"Ah, this place truly embraces the name 'Adventurer's Guild' doesn't it?"

Ainz's vision was coated in an elegant shade of dark wood. He mused about how such an exquisite material could ever be obtained. The very sight of the structured lumber reminded him of a certain wooden fortress on the outskirts of Midgard, 'Hmm… The western sector that lay between the Human and Demihuman territories… Órjúfanlegur Fortress, was it?'

Despite being home to many valuable quests, Ainz never had the opportunity to go and visit the grand fortress. The Guild of Ainz Ooal Gown was notorious for causing chaos, and as a result, both Ainz and his guildmates weren't allowed to visit human-infested settlements. Luckily enough, many players and small guilds were happy to do their bidding… There were, of course, certain situations where a small amount of encouragement was needed, 'I don't think I ever thanked the B-Clapper Guild for exporting that one summoning item from the capital for me…'

Ainz shook his head, there was no need to ponder such insignificant details, there was a high likelihood that he'd never see such Guild again, and as such, he decided to leave the matter there.

Our beloved Overlord had been stuck sitting in line for the past half hour. The knights always mentioned how the Adventurers' Guild was a serene place where one could rest their weary minds after a long day at work, yet the scene before him depicted something entirely different. Tables were chock-full of what Ainz presumed to be adventurers, and the small bar to his left was swarming with eager customers. Their uniforms evoked certain memories within Ainz of the vestments some German guilds forced their members to wear, 'Now that I think about it… This entire place is similar to what Punitto Moe described pre-World War 3 Germany to look like… Odd…'

His carmine eyes then hovered towards the dark green textiles that coated the many tables on the first floor. He draped his skeletal fingers over the mantle before him, 'Well this is certainly softer than the bed mattress they initially gave me…' The fabric's consistency was smooth and pulpy, it reminded Ainz of laying outdoors with his back against the grass, yet the uncomfortable feeling of the bladed herbs was replaced with pure comfort.

'Is this how the people of Mondstadt enjoyed themselves before that oversized lizard attacked?' Ainz's eyes hovered over a small group of adventurers that sat on the opposite side of the hall. Their faces were filled with joy, something the knights hadn't expressed since his dashing rescue of the city.

"Whatcha you lookin' at?" Paimon materialized within her companion.

Ainz flinched, "Next time you do that I'll have that little bodyguard of yours take you to the moon…"

Paimon slid out of her friend's robes in an inattentive manner, "Baxter wouldn't do that!" Paimon tried to pet her shadow, yet the constant moving of the darkness made it unusually hard.

"Baxter? You… gave it a name?" Ainz's invisible eyebrows soared into the heavens above.

"Of course! Paimon isn't gonna refer to it as 'Shadow Demon', It's insensitive! How would you like it if Paimon called you 'Skeleton Man'?"

"...Fair enough…"

"Oh? Thou's prodigious aura has blinded the omniscient gaze of the Prinzessin der Verurteilung for far too long! Thou's existence within this hall of the divine proves that thine vigor is as vast as the light that mantles the horizon line!"

"Huh?"

"Ainz Ooal Gown, our encounter stands as a testament to the intricate design woven by this minuscule universe! Among the fortunate souls touched by my illustrious presence, it is you whose power surpasses them all!"

Ainz took a closer look at the maddened girl before him. The lemons residing within her eyes radiated a sense of pridefulness Ainz hadn't seen since his beloved friend, Peroroncino, showed him his completed Vampiric NPC, 'What the hell is she talking about?'

The young girl placed her hand above the violet-colored cloth that enveloped her waist before striking a pose, "Thous' deeds were fruitful enough to sway the attention of the Sovereign of Immernachtreich. Parade thine glee, as those fortunate enough to bask in the brilliance of my respect are few and far between."

'Oh… poor soul… She probably got hit by a car… or cart… and is having a stroke… I should take her to that deaconess I met earlier this week…'

"Please forgive Her Majesty…you've been her favorite topic of conversation for the past few days, so seeing you here has probably overloaded her circuits," A luminous raven spoke.

"EHHHH?" Ainz took a look at the floating bird, its feathers were nearly as sable as his ornate gown, and the shadow it spawned added to the aura of mysteriousness the woman on his left emitted.

"Oz!" The blonde girl turned to face her avian companion. The look in her eyes was one of disappointment, she furled her shaking hands together, "How many times have I told you to keep your mouth shut?!" Her glistening skin went pale after a certain realization took hold of her mind, "I-I mean… My most trusted aid, Ozvaldo von Hrafnavins sings to the humble tune that is honesty. Thou's deeds have indeed plagued the mind of yours truly for the past wanings of the moon."

"...Who are you?" Paimon had gotten used to Ainz's monstrous form quite quickly, in turn, the beings before her were as plain as a lemonade stand planted amidst a crowd on a hot summer day, "And why are those burnt chicken wings floating?"

"Forgive the sudden intrusion… Allow me to introduce the young lady at my side as none other than Fischl, the Prinzessin der Verurteilung. As my lady has stated, I am Ozvaldo von Hrafnavins. However, do not hesitate to refer to me as Oz," The altitude of the bird at Fischl's side dropped drastically, perhaps a measure of respect for the man before him.

'I got a bad feeling about these two… To add insult to injury, that bird seems to be saner than the girl… How is that possible?'

Ainz froze. Chills ran down his exposed spine whilst his legs threatened to give in to a fear he hadn't felt since his early days of PvPing, 'No! It can't be! I refuse to believe that this girl is plagued by such a vile and horrifying disease!' He tried to speak up, yet his skeletal jaw wouldn't move. His emotional suppressor tried its best to soothe its host, yet no matter how hard it tried, it couldn't prevent Ainz from spiraling down a staircase of despair, 'Oh no! She's… She's… A Chūnibyō!'

…

"I shall name you… Surprise Box!" Momonga proclaimed with glee. The sight of his creation nearly brought tears to his undead eyes, 'Such a divine creation, I truly outdid myself with this one,' Ainz clasped his hands together in prayer, 'Oh thank you, random player! Your data crystals will be put to good use!' The Guildmaster of Ainz Ooal Gown had been searching for the ultimate design, one which would instill fear within his enemy's hearts for far too long, 'Ah… The coat really puts it all together, good job me! Your fashion taste is out of this world!'

"Damn, he really is the worst with names…" A certain goatman whispered.

"I told you, Ulbert! He once told me that he planned on naming his avatar 'xxxDemonLordxxx' before coming up with Momonga… Thankfully, some other degenerate had the misfortune of being named such an insult."

"Pffff," Ulbert tried to contain his laughter, but the shock of such a sudden revelation prevented him from doing so, "Say, Buku, should we interfere?"

"Def… I'll die before I let the legacy of our beloved Bone Daddy fall as a result of such an idiotic name…

…

"Hey! Ainz, don't be rude!" Paimon whispered.

Ainz managed to snap out of the mental dysfunction he was about to experience. He eyed the young girl adjacent to him. Her extended hand trembled with anticipation, and her cheeks turned a deeper shade of red as the seconds passed.

'Oh, right!'

"I'm truly honored that someone such as yourself is well versed in my achievements… Anyhow, the need for such formalities whilst in my presence is quite null. Please, I'd rather you be at ease whilst at my side," Ainz subconsciously urged Fischl to tone it down, his empty skull wouldn't be able to stay intact if she continued such a charade for the rest of their conversation.

"Eep!"

Ainz quickly retracted his hand after hearing such a sudden noise escape Fischl's mouth. Although such an action was fairly straightforward, the girl's grip was far too tight, it was almost as if she wasn't planning on letting go…

"Excuse me, Sir Gown, Mr. Cyrus is ready to see you now. As I said before, please forgive such a lengthy wait."

'Thank you, god!'

"Ah, Katheryne was it?" Ainz shifted towards the approaching brunette, "I understand the wait, I'm sure that Mr. Cyrus' job must be quite heavy-handed, there's no need for an apology."

Katheryne smiled, "Please, follow me. The Guildmaster is eager to see you," The uniformed woman gestured towards the second floor.

Ainz nodded, motioning for the guild employee to go on ahead, "Please forgive me, Fischl, Oz, but it seems we'll have to continue our conversation another day…" Ainz's voice was filled with regret, yet his mind was racing with an untold amount of joy, "it was a real pleasure meeting you," Ainz spun his body around before either had the opportunity to protest.

"B-But!"

"Right this way," Leaving the young Chūnibyō behind, Katheryne opened an opulent mahogany door.

Ainz thanked her before handing her a somewhat large gem, "Please, keep this. If it weren't for you I'd still be trapped in that pit of despair…"

Paimon closed the door before the guild's secretary could reject the diamond, "Eh?"

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the talk of the town!" A burly man whose height nearly mimicked Ainz's stood up from his desk, his wheat-colored mustache bent upwards as a result of his gleaming smile. The man extended his hand after reaching Ainz, "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Ainz was quick to shake the Guildmaster's hand.

As a result of his magic-oriented build, Ainz's physical strength was pathetic when compared to other level 100 players. Even then, he could tell that he could crush the man's hand if he were to try, 'Ah… he's under level 30 as well… ' Ainz canceled the scrying spell he'd cast on Cyrus before continuing his inner monologue, 'Apart from that bloated iguana, everything's been pathetically weak. Actually… Even Stormterror was a bore… There hasn't been a single monster or person who's been able to withstand a spell as simple as [Death] or [Grasp Heart]... Man, I miss training with Touch Me…' Ainz sighed, the non-existent air leaving his body radiated dismay, 'Even one of those pesky leeches could tear the Knights of Favonius a new one!' The Grenbera Swamp, Nazarick's past home, was chock-full of devious monsters capable of razing hoards of mid-level players, Grenbera Devil Leeches were nasty predators that lurked within its deep and murky waters. Even the youngest of their species could give a low-level party a challenge. The more mature specimens, which were a maximum of level 64, stood in Ainz Ooal Gown's way during their raid of Nazarick, 'Man, what I'd pay to see Buku panic like that again… I'm always amazed at how she's afraid of slimy creatures when she herself chose a slime as her avatar…' The Overlord smiled after remembering how Peroroncino used to tease his sister with the slimy critters.

"-Oh my! Please, sit down, it'd be rude for me to have you two stand there!" The well-dressed man urged Ainz to sit before him. The chairs on both sides of his desk were extravagant. Their designs were simple, yet the small details carved into the layered backs were captivating.

"Such a warm welcome…" Ainz lowered his head in gratitude. Those in higher positions of power never cared for those below them -at least in his past life, which is why such a menial amount of respect amazed Ainz.

"Hahaha, what else did you expect?" Cyrus juggled a pen between his jittering fingers, "When Katheryne told me of your arrival I was quick to finish up my paperwork! Tell me, what's the reason for your visit? Are you here to hire some adventurers, or perhaps… are you two here to join our cozy guild?"

"The latter, actually."

Cyrus dropped the pen in his hands, "HAHAHAHA!" The hardy laughter he emitted brought an odd sense of comfort to Ainz's heart, "I was merely joking… What made you come to such a decision?"

"I've grown tired of re-reading the books within the knights' library. I'd like to explore the vastness of Mondstadt, I miss the days when I roamed the plains looking for dungeons or wondrous monsters," Ainz's lips morphed into a soothing smile none could see, "I assume the Adventurer's Guild conducts well… Adventures… outside the city's walls."

"Of course, of course!" Cyrus began to emit an aura of uncontrollable excitement, "Our guild is full of your ilk, those who wish to pry the world open and stare at its very core," Cyrus quieted down before grabbing a small sheet of papers, "Anyhow… Although the Adventurer's Guild focuses on exploring and protecting, most of our recent requests come from the city itself," Cyrus slid the sheet towards Ainz.

"Are the damages this severe?" Ainz skimmed the documents, "Fufu…"

"Indeed, although reconstruction is underway, the city's resources have been swallowed up in the process. Over 75% of our current requests come from the Acting Grandmaster and can easily be defined as trivial. Although it pains me to say it… Those who've accepted such requests have been reduced to manual labor workers… I assume such tasks don't interest you."

"Forgive the bluntness, but has Mondstadt always been this unequipped for a disaster?" Ainz looked at the Guildmaster with concern and pity.

Cyrus chuckled, "Such a question is well warranted… No, Mondstadt's forces have been divided as a result of the official Grandmaster leaving his post. Varka assigned Jean to be his replacement whilst he and a large portion of his order set out on an expedition, it's all public knowledge."

"Ah… That explains the title…" Ainz perched his left leg atop his left, "Although I wouldn't mind moving resources around, such work is beneath me. I'm more interested in the other 25% of the requests. What kind of jobs does that share consist of?"

'I wonder if they have a giant billboard where they hang up the requests, it'll be like a blast to the past if they do.'

"The list varies, but it can be summed up to monster hunting, herb picking, and domain mapping…" Cyrus' gaze severed itself from the Overlord's.

"Domain mapping?" Ainz cocked his head in confusion.

"Oh! Oh! Paimon can explain this one… probably!" The little fairy on Ainz's side emerged from the bowl of candy resting atop Cyrus' desk, "Domains are temple-like structures located all around Teyvat! They're home to scary creatures and mile-wide mazes! Their entrance is tiny but their interior is bigger than Paimon's appetite!"

"Correct," Cyrus tossed Paimon a mint, "There are several domains in Mondstadt. There's even a designated branch of adventurers within our guild in charge of patrolling their innermost chambers. Unfortunately, their endeavors are now focused on aiding either the church or the knights in whichever ways they can."

Ainz watched as Cyrus unfurled a map of the region. Its design was identical to the one Jean had shown him prior to Stormterror's attack. If it wasn't for the innumerable scribbles and text overrunning the layout, Ainz would've guessed that the Guildmaster borrowed it from the knights' archives.

"We've only kept monster levels within most domains at bay thanks to one of our best investigators. If it weren't for her, the paperwork before me would be double its current size," Although the number of documents on his desk was surprising, the amount paled when compared to Jean's load.

"How interesting… They seem to mimic the fortresses and dungeons back in my homeland… It might be fun to explore some of those again…" Dungeons were home to a vast myriad of monsters and quests, none were identical, and as such, parties composed of varying builds were necessary to clear them. In its later days, Nazarick's backbone was composed of the loot that came from dungeons. The tomb's upkeep cost was colossus, in turn, Ainz was forced to raid over a dozen dungeons per day to maintain his home, "Are any domain-clearing requests available?"

"Y-Yes," Cyrus slid his finger to one of the marked locations on his map, "We've received notice that the Temple of The Wolf has been overrun with monsters, our best investigator is already on the case, but I doubt she'd mind if you tagged along."

"I'm not one to transgress into someone's line of work, but if such a person allows it, I'll do my utmost best to be of assistance."

"Fufu… She'll be more than happy to work alongside you. She may deny it, but the excessive amount of work I've displeasingly had to place on her shoulders has been taking quite a toll on her. With your powers backing her up, you'll be done with the domain in under a d-" Cyrus caught himself, "-Ah, it seems I've gotten ahead of myself… I'm over here talking about sending you off, yet I am unsure if you've even enlisted for the role of adventurer."

"Worry not, my eager friend! The nice receptionist lady was quick to test the prowess of the mighty Paimon and her sidekick, Ainz!" Although the floating fairy atop Ainz's shoulders struggled to sense the emotions of others, she could feel the distress that slowly enveloped Cyrus' shadow, "It took under 10 minutes for Ainz and Paimon to get their very own plates!" Out of a seemingly invisible pocket, Paimon pulled out a militaristic bronze plate. The tiny fairy held it up high, it was a testament to her overwhelming power and skills.

"Quite so."

"Ahh, it seems my worries were unfounded…" The Guildmaster's movement stagnated, yet Ainz could tell that his posture cracked, it was only through his astounding amount of years as a businessman that he was able to notice.

"As my nature may suggest, I'm ready to move out at a moment's notice, and if I'm being honest, these old bones are eager to take a peek into whatever this world has to offer," The hue in the skeleton's eyes brightened.

A piercing thud echoed throughout the room, Cyrus pushed his hands against the table in an attempt to stand up, "Then you'll be pleased to hear that we can get this train moving as quickly as you wish it to! Your senior arrived from her previous expedition yesterday. I'll bring her over, I believe introductions are in order," The Guildmaster flew towards the door.

"He seems… Energetic," Ainz's eyes trailed the man until the moment he left the room.

"Paimon pities him… It's almost like he's a clone of Jean," Like a bird, Paimon landed atop the table Ainz was resting his arms on, "Everyone's trying their best to fix Mondstadt, but Paimon feels that it'll take even longer if they keep pushing themselves too hard. Isn't there anything you can do to help, Ainz?"

'[Creation] should revitalize the city to what it once was, but there's no real merit in me using it…' Creation would allow Ainz to mold the buildings within Mondstadt to their previous, unbroken state. The windmills amidst the city's edge would be allowed to grind grain once more, and the guards would be able to return to their posts atop the now-broken walls, 'I was apprehensive enough about using [Meteor Fall] in my fight against Stormterror and it was merely a 10th tier spell. If the Fatui -members of a foreign nation, were capable of grasping data during such a fight, I'd prefer to keep information about my super-tier spells in check…'

"You right, there are a few spells I could use to ease the efforts of the kind people of Mondstadt, but I'm afraid using them is too risky…"

"?"

"Stormterror managed to escape from our duel alive, although it was merely an enraged beast, I could tell there was sentience behind its rage. If its prideful nature does it well, it's sure to return," Paimon cocked her head in confusion. Ainz could tell which thoughts permeated her head, "The spells I used against such creature were quite mana heavy. I'm still recovering from the fight," Although [Meteor Fall] was indeed costly, it was nowhere as expensive as Ainz made it out to be. Given that spells were the main weapon of casters, the mana gauge of a level 100 mage was able to overflow in well under 10 minutes, 'Thank whatever god is out there that such features carried onto this world. I'd be severely crippled if my mana didn't regenerate.'

"Oh, that makes sense!"

The Overlord was about to suggest some ideas, but the door burst open before he was able to.

"Here we are," Cyrus led two individuals inside, "Allow me to introduce two of our most respectable Investigators: Fischl and Oz. Without their assistance, I can comfortably say that we'd be in quite the predicament!"

Ainz froze, Paimon clapped, and Fischl's eyes glittered.

"EHHHHH?"