Amid a sprawling city, a massive stone amphitheater stood out with its decorum and architecture, unlike the surrounding buildings. The amphitheater was overflowing with people wishing to attend, humans, demihumans, and heteromorphs alike filled the stands. Although much of the audience was human, no discrimination was shown towards the non-human attendees. For they all eagerly awaited the main event to begin.

The amphitheater itself was awe-inspiring. The crafted stone was meticulously carved and enchanted for everlasting beauty. 41 banners, each bearing a unique symbol, flew along the edges of the theater with the largest one flying above the amphitheater's main platform.

A dark sphere began to encapsulate the entire amphitheater. The audience noticed this and began hushing each other until it was pitch black and silent. A soft red glow grew on the main stage as a woman's voice broke the silence.

"For centuries, this world has stumbled in the dark, desperately seeking guidance from dead gods that once governed these lands. The people clung to the false gods' shortsighted belief that humans were superior to any other race, promoting violence and sin. Humans killed demi-humans. Demi-humans ate humans. Both enslaved each other. This cycle of hatred was destined to continue forever... until a Supreme Being emerged." The sound of flapping wings echoed through the amphitheater as motes of light began to shine.

"The false gods' thought their power made themselves divine, but it was tyranny! They did not believe in unity. They believed in superiority! They did not guide humans. They enslaved them for worship! The gods had proven themselves no better than corrupt warlords. But then in whom could we believe in if not the gods?!" The speaker called out to the audience.

"The 41 Supreme Beings!" The crowd cheered the name.

The amphitheater lit up as the motes of lights shined underneath the banners with the brightest one revealing the main stage banner. The light revealed a fallen angel with black wings and golden hair descending onto the stage. An elegant visor covered her eyes and a black and violet light armor set with gold trim covered her body. A dark halo surrounded her body giving her a dark yet divine aura. For she was the Supreme Beings' Holy Emissary, Neia Baraja.

"Yes! The Supreme Beings need not worship! Nor do they demand it! They act for the betterment of this world! Not for selfish gain! And when the leader of these beings saw our plight in this world and rather than sitting idle, he took action! He who united all the races. Our Lord! Our Savior!"

"AINZ OOAL GOWN!" The audience cheered even louder than before, shaking the foundation of the amphitheater.

"Yes, it was he who came to us in our time of need and saved this world from itself!"

"But then where are the other 40 Supreme Beings?" She asked the question to the audience which a passionate woman yelled out in response.

"They fight to shield us from the false gods' influence!"

"The False Gods… The Supreme One has told me of a war that has been fought since their world's existence. A war the other Supreme Beings fight to this day! For they come from a world beyond ours, where angels, devils, demons, and the false gods reside. But as more of the Supreme Beings were pressured into fighting in this war, they realized they needed one to act as the last bastion if ever they were to fail, our Lord was the one chosen." Her voice turned somber as she continued.

"While it hurt him greatly to leave his comrades, he was chosen to come here and await their return. He was entrusted to keep his home, The Great Tomb of Nazarick, safe from the gods. Alone…" After a moment of silence, the amphitheater echoed with the sound of her wings spanning outwards.

"He could have watched this world tear itself apart, but instead, he exposed himself to the world. Because beyond anything, the Supreme Beings do NOT stand by as corruption and injustices run rampant. They ACT!" The crowd cheered once again as the motes of lights dimmed.

"Our Lord has told me many tales of this war, but no tale captured the might, wit, and cunning of the Supreme Beings more than when the false gods invaded their sacred home, The Invasion on Nazarick."

She spent the rest of the time telling the story of how over a thousand gods challenged the 41 by invading their home. She tells how each Guardian they faced represented a trial: Trial of Endurance, Strength, Skill, Cooperation, Cunning, and Sacrifice. Each trial killed off more invaders until the strongest were killed during the Trial of Sacrifice.

As she told the story, illusions would appear around the darkened amphitheater showing fantastical landscapes as she described the trials. However, as she told the story of the Trial of Sacrifice, the illusions showed nothing. She ended the story by explaining how the false gods could not understand the value of sacrificing oneself for another and thus failed, without ever facing Supreme Beings in combat.

After Neia finished the story and had an ending prayer with the audience, she went backstage where her assistant greeted her.

"You were amazing as always, my lady! You truly are the envoy of the 41!"

"Thank you, Emma. But I am merely speaking the truth to all who may hear it. But I am sure you weren't waiting here to compliment me." Emma quickly reached down for the papers she was holding

"Y-yes! I apologize! Reports from the newly established temples in the Albion Hills. They say construction has finished and wish for the Supreme One to bless the new holy ground." Neia just stared at Emma for a moment. Sensing her stare Emma panicked and bowed deeply to her.

"I apologize, my lady! I should not have troubled you with such a ridiculous request! I will ensure the request is denied immediately!" Before she could run off, Neia put a hand on her shoulder.

"Calm yourself, Emma. I am not angry at their request, nor you. The wish to see the Supreme One is held by all, and while it may be selfish, our lord understands that desire. Let me see the report and I will bring it to our lord." She smiled and held out her hand. Emma seemed to relax as she gently passed the report over to her.

"Thank you, my lady." Neia simply nodded as she began walking further backstage.

Neia continued to walk until she came up to a room guarded by two undead soldiers. The guards did not react as she passed them and entered the room. The room was quite small, having a vanity, a couch, and an end table with some sweets. She looked around making sure she was alone before walking to the end of the room and rhythmically tapping the wall five times.

The wall shimmered momentarily before a stone door revealed itself to her. When she opened the door all she saw was a wall. She stood for a moment before saying the required phrase.

"The gods have abandoned us... The Supreme One will never leave us…" In an instant, a purple vortex appeared in the doorway that she quickly walked through.

As soon as she crossed the threshold, she could see a stone hallway lit up with glowing stones embedded in the walls. She took a few more steps forward before a man waved over to her.

"There you are, Neia. It's about time you showed up." An old dwarf approached her with a smile.

"I apologize for making you wait, Gondo. I called this meeting, yet I'm probably the last to arrive." She gave an apologetic bow.

"Eh, you're fine, lass. This meeting gave me an excuse to avoid talking to the new Master of the Mines. Hahaha." Neia lifted her head with a smile as they began walking down the hallway.

"You spoke about her at the last meetings. Is she really that bad?" Gondo sighed as he began stroking his grey beard.

"Aye, she's stubborn, rude, and has no patience for the council. During her first week as the new Master of the Mines, she planned to implement a new untested method of collecting Adamantite. Of course, when the council prevented her from doing so, she threw a fit." He shook his head.

"Haa, but even so… She's fucking brilliant. Every idea she proposed would be revolutionary and double the mines' efficiency. And they'd implemented too, if she would simply take the time to prove her ideas work, before proposing them! Sometimes I feel like I'm getting too old for this shit." Neia chuckled at his frustrations with the younger generation. She looked down at him with genuine curiosity.

"Do you ever regret going back to the Azerlisia Mountains?" Gondo's smile vanished when she asked the question.

"…"

"I'm sorry for asking. It was wrong for me to ask." Gondo shook his head at her.

"No, you're fine for asking. I just… Haven't thought about it in a long time." They walked in silence for a while before Gondo spoke up again.

"At first, I hated how His Majesty expected me to assist in Feo Jera's rebuilding effort. After all, the old council threw away my craft like it was nothing. I expected to hate seeing my old home. But after seeing what the old Forgemaster did to the capital, I wept. My birthplace was in shambles. I knew I had to do something or else it was going to rip itself apart, just like your home country." Neia looked away as he mentioned her old country.

"So, I decided to put my grievances aside and put my hammer to the forge and worked day and night to rebuild the place that once disowned me. Five long years later, and many sleepless nights, Feo Jera was back to its former glory and the dwarves of the Azerlisia Mountains were official citizens of the Sorcerer Kingdom. Since then, Feo Jera has felt like home again, where runecraft is respected and celebrated. If I had let my past prevent me from rebuilding Feo Jera, I would've never met my wife and never had a family I could call my own." He chuckled to himself.

"Knowing our Lord, that's probably what he had in mind when he first sent me there..." Neia gave a warm smile to his comment.

"Most likely. He never directly tells us what we must do, rather, he trusts us to make the best decision possible. And, if we are unsure what to do, he will push us in the right direction." Gondo sighed happily.

"I know that he wishes for us to improve ourselves, or whatever, but sometimes I wish he were more upfront about what he expects of us. Hahaha!" Neia smiled softly.

"That would be nice..." Gondo raised an eyebrow at her casual responses.

Usually, whenever he mentioned the Supreme One, she would light up with zealotry and go on a rant about his glory. But today she seemed more... composed. Not that he minded, her speeches could get exhausting. But still, she was one of the few acquaintances he had, and he hadn't seen her like this before. It made him worry.

Before Gondo could ask her about it, they arrived before a plain wooden door.

"Ah, well I guess it's back in the forge for us. We'll have to talk more after the meeting. I still haven't told you about my daughter's progress on the new runic armor she's been working on!" He gave her a wide smile.

"I'd like that." She smiled at him as she went to open the door.

The room they entered was quite barren, only having a round table with some accompanying chairs. While the décor might have been plain, the people in the room were not. Two imps, a minotaur, a lizard man, a wood elf, a robed skeleton, and a human sat around the table. All of them, except for one, were Guardians of the New World. The room went quiet and turned towards the two of them.

"Tch." One of the imps seemed irritated by their arrival and turned to the other imp.

"Would you wait outside for me, Climb? I'll come get you as soon as I'm done here~." Climb stared dead-eyed at her and nodded.

"As you wish princess." The others in the room looked on with disgust or disinterest at their interaction. As soon as Climb left the room, Gondo went to his seat as Neia stood at the head of the table.

"Now, before I explain the reason I've called this meeting, Lord Pandora wishes to know everyone's current status on the assignment we were given…" Before she could finish the robed skeleton spoke up holding up a large pile of papers.

"Ms. Baraja, excuse my interruption, but I have already collected the reports from each region, and I must say the results are quite intriguing. Is our lord experimenting with undead control or some kind of large-scale ritual? I must know! The master has shown little personal interest in pursuing new magic as of late and I would love to work with him in doing so! To assist the master in his pursuit into the abyss would be an HONOR! TO GO FURTHER IN THE ABYSS WOULD-" A large fist hit the wooden table making the skeleton go quiet.

"Every fucking meeting you go on and on about magic! Shut it, skeleton, before I smash your jabbering skull in once and for all!" A large minotaur wearing heavy armor yelled at the skeleton. The skeleton's eye sockets flashed with blue flames as he turned to the minotaur.

"Show some respect, you oversized cow! I am a Night Lich! I could eviscerate you in the blink of an eye!" The rest of the room merely sighed as the two began a yelling match. Neia removed her eye covering and looked at the two.

"Silence. You two have disrupted our meetings for the last time." The two instantly froze as a familiar aura pushed down on them. The aura they felt and the voice they heard was not that of Neia, rather it was of their Master. Neia's eyes were replaced by hollow sockets with red flames flickering within each.

"Since the last meeting, I've reported on your consistent disruptions and received permission to issue punishment from Nazarick, if deemed necessary." She turned to the minotaur.

"Kinner Metalhide. Your recent appointment to Guardian does not give you the right to threaten another during our meetings. You may be a powerful godkin, but that does not mean Neuronist cannot pierce your hide." Kinner shuddered at the thought of the Neuronist making him "sing". Her gaze turned to Fluder.

"Fluder Paradyn. Your pride in your new body is understandable, but escalating the situation is unacceptable. If you require humbling, I am sure Shalltear wouldn't mind your company." Fluder lowered his head, terrified of what Shalltear would do to him if she knew he was sent to her as punishment. Neia raised her visor back to her eyes and the aura dissipated.

"If you two wish to fight, do it somewhere else. Disrupt this meeting again and I will issue the punishments I mentioned. I understand working with certain individuals can be… difficult." She glanced over to a bored Renner.

"But this is not the place to release your frustrations." She turned to Fluder.

"Fluder, could you please explain why you believe the Supreme One is experimenting with a new kind of magic? Without going on a rant." Fluder straightened his posture and regained his composure.

"Hmph. Yes, of course. Through the tests performed in various regions, I can confidently say the undead our lord has created are unable to accept new commands. For example, undead that have been designated as guards refuse to guard elsewhere. While undead that were given control to a specific person or group refuse to take orders from others, even when ordered to do so. I can only assume it is our lord experimenting with undead control as Lord Pandora's undead do not share these qualities." When he finished his explanation, he seemed to "squint" at Neia with suspicion.

"You know what's causing this. Don't you child?" Everyone except for Renner looked at Neia expectedly.

"Yes, I do." She took a deep breath.

"What I am about to say is to only be known to those of Nazarick and those currently in this room. As of today, you will be followed by two shadow demons at all times. If you speak of what I'm about to say to anyone outside this room, you will be executed on the spot." Renner rolled her eyes at Neia's warning and casually spoke up.

"Lord Ainz is gone."

"WHAT!?" "How could this have happened!?" "Has Nazarick been compromised?" A commotion erupted from the table as multiple questions were thrown at Neia. She glared at smirking Renner as she faced the table.

"Alright, enough! I know many of you have questions, but you need to know the Supreme One has not been destroyed, he is missing. Lord Pandora's Actor will be the acting leader of Nazarick and is the one with the final say on all decisions moving forward. The cause of his disappearance was a portal created by Demiurge utilizing Wild Magic." Fluder seemed to perk up hearing the reason, but she ignored it.

"Now, because of this recent disaster, each of you will be assigned tasks to assist in the pursuit to find the Supreme One, handed out by Lady Albedo herself." She made a signal to some of the liches holding documents nearby. They walked around the table handing out scrolls to each of the Guardians.

"Fluder Paradyne, Gondo Firebeard, and Kinner Metalhide. You three are granted unique missions to assist in the Supreme One's rescue." Neia held out a scroll of her own.

"Night Lich Fluder Paradyne. You are tasked to assist Lord Demiurge with any arcane knowledge you can provide him as he tried to recreate the portal's conditions when the Supreme One was lost… This task may include working directly beside him in his attempts to do so." The flames within Fluder's eye sockets flared in excitement as he bowed his head to the table.

"It is an honor!" She nodded as she turned to the Kinner.

"Godkin Kinner Metalhide. You are to act as a guide for Lady Aura and Lord Mare as they travel east of your homeland in search of Dragon Lords that may give us a greater understanding of how Wild Magic works." The minotaur huffed in acceptance.

"It will be done."

"Runesmith Gondo Firebeard. You are tasked with assisting Lord Cocytus, Lord Sebas, and Lady Shalltear in an expedition into the Great Rift." Gondo stood up from his seat

"Excuse me but is Nazarick sure this is wise? Every expedition into the Great Rift in dwarven history has failed. To explore it without his majesty is dangerous, to say the least. What if they awaken something that attacks Feo Jera?"

"That is exactly what you are tasked to prevent. Your mission is to evacuate the area around the Great Rift and warn the populous of the Azerlisia Mountains of an unrelated danger, and they are ready for evacuation. Be careful not to incite panic, but ensure they know the possibility of danger is real. Lord Pandora is willing to create pseudo-earthquakes to assist you in alerting the dwarven people." Gondo was still concerned but sat back down knowing he couldn't challenge a direct order from Nazarick.

"Yes, of course. I'll prepare Feo Jera for evacuation and assist the expedition in any way I can." She nodded in acknowledgment, before turning the rest of the table.

"The rest of you will be tasked with information gathering on the Dragon Lords, Eight Greed Kings, and Six Great Gods. Specifics are in the provided scrolls. Any additional questions can be addressed to Lord Pandora or Lady Albedo. Does everyone understand?" Everyone nodded.

"Good. Now, onto the recent riots incited by the remnants of the Slaine Theocracy…"


After a long day of meetings and planning, Neia was finally about to return to her home, a large estate in the most opulent part of the city. While at first she tried to refuse such a lofty home, Ainz convinced her that appearances matter to the public and living in squalor might impact his image. Ultimately, she accepted it but disliked how it separated her from the people. She walked through her mansion door and was greeted by her servants.

"Welcome back, Your Holiness." They bowed on her arrival, before returning to their work. Neia walked up to a maid.

"Did Shizu happen to stop by?" The maid shook her head, slightly concerned.

"No, Your Holiness. None of us have seen her since last she visited two weeks ago. Is something going on? She usually doesn't miss her weekly visit."

"It's nothing for you to worry over. She's just busy, I'm sure." Neia smiled as the maid returned to her work.

Neia walked to her room on the second floor, passing luxurious artworks of all kinds. The room was as luxurious as the rest of the manor, but she could only scoff at the expense of it all. In the corner of the room was a plain door with a minor illusion cast upon it, which she quickly approached. Inside was her sanctuary, a place where she could be away from schemes, meetings, and paperwork.

A simple bed, desk, and chair, everything she needed. While learning of the Supreme Beings, one of their ways of living stood out to her. A "spartan" lifestyle. One where someone only lives with the bare minimum to improve oneself. She learned through books within the Library of Ashurbanipal the lifestyle was based on a dead kingdom named Sparta. However, there was one exception to her spartan lifestyle: a glorious mural of Ainz reaching down to the burning masses.

She removed her visor and looked upon the mural, sadness in her eyes. In a practiced movement, she unbuckled her amour revealing the casual clothes she had during her time as a squire. She stepped closer and knelt in front of the mural, feeling the setting sun's rays fall upon her.

"Lord Ainz please forgive me, I am weak. I speak of your mercy, yet I fear what you would think of me if you saw me now. I act as though everything is fine while you are gone but in truth…" Tears began rushing down her face as she looked up to her mural.

"I miss you, your majesty! I desperately wish to hear you tell tales of your friends. Watch you lead us to a better tomorrow. Feel your touch as you forgive my sins. But you're no longer with us." She dropped her head as more of her tears fell to the floor.

"Demiurge told us the portal was meant to bring you to the other Supreme Beings but insisted it did not work as intended. But… what if he's wrong?"

"What if you're with the other Supreme Beings? I know that is your greatest desire, to see them again. You would wish to stay with them forever and never return. And yet, knowing this, I selfishly work to bring you home. To rip you away from those you work so hard to be with again. How could I be worthy of your trust… Your love…?" She looked down at the body in which she was granted to serve him for all eternity.

"To live in a world without you is meaningless. You will never see me as I see you. I've accepted that. But even so, without you, I am nothing…" Her grip tightened as she looked back up.

"I am sorry my Lord, but I can't continue without you! I must continue my work to bring you back to us. And if your friends are with you, I will beg them to return with you. But if something else is preventing your return…" Her eyes determined, she looked to the setting sun.

"We will go to you and destroy whatever is preventing your return. And I will ensure they feel the wrath of the Sorcerer Kingdom before they expire. This is my solemn vow." Neia's eyes glowed red as the last light of day passed and the darkness of night claimed her room.

Author's Note:

I'll be frank, I'm not sure when the next chapter is going to be released. I have ideas on what the next chapter is going to be, but I don't have any real plans as of now. I might take a break from writing, I might not. If I do take a break, I'll release the next chapter in like two months, IDK. A lot of IRL shit is coming up this winter and I've been kinda stressed about it. Just assume there won't be a new chapter for a bit.

But besides that, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and I'll see you in the next.