A shiver went down his spine. The foreign feeling of a drum in his chest. In one instance, the world had completely changed. An old familiar feeling returned and a deep-seated and heavy feeling filled his chest. Confusion beat that drum harder. Momonga opened his eyes and stared at the magnificent round table of the chamber he hadn't visited in a very, very, long time. Though what he wasn't expecting to see was the clock in the upper left-hand corner of his sights with thirty minutes to midnight accompanied by the user interface of YGGDRASIL.
'What just happened? When did I get here...? Wait. This isn't the New World!'
Momonga could smell the musky scent of his apartment room, the smell of his sock hamper, and the dust that was building up on the ceiling. He was home again–one of the few places he didn't want to go back to. His friends, they had deleted their accounts and handed all of their stuff to him. Even if he sent them an email detailing what they were missing out on, only two of them were able to return on time.
There wasn't enough time for them to get their accounts restored–let alone brought back into the Guild-Base. They needed their rings in order to appear in the Round Table Room. Not to mention that paying for their accounts to be restored was unlikely since some of them had been going through various kinds of troubles.
It was quite obvious that even financial problems were on their lists of problems, so asking them to pay for their accounts to come back was a bad gamble. Some were unlikely to do it, thinking it was some sort of prank.
A sigh left his lips. Depression all over again? Anger? The feeling of abandonment? He missed the voices of the Floor Guardians, the Homunculus Maids of Nazarick and those of the New World. The friendships he had cultivated, the people he had changed to fit his purposes… And all the dead he had left in his wake.
His mind went off to Gazef–a person he saw as a friend despite claiming himself to be a collector. He had respect for the Warrior Captain, and sadly he not only killed him but destroyed the Kingdom he so wished to represent the best of.
How did he let that happen?
'Why,' he was crying out in his mind.
Only one returned while he was around and that was HeroHero, though there was evidence of the other member of the Forty One's mischief. Tragically the last one was never going to make it–even if he had wanted to.
The third one hadn't quit or deleted their account. He was lost, he was dead. His poor friend and guild member Bellriver was assassinated by the callously cold Corporate entities that controlled the world.
The Overlord's jaw fell, completely astonished by everything. Turning his head to the side, his gaze rested on the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown. From the last thing he remembered, he recounted his planned visit to the Elf Country following the destruction of the Re-Estize Kingdom.
Raising from his seat at the table, he knew this was around the time that HeroHero had left. Not only that, but he was beginning to remember everything from the New World. Death, destruction, his indifference to the world.
They didn't trust his kind–the undead–due to his appearance and evil-aligned nature. Though he couldn't make expressions in the game, he rested a hand under his jaw and stroked it in a thoughtful nature.
"I… I am definitely not modifying Tabula's creation again… At least not to be in love with me..."
Momonga shook his head at the mistake he had made in the past and how the Overseer had tried to assault his boney ass. Though he didn't know if he was going to still go to the New World, he was optimistic that this was some sort of retry. Something he had seen in plenty of anime and manga, he couldn't see it as an impossibility but only a possibility.
Opening the cash item shop window, he hoped to remedy the issue of humans distrusting him. Not only that, but he didn't want to wear that mask again–the one that the shitty devs made as a sick joke item. Sliding through the selections, he added some in-game currency to his in-game wallet using his credit card–god knows if he still needed it.
There were plenty of items there and since it was the end of the game, all the limited-time items were up for sale. Though even then that wasn't his main interest. First he scrolled through the cosmetic cash items until he came down to the alternate appearance item–it was the item they used on the NPCs. This item didn't mask one's abilities, but instead gave them a more human appearance that was customizable.
Purchasing that and two customization tools, Momonga peered over the other possible selections. Coupons were useless, the end was nigh. Gacha, though it was something he could do, he wasn't going to be able to re-customize his appearance if he got sucked into it.
Opening the window, he filled the gacha with the rest of his currency for several rolls. He then skipped the animation in order to cut down on time. Time was of the essence. It took less than a couple of minutes for the results to display–filling his inventory with random wins.
He got an additional Shooting Star, a special rare item, and dozens of other things. He didn't pay much attention though as he closed the window without reading it.
Even though he wasn't much for long-term strategy–Momonga was already thinking about how he was going to change things. Make sure things happened differently because this was an unprecedented opportunity. Despite this, his internal panic was at least manageable knowing that he could do something for all the times that he didn't.
Opening the creator tool as he equipped the false appearance, he narrowed his attention to the customization of the human-like form. Pulling up his own pictures from the real world along with a few other references of Japanese male idols, he began to make quick work of his new appearance.
"Uh-huh… That should be better, now I just have to remember to equip it." An awkward laugh left the skeleton's avatar as its expression remained frozen. As an item creator and low-grade artist himself, he was able to get a roughly done iteration of himself. Even if he had done this in twenty minutes, he used the default human appearance as a base so that it didn't look too bad. He gave himself the hair he had in real-life, a sharper jaw, dark yet welcoming eyes that had pupils that gave off a red glow.
He didn't make himself absolutely handsome, but he gave himself some better features. In his life no one had ever complimented his appearance with a romantic interest. That went for the New World as well–despite Shalltear Bloodfallen doing so on numerous occasions. For all intents and purposes though, he knew that was only due to her fetish.
At the same time, he knew that none of the Guardians could actually be his friends, no matter how he bonded with them. From the words of Shalltear and the others, all they wanted to be was his greatest slaves–not his friends.
His heart twinged with guilt as he was reminded of how YGGDRASILs players attacked him because of his racial choice and his appearance. How he was considered a monstrosity and he built a character that was to stand up for that. How all of the members in his guild were monstrous.
It felt as if he was abandoning what it meant to be a member of Ainz Ooal Gown somewhat. However at the same time, once he was in the New World, the Guild only consisted of him and him alone. Adopting the name of Ainz Ooal Gown was far more impressive than the name Momonga, the name of a flying squirrel that was once native to Japan.
Finishing his designs within those twenty minutes, he applied the customization and then turned it on once the window closed. Wearing his divine-class attire as the Guild Master should, he walked over to the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown–the physical manifestation of his Guild's glory.
With ten minutes to go, he silently rushed out of the chamber and towards the throne room. He didn't slow down even as he had Sebas Tian and the Pleiades follow him once he came across them. This was no time to be sentimental, for he was going to go to the New World with these beings.
Once they arrived at the throne room, there were only about five minutes left on the clock. As an undead he had unlimited stamina, so he could keep moving as fast as he pleased without fatigue. Reaching the elevated platform of the throne, he peered over the Overseer for a few moments. Her beautiful bosom, her golden eyes, and her black hair. She was a beauty–one created by a friend he once held dear.
Using administrator access, he opened up her personality and other flavor text. With the red windows before him, he began to edit. Instead of having her fall deeply in love, he wrote:
'Sees Momonga as her Godfather.'
Tears welled up in Momonga's eyes as he pampered and edited her personality to fit the New World and his grand scheme while he could remember it. He was going to need her to maneuver through politics and as the Overseer of the rest of the Floor Guardians, she was to know him.
He is not all-knowing–his plans are small with big impacts–he didn't want to rule the world he just wanted to explore it. Although he wouldn't mind if he still created his own country if anything that was something that remained part of his new goals.
"This is definitely cheating… Having all this meta-knowledge before anything actually happens..."
Momonga snickered to himself as he tweaked her karma value as well, making her less evil so that she could co-exist a bit easier with humans. Though at the same time he knew if he went exploring, he needed to take one other or two other people with him.
Slowly his gaze turned towards Sebas Tian and Nabe as he applied the changes to the Overseer, his God-Daughter… A faint empty smile remained on his lips as he peered over the rest of the Pleiades. He could bring Sebas Tian with him along with Nabe–and when he joined the Swords of Darkness he could save them from sudden death.
His teeth gritted as he thought about Lady Clementine and how she had stepped over his stepping stones. He wasn't going to let that happen again. And then the villagers of Carne Village. Even if he had less than five minutes to go until he lost a portion of his humanity, he was feeling guilty for not helping them before.
Finally as he finished with everything he nestled himself into the Throne of Kings. The World Item that he and his friends earned for conquering the base in their first try. With a smile plastered on his face, tears began to roll down his face in the real world.
With his eyes closed he waited for the musky scent of his room to vanish and in a matter of minutes, it did. He no longer smelled the sock hamper, he no longer smelled the sweet scent of air freshener covering up the mold of his tiny apartment.
Opening his eyes again as he heard the movement of clothes, his gaze shifted towards the succubus who gifted him a brilliant smile. He pitched his head down slightly, returning the smile in kind. Things felt the same as they did when he was in this world last. At the same time though, it was strange.
"Are you alright Momonga-sama?" Albedo curiously asked with an aura of concern about her, as if she were looking after her father instead of a lover. It was refreshing, nonetheless, it allowed him to keep smiling undisturbed.
"Uhm… Yes, I am doing alright–thank you Albedo." Momonga nodded to the overseer before raising from his seat and tapping his staff against the elevated platform. "Mmm.. To speed things along, I would like you to organize the floor guardians–have them meet on the Sixth Floor. Exclude Victim and Gargantua… I have urgent news."
"As you wish, Momonga-sama!" Albedo bowed deeply, her breasts bouncing as she did.
Once she was gone, he turned his gaze towards the Head Butler of Nazarick along with his subordinates. "Sebas Tian... Come forward."
"Yes, Momonga-sama!" The elder man came before him, kneeling down.
Momonga stared down at the xerox clone of his best friend, Touch Me, the breadwinner of the Guild. "You are into Hero stories, like your creator, are you not?"
"Yes, My Lord," Sebas Tian raised his head as he felt Momonga's fingers on his chin.
He had assumed human form in order to relate to his underlings, in the sense that they too had humanoid forms. A faint smile remained on the Overlord's lips though, even though now that it felt a tad empty. "Once all preparations are made… I wish to take you and Narberal Gamma onto the surface in a few days."
"Momonga-sama?" Sebas stood up as the Overlord gave the gesture to do so.
"Ahem," imitating the sound of clearing his throat, Momonga nodded. "I have come to believe we are no longer in YGGDRASIL, but a New World. As our first act, we will need to acquire the means to gather information and assets to defend Nazarick… And make a name for myself."
His mind went back to the one that called himself as Riku, a possible member of the Thirteen Heroes that had been in hiding. He needed to prepare for this event, one way or another. What's more, he still had no idea how he had been thrown back in time.
"As you command," Sebas bowed his head once more before taking a step back.
"Hm… And I want the Pleiades to be present alongside the Floor Guardians on the Sixth floor for orientation..." With that Momonga walked past Sebas Tian, "So gather close to me."
'Let's hope it is all as it was before… Teleportation should take anyone I'm touching.'
"As you wish, Momonga-sama!" They all appeared to cheer, though Shizu the Automaton spoke in a muted fashion without any physical manifestation of expression. Though he knew all too well, she had feelings and desires of her own as his mind went back to the invasion of the Holy Kingdom. Now he knew that was going to go different than before.
Hesitantly, Momonga went about holding out his hands from his sides before ordering, "Gather in a circle holding hands." Without hesitation though, they followed his orders which he always felt was weird and discomforting. Putting that in the back of his mind, he used the Guild ring to teleport his non-player characters down to the sixth floor and land within the entrance of the Amphitheater.
'It worked! Just like before… It hasn't changed. Alright, alright. Next phase.'
Momonga released his hold on their hands and they followed suit. As he approached the metal gate of the Arena, the door opened on its own and raised for Momonga to enter. Without much more hesitation, he continued walking. Heading down the steps towards the arena area of the theater that the stands overlooked from several feet above.
'If this is the case, then Chagama's characters should still be in the Arena like before.'
His thoughts were right on. Soon enough, he heard a shout as he witnessed as the petite dark elf known as Aura Bella Fiora launched herself into the air, "Hehehe~!" She laughed, obviously having fun as her energetic self.
A smirk formed over Momonga's lips as she landed in the center of the Arena after having jumped from the elevated platform on the other side of the amphitheater.
"Victory!" She stood up after she was made a hero's landing and gave double peace signs. Yet before the dust that was kicked up from her landing could settle, she rushed on over to the Supreme Being–the Overlord who had taken the form of a human being.
Like many of the other NPCs, she peered over him–naturally knowing who he was despite the disguise. "Aura," Momonga proclaimed her name as the Pleiades fanned out behind him to cover his flanks.
Aura crossed an arm over her chest and the other behind her back as she bowed respectfully, keeping her head up to smile at her lord. "Welcome, Momonga-sama! Welcome to the Floor we Guard." She was ecstatic, though he already knew this. This already happened before.
'The Deja Vu is definitely powerful this time around...'
Reaching over he placed a hand on the top of her head and ruffled her blond little head. "Are you doing well, Aura?" She nearly squealed from his touch, but at the same time she nodded happily.
"Yes! I am doing well, Momonga-sama!" Aura's gaze jumped towards the Pleiades as well as Sebas Tian. A side smile crossed her lips as she returned her gaze to the Supreme One. She then turned around and shouted, "Mare! You're being rude! Come down here now!"
"S-sis!"
"Mare!" She made big gestures to emphasize the importance of his attendance. "You're being rude to Momonga-sama!"
Without further adieu, Mare clumsily jumped over the edge of the platform and landed at the edge. As the nervous wreck, he was, Mare Bello Fiore nearly fell over, flailing his arms and leg to keep his balance. Once he was all well and on his feet, Aura's twin brother joined them.
Curtseying before the Overlord, Mare awkwardly smiled up at the Master of the Great Tomb. "Sorry, Momonga-sama, for making you wait." He was far more submissive than Aura, much like Bukubukuchagama's ideals towards the perfect sibling relationship.
"It isn't a problem, Mare." Momonga flexed his arm as he held the Staff close to himself.
"Uh! Is that the weapon that only Momonga-sama can use!?" Mare pointed out as Aura was smiling widely as she too noticed the weapon he had equipped.
"Yes… It is the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown, the monument to our Guild's glory..." Momonga stopped himself from going on a tangent about how the weapon transcended that of a Divine-Class item. "Ahem.. That is how it is," he nodded to the two.
Instead of talking about the staff, he moved onto the next order of business. "I've invited the other Floor Guardians to the Amphitheater." At that moment he disengaged the human disguise, revealing his perfect pearly white body and the World Item within the area of his abdomen.
Aura appeared to pout upon the news, but before she could speak Momonga nodded.
"Hrm. Yes… Shalltear is coming as well," Momonga chuckled, seeing her puff up her right cheek. The petite Dark Elf was adorable as always, and small. "Get along with her okay?" His gaze rested on her waist, he'd have to talk about the three meals a day like he had done before. Last thing he needed was for her to get malnutrition.
"Yes Momonga-sama…" Aura let out a sigh, disappointed that she wasn't being allowed to bicker.
A soft sigh escaped him. As he knew that was going to have to wait, the last thing he needed to do was complicate matters before they were necessary.
'Now that I have already lived this life once, I now know what to expect… And I don't have to sit on my hands before exploring the New World. The question is, should I go as a Warrior again or… Show my true prowess as a spell caster?'
Momonga caressed his chin in deep thought as the two elf children watched on.
His jaw suddenly dropped as he remembered Pandora's Actor. The one character he wished he had changed but completely forgot about when he rushed to the Throne Room. Mentally cursing himself, his gaze dropped down to the children again as he gave an awkward skeletal smile.
'No matter… I just won't go up there with my NPCs until I did something about him…' Momonga assured himself with a visible nod, 'And use him to figure out a good robe set for an Adventurer…'
He still liked the military uniform he had made for his NPC, but he became curious as to what he could wear. As a gamer he was also a hoarder so he had tons of equipment from the far past. Both in his inventory and in the treasury itself–as well as in the wardrobe within his room. Though perhaps he could instead use [Create Greater Item] instead of using something he had in stock. An image was beginning to form in his mind–plenty of thoughts surface as he did. It was an idea of what he wanted to wear and a proverbial grin formed over his lips.
As if right on cue, a portal appeared in the center of the Arena as Momonga and the twins were situated on the eastern side of the area. Then without a second to waste, Shalltear Bloodfallen stepped out of the dark enigmatic vortex. "My my, am I the first to arrive?" She quipped as she held her Victorian parasol over her shoulder, a smug look on her lips.
Though the moment Momonga and Shalltear locked eyes, she dropped her parasol which exploded into pitch back butterflies surrounded by a purple aura. "Ah~ My Lord~," She frolicked over to him with glee, her arms out for the one Overlord that oversaw the Guild. "The one man that I cannot rule over~"
Momonga peered down at her, his red orbs staring at the petite vampire who had a chest filled with pads. Another creature that he forgot to modify following his sudden transfer to the past. He couldn't even sigh this time as he peered over towards Aura and Mare, then to the Pleiades.
"Shalltear, can you give it a rest?" Aura prodded at the True Vampire with her words of scolding, her hands at her hips as her heterochromatic eyes were shooting through her like daggers. "Can't you see that you're bothering Momonga-sama?"
"Oh, little–" Shalltear was about to pick back at the Dark Elf only for Momonga to place his skeletal hand on top of the Vampire's head. She merely froze for a second before nearly melting in his hands.
"Behave, Shalltear…" He spoke with a drawn-out sigh, not wanting to go through this scene again.
Moments later and a deep voice took everyone's attention.
"I. Have. Arrived." It was Cocytus, a large six-armed insectoid in blue armor and prowess over the element of ice.
"You came, Cocytus," Momonga announced with only the amount of excitement he could spare.
"I. Shall. Always. Respond. To. Your. Summons. Immediately…" Hissing of cold air came out of his helmet, his big blue eyes resting on the Overlord who gazed right back at him. Momonga nodded his head lightly, knowing that all of his denizens were loyal to him without question.
Just like last time he knew that the rest of them were going to come and pledge their allegiance to him. For the time being though he was thinking more along the lines of what he was going to say this time around. He knew that even though they could hide Nazarick, the surrounding nations were little to nothing compared to their might. Workers from the Empire couldn't even breach past the sixth floor as most of them perished on the first three. At the same time, only one World Item had been estimated to be in the area. From there he knew that he couldn't let his people, his friends' creations, act on their own. That is unless he wanted Shalltear to be mind-controlled.
He didn't feel up to almost dying again; he proved victorious once, but results aren't always completely replicable.
One after another the Guardians arrived and one after another they pledged themselves to him. Momonga, with his dark aura, was pleased and enthused by the minor changes he had made to the Overseer of the Floor Guardians. For a short moment, he peered over the Succubus. Rather than lust and artificially transplanted love was the look of admiration a daughter would have for a father. Her wide smile and shimmering eyes captured every bit of beauty she had.
Momonga nodded his head in satisfaction. "Now–" He commanded their attention, "The Great Tomb of Nazarick has found itself in a mysterious situation. It has come to my attention that we are now located in the grass plains of another world."
Many of the denizens gasped at the news, though Sebas Tian raised a brow. Momonga was sure he questioned how he learned this, but he didn't question that he knew it. That made him chuckle internally. He had spent more than two years in this world previously. Now having the chance to start over, he could appear as the all-knowing master. He had mastered that art, at least for now. At least he had managed to remember almost everything that was important.
"Glorious! As expected of an inscrutable Supreme Being, Momonga-sama!" Demiurge exclaimed with his arms out to his sides. He then pushed his bifocals to the bridge of his nose. "Is there a plan you have in mind, my Lord?" A wide, almost creepy, smile filled the Arch-Devil's facial expression.
"Hm…"
As if in contemplation, he tapped his lower jaw in thought. Based on the specifications of the tomb's exterior, the surrounding area belonging to Nazarick was two hundred meters in all directions. As this was the case, he figured a one-kilometer meter radius wall was a worthy idea. Perhaps build a small hamlet around the base to make it look like a natural dwelling. This was a far more direct approach compared to how he attempted to hide Nazarick during the last go.
"A wall around the Great Tomb of Nazarick, with a one-kilometer radius."
Demiurge took on the pose of the thinker as well, already contemplating the designs in his mind. To turn the outside of the Tomb into a fortress was indeed an effective strategy. So Momonga thought to himself, and it seemed the Arch-Devil agreed as the two nodded to one another. It was a strange understanding nonetheless...
"Hmm… A small gated cemetery can be erected around the mausoleum on the surface–with an unfurnished small town erected around it… Like uh, hm…" Momonga searched for the words as he tapped at his mandible, not wanting to give too much away. He was still rather cautious of his people, despite knowing how loyal they were. "Like a small settlement that suddenly appeared in the middle of a grassy plain?"
"It will be done, Momonga-sama. We will begin preparing the construction golems–is there any particular material you would like to use for the outer walls?" Demiurge asked as he clasped his hands behind his back, as the other Floor Guardians rose to their feet with a gesture of Momonga's hand.
"Mix serviceable metal into concrete, that should cut down on the building time from a few months to a couple of weeks if not less..." Momonga was already thinking ahead. He had to plan things and jot them down eventually because he knew… he was going to start forgetting things once they weren't relevant. The first thing he needed to do though, was get registered as an Adventurer. This time around, he could use Carne as a stepping stone–an entire village to vouch for a copper plate adventurer. The idea almost made him burst out into laughter, but the emotional suppression system calmed him down just as his jaw swung open.
"You may all be at ease. For the tasks I will now give you, I have full confidence in your loyalties to complete without fail." Momonga declared with a pose Demiurge had taken only mere moments ago having his arms out from his sides.
"Aura and Mare will assist Demiurge in directing the construction of the town. Albedo will watch over the Tomb from the Throne Room. The Pleiades, aside from Narberal Gamma and Sebas Tian, will assist Shalltear in guarding the first floor." His orders were absolute, there were no mixed messages as all of them agreed without question. Still, he was pretty creeped out by the fact that they had such blown out of proportion views they had of him. Not that it really mattered in the end.
"And Albedo…"
"Y-yes Momonga-sama?" She peered up at him as he remained standing on elevated ground to be seen by them all equally. He rested his own gaze on her yellow eyes which glistened with the ambient lighting.
Momonga reached into his inventory and retrieved Tabula's guild ring, before flicking it into the air with his thumb in her general direction. He was quick to witness Albedo fumbling for the ring before grasping it in two hands, staring down at the item with a blatant smile on her lips.
"Hm…" He had gone over the words he was about to say a dozen times in his head as he stood there in awkward silence. His gaze watching over each and every member of the Floor Guardians present. Readying himself to speak, he flexed his jaw.
"We mustn't hate those who haven't come back to stay at the end. We must honor them for they were the ones left behind in another world... Each of you will get a ring that once belonged to the forty other supreme beings for easier travel throughout Nazarick. However your rings must not leave the grounds of the Tomb… Remember your parents as they were as you inherit these rings."
His address grasped each of them by the heart, as both Mare and Aura put their hands over their chest hearing his words. 'Never forget Bukubukuchagama. Never forget Tabula Smaragdina, never forget Peroroncino.' Momonga listed the friends he once had in the back of his mind as he handed out the rings for them to take. Each Floor Guardian took the items graciously, holding their rings tightly in their hands before applying them onto their fingers.
'I will never forget them as long as I keep their memory alive, and I will be sure that they never forget either…' He was telling himself to never forget his friends and what they built, never wanting to allow himself to forget.
"Cocytus, I place you in command of the Old Guard for the time being. Be sure to guard the construction project, but do not engage in battle needlessly… That is all of my orders for the time being. All of you are dismissed."
"As. You. Wish. My. Lord." Cocytus turned on his heel and walked towards the direction of the teleportation spot that led towards the surface. Aura, Mare and Demiurge weren't far behind, as they needed to plan out and form the foundation for the wall. Knowing how they were going to go about it, Momonga turned to Sebas Tian and Narberal Gamma who he had requested to be by his side earlier.
And so, Momonga used his Guild Ring to teleport himself and his two companions to the Ninth Floor. In the past he had spent three days messing around with his magic spells. Now he knew everything he needed to know from those experiments. From there he didn't really admire his surroundings considering the amount of time he had spent in the Great Tomb before. All the same he still had to acknowledge the magnificence that it was as it was created by his precious guild.
Once they made their way to the Guild Master's Suite, his suite, he pushed open the double doors. As he entered, the first room had a luxurious mahogany desk with a throne-like chair seated behind it. And then to his right, with plenty of reddish-violet curtains strung on the walls, was a full length mirror.
He could hear the two, Sebas Tian and Narberal Gamma, close the double doors of his suite as he shifted into his human form for a moment. For the first time since he had created it, he got to see himself in the mirror. While he was ultimately a subpar drawer, using the default base helped him quite a bit. Slowly he ran his hands down the front of himself, watching in the mirror. It felt like real skin. Heck he could feel the warmth from the cash item that gave him this cosmetic change. Now he didn't have to use an illusion whenever he removed his mask. A light sigh escaped his lips once more, seeing as he had been doing that a lot, he narrowed his gaze on the mirror.
His world item was perfectly hidden within his abdomen. The only way someone could take it from him is if he were to transform back into his true appearance. This cash item was sure handy–now he knew how the NPCs felt as they could transform back and forth. Considering a human form was much easier to commence combat in.
"[Create Greater Item]," He cast a spell and from his mind and onto his body came a new set of attire. A dark monotonous grey hooded vest-tunic with short-half skirting, he now had baggy trousers tucked into tall hard leather boots. On his shoulders were small leather pauldrons that outlined his shoulders, while a turtleneck top stuck out of the vest and covered his lower jaw along with his arms with long sleeves. On his hands were also long gloves, leaving only part of his face and the top of his head visible.
Tracing his fingers over the belt that was just above his waist, he peered over towards the two members of the Pleiades. "What do you think?" Momonga already expected a biased answer, but he still wanted to hear it.
"Formidable, as expected of you Momonga-sama. It radiates the part of the Hero you wish to represent." Sebas Tian bowed his head in respect to his one and only master. Causing Momonga to pause and nod lightly.
"It suits you well, Momonga-sama." Narberal spoke after a mild allotted time of silence on her part.
Momonga nodded, moderately hoping that while he was in this form it staved Shalltear off from getting sensual and awkward towards him. He wasn't necessarily amused by the necrophiliac fetish that Pero had loaded her with, but now there was no changing it. That is unless he wanted to continue working on the technique of shaping other's minds with Control Amnesia.
His mind went back towards the group known as Foresight, the girl in particular. He began to wonder more about their background, their story and why they invaded Nazarick. Not only were those who had the power to detect magic a mild threat, but they'd make a good asset. Perhaps in a few months, should he remember, he could look into them.
Until then, he had to stick to the present.
Momonga let his Guild Weapon go hover by his desk as he went back to the mirror. Then as he peered over his shoulder towards Sebas Tian once more, he imagined the monk in Touch Me's armor. If he wasn't a Monk, Momonga would've had no problem putting him in the World Champion's armor. The only issue was that a monk in armor gets serious debuffs and moves much slower. Not only that, but as a Ki Master he only fights unarmed.
They had several hours before the sun came to rise. So they had plenty of time to get ready for their adventurer gig. For one, Sebas needed a new outfit and the one that Narberal was going to use was already decided. "Sebas, do you know of an alias you'd like to choose as your name?"
Furrowing his brow in thought, Sebas placed a hand on his beard. "Sebastian will probably work, Momonga-sama. As one name instead of two. It is the name that was given to me by Touch Me-sama."
A smile curled over Momonga's lips as he heard his name and the reason why he chose it. He nodded in understanding, "I'll let it be then. I suppose Narberal's name could just be shortened to Nabe?"
Narberal acknowledged his choice of name for her, as she nodded her head in agreement. From now on, as a member of an adventurer group she would be known as Nabe. Though she didn't necessarily understand why aliases were needed and Momonga knew this from prior experience.
"During our travels as adventurers, I shall be known as Satoru; the Arcane Caster."
"A wise choice, if I should say so myself." Sebas offered his praise.
"Y-yes, Momonga-sama." Nabe simply followed suit.
"Now that this is settled, we need attire for the two of you…"
After some time had passed, the chosen attire was picked out. Sebastian stood there in front of the full length mirror, looking over himself dressed in a monotonously colored monk outfit called the 'Ki Master Robes.' They covered his torso and skirted over his trousers. However the design itself left his arms bare except for a pair of cloth bracers. He also wore a pair of matching boots and a poncho jacket for extra coverage. He looked like the epitome of a martial artist, a living weapon, whose body was honed into a lean mean fighting machine.
On the other hand, Nabe was dressed in her usual plain adventurer outfit. Black trousers, black mantle, white blouse and a belt with some boots. She stood there beside Sebas looking at herself in the mirror before peering over towards Momonga awkwardly with those sharp eyes of hers.
"Sebas Tian, you may temporarily hand over command of the Pleiades to Yuri Alpha. Once everything is in order, I will meet you at the entrance of the tomb."
"As you wish. We will meet you at the entrance when it is time to leave." Sebas bowed to his Supreme Leader before peering over to Narberal Gamma, curiously.
"Ah, and for the time being. You are to school Narberal Gamma on how to interact with humans–I understand the general disdain towards humans amongst the denizens of Nazarick." His gaze flickered over Nabe for a few seconds, recalling his time in E-Rantel with her. How she didn't quite understand the reason to respect the human population. "So you must understand, acting is important."
"Of course, my lord," Sebas agreed with Momonga, turning his gaze to Narberal for a few seconds before walking out of the room to prepare the necessary supplies for their trip. Nabe followed shortly afterward.
Momonga without further delay used his ring to teleport to the Treasury entrance. Once inside, he began his lonesome stroll through the golden coins and treasures that decorated the floors and vaults. This was less than a single percentage of what they truly had. Plenty of gold to be re-minted into coins to be used in the New World's countries and to flood their markets. That wasn't why he was there though.
'Uwaah… Gonna have to get ready for Pandora's Actor. Got to Prepare...'
He was rather proud of himself, that he didn't bring any of the NPCs with him for an embarrassing time. He continued down the panel walled corridors towards a clearing where a coffee table sat with a pair of couches.
"Pandora's Actor!" A shout left Momonga's lips, causing the doppelganger to nearly jump out of his seat. Pandora's Actor had assumed Tabula's form and likeness. Even his little movements created 'coo' like sounds.
That was when he assumed his true form as he took several steps away from the couch. With his hand in salute, the militantly dressed heteromorph greeted his master. "My Creator, Momonga-sama! Thank you for coming all this way–" He saluted his creator in such an impressive way, it made Momonga himself cringe internally. "I did not expect such a greeting from one such as you!" He held out his hands flamboyantly as if to offer his creator an invisible rose.
"Enough…" Momonga placed a hand on the side of his head, rubbing his temple trying not to get too worked up over this. Even without the others with him, he was more embarrassed with how Pandora's Actor behaves. "Enough with the pleasantries, Pandora's Actor."
"Ja, mein Gebieter!"
Momonga's eye twitched at the use of german words, again regretting that he didn't change anything with the Doppelganger, but at the same time it might be better this way. "Have you been well?" He decided to add a bit of deja vu to the mix.
"Yes! I am doing quite well!" Once more the Doppelganger preyed with theatrics, bowing as he lowered his tone to sound a bit more epic than before. "And so, what is your business here this time?"
"...I am here to give you your reward for guarding the treasury… with such vigor." Momonga walked towards his creation with an even pace, recalling the words that the other NPCs had used to praise his creation. Albedo had once claimed that Pandora's Actor was more intelligent and cunning than both her and Demiurge. While that may be true, or even false in a way, he knew that the Doppelganger was someone he could trust–like a son.
Surprisingly, he felt as if he missed Pandora's Actor. Even if it was just for a moment. The sound of his voice, aside from his horrible antics that he used to think was cool, Momonga smiled to the tone of admiration.
"A-A reward!?" He questioned, unable to hide his excitement as he fixed his officer's cap.
Reaching into his item box, Momonga bestowed a guild ring of Ainz Ooal Gown to his creation. "Hm… This is for you, for all your hard work… But I'll take it away if you keep speaking german–and saluting."
"Huh?" Pandora's Actor looked to his creator and down to his hand that the ring was placed upon.
"Seriously… Stop with the saluting." Momonga creased his brows together with authority.
It was as if the NPC was about to speak before pausing, thinking over what it was about to say. Likely, as in the timeline before, he was probably thinking about responding in german. Once Pandora's Actor placed a hand over his heart, Momonga knew the line that was coming. "If it is the will of my God."
A sigh of relief left the Supreme Being, though at the same time he still didn't know how he felt when called a God. Sure he was a creator, but a God? From his experiments in the last timeline, worship hadn't made him stronger and only made it easier to rule.
Momonga closed his eyes and took a step back awaiting the suspense before opening them once again. "I have a role for you to play..." The largest hole on Pandora's face stretched as if he were being unmasked, his jaw had dropped.
Parchments of various colors laid strewn across the desk of Momonga's office. Littering even the floor with quick drawn kanji characters detailing everything he remembered. The arcane magic caster and Guild Master of Ainz Ooal Gown had locked the doors of his suite and had begun jotting down the things he didn't want to forget as he knew he inevitably would no matter how much he didn't want to. While there were some events he wanted to recreate, there were others he wanted to change and things he wanted to take back.
Now however, he sat there leaning back into his comfortable cushioned chair. His gaze on the luxurious furniture that kept his room decorated in an elegant manner he was familiar with. It felt like he had just gotten back from vacation, though it had only been thirty minutes, and he was starting over on his work.
Having no heartbeat almost felt natural to him, he wasn't even sweaty. Though he had this heavy feeling looming in the back of his mind.
"Perhaps some rest will do me straight…" he let the ballpoint pen drop to the face of his desk, his glowing red eyes fixating on the parchment as he began bunching it all together.
His eyes soon found themselves set on the doors of the room by the time he finished neatly stacking the papers. Imagining his friends coming through the doors–he nearly became ecstatic. Though of course, no one was there. Letting his mind wander, he could almost hear Ulbert rehearsing his lines down the hall from where he sat. Nostalgia ran through his thoughts as his brief reset allowed him to experience his precious memories all over again. Even if it was just once, it was as sweet as red bean paste ice cream and with those thoughts was the sound of his mother's humming.
Melting back into his seat, Momonga dropped his gaze to his hands as he held them in front of himself.
Although, Momonga was completely mindful that it was just his imagination–he was beginning to wonder if she was proud of him. Letting his mind wander freely his fists came crashing down on the mahogany desktop. The idea that in two years that this would happen all over again cursed his mind.
So much time had been wasted the first time around–but if he were to be put through this a third time, he didn't know if he could go through with that. Starting over. While some may see some sort of appeal to it, doing it over and over again was not his ideal stomping ground.
Reaching into his item box, he pulled out an infinity backpack and placed the brown bag onto the desk beside his collection of used parchment. Strapping the parchment into a bundle, he then neatly placed the notes into the bag. It was as small as a simple coin purse, but it carried up to five hundred kilograms. While it was nothing but a trash item, it was useful for looking mundane as an adventurer.
Without a doubt, he put that sack on his hip attaching it to his belt and locked it into place.
"I have been keeping them waiting for a little too long…" With a spring to his step, Momonga made his way to the door of the suite all while caressing the rings on his fingers. Just as he reached the exit to the long winding corridors of the ninth floor, he vanished in a flash of light as he teleported to the first floor.
"Momonga-sama! My beloved master, what brings you here?"
He was immediately met by a squeal from Shalltear Bloodfallen, the creation of one of his best friends. There she stood in the dim lighting of torches, stone sarcophagus lining the room as far as one could see. With a smile printed on his lips, his red glowing eyes rested on the undead who had her gathering of beautiful Vampire Brides patrolling behind her. So there they stood in the middle of the catacombs for a few more seconds before he let out a light sigh.
His mind on the moment that he had to fight her–and now he had the chance to make sure she never had to experience her involuntary betrayal. The children of his friends mustn't suffer from errors he could avert.
"Momonga-sama?" The youthful looking Vampire's cheeks took on a light flush of red. All the same, he said nothing and she began to slowly panic. "Is something wrong? I-If it is something I've done–I..."
"You are fine Shalltear," Momonga came back to his senses as he had been lost in his thoughts as he had been mere moments ago back in his suite. The amount of things he knew, the supreme being figured he could not share it with them unless it was an opportune time. Otherwise he was truly going to appear as an all-knowing god that he wasn't.
Walking past the Victorian dressed floor guardian with long strides, he approached the steps leading up to the surface in no time at all. Standing at the top to greet him was Nabe and Sebastian. "I hope I haven't been keeping you two waiting too long."
Sebas bowed his head as a loyal servant of Nazarick, "Not at all Momonga-sama."
Nabe as always bowed her head, her eyes closed for a second before opening them once more as soon as he reached the top of the steps. Momonga placed his hands on either one of their shoulders before passing between them. His eyes centered on the familiar sky that greeted him on the first day in this world.
"If only I could've brought HeroHero to see this–he would have loved this world..."
Part of him cursed the restart as it hadn't gone back far enough. Perhaps it could've made him happier if he went further back–so far back to when the members of Ainz Ooal Gown were still whole. While being given a chance to save Bellriver from certain death was far-fetched, there were other friends who dreaded the old world.
'Mare seems to be doing a good job with the trenches for the outer walls.'
Feeling the earth rumble under his feet, the Overlord couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment. Peering off into the distance several hundred meters away, he could see the young Dark Elf druid. Mare used his power over the earth to dig into the firm soil of the grassland plains as his older sister guided her beasts in patrol around the perimeter.
'Bukubukuchagama-san would've been so proud to see how far they had gone…'
Still despite their inclinations, he imagined them playing along with children their own age. Frollicking through the streets–playing tag or something–like children are supposed to. Going to school, like children should. Getting an education. Growing up and having children of their own. As an Elder Lich–no–as an undead his emotions were watered down, but he held onto the feelings of his friends' children, his god children.
Turning his head, he rested his gaze on the temporary concrete making station that was set up near the tomb. An open smile remained hidden under Momonga's collar as he could also see Pandora's Actor delivering goods to Demiurge who was waiting to begin construction.
'I better not watch him too long… He might…' Momonga had thought too soon as he watched Pandora's Actor.
The moment his creation noticed his sights were on him, the Great Doppelganger began to wave towards him. For a few seconds, Momonga focused on those long wiry fingers and excited body language as Pandora let his body sway with the movement of his arm.
Exhaling, Momonga gave a very faint wave of his own in return before turning away from that NPC of his.
'At least he wasn't saluting–or speaking german.' Momonga let his shoulders lower in a sense of relief.
"Momonga-sama," Demiurge had teleported right in front of him, "I would like to discuss with you the dimensions of the wall you wish to put into place." He settled his bifocals against the bridge of his nose with two fingers, while keeping his other hand clasped behind his back. "There is also the matter of any specific building requirements you wish to have implemented."
"Hmm…" Momonga had an idea of what he wanted to see–he wanted to see a Japan where Takemikazuchi could stand proudly as a Samurai Warrior. In honor of him then. Flatly, the Overlord disguised as a human held out his hand and recited a spell.
"Create Greater Item," the spell created a flash of vibrant blue light and a small model of a Castle Town surrounded by squared high-walls materialized over the open palm of his hand.
Resting in the center of his model was a tweaked Nazarick, styled into an Edo-era castle. Traditional Japanese houses called Minka were on full display. Elevated on stone and wood with blue coral roofing. Meanwhile their walls and dedicated doors were made of wood, cloth and paper. In the more luxurious residences were large private gardens. Additionally parks made to be similar to Zen Gardens dotted the square model.
"This is what I have in mind, a tribute to Takemikazuchi-san. Do you think he would be pleased, Demiurge?"
"Subarashii, Momonga-sama! To breathe life into the memories of the Supreme Beings is a blessing on its own, I am sure Takemikazuchi-sama would be pleased simply with the thought."
Demiurge as always was quick to not only assure him, but to let him know that this was expected of him. Everything was to be expected. Everything was glorious. Everything was wonderful. Even if Momonga's plan went sideways, Demiurge always found a way to make it work and even credit him for it.
A slow raise of his brows brought a well-fitted look on Momonga's human face. His imagination was far greater than his art done by hand. He had to admit that to himself after seeing the quality of the item he temporarily created. Every bit of this model had something to do with his forty-one members, including himself. A garden for Blue Planet. Architecture from the era of the Samurai for Takemikazuchi. A theater for Bukubukuchagama and a school for her creations. A redlight district for Peroroncino and so on.
"A tribute to their memory," Momonga handed the model to Demiurge so he could deduce the scale for the walls on his own. "I must be leaving… If anything happens, use the message spell to contact me immediately."
"Of course," Demiurge bowed as his Master and his chosen companions took their leave as they began walking southward. Their destination only being ten kilometers away from the Great Tomb of Nazarick.
"By the way, Nabe." Momonga peered over towards the pleiades maid, "What do you think of humans?" He wanted to hear her say it just once–as she had done in the last timeline. Part of him found it amusing at the same time as disheartening.
With sharp eyes and soft tone she responded with the turn of her head, "They are trash."
Sebastian made a light grunt but held his composure–immediately understanding his master's earlier request. Nabe was indeed sharp tongued, particularly towards humanoids.
"Ahem," Sebastian kept a stern look about himself, "Nabe. Momonga-sama is likely going to attempt to make friendly relations with native humans. Ambient aggression towards them is unadvised–I can now see why he delegated schooling you in conversing with them."
Nabe's sharp eyes widened in surprise at his superior sternness towards her opinion of the human race. "S-sebas-sama."
"Sebastian," corrected the head butler and monk of the Great Tomb. "And we are to be calling Momonga-sama Satoru while we are outside playing these roles… I believe."
The two men locked gazes and Momonga nodded before Nabe could object.
"S-Satoru-sama?"
"No need for honorifics, Nabe. We are playing the role of adventurers–a party of friends who trust each other with our lives." Momonga proclaimed as he tugged on his hood lightly, before taking out a weapon of choice from his item box.
"Satoru-saa-an."
Momonga narrowed his gaze on the girl–it was the same as last time.
"That… sounds weird–but that'll do."
In his hand emerging from the vortex to his inventory was a staff composed of a long black shaft with golden inlays, topped with an ornament that resembled a three. On the opposite end of the shaft however was the head of a mace.
Holding it in both hands, he stared at the item.
'Is this too much for a copper class adventurer, a spell caster, to have?'
This staff wasn't necessarily powerful, but he could see it fetching a good price considering it activated upon the use of mental commands. The ability to spout fire from its tri-topped end was undoubtedly useful against small-fries like the ones populating this world.
He put the thought on a side burner as he continued to traverse the grassy plains.
"A magnificent staff," Sebastian exclaimed, "Fit for someone of your esteem."
"Thank you for the vote of confidence, Sebastian."
Nabe's gaze remained sharp as ever, watching the two of them being casual. This, in her mind, shouldn't be allowed. Then again, to call Momonga by any name without honorifics must've felt inherently wrong.
"Of course, Satoru. You are the leader of the party, are you not?"
No matter how many times Momonga looked at Sebastian, he saw Touch Me standing in his place. And the words that he just gave him cemented that.
"Right… Uh, and that makes you my loyal retainer… we should come up with a little more for backstories. Perhaps Nabe can be your ward?" Touch Me had a family, a wife, and children. Having Nabe be Sebastian's daughter somewhat allowed him to live a fantasy out in his mind, even if he knew it was somewhat delusional.
"That does work," Sebastian stroked his beard in thought as he was scrutinizing Momonga's current appearance. "Your current appearance makes you out to be too young to be considered her biological father… It would be an honor to take that role."
Nabe nodded in silent agreement, her eyes forward as she looked off into the distance.
"Once we come across a village, we will have to make positive relations… For the most part we can claim to be a group aspiring to be adventurers. In a sense, we're not lying. Then find if we can spend a few days there and learn more about this world and make our first foothold."
Just like that, they believed him due to their natural inclination to simply follow his orders. His plans were going to work–at least he hoped they would. Slowly his gaze rested on the sky above them, feeling the cool breeze brush him by and graze the grass.