Re-Estize kingdom, a place solely built for humans and to possibly breed heroes as part of another country's investment. It's the endless rival of the Baharuth Empire. The kingdom is relatively peaceful, thus leading to those in power to be lax and abusing their power. After reading up-to-date information on the kingdom for two days straight without sleep, Shirogane decides to step forth in the heart of the kingdom itself.
"All humans. Hmm..."
Just as she expected, it's solely populated by humans. It appears peaceful at first glance, but Shirogane twitches the side of her lips in dismay and boredom. Although she remains curious about the current era, she has yet to find anything worth noting in her eyes.
"They said the Golden Princess passed reforms that benefited the common people, but there's a strong sense of filth here. There are souls that even I would puke out..."
Shirogane carefully observes the people around her. The common folk within her field of vision are clueless of her presence yet innocent of any sever sins. She first sneaks a glance at a mother gently holding her young son's hand, then she pays attention to a young man lifting a box of vegetables with his wife helping him arrange and even wipe his sweat.
"I probably won't feel anything if I hurt them and I like to savor innocent souls, but..."
To vividly peer and discern the souls of all living beings is an unnatural ability that she didn't initially possdss. She rarely questions the nature of it and views its advantages while studying its possible limitations and drawbacks. In her sight, the soul of a common folk is lightly blue and white, typical sinners are orange, and monstrously evil are red. On rare occasions, she sees soulless beings like devils or undead as having a purple outline instead.
"How about that shop? Looks like common magic items" Shirogane stops in her tracks and turns to the left
After turning off her unique sight, Shirogane spots a wooden sign hanging by a nearly worn down shop. It's small and possibly decades old, but there are still customers entering and exiting, so she deduces it's a go-to place for adventurers.
"You, young lady! Are you interested in magic items?"
The elderly shop owner cheerfully smiles at her, viewing only a young lady with messy black hair and gentle sky blue eyes. Her actual features are well disguised that as if her horns, pointy ears, and tail have completely disappeared.
"Haha. Another greenhorn adventurer? So what can I do for you? The first item is discounted for rookies like you"
The man barely notices the copper tag on her neck since her red bow is nearly covering it.
"Identify"
Shirogane starts with touching each item on the open shelf with a faint touch from the tip of her index finger. Each touch causes either a frown or a sigh from her due to the low grade magic items that are either one-time use or useless for players like her capable of casting tenth tier and super tier spells.
"No wonder adventurers tend to die early with these shitty products. You might as well hand their corpses to me in advance" Shirogane's time drastically changes to a more mature and harsh one
"W-what?!"
"What's with that face? I haven't said anything" Shirogane shakes her head
"You said my products are shitty!"
"Do you have dementia? Do you need a doctor?" Shirogane is genuinely confused
"I'm not senile one here!" The shop owner angrily points at her
"You're a strange old man. I'll find someone else more sensible. Good day" Shirogane clicks her tongue
"You're the one not making sense!"
In Shirogane's perspective, she spaces out for a few seconds while studying the magic items, somehow unaware of her harsh words to the furious shop owner. It happens for a second, but a black substance appear at the left side of her neck but retreat as soon as she leaves the shop.
"Right now, there are only three adamantine class groups here: Blue Roses, Red Drop, and Darkness. Blue Roses aren't worth noting except for the shorty vampire and my possibly an interesting priestess toy. I want to enjoy myself, but I have to focus on studying the current era"
Shirogane shakes her head and lightly slaps both of her cheeks to retain her focus and push aside her hedonistic tendencies. If she's alone in the New World without subordinates to manage, she's certain to go around and give in to her desires without anyone to hold her back.
"Ugh...what am I thinking? I'm a grown woman in a body of a youthful devil and I'm thinking of screwing and torture?!"
This time, she slaps herself with enough force that the sound briefly catches the attention of near passersby. They blink in confusion since a random young adventurer is mumbling to herself before slapping herself.
"I need some alcohol. It would be better if there was a brothel but the kingdom banned slavery" Shirogane snaps her fingers
With that, she quickly storms off and roams the busy street while refusing to be distracted. Her thoughts are scattered right now due to her human personality clashing with the cruel, selfish, and hedonistic nature of a devil. This is further worsened with her race as an archdevil, the highest rank a devil can reach.
"This will do"
After five minutes of walking, Shirogane chooses the first tavern she stumbles upon. It doesn't appear too shabby or filthy, so she doesn't hesitate to walk in.
"...?"
The resting adventurers, mercenaries, or typical drunkards briefly turn their heads at the face of a complete strange. Not only Shirogane's youthful and piercing eyes are a source of intrigue, but her waistcoat partnered with three fourth sleeves and a capelet are certainly eye-catching. The gold outlines and the buttons glint when struck by sunlight as if they're actually gold.
(This isn't even armor but another cosmetic concealing my equipment...)
Shirogane retains her mind as an adult, but she couldn't admit her tendency to collect costumes. Then again, Shirogane knows her class may be a paladin, but her subclass is frowned upon by most people.
"Mister, I'd like to order your specialty" Shirogane takes her seat and ignores the annoyed stares and slides a few coins
"One Basilisk Breath coming right up!" The bartender cheerfully starts the preparation
"Another bored rich kid going on adventure. I bet her daddy bought her the most eat xpensive equipment. Kind of like Momon" A bald drunkard whispers to his drinking buddy
"Momon's really strong though. He defeated a horde of ogres and goblins without a scratch" His drinking buddy whispers back
(Their souls are unrefined. These are run-of-the-mill thugs or adventurers. The strongest the person is, the firm and concentrated one's soul is)
Shirogane sneaks a glance for a split second, but she already recognizes the faint and scattered sensation of their souls. To her eyes, bits of their souls float all over the place and it's much like a wobbling flame.
(Thankfully, none of the people here are close to Touch-san's soul. That would be an utter nightmare for me...)
The thought of the only one who can easily beat her sends a cold chill to her spine. As much as Shirogane greatly admires Touch Me as an unrivaled warrior, she remains traumatized by the countless times she's pummeled to the ground as part of her training.
"Here you go, young lady" The bartender slides a large mug of beer in front of her
(Am I being picky or the alcohol here is not as enticing as the ones served to me...)
Shirogane doesn't want to be rude by turning down alcohol she ordered, she sighs and picks up the mug. Her taste is used to the finest alcohol served to her in her castle, but she'll never turn down a decent drink.
"Hmm?"
Just as she takes a slight sip of the beer chilled from a magic item, rough and large hand grips her right arm. Shirogane immediately stops after the first sip and lazily turns to the direction of where the man holds her without permission.
"Please take off your hand. I'm only here for a drink" Shirogane remains polite and tolerant
"You think you can flaunt your fancy stuff to us common folk? Money doesn't make you a better adventurer!"
"Where I come from, money gets you strong items and might as well cheats. I believe my daughters call it pay-to-win" Shirogane shrugs while nearly spacing
"You think this is some kind of joke?!" The bearded man doesn't understand her terms
"I'm not flaunting my wealth. It's just hard to walk around in my armor making me look like the obvious villain. To think wearing cosmetics is such a big deal..."
People would be more cautious of her if someone in dark armor emitting evil aura walks into a tavern rather than someone wearing a costume.
"Don't you-" The man tightens her grip
"Go away please. I like to enjoy my beer in peace-"
"Bullshit!"
The man angrily swats Shirogane's beer mug just as she's about to take another sip, causing her drink to not only splash on her capelet but wasted as it completely spills on the ground and the mug rolls a few times.
"Leave that young lady alone!"
Shirogane is either about to place a curse on the man or outright punch his jaw off when Gazef grabs the man from behind and harshly pulls him away. Brain, tagging along, smirks as he watches the drunkard tremble at Gazef's towering figure.
"Y-you're-!" The man immediately steps back
"Are you alright, young lady?" Gazef gently smiles at Shirogane
"No. My drink is a waste now thanks to him"
"Then Gazef here will treat you as a bonus" Brain jokingly says
"Please replace this young lady's drink" Gazef brings out a few coins
"Don't worry about it. Thugs like him often pick at rookies" Brain notices the copper tag on Shirogane's neck
"Are you adventuring alone? It's dangerous without a party, you know" Gazef doesn't see a companion
"I live clearing monsters and undead where I live. Don't worry about me. I'm not alone - well, it's more like I'm on my own for the time being" Shirogane's tone becomes melancholic
"If you don't mind being asked, did something happen?" Gazef clears his throat
"My two...friends...went missing sometime ago. I've been trying to find any traces that they might still be alive"
It's difficult for Shirogane to lie referring to her adopted daughters as companions. As her disguise is a human rather than a long-lived species like elf or half elf, she can't reveal it's been five hundred years. She can only let out a deep sigh, silently keeping the anxiety and loneliness to herself.
"They're like my family, so I've been endlessly searching for clues. Even if they're dead, I want to at least find out what happened to them..."
"Do you have a description of them? Maybe I can ask my fellow soldiers if someone had seen them" Gazef doesn't hesitate to offer help
"Here you go again acting all heroic" Brain scoffs
"They might look different now, but this is what they truly look like"
As much as Shirogane doesn't want to rely on humans weaker than her, she's not picky about where to gain any leads from her missing adopted daughters. She carefully pulls out a folded piece of paper from her chest pocket and unfolds it in front of Gazef.
"They're sisters. Margaret is a warrior with dual spears while Nellian is a magic caster who loves to throw fireballs even in a closed space
In the brown piece of paper, Shirogane unexpectedly manages to sketch their figures down right to their equipment in vivid detail after five hundred years of slumber. Margaret is the taller one with long wavy hair tied in a low ponytail. Her eyes are strict yet gentle marching her elegant medium armor covering luxurious attire underneath. Nellian is the shorter one with a bright smile and child-like gaze. She has matching long wavy hair with her old sister but hers is tied in a ponytail. She wears a silky long sleeved dress outlined by gold curving pattern and for a magic caster, her long gloves are padded with steel from the fingertips up until to the forearm. Her most distinctive part of the attire is a short silver decorated capelet...and more importantly, a "junior Tempest" wrapped around her neck.
"Surely someone with this fancy armor should stand out, but I haven't fought or seen anyone like them...and the grumpy looking cloudy winged snake" Brain lightly shakes his head
"I shrunk it and gave it to her as a pet. Nellian thought it was cute how her Stormy leveled an entire building when it screamed at human soldiers" Shirogane laughs at the memory
"If it's alright, may I use this copy as a reference. I can ask around while I'm not at the field"
"Why did you decide to help a stranger you just met five minutes ago?" Shirogane sarcastically asks
"I don't need a reason to help those in need"
"..."
The genuine compassion and chivalry immediately triggers the image of Touch Me in Shirogane's mind. It's always the same response she gets whenever she asks her mentor why he would rush to rescue bullied players.
"...I see, then I will gladly accept your help"
Right now, Shirogane can't help but fondly smile because she can't turn away at the outline of his soul. Compared to the soldiers and adventurers she observed in the city, Gazef emits a rather warm yet indomitable soul in the form of a faint aura around him.
"You must be an incredible man, Mr. Gazef" Shirogane sincerely compliments him
"You know my name already?"
"Your friend said it a moment ago" Shirogane looks at Brain
"I'm Brain, by the way. Brain Unglaus" Brain raises his hand
"Shirogane. My name is Shirogane, a wandering warrior who registered as an adventurer for the time being"
At the very least, Shirogane uses her real name out of respect to Gazef and to hope her name might reach the missing half devil sisters. If it becomes troublesome, she can easily change her appearance and presence, completely blocking detection through the use of her magic items.
"Mr. Gazef, I would like you to have this as payment for your kindness" Shirogane pulls out a small magic item from her skirt's pocket
It'd small enough to be squeezed in her palms but strong enought to not break under her physical strength.
"This is..." Gazef widens his eyes
Upon opening her palms, Gazef blinks after seeing a carefully carved crystal shard with runes glowing faint emerald and azure light. It's held together by knotted nylon, creating a makeshift necklace.
"It's a magic item that might prove useful to you. If you find yourself in the face of death or desperate need to save someone, break it and someone will appear to help you" Shirogane drops it on Gazef's palm.
"Is it a summoning item?"
"Well, something like that. It can only be used once, so please use it when you truly need help" Shirogane omits most details
"Thank you, Shirogane. I'll be sure to save it when the time comes"
Gazef immediately wears the necklace and hides the crystal beneath his armor since the glowing runes will stand out like a small Christmas light.
"I'll be on my way, Mr. Gazef. I need to look at some records about the past five hundred years" Shirogane jumps down from her seat
"How about your drink?" Gazef reminds her
"You can have it. You've been too kind to a lone stranger like me"
Shirogane waves her right hand goodbye without looking back while the drunkards who witnessed the whole scene is both astonished at Gazef's arrival and how a stranger casually gives an expensive-looking magic item.
"Hh-hhmm~"
For the time being, Shirogane is in a rather pleasant mood after meeting a warrior which reminds her of Touch Me.
"Hmm?" Shirogane immediately rushes to an alleyway after preemptively receiving signal of Message
[Shirogane-sama, pardon for my insolence, but why did you give a special magic item? It's a beacon that will alert you to the current location of whoever activates the runes]
The vampire swordswoman faithfully followed her mistress from a safe distance while remaining invisible since the stubborn demon lord insists on going alone for a walk.
"It's a token of appreciation. Well, he'll be surprised to see me crashing from the sky when the time comes"
[He's a human...]
"I'm well aware of it, but he reminds of the greatest warrior I know. I hate to see a man like him get killed for nothing"
[Understood...]
The vampire swordswoman wants to express her dislike for a mere human gaining her mistress's favor, but she respects Shirogane's decision.
"By the way, what about the dark elf ranger that Garmr encountered the other day?" Shirogane changes the topic
[Forgive us, but we have yet to spot turn young dark elf again]
"That's fine. If what Nehemoth reported is true then the dark elf's master might find us himself. I sincerely hope it's really one of Touch-san's guild friends"
Shirogane faintly smiles in anticipation, trying her best to hide her excitement to meeting someone her hero viewed as his closest friends. Her expression may be stoic and completely stern, but her lips betray her with a warm and rather humanly smile.
[Your majesty, preparations are at least eighty percent done. Sariel estimated everything will be set to go in three days]
"Three days, huh. That's enough time to study what I need in this country"
[If I may ask, why must insects be allowed to tarnish your grand castle with their presence]
"I have to let the world know of Eljudnir. If there's a chance Margaret and Nellian are still alive, then they will know that I still live"
[Then about the one called Ainz Ooal Gown, the one you mentioned as the same name as the guild of your mentor]
"I wanted to make sure I'm not being fooled by the enemy. The last time I met a player, well...he threatened my loved ones. If this one turns out to be someone Touch-san knows, I won't mind going along with their plans"
Shirogane doesn't have much ambition herself other than her need to protect her subordinates and her home while searching for the half devil sisters and signs of Touch Me's presence in the New World.
"Touch-san, if your friends are here too, then perhaps you made it too..."
Even if the thought that one of Touch Me's closest friends may be present in the New World too races her heart with thrill and joy, sorrow and longing fills every corner of her as Touch Me being transported remains a wishful thinking.
"You brat! Come back here!" An angry man shouts from a distance
"Hmm?" Shirogane narrows her eyes
Rather than a grown man, she spots a young bruised boy dirtied from both soil and dust as if someone rubbed him to the pavement. The boy tightly hugs a sealed bag of coins close to his chest. He keeps running that his lungs are giving out and primarily focuses on looking behind.
"Ah-!"
The boy violently crashes to Shirogane's, who couldn't bother herself to move or walk away. As a result, the boy stumbles on his rear and drops the bag in the process, revealing several silver coins inside.
"That amount of money...are you a thief?" Shirogane spots the glinting coin
"N-no! My father worked hard for this day and night but they wanted to take it from him after learning he saved up for months"
"Oh..." Shirogane barely acts interested
"Brat! Those coins are ours!" The man slows down when he spots the boy on the ground
A large man with a club is drenched in sweat and barely able to breath after stopping two meters close to the boy and the uncaring devil.
"Shut up! Dad worked hard for this and you just want to fatten your baron's wallet! We already payed our taxes!" The boy quickly grabs the bag of coins and tightly hugs it
"Your family dared to hide money from the Baron Cheneko! Extra income means extra taxes" The man raises his club
"We were going to move somewhere. Far away from you greedy pigs!"
"..."
Shirogane quietly observes the boy gritting his teeth and tightly keeping the bag of coins in his arms. The bruised and scrawny boy is no different from a cornered animal yet he stands for what's rightfully his.
"Get out of here or I'd beat you too, girl!" The man warns Shirogane first
"This is too petty for me" Shirogane shakes his head and immediately turns away
Seeing she wouldn't benefit from a petty issue, Shirogane doesn't even memorize the large man's face, but she remembers the boy with a firm expression even if his body is trembling from both the injuries and exhaustion.
"You shitty brat! How dare you make me chase all the way here? It's like I chased a filthy mouse!" The man angrily scolds at the boy
"..." Shirogane stops in her tracks after walking five meters away
The man begins kicking the boy's wrapped arm, hoping it would loosen the grip on the bag of coins. Someone his size can simply forcibly grab the arm and steal the bag, but the stretched smile on his face is a clear indication that he enjoys acting superior to the boy who refuses to give in. The boy grits his teeth again and tightens his hold on the coins the more the man beats him.
Those who cannot help the weak cannot call themselves the strong!
"Even if I enjoy the suffering of others for my own gain...you influenced me this much, Touch-san"
The boy dare not to ask her for help fearing she will get involved too - or at least that's how Shirogane interprets it since the boy doesn't even look at her even while he's getting beaten. She sets aside her thought of walking away and returns to the boy's side.
"Didn't I tell you to scram?!" The large man stops for a moment
"Boy, you're not letting go of the coin even if it costs your life"
"I'm sick of tired of letting them have their way! My father injured himself to save this much. We'd starve if we don't have coins to put food on our table because in this kingdom, the nobles are all about money and status!"
"This Baron Champala..." Shirogane turns to face the large man
"It's Baron Cheneko!"
"Why does he need these coins when the boy said they already paid their due?"
"It's undeclared income? Any money made behind the Baron's back solely belonged to his"
"Ho~"
Although disgusted, Shirogane briefly curve a sadistic smile, almost displaying her sharp canine teeth. A devil like her is drawn to breaking and tormenting maidens and holy ones like priestesses but her senses are filled with ecstacy in the face of a sinner. One of the worst and prevelant sins of humans: greed.
"Were you planning to keep the money to yourself and lie to the Baron? Let's say you'll tell him the boy threw the money in the sewers and dumped it while you were chasing him?" Shirogane rubs her chin
"Wha-!"
"It was just a guess, but thanks for proving me right"
"H-how..." The man's left eye twitches
"The more weak-willed the human, the more predictable they are. Besides, someone as pathetic as you has a soul that I'd rather feed to the hellhounds"
"You shouldn't have gotten involved, girl-"
The large man fears Shirogane's insight might reach the Baron in some way. A sane person would walk away seeing an enforcer of a noble like him as the other bystanders are turning a blind eye. The moment she swings it on Shirogane's head hoping to break her skull open, the thick wooden clab snaps in two with the top half flying off the wall and rolling somewhere behind Shirogane.
"What the fuck?!" The man immediately takes two steps back
"Unfortunately for you, I can sustain the blow as hard as I can swing my sword" Shirogane wipes off the wooden bits on her shoulder
"Bestow Curse" Shirogane points her left index finger at the man and snaps her fingers
"...!"
A chilling breeze goes through the man, briefly paralyzing him in one spot. A shock coursed through his body and in mere three seconds, blood flows out from both his eyes and large wrinkly bumps forcefully erupt from his skin and the forceful tear spills out blood all over his body like interconnecting rivers.
"What did you do to me - Aaaaagh...Aaaahh!"
He can only scream in pain when her vision hours and turns red while each bump is spreading hit like glowing coal pressing against his skin. He claws his skin hoping to remove them but the cheerful smile and ecstatic chuckle sends him running to the streets.
"W-was that magic?" The boy is both afraid and amazed
"Yes. It's a terrible one that I will choose not to dispel for the next few days because I like to see him suffer a bit" Shirogane gives a thumbs up
"Why did you save me?"
"I don't really care for little shits like you, but you're struggling to live no matter how much you suffered. To endure like this in such a frail and weak body rather than give up and die...is quite amusing in a way"
Shirogane bends one knee while the bloodied boy remains sitting on the ground since his entire body is aching and he likely broke a few bones from a grown man's brutal kicking.
"Heal"
Shirogane touches the boy's foreheads an all signs of injuries have been undone. The bruises and cuts gradually vanishes until his skin is clear of the torment inflicted to him in mere seconds.
"Are you a magic caster, miss?"
"Hahaha. I'm a paladin but not the good kind...or the human kind"
"Wow..." The boy's eyes sparkle
"The Baron was extorting your family even after you paid, correct?"
"We barely have enough coins for ourselves. As much as we want to complain and fight back, we have nowhere to go...and the scumbag has thugs as enforcers..."
"The nobles' influences run deep. Not like a root but a pesky cancer. Rid of them one time and eventually another will pop up..."
"It's all like this. Those in the inner part of the kingdom eat and drink to their heart's content. The nobles control everything so even if you're a criminal, you'd get spared from jail with connections alone"
"Five hundred years later it transformed from racism to oppression. This isn't the kind of place Touch-san would want to be..."
Shirogane already has the gist of the Kingdom's current situation from studying the recent changes, collecting Intel from various spies, and observing the people's way of life. She clenches her fists, utterly dismayed at the current era. Ice spreads a few centimeters around her feet but the magic retreats as soon as she takes a deep breath.
"It's a rumor, but they say when families don't pay debts time, they force families to sell a child or be kicked out of their land.
"I can turn a blind eye to most people...but selling children is something I can't just pretend not to care about. It won't really benefit me in any way, but that man earlier irritated me enough" Shirogane clicks her tongue and growls softly
"M-miss?"
"Boy, take me where you live and point where this Baron Chonkus lives"
"It's Baron Cheneko...but it's a long way here. Dad and I were...when that man - what are you planning to do, miss?"
"I'm going to vent out my complaints. I assure you he's going to have a change of heart once I'm done with home"
"If you're going to teach him a lesson, then I can tell you where he lives"
The boy barely hesitates with the amount of grudge he has for the noble owning their land. It also doesn't appear Shirogane has intent to spill blood but to merely punish from her calm and unfazed tone.
"Huh...? I'm feeling...a bit lightheaded..." Shirogane's expression twitches in pain
Just as Shirogane is about to follow the boy, she feels her body wobble and her feet stagger back. Her consciousness is being pulled back while her strength is being drained. There's no indication she's suffering status effects which should be normally impossible due to her near immunity to most debuffs. The devil presses the side of her head but her view is gradually swallowed by a pitch black void.
"Five hundred years has passed and you're still soft, brat. Because of a man disillusioned and helpless in the real world, you decided to follow something prone to falling apart..."
Her expression transforms from being relaxed and bored to stern and distant, hinting s bit of regality and dominance. Her right eye even turns from a vibrant shade of red to a striking icy blue color.
"Hmph. As annoying as it is, I don't have much of a choice for now. I'd be in trouble if those two girls..." Shirogane combs the right side of her hair
"Miss?" The boy turns back after realizing she's not following
"...I'm coming in a second" Shirogane responds in an unusually calm and content tone
"My dad is a bit far from here because I ran a long way"
"You're letting superficial like justice dictate, but let's see how this goes...for now, *****
What comes out of her mouth is a name that should have long been discarded, but having to speak it out loud even without a listener causes an amused smile across her lips. It only occurred for a split second, but on the last window before exiting the alley, the window doesn't reflect a young dark haired human disguise but a grown pale woman with one side tainted by black substance latched to her fair skin and the other side reflecting a woman of inescapable beauty.
Great Tomb of Nazarick...
In Ainz's personal office and study, she's accompanied by Albedo standing by her side and Sebas standing firmly at the center.
"I presume, Aura's discovery reached you as well"
"Yes, Ainz-sama. It piqued my curiosity on how a werewolf would know of my creator, Touch Me-sama" Sebas immediately confirms
"Basing from Aura's recollection of the conversation, the werewolf is likely a creation of a player which is their devil master"
"Ainz-sama, what is the likelihood it's also a player. What if this devil will be a hindrance to our plans? We should prepare to eliminate this threat as soon as possible" Albedo visibly dislikes the presence of another player
(Going by Aura's detailed recollection of the werewolf's words, it's likely one of the players Touch-san rescued and guided. If she's a fan or acquaintance of Touch-san, I see no reason to be hostile. If anything, I should build a friendly relationship with a fellow player)
Ainz thinks to himself, remembering images of Touch Me occasionally telling of players who admired him after helping them. Being the only player present in New World can be lonely, so Ainz is quick to think of not making an enemy and if anything, making an ally out of the unknown devil player. The most important thing in his thought process now is how the devil player seems to follow Touch Me's footsteps which is a double edged sword. If the player believes in Touch Me's idea of justice, then they would disapprove of ruthless slaughter and if their current body affects their mentality, then they'd be evil-aligned like all demons.
"First things first: the priority is to establish a connection with this player. I have to determine whether they would be against us or not. Since this player is said to be a devil leading heteromorph NPCs, then being allies with an undead shouldn't be an issue" Ainz still has his doubts
"Ainz-sama..." Albedo is somewhat dismayed
"We can gain a considerable ally by assessing this player and in the process we can also determine if they're a threat to Nazarick. It's best to strike first whether it be ally or enemy"
Ainz calmly assures Albedo but couldn't speak out how he's personally hoping to make an ally of a fellow player. It goes to ways: Someone in good terms with one of his friends is an ally of his and it will be less troublesome to fight someone with knowledge on Yggdrasil.
"If this player makes it clear they're against us, then we will strike them down before they can make their move. We're not certain whether they possess a World Item, the only thing capable of rivaling our might. If they happen to have World Items, hostile at the first move isn't an option"
The guild and Ainz himself is in the possession of several World Items, but they have yet to discover the nature and abilities of other World Items in Yggdrasil. One such dangerous World Item is the complete mental domination of a powerful undead like Shalltear.
"Ainz-sama, may I request to also speak with the unknown devil after learning they're rather on friendly terms with my creator"
(Sebas doesn't want to end fighting this devil player. That's natural considering the player is a fan of Touch Me and looking for him too. Personally, it would be better if we could cooperate to find traces of my friends being transported too)
Nazarick has the manpower and military strength to further his goal of spreading the guild's name, but it's better to form a partnership that will benefit both sides.
"Once Aura locates the exact location of their fortress, we will immediately make contact with the player. If they agree to a civilized discussion, you will be one of my escorts"
"I'm forever grateful for honoring my selfish request, Ainz-sama" Sebas bows
"It's not much, Sebas. I was already thinking of bringing you along too as you inherited Touch Me's sense of justice" Ainz briefly raises his hand
"Thank you, Ainz-sama"
"I almost forgot, Aura asked if she could bring you along to send a request to the player's NPC's. She mentioned something about being annoyed at the screaming werewolf and judging you can convince them better as Touch Me's creation"
"I well set out immediately once my presence is needed" Sebas bows again
"Good. I will call for you once Aura convinces them to reveal their fortress. For now, resume your normal duties" Ainz raises his hand and signals Sebas to exit the room
"I am truly grateful for your kindness, Ainz-sama" Sebas bows again in response
The butler faintly smiles even after bowing and leaving the room, somewhat curious and glad Ainz is quick to agree to his request.
"Our only lead so far is a werewolf pack guarding the perimeter. The fact that Aura has yet to bypass whatever concealment the devil player's base is means it might be a guild base of sorts"
"Should we send more of our trackers, Ainz-sama?" Albedo slightly tilts her head
"Werewolves don't leave the territory they're guarding and leaves their scent as a warning to intruding beasts. Aura assured she will be able to find their pack again"
"I have faith in your judgement, Ainz-sama"
Albedo hides her contempt to the existence of another player seeing it's unwise to further voice out her disapproval and insistence that the player is a threat to Nazarick.
(If they're a fan of Touch Me, then does that make them a hero of sorts? How would they react with Nazarick killing and experimenting on humans? Maybe their mental state is affected by their current body? What if they're like Demiurge? I could draw a friendly relationship by telling all about the guild. We were saved by Touch-san at some point too, and that's something we can at least relate to. Since Sebas is like Touch-san, it's best to bring him along first)
Ainz couldn't weigh on the possibility that the unknown player is a righteous and selfless hero like Touch Me or would lean to behave like any devil would: cruel, selfish, and sometimes sadistic. It's only been a few minutes, but Ainz is already formulating at least twenty methods on how to approach the player with friendly intentions as much as possible.