CHAPTER 9:
THE DENIZENS OF NAZARICK
The next day, Harry and Antilene went to visit Nazarick, Leinas staying behind to mind the mansion. As they approached the entrance, they found they had a reception committee…namely, Shalltear Bloodfallen, who curtsied. "Lord Enzo…it has been too long."
Harry nodded. Shalltear was Peroroncino's creation, a True Vampire who normally took the form of a pale, inhumanly beautiful girl in her early teens (at least in appearance), albeit one who conducted herself with a superficially sophisticated air, like a kid pretending to be an adult. Her hair was equally pale, a silvery white. Her eyes were crimson with slitted pupils. She was dressed in an elegant, dark-purple ballgown and bonnet…though he noted that her breasts were too big for her size. Peroroncino had apparently put in her backstory that she padded her chest. That, and a long list of fetishes and paraphilias.
"It's only been a couple of days, Shalltear. I thought Antilene and I would come back, as I didn't have much time to speak with most of the Floor Guardians. I heard from Momonga that you're being sent out on a mission with Sebas and Solution soon?"
"Indeed. I am to find users of these…Martial Arts skills."
Harry nodded. "Well, if you find yourself in trouble, don't hesitate to call either of us. Yes, I know you could probably…what would Peroroncino say? ROFLstomp the opposition. But Momonga has warned you about the Theocracy and other organisations having World Items?"
At this, Shalltear's expression fell. "Yes, he has. He also told me that he worries, not because the Supreme Beings have no faith in their servants, but because they care for our wellbeing."
Antilene then frowned. "Hmm…given the likely route to the capital from here…I did hear rumours that Brain Unglaus had been seen in the area."
"Where did you hear that?" Harry asked, immediately interested.
"In the pub, from Foresight, while you were showing Momonga and Albedo your memories," Antilene said. "It's only rumour, but there's been unsubstantiated sightings of Unglaus working with a bandit group."
"Really? He's fallen far if that's true," Harry mused.
"Who is this Brain Unglaus?" Shalltear asked.
"One of the few people who can approach Stronoff's level of strength and ability. Got his arse kicked by Stronoff in a tournament some years back. By the standards of this world, he's easily one of the best fighters, physically. If the rumours are true, taking him prisoner would be a boon to Nazarick. I know quite a bit about the theory of Martial Arts skills, true, and Stronoff will reward us with the relevant tomes, but it wouldn't hurt to have Unglaus here."
Shalltear nodded. "I will take that into consideration, Lord Enzo." But then, she looked pensive. "Umm…Lord Enzo, I have a question to ask of you, if you don't mind. It's…about my creator, Lord Peroroncino. Would…would he be proud of me?"
"Of course he would be," Harry said. He might have been fudging the truth somewhat, but that pervert would have loved what Shalltear would have become. "…Shalltear…in effect, each of you were the children of at least one of us. I helped BubblingTeapot with creating Aura and Mare, and Momonga with Pandora's Actor. If Peroroncino ever comes back…then I'm sure he'd welcome you with open arms."
Shalltear's crimson eyes glistened with tears, and she glomped Harry, weeping. "…Thank you, my lord. Thank you…"
Harry and Antilene, after spending a little more time with the vampire, moved on. They bypassed the Underground Lake on the fourth level, as Gargantua was an unthinking golem. However, they stopped by the frozen wastes of the fifth level, to greet Cocytus, and give him much the same assurances as Harry had given Shalltear. Then again, Cocytus had a simplistic, warrior's mindset. He wasn't stupid, but he had a straightforward demeanour, and he certainly agreed to Antilene's desire for a spar later.
It was in the forested area of the sixth level (one of Blue Planet's triumphs, everyone in Ainz Ooal Gown thought) that Harry had the encounter he was looking forward to. Specifically, with Aura and Mare. The closest thing he had to children before entering this world and adopting Antilene.
As he approached their treehouse (well, more of a full-blown house growing into a tree), he mused on his relationship with BubblingTeapot. The voice actress was one of his best friends in Ainz Ooal Gown, right up there with Momonga and Touch Me. In many ways, she reminded him of Ginny, before she turned out to be infected by Voldemort's Horcrux. Fiery and compassionate. In a way, that reminder of Ginny, of Ginnymort, was what led to him keeping his distance from her, and BubblingTeapot, while hurt, did sort of understand when he explained it, albeit in vague terms.
Harry was often the one called in to mediate disputes between BubblingTeapot and her brother Peroroncino. The two bickered and clashed, and sometimes, it got out of control. The two siblings did love each other, but there were times when Harry was needed to get between them. Then again, at least they weren't as bad as Touch Me and Ulbert when those two got into a spat.
It was BubblingTeapot who asked Harry to help with creating Aura and Mare. Harry did let her stick to her guns in making Aura an outgoing tomboy, and Mare a timid transvestite, but he did put his foot down in one regard. Aura was supposed to basically bully Mare into doing things, and despite not knowing that the NPCs would be brought to life one day, Harry felt that was a step too far, and explained his reasoning. To her credit, BubblingTeapot conceded, and while Aura was pushy and assertive, it never crossed the line, so her new backstory claimed.
Aura leapt out of the treehouse, landed expertly without a bended knee, and held up a pair of fingers. "Victory!" She then hurried over to Harry. She was dressed in trousers and a waistcoat over a red Dragonskin bodysuit. Her skin was tanned, her hair golden, her eyes a mismatched ocean blue and forest green…no, an emerald colour BubblingTeapot based on his own eyes.
She hurried over to Harry, skidding to a halt, and bowing. "Thank you for visiting us, Lord Enzo. We are honoured by your visit, and that of your daughter."
Her tone had changed a little on mentioning Antilene, but Harry said, "Aura, you and Mare are my children as well, in some regards. I helped BubblingTeapot create you. In fact, I'm sorry I hadn't visited you both before. Unfortunately, I needed to do some things."
"Don't apologise, Lord Enzo. Lord Momonga has already told us a little of what happened to you on this world. You have obligations in the Baharuth Empire, and contacts that will serve us," Aura said. "Truth be told, we were just glad you returned to us. Ugh, where is Mare…?"
Antilene peered at the treehouse. "He's still there, shaking like a leaf. Come on, let's say hello."
"I'm sorry for my brother being a scaredy-cat, Lord Enzo," Aura said.
"Don't be. I know that's how BubblingTeapot made him. Aura, Antilene, just hold on. I'll get us up there…"
Aura took Apparition in her stride. Then again, as a Level 100 NPC, maybe the discomfort meant little to her. In fact, it was harder to persuade her and Mare to let him make some tea instead of them rushing around making it themselves.
As he set everything out, Mare stammered, "W-W-Why are you b-b-being so nice to us, Lord Enzo?"
Aura nodded. "Yeah. We could have served this for you and Antilene ourselves."
"…Because I wanted to," Harry said. "Like I said, in many regards, you are my children with BubblingTeapot. Besides…as a kid, I was forced to serve food and drink for my relatives. I don't want to force you to do the same."
As they drank from their mugs, Mare looked to Aura. "…It's like when Lord Momonga gave us those glasses of water after beating the Fire Elemental, sister," he said, his tone a little more confident. Like his sister, he had Dragonscale armour under his clothes, indigo instead of red, and topped by a cloak that looked like it was made of leaves, and a white dress with a short skirt. His eyes were the mirror image of Aura's, and his hair was more like a short pudding bowl cut rather than the messy mop Aura had.
Aura nodded, and turned a sunny grin to Harry. "Thanks for your kindness, Lord Enzo! I mean, you needn't go to this trouble for us, but thank you anyway!"
"Thank you!" Mare echoed, bowing his head.
"It's fine. Just consider it a treat or something."
Antilene, as she sipped from her own mug, looked around the treehouse with a smile, looking out the window at the forest it was in. "…This is how I used to imagine Elf Country was like. At least until I went onto my first mission in its outskirts. Oh, it's still beautiful…but it's also a war-torn shithole, thanks to the man who is only my father by blood."
"And who's that?" Aura asked.
"Decem Hougan, the King of the Elves," Harry said grimly. "And apparently the son of one of the Eight Greed Kings, the name given to a group of Supreme Beings from outside Ainz Ooal Gown. And he…" He tapered off, trying to figure out how to broach the subject of rape and unwanted pregnancy to these two. From what he remembered of their backstory and karmic alignment, they were a bit on the naïve side.
However, Aura seemed to catch on, and she looked to Antilene with a look of sympathy. "Your mother didn't have you willingly, did she?" Antilene shook her head, and Aura asked, with a serious look at Harry, "How many?" Her tone was unnaturally cold and serious.
"How many did he force himself upon?" Harry clarified. Aura nodded. "Reputed to be in the hundreds at least. And I can believe that. According to the Slane Theocracy's reports, one of the few things I'd believe them about, he fields his children as part of a supposedly elite army. In truth, he views them as disposable. He doesn't do a very good job of running his kingdom, apparently, viewing it as his playground."
Aura scowled in disgust. Mare blinked in confusion, until his sister clarified it with a whisper, and his eyes widened in shock. "…He did that to so many?" Mare asked in horror.
"In fact, once Nazarick is established well enough, I think the four of us should take a little vacation to Elf Country," Harry said. "Antilene's been meaning to give Decem Hougan a piece of her mind for decades. I'm sure Momonga will okay it."
"Could be fun," Aura said with a smile. "Oh, by the way, Lady Albedo told us you're adopting a few human kids."
Harry nodded. "Yeah, three sisters. And as long as you play nice with them, being their siblings, I'd happily bring them here."
"Wait, what?" Aura yelped, her surprised mirrored by Mare.
"…Aura, Mare…I wasn't going to replace you with Antilene, or the Furt sisters," Harry said. "I just feel like having a family, a big one. You two are pretty much my children, like I said, in that I helped BubblingTeapot create you two, even if, like Antilene, like the Furt sisters, you're not my actual blood. And I want my kids to be able to get along. One day, I'll have you meet Arche and her sisters. And then, we…"
He got no further, because Aura and Mare basically dogpiled him in a scrum, hugging him, thanking him profusely with tears in their eyes. Antilene, the little traitor, cackled at his plight, before joining them. A group hug, with him as the veritable filling in a Harry Sandwich.
After a moment, he realised, this felt nice. It really hit home how much these NPCs had become living, thinking people. Aura and Mare…of the Floor Guardians, not counting Perfect Victim or the Pleiades (Shizu and Entoma being the most child-like), they were the most child-like. True, Shalltear looked barely older, but she also had a more adult demeanour, most of the time.
When he first learned of NPCs coming to life in the transition from Yggdrasil, he actually spent some time considering what would happen to those in Nazarick. It wasn't just the blatantly evil ones that worried him too, but the more neutral ones like Aura and Mare. Complicating matters was if they remembered being killed during the infamous en masse raid that got pretty damn far into the Tomb of Nazarick. It was one thing when they were little more than basic AIs whose sophistication was mostly devoted to combat ability, not sentience. It was another when they became living beings.
Harry had some small affection for Aura and Mare. Not so much for Pandora's Actor, Momonga's NPC that guarded the Treasury, and one Harry had helped with. It was probably the pseudo-Neo-Nazi regalia, even if before Harry's alterations, Pandora's Actor only had the uniform and a tendency to speak German. True, the NPC kept those things afterwards, but Harry made sure to ensure that Pandora's Actor held contempt for the Neo-Nazis, or indeed their ilk, and just enjoyed the uniform, enjoying satirising them, fitting into his theatrical leanings.
But Aura and Mare…after seeing them for the first time on returning to Nazarick, he knew they were what he hoped they would be. This visit only confirmed it. They were living, breathing children.
Eventually, they broke off the embrace, giving him genuine smiles of joy and affection. "You mean that, Lord Enzo?" Aura asked.
"That we're your children?" Mare added.
"Yeah. And in private, away from the others, save for Momonga or Albedo…call me Harry. It's my real name. Or Father or Dad, if you really want."
"Dad!" they chorused, hugging him again. And he laughed, in both disbelief and affection, as they did so. If nothing else, he had the start of a new family here…
Then, came the visit he was dreading. Demiurge. The Demon's seat and base of operations was on the 7th Floor. Harry and Antilene didn't want to linger, but Harry did want to visit him to make a few things clear.
Demiurge smiled in his office when they entered. The unctuous Demon said, "Ah, Lord Enzo, and Lady Antilene. To what do I owe this pleasure?"
"I've been visiting the various Floor Guardians, Demiurge, though I'm sure you've already received messages to that effect already," Harry said.
"But of course. Lord Momonga asked us to improve the information-sharing capabilities between we Floor Guardians, as well as the other denizens of the Great Tomb of Nazarick. Even over the past few days, it has paid considerable dividends. I am still working out particulars on gathering intelligence in the world at large, though your contacts in the Baharuth Empire, to say nothing of the Blue Roses in Re-Estize, should prove to be fruitful for information."
"Yeah, about that, Demiurge…I have no issues with you putting out spies in various places. Just avoid sending any to Emperor Jircniv, he's actually a friend. And Demiurge? I also need to clarify something."
"What is that, Lord Enzo?"
"…Your creator and I didn't get along that well. True, we shared a few similar viewpoints about oppression, but Ulbert and I…we clashed too many times to really be proper friends. We were comrades, yes, and good ones at that. But I did pay attention to when he created you, and I know what you're capable of, how devious and intelligent you are. So, let me make this very clear." Harry's emerald eyes glared into Demiurge's own crystalline orbs. "Do not ever inveigle innocent bystanders into your schemes or your experiments. I know you love to engage in cruel experiments, I've seen Ulbert's backstory for you. If you need test subjects, Jircniv's willing to provide the worst criminals from his jails and dungeons. As long as they're the worst of the worst, you can turn them into a chair for all I care. And if we're forced to go to war against soldiers, then we'll have to deal with them. But if your test subjects are not the worst criminals, or worse than that, if they are innocent people, then you and I are going to have problems."
Harry wasn't sure whether Demiurge would concede to this. Shalltear and Albedo, at least, could be reasoned with, but Demiurge was devious and diabolical. Hopefully, any loyalty to Harry would outweigh any attempt to work around that. Harry had no issue with leaving any truly appalling criminals to Demiurge's tender and non-existent mercies.
However, Demiurge, after a brief moment recoiling away, bowed his head, his expression solemn. "I understand. You are…attached to the humans here, yes?"
"Yes. And I want us to be cheered on as heroes when we take on the Platinum Dragon Lord, Demiurge. Taking innocents to be tortured is counterproductive to that, isn't it?"
"Of course," Demiurge said, smiling once more. "And might I say, that's a brilliant scheme, to be seen as liberating heroes."
"It's not a scheme, Demiurge. I just don't want to give the world any real reason to fear us. True, some parts will regardless, but I want most of them to cheer us on."
"It's still a brilliant idea," Demiurge said.
Harry grimaced at the Demon's sycophancy. He just hoped he had made it clear to Demiurge what he wanted from him. Hopefully, it would end well…
…Wouldn't it?
CHAPTER 9 ANNOTATIONS:
Please don't tempt fate, Harry. Things might go sour, otherwise.
Now, firstly, Harry's talk with Shalltear. A single sentence may be what it takes for part of canon to change. You'll see what it is.
Secondly, Demiurge. The Master of Death in Nazarick by dEBB987 had Harry rebuke Demiurge, albeit when the Jaldabaoth plan went underway. Here, Harry is a bit more proactive, as he knows what Demiurge is like. Of course, instead of stopping him entirely, Harry gives him a reasonable alternative. Time will tell if this causes problems. I know he's often said to be loyal, but in truth, partly thanks to his nature and partly thanks to his creator's attitude, I actually think that Demiurge would be one of the first to outright rebel against Momonga in canon if Momonga went against what he thought he should do.
Last, but not least, Aura and Mare. Of all the NPCs in Nazarick, I think Harry would be emotionally closest to them anyway, even if he didn't have a hand in their creation like he does in this fic. I think one of Harry's strongest desires is to have a family, even if it's not by blood. It's the reason he adopted Antilene here, and is adopting Arche and her sisters. It doesn't hurt that Aura and Mare, with their relatively neutral alignment, are not that evil. Humans are just ridiculously beneath their consideration.
Review-answering time! Gabriel Herrol: I'm glad you're enjoying it so far. And yes, that joke is a good one, though Keno, as she grew up on a world without computers or scam-callers, doesn't find it funny. As for that problem, well, I'm under the impression that the level cap has been raised, so to speak, but because Harry and Momonga are at Level 100, it'd take a LOT to get them to even go up a single level. Remember, they're on a world where Level 30 is basically the level for Heroes, and Level 60 is God-level.
As for beating the Platinum Dragon Lord, I have a good idea on how Harry and Momonga will double-team him. Let's just say that Harry already has a plan, he just needs extra allies as insurance. However, he doesn't know about Azuth Aindra, or at least his Powered Armour, which is a bit of a problem.
Nathair1: Rigrit, when she finds out, will be shitting herself, but she is confident in her seal keeping Harry sealed, so for now, she's blissfully unaware. As it happened, she handed over leadership of the Blue Roses at about the same time as Harry broke free.
Guest (regarding Albedo): Exactly. Albedo in the canon series makes her desire to become a mother repeatedly clear. It becomes particularly blatant when Harry adopts the Furt daughters: she actually begins showing a motherly concern towards the twins in a later chapter, and it's actually a real developing concern. True, it's more of a case of 'Harry values these people, therefore, I will value them too', but even that's better than canon Albedo, and she actually desires a family herself.
Skull Flame: Albedo is funny, isn't she? Then again, a lot of that is her yandere tendencies and her thirstiness. As for the comparison to a Fazbear animatronic, watch the scene towards the end of the first episode of the third series, when she pounces on Ainz and tries to rape him. I'm pretty sure the animation director was inspired by the death scenes from Five Nights at Freddy's, particularly the Marionette in the second game. I've never played them, but I've seen a couple of Youtube videos, enough to put me off the games. I'm surprised they didn't have Yumi Hara or Elizabeth Maxwell ad lib an animatronic's screech. "SCREEEEEE!"
As for Demiurge's farm, Harry is not really on board with it, despite his increased ruthlessness and pragmatism, but as long as it is done purely to the deserving (in his mind) and bears useful results (instead of being basically a Mengele-esque sadistic power trip), he doesn't care what happens to them. In fact, he had discussed the possibility with Jircniv prior to Nazarick appearing that, if they did appear, Jircniv could send his worst criminals there. Jircniv has agreed, if only to free jail cells up for other prisoners, and he's willing to reclaim them if, on using Legilimency, the prisoners are actually innocent. Jircniv is actually embarrassed when he finds out about a few innocent prisoners in a later chapter, as he is a meritocrat, and thought that the investigation teams were competent.
Demiurge, therefore, will be concentrating on using his resources wisely. I get the feeling many of his experiments in canon were out of sheer, sadistic curiosity, but here, his experiments are purely to benefit Nazarick. Unfortunately, that does mean magic scrolls made of human skin, probably from repeatedly flayed and healed victims, but when you consider that the intended victims are on the level of Clementine and the higher echelons of the Eight Fingers, well, I personally do not give a damn.
On the subject of Demiurge, there's a fanfic focussing on Renner that I have idly flicked through, The Golden Princess by TheNumberOfTheBeast. The fic didn't enthral me, but the latest chapters have Demiurge take Renner on a tour of his facilities partly as a means of showing how fucked she would be if she betrayed them. Despite my not liking the fic, there's a moment where Demiurge discusses one of his victims, being transformed into a fungal creature, and he waxes lyrical about them in a way that shows that Demiurge, despite all his sadism, knows exactly what the value of a life is, and what he is taking from them. In many ways, that makes him both better and worse than any other villain in the series.
WearyCurmudgeon: I'm not sure whether that is how the level dynamics of the series work, or even if there is a level cap in the New World anymore. However, Potterverse magic, amplified by Harry's body, will be an interesting fuck you to the Platinum Dragon Lord's defences, as it's basically a different kind of his weakening Wild Magic. It's one of the many reasons Zeynedelux locked him up. And Harry is not going to let it come to a straightforward battle either. While he needs more strong people by his side as a means to ensure victory, he does have something up his sleeve that could prove dangerous to the PDL. I won't say what it is, for fear of spoilers, but let's say it'll affect him even while Harry is using this technique to attack his armour. That should be enough of a hint for now.
I didn't consider the anti-Dragon weaponry either, something Yggdrasil would have in spades. Whoops.
Framfrit: I actually disagree. I understand Momonga's embarrassment and shame at altering her settings, but he doesn't do enough to mitigate the situation. I honestly think that taking Albedo out on dates, so to speak, could have helped quell her lust, as I think Albedo has, albeit twisted, genuine romantic feelings. Then again, a lot of Momonga's canon problems are due to him being a shit communicator, and leader for that matter, hiding behind the mask of a confident Overlord. In this story and in my Red vs Blue crossover Xenagogy for Belligerent AIs and Dungeon Denizens, I try to correct that. In this story, because Momonga's a little more willing to show weakness in front of certain people, and has Harry's support network, he begins to be better, and not just because he still has someone acting as his conscience. It probably helps that, despite Albedo knowing what he was, she accepts him all the same, and does her best to help him.
Also, the Holy Roble Kingdom arc has NOT been skipped. At about the time they announced the fourth series, they announced that said arc would be adapted as a film, possibly two (I'm not sure they could adapt a two-book arc as a single film), titled Overlord: The Holy Kingdom. I presume production is still ongoing. Look it up on the wiki, they have a key visual. Honestly, I hope we get to see Remedios die horribly. Neither her queen or her sister deserved their canon fates, but the way Remedios treated poor Neia, just for the sake of having a dog to kick for her frustrations, shows what her character is truly like: a self-righteous and stupid hypocrite.
No numbered annotations this time.