE.
