CHAPTER 11:
STRENGTH AND SUCCOUR
Antilene had to admit, she was enjoying herself. Over the past few days, prior to many of the Floor Guardians being sent out on tasks, she had asked to spar a number of them. On Harry's advice, she avoided doing so with Shalltear, given her Blood Frenzy, and they were still uncertain of Demiurge's loyalties. But before Aura was sent out to scout the Forest of Tob, she and Antilene had a rather invigorating spar. True, Antilene got her arse handed to her, and the same went for Mare, but she felt she had a proper challenge again, aside from the one her new father provided, of course.
She'd sparred with Sebas, and Albedo too. She'd also taken on the Pleiades, and won her only victories against the denizens of Nazarick, though to be fair, she took them on one-on-one. In a team effort, she would have to make more of an effort herself.
This current spar was against Cocytus, with Harry having taken Arche and her sisters to meet Momonga and Albedo for a picnic. The hulking insectoid warrior was a thrilling opponent, even without his freezing aura, and even as she skidded along the floor of the arena from a particularly vicious blow, she couldn't keep the smirk off her face, even as Mare, who was acting as a referee, called the match. She got to her feet gingerly, using her magic to heal herself. "Good fight."
"I agree," Cocytus said, his booming, grating voice nonetheless conveying his own pleasure. "Though you could not beat me, you are a warrior of considerable power and skill."
Antilene frowned, before shrugging. "If you say so. I'm not that much of a warrior, honestly. I don't go in for that honour or warrior's code crap. If I need to kill something, I kill it. If they deserve pain in the process, then I give it to them. The old man, the one you call Lord Enzo, he's been helping me out. Honestly, I have a lot of baggage to unload."
"We have heard of your past from Lady Albedo and Lord Momonga," Cocytus said. "To be trained as a warrior from a young age is an honour, but you were to be a tool of revenge. What Decem Hougan did was foul, but for your mother to blame you for his crime is folly."
"Hey, Dad told me that. Took a while to sink in, though. I mean, it was the only life I've ever known," Antilene said, her expression becoming morose. "I'll admit, I became twisted. Hell, I still am, a little. But…he gave me a home, a family, something I never really got with my mother. Don't get me wrong, I still want to track down that monster who is my father by blood, and put him through Hell for what he did to my mother, and to so many others. But…Dad taught me patience. After all, he wants nothing more than to avenge himself on the Platinum Dragon Lord and Rigrit. But he knows he needs to do it right. I can afford to be patient, and besides, we were intending to go after my sperm-donor soon. And then, Nazarick arrived." She looked around the arena, and the artificial sky. "Your Supreme Beings knew how to create something wonderful."
"Umm, Lord Momonga said that the Slane Theocracy was created by rival Supreme Beings," Mare said. "They were dubbed the Six Gods, weren't they?"
Antilene nodded. "I'm actually a descendent of one of them through my mother. And from the Eight Greed Kings, another set of so-called Supreme Beings, through my so-called father. Godkin, they called those descended from those Supreme Beings." She scoffed. "Enzo and Momonga eclipse them all in terms of character. The tales the old man told me about Ainz Ooal Gown and its members…so many of them I would have loved to have met."
"…You hold no attachment to your former comrades?" Cocytus asked.
"Not really. I was on a whole other level to them, and most of them feared me, never really trying to make friends with me. True, the Captain of the Black Scripture was a nice enough guy, and I do sort of regret my spanking of 'Infinite Magic' turning her into a snivelling wreck…but no. They only really cared about me as a living weapon, as a trump card for the Slane Theocracy. And I didn't really care when, strong though they were, they died in battle…or in bed. Honestly, the only person to truly care for me in that place died long ago. Our family's servant, Nazaire."
"And then, L-Lord Enzo came along?" Mare asked timidly.
A smile touched her lips. "Yeah. I'll admit, it took a while to trust the creepy voice coming from the Rubik's Cube…but I've never regretted trusting him. He gave me a sense of family. I…I haven't had that for a long time, not since Nazaire died. You guys…at least you have each other, and Momonga and Enzo. Family is more than blood. Sometimes, we can choose our family, just as we can choose our friends. And I'm part of the Nazarick family now, I guess. By the way, Mare, you use that staff in physical combat, right?"
"Umm, yes?"
"You've got some strength behind your blows, despite being a mage. If you went all out, you'd probably break my bones," Antilene mused. "But you've got no skill with it whatsoever. True, you're a mage, a druid, and you shouldn't need to physically fight. But, well, what's the saying? No plan survives contact with the enemy. Fighting with a staff isn't that different to my own style, using halberds or scythes. Maybe I can give you some pointers…"
Elsewhere in the 6th Floor forested area, Arche looked up at the sky, even as her sisters played nearby. They weren't to wander far, though. Harry, Momonga and Albedo had laid out a picnic blanket, and even now were eating. Well, save for Momonga, though Harry intended to fix that eventually. "I still find it so hard to believe that such a beautiful sky is artificial. Your Blue Planet friend was an artist beyond compare," the young mage remarked.
Momonga nodded his bony head. Arche had already been prepared for the intimidating appearance of the Overlord, thanks to Harry, and so had her sisters. They'd been a little intimidated at first, but Momonga's gentle demeanour won them over, and already, they were calling him 'Unca Bones', to Harry's amusement. And Harry and Arche was glad that Albedo was making an effort to try and reach out to them.
"Blue Planet…what he would have given to see this world," Momonga mused, looking up at the sky.
"Harry told me about what became of your original world, Earth. All that poison in the air, in the rain…it sounds like a nightmare," the blonde teenager said solemnly. "He didn't get to see it as much, I couldn't see it much in his memories, as he was in a catatonic state as Earth rotted, but…he saw the news, saw it outside his window. And all because of the greed of these corporations. You won't let that happen here?"
"…Not as long as I draw breath," Momonga said quietly. "I do intend to give advances and marvels to this world, but I will not have it become like Earth. But I see you appreciate the work my friends put into Nazarick."
"Had I not known any better, I would've thought it the work of the gods. Then again, you and Harry…you both have the power of gods now. I'm glad you have that ring that conceals your power, Momonga. My talent, the ability to see someone's magical potential, would be a curse then. I would be overwhelmed by your power. I certainly was when I saw Harry's. And yet…I feel safe around you. I certainly feel safer here than anywhere near my so-called parents, who sold me and my sisters without hesitation. They would've sold me or my sisters if they found the right buyer. I was trying desperately to find a way to escape them with my sisters, but I needed money."
"A career as a Worker seems risky, even for a talented mage," Albedo observed. "And while it does have its rewards, were you ever worried you would never come back?"
"All the time," Arche said quietly. "It was a necessary evil to ensure I had money to take my sisters away, but still…when Harry told me of Nazarick…I actually began to have nightmares, that we'd been sent there by Jircniv to investigate Nazarick. We were confronted by you, Momonga, and you lost your temper at our desecration of your friends' memories. I was killed by Shalltear." Arche shivered, only for Momonga to place a bony hand on her shoulder.
"…Arche…I won't deny that I would have been angry in such a situation. But…that was only a nightmare, born of hypotheticals. And if such a thing were to happen, then I should have regretted it. As far as I am concerned, you are part of the family, and Foresight are allies of us. Foresight reminds me of my own friends and comrades, from what I have seen of them. Workers don't have the best reputation, and yet, the four of you are family by choice," Momonga said. "Truth be told, I envy your bond with them. My own friends…only Harry stuck by my side to the very end. The others…well, they had their own commitments, or the guild drama got to be too much. This is a chance to start anew, for all of us."
Arche chuckled. "It is. And thank you, Momonga. I've thanked Harry enough times for getting my sisters and I away from my parents, but…thank you for giving me this opportunity, to meet you, to see this wonderful place."
"You come as a welcomed guest, Arche," Albedo said. "And I will admit, this is one of the most beautiful parts of Nazarick. I am glad you appreciate the work of the Supreme Beings." Her golden eyes looked down to the ground, glistening a little. "…But I wish they had come back. Especially my creator, Tabula Smaragdina."
Harry scooted over to Albedo, gently putting an arm around her shoulders. "If Tabula had known what would have happened, he would have come," he said gently. "The guy was pretty much a Ravenclaw, so curious and inquisitive about all kinds of things. A new world would have been of great interest to him, and we don't know if any others in Ainz Ooal Gown were in Yggdrasil at the time. If he was online at the time…we'll find him, even if it takes centuries."
It was the right thing to say, with Albedo leaning into him, sighing in contentment, her wings flapping lazily. "…I hope you're right, Harry," she said with quiet affection. "I just…even knowing my origins, I…I worry, just as we all do, that we were not good enough for the Supreme Beings. Even knowing that they had lives of their own outside Yggdrasil…it doesn't help that much. But…thank you for showing me anyway. Besides, your current forms are magnificent." Albedo then looked over at Arche's sisters. "Ureirika? Kuderika? Come back here for now, girls."
"What's wrong?" Arche asked as her sisters returned, albeit a little reluctantly.
"Nothing. I just…thought they were wandering a little too far. Aura should have her pets corralled away for now, but she may have forgotten we had you visiting, and we don't need them encountering one on the prowl."
Arche, after a moment, chuckled. "…You sounded very like a mother then. Better than mine."
"I hope to be a superlative one," Albedo said, before looking at the twin girls approaching. "Did you have fun, girls?"
"Yep!" they chorused.
"Good. But mind you don't wander from our sight. Even here, there may be danger in Nazarick," Albedo said with a smile.
"But we have you and Unca Bones," Kuderika said.
"Along with Big Sis Arche and Harry!" Ureirika said.
"True, but all the more reason to not wander from our sight," Albedo said gently. "It's okay, curiosity and adventurous spirit is a virtue in the right places. Now, would either of you like to see me fight something? Lord Momonga, would you believe the little ones would enjoy seeing me fight against a Primal Fire Elemental?"
"From the stands? Perhaps. What do you say, girls? Do you wish to see Albedo take on a big fiery monster?"
The two girls cheered, while Arche shook her head. "A Primal Fire Elemental…such things exist…well, it should be spectacular, to say the least."
"Welcome to Nazarick, Arche," Harry said wryly. "Where we take the fantastic and absurd for granted…"
And so, the strange family that had sprung up around Harry Potter and Satoru Suzuki had begun to truly gel. On one side, the NPCs of a guild cum raid dungeon, brought to life. On the other, the inhabitants of another world, touched by another before.
In the times of violence, conflict, and dirty deeds done to come, they would treasure moments like this. And it would give them hope, that their friends' creations could change for the better. And that conflict between them and the inhabitants of this world wasn't wholly inevitable. Not with all and sundry, anyway.
Still, as Nazarick, as the remnants of the guild of Ainz Ooal Gown made its first tentative steps into a new world, they did so knowing of some of the dangers of this world. Forewarned by one of its own, acting with caution, and knowing when, where, and how to act. But they also knew that bloody work was ahead of them, for they intended to avenge the insult done to them.
But for now, they could enjoy some quiet moments, even if for some, it was a novelty. Even so, the first clashes would come soon. And sooner than they'd think…
CHAPTER 11 ANNOTATIONS:
Because why not show Papa Bones and Albedo actually acting like family to Arche and her sisters? Plus, I wanted to give Antilene a moment in the spotlight.
Review-answering time! LordNemesis: I agree wholeheartedly. One of the things I wanted to do in this fic was give Foresight a better fate. While Momonga debatably crossed the moral event horizon in allowing Demiurge to abduct innocent people for experiments during Operation Gehenna, I personally think he truly crossed it in not showing Foresight any real mercy. You'd think, given his intelligence-gathering capabilities, that he would have learned of the reason Arche needs the money. Instead, he assumes they're there to defile Nazarick, and gets pissed when Hekkeran brings Momonga's friends into it. That arc is one of my least favourites in the series partly because of that (and partly because I'm not usually a fan of the arcs with less Nazarick POVs, like that one or the Lizardmen arc).
I alluded to this in the conversation in this very chapter, with Arche having nightmares of her canon fate. And I actually enjoyed writing Momonga as a more paternal figure to Arche. Here, he's more of an uncle figure. I like fics that save Foresight from their canon fate. The Re-Education of Arche Eeb Rile Furt, The Lords of Ooal Gown, and Overlord: The One Who Stayed are just some examples. And if I write any other fics based on Overlord, Foresight will be saved in all of them.
WearyCurmudgeon: I didn't think of that, but honestly, given the Blue Roses' ties with Nazarick, the truth may come out about that, even if only inadvertently. In fact, it might be more prudent for them to take Barbro out during Operation Gehenna, as then they can blame Jaldabaoth. Also, Solution is blonde, not dark-haired, and I'm not sure if she can change her hair colour.
Skull Flame: Keno is not getting a crush on Momonga, not in this version of events. She's just unused to compliments. Yes, Demiurge had a partner, Pulcinella.
No numbered annotations this time.