Chapter 58

Sehari di Nazarick

Penerjemah: Rockgollem

Pengeditan: Skythewood, Namorax, TaintedDreams, Nigel, Ferro, NoirX, Zack Tan, SifaV6

Terima kasih khusus kepada Anon

5:14 Waktu Nazarick

Setetes air berkumpul di ujung faucet emas, dan perlahan-lahan membengkak, sampai akhirnya ditarik oleh gravitasi dan tercebur ke lantai kamar mandi.

Ada beberapa fasilitas mandi di Makam Besar Bawah Tanah Nazarick, dan ini adalah salah satunya.

Seseorang berendam di dalam bak batu yang cukup besar untuk menampung beberapa orang sekaligus.

Air biru menetes dari tubuh putih yang licin. Warna biru ini bukan kiasan sastra, tetapi warna biru yang sebenarnya, seolah-olah telah diproduksi melalui aplikasi pewarna yang disengaja.

Cairan berwarna biru menjilat tubuh seperti porselen, mulai dari kakinya. Tubuhnya yang licin menentang kekuatan gravitasi dan merangkak ke atas, tidak seperti air yang mengalir ke segala arah.

"… Fuaahhhh …"

Kamar mandi sangat ramah gema, dan kata-kata yang secara tidak sadar menyelinap keluar secara tak terduga keras dalam batas-batasnya

Mungkin malu dengan suaranya sendiri, tetapi tangan ramping tiba-tiba muncul dari cairan biru. Suara tetesan air dan riak yang diperkirakan di permukaan air tidak ditemukan. Itu karena cairan ini kental tidak normal.

Tangan yang terangkat membelai wajah yang banyak dipuji karena keindahannya.

"Haa ~"

Orang yang dimaksud menghela nafas pelan, lalu membiarkan dirinya jatuh ke belakang ke dalam cairan. Namun, tubuh orang itu tidak tenggelam ke dalam air. Sebaliknya, cairan biru perlahan menangkap bingkai ramping orang itu. Kelembutannya menyerupai waterbed.

Cairan itu jelas sapient.

Poin itu segera dibuktikan pada saat berikutnya.

Cairan biru mulai menggeliat, mengekstrusi beberapa tentakel yang tebalnya masing-masing satu atau dua jari. Tentakel ini mulai bergerak, seolah merangkul orang itu. Tentu, hal yang sama juga terjadi di dalam cairan biru.

Itu menyentuh wajah, dada, perut, lengan, kaki ─ serta pinggang.

Setelah merebut mangsanya, cairan itu mulai menggeliat, seolah-olah puas. Sebenarnya, itu adalah Sapphire Slime, varian lendir tingkat tinggi.

Sapphire Slime mulai menggerakkan tentakel panjang dan tipis yang membungkus tubuh.

Tentakel menyusup ke celah-celah kecil selangkangan.

"─Ahhhhhh …"

Teriakan itu terdengar sekali lagi. Meskipun lebih keras dari sebelumnya, orang itu tidak berpikir untuk menurunkan suara mereka kali ini, hanya berfokus pada sensasi lendir yang bekerja di sekitar dan menggeliat di dalam tubuh mereka.

Suara seseorang berbicara sendiri bergema melalui kamar mandi.

“─Ah, ini terasa luar biasa. Terlalu bagus untuk kata-kata. "

***

Orang di dalam bak mandi ─ Ainz ─ bergumam pada dirinya sendiri saat dia mandi lendir.

Dia mengambil segenggam lendir dan menuangkannya ke kepalanya. Lendir yang telah bekerja keras membersihkan celah-celah panggulnya terasa di mana tuannya ingin membersihkan berikutnya. Ainz merasakan lendir merangkak di kepalanya.

"Huu, ini surga."

Tubuh mayat hidup Ainz seluruhnya terdiri dari tulang.

Dia tidak memiliki metabolisme, sehingga tubuhnya tidak akan bau atau menjadi kotor dari limbah tubuh. Namun, ini bukan berarti dia tidak perlu mandi. Lagipula, debu dan jelaga masih menumpuk di tubuhnya, dan kadang-kadang ia akan terciprat oleh darah musuhnya. Pada akhirnya, dia masih kotor.

Selain itu, sebagai orang Jepang, ia merasa sangat tidak nyaman karena tidak mandi.

“Aku hanya bisa mandi uap di sana (di dunia asliku). Jadi begitu saya tahu saya bisa mandi di sini, saya ingin merendam seluruh tubuh saya ke bak mandi … mungkin mandi adalah praktik yang sudah mendarah daging bagi orang Jepang. "

Dia melakukan gerakan menghembuskan napas sementara dia tenggelam lebih dalam ke lendir. Sensasi licin menerima dan menerima tubuhnya.

Tidak akan terasa aneh jika dia memperlakukannya sebagai cairan kental.

Mandi normal sangat merepotkan.

Ainz menunduk untuk melihat bagian tubuhnya yang paling menyusahkan.

Barisan tulang rusuknya mulai terlihat.

Membersihkan setiap tulang rusuk satu per satu sangat merepotkan. Ainz mengingat kembali perjuangannya dari ketika ia melakukannya sebelumnya, dan menghela nafas ─ terlepas dari kenyataan bahwa ia tidak perlu bernapas.

Itu bukan satu-satunya masalah.

Tulang belakangnya juga sama. Tonjolan menyambar handuknya, dan dia tidak bisa membersihkannya dengan mudah dalam sekali jalan. Dia harus perlahan-lahan membersihkan setiap tulang belakang individu.

Pada awalnya, Ainz sangat berhati-hati dalam mandi sendiri. Namun, Ainz segera mulai merasa itu melelahkan, terlepas dari ketahanan mentalnya. Butuh setidaknya setengah jam untuk mandi, dan dia tidak bisa tidak berpikir, “Apakah kamu bercanda?”

Setelah itu, ia memutuskan untuk berendam dalam air sabun dan berbalik di dalamnya seperti mesin cuci. Itu ide yang cukup bagus. Masalahnya adalah dia tidak merasa bersih. Jika dia tidak menggosok dirinya sendiri, itu tidak terasa seperti dia mendapatkan semua kotoran darinya.

Setelah itu, ia menggunakan kuas yang ditangani untuk menggosok dirinya sendiri. Itu cukup efektif.

Memang, sabun dan buihnya merambah ke mana-mana, tetapi bukan berarti Ainz yang membersihkannya. Membersihkan adalah pekerjaan para pelayan, dan mereka senang mendapat kesempatan untuk menunjukkan barang-barang mereka. Itu benar-benar situasi win-win.

Namun, bahkan ide bagus ini pun cacat.

Cacat itu tidak tahu apakah dia benar-benar menggosok dirinya hingga bersih.

Itu seperti mendapatkan rongga meskipun dengan hati-hati menyikat gigi; meskipun dia pikir dia telah menggosok dirinya sendiri dari ujung kepala sampai ujung kaki, dia masih khawatir bahwa dia telah melewatkan menggosok sebagian dirinya.

Pada akhirnya, Ainz menemukan solusi ini, yang membiarkan lendir menelannya.

"Teknik ini … seperti yang aku pikirkan, itu benar-benar revolusioner dan unik, teknik sempurna yang tidak bisa disalahkan," gumamnya pada dirinya sendiri ketika dia melihat lendir biru yang merangkak di sekujur tubuhnya.

Ainz mengangguk bahagia, puas dengan metode yang dia temukan untuk mandi mudah. Yang dia tahu, ini mungkin hal terbaik yang dia pikirkan sejak dia datang ke dunia ini.

"Bagus, aku!"

Ketika Ainz memuji dirinya sendiri sekali lagi, dia melihat ke lendir yang dengan rajin mengalir di sekujur tubuhnya.

Lucunya…

Monster seperti ini sangat ganas; mereka dapat melarutkan musuh mereka dengan asam dan mereka cukup kuat untuk menekuk jeruji besi dengan mudah. Namun bagi Ainz, mereka adalah petugas pemandiannya, yang membantunya membersihkan diri. Sampai batas tertentu, mereka merasa seperti binatang peliharaan.

Tetap saja, meskipun mandi lendir baik-baik saja … Saya ingin mandi secara teratur kapan-kapan.

Ada berbagai macam fasilitas di Lantai 9 Nazarick. Salah satunya mandi besar. Itu adalah kompleks berbagai sub-fasilitas mandi bertema setelah resor spa.

"Mungkin aku akan mandi di sana dan melihat bagaimana rasanya …"

Konon, mandi sendirian terlalu membosankan. Itulah yang terjadi—

"Baik! Saya akan membuat Guardian ikut dengan saya. Akan baik jika ada saat semua orang bebas. "

Ainz tersenyum pada ide baiknya.

7:14 Waktu Nazarick

Ada dua jenis pelayan di Nazarick.

Satu kelompok adalah pelayan tempur, seperti yang diwakili oleh Yuri Alpha, dan yang lainnya adalah pelayan biasa yang tidak memiliki kemampuan tempur. Yang terakhir adalah homunculi, dengan tingkat ras dan pekerjaan gabungan 1, dan mereka bertanggung jawab untuk berbagai pekerjaan di lantai 10 dan 9 Nazarick. Secara khusus, membersihkan berbagai kamar Supreme Being adalah tugas yang sangat penting bagi mereka.

Salah satu pelayan biasa, yang dikenal sebagai Keenam, bergerak cepat di sepanjang koridor, karena dia terburu-buru. Ini adalah teknik pelayan sederhana ─ bukan keterampilan khusus atau apa pun ─ dan membawanya ke kafetaria.

Hanya ada satu alasan untuk pergi ke kafetaria saat ini.

Ketika dia tiba, hampir semua rekannya sudah berkumpul untuk sarapan dan mulai makan.

Kafetaria didominasi warna putih, dengan dekorasi yang jarang. Gema obrolan ceria para gadis menggema di dinding seperti riak air. Itu tidak akan menjadi masalah jika hanya ada satu orang, tetapi karena ada banyak orang berbicara, suara mereka menyatu menjadi satu suara yang tidak dapat dipahami. Selain itu, suara peralatan makan denting ditambahkan ke din.

Para pelayan di kafetaria dapat dipisahkan menjadi empat kelompok utama.

Tiga kelompok pertama disortir menurut pencipta mereka. Total ada 41 pelayan reguler, tapi itu bukan karena masing-masing Makhluk Tertinggi telah menciptakan pelayan mereka sendiri. Sebaliknya, pelayan biasa diciptakan oleh trirumvirate Whitebrim, Herohero, dan Coup De Grâce.

Sebenarnya, kelompok terakhir bukanlah kelompok yang tepat dengan sendirinya. Itu terdiri dari para pelayan yang telah memisahkan diri dari tiga kelompok pertama untuk makan dalam keheningan, untuk makan sambil membaca atau untuk berbicara dengan para pelayan yang telah dibuat oleh Makhluk Tertinggi lainnya.

Keenam, yang datang terlambat di kafetaria, adalah anggota kelompok terakhir.

Dia melambaikan tangan kepada pelayan yang dibuat oleh Makhluk Tertinggi yang sama seperti dirinya sendiri — mereka adalah saudara perempuannya, dalam arti tertentu — dan kemudian menuju ke tempat biasanya.

"Selamat pagi … apakah kamu sudah makan?"

"Selamat pagi. Dan ya, kita sudah makan. Sarapan sangat enak ~ begitu lembut dan lembut dan enak ~ ”

Orang yang memberikan balasan datar itu disebut Foire. Dia buruk dalam berbohong, tapi tetap saja berbohong. Dia memiliki rambut pendek dan rok pelayannya juga diperpendek agar sesuai dengan penampilan energinya.

Yang kontras dengannya adalah Lumiere, yang memiliki pandangan yang rapi tentangnya. Ada cahaya misterius di rambutnya yang pirang, yang berkilau seperti ada bintang di dalamnya.

"Selamat pagi. ─Fire, karena kamu tidak perlu detik, kamu bisa menunggu kami di sini. Saya belum sarapan, jadi saya akan mendapatkan beberapa. Ayo, Keenam, ayo pergi. "

Lumiere berdiri, mengikuti dari dekat oleh Foire, yang dengan panik berkata, "Aku hanya bercanda, sungguh ~"

Setelah mengakhiri dialog mereka yang biasa, mereka bertiga pergi ke konter prasmanan swalayan. Tentu saja, mereka memiliki pelayan bernama Increment, yang diam-diam membaca buku di samping mereka, mengawasi kursi mereka.

Hal pertama yang diambil Sixth di bar prasmanan adalah sajian bacon renyah. Sebagai anggota dari fraksi yang percaya bahwa "daging lunak adalah iblis", dia selalu melakukannya terlebih dahulu. Selanjutnya, dia mengambil sup. Dari tiga rasa hari ini — sebagian besar hari, jagung dan bawang — dia memilih yang terakhir. Setelah itu adalah sosis, kentang goreng dan danish. Piringnya yang lain bertumpuk tinggi dengan salad bawang, hampir sampai tumpah. Akhirnya, Keenam melakukan pemesanan dengan pelayan bertopeng.

"Um, aku akan punya keju rangkap tiga, bawang bombai ganda, dan jamur ekstra."

Pelayan itu mengangguk, dan mulai membuat telur dadar.

Keenam kembali ke kursinya untuk meletakkan piringnya, dan kemudian menuang segelas susu untuk dirinya sendiri sebelum kembali ke tempat pelayan sedang menunggu dengan telur dadar yang baru disiapkan.

"Terima kasih banyak."

Telur dadar yang sempurna itu sudah disiapkan dengan sempurna, tanpa ada tanda luka bakar di atasnya, dan dia kembali ke tempatnya seperti yang dilakukan teman-temannya.

"Kalau begitu, mari kita makan!"

"Ayo makan ~"

"Mari makan."

Mereka bertiga sarapan dalam diam. Perlahan tapi pasti, mereka memindahkan banyak makanan – jauh melebihi apa yang biasa dikonsumsi gadis normal – dari piring mereka ke perut mereka. Itu karena mereka semua memiliki selera makan yang meningkat, sebagai hukuman rasial.

Karena itu, meskipun mereka berada di antara teman-teman, mereka tidak pernah berbicara sambil makan.

Foire mengunyah sementara pipinya penuh dengan makanan, Lumiere makan dengan elegan, tetapi garpunya bergerak dengan kecepatan yang ganas, dan Keenam makan dengan kecepatan di antara keduanya.

Segera, piring mereka telah dikosongkan dengan kecepatan yang mengejutkan, dan mereka bertiga menurunkan kacamata mereka setelah itu.

"Huuu …"

Mereka bertiga menghembuskan napas, aroma susu yang berat di nafas mereka, dan kemudian saling memandang.

"Detik?"

"Kedengarannya bagus, tapi mari kita istirahat dulu."

“Aku menyetujui ~ Merasa agak kenyang sekarang, sih. Katakanlah, Sixth, bukan giliran Anda untuk melayani Ainz-sama hari ini? Kamu nampak lebih tegar daripada biasanya hari ini. ”

Foire tersenyum nakal, begitu juga Keenam.

"Beruntung kamu, berapa lama lagi sampai giliranku?"

Lumiere menghitung hari dengan jarinya.

***

Kamar-kamar penguasa tertinggi Nazarick berskala besar, sedemikian rupa sehingga satu orang akan membutuhkan setengah hari atau lebih untuk membersihkan salah satu dari mereka dengan hati-hati. Sementara pelayan memiliki angka mentah untuk membersihkan mereka setiap hari, bahkan dengan kamar cadangan Albedo diperhitungkan, itu akan membutuhkan banyak orang untuk bekerja sepanjang hari tanpa istirahat.

Namun, ini bukan masalah bagi pelayan. Mereka telah diciptakan oleh penguasa Makam Besar Bawah Tanah Nazarick, guild Ainz Ooal Gown; sudah sepantasnya mereka harus menggerakkan jari mereka ke tulang untuk mereka, karena itu adalah tindakan memuliakan dewa-dewa mereka.

Dan kemudian, para pekerja fanatik ini telah diperintahkan untuk berhenti oleh makhluk seperti dewa, Ainz Ooal Gown.

Ainz tahu kesulitan bekerja di bawah perusahaan yang tidak etis, dan dia tidak tega membiarkan gadis-gadis ini, yang seperti anak perempuan teman-temannya, menderita seperti itu.

Dia telah mengatakan kepada mereka, "Jangan sering-sering membersihkan kamar yang tidak digunakan", dan kemudian "Anda akan bekerja dan beristirahat secara bergantian."

Dengan demikian, pelayan reguler Nazarick diatur dalam dua shift; shift siang dan shift malam. Yang pertama memiliki 30 orang dan yang terakhir memiliki 10 orang, sedangkan satu orang yang tersisa mendapat hari libur. Setelah menghitung hari kerja untuk pelayan, pengumuman bahwa mereka akan istirahat setiap 41 hari mendapat keluhan.

Bukannya ada beberapa hari libur, tetapi yang sebaliknya. Mereka meminta agar hari libur dibatalkan.

Pada akhirnya, bekerja untuk Makhluk Tertinggi adalah alasan keberadaan mereka. Memberitahu mereka bahwa mereka tidak harus bekerja merusak rasa harga diri mereka dan membuat mereka merasa tidak lagi dibutuhkan.

Karena itu, pelayan memutuskan untuk mendiskusikan masalah ini dengan Ainz. Mereka berkata, "Tolong jangan mengambil pekerjaan kami", "Kami ingin melakukannya sepanjang hari dan malam", dan seterusnya.

Ainz menembak saran itu di tempat. Konsep kelelahan ada di YGGDRASIL dan sementara itu bisa dengan mudah diperbaiki dengan sihir, tidak ada jaminan bahwa kelelahan akan disembuhkan dengan mudah di dunia ini. Bahkan dengan sihir, dia khawatir bahwa itu akan terus menurunkan kemampuan mereka untuk berfungsi, seperti roda gigi yang kehilangan gigi.

Namun, para pelayan dengan tegas menolak untuk mundur. Dihadapkan dengan air mata mereka, Ainz menyerah dan mengusulkan jenis pekerjaan baru untuk mereka.

Mereka harus secara pribadi melayani Ainz.

Tugas itu mengharuskan tinggal di sisi Ainz untuk memenuhi setiap kebutuhan dan keinginannya, dan para pelayan akan bergiliran mengisi peran itu.

Tawaran ini sama menggodanya dengan gula yang ditaburkan dengan madu kepada para pelayan, yang sukacita terbesar dalam hidupnya adalah melayani Makhluk Agung. Mereka menerima saran tanpa berpikir dua kali, bersama dengan perintah bahwa "Anda harus menjaga diri sendiri dan beristirahat dengan baik sehari sebelumnya, sehingga Anda dapat melayani dengan segenap kekuatan Anda saat giliran Anda."

***

“Kami membutuhkan nutrisi kami sehingga kami bisa bekerja keras, Anda tahu. Plus, tergantung situasinya, Anda mungkin perlu melewatkan makan juga. ”

"Tentu saja, ketika kamu melayani Ainz-sama, otakmu membutuhkan semua nutrisi yang bisa didapat."

"Aku ingin sesuatu yang manis ~"

Ketiga gadis itu mengangguk serempak. Kebetulan, semua pelayan membawa beberapa permen dan makanan lainnya untuk mereka. Mereka akan mengudap mereka setiap kali mereka memiliki waktu luang sambil melayani Ainz. Namun, entah beruntung atau tidak, mereka tidak dapat menemukan waktu luang itu. Karena itu, makan pagi sangat penting bagi mereka.

"Anda telah mendengar? Mereka mengatakan bahwa mereka akan memasak menggunakan bahan-bahan dari dunia luar dan mencicipi makanan. "

Dua lainnya terkesiap mendengar pernyataan Sixth.

Aku juga berharap, pikir Keenam.

Beberapa pelayan berpikir baik tentang dunia luar – dunia yang berada di luar Nazarick. Beberapa dari mereka merasa bahwa dunia luar lebih rendah daripada Nazarick, tetapi kebanyakan dari mereka takut akan hal itu, karena lantai tepat di atas rumah mereka, lantai 8, pernah diserbu oleh orang-orang dari luar.

"Apakah semua pelayan akan menghadiri pencicipan? Atau hanya sedikit dari kita yang diizinkan pergi? "

Tepat ketika Keenam hendak menjawab pertanyaan Foire, suasana di kafetaria berubah. Udara itu sendiri sepertinya memanas.

Ketika pendatang baru datang ke pandangan pelayan, mereka menjerit kegirangan.

"Shizu-chan!"

"Ini Shizu-chan!"

Orang yang baru saja memasuki kafetaria adalah salah satu dari Pleiades, CZ.

Pembantu perang seperti berhala bagi pelayan biasa, dan CZ adalah yang paling populer di antara mereka semua. Sering ada pergulatan untuk duduk di sebelahnya.

"Ah, penguin di sini juga."

CZ memegang seekor penguin di bawah lengannya, dan seorang pelayan yang tampak khawatir tertinggal di belakangnya. Itu adalah Asisten Butler, Eclair. Dia mengepakkan sayapnya dengan semua kekuatannya, tetapi tidak mungkin dia bisa melarikan diri dengan kekuatan Birdman level 1. Perjuangannya yang putus asa dengan cepat kehilangan kekuatan mereka ketika pelayan melihat.

Pada akhirnya, penguin kehabisan kekuatan dan menjadi lemas, seperti boneka yang nyata.

““ Shizu-chan! Di sini, di sini! Ayo makan bersama kami! "

“Tidak, kemarilah! Shizu-chaaaan ~ ”

"Lemparkan saja kepala pelayan itu! Di sana akan baik-baik saja! "

"Kirim burung tidak berguna itu ke kepala koki, setidaknya dia akan berkontribusi pada Nazarick seperti itu!"

Ada perbedaan mencolok dalam penerimaan yang diterima Asisten Butler dan CZ dari pelayan, tetapi itu tidak bisa membantu. Dia tidak disukai karena dia dengan keras menyatakan bahwa dia ingin mengambil alih Nazarick, meskipun hanya menjadi asisten kepala pelayan. Bahkan jika dia diciptakan seperti itu oleh Makhluk Tertinggi, seringnya pengumuman kata-kata liar itu membuatnya sangat tak tertahankan.

CZ mengintip melalui keributan di sekitarnya, seolah-olah dia sedang mencari seseorang. Cara menggemaskan yang dia lakukan, seperti dia masih anak-anak yang tidak tahu harus duduk di mana, membuat banyak pelayan berdetak lebih cepat.

"Bahkan burung itu terlihat imut ketika Shizu-chan memegangnya, betapa anehnya."

“Aku ingin bantal pelukan Shizu-chan. Albedo-sama tampaknya tahu cara membuat itu, aku bertanya-tanya apakah dia akan mengajari saya? "

"Albedo-sama sangat baik, aku yakin dia akan setuju. Mengapa Anda tidak mencoba bertanya padanya lain kali? "

Suara sebuah buku yang ditutup dengan bunyi gedebuk terdengar dari meja sebelah, dan ketika Keenam berbalik untuk melihat, matanya bertemu Increment.

"Tempat ini mulai berisik, jadi aku akan kembali. Karena Anda menghadiri Ainz-sama hari ini, Anda mungkin harus menyelesaikan sarapan dengan cepat dan menuju kepadanya. Setiap kesalahan yang Anda lakukan akan mencerminkan kita semua. "

Setelah mengatakan karyanya, Increment berbalik dan pergi tanpa menunggu jawaban. Saat dia melihat rekan pelayannya pergi, Sixth mengeluarkan arlojinya. Untungnya, dia masih punya waktu. Setelah menyegarkan, dia harus tepat waktu.

"Baiklah, aku akan mengambil beberapa makanan lagi untuk dimakan sementara semua orang fokus pada Shizu-chan!"

Foire dan Lumiere mengangguk pada gagasan Keenam.

"Oh ~ itu ide yang bagus ~ su"

Jawaban tiba-tiba dari samping membuat ketiga pelayan itu terkesiap.

"Lu-Lupusregina-san!"

Dengan tangan tergenggam di jantungnya yang terguncang, Keenam berbalik menghadap sumber suara. Tidak ada seorang pun di sana beberapa saat yang lalu, tetapi Lupusregina muncul entah dari mana sementara semua orang terganggu oleh Shizu dan memalingkan muka. Dia duduk menyamping di kursi dengan kaki di atas meja dan bahkan memiliki makanan sendiri.

"Tolong jangan menakuti kita seperti itu, jujur ​​~"

Foire masih menempel erat pada Lumiere, alisnya terangkat.

"Jantungku hampir melompat keluar dari mulutku ~"

Lumiere nyaris tidak memperhatikan Foire, yang menempel padanya. Dia berbicara dengan pelan, seolah dia takut akan akalnya.

Mereka bertiga mengarahkan suara mencela di Lupusregina, namun mereka sebenarnya hanya sedikit senang di dalam. Itu karena Lupusregina adalah satu-satunya pelayan yang memperlakukan mereka seperti teman, meskipun tindakannya sulit diprediksi. Dia menghabiskan waktunya untuk bergerak di antara kelompok-kelompok pelayan yang berbeda, jadi didekati olehnya adalah tanda keberuntungan. Bukti terbaik adalah bagaimana beberapa yang lain memandang Sixth dan kelompoknya dengan mata iri.

"Nishishi, sepertinya eksperimenku di desa tidak sia-sia, kalian bertiga memberiku beberapa reaksi yang lucu ~"

Cara Lupusregina menopang wajahnya dengan lengan di atas meja, sambil menyeringai jahat di wajahnya, membuatnya tampak seperti kucing keluar dari buku cerita. Meskipun senyumnya hanyalah nakal, itu tetap menarik. Keenam menyaksikan pertempuran pembantu tersenyum untuk sementara waktu, benar-benar terpesona olehnya.

Dua lainnya sepertinya merasakan hal yang sama, tetapi yang pertama pulih adalah Foire.

"Desa?"

Foire memiringkan kepalanya, yang membuat rambut bob pendeknya menyapu wajah Lumiere.

Lumiere menahan keinginan untuk bersin dan mendorong Foire pergi, dan kemudian dia mengatur ulang dirinya sendiri sehingga dia menatap wajah Lupusregina langsung.

"Lupusregina-san, kamu bekerja di luar, kan?"

"Yup, di desa manusia ~ su."

"Manusia, ya … itu pasti sulit."

Lumiere memandang Lupusregina dengan mata simpatik.

"Nah, tidak seperti itu! Karena Ainz-sama memesannya, itu layak dilakukan! … Meskipun, saya harus mengatakan, itu agak membosankan. Bagaimana saya harus meletakkan ini … akan jauh lebih menyenangkan untuk menindih mereka di bawah kaki saya. "

Keenam tidak memiliki pendapat khusus tentang pernyataan itu. Manusia dan desa mereka dan yang lainnya tidak penting baginya. Apakah mereka makmur atau dihancurkan, satu-satunya hal yang penting adalah jika mereka berguna bagi Nazarick.

"Kalau dipikir-pikir, Ainz-sama mengatakan bahwa desa itu sangat berharga, tapi aku tidak melihatnya ~ su"

"Mengingat kepribadian Ainz-sama, dia pasti mengatakan itu karena dia mengasihani manusia kecil yang menyedihkan di sana .."

"Tidak, tidak, Ainz-sama seperti badai kematian. Saya yakin dia hanya menunggu saat yang tepat untuk membunuh mereka semua, bukan? "

"Apa yang kamu katakan? Apakah Anda tidak tahu Ainz-sama jenius? Semua ini harus menjadi bagian dari rencananya. "

"Ara, aku tidak bisa berpura-pura tidak mendengar itu. Bukankah kekuatan Ainz-sama adalah bagian terbaik dari dirinya ~ su? "

Keempat gadis cantik itu saling menatap, tidak ada yang mau mundur.

"Ainz-sama adalah orang yang cantik, penyayang."

"Ainz-sama adalah Kematian, datanglah untuk dunia ini."

"Ainz-sama adalah pahlawan yang tak tertandingi."

“Oh, sepertinya semua orang memiliki kesan berbeda dengan Ainz-sama. Lalu, mari kita berkompetisi. Kita akan melihat siapa yang dapat memilih judul yang paling cocok untuk Ainz-sama. "

Dalam sekejap, semua orang terdiam. Lupusregina mengenakan senyumnya yang biasa, tetapi dia memiliki pemahaman tertentu tentang kualitas penghubungnya dan tidak mau mengakui kekalahan. Namun, Keenam dan kedua temannya merasakan hal yang sama.

Pembantu rumah biasa adalah makhluk lemah, tetapi rasa hormat dan kekaguman mereka terhadap tuannya tidak kurang dari orang lain.

"Lalu, kalian bertiga mungkin memulai ~ su."

"Dalam hal itu… "

Lumiere adalah yang pertama berbicara.

"Lalu, seperti yang aku katakan sebelumnya, aku ingin memuji kecantikan Ainz-sama. Jadi bagaimana dengan figure Sosok porselen yang indah, bersinar dan tanpa cacat, penguasa belas kasih yang lembut. ’

Berikutnya adalah Foire.

"Yah, jika kita akan memuji Ainz-sama, maka kita harus memuji kekuatannya yang luar biasa, kan! Sebagai penguasa kematian, apa yang lebih pas dari 'Memento Mori'? "

Yang ketiga adalah Keenam.

"Ainz-sama adalah orang yang mengoordinasikan Makhluk Tertinggi, sehingga keterampilan manajemennya akan sangat baik. Jadi dia adalah 'raja yang bijaksana'. "

Meskipun nama semua orang cocok dengan tuannya, pada akhirnya mereka semua berpikir bahwa pilihan mereka sendiri adalah yang terbaik.

Lupusregina terbatuk dengan lembut ketika Keenam, Foire dan Lumiere memandangnya. Dengan ekspresi bangga di wajahnya, dia berkata,

"Pada akhirnya, kita shiuld memanggilnya yang paling kuat dan terkuat—"

"…Anda disana."

Sumber suara yang tenang itu adalah CZ. Asisten kepala pelayan Eclair yang dia pegang di bawah lengannya telah menghilang ke bagian yang tidak diketahui.

"… Berhentilah menggunakan tembus pandang sepanjang waktu."

"Soz ~ itu kebiasaan ~ su"

"… Dan kamu mulai makan."

Kemarahan panas terik membakar di bawah wajah tanpa emosi CZ. Keenam merasa bahwa dia seharusnya tidak berada di sini lagi.

"… Ah, aku-aku harus pergi ke Ainz-sama!"

"Kalau begitu, aku akan pergi juga."

"Aku akan mengirimmu ~"

Keenam dan yang lainnya diam-diam mengosongkan kursi mereka, meskipun mereka merasa agak buruk mengabaikan pandangan memohon Lupusregina ke arah mereka.

Pada akhirnya, mereka tidak berhasil mendapatkan detik. Itu agak memalukan, tapi dia harus menenangkan diri sekarang.

Keenam tidak memperhatikan bahaya di udara di belakang mereka. Sebaliknya, dia dengan ringan menampar pipinya untuk memfokuskan dirinya. Wajahnya memiliki ekspresi tegas, seorang prajurit yang sedang berperang, tetapi langkah kakinya ringan dan cepat.

***

9:20 Waktu Nazarick

Ini adalah Lantai 6 dari Makam Bawah Tanah Besar Nazarick.

Mayat mayat yang berkeliaran di makam itu tidak terlihat, tetapi binatang buas ─ seperti dikendalikan oleh Aura ─ mempertahankan lokasi ini sebagai ganti monster POP. Daerah ini ─ dikenal sebagai yang paling ekspansif di Makam Besar Bawah Tanah Nazarick ─ sebagian besar ditutupi oleh hutan lebat, sampai pada titik di mana ia dapat digambarkan sebagai lautan pohon.

Yang mengatakan, anggota masa lalu dari guild Ainz Ooal Gown sangat teliti tentang detail. Mereka pasti tidak akan mengecat area hijau ini dan selesai dengan itu.

Ada Colosseum di sini, pohon raksasa, jejak-jejak desa yang telah ditelan oleh hutan, danau, gua berbisa, hutan bengkok, hutan bakau dan rawa tak berdasar, yang semuanya menambah variasi ke Laut dari Pohon. Baru-baru ini, mereka bahkan membangun sebuah desa kecil untuk menerima penduduk baru.

Di tengah lautan pohon-pohon ini ada sebuah danau besar ─ yang mengatakan, itu masih lebih kecil dari area danau bawah tanah di Lantai 4 ─ yang dikelilingi bukan oleh hutan, tetapi oleh padang rumput. Sementara padang rumput dan danau cukup kecil jika dibandingkan dengan keseluruhan Lantai 6, itu masih cukup besar untuk tujuan mereka.

─ Mereka yang pertama dari "mereka" adalah Floor Guardian Aura. Dia naik dengan mudah di atas serigala raksasa dengan bulu hitam legam, dan hanya sekilas sudah cukup untuk mengatakan bahwa dia sudah tua dalam hal ini.

Namun, itu hanya yang diharapkan. Lagipula, ketika dia berpatroli di area yang luas ini, dia lebih suka melakukannya saat mengendarai binatang ajaib di bawah kekuasaannya, meskipun berlari akan cukup mudah, mengingat kemampuan fisiknya yang pra-alami.

Ada dua orang lainnya.

Salah satunya adalah Guardian Overseer, Albedo. Dia tidak mengenakan gaun putihnya yang cantik dan biasa, tetapi baju besi full-plat hitam yang dia pakai untuk bertempur. Namun, dia tidak membawa senjata atau perisai.

Yang lainnya adalah Shalltear. Dia tampak sama seperti biasanya, dan matanya memiliki tatapan aneh yang kurang menarik daripada kesenangan.

***

"Kalau begitu, mari kita mulai ─ datang, my mount."

Skill yang digunakan Albedo disebut (Summon Mount).

Seekor binatang buas perlahan muncul entah dari mana, sehitam baju besi yang dikenakannya.

Binatang ini memiliki surai dan ekor putih, dan menyerupai kuda. Itu dibalut dengan setelan barding sepiring penuh, dan itu dilengkapi dengan tali kekang dan sadel.

Itu sedikit lebih kecil dari seekor kuda. Namun, kehadirannya jauh lebih menindas daripada kuda biasa. Perbedaan yang paling menentukan dapat ditemukan di kepalanya. Di sana, orang akan menemukan dua tanduk yang menonjol langsung ke luar.

Respons pertama terhadap binatang ajaib yang tiba-tiba muncul datang dari Aura, yang paling tahu tentang makhluk seperti itu.

"Oh! Itu tidak seperti Bicorn biasa! Tanduknya kuat dan terlihat sangat gemuk. ”

"Fufu," Albedo tertawa. "Tepat sekali. Bicorn ini telah diperkuat oleh kemampuanku menjadi War Bicorn Lord … yah, sebenarnya Bicorn level 100. "

"Bisakah itu terbang?"

"Tidak, tidak bisa. Ini pada dasarnya sama dengan Bicorn biasa; itu tidak memiliki kemampuan khusus, hanya meningkatkan stamina, kekuatan dan ketangkasan. "

"Sepertinya kamu tidak bisa benar-benar memperkuat tungganganmu tanpa keterampilan tipe pengendara ─ dalam hal itu, karena kemampuan spesialnya terlalu lemah, itu mungkin akan menghalangi jika mengambil bagian dalam pertempuran tingkat 100 kami"

"Memang. Namun, saya bisa menebusnya dengan menggunakan keterampilan saya untuk melindungi bocah ini, sehingga bisa bertarung untuk waktu yang lebih lama. ”

"Tapi bukankah itu berarti kamu akan membuang-buang sumber dayamu? Ini akan menjadi masalah besar dalam pertempuran, kan? Mengapa tidak menyalakannya dengan mengganti persnelingnya? Saya mendengar monster tipe gunung bisa dilengkapi dengan barding dan sepatu kuda dan sebagainya. ”

"Memang. Anda dapat mengubah peralatan tunggangan yang dipanggil melalui keterampilan. Itu terkait dengan pertanyaan yang diajukan tadi, Aura; misalnya, saya bisa melengkapinya dengan sepatu kuda yang memberikan penerbangan, dan itu bisa terbang. Namun, saya sudah memberinya item ajaib untuk meningkatkan kecepatannya … itu benar-benar keputusan yang sulit. "

Albedo ringan menepuk sayap binatang ajaib. Mungkin dia menggunakan terlalu banyak kekuatan, tapi Bicorn bergidik.

Tidak mungkin ada binatang ajaib yang dia panggil akan terlempar begitu saja. Tepat saat Albedo mengerutkan kening sambil bertanya-tanya apakah itu membodohinya, Aura mengajukan pertanyaan.

"Katakan, apakah ada nama?"

"Itu Bicorn, kan? Bukankah Anda sendiri yang mengatakannya sendiri? "

"Tidak, maksudku bukan nama spesiesnya, maksudku namanya sebagai individu."

"Apakah itu perlu?"

Dia mencari Shalltear untuk reaksinya. Vampir itu tidak mengatakan apa-apa, hanya mengangkat bahu.

“Tentunya butuh satu, kan? Bukankah itu peliharaanmu, Albedo? "

"Yah, itu bukan benar-benar hewan peliharaan … selain itu, apakah aku benar-benar memanggil yang sama setiap kali?"

Ketika dia mendengar pertanyaan Albedo, Shalltear datang dengan ide bagus, yang dia putuskan untuk dibagikan.

“Bagaimana kalau bertanya pada Kyouhukou? Dia unggul dalam memanggil rekan-rekannya, jadi dia harus tahu banyak tentang hal semacam ini. ”

"… Beri aku istirahat. Dia adalah sesama anggota Nazarick, dan aku seharusnya tidak membencinya, tapi … "

"Ah ─ memang. Mereka tidak bermaksud sakit, tetapi mereka merangkak ke pakaian Anda semua sama. Namun, Entoma sepertinya mengunjunginya dari waktu ke waktu. ”

"Itu menjijikkan ~ berhenti berbicara tentang hal-hal yang membuatku merasa gatal … tempat itu benar-benar rumah yang menakutkan. Saya mungkin bertanggung jawab atas Lantai itu, tapi sejujurnya saya tidak ingin masuk ke sana. ”

"… Shalltear, tahukah kamu? Entoma menyebut tempat itu sebagai ruang camilan. ”

"Ugeeeh─! Serius? Serius? Uwah ─ Aku tidak ingin lagi mendekati Entoma. "

Albedo merasakan hal yang sama. Dia tidak ingin mendekati siapa pun yang bisa menyebut hal semacam itu camilan. Tepat ketika suasana mulai berubah aneh, Aura memutuskan untuk mengangkat suaranya dan membersihkan udara:

"Ngomong-ngomong, mengapa kamu tidak menyebutkannya?"

"Memang. Jika Anda berpikir penamaan itu lebih baik, maka saya akan melakukannya. "

Albedo bergumam pada dirinya sendiri saat dia jatuh dalam kontemplasi. Karena dia akan memberi nama gunungnya, maka jelas dia harus memberinya nama yang tidak akan membuatnya malu. Dia memikirkan berbagai kata dan frasa, dan kemudian kilasan inspirasi menghantamnya saat lagu diputar di kepalanya.

"Apa yang kau gumamkan?"

"Ah, maafkan aku," kata Albedo, seolah dia baru saja terbangun dari mimpi. "Baik. Jika Ainz-sama mengizinkan, saya ingin memberinya nama yang mewakili perasaan saya; ‘Top of the World’. "

"Hmm ─ itu nama yang bagus. By Top of the World, maksudmu Ainz-sama, kan? ”

Albedo smiled, but did not answer.

Shalltear’s eyebrows quirked up at a dangerous angle.

As the tension built in the air, it was Aura who had to break them up, as usual.

“Well, it’s not like anything will happen. Anyway, since you’ve called out your Bicorn, let’s perform the next experiment!”

“Mm, I understand.”

Having been treated as a child throwing a tantrum, Shalltear narrowed her eyes and glared at Albedo as she turned to the bicorn and put a greaved foot on the stirrups. Albedo mounted up on it with a grace that did not seem like it had come from someone wearing armor. The moment she touched the saddle, she could feel the Bicorn’s body quivering through the point of contact.

“What’s wrong?!”

Albedo could not help exclaiming. She could not think of any reason why this level 100 Bicorn would be unsteady on its feet. Suddenly, she recalled what had happened when she had patted the Bicorn.Could it be that some problem had occurred then? If that were the case, then what was the cause?

“Aura! Shalltear! Something strange is going on with my Bicorn. Could you help me take a look?”

Just then, the Bicorn began to wobble. It looked like it could no longer stand up. The two of them looked at it and realized that there was something abnormal going on here.

“In… in any case, you should get off first, Albedo!”

“Al… alright.”

After hearing Aura say so, Albedo finally responded by jumping off the creature.

The wobbling Bicorn promptly collapsed. It was panting heavily and its coat was covered in a fine sheen of sweat.

“…Albedo, did you get fat?”

Shalltear was not saying that to make fun of her. Any observer would have thought the same thing.

“How rude! I’m always watching my weight because I’ve got more muscle than most!”

“Then, could it be that its muscles wasted away because you haven’t been riding it regularly? By the way, I raise all my kids free-range, and I often take them patrolling around the 6th Floor.”

"Eh? How could that be… speaking of which, (Summon Mount) ─ isn’t it just like a normal summoned monster? There’s no way it could get weaker.”

“Would you like me to ride it?”

“I’m sorry, but it won’t work. This is my mount, and nobody else can ride it. If anyone tries, it’ll automatically unsummon itself.”

“Then how about asking the mount itself? Hey, Bicorn, what’s wrong?”

Aura asked it a question. It was not that Aura could speak with horses, but magical beasts like Bicorns ought to have pretty high intelligence, so Aura hoped that it would understand human speech. Of course, the Bicorn could not speak, so all it could do was neigh like a horse.

“It can’t speak… don’t tell me it can’t write either?”

The Bicorn whinnied in the affirmative.

The three of them looked at each other.

“Aura, can you use your skills to do something amazing?”

"Aku tidak bisa. Besides, what do you mean by amazing? Didn’t you ask me what abilities I had when we had our one-on-one chat a long time ago? Don’t tell me you forgot that too, Guardian Overseer-dono!”

“Ara… how do you usually communicate with Fenrir, then?”

“I just tell him to do this and that.”

“So you speak to him, right? So if you try, you should be able to communicate with this Bicorn, am I correct?”

“Just because I can communicate with the beasts I control doesn’t mean I can speak to all beasts. And besides, I already tried. The Lizardmen have a pet called Rororo, right? I don’t know why, but I just can’t get through to him.”

The three of them looked at each other once more.

“…If we’re stuck, the only one we can turn to is Demiurge, after all.”

“Unfortunately, Demiurge is now working abroad on Ainz-sama’s orders. He hasn’t spent much time in Nazarick recently. I can contact him, but frankly speaking, I don’t really want to consult to him if it’s not related to work.”

A look of jealousy appeared in Shalltear and Aura’s eyes. Demiurge ─ who ran around working for their master ─ was the object of the Guardians’ envy.

“Ah~ I really do envy him. I know that the defense of Nazarick is an important job, but if nobody invades, then we won’t have a chance to show our stuff, and it makes me wonder if I’m actually useful. I want to go outside and accomplish something so I can work hard for Ainz-sama.”

“All I’ve done recently is make mistakes…”

“Don’t worry, Shalltear. I think that you’ll have the chance to work for Ainz-sama soon ─ no, I’m sure you’ll have the chance to do so. But you need to be a bit smarter, otherwise that might be a bit tricky.”

“Don’t you think that’s… a little harsh?”

“Ahhh, the fact is, you did mess up. You need to produce results worthy of a Guardian.”

Shalltear grit her teeth, and then suddenly her face brightened up, as though a light bulb had just switched itself on above her head.

“Ku, ku, ku, now why are you all talking bad about me? What I wanted to say was that if Demiurge wasn’t around and we couldn’t ask him, then I would lend you a helping hand instead. Well, since it can’t be helped, I’ll look it up for you!”

Shalltear took out a book. It appeared thick and heavy, like it had a thousand pages at the very least. However, to Shalltear ─ who looked like a girl on the outside but who was anything but on the inside ─ its weight was nothing much.

“Ohhh─! Don’t tell me, don’t tell me that’s…!”

“Hnnng, a treasure bestowed upon you by Ainz-sama!”

It was not just Aura; even Albedo looked upon Shalltear with jealousy in her eyes.

"Memang! This is the Encyclopedia Peroroncino-sama! It’s my reward for completing Ainz-sama’s orders!”

While this was more of a consolation prize cum appreciation award, to Shalltear it was instead the best form of praise, and she smiled in satisfaction. No, that was only natural. An item from her creator was more valuable than any form of encouragement.

***

This book was called the Encyclopedia. It was an item every player received after starting the game, and it could not be stolen or lost unless its owner chose to dispose of it. In addition, it was unique.

YGGDRASIL was a game of enjoying the unknown, and this item could be said to be a physical expression of the developers’ desire for players to transform the unknown into the known.

This was because the Encyclopedia recorded the visual data of all the monsters a player had ever encountered. However, it did not display statistics ─ the monsters’ ability scores ─ but only its typical appearance and name. If it was a monster from mythology, it would also display the relevant contents from the myth in question and other relevant information.

In order to make effective use of this book-shaped item, one would need to personally enter the information which one had gathered into the book. Such information included a monster’s special abilities or its weaknesses and so on.

The Encyclopedia that Shalltear possessed had once belonged to the man called Peroroncino, and he was the one who entered the data within that book. Ainz remembered that he had left this item in the Treasury when he had quit the game, and so he handed it to Shalltear.

However, a lot of the content which Peroroncino added had been erased. It was as though Peroroncino were afraid of leaving it behind and deleted it.

As a result, the item was not very useful, but Shalltear did not mind. This was an item that her creator had once used. That was the important thing.

***

“B ─ Bi ─ Bicorn,” Shalltear muttered as she flipped through the pages.

Aura and Albedo leaned in to take a look, but Shalltear used her body to cover up the book and then backed up, before fixing the two of them in place with a sharp glare.

“Hmph ─ that’s fine. I too have a bracelet gifted to me by Ainz-sama.”

Aura gently caressed her silver wristband. Similarly, Albedo stroked the ring on her left index finger. However, she had not been the only one to receive that ring.

I want a special reward for me and me alone. I want a special item from Ainz-sama─

Just as Albedo began caressing her abdomen, Shalltear exclaimed. It would seem she had found the page she was looking for.

“Bicorn! Got it, let me see…”

Shalltear suddenly froze and looked up in shock, then stared at Albedo.

“Wh-what is it? Is something wrong?”

Albedo nervously questioned Shalltear as she looked at the book again and read the entry.

“…a mutant species of Unicorn. Just as Unicorns are supposed to be associated with purity, Bicorns are associated with impurity. Unicorns will only allow pure maidens to ride them, but conversely, Bicorns will never allow pure maidenss to ride them… haaah?!”

As Shalltear read that part, Aura’s eyes went so wide it seemed as though they would fall out of their sockets.

“No way… don’t tell me Albedo’s a…?”

“What do you mean ‘no way’? What do you take me for?”

“Eh, but aren’t you a Succubus, Albedo?”

“S ─ Su ─ Succ ─ Succubus…”

Shalltear seemed to be confused and she began searching for the Succubus entry.

“That’s right, I’m a Succubus! But I don’t have any experience with men, sorry about that! But what can I do about it? I’m the Guardian Overseer, so I’m always stuck in the Throne Room! I hardly ever get to meet anyone else! Besides, Ainz-sama has never called me to his bed… and I don’t want to do anything like that with men who aren’t Ainz-sama…”

Albedo hung her head, and then she suddenly jerked it up again.

“Since you put it that way…”

Albedo glanced at Aura, then shook her head. If Aura was not like that, there would be a huge problem.

“How about you, Shalltear?”

“…I don’t have any experience with men. Now, women are a different matter…”

Aura did not understand for a moment and tilted her head. Then, she seemed to get it, because she wrinkled her brow and went “Uwah~” as her face seized up and wordlessly said “no, thank you”.

“Ahhh! It’s because there aren’t any good men around! I like the dead, but rotting corpses are just… right? Baik?"

“Don’t look to me for approval, Shalltear. Your fetishes are just too weird and I can’t understand them.”

The three of them looked at each other, then simultaneously averted their eyes. They had silently agreed to end this topic here.

“…Alright, so at least we know why I can’t ride a Bicorn now… I can’t believe that was the reason.”

Albedo’s face twisted in unhappiness. The Bicorn thought it had been scolded and curled up into a ball.

“Hm ─ this is like sealing off part of Albedo’s strength.”

“Still, it’s not like you’re really good at mounted combat anyway. It’s just one ability you can’t use, right? If you can’t ride your Bicorn, then how about one of Aura’s beasts? Maybe a Unicorn might be good.”

“Hm ─ I don’t have a Unicorn. Though I want one.”

“Isn’t there a better way? It’ll be fine if Ainz-sama helps me ride the Bicorn, right?”

Albedo’s smile seemed to tell the other two that there was no better way than that.

“That’s sly!”

“Hmph!” Albedo hmphed at Shalltear. “How rude, Shalltear. This is necessary in order for me to make full use of my powers as Guardian Overseer of Nazarick for Ainz-sama.”

“Fufufu. Hmph! So you can’t get Ainz-sama’s love without using your official duties as an excuse… That’s just too sad for a woman. It means you can’t win it with your charm alone.”

“Haaaah?” Both of them glared at each other. Aura could not bear them any more and said:

“I say, you two seem to have wandered off into a weird topic; would you mind leaving it at that? Stop talking about these pointless things. Besides, it’s not like it’s going to cause a problem right away. Can’t you summon other mounts?”

“I have a magic item which can summon me a steed.”

“Then isn’t that enough? There’s no problem at all.”

“Using a magic item to summon a mount needs me to change my gear or take out the item, so it’s more effort than just summoning a mount with a skill. And this Bicorn has much better fighting power…”

“Then have the Bicorn take your enemy’s attacks and use the opening to summon a mount! That’s a basic tactic for a beast tamer.”

“It seems that’s the only way it can be used.”

“That would mean you’ve become weaker, Albedo.”

“Could you not speak like you’re laughing at others’ misfortune?”

“Don’t you delight in my suffering too, Albedo?”

“Do not.” “Do too.” Both sides went back and forth.

“Honestly, I’ve had it with the two of you… eh, stop glaring at each other already. How about going elsewhere? Ainz-sama granted us time off, after all.”

“That’s right.” Albedo went with that, and Shalltear ─ who had been arguing with her ─ nodded as well. However ─

“…He asked us to take time off, but what should we do? We were made to protect the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick and work for the various Supreme Beings. Working is our life…”

“Even so, when Ainz-sama wants us to rest, we have to rest.”

The three of them had gathered here because their master had told them, “You all work hard every day. Since free time like this is hard to come by, you female Guardians should arrange to go out and have fun together.”

“We’ve had fun, so does this mean we’re going to disperse? Does this really count as fun?”

“I have my doubts about that. Granted, we had some fun, but I still have my doubts. That’s right, what do you usually do?”

“I patrol between the 1st to the 3rd Floor. Then I collect feedback from the Area Guardians, or I check on the readiness of the entire floor. If I have time, I take a bath, or get a facial…?”

“I’m surprised that you’re so hardworking.”

“What do you mean by surprised?”

“Bathing… how about you, Aura?”

“Hm~ When Mare stays in the Colosseum, I patrol the forest. A bunch of newcomers arrived recently, after all. Then I go home and sleep… that’s all, I guess.”

“That’s it!”

Aura and Shalltear’s faces were filled with surprise.

“That’s it, that’s it. The newcomers you mentioned ought to be the residents of the village which was just built on this Floor, right? I haven’t been there yet. Let’s go together.”

"Eh? Benarkah? Shalltear, you’ve been there before, right?”

“I have.”

“Really?” As she saw the puzzled look on Albedo’s face, Aura explained:

“Actually, the other guardians have all been here too. First was Cocytus, for the Lizardmen. Demiurge came round too, to check on the situation. The others also drop by from time to time. Hm ─ then let’s go take a look. Besides, it’s not all that far away.

***

9:38 Nazarick Time

The village built in the 6th Floor of Nazarick was little more than a row of ten-odd log houses. It barely qualified as a settlement. There was a crop field on the right side of the village, and on the left was an orchard that was several times larger than the crop field.

Naturally, it was surrounded by forest, and when one looked down from above, it might resemble a hole in the forest; or a Green Hole. The trees here had been felled and then dug up by the roots, so by right the ground ought to have been uneven. However, the ground in the village was unnaturally level. That was the effect of Mare’s magic.

Many people could be seen working hard in the orchard.

The first person they saw was a human-looking female, whose skin was as lustrous as tree bark. Beside her was a creature which could only be described as a walking tree.

The former was a Dryad, while the latter was a monster known as a Treant.

The Treant placed the Dryad on its branch-like hands and raised her to the upper reaches of a fruit tree.

“There’s also ten or so Lizardmen living here. Sometimes they go to the north ─ to the lake where we just visited ─ to have fun. It’s not like they live in the water anyway. How strange.”

“The village is bigger than the last time I came. There seem to be more residents too.”

"Tepat sekali. That’s because we found a few species who were allowed to enter Nazarick after we conquered the Great Forest of Tob.”

“Species who were allowed to enter Nazarick… I recall the conditions were: they have to be heteromorphs, they must not need food, and they have to be good-natured, right?”

“Mm, that’s what Ainz-sama told us. Although, the ‘must not need food’ condition is more of ‘must be self-sufficient’… the Dryads and Treants absorb nutrients from the earth, so they don’t need to eat in particular. Although, it’ll be bad if the earth’s nutrients run out, or if it doesn’t rain.”

“Ohh ─ does Mare make rain with magic? Or is it an item?”

“That’s basically Mare’s job. Same with restoring the earth’s nutrients. Some spells allow for big harvests, and I heard those spells can fully restore the earth’s nutrients. The Dryads and Treants all say it’s so delicious that they’ll get fat… but I don’t know about the taste.”

As Shalltear chatted with Aura, Albedo slowly surveyed the village with a cold, clinical gaze reserved for examining experimental test subjects. Then, a hint of emotion crept into her eyes for the first time.

“Ara? That ought to be Sous-Chef in the fields, right? What’s he doing?”

They looked along her line of sight, and there, within a patch of fenced-off land ─ seemingly hiding behind a large stalk with red fruits growing all over it ─ was a mushroom-like monster squirming around. At a closer look, he was wearing clothes which he did not mind getting dirty as he picked the red fruits.

“It’s just like what you saw. They sometimes come here to gather ingredients, and they grow their own plants. Ayo kita lihat. "

Albedo and Shalltear looked at each other. After verifying that neither of them were against it, and that it would be fine as long as they did not interfere with their colleagues’ work, they went over to take a look.

“Hi~ Working up a sweat as always, I see!”

As he heard Aura’s cheerful voice, Sous-Chef raised its head to look at the three of them.

“Well, my body doesn’t really sweat.”

Sous-Chef grunted like an old man as he stood up and straightened his back. Although he was hunched over in a posture of working the fields, the fact that he had no waist ─ his body was the same thickness from top to bottom, so there was no part of him that was quickly identifiable as a waist ─ meant that they could not tell if his back really ached or if he had done so to change his mood.

After that, Sous-Chef rotated his neck, like someone with shoulder aches. His head was like a toadstool’s cap, coated with some kind of purplish-red liquid which looked like it might drip off at any time, but the fact was that it was as solid and mysteriously stretchy as dried glue, so there was no way it would drip off or splash around.

“Say, are those tomatoes?”

Albedo seemed interested in what Sous-Chef was holding, and so she asked him. He brought the fruits before his eyes, then wiggled his head in bafflement.

“Indeed, they are tomatoes. They are tomatoes as everyone knows them. They are not the type which explode after absorbing sunlight, attack people, or radiate golden light when you cut them open; they are ordinary tomatoes.”

“In other words, they’re edible, commonly available and ordinary tomatoes, right?”

"Memang. I do not have the special skills needed to grow vegetables that can produce special effects. Given your interest in these tomatoes, does that mean you are interested in tomato dishes? Unfortunately, I can only make drinks.”

“No, I was simply asking out of curiosity. I believe Shalltear’s the one who wants to eat tomato dishes.”

“…Why does everyone think Vampires like tomato juice? Even if the undead eat something, they won’t gain any buffs from it.”

“A lot of people in Nazarick don’t need to eat.”

Thanks to certain items, most of the NPCs no longer needed to eat or drink.

“There’s nothing to be done about it. Food and drink only add to the expenses of sustaining Nazarick. We’d have to spend a lot of money if everyone ate as much as your magical beasts.”

“Ah, wouldn’t it be better for me to go outside to make some money?”

"Tidak perlu untuk itu. That’s because Ainz-sama and the other Supreme Beings made careful calculations when building this tomb in order to balance income and spending.”

“Oh, so that’s why he decreed that only self-sufficient species could enter here. That way, no matter how many came in, the income balance would remain intact.”

“Indeed… eh, didn’t you know about this?” Albedo looked to each of the three others present.

“How vexing. Not understanding the very place you were protect is a very big problem. I’ll make some time in future and explain everything to you in detail.”

Albedo sighed, then casually regarded the fields. It was then that she noticed that she had seen the leaves of a row of certain plants before.

“Those are carrots… no, are they magic carrots?”

“No, they are not. Have you not heard of them before, Overseer-dono?”

"Maksud kamu apa?"

Sous-Chef’s eyes turned to Aura.

“Ah, she did not… I see, she did not tell you about them. Then, what shall we do, Aura-sama? Will you call them, Aura-sama? Surely you must have trained them by now?”

“I already filed a report on it─” Aura smiled wickedly. Then, she took a deep breath, then bellowed “─Long live Ainz Ooal Gown!”

Suddenly, the row of leaves reacted to her words and began moving. They wiggled vigorously from side to side, then pulled themselves out of the earth, and their carrot-like roots popped up onto the surface.

They resembled Asian ginsengs, but they were distinctly different from those. They had four discrete limbs, and they moved deliberately and not through reflex. The uppermost parts of the roots ─ near the stem ─ bore cavities and shadows which resembled eyes and mouths.

Shalltear’s eyes went wide and she spoke the name of these monsters.

“Could those be Mandrakes? We shouldn’t have anything like that in Nazarick…”

"Ah! Itu dia! I saw the report, but this is the first time I’ve personally seen one.”

The Mandrakes chorused “Long live Ainz Ooal Gown”, “Long Live Ainz Ooal Gown” as they formed up into ranks.

“They aren’t too smart really. Their relatives such as the Galgenmännlein, Alrunas and Alraunes ought to be smarter… but I didn’t find any of those when I did a quick search of that forest. However, the forest is big, so maybe I just haven’t found them yet. Also, there’s a huge underground cave that leads into the mountains. There seems to be a Myconid settlement there, but I haven’t made a move on them yet.”

“Still, teaching them to speak like that must have been difficult. I’m very impressed,” Sous-Chef explained as he picked up one of the Mandrakes who were lined up in a row.

The Mandrake struggled; apparently having its stem grabbed was painful.

“Long live Ainz Ooal Gown!”

“Long live Ainz Ooal Gown!”

The Mandrakes broke their ranks to encircle Sous-Chef, as though to protest the mistreatment of their friend. During this time, they said the same thing as before.

“Forgive my rudeness. Aura-sama, can you ask them to return?”

“Okay~ Right! Go back!”

Sous-Chef gently placed the Mandrake back on the ground, and the others followed it as they crawled back into the holes they had occupied just now. In just a few seconds, the Mandrakes were back underground, as though they were hibernating for winter.

“I see, it’s like an animal’s call.”

“Bisa dibilang begitu. They simply cry it out like a parrot imitating speech; they don’t really know what they’re saying. Apparently, there’s a minimum level of intelligence, below which you can’t understand speech. However, that’s still under investigation.”

“Although, all that is from Demiurge-sama; I am simply repeating what I have heard,” Sous-Chef said.

“Hm ─ that’s right, Albedo, can I ask you a question? As the Guardian Overseer, isn’t it bad that you don’t know about the newcomers? What if a spy came in with them?”

Before Albedo could answer, somebody else voiced an objection.

“Ahahaha, that’s funny, Shalltear. It’s true that the 6th Floor is very large, so it’s only natural that you might think that capturing and slaughtering intruders would be difficult. Certainly, it would be troublesome if they managed to escape from the Colosseum and ran around like little spiders.”

Her laughter was hollow, and her eyes were as cold as ice.

“But don’t you think you’re looking down on me? This place is my hunting ground. Even if they dispersed, I could swiftly hunt down and kill every last one of them. Honestly, even if those people somehow managed to escape the 6th Floor and tried to harm Ainz-sama, they would have to pass through the blazing world of the 7th Floor, and then there’s the inviolable 8th Floor to worry about. Even if they wanted to escape, they would have to pass through the frozen hell of the 5th Floor, the dark waters of the 4th Floor, and then your levels… do you think that’s possible?”

Shalltear shook her head.

"Tidak semuanya."

“And that’s how it is. Therefore, there’s no need to worry no matter how many newcomers there are on this Floor.”

“Aura took the words out of my mouth. Mm, in any case, there’s a plan going on now to gather all kinds of creatures here.”

"Hah? isn’t it just plant-type monsters?”

As she heard Aura’s surprised question, Albedo smiled and answered:

“That was the plan in the beginning, but after some observation, we found that no problems came up thanks to Aura and Mare’s hard work, so the plan was amended and expanded. That said, this is only at a draft stage, and there’s no guarantee that it’ll be put into practice. Therefore, even a Floor Guardian like yourself has not been informed yet.”

Albedo told them to keep it a secret, and then she described the plan:

“The name of the plan is ‘Project Utopia’. It is a large-scale project beginning with the secret base that Aura built, and its end stage is to gather monsters who can get along with humanity and have them live here.”

“Why is getting along with humanity in particular a condition?”

Albedo smiled, as though implying “I knew you’d say”. That smile looked terribly evil.

“That is the key to the entire plan, the focus of Project Utopia.”

“Permit me to be blunt, but I find it hard to understand. This Nazarick is a haven for the Supreme Beings, and we labor for its sake. Why has it been named that way?”

“This is in order to let the outside world believe that we can coexist with other races.”

“I see… so that was the aim.”

“No way, Shalltear actually understood it…”

Shalltear’s face filled with an expression that could shatter a million year-old love, and she glared angrily at Aura.

“Do you take me for a retard?!”

“…Wait… hang on, Shalltear. Might I trouble you to reflect on what you usually say and do before asking me that? Please, just think about it for just a bit.”

And indeed, for just a moment, Shalltear thought back on everything she had said and done until now, and her pupils widened like that of a dead creature. After that, her eyes roved all over, like they were being tossed in stormy waves.

After seeing her utterly pathetic state, Albedo graciously steered the conversation back on track.

“Er, in any case, Ainz-sama came up with this plan. When we discussed the 6th Floor, Ainz-sama once mentioned that he would like to collect various monsters. Surely someone with a limited understanding of the world would never have been able to come up with an idea like that. In the past, I discussed Ainz-sama’s wisdom with Demiurge, and the conclusion we reached was that Ainz-sama is a true genius.”

“Anyone would know that Ainz-sama is a genius, though I hear great men tend to speak little.”

“Did Demiurge say that? Honestly… Ainz-sama never simply states his thoughts, and sometimes he does mysterious things. Still, as the saying goes, ‘true courage seems cowardly, while great wisdom appears foolish’. That’s the sort of person Ainz-sama is.”

Albedo’s eyes were moist, and she shook her head.

“I did not even expect Ainz-sama to create the persona of the adventurer Momon. Truly, he is an awesome man… I did not expect everything that took place until now to be in the palm of Ainz-sama’s hand…”

“Momon is Ainz-sama posing as an adventurer, right? What’s it for?”

“Soon you will understand… the Momon persona will become the bedrock of Ainz-sama’s rule. Ainz-sama is far too amazing… perhaps it was his hidden hand at work behind Demiurge’s suggestion─”

“What are you mumbling about over there? It’s kind of scary.”

Shalltear’s voice called Albedo back to her senses, and after coughing lightly, she regarded the faces of the other three.

“Er, where was I? Right right right! Everything Ainz-sama says and does contains great meaning. Therefore, even if you can’t reach his level, you need to try your best to Ainz-sama’s true intentions from his words.”

“That’ll be hard. Ainz-sama’s just too smart ─ ah, it’s a Spear Needle.”

Two balls of white fluff, each over two meters tall, appeared from inside the village and slowly made their way to Aura’s side. They were magical beasts who looked like Angora rabbits.

“They’re cute.”

Shalltear stroked one of the furballs standing beside Aura.

“They’re so soft, I want to raise one.”

“They feel comfortable, don’t they? However, when they encounter enemies, they become as sharp as needles, you know?”

Spear Needles were level 67 monsters.

Once they entered combat mode, they would become a ball of extremely dense spines. If the Spear Needles were killed in this state, their fur would not return to their original soft state. Therefore, when hunting them, one would have to take them unawares and instantly kill them. That was why the players who hunted them were often much higher level than they were.

“Ehh? Benarkah? That’s scary…”

Shalltear might have said that, but she was still caressing them nonstop.

“However, if I don’t give the order, they won’t go into a combat state. Now, if there were enemies nearby it would be a different matter, but no hostile invaders would be able to make it all the way in here. At the very least, the other Floors would send a report.”

"Itu benar. It’s only to be expected. The top three floors are filled with vassals that have excellent detection abilities. It would be very difficult for someone to sneak in here without being noticed by them.”

Just then, Aura froze, and she turned to the Colosseum.

“What’s wrong, Aura-san?”

“The teleport gate to the 7th Floor just activated.”

“From below? Demiurge ought to be outside now, so… could it be one of your subordinates? Is it alright to not take a look?”

“Hm ─ Mare’s around, so there’s no need to worry. If anything happens, he’ll contact me.”

Aura tapped the earring around her neck.

“Besides, it’s hardly a rare thing. You need to take teleport gates at specific locations and go up level by level if you want to go from a lower Floor to an upper Floor. Oh yeah, didn’t somebody use magic because they didn’t want to run─”

“Ahem! Nazarick is an impregnable fortress.”

"Memang. Not even that super-tier spell (Sword of Damocles) or my World-Class Item could destroy an entire Floor at once. That’s why we must not let the Ring which allows for at-will teleportation to be taken.”

All eyes went to the ring on Albedo’s left ring finger.

“Mare apparently hands the ring to someone else for safekeeping when he heads out. From that, you can tell how important the rings are ─ ah, Mare contacted me.”

Aura moved away from the others and grabbed at her earring, and then she began a conversation with the absent Mare. The three of them looked at Aura, whose face was slowly turning serious, and by the time they had finished talking, she looked very unhappy.

"Maafkan saya. Mare apparently needs to head out for something, so just in case, I’ll be going back.”

"Saya melihat. Then… why don’t we head back ourselves, Shalltear?”

“I don’t mind.”

“I’d like to do something in the fields first before I go. Also, I’d like to chat with the Dryads and the Treants.”

“Then we’ll each go our own ways. Thank you for coming, everyone. Thanks to you, I know how to spend my vacation time. If we’re free some other day… yes, next time, we should all bathe together.”

Bagian 2

9:28 Nazarick Time

Mare looked up from the book he was reading, slowly shifting his eyes to peek at the teleport gate which led to the 7th Floor.

Sensing a faint wave of power, he put his bookmark between the open pages and quietly laid it on the chair beside him. He then picked up the staff beside him, the divine-class item known as “Shadow of YGGDRASIL.”

Mare brought his empty hand to the magical item dangling before his chest, but then it stopped halfway.

There was no need to contact his sister. He had not received any reports of an intrusion, so the person who came must have been a friend.

He moved his legs and jogged over to the teleport gate directly below him.

His big sister enjoyed jumping down directly from the spectator seats, but Mare did not like to do that. He felt that since there were stairs installed in the arena, he ought to take them on the way down. That was how one showed their faithfulness to the Supreme Beings. The stairs were meant to be used, after all.

But I don’t dare tell onee-chan that… she’ll look at me in a scary way…

Mare decided that at the very least, he would not waste the Supreme Beings’ efforts, and so he ran down the steps, and then he ran past the resting area. It was then that he saw someone standing before a huge round mirror that flashed with all the colors of the rainbow.

“For… forgive me for keeping you waiting.”

"Oh! If it isn’t the Floor Guardian, Mare-sama! Thank you for coming all the way here. I am utterly delighted.”

The clown before him was dressed in pure white and wore a mask that resembled a crow’s beak. He bowed, and Mare nodded in response.

“Hello, Pulcinella. What happened today?”

“Oh yes, as you know, Mare-sama, I am currently working under Demiurge-sama, and today I have come as an envoy from Demiurge-sama. Please, take this.”

The clown swiftly handed over the folder he was carrying.

“If Demiurge-san wants me to have this, does this mean it’s a circular?”

"Tepat. Ah, I’m so glad it was you who came, Mare-sama. How fortunate. If Aura-sama had come, I would have to ask her to fetch you.”

"Mengapa? Is… is that so?”

The circular notice system had been invented by the ruler of the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick, Ainz Ooal Gown. While it was little more than writing down non-urgent news and other miscellaneous matters on a piece of paper and letting the various Floor Guardians circulate and read it among themselves, something like this had never been practically used before.

Therefore, Mare stared in bafflement at the folder he had just received, muttering “So this is…” to himself.

“H-huh? W-why can’t you give it to onee-chan?”

Aura and Mare were both Floor Guardians, so there was no reason not to give it to her. In addition, she was actually quite careful about these things, and she would not simply toss the circular away.

“I am unclear about that myself. All I know is that Demiurge-sama instructed me to hand it directly to you, Mare-sama, and not to Aura-sama.”

“Is that so… ah… then, how about Demiurge-san?”

It was a somewhat vague question, but Pulcinella seemed to understand what he was asking.

“…Well, I do not quite understand his intentions. But I feel the answer or reason may lie within that folder.”

“I see… er, then, yes, that’s right, Demiurge-san, what… what is he doing now?”

“Conducting breeding experiments. Humanoids can breed among themselves, but demihumans cannot breed with humanoids; what a tragic state of affairs. A loving couple is denied the chance to bear the fruition of their love just because of the differences in their race. Demiurge-sama is working hard in order to save these poor souls. He will create possibilities between humanoids and demihumans!”

The clown practically sang his reply, spreading his arms and looking up to the sky. Pulcinella’s sudden change in mood made Mare roll his eyes.

“Ah, how rude of me. I could not help but be excited by Demiurge-sama’s kindness as he works to make people smile. Tolong maafkan saya."

“Er, okay, I don’t mind.”

“Demiurge-sama has even said that he would allow himself and the others ─ the demons ─ to be sacrifices so as not to make others hate themselves. What a noble spirit of self-sacrifice! I, Pulcinella, am moved to tears by it.”

Pulcinella rubbed at his eyes through its mask. Of course, he was not crying. Even his voice sounded the same as always. He did not sound sad at all.

“…Why do people hate him?”

“I do not understand either. Why would the kind Demiurge-sama incur the hatred of others? But Demiurge-sama said so himself. Yes, yes, please listen to this, of how kind Demiurge-sama really is. Last time, Demiurge-sama said that it would be a shame to let the livestock starve, and so he roasted up the children of both sides whole, and served them up to each other. Surely a cruel and merciless person would not have swapped them first, but served them up directly, no?”

“R-really?”

“But of course. And in order to allow the parents of both sides to bid their children farewell, Demiurge-sama even invited them to the dinner table… Demiurge-sama specially allowed them to say goodbye with a smile… I am sure that nobody other than the Supreme Beings could be as compassionate a person as he is.”

As he watched Pulcinella prattle on, Mare went “oh” in an uninterested tone.

Those people were not entities of Nazarick, so it did not matter what happened to them. His feelings about Demiurge’s livestock vanished from his heart after a couple of seconds.

“And when one is hungry, the gut may be unable to digest food even when the brain desires it. Demiurge-sama even considered that point as he warned them to eat well. His kindness is truly beyond compare~”

Mare felt that this was go on forever, and so he hurriedly cut in:

“─Ah, then, how… how about Guren-san? I thought he would be the one sending it, but what’s he doing now?”

“…Is it him, or perhaps her? I believe Guren-sama has no gender, but when I saw him a couple of days ago, he was waiting in ambush near the 7th Floor’s teleport gate while Demiurge-sama was gone.”

“I… I see.”

Mare thought of Guren’s appearance.

Guren ─ an Area Guardian who hid his massive body within flowing lava and dragged careless foes into a battlefield where he had the advantage and fought them. Though he was only level 90, he was optimized for combat, and so by sheer fighting prowess alone, he was among the top few combatants of Nazarick, and could even hold his own against some of the Floor Guardians. Thus, there was no better guardian for the 7th Floor in Demiurge’s absence.

“Ah, I seem to have spoken too much. Now that I have delivered the circular to your hands, Mare-sama, I must now go spread more smiles to others.”

“Thank… thank you.”

Mare bowed, and Pulcinella gently replied:

“There is no need for thanks. I am satisfied by being able to see your smile, Mare-sama.”

The clown shrugged in a joking manner. “Well then, till we meet again.” He waved, and then vanished into the teleport gate which led to the 7th Floor.

After Mare watched him leave, he opened the circular. The fact that it was meant for his eyes and not those of his sister filled him with a mix of emotions ─ superiority and guilt ─ and after he quickly scanned the contents, he blinked a few times.

This… isn’t so much a circular as a message Ainz-sama wanted to send to the Guardians.

It read, “To all male Guardians” and contained appreciation and praise for their daily work. In summary, this was an invitation to “bathe together and relieve fatigue”.

There was a list of participants, reading Ainz, Demiurge, Mare and Cocytus from top to bottom, each with a Going/Not Going option beside them. The top two entries already had “Going” circled. Sebas’ name should have been in there too, but he was currently under orders to gather information with Solution in a human city.

Er, the date is…

The circular stated that the date was not fixed, and that it would be held when it was most convenient for the participants, which was why he could circle “Going” without any hesitation. While the circular stated that he could refuse, there was no way Mare could refuse the invitation of his generous and compassionate master. No, nobody in Nazarick would do so.

He picked up the pencil in the folder and circled the “Going” beside his name.

“…Ehehehe,” he giggled as he looked at the circled “Going”. However, before long, clouds shrouded his heart.

“Ah, but… how am I going to get this to Cocytus?”

The circular repeatedly emphasised not to inform the female Guardians about this, so it was clear that his master wanted to keep this a secret between men. In that case, the best way was to bring it over himself.

It’s not good to keep things from onee-chan… right? Because while I’m receiving his… er, should I call it affection, I’ll need onee-chan to guard the Floor by herself.

It was one thing to leave when under orders, but when they had to visit the other Guardians for fun or do other things, Mare and Aura would always tell each other where they were headed. That was because Aura and Mare were assigned to guard this Floor by order of the Supreme Beings, so doing that much was only to be expected.

Mare grabbed the magic item hanging around his neck.

“O-oneechan? Bisakah kamu mendengarku?"

He received an immediate reply.

『I can hear you. What’s up, Mare?』

“Ah, that’s great. Er, um, it’s like this. Ah, I need to visit Cocytus for a while. I’ll be back soon.”

『Visit Cocytus?』

“Mm, I need to get there in a hurry.”

『What happened?』

Mare’s shoulders quivered in fright. He almost squeaked instead of speaking, and he barely managed to squeeze out a normal voice.

“N-nothing? It’s nothing, just… I feel I have to go there.”

『Oh─…』

Aura clearly sounded suspicious, and Mare’s palms grew clammy with sweat as he heard it.

But, um, it can’t be helped. Ainz-sama ordered it.

Other than the words of Aura and Mare’s creator Bukubukuchagama, Ainz’s words were the most highly placed of all the Supreme Beings. It was only natural to place what he said as his topmost priority.

『Well, I guess that’s fine. Go, then. However, the 5th Floor is very cold, so don’t forget to protect yourself against the cold… oh yeah, you should be fine there, Mare.』

“Mm, um. I can handle it with magic. Jangan khawatir. I’ll go there and come right back.”

If he continued talking, he might end up saying something strange. Therefore, Mare hurriedly released the magic item. It would seem his sister wanted to say something else right at the end, but whether it was good or ill fortune, he did not hear it.

“All… all right! I need to move quickly!”

Mare activated the power of the Ring which his master had given him.

***

After teleporting, chunks of a white substance flew right at Mare and stuck to his face.This was snow, carried by the wind.

The cloud of white breath that Mare exhaled instantly flowed behind him. That was because of the supercooled wind shear.

The snow driven by the blizzard went in all directions, obscuring all vision and covering up footprints. This was to waylay any intruders, but under normal circumstances the weather on the 5th Floor was not so bad. The clouds which covered the sky would only dispense scattered snowflakes, and while the mood was gloomy, visibility was excellent.

“…Hm.”

Mare looked around. Since he had teleported via the Ring of Ainz Ooal Gown, he must be close to his destination.

Once he found the place where he had to go, Mare advanced with light steps. He left no footprints on the snow where he had trod. His feet did not sink into the snow, as though he were walking on solid ground.

In this lonely world of white, the sound of falling snow seemed to carry directly into Mare’s ears. Of course, Mare ‘s always-on extrasensory perception spell let him know that this place was not truly deserted. The ambushers knew he was the 6th Floor’s Guardian, and so they did not show themselves.

Mare arrived at his destination in silence.

Before him was a large white sphere, which looked like an inverted hornet’s nest.

Six gigantic crystals surrounded the white sphere, their sharp tips pointing to the heavens. The crystals were transparent, and there were people visible inside.

Mare took a step, and a distasteful sound which made him uneasy issued from beneath his feet. Looking down, he saw that the ground below was different from the snowdrift just now; it was a shiny layer of ice. It looked thick enough, but there was nothing but inky blackness beneath the ice layer. It was clearly a big hole.

Mare stepped onto the ice. He walked without any hesitation, as though he was certain that the ice below him would not crack. He trod on the ice, which made a trembling, creaking noise, and arrived at the vicinity of the white sphere.

“Ah… um, is Cocytus-san in?”

Mare was not addressing the huge white sphere, but the crystals around it.

Monsters which resembled human females emerged from the crystals in response to his voice. There were as many monsters as there were crystals, and they were dressed all in white. Their skin was pale, and their long hair was black.

They were Frost Virgins ─ level 82 ice-type monsters, responsible for defending Snowball Earth, which was Cocytus’ home. They were something like a bodyguard team.

“Welcome, Mare-sama. We are pleased that you came to visit in person.”

“Ah… um, where is Cocytus-san?”

“Cocytus-sama is currently outside the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick. He is visiting the Lizardman village.

“Is… is that so?”

The Frost Virgin bowed her head as an affirmative.

“May I take a message for you?”

Mare hesitated.

Since he had come all this way, he could probably leave the circular in Cocytus’ room and then let the Frost Virgins inform him. However, after thinking about the contents of the circular, handing it directly to him might be the best way to carry out his master’s intentions.

But how could he go outside to find Cocytus?

There was no rule preventing them from leaving Nazarick. However, there was a requirement that had to be met in order to step outside. This was because their master had strictly forbidden anyone from moving around alone outside Nazarick.

After analyzing the data they had collected so far, the level 100 Guardians of Nazarick were unimaginably powerful compared to the outside world, comparable to walking disasters. Thus, as one of those walking disasters, Mare would not be in danger when moving around alone outside. On the other hand, it was the world that ought to be afraid of him. However, anyone with such a reckless mindset must surely have forgotten something.

That was the fact that Shalltear had been brainwashed by an enemy who ─ in all likelihood ─ possessed a World-Class Item. And there were also traces of players’ existence throughout the world.

They did not know how powerful and how broad in reach these people were,so they had to be extra careful.

“Er… hm ─ what should I do…”

Anyone going outside had to be escorted by five vassals of level 75 and above, as a bare minimum. Mare had two Dragons who were directly assigned to him as vassals, but bringing them around with him would be too conspicuous. The fastest way would be to ask his sister, but when he thought about what had happened when he came here, he could not muster up the courage to do so.

Just then, a revelation flashed across his mind. Their numbers and levels were just right.

“Ah, could I ask you to come and look for him with me?”

“I… I am very sorry. Cocytus-sama has ordered us to defend this place. Unless Ainz-sama himself orders it, we cannot disobey Cocytus-sama’s orders… we beg your forgiveness!”

“Ah, no, not at all. It’s fine.”

That could not be helped; or rather, he would have realized it if he had thought of it. After that, he hit on a second good idea, which was to borrow the Evil Lords from the 7th Floor. However, if he simply asked them normally, his request would probably be denied like this. Still, he could only count on Demiurge for aid.

That was because he wanted to do his best to avoid asking Guardians whose names were not written on the circular for help. In addition, most of the vassals who were above level 80 were the direct subordinates of a Guardian, and very few were independent.

Due to these two reasons, he would need to contact Demiurge in order to borrow his Evil Lords.

But how will I contact him?

In order to reach Demiurge, who was outside, he would need to dispatch a vassal or use magic.

Then, there’s─

Mare thought of the book he had just read.

He has subordinates of level 75 and above too, right? But he’s not a Guardian… hm ─ well, he’s male, so it should be alright. I’ll just have to swear him to secrecy…

“Ah… ah, thank you all. Er, I think I’ll figure something out myself.”

"Benarkah? Understood.”

Mare activated the power of the ring. His destination was the massive library on the 10th Floor of Nazarick ─ Ashurbanipal.

***

9:54 Nazarick Time

After teleporting, the scenery before Mare’s eyes changed from a snowfield to an expansive room. The basic color of the room’s furnishings was an ebony brown, and it appeared quite dignified as it was illuminated by warm lighting. The ceiling was a gentle dome and there were a pair of double doors opposite him.

These massive doors were big enough to rival the ones which opened to the Throne Room, and they were flanked by a pair of Golems which were each almost three meters tall. Both Golems resembled warriors and had been built from rare metals by a Supreme Being, so they were more powerful than regular Golems.

“Ah, please help me open the door.”

In response to Mare’s words, the golem on each side placed their hands on the door and slowly pushed it open. There was a weighty sound as the the doors opened to the point where several people could walk through them side by side, and Mare stepped through them.

The scene which unfolded before him did not resemble a library so much as a view from a similar institute ─ yes, it looked like an art gallery. The floor and bookshelves were elaborately decorated, and the neat rows of books on them looked like ornaments as well.

The shining, spotless floor was an intricately-patterned parquet mosaic.

Above was a towering ceiling, and there was a mezzanine balcony on the second floor. Beyond that was a room girdled by countless bookshelves. Every inch of the hemispherical ceiling was covered in magnificent frescoes.

There were glass showcases scattered throughout the room, each displaying several books.

While there were countless light sources, they did not produce strong illumination. A human being would surely frown in resentment at the dimness of the room..

One could not take the entire room in with a single look. The bookshelves blocked one’s view.

The doors slowly closed behind Mare amidst this library-appropriate silence.Without the light from the outside, the room’s interior seemed even darker. That, combined with the profound silence, filled the room with a creepy atmosphere.

Of course, Mare could see in the dark like it was broad daylight, and so he did not feel creeped out at all.

Mare walked inside, somewhat quickening his pace.

He was currently in the Hall of Reason. This library was divided into the Hall of Knowledge, the Hall of Reason, the Hall of Magic, and various other smaller rooms with their own specific purposes ─ such as the individual rooms for each of the staff. With that in mind, his destination seemed quite a ways off.

Countless books filled the neat rows of bookshelves which lined the passage on either side.

***

There were roughly five kinds of books in YGGDRASIL.

The first kind was monster data, which could be used to summon mercenary monsters.

There were three types of monsters in Nazarick: the first were the NPCs, who were made just like the players were; the second were the automatically spawning monsters of level 30 and below, and the last ones were the summoned monsters who could serve as mercenaries. These mercenary monsters had to be summoned via a ritual which used a book and then expending an appropriate amount of currency according to their level. Therefore, one could not summon them without a book.

The second kind were magic items.

Certain data crystals could only be imbued into book-type items. For the most part, book-type items were one-use magic items. The difference between them and scrolls were that one needed to be of a spellcasting job class to use a scroll, while book-type items could be used by anybody.

The third kind were event items. It was not uncommon for the items required for changing to a specific job class to take the form of books. When Ainz had gone from a Skeleton Mage to an Elder Lich, he had needed the item known as the Book of the Dead. There were also things like the Martial Arts Monograph and the Tales of the Four Great Elementals. Apart from these job-change items, there were also items which allowed one to learn new spells when used.

The fourth kind was visual data.

In other words, they were books which contained visual data for swords, shields, armor and the like. Anyone with specific blacksmithing skills could use these books with the required raw materials to produce an item skin.

The fifth kind were novels distributed in book form. The most commonly seen examples were pieces of classic literature whose copyright had expired, followed by background material from the development team, and then original stories created by YGGDRASIL’s players. There were also a few secondary creations set in YGGDRASIL’s universe, or diary-style walkthroughs for the game.

Within the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick, the vast majority of the books within its library belonged to the first kind ─ books gathered in order to summon mercenary monsters. Of course, there was no need to collect that many books.

In truth, even if one dumped the guild’s coffers into the task, one could not summon even a tenth of the monsters from the books which filled this place. Then why did they have so many books? That was because the summoning books were not particularly expensive, so the guild members decided to mess around and made a huge stack of copies. This also served the purpose of hiding important items.

***

Mare looked at the books on either side as he walked.

Suddenly, a ghostly form appeared from between the bookshelves, as though to block his path.

The ghost wore a black robe, and it seemed to meld into the darkness of the library. There was a jewelled wand on its waist, and several jewels tied to its belt.

There was a waxy, corpse-like face beneath the robe’s hood. Its hands were skin and bones. Every time it moved, the faint darkness surrounding it shifted as well.

It was an especially famous monster among the undead magic casters known as Elder Liches.

In YGGDRASIL, they were nicknamed White Counterfeiters. Monsters like these were level 30 and were ranked second among the Elder Lich family. There were other, palette-swapped monsters like these in YGGDRASIL, colloquially known as the Red Counterfeiters and the Black Counterfeiters.

However, he differed from the average Elder Lich in that he had an armband on his left arm.

The armband read “Librarian J”.

“Welcome, Mare-sama.”

The Elder Lich spoke in a hoarse, garbled voice, then bowed in deference, slowly but deeply, with one hand clasped to its chest in a prim and proper movement.

“Ah… ah, I came to look for the Head Librarian. Er, is he in?”

The Elder Lich struck a thinker’s pose, and then replied:

“The Head Librarian is currently making scrolls, so he is in the workroom.”

"Terima kasih."

“Allow me to show you the way. Please, follow me.”

“How could I impose on you like that? I can’t keep you from your work.”

“Think nothing of it. Aiding users of the library is my duty.”

Since he had already said as much, continuing to refuse would be rude.

“I understand, then I’ll have to trouble you.”

A smile appeared on the Elder Lich’s ghastly face, and then it led the way forward.

As Mare followed him, he glanced at the other Elder Liches and caster-type undead they passed along the way.

“Oh yes, would you like me to put that book back for you?”

“Ah, please do.:

The Elder Lich took the book from Mare and looked at the title.

“The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, hm. Did you enjoy it?”

“Mm, it was very interesting! I’m thinking about what I should read next.”

“Then allow me to recommend you a book. This one is very funny, it concerns a murder ─ ah, we have arrived.”

"Terima kasih banyak."

Mare opened the door which the Elder Lich had guided him to.

What was supposed to have been a spacious room felt oppressive and cramped, thanks to the large shelves on all sides.

The shelves were filled with countless reagents ─ ores, precious metals, element-imbued rocks, various powders, organs from several animals ─ all arranged in neat rows. There was also several stacks of parchment ─ some were rolled up, while some were simply laid there.

All these were the materials needed to make scrolls.

Of course these were not all the resources which the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick possessed. There were several hundred times this amount stored within the Treasury.

Only those supplies which would be promptly used were stored in this room.

There was an extra-large drawing table in the center of the room, with a piece of parchment opened upon it.

Before the table stood a skeleton which looked like a fusion of human and animal bones.

It was not very tall. It was around 150 cm in height.

Two demonic-looking horns protruded from its head, and it had four-fingered hands. Below its ankles were cloven feet.

This bizarre creature was wrapped in a saffron himation. Apart from that, a hood of similar material lightly shrouded its head without being pierced by the horns, and there was another piece of cloth around its waist.

(TL Note: A himation is an ancient Greek garment worn over the shoulder)

In addition, it wore a silver bracelet with a multi-colored jewel set into it, while there was a golden ankh around its neck, and it had several complex-looking and strange rings on its bony fingers, which looked like they were twined around the digits. There were jewels attached to the himation which took the place of a sash. Each of them was a fairly potent magic item.

It wore several scrolls at its belt, like they were swords.

While it had a unique outfit, it was actually a Skeleton Mage. It was one of the basic undead species, and the stage before the Elder Lich.

However, this Skeleton Mage was the Head Librarian of this massive library ─ Titus Annaeus Secundus.

This being had not been created by the Supreme Beings to focus on combat power, but production ability. In fact, its total level was higher than that of the Elder Lich just now.

“You have come just in time, Guardian Mare. I bid you welcome.”

“Ah, nice to meet you, Titus-san. I came to ask a favor of you.”

"Saya melihat. Then tell me what business you have here.”

“Ah… yes. Um. I’d like to borrow your vassals here who are above level 75.”

"Saya mengerti. You intend an excursion, I believe?”

"Eh? Y-yes, that’s right. Bagaimana kamu tahu?"

“…I have never forgotten the words of my ruler, Ainz-sama. After that, I considered your situation and I guessed it immediately ─ very well.”

He spent only a moment in contemplation.

“I shall lend you the Overlords within this library ─ Cocceius, Ulpius, Aelius, Fulvius and Aurelius.”

(TL Note: These are all the second names of various Roman Emperors)

"Eh? Really?!”

“But of course. In all honesty, their battle potential is somewhat excessive for the library. Rather than have them do dusting all day, far better to have them be your escorts. I am sure it would make them very happy.”

“Ah… ah, er, thank you very much!”

“That said, some recompense is due. I would have you assist me with a task, the creation of scrolls.”

“Ah, certainly! What should I do?”

“Fret not. Once I say ‘now’, kindly cast a 4th tier spell upon this scroll. That is all.

“What… what sort of spell should I cast?”

“The choice is yours.”

Mare looked puzzled. Being told to decide for himself was quite difficult. He did not know if he should just use an ordinary spell.

There was a small desk beside the drawing table with the parchment. Titus reached a bony hand out at the desk and touched a pile of glittering gold ─ YGGDRASIL gold coins.

Suddenly, the gold YGGDRASIL coins melted below his bony palm, and they flowed along the parchment like they were sentient.

The golden serpent crawled along the parchment, and then dispersed, as though it had already decided where to go.

In the time between breaths, a golden magic circle covered the parchment. The mystic tracery was both complex and delicate.

“Now.”

Mare ─ who was nervously awaiting his cue ─ cast his spell like he had been startled.

Mare felt his spell being sucked up by the magic circle.

Normally, that would have completed the scroll. That was what Mare had thought.

Until that moment ─

***

There was a bright red blaze.

Something impossible happened upon the drawing table.

Mare looked in shock as the parchment burned like it had been soaked in alcohol, but within a couple of moments, the fire had gone out.

***

The events just now felt like an illusion. There was no trace of a fire within the room. Not even the smell of burning lingered.

However, there was evidence on the table which proved what had just happened was no illusion.

That was the remains of the parchment ─ its ashes.

Titus seemed to have anticipated this, and he calmly picked up the ashes to examine them.

“So you can’t imbue them with 4th-tier spells. I seem to have confirmed that it has nothing to do with the caster’s power.”

Titus muttered, “ten years old was a failure” and made notes.

“Er, what… what just happened? What did I do wrong?”

“Pay it no heed. I attempted to use the materials of this world to make scrolls in order to save on parchment costs, but their quality is simply atrocious.”

***

The tier of a spell limited the materials that could be used to make a scroll which contained it.

For example, scrolls made from average parchment could hold a 2nd tier spell at the very most, but not spells of a higher tier. If one used the highest grade of parchment ─ that made of dragonhide ─ one could scribe a 10th-tier spell into it.

Naturally, dragonhide was a special material, which required one to slay a Dragon.

For that reason, the guild Ainz Ooal Gown’s members had banded together to farm Dragons, but that was from the YGGDRASIL days. Until they could verify that this world contained Dragons ─ as well as other beasts ─ Ainz had sensibly imposed a restriction on the use of dragonhide.

He could not do something foolish like expend a non-renewable resource. After all, there was no telling when he might need to use it.

***

“You can’t use my Dragons!”

“But of course. I will not do such a thing. Beginning with your Dragons, all these specially-summoned beings are the will of the Supreme Beings made manifest. Harming them is strictly forbidden.”

Mare breathed a sigh of relief. Titus looked at him with interest in his eyes, then swept the ashes into a bin.

“Er, then, does that mean this world’s parchment isn’t suitable for making scrolls?”

Mare’s eyes looked toward the remains.

“That is quite possible. No, I do not know yet. It might be that my manufacturing methods are unorthodox in this world. For instance, they seem to produce potions in a markedly different way.”

“But… is that really so? If it’s just one failure, couldn’t it be the parchment’s fault?”

“Just one, you say? I have already used the parchment from the outside for various experiments, but whenever I attempt to imbue a spell above the 3rd tier into them, I receive the same result each time ─ destruction. It is quite likely that the parchment burns because the magical power cannot be infused into it.”

“…But the magic casters in this world all use that sort of parchment, right?”

“No, what I just disposed of is probably not a typical piece of parchment used by the magic casters of this world. Of course, after considering that there are various nations in this world, I cannot guarantee that nobody has used a parchment like this one. When I used the parchments of the nations near Nazarick─”

Titus produced a stack of parchment which seemed different from the piece just now.

“─The experimental results were even worse; they were limited to 1st-tier spells.”

“So that means the humans know how to make good use of poorer materials?”

"Tidak. I believe it might be a technological difference. While it pains me to admit it, their technique is, to some extent, more refined than ours. I would love to acquire this new technology and improve my skills.”

“That’s amazing!”

Mare felt nothing but respect for the Head Librarian’s spirit of self-improvement.

“All this is for the Supreme One’s sake. Then, Guardian Mare, as we agreed, I shall lend you the Overlords. Ikutlah bersamaku."

***

10:28 Nazarick Time

He handed his ring to someone else along the way and then reached the surface. There, Mare and company performed a mass teleport and arrived in the middle of a room within a stone structure in the Lizardman village.

This building was constructed of sturdy, heavy stone. Iit could only be built in a place with sufficiently firm ground, thus requiring construction techniques the Lizardmen did not possess. Needless to say, the people who had built this place were a third party ─ a group from the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick.

The reason to have people come all the way from Nazarick to build this structure stood behind Mare’s back. The object which stood within the depths of this building explained everything.

Mare bowed deeply to the object in question. The Overlords travelling with him bowed as well.

A stone statue made in the image of Ainz Ooal Gown, ruler of the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick, stood upon an elevated platform. It was so lifelike that it seemed as though the original had been turned to stone. The way it raised its staff radiated the dignity and gravitas of a ruler.

All manner of offerings adorned the altar before the statue. Naturally, those offerings were worthless in Mare’s eyes, meager tributes of flowers and fish and the like.

However, Mare was not displeased.

That was because the ones who had made those offerings were filled with genuine respect and reverence. For instance, fresh flowers did not grow in the swampland, but in the forests which were very dangerous to the Lizardmen ─ they must have risked their lives to pick them. The fish were the Lizardmen’s staple diet, but the offerings were much bigger than the average fish. Mare understood that they had only chosen the most impressive specimens to offer up.

“Mm,” Mare nodded in satisfaction.

Seeing common riffraff express their respect for his great master made him very happy.

“Well done.”

He spoke to reassure the Lizardmen who were peeking fearfully at him.

They were the personnel responsible for cleaning this sanctuary. They possessed druidic abilities, which were rare among the Lizardmen, and they wore badges with the guild emblem of Ainz Ooal Gown around their neck.

There was a vast difference between their stations and that of Mare, between that of the conquered and their conquerors, so there was no need to thank them for their hard work. However, for the reasons mentioned earlier, Mare had been so satisfied with their labors that he had decided to thank them for it.

Mare left the Lizardmen bowing nonstop behind him, and led the five Overlords out of the sanctuary.

Before him was a patch of swamp, the Lizardman settlement. It seemed more developed than before.

Indeed, they had lost many people during that war. However, the five tribes were now one, and in the end they had formed a stronger, larger village.

The boundary fence encompassed a wide area. At some point, watchtowers had been built in the muddy swamp, and upon each of them stood a skeleton ─ probably a Nazarick Old Guarder ─ scanning the surroundings with an arrow nocked to its bow. Several Nazarick Old Guarders could be seen walking around in the swamp; presumably, they were conducting reconnaissance in case of enemy attack.

“Ah, where’s Cocytus-san?”

Cocytus stood out in many ways. If he were in the village, then he ought to be instantly visible from here; if he were inside a building, there ought to be vassals like the ones Mare brought along waiting outside. With that in mind, he looked around the entire village, but could not find him.

“Could one of you please ask where Cocytus-san is?”

“Certainly. A moment, please.”

One of the Overlords ─ Aurelius ─ headed back into the sanctuary.

Mare looked out at the swamp ─ at the Lizardmen’s peaceful and quiet village. Nobody here was wary of the Nazarick Old Guarders. Even the Lizardman children were the same way. Both sides seemed to be coexisting like it was the natural thing to do.

Though they were attacked and conquered by the undead, they don’t seem to bear any resentment for them. Was this because of Cocytus-san’ policy of friendliness? Or is this the nature of the Lizardmen?

As he idly pondered the matter, Aurelius soon returned.

“Forgive the delay, Mare-sama. The people in the sanctuary do not know the whereabouts of Cocytus-sama. However, they say that Shasuryu Shasha ─ the leader of the tribal alliance ─ might know.”

“Ah, then, um, let’s go visit him and take a look.”

Mare’s entourage proceeded under Aurelius’ leadership. They did not cross over the swamp to go to the Lizardman village, but followed the edge of the lake, walking a short distance through the forest. The forms of Nazarick Old Guarders could be seen in the distance.

Once the group exited the forest, they saw a large-scale construction project under way on the other side of the swamp.

The flow of water here had been dammed, and roughly ten Stone Golems were excavating the soil. The sand and mud they dug up were carried away by Lizardmen with pushcarts on the shore.

As Mare watched what they were doing, a strapping Lizardman ran over in a hurry.

This Lizardman was covered in old wounds. His physique was imposing and he was distinctly different from the average Lizardman. The medal around his neck swung wildly due to his haste in running over.

The medal was a symbol of loyalty, and also a mark of protection. It was not magical in itself, but by wearing it, they could prove that they were Ainz’s property. Therefore, nobody from the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick who revered the Supreme Beings as gods could harm the Lizardmen intentionally. Of course, it would be a different matter if they deserved death, but fortunately, the Lizardmen were not that stupid. They knew their place and acknowledged the strong as their masters.

“I welcome you, Mare-sama. My name is ─”

“You’re Shasuryu Shasha-san, right?”

“Indeed, I am. I am honored that you know my name.”

“Ah, I… I heard it from Cocytus-san… ah, do you know where Cocytus-san is now?”

Shasuryu waxed thoughtful for a bit.

“I recall Cocytus-sama brought several of his subordinates and several dozen trainee Lizardmen on his expedition to subjugate the Toadmen.”

“Toadmen?”

“They are the demihumans who live in the northeastern reaches of the lake. They look like frogs, and we do not get along too well with them. They possess the ability to control large monsters and magical beasts, so they are very tricky opponents for us. I hear that there was a war once during my grandfather’s time. We were soundly defeated and one of our tribes was dissolved as a result.”

“As… as expected of the northern species, they’re quite strong.”

This lake was shaped like two smaller lakes joined together, or an inverted gourd. The smaller lake on the south where the Lizardmen dwelled was half swamp and half lake, and due to the shallow water there were few large monsters there. In comparison, the water in the larger northern lake was deeper, so many large monsters lived there, and they were stronger than the monsters of the south. Of course, it made little difference to Mare.

“That’s right, when you mentioned Toadmen, were you talking about a species called the Tuvegs?”

Mare was referring to the monsters who lived in the poison swamp around Nazarick in the past. He knew his sister had several of those monsters as servitors.

“Well, I am not too sure about that. Perhaps you could ask Cocytus-sama after he comes back? He will probably return soon.”

"Saya mengerti. Then, I’ll ask about something else, about… about that. You seem to be building something big here, but what is it? It’s quite a distance from the village, but it doesn’t look like a fence or some other kind of defense…”

"Iya. In truth, we are building our fourth fish preserve here.”

As he heard Shasuryu’s words, enlightenment dawned on Mare.

It was good that the Lizardman tribes could be united. But once their population grew, food shortages would naturally result. While many people had died during the war, they could not hunt or trap enough to feed their people. Of course, they could solve that problem by returning to their former villages to fish, but Cocytus, the new ruler of the Lizardmen, did not agree.

It was one thing for the entire village to move as one to another part of the swamp, but if only a few people moved by themselves, there was a high chance they would be attacked by monsters. The Lizardmen’s numbers were already greatly decreased. Cocytus did not want to lose more of them.

In order to ensure the prosperity of the Lizardmen, Cocytus took action to solve this problem ─ the food problem.

First, he imported rations from Nazarick ─ with Ainz’s permission, naturally ─ and distributed it to the Lizardmen. After that, he began studying methods to ensure a sustainable food supply. It went without saying that the solution he had discovered was the fish farms built by Zaryusu. After that, he discussed the matter with Demiurge, and began to build superior fish farms.

They had worked at a fever pitch and built three gigantic fish farms, and this was the fourth one.

“But the fries haven’t been raised yet, am I right?”

"Iya. What we… no, what my brother learned was not raising them from fries, but breeding already-grown fish. However, thanks to Demiurge-sama’s guidance, we have made preparations to farm fish fries. If all goes according to plan, we should be able to support twice the present population of Lizardmen through the produce of the fish farms. “

“I… I see. In a few years’ time, you won’t need to take fish from Nazarick. Ah, of course, if an emergency crops up, I imagine you are always welcome to take fish.”

“Every member of our tribe is deeply grateful to Ainz-sama’s merciful kindness in giving us so much fish… although, the fish Ainz-sama gave us lack internal organs, so how do they live? Are they like certain monsters who do not need to eat? No, they do not even have bones; what sort of lifeforms are they?”

“They are the food which was made by the power of Ainz-sama and the other Supreme Beings.”

The food Cocytus had given them was made with a magic item called Dagda’s Cauldron.

“What!? Ainz-sama could actually make enough fish to feed us all!?”

Shasuryu shook his head.

“When Zaryusu and the others visited the fortress of the Supreme Ones and came back with tales of what they had seen, it sounded like they were dreaming. They said the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick contained many smaller worlds within it, a true land of the gods. Is Ainz Ooal Gown-sama truly a god…?”

“But of course.”

Why was this Lizardman stating the obvious? Mare could not understand him and tilted his head in confusion.

Ainz Ooal Gown was the greatest of the gods. He was their creator.

"Saya melihat. So all this was bestowed upon us by Ainz-sama. My thanks to Ainz-sama.”

"Mm. I’ll let Ainz-sama know that.”