With a sip of the usual morning hot chocolate (one with whipped cream, colourful sprinkles, and lots of caramel), Neia Baraja shifted her gaze away from the window, and over to the neatly written and organised notes, those outlining her agenda for the meeting.
Some in the mansion's primary meeting room were doing the same, while others simply waited for the assembly to start. Everything was mostly quiet, except for the occasional hushed voices coordinating on minor details, or perhaps just engaging in some friendly small talk to pass the time and calm the nerves.
But in truth, no one present really needed to revise at all. They all took their duties far too seriously to not have come already immaculately prepared. Well, immaculately prepared, at least on paper. Neia had long since noticed that many of her most trusted had formed unhealthy habits, sacrificing sleep in order to arrive early and memorise all the materials, even if it meant staying awake late into the night, only to rise long before dawn. Due to this, the High Priestess had slowly been moving the scheduled times for these meetings to later and later hours, finding noon to be quite ideal.
Though today, Neia herself was maybe the most tired, her nights a bit sleepless as of late.
The only door to the room opened, as it has many times in the last half-hour or so. Neia did not turn to look.
"Your Holiness."
With that, and a deep bow Neia was sure must have taken place, the man moved to sit down at his designated place without another word, as was standard. A few moments later, Bertrand, her personal butler, leaned in and spoke quietly, though she did not turn to look at him either, instead speeding up the process of skimming the notes.
"Your Holiness, everyone is present."
"Thank you, Bertrand."
Once done with the reading, Neia took a rather large sip and looked around the room. Everyone indeed seemed to be present, all eager for the High Priestess to formally start the meeting, yet completely calm and patient. Even from this quiet moment alone, their reverence for was obvious, making Neia just slightly uneasy. Still, she was getting better and better at relaxing even when an object of others' veneration.
Neia gazed upon the small magical clock gifted to her by Satoru before speaking.
"Is everyone ready to start? Once again, it is a bit early, but since we're all present..."
After waiting for a moment or two, there was no sign of anyone protesting.
"Alright. So, I would first like to congratulate everyone. This is the first such assembly in some time, and even though that is also in large part due to the current peace and stability, it is still truly superb that things are running efficiently enough that these meetings, and by extension my direct and exhaustive guidance, are becoming less and less needed. Thank you all for your hard work. I am lucky to have such talented people working hard for my sake, and for my cause's sake."
In response, the whole room was stunned for a second or so, before everyone bowed, most deeply enough for their heads to almost be touching the table.
"Ah, there's no need to bow! I'm the one who should be thankful! The church is doing wonderfully, and that's in large part thanks to all of you present here today... Come on, raise your heads!"
Everyone did as Neia ordered, though some took their time, seemingly wanting to show as much devotion as possible, even if they had to obey eventually. Neia sighed before continuing.
"Well, with that out of the way, let's move on to the status reports. How's the paladin order doing?"
Gustav Montagnés stood up, and Neia nodded to the long-standing acquaintance.
"Your Holiness, I am happy to report the order's growing, and the morale is extremely high, even in spite of the recent scandal. In truth, its effect has been negligible."
He was of course referring to that retired paladin who recently returned to the country after years spent abroad, moving country to country by sea, who immediately spoke out against her husband and the faith, calling the current paladin order a leashed dog to everything it used to stand against, arguing that the country must return to the tradition of the Four Great Gods, not paying heed to the mad preachings of depraved undead-worshippers. Of course, he was promptly publicly executed for personally insulting Neia and Satoru during the outburst, much to the public's glee.
"I see. Good work. Were there any other outstanding incidents?"
"I don't believe so. Though there was one thing that may be of personal interest."
"... Oh? Personal interest? What do you mean?"
"Desmond Custodio has put forward a request to join the order."
Neia felt her mind stagger just the tiniest bit at the unexpected mention of the Custodio family name.
"Ah, is that so? Well, like I said back then, I suppose there should be no problem with that. Just make sure to scrutinise him carefully, and enact harsh punishment in cases of heretical thought. Is that all?"
"Yes, Your Holiness."
God's consort nodded, a gesture bidding Gustav to sit back down.
"Now, were there any changes in the general situation of the public's faith?"
Two people stood up, an exhausted-looking woman with obvious bags under her eyes, and a young man who carried himself with great pride in his position. The latter was once rather timid, always afraid of failing the High Priestess, especially after being personally chosen to work so closely under her. For now, Neia nodded to the woman.
"Everything's been very stable, though... It seems the beliefs that Your Holiness is in fact equal to His Majesty are spreading even further, with congregations assembling specifically to worship Your Holiness. It appears that many of our own priests are leading such assemblies, though these groups seem to practise secrecy, so our knowledge is rather limited."
Neia put a finger to her chin. It still felt a bit wrong. She was slowly getting more used to the idea of being Satoru's equal, but full acceptance was still probably quite far off. Still, personal feelings about her husband aside, he instructed Neia not to persecute such teachings, as long as they did not get too out of hand. With an internal shrug, Neia spoke in a neutral tone.
"I see. Please continue monitoring the situation with minimal interference. Is that all?"
"I believe so."
"Thank you. Oh, and I hope you're getting enough sleep, Miss Roderique?"
"U-uhm... I try..."
"Please, do request more days off if you feel you need them. Your health is very important."
"Y-yes! Thank you for your concern, Your Holiness!"
Neia bid the woman to sit with a nod, then repeated the gesture to the person left standing.
"In regards to the churches in other territories of the Sorcerer Kingdom, all is going well. Attendance is rising faster than anticipated in the Dragon Kingdom, and continuing as projected everywhere else, as well as the Dwarf Kingdom. In the Roble region's south, things are also within expected margins."
The High Priestess nodded, this time to herself. These have been exceptionally calm times, both her church and Satoru's kingdom flourishing smoothly and without significant setbacks.
Will their child grow up in a time of exceptional peace and prosperity? Well, even if that would not be the case, Neia felt at ease, knowing the vast wealth and delightful luxuries Satoru could provide already guaranteed excellent conditions for parenting.
"Hm. Then what about our efforts regarding the discouragement of old religion's traditions?"
"All law-based goals have been realised successfully. As for revising old customs to fit the true faith and swaying the people to adopt the new iterations, that too is proceeding according to plan."
"Hm. Is that all?"
"Yes."
"Thank you for your hard work."
With a nod indicating the man should sit down, Neia glanced back at her notes. There was still a decent amount of things to go over.
...
And then, yet another person sat down at Neia's bidding, and another topic was closed.
With a sip from her almost-empty mug, the young woman steeled herself one more time.
"... Well, everyone, it seems the meeting is almost over, but there is one last topic I need to open up now. I am almost certainly pregnant. Work needs to be done on the eventual public announcement."
The room turned completely silent. Yet again, there was that familiar situation of everyone else needing a bit of time to process what has been said. Following a fake cough, Neia continued.
"I have some drafts and ideas about the announcement right here. Mister Ricci, I will task you and your best people to look them over. It's quite a few pages."
Right after, the person in question stood up, but so did a few others, and then a few more, and soon, the whole room stood. Somewhat confused, Neia nodded to one person at random, a noblewoman who helped inform the church on the current attitudes of the Roble region's high society.
"Your Holiness! Congratulations to you and His Majesty! Uhm, that's all I wanted to say... my apologies if such a thing was inappropriate."
Neia's eyes widened somewhat in surprise. Very pleasant surprise.
"Ah, thank you. That's very kind of you. You may sit."
Now suspecting the reason everyone stood up all at once, Neia nodded to Gustav Montagnés.
"I wish to congratulate Your Holiness and His Majesty on your child. This is truly blessed news. That is all I wished to say."
Now that Neia's suspicions were confirmed, she smiled, wings starting to move rapidly. Did everyone really wish to just congratulate her? Their tones were so genuine… This must have meant she indeed cultivated quite a friendly atmosphere with her direct subordinates. A great success.
...
The meeting had concluded on a cheery note. The participants were now either calmly leaving, or gathering their belongings in preparation to do so. Neia still sat at the head of the table, deciding to relax and finish her hot choco first, looking out the window while doing so.
"Your Holiness? May I have just a moment?"
The voice of Laeryn came from Neia's other side, making her turn in its direction.
"... assuming you aren't busy, that is. I could submit a written report too, of course, but I had just been informed of something."
"Oh, I'm not busy at all right now. Will this take long?"
"Not at all. Merely an update on paladin Adren's situation."
"Oh? Please, go ahead."
"I have been told that he and paladin Linda Blackheart are forming a good bond, which has been a boon in the former's integration."
"Ah, good."
"Though... It is also said that the two might be forming a different sort of bond, too. Apparently he might have given her flowers on more than one occasion now."
Neia's eyes widened, mouth also opening just slightly, though she quickly regained control of her expression. The thought that love might be taking root this close, and in such an unexpected pairing, made Neia quite excited. Though she did not know Linda well enough to consider the woman a friend, Neia still wanted to immediately go talk to her about this, asking if it's true, if he's romantic, if he's confident and pursuing her, or if he's shy, and what she likes about him, and if they kissed yet, or just held hands, if they call each other by their first names, or-
"Your Holiness?"
"Ah, my apologies. Good work, please continue as you were. Is that all?"
"Yes, Your Holiness."
"Then you're dismissed."
Watching the man leave, Neia chuckled.
...
Neia walked alone through the decorated hallways of her mansion, not really thinking about anything interesting in particular, receiving greetings from maids and salutes from paladins as she walked by. Upon reaching her bedroom door, Neia opened it calmly, with thoughts of what she was going to do until it was time for the next item on the day's schedule. But something immediately surprised her. On the sofa sat Satoru, skull tilted back, a skeletal hand clutching his forehead.
"Ah, darling?"
"... Hey, Neia."
It took Satoru some time to get into a more presentable position and make eye contact. The dejection in his tone even more obvious as he continued. Neia closed the door behind her without looking away.
"Sorry, I know it's still a decent while until it's time for Enri's visit, but I just wanted to see you... Well, ideally, I'd like to wait with you here... if you're not busy."
From what Neia was able to gather, Satoru was having some issues at work the last several days, leaving him profoundly stressed. Although he always insisted that Neia try to focus on her own happiness without too much concern for any of that, it was a simple fact of life that the pain of loved ones would stab relentlessly at anyone's heart. And now, faced with an especially upset Satoru, all Neia wanted was for him to be cheerful again.
She answered while moving over to him, tone seeping with unease and worry, but also determination to help the person most dear to her.
"Oh, of course, darling! I will always make time for you, no matter what."
"Are you sure?"
Neia now stood close.
"Of course. You're always what's most important. I love you more than anything, Satoru. If I can make you feel better in any way, I would be delighted to."
Wearing a weakened smile, Neia sat close to Satoru, faces now almost touching, eyes locked.
"... I love you more than anything too, Neia... ah, and how I adore those eyes when they look at me like that…"
The weariness slowly disappearing from Satoru's voice was like sweet nectar to her ears, lifting the heavy chains of sorrow, and allowing a stronger smile as well as a slight blush to grace Neia's expression. In response, Satoru chuckled and continued that thought.
"... I adore your eyes, and your smile, and your blush... and everything else about you."
As Neia's blush was intensifying, Satoru reached out, only to stop abruptly when his own hand came into view.
"Ah, right, sorry. I'm a bit absent-minded it seems..."
He pulled away, grasping at nothing and procuring that golden pyramid in doing so. Neia pulled back too, also averting her gaze. The process of organs and muscle being knit was still a tad gruesome, even with most of the details obscured by veils of golden radiance and gleaming scatterings. When that glow was gone from the corner of Neia's vision, she moved closer again, to a Satoru who did not reciprocate eye contact immediately, taking a moment to adjust to warm flesh. Once done, he wasted no time, resuming his earlier intent by reaching for the back of Neia's neck and guiding his wife in for a kiss, something she accepted with enthusiasm.
Their lips touched, the spouses pressing them against the other's for some time, until they parted to allow their tongues to embrace and play, something that lasted quite a while. When Satoru eventually pulled away, as Neia about to voice her enjoyment of his passionate kissing, she was surprised by an assault of smooches to the neck.
Wings flapping, cheeks reddening, heartbeat speeding up, the faintest of moans escaping her lips, Neia was overjoyed both at the sensation, and Satoru's liveliness in all this, hopefully indicating she can least distract him with her body.
Without stopping the kissing, Satoru slowly started undoing Neia's dress, all the while she ran her fingers back and forth through his hair.
Neia spoke following a moan that was still very quiet, but less so than any previous.
"This feels really good, darling... I love you… I love you so much… I love you…"
Satoru instantly sped up the undressing.
...
Enri Emmot, wearing the finest dress in her possession, was looking her husband up and down, carefully ensuring everything was perfect. No wrinkles on his clothes, no stray hairs, no specks on his face...
"... alright, I think everything's in order... Nemu, come on!"
Enri shot a sort of impatiently annoyed look in the direction of her younger sister, who was still in another room, almost certainly studying up on holy scriptures and the Sorcerer Kingdom's laws. The girl's distracted voice echoed through the home.
"Right, right..."
It was quite upsetting that Nemu was not taking His Majesty's arrival quite as seriously, but at least it was due to a passion for clergical studies. Still, Enri could not help but sigh. Once Nemu finally joined them, Enri looked her over yet again, just to be sure.
... After some time spent waiting in what was mostly silence, a familiar disc of darkness and swirling energies appeared suddenly, the three of them kneeling quickly and without any hesitation. Following a few footsteps, they all heard a deep voice.
"... Rise."
Doing as ordered, Enri and her family came face to face with Ainz Ooal Gown, the undead Sorcerer King, a mage without equal, the repeated saviour of Carne, God to countless, and husband to a dear friend.
"Welcome, Your Majesty!"
"Hm. Are you ready to depart, Enri?"
"Yes!"
With a nod, His Majesty turned to her husband.
"And Nfirea, I know this is unexpected, but may I have some of your time?"
"Oh, ah, uhm, yes! Of course!"
"Thank you. In that case, you can go on ahead, Enri."
"Yes."
The two passed each other as they went, Enri entering the disc of energy, and the Sorcerer King proceeding deeper into her home. Once she fully passed through the magical door, Enri was just where she expected, the bedroom of the High Priestess of the Church of the Sorcerer King.
While the furnishings were of the highest quality money could buy, the room had not even the faintest trace of gaudiness, and from merely looking around, the only pricy thing seemed to be a flag of the Sorcerer Kingdom sewn with gold thread. Enri also noticed a tea set, with cups for a rather high amount of people, as well as two platters of unfamiliar food. Both the tableware and food seemed priceless, even if Enri herself had no eye for such things. But even with that and the gold-sewn flag, the place had a mostly cosy, homely air to it.
For this reason, the young woman standing in front of Enri seemed just a little out of place, her majestic white wings, opulent jewelry, and staggeringly exquisite dress all evoking a sense of regality... or perhaps even divinity.
But even then, looking upon the angel's face made Enri tense up. The look of her dear friend was, at first glance, one of hostility and ill intent. Something Enri was especially afraid of, the three attacks on Carne during her lifetime having left their mark.
"Hello, Enri!"
Hearing Neia's hospitable and warm tone, Enri was finally torn out of those thoughts, as brief as they were, now not only overjoyed at this meeting, but also cursing herself for having such horribly disrespectful, rude, and irrational thoughts about her friend, who is also happily married to God, no less. Enri responded with an affectionate smile of her own.
"Hello. I'm really glad to see you, Neia."
"So am I, Enri. Should we sit down? I have some tea prepared, as well as a few local treats."
"Oh, yes please!"
"Mhm."
With a noise of affirmation, the hostess turned and indicated they should sit. Neia did so first, on an armchair at the head of the table, Enri following suit at an edge of one of the sofas, about an arm's length away. The level of comfort the seating provided was noticeably better than what Enri was used to.
"Would you like to start with selecting your tea?"
"Sure! Though I hope it wasn't too troublesome to prepare all this..."
"Oh, not at all. Mother has recently become quite the connoisseur on this matter. It was merely a matter of asking her for a recommendation or two."
"Ah, is that so? Is tea one of the new hobbies she's been trying?"
"Well, with all the time she's got on her hands... something she and father always complain about."
"Even with their positions?"
Neia chuckled wearily.
"Well, even with the inspirational speeches I've written for mother about her time as a paladin, she still doesn't think it's nearly enough. And as for father... Well, let's just say he's not the type to give speeches like that... there's barely anything he can really do... Still, at least their insistence isn't getting more frequent."
"Ah, at least there's that... Still, I'm sorry about this. I hope soon enough they'll be convinced to enjoy all these luxuries without worry about their daughter being the provider."
"Exactly! It's not like my work is unpleasant, or anything! After all, what work could be more fulfilling than being a humble, devoted servant of the divine Sorcerer Ki-"
Very suddenly, all that righteous zeal instantly disappeared, as if a switch had been flipped. In seconds, Neia's expression went from being that of a stalwart worshipper, to a confused blank stare, to something troubled, now lost in ruminations, eyes averted.
"Uhm, well... uhm... nevermind that? What I meant to say was that I believe in my husband's righteousness with all my heart. It is deeply fulfilling to do my part in bettering the world."
What Neia said was precisely the kind of thing Enri would expect, something obviously true, yet the tone was unmistakably hesitant, as if Neia did not truly believe in her own words. Just a moment ago, the woman's religious ardour was fiercely palpable, its power and clarity inspiring awe to the point of being infectious. That was Neia Baraja. A woman so resolute and fervent, so dignified and enrapturing, such was the peerlessly charismatic High Priestess, a person whose words were truly mighty in their influence.
And this is exactly why Enri could not even begin to understand in the slightest how this same woman could be hesitating, uncertain and uneasy in a proclamation of her own devotion. With a deep breath, now bearing a smile that bore a tinge of discomfort, Neia refocused, gaze now back on Enri, who was still somewhat stunned.
"Oh, sorry about that. I was lost in thoughts there for a moment. We were talking about tea, right?"
"Ah, uhm, yes. Tea."
More cheerfully now, Neia pointed to one of the opulent cups. After taking a closer look, Enri saw that it and all the others were already pre-filled with herbs, as well as other things she could not really identify, not being an enjoyer of expensive, foreign tea.
"That one's kind of a berry mix, very prominent cherry and raspberry flavours."
And now, Neia seemed completely back to normal, happily explaining away the pre-mixed contents of each cup.
"This one has something similar ready, except the more prominent flavours there are peach, plum, and orange. And this is fairly standard green tea, at least here it's considered so. And this one has a more earthy feel to it, apparently quite unique, though I've never tasted it. This one is just a bit similar, but also has pronounced cinnamon undertones and a good bit of citrus thrown in there."
"Ah... hm hm."
In truth, Enri did not quite understand much of that.
"So, which ones would you like to try? If any, I suppose?"
"Uhm... well, what about... the first two you introduced?"
"Alright."
Right after, Neia reached for a teapot-style ceramic vessel, presumably where hot water was stored. Enri panicked just slightly.
"Wait, please, I can pour that myself."
"Oh, don't worry. I'm your hostess, after all."
"W-well, alright then. Still, having you tend to me..."
"Enri, we're friends, remember? Come on, no treating me like an authority."
"Yeah, sorry..."
The other sounds of the room ceased, the only one left being that of Neia pouring hot water, the atmosphere pleasant despite the strange occurrence from just then. Once done, her friend put the vessel down very gently.
"Did you want to know a bit about the treats?"
"Oh, I think I'll wait for the tea to get done and cool first. Can we talk about other things in the meantime?"
"Of course. Is there something in particular you wanted to say?"
"Well, in the letter, you mentioned that you did."
"Yes, that's true. There was something I wanted to tell you in person."
"Well, I'm all ears. I hope it's nothing bad?"
"Oh, not at all. It's some splendid news, in fact."
Enri leaned forward in anticipation while Neia chuckled to herself.
"... I am almost definitely pregnant. Darling and I are expecting our first child."
At first, Enri could not really emote in any other way than simply opening her mouth in surprise. While this was something she wondered about before, the confirmation that such a thing was possible with His Majesty's magic was one that stirred all sorts of emotions within her heart. With such major news, one tended to need a bit of time to truly realise what was said, the implications so great that it took a bit of thinking power. Soon enough, Enri smiled, overjoyed.
"Ah, that's wonderful! Just absolutely amazing! Congratulations, Neia. I'm so happy for you both. I know you really wanted this."
"Thank you. It means a lot..."
Neia chuckled again.
"Haha, you seem even more happy for me than I thought you'd be! Thank you, Enri."
"Uhm, yes... well..."
But just like that, the mood changed, Neia now scrutinising every single facet of her tone and body language. It was not done so in a hostile manner at all, yet Enri could not help but feel under pressure, simply due to how Neia's eyes looked when staring attentively, especially with their owner's smile now gone.
"... Enri? Is something wrong?"
In truth, besides the happiness for her friend, Enri also felt profoundly uplifting relief, a massive weight off her shoulders. The reason for this being...
"I... I just..."
Enri sighed.
"Me and Nfi want a child too. We've been thinking about trying for one very soon. I was just scared that maybe His Majesty couldn't bless you with one, which I feared would really strain our friendship when I got pregnant..."
"Oh, that... that's-"
Neia hesitated, then seemed to be thinking intensely, only to sigh with exhaustion, and some sort of unease.
"Enri, I... I would love to tell you that such thoughts are unfounded, but... In truth, yes, it might've been possible that if darling could not bestow this gift upon me, I would have grown jealous. Very jealous. I'm sorry."
"No, it's fine. I suppose I couldn't blame you at all. It's not like you'd choose to feel that way, right? It'd just be cruel circumstances forcing our friendship to suffer..."
Both women sat in silence for a bit, letting settle the depressing reality of the vulnerability of bonds to outside influence, and that they might've only narrowly escaped it. With a loud inhalation and a clap, Neia eventually broke the silence.
"But that's enough of that, right? Let's move on to brighter topics, shall we?"
"Yes, definitely."
"In that case... have you and Nfirea thought about names for the child yet?"
... ...
"Goodbye, Neia! It was so much fun today!"
"Goodbye, Enri!"
And with that, Enri turned and stepped into the magical disk, leaving Neia and Ainz Ooal Gown behind in the former's bedroom. The sight that greeted her on the other side was of course that of her home, Nfirea and Nemu standing by in anticipation. Only when that portal disappeared did the visit truly feel over.
"Hey! I'm back, you two."
Enri stepped over to her husband, at which point they shared in a short yet passionate kiss.
"What did His Majesty want to discuss, honey?"
"Ah, that... let's discuss it as we change."
"Alright. Nemu, you go too."
"Yes, sis."
Without skipping a beat, Nemu immediately turned and started walking in the direction of her room, probably wishing to return to studies, and also change into something more casual and comfortable. With a shrug, Enri took Nfirea's hand, the couple walking to their bedroom together. Once inside, they ensured their privacy by closing the door and blinds, after which Nfirea started speaking immediately.
"Say, sweetheart, what did you and Neia talk about?"
"Oh? You seem... well, that's a strange tone you have."
He shrugged and smiled innocently. While Enri could tell something was up due to how horrible of a liar her husband was, she would have told him either way.
"Neia and His Majesty are expecting their first child."
Nfirea's expression changed drastically, now a strange combination of realisation with some shock, or at least that's what Enri gathered.
"H-hey, what happened? Nfi?"
"Ah, uhm, well... His Majesty uhm..."
"Come on, spit it out!"
"I-I think m-maybe I shouldn't? It was an uhm... private order, that he discussed with me."
"Huh? What sort of order?"
"Uhm... so, you know those stamina potions? 'Stamina' potions? The versions adapted for men to use in bed?"
Immediately, Enri made the same expression her husband wore just seconds ago.
\\\
Watching the arcane door close behind Enri, Neia sighed and turned to Satoru, leaning against his chest.
"Exhausted, Neia?"
"Oh, just a little. A bit hungry, too."
"Already?"
"Yeah… or maybe I just need to drink something tasty?"
"A light snack shouldn't hurt, if you want me to get you something from Nazarick."
"That would be very sweet of you, assuming it's not much trouble. But I definitely want cuddles either way."
"Of course. Though I'm also sure Pandora's Actor won't mind delaying or even postponing the meeting if you feel done for the day."
"No, I feel like he's had to wait too long to meet me again, considering you announced the news of my pregnancy to Nazarick days ago now... In general, it is quite regrettable he is too busy for more regular visits... Even if he was all grown up before I ever met him, I'm still his mother, after all. He's so excited to see me each time..."
Neia looked her husband in the eyes with a sort of pleading, but unsure if the words on her mind should really be said.
"... Neia?"
"Yes?"
"Well, were you about to ask me if I could make his schedule less busy?"
She was surprised, but only for the briefest of moments.
"Yeah, I guess I'm getting a bit predictable with that... sorry."
"No, no... While I meant for him to be content with solitude during his creation, perhaps he really needs more time with you... And with his sibling, of course..."
Her husband shifted his gaze away, now clearly thinking, though Neia was not entirely sure about what.
\\\
Satoru sighed internally. He really should be allowing Pandora's Actor to interact with Neia more. Although the embarrassment was not something he'd shake anytime soon, it was cruel to keep them apart for up to a month at a time. Neia was endeared by the doppelganger's eccentricity, and Satoru just needed to understand that, as much as it felt like letting her view a deeply shameful part of himself. Well, he should definitely work on getting used to it soon, since Neia will surely insist on keeping their child's big brother around as much as possible...
"Yes, of course, honey. I'll see what I can do with his schedule."
"Uhm, I hope I'm not being selfish. I don't want to impose on Nazarick or anything. I do realise that would be incredibly rude."
"Ah, not at all. I'm sure he'll appreciate getting time to spend with his mother during her pregnancy, and eventually, with his younger sibling."
"Okay... just wanted to make sure. I wouldn't want to get between you and Nazarick. I know how much it means to you, as do all its denizens. And their happiness, of course. You work so hard to keep them happy, after all."
"..."
"Satoru?"
"... Well, just don't worry about that too much. It's fine, I assure you. You're the dearest in the world to me, after all."
The subsequent flapping of Neia's wings made Satoru smile, or at least it would have, if he had a face.
"Ah, right, sorry, Neia. I should transform back already, since you want to cuddle."
Neia smiled reassuringly.
"It's okay darling. This is the form I fell in love with, after all. Both of the appearances you've shown me are wonderful. Please, stay in whichever one you prefer."
"Well, in truth, the human one makes our stay together more enjoyable for me. Just a moment."
Satoru slowly reached into his inventory.
... ...
Neia scrutinised her own hair diligently, attempting to restore it to a more presentable state after all that cuddling and lounging disturbed it. She turned to Satoru slowly, her husband skeletal again.
"How do I look, darling?"
"As stunningly gorgeous as usual."
Neia's wings flapped a few times, accompanied by a reddening of the cheeks.
"Thank you, Satoru... Okay, I think I'm ready, then."
With a nod, her beloved turned around.
"[Gate]."
...
Satoru opened the door and stepped through first, at which point he seemed to hesitate for just the briefest of moments, though Neia wondered if she might've just imagined it. Following him inside, she saw Pandora's Actor, their son, simply standing still in place, back turned to them.
"... Pandora's Actor?"
Almost immediately following his mother's greeting, he dramatically adjusted his cap, before dexterously using momentum to spin around and face them, saluting once done.
"Vater! Mutterrrrr! Oh, how wunderbar! From the moment I have heard that I will be BLESSED with a winzing little Bruderrr or Schwesterrrr, I have been oh so… überglücklichhhh!"
And then, no longer satisfied with standing still, Pandora's Actor began stepping around and gesturing wildly as the speech continued, Neia listening with wings flapping and head nodding.
"The joy of new life! The joy of Kindheit! Ahh, how wunderbar, wunderbarrrrr! MOTHEERRR! I will truly do my best to ensure that I am the GREATEEESTTT big BRUDERRR!"
Neia, wings still flapping, put a hand to her chest.
"Ah, I'm so glad you're this excited!"
"Of course I would be, Mutter! How could I not beeee?! What a wonderful day when faaather chose such a wunderbaaarrr woman to carry on the legacy of the Supreme Beingsss and bear for him an heir! How glorious it is that a new Supreme Being will be born!... Oh, and how glad am I that I have such a mother!"
"I'm so glad I have you as a son too!"
"Your words delight me to my core, Mutter. Now, shall we talk about my yet to be born sibling? I am so... exciteeeddd to talk! We must discuss so much! Names, toys, decorations for his or her room, cute little clothes, and how we will educate him or her with all the glorious knowledge and wisdom passed on by the Supreme Beings through their leader!"
... ... …
The agony is overwhelming. Heart beaten and pierced from every angle.
Mind struggling to recover, but it is in a haze. Thoughts no longer have meaning.
There is only stinging misery. Laying on sharp needles. Knives peeling skin.
But all of it is only within the heart. The body is intact.
It is like a need to make them match.
And so, that's what one does.
Make the pain outside as bad as the pain inside.
Teeth, nails, knives… whatever is within reach.
It was soothing.
… … …
The master of the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick, Suzuki Satoru, sat despondently behind his desk, head resting lazily in his hand, dismal thoughts moving in circles endlessly, never progressing or receding anymore.
The sudden knock which came next was like an arm sweeping a busy table clean with one smooth motion, leaving everything formerly on it to collapse to the ground with loud crashing sounds. Disoriented after being forcefully brought out of self-feeding gloom and into the present moment, Satoru listened on.
"Lord Ainz?"
It took him some time to process Sebas' inquiry, at which point he adopted the most regal pose he could presently muster.
"Come in."
The butler did as asked, moving quickly but elegantly, with great hurry but not rushing. Sebas stopped near the foot of Satoru's table, waiting for the command which his master felt rather hesitant in giving.
"... Give me the report."
Solemnly bowing, he started.
"Lady Aura and Lord Mare seem to be doing as expected. Still confused about the situation, but accepting it."
"Mm mm."
Satoru produced exhausted noises indicating understanding, the butler's prompt to continue.
"Lord Cocytus shows no sign of changing attitude, still very excited about being an uncle."
"Mm mm."
"Lord Demiurge has spent a lot of time in isolation. I was finally able to get his own statement on the situation. He feels he has failed deeply in failing to understand his master."
"... Mm mm."
"Lady Shalltear has still not been leaving her quarters much."
Satoru clenched his fists.
"... Continue."
"The Pleiades are still spending time together as sisters to cope with their feelings."
The guilt within was gaining in strength rapidly, as did his anger at himself.
"... Continue."
"When it comes to Lady Albedo... the... situation is the same."
Satoru clenched both his teeth and fists with great strength, the grinding of his bones filling the otherwise silent room with a deeply unpleasant sound, one poetically representative of the pain within him.
He had waited long enough. It was time to act. Even if the details were still uncertain, it wasn't going to get that much better.
... ...
Suzuki Satoru now sat on his bed, the room silent, as it has been for some time, its owner unable to resist melancholic pessimism and the associated weariness, both forcing inaction. Beside the last of the Supreme Beings floated the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown, and on his finger was now equipped the ring called Shooting Star, something he stared at intently, still unable to commit to doing what only seemed more prudent by the day.
But this was only the obvious course of action, even if its efficacy could not be guaranteed. Satoru cruelly lied and hurt the denizens of Nazarick, who he should have been protecting, and ensuring their happiness. This was Satoru's fault, and it was entirely on him to solve it.
With a deep inhalation, Satoru grasped the Staff and stood up, ready to use both of the powerful items in conjunction.
'... Time to make a wish...'
...
The Guardian Overseer of Nazarick was laying on her bed, entirely limp. The clothes she wore were still the same ones from that day when Lord Momonga rejected her in that most definitive, painful way. Albedo was not sure how long ago that was. The pain in her heart was so overwhelming that it distorted everything else, including perception of time. It did not help that the succubus had not left her bed since then. The present moment was a rather rare one, where she was too weary to even continue sobbing.
It felt as though everything was over. The one thing Albedo wanted the most was Momonga's love and companionship. To be his wife, to make each other happy, to be a mother to his children… Why could it not be? Why? Why? What did she do wrong?
What purpose did her life have anymore? She would never be happy anyway. No, nothing even approaching happiness. Only misery awaited Albedo, knowing Momonga would not love her back.
She now had enough energy to cry again.
And so she did.
Albedo wept and wept, mourning the loss of a chance at happiness.
... And then, she stopped.
Suddenly, it felt as though something was different. Like a jolt of electricity, something unknown forced a state of alertness onto the succubus. Albedo sat up and looked around.
There was the bed, sheets in disarray and covered blood, as was her own dress, and the knife on the nearby pillow. On her forearms was the source of all that blood, her own self-inflicted cuts. It seemed nothing was different.
Seeing that it was just the mind playing trickery, Albedo wanted to collapse back to a lying position and continue weeping. Or at least she expected to have that desire.
But it was now absent. This was a second, more powerful jolt to Albedo's mind. The loss of Lord Momonga as a loving husband no longer seemed so harrowing... in fact, did the succubus even want that at all? The times when all she'd think of was his touch... they suddenly felt distant. Albedo no longer lusted for her master, nor did the idea of their matrimony seem necessary.
But why? What changed? Just earlier, it seemed as though Albedo's life was ruined beyond all hint of repair. But now, the succubus was perfectly content. What more could she ask for than being a trusted servant of Momonga? That was already more than enough to live a fulfilling, blessed life.
And then, someone knocked. A third major jolt.
"... Albedo?"
It was him. Momonga.
"L-Lord Momonga! Please, come-"
Due to being so distracted by the sudden change in her own attitude, Albedo almost made a grave mistake.
"Uhm, I mean DON'T come in! I'm uhh... not dressed!"
"Ah, my apologies. Please, do take your time."
Albedo quickly turned the pillows and sheets over to the clean side, and put the knife back in her inventory. Once done with that, she rushed to one of the closets, and pulled out a bathrobe, one with long sleeves. Putting it on, there was now nothing to clearly indicate any self-mutilation.
Still, when opening the door for Lord Momonga, Albedo only peeked out with her head, at which point she also noticed her master wielded the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown, and was standing quite far from the door.
"Lord M-... Lord Ainz?"
"Hello, Albedo. I apologise for interrupting at a bad time, but I just wanted to check on you, and make sure you're alright."
"Is that so? Well, I feel... fine."
"Fine? Are you sure? Sebas told me you were weeping and refusing to come out just a bit earlier."
"... Yes, I'm fine, Lord Ainz. I apologise profusely for my previous behaviour. I was saddened by your announcement regarding Neia Baraja, but I have since recovered."
"Is that so? Then forgive me for asking, but... well, do you harbour any strong desire to become my lover? Or my wife?"
"Uhm... n-not really? Uhm, I don't think so?"
Momonga only stood there in silence, observing carefully for an uncomfortable amount of time.
"... I see. Good. I once again apologise for the intrusion... Well, goodbye for now."
"Goodbye, Lord Ainz."
"Hm. Cocytus, Sebas, let's move."
It was only then that they stepped out from behind the nearby corner, fully armed. Was Momonga expecting something to go wrong? Was something done to her?
"Uhm, Lord Ainz? Where are you going?"
"Ah, just to check on some others. Hopefully they've also recovered..."
…
Hello. Sorry about this chapter being out so late. Not only is it almost three times the length I originally thought it was going to be, but I was also busy with some medical stuff, spending time with family and friends, and now I'm also sick.
Either way, I have in fact decided to continue this fanfic, and try to write about Satoru and Neia raising their child… or children? Who knows. But thank you everyone for the encouragement. It's what motivated this decision, after all.
Thank you everyone for reading. I hope the wait was worth it. Do tell me what you think.
(Also, regarding the final segment here: I thought it was either that or basically leaving a lot of Naz characters in like… permanent depression, which just seemed too cruel, and it seemed out of character that Satoru wouldn't at least try to do something about it. I just made it work smoothly here I suppose. I'm not really going for a bleak ending here, sooo… this seems the best way to handle this.)