Momonga was unmoving. he had not moved since YGGDRASIL closed and yet Herohero still found himself in the game. with NPCs of Nazarick all able to speak with text boxes and had more self-awareness. Momonga game Herohero chills now that he looked like this and it was the one time he regretted having the item that gave him optical human sight.
"My dear creator, you do not look well. do you wish to rest while we wait?" Solution Epsilon asked as she was aware of how her creator barely slept and was always tired. before he had become inactive he often complained about it with Momonga.
Herohero shook his head "No I don't feel tired just worried and...well." he did not finish. he felt confused, scared, and overall worried. but not tired. a first for him really? but he jumped back when he saw Solution sit down on her knees and pat her lap. "what are you doing Solution Epsilon?"
the slime battle maid gave the same creepy smile he had programmed her with. "I am offering my lap to rest as a substitute for a pillow until everyone is here and we can begin."
Herohero would have given anything before to be given a lap pillow in the real world. but now it just felt wrong coming from his own NPC especially since he put so much care and detail into making her, he tried not looking at her chest size when thinking that specifically. He was not sure how he should respond.
Albedo did before he could and she said in a stern voice "We should be more concerned with Momonga's state than if we need rest Solution. I trust you know that."
Solution stood up and dusted herself off "Well I suppose as the overseer of all the floor guardians I should go by your orders. But the well-being of all supreme Beings must be a priority. and that also includes Herohero."
Solution and Albedo stared each other down. For a moment Herohero thought he would have to mediate an argument but then he remembered. the console! but when Herohero tried opening the game member or world chat nothing came up. all it accomplished was getting the two NPCs to stop their stare-down and look at him for shouting nonsense and moving his Ooze hand around. 'I can't open any. I can't contact the administrators. would I have been able to earlier if I had thought about it at first?' Herohero wondered if he was too late.
the doors of the throne room swung open "Yahoo, we got everyone you asked of us Lord Herohero-san." Lupusregina Beta announced proudly as if she had led the efforts when she really only got Shalltear on the third floor. her ears flapped under her hat "Won't you praise me for a job well done~?" Lupusregina had a cat-like grin when inquired. Herohero, very awkwardly, patted her head to "praise her" in a way. a bit of his Ooze dripped off her hat onto the floor after that.
"awa, maybe a bit more-ack!" she was pulled away by Yuri Alpha.
"thank you, Yuri. and thank you all for coming on such short notice." Herohero said to all six floor guardians he called, along with the Pleiades, and the head maid Prestonya Shortcake Wanko. who was one of their best healers and they brought a few other lesser NPCs that could maybe help.
"and I wish you could have come under better circumstances. but the one who took care of us for so long, Lord Momonga has fallen under some status or illness. he has not moved for a little while. or talked even once." Albedo hung her head in both shame and sadness.
"what could have possibly overcome his power to make him fall into such a state?" Demiurge adjusted his glasses while he approached to see the horrible state of their ruler.
"I thought it was some kind of joke when Entoma told my brother and me that Lord Momonga was not well. I kinda still wish it was..." Aura's smile dropped the moment she saw it. Mare stopped fumbling with his skirt when he saw it as well "L-lord Momonga? d-did we do something to upset him?"
Shalltear scoffed "as if I could do something to make Lord Momonga upset. maybe if I comforted him he would wake up." She held her cheeks as they went pink.
Albedo sneered a little "I already tried that Shalltear. I do not believe it is necessary."
Cocytus breathed in and out and cold air was felt briefly "If. someone. was. responsible. for. this. we. should. find. them. and. eliminate. them."
"enough," Herohero said loudly. "Prestonya leads those who can help and try to fix out what is wrong with Momonga. and if you can fix it. Until then, all guardians report. Albedo, stand beside me you never left this room after all." he could already see Solution not looking happy by that but what could he do? She needed to be with the other Pleiades battle maids.
every guardian gave their reports. there was not much to report though because as expected the floors had not changed or been damaged. it did remind Herohero that he should check out the floors because he has not seen any of them in a while, besides the ninth and tenth floors.
"Sebas what was your report of the area outside?" Albedo finally spoke.
Sebas began to give his report. "a large field surrounded a forest. I did not venture too far into it as Lord Herohero requested that I come back as quickly as I could. I did find a road so I believe it is likely a settlement should be close."
"It's not a swamp? or even marshland?" though he was away for a while Herohero was certain the great tomb of Nazarick was surrounded by a poisonous swamp. how did it suddenly change? but then he thought 'To be honest it's not even the worst new thing to happen after the timer stopped.'
"if I may speak. err, woof?" Prestonya said after she was "done" doing what she could.
"yes tell us if my dearest love, Lord Momonga is going to be okay!" Albedo was practically holding her hands begging. Prestonya has to wait to be let go since Albedo is stronger than her.
Prestonya made sure to focus on the group and bowed her head "I apologize but there is nothing we can do. it fills me with greater regret than I will feel in my entire lifetime to know I failed to help one of the supreme beings."
all the guardians were stunned. nothing? how could that be possible? he must have been put under a status of some kind right? maybe it was something created by a world item so Prestonya and the others could not do anything?
"Albedo..." Herohero looked at the overseer of all guardians. "what did you see Momonga's status as?"
Albedo was unsure of what Herohero was saying. "I was not checking. I was too busy worrying over my beloved."
"Lord Momonga has no status. err, woof." Prestonya was not happy about that because if there was maybe they could do something about it.
Herohero's black Ooze flopped about while he moved up to Momonga and the Throne of Kings upon which the guild leader's current frozen body sat. when he did Albedo shot him the nastiest look. he claimed on the lap of Momonga. he was unsure if it would work because he was not the guild leader but it was worth a try. "Master source. open."
it worked, before the screen popped up the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gowl shined a bit from its spot firmly in Momonga's grasp. the administration screen for the Great tomb of Nazarick opened. the first menu Herohero was actually able to open. all it could do was stuff related to the tomb, most importantly to the situation, check the loyalty and status of NPCs. and check the status of all guild members, if they were inside the tomb it would also allow them to see their hp, buffs, debuffs, and status conditions.
Herohero checked that screen. only display names were his and Momonga's. he checked Momonga's status and came to a disappointing conclusion "Prestonya is right. he is not injured or even put into a condition. at least none that can be seen here."
"s-so does t-that mean..." Mare began to say. and his twin sister Aura finished "...Lord Momonga is well and truly gone?"
"That. cannot. be!" Cocytus slammed one of his four hands into the floor.
Shalltear looked like tears would pour out of her eyes.
Albedo was no better.
"How can this be?" Demiurge was having trouble keeping it together.
"It kills me that there is nothing I can do." Sebas was gripping his chest hard.
the Pleiades each had their own reaction that was a mix of stunned and sad.
Herohero knew he had to do something. "wait! I never said he was gone. in fact this just proves he is still here. somehow. just in trouble in away we cannot yet know." All the NPCs looked at the Elder black Ooze Supreme Being expecting how that was possible. "the fact I can even check his status is proof that he is not going, regardless of if that means dead or that he left."
Herohero got off of Momonga's lap. "it is up to us to find out what can help him."
Demiurge was the first to talk "Splendid work Lord Herohero. as expected of one of the supreme beings. I suspected you knew all along he was alright."
Herohero was a little confused "No wait I didn-" he was cut off when Demiurge turned to all the others.
"our leader. our king, the great Lord Momonga is in trouble. As he is a supreme being as well, I propose we all look at Lord Herohero as we would Lord Momonga." Demiurge rather dramatically held a hand towards Herohero who had purple slime sweat while he talked. "Lord Herohero, give us your orders. so that we may serve you and help how we can in saving Lord Momonga."
Albedo narrowed her eyes a little. but did not say anything. She was not overall happy, sure Herohero was a Supreme Being and of course could command them well. but to act as though Herohero was the same as Momonga did not sit well with her.
'what do I do?' Herohero thought as he was struggling to think. he was never a leader, he was kept at the same level at his shitty job for years and was led by the worst of the worse. he was not a guild leader in either Nine's own Goal or Ainz Ooal Gown. but now it seemed he put himself in that position.
he recalled the staff shined when he gave out a guild master command, he looked at it and wondered that if he held it could he open more menus? including the option to "log out" it was a safe escape. but. should he? he looked at the NPCs. there faces full of hope and revel of him. if he left, he would go back to always being tired and working for a black-hearted company.
"Lord Herohero? you have not said anything for a minute." that was Solution Epsilon from where she was with the Pleiades.
he did not even check if it was possible, he did not want to know even if it was. "right. sorry. I was just, thinking. first we must get a better grasp of our situation. I will check on each floor briefly before exploring the outside a little with someone, maybe to that settlement. after that I will come to a decision on how we go about finding a way to help Momonga. so everyone to your floors, I will start soon. show me your Loyalty to the Great Tomb of Nazarick!"
"yes Lord Herohero!"
from the desk of Herohero to Momonga
guess I've started my new position. first time being a manager really. or am I more of a C.E.O? no can't be I have not lost my soul yet. do I even have a soul though? feel like it left me even before I became an actual Elder Black Ooze.
well either way...please wake up soon Momonga I have no idea what I am doing!
-Herohero.