"I've decided that," Ainz Ooal Gown began his declaration from atop his adorned throne to the Guardians kneeling in front of him. "the Sorcerous Kingdom is to stop its outward expansion for the next ten years, effective immediately."
Surprised gasps reverberated throughout the Throne Room. "B-but Ainz-sama! I thought your goal was World Domination! Albedo said that we are on a good pace to achieve ownership over the Continent in the next three years. Why would you order us to stop now, arinsu?" The one who decided to speak up was the silver haired vampire, Shalltear Bloodfallen.
"Shalltear! Who are you to-" Albedo quickly berated the petite looking woman for speaking without permission, but was silenced by her master's raised hand.
"Now-now Albedo, it is a valid concern. I couldn't have worded it better myself, Shalltear; we are about to own the Continent. At this point in time it should be vehemently clear to all of you that no major military threat exists in these lands that could pose a challenge for Nazarick's might. However, I feel like you all misunderstood my intentions. I never wanted to own the World in the sense of the word that you think of. I've wanted to create a Utopia, a prosperous land where all races were given a fighting chance to succeed. A land without slavery and unnecessary suffering, a nation where being born into a poor household didn't immediately curse you into a life of misery."
The guardians exchanged worried looks amongst themselves. It was easy for the Overlord to recognize the reason behind their inner turmoil. They must've been agonizing over the fact that he called them out on not understanding his will, and the fact that even after his explanation they still didn't grasp his proper meaning only added fuel to the fire.
"To outsiders, and I'm including the vast majority of our own citizens in that term, we are monsters, a nation hellbent on its expansionist policies. Our message after the Re-Estize "war" is clear for all; submit or die. We are here to rule over you, bend the knee or face total annihilation." The overlord began his explanation. "If we were to keep up this pace such views would only strengthen. In their eyes we would be their oppressors who force our own values on them."
Albedo hissed. "How dare they?! It only takes a glimpse at Carne or Rantel to see that our policies make their lives better." She continued, in a worried tone. "All of our policies have been made with the intention of achieving your desired Utopia, Ainz-sama!" She half-pleaded. Of course she did, after-all she was the one responsible for the creation of the new laws of the Sorcerous Kingdom. If he was dissatisfied with the way the ruling of the Sorcerous Kingdom was conducted she would be the main offender.
"I'm not mad at you, Albedo. On the contrary, the laws you've introduced have been achieving results I could only dream of. Your help has been tremendous." The overlord calmed the trembling succubus with soft spoken words of gratitude.
"Carne is a special case that shouldn't be considered replicable, but even the people of Rantel have started to open their minds towards us. Our approach is working, but it is slow, painfully so. Even now, years after our occupation I can't approach my own citizens without them trembling in fear and begging for their lives. Just yesterday during my stroll through the streets of the capital I wanted to inspect the wares of a local merchant and when I asked how much an item cost he begged me to take it and to at least spare his firstborn's life. That was the final straw that led me to today's announcement." The overlord then looked towards the furious devil. "Oh, and I forbid all of you to search for and punish this merchant in any capacity."
"Yes, Ainz-sama…" Demiurge accepted the order. Soon a chorus of acknowledgement left the rest of the guardians' lips.
"I must apologize, Demiurge. I'm sure you have had a myriad of plans that have been derailed and even ruined by my sudden decision."
The devil snapped his head towards his master, with visible surprise apparent on his features. "Not at all Ainz-sama! I live to fulfill your supreme will."
"Umu... Well, the good news is that, as mentioned, we are slowly converting their perceptions of Nazarick and its denizens. With Neia's newly founded religion spreading rapidly, and as our policies take effect they will have no choice but to recognize that we've improved their quality of lives significantly. If we were to stop our military expansion I truly believe that it will end achieving ten times better results than if we were to continue warring with our neighbors. Once our current citizens properly revere us as the saviors that have lifted them up from the mud and manure into their lives filled with comfort and opportunity we will continue expanding our borders. But to do that, we need to give their mortal minds the time it takes to accept and appreciate the changes we brought to their doorsteps, which is something they need to realize themselves without us forcibly shoving such ideas down their throats."
The Guardians looked at him with awe in their eyes. Their master's unparalleled strategic genius was on full display for all to bask in. Only he could properly understand the minds of these lesser beings and create a plan incorporating their infuriating shortcomings into it.
The overlord stood from his throne and grasped the Staff of Ainz Ooal Goal in his right palm as he exclaimed, confidence evident in his majestic voice. "Hear me, my Guardians. I promise you on my name that this is but a temporary measure that will help us achieve World Domination. Our goal has not changed. We will rule the World. With the incorporation of this method into our strategy our new citizens will thank us for defeating their country. For massacring their soldiers. For dethroning their kings and queens. They will grovel at my feet with admiration as I walk through the streets of their newly conquered cities. Moreover! Once word of the Sorcerous Kingdom's Utopia spreads far and wide, we will only need to declare our intention to conquer and our target's own citizens will fight in our stead. We will watch as chaos unfolds from the safe and comfortable confines of Nazarick."
Their awe-filled expression turned into one of full-blown veneration. They finally understood his masterful design. The Guardians always struggled with acting in accordance to his wishes towards the treatment of the masses as they couldn't grasp why their ruler, no, their God would ever show a speck of care towards these lesser beings. It made so much sense now.
"Marvelous, Ainz-sama!" Demiurge exclaimed, his metallic tail wagging from side to side.
"Kyaaa Ainz-sama!" Shalltear squealed his beloved master's name like a love-struck schoolgirl.
"Truly the one destined to lead the Supreme Ones -" Cocytus hissed in an icy tone.
"is none other than our Master!" Aura finished the insectoid warrior's sentence excitedly.
"I-I finally understand Ainz-sama." Mare timidly muttered.
"Once again you have captured our hearts with your bottomless brilliance, Ainz-sama." Albedo stated in a loving tone.
The overlord looked at his kneeling followers one by one as they stated their thoughts. He examined their features, spending a few lingering seconds on each of them. Once satisfied he re-seated himself in his throne. "I thank you all for your kind words and understanding. Please relay my intentions to your subordinates. Though be careful that this information doesn't leave our hands, lest our enemies take this as an invitation to scheme against us." Once he received understanding nods from the Guardians he shifted his position.
"Now then, one question remains; Where should we invest our freed up resources in this time of peace and stabilization? Any ideas?" He inquired.
"I know! I know!" Aura shouted. "We should covertly explore and map the areas further away from our lands."
"I-I think we should conduct experiments on a wider scale than what Demiurge is currently doing, arinsu?" Shalltear stated, questioning her own idea.
"I concur. It's time we studied the wild magic of the unsightly lizard lords properly." Demiurge nodded, boosting the vampire's confidence in her statement.
"We still don't understand martial arts to a satisfactory degree." The ever-honorable warrior stated.
Mare remained quiet, absorbed in his own thoughts.
Finally the Guardian Overseer spoke up. "Information predominantly spreads through traveling merchants. We could create policies to attract, or even outright invite merchants with favorable deals from far away lands which would help realize Ainz-sama's goal."
Ainz Ooal Gown clapped for a few seconds. "Good ideas. I allow each of you to draft up plans regarding your stated projects. I must admit though, recently my mind has been occupied by a humble little project of my own." The overlord pointed towards the ceiling of the Throne Room with his bony pointer finger. The gazes of the Guardians followed, examining the ceiling with little understanding of the meaning behind his words. Did their master wish to renovate the Throne Room? Their confusion was swiftly eliminated by his declaration.
"I wish to travel to the Moon."