Ainz paced backwards and forwards behind his desk, the clicking of his feet on the stone floor the only sounds in the room other than the shallow breathing of the three figures who knelt before him, each of them watching him with a different expression on their faces. Albedo, Demiurge, and Pandora's Actor were all outfitted in combat gear, but waited on his word to return to the field. Albedo had first reported in around half an hour ago, the wounds marking her skin still fresh as she reported the interception and defeat of the infiltration party.
Per the decision in the previous meeting, the mass assault force assembled by Cocytus was now marshalling on the Third Floor, and awaited the orders from this room to go ahead with the assault. Having been given full authority to take much of the best of Nazarick on the offensive, Cocytus had amassed a force easily capable of flattening three level 100 players in an open field - World Champion or not. Ainz was not particularly stressed about the outcome of that fight if it came down to it, but internally he agonized over whether or not to order the attack.
If we attack and win, I can't imagine a situation where Albedo and Demiurge don't demand the torture and execution of at least the two subordinates, and I can't imagine a world in which I can convince Karolus to be friendly towards us after that…
Turning on his heel, Ainz turned at the edge of the room and began to pace back.
On the other hand, he captured and harmed Yuri and Lupusregina! Unforgivable!
For the third time in as many minutes, his emotion dampener kicked in and brought his anger back to a passive dissatisfaction. Every time he thought about the two of them, potentially being tortured and tormented due to his inability to protect them, the anger would rise up inside him - as potent and fresh as the first time he heard the news.
...though I would guess he probably had no idea who they were, it's not like anyone's ever been inside Nazarick deep enough to have seen them and put information about them on the web.
Reaching the other end of the room, Ainz once again turned, his movements watched and studiously committed to memory by the three NPCs in the room, each of which - Ainz was painfully aware - would be coming to their own conclusions about why it was taking him so long to decide to call for the attack.
And of course, even if I do get the chance to speak with him, there's no guarantee that it'll be the real player in control, which would make this trouble all for nothing. I really want someone I can talk to about Yggdrasil and the old world, and to share the experience of the New World with, but it's not worth risking anything my friends made to get it.
Reaching his desk, Ainz reached a conclusion in his mind and turned to the three figures, who tensed as they waited for the order to wipe the pathetic human knights off the planet. Sitting down in his chair, and looking down at the smartest three individuals in Nazarick over the edge of the desk, Ainz straightened and delivered his decision in the most matter-of-fact voice he could muster.
"Call off the attack. I will handle this matter myself, at the scheduled meeting tomorrow."
Staring up at him from the floor, the looks of shock and confusion on Albedo and Demiurge's faces were so in sync, it made Ainz wish he still had a screenshot feature so he could mount the photo on his wall. Pandora's Actor's face was as inscrutable as ever, but he was the first to react, barking out a strange laugh as he snapped to his feet in a crisp salute.
"Haha! As expected of Lord Ainz! I shall go and call off Cocytus' force forthwith, and give him the comfort and sympathy he will no doubt oh so desperately crave!"
With a deep bow, the ring on his finger lit up, and with a soft popping noise he disappeared.
Was he...imitating Demiurge? Also, god damn it, how many times do I have to order him to stop saluting like that before he gets the message!?
With the abrupt departure of Pandora's Actor, a hush settled once again over the room. Ainz could practically see the gears turning in Demiurge's head as he tried to figure out the merits of the decision, but given the painfully frustrated expression on his face, it was clear he was drawing a blank. Albedo, on the other hand, just looked confused, and a little hurt.
"But...my Lord...they have shown themselves to be a threat to us, even when we approach in numbers! Surely you cannot think to endanger yourself like this?"
She turned to Demiurge, who was still kneeling beside her, but if she was looking for support, she was disappointed - Demiurge had transitioned from frustration to the early stages of what looked like panic, and was grinding a knuckle into his forehead as he began quietly muttering to himself.
Sorry Demiurge, this really just is a bad plan - even I can see that. I'm going to be selfish and show our hand, on the off chance that it's enough to resolve the situation without violence. I don't want to put you or anyone else at risk by forcing a fight with a World Champion; I know you're all willing to die for me, but I'll do anything to avoid that.
"I will not be questioned on this, Albedo. When you understand how this fits into my plan, all will be clear to you. There are things I must do myself, I cannot leave everything to you both."
It won't become clear, since I don't have a plan. Sorry for lying to you Albedo, but I need you to let this slide.
Rather than the expression of offence or anger that Ainz was expecting from being so blatantly told to shut up and follow orders, Albedo's face flushed, and the tips of her wings began fluttering as she responded in a breathy voice.
"Of...of course my love! I am simply your servant, and it was not my place to question you!"
...Is Albedo into being bossed around? I wouldn't have guessed that. Bit unsettling actually…
Getting to her feet, Albedo grabbed the arm of Demiurge and began pulling him from the room as she practically skipped away.
"Come, Demiurge, we must plan for tomorrow so that Ainz can have the perfect stage for his beautiful, manly display of power."
Demiurge's expression was on its way past panic and was on its way into despair as he allowed himself to be pulled from the room by the arm. His eyes locked with Ainz as he passed through the doorway, seeming to search his expression for some hint of the answer that he desperately sought.
Sorry Demiurge, you won't find any answers here. Honestly, I'm now more concerned about what Albedo expects from me than I am about resolving the situation tomorrow - at least I could theoretically just ignore Karolus and his group and leave it to my subordinates if I didn't want to think about it. I can't exactly walk away from Albedo's sky-high expectations…
With a deep sigh, Ainz leaned backwards into his chair as the door closed after his most devoted followers. Tomorrow would be a stressful day, but at least he had managed to get through this part of it; now he just had to put on a good performance tomorrow, and then maybe his problems would melt away. Probably not though.
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Hundreds of miles away, high in the sky, the object of Ainz's thoughts was a good fifteen minutes into something one could reasonably describe as a second hand lecture. Morgiana had clearly been less than pleased with him when she had finished restoring Karolus to health, but since she felt like she couldn't directly lecture him, she was taking it out by lecturing Carloman instead, but very pointedly looking at him every minute or so to make it clear she was really complaining about his actions.
"And that's why it's vitally important to stay close to me when you fight, Carloman, as otherwise the Lady's Favor will be absent from your fights."
Finishing her lecture on this (often repeated) point, both Morgiana and Carloman turned in unison to throw a final pair of frustrated looks at Karolus. Carloman had borne the lecture with surprisingly good grace, but it was clear he very much blamed Karolus for his current state of affairs. Karolus had the good grace to at least look sheepishly contrite about the matter, and with a huff, Morgiana seemed content to leave it at that, turning her attention back to the forest below them.
Using a high level tracking and observation spell from Morgiana, the three of them had spent the last half an hour doing laps of the campsite on their mounts, searching for any further intruders. It would have been more thorough to have used Karolus' [Aspect of God: All-Seeing], but it gave him a headache; and anyway he wanted to preserve uses of his [Aspect of God] for if they needed to fight again. This second explanation (the only one he gave) was sufficient for Morgiana to take command of the scouting operation, which suited Karolus just fine.
"If there was going to be a follow-up attack by [Gate] or something similar, I imagine we would have spotted it by now, my lord. Additionally, nobody has tampered with my [Roots of the Earthmother], so it doesn't look like anyone has snuck into camp to try and release our prisoners. I suggest we return to the ground."
Karolus nodded his assent, and the trio smoothly descended from the skies, coming to a rest in the clearing around the tent that contained the two warrior maids. The three dismounted and headed into the tent, their mounts taking to the skies to return to the fields where they were sleeping for the evening.
Inside the tent, Karolus saw a brief look of hope on the face of the ever-expressive Lupusregina turn sour as she saw that it was them who had arrived. Carloman seemed to have seen it too, raising his voice as he stalked over towards her.
"Hoped we were dead, did you? Thought your friends were coming to save you?"
He knelt down in front of her until his face was hovering just above hers, just inches away from her bared teeth.
"No such luck, fiend. You live only until Ser Karolus tires of you, at which point I will ram this straight through your heart."
Carloman drew a short silver dagger from his belt and pressed the point into the werewolf's chest, eliciting a growl of defiant rage from her.
"Enough, Ser Carloman. You dishonour yourself and your Grail Knight."
As Carloman stepped back from Lupusregina at Morgiana's words, Karolus took a seat, this time directly in front of Yuri.
"As you can probably guess, I was just attacked by around 10 of your comrades, who I believe were here to rescue you both. They fought valiantly, but were defeated. Tomorrow, we will likely meet them on the field of battle again, as Jaldabaoth has invited us to a meeting nearby - a meeting you most likely already know is a trap. You will be brought as bargaining chips, and so this is your last chance to come clean."
Looking into Yuri's eyes, Karolus searched for any hint of emotion that would give him a clue as to what she was thinking, but her face remained perfectly expressionless as she silently looked back at him.
"If, as I suspect, you both actually work for Ainz Ooal Gown, I would like your help to avoid an unnecessary conflict. I have no present desire to fight Momonga, or the others of your Guild, and will happily deliver you both back to them if peace can be achieved."
As with the last time he mentioned the name Momonga, he thought he saw a flash of something on Yuri's face, but it passed so quickly that he couldn't tell what expression it had been. Despite this, her face remained stoically devoid of any other emotion, and she looked back at him blankly, clearly unwilling to say anything more than she already had.
Sighing, Karolus returned to his feet and put the folding chair back in his inventory, before turning to Lupusregina. Once again, he reached into his inventory and removed the [Chain of Silence], placing it back over her neck.
"Sorry Lupusregina, but I can't have you keeping the entire camp awake with your growls. Sleep well, both of you, we shall see you in the morning."
Turning, Karolus gave one more look at Yuri before leaving the tent with Morgiana and Carloman, patting Neia's head absentmindedly as they left the room. His bed called, and tomorrow would be a busy day.
\|/
At the top of a wide, shallow hill sat a woodcutter's hut. The midday sun shone down on it, showing the recent repairs that had been done to it, but all things considered it looked relatively unassuming.
What was somewhat less unassuming was the mass of demons which surrounded the hut on all sides. 6 Evil Lords of Wrath stood as sentinels at the bottom of the hill, and the air was filled with a swarm of flying demons and devils, all above level 60. Seated on a throne of human bones just outside the door of the hut sat a perfectly dressed gentleman with eyes of crystal, whose piercing gaze tracked the arriving group with an unsettling clarity.
Blancheur smoothly swooped down to the ground, hovering in place just off the ground to allow Karolus to drop down before returning to the skies - the stiff and unmoving forms of Yuri and Lupusregina grasped in his front talons. Similarly, Morgiana and Carloman swooped down on their mounts and dismounted next to him, before their pegasi joined Blancheur in the skies - they wouldn't win the aerial engagement if this turned into a fight, but they could at least distract the majority of the forces for a while.
Hands on their sheathed weapons, the group crossed the short distance to the closest Evil Lord of Wrath, which raised itself up menacingly in front of them.
The massive stature of the Evil Lord set Louis' mind into a mild panic before Karolus' skills kicked in and brought his rational mind to the forefront, pushing away the very natural fear of the massive demon. Reaching into his pouch, he drew out the letter which had been left on the impaled body, which felt like it happened days ago, rather than just yesterday. Raising it up, he looked the demon in the eyes.
"You called for us?"
With a grunt, the Evil Lord turned back and gestured up the hill, replying in a deep rumbling voice.
"And you came. Jaldabaoth awaits you."
Warily passing the Evil Lord, Karolus and his companions headed up the hill, looking far more confident than he felt as wheeling groups of devils spun above them, their blades aflame in a display of power. After only a short walk, the trio arrived at the foot of the bone throne which had been constructed outside the hut. The humanoid demon, who Karolus could only assume was Jaldabaoth, didn't even move as they approached, staring deeply at Karolus as they stopped a few feet away from him. With both sides simply appraising the other, there was an uncomfortable silence that stretched until, tilting his head slightly, Jaldabaoth grinned at the trio.
"You know, I didn't honestly think you'd come. I assumed you would have been smarter than that."
Before Karolus could react, Carloman beside him shouted at the Demon Emperor and drew his blade.
"We have no fear of you, demon scum!"
"Perhaps you should reconsider that particular viewpoint."
The Demon Emperor spoke, and then snapped his fingers. Behind them, 5 portals opened around the base of the hill, and a mass of demons, devils, and abominations flooded forth, forming a massive ring of powerful monsters around the hill. With a grin, the Demon Emperor leaned forwards, his mouth shifting into a gleeful grin.
"Much as I would love to see you die futile deaths, buried under the weight of the entire 7th layer of…'Hell', I am for the moment a Demon of my word, and you are here to dine with me. Come, the feast awaits."
Standing, and descending from the throne, Jaldabaoth walked in front of Carloman and turned to walk away, practically begging the knight to take his shot. Karolus could see the muscles in Carloman's neck straining as he fought down his righteous fury, and laid a hand on his arm as he stepped forwards to follow the Demon Emperor.
"We appreciate your hospitality, but I mostly wished to know why you would call us here in the first place? What would you possibly wish to talk to us about?"
"Is it not enough for a demon to wish to get to know his sworn enemies? After all, when I have you all at my mercy, it would be nice if we all knew each other."
The Demon Emperor paused, and turned his face back over his shoulder to glare at Karloman.
"...is what I would have said. Instead, however, we have a surprise in store for you. Come, let the show commence."
With that, he stepped through the door into the large hut beyond, beckoning the trio to seats at a massive, lavishly laid table. Placing his hand on the hilt of his sword, Karolus sighed and stepped through the doorway, and at once, time slowed to a practical stop as his combat skills triggered to their maximum effect.
Walking into the hut was like walking into a freezer, and it almost took the breath from his lungs. Instead, the skills kept him focused enough to take in the full spectacle arrayed inside the hut. Standing around the edges of the room, hidden from the outside, was a varied group of individuals, each of which Karolus could immediately tell were on the same scale of power as the black armoured woman - who was in fact the first person he laid eyes on.
A massive white/blue bug who held four different weapons, a gothic looking lady whose bloodlust could hardly be understated, two innocent looking dark elves whose serious eyes showed a cold clarity that clashed with their appearances, and a white haired butler whose thick, corded muscles threatened to break free of his immaculate jacket. These were all strangers to him, but from their description he at least recognized a few of them - these were the NPCs of Nazarick, their appearances matching those from the accounts of the great raid which got so far into the Tomb only to be defeated entirely on what was assumed to be the final or second to last floor.
Standing, with their weapons drawn, each of them radiated an aura of malice that would have sent the ordinary Louis running for the hills. Though they all clearly held a great hatred for him, and each of them was clearly straining themselves to avoid simply charging him, they each stayed in their places as Karolus' allies also stepped through into the room. Preemptively, Karolus raised an arm in front of Carloman, and felt him stiffen - his natural reaction to charge stopped only by his respect for Karolus.
This would all be well and good if they planned to attack us, but they've now shown their hand and lost the opportunity of surprise - not that we weren't expecting something like this to begin with. What's really happening here?
The answer to that question would soon be answered, as at a nod from Jaldabaoth, the butler turned and opened the door behind him, through which a familiar figure strode - practically a figure of legend to a Yggdrasil history enthusiast like Louis. A massive skeleton, draped in robes and carrying a massive golden staff: this was most certainly Momonga - guild master of Ainz Ooal Gown, owner of what was arguably the greatest player owned dungeon ever made. At his entrance, the NPCs around the room all bowed in some form or another - keeping their eyes locked on the three of them, while still showing their servility to their master.
"Momonga. It's a pleasure to finally meet you at last."
The Overlord stepped forwards, and sat down at the head of the table, directly across from where three places had been set up for Karolus and his companions.
"It's Ainz now, actually. Please, be seated."