"The humans have started to make their own hymns!" Albedos said excitedly. "They have asked permission to build idols in his image! It's so wonderful! At first many of the humans didn't believe Lord Mortem even existed, or else they were terrified to even speak his name, never mind offer him worship. Now they've started to come around, they are becoming true followers!"
"That is wonderful," a human girl dressed in the white and red clothing of a Japanese Miko said. "I can see how genuinely pleased you are." She sipped some tea.
Albedo nodded and had a bite of a cookie. "I am constructing the holy book. Some of the humans have told me legends and stories about Lord Mortem and I am deciding what will be accepted as actual scripture and what shall be heresy. You can't accept everything you know, you must pick and choose what makes his legend more majestic."
"I see. And does Momonga-sama-"
"Ainz-sama!" Albedo corrected. "He has taken that name, he should only be referred to as either Ainz-sama or as Lord Mortem."
"Ah, yes, of course, forgive me sister, old habits are hard to shed."
"I know you meant no offense, but as our Supreme Lord has declared his intent we must be diligent and obey it in all ways!"
"Naturally." Albedo's sister replied. She took another sip of tea.
Rubedo was a very beautiful young woman who would appear to be in her early twenties. There was a family resemblance between the two, though Rubedo's eyes were a light brown and her pupils were round. And naturally, she did not have wings or horns, and her figure was less voluptuous than her sister's.
The two sisters were sharing tea and cookies, but were not sharing the same space. Albedo was seated at a table in her own quarters. Rubedo was in the Cherry Blossom Sanctuary of the Eighth Floor. The Eighth Floor was forbidden to all guardians, save for Victim. While Rubedo was the Area Guardian of the Sanctuary and bound to it. She also had full control of all the teleportation gates within the Great Tomb and could control the movement between the floors of all those without a Ring of Ainz Ooal Gown. It was within her power to grant or deny the free movement of others, but she herself was a prisoner.
Not that Rubedo ever complained.
"Tell me, sister, does Ainz-sama have any input into all of this? The hymns, the religious text, the idols, or the Great Temple?"
Albedo shook her head. "A god should not have to be bothered with such trivial matters. It is a sign of his followers' devotion that they should build the religion in his honor."
"What happens if what you create displeases him?"
"Then he will smite me and his followers and start over again." Albedo said it without any hint of hesitation or concern.
Rubedo did not need to ask if Albedo would be fine with that. She understood that her sister, and every other denizen of the Great Tomb, would happily die if it were Momonga's will. Everyone but her. For she was the exception in many, many ways. She had been born different from all the others, and stood apart from them in ways they could never understand.
Rubedo set her cup down in its saucer and smiled at her sister. "You truly believe it, don't you?"
"Believe what?"
"That Momon-, oops, that Ainz-sama brought all of us here on purpose, that it was part of some great plan of his. You truly believe that he has been to this world before, and been known here as Lord Mortem before. That everything that has transpired has been according to his will."
Albedo's eyes widened and she gave a loud gasp. "Of course! What other possibility is there? Ainz-sama was the Guildmaster and leader of the Forty-One Supreme Beings who each were greater than any god! His will is absolute! He is infallible and perfect! To question that is to deny the glory of our own creators!"
Your creators, she thought. "Yet his actions would seem to contradict that statement. Why did he not immediately declare we were in a new world and state what our mission was to be? Why did he need to spend so much time searching and learning about our new surroundings if he is omniscient? Why did he never mention the name Lord Mortem until a native of this world did?"
Albedo's mouth opened and closed silently for a moment. She then suddenly brought a fist down, smashing her table to kindling, shattering all the pieces of the tea set and spilling tea and cookies all across the floor. "Ainz-sama acts in mysterious ways! It is not our place to try and understand his actions, it is simply our duty to obey him in all things! Yes, he has lied to us and deceived us. As a parent will lie to and deceive a child when it is necessary. He owes us absolutely nothing! It is our great duty and honor to interpret his will, for I am sure his wisdom and knowledge are far beyond what we can comprehend!"
Rubedo nodded her head and sipped some more tea. "Yes, that must be true, because the only other possibility would be that he is not all knowing or all powerful. And that would never under any circumstances be the case. I'm sorry if my silly questions upset you. You know how much I enjoy discussing theoretical issues that have no connection to reality."
"Some things should never be mentioned, even as a theory."
"Like the fact the world circles the sun?"
Albedo raised both eyebrows. "What do you mean? The sun is the daughter of the god Mundilferi and is chased across the sky by the great wolf Sköll each day. Everyone knows that."
"Of course we do. So have you heard anything from Nigredo?"
The two sisters spoke for a little while about their eldest sister and about the Pleiades and some of the other residents of the tomb. Albedo's mood had been soured and she brought their weekly chat to an earlier end than usual.
"Sister," Albedo said. "I know you are as loyal as the rest of us, and that your odd statements are simply part of your nature. I can accept that, just as I accept Eclair Ecleir Eicler is a traitor. I do not blame him, as the Supreme Beings wrote him that way. But there are limits to the things you can say, the things you can suggest. I will not mention anything from our conversation to Ainz-sama, this time. But I make no promises for the future."
"Oh, that's all right sister. Since he knows all I am sure he knows every word I've spoken as well as what is within my heart. And since he hasn't smited me he is fine with it. Don't you agree?"
Albedo's lips twisted. "Just be more careful from now on." Her image vanished.
Rubedo stood up and waved a hand. The table, single chair, tea, cookies, and porcelain all faded out of existence. All that remained was a magical portal that hovered in the air before her without any image. A slight breeze caused the cherry blossoms to fall. She did not notice any more. On the Eighth Floor nothing ever changed, the trees were always in bloom and the blossoms were always drifting on the wind. Rubedo was blind to their beauty, to her they were the walls and bars of her prison. She was immortal, beautiful, a level one hundred NPC who could cast tenth tier magic… and she could not take one step outside the sanctuary.
"Such a situation could drive a person mad."
She waved a hand and an image formed in the portal. It was the native human called Tobi. He was seated at his desk within his office in the city of Ainzport. He had no idea he was being watched and was hunched over scribbling onto a piece of paper. He didn't know she existed, but he would.
Rubedo smiled at him. "Set the world on fire."