AN: Hi, I wrote those first two chapters like a year ago, the story really changed in my head since then so if I end up retconning some stuff that's why. I initially planned on updating this kind of regularly, but then I actually started reading Overlord fanfics and whoops there goes a year. Thanks to everyone who is reading this, feedback is welcome!
Pandora's Actor had noted that Albedo was in a heightened state of agitation since they had begun the mission. Lord Ainz had given her authority over the reconnaissance, with him as second in command. He could not reach into her mind to ascertain the cause of her derision due to her resistance, and because he felt it would be rude to do so to a fellow Guardian. Shortly before he could ask her what had been bothering her, an all too familiar spell activated at the far end of the room.
The boy and the Minotaur, who'd just stepped through the [Gate], which closed behind them, were certainly threats. The Minotour was equipped in gear that was of extreme quality and its weapon was a Divine class magic item. The creature radiated a threatening aura, upon sensing Albedo's abilities as a combatant, and grinned enthusiastically. Its mind resisted his psychic prodding, meaning there was probably little discrepancy between their levels, if any. That was unfortunate.
He shifted his gaze to the accompanying half-elf child, its eyes were wide and its mouth was half open in shock. Their equipment appeared inferior by far to the behemoth that stood beside him, but Pandora's Actor was nothing if not thorough in his assessments. He attempted to gaze into the child's mind, and was met with a gray haze and the feeling of many eyes staring back at him.
His usual method of intelligence gathering having failed, he began to caution Albedo. He regretted not confronting her about her irritation earlier, as it could hamper her judgment now. It was unclear who moved to attack first but in less than a hundredth of a second, at speeds at which only level 100 creatures could move, the cask of wine was dropped, Ginnungagap was transformed into Albedo's signature halberd and she had swung it to meet the Minotours axe's downward stroke. The impact caused the room to shake, and the stone floor beneath Albedo to splinter around her armored feet.
Suddenly, the pressure from the axe was lifted and an oversized hoof found purchase in her abdomen. The force could have destroyed a castle wall but her armor absorbed the damage, what it could not absorb was the knockback. Albedo was sent flying through the nearby stained glass window, the Minotaur ran and jumped out after her with a battle cry. The Minotaur had, incorrectly, determined that he, Pandora's Actor, was not a threat and had removed the perceived threat from the area. This meant several things, one being that the child had value to the Minotaur, and two that the Minotaur believed the child was capable enough to confront a trained soldier, which Pandora's Actor appeared to be.
With wide eyes staring at the window that had just been broken, "Wait- don't…do that…" The boy had a look of exasperation in his eyes. He turned his head and slowly raised his hands, "I'd rather talk than fight." He pointed to the cask "Over wine perhaps?"
Albedo blocked another hit that could easily fell a redwood, and attempted to retaliate. The beast was supernaturally agile, in part due to the lack of restricting armor, and twisted its body around the blow. Another kick sent Albedo into the air, where she stabilized herself and began analyzing the situation. Actually encountering an enemy caused her to recall their objective. She knew she would be chastised for not activating a teleportation item as soon as they were threatened. These individuals were certainly powerful, so either they were the targets or they were a third party who was also investigating, she doubted the latter option but could not rule it out. She began to give the order to retreat when the Minitour sprouted wings and leapt toward her.
Pandora's Actor determined that the boy was not a fighter, ranger, rogue, druid or paladin due to the lack of equipment, but that did not rule out any form of caster, monk, or lyrical bard. Based on his limited knowledge, as well as the current fighting conditions, he took the form most appropriate for fighting any of the remaining options in close quarters. Retreating was the highest priority. If needed they could sacrifice the Hanzos to buy them time to teleport, assuming anti-teleportation countermeasures had not already been activated. As his form changed the boy did not look surprised, but he did look worried. When he completed his transformation, a process that only took a moment, the boy spoke.
"That's Touch Me If You Can, I'd recognize a world champion anywhere." Pandora's Actor, who had just been weighing his options of killing the child and providing backup for Albedo or taking the child hostage, was caught off guard.
Lord Ainz has been somewhat sparse in providing information about what 'Players' were. Being the treasury Guardian, Pandora's Actor had never seen one, but he had heard the stories the other Guardians told. If this boy in front of him was truly a Player it must not be fully developed. Its aura of power was a far cry from what he expected the humanoid crusaders that stormed the hallowed grounds of his home to be. Even while taking on the form of one of the 41, which reduced his combat abilities by 20 percent, he did not feel threatened, meaning the child was less than level 80.
"You are Players, correct?" The muffled voice of the dignified Insectoid reverberated from the helmet.
The boys' shoulders relaxed, his hands were still held in the air. "I am. Asterios is not. If I may be so bold, you two work for the Sorcerer King?"
"We do." There was no point in lying, as it was obvious the boy was asking not to get information but to inform him, Pandora's Actor, that he was aware of the circumstances. The armored hand rubbed the chin of the helmeted face. "Will you order the Minitour to stop?"
"Of course, he was just trying to defend me, he's also been eager to fight someone for a while… Not that it justifies his actions."
The boy walked over to the shattered window. "Asterios! You're making a bad first impression. Give it a rest!" A nearby house exploded as Albedo was knocked out of the sky. She immediately stood up again and took a combat stance, hardly worse for wear. She glanced over to see both the half elf boy and Pandora's Actor watching passively from the temple.
The Minatour, Asterios apparently, glided down, its wings melted then rusted away allowing it to fall the last few meters and landing between Albedo and the boy. He was also unscathed.
"I am truly sorry about all of this, for all my paranoia, the thought of [Scrying] before teleporting completely slipped my mind. Fighting potential allies was very low on my to-do list today. Can we please sit down for a moment and chat?" He was slipping into roleplaying again. 'Might as well, being polite never killed anyone.'
After being knocked out of the sky by someone who was, thankfully, not one of the 40 who had betrayed the man she loved, her mind was much clearer. Their objectives had been to gather intelligence on their targets, and avoid fighting. Pandora's Actor had not only chosen not to fight, but managed to convince the child to recall what must be his bodyguard. In truth she had been on the backfoot in the confrontation with the brute, so she was amicable to the idea of a ceasefire.
Her armor, skills, and equipment were geared toward defense. Her opponent was a berserker barbarian, one who foregoes defense for the sake of massive damage output. She could already tell that one on one, if the battle had been allowed to continue, she would have lost. The Hanzos were next to useless against someone of this caliber, and had wisely kept their distance. Asterios build mirrored Cocytus' to a degree, but in lieu of the caricature of an honorable Samurai, he exemplified a bloodthirsty Viking.
The four beings of awesome power calmly sat around the stone table, the Hanzos surrounding the temple remained hidden. Wine was poured for all present by the boy.
"Again I am sorry for the trouble, and I am grateful you're willing to speak with me after that rough start."
"As you should be." Albedo said coldly, holding the glass of wine and swirling it gently.
"I will be brief, I am Omniculus. I am an information broker from Yggdrasil. This is Asterios, my Guardian."
He looked at the two expectantly. "I am Albedo, the Guardian Overseer, or 'Prime Minister' of the Sorcerer Kingdom." The Doppelganger did not respond, he'd expected this. According to the minds of the Cardinals, the existence of doppelgangers was completely unknown to the Theocracy, which meant that most of the surrounding nations were most likely not aware either. 'Best not to pry.'
"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Prime Minister." He bowed his head. "I would appreciate an audience with his Majesty, I will agree to whatever conditions he sets, but it is imperative I speak with him."
"You will answer our questions first. Was that your attempt to ambush us?" Her tone was stern, but not hostile.
"I was only attempting to collect the cask I left behind… I had been trying to offer it as a gift, but negotiations broke down and I had to leave in a hurry."
"Who did you negotiate with?"
"Two Cardinals of this nation's government, and several members of a secret combat unit called 'the Black Scripture.' Several of their bodies should be… around this table."
Albedo raised an eyebrow.
Omniculus thought for a moment. "Oh. Shit… Messed up the timing then…" he mumbled aloud, he brought a hand to his face, his half elven ears drooped slightly. He'd thought he'd timed the spell so that it would kill them before the teleportation countermeasures wore off, but combat never had been his strong suit.
Albedo smirked, her beloved would never make such a simple mistake, her faith in her Lord was only reaffirmed as was the inferiority of Players in general.
"Regardless, I captured several of them and would be happy to surrender them to his Majesty, in fact I captured them specifically for that purpose when I learned this nation and the Sorcerer Kingdom were not on the best terms. After making a few stops I had intended on making contact with your Master in an attempt to broker an arrangement."
"What kind of spell did you use here?" She gestured out the broken window to the dilapidated buildings.
"It was an Item, [Tempus Unum], a battlefield wide debuff, back in Yggdrasil it couldn't kill, because people couldn't die of old age, but here," He gestured around them, "it was quite effective."
Pandora's Actor sat silently watching the questioning, still in the guise of the World Champion, not having touched his wine. Asterios was on his third glass.
His majesty the Sorcerer King was inside his luxurious bedroom standing before a regal full length mirror, practicing the speech he would give to the Cardinals before their execution. His robe flowed as he gesticulated with his arms, waxing poetic about their folly of overstepping their bounds and the perversion of the words of their lost gods to justify their actions. He felt a little disingenuous; they hadn't known who Shalltear had served when they fought her, the Black Scripture intercepted her by accident according to the half elf girl's memories. They fought in self defense, against a bloodfrienzied Shalltear that could not have been reasoned with. When he first found out he had been furious, regardless of their intentions they'd caused him to kill the child of one of his friends, but after his emotional dampener triggered several times he regained his rationality. Unfortunately, he had to keep up his appearances. This assault was far easier for him to rationalize than that of Re-Estize. In part because he would get his hands on the treasures held in the Sanctum Sanctorum, items that would strengthen Nazarick.
The attack on the grain convoy that triggered the destruction of the failing Re-Estize Kingdom had been a ridiculous justification, he felt like the entire affair had been an unfortunate incident, but he made the most of the situation by providing the Guardians the opportunity to grow and learn, smoking out potential threats, and creating a memorial the size of a capital city that would act as a reminder to others not to cross him. Regardless of the good things that had come out of the campaign, there was this lingering feeling of shame that if he continued to allow the Guardians to assume his thoughts, at some point he would dig himself into such a deep hole that getting out would expose the denizens of Nazarick to the fact that he was an imposter. They would still be loyal to him, he knew without a doubt, but he would feel like a father who came up short in the eyes of his children, he had to find a way to explain it to them himself, rather than allow some mistake to expose him.
His thoughts drifted to the more pressing issue. Was it a Player causing trouble off the Theocracies coast? There had to be a few other powerful beings in this world that weren't Players, such as one "Riku Aganiea" but they'd done well to hide from him thus far, why expose themselves to destroy a port city of an enemy nation? If it were a new player, that would explain why they acted so recklessly; they were unaware of the fact that they should be hiding.
'That or they were trying to draw attention to themselves.'
There had been a great number of floating dungeons, structures, and even guilds bases in Yggdrasil. Since Nazarick was transported to the new world with all its inhabitants, another entire guild could just as easily pop up, unless there was some other factor at play that he wasn't aware of. The reports were unusual however, "massive floating cylinder?" Sounded very bland for a guild base, but also vaguely familiar.
'If it is a player, even if they aren't one of my friends, it would be nice to chat with someone who didn't treat me like I was infallible… If they aren't immediately hostile, opening a dialogue could prove beneficial, for my sanity if nothing else…'
His thoughts were interrupted by a [Message] spell.
"Oh mein Vader!."
"Pandora's Actor." He attempted to pinch the bridge of his nose, finding only air.
"We have unexpectedly made contact with the Player."
"EH!? Retreat if possible, if not then hold out as long as you can! The Guardians and I will be there within 120 seconds." He was just about to teleport to the nearest Guardian to collect them.
"Not to worry mein Vader, they have been more than accommodating. "
"... Are you sure? It could be a trap. Don't let your guard down. What do they want?"
"Of course, and they have asked for an audience with your esteemed self, at your convenience and with whatever restrictions you wish to impose."
"That's… very generous of them. What information have you ascertained about them?"
Pandora expounded what he had gleaned from their conversation thus far.
He silently ruminated, 'I know I've heard that name before. But where…'
To Pandora's Actor he replied, "He has piqued my interest. I'll call the Guardians to the throne room. Bring him to meet me there in 10 minutes."
"Are you sure we should not take them to the decoy Nazarick?"
'It's currently a stock yard, as well as our emergency evacuation point, I don't want to reveal its location if I don't have to.' He thought. "If they did attempt anything the defenses alone could eliminate them 15 times over. It should be fine. Excellent work."
"Danke!" Ainz distinctly felt that the Doppelganger was saluting.
A suit of platinum armor sat at a table in a large antichamber within the depths of the crystalline cavern beneath the Theocracies capital city of Silksunteks. Across from him were the four remaining Cardinals, the Pontifex Maximus, and nine powerful humans, whom he assumed must belong to one of their Scriptures. Behind all of them was what must be the Sanctum Sanctorum, he could sense the power that lay dormant behind the thick doors. It was a vault containing what he knew to be several World Class Items. He had been vaguely aware of the fact that the Theocracy had them though how many, what they were, and what they did, he did not know.
"This is unprecedented." The muffled baritone of 'Riku Aganeia' spoke.
"Our options are sparse…" Raymond, replied solemnly.
"What of your 'Trump Card?'"
"She has been missing in action since we sent her to Crescent Lake to confront her father."
"Hmm."
This would be his best opportunity to learn more about these "Players". Since the death of the real Riku of the 13 Heroes several hundred years previous he has been flying blind when it came to defending the world from their terrifying power. If the group before him was desperate enough to invite them into the literal heart of their nation they would probably be willing to share their insights into the abilities of these threats to the Natural Order.
Without turning his head he glanced at a young woman with short brown hair wearing a school uniform, he did not know her, but he could sense the bloodlust emanating from her. She was shaking, staring intently at him. Tears brimmed from her eyes but before they could fall she stood and shouted.
"You bastard!" Everyone else was silent and motionless. Save a young man with blond hair and pink eyes, who affectionately touched her arm. The value of the many rings he wore tugged on the Platinum Dragon's innate desire to collect wealth, but he knew now was not the time for such thoughts.
"Please, just breathe, what happened is in the past-" The smile of the young man appeared genuine, but every other human present averted their gazes.
"NO! He knew about what happened on the Katze Plains, then what happened to the entire Re-Estize Kingdom! Millions slaughtered by the undead. No mercy even for the women or children. Another 400 thousand man army wiped off the map in an afternoon. And when that UNDEAD was on his knees begging for his life, he hesitated!" Her face was red, her voice ragged from shrieking. She then quietly added "He's only entertaining the idea of intervening now just so we will hand over the relics of the Gods without a fight. Isn't that right?"
The Pontifex Maximus spoke up. "Please forgive her, after witnessing the last war between Baharouth and the former Kingdom, she has been… on edge. We are grateful that you are here and are willing to negotiate with you and the Argland Council State in an unofficial capacity."
"In truth I have left the 'Relics' as you so call them within your care because your nation has avoided abusing them, or your half-elven 'trump card,' to disrupt the Balance of the World. But if the worst should come to pass I do believe you'd agree they would be safer under my protection than in the hands of the Sorcerer King. I would store them within Eruentiu, where they would be guarded by my chosen warriors as well as myself. " The jaws and fists of several Cardinals clinched.
"Under the current circumstances, it is for the best, assuming you are able to defeat these new entities as well as Ainz Ooal Gown. In exchange for our full cooperation, we expect their safe return." The Pontifex Maximus gave a weary smile. 'This will be the darkest time this nation has faced since the deaths of the six. Why now, under my management, the Theocracy may be destroyed. Alah Alaf save us.' He sighed.
"Your cooperation is appreciated. For now I will settle for an exchange of information in order to allow all of us to better prepare for the upcoming conflict." Everyone present visibly relaxed to one degree or another, save the young woman who had shouted in rage earlier.
"You are correct to direct your anger toward me." The Dragon admitted. The helmet did not turn to address the girl. "I hate to admit it. I often do not take an aggressive enough role in protecting the nations around me. I want to allow the world to change in a natural fashion, intervening only when threats to the world as a whole emerge… Perhaps I am foolish for restricting myself to such a degree? The world has long been irrevocably changed by the work of my father. No matter the capacity of aid I provide, it cannot make up for all that has happened. And while it is true I cannot save everyone, this does not mean I should not try to save those I can. I will not let him escape again."
Tsaindorcus has known for a long time that Players did not choose to come to this world of their own accord, so he believed they could not be held entirely at fault for forcing their will onto a world that his father dragged them into. It was knowledge that made him hesitant to kill them, even if they acted in a manner befitting an evil monster. He knew that this was not an acceptable excuse, so he did not give voice to his reason for his actions during the fight.
"What information are you seeking?" Zinedine, the Cardinal of water, asked with his hands clasped together, resting on the table.
"Any records pertaining to their lives before they 'descended.'"
The Ruler of the Great tomb of Nazarick rested on his throne. The Throne of Kings would have appeared over the top and gaudy in any other throne room except this one. This room was massive with beautiful columns, walls and floors made of material of the highest quality. The ceiling had myriad chandeliers that were not only beautiful but deadly traps that could eliminate entire raiding parties. Surrounding the room in shallow alcoves were a small army of intricately carved Gargoyles that could animate at a moments notice. The variety and number of hidden traps and defenses in this room alone was such that even the Overlord himself could not remember them all. Several Eight Edged assassins invisibly clung to the ceiling and the wall behind him. To his left and right his most powerful Guardians lined the dais. Demiurge, holding the large winged fetus Victim, stood closest in Albedo's absence. At the base of its stairs the six Pleiades Stars, their leader Sebas Tian, as well as Pestonya Shortcake Wanko lined both sides of the red carpet that stretched the full length of the room. At this moment this room was the safest place in the known world for Ainz Ooal Gown.
The two massive doors at the far end of the hall, one depicting a beautiful angel, the other a horrifying demon, silently opened. As they opened four figures began to traverse the expanse in silence. Between Albedo and Pandora's Actor, in the form of the Supreme Being Nishikienrai, walked a massive Minotour and a child, a half-elf.
'Nishikienrai specialized in one hit assassinations. From stealth he could even outdo Takemikazuchi in terms of damage done by a single attack. A sensible choice.' Ainz silently remarked.
The room seemed to grow colder to Ainz as he sat watching the four approach. He quickly realized he wasn't imagining it when he noticed a thin layer of frost coating the ground by Cocytus. Seeing this he realized all of the Guardians standing around him were growing more agitated with each step, he could hear Shalltear grinding her teeth, and see mares hand wringing his staff. The Pleiades, as well as Sebas were notably not radiating killing intent, but he could tell from the combat maids fidgeting that the sheer force being projected by the Guardians was making them uneasy.
Albedo and the transformed Pandora's Actor could also detect this overwhelming sense of malice, and they could tell it was directed solely at the half-elf boy. To his credit, the boy pressed onward. His eyes were locked onto the form of His majesty, so whether he was insane, had a death wish, or was simply so focused on his goal that he was unaware of the threat to his life, they were unsure.
Still several meters before where one offering supplication to a king would generally stop and prostrate, the collective hostility appeared as if it would overflow into physical violence and Ainz decided to intervene.
*THUMP* The priceless guide artifact, the culmination of hundreds of sleepless nights and the symbol of the guild itself, a staff nearly on par with a World Class Item, tapped the ground beside the throne.
"What is the meaning of this!?" Ainz Ooal Gown, in his regal and refined voice, asked those around him. He glanced to his left and right, all of the Guardians now held their heads downward, terror etched into their faces for acting so disgracefully in the presence of their Lord, the last Supreme Being. But the remnants of their bitterness toward the boy still poke through.
"I've invited these two into my home, why does it feel that if I had not intervened you all would have attacked them against my will?"
Demiurge was the first to recover from his state of shame and agitation to the point where he could respond.
"My Lord. Please understand, this humble servant could NEVER forget the aura of the scum who so brazenly sullied the hallowed halls of Nazarick, unmolested. For then, only a few days later, a coalition of Players attempted and failed to breach the Tombs defenses." His crystalline eyes bored into the boy, who had stopped walking, along with the other three, when the staff had been used. "Even if he has changed his appearance. One can only assume him to have been their tool for reconnaissance. I recommend he be made to suffer to the greatest extent possible." Demiurge was so impassioned that he did not realize that Victim was suffering some discomfort at being squeezed, elsewhere within Nazarick a diminutive birdman felt a shiver run down his spine.
"It is always a pleasure to be recognized!" The half-elven boy transformed into a large, floating monstrosity. Skin stretched and discolored, clothing melding into a rough hide. Face contorting and expanding. He bowed deeply, or whatever the equivalent of doing so was when you did not have a waist. "It has been a long time, your Majesty. I have upheld my end of the bargain. I do hope you will be willing to do the same."
Suzuki Satoru sat in silence for a moment. He was reminded of the events of a lifetime ago. Back when on any given day well over two dozen of his comrades could be found moving about the guilds halls. Chatting, sparing, planning, crafting, having fun. Takemikazuchi had just finished MK VII, Bukubukuchagama had excitedly told everyone she signed a two year contract with a major voice acting company, TouchMe had long secured his title of World Champion of Álfheimr and was preparing for the tournament that would consist of only the 9 World Champions.
He was in the Grand Library of Ashurbanipal with Tabula Smaragdina, who was rambling only somewhat coherently about various alchemical ingredients and their mentions in the pseudepigraphical texts written in Greco-Roman Egypt during the first few centuries AD, or something of that nature, all the while adding dozens of newly acquired volumes of who knows what to a book dolly to be sorted by Titus Annaeus Secundus. When he received a message from Ulbert Alain Odle.
"Mononga! HELP!"
"Wha-! Yes? What happened?"
He knew instantly that something was very wrong, Ulbert almost always opened with some well thought out monologue about how he was the pure embodiment of suffering or malice incarnate or whatever. For him to drop all the fanfare meant it was serious.
"I- I was adding a few more traps to the ruin of the seventh floor, when Demiurge the Seven Deadly Sins and a bunch of pop mobs started bugging out and ran off towards the teleportation gate at the entrance to the floor."
"Why would they do that? You set them to idle until an intruder enters the floor right?"
"I did, but if Shalltear enters combat you'd have gotten a notification and let us all know we were under attack, right?"
"Right, I haven't gotten any notifications…"
"I… I think you'd better get to the throne room, check the Status Screens. I don't hear or see any spells going off from here but… they've never acted like that."
"Sounds good. I'll let you know what I find." He terminated the message.
"Tabula, Ulbert says something weird is going on on the seventh floor, I'm going to go check the Status Screens."
"How intriguing, I'm right behind you."
They both utilized their rings of Ainz Ooal Gown to teleport to their destination, Ulbert was already there.
He quickly approached the throne and sat down, half a dozen screens popped up showing visuals of the floor guardians, as well as a list of traps that were currently active, among other useful information.
"Shalltear isn't in her ballroom… She seems to be standing by the teleportation gate that leads to the fourth floor, along with her Vampire brides. They're unharmed as far as I can tell… Gargantua… Same thing, huddled by the portal to the fourth floor, but unharmed… Cocytus and the Frost Virgins… Same deal- what's going on?"
At this time Bukabukachugama entered the throne room. "Hey big brother Momonga! Huh- what are you guys looking at? You're not watching Ankoro Mocchi Mochi in the bathhouse again are you~?" She teased playfully.
"Something is moving through the Tomb drawing agro but for some reason no traps or defenses are triggering and none of the area or floor guardians can target it."
"What!? I have to go check on my babies!" The pink slime wobbled.
"They're fine… Mare, Aura, and all of her pets are huddled around the teleportation gate to the seventh floor."
"Can you target the anomaly?" Tabula asked, he was hesitant to call whatever it was an intruder, since it had just managed to get farther than any invading force had in the history of the guild.
"Let's see…" He shifted the perspective to Demiurge, only to see him and his underlings following a hazy, ghostly apparition through the temple ruins at the center of the wasteland that was the seventh floor. They then saw the all too familiar flash of the teleportation gate activating.
"What was that? I couldn't make it out over the feed?" Ulbert scratched his horn where it met his temple and a scared emoji floated by his head.
"I don't know but it's on the 8th floor, and I don't think it's going to stop unless we stop it."
Momonga switched to the guild's open channel. "Attention all available guild members! There is an emergency on the 8th floor! Prepare for combat and get to the Cherry Blossom Sanctuary ASAP!"
Momonga hated pulling everyone from whatever they were doing, but he figured at least one of his Guildmates would have some kind of countermeasures for whatever this thing was.
Everyone in the throne room teleported to the Shrine.
Even in the midst of the emergency, the beauty of this area of the 8th floor wasn't lost on him. The way the blossoms drifted on the artificial wind, the way the shimmering light made patterns on the ground as it flooded through the branches, the way the water in the koy pond rippled as the decorative koy broke the surface. Looking around he quickly noted that Aureole Omega and several of her shrine spirit servants, namely Uka-no-Mitamas and Ootoshis, were in combat stances, but had not yet moved to engage
whatever was approaching, since they were confined to this area of the 8th floor.
"Yo Momonga, a little late on the alert for a guild raid aren't you?" Luci*Fer appeared nearby, with several others, and floated over to the group, his one deformed angel wing lazily flapping.
"Luci*Fer, you didn't make some ghost golem hybrid that can draw NPC agro when we weren't looking, did you?" Ulbert interjected, at the same time displaying a confused emoji.
"No but that sounds like a really cool idea for a prank, let's see. I'll bet I could use a Force Elemental latus and infuse it with Ectoplasmic grease, could give it a name like 'Ectoplasmatic Agitator!' Oh but how would it generate enough hate to draw everything to it... I could prob-"
His theory crafting was interrupted by Touch Me, who spoke up as the last of those online today arrived. "What has happened? Is it a raid? If it is let's head down to the throne room to make a final stand, like we always talked about."
"That's not exactly it." Momonga pointed toward Rubedos Laboratory, "Something has been walking through the tomb, but none of the NPCs do anything about it, and it didn't attack any of them so we only just noticed. It entered the 8th floor a moment ago and should be leaving the Lab any second. I wanted as many of us here as possible to intercept it, before it could get any farther."
"Oh wow, I can hear that Ruberdo is already active, but she's not attacking anything. Should I do some reconnaissance?" Nishikienrai had an ear to the ground and was watching the metal door to the building.
"Even Ruberdo can't target it? What have the Shitty Devs gone and done now!" Tabula sounded incredulous at the idea that an NPC he made using a World Class Item couldn't stop this thing.
The door opened with a loud creak that matched the evil energy of the building. From the opening floated a massive transparent ball of flesh, eyes, and teeth. It was being hounded by a frantically hovering Victim, desperately trying to take a hit from the interloper in order to die and fulfill his purpose. But no attack was forthcoming. A blank faced Ruberdo calmly watched it from the doorway.
The ghostly apparition, now recognized by the majority as an Overseer, the highest form of Beholder, took in every little detail of the Cherry Blossom Shrine, even as he approached the group.
"Oh no." Bellriver groaned and crossed his four arms.
"What?" Several others asked in response.
"It's that Motherfucker! The guy people pay for secrets, player equipment, guild base layouts, level caps, that kind of stuff… Omni... Omnicolon… Omniculus! I was researching targets for our next guild battle when I saw some forums talking about the best ways to perform recon. This guy is no joke. If he's collected half the info on Nazarick people speculate he can… We're screwed… They said by just looking at you he can see equipment stats, level composition, you name it."
There were several murmurs of recognition from other members.
"We can't kill him either can we?" Someone asked.
"Nope, it's that damned WCI 'I am.' Even if we could find where he was hiding it would be a bloodbath getting through his defenses."
"It is always a pleasure to be recognized!" He did the closest approximation to a bow anyone could ask for, considering his anatomy, then continued. "And if I may say, this place is incredible. That field of flowers on the 6th floor actually threw me through a loop. I couldn't figure out how you managed to hide traps from me, but then I realized it was actually just meant to look pretty. Very clever. Also, this floor would be an absolute nightmare to anyone unprepared for it, this little guy here," An eyestalk motioned to the gravity defying fetus "Ingenious trick. You've all really earned your spot in the top ten guilds of Yggdrasil."
"Any chance you'll turn around and forget everything you saw on the way out?" Bellriver said in a voice they conveyed he already knew the answer.
"I'm so sorry. I've already received a very generous down payment, and I am willing to bet there are a few more floors, not to mention the Treasury, to be explored." Even transparent, and with facial movement limited by the games software, the gleam in the monster's central eye was obvious.
The distance between the guild members and the specter of ruin continued to shrink.
"Omniculus, hear me! I am Momonga, the Guild Leader of Ainz Ooal Gown. You yourself have admitted that this guild is one of awesome power." The Beholder seemed to enjoy his roleplaying, based on his mannerisms and frivolous speech, so he decided to respond in kind. It was also kind of exciting. "Do you truly think it wise to draw our ire?"
"I recognize you, Momonga. And I know that if you attempt to retaliate against me directly, you will only have yourselves to blame for what happens."
"Oh? Are you suggesting a lone rat l like you could withstand the full might of Ainz Ooal Gown?"
"I am saying that by the time my benefactors are done with you, I won't need to."
"Even if Nazarick falls, we will hound you until Ragnarök brings this world to its end."
"There are many guilds and many more players who are indebted to me. If you choose to move against me, then once your precious tomb falls, I will personally ensure you never have a moment's respite. Not until your dying day."
"Umu, so that's how it is." The other guild members looked on in silence.
"Now if you will excuse me." The Beholder glided through the group and began to enter the Shrine, the NPCs inhabiting it approached, but like the rest could only stand idly by. The guild members watched as he examined them, making notes in a large book that floated by his side.
"Is there nothing that could convince you to spare us this indignity?"
He glanced at the World Champion who'd spoken up.
"Please understand, it is not just the payment I was promised that rides on the success of this mission, but my very reputation. You would have to offer something beyond measure for me to even consider compromising my name." He turned away.
"Other than retaining your honor, what do you stand to gain from this excursion? Just for reference, of course."
"First pick of 10 percent of the guilds treasury, not including the World Class items. I wouldn't want any more of those anyway. I don't need an even bigger target on my back." He chuckled.
"Hmm… Everyone, a moment?" Touch Me motioned the group to follow him out of earshot of the intruder.
The beholder had just finished cataloging the attributes of Aureole Omega commander classes, and was heading for the gate to the 9th floor, when he saw the members of Ainz Ooal Gown speaking amongst themselves. He could only make out snippets of conversation.
"...You think it will work? Sounds a little..."
"...Message everyone offline too, I don't want to leave anyone out of the vote…"
"...But what about…"
"..."
"That's 34 I's, 4 nay's, 3 abstained. The I's have it.… Now where did he go?"
He decided to wait a moment and see what they were up to, only for the group to rush up to him.
"Omniculus!" Momonga, strutted up to the ephemeral sphere of flesh. "We have a proposition for you!"
"Hmm?"
"You've seen the better part of our home Nazarick, a guild we have poured our blood, sweat, and tears into for many years. Be honest, if you were to betray those who seek our destruction and keep the secrets of the tomb hidden from the public eye, how would we fare in the upcoming battle?"
In lue of grinning the beholder emitted a 'devilish grin' emoji. "Your foes are many, and they are powerful. But, if I did not aid them, it would be a bloodbath unlike anything in the recorded history of Yggdrasil. My betrayal would not guarantee this guilds' survival, but with luck on your side you may see the sunrise after."
"Then in exchange for your name, on which you hang your honor, let us stake our own."
"You don't mean…?"
*Smack!* "HA!" A boney hand hit an armrest. The flood of vivid memories of those he spent so much of his life with brought joy to the Overlord. They would go on to make history shortly after, Nazarick would survive a raid consisting of 1500 players and mercenaries from an 8 guild coalition, all without any of its 41 members having to lift a finger. Then he remembered where he was, and that he was alone. The miasmic melancholy permeated his bones but was not powerful enough to be automatically regulated. He had no lips but smiled bitterly to himself nonetheless. Everyone present looked on in dazed confusion at their master, who had frozen for a moment.
"You still have it then?" He cocked his head in amusement.
"It's never left my inventory!" The beholders item box opened and a large marbled tablet of reinforced purified prismatic chromium was removed.
"Sebas, if you would." Ainz reached a hand forward.
"As you command, my Lord." The butler of steel quickly closed the distance and plucked the tablet from the air. He just as quickly, but with the elegance of a man's man, brough the slab to his master, handing it to him with a bow.
The Guardians all wanted to huddle around their King to see what he'd taken interest in. But etiquette demanded they only watch and wait, anger fallen to the wayside for the time being.
"It's as Heavy as ever." Ainz said as he skimmed the letters molded into its surface, his hand unconsciously tracing over the symbols of his guildmates that lined the bottom.
Demiurge was the only one close enough to be able to read the text. As he did so his jaw clenched at the implication.
"Uh hm," Ainz cleared his nonexistent throat, "'This tablet stands as proof and testament to the agreement between one Omniculus and the entity known as Ainz Ooal Gown, including but not limited to any individual surviving members, the guild itself, or any future organization whose origins can be attributed to it. From this day, from the moment this tablet has cooled, forward at any point in time, until the end of time and whatever may lie beyond that, unless Omniculus of his own accord, divulges the secrets of the Great tomb of Nazarick or the secrets of any member of Ainz Ooal Gown; Omniculus is owed by Ainz Ooal Gown one (1) unconditional favor, that is within their power to grant. Signed…' Everyone." He chuckled.
It had been only two hours since they confronted the intruder on the 8th floor. Now all 41 members of Ainz Ooal Gown were traveling to meet him in the heart of Muspelheim, at Surtrs Forge. Ainz had had to switch out his gear to better resist the intense heat. This was the only place in the nine worlds hot enough to melt "triple reinforced prismatic chromium," the material cost alone was a mind boggling expense Omniculus was more than happy to shoulder.
"It's not everyday a first class guild hands you a blank IOU, normal paper isn't special enough." The now physical heteromorph had said. As Surtr himself poured the molten metal and it began to cool, the text was stamped into place and each member pressed their insignia into the nye indestructible block.
"I'm really glad I added the 'end of time and whatever may lie beyond that' part, gotta be honest."
"This must be a forgery! Simply give the world and we will relieve this scum of his faculties!" Albedo now saw the beholder for what he truly was. Someone who should be eradicated for soiling the halls of Nazarick with their unwelcome presence. The rage roiled within her breast. Her grip on Ginnungagap tightened to the point where it would have broken were it almost anything but a World Class Item.
"That is enough, it's very real, I remember it well. Had Omniculus refused our offer, the Nazarick you all know may have been lost. And if I remember correctly, the decision came at a great personal cost to you. Did it not Omniculus?"
"Given the circumstances, your Majesty, losing face, some contracts, and suffering a bit of public ridicule for accepting a bribe weren't all that bad." He used two eyestalks to simulate a shrug.
"Is that so? Well then what would you ask of me? Ainz Ooal Gown staked its name on this promise, I am Ainz Ooal Gown. Since you've held up your end of the bargain, in my name this promise will be fulfilled. I am curious what you could want."
Asking for money was pointless, information in Yggdrasil always came at a premium, it stands to reason one of the best sources for information would never be short on funds. Access to the Library would be more in line with his modus operandi, but he already knew very little secret information was held there from his previous excursion. He could ask to catalog the treasury, that would be an ordeal, but just knowing what was there didn't mean much. He might be crazy enough to ask for a World Class Item. He wouldn't do that though, he knows one misstep and he won't leave this hall alive, if the attitudes of the Guardians are any indication.
"How about a partnership?"
'Ehh?'
"EHH?!" All of the Guardians, as well as the Combat maids jolted in surprise. Multiple Guardians began protesting at once.
"YOU. BARGE. IN. HERE. DEMANDING A. PARTNERSHIP?!" A thick cloud of frost subsumed the area around Cocytus.
"You DARE place yourself on equal footing with the leader of the Supreme beings? Perhaps your brain has already begun to turn to stone su~" Shaltear smirked and crossed her arms under her stuffed bra, pushing it upwards.
Aura stopped her reprimand and turned, along with Mare and several combat maids, to her in confusion. "What?"
"Lord Peroronchinos' encyclopedia… It- it says Beholders turn into stone when they die… su~"
"This is acceptable. Everyone within Nazarick will consider you their equal. Including myself." The Undead King said stoically. This was perfect. 'If I can convince them that someone I consider my peer is also their peer, maybe they'll stop trying to reinforce the idea that I am impossibly above them. Even if that never happens I'll have at least one person I can speak to casually. If he couldn't get the Guardians to go along with it though… He didn't want to think about it too hard.
"My Lord! Please Reconsider! You should never have to debase yourself to such a degree as to enter a 'partnership' with anyone. Except me, when we get married, where'd you'd still be above me, of course." Albedo said that last sentence very quietly, blushing very hard at the metal image. She quickly shook it off and continued, "Everyone should be subservient to you, as it's your right to rule all, without question. Anyone who believes otherwise shou-"
"Albedo. That is enough." He glanced at the Beholder.
"Thank you Ainz, you will not regret this decision." All present besides the two players bristled slightly at their masters name intentionally not being given the respect they knew it deserved. "In order to showcase my usefulness I would love to give a demonstration of my abilities. Do you have any enemies with builds you can't decipher? Any fortifications you want infiltrated? I can tell you anything you'd want to know about them, just tell me where to find them."
Demiurge cleared his throat. "That is an excellent idea. From what I'm been led to understand, your abilities would be geared toward addressing an issue that we have been facing since our arrival. One that has only compounded with the expansion of Lord Ainz kingdom. If we had the ability to determine how to best allocate our Lord's subjects, we could more effectively train them, this would streamline the Sorcerer Kingdoms advancement as a society and make everyone's lives better. Lord Ainz has stated he wants every citizen to be afforded the opportunity to live up to their potential. Therefore a test of your skills on a subject of the new world would be an enlightening experience."
'Good, Demiurge has found a way to intertwine everything to be part of my "master plan." That should keep any of the others from killing him outright… For now… Is this how kings and politicians think? Manipulating their subordinates' thoughts and behavior? What would Jircniv do? Ainz owed a lot of his kingly mannerisms to his time spent watching the Emperor. He also hadn't spoken to him in a while, so he should probably check up on him at some point. "Jircniv..." He said quietly, while reminiscing, but not quietly enough for Demiurge not to hear him and immediately latch onto the idea.
"An excellent decision Lord Ainz. I shall accompany our new partner on this excursion, as I am still the acting liaison with the Baharuth Empire." Demiurge bowed. "Might I also recommend Omniculus wear a ring of nondetection, the suppression of his aura would be a wise course of action."
"Ah, my bad, yes I suppose that would be for the best." Thanks to a cash shop item he could equip up to 10 rings while in humanoid form. And thanks to another, far more niche cash shop item, those rings would transfer to his eyestalks when in his current form. He changed back into his human guise and applied the ring to his left ring finger.