Though she understood on some level that a glorious being like her beloved Momonga required no sleep in order to function as a great ruler, the madly in love succubus gladly ignored such trivialities as she carried out her plan to secure her future position as the first queen of Nazarick.

Blissfully rolling around in the silken sheets of her master's bed, for what better way for a man to fantasize about a woman than by sleeping on linens that bore her scent, a nude Albedo contemplated her current progress towards obtaining what she desired.

The male floor guardians had wisely chosen to remain neutral during her little spat with Shalttear, though both Demiurge and Cocytus had voiced their support for the creation of an heir for Lord Momonga, and Aura was much too young to be considered a true hindrance for her plans.

But in order to guarantee her eventual victory, which involved both supporting her attempts to be viewed as primary wife material as well as painting her fellow floor guardian in an unflattering manner, Albedo looked towards the less powerful members of Nazarick for help in completing her mission.

She had already secured the loyalty of 1 of Pleiades, though losing Solution to that flat chested vampire had been an unfortunate loss, and was already scheming up ways to convince the others to follow the example set forth by the raven haired doppelganger and support her efforts to become the main wife of the sole remaining Supreme Being.

Though she would never dare voice this opinion out loud, for she knew how much Lord Momonga treasured his past relationships with the rest of the Supreme Beings, Albedo believed that her beloved lich should have chosen another name. For in her opinion, the name Ainz Ooal Gown was merely a reminder of those who had not only abandoned the creations that they had once held dear, but also the being who had done all that he could to maintain Nazarick's greatness.

With this in mind, the succubus longed for the day in which she could openly address her true love by his true name, and in her mind, one of the most important ways to realize this dream was to be joined with him in matrimony.

Squirming in happiness as she fantasized about what life would be like once Momonga accepted her as his bride, Albedo soon found her thoughts interrupted by the familiar signal of a open communication spell.

Reluctantly poking her head out from under the covers of the lich's bed, and adopting a tone that promised severe displeasure if she found the incoming information to not be to her liking, Albedo accepted the incoming message with a mild look of boredom.

"What is it Narberal"?

…

Recognizing the unspoken warning for what it was, the rabbit eared doppelganger calmly moved to assure her chosen candidate that her information was worth hearing.

"I'm reporting in as scheduled Lady Albedo. You'll be pleased to hear that during the course of our mission to spread his name, Lord Ainz has on several occasions spoken about his great faith in your abilities. In fact, just before he left to conduct some business with these lowly humans, he said that 'There is no one I can trust more than Albedo'".

For a minute she heard nothing in reply to what was in her mind very good news. But before she voiced her concern at the lack of a response, Narberal barely managed to keep herself from flinching as she heard the delighted squeal of Nazarick's temporary leader.

"Really he said that? This is fantastic news Narberal. Good girl. Keep doing what you're doing, and very soon Lord Ainz will pick me as his favorite, and hopefully only, wife. So keep doing your best to paint me in a favorable light. That is an order from the Commander of Nazarick's guardians".

Knowing that it was pointless to refuse such an order, not that she would ever consider doing so since her loyalty was unquestionable, the raven haired doppelganger response in the only way that was available to her.

"Understood my lady".

…

Taking a moment to enjoy the almost orgasmic sensation at the knowledge that her beloved Momonga trusted her above all others, Albedo thought to see if there was anything else the battle maid wished to report before she returned her attentions back to the lich's rarely used bed chambers.

"Is there anything else you have to report? I trust that Lord Ainz's mission is proceeding in a manner that is pleasing to him"?

Confident that things were preceding to the Supreme Being's plan, the golden eyed succubus slow began to lose her previous high spirits as she heard Narberal's hesitant tone.

"So far everything has proceeded to Lord Ainz's plan. And apart from a minor altercation with some insects, we have been able to successfully begin the process of increasing Lord Ainz's fame in this world. However, I did discover something…odd during the course of our entrance".

Frowning at the uncertainty she could clearly identitfy in the doppelganger's voice, Albedo adopted a more authorative tone as she ordered Narberal to continue.

"And what exactly do you mean by that Narberal Gamma"?

…

Grateful for the fact that a considerable amount of distance laid between her and the mood swinging succubus, and taking a brief moment to organize her thoughts, the raven haired Pleiade obeyed the orders of her superior.

"During the course of the day, I happened to come across someone who managed to foster feelings in me that were far different from the disgust I have felt since I was forced to interact with these human insects".

Sensing that she would be reprimanded for wasting her superior's time if she didn't quickly get to the point, Narberal hurried to expand upon her explanation.

"While this woman appeared to be human, something about her seemed strange to me. It was almost as if she was a distant relative, one who I had never met before, but still bore traces of some common familial link".

Hearing Albedo hum in contemplation as she considered her suspicions, the raven haired doppelganger didn't have to wait long to receive the succubus's thoughts on this matter.

"It is possible that this might be a move on Shalttears behalf to hamper my efforts to get closer to Lord Ainz. However, there remains a strong possibility that this individual is working for someone else. So for the time being, continue acting as Lord Ainz's body guard, and should you encounter this woman again, you have my permission to use any means necessary to determine who she works for. Understood"?

Instinctively nodding her head before she realized that the Overseer of the Floor Guardians could not see her display of subservience, Narberal ensured her tone was respectful as she answered the waiting succubus.

"Understood my lady".

….

Though it had only been 3 days since she had decided to peep on her brother's forest rendezvous, Marybelle was astonished at the fact that despite the numerous changes that had been imposed by their new master, life in her village remained effectively the same.

Serfs went out into the fields to try and coax the earth to give up some of its bounty, tradesmen were busy trying to make a living with their skillful hands, and children proceeded to help their mothers with the daily chores of the house hold.

But despite this being the normal way of village life, the 9 year old girl could tell that things were far different from what they had been days prior to her return.

The first clear indicator was the fact that those who went out into the fields, though returning at the same time of day they usually did, returned with far more energy than what had been normal during the days when they had been part of the Slane Theocracy. This in part stemmed from Lord Morbus's desire to ensure that he got the most from his paltry 5% tribute.

The day after he created a tower of blackened stone to serve as a headquarters for his elderly looking servant, her village had been presented with a variety of iron tools that greatly surpassed anything they had ever seen before. With their aid, work that would have taken them at least a month to successfully complete would be finished in another 3 days, meaning that they could spend more time expanding their previously limited planting zone.

The second more noticeable factor was the fact that the weather now seemed to be giving its blessing for their choice to submit to the power of Lord Morbus. During this time of year, it was a common occurrence to have the planting fields transform into a quagmire of mud, which delayed farmers from planting their crops until they were assured that their hard efforts wouldn't be wasted by a unexpected heavy rainfall.

But while heavy storm clouds did proceed to gather on the horizon, they had yet to pass over the newly ploughed fields that were slowly growing in size, meaning that their torrential torments were expended without harm.

The third difference, and this one was the most clear indicator that her village was no longer under the authority of the Slane Theocracy, was the fact that Lord Morbus had seen fit to ensure the region's loyalty by having his soldiers serve as a visible remainder that they now owed their allegiance to him and him alone.

From the steel clad demonic infantry, to those who confidently patrolled the countryside while riding beasts that were wolf like in appearance but far larger, these snarling monsters ensured that no one disobeyed the new found laws that governed their society.

And though no one would dare mention it for fear of incurring harsh penalties, the people of Marybelle's village had to admit that the laws were certainly less oppressive than those they had dealt with when under the authority of the Supreme Council.

They were still somewhat limited in their movements, but a serf was now allowed to travel outside the confines of their village. And though they were forbidden from crossing the border into territory that did not belong to Lord Morbus, they could still travel to those villages that laid inside the newly formed empire.

Education was now mandatory for anyone above the age of 5 and below the age of 14, regardless of class. And upon completing the lessons now taught by the much weakened clergy, whose loyalty towards the new regime was aided by generous donations to their coffers, a student could then have the right to choose a trade of their choice.

Rules governing the responsibilities of women were also relaxed. A woman could now own property, and if she possessed enough skill, she would be allowed to pursue a trade that didn't rely on her ability to make use of her womanly charm. Though given the 3rd law, it had to be recognized that there was an increased level of temptation for the more unlucky girls to pursue the oldest business practice in humanity's history.

For thanks to Lord Morbus's decision to create a law that stated that a worker was to receive a monetary bonus for exceeding his normal quota, more and more serfs had the money, and the energy, to spend on certain luxuries that had previously been denied to them.

It was amazing the amount of effort a common peasant would spend just for the chance to earn a single piece of silver, but as some unlucky few had already discovered, it was pointless to try and use this new found wealth to bribe the inhuman soldiers of Morbus.

But if one was to remain respectful of them and the polices set forth by their master, one could learn quite a good deal of information.

For while these Uruk-hai never seemed willing to talk to the villagers unless they were addressed directly, they did have a tendency to loudly talk amongst themselves, and from these brief conversations Marybelle was able to learn 2 things of value.

The first thing was that in 3 days' time, additional forces from that hellish place she had been carried too would soon pass those terrible gates and arrive at that blackened tower that served as a constant reminder of who they now paid homage to.

She hadn't been able to understand the reason for their purpose, but she did hear the words 'infrastructure improvement' used numerous times, whatever that meant, so the 9 year old peasant girl assumed that these new forces would be involved.

The second thing of value she had discovered was that the Slane Theocracy was preparing to send a force to drive out the inhuman invaders. She didn't know how they managed to discover this since the closest fortress was nearly 90 miles south of their patrol zone, but they were nonetheless aware of the encroaching army.

From what she had heard, the arriving soldiers blessed by the 6 Great Gods numbered an impressive 3000 men, and would be marching north to cleanse the land of this evil presence.

While she had been relieved at the fact that her village hadn't been abandoned by those who followed the 6 Gods, Marybelle couldn't help but feel a tad uneasy at this news.

For one, her late brother had sometimes talked about what happened to those human settlements that had previously been under the protection of some heretic power, and while she had been immensely proud of Nathan's service to their country, she could still remember the somewhat shameful aura he carried before he changed the subject to something more uplifting.

The second thing that made her wary was the fact that despite the news of an approaching army, the Uruk-hai garrison appeared to welcome the news with an eagerness that could even put the most zealous follower of the church to shame. In fact that only sign of disappointment she could discover was their worry that their master would send the Urulóki to handle this threat instead of allowing them the chance to practice their knife work.

She had no idea who or what an Urulóki was, but it was clear that the armored soldiers held a fearful respect of them, and as she had discovered, if those hulking brutes were nervous of something, it was smart to follow their example.

….

It had taken a bit of trial an error to learn the controls of the lightly glowing sphere, but since he recognized the value of having his own method of gathering intelligence, Morbus had eventually mastered the YGGDRASIL version of the Palantir.

Despite the fact that the message function was a far more effective tool of communicating with his servants, Morbus had to admit that it was far more fun to use the modified mirrors of remote viewing to speak with the White Wizard.

"You are sure of this Saruman? It would be most unfortunate if while I'm away on my quest, the gains we have made over the past few days are lost thanks to your hubris".

Fighting the urge to smirk as his elderly servant acknowledged the unspoken threat for what it was, Morbus congratulated himself on his developing acting skills as Saruman hurried to reassure him that he had everything under control.

"I understand Lord Morbus, but there is little reason to worry. This paltry force the Theocracy has gathered will soon learn the penalty for daring to challenge you're might. And as soon as you give the word, the legions of Isenguard will be unleashed".

Giving a thoughtful hum at the continued boasting of the wizard, Morbus considered his options before arriving at a decision.

"This is a tough decision. On one hand, I could allow Saruman to use his forces to achieve a military victory over the enemy. But the fact remains that even if they outnumber the enemy, the Uruk-hai will still suffer losses that will take at least 3 months to make good, though it might go faster once Saruman gets Isenguard's birthing pits up and running. But if I choose to refuse battle, I risk the chance of losing the respect of my servants and new subjects, and with Nazarick already building its influence in the North, I can't have the NPCs doubt my leadership".

Shaking his head at the rather stupid way in which the members of Ainz Ooal Gown were operating in this new world, and reminding himself to reward Mara's servant for discovering what the rival guild was up to, the armored doppelganger voiced his decision on what was to be done with human comprised army.

"Here is what I want you to do Saruman. Instruct your commanders to take 8000 of your available infantry, and all of your calvary to march towards the enemy. The warg scouts are to aggressively make their presence known by launching hit and run attacks against their probes, but make sure to tell them that they are to leave some survivors to spread the news about what their up against. This will undoubtedly lower the moral of the enemy army, and will make them particularly vulnerable to next stage of the operation".

Eagerly nodding his head in approval, for the wisdom of his master easily surpassed how own, Saruman eagerly inquired to what Lord Morbus had in mind.

"And what would you have me do my lord"?

Amused by the change that had come over the usually composed wizard, for which he attributed to his race since he was sure that in his previous life he would have been disgusted with someone who was so obviously blood thirsty, Morbus told him.

…..

(3 days later)

Despite the fact that they had finally arrived at the battlefield that could only result in their victory, the appointed General for the Crusade for National Reclamation couldn't help the uneasy feeling that pervaded his body as he observed the enemy army.

While his scouts had been nearly decimated by the enemy cavalry, those lucky few who had survived the skirmishes with these wolf riders had provided him with enough detailed information to make him believe that it would be a hard fought battle with the demonic soldiery of this new dark lord.

For starters, his forces were outnumbered nearly 3 to 1, and of his 3000 men, only a scant few were magic casters, meaning that their primary use was off the battlefield rather than providing some much needed firepower for his army.

Secondly, as far as his scouts could tell, the enemy soldiers were more unified in terms of equipment than his own force. Clad in blackened steel, and carrying an array of weaponry that was far more uniform then that of his own forces, it was clear to him that there would be a significant amount of blood spilled before he could dismiss his brave, yet hastily formed army.

A 3rd of his available troops consisted of freshly conscripted peasants, whose enthusiasm for the war greatly surpassed their limited combat skills, while the remainder comprised of soldiers who had spent too many years as members of local garrisons.

But despite his misgivings, his faith in the 6 Great Gods, reinforced by the constant presence of the thought to be dead Bishop Gelma, ensured that he held no hesitation as he ordered his troops to march into battle.

….

Smirking evilly as he watched the human army march steadily across the flattened plain, Azog waved his hand to begin the process of reminding these scum that they were helped against the forces of Utumno.

Soon the air was rent with the sound of 8000 Uruk-hai banging their weapons on the ground, giving the impression that they would soon be charging into the huddled ranks of their now unnerved enemy.

Usually such a thing would have been considered the norm, for the banging of weapons and loud chanting were a method to bring about the blood lust that would raise their abilities to endure whatever situation Lord Morbus commanded them to take part in.

But their lord and master had decided in his infinite wisdom that today's victory would not only be enjoyed by the forces under the command of Supreme General Saruman, but also by one who answered to the commands of Utumno's most powerful being.

His army's thunderous chanting was to serve as a signal for the red one's deployment, and though he would have preferred to lead his soldiers against an unbloodied foe, Azog nevertheless derived great amusement from the resulting carnage.

…

The first sign that he had led his men to his doom was the horrifying chanting of the demonic army. Never before had he heard such a unified voice expressing a desire to lay waste all that stood before, and that thought simply terrified him.

However, while such a thunderous noise caused him, and more than a few soldiers to doubt the success of their crusade, it was another sound that had finally managed to convince him that he stood no chance against such evil.

Though somewhat concealed by the angry banging of the demonic army, the sound of approaching wings soon filled the air, as if the very sky's themselves were filled with an army of wrathful angels. But it wasn't an angel that had come to smite the wicked.

Bursting from the sky with all the force of a violent hurricane, and setting the field ablaze with a might roar of fire, the red scaled dragon only needed to complete one pass over the rightly terrified army before it lost all its faith in their mission.

Those lucky to be spared the consuming fires of the dragon threw down their weapons and tried to flee in the direction from whence they came. However such an act was soon proven futile as the red menace let loose another torrent of fire to cut off any chance of escape.

Their remained a few brave souls who knowing that their death was nigh, attempted to at least ensure that their sacrifice was not in vain by charging the now grounded reptile, who merely proved yet again that the forces of evil were well beyond the abilities of mortal men to successfully challenge.

Though his vision was partly obscured by the heat and smoke, the human leader of this doomed expedition watched in disappointment as each and every attempt to pierce the serpent's hide was thwarted by the beast's armor.

And before the dragon let loose another torrent of flames, this one aimed at the position from where the general of the army issued his commands, the last thing the weeping general saw was the charging mass of the very army that they had come to defeat.

…

Surveying the battle from the comfort of his newly raised tower, Saruman couldn't help but feel a tad cheated as he witnessed the fulfilment of his master's plan through the use of the seeing stone.

While he could not deny that Smaug had played an important part in decimating the enemy army, and thus lowered the amount of causalities his own army might have suffered, the fact remained that he was forced to share credit for this victory.

Yes it would have been more costly in lives loss, and yes there was a chance for some of the human scum to escape their just punishment for daring to challenge the will of Morbus, but it would have been worth it if he got the chance to claim full responsibility for successfully defending his master's growing empire.

Perhaps he could still turn this around in his favor.

Afterall, it was thanks to his Uruk-hai that the enemy had been lured to their doom, not mention finishing off those lucky few that had escaped the destructive power of Ancalagon's underling, so it was possible for him to steal all the glory for implementing Lord Morbus's plan.

But since his lord and master was conducting some unexpected business in one of the human cities that existed north of the mountains of Utumno, the white wizard would wait until he was summoned.

Shouldn't be that long of a wait.

Cause after all, what matter of importance could there be in the human city of E-Rantel.

…

Annnnnnd another chapter done :)

Hopefully you all enjoyed this chapter.

Finally got the first battle/massacre scene in, so hoped you all had fun reading it. Hopefully their are no concerns about the timing. Planning to do something similar (i.e. 2 days earlier/3 days before the battle) so it will all tie in with the cannon timeline, so never you fear.

I admit that my original intention was to have the first battle be an Overlord version of the battle of Helm's Deep (the Peter Jackson version), but decided that this worked better.

After doing some research into Albedo's character, learned about her attitude towards the rest of the departed 'Supreme Beings' so tried to make it as realistic as possible. And now we have Nazarick altered to the possibility that their is another guild out in the world. And since I am planning to have the 2 overlords meet next chapter, well...should be interesting :)

Pleased with the amount of reviews this story has received...despite some slightly negative comments from everyone's favorite flat chested vampire, so keep it up, and I will be inspired to keep writing at a fast pace XD

til next time.