Joshua practically slammed the crown on the table. It trembled slightly before resting completely on the fine wood.
"What might this be?"
A voice, one full of self-importance, picked up the threaded item, observing the jewel decorations and turning it in his hands.
"Never seen a crown before, your majesty?"
The man in question, a pure heterochromatic-eyed elf, frowned at the burned man in front of him.
"I am in no mood for jests, Graham. Explain. Now."
Of course, Your majesty...
"This is the Crown of Wisdom. One of the Theocracy's treasures according to our spies." He spoke, his voice just as baritone.
A neutral but surprised look overcame the Elf King. He looked down at the crown, at the great dark jewel at the center, before setting it down again.
"To have it stolen right under their noses. How embarrassing." He focused further on Joshua. "How did you acquire this?"
"From a woman - a defector - one who goes by the name of Clementine. She had this on her person when we encountered one another."
"I presume you fought for this then. How did you dispose of the body?"
"I did not kill her but it wasn't for lack of trying. She deserves no mercy that one."
"It matters not whether she dies or lives." The Elf King picked up the Crown. "But what is done with this. Do you know what it's capable of?"
"...From what we know so far this item can only be used by females. To further complicate matters, less than a handful can wear it as well. Even if they can, they are rendered mere puppets. And, if removed, will turn one mad." A pause. "The advantage is that it allows weaker individuals to access magic beyond the 3rd Tier."
"A significant boost in power…" He mused to himself. "There is no Elf woman worth saving in this Country of mine. These 'disadvantages' matter not." The king set the crown down. "Effective immediately, I want all women to be rounded up and gathered in whatever location of your choosing. Be quick about it." He gestured towards the burn victim. "Is there anything else you deem worthy of mention?"
"Yes, I believe so."
"Then speak, human."
"Theocracy forces in the country have dwindled for a reason I have yet to find. Though not yet confirmed, our intelligence suggests it's due to another faction. They've made themselves known but their intentions are unclear. I fear a possible alliance could spell disaster for us. Their king goes by the name of Frank Horrigan. Does it sound familiar?"
"Hardly. No, I've never heard of this man nor does any of this interest me." A pause. "I believe this concludes our meeting. Dismissed." The king waved him off before turning his back.
Begrudgingly following his command, Joshua Graham said nothing before he too turned around and began walking away. His bandages shifted as he scowled and furrowed his brows.
…
Ainz looked down at the paper in front of him. It had been a while since he had seen the English language which is what the text on his desk was written in. However, he really had no choice in the matter seeing as this was completely necessary if he wished to increase the defenses of Nazarick. He was angry. But only at himself for his Naivety. He had truly believed that, from what he had seen thus far, that Nazarick was untouchable. Of course, he had come to a rude awakening when these so-called "Tunnelers" attacked. The overall damage they had sustained hadn't been expensive, but it was still considerable. Better to save a YGGRISDAL coin than waste any in the first place. Still, he was grateful that none of the NPC's his friends crafted perished during the invasion. The Ninth Floor had no proper defenses, the regular maids would've died had it not been for Six's intervention. Sure, they may not have cost more than a Floor Guardian to bring back, but to subject them to death in the first place would only make him feel even more guilty than he already was. It had barely been a day since then, but he had assigned Demiurge to the task of coming up with more defenses to protect from these creatures he had never heard of. Until now of course. He looked down at writings of Six, Magic Glasses worn and reread what the mailman had quickly assembled for him. This was just an excerpt of one particular monster - a Centaur.
...Mutated creatures, they're as dangerous as they are ugly. From what I learned, a strain of virus called FEV (Forced Evolutionary Virus), is responsible for these fleshy chimeras. They're an amalgamation of humans, cats and dogs. No Centaur looks exactly like another but they share similarities. Some have two heads, with arms acting as legs, the torso holds it together, and it has a mass of tentacles slipping from its crotch that writhe along the ground which are used as whips for attacking. They're sometimes used as guard dogs for whoever can tame it (usually supermutants).
Ainz stopped reading and looked at the drawing Six had produced for the report. It had a caption saying "Best I could do, I'm not an artist". Despite this, the drawn image was of spectacular quality and showcased the majority of what he had described. These creatures certainly weren't lookers.
And then there is also the one-headed variation. Like I said, they look similar but have different abilities. This one drags itself along the ground more than the ant-like ones and is able to spit a pretty big gob with unknown properties that definitely hurt, not to mention the radiation as well and the tentacles that come from their mouth. Again, they use them as whips. They hurt. I've seen these evolve into much stronger variations too. They're about the size of an adult bear but could possibly grow larger.
He looked at the next image and, sure enough, there was the impressive drawing he had left behind. His attention was drawn to the bones jutting from the spine and near its rear abdomen. Speaking of which, the teeth placed in a circle in said abdomen looked like it could swallow someone whole.
"Ainz-sama."'A female's voice stopped him from reading. "Albedo-sama and Demiurge-sama request an audience with you." A maid had approached him while he had been looking down at the paper.
The Overlord took off his glasses and placed them firmly on top of his table full of other documents.
"That is because I summoned them. Let them in." He said before receiving a bow from the assigned maid in acknowledgement. She walked to the gate allowing them access to his office before letting it open for the Floor Guardians.
The moment the doors had enough space, two figures emerged from the halls. A devil-woman in a white dress and a demon-man in a red striped suit. They approached at once and made to kneel before their master but stopped short in surprise and confusion when Ainz's hand came up.
"Enough. Let us dispense with the pleasantries. Demiurge, Albedo, what news do you bring?"
The Arch-Devil spoke first. "As per your request, Ainz-sama, I have laid additional defenses within the underground system of Nazarick. Should there be any stragglers left, these 'Tunnelers' or any creature that can burrow underground will be swiftly dealt with."
"Excellent. I trust the summons from their corpses made everything proceed quickly?"
"Very much so."
Ainz nodded. "That should bring me some peace of mind. Excellent work, Demiurge."
A genuine grin of satisfaction overcame the Demon Lord.
"And what about you, Albedo?"
"Yes." She raised her voice somewhat. "The damage we incurred totaled to roughly 1,000,000 YGGDRASIL gold in repairs. No NPC's were slain during the invasion but a few did sustain some injuries. Of course, this was immediately remedied and those affected are operating at full strength now."
"Hmu. I had hoped the repairs would cost less, but the situation could have been worse…" He trailed off and looked down at the illustrations of the Centaurs once again. Perhaps he had been staring longer than he should've but Demiurge spoke up once again.
"May I ask what that is on your desk?" He gestured to the novel-sized combo of papers.
Ainz thought to himself for a moment. "A recently made encyclopedia of creatures Hall has encountered so far. It came to my attention that these newfound creatures are just one of many oddities I have yet to see with my own eyes. Take these Centaurs for example." He beckoned them to come closer to which they quickly complied with. They looked down at the paper which Ainz had flipped for them.
"Did Six sketch these drawings?" Demiurge asked.
"Without a doubt." Ainz answered.
"What is this note here…?" Albedo leaned in and tried reading before realizing something. "This is not in Japanese but rather in… English?"
"That is correct. I am unfortunately not fluent in Hall's language." He picked up the Magic Glasses and handed them to Albedo.
The Succubus thanked her master and placed the object over eyes before looking down once more and almost began reading aloud before noticing something that upset her. Even her smiling facade broke underneath this revelation. The Overlord picked up on her sudden sour mood.
"Albedo, is something wrong?"
Demiurge turned to look at her after realizing what was going on.
"Perhaps a lesson in manners is due?" Her rhetoric question came out searing.
"Is it something the Courier wrote?" The devil asked before being wordlessly handed the magic glasses. He looked down at the English text and began reading aloud.
"...These winged… are worse than... They're comparable to mosquitoes. I hate these… I've even tried getting the heads of Big MT to develop some bug spray specifically for these annoying… but obviously didn't get a chance to see their progress. If I see one of these far out in the distance here in the New World, I'm putting a .50 BMG round through them immediately - I don't care if it's a waste of my ammo. Anyway, they deal a crap ton of poison damage, fly and dodge fast. They're hard to hit and they usually swarm people. I default to explosives to cripple their wings, making them a lot easier to handle these... things."
Demiurge had finished reading this excerpt while trailing off after seeing the long strings of curses but held no negative opinion on the language. Still, Albedo had a point, reports such as these required the utmost respect for their master.
"...I had yet to read that section." Ainz said after some time. "In truth, I don't find coarse language vexing but I certainly wouldn't want those words used around Aura and Mare." With a simple gesture, he asked for the Magic Glasses back and easily received it from the devil man before setting it back down. "Albedo."
"Yes." Her back straightened in response.
"Have this properly amended and make duplicates. It is vital we all become aware of the strengths and weaknesses of these creatures. This is a priority right now."
"I will begin right away."
"Umu. Afterwards, notify everyone to resume their original tasks." He stood up from his chair. "I must prepare to leave at once. I leave Nazarick to you."
Another resolute "yes" came from Albedo before Ainz disappeared from sight in a flash. There was a brief silence between the demon and Succubus before the mood in the room changed. Albedo gripped her empty hand in both anger and frustration.
"To think that damnable creatures managed to hurt Ainz-sama…"
Demiurge stopped smiling. "A complete and utter failure on our part. Our defenses meant nothing to those so-called Tunnelers. The damage dealt overall is unacceptable. To say we were unprepared would simply be an excuse. Even so…"
There had been no rebuke from Ainz himself. If the Overlord felt like they had fallen short of his expectations it would be impossible for Demiurge to know. He simply couldn't read his master. There is only one other person residing in this great tomb that had the ability to do so.
"We must prove ourselves." Determination seeped from his voice. Albedo firmly nodded in agreement.
…
Three knocks came from his door. The man laying on his bed looked up from his book and laid his eyes on his lifelong companion.
"Could you get that ED-E?"
Several beeps of agreement came from the floating metal eye before it approached the door. Six secretly watched his buddy as he somehow magically turned the knob of the door and swung it open. He never remembered his friend doing that once in his life. Something told him it related to their stay in whatever this New World was. Assuming this state of consciousness was indeed real and not something the quacks of Big Mountain had done to him. His attention went away from his retreating companion to the short and deathly pale true vampire. He was about to say something before noticing another individual walk in as well. He quickly identified the other being as a Vampire Bride. This one in particular seemed to be of the long haired variant. A lot of them tended to look similar but not completely. He had only seen them very briefly, having never interacted with any of them. All he knew was that they served under Shalltear and did as she asked.
I wonder how many died during the invasion? They're POP monsters but still...
Six looked at the bottom right of the book and noted the page number before closing it shut and letting it rest on his chest. Legs crossed, he laid on his bed still and focused on Shalltear who stood at the end of it.
"What's up?" He initiated the conversation.
A genuine smile presented itself on her face. "I've come bearing a gift."
He rose a brow. "What's the occasion? I don't remember telling anybody my birthday was today."
"It's for getting rid of Aura's senseless crush on you. I never promised anything but felt quite generous upon hearing the news from the shorty herself."
He hummed and focused on the Vampire Bride. "Is that why she's here?" He gestured with a tilt of his head towards the other beautiful woman in the room.
"I knew you would understand immediately. I realized you were simply pent up and needed an outlet."
He narrowed his eyes "I don't-"
She turned towards her concubine and shamelessly began groping her.
"They'll fulfill whatever you desire. Think of them as your own personal assistants." She stopped getting handsy and locked her eyes with her servant. "From this moment on you belong to Courier Six. You are to do as he asks to the best of your ability and without question. If I find out your performance is anything short of satisfactory, you'll wish I had killed you instead." Her crimson eyes flared maliciously.
The Vampire Bride appeared fearful for the first time though said nothing in response. Shalltear then looked to Six before deciding to make her exit. "Do try and enjoy yourself." She said finally before disappearing from his sight and into the other room.
Though he hadn't commanded the eyebot, ED-E soon closed the door to his room before floating back to its original position. He let loose a few beeps afterwards.
"Yeah, I wanted to say something but… it would've only upset her." Six responded as he decided to sit up on his bed. His attention was now fully on the pale beauty before him. It was only when he actually studied her a bit more closely that he realized her sclera was colored black unlike Shalltear who had a normal white. That and she was dressed more scantily. Any sudden movement from her would've ended up with a wardrobe disaster. He would need to change that. But first...
"What's your name?" He crossed his arms.
"I am a Vampire Bride." She simply stated. Her attitude as polite and subservient as possible.
He shook his head. "No no. Your name."
She looked at him somewhat confused before realizing what he meant. "I do not have one."
Six tilted his head somewhat. "I'm not going to keep calling you Vampire Bride everytime I address you." He placed a hand underneath his chin. "You don't mind if I give you one, right?"
"Whatever you wish." She half-bowed.
Six frowned underneath his helmet. "No, not 'whatever I wish'. Is it something YOU want?"
The POP monster almost seemed taken aback. She scrunched her features a little as she considered his words.
"Feel like coming up with one for yourself? That's fine too, y'know."
She moved her head downwards and began scanning the floor as if it was the most interesting thing in the world.
"I… I think it would be best if you do so."
"...Alright. Then how about…" He looked off to the side for a few seconds before suddenly finger snapping and pointing at her.
She nearly jumped back, half-expecting it to be an attack of some kind.
"Vivian Lamia." He stated confidently. "Your new name. That sound good?"
She didn't think twice about the decision and nodded with as much fervor as possible. The Courier let out a grunt as if it strained him to get off his bed before standing a few feet away from the woman who had half curious half anxious look on her face.
"I don't want to end up confusing you with some of the other Vampire Brides…" He mulled to himself as he placed his hands on his hips and tapped the ground with his left foot. It helped him think.
Was that sentence racist? It might've been-
ED-E suddenly made some noise. The Courier turned to look at him and hummed in thought before focusing back on Vivian. He turned and faced his cabinet before approaching it and pulling at the drawer second to the bottom.
"I'd like to test something..."
…
The Battle Maids watched with mixed reactions as Shalltear put her hands all over Solution's figure. Yuri herself feared for her sister since she knew what the pale woman wanted from herself specifically. Narberal and Entoma watched with neutrality while Lupusregina looked on in curiosity and… something else she couldn't place. CZ stayed as stone-faced as always. The shoggoth didn't seem to mind the contact. The maids all sat at the designated table with varying amounts of food. The two women spoke to one another as if this interaction was normal.
"Why not come down to the third floor? There's still time before we go back to our respective duties…" Shalltear said as she caressed the slime's blonde hair.
"I appreciate the invitation Shalltear-sama however…"
The vampire tilted her head in interest. "Yes…?"
A determined look appeared on her face. "I have a problem, I'm in need of some advice." Shalltear's curiosity peaked. "When it comes to enticing men."
A confused look appeared on her face. "That's an issue? An appearance like yours should make things easy."
"When it comes to normal men it is." Her frown deepened. "But no matter what I attempt on Six-sama…"
"Hah?! Six?!" Shalltear backed away from Solution in surprise.
The slime only nodded in response. "I tried many things such as waiting in the nude atop of his bed." Yuri's eyes widened as she heard this. "Forcing physical contact." Then hung her head. "And even sleeping next to him." And finally placed both hands on her face, letting her arms support it. She hadn't realized how long this problem with Six and Solution had been going on. Everyone except for Shalltear and the blonde acknowledged her reaction.
"...Really?" The vampire placed a finger on her chin. Perhaps the Courier was telling the truth when claiming he held no degenerate feelings towards Aura. "Maybe he likes men?"
Solution shook her head. "I've noticed him steal glances when he thinks I'm not looking. He seems to particularly like looking at Narberal," The shapeshifter became more attentive. "Lupusregina," The wolf girl developed a knowing smile. "Yuri," The undead looked up. "And myself. He seems particularly fond of rears."
The Dullahan turned her head and looked down.
"Don't worry, Yuri-nee. Your ass is huge!" She held a wink and a thumbs up. Said undead immediately popped a vein and grit her teeth in anger.
"...Why doesn't Six look at my butt?" CZ asked.
The room went silent for a moment. All heads turned to look at the robot girl.
"Yeah~ Why not us~?" Entoma wanted an answer too.
Shalltear hummed in thought and looked at the ceiling for a moment. "What about me?"
Solution tried recalling a moment. "There was that time he stared at your ribbon for a few seconds."
Shalltear raised her arm and touched said ribbon on her head. Was there a fetish for… soft material? There probably was. "However, I do notice he tends to avoid you. Albedo-sama as well now that I think about it."
A small smile appeared on her face. "Good. I didn't want him joining her side." She turned neutral again. "That gift of mine should gain me some favor with him. But I'll need more…"
"Shalltear-sama..." Solution began.
"Hm? Oh, right. Six…"
"You should ask him~" Entoma chimed in. "He told me he likes it when we're honest." Everyone was focused on her now. "He said something like… honesty is the best policy. I think."
"Directly asking…" Solution didn't seem too keen on the idea.
"She's probably right. I don't know why you're bothering with an idiot like him, but that's probably the only option you have left." Shalltear agreed.
The slime girl looked down at the ground as she began considering what to do next. It was at this moment that they heard the knob to Six's room turn. Shortly afterward, the man himself stepped through with a newly dressed Vampire Bride and eyebot behind him. The POP monster came out wearing one of the Courier's dusters. This is one particular being The Great Bear variation. He stopped in his tracks when multiple sets of eyes stared at him.
"Did I miss something?"
"Not at all." Shalltear spoke without missing a beat. "What's with the getup?" She spoke as she eyed the Vampire Bride. The black haired woman wore a duster along with boots, baggy pants and vest along with it. Only her arms and head were exposed. She also had something gold strapped to her arm.
"A little experiment of mine. I wanted to see something that's been on my mind for a while." He looked at the bride. "Vivian. Your arm." Six motioned.
"...Vivian?"
"The name I gave her."
She gave an amused smirk. "How about that." She looked at Vivian. "From servant to pet. Quite a promotion."
Six sent her a glare which went unseen underneath his helmet. "Enough of that." He used two fingers to indicate for Shalltear to approach. "Come look at this."
Normally she wasn't terribly inclined to follow orders from anyone that wasn't Ainz-sama. Still, she wanted to see what was apparently exciting enough to warrant her to walk over to him. Her eyes roamed Vivian's arm.
"Isn't that… what was it you called it? A Pip-Boy?" She stopped in front of the Bride.
"Yup. It's a spare. To be honest, I don't like how flashy it is. Sticks out worse than a Deathclaw in a shed."
Six began moving the dials and pressing buttons before getting it to the stats section. "I wanted to see what would happen if someone from Nazarick wore or even used some of my items." He began. "So I had Vivian put on one of my dusters that apparently gives an endurance boost. I wouldn't know for sure if putting it on actually did anything so I had her equip this and noticed some data present on her that isn't on me." He pointed to what he spoke of.
"HP, MP, Physical Attack, Physical Defense, Agility, Magical Attack, Magical Defense, Resistance, and Special - It's all there. And that includes the other kind of S.P.E.C.I.A.L. You know, my own special stats." He switched on back to Status. "Look at her health. It got a significant boost from what it normally would be."
Shalltear's eyes landed on where it stated 'HP' and the number next to it. Her eyes nearly bugged out as she stared in shock. "160?!" She nearly yelled. That's sixty more points than her!
"Amazing, isn't it? Putting on my armor increased her health to an insane amount. But there's more." Six looked at Vivian. "Take the armor off."
"You should ask her out first." Lupusregina cheekily. If anyone heard her, she went ignored.
Seamlessly, his armor suddenly disappeared from her body and flopped on the floor. The bride now stood there wearing her original clothing. Six pressed more buttons on the Pip-Boy and displayed the S.P.E.C.I.A.L points. All of them were now exactly at one singular point.
"It's still there and so are her new stats. If she gets some XP sent her way…"
"She'll level up…" Shalltear finished.
Six allowed her arm to fall. "She can become a lot stronger." He patted her shoulder and locked eyes with her. "You have the potential to become a beast. On the guardians level too. Maybe. It's a working theory." He turned to Shalltear. "I'll send my findings to Ainz soon. I know he'll be interested. This can make Nazarick stronger than it already is."
Six lightly slapped Vivian on the back, causing her to lean forward somewhat from the force. "You can keep wearing the armor if you want."
She nodded and went to pick up before donning the clothing instantly through whatever magic was used. Six looked at the Battle Maids all seated together. "You guys gonna finish that?" He pointed to the food.
"There's more than enough. Please feel free to join us." Yuri pointed to the extra chair added long ago specifically for him. It was placed between her and Narberal.
The Courier swiftly pulled it out from inside the table and sat down on it, immediately slouching in what he felt was most comfortable. He turned his head as he watched Shalltear making her way to the door that led to the floor's hallways.
"Don't want to join, Ms. Bloodfallen?"
She stopped and turned her head to look at him. "Do you forget I'm undead?"
"Nope. But-"
"I have tasks that need doing. Those filthy Tunnelers made a mess of my area and I have to see Demiurge about new defenses."
"Ah, well, nevermind then." He waved at her. "I'll see you then."
"Until then." She said before finally making her exit and disappearing from everyone's line of sight. He heard a tiny sigh escape from Yuri.
"Now what do we have here…?" Six half mumbled before leaning forward and grabbing a singular but thick slice of beautifully cooked ham before lifting his helmet up and letting the whole thing into his mouth and started to chew.
ED-E beeped next to him, bouncing in place while swaying left and right to his and Yuri's side. The Courier swallowed his food. "Then drop it." Not a second later, an item appeared out of thin air before Six deftly caught it. Green, blocky, and duct tape on the side, it disappeared from sight after a dim glow came from his Pip-Boy.
"...Was that C-4?" CZ asked.
He nodded before reaching for another slice of ham again. "Yeah, I like saving them up for traps. Nothing better than watching Deathclaws run at you in a cave before being blown up into giblets." He let it fall into his mouth.
"So Six…" Lupusregina started. She received a turn of his head acknowledging her.
"You an assman?"
He stopped his chewing before staring at her silently for a moment before continuing to do so. He held a finger up to let her know he was in the process of eating. A few seconds passed before they heard him swallow his food.
"Was that a guess? Because if it is, then you're right."
He admitted with a shrug.
"It wasn't a guess. Sol-chan figured it out for us." He turned to look at the beautiful slime who looked almost guilty. "And who you like looking at in particular. Me, Yuri, Narberal and Solution."
Six glanced at all said women to take in their reactions. They were concerningly neutral save for the wolf queen who couldn't keep that smirk off her face. He didn't like any of that.
"Six, I must ask." Solution leaned forward somewhat. "You are attracted to the female form, correct?"
Somewhat reluctant to the conversation about to take place, he still answered as best as he could. "...Yes. Without a doubt."
"Then why refuse my advances? Or from women outside of Nazarick too?"
"Wha? How do you…" He glanced at the redhead. Of course she told her. Everyone else too probably. He breathed in tiredly. "Cause… well…" He rubbed his helmet with his right hand before letting a sigh. He might as well. "You want the long answer or the short one?"
Her brows furrowed. "At length, please."
"You sure? You might get bored."
"I am."
He nodded. "...I used to be in love with someone." Now that got their attention. The maids began listening with rapt attention. "When I was young - in my late teens, I had gone sweet on a girl - someone I won't name. I've had eyes on her since growing up. She was the first friend I ever had, I considered her my best even. It was… hard for me to do but I gathered my courage and admitted my feelings." He let out a laugh but it carried no humor. "They were… reciprocated to say the least. We did a lot together, made plans together. She trusted me and I trusted her."
He paused.
"But our goals were different. She wanted to settle down someplace nice early and live a quaint life. I wanted to explore more of the world, being confined in the same area for nearly eighteen years was driving me mad. We still loved each other but realized it wouldn't work out. I went my way and she went hers."
Six's tone remained matter-of-factly.
"I became a drifter and earned a reputation as a veteran of the wasteland. I came to know the trail, it's people, and the creatures. Knew a lot more than most folk did. I came close to death a few times, I won't lie. But eventually, I came across a settlement called Hopeville. As luck would have it, she was there. We recognized each other immediately. And it was love at second sight. We did some catching up, she introduced some of her friends - told me she had been waiting all that time for me to come back. I was honestly shocked, I was sure she had gotten with someone else."
"It was there that I decided that I was done. My wanderlust had been sated, I wanted to be with her til the day I died. But I had two deliveries to make before I stopped. I told her, told her that I was ready to start our lives with one another. She was more than happy to hear that of course. I delivered the package - a device of some sort and hurried to finish the last one."
"But inside that little box? Something awful. It turned out to be a detonator. There were missiles underneath the place - inside silos. I don't know when it happened but I remember seeing it happen from a distance. Someone must have pressed it or it activated on its own. They went off. Massive Earthquakes and devastating storms killed the community that had yet to begin. The community that kept her safe - that I owed tremendously. I only later learned from a… friend of mine that it was I who killed everyone. I killed her. It's my fault. I've… well, saying I 'got over it' would be the wrong phrase but - to answer your question, Solution…"
He looked right at her. "I don't deserve to have feelings. Don't deserve to love ever again. She put her faith in me and I did worse than fail. No attachments. Never again."
He stared at the table in silence along with everyone else. Everyone save Lupusregina, CZ, and Entoma held a melancholic expression.
"It's not your fault." Yuri's stare was resolute. "You couldn't have known."
"I should've. I carried it. Should've checked. Should've done a lot of things." He said almost dismissively.
"How can you possibly blame yourself?" She became irate. "Whoever ordered it is to blame. How can you ignore something so evident?"
"I was a nail in the coffin. Either way, I had a hand in it. I participated in it. I am to blame."
"You can't-"
"Thanks for the food but I think I'll go for a walk." He looked at ED-E. "Alone." He said before suddenly getting up. Without a rush, he began walking to the door.
"Six!" Yuri called out to him. It went ignored. He calmly but hurriedly closed the door without a fuss.
He left them there as he closed the door behind him. ED-E beeped slowly in sadness before floating away from them and going into Six's room. He disappeared from their line of sight too.
There was a silence at the table before Lupusregina broke it. "There's no use being so gloomy." She said but held no smile on her face. "Ainz-sama needs us to be ready soon."
"Yes. We should clean up." Solution added, her expression conflicted.
Yuri let out a sigh before standing up first. The rest of the maids joined soon after and began their work in silence.
…
Author's Note:
Did you boyos think I died? WROOOOONG! This chapter is a lot shorter than the others I posted and (I think) I'll start doing that from here on out. I figured I owed you guys something after such a long time. Anyways, hope you enjoyed this little sample and I'll see you next time.