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13OVF R r OR D 1 The Undead King Kugane Maruyama 
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15V / V L/JlL/V/Jl J 7 e Illustration bv so-bin 
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20Be gin Reading 
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22Insert 
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24Table of Contents 
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26Yen Newsletter 
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28Copyright Page 
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30Hachette Book Group supports the right to free expression and the value of 
31copyright. The purpose of copyright is to encourage writers and artists to 
32produce the creative works that enrich our culture. 
33
34The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book without permission is a 
35theft of the author's intellectual property. If you would like permission to use 
36material from the book (other than for review purposes), please contact 
37permissions@hbgusa.com. Thank you for your support of the author's rights. 
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86OVERLORD 
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88Volume R The Undcad King 
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91Kugane Maruyama | Illustration by so-bin 
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95NEW YORK 
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102
103Prologue 
104
105
106Before one girl and another even younger one stood a figure in full plate armor 
107brandishing a sword. 
108
109The blade swung, sparkling in the sunlight as if to say that taking their lives in a 
110single stroke would be an act of mercy. 
111
112The girl shut her eyes. She didn't want to be biting her lower lip. She just had 
113no choice but to accept what was about to happen. If she had even a little 
114power, she probably would have been able to shove the figure away and 
115escape... 
116
117But she was powerless. 
118
119And so there was only one ending. 
120
121She would die. 
122
123The blade came down— 
124
125...The pain still hadn't come. 
126
127She unscrunched her eyes. 
128
129The first thing she saw was the sword, stopped mid-swing. 
130
131The next was the figure holding the sword. The knight was practically frozen, 
132looking at something off to her side. His unprotected stance manifested his 
133internal shock. 
134
135The girl turned to follow his line of sight... 
136
137...and saw despair. 
138
139
140
141It was darkness. 
142
143
144A patch of raven black, ultrathin but so deep it seemed as if it went on forever. 
145It was an oval rising up out of the ground, its bottom half cut off. It was a curious 
146sight, but at the same time, it made her feel indescribably uneasy. 
147
148A door? was what came to mind when she looked at it. 
149
150A heartbeat later, she would be proven correct. 
151
152Something glided out of the darkness. And when she saw what it was 
153—"Eegh!"—a dry shriek escaped her lips. 
154
155A human would have no chance against this being. 
156
157Hazy red light flickered flame-like in the vacant orbs of a bleached-white skull. 
158The gaze was trained unfeelingly on the girls as if they were live prey. Skinless, 
159fleshless hands, both sublime and terrible, clutched a staff so gorgeous it 
160seemed to be the concentration of all the world's beauty. 
161
162It was as if Death had donned an intricately ornamented raven-black robe and 
163been born into this world from another along with the darkness. 
164
165The air instantly froze. 
166
167At the entrance of the Absolute even time seemed to stop. 
168
169As though her soul had been taken, the girl forgot to breathe. 
170
171With no sense of time, inhaling was difficult, and she nauseously gulped for air. 
172
173A messenger from beyond has come to lure us away. But that didn't seem 
174right. The knight behind them had frozen as well. 
175
176"Ngah..." She heard an exhalation that could not even be called a scream, but 
177whether it had been her, her trembling little sister, or the knight with the sword 
178before them, she didn't know. 
179
180Death's fingers—of which only the bones, picked clean, were left—stretched 
181out slowly and then violently snatched at, not the girls, but the knight. 
182
183She wanted to look away, but she was too scared. She had the feeling that if 
184she looked away, the monster would transform into something even more 
185horrible. 
186
187
188
189"Grasp Heart/' 
190
191Death incarnate made a clenching motion, and metal clanged noisily next to 
192the girl. 
193
194She was scared to take her eyes off Death, but she lost to the tiny bit of 
195curiosity still dwelling inside her and looked at the knight lying facedown on the 
196ground. He wasn't moving. 
197
198He was dead. 
199
200Yes, dead. 
201
202The danger threatening to take her life had evaporated in a laughably simple 
203way, but she couldn't celebrate. Death had only assumed a more concentrated 
204form. 
205
206Sensing the fear in her gaze with its entire body, Death moved toward her. 
207
208The darkness that had been contained within her field of vision began to 
209expand. 
210
211It's going to swallow us up. 
212
213She hugged her sister close. 
214
215The idea of running away didn't even occur to her anymore. 
216
217If her opponent had been a human, she might have been able to act on the 
218faint hope of "maybe," but the being before her dashed that hope as if it were 
219nothing. 
220
221Please let it not hurt , at least... 
222
223That was the most she could hope for now. 
224
225Her little sister clung to her waist, shaking with fear. She wanted to save her, 
226but she couldn't. All she could do was apologize for her powerlessness and pray 
227that they would die together so she wouldn't be lonely. 
228
229
230And then... 
231
232
233
234
235Chaprcr i The End and the Beginning 
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237
238OVER LOR D The Undead King 
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245
246Chapter 1 | The End and the Beginning 
247
248
2491 
250
251In the year 2138, there exists something called a "DMMO-RPG." 
252
253This stands for "Dive Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game." While 
254connected via an intracranial nanocomputer network called a "neuro-nano 
255interface," which combines the best of cyber-and nanotechnology, players 
256experience physical sensations as if they were really inhabiting an imaginary 
257world. 
258
259In other words, you play as if you're actually in the world of the game. 
260
261And among all the various DMMO-RPGs that had been developed, one stood 
262above the rest. 
263
264Yggdrosil. 
265
266It had been released twelve years earlier, in 2126, by a Japanese developer 
267who had been waiting for just the right moment. 
268
269Compared to other DMMO-RPGs at the time, Yggdrosil gave players an 
270incredible amount of freedom. 
271
272For example, consider the class system, a fundamental element of character 
273customization. Counting the advanced classes as well as the base ones, there 
274were well over two thousand. Since each class had only 15 levels, players could 
275have seven or more classes by the time they hit the overall level cap of 100. As 
276long as they met the basic requirements, they could dabble as they pleased. 
277Though it would be inefficient, a player could acquire one hundred classes at 
278level 1 if they wanted to. In other words, the system was such that, unless they 
279were deliberately created that way, no two characters would ever be the same. 
280
281Then, by using the creator's tool kit—sold separately—players could edit the 
282appearance of their weapons and armor, as well as the advanced settings of 
283their in-game residences. 
284
285
286
287The environment awaiting players who ventured into this world was 
288enormous. In fact, there were nine worlds: Asgard, Alfheim, Vanaheim, 
289Nidavellir, Midgard, Jotunheim, Niflheim, Helheim, and Muspelheim. 
290
291A vast world, a staggering number of classes, and graphics that could be 
292tweaked to one's heart's content—it was precisely the amount of customization 
293that poured nitroglycerin onto the Japanese creative spirit and led to the game's 
294explosive popularity. It got to the point where in Japan the word DMMO-RPG 
295was practically synonymous with Yggdrosil. 
296
297But that was all in the past now... 
298
299* 
300
301In the center of the room, a gigantic circular table shone with an obsidian 
302gleam. Around it were forty-one magnificent seats. 
303
304Most of them, however, were empty. 
305
306Once, all the seats had been filled, but now only two figures remained. 
307
308One wore an extravagant raven-black academic robe with purple and gold 
309trim. The collar was perhaps a bit overembellished, but strangely, it suited the 
310wearer. 
311
312The bare head of the figure in question had neither skin nor flesh—just bone. 
313Reddish-black flames burned in his gaping eye sockets, and something like a 
314black halo shone behind him. 
315
316The other one wasn't human, either. More of an amorphous black blob, almost 
317like coal tar. His constantly shifting surface meant that he had no fixed shape. 
318
319The former was an elder lich—an undead being that was what remained of a 
320caster who had pursued magic ability to its extreme—and the most elite type: an 
321overlord. The latter was an elder black ooze, which was a slime race that had 
322some of the most powerful acid abilities in the game. 
323
324Both races occasionally appeared as monsters in the most difficult dungeons. 
325The various types of overlords used the highest-level evil magic while the elder 
326black ooze had the ability to corrode weapons and armor, so both were famously 
327hated. 
328
329
330But these two weren't monsters. 
331
332
333They were players. 
334
335The races players could choose from in Yggdrosil were split into three main 
336categories: basic humanoid races (humans, dwarves, elves, and so on); 
337subhuman races, who weren't pretty but performed better than humanoids 
338(goblins, ores, ogres, etc.); and grotesques, who had monster powers and got 
339more ability points than other races but were penalized in other ways. Including 
340all the elite races, there was a total of seven hundred at the users' disposal. 
341
342Naturally, overlords and elder black oozes were two of the elite grotesque 
343races that players could become. 
344
345The overlord spoke without moving his mouth. Even for what had once been 
346the pinnacle of DMMO-RPGs, it had still been impossible to animate expressions 
347to align with conversation. 
348
349"It's been a really long time, HeroHero. Even though it's the last day 
350Yggdrosil's servers are open, I didn't think you would actually come." 
351
352"For real—long time no see, Momonga," another adult male voice answered, 
353but compared to the first, it sounded pretty lifeless. 
354
355"It's been since you changed jobs IRL, so...how long ago was that? Two years?" 
356
357"Mm, yeah, about that. Geez, it's been that long....Damn. My sense of time is 
358messed up from working so much overtime." 
359
360"Sounds rough. Are you doing okay?" 
361
362"My health? It's pretty much in tatters. Not doctor-visit level, but pretty close. 
363Ugh. I really wanna just run away from it all. But I gotta eat, so I'm working my 
364ass off and getting whipped like a slave." 
365
366"Yikes..." The overlord Momonga leaned back to exaggerate his wince—this 
367conversation was kind of killing the mood. 
368
369"It's seriously awful." 
370
371Momonga was already put off, but HeroHero's follow-up sounded exactly as 
372awful as he said things were. 
373
374Their gripes about their jobs in reality gathered steam: how their subordinates 
375had no communication skills, how the spec documents were liable to change 
376
377
378
379from one day to the next, how their bosses would grill them if they didn't meet 
380their quotas, how they could barely ever go home because there was too much 
381work, their abnormal weight gain caused by the crazy hours they kept, the 
382increasing number of pills they took. 
383
384At some point, it was like a dam broke inside HeroHero, and Momonga shifted 
385to a listening role as the complaints flooded out. 
386
387Talking about one's real life in a fantasy world was frowned on by many. 
388"Please keep your reality out of my daydream" was certainly an understandable 
389sentiment, but these two didn't feel that way. 
390
391There were two requirements that all the members of their guild, Ainz Ooal 
392Gown, had to meet. One was that members had to be working adults, and the 
393other was that they had to play grotesques. 
394
395Since that's the type of guild it was, real-life work woes were a common topic 
396of discussion, which was fine with the members. The conversation these two 
397were having was an everyday occurrence in Ainz Ooal Gown. 
398
399Enough time had passed that HeroHero's muddy flood of grievances had 
400calmed to a clear stream. "Sorry, I don't mean to just whine. But I can't really 
401talk about this stuff IRL, you know?" A part of him that must have been his head 
402wiggled. 
403
404Momonga took it as a bow of apology and said, "Don't worry about it, 
405HeroHero. You accepted my invitation to come tonight even though you're 
406exhausted, so listening to some complaints is the least I can do—I'll take as many 
407as you've got." 
408
409HeroHero seemed a bit livelier than before and gave a weak chuckle. "Really, 
410though, thank you, Momonga. I'm glad I was able to log in today and see you 
411after so long." 
412
413"It makes me glad to hear you say that!" 
414
415"But I should probably get going soon..." HeroHero's tentacles began moving 
416in midair. He'd opened his menu. "Yeah, it's getting late. Sorry, Momonga..." 
417
418Momonga paused for a breath so as not to betray his emotions. "Ah, that's 
419too bad. Time really does fly when you're having fun..." 
420
421
422
423"I really wanted to stay till the end, but I'm just too tired..." 
424
425"Yeah, I can imagine. Log out and rest up." 
426
427"I'm really sorry... Momonga—err, no—Guild Master, what are your plans?" 
428
429"I'll think I'll hang around until the forced log out when the servers shut down. 
430There's still some time left, so there's a chance someone else might show up." 
431
432"I see... Honestly, I was surprised this place still even existed!" 
433
434Times like this, Momonga was truly grateful that their expressions were fixed. 
435Otherwise, his grimace would have been immediately apparent. In any case, his 
436emotions would have been evident in his voice, so he had to keep his mouth shut 
437to suppress them. 
438
439Hearing something like that from a guildmate after having worked so hard to 
440maintain their base precisely because it was a place they had all built together 
441elicited feelings in Momonga too mixed to explain. But those feelings vanished 
442when he heard what HeroHero said next. 
443
444"As the guild master, you kept it going so we could come back anytime, didn't 
445you? I really appreciate that." 
446
447"Well, we all built it together, you know? Making sure members can come back 
448anytime is the guild master's job!" 
449
450"I think having you as our guild master was what made this game so fun for us. 
451I hope to see you again...in Yggdrasil III " 
452
453"I haven't heard any rumors about a sequel...but yeah, I hope so, too." 
454
455"If it happens, let's definitely play together! Anyhow, I'm falling asleep here, so 
456I'm gonna log off. I'm glad I got to see you at the end like this. It's been great 
457playing with you." 
458
459“Momonga choked up for just a moment. Then he managed his final good¬ 
460bye. "I'm glad I got to see you, too. Nice playing with you." 
461
462Ba-ding! A smiley emoticon appeared over HeroHero's head. In Yggdrasil, 
463expressions didn't change, so players used emoticons when they wanted to 
464convey emotions. 
465
466
467
468Momonga opened his menu and picked the same emoticon. 
469
470HeroHero got the last word in. "See you again somewhere." 
471
472With that, the last of the three other guild members who had made the 
473farewell gathering disappeared. 
474
475Silence returned to the room, a silence so deep it was hard to imagine anyone 
476had been there. No echoes, no vestiges of anyone's presence. 
477
478Looking at the chair where HeroHero had been sitting until a moment before, 
479Momonga murmured the words he'd suppressed. "I know you're tired, but it's 
480the last day—the servers are shutting down. Won't you stay until the end?" 
481
482Of course, there was no reply. HeroHero was already back in the real world. 
483
484Momonga heaved a sigh from the bottom of his heart. 
485
486There was no way he could have said that. 
487
488It had been evident from their short conversation and the tone of HeroHero's 
489voice how extremely tired he'd been. A guy that exhausted had read the e-mail 
490Momonga had sent and came out for the last day. That was more than enough 
491to be thankful for. Any further requests would have overstepped the bounds of 
492nostalgia and just made Momonga into a nuisance. 
493
494Momonga stared at HeroHero's empty chair and then shifted his gaze. There 
495were thirty-nine other chairs. The places where his guildmates used to sit. He 
496looked around at all of them before coming back to HeroHero's seat. 
497
498"'See you again somewhere'...?" 
499
500See you again sometime. 
501
502See you later. 
503
504He'd heard those words many times. But they almost never came true. Nobody 
505ever returned to Yggdrasil. 
506
507"Where and when exactly are we going to meet, huh?" Momonga's shoulders 
508shuddered violently, and the true feelings that had been building up all this time 
509suddenly gushed out. "Don't fuck with me!" he roared, pounding the table with 
510both fists. 
511
512
513
514The game's system registered his motion as an attack and began computing 
515countless parameters, such as his unarmed attack strength and the table's 
516defense stats. The result appeared above the place where his hands had struck: 
517" 0 ." 
518
519"This is the Great Tomb of Nazarick! We built it together! How can you all 
520abandon it so easily?" After the intense anger came loneliness. "No...I know 
521that's not right. I know it wasn't easy at all. They were just forced to choose 
522between reality and a daydream. It's not something they could help. No one 
523betrayed us at all. It was a hard decision for everybody.../' Momonga muttered 
524to himself as he stood up. In the direction he faced, a staff hung on the wall. 
525
526It was based on the god Hermes's staff, caduceus, and consisted of seven 
527intertwined snakes. Each writhing snake held a different-colored jewel in its 
528mouth. The grip was made of a transparent crystalline material that gave off a 
529pale glow. Anyone who saw it would know it was a top-tier item—it was a Guild 
530Weapon, so named because each guild could have only one. This staff was the 
531symbol of Ainz Ooal Gown. 
532
533It was meant to be wielded by the guild master, so why was it on display here? 
534
535Precisely because it was the symbol of the guild. 
536
537If the Guild Weapon were destroyed, it would mean the collapse of the guild. 
538So, in most cases, a Guild Weapon was stored in a safe place, its mighty powers 
539untested. Even the weapon of a top guild like Ainz Ooal Gown was no exception. 
540
541That was why even though the staff was made for Momonga, he had never 
542once held it. 
543
544He reached his hand out and then stopped himself. Did he really want to taint 
545the glorious memory of all they had built together now, at this moment before 
546the servers shut down? 
547
548He recalled the days when the guild members had gone questing together to 
549craft the Guild Weapon. They had split into teams and competed to see who 
550could collect the most resources, argued about what the design should be, 
551summarized the opinions each member brought to the table, and built it up 
552piece by piece. 
553
554
555
556Those were the glory days of Ainz Ooal Gown. 
557
558There were people who were tired from work but forced themselves to show 
559up anyway. There were people who slacked on their family obligations and got 
560into huge fights with their wives. There were people who laughed and said they 
561took a sick day. 
562
563Sometimes they'd wasted the whole day just chatting. They'd get so excited 
564about the silliest things. They'd plan quests and hunt for treasure like there was 
565no tomorrow. Once they mounted a sneak attack on a castle that was an enemy 
566guild's base and stormed right in. Once they were nearly annihilated by one of 
567the strongest secret monsters in the game, known as World Enemies. They'd 
568discovered some previously undiscovered resources. They'd positioned all kinds 
569of monsters in their base to take care of any intruders. 
570
571But now there was no one left. 
572
573Out of forty-one players, thirty-seven had quit. The other three had remained 
574members in name, but Momonga couldn't remember the last time they had 
575come before today. 
576
577Momonga opened the menu to access official data and looked at the guild 
578ranking. Now there were slightly fewer than eight hundred guilds. Once they had 
579been ranked ninth, but they had fallen to twenty-ninth. This is our rank on the 
580lost day, huh? The lowest they'd ever been was forty-eighth. 
581
582That they had only slipped that far was not thanks to Momonga's efforts, but 
583to the items left by former guildmates—what remained of the guild's former 
584glory. 
585
586It was a wreck now, but it had had its heyday. 
587
588And the fruit of that period was their Guild Weapon, the Staff of Ainz Ooal 
589Gown. 
590
591Momonga didn't want to tarnish the memories harbored there, but a 
592rebellious feeling also smoldered within him. 
593
594Ainz Ooal Gown valued majority rule. Although Momonga's title was guild 
595master, the duties he performed were mostly routine, often communications- 
596type tasks. 
597
598
599
600Maybe that's why now that no one was left, he thought for the first time that 
601he'd like to try claiming a guild master's rights. 
602
603"Well, I can't do it looking like this," he muttered and went into the menu. He 
604would equip himself in a manner befitting the master of a top guild. 
605
606The gear in Yggdrosil was classified by how much data it contained. The more 
607data, the better the item. Players started off with low-tier gear, then medium- 
608tier, upper-tier, superior-tier, legacy, relic, legend, and finally god-tier, the 
609highest possible. 
610
611Nine rings, each with their own power, adorned Momonga's ten finger bones. 
612His necklace, gauntlets, boots, cape, cloak, and circlet were all god-tier. From a 
613monetary point of view, each item was an astonishingly rare and valuable 
614treasure. The splendid robe mentioned previously hung from his shoulders. 
615
616A reddish-black aura shimmered up from beneath his feet, giving him an 
617ominous, evil appearance. But he wasn't using a skill—the robe data had room, 
618so he had just plugged in an "ominous aura" effect. It wasn't like anything would 
619happen if someone touched it. 
620
621Out of the corner of his eye, Momonga saw various numbers pop up to 
622indicate his stat increases. Having fully equipped himself, he nodded in 
623satisfaction. Now he looked like a guild master. Then, he reached out and 
624grasped the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown. 
625
626The moment it was in his hands it began radiating a shimmering, dark red aura. 
627Anguished human faces would occasionally form, warp, and dissipate, seemingly 
628so real one could almost hear their tortured cries. 
629
630"...Maybe we went a little overboard." 
631
632Finally, on the last day the servers were running, this elite staff was in the 
633hands of its rightful owner. While confirming the icons indicating his dramatic 
634stat boosts, he still felt lonely. 
635
636"Well, symbol of the guild, shall we see what you can do? Or should I say 
637'symbol of my guild.'" 
638
639
640
6412 
642
643
644Momonga left the room they called the Round Table. 
645
646Unless they specified a different location, anyone with a guild member ring 
647would appear there when they logged in. If anyone was coming back today, they 
648would be standing by in that room. But Momonga understood that there was 
649practically no chance of any other guild members making an appearance—that 
650he was the only player left who wanted to spend the final moments of the game 
651in the Great Tomb of Nazarick. 
652
653Suppressing the surging waves of his emotions, Momonga walked silently 
654through his palace. 
655
656It was a majestic, ornate world reminiscent of Neuschwanstein Castle. 
657
658Chandeliers hung at regular intervals, shining warm light from the high ceilings. 
659The polished floor of the wide hallway reflected the light as marble would, 
660gleaming as if it were full of stars. Upon opening any of the doors to the right or 
661left, the grandeur of the furnishings inside would take one's breath away. If any 
662nonmember came here, they'd be amazed—amazed that such luxury could exist 
663in this legendary place, the notorious Great Tomb of Nazarick, where the largest 
664army in the game's history (an alliance of eight guilds, plus other affiliated guilds, 
665mercenary players, mercenary nonplayer characters (NPCs), and so on, for a 
666total of 1,500 men) had once arrived on a punitive expedition only to be 
667completely wiped out. 
668
669The Great Tomb of Nazarick was originally constructed with six levels, but after 
670Ainz Ooal Gown conquered it, it was dramatically transformed. At present, there 
671were ten underground levels, each with its own distinct features. Levels one 
672through three made up the grave. The fourth was an underground lake. Five was 
673a glacier. Six was a jungle. Seven was lava. Eight was wilderness. Nine and ten 
674were a shrine. This was the headquarters of a guild that broke the top ten back 
675in an era when there were thousands, the guild of Ainz Ooal Gown. 
676
677What better word for this world than divine ? Momonga's footsteps echoed 
678throughout the halls accompanied by the hard clock of his staff on the floor. 
679
680
681
682After walking a ways down the wide corridor and turning a number of corners, 
683he saw a woman coming toward him from up ahead. 
684
685She was gorgeous, with abundant blond hair falling around her shoulders and 
686distinctive facial features. Her clothing was a maid uniform with a broad apron 
687and a long, unobtrusive skirt. She stood about five feet, seven inches tall and had 
688long, delicate limbs. Ample twin swells asserted themselves by straining against 
689the chest of her outfit, but the overall impression she made was one of modesty. 
690
691Soon the gap between them had closed; the woman moved into a nook and 
692bowed deeply to Momonga. 
693
694He responded with a small wave. 
695
696Her expression didn't change. There was such a slight hint of a smile that it was 
697difficult to tell if it was there or not, just as before. In Yggdrosil, expressions 
698never changed, but in her case, the implication was a little different. 
699
700This maid was an NPC, a "nonplayer character." She was not controlled by a 
701human but moved on her own according to her Al—a program. Basically, she 
702was a walking mannequin. No matter how sophisticated she was or how politely 
703she bowed, it was all just according to her programming. 
704
705Momonga's response might have seemed a foolish way to treat a mannequin, 
706but there was a reason he wanted to show some consideration. 
707
708The forty-one NPC maids working in the Great Tomb of Nazarick were all based 
709on custom drawings. The artist was a guild member who made his living as an 
710illustrator and who was now serialized in a monthly manga magazine. 
711
712Momonga gazed fixedly at the maid. He was looking at the girl certainly but 
713mainly her outfit. It was surprisingly detailed. The meticulous embroidery on the 
714apron was especially impressive. But how could he expect anything less when 
715the artist was a guy who said, "A maid's uniform is a battle-deciding weapon!"? 
716Momonga fondly recalled the graphics producer's screams. 
717
718"Ahh, right. Even back then he was all about 'Maid uniforms for great justice!' 
719Actually, even the manga he's doing now has a maid as the heroine. Are you 
720making your assistants cry with all the detail work, WhiteLace?" 
721
722HeroHero had designed the Al program, along with five other mates. 
723
724
725
726In other words, this maid was another former guild members' collaboration, so 
727it would be sad to simply ignore her. Just like the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown, this 
728maid was a shining memory of the good old days. 
729
730As Momonga reminisced, the maid, who had straightened up, cocked her head 
731as if to say, May I help you? 
732
733Oh, is this the idle pose she would strike if you were near her for o certain 
734amount of time? He searched his memory and was impressed by how detailed 
735HeroHero's program was. He knew there must be other secret poses. He was 
736taken by the urge to see them all, but unfortunately, time was running out. 
737
738He checked the semitransparent watch face on his left wrist. 
739
740He indeed had no time to waste. 
741
742"Thanks for all your hard work," he said to the maid out of sentimentality and 
743then slipped by her. Of course, there was no reply, but he felt like it was the 
744proper thing to do on this last day. 
745
746Leaving the maid behind, Momonga continued walking. 
747
748It was not long before a grand staircase with its primarily red carpeting came 
749into view. At least ten people could walk abreast down it with their arms 
750outstretched. Momonga slowly descended to the deepest level of the Great 
751Tomb of Nazarick, the tenth level. 
752
753The stairs led to an open hall where he found several people. 
754
755The first one he saw was an old man superbly dressed in a traditional butler 
756uniform. His hair was completely white, as was his beard, but his back was as 
757straight as the blade of a steel sword. Conspicuous wrinkles in his chiseled 
758Caucasian features gave him an air of kindness, but his penetrating eyes were 
759like those of a hawk targeting its prey. 
760
761Behind him, trailing him like his shadows, were six maids. These, however, 
762were equipped completely differently from the one before. 
763
764They all wore armor based on manga-style maid uniforms featuring metal 
765vambraces and greaves of silver, gold, black, and other colors, with white lace 
766headpieces instead of helmets. They also each carried a different weapon. 
767
768
769
770Basically, they were maid warriors. 
771
772Their hairstyles were varied as well: a chignon, a ponytail, a straight cut, braids, 
773rolled curls, a French twist. The only thing they had in common was how 
774beautiful they were, but even their beauty came in various types: bewitching, 
775wholesome, Japanese... 
776
777Naturally, they were also NPCs, but unlike the earlier one who was made pretty 
778much for kicks, these existed to intercept raiders. 
779
780In Yggdrosil, there were perks for guilds who possessed a base of castle size or 
781larger. One was that there were NPCs who would protect said base. The Great 
782Tomb of Nazarick had undead mobs. They could be up to level 30 and it didn't 
783cost the guild anything if they died—they'd just respawn after a set amount of 
784time. The only thing was that the appearances and Al of these auto-spawning 
785NPCs couldn't be edited, which made them too weak to repel other players. 
786
787But then there was another perk: the right to create the guild's own NPCs from 
788scratch. Even a weak guild that occupied a base of at least castle size would get 
789at least seven hundred levels to dole out to custom NPCs as they liked. Since the 
790level cap in Yggdrosil was 100, one could, for example, make five level 100s and 
791four level 40s. And for this type of NPC, it was possible to adjust their looks, Al, 
792and gear for those who could equip it. With this system, guilds could station 
793guards far stronger than the auto-spawning mobs at key locations. 
794
795Of course, there was nothing forcing people to create NPCs with combat in 
796mind. There was one guild, the Great Cat Kingdom, that made all their NPCs cats 
797or other members of the Felidae family. It wouldn't be mistaken to say that this 
798ability was meant to bring out the personalities of the guilds. 
799
800"him." Momonga brought a hand to his chin and looked at the butler bowing 
801before him. Fie didn't come here very often, since he normally used teleportation 
802magic to go from room to room. That must have been why the sight of the butler 
803and maids here made him feel so nostalgic. 
804
805Fie stretched his fingers out for the menu and opened up the members-only 
806guild page. Checking a box there instantly caused the names of all the NPCs in 
807the room to appear over their heads. 
808
809"So that's what you're called." Fie cracked a smile. It was part pained wince for 
810
811
812
813not remembering their names, but also part nostalgic grin, as memories of the 
814dispute over what the names should be surfaced from his fragmented 
815recollection. 
816
817Sebas the butler's background said he could perform all the duties of a house 
818steward. The team of combat maids, known as the Pleiades, reported directly to 
819him. Besides them he was also in charge of the male servants and assistant 
820butlers. 
821
822There was probably more detailed background info in the text log, but 
823Momonga wasn't interested in reading any more. He didn't have much time left, 
824and there was somewhere he wanted to be sitting when the servers shut down. 
825
826Incidentally, the reason all the NPCs, including the maids, had detailed 
827backstories was that Ainz Ooal Gown was full of people who loved to write them. 
828And because there were so many illustrator and programmer members, 
829everyone was really obsessed with getting the graphics right, which in turn 
830spurred on the writers' imaginations. 
831
832Sebas and the maids were meant to be the last line of defense against raiders. 
833Not that anyone thought it was possible to repel players who managed to 
834penetrate this far, but at least NPC guards could buy some time. That said, no 
835players had ever gotten to the tenth level, so all the guards had ever done was 
836wait. 
837
838They had never received orders from anyone, but just stood by wondering if or 
839when an enemy would arrive. 
840
841Momonga tightened his grip on the staff. 
842
843It was stupid to feel sorry for NPCs. After all, they were just data. If it seemed 
844like they had emotions, it just meant the human who designed the Al had done a 
845good job. 
846
847But... 
848
849"A guild master should make his NPCs work!" While teasing himself in his head 
850for sounding so arrogant, he added, "Follow me!" 
851
852Sebas and the maids acknowledged the order with a bow. 
853
854
855
856Momonga's guildmates didn't mean for these NPCs to leave this area, and Ainz 
857Ooal Gown valued majority rule. It was unacceptable for one person to do what 
858he wanted with things that everyone had made together. 
859
860But it's the lost day. Everyone would surely forgive me on the lost day, he 
861thought as he continued on with multiple sets of footsteps sounding behind him. 
862
863Presently they arrived at a large domed hall. Crystals in four colors on the 
864ceiling gave off white light. There were seventy-two alcoves dug into the walls, 
865most of which contained a statue. There were sixty-seven in all, each in the form 
866of a demon. 
867
868This room was called Lemegeton after the famed grimoire also known as The 
869Lesser Key of Solomon. All of the statues, carved out of ultrarare magical metals, 
870were golems based on Solomon's seventy-two demons. The only reason there 
871were sixty-seven instead of seventy-two was that the person making them got 
872bored partway through. 
873
874The crystals on the ceiling were monsters. During an enemy raid they could 
875summon the major elementals (earth, wind, fire, and water) and simultaneously 
876bombard the enemy with wide-range area-of-effect magic attacks. If all of them 
877were mobilized, it would be enough power to take out two parties of level-100 
878players (twelve people) with ease. 
879
880This room was the very last line of defense before entering the heart of the 
881Great Tomb of Nazarick. 
882
883Momonga took the servants with him as he crossed Lemegeton to stand in 
884front of a large door. It was a huge—probably more than sixteen feet tall- 
885double door with extraordinarily detailed carvings: a goddess on the left and a 
886demon on the right. They looked so real it seemed like they might jump off the 
887door to attack. Despite that, Momonga was fairly sure they didn't move. "If a 
888bunch of heroes manage to get this far, we should welcome them. A lot of 
889people say we're evil and whatnot, so let's lie in wait for them here like final 
890bosses." The suggestion was adopted by majority rule. 
891
892"Ulbert..." Ulbert Alain Odle had been the most obsessed with the word evil 
893out of anybody in the guild. "That guy just never got through adolescence..." 
894
895Momonga took another sentimental look around the grand hall. 
896
897
898
899"...Okay, you're not going to attack me, right?" 
900
901His anxiety was not unwarranted. Even he didn't know how everything in this 
902labyrinth worked. He wouldn't have been surprised if one of the retired members 
903had left a twisted "parting gift," and the guy who made this door was definitely 
904the type to do something like that. 
905
906Once, he said he wanted to show Momonga a powerful golem he had just 
907made, but when Momonga booted the golem up, a bug in the combat Al caused 
908it to start throwing punches at him. He still wondered if that had been on 
909purpose. 
910
911"Hey, Luci^Fer. If you attack me today of all days, I will be seriously angry." 
912
913Momonga touched the massive door with caution, but his worries had been 
914for nothing; it opened automatically but slowly, with appropriate gravity. 
915
916The mood changed. 
917
918The previous room had already been as tranquil and solemn as a shrine, but 
919the scene here surpassed even that. The new atmosphere exerted a physical 
920pressure; the exquisite workmanship could be felt weighing on one's entire body. 
921
922The room was huge—a hundred people could come in and there would still be 
923space left over—and the ceilings so high. The walls were primarily white with 
924ornamentation done mainly in gold. The magnificent chandeliers that hung from 
925the ceiling were made of jewels in a rainbow of colors and cast a dreamy 
926sparkling light. On the walls, hanging from the ceiling to the floor, were large 
927flags, each with a different crest—forty-one in all. 
928
929On the far side of this lavish gold-and-silver room was a short flight of ten 
930stairs. At the top was a throne carved out of a giant crystal, its back practically 
931tall enough to reach the heavens. Behind it was a large scarlet tapestry bearing 
932the guild's crest. 
933
934This was the most important location in the entire Great Tomb of Nazarick, the 
935Throne Room. 
936
937A "wow" escaped Momonga's lips as he admired the overwhelming room. He 
938was sure the workmanship was the best, or maybe second best, in all of 
939Yggdrosil. That made it a perfect place to spend the last few minutes of the 
940
941
942game. 
943
944It was so large, the sound of his footsteps seemed to vanish into the room as 
945he entered. He eyed the female NPC standing next to the throne. 
946
947She was gorgeous, wearing a snow-white dress. Her faint smile was like that of 
948a goddess. Her lustrous hair was a black the exact opposite of her dress and 
949reached all the way to her waist. Her golden irises and vertical slit pupils were 
950odd, but they didn't detract one bit from her peerless feminine beauty. She did, 
951however, have thick horns that curled forward out of her temples, like a ram's. 
952But that wasn't all. Black angel wings sprouted out of her back near her hips. 
953Perhaps because of the shadows caused by her horns, her goddess smile seemed 
954like it might be a mask hiding something else. She wore a glittering golden 
955necklace like a spiderweb covering her shoulders and chest. In her delicate 
956silken-gloved hands, she carried a strange wand-like object. It was about 
957eighteen inches long, its end tipped by a black orb that floated there with no 
958supports. 
959
960Momonga hadn't forgotten her name. How could he have? She was Albedo, 
961captain of the Great Tomb of Nazarick's floor guardians. There were seven floor 
962guardians, and she was the NPC who oversaw them; she was the character at 
963the top of the NPC hierarchy in the Great Tomb of Nazarick. Which was why she 
964was allowed to stand by in that innermost room. 
965
966But there was some harshness in the way Momonga looked at her now. "I 
967knew there was one World Item here, but why are there two?" 
968
969There were only two hundred of these extraordinary items in Yggdrosil. Each 
970World Item contained an absolutely unique power. There were even game¬ 
971breaking items that allowed their owner to demand the admins to change a part 
972of the game's system. Of course, not all of them were so extravagant. Even so, if 
973a player were able to own one individually, one can imagine how far their 
974reputation would spread. 
975
976Ainz Ooal Gown was in possession of eleven World Items. That was more than 
977any other guild—far more, in fact. The guild with the next most had only three. 
978Of Ainz Ooal Gown's, Momonga had gotten permission from the guild to carry 
979one as his own, and the rest were scattered around the Great Tomb of Nazarick, 
980
981
982
983although most of them stayed in the treasury, protected by the Avatars. 
984
985There could only be one reason that Albedo had come into possession of one 
986of these secret treasures without his knowledge: The guild member who created 
987her had given it to her. 
988
989Ainz Ooal Gown valued majority rule. It was unacceptable to move the 
990treasure everyone collected together around on one's own. Momonga was 
991somewhat offended and felt he should probably take it back. But today was the 
992last day. He decided to take that guildmate's feelings into account and leave the 
993item where it was. 
994
995"That's far enough," Momonga said to Sebas and the Pleiades in a dignified 
996tone when they'd reached the steps to the throne. 
997
998Then, he started up the stairs, but after he had gone up a couple, he realized 
999he could still hear footsteps behind him and winced (although, of course, the 
1000graphics of his skull face didn't move a bit). When it came down to it, NPCs were 
1001inflexible programs. They wouldn't take an order unless it was one of their set 
1002phrases. Momonga used NPCs so rarely that he had managed to forget that 
1003simple fact. 
1004
1005Since the other guild members left, Momonga had been doing all he 
1006reasonably could to go treasure hunting and raise the funds necessary to 
1007maintain the Great Tomb of Nazarick. He never teamed up with any other 
1008players and stealthily avoided the kinds of difficult areas the guild had quested in 
1009back when the members were still around. Every day he just threw money into 
1010the treasury like it was his job and logged out. He didn't have much occasion to 
1011meet NPCs. 
1012
1013"Stand by." The footsteps stopped when he gave the correct command. Then, 
1014he climbed the stairs and stood before the throne. 
1015
1016He scrutinized Albedo without reserve. He never really came to this room and 
1017couldn't remember ever taking a good look at her. "I wonder what her backstory 
1018is..." All he could remember was that she was captain of the floor guardians and 
1019the most elite NPC in the Great Tomb of Nazarick. With curiosity fluttering in his 
1020chest, he accessed the menu to look up her info. 
1021
1022And there certainly was info—writing flooded his field of vision. Her backstory 
1023
1024
1025
1026was the length of an epic poem. If he were to take his time reading it, the servers 
1027would shut down before he was done. 
1028
1029If Momonga's expression could move, his face would have been screwed up in 
1030disbelief. He felt more or less like he'd stepped on a land mine. How could he 
1031have forgotten that the guild member who created Albedo was so obsessed with 
1032backstories? He was extremely disappointed in himself. 
1033
1034He was the one who had looked it up, so he resigned himself to browsing the 
1035bio. He barely even skimmed it, scrolling in one big swipe to the bottom. The last 
1036thing it said caught his attention: "By the way, she's a bitch." 
1037
1038His eyes nearly popped out of his head. "Huh? What the heck?" he yelped in 
1039spite of himself. No matter how many times he doubted his eyes and reread, the 
1040words didn't change. And no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't think of 
1041anything for them to mean besides the first thing that popped into his head. "It's 
1042gotta be 'bitch,' the insult..." 
1043
1044All forty-one members of the guild had set up at least one NPC. He wondered if 
1045someone would really give the character they created that sort of background. If 
1046he took his time and read the whole thing, maybe there was some deeper 
1047meaning? 
1048
1049But there were some people who came up with the craziest backstories... And 
1050the member who had created Albedo, Tabula Smaragdina, was one of those. 
1051
1052"So you're into that unexpected contrast, eh, Tabula? Still..." Isn't this going o 
1053bit too for? The NPCs the guild members made were like the legacy of the guild. 
1054If the one on top of the hierarchy had this in her bio, it seemed pretty... 
1055
1056"Hrm..." Was it okay to mess with someone's original NPC due to personal 
1057feelings? Momonga thought for a moment and then gave his answer. "I'm gonna 
1058change it." 
1059
1060Now that he was carrying the Guild Weapon, he was guild master in both 
1061name and substance. He figured it would be okay to exercise the privileges he'd 
1062mostly ignored in the past. Using the fuzzy logic of "If a guild member makes an 
1063error, it should be corrected," he broke through his hesitation. 
1064
1065Momonga pointed his staff. Usually one would need the creator's tool kit to 
1066
1067
1068
1069edit bios, but he could access them with his guild master privileges. A couple 
1070menu inputs later and the sentence about being a "bitch" was gone. "I guess 
1071that'll do." Then, he thought for a moment and looked at the space he'd opened 
1072up. Maybe I should put something in there... 
1073
1074"This is so stupid." Momonga winced at his own idea and input the characters 
1075via the menu keyboard. It was a short sentence: 
1076
1077"And she's in love with Momonga." 
1078
1079"Ugh, how embarrassing." He put his hands over his face. He felt he might 
1080collapse due to sheer mortification, as if he'd made up his own ideal lover and 
1081written a romance about it. He fidgeted. He was so embarrassed he considered 
1082changing it again, but he decided it was okay. 
1083
1084It was the last day. This embarrassment would disappear in just a few more 
1085minutes. Plus, both sentences had the same amount of words—what perfection. 
1086Deleting it and leaving an empty space would be a bit of a waste. 
1087
1088Momonga sat on the throne and distracted himself from his slight satisfaction 
1089(and thus multiplied shame). He looked out across the room and noticed Sebas 
1090and the maids standing stiffly at the bottom of the stairs. In this room, their rigid 
1091postures seemed somehow lacking. Oh right , / think there was this one 
1092command... 
1093
1094"Genuflect!" Albedo, Sebas, and the six maids all dropped to one knee at once 
1095and bowed as if they were his subjects. 
1096
1097That's better. 
1098
1099Momonga lifted his left wrist and checked the time: 23:55:48. Made it just in 
1100time. By now the game masters are probably making announcements nonstop. 
1101There are probably fireworks... But Momonga was cut off from all that, so he 
1102didn't really know. He leaned back in the throne and looked up at the ceiling. 
1103
1104He had thought a party might show up to storm them on the last day, since 
1105this was the base of the guild that had crushed that punitive expedition. He'd 
1106been waiting. As guild master, he was ready to take on the challenge. He'd sent 
1107an e-mail to all of his old guildmates, but only a handful replied. He'd been 
1108waiting. As guild master, he was excited to welcome his old mates. 
1109
1110
1111
1112"Is this guild just a relic of the past?" he wondered. Now there was no one 
1113around, but it sure had been a lot of fun. He moved his eyes to count the flags 
1114hanging from the ceiling. Forty-one. A flag for every guild member with their 
1115crest. He pointed a phalanx at one of them. "Me." Then, he moved his finger one 
1116over. That flag had the crest of Ainz Ooal Gown's—no, the entire game's—best 
1117player, the one who originally proposed starting their guild. He was also the one 
1118who had united its forerunner, the First Nine. 
1119
1120"Touch Me." 
1121
1122The next one over was the crest of Ainz Ooal Gown's oldest member age-wise, 
1123a university professor in the real world: "Death Suzaku." 
1124
1125Momonga's finger sped up as he went. The next was one of the guild's only 
1126three women members. "Ankoro Mocchi Mochi." 
1127
1128Momonga continued naming all the guild members according to their crests, 
1129with no hesitation. "HeroHero, Peroroncino, BubblingTeapot, Tabula 
1130Smaragdina, the Warrior Takemikazuchi, Variable Talisman, Genjiro..." It didn't 
1131take very long for him to say all forty of his guildmates' names. They were still 
1132burned into his brain. 
1133
1134He slumped down in the throne, somewhat tired. "Yeah, we had fun..." 
1135
1136The game was free to play, but Momonga spent about a third of his monthly 
1137salary on microtransactions. It wasn't that he was making so much—he just 
1138didn't have any other hobbies, so Yggdrosil was all he spent money on. 
1139
1140Once he put so much into a lottery that came with a bonus that he blew 
1141straight through the bonus. He went to all that trouble and finally got the rare 
1142item he'd been after, but Yamaiko, a guildmate, won it for the price of a single 
1143lunch out. Oh, did that suck. He'd writhed around on the floor. 
1144
1145Since Ainz Ooal Gown was made up of working adults, almost everyone was 
1146buying stuff in-game, but Momonga was definitely up there in terms of 
1147spending. He was probably pretty high up even among everyone on the server. 
1148
1149That's how hooked he'd been. Questing was fun, too. And playing with friends 
1150was even more fun. To Momonga, with his parents already gone and no friends 
1151in the real world, Ainz Ooal Gown represented the awesome times he'd spent 
1152
1153
1154
1155with his friends. 
1156
1157And now he was going to lose it. 
1158
1159How miserable, how awful. 
1160
1161He tightened his grip on the staff. Momonga was a normal office worker. He 
1162didn't have the money or connections to do anything. He was just another user 
1163whose only choice was to silently accept the end. 
1164
1165In the corner of his field of vision, he saw the time: 23:57. The servers would 
1166shut down at midnight. 
1167
1168There was almost no time left. His fantasy world was ending, and soon all his 
1169days would be spent in reality. 
1170
1171It's only natural. Humans can't live in a daydream. That's why everyone left. 
1172Momonga sighed. 
1173
1174He had to be up at four tomorrow morning. If he didn't go to bed as soon as 
1175the servers went down, it would affect his work. 
1176
117723:59:35, 36, 37... 
1178
1179Momonga counted down along with the numbers. 
1180
118123:59:48, 49,50... 
1182
1183He closed his eyes. 
1184
118523:59:58, 59- 
1186
1187He counted the moments as they ticked off the clock...to the end of his 
1188fantasy... Here comes the blackout— 
1189
11900:00:00... One, two, three... 
1191
1192"...Huh?" 
1193
1194Momonga opened his eyes. He wasn't back in his room. He was still in 
1195Yggdrasil in the Throne Room. 
1196
1197"...What's going on?" 
1198
1199The time was accurate. He should have been booted by now. 
1200
12010:00:38... 
1202
1203
1204
1205It was definitely after midnight. The time displayed by the system clock could 
1206not possibly be off. 
1207
1208Unsure how to proceed, he looked around for any information. 
1209
1210"Was the shutdown postponed?" 
1211
1212Or is there some kind of loss time? 
1213
1214Countless possibilities crossed his mind, but they were all far from convincing. 
1215The most likely was that for some reason, some unfavorable reason, the server 
1216shutdown had been postponed. If that were the case, the GMs would probably 
1217be making announcements. He rushed to turn the communication channels back 
1218on—his hands stopped. 
1219
1220His menu wouldn't come up. 
1221
1222"What the...?" 
1223
1224Feeling slightly uneasy and confused (but surprised by how calm he was), 
1225Momonga tried to use some other features: forced system access that bypassed 
1226the menu, chat, a GM call, force quit. He couldn't get to any of them. It was like 
1227he'd been locked out of the system. 
1228
1229"What is going on?!" His irate voice echoed across the spacious Throne Room 
1230and faded away. 
1231
1232This is the lost day. It's unthinkable that something like this could happen on 
1233the day that is supposed to be the end of it all. Are they teasing us? What came 
1234over him now was irritation at not being able to make a beautiful exit at the 
1235game's glorious end. It could be felt in each word he spoke and almost sounded 
1236like he was taking out his anger on someone, but there shouldn't have been any 
1237response. However... 
1238
1239"Is something the matter, Lord Momonga?" 
1240
1241It was a woman's pretty voice, and he was hearing it for the first time. 
1242
1243Dumbfounded, Momonga looked to see where it had come from. When he saw 
1244who had spoken, he was absolutely shocked. 
1245
1246It was an NPC who was looking up at him—Albedo. 
1247
1248
1249
12503 
1251
1252
1253Carne. 
1254
1255It was a small village not far from the Tobu Woodlands at the southern edge of 
1256the Azerlisia Mountains that formed the border between the empire and the 
1257kingdom. The population was about 120. Twenty-five households was not an 
1258uncommon size for a village on the frontiers of the Re-Estize Kingdom. 
1259
1260Carne mainly relied on agriculture and the bounty of the forest, and the only 
1261visitor apart from an apothecary who came to acquire herbs was the tax 
1262collector. The phrase like time hod stopped was an apt descriptor of the place. 
1263
1264The day started early in the village. Villagers generally awoke at dawn. Unlike 
1265the larger cities, they didn't have magically maintained Continual Light, so they 
1266rose and slept with the sun. 
1267
1268Enri Emmott's mornings began with fetching water from the well near her 
1269house. Fetching water was women's work. Her first chore was done when the 
1270large pot in her house was full. By that time her mother would be finished 
1271preparing breakfast, and the four members of their family would sit down 
1272together to eat. 
1273
1274Breakfast was barley and wheat oatmeal, sauteed vegetables, and on some 
1275days, dried fruit. 
1276
1277After that, she would go out to work in the fields with her mother and father. 
1278Her younger sister, soon to be ten, would gather wood near where the forest 
1279started or help in the fields. The bell in the center of town on the edge of the 
1280village square rang at noon. They would take a break from their work and eat 
1281lunch. 
1282
1283Lunch was brown bread baked some days earlier and soup with bits of 
1284preserved meat in it. 
1285
1286Then, it was back to the fields. When the sky began to redden, they would 
1287return home and eat dinner. 
1288
1289Dinner was the same brown bread as lunch and bean soup. If a hunter caught 
1290
1291
1292
1293an animal, they would sometimes get a share of the meat. After the meal, they 
1294would chat as a family and mend clothes by what light remained in the kitchen. 
1295
1296They usually slept around six pm. 
1297
1298Enri Emmott had lived her whole life, from the moment she was born to her 
1299current age of sixteen years, as a member of this village. 
1300
1301She thought her uneventful life would continue on the same way forever. 
1302
1303One day Enri awoke as usual and went to fetch water. She hauled the bucket 
1304out of the well and filled her small pot. It took about three trips to fill the large 
1305one at home. 
1306
1307"Oof." She rolled up her sleeves. The parts of her skin that weren't tanned 
1308were glaringly white. Her arms were slender but well toned from working in the 
1309fields—she even had some muscle. 
1310
1311The pot was quite heavy once it was full of water, but she picked it up like 
1312usual. If I hod a pot one size bigger , maybe I could reduce my number of trips? 
1313Oh , but I probably wouldn't be able to carry it. Enri was about to head home 
1314when she thought she heard something and looked in the direction it came from. 
1315Something set the air roiling and her heart frothing. 
1316
1317Off in the distance, she heard the sound of something wooden being crushed. 
1318And then— 
1319
1320"A scream?" It was like the cry of a bird having its neck wrung and yet 
1321altogether different. Something cold raced down Enri's spine. No way. It's just 
1322my imagination. I misheard. Words to drown out her anxiety bubbled up, 
1323popped, and disappeared. 
1324
1325Panicking, she started to run. The scream had come from the direction of her 
1326house. She abandoned her pot. It's too heavy to run with. Her feet got tangled in 
1327her long skirt and she nearly tripped, but luckily she managed to keep her 
1328balance and run on. 
1329
1330More voices. 
1331
1332Enri's heart was pounding. 
1333
1334Human screams. No doubt about it. 
1335
1336
1337
1338Run. Run. Run. 
1339
1340
1341She couldn't remember ever having run this fast. She felt like she was going to 
1342trip over her own feet. 
1343
1344Horses whinnying. People screaming. Shouts. 
1345
1346It was all getting louder. 
1347
1348Still quite a ways away, Enri saw an armored figure swinging a sword at a 
1349villager. The villager screamed and crumpled to the ground. The sword followed 
1350up with a finishing stab. 
1351
1352"Mr. Morger!" There was no one in this small village she didn't know—they 
1353were all like family—so of course she knew the man who had been killed. He 
1354could be a bit loud at times but was a good-natured person. He certainly didn't 
1355deserve to die like that. Enri nearly stopped in her tracks, but she grit her teeth 
1356and pushed herself to sprint even faster. 
1357
1358This distance never felt terribly long when she was carrying water, but now it 
1359seemed like she would never arrive. 
1360
1361Angry shouts and curses reached her ears on the wind. Finally her house was in 
1362sight. 
1363
1364"Mom! Dad! Nemu!" she called out to her family as she opened the door. 
1365
1366Their three familiar faces were frightened but all present, huddled together. As 
1367soon as she burst in, their expressions softened into relief. 
1368
1369"Enri! You're safe!" She felt her father's rough farmer hands on her back as he 
1370hugged her. And the warm hands of her mother. 
1371
1372"Okay, now that Enri's here, let's get out of here!" 
1373
1374The Emmott family was in a pretty bad position. They didn't want Enri to come 
1375home to an empty house, so they'd missed their opportunity to escape. The 
1376danger must already be closing in... 
1377
1378That fear soon became reality. 
1379
1380As the four of them were just about to make a run for it, a shadow appeared in 
1381the front entryway. Standing there with the sun at his back was a knight in full 
1382
1383
1384
1385armor, the arms of the Baharuth Empire emblazoned on his breastplate. In his 
1386hand was a naked blade—a longsword. 
1387
1388The Baharuth Empire occasionally invaded its neighbor, the Re-Estize Kingdom, 
1389but usually the fighting was centered around the fortress city of E-Rantel; the 
1390enemy had never made it as far as Carne. 
1391
1392But now the village's peace had been shattered. 
1393
1394From the icy stare coming through the gap in the close helmet, Enri could 
1395sense that they were being counted. She hated the feeling of his eyes moving 
1396over them. 
1397
1398A squeak from his metal gauntlet announced that he had tightened his grip on 
1399the sword. He moved into the house— 
1400
1401"Yaaargh!" 
1402
1403"Urgh!" 
1404
1405Enri's father tackled the knight, and the pair of them tumbled out the front 
1406door. 
1407
1408"Go! Hurry!" 
1409
1410"You bastard!" 
1411
1412Her father's face was lightly smeared with blood. He must have cut himself 
1413when he rushed the knight. The two of them thrashed around on the ground, 
1414her father struggling to keep the knight's dagger at bay, the knight struggling to 
1415keep her father's knife at bay. 
1416
1417Seeing a family member's blood right before her eyes made Enri's mind go 
1418completely blank. Should I try to help him or escape? 
1419
1420"Enri! Nemu!" The shout brought her back to reality. Her mother, though 
1421anguished, was shaking her head. 
1422
1423Enri took her sister's hand and started to run. Hesitation and guilt made her 
1424reluctant, but she had to just run as fast as she could to the forest. 
1425
1426The whinnies and screams of horses, angry voices, the clanging of metal, and... 
1427the smell of something burning. From all over the village, the sensations 
1428
1429
1430
1431bombarded her eyes, ears, and nose. Where is that conning from? She was 
1432frantic to know even as she ran. In open areas, she moved in a half crouch, trying 
1433to stay in the shadows of houses. 
1434
1435Fear that made her blood run cold. The exertion of running wasn't the only 
1436reason her heart was pounding. The only thing keeping her moving was the little 
1437hand clasped in hers. 
1438
1439My sister's life... 
1440
1441Her mother, running a few paces ahead, was just turning a corner when she 
1442suddenly stiffened and shrank back. She motioned with a hand behind her back 
1443to run the other way! 
1444
1445When Enri realized why, she bit her lip to hold back a sob. 
1446
1447She squeezed her sister's hand and ran to get as far away as they could. 
1448
1449She didn't want to see what was going to happen next. 
1450
1451
14524 
1453
1454
1455"Is something wrong, Lord Momonga?'' Albedo repeated her question. 
1456
1457Momonga wasn't sure how to answer. This series of mysterious events had 
1458short-circuited his brain. 
1459
1460"Please excuse me.'' Momonga gazed at her absentmindedly as she got up and 
1461came up close to him. "Is something the matter?'' She leaned in with her 
1462beautiful face. A faint but wonderful scent tickled Momonga's nostrils. Perhaps 
1463kick-started by the fragrance, his thoughts began to return to him. 
1464
1465"No, I'm all right, thank y—It's nothing.'' He lacked the particular naivete 
1466required to speak too terribly politely toward a mannequin, but as soon as she 
1467had spoken to him, he felt compelled to answer. There was something 
1468undeniably human about the way she spoke and moved. 
1469
1470The situation he and Albedo were in was way off, but he couldn't quite put his 
1471finger on why. He did his utmost to suppress the confusion and amazement that 
1472
1473
1474
1475such a vague understanding generated, but he was just a normal guy—it didn't 
1476seem possible. Right as he was about to scream, he remembered the words of 
1477one of his guildmates: "Panic breeds failure. One must always have a composed, 
1478rational state of mind. Calm your heart and broaden your outlook. Don't let your 
1479thoughts take you prisoner. Keep your mind quick, Momonga." 
1480
1481With that remembrance, his calm came flooding back to him. He mentally gave 
1482his thanks to the man known as the guild's Kongming, Squishy Moe. 
1483
1484"Are you all right?" Albedo asked, awfully close to him. She'd tilted her head 
1485adorably and leaned in so far that their breaths were overlapping. With this 
1486gorgeous girl in his face, the calm Momonga had just regained threatened to fly 
1487straight back out the window. 
1488
1489"The...GM call isn't working." Swallowed up by Albedo's glistening pupils, he 
1490found himself consulting with an NPC. 
1491
1492A member of the opposite sex had never approached Momonga with this look 
1493in her eyes before, especially with such a lack of propriety. He knew it was just an 
1494NPC someone had made, but the flow of her expressions was so natural it was 
1495unsettling. 
1496
1497But somehow he noticed those feelings settling down already, as if they were 
1498being held back. The lack of wider emotional fluctuation, however, gave him a 
1499touch of anxiety. He had thought it was due to his former mate's words, but is 
1500that really it? 
1501
1502Momonga shook his head. Now wasn't the time. 
1503
1504"...Please forgive me. I am so ignorant I fear I am unable to answer your 
1505question regarding this 'GM call' you speak of. Nothing would make me happier 
1506than a chance to clear myself of the disgrace of failing your expectations. Your 
1507wish is my command..." 
1508
1509...We're having a conversation. No doubt about it. The realization assailed his 
1510entire body with a petrifying amazement. Impossible... This can't be happening. 
1511
1512An NPC was talking. Well, there were macros that allowed them to do that. 
1513Players had been passing around data for battle cries and cheers, etc. Still, 
1514conversation was impossible. Even just a minute ago, Sebas and the maids 
1515
1516
1517
1518wouldn't respond to anything that wasn't a simple command phrase. 
1519
1520So how is this happening? Is Albedo just special? 
1521
1522He motioned for her to step back and glimpsed a flicker of reluctance as he 
1523looked away to Sebas and the maids, who still had their heads bowed. 
1524
1525"Sebas! Maids!" 
1526
1527"My lord!" They answered in magnificent unison, raising their heads in a slick 
1528motion. 
1529
1530"Come to the foot of the throne." 
1531
1532"Yes, sir." Their voices aligned again, and they sprang to their feet. The group 
1533walked together with beautiful posture to the bottom of the steps leading to the 
1534throne before each dropping again to one knee and bowing. 
1535
1536From this exchange, Momonga learned two things. First, although he had 
1537purposely avoided using command phrases, they could understand his intentions 
1538and carry them out. Second, Albedo was not the only one who could talk. At the 
1539very least , something weird is going on with all the NPCs in the Throne Room. 
1540
1541As he was reflecting on these things, he had the same feeling as before that 
1542something was off about both Albedo and himself. Wanting to understand it, he 
1543scrutinized her. 
1544
1545"Is everything all right? Have I done something wrong?" 
1546
1547"Agh!" When he recognized the root of the incongruity, a sound that was 
1548neither word, gasp, nor choking noise escaped his lips. 
1549
1550It was the changing expressions. Her lips were moving, and he could hear her 
1551words. 
1552
1553Flustered, he brought his fingers to his own lips. And spoke. "lm...po..." 
1554
1555My jaw is moving... 
1556
1557In the world of a DMMO-RPG, that went against all common sense. Mouths 
1558moving and words coming out?! Expression graphics were fixed; they didn't 
1559move. Otherwise why would the developers have made emoticons? 
1560
1561Plus, Momonga's face was a skull—he didn't have a tongue or a throat. 
1562
1563
1564
1565Looking down at his hands, there was no flesh and the bones weren't even 
1566anatomically correct. Continuing along the same lines, he probably didn't have 
1567any internal organs, not to mention lungs. So why could he talk? 
1568
1569"Impossible..." He felt the internal logic he had built up slowly over time begin 
1570to crumble away—and an equivalent panic replace it. 
1571
1572He wanted to scream but held it in. As expected, the heat in his chest was 
1573abruptly soothed by a wave of calm. 
1574
1575Momonga pounded the throne's armrest. As he thought, the number showing 
1576damage didn't pop up. 
1577
1578"What should I do? What makes the most sense...?" He was in an 
1579incomprehensible situation, but venting wouldn't get him anywhere. First, he 
1580needed information. "Sebas!" 
1581
1582The expression on Sebas's face as he lifted his head was earnestness incarnate. 
1583He looked like he was really alive. 
1584
1585I con give him on order , right? I'm not sure what's going on, but I can assume 
1586the NPCs in the Tomb are loyal to me, right? Actually, I don't even know if these 
1587are our NPCs... 
1588
1589Countless questions, and the anxiety that went with them, arose in his mind, 
1590but Momonga tuned it all out. In any case, there was no one better to send out 
1591for reconnaissance than Sebas. He did glance momentarily at Albedo, who was 
1592waiting off to the side, but he made up his mind to give the order to Sebas. 
1593
1594He imagined what executives at work were like when directing regular 
1595employees and tried to act like he was one of them. "Leave the Tomb, and 
1596confirm our surroundings within a half-mile radius. If there are any intelligent 
1597life-forms, negotiate to bring them here on amicable terms. You can give them 
1598practically whatever they request in return. Avoid combat to the extent 
1599possible." 
1600
1601"Understood, Lord Momonga. I will leave without delay." 
1602
1603In Yggdrasil, it was definitely not possible to take NPCs who were built to 
1604protect a base and send them outside, but here it was. Well, I won't know for 
1605sure until he actually makes it outside, but... 
1606
1607
1608
1609"Take one member of the Pleiades with you. If you're attacked, have her 
1610retreat immediately to bring back any information you have." With that, 
1611Momonga had made at least one move. 
1612
1613He let go of the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown. It didn't clatter to the ground, but 
1614instead hung in the air as if someone were holding it. It was against the laws of 
1615physics, but it was just like the game. In Yggdrosil, it wasn't uncommon for items 
1616to float in the air when one let go of them. 
1617
1618The staff's aura of anguished faces twisted around his hand as if reluctant to 
1619dissipate, but Momonga calmly ignored it. Not that he was...used to it, but that 
1620sort of macro wasn't so strange; he shook his wrist to get rid of it. 
1621
1622Crossing his arms, he thought what his next move should be. I suppose... "I 
1623need to contact the admins." The administration was sure to be the most 
1624informed of anyone about this abnormal situation. The problem was how to 
1625reach them. Usually a shout or GM call would work, but if they didn't now... 
1626
1627"A message maybe?" 
1628
1629There was one magic spell that was a way to contact people. It could only be 
1630used in specific places and situations, but it seemed like it would be effective 
1631now. The only problem was that it was usually used to communicate between 
1632players; he wasn't sure if it would work to contact a GM. He didn't even have any 
1633guarantee that magic in general would work normally in this crisis. 
1634
1635"But..." He had to find out. 
1636
1637Momonga was a level-100 magic user. If he couldn't use magic, his area of 
1638operations and information-gathering powers would be severely limited, not to 
1639mention his combat strength. Right now he had no idea what the situation was, 
1640so he needed to confirm as soon as possible whether or not he could use magic. 
1641
1642In that cose , / need to go somewhere I con test it out... He looked out over the 
1643Throne Room and shook his head. This was an emergency, but he didn't want to 
1644disturb this room's sublime tranquility for magic experiments. But then where? 
1645he thought and came up with an ideal location. 
1646
1647It was also necessary to test the extent of his influence. He had to see whether 
1648he had maintained his authority as guild master. So far everyone he had met was 
1649
1650
1651
1652loyal to him, but there were several NPCs in the Great Tomb of Nazarick at his 
1653level. He needed to make sure the rest of them were still loyal, too. 
1654
1655But... He looked down at Sebas and the maids who were still on one knee and 
1656then at Albedo beside him. Whot is it? her faint smile seemed to say. She was 
1657beautiful, but the shadows cast by her horns made it seem like something was 
1658hidden behind her smile. It made Momonga nervous. 
1659
1660Is the loyalty they have now inviolable and unchanging? In the real world, a 
1661boss who makes stupid moves all the time loses support. Does it work the same 
1662way here , or is it once faithful, always faithful? 
1663
1664If I suppose their loyalty could change, how do I maintain it? 
1665
1666By giving them rewards? The treasury contained vast riches. It would pain him 
1667to lay a hand on the items his former guildmates had left, but if it was to keep 
1668Ainz Ooal Gown going through this crisis, they would forgive him, wouldn't they? 
1669Then, of course, he didn't have any idea how much he should pay... 
1670
1671Or displaying the excellence you'd expect of a ruler? What constituted 
1672excellence, however, was unclear. He had the feeling things would work out if he 
1673just kept maintaining the dungeon. 
1674
1675Or... "Maybe through power?" The Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown flew automatically 
1676into his outstretched hand. "Overwhelming power?" The staff's seven jewels 
1677began to sparkle, as if appealing for their vast magical power to be used. "Well, I 
1678guess I'll think about it later." 
1679
1680He let go of the staff. It swayed in the air for a moment and then clattered to 
1681the floor like someone going to bed in a huff. 
1682
1683Anyhow, it seemed like if he acted like he was in charge, he was unlikely to 
1684meet hostility anytime soon. It's hard for animals to turn their fangs on one who 
1685doesn't show any weaknesses, and the same thing went for humans. 
1686
1687Momonga raised his voice. "Pleiades! All of you besides the one going with 
1688Sebas, go up to the ninth level and be on the lookout for any raiders coming 
1689down from eight." 
1690
1691"Yes, Lord Momonga." The maids behind Sebas complied. 
1692
1693
1694
1695"Now go immediately." 
1696
1697"Understood, Lord and Master," their voices echoed. Sebas and the combat 
1698maids all paid their respects to Momonga, stood at once, and set off. 
1699
1700The huge door opened and then closed after them. 
1701
1702I'm so glod they didn't soy no or something. Relieved, he turned to the last 
1703remaining NPC—Albedo was still waiting beside him. 
1704
1705"Now, then, Lord Momonga. What may I do for you?" she asked with a gentle 
1706smile. 
1707
1708"Oh, uh...right..." Momonga leaned out of the throne to pick up his staff. 
1709"Come here." 
1710
1711"Yes, sir!" She sounded overjoyed and sidled right up. Momonga worried 
1712about her wand and the black sphere floating on the end of it for just a moment, 
1713but decided to forget about it. She was closer than last time, all but clinging to 
1714him. 
1715
1716She smells so good—but what am I thinking? The thought popped up again, 
1717but he promptly dismissed it. He didn't have time for that sort of nonsense now. 
1718
1719Momonga reached out and touched her hand. 
1720
1721"...Ngh." 
1722
1723"Hm?" 
1724
1725The look on Albedo's face said she was in pain. He whipped his hand away as if 
1726he'd been electrocuted. 
1727
1728I wonder what's wrong. Did I creep her out? 
1729
1730Mixed in with the numerous sad memories (like having cashiers drop change 
1731into his hand from above to avoid accidentally touching him) flitting across his 
1732mind, he found the answer. 
1733
1734"...Ohhhh." 
1735
1736An overlord was a higher rank of elder lich, and one of the special abilities an 
1737elder lich could acquire by leveling up was the dealing of damage by touch— 
1738normally as an attack. Maybe that's it? 
1739
1740
1741
1742But even if that was the case, there were still questions remaining. 
1743
1744In Yggdrosil, the system would judge mobs and NPCs within the Great Tomb of 
1745Nazarick as belonging to Ainz Ooal Gown. Friendly fire for guild members was 
1746always off so allies couldn't harm one another. So did that mean she didn't 
1747belong to the guild? Or that friendly fire had been turned on? 
1748
1749The latter is a distinct possibility, Momonga decided and said to Albedo, 
1750"Sorry, I forgot to turn off Negative Touch." 
1751
1752"Never you mind, Lord Momonga. That level of damage wasn't even damage. 
1753Besides, I would suffer any agony for you... Eek!" 
1754
1755"Oh, uh...huh... I see. But I'm sorry," Momonga stammered, not knowing how 
1756to act toward Albedo as she made that cute little shriek and covered her 
1757blushing cheeks with her hands. 
1758
1759But it did seem like the issue had been damage from Negative Touch. 
1760
1761Averting his eyes from Albedo, who was going on about a virgin's pain, 
1762Momonga tried to think how to temporarily turn off a passive power—and 
1763suddenly, it dawned on him: Using any of an overlord's various powers was now 
1764as natural an act as breathing. He found himself laughing in spite of himself at 
1765what an extraordinary situation he was in. After all the strange things that had 
1766happened so far, it didn't even surprise him. Adaptability is a terrifying thing. 
1767
1768"I'm going to touch you." 
1769
1770"Oh...!" 
1771
1772After turning off the ability, he reached out and touched her hand. Countless 
1773thoughts came up—how delicate it was, how white—but Momonga dismissed 
1774any that stemmed from his being male. What he wanted to know was if she had 
1775a pulse. 
1776
1777She does. 
1778
1779The beat was a steady ba-bum, ba-bum. It would be only natural for a living 
1780thing. 
1781
1782Yeah, for a living thing... 
1783
1784Momonga took his hand away and looked at his own wrist. There was no skin, 
1785
1786
1787
1788flesh, or anything besides a pure white bone. He had no blood vessels, so of 
1789course he had no pulse. That's right, an overlord was undead—a being who had 
1790transcended death. Of course he wouldn't have a pulse. 
1791
1792He looked up at Albedo. He could see himself in her glistening pupils. Her 
1793cheeks were awfully flushed—her body temperature was probably skyrocketing. 
1794Noting these changes in her was enough to shake him up. 
1795
1796"...What's going on?" 
1797
1798This is on NPC—just some doto, right? Whot kind of A! con moke doto look like 
1799it's actually olive? It's practically os if Yggdrasil has become reality... 
1800
1801That's impossible. 
1802
1803Momonga shook his head. It can't be anything as crazy as that. But once the 
1804idea had lodged in his mind, it wouldn't come unstuck so easily. Feeling vaguely 
1805uncomfortable about the changes he was noticing in Albedo, he hesitated about 
1806what to do next. 
1807
1808His next move would be his last. If I check this last thing, all of my hunches will 
1809turn to convictions. The balance that shows whether this is reality or not will 
1810swing one way or the other. So I have to do it! I wouldn't be surprised if she 
1811attacked me with that weapon she's holding...but even so... 
1812
1813"Albedo... Can I touch your ch-chest?" 
1814
1815"Huh?" 
1816
1817The atmosphere froze solid. Albedo blinked, bewildered. The moment he said 
1818it, Momonga felt he might die of embarrassment. 
1819
1820Sure, he'd had no choice, but what kind of thing was that to say to a lady? He 
1821had the urge to howl that he was the worst person in existence. I've abused my 
1822power in order to sexually harass a woman—I really am the worst. 
1823
1824But I can't help it. Yeah. It has to be done. 
1825
1826He forcefully talked himself down and regained his mental equilibrium rather 
1827quickly, then mustered all of his coercive power as a superior. "You don't meow 
1828—Mind, do you?" 
1829
1830Utter failure. 
1831
1832
1833
1834His timid words caused Albedo to beam as if she were the sun making all the 
1835flowers bloom. "Of course, Lord Momonga! Please have your way with me." She 
1836puffed out her chest and her substantial breasts were thrust into Momonga's 
1837face. If he had had the ability to gulp, he would have surely done so several 
1838times. 
1839
1840Her breasts were giving her dress great lift, and he was about to touch them. 
1841
1842On the one hand, Momonga was feeling oddly nervous and shaken, but some 
1843corner of his brain was being calmly and objectively self-observant. He started to 
1844feel incredibly stupid. Why is this the test I thought of, and why om I actually 
1845doing it? 
1846
1847For some reason when he peeked at Albedo, she stuck her chest out even 
1848more as if to say, Go ahead, her eyes twinkling. 
1849
1850Was Momonga aroused or ashamed? He willed his hand to stop shaking, made 
1851up his mind, and reached out. 
1852
1853Under the dress, he felt something a bit rigid, but beneath that he could feel 
1854something soft. 
1855
1856"Ahh... Ngh..." Amid Albedo's sticky moaning, Momonga got the information 
1857he was after. 
1858
1859Assuming he was still sane, Momonga had two hypotheses for explaining the 
1860current situation. 
1861
1862One was the possibility of a new DMMO-RPG. In other words, at the same time 
1863Yggdrasil had shut down, Yggdrasil II had started up. But that didn't seem 
1864terribly plausible after what he'd just experienced. 
1865
1866In Yggdrasil, doing anything rated R was strictly forbidden. Even PG-13 could 
1867be considered out of line in some cases. Violators were dealt with severely: Their 
1868names were posted to the list of abusers on the game's website and their 
1869accounts were suspended. That's because if a log of it were made public, the 
1870operators could find themselves afoul of the adult entertainment business laws. 
1871Under normal circumstances, it wouldn't have surprised Momonga if what he'd 
1872just done had been against the rules. If he was still in a game world, there should 
1873have been some measure in place to prevent it. In the first place, if the GM and 
1874
1875
1876
1877admins were monitoring, they would have tried to stop him, but there was no 
1878sign of that. 
1879
1880Additionally, the cyber-tech laws that governed DMMO-RPGs viewed forcible, 
1881nonconsensual participation in a game as kidnapping for ransom. If someone 
1882were forced to be a test player, it would be immediately exposed. The inability to 
1883force quit would probably be seen as illegal confinement, too. 
1884
1885If that was what was going on, the game's proprietary console had to keep a 
1886week's worth of records by law, so exposing it would be easy enough. When he 
1887didn't show up for work, someone would probably come over to check on him, 
1888and once the police investigated the console, that would clear things up. 
1889
1890But was there really a company stupid enough to commit a crime so easy to 
1891get caught for in an organization-wide way? Of course, if they said, "It's an early 
1892demo version of Yggdrosil II" or "We just released a patch," there was a gray 
1893zone, but he couldn't believe it would be worth it to the developers or admins to 
1894take that kind of risk. 
1895
1896So there had to be something at work besides the developers' intentions. In 
1897that case, he needed to make a fundamental change in the way he was thinking 
1898or he wouldn't get anywhere. The problem was that how he should think was 
1899unclear. There was one other possibility... 
1900
1901That the fantasy world had become the real world... 
1902
1903Impossible. He promptly rejected the idea. There was no way something so 
1904outrageous—so illogical—could be true. On the other hand, the longer this went 
1905on, the more he wondered if it might actually be the case. He remembered the 
1906fragrance coming off Albedo earlier. 
1907
1908The senses of taste and smell were altogether banned from fantasy worlds by 
1909the cyber-tech laws. Yggdrosil had a system for eating and drinking, but anything 
1910players consumed only affected their in-game stats. Even touch was regulated to 
1911some extent. This was all so that the game couldn't be mistaken for the real 
1912world. As a result of all the limitations, fantasy worlds featuring sex hadn't really 
1913caught on. 
1914
1915
1916But here he could smell. 
1917
1918
1919
1920The reality of that hit Momonga so hard it completely blew away all his What 
1921about work tomorrow? and What if I can't get out of here? type of worries. 
1922
1923"If this weren't reality... Just in terms of the bandwidth that would be required 
1924to run this fantasy, it'd be impossible..." 
1925
1926His mouth was bone-dry, but he swallowed anyway. Even if he couldn't 
1927understand it, his mind had already accepted it. 
1928
1929Finally, he let his hand fall limply from Albedo's full chest. He felt he'd been 
1930groping her a bit longer than necessary, but he told himself it was something he 
1931had to do for confirmation. It certainly wasn't because she was so soft he 
1932couldn't take his hand away... At least, probably not. 
1933
1934"Sorry, Albedo." 
1935
1936"Ahhh..." She exhaled hotly, and he could feel why her cheeks had turned so 
1937red. Then, she said, looking slightly askance, "So here it is, my first time." 
1938
1939"Huh?!" Momonga let out a confused yelp in spite of himself. It took him a 
1940moment to understand what she was saying. " First time"? For what? And what's 
1941with that look on her face?! 
1942
1943"What shall I do with my clothes?" 
1944
1945"...What?" 
1946
1947"Would you like me to take them off myself? Or did you want to do it? If I keep 
1948them on, urn, they might get dirty... Oh, but if my lord prefers it that way, I have 
1949no objections." 
1950
1951Finally her words sank in. Actually, Momonga wondered if he even had any 
1952brain left for them to sink into. Once he understood where all this was coming 
1953from, it grated on him. "Stop. Stop it, Albedo." 
1954
1955"Hm? Yes, sir." 
1956
1957"Right now we can't... Er, we don't have time to be doing such things." 
1958
1959"M-my humble apologies! I shouldn't have prioritized desire when we're 
1960having some sort of emergency." She jumped away from him and went to 
1961prostrate herself, but Momonga put out a hand to stop her. 
1962
1963
1964
1965"You're fine. It was my fault. All is forgiven, Albedo. More importantly...I have 
1966orders for you." 
1967
1968"Anything you wish, my lord." 
1969
1970"Contact the floor guardians and tell them to gather at the Amphitheatrum in 
1971the sixth level one hour from now. I will let Aura and Mare know myself, so there 
1972is no need to contact them." 
1973
1974"Understood. To repeat, you would like me to contact all the floor guardians 
1975besides those of the sixth level and tell them to meet in the sixth level's 
1976Amphitheatrum one hour from now." 
1977
1978"Right. Now go." 
1979
1980"My lord." Albedo turned to leave the Throne Room with slightly quickened 
1981steps. 
1982
1983Watching her go, Momonga heaved a tired sigh, and once she had left, he let 
1984out an agonized moan. "...What the hell. It was just a stupid joke. If I'd have 
1985known this would happen, I wouldn't have done it. Have... Have I defiled the NPC 
1986that Tabula created...?" He could think of only one reason Albedo would react to 
1987him in that way: the text he'd edited into her bio, "And she's in love with 
1988Momonga." It had to be connected to that. 
1989
1990"Ahhh, crap!" he groaned. 
1991
1992Tabula Smaragdina had put his all into filling that blank canvas with Albedo's 
1993backstory. Then, Momonga condescendingly painted over it for his own selfish 
1994reasons, and now this was the result. He felt like he'd vandalized a masterpiece. 
1995
1996But he had to put that issue aside for now. Still wincing—though it wasn't 
1997obvious, given that his face was a skull—he stood up from the throne. He told 
1998himself he could figure that problem out after taking care of the more urgent 
1999tasks. 
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004Chapter 2 The Floor Guardians 
2005
2006
2007OVER LOR D The Undead King 
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018Chapter 2 | The Floor Guardians 
2019
2020
20211 
2022
2023"Return, demons of Lemegeton!" 
2024
2025At Momonga's command, the ultrarare ore golems returned to their seats and 
2026resumed their postures of vigilance on lighter feet than one would expect for 
2027their builds. 
2028
2029The first thing Momonga had done upon resigning himself to officially 
2030wondering whether his fantasy world had indeed become the real one was to 
2031guarantee his safety. The NPCs he had met a moment ago all submitted to him, 
2032but that didn't mean the ones he would meet next would. Even if they did prove 
2033to be allies, there was no telling what dangers might lie ahead. His survival could 
2034very well depend on whether or not the Tomb's facilities, golems, items, magic, 
2035etc., all functioned as in the game or not, which made confirmation of those 
2036things his most urgent priority. 
2037
2038"That should be good for now," Momonga said to himself out of relief as he 
2039surveyed the golems. He'd ordered them not to take commands from anyone 
2040else, so in the worst-case scenario of an NPC rebellion, he would at least have 
2041one way to protect himself. Satisfied with the robust figures of the golems, he 
2042looked down at his own finger bones. 
2043
2044There were nine rings on his ten fingers; the only one that didn't have one was 
2045his left ring finger. In Yggdrosil, it was normally only possible to wear one ring 
2046per hand, but by purchasing an expensive cash store item with a permanent 
2047effect, Momonga had gained the ability to wear them on all ten, as well as use all 
2048the powers they contained. Not that that made him very special—if a player 
2049prioritized being strong, buying that item was a no-brainer. 
2050
2051The ring Momonga was looking at now bore the same crest that was 
2052embroidered on the scarlet tapestry hanging behind the throne. It was a Ring of 
2053Ainz Ooal Gown, a magic item that every member of the guild possessed; he 
2054
2055
2056
2057wore his on his right ring finger. 
2058
2059He could use all the powers of ten rings, but he'd had to choose which ones 
2060when he used the item that allowed him to equip that many. It was impossible to 
2061swap after the fact. Compared to his other rings (including the one he wasn't 
2062wearing, stored in the treasury), this one's power was pretty basic, but he 
2063wanted it at the ready, since, in certain circumstances, he used it far more than 
2064any of the others. 
2065
2066The Ring of Ainz Ooal Gown let its wearer teleport freely to almost any named 
2067room within the Great Tomb of Nazarick. It was even possible to teleport in from 
2068outside. The Tomb blocked teleportation magic except for in designated areas, 
2069so there was no more useful way to get around. There weren't very many places, 
2070save the Throne Room and the members' individual rooms, that couldn't be 
2071teleported to. Without this ring, however, there was no way to get to the 
2072treasury. So it wasn't something he would want to be without. 
2073
2074Momonga exhaled deeply. He was about to exercise the ring's power, but he 
2075wasn't sure what would happen. Would it work as expected? He was anxious but 
2076had to know. 
2077
2078He unleashed the power and his vision went dark, like he'd blinked. 
2079
2080The scenery changed—now he was in a dimly lit passage. The end was blocked 
2081by a barred gate. White artificial light came in through the gaps. 
2082
2083"Success...," he murmured, relieved that he'd been able to teleport. He set off 
2084walking down the broad, high-ceilinged passage toward the gate. The stone floor 
2085caused his footsteps to reverberate loudly. Flickering torchlight sent shadows 
2086dancing along the walls, making it seem like there was more than one of him. 
2087
2088As he neared the gate, his nostrils, which should have just been holes leading 
2089to nowhere, were invaded by scent. He stopped to breathe in and out. A 
2090pungent green odor and the scent of earth—this was the smell of deep forest. 
2091
2092Having his nose working again, like it had before with Albedo—even though it 
2093should have been impossible in the game's fantasy world—made Momonga feel 
2094even more strongly that this place was now reality. 
2095
2096But with no lungs and no respiratory tract , how am I even breathing? He 
2097
2098
2099
2100racked his brains, but soon realized trying to reason the problem out was 
2101ridiculous and abandoned the idea. 
2102
2103When he got close enough, the gate drew quickly up into the ceiling like a well- 
2104timed automatic door. Passing beneath, Momonga saw the Colosseum, with its 
2105multiple levels of spectator seating encircling its central arena. It was an oval of 
2106615 by 510 feet, 157 feet high, identical to the Colosseum built in Rome during 
2107the imperial period. Continual Light was cast in various locations, throwing 
2108enough white light that he could look around the area and see as if it were high 
2109noon. There were too many seats to count, and in them, a great many clods of 
2110"dirt"—no sign of movement from the golems. 
2111
2112This place was called the Amphitheatrum. The actors were captured raiders, 
2113the audience was made up of golems, and in the VIP seating would be the 
2114members of Ainz Ooal Gown. What was on the program? A slaughter, of course. 
2115With the exception of the 1,500 in that huge raid, every intruder, no matter how 
2116strong, had met their end here. 
2117
2118Momonga walked into the center of the arena gazing up at the pitch-black 
2119night sky. If there hadn't been any light, he probably would have been able to 
2120see the stars. 
2121
2122Of course, this was the sixth level of the Great Tomb of Nazarick. Being 
2123underground, the sky hanging overhead was a false one. But it was made with 
2124quite a lot of data, so it changed with the passage of time, and there was even 
2125an accurately arcing sun that rose and set. Was the reason that even this fake 
2126sky could take the weight off Momonga's chest and relax him because under all 
2127the graphics he was still human? Maybe also because it was programmed 
2128according to the particularities of a former guild member. He wished he could 
2129just stay and take it easy, but the situation didn't allow that. 
2130
2131Momonga glanced around. They're not here. The twins should be monoging 
2132this place , but... Just then he felt someone looking at him. 
2133
2134"Yaaa!" At the same time the shout sounded, a figure hopped down from the 
2135VIP seating. That was the equivalent of six stories up, but the figure flipped in 
2136midair and made a featherlight landing. It wasn't due to magic, but simply great 
2137physical technique. Having absorbed the full shock of the landing by just bending 
2138
2139
2140
2141its legs, the figure flashed a proud grin and made peace signs with both hands. 
2142"Victory!" 
2143
2144It was a child of perhaps ten who had jumped down. The most apt descriptor 
2145for that smile was "radiant like the sun." She had that kind of androgynous 
2146cuteness only children have. 
2147
2148Her golden hair reflected light in a way that made it look almost like she had a 
2149halo. Her eyes, bright like a puppy's, were two different colors—forest green and 
2150ocean blue. As a dark elf, a relative of the elf race, her ears were long and 
2151pointed, her skin tan. 
2152
2153She wore fitted, dark red dragon scale light armor, top and bottom, over a 
2154layer of basic leather protective gear. On top of that, she sported a white vest 
2155with golden threading, featuring the crest of Ainz Ooal Gown on the chest, and 
2156white pants to match. A big golden acorn hung from her neck. Her hands were 
2157protected by gloves with magic metal plates on the backs of the palms. Whips 
2158were bundled at her waist and right shoulder, and across her back, she carried a 
2159bow with peculiar decorations on the grip, handle, and limbs. 
2160
2161"Oh, it's Aura." Momonga murmured her name in recognition. Aura Bella Fiora 
2162was one of the guardians of the sixth level, a beast tamer-ranger who could 
2163employ fantastical and magical creatures. 
2164
2165She came running toward him with short steps that somehow carried her 
2166crazily fast, like an animal running flat out. She closed the distance in an instant 
2167and put the brakes on. Her sporty shoes inlaid on top with scarletite sent up a 
2168cloud of dust as they scraped along the ground. If she had calculated it out so 
2169that not a speck would reach Momonga, she'd done a brilliant job. 
2170
2171"Phew." She wiped her forehead even though she wasn't sweating and smiled 
2172like a puppy who wanted to play. Then she greeted Momonga in that ever so 
2173slightly too-loud voice that only children have: "Welcome to the floor I guard, 
2174Lord Momonga!" Compared to Sebas and Albedo she was less deferential and 
2175more familiar, but that was actually more comfortable for Momonga. He didn't 
2176have much experience with all of this, so being overly revered only made it 
2177harder to know how to act. 
2178
2179He wasn't getting any hostility from Aura's ear-to-ear grin, and Sense Enemy 
2180
2181
2182
2183didn't pick up anything, either. His emergency plan had been to attack with full 
2184power and promptly retreat, but it seemed like that would be unnecessary. 
2185"Thanks. I thought I'd come bother you fora bit." 
2186
2187"What are you talking about? You are the master of the Great Tomb of 
2188Nazarick—its absolute ruler! No one would ever feel bothered to receive a visit 
2189from you, Lord Momonga!" 
2190
2191"Oh, hm... By the way, I see that you're here, Aura, but...?" 
2192
2193As if taking a cue, Aura turned on her heel, glared up at the VIP seats, and 
2194shouted, "Hurry up, c'mon! Lord Momonga is here! You're being rude!" 
2195
2196Up in the darkness of the VIP seats, Momonga saw something bouncing up 
2197and down in a fidgety way. "Oh, Mare's over there, huh?" 
2198
2199"Yes, Lord Momonga, he is. He's such a wimp... Get down here!" 
2200
2201A weak little voice replied. In fact, it was a wonder they could even hear it, 
2202considering their distance from the VIP seats, but it was made possible by the 
2203magical necklace Aura had equipped. 
2204
2205"1-1... Sis, there's n-no way..." 
2206
2207Aura sighed, exasperated. "Oh, uh, Lord Momonga, he's just a bit of a coward. 
2208He's not being rude on purpose." 
2209
2210"Of course. I know that, Aura. I've never for a moment doubted your loyalty to 
2211me." Momonga nodded and gave a kind answer to put her at ease. Adults need 
2212to know their inner feelings as well as what their outward-facing stance would 
2213be. Sometimes it was necessary to tell a little lie. 
2214
2215Aura seemed relieved, but a moment later she turned in anger to the figure up 
2216in the VIP seats. "Our elite lord has graced us with his presence, and one of the 
2217floor guardians can't even come out to meet him?! That's the worst and you 
2218know it! If you don't have the courage to move your own butt, we're gonna try it 
2219with my foot next!" 
2220
2221"Nnn... I'll... I'll take the stairs..." 
2222
2223"You mean you're going to keep Lord Momonga waiting even longer?! Get 
2224over here already!" 
2225
2226
2227
2228"Ahh, f-fiiiine... H-here goes!" It was a pretty pathetic little shout for someone 
2229trying to psych himself up, but he did hop down. 
2230
2231Another dark elf. The difference between him and Aura was like night and day, 
2232but although he stumbled upon landing, it didn't seem like he'd taken any 
2233damage from the fall. He must have neutralized it with pure physical ability. 
2234
2235Then, he came running at a speed that matched the sound of his light footfalls. 
2236He was giving his all, naturally, but was still hopelessly slow compared to Aura. 
2237
2238She must have been thinking the same thing, because her brow began to 
2239twitch. "Hurry up!" 
2240
2241"I-I-I am!" 
2242
2243The child who finally arrived looked just like Aura. Same hair color and length, 
2244same eye colors, same facial features—they couldn't be anything but twins, but 
2245if Aura was the sun, then Mare was the moon. He trembled as if expecting to be 
2246chewed out at any moment. Momonga was a bit surprised by both of them. 
2247
2248The Mare he knew wasn't like this at all. Of course, NPCs generally just stood 
2249there rigidly with their fixed expressions; it didn't matter how long of a bio they 
2250were given, it was never reflected in their personalities. Yet here they were 
2251before him, two dark elves, with rapid-fire emotions. 
2252
2253"So this is how Teapot meant for them to be..." BubblingTeapot was the guild 
2254member who had set up Aura and Mare. He wished he could show them to her 
2255now. 
2256
2257"S-sorry to keep you waiting, Lord Momonga." Mare looked up at him 
2258nervously. The scales of his upper body dragon armor were more indigo than 
2259blue. He also wore a short mantle of dark green that almost exactly matched the 
2260leaves of the forest. Most of his clothes were white like Aura's, but he was 
2261wearing a skirt so short it left a little skin showing—only "a little" because of his 
2262white stockings. His acorn necklace looked just like Aura's, but silver. He wasn't 
2263as heavily armed as his sister; in his hands, which wore slender white gloves with 
2264a silky sheen, he clutched a gnarled staff of black wood, and that was it. Mare 
2265Bello Fiore. He was the other guardian of the sixth level. 
2266
2267Momonga smiled kindly—not that his empty eye sockets showed it—and took 
2268
2269
2270
2271a good look at the two of them. Aura proudly puffed out her chest while Mare 
2272trembled under his gaze. Satisfied that they were indeed the crystallization of his 
2273guildmate's intentions, he nodded several times and then spoke. "More than 
2274anything I'm just glad to see you're both doing well." 
2275
2276"Yeah, we're great! Just lately it's been so boring. It'd be nice if some raiders 
2277would come for a change!" 
2278
2279"1-1 don't want any raiders to come... Th-they're scary..." 
2280
2281Mare's words wiped the excitement off Aura's face, and she sighed. "Sorry, 
2282Lord Momonga. Please excuse us. Mare, come with me a minute." 
2283
2284Momonga gave a slight nod, and Aura moved away a bit, dragging Mare by his 
2285pointy ears. "O-oww! A-Aura, that hurrrts!" 
2286
2287Then, she started hissing at him. Even at a distance, Momonga could tell she 
2288was giving him a scolding. 
2289
2290"Raiders? I'm actually with Mare on that one..." I'd at least like them to wait 
2291until I get my feet on the ground, he thought as he watched the twins. 
2292
2293The next thing he knew, Mare was sitting erect with his legs tucked under him 
2294and Aura stood before him lecturing. The situation was reminiscent of the power 
2295struggle between the two of his former guildmates who were sisters, and he 
2296smiled wryly. 
2297
2298"Geez, but I don't think Peroroncino made Mare. Maybe Teapot had the idea 
2299that one should obey one's elder sister? ...Actually, now that I think of it, both 
2300Aura and Mare have died once before... I wonder what happened with that..." 
2301
2302In the raid where 1,500 men attacked, the huge army got as far as the eighth 
2303level. In other words, Aura and Mare died attempting to hold the sixth level, but 
2304did they remember it? 
2305
2306What does death mean for the two of them? 
2307
2308In Yggdrasil, characters who died lost five levels and dropped one of their 
2309equipped items. That meant that characters level 5 or under were destroyed. 
2310Player characters were spared destruction by divine grace and stopped at level 1. 
2311Of course, that was speaking strictly of the rules of the game. 
2312
2313
2314
2315In actuality, spells such as Resurrection and Raise Dead could ease the level 
2316penalty, and cash store items let players get off with just losing some experience 
2317points. In the case of an NPC, it was even simpler. The guild could revive a 
2318character with no penalty by paying a fee according to its level. 
2319
2320Dying to lose levels ended up being a favorite way for people to rebuild their 
2321characters. Certainly in a game where an enormous amount of experience was 
2322required, losing even one level would be an extreme punishment, but in 
2323Yggdrosil it was pretty easy to rack up levels until the upper 90s. The developers 
2324set it up so that losing levels wasn't such a terrifying thing. Their intent was not 
2325for people to be so scared of losing levels that they didn't want to explore, but 
2326for them to venture bravely into new territory. 
2327
2328Under those rules, were these two who had died in the 1,500-man raid now 
2329different people? Or were they the reincarnations of those exact characters? 
2330
2331He did want to know, but he also felt like there wasn't any reason to wake 
2332sleeping dogs. That huge raid might have been a traumatizing experience for 
2333them. He also wondered if it was really necessary to prod so much just to satisfy 
2334his own curiosity when Aura wasn't showing any hostility. After all, these were 
2335lovable NPCs that his guildmate made. He could talk to Aura about it after all the 
2336other pending matters had been taken care of. 
2337
2338Plus, it was possible that the entire concept of death had changed entirely. In 
2339the real world, dying was the end naturally. But what if that were different here? 
2340Momonga thought he'd like to experiment with it in the near future, but he 
2341couldn't determine how high a priority it should be until he had more 
2342information. It was probably best to just put it on the back burner for now. At 
2343this point, he didn't know how different this world was from Yggdrosil, so all he 
2344had was a great many questions. 
2345
2346While he was pondering all of this, Aura had continued berating Mare. 
2347Momonga couldn't help but feel bad for him. He never said the kid deserved this 
2348much scolding. When the two sisters in his guild had fought, he had kept his 
2349mouth shut and just watched, but now he was different. 
2350
2351"How about we leave it at that?" 
2352
2353"Lord Momonga! But Mare's not fulfilling his duties as a gua—" 
2354
2355
2356
2357"I have no issue with his behavior. Aura, I understand very well how you feel, 
2358including your thinking that as a floor guardian Mare shouldn't be so timid, 
2359especially around me. But should the Great Tomb of Nazarick be raided, I believe 
2360that both you and Mare will fight fearlessly in the face of death to protect it. If 
2361he'll do what needs to be done when the time comes, you don't need to scold 
2362him so much." Momonga, who had walked closer to them, grabbed Mare's arm 
2363and stood him up. "And Mare, you should thank your big sister for being so kind. 
2364Even if I were upset, after seeing her chew you out like that, there'd be nothing I 
2365could do but forgive you." 
2366
2367Mare's eyes widened and he looked at his sister in surprise. Aura chimed in 
2368hastily, "Huh? N-no, that's not why I did it! I didn't think anything like that about 
2369you!" 
2370
2371"It doesn't matter, Aura. No matter what your intent was, your kindness came 
2372through. I just want you to know that I have no misgivings about Mare being a 
2373floor guardian." 
2374
2375"Huh? Oh, uh, okay! Thank you, Lord Momonga!" 
2376
2377"Th-thankyou!" 
2378
2379He accepted their bows, but couldn't help but get the willies from the way 
2380their eyes lit up when they looked at him. He'd pretty much never been looked at 
2381with such admiration, so he cleared his throat to hide both his hesitation and 
2382embarrassment. 
2383
2384"Ahem, more importantly: Aura, I wanted to ask you about what you were 
2385mentioning before. You said you're bored when no one is raiding us?" 
2386
2387"Ah, well, no, I mean..." From her backpedaling, Momonga could see he'd 
2388phrased his question badly. 
2389
2390"No, I'm not accusing you of anything. Please tell me honestly." 
2391
2392"Well, yes, it is a little boring. There isn't anyone strong enough to train with 
2393around here," Aura answered, looking up at him, poking the tips of her index 
2394fingers together. 
2395
2396As a guardian, Aura's level was, of course, 100. There were not so many level 
2397100s in the dungeon—including Aura and Mare, nine NPCs. Plus one other. 
2398
2399
2400
2401"What about sparring with Mare?" 
2402
2403Mare had scrunched up as though he were trying to hide, and now a shudder 
2404went through his whole body. His eyes glistened as he shook his head no. He was 
2405terrified. Aura reacted with a sigh again. 
2406
2407As she exhaled, a sickeningly sweet fragrance filled the air. It was different 
2408from Albedo's, a syrupy aroma that seemed to cling somehow. Recalling her 
2409powers, Momonga took a step back. 
2410
2411"Oh! I'm sorry, Lord Momonga!" Realizing what had happened, Aura flapped 
2412her arms around to clear the air. 
2413
2414One of Aura's passive skills as a beast tamer was the ability to use both buffs 
2415and debuffs at the same time. The effects drifted into the air on her breath and 
2416could have a radius of dozens of feet to a hundred or more—using an additional 
2417skill could make the range unbelievably huge. 
2418
2419In Yggdrosil, buff and debuff icons would pop up so players understood clearly 
2420when they were in effect, but in their current situation, they problematically did 
2421not. 
2422
2423"Umm, it's okay now. I turned it off!" 
2424
2425"Oh..." 
2426
2427"But Lord Momonga, you're undead, so psychic stuff shouldn't have any effect 
2428on you." 
2429
2430That's the way it had been in Yggdrosil. Psychic abilities had neither good nor 
2431bad effects on the undead. 
2432
2433"...Was I in range just now?" 
2434
2435"Urk." Aura scrunched up her shoulders in fear of the coming rebuke. Even 
2436Mare shrank a bit. 
2437
2438"...I'm not angry, Aura," Momonga said as kindly as he could. "Relax. Did you 
2439think you could affect me with a skill you weren't even using seriously? I'm just 
2440asking if I was in range or not." 
2441
2442"Got it! Uh, you were in range." From Aura's voice, filled with relief, Momonga 
2443realized how terrible and awe-inspiring he was to her. 
2444
2445
2446
2447A prickling pressure assailed him under his clothes in the area where his 
2448stomach would have been if he'd had one. What if I end up weaker because of 
2449this? The thought of it made him want to run away at full speed. 
2450
2451"And what was the effect?" 
2452
2453"Uh, I think the one from just now was...yes, fear." 
2454
2455"Hmm..." 
2456
2457He didn't feel fear. In Yggdrasil, friendly fire had been disabled, so players 
2458couldn't harm members of their guild or other teammates. Here, however, there 
2459was a high possibility that that had changed; he knew it would be good to 
2460confirm one way or the other right away. 
2461
2462"I thought it used to be the case that your powers couldn't have any negative 
2463effects on people in the same guil—Group." 
2464
2465"Huh?" Aura's blank expression was matched by Mare. Momonga gathered 
2466that it hadn't been the case. 
2467
2468"Must have been my imagination?" 
2469
2470"Yes, but I can control the range of the effects at will, so maybe that's how you 
2471misunderstood?" 
2472
2473So friendly fire was on. The reason Mare hadn't been affected was probably 
2474because he was equipped with an item that could neutralize psychic effects. 
2475Meanwhile, Momonga's god items didn't have any psychic resistance data in 
2476them. So why hadn't he felt fear? 
2477
2478He had two guesses: basic resistance based on his ability points or psychic 
2479effects immunity due to a special undead ability. He decided to dig a little 
2480deeper, since he wasn't sure which one was correct. 
2481
2482"Can you try out some other effects for me?" 
2483
2484Aura cocked her head and made an odd questioning noise. She seemed like a 
2485puppy again, so Momonga reached out to pet her in spite of himself. Her 
2486smooth, silky hair was delightful to touch. When she didn't seem to mind, he 
2487wished he could just stay there petting her forever—except Mare's glazed stare 
2488freaked him out, so he stopped. I wonder what he's feeling... 
2489
2490
2491
2492After thinking for a moment, Momonga released his other hand's grip on the 
2493staff and stretched it out to pet Mare. Absentmindedly thinking how the texture 
2494of Mare's hair seemed somehow better than Aura's, he petted the both of them 
2495until he was quite satisfied. Then, he finally remembered what he'd gone there 
2496to do. 
2497
2498"Now, then, I have a favor to ask. I'm testing out a lot of things at the moment 
2499and...I want your cooperation, Aura." 
2500
2501At first the two of them looked like they didn't really know what to do, but by 
2502the time he took his hands away, they seemed self-consciously happy and willing. 
2503
2504"Okay, understood! Leave it to me, Lord Momonga!" Aura gleefully replied. 
2505
2506She was enthusiastic to get going, but Momonga held her back. "Before that 
2507—" He grabbed the floating staff. 
2508
2509Okay, just like before. As he had done when he used the ring's power, he 
2510focused his mind on the staff. Of its countless powers, the one Momonga chose 
2511was contained within one of its jewels—inside a god artifact, the Moon Orb. 
2512
2513Summon Moon Wolf! 
2514
2515As the summoning magic activated, three beasts oozed into existence out of 
2516nowhere. Nothing about this surprised Momonga, since that was how the 
2517animation had looked in Yggdrasil. 
2518
2519The moon wolves were similar in appearance to Eurasian wolves, except they 
2520gave off a silvery light. Momonga could sense a strange connection between 
2521these monsters and himself that clearly indicated who was in charge. 
2522
2523"Moon wolves?" Aura asked, her voice implying confusion at why he would 
2524summon such a weak monster. 
2525
2526Moon wolves were extremely fast, so they were often deployed as key units in 
2527sneak attacks, but they were only level 20—too weak for Momonga and Aura. 
2528But for their purposes right now, these were fine. Weaker was actually better. 
2529
2530"Yes. Include me in the range of your breath, too." 
2531
2532"What? Are you sure?" 
2533
2534Aura didn't seem okay with it, so he insisted, "It's fine." 
2535
2536
2537
2538Things weren't operating completely like they had been in the game anymore, 
2539so he couldn't ignore the possibility that Aura's powers weren't working 
2540correctly. In order to rule it out, he needed to be hit with her power at the same 
2541time as a third party, hence the moon wolves. 
2542
2543Aura huffed and puffed for a little while, but Momonga didn't feel a thing. 
2544Partway through, he turned his back to her and relaxed his mind, but there was 
2545still no effect. The moon wolves did seem affected, though, so her power must 
2546have been working. Therefore, it seemed Momonga was immune to psychic 
2547effects. In other words... 
2548
2549In Yggdrosil, when subhumans and grotesques reached certain race levels, 
2550they gained specific racial abilities. Momonga, who had reached the elite race of 
2551overlord, had the following monster powers: Create Upper-Tier Undead (four per 
2552day); Create Middle-Tier Undead (twelve per day); Create Lower-Tier Undead 
2553(twenty per day); Negative Touch; Aura of Despair V (instadeath); Negative 
2554Guard; Dark Soul; Raven-Black Halo; Immortal Blessing; Impure Providence; 
2555Black Wisdom; Evil Language Proficiency; Ability Point Damage IV; Stabbing 
2556Weapon Resistance V; Cutting Weapon Resistance V; Greater Repel Resistance 
2557III; Greater Physical Damage Immunity III; Greater Magical Damage Immunity III; 
2558Chill, Acid, Electric Attack Immunity; Magical Vision Boost: See Through. 
2559
2560Add to that the abilities from his class level: Boost Instadeath Magic, Master of 
2561Dark Rites, Immortal Aura, Make Undead, Control Undead, Fortify Undead, etc. 
2562
2563He also had the basic undead special abilities: Critical Hit Immunity; Psychic 
2564Effect Immunity; No Hunger/Thirst; Poison, Sickness, Sleep, Paralysis, Instadeath 
2565Immunity; Resistance to Ghost Magic; Physical Penalty Resistance; Breathe 
2566Anywhere; Ability Point Damage Immunity; Energy Drain Immunity; the ability to 
2567recover from Negative Energy; Night Vision, etc. 
2568
2569Of course, he also had weaknesses: Justice, Light, Holy Attack Vulnerability IV; 
2570Battering Weapon Vulnerability IV; Holy, Justice Area Ability Point Penalty II; 
2571Double Fire Damage, etc. 
2572
2573It seemed extremely likely that he still possessed both the basic undead 
2574abilities and the special abilities he had gained from leveling up. 
2575
2576"I see. That's good enough for now... I thank you, Aura. Any issues on your 
2577
2578
2579
2580end?" 
2581
2582"No, everything's fine." 
2583
2584"Okay. Return!" The three moon wolves disappeared as if time were rewinding. 
2585
2586"Lord Momonga, was that why you came to our floor today?" Aura asked, but 
2587Mare nodded that he was curious, too. 
2588
2589"Hm? Oh right, no—I thought I'd do some training today." 
2590
2591"Training? You?!" Aura's and Mare's eyes practically popped out of their 
2592heads. What was this most elite caster, the ruler of the Great Tomb of Nazarick 
2593who dominated all manner of lesser beings, talking about? But Momonga had 
2594expected this. 
2595
2596"Yes." 
2597
2598The tap of the staff on the ground accompanying his simple reply was enough 
2599for them to understand. Momonga was inwardly pleased that their reaction 
2600matched what he'd anticipated. 
2601
2602"l-i-is that, uh, the legendary you-know-what? The most elite weapon only you 
2603can touch?" 
2604
2605What does she mean by "legendary you-know-what"? Momonga wondered, 
2606but it didn't seem to be anything bad given the sparkle in Mare's eyes. 
2607
2608"That's right. This is the Guild Weapon we all created together, the Staff of 
2609Ainz Ooal Gown." He lifted it into the air and it sparkled beautifully in the light. It 
2610was such a gorgeous display it was almost as if the staff was showing off—except 
2611it was still exuding that ominous black shimmer, so it was hard to see it as 
2612anything but evil. 
2613
2614Momonga didn't have a body type that could burst with pride, so to speak, but 
2615the passion was clear in his voice. "The jewels held in each of the seven snakes' 
2616mouths are all god artifacts. Since the items are part of a series, collecting them 
2617all yields great power. Gathering them took serious effort and an immense 
2618amount of time. In fact, there were many times we thought to quit. How many 
2619mobs did we hunt for the drops...? Furthermore, the power contained within 
2620even just the staff itself surpasses god tier and is on par with a World Item. Most 
2621
2622
2623
2624impressive of all is its automatic intercept—Ahem..." 
2625
2626...I'm totally rambling... 
2627
2628It was only natural to want to brag—he'd crafted it with his guildmates, but 
2629since he'd never been able to take it anywhere, he'd never had the chance to 
2630show off. That was no excuse to gush right now, though. He suppressed the urge 
2631to keep boasting. 
2632
2633It's pretty embarrassing actually... 
2634
2635"Well, yeah, that's about it..." 
2636
2637"W-wow!" 
2638
2639"That's amazing, Lord Momonga!" 
2640
2641The sparkles in the kids' eyes made him want to break into a huge grin. Trying 
2642to keep a straight face—not that his expressions came through so well via his 
2643skull anyway—he continued speaking. "Anyhow, I'd like to do some experiments. 
2644Can you get things ready for me?" 
2645
2646"Yes, sir! Understood! I'll begin preparations right away. And then...is it okay if 
2647we watch?" 
2648
2649"Sure, I don't mind. I'm the only one who can hold it, so you should at least 
2650have a look." 
2651
2652"Yess!" shouted Aura, bouncing around so cute and joyful. Mare couldn't hide 
2653how happy he was, either—his long ears were twitching. 
2654
2655Oh, man. Hey , dignified expression of mine, no slipping, Momonga told 
2656himself, mobilizing all his willpower. 
2657
2658"Oh, and Aura, I've called all the floor guardians here. They should arrive in less 
2659than an hour." 
2660
2661"Huh? Th-then, we have to get ready to welcome the—" 
2662
2663"No, don't worry about that. You can just wait for them here." 
2664
2665"If you say so... Hm? All the floor guardians? So Shalltear will be here, too?" 
2666
2667"All the floor guardians." 
2668
2669
2670
2671"Ah..." Her ears suddenly drooped. 
2672
2673Mare seemed more or less okay. The backstory had Aura not getting along 
2674with Shalltear very well, but his case must have been different. 
2675
2676"How are they going to react...?" Momonga whispered under his breath. 
2677
2678
26792 
2680
2681
2682A party of about fifty riders galloped across a grassy plain. All of them were 
2683equally brawny, but one stood out from all the rest. 
2684
2685There was no word more fitting for him than robust. It was plain even through 
2686his breastplate that his whole body was covered in bulging muscles. He was in his 
2687thirties. Deep creases formed when he knit his tan brow. His black hair was 
2688neatly trimmed and his black eyes gleamed with the sharpness of a dagger. 
2689
2690The rider next to him spoke. "Captain, we've almost reached the first village on 
2691our patrol." 
2692
2693"Yes, it seems that way, Vice-Captain." 
2694
2695This was Gazef Stronoff, pride of the Re-Estize Kingdom and captain of its 
2696guard. The village had not yet appeared down his line of sight. 
2697
2698Suppressing his impatience, Gazef maintained a steady speed. Though they 
2699weren't driving their horses to exhaustion, it had been quite a march from the 
2700royal capital to here. A hint of fatigue had taken up root in his core. Certainly the 
2701same could be said for the horses. It wouldn't do to burden them any further. 
2702
2703"But I really hope it's nothing..." The vice-captain spoke again. His voice 
2704betrayed his anxiety, and Gazef felt the same. 
2705
2706The mission the king had given them was to "find the imperial knights spotted 
2707near the kingdom's border and subdue them." 
2708
2709Under normal circumstances, it would have been faster to send soldiers from 
2710the nearby city of E-Rantel, but the empire's knights were strong and well 
2711outfitted. The gap between them and the kingdom's recruits was clear. The only 
2712
2713
2714
2715soldiers in the kingdom that had a chance against the knights were the ones 
2716directly under Gazef. But it was foolish to leave everything up to them like this. 
2717Even just mobilizing some troops to guard the villages until Gazef and his men 
2718arrived would probably have been enough to stave off the enemy. There were 
2719plenty of other options as well. Just currently, they weren't being—no, they 
2720couldn't be—taken. 
2721
2722Gazef knew why and it irritated him to no end. He did his best to relax his grip 
2723on the reins, but he couldn't extinguish the blaze of his inner emotions. 
2724
2725"Captain, it's ridiculous for us to get to the village and then begin the search. 
2726And since you brought all of us, couldn't we divide up the labor? Or better yet, 
2727we could hire some adventurers from E-Rantel and ask them to find the knights. 
2728Why are we doing it like this?" 
2729
2730"...Don't say that, Vice-Captain. Nothing good will come of everyone finding 
2731out there are imperial knights throwing their weight around inside the kingdom's 
2732borders." 
2733
2734"Captain, there's no one to hear us now. I want you to tell me the truth." A 
2735faint smile played across the vice-captain's face, but it was the exact opposite of 
2736a kindly grin. "Are the nobles interfering?" The vice-captain practically spat the 
2737words, and Gazef didn't reply. Because the answer was yes. "So the damned 
2738nobles plan to use the victims as pawns in their power struggle? And since this 
2739area is directly under the king's jurisdiction, I suppose they'll use any suffering as 
2740an excuse to make snide remarks." 
2741
2742"Not all the nobles think that way." 
2743
2744"I'm sure there are some who, like you say, think of the people. Like the 
2745Golden Princess. But how many? ...If the king could just take absolute power like 
2746the emperor next door, he could ignore the damned nobles and focus on the 
2747people." 
2748
2749"If we force things, sides will be taken and the country will split. Causing an 
2750internal conflict with an expansionist empire next door would be even worse for 
2751the people." 
2752
2753"I know, but..." 
2754
2755
2756
2757"Let's drop it for now..." Leaving it at that, Gazef pursed his lips and turned his 
2758penetrating gaze forward. 
2759
2760Black smoke rose from beyond a small hill up ahead—and not just one or two 
2761trails. There wasn't a man present who didn't know what that meant. Gazef 
2762clicked his tongue and kicked his spurs into his horse's flanks. 
2763
2764The scene that flooded their vision when they crested the hill was what they 
2765had expected. The village had been burned to ashes. The scattered house 
2766wreckage still standing was like grave markers. 
2767
2768Gazef gave orders in a steely voice. "Company, begin maneuvers. On the 
2769double!" 
2770
2771• 
2772
2773The village was burned to the ground. Only the collapsed remains of houses 
2774still bore any resemblance to their former shape. Walking through the wreckage, 
2775everything smelled like charred ashes mixed with the stench of blood. 
2776
2777Gazef's face was steady, no trace of emotion, but that itself showed most 
2778clearly what he must have been feeling. The same went for the vice-captain, 
2779walking beside him. 
2780
2781Of the more than one hundred villagers, only six had survived. The rest had 
2782been massacred—women and children alike, even infants. 
2783
2784"Vice-Captain, escort the survivors to E-Rantel." 
2785
2786"Please don't do this! That would be the most..." 
2787
2788"You're right—it's a foolish plan. But we can't just leave them here like this." 
2789
2790E-Rantel was directly under the king's jurisdiction and protecting these villages 
2791was his job. If they abandoned the survivors, it would be a terrible blow to the 
2792king. And it was easy to see that the nobles trying to corner him would make 
2793noise about it, too. 
2794
2795And more importantly... 
2796
2797"Please rethink this. We should retreat to E-Rantel for the time being and get 
2798ourselves in order." 
2799
2800
2801"That's impossible." 
2802
2803
2804"Captain! I'm sure you realize, but this must be a trap. The timing of the attack 
2805on the village lines up too well with our arrival in E-Rantel. They waited for us 
2806before committing this atrocity. I'd even venture to say that the fact that they 
2807didn't kill every last person means it can't be anything but a trap." The survivors 
2808hadn't managed to escape the knights by running and hiding. The attackers just 
2809didn't kill them. Their aim was probably to force the military to divide their 
2810strength to protect them. "Captain, you can't mean that you're going to chase 
2811them down knowing full well it's a trap!" 
2812
2813"...That was my intention." 
2814
2815"Are you serious? Captain. It's true that you're strong. I'm sure you could fight 
2816one hundred knights and come out victorious. But the empire has a caster. If 
2817that old man is with them, it's risky, even for you. You're not fully outfitted right 
2818now, so losing to the Four wouldn't be out of the question, either. So I'm 
2819begging you, please withdraw. No matter how many more villages fell, losing you 
2820would be a bigger loss for the kingdom!" In response to Gazef's silence, the vice¬ 
2821captain continued with pain in his voice. "If you can't withdraw, then let's oil 
2822leave the survivors and go after them." 
2823
2824"That...is probably the wisest choice, but it would mean abandoning lives that 
2825could be saved. Do you really think they could make it if we left them here on 
2826their own?" 
2827
2828The vice-captain had no response. He knew the chances were slim. If they 
2829didn't provide an escort and take them somewhere safe, they'd be gone within a 
2830few days. Still the vice-captain said—he hod to say—"Captain. The most valuable 
2831life here is yours. We can't be worried what happens to the villagers." 
2832
2833Gazef knew it was killing the vice-captain to say such things, and he was angry 
2834at himself for forcing the issue, but he still couldn't accept it. "I was born a 
2835commoner. You were, too, right?" 
2836
2837"Yes. I aspired to the Select because I looked up to you." 
2838
2839"You lived in a village, right?" 
2840
2841"Yes, that's why-" 
2842
2843"Death is like a next-door neighbor when you live in a village. It's not so rare 
2844
2845
2846
2847for a monster to attack and kill people, right?" 
2848
2849"Right..." 
2850
2851"Mere soldiers can't always handle a monster. If you don't have the money to 
2852hire a specialist in monster extermination—an adventurer—all you can do is lie 
2853low until it leaves." 
2854
2855"Right..." 
2856
2857"So, didn't you ever hope? Hope that a noble would appear in your hour of 
2858need? That someone with power would come and save you?" 
2859
2860"It'd be a lie if I said I didn't, but no one ever came. At least, the nobles of the 
2861domain we belonged to never gave us any financial help." 
2862
2863"So let's show them we're different. We're going to save the villagers." 
2864
2865The vice-captain's voice caught as he remembered his past. 
2866
2867"Vice-Captain. Let's show 'em that there are people out there who will risk 
2868their lives despite the danger, that there are strong who will protect the weak!" 
2869
2870The men's eyes met and exchanged a multitude of emotions. 
2871
2872Finally, the vice-captain spoke, sounding tired but aiming to convey his 
2873passion. "...Then I'll take my men and go. I may be replaceable, but you're not." 
2874
2875"Don't be absurd! There's a better chance we make it back alive if I go, too. We 
2876don't go to our deaths; we go to save the people." 
2877
2878The vice-captain's mouth worked for a moment, then closed. "I'll choose who 
2879will escort the villagers to E-Rantel right away." 
2880
2881As the sky reddened, human shapes began to appear one after another on the 
2882grassy plain. There were forty-five of them. The way they appeared out of 
2883nowhere was not due to camouflage, but magic. 
2884
2885One glance was enough to tell they were not mercenaries, travelers, or 
2886adventurers. They all looked the same, clad in armored clothing woven out of 
2887special metallic thread to prioritize mobility and defense. Due to magical 
2888fortification, however, these clothes had even greater defense and, in fact, were 
2889more effective than a full suit of armor. Their leather bags weren't very full and 
2890
2891
2892didn't seem like the kind of thing someone on a journey would carry—that is, as 
2893long as they weren't also magic. The specially made belts around their waists 
2894held multiple potions and the mantles draped across their backs radiated 
2895magical auras. 
2896
2897Gathering enough magical items for all those people would have been no easy 
2898feat, either of coin or in terms of time and effort. Being so well equipped was 
2899proof that they had nation-level support behind them. Despite that, there was 
2900nothing on any of their gear displaying their rank or affiliation. In other words, 
2901they were an unlawful group with reason to hide. 
2902
2903They looked toward the abandoned village. Gazing upon the ruins enveloped in 
2904the stench of burning and blood produced not a flicker of emotion in their eyes. 
2905They looked on coolly, as if it were a matter of course. 
2906
2907"We let him get away, huh?" A low voice spoke with a hint of disappointment. 
2908
2909"...There was nothing we could do. Have our decoy continue attacking villages. 
2910We must lead the beast to its cage." The man's sharp gaze followed Gazef and 
2911the others as they headed away. 
2912
2913"Tell me where the decoy should strike next." 
2914
2915
29163 
2917
2918
2919Momonga prepared to cast a spell, stretching his fingers out slowly toward a 
2920straw figure set up in a corner of the arena. 
2921
2922The magic he specialized in was more about secondary effects, like instadeath, 
2923than simply dealing damage. For that reason, it didn't work so well on nonliving 
2924targets. A situation like this called for straightforward damage-dealing magic, 
2925but he had chosen his class's ghost tree and beefed up his repertoire with those 
2926type of spells. As a result, in terms of damage dealt, he was a few tiers behind 
2927magic users who specialized in combat spells. 
2928
2929Momonga peeked at the children—their eyes sparkled with curiosity. The 
2930anxiety of whether he could live up to their expectations or not weighed him 
2931
2932
2933
2934down. 
2935
2936
2937Next he stole a glance in a different direction, where there were two huge 
2938monsters. They stood ten feet tall with inverted triangle figures. Muscles rippled 
2939over frames that were a combination of human and dragon. Covering the 
2940muscles were scales harder than steel. The monsters had dragon-like faces and 
2941tails thick as tree trunks. Despite the lack of wings, they looked very much like 
2942dragons standing upright. In their arms, thicker than a man's torso, they each 
2943held some kind of weapon (a sword? a shield?) that was half as long as they were 
2944tall. They were dragonkin, employed by Aura via her beast-tamer skills to keep 
2945the arena clean. They were only level 55 and had no special abilities to speak of, 
2946but the punches they could dish with their strong arms paired with their 
2947seemingly inexhaustible health meant they could hold their own against higher- 
2948level monsters. 
2949
2950Breathing a little quickly, Momonga turned back to the straw figure. Honestly , 
2951having everyone watching with such high expectations is putting me on the 
2952spot. The point of this exercise was to check if he could even use a spell or not. 
2953
2954The reason he'd allowed Aura and Mare to watch was so he could show them 
2955his power before the others arrived and teach them how foolish it would be to 
2956oppose him. Of course, it was impossible for him to imagine these children 
2957betraying him, and there was certainly no sign that they might do such a thing, 
2958but Momonga wasn't confident they would remain loyal to him if it turned out 
2959he had lost the ability to cast spells. 
2960
2961Aura interacted with him as if they were old acquaintances, but from 
2962Momonga's perspective they might as well have met for the first time. Of course, 
2963her background was all based on ideas from the guild and both of the children 
2964were guild member-created treasures, but it wasn't as if all their behavioral 
2965patterns, their responses to any situation, were set in stone. There was definitely 
2966what Momonga supposed could be called a "loophole" in their settings. 
2967
2968If they were intelligent living things that thought and behaved autonomously, 
2969they would eventually come across a situation that their bios did not prepare 
2970them for. And how would things turn out if there was nothing in there about 
2971devoting themselves to their master even if he was weak? Actually, there were 
2972probably more cases where loyalty was not specified at all, in which case obeying 
2973
2974
2975
2976orders or not all came down to individual judgment. If disobeying was as far as it 
2977went, that was fine, but what if someone wanted to rebel against the guild 
2978master if they thought he wasn't cutting it? 
2979
2980Being more skeptical than necessary was a problem, but it was also stupid to 
2981blindly trust them. I'll just hove to feel it out os I go. That was what made the 
2982most sense to Momonga under the circumstances. 
2983
2984His other aim in having the twins there was to get advice in the event he 
2985couldn't cast a spell. They thought he was there to test the staff. He already 
2986knew magic items worked, so he could wield as much deception as necessary. 
2987
2988My plan is perfect. 
2989
2990He patted himself on the back and wondered if he had always been so sharp 
2991and composed, but there was no one who could answer that question for him. 
2992
2993Momonga cleared the doubts from his mind and considered the magic he'd 
2994been able to use in Yggdrosil. The total number of magic spells in Yggdrosil, from 
2995tiers one to ten, plus super tier, was well over six thousand. These were split into 
2996various trees, but of the total, Momonga could use 718. Normally a level-100 
2997player could use about three hundred, so that was an insane amount. 
2998
2999Not only that, but he'd memorized them all so he could choose the most 
3000appropriate spell for every situation—including this one. First, since friendly fire 
3001was on, he had to know what the area of effect would look like, so he would have 
3002to select a spell not based on how many enemies, but based on the area. And if 
3003this is my target , then... 
3004
3005In Yggdrosil, all he'd had to do to cast a spell was tap an icon, but he couldn't 
3006do that anymore, so he had to find another way. He thought he might already 
3007have it partially mastered. He focused on the powers deep inside him, just as he 
3008had when he'd turned off Negative Touch. Just imagine there are icons floating 
3009in the air... He laughed to himself. I got it. 
3010
3011He had a perfect grasp of what the area of effect would be and how much time 
3012it would take before he could cast again. The confidence in his ability came with 
3013a serious high—the fulfillment and satisfaction of knowing that his magic was 
3014truly his own power. He'd never felt like this in Yggdrosil. 
3015
3016
3017
3018As if transmuting the delight that had bubbled up inside him—his swiftly 
3019calming mind intensified the high—he gathered it at his fingertips and spoke the 
3020word of power: "Fireball!" 
3021
3022A ball of flames grew from the tip of his finger, shot off at the straw figure he 
3023was pointing at, and hit just where he'd aimed. The ball burst on impact, 
3024instantly scattering the flames it had contained. The expanded flames raged 
3025through the area, even scorching the ground, in a flash. 
3026
3027The whole thing had only taken a second. Nothing was left of the straw figure 
3028but burned-up remains. 
3029
3030"Heh-heh-heh-heh..." Momonga let slip a laugh only he knew the meaning of 
3031and the twins looked on, puzzled. 
3032
3033"Aura, ready another straw figure." 
3034
3035"Oh—yes, sir! Right away! Hurry and set it up!" One of the dragonkin stood a 
3036new figure next to the charred one. 
3037
3038Momonga walked leisurely over, turned toward the straw figure, and cast a 
3039spell: "Napalm!" 
3040
3041It went slightly astray but suddenly formed a column of flames that then 
3042engulfed the area and swirled up into the sky. After a beat, Momonga cast 
3043another spell at the figure that had been reduced to debris. "Fireball!" 
3044
3045The figure was obliterated on impact. 
3046
3047The spells' cooldowns were the same as in Yggdrosil. Actually, since for an 
3048area-of-effect spell he didn't have to first select the spell and then aim by moving 
3049the cursor showing the area, he might have been able to cast even faster. 
3050
3051"Perfect." His satisfaction took the form of this remark, voiced of its own 
3052accord. 
3053
3054"Lord Momonga, should I prepare some more straw figures?" Aura did seem 
3055puzzled. She knew from before that Momonga possessed incredible power, so 
3056she probably didn't understand what was such a big deal about stunts like this. 
3057But that was exactly the impression he'd wanted to make on the twins, so their 
3058confused expressions were proof of his success. 
3059
3060
3061
3062"No, that won't be necessary. I want to test something else now." Once he'd 
3063declined Aura's request, he set about his next objective. 
3064
3065"Message." First, he would try to contact a GM. The way the Message spell 
3066worked in Yggdrosil was that if the player being contacted were in the game at 
3067the time, the caller would hear a cell phone-like ring, but if they weren't, it 
3068would just disconnect. Now it was maybe a cousin of that spell. Momonga felt 
3069like he was putting out a feeler to search for something. The sensation was 
3070difficult to describe, and he was experiencing it for the first time in his life. It 
3071continued for a little while and then, with nothing to connect to, the spell timed 
3072out. 
3073
3074Well, that's discouraging. 
3075
3076He repeated the same spell, this time not aimed at a GM. He was calling the 
3077old members of Ainz Ooal Gown. He attempted it with 1 percent hope, feeling 99 
3078percent like nothing would come of it, and as expected, there was no response. 
3079After calling all forty members and confirming no response from anyone, he 
3080slowly shook his head. He'd known it was hopeless, but getting slapped in the 
3081face with reality was quite a downer. He cast the spell once more, at Sebas. 
3082
3083It connected! 
3084
3085So it was clear that Message was indeed—alas—working. There was still the 
3086possibility that it would only connect to characters in this world, but... 
3087
3088"Lord Momonga." The deeply deferential voice echoed in his head. Momonga 
3089wondered if Sebas was bowing on the other end like a businessman in the real 
3090world would have been. 
3091
3092Sebas must have been unsure how to interpret the silence caused by 
3093Momonga's extraneous musing because he spoke again, sounding perplexed. 
3094"Is...something wrong?" 
3095
3096"Oh, uh, sorry. It seems I spaced out for a moment. By the way, what's it like 
3097out there?" 
3098
3099"We're on a grassy plain, and I haven't been able to confirm the existence of 
3100any intelligent life." 
3101
3102
3103"A grassy plain... No bogs?" 
3104
3105
3106
3107The Great Tomb of Nazarick used to be located deep in a swamp inhabited by 
3108frog-like people known as tsveiks. The whole area was covered by mist, and there 
3109were poisonous bogs here and there. 
3110
3111"No, just a grassy plain." 
3112
3113Momonga laughed in spite of himself. Who knows whot the heck is going on 
3114now? 
3115
3116"So Nazarick as a whole has been teleported to some unknown location...? 
3117Sebas, is there anything up in the sky? Any signs or signals?" 
3118
3119"No, nothing like that. Just the same night sky as the sixth level." 
3120
3121"What?! A night sky, huh? There's nothing else in the area that catches your 
3122eye?" 
3123
3124"No, not in particular. Aside from the Great Tomb of Nazarick, I don't even see 
3125any man-made structures." 
3126
3127"I see, I see..." 
3128
3129What could he say? The only thing left for him to do was rip his hair out 
3130(although somewhere in his mind he had been prepared for this possibility). 
3131
3132Sebas's silence indicated he was awaiting direction. Momonga glanced at the 
3133band on his left wrist. There were about twenty minutes until the other 
3134guardians would arrive, in which case there was only one order that made sense 
3135to give. 
3136
3137"Be back in twenty minutes. Once you've returned to the Tomb, come to the 
3138Amphitheatrum. I'm assembling all the guardians, so I'll have you report what 
3139you've seen." 
3140
3141"Understood." 
3142
3143"Okay, get as much information as you can before then." 
3144
3145After getting Sebas's confirmation, he ended the spell. Just as he was thinking 
3146he'd take a break, having finished everything he needed to do for the moment, 
3147he remembered the two children and their expectant gazes. 
3148
3149He needed to show them the power of the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown, since he'd 
3150
3151
3152
3153said he would. He took the staff into his hand but couldn't decide what magic to 
3154unleash. It was as if all its countless powers were begging to be used. I should 
3155probably go for something pretty showy. So he chose the Fire Orb and from 
3156among its powers cast Summon Primal Fire Elemental. 
3157
3158Obeying Momonga's will, power stirred within a jewel in one of the snakes' 
3159mouths. Sensing that the flow of power was adequate, he pointed the staff. A 
3160huge sphere of light grew at the end and an incredible storm of flames whipped 
3161up around it. The vortex rapidly expanded to a diameter of thirteen feet and a 
3162height of about twenty feet. 
3163
3164The crimson purgatory kicked up a hot wind, and out of the corner of his eye, 
3165Momonga saw the dragonkin move in front of Aura and Mare to protect them. 
3166His robe flapped in the waves of heat. It could've easily burned him, given the 
3167temperature, but Momonga had compensated for the weakness to fire he 
3168shared with all undead with perfect resistance, so he was unaffected. 
3169
3170After increasing its size by consuming all the air in its vicinity, the swaying 
3171tornado of flames emitted a glow like fusing iron and took on a humanoid shape. 
3172
3173The primal fire elemental was one of the highest-level elementals, falling in the 
3174upper 80s range. Momonga felt the same connection with it that he had with 
3175the moon wolves. 
3176
3177"Whoa." A gasp escaped Aura's lips as she marveled at the monster. It was 
3178impossible to call forth such an elite elemental with regular summoning magic, 
3179and the look on her face was like a kid who'd gotten the toy she'd always 
3180wanted. 
3181
3182"Want to try fighting it?" 
3183
3184"Huh?" 
3185
3186"Wh-what?" 
3187
3188She was lost for a moment, but then the natural smile of a child played across 
3189her face. Actually, for a child it was a bit—well, rather—twisted; Mare's 
3190expression was more childlike. 
3191
3192"You'll let us fight it?" 
3193
3194
3195
3196"Sure, I don't mind. It's no big deal if it gets defeated." Momonga shrugged. 
3197The staff's power allowed him to summon one a day. In other words, it didn't 
3198matter if this one got taken down, because he could summon another one the 
3199next day. 
3200
3201"Uh, I just remembered something I have to do..." 
3202
3203"Mare!" She grabbed him with an iron grip when he tried to make a run for it. 
3204Apparently she wasn't going to let him escape. She snagged him with her smile. 
3205To Momonga, it was the smile of an adorable little girl, but he wondered if it 
3206looked different to someone with the same face; Mare was scared stiff. 
3207
3208Aura dragged him in front of the primal fire elemental. His eyes darted around 
3209seeking succor, finally finding Momonga. In reply to his radiant ear-to-ear grin, 
3210Momonga joined his palms to mimic a prayer. The light on Mare's face went out. 
3211
3212"Well, don't overdo it, you two. It'd be silly to get hurt." 
3213
3214"We won't!" Aura responded cheerfully. Mare's voice was there, too, but 
3215gloomy, like he was being escorted to his doom. Momonga figured they wouldn't 
3216get hurt as long as Mare was there, so he used his connection to the primal fire 
3217elemental to order it to attack. 
3218
3219The twins engaged the roaring flames of the attacking elemental with Aura 
3220forward and Mare in back. Aura double wielded her whips to lash the hovering 
3221monster into submission, and Mare's magic steadily racked up damage. 
3222
3223"Yeah, I figured this would be no problem for them..." 
3224
3225The battle may have been one-sided, but he continued to watch while he went 
3226over in his head the other things he had to investigate. He'd already confirmed 
3227that magic and some items worked, but there were still other items he wanted 
3228to check—most importantly, scrolls, staves, and wands. Objects like these 
3229contained magic. Scrolls were single use while staves and wands came with a 
3230certain amount of casts. 
3231
3232Momonga possessed quite a few of these. He was the type that felt using up 
3233consumables was a waste. He refused to use the highest-grade recovery potions, 
3234even on the final boss. He'd gone beyond cautious to plain stingy, so his 
3235inventory had just piled up. In Yggdrosil, they'd been stored in his item box, but 
3236
3237
3238
3239where were they now? 
3240
3241Recalling how he used to open his item box, he stretched his fleshless hand 
3242into the air. He felt it slip into something; it was almost like breaking the surface 
3243tension of water. He was sure for an onlooker it must have looked like part of his 
3244arm had disappeared into the air. Then, as if he were opening a window, he 
3245made a broad sliding motion to the side. A window did open, right in the air, and 
3246inside were several staves lined up all neat and tidy. This was definitely 
3247Yggdrasil' s item box. 
3248
3249He moved his hand to scroll through what he supposed one could call his 
3250''inventory screen." Scrolls, wands, weapons, armor, decorations, jewels, 
3251potions, and other consumables—he had a vast number of magical tools. 
3252Momonga's face broke into a relieved smile. With oil this, I should be able to 
3253protect myself even if everyone in the Tomb turns against me 
3254
3255Still absentmindedly keeping his eye on Aura and Mare's fierce battle, 
3256Momonga summarized all the information he'd collected so far. 
3257
3258Are the NPCs I've met programs? 
3259
3260No. They were beings with consciousness just like humans. It was impossible to 
3261capture such subtle emotions with code. He needed to assume that they were 
3262no longer programs but had somehow become equivalent to humans. 
3263
3264And what is this world? 
3265
3266That was unclear. Considering Yggdrasil's magic existed, it would be valid to 
3267suppose he was inside the game, but taking into account the previous answer, 
3268that couldn't possibly be the case. That said, it was either the game world or 
3269some other world, one of the two. Not that either made any sense. 
3270
3271How should I conduct myself? 
3272
3273He'd confirmed that he could use his powers as he could in Yggdrasil. So, if all 
3274the NPCs and monsters in the Great Tomb of Nazarick were also based on 
3275Yggdrasil data, he would have no enemies. The problem would be if there were 
3276something not from Yggdrasil, but all he could do was cross that bridge when he 
3277came to it. For now, he had to just act with the dignity of a ruler—assuming he 
3278could muster such a thing. 
3279
3280
3281
3282What's the plan? 
3283
3284Work to gather information. He didn't know what this world was, and at the 
3285moment, he was like an ignorant tourist. He needed to keep his wits about him 
3286and cautiously gather as much information as he could. 
3287
3288Say this is some other world—should I try to get back to mine? 
3289
3290Good question. If he'd had any friends, he'd probably try to go back. If his 
3291parents were still alive, he'd risk his life to find a way back. If he'd had a family to 
3292take care of or a lover... 
3293
3294But he had none of those things. 
3295
3296He went to the office, worked, came home, and slept. Up until now, he'd log 
3297onto Yggdrasil and keep things ready in case any of his guildmates wanted to 
3298come back, but he didn't even have that anymore. Was there any point in going 
3299back to such a world? 
3300
3301But, if he could get back, then he knew he should put in the effort. One could 
3302never have too many options. The world outside the Tomb could very well be 
3303hell. 
3304
3305"Okay, what do I do?" Momonga's lonely words to himself evaporated into the 
3306air. 
3307
3308
33094 
3310
3311
3312The primal fire elemental's gigantic body disappeared as if melting into the air 
3313and the heat that had been thrown around the area rapidly dissipated. 
3314Momonga also felt the bond of dominance he'd been vaguely aware of break. 
3315
3316The primal fire elemental had extraordinary destructive power and stamina, 
3317but for Aura, who demonstrated impressive evasive action and had complete 
3318immunity to the fire damage that had been hitting everything in the area, it 
3319might as well have been target practice. 
3320
3321Of course, if she had gotten hit, she would have lost a significant portion of her 
3322
3323
3324
3325health, but Mare, as a druid, would never let that happen. He used an 
3326appropriate mix of buffs and debuffs to support her. 
3327
3328Their style of fighting was a magnificent division of roles between forward and 
3329rear positions. Momonga was struck both by that and by how raw the action had 
3330felt—it had been a real fight, not something from a game. 
3331
3332"Magnificent... You were both...wonderful!" 
3333
3334The children smiled at his heartfelt words of admiration. "Thank you, Lord 
3335Momonga! It's been a while since we've gotten such a workout!" 
3336
3337The two of them casually wiped the sweat from their faces, but the moment 
3338they did, it beaded up again and began to drip down their tan skin. 
3339
3340Momonga silently opened his item box and took something out for the first 
3341time in this world: the Bottomless Pitcher of Water. 
3342
3343Yggdrosil had systems for eating and thirst, etc., but since Momonga was 
3344undead, none of them applied to him, so he had never used the item himself. 
3345He'd been using it for his mounts. 
3346
3347The pitcher was made out of a transparent material that seemed like glass and 
3348was filled to the brim with fresh water. Perhaps due to how cold the water was, 
3349countless droplets had condensed on the outside of the container. Next, he took 
3350out two clean glasses, filled them, and offered them to the twins. "Aura, Mare, 
3351please drink this." 
3352
3353"What? We couldn't possibly, Lord Momonga." 
3354
3355"Y-yeah, we don't need to trouble you for that. I can make water with my 
3356magic." 
3357
3358Aura waved her hands in polite refusal, and Mare shook his head quickly back 
3359and forth. Seeing them like that made Momonga wince. 
3360
3361"Oh, c'mon, it's water. Just a small token of my thanks for all your hard work." 
3362
3363"Ahhh..." 
3364
3365"Ohhh..." 
3366
3367Aura and Mare, blushing, nervously reached out their hands to take the 
3368
3369
3370
3371glasses. 
3372
3373"Th-thankyou, Lord Momonga!" 
3374
3375"I can't believe you're pouring drinks for us \" 
3376
3377Does it really make you that happy? 
3378
3379This time Aura didn't refuse, but took the glass in both hands and gulped it 
3380down. The movements of her throat were clearly visible, and water that 
3381overflowed from the corners of her lips ran down her lustrous neck and 
3382disappeared into her chest. Mare, meanwhile, held the cup in one hand and took 
3383measured sips. The difference in their personalities was made abruptly apparent 
3384just from the way they drank. 
3385
3386Watching them, Momonga brought a hand to his own throat. It felt like there 
3387was a membrane stretched directly over his cervical spine. 
3388
3389He hadn't felt thirsty since entering this body. Or tired. He understood that it 
3390was only natural for an undead to not feel any of those things, but the idea of 
3391not being human anymore seemed like it had to be a joke. 
3392
3393He felt around his body some more. Skin, flesh, blood vessels, nerves, organs. 
3394He was missing all manner of things; he had a body made solely of bone. He'd 
3395known that, but now he groped around so it would sink in. 
3396
3397His sense of touch was slightly dull compared to when he was human, almost 
3398like there was a thin cloth between him and anything he went to touch. 
3399Meanwhile, his other senses performed outstandingly. His hearing and vision 
3400were extremely sharp. 
3401
3402Since his body was built entirely of bones, it seemed like it could break at any 
3403moment, but he also had the sense that each bone was more solid than steel. 
3404
3405Although this body was completely different from his old one, there was a 
3406strange satisfaction and sense of fulfillment knowing it was his. Perhaps that was 
3407why he wasn't frightened by his transformation. 
3408
3409"Want another glass?" He held up the Bottomless Pitcher and offered once the 
3410children had finished their water. 
3411
3412"Umm, nope! That was enough for me!" 
3413
3414
3415
3416"I see. Mare, how about you?" 
3417
3418"Oh! U-um, l-l'm okay. M-my throat's not dry anymore." 
3419
3420Momonga nodded, took the glasses back, and put them away into the air. 
3421
3422"I thought you were more scary, Lord Momonga," Aura said softly. 
3423
3424"Oh, really? I can be scarier if you like..." 
3425
3426"No, I like you better like this! Way better!" 
3427
3428"Then I'll stay like this." Aura's animated response had thrown him off a bit. 
3429
3430"Y-you're not this nice only to us, are you?" 
3431
3432Momonga didn't know how to respond to her quiet murmurs, so he just 
3433patted her on the head several times. 
3434
3435"Eh-heh-heh-heh..." She was like a puppy presented with its favorite food. 
3436Mare looked on jealously. Suddenly they heard a voice. 
3437
3438"Oh? Am I the first?" It sounded younger than one might expect from the 
3439tone. At the same time, a shadow spread across the ground, rose up out of it, 
3440and took on the shape of a door. Then, someone walked slowly through. 
3441
3442Her whole body was wrapped in a soft-looking raven-black ball gown with a 
3443full, wide skirt. She covered up on top with a bolero cardigan featuring frills and 
3444ribbons. Add to all that her fingerless lace gloves and almost all her skin was 
3445hidden from view. Only her shapely face —unparalleled was the right word to 
3446describe it—was visible, its almost waxy white skin exposed. Her long silver hair 
3447was gathered to one side and up so not a strand of it fell in her face. Her crimson 
3448eyes had a weirdly jubilant look in them. 
3449
3450She was fourteen or possibly younger. There was still some child in her, and 
3451her beauty was borne of that mix of cuteness and adult attractiveness. One thing 
3452that was out of balance, however, was how big her chest was for her age. 
3453
3454"Teleportation is restricted in Nazarick for a reason! Don't just go using a gate! 
3455You entered the arena the normal way, so couldn't you have just kept walking, 
3456Shalltear?" An exasperated voice sounded right next to Momonga. The icy tone 
3457had nothing of the puppyishness of just a moment ago. On the contrary, it was 
3458full to overflowing with hostility. 
3459
3460
3461
3462Next to Aura, Mare began trembling again. It was probably wise of him to be 
3463inching away from his sister. Even Momonga was a bit alarmed by the sudden 
3464change in her. 
3465
3466The girl, Shalltear, who had arrived using the highest level of teleportation 
3467magic, cast not so much as a glance at Aura, but stood squirming a bit before 
3468Momonga. She smelled pleasantly like perfume. 
3469
3470"You reek," Aura muttered softly, adding that maybe her undead body rotting 
3471was to blame. 
3472
3473Perhaps because she had caught Momonga instinctively lifting his arm to 
3474check if he smelled, a dark blue vein stood up on Shalltear's forehead. 
3475
3476"Oh, come now, you can't say that—Lord Momonga is undead, too..." 
3477
3478"Huh?! What are you talking about? Lord Momonga's not regular undead. 
3479Pretty sure he's like 'super undead' or 'godly undead' or something." 
3480
3481Hearing Shalltear and Mare express their satisfaction with such an explanation 
3482("Oh...," "Right..."), Momonga felt somewhat insignificant. I don't know whot it's 
3483like here , but at least in Yggdrasil / was just plain undead... More to the point, 
3484"super undead" and "godly undead" didn't exist. 
3485
3486"S-still, what you said was kinda bad." 
3487
3488"Y-you think so? Okay, then, take two. Ahem... 'Maybe it's 'cause of your 
3489rotting dead flesh.'" 
3490
3491"I... Yes, I suppose that will do." Accepting Aura's second take, Shalltear 
3492slipped her arms around Momonga's neck to embrace him. 
3493
3494"Ahh, my master, the sole being I cannot conquer." Her wet tongue showed 
3495itself between her parted red lips. It moved over them as if it were its own 
3496separate animal. From her open mouth came sweet-smelling breath. 
3497
3498All of this would have been extremely becoming of a bewitchingly beautiful 
3499adult, but at her age, something was off. The awkward mismatch was even a bit 
3500endearing. In the first place, she wasn't tall enough, so instead of embracing 
3501him, it just seemed like she was trying to hang from his neck. 
3502
3503Despite all that, Momonga was unaccustomed to attention from women and 
3504
3505
3506
3507was plenty bewitched. He nearly took a step backward but made up his mind to 
3508stand still. 
3509
3510Was her personality always like this? He couldn't get the question out of his 
3511mind. But since the one who wrote her backstory was Peroroncino, it was 
3512entirely possible that this was just how she was. That guy loved porn games 
3513more than anything and had even adopted "Porn games are my life!" as his 
3514personal catchphrase. And that good-for-nothing had written the bio of 
3515Shalltear Bloodfallen. She was the guardian of levels one through three and a 
3516true vampire, as well as a little girl who'd been given a pile of X-rated video game 
3517character traits. 
3518
3519"I think that's enough..." 
3520
3521Shalltear responded to the low, hard voice and sneered at Aura. "Oh, hello, 
3522squirt. I didn't see you there." 
3523
3524Momonga didn't feel like bothering to point out that they'd just been talking a 
3525moment ago. 
3526
3527Ignoring Aura and her twitching, irritated expression, Shalltear addressed 
3528Mare. "It must be hard for you to have such an odd elder sister. You should get 
3529some distance from her as soon as possible. If you don't, you might end up the 
3530same way!" 
3531
3532Mare's face went sickly pale—he knew she was using him to pick a fight with 
3533his sister. 
3534
3535But Aura smiled. "Shut up, Miss Fake Boobs." 
3536
3537She'd dropped a bomb. 
3538
3539"How'd you know?!" 
3540
3541"Ooh, she broke character," Momonga said to himself. There was no sign of 
3542her forced elegant cool. 
3543
3544"One glance is enough to tell! Look how bizarrely poofy they are. How many 
3545layers of padding did you use?" 
3546
3547"Wahhh! Wahhh!" Shalltear flailed her hands as if to erase the words out of 
3548the air. Now she looked her age. 
3549
3550
3551
3552Meanwhile, Aura had an evil grin on her face. "If you use that much padding...I 
3553bet they must shift around when you run, huh?!" 
3554
3555"Yeek!" Shalltear emitted a strange scream now that she was caught. 
3556
3557"Bull's-eye! Neh-heh-heh! Your boobs slip, so that's why you used a gate—so 
3558you could get here in a hurry without having to run!" 
3559
3560"Shut it, pip-squeak! You don't have any\ I at least have a litt—I mean, I'm 
3561pretty big!" Shalltear frantically fired back, but Aura only grinned even more 
3562evilly. Shalltear took a step back as if she'd been shoved. The fact that she was 
3563trying to inconspicuously shield her chest was kind of sad. 
3564
3565"I'm still only seventy-six! I've got plenty of time ahead of me! It must be tough 
3566being undead with no future. You don't grow!" 
3567
3568"Ugh," Shalltear groaned and retreated farther. She had no comeback for that, 
3569and it showed plainly on her face. Aura noted this and stretched her slit-like grin 
3570even farther. 
3571
3572"You should be satisfied with what you got—pft!" 
3573
3574"Now that you said it you can't take it back!" 
3575
3576Shalltear's gloved hands began to exude a shimmering black haze. Aura had 
3577her whips ready to intercept. Before the two of them stood a flustered Mare. 
3578Momonga felt like he was watching a scene from the past and couldn't decide 
3579whether to stop them or not. 
3580
3581Peroroncino, who had created Shalltear, and BubblingTeapot, who had 
3582created Aura and Mare, were brother and sister. They used to have good- 
3583natured squabbles sometimes, like this. Momonga almost felt he could see the 
3584shadows of his former guildmates fighting behind the two NPCs. 
3585
3586"WHAT A RACKET." Momonga was basking in reminiscences of his old 
3587guildmates when the hard, twisted voice of something not human speaking 
3588human words stopped Aura and Shalltear's quarrel short. 
3589
3590Standing in the direction from which the voice came (who knew how long he'd 
3591been there) was a grotesque throwing a chill into the air. He looked like a seven- 
3592foot-tall bipedal insect. If there were such a thing as a combination of an utterly 
3593
3594
3595
3596demonic mantis and an ant, it'd probably look like this. From his sturdy tail that 
3597was double his height and the rest of his body sprouted countless icicle-like 
3598spikes. His horizontally closing lower jaws were surely powerful enough to sever 
3599a human arm with no trouble. 
3600
3601Two of his arms carried a silver halberd and the other two held a horrifying yet 
3602excellently made mace giving off a sinister black aura and a broadsword so 
3603warped it seemed impossible for it to ever be sheathed. 
3604
3605He was wrapped in a chill that sparkled like diamond dust and his light blue 
3606exoskeleton was like armor. His back and shoulders bulged like icebergs. 
3607
3608This was the guardian of the fifth level, "Sovereign of the Frozen River," 
3609Cocytus. He struck the ground with the blade of his halberd and the earth 
3610around it slowly froze. 
3611
3612"YOU AMUSE YOURSELVES TOO MUCH BEFORE A SUPREME BEING." 
3613
3614"She's being disrespectful to—" 
3615
3616"I'm just telling the truth—" 
3617
3618"Arrrrgh..." 
3619
3620Mare panicked as Shalltear and Aura glared at each other again, eyes 
3621fearsomely flashing. Momonga was over it all by now and warned them both in a 
3622voice he made deep on purpose, "Shalltear, Aura, that's enough playing around 
3623for now." 
3624
3625Both of them jumped and then hung their heads in unison. "I'm sorry!" 
3626
3627He nodded to generously accept their apology and then turned to the newly 
3628arrived figure. "Thanks for coming, Cocytus." 
3629
3630"I COME IMMEDIATELY WHEN YOU CALL, SUPREME ONE." 
3631
3632White breath escaped from between Cocytus's mandibles and in response 
3633came a cracking noise as if the moisture in the air were freezing solid. It was a 
3634cold on par with the heat of the primal fire elemental. Just being near him was 
3635enough to cause all sorts of low-temperature status effects and physical 
3636damage, but Momonga didn't feel a thing. Though really, there was no one in 
3637the room who didn't have some way to resist fire, chill, and acid attacks. 
3638
3639
3640
3641"Have you been bored with no raiders these days?" 
3642
3643"THERE CERTAINLY HASN'T BEEN MUCH GOING ON..." His mandibles clicked. It 
3644sounded like the threatening clicks of an angry hornet, but Momonga chose to 
3645think he must be laughing. 
3646
3647"BUT THAT SAID, I HAVE THINGS TO DO, SO I CAN'T SAY I'VE BEEN BORED." 
3648
3649"Oh! 'Things to do'? Do you mind telling me what?" 
3650
3651"TRAINING SO THAT I MAY BE OF USE TO YOU AT ANY TIME." 
3652
3653Cocytus, not that it was apparent from the way he looked, was a warrior, both 
3654personality-wise and by design. Of those in the Great Tomb of Nazarick who used 
3655weapons, he had the highest attack power. 
3656
3657"To be of use to me? Thanks." 
3658
3659"HEARING THAT SINGLE WORD MAKES IT ALL WORTH IT. OH, IT SEEMS 
3660DEMIURGE AND ALBEDO HAVE ARRIVED." 
3661
3662Following Cocytus's line of sight, Momonga saw two shadows near the 
3663entrance of the arena. Albedo was in front. A man followed behind her as if in 
3664attendance. When they'd gotten closer, Albedo smiled and bowed deeply to 
3665Momonga. The man also gave an elegant bow before speaking. "Sorry to keep 
3666you all waiting." 
3667
3668He was about six feet tall with skin the shade of a suntan. He had Asian 
3669features and his jet-black hair was slicked back. The eyes behind his round 
3670glasses were not so much slivers as closed. He wore a three-piece suit with a 
3671necktie and had the air of a shrewd businessman or lawyer. 
3672
3673Even though he presented himself as a gentleman, he couldn't hide his evil 
3674nature. Behind him stretched a silver-plated tail with six spines on the tip. This 
3675man, scattering dark flickering flames, was "Creator of the Inferno"—Demiurge. 
3676He was the demon who commanded NPC defense operations and the guardian 
3677of the seventh level. 
3678
3679"This is everyone, then." 
3680
3681"Lord Momonga, it seems we're still missing two." It was a voice that wormed 
3682its way into hearts and drew one in with its richness. All Demiurge's words came 
3683
3684
3685
3686with a passive skill called Incantation of Influence. It was a power that caused 
3687the weakhearted who heard him to instantly become his puppets. That said, no 
3688one in the room was affected. It only worked on targets of level 40 and below, so 
3689all those present merely heard it as a particularly luscious voice and nothing 
3690more. 
3691
3692"Their presence isn't necessary. They've both been assigned to prioritize other 
3693tasks. We don't need to interrupt them for this." 
3694
3695"If that's all right, then..." 
3696
3697"IT SEEMS MY COMRADE IS NOT HERE, EITHER..." 
3698
3699Aura and Shalltear stopped short. Even Albedo's smile froze. 
3700
3701"He's...only a guard for one part of one of my floors..." 
3702
3703"Y-yeah..." 
3704
3705Shalltear forced a smile and Aura chimed in while Albedo nodded. 
3706
3707"Ahh, the Prince of Fear? Well, we should probably notify the domain 
3708guardians as well. Please pass the information along to Crimson, Grant, and the 
3709others. I'll leave it up to each floor guardian." 
3710
3711There were two types of guardians in the Great Tomb of Nazarick. One was the 
3712type that all those before Momonga now were, floor guardians who were each in 
3713charge of one or more levels. The other was domain guardians who guarded part 
3714of a level. Put simply, domain guardians worked under the floor guardians to 
3715protect one section of a level. Since there were so many of them, they were 
3716somewhat underappreciated, and in Nazarick the word guardian generally 
3717indicated a floor guardian. 
3718
3719Once everyone had indicated their understanding of Momonga's order, Albedo 
3720spoke. "Now, then, let us perform the ritual of allegiance." 
3721
3722The guardians all nodded, and before Momonga could get a word in, they'd 
3723arranged themselves with Albedo in front and the other guardians lined up 
3724behind her. Their expressions were all stiffly ceremonious. Any hint of a jokey 
3725atmosphere had vanished. 
3726
3727Shalltear, at the end of the line, took a step forward. "Guardian of the First, 
3728
3729
3730
3731Second, and Third Levels, Shalltear Bloodfallen. I bow before you, 0 Supreme 
3732One." She dropped to one knee and put a hand over her chest, bowing her head 
3733low. After Shalltear, Cocytus stepped forward. 
3734
3735"GUARDIAN OF THE FIFTH LEVEL, COCYTUS. I BOW BEFORE YOU, 0 SUPREME 
3736ONE." 
3737
3738He took the same humble posture as Shalltear and bowed to Momonga. Next, 
3739the two dark elves stepped forward. 
3740
3741"Guardian of the Sixth Level, Aura Bella Fiora. I bow before you, 0 Supreme 
3742One." 
3743
3744"G-Guardian of the same, Mare Bello Fiore. I b-bow before you, 0 Supreme 
3745One." 
3746
3747As expected, they also got down on one knee and bowed their heads low. 
3748Shalltear, Cocytus, Aura, Mare. They were built differently, so there should have 
3749been some discrepancy in the size of their steps, but their kneeling positions 
3750formed a straight line. 
3751
3752Then Demiurge took a graceful step forward. "Guardian of the Seventh Level, 
3753Demiurge. I bow before you, 0 Supreme One." Though his tone was cool, he 
3754made an extremely heartfelt bow without breaking his elegant demeanor. 
3755Finally, Albedo stepped forward. 
3756
3757"Captain of the floor guardians, Albedo. I bow before you, 0 Supreme One." 
3758Smiling faintly at Momonga, she kneeled in the manner of the other guardians. 
3759But for Albedo, that wasn't the end. With her head bowed, she made her voice 
3760carry and gave her last report. "Excepting Guardian of the Fourth Level, 
3761Gargantua, and Guardian of the Eighth Level, Victim, the floor guardians have 
3762gathered to prostrate ourselves before you... Your orders, 0 Supreme One! We 
3763offer our complete devotion to you." 
3764
3765Being faced with their six bowed heads was practically enough to make his 
3766gulp audible despite a lack of anything to gulp with. The air was tense. Or maybe 
3767it was only Momonga who felt on edge. 
3768
3769I don't know whot to do... Normal people probably never experience 
3770something like this even once in their lives. 
3771
3772
3773
3774In the confusion, he accidentally activated some of his skills and emitted an 
3775aura throughout the area. A halo appeared behind him. Without even the 
3776composure to cancel them, he frantically fought to remember everything he'd 
3777seen in movies or on TV to get an idea of how to conduct himself. 
3778
3779"Raise your heads." All of their heads rose together in so crisp a motion that he 
3780practically expected to hear a whoosh. It was so simultaneous that he wondered 
3781if they'd been practicing. 
3782
3783"Well, then... For starters, I appreciate you all gathering here." 
3784
3785"Please save your appreciation. We offer you not only our devotion, but our 
3786very selves. It is most natural that we should heed your call." 
3787
3788None of the other guardians tried to cut in. As captain, Albedo was truly their 
3789unified voice. 
3790
3791Seeing all their earnest expressions turned his way, Momonga felt a lump in 
3792the throat he didn't even have. The pressure to behave like a ruler was weighing 
3793him down. 
3794
3795But that wasn't all. His orders would determine their future. He started to feel 
3796indecisive. The worry that the Great Tomb of Nazarick might collapse due to a 
3797decision he made flitted across his mind. 
3798
3799"Lord Momonga, you seem irresolute. That is only natural. You must wonder 
3800whether it is even worth accepting our help." Her smile had vanished and a 
3801determined look tensed her features. "However, if you honor us with your 
3802orders, we the floor guardians will suffer any trials to carry them out with all our 
3803bodies and souls. We vow to serve in such a way as will bring no shame upon our 
3804Creators, the Forty-One Supreme Beings of Ainz Ooal Gown." 
3805
3806"We vow it!" The other floor guardians echoed Albedo in chorus. Their voices 
3807were filled with an unstoppable power—their loyalty was like a priceless 
3808diamond sneering at Momonga for worrying they might betray him. 
3809
3810It was as if the darkness before his eyes had vanished in the morning light, and 
3811a shiver went through him. He realized how wonderful the NPCs his guildmates 
3812had made really were. The radiance of Ainz Ooal Gown's glory days was here 
3813now. He was so happy to have the fruit of his guildmates' labor with him that his 
3814
3815
3816
3817dignified expression broke. Of course, there were no major changes to his bony 
3818face, but the beautiful red spark in his eyes burned more brightly. 
3819
3820With no trace of his former anxiety, Momonga spoke smoothly, like the guild 
3821master he was. "Wonderful, guardians. It is my firm belief as of this moment that 
3822you can understand my aims and are capable of accomplishing them without 
3823error." He surveyed their faces once more. "Now, then, there may be some 
3824points that are unclear, but I want you to listen carefully. It appears the Great 
3825Tomb of Nazarick has unexpectedly become involved in some sort of situation, 
3826and it's unclear how it happened." 
3827
3828The floor guardians' serious expressions didn't flinch. 
3829
3830"The cause is unclear, but we know for sure that the Tomb has been teleported 
3831out of the swamps and into a grassy plain. Is there anyone who saw any signs 
3832this might happen?" 
3833
3834Albedo gazed over her shoulder at the faces of each floor guardian. After 
3835reading their expressions, she said, "No, my apologies, but no one had any idea 
3836this would happen." 
3837
3838"Then I'd next like to hear from each floor guardian. Did anything strange 
3839happen on your levels recently?" 
3840
3841Now they spoke up individually for the first time. 
3842
3843"Nothing strange happened in the seventh level." 
3844
3845"Nor in the sixth." 
3846
3847"L-like my sister said." 
3848
3849"THE SAME GOES FOR FIVE." 
3850
3851"Nothing strange happened in the first, second, or third levels." 
3852
3853"Lord Momonga, I would like to investigate the fourth and eighth levels 
3854immediately." 
3855
3856"Very well, I'll leave that up to you, Albedo, but take care in the eighth level. If 
3857something happened there, it's possible you may not be able to deal with it." 
3858
3859
3860After Albedo deeply bowed in acknowledgment, Shalltear spoke. 
3861
3862
3863
3864"Then I'll investigate the surface." 
3865
3866"Oh, I already sent Sebas out to explore the surface." 
3867
3868Albedo had been there when he'd given the order, so she wasn't surprised, but 
3869the others couldn't hold their shock back from appearing on their faces. 
3870
3871The Great Tomb of Nazarick had four NPCs with superior melee combat skills. 
3872Cocytus had the highest attack power when armed. Clad in heavy armor, Albedo 
3873had no equal when it came to guarding. Sebas was the best in a pure fight, and 
3874when he showed his true form, his total combat ability probably outstripped the 
3875previous two. Then, there was one who outstripped all three of them. 
3876
3877The guardians' shock must have been at the fact that Momonga would send 
3878Sebas, who boasted no weaknesses and all manner of strengths in a head-on 
3879fight, out to do a task so simple as reconnaissance. They took this as a sign of 
3880how wary he was about the unusual situation they were in and the reality of the 
3881crisis began to sink in for them, too. 
3882
3883"Well, it's about time to wrap up, but—" Momonga caught sight of Sebas 
3884jogging toward him. When he arrived, he slowly lowered himself to one knee like 
3885the others. 
3886
3887"Lord Momonga, I apologize for my lateness." 
3888
3889"No matter. More importantly, what's it like out there?" 
3890
3891Sebas looked up and cast a momentary glance at the guardians. 
3892
3893"This is an emergency. It's only natural that we should inform the floor 
3894guardians." 
3895
3896"Yes, my lord. For a half-mile radius, it's all grassy plain. I could not confirm any 
3897man-made structures. I saw a number of small animals as one might expect to be 
3898living in such a place, but there were no humanoids or large life-forms." 
3899
3900"Are the small animals monsters?" 
3901
3902"No, the creatures did not appear to have any combat ability to speak of." 
3903
3904"Aha... And this grass, is it the sharp, stiff type that stabs you as you walk 
3905through it?" 
3906
3907
3908
3909"No, just plain meadow grass. There is nothing special about it." 
3910
3911"You didn't see any floating castles or anything?" 
3912
3913"No, none. There was no sign of any man-made light in the sky or on the 
3914ground." 
3915
3916"I see. A starry sky, then... Nice work, Sebas." Momonga expressed his 
3917appreciation but felt a bit discouraged about how little information he'd been 
3918able to get. 
3919
3920Still, now he more or less knew that they were not in the world of Yggdrosil, 
3921although there remained the question of how he could use his in-game 
3922equipment and cast spells like usual. 
3923
3924It wasn't clear why they'd been teleported or where they'd ended up, but it 
3925seemed like they should raise Nazarick's alert level. They might be in someone 
3926else's territory. Suddenly taking up residence in someone else's territory without 
3927permission would surely invite anger. They'd be lucky if "anger" was as far as it 
3928went. 
3929
3930"Guardians. First, raise the alert level by one on each floor. There are too many 
3931unknowns right now, so don't let your guard down. Take any raiders alive. 
3932Capturing them without injury would be ideal. It goes without saying, but we 
3933don't want to complicate things while we're in this uncertain situation." 
3934
3935Everyone bowed together in understanding. 
3936
3937"Next, I'd like to hear about how things operate here. Albedo, how do you 
3938share security information among floors?" 
3939
3940In Yggdrosil, they'd just been NPCs operating according to their programs. 
3941There shouldn't have been any movement of information or mobs among floors. 
3942
3943"The security of each level is left up to the individual guardians, but we do have 
3944a system for sharing information, which Demiurge oversees." 
3945
3946Momonga was slightly surprised but then nodded his head in satisfaction. 
3947
3948"Splendid. Defense Operations Coordinator Demiurge and Floor Guardian 
3949Captain Albedo, I trust you to work toward a more perfect system." 
3950
3951"Yes, my lord. To clarify, we can except levels eight, nine, and ten from the 
3952
3953
3954
3955system?" 
3956
3957"Victim has eight covered, so that one is fine. Actually, I'm making eight off- 
3958limits. I take back the order I gave you earlier, Albedo. As a general rule, only 
3959those with my express permission will be allowed to enter the eighth level. Undo 
3960the seal that prohibits direct travel between the seventh and ninth levels, and 
3961let's have the security system cover the ninth and tenth levels as well." 
3962
3963"l-is that all right with you?" Albedo's astonishment was plain on her face. 
3964
3965Behind her, Demiurge's eyes opened wide, and he said what they were actually 
3966thinking. "You will permit lowly minions to enter the domain of the Supreme 
3967Ones? Is the situation so serious as that?" 
3968
3969Minions were the monsters that members of Ainz Ooal Gown did not create, 
3970the mobs that spawned automatically. Come to think of it, with very few 
3971exceptions, there were no minions in the ninth or tenth levels. Momonga wasn't 
3972sure what to say. 
3973
3974Albedo seemed to think those areas were some kind of holy ground, but the 
3975truth couldn't have been further from that. The reason there were no mobs 
3976assigned to the ninth level was simply that by the time a group of raiders broke 
3977through the eighth level where all the strongest monsters were, they figured 
3978they didn't have much chance of winning, so they decided they would just lurk in 
3979the Throne Room like proper villains. 
3980
3981"I have no problem with it. This is an emergency, so let's up our guard." 
3982
3983"Understood. I'll choose the very best, most noble minions for the job." 
3984
3985Momonga nodded and turned to look at the twins. 
3986
3987"Is it possible to hide the Great Tomb of Nazarick somehow? I'm not sure if 
3988illusions alone will cut it and thinking about the energy required to maintain 
3989something like that gives me a headache." 
3990
3991Aura and Mare put their heads together. After a moment, it was Mare who 
3992spoke, "l-it would be difficult to use magic if we need to hide all the parts that 
3993are aboveground... But maybe if we covered the walls with dirt and grew plants 
3994out of it...?" 
3995
3996
3997
3998"You intend to soil the walls of glorious Nazarick?" Albedo addressed Mare 
3999over her back. Her tone was sweet and gentle, but the emotions contained were 
4000confrontational. 
4001
4002Mare's shoulders jerked. None of the other guardians spoke, but they all 
4003seemed to be in agreement with Albedo. 
4004
4005To Momonga, however, her comments were unnecessary heckling. They 
4006weren't in a position to be concerned with such things. "Albedo, don't interrupt. 
4007I'm talking with Mare." Even he was surprised at how deep his voice was. 
4008
4009"Ah, my apologies, Lord Momonga!" She bowed low, her face frozen in fear. 
4010Sebas and the guardians' expressions instantly stiffened as well. Although the 
4011reprimand was directed at Albedo, they must have taken it personally. 
4012
4013From the sudden shift in mood, Momonga realized he'd said too much and 
4014regretted it, but he continued his discussion with Mare. "Is it possible to cover 
4015the walls with dirt and hide us?" 
4016
4017"Y-yes. That is, if you'll forgive me doing such a thing..." 
4018
4019"But if we were spotted from a distance, wouldn't a huge mound of dirt seem 
4020out of place...? Sebas, are there any hills in the area?" 
4021
4022"No, unfortunately it seems to be flat; however, I can't say for sure that I 
4023didn't overlook something due to its being nighttime." 
4024
4025"I see... But if we want to conceal our walls, Mare's plan is a brilliant one. What 
4026if we mounded up dirt in the area to create dummy hills?" 
4027
4028"In that case, we would stand out a little less." 
4029
4030"Okay. Mare and Aura, work together on that. Go ahead and take anything 
4031you need from the levels. We'll conceal the tall parts you can't cover later with 
4032illusions that work on anyone not from Nazarick." 
4033
4034"Y-yes, sir. Understood." 
4035
4036That was all Momonga could come up with for the moment. He felt like he was 
4037probably missing a lot of things, but they could always discuss them later. It had 
4038only been a few hours since the crisis began. 
4039
4040"Okay, that's it for today. Everyone take a break and then begin your tasks. It's 
4041
4042
4043
4044hard to tell when we'll be able to take it easy for a bit, so don't work too hard." 
4045The guardians bowed their heads in understanding. "Finally, there is something I 
4046would like to ask each of you. First, Shalltear: What kind of person do you see me 
4047as?" 
4048
4049"A concentration of beauty. You are truly the most beautiful person in this 
4050world. Jewels don't hold a candle to your fair body," Shalltear replied promptly. 
4051It was obvious from the unhesitating speed at which she responded that what 
4052she said was what she really thought. 
4053
4054"Cocytus?" 
4055
4056"YOU ARE STRONGER THAN ALL THE GUARDIANS AND TRULY FIT TO BE 
4057ABSOLUTE RULER OF THE GREAT TOMB OF NAZARICK." 
4058
4059"Aura?" 
4060
4061"You're merciful and exceedingly considerate." 
4062
4063"Mare?" 
4064
4065"I think you're s-super nice." 
4066
4067"Demiurge?" 
4068
4069"You are wise in judgment and always make use of your energy to get things 
4070done. And I think the word inscrutable describes you well." 
4071
4072"Sebas?" 
4073
4074"You were the leader of the Supreme Beings. And you are the merciful one 
4075who did not forsake us, but stayed." 
4076
4077"Last but not least, Albedo." 
4078
4079"You are he who holds the highest position among the Supreme Beings and 
4080our exalted master, as well as the man I love." 
4081
4082"I see. I think I have a sufficient understanding of everyone's thoughts now. 
4083I'm entrusting a part of the work my friends used to do to you. Strive to be ever 
4084loyal!" Momonga teleported away as the guardians humbly bowed before him 
4085again. 
4086
4087The scenery changed at once from the arena to Lemegeton and its golems. 
4088
4089
4090
4091Once he'd looked around to make sure no one was there, he heaved a sigh. Tm 
4092exhausted..." He wasn't experiencing any physical fatigue, but he could feel the 
4093mental weariness weighing down his shoulders. 
4094
4095"Why do they all think so highly of me?" They must hove me mistaken for 
4096someone else. As he was listening to them talk he'd wanted to laugh and point 
4097out their error. "Ah-ha-ha-ha," he chuckled dryly and then shook his head—the 
4098looks on their faces and the mood in the room had told him they weren't joking. 
4099
4100In other words, they'd been completely serious. 
4101
4102If he didn't live up to their appraisal, they might be disappointed. The more he 
4103thought about it, the weaker he felt. And there was one other problem. 
4104Remembering it made him wince so hard it seemed like it would show on his 
4105skull. "What should I do about Albedo? I can't face Tabula like this..." 
4106
4107Intermission 
4108
4109The pressure all but forcing their foreheads into the dirt vanished. 
4110
4111They were all aware their creator and master, worthy of their worship, had 
4112departed, yet no one stood up. Some time passed before someone let out a sigh 
4113of relief. The tense mood relaxed. 
4114
4115The first one to stand was Albedo. The places where her knees had pressed her 
4116white dress into the ground had gotten slightly dirty, but she didn't seem to care 
4117one bit. She fluttered her wings to shake the dust off her feathers. As if given 
4118momentum by Albedo's example, the others stood. Then scattered thoughts 
4119began to be voiced. 
4120
4121"T-that was really scary, huh, sis?" 
4122
4123"Seriously. I thought I was going to be crushed." 
4124
4125"I'd expect nothing less from Lord Momonga, but to think that his power 
4126would affect even us guardians..." 
4127
4128"I KNEW THAT AS ONE OF THE SUPREME BEINGS HE WAS STRONGER THAN 
4129US, BUT I DIDN'T REALIZE BY HOW MUCH." 
4130
4131They all shared their impressions of Momonga. The pressure that had shoved 
4132
4133
4134
4135them all toward the ground was the aura Momonga had been emitting. 
4136
4137Aura of Despair. It caused the fear status effect along with ability penalties. 
4138Normally it shouldn't have worked on NPCs the same level as him, but the Staff 
4139of Ainz Ooal Gown had boosted its effects. 
4140
4141"Lord Momonga has shown us his caliber as a ruler." 
4142
4143"Right? He had that authority all along, but he didn't exercise it until we gave 
4144our titles. The moment we presented ourselves as guardians, he unleashed some 
4145of his great power." 
4146
4147"YOU MEAN HE SHOWED US HIS RULER SIDE IN RESPONSE TO OUR OATH OF 
4148LOYALTY?" 
4149
4150"That must be it." 
4151
4152"Yeah, he wasn't giving off an aura at all when he was with us. He was super 
4153nice. He even gave us something to drink when we were thirsty!" 
4154
4155The other guardians bristled. They were envious to the point where it showed. 
4156Albedo's reaction was especially big. Her hands shook, and it seemed like her 
4157fingernails were about to rip through her gloves. 
4158
4159Mare's shoulders jerked and he spoke up in a loudish voice. "S-so that was 
4160Lord Momonga being all serious as the ruler of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, huh? 
4161Amazing!" 
4162
4163The mood changed instantaneously. 
4164
4165"You're exactly right. He responded to our feelings by behaving in the manner 
4166of an absolute ruler—I'd expect nothing less of our Creator, the pinnacle of the 
4167Forty-One Supreme Beings and our merciful master who remained with us to the 
4168end." 
4169
4170Everyone seemed enchanted, listening to Albedo's words, but only Mare's 
4171expression contained relief. 
4172
4173The Forty-One Supreme Beings were their Creators. Naturally, everyone was 
4174enveloped in incomparable happiness at having witnessed the true nature of one 
4175who deserved absolute devotion. 
4176
4177The greatest joy of not just the guardians, but anyone created by the Forty- 
4178
4179
4180
4181One Supreme Beings, was to be of use. After that came being paid attention. 
4182This was only logical, of course. For someone created to be useful to the Forty- 
4183One Supreme Beings, what greater joy could there possibly be? 
4184
4185Sebas spoke to disperse the lax atmosphere. "Well, I'm going to head back. I 
4186don't know where Lord Momonga went, but I should probably being serving at 
4187his side." 
4188
4189Albedo looked awkward for a moment, but recovered. "Got it, Sebas. Attend 
4190him respectfully, and if anything comes up, let me know immediately. If he calls 
4191for me, I'll go running at once, no matter what I have to cast aside." 
4192
4193Demiurge, listening to this, had a faint look on his face that showed what a 
4194piece of work he felt she was. 
4195
4196"Oh, but if he calls me to his bedchamber, tell him I'll need a little time. I 
4197should bathe first. Of course, if he says to come as I am, I don't mind at all. I'm 
4198keeping myself as clean as possible and paying meticulous attention to what I 
4199wear so he can summon me at any time. In other words, though it's only natural, 
4200Lord Momonga's wishes take priority—" 
4201
4202"I understand, Albedo. If I waste too much time here, I won't have as much to 
4203serve Lord Momonga. That would be terribly rude to him, so apologies, but I take 
4204my leave. Excuse me, everyone." After saying his parting words to all the 
4205dumbfounded guardians, he jogged off. 
4206
4207Demiurge spoke as if to dismiss Albedo's look that said she hadn't finished. 
4208"Well, it sure is quiet. What's wrong, Shalltear?" Everyone turned to look at her. 
4209She was still kneeling. 
4210
4211"WHAT IS IT, SHALLTEAR?" 
4212
4213She lifted her head only after being addressed a second time. Her unfocused 
4214eyes glistened. 
4215
4216"IS SOMETHING WRONG?" 
4217
4218"Th-that awesome presence was so thrilling that my underwear are in quite a 
4219state." 
4220
4221
4222Silence. 
4223
4224
4225
4226No one knew what to say, so they just looked at one another. Shalltear had the 
4227most twisted fetishes of all the guardians, and all they could do was facepalm 
4228when they remembered her necrophilia. Mare was the only one who didn't get it 
4229and stood there looking perplexed. But there was one present who wouldn't let 
4230that be the end of it—Albedo. 
4231
4232Something like jealousy caused her mouth to open. "You bitch!" 
4233
4234The insult caused Shalltear's lips to curl into an alluring smile. 
4235
4236"Huh? Lord Momonga is one of the Forty-One Supreme Beings, as well as 
4237extremely beautiful. It's a reward to be hit with such a wave of power. You're 
4238crazy if you didn't get wet! Maybe you weren't made pure at all—maybe you're 
4239just frigid! Hm? You big-mouthed gorilla!" 
4240
4241"You dirty rabbit!" 
4242
4243They glared at each other. The other guardians didn't think it would devolve 
4244into a death match, but they still looked on with anxiety. 
4245
4246"I was created the way I am by the Supreme Beings, and I have no complaints. 
4247Do you?" 
4248
4249"You know, I'm pretty sure the same goes for me!" 
4250
4251Shalltear slowly stood up, closing the distance between them slightly. Their 
4252eyes remained locked. They moved closer and closer together until finally they 
4253were bumping up against each other. 
4254
4255"You must think you've won because you're convinced you get to be close to 
4256Lord Momonga just because you're captain of the floor guardians, but isn't that 
4257a bit far-fetched?" 
4258
4259"Ha! Well, I do intend to achieve absolute victory while you're busy guarding 
4260the most remote areas of the Tomb." 
4261
4262"Pray tell what you mean by 'absolute victory,' Captain." 
4263
4264"A bitch like you ought to understand! Yes, I mean that." 
4265
4266During the exchange their gazes didn't budge. They continued staring 
4267expressionlessly deep into each other's eyes. 
4268
4269
4270
4271With a ruffling noise, Albedo's wings stretched out imposingly. In response, a 
4272black haze began to come off Shalltear. 
4273
4274"Uh, Aura, I'll leave the girls up to the girls. If something happens, I'll jump in 
4275to stop them, so just let me know." 
4276
4277"Wha—? Demiurge! You're gonna shove this off on me?" 
4278
4279Demiurge backed away from the standoff, waving his hands in surrender. 
4280Cocytus and Mare followed. They didn't want to get involved. 
4281
4282"GOOD GRIEF. IS THIS REALLY WORTH FIGHTING OVER?" 
4283
4284"Personally, I'm quite curious what the outcome will be." 
4285
4286"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, DEMIURGE?" 
4287
4288"Could be in terms of beefing up our war potential or the future of the Great 
4289Tomb of Nazarick." 
4290
4291"What does that mean, Demiurge?" 
4292
4293"Mm..." Demiurge wondered how to answer Mare's question. For a moment 
4294the sadistic desire to spoil that innocent mind by filling it with adult knowledge 
4295reared its head, but he dismissed it without hesitation. 
4296
4297Just like a demon should be, Demiurge was cruel and cold-blooded, but that 
4298was to outsiders of Nazarick. He saw others created by the Forty-One Supreme 
4299Beings as precious comrades in his loyalty. 
4300
4301"A great ruler should have a successor, right? Lord Momonga stayed with us 
4302until the end, but he could still lose interest in us and go where the others went. 
4303It'd be nice if he'd leave us someone for us to give our loyalty to if he leaves..." 
4304
4305"Uh, so you mean you wonder who will be the heir's mo—" 
4306
4307"THAT SEEMS A BIT DISRESPECTFUL. IT IS OUR DUTY AS GUARDIANS AND 
4308CREATIONS TO AVOID THAT FATE BY REMAINING LOYAL TO LORD MOMONGA 
4309AND WORKING HARD SO HE STAYS," Cocytus interrupted. 
4310
4311Demiurge turned to face him. "Of course, I understand that, Cocytus, but 
4312wouldn't you like to be loyal to Lord Momonga's son as well?" 
4313
4314"AH. THAT DOES SOUND PRETTY GOOD..." Cocytus imagined giving 
4315
4316
4317
4318Momonga's child piggyback rides. But he didn't stop there. He imagined giving 
4319him fencing lessons, drawing a sword to protect him from the oncoming enemy, 
4320and taking orders from him once he'd grown up. "OH, HOW WONDERFUL... I 
4321CAN SEE IT NOW, JUST WONDERFUL... HE CAN CALL ME UNCLE." 
4322
4323Demiurge averted his eyes from Cocytus and his uncle fantasies, wincing a bit. 
4324"I'm also very interested to see to what extent children could be of use in a plan 
4325to strengthen the Great Tomb of Narazick. I wonder. Mare, want to try making 
4326some babies?" 
4327
4328"Huh? What?!" 
4329
4330"That said, I suppose there's no one for you to do it with... If there are any 
4331humans, dark elves, elves, or closely related species out there, I'll capture one for 
4332you, so how about it?" 
4333
4334"Huh? What?!" Mare thought for a moment and then nodded. "If it would be 
4335useful to Lord Momonga, then...sure. But how do you make a baby?" 
4336
4337"Right, I'll tell you when the time comes. But hm, if we go off performing 
4338breeding experiments on our own, Lord Momonga might scold us. Nazarick's 
4339upkeep costs must be pretty precariously balanced." 
4340
4341"Y-yeah. Once I heard that a single Supreme Being was spawning minions here 
4342on a very strict budget. If we make the population jump weirdly, we're sure to 
4343get scolded. 1-1 would hate for Lord Momonga...to scold me..." 
4344
4345"Well, same here. No interest in getting scolded by a Supreme Being... If we 
4346could build a ranch somewhere outside of Nazarick, that might work, though..." 
4347Leaving off there for that idea, Demiurge tossed a question at Mare about 
4348something that no one had mentioned yet. "By the way, Mare, why are you 
4349dressed like a girl?" 
4350
4351He tugged at the edges of his skirt as if to hide his legs even a little more. "Th- 
4352this is what BubblingTeapot chose. She said I was a boy, so I don't think there's 
4353any mistake about my gender..." 
4354
4355"Hm, she must have put some thought into it. Then, that must be the proper 
4356attire for you, but...I wonder if all little boys should be dressed the same way?" 
4357
4358
4359"I-I'm not sure about that." 
4360
4361
4362
4363Although they had mostly disappeared, once one of the Forty-One Supreme 
4364Beings' sacred names came into things, all one could do was accept the 
4365judgment. That meant that the way Mare was dressed was the most correct way 
4366within the Great Tomb of Nazarick. If anyone was going to tell him to stop 
4367dressing that way, it would have to be another Supreme Being. 
4368
4369"I guess we need to consult Lord Momonga. It may very well be the case that 
4370all boys should dress that way... Cocytus, are you quite ready to come back to 
4371us?" 
4372
4373At the sound of his colleague's voice, Cocytus emitted a sigh of contentment 
4374from the bottom of his heart and then shook his head several times. "WHAT A 
4375LOVELY NOTION. IT CERTAINLY IS SOMETHING TO HOPE FOR." 
4376
4377"Oh yeah? Good for you... Albedo, Shalltear, are you still fighting?" 
4378
4379The pair still staring each other down looked up when he called to them. But 
4380the one who answered Demiurge's question was standing off to the side looking 
4381exhausted—Aura. 
4382
4383"The fight...is over. Now they're just—" 
4384
4385"The issue is simply who will be his first wife." 
4386
4387"We concluded that it would be bizarre for the absolute ruler of the Great 
4388Tomb of Nazarick to have only one queen. But now we have to decide who his 
4389primary will—" 
4390
4391"That's very interesting, but tell me more later. More importantly, Albedo, 
4392could you give us some orders maybe? We've got a lot of things that need to get 
4393moving." 
4394
4395"Yes. Yes, you're right. I need to give orders. Shalltear, let's discuss this further 
4396at a future date. I'm sure it will take more time than we have now, anyway." 
4397
4398"I have no objections, Albedo. There's nothing that will take us so long to 
4399discuss as this." 
4400
4401"Okay. Very well, I'll come up with our plan going forward." Albedo had put on 
4402her captain of the floor guardians face, and all the guardians responded by 
4403bowing their heads in respect. 
4404
4405
4406
4407They bowed, but they didn't kneel. She was worthy of respect as their captain, 
4408but she was not absolute. There wasn't that much of a gap in status between 
4409those created by the Forty-One Supreme Beings. That said, it was the Forty-One 
4410Supreme Beings who had bestowed upon her the rank of captain, so she was 
4411given the respect appropriate for her position—and no more. Their behavior was 
4412a manifestation of that belief. And it didn't bother Albedo, because she knew it 
4413was a most correct way to think. 
4414
4415
4416
4417
4418Chapter 3 The Battle of Carne Village 
4419
4420
4421OVER LOR D The Undead King 
4422
4423
4424
4425
4426
4427
4428Chapter 3 | The Battle of Carne Villag e 
4429
4430
44311 
4432
4433There was so much stuff randomly lying around the dressing room adjacent to 
4434Momonga's private quarters that there was barely anywhere to walk—from 
4435things like robes that he could equip to full suits of armor he had bought but 
4436then threw in there after discovering he had no use for them. And it wasn't just 
4437protective gear. There were weapons from staves to great swords, too—really 
4438just all kinds of things. 
4439
4440In Yggdrosil, players could create infinite unique items by inlaying existing 
4441items with data-containing crystals that defeated monsters dropped. Players 
4442who preferred a certain style often stocked up on those type of items. 
4443
4444Which explained this room. 
4445
4446Momonga casually chose a great sword out of the pile of countless weapons. It 
4447wasn't sheathed, so its silver blade gleamed in the light. The letter-like markings 
4448etched into the blade's cheek also caught the light and were clearly visible. He 
4449moved his arm up and down, testing the large sword's heft. It was extremely 
4450light—like a feather. Of course, it wasn't because the sword was made out of 
4451light material. Momonga was just that strong. 
4452
4453As a magic user, he had high magic ability points and low physical ability 
4454points. Even so, by the time he hit level 100 he'd amassed quite a few physical 
4455ability points as well—so much so that it was a cinch for him to bludgeon lower- 
4456level monsters to death with a staff. 
4457
4458The moment Momonga attempted to slowly change to a fighting stance, the 
4459sound of metal hitting something hard rang throughout the room. The sword 
4460that should have been in his hands had fallen to the floor. 
4461
4462The maid standing by immediately picked up the great sword and offered it to 
4463him, but he didn't take it. He just stared at his empty hands. 
4464
4465
4466
4467This. 
4468
4469This was confusing. 
4470
4471The existence of NPCs who behaved as if they were alive made him think this 
4472world wasn't the game, but these odd physical limitations made it feel like it had 
4473to be. 
4474
4475In Yggdrosil, since Momonga had never learned a warrior class, it would have 
4476been normal for him to not be able to equip a great sword. But if this were a real 
4477world, common sense said he should be able to "equip" anything. 
4478
4479Momonga shook his head and gave up thinking about it. He didn't have 
4480enough information, so no answer would come, no matter how hard he racked 
4481his brains now. 
4482
4483"Clean this up," he ordered the maid and then turned to face the large mirror 
4484that practically took up a whole wall. In it was a skeleton wearing clothes. 
4485
4486If the body you were used to changed into some weird other thing, you'd think 
4487you'd be frightened. But Momonga wasn't frightened at all. It didn't even feel 
4488unnatural. He felt like there must be some reason for that beyond the fact that 
4489he had logged so many hours in Yggdrasil with this body. 
4490
4491He also felt that in addition to his looks, his mind had changed quite a bit, as 
4492well. First, there was that thing where whenever his emotions fluctuated in a big 
4493way, it was like something suppressed them to level him out. And his desire had 
4494weakened. He didn't feel like he wanted to eat or sleep. He didn't not feel sexual 
4495desire, but it didn't build even when Albedo pressed her softness up against him. 
4496
4497Assailed by the feeling he'd lost something very important, his eyes 
4498unconsciously moved near his waist. "I lost it before I even got to use it, huh...?" 
4499The emotion went out of his extremely quiet utterance partway through. 
4500
4501He had the awfully levelheaded thought that perhaps especially the mental 
4502changes could be the result of an undead's perfect resistance to psychic attacks. 
4503
4504Right now , I'm an undead body and mind with the vestiges of a human 
4505clinging to them. That's why when my mood changes past a certain point , it 
4506gets suppressed. He wondered if there was any danger of going completely flat if 
4507he continued being undead. 
4508
4509
4510
4511Of course, even if I have changed, it doesn't mean much. No matter what this 
4512world is like, or what kind of being I am, I still have my will. 
4513
4514Besides, there were beings like Shalltear. It might be too soon to blame 
4515everything on being undead. 
4516
4517''Create Greater Item." The moment he cast the spell, full plate armor covered 
4518him from head to toe. It was rather expensive looking—the fluted type, gleaming 
4519raven black, with purple and gold accents. 
4520
4521He tested some movements. His whole body felt heavy, but it wasn't so bad 
4522that he couldn't move. He would have thought there would be gaps between his 
4523body and the armor, considering he was all bones, but it fit perfectly. 
4524
4525So, just like in Yggdrasil, / can eguip an item if I create it using magic? 
4526Impressed, he looked through the slit in his close helmet at the mirror and saw a 
4527splendid warrior standing there—it was impossible to take him for a caster. He 
4528nodded emphatically and swallowed despite the lack of spit. He felt like a child 
4529who was about to say something he knew would make his parents mad. 
4530
4531"I'm going out for a bit." 
4532
4533"The guard is ready for you," the maid replied promptly, but... 
4534
4535This. He hated this. 
4536
4537The first day the honor guards trooped after him, it was a little overwhelming. 
4538The second day, perhaps because he'd gotten used to them, he'd wished he'd 
4539had someone to brag to. And the third day... 
4540
4541He suppressed a sigh. 
4542
4543It was too much—walking around with an entourage, receiving deferential 
4544bows from everyone he met. If he could just let them follow him without 
4545thinking too hard, he might have been able to endure it, but that wasn't 
4546possible. He had to act the part of ruler of the Great Tomb of Nazarick and never 
4547show even a hint of weakness. For a regular guy like Momonga, it was mentally 
4548exhausting. Even if any large emotional fluctuations reversed to level out, it still 
4549felt like his brain was being simmered on low heat. 
4550
4551And then there were the beautiful (you could probably say "super beautiful") 
4552
4553
4554
4555women who waited on him constantly, practically never leaving his side. He 
4556would have thought that as a man that would make him happy, but he ended up 
4557feeling more like his personal space was being invaded. 
4558
4559This mental fatigue must be another vestige of my humanity. 
4560
4561In any case, it was no good for the ruler of the Great Tomb of Nazarickto be so 
4562mentally burdened in this crisis. There was the danger he might commit an error 
4563in some critical situation. 
4564
4565I need to recharge. Having reached that conclusion, Momonga opened his 
4566eyes wide. Of course, his face didn't move at all—the flames in his eyes just 
4567burned brighter. "No, that's not what I meant. I'm going to go make some 
4568rounds on my own." 
4569
4570"P-please wait, my lord. If something should happen to you while you are out 
4571alone, we would not be able to die as your shields." 
4572
4573Faced with someone who had resolved to give up her life if she could protect 
4574her master, he felt heartless for trying to go on a solo walk just to relax. 
4575
4576Still, it had been a little over three days since they'd found themselves in this 
4577strange situation, about seventy-three hours. After presenting himself with the 
4578dignity of the master of the Great Tomb of Nazarick for that long, his entire 
4579being was begging for a rest. So, although he felt bad, he racked his brains for an 
4580excuse. 
4581
4582"There is...something I must do in utmost secrecy. I will not allow any escorts." 
4583
4584A brief silence. 
4585
4586After what felt like an awfully long time to Momonga, the maid answered, 
4587"Understood. Be careful, Lord Momonga." 
4588
4589Her buying his excuse felt like a stab in the chest, but he dismissed it. There's 
4590nothing wrong with taking a little break. I'll go see what it's like outside. Yes. It's 
4591crucial for me to see where we've been teleported to with my own eyes. 
4592
4593The more he thought about it, the more excuses he came up with, probably 
4594because he was aware that what he was doing was wrong. Shaking off the 
4595nagging guilt (which manifested almost like someone was holding him back by 
4596
4597
4598
4599his hair, not that he had a scalp), he used his guild ring. 
4600
4601He'd teleported to a large room. There were long, narrow stone platforms for 
4602laying out corpses (not that there were any now) on either side. The floor was 
4603made out of some kind of polished white stone. Behind him was a staircase that 
4604descended until it reached a large double door: the entrance to the Great Tomb 
4605of Nazarick's first level. The torches in the sconces built into the walls were unlit; 
4606the only light was the pale glow of the moon coming in through the main 
4607entrance. This was the part of the Tomb closest to the surface, the Central 
4608Mausoleum. 
4609
4610Even though just walking across the spacious room would take him outside, 
4611Momonga couldn't move his feet—he'd encountered something that 
4612unexpected. 
4613
4614Across the room he saw a crowd of grotesques. There were three types of 
4615monsters—four each for a total of twelve. 
4616
4617One of these types had hideous demonic faces with fangs. Their bodies were 
4618covered in scales and their strong arms were equipped with sharp claws. They 
4619had long snakelike tails and blazing wings of flame. They fit the image of a demon 
4620very well. 
4621
4622The second type of monster had female bodies sporting black leather bondage 
4623gear and crow heads. 
4624
4625The final type was a demon that wore armor open wide in front to display their 
4626magnificent abs. If it weren't for their bat wings and the horns sprouting from 
4627either temple, they wouldn't even look like monsters. Although their faces were 
4628those of beautiful men, their eyes glimmered with a desire that could never be 
4629fulfilled. 
4630
4631Their names were Evil Lord Wrath, Evil Lord Envy, and Evil Lord Greed. 
4632
4633All of their eyes turned at once to focus on Momonga, but none of the 
4634monsters made a move. It was a gaze worthy of the word—their eyes exerted an 
4635almost physical pressure. 
4636
4637All these monsters were a level somewhere between 80 and 90 and had been 
4638positioned as guards around Demiurge's residence, the Red-Hot Shrine where 
4639
4640
4641
4642the gate to the eighth level was. Normally, undead mobs under Shalltear's 
4643control would be stationed this close to the surface, so why were Demiurge's 
4644bodyguards here? 
4645
4646With the appearance of a demon—who had probably been there behind them 
4647from the beginning, but difficult to make out in the shadows—that mystery was 
4648solved. 
4649
4650"Demiurge..." 
4651
4652When his name was spoken, a puzzled look appeared on his face. It could have 
4653been either that he wondered why his lord and master was in such a place or 
4654that he was surprised by the appearance of an unfamiliar monster. 
4655
4656Momonga bet on the smaller chance and continued walking. Even if his true 
4657identity hadn't been revealed by him standing there, it was too suspicious to 
4658remain. He decided to walk along the wall and try to slip past the demons 
4659without paying them any attention. 
4660
4661He knew painfully well that their gaze was following him. He wanted to look at 
4662his feet, but he willed his weak spirit into submission and walked proudly, chest 
4663out. 
4664
4665When the distance between them had closed, the demons, as if by previous 
4666arrangement, all got down on one knee and bowed their heads. Bowing at the 
4667front of the line, naturally, was Demiurge. His movements were so smooth and 
4668refined he reminded Momonga of a nobleman out of a story. 
4669
4670"Lord Momonga, what in the world are you doing here without your guards? 
4671And what are you wearing?" 
4672
4673They'd seen through him instantly. 
4674
4675He figured there was no helping the fact that he got caught by the one said to 
4676be most intelligent in all of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, but he realized it might 
4677have been obvious, anyway, because he had teleported. Only someone with a 
4678guild ring could teleport freely within the Tomb, so it was a dead giveaway. 
4679
4680"Ahh, well...I have my reasons. And as for why I'm dressed like this, I'm sure 
4681you already know." 
4682
4683
4684
4685There were various shades of emotion crossing Demiurge's graceful features. 
4686Several breaths later, he answered, "My apologies, Lord Momonga, but I am 
4687unable to fathom the depths of your profound—" 
4688
4689"Call me Dark Warrior." 
4690
4691"Lord Dark Warrior...?" Demiurge looked like he wanted to say more, but 
4692Momonga endeavored to ignore it. He knew it was an embarrassingly generic 
4693name, but it fit right in with the other monster names. 
4694
4695There wasn't any deep reason for the name change. Now the only ones 
4696present were Demiurge's underlings, but they were all right near the entrance. 
4697There would probably be lots of minions coming through and he didn't want 
4698them all calling him "Momonga, Momonga." 
4699
4700A light of understanding had gone on in Demiurge's expression. What had he 
4701decided Momonga was feeling? "I see... So that's why!" 
4702
4703Huh? You see what? Momonga stopped himself from asking. 
4704
4705He was just an ordinary guy. He couldn't imagine what line of reason Demiurge 
4706had used or what kind of conclusion he had reached with his overflowing 
4707wisdom. He just stood there under his close helmet in a nonexistent cold sweat 
4708hoping his true intentions wouldn't be found out. 
4709
4710"Lord Mo—Dark Warrior, I have grasped one part of your profound intentions. 
4711It is certainly a show of consideration befitting our ruler, however, it would not 
4712do for me to overlook you being out without an escort. I deeply understand what 
4713a bother this must be, but I beg that you will pity me with your mercy." 
4714
4715"I suppose I have no choice. I will allow one guard to accompany me." 
4716
4717An elegant smile spread across Demiurge's face. 
4718
4719"I appreciate you granting my selfish request, Lord Dark Warrior." 
4720
4721"You don't need the 'Lord' with 'Dark Warrior'..." 
4722
4723"Surely you can't be serious! Such a thing would be unforgivable. Of course, if 
4724it were for an infiltration mission or I was on a special mission and had orders 
4725from you to that effect, I would obey them, but do you think there is anyone in 
4726all of Nazarick who could refer to you, Lord Momonga—I mean, Lord Dark 
4727
4728
4729
4730Warrior—without 'Lord'?" 
4731
4732Momonga was overwhelmed by Demiurge's ardent speech and nodded several 
4733times. That said, inside, he had the feeling that this repeated emphasis on "Dark 
4734Warrior" was meant to poke fun at the absurdity of it, and he began to regret 
4735choosing the name so hastily. 
4736
4737"How rude of me. I am taking up your precious time, Lord Mo—Dark Warrior... 
4738Then, you all stand by here and explain where I've gone." 
4739
4740"Understood, Master Demiurge." 
4741
4742"Well, it seems like your minions have agreed. Shall we, Demiurge?" 
4743
4744Demiurge bowed as a token of his subordination, and Momonga slipped past 
4745him to head out. Demiurge straightened up a moment later and accompanied 
4746him. 
4747
4748"Why was Lord Mo—Ahem, Dark Warrior dressed like that?" 
4749
4750"I don't know, but there must be some reason." 
4751
4752The evil lords who had remained quietly voiced their questions. 
4753
4754They hadn't known it was him just because he'd teleported—there was 
4755another way. Momonga could not perceive them, but all the minions in the 
4756Great Tomb of Nazarick—or rather, all the minions that belonged to Ainz Ooal 
4757Gown—gave off a wavering signal. They used this signal mainly to determine if 
4758someone was an ally or not. And the Forty-One Supreme Beings—currently just 
4759Momonga—"felt" to the minions like absolute rulers. It was such a bright signal 
4760that it could be sensed even at a distance. That was why even though he was 
4761covered in armor, there was no mistaking him. They would have known it was 
4762him instantly, even if he'd strolled in instead of teleported. And it was easy to 
4763distinguish that signal from any others. 
4764
4765The double door leading to Nazarick's first level opened, and someone walked 
4766up the stairs. The signal that seemed to emanate to them was that of a floor 
4767guardian. 
4768
4769Reaching the top of the stairs, captain of the floor guardians, the beautiful 
4770Albedo, came into view. Registering the arrival of the person their direct master 
4771
4772
4773
4774had been waiting for, the evil lords got down on one knee. Albedo took their 
4775obedience in stride. She looked around the room without even stopping to 
4776notice them. 
4777
4778She turned to the evil lords only after not managing to find whom she was 
4779looking for. Then she walked in front of them and asked no one in particular, "I 
4780don't seem to see Demiurge around. Do you know where he is?" 
4781
4782"Well... Actually, someone by the name of Lord Dark Warrior came here alone 
4783a little while ago, so Master Demiurge left to accompany him." 
4784
4785"Lord...Dark Warrior? I don't know any minions by that name. And Demiurge— 
4786a guardian—accompanied him? Isn't that a bit absurd?" 
4787
4788The evil lords glanced at one another, unsure what to do. Seeing this, Albedo 
4789smiled gently. "Might a bunch of minions be daring to hide something from 
4790me?" 
4791
4792Though there was kindness in her words, the evil lords sensed the iciness of a 
4793final warning and concluded this was not something they should hide. 
4794
4795"Master Demiurge judged that this Lord Dark Warrior was the one whom we 
4796serve." 
4797
4798"Lord Momonga was here?!" Her voice was a bit frantic. 
4799
4800An evil lord replied calmly, "Well, his name was Lord Dark Warrior, but..." 
4801
4802"What about his guard? Did they know he was coming here? If Demiurge 
4803agreed to meet me here, he must have known Lord Momonga was coming! Ah, 
4804but more importantly, I need clothes! Draw me a bath!" She fingered her dress. 
4805
4806Since she had been working in various places without rest, her clothes were 
4807dirty and the ends of her hair were tangled. Even her wings were a bit of a mess. 
4808But for such a peerless beauty as Albedo, that amount of grit was hardly a minus 
4809at all; in the same way that one subtracted from a hundred million meant 
4810practically nothing, her beauty was hardly detracted from. But from Albedo's 
4811point of view, she was not fit to present herself to the one she loved above all 
4812others. 
4813
4814"The nearest bath is in...Shalltear's room? She'll be suspicious, but I have no 
4815
4816
4817
4818other choice. You guys bring me some clothes from my room! On the double!" 
4819
4820Albedo was about to race off, but one of the evil lords called out to her. It was 
4821an envy. "Mistress Albedo, if you'll excuse me, would it not perhaps be better to 
4822go as you are?" 
4823
4824"...What are you talking about?" She stopped, and the reason she bristled was 
4825that she felt she was being asked to show herself to him filthy. 
4826
4827"Ah, I meant that the fact that such a beautiful woman as yourself has been 
4828working so hard for him might make a good impression and be advantageous for 
4829you in the end." 
4830
4831"Not only that," another evil lord continued, "if you take a whole bath and 
4832make all the preparations to go before Lord Momonga—Dark Warrior—that 
4833would take quite some time. If you missed him...it would be such a waste." 
4834
4835Albedo moaned. It annoyed her, but they were right. "That makes sense... It 
4836seems it's been so long since I've seen Lord Momonga that I'm not thinking quite 
4837straight. It's been...eighteen hours. Don't you think eighteen hours is just too 
4838long?" 
4839
4840"I do. It's too long." 
4841
4842"I need to get the groundwork of our operations laid so I can guard him 
4843personally! Now, then, grumbles aside, first I must see Lord Momonga. Where 
4844did he go?" 
4845
4846"He went outside just a moment ago." 
4847
4848"I see." Her reply was curt, but she was smiling in anticipation of seeing 
4849Momonga and her wings fluttered adorably. Her footsteps were quick as she 
4850bustled by the evil lords. 
4851
4852Then she stopped and addressed them once more. "I just want to ask one 
4853more thing: Do you really think Lord Momonga will take it as a plus if I show up 
4854all dirty?" 
4855
4856• 
4857
4858The scenery that stretched out before Momonga after he left the mausoleum 
4859was breathtaking. 
4860
4861The part of the Great Tomb of Nazarick that was aboveground took up more 
4862
4863
4864than two thousand square feet. It was protected by a thick wall twenty feet high, 
4865which had two entrances: the main and rear gates. 
4866
4867The graveyard's undergrowth was trimmed short, creating a refreshing 
4868atmosphere. On the other hand, however, a large tree cast gloomy shadows 
4869here and there with its drooping branches. Countless white gravestones formed 
4870disorderly rows. 
4871
4872The neatly trimmed undergrowth and disorderly gravestones combined to 
4873create severe discord. Statues of angels and goddesses made with notable 
4874artistic merit were scattered about, warping the chaotic design to brow¬ 
4875furrowing levels. 
4876
4877There were fairly large mausoleums in each of the cardinal directions and then 
4878a huge one in the center of the graveyard. The Central Mausoleum was 
4879surrounded by armed warrior statues about twenty feet tall. 
4880
4881This Central Mausoleum was the entrance to the Great Tomb of Nazarick and 
4882the place from which Momonga had just come. Standing at the top of the broad 
4883white staircase, he silently looked out at the world. 
4884
4885Helheim, the world the Great Tomb of Nazarick was from, was eternally dark 
4886and cold. Perpetual night made for dismal scenery, and the heavens were 
4887covered by thick, dark clouds. But here was different. 
4888
4889Here there was a stunning night sky. 
4890
4891Gazing up at the stars, he sighed in amazement and shook his head several 
4892times as if he couldn't believe it. 
4893
4894"Wow, even for a fantasy world, this is... This beautiful sky is proof that the air 
4895isn't polluted here. Probably no need for heart-lung machines in this world..." 
4896
4897He'd never in his life seen such a clear night sky. 
4898
4899Momonga was about to cast a spell, but he realized his armor was in the way. 
4900Certain magic users had a skill that let them cast spells in armor, but he hadn't 
4901learned it, so his heavy armor would impede his magic. Just because he'd created 
4902the armor with magic didn't mean it came with amazing bonuses. There were 
4903only five spells he could use under these conditions, and unfortunately the spell 
4904he wanted to use was not among them. 
4905
4906
4907
4908Momonga put his hand into space and took out an item. It was a necklace with 
4909a bird wing charm. He put it around his neck and focused his consciousness 
4910there. 
4911
4912Then the one spell it contained was unleashed. "Fly!" 
4913
4914Freed from the yoke of gravity, Momonga glided lightly into the air. He went to 
4915ascend all at once, increasing his speed as he flew. Demiurge rushed to follow, 
4916but Momonga didn't pay him any mind. He just kept flying straight up. 
4917
4918How for up om I? 
4919
4920Momonga's body slowed to a halt. He practically tore his helmet off, and when 
4921he looked at the world below, he said nothing—no, he was unable to say 
4922anything. 
4923
4924The night sky banished the earth's darkness with its pale light. Each time the 
4925wind made the grass sway, it was like the world was sparkling. The stars and a 
4926great celestial body reminiscent of the moon shone in the heavens. 
4927
4928Momonga sighed as he spoke. "It's just stun—No, a cliched word like stunning 
4929doesn't even begin to capture it. I wonder what Blue Planet would say if he could 
4930see this..." If he could see this world that doesn't seem to hove any air , water , or 
4931soil pollution... 
4932
4933Momonga remembered his old friend, the one who had smiled self-consciously 
4934when he got called a romanticist at an off-line gathering of guildmates, who was 
4935so kind—a man who loved the night sky. No, what he loved was nature, with its 
4936vistas that were mostly lost now due to pollution. He'd started playing Yggdrosil 
4937to experience scenery it was impossible to see anymore in the real world. And 
4938the thing he'd worked hardest on was the sixth level. The night sky there, in 
4939particular, was a realization of his ideal world. 
4940
4941He'd always get so excited when he was talking about nature—really, a bit too 
4942excited. 
4943
4944How nuts would he hove gone seeing this world? How passionately would he 
4945hove gushed to me, that low voice of his getting higher and higher? Craving a 
4946dose of Blue Planet's wisdom for the first time in a while, Momonga looked to his 
4947side. 
4948
4949
4950
4951Of course, no one was there. There was no way anyone would be there. 
4952
4953Dimly feeling something akin to loneliness, Momonga heard the sound of 
4954flapping wings—Demiurge had transformed. 
4955
4956Black wings made of some kind of moist-looking membrane had sprouted from 
4957his back, and his face had turned from a human one into something vaguely frog¬ 
4958like. This was his half-demon form. 
4959
4960Some grotesques had multiple forms. In Nazarick, for example, Sebas and 
4961Albedo had other forms, too. Those types of grotesques took some trouble to 
4962make, but they were consistently popular because people enjoyed having 
4963multiple forms like a final boss. Many of them were set up so they took penalties 
4964in human or half form but received bonuses in their full grotesque form. 
4965
4966Looking away from Demiurge, who now had an appearance quite befitting a 
4967demon, Momonga turned once again to the twinkling stars, sighed in wonder, 
4968and uttered some words as if speaking to his friend who wasn't there. "Being 
4969able to see just by the light of the moon and the stars—this definitely can't be 
4970the real world, huh, Blue Planet? Everything sparkles like a box of jewels." 
4971
4972"Perhaps it is a box of jewels. This world must be beautiful because it contains 
4973jewels you are meant to adorn yourself with, Lord Momo—Dark Warrior," 
4974Demiurge answered with what seemed like flattery. 
4975
4976The sudden interruption made it feel like his memories of his friend were being 
4977trampled upon, and he grew irritated for a moment. But looking at such a 
4978beautiful world made all his anger fade away. Actually, looking down at the 
4979world like this made it seem so puny; he felt like maybe acting like the ruler of 
4980some league of evil wouldn't be such a bad idea. 
4981
4982"It truly is beautiful. Perhaps this untouched box of jewels exists to be mine for 
4983the taking." Momonga held his hand up near his face and made a fist. Almost all 
4984the stars in the heavens fit inside. Of course, they were only hidden from view by 
4985his hand. He shrugged at what a childish thing he'd done and murmured to 
4986Demiurge, "No, I shouldn't monopolize it. The Great Tomb of Nazarick, my 
4987friends in Ainz Ooal Gown—they should be adorned as well." 
4988
4989"That's a very attractive idea, my lord. If you so wish it, and if I might get your 
4990permission, I would mobilize Nazarick's entire army and take this whole box of 
4991
4992
4993
4994jewels for you. Nothing would make me happier than to do that and offer it up 
4995to you, whom I respect most highly." 
4996
4997Momonga chuckled softly at the melodrama. Demiurge must also be o bit 
4998drunk on this ombionce... 
4999
5000"But that sentiment is nothing but foolish when we don't even know what kind 
5001of beings inhabit this world. It's possible that we're nothings here. But...hmm... 
5002Taking over the world does sound kind of fun." 
5003
5004"Taking over the world"—I sound like the villain from a kids' TV show. 
5005
5006It wouldn't be such an easy thing to do, either. There'd be the issue of how to 
5007rule the world after it was taken over, how to maintain public order and stop 
5008rebellions before they started—so many problems crop up when various 
5009countries get brought under unified rule. If you think about all that even a little 
5010bit , it makes it seem like there are no benefits to world conguest. 
5011
5012Even Momonga knew all that. He'd said it out of a childish desire: The world 
5013was pretty, so he wanted to have it. Also, it seemed like something the infamous 
5014guild master of Ainz Ooal Gown would do. And the last reason...was that his 
5015tongue slipped. 
5016
5017No, there was one more. 
5018
5019"Ulbert, Luci*Fer, Variable Talisman, and Belliver...?" He'd just recalled the 
5020former guild members who had joked that they should conquer at least one of 
5021Yggdrasil's worlds. 
5022
5023He felt safe in the knowledge that Demiurge was the smartest guy in Nazarick 
5024and would therefore probably get that he was about as serious as a kid making a 
5025joke. 
5026
5027If Momonga had seen the look that played across the froggy face behind him, 
5028he wouldn't have let the conversation end there. 
5029
5030Instead of looking at Demiurge like he should have been, he gazed at the 
5031boundary line of the heavens that embraced both the earth and the stars, the 
5032horizon. 
5033
5034"An unknown world... But am I really the only one here? Couldn't some of the 
5035
5036
5037other guild members be here, too?" 
5038
5039It wasn't possible to make alts in Yggdrosil, but he could imagine a scenario 
5040where someone who had once quit made a new character and came back for the 
5041last day. HeroHero was logged out, but there was even still the possibility that he 
5042was here. Momonga being in this world was strange enough. If he considered 
5043the fact that the entire situation was an unknown, he couldn't completely deny 
5044the possibility that guildmates who quit the game had been sucked in, too. 
5045Message hadn't worked, but there were any number of potential explanations 
5046for that, like that the geography was different or the effect of the spell had 
5047changed. 
5048
5049"In that case, I should spread the name of Ainz Ooal Gown throughout the 
5050world..." If someone from his guild were here, they would hear of it, and once 
5051they did, they would surely come to find him. He was confident that their bonds 
5052of friendship were at least that strong. 
5053
5054Tossed on the ocean of his thoughts, Momonga looked at Nazarick—a huge 
5055spectacle was just beginning. A span of dirt more than one hundred yards wide 
5056began to undulate like the sea. The little swells rising one after the other out of 
5057the plain slowly moved in one direction; swallowing each other up, they 
5058gradually began to form one mass, and eventually it grew to the size of a hill and 
5059swept toward Nazarick. The attacking dirt broke on the solid walls and scattered. 
5060It was just like the spray of a tsunami. 
5061
5062"Earth Surge... Not only did he use a skill to expand its area of effect, he's using 
5063a class skill as well?" Momonga whispered, impressed. There was only one 
5064person in Nazarick who could use magic like that. "I'd expect nothing less of 
5065Mare. Seems like leaving the camouflage work up to him was the right choice." 
5066
5067"Indeed. Besides Mare's efforts, we are utilizing undead, golems, and other 
5068minions who do not experience fatigue to do some of the work, but 
5069unfortunately they are making little progress. When they move some earth, the 
5070land is left bald—we'll need to grow some plants in order to conceal it, which 
5071only makes more work for Mare..." 
5072
5073"The walls of our castle are so vast—it makes sense it would take some time to 
5074cover them. The problem will be if we are discovered partway through. What 
5075
5076
5077
5078precautions have we taken?" 
5079
5080"An early warning network is already in place. We can now detect any sentient 
5081being that comes within about three miles instantly without their knowledge. " 
5082
5083"Splendid. But are there minions in that network?" Hearing Demiurge's 
5084affirmative, Momonga thought they should create another warning network 
5085without minions, just in case. "I have an idea for that warning network—please 
5086use it." 
5087
5088"Understood. I'll include it after consulting with Albedo. By the way, Lord Dark 
5089Warrior—" 
5090
5091"Ah, that's enough, Demiurge. You can just call me Momonga." 
5092
5093"I see. Lord Momonga, may I inquire what your plans are?" 
5094
5095"I'm thinking to go check up on Mare, since he's carrying out my order so 
5096perfectly. I'd like to give him a reward, but I wonder what would be 
5097appropriate..." 
5098
5099A smile played across Demiurge's face, a kindhearted one unbecoming to a 
5100demon. "I think your talking to him will be plenty reward enough... Ah, my 
5101apologies. Something has come up. I won't be able to—" 
5102
5103"You're forgiven. Go, Demiurge." 
5104
5105"Thankyou, Lord Momonga!" 
5106
5107At the same time Demiurge flapped his wings, Momonga began his descent. 
5108On the way, he put his helmet back on. 
5109
5110The dark elf situated at Momonga's landing spot looked up as if he sensed 
5111something. Surprise broke out across his face when he laid eyes on the armored 
5112figure. 
5113
5114When Momonga alighted softly on the ground, Mare came scampering over, 
5115skirt fluttering. Argh, I con almost see underneath. Not that Momonga had any 
5116interest in seeing, but he did wonder what was going on under there. 
5117
5118"L-Lord Momonga, w-welcome! I m-most humbly th-thank you for coming!" 
5119
5120"Mmm... Mare, you don't have to be so scared and don't feel like you have to 
5121
5122
5123
5124rush around. If it's hard for you, I don't even mind if you drop the formalities... 
5125when it's just the two of us, at least." 
5126
5127"1-1 can't do that, not toward a Supreme Being. Sis ought to do better, too. W- 
5128we can't be so impolite." 
5129
5130He didn't really want to make children stand on ceremony, but... "Is that so? If 
5131that's what you've decided, then I have nothing further to say. Just know that I 
5132don't mean to force you, Mare." 
5133
5134"Y-yes, sir! B-by the way, what brings you here, Lord Momonga? D-did I do 
5135something wrong?" 
5136
5137"No, Mare, I came to praise you." 
5138
5139Mare had been looking a little twitchy because he thought he was about to be 
5140scolded, but his expression flipped to surprise. 
5141
5142"The work you're doing is extremely important. We may have a warning 
5143network, but it's entirely possible that regular people in this world are over level 
5144100. If that's the case, the most important thing we can do is prevent them from 
5145discovering us." 
5146
5147Mare nodded. 
5148
5149"So I want you to know how satisfied I am with your flawless work and how 
5150much peace of mind I get by entrusting this to you." 
5151
5152One of Momonga's ironclad rules from his days as a working adult: Good 
5153bosses praise their subordinates' work as appropriate. 
5154
5155The guardians had a much higher opinion of Momonga than he warranted. In 
5156order to not lose their loyalty, he had to act the part. He'd maintained their 
5157golden legacy all this time, but to disappoint and be betrayed by the guardians 
5158and other NPCs made by the guild members would brand him as unfit to be guild 
5159master. That's why he had to try to be a great ruler. 
5160
5161"Do you understand, Mare?" 
5162
5163"Yes, Lord Momonga!" He may have been dressed like a girl, but the firm 
5164resolve on his face marked him clearly as a boy. 
5165
5166"Okay, then, I'd like to give you a reward for your good work." 
5167
5168
5169
5170"B-but! It's only natural that I should do this work!" 
5171
5172"It's also natural to give a reward for a job well done." 
5173
5174"N-no, it's not! We exist to serve the Supreme Beings! It's a matter of course 
5175that we should get things done well!" 
5176
5177They repeated this exchange several times, but their opinions continued to run 
5178parallel to one another. Beginning to sense futility, Momonga decided to offer a 
5179compromise. 
5180
5181"Then let's say this. There's no problem if it also rewards you for continuing 
5182your loyal work in the future, right?" 
5183
5184"l-if you're sure it's okay..." 
5185
5186Momonga compelled him to be calm and took out the reward. It was a ring. 
5187
5188"L-Lord Momonga, I think you t-took out the wrong...th-thing!" 
5189
5190"It's no-" 
5191
5192"You're mistaken, my lord! That's a Ring of Ainz Ooal Gown—a treasure only 
5193Supreme Beings may possess! There's no way I can accept such a gift!" 
5194
5195Momonga was taken aback by how hard Mare was trembling. 
5196
5197It was true that the ring was a one-in-a-hundred item made exclusively for 
5198members of Ainz Ooal Gown. Since forty-one of them had been passed out, 
5199there were fifty-nine that had no designated user—no, fifty-eight. In that sense, 
5200they were quite rare. But part of why he wanted to give it as a reward was how 
5201useful it would be. 
5202
5203Mare seemed like he was ready to bolt, so in order to calm him down, 
5204Momonga reached out carefully. "Relax, Mare." 
5205
5206"I-I-I can't! Y-you just said that a ring of the Supreme Ones was going to be my 
5207reward!" 
5208
5209"Mare, just think about it. Transportation by teleportation is prevented within 
5210the Great Tomb of Nazarick, but isn't that inconvenient sometimes?" 
5211
5212Hearing this, it seemed Mare was able to begin to calm down. 
5213
5214"In the event we are attacked, I want each floor guardian to act as commander 
5215
5216
5217
5218on their level. If they can't teleport, if they can't escape easily, that won't work 
5219very well. That's why I want you to have the ring." The ring resting on 
5220Momonga's upheld palm gleamed in the moonlight. "Mare, having your loyalty 
5221pleases me greatly. I understand quite well that as our subject you feel you can't 
5222accept a ring that is our sign, but I think you grasp my intentions now—take it as 
5223an order." 
5224
5225"B-but why m-me? Could it be that you're giving them to all the guardians...?" 
5226
5227"I plan to, but you're the first because I think highly of your work. If I gave 
5228them to people who hadn't done anything yet, the rings' significance as a reward 
5229would be diminished. Or are you saying I should lower their value?" 
5230
5231"N-n-not at all, my lord!" 
5232
5233"Then take it, Mare. Take it and continue serving Nazarick and myself." 
5234
5235Trembling, Mare slowly bowed and accepted the ring. 
5236
5237Seeing him like this, Momonga felt a bit guilty. His other aim in giving away the 
5238ring was to make it so it wouldn't be immediately apparent who it was anytime 
5239someone teleported. 
5240
5241When Mare slipped the ring on, it changed size to fit his slender finger. He 
5242looked at it on his hand a few times and sighed in amazement. Then, he turned 
5243directly toward Momonga and bowed deeply. "L-Lord Momonga! Th-thank you 
5244so much for giving me such a valuable reward! I'll do my best to be word- 
5245worthy of such a treasure!" 
5246
5247"I'm counting on you, Mare." 
5248
5249"Yes, my lord!" Mare finished with a boy's valiance on his face. 
5250
5251Why did BubblingTeapot dress him like this? To be the opposite of Auro? Or 
5252was there actually a reason? 
5253
5254As Momonga wondered about this, it ended up being Mare who asked him 
5255about his getup. 
5256
5257"U-umm, Lord Momonga... Wh-why are you dressed like that?" 
5258
5259"O-oh, uh...because..." 
5260
5261
5262
5263Because I wanted to run away. There was no way he could say that. 
5264
5265Mare looked up at him full of expectation, eyes sparkling. How do I get out of 
5266this? If he messed up here, his performance to date as a great boss would all 
5267have been for nothing. There was probably no world where a subordinate would 
5268accept a superior who wanted to run away. 
5269
5270If only I were more confused, then I would be leveled out automatically, 
5271thought Momonga, who now had a new predicament to escape from—when a 
5272helping hand came from behind. 
5273
5274"It's simple, Mare." 
5275
5276Upon turning around, Momonga was captivated. Standing in the moonlight 
5277was a woman who could have been called beauty incarnate. Illuminated head to 
5278toe by the pale light streaming down from the heavens as she was, if she had 
5279said she were a goddess, he would have been convinced. She shifted her black 
5280wings. 
5281
5282It was Albedo. 
5283
5284Right behind her was Demiurge, but she was so beautiful, it took a moment to 
5285notice him. 
5286
5287"The reason Lord Momonga is wearing armor and the reason he was hiding his 
5288name until a little while ago was that he didn't want to disturb our work. If Lord 
5289Momonga were to show up, everyone would naturally stop what they were 
5290doing and demonstrate their submission to him. But that is not what Lord 
5291Momonga wishes. So he created the persona of Dark Warrior, to say that it was 
5292unnecessary to stop our work to pay him respect." 
5293
5294Momonga nodded vigorously to her. 
5295
5296"Right, Lord Momonga?" 
5297
5298"How very like you to perceive my every intention, Albedo." 
5299
5300"As captain of the floor guardians, it's only natural. No, I'm confidant that 
5301even if I weren't captain, I would still know your heart, Lord Momonga." 
5302
5303The less-than-thrilled look on Demiurge's face after she bobbed her head with 
5304a smile made him wonder a bit, but Momonga couldn't really say anything, since 
5305
5306
5307
5308Albedo had gotten him out of a jam. 
5309
5310"1-1 see.../' said Mare, seeming impressed. 
5311
5312Momonga looked over at them and saw something that made him do a double 
5313take. For one moment, Albedo had opened her eyes so wide it looked like they 
5314would fall right out of her head and rolled them, like a chameleon or something 
5315might do, to look at Mare's finger. 
5316
5317Her face returned to normal before Momonga could even think anything of it. 
5318She was back to her beautiful self, like her previous expression had been a 
5319hallucination. 
5320
5321"...Did you need something?" 
5322
5323"Ah no, nothing. Okay, well then, Mare, sorry to bother you. Take a break and 
5324then keep working on the camouflage." 
5325
5326"I will! Then, if you'll excuse me, Lord Momonga." 
5327
5328Momonga nodded gently, and Mare scampered off, stroking his ring. 
5329
5330"And what in the world brings you here, Albedo?" 
5331
5332"I heard from Demiurge that you were here and thought I would come pay my 
5333respects. I apologize for appearing before you in such a filthy state." 
5334
5335She said she was "filthy," but it didn't really seem that way to Momonga. 
5336Certainly there was some dust on her clothing, but it didn't mar her beauty. 
5337
5338"You needn't apologize for that, Albedo. Your radiance could not be dimmed 
5339by a little dust. I do feel bad for running around such a flawless beauty like you, 
5340but this is an emergency. Sorry, but I'm going to need you to keep bustling about 
5341Nazarick a bit longer." 
5342
5343"For you, Lord Momonga, I would run any distance." 
5344
5345"I'm grateful for your loyalty... Oh, Albedo. I should give you one of these, too." 
5346
5347"One of...what? I wonder..." As Momonga took out a ring, she lowered her 
5348eyes a bit and tried to keep her features neutral. Of course, it was a Ring of Ainz 
5349Ooal Gown. 
5350
5351
5352"You need one of these, too, since you're the captain of the floor guardians." 
5353
5354
5355
5356Thank you, my lord." 
5357
5358After Mare's reaction, the lukewarm reception was a bit of a letdown, but he 
5359soon realized he'd misread her. Albedo's lips were twitching as if she were 
5360desperately trying to hold her expression together. The jerking of her wings was 
5361probably also the result of her trying not to flap them. The hand she'd taken the 
5362ring with (at some point her fist had opened) was shaking. With all those signs, 
5363he'd have to be stupid to not understand how she really felt. 
5364
5365"Strive to be loyal. Demiurge...I'll have one for you another time." 
5366
5367"Understood, Lord Momonga. I shall endeavor to be worthy of such a great 
5368ring." 
5369
5370"Ah. Well, I finished what I came to do. I guess I'll head back to the ninth level 
5371before I get scolded." 
5372
5373Albedo and Demiurge saw him off with a bow as he teleported away with his 
5374ring. 
5375
5376He had the feeling that right as the view before his eyes was changing, he 
5377heard a woman's voice shout, "Sweet!" but he figured he had misheard, since 
5378Albedo would never use such an inelegant expression. 
5379
5380
53812 
5382
5383
5384They were nearing the village's edge. 
5385
5386Behind them, Enri heard the clanking of metal—and at a regular pace, too. 
5387
5388Praying in her mind, she glanced back. As she'd thought—as she'd worried the 
5389worst-cose scenario might be—a knight was chasing them. 
5390
5391But we're so close! She wanted to hurl the words in frustration, but she held 
5392them back. She didn't have any energy to waste. 
5393
5394She took ragged breaths one after the other. Her heart was beating so fast she 
5395thought it would explode; her legs shook and it felt like she might run out of 
5396strength and collapse to the ground at any moment. 
5397
5398
5399
5400If she had been alone, she probably would have despaired and lost the energy 
5401to run. Her little sister, whose hand she held, gave her strength. Yes, the wish to 
5402save Nemu's life was the only thing keeping Enri going now. 
5403
5404She threw another glance over her shoulder as they ran. The distance between 
5405them had not changed much. Despite the armor, the knight wasn't slowing 
5406down. The difference between a trained knight and a village girl was painfully 
5407clear. 
5408
5409She was sweating and her entire body was assailed by a coldness. At this rate, 
5410she wouldn't be able to escape with Nemu. 
5411
5412"iLet go of her hand.../' she heard a voice say. 
5413
5414"You might be able to moke it on your own. 
5415
5416"iDo you want to die here? 
5417
5418"It might be safer to split up." 
5419
5420"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" She ground her teeth and gasped a rebuke at 
5421herself. 
5422
5423I'm the worst big sister. 
5424
5425Nemu looks like she's about to cry , so how come she doesn't? 
5426
5427It was because she believed in Enri. She believed her big sister would save her. 
5428
5429Clasping the hand that gave her the energy to run and the courage to fight, 
5430Enri thought, Who could abandon a sister like this?! 
5431
5432"Agh!" If Enri was severely fatigued, Nemu was completely exhausted. She 
5433cried out as she tripped and nearly fell. 
5434
5435The reason she didn't fall was that the two of them were connected by their 
5436tightly held hands. But having to pull her threw Enri off-balance as well. 
5437
5438"Hurry!" 
5439
5440"l-lam!" 
5441
5442
5443But when they tried to run again, Nemu's leg cramped up and wouldn't move 
5444right. When Enri panicked and went to pick her up, she realized in horror that 
5445the knight was right next to them. 
5446
5447
5448
5449The sword the knight held was slick with blood. And that wasn't all. His armor 
5450and helmet had both been splattered. 
5451
5452Enri stared the knight down, shielding Nemu. 
5453
5454"There's no point in resisting." There was no tenderness in his words. They 
5455were said with more of a sneer. His slimy tone seemed to imply that he could kill 
5456them either way. 
5457
5458Enri's chest burned with rage. What is he talking about?! 
5459
5460The knight slowly raised his sword. Faster than he could cut her down, Enri 
5461smashed her fist into his iron helmet as hard as she could. "You think I'm that 
5462easy?!" 
5463
5464"Gwah!" 
5465
5466She'd put all her anger, and all of her will to protect her sister, into her fist. She 
5467wasn't scared of hitting metal. It'd been a punch that contained her whole body 
5468and soul. She heard the crunch of bone, and the pain shot through her entire 
5469body a moment later. The knight staggered from the impact. 
5470
5471"Let's go!" 
5472
5473"Yeah!" 
5474
5475Bearing the pain, they were just starting to run when Enri felt something red- 
5476hot on her back. "Ngh!" 
5477
5478"You little-!!" 
5479
5480The humiliation of having underestimated a village girl must have made the 
5481knight angry. What had saved her, in fact, was that he'd lost his composure and 
5482swung so carelessly. But now she'd run out of luck. She was injured and the 
5483knight was mad. The next blow would surely be fatal. 
5484
5485Enri glared bitterly at the sword raised over her head. She could look at it with 
5486the sternest expression in the world, but its ominous sparkle told her two things. 
5487One: In a few seconds, she would almost certainly die. Two: As a mere village girl, 
5488there was nothing she could do to escape. 
5489
5490There was a bit of her own blood on the tip of his sword. It reminded her of the 
5491awful pain spreading out from the wound with each beat of her heart and the 
5492
5493
5494
5495hot sensation she'd felt when she'd been cut. She'd never been in this much pain 
5496before, and it scared her so much she felt sick. 
5497
5498If I throw up, maybe the burning in my chest will go away, too... 
5499
5500But Enri was trying to find a way to survive. She didn't have time to vomit. 
5501
5502Although she was nearly discouraged, there was one reason she couldn't give 
5503in to despair: the warmth in her heart for her sister. 
5504
5505I have to at least save Nemu. 
5506
5507That thought didn't allow giving up as a choice, but the knight in full plate 
5508armor blocking their path sneered at her determination. 
5509
5510The sword came down. 
5511
5512Whether achieved by some trick of extreme concentration or her brain being 
5513activated by the life-threatening situation, it felt like time had slowed down; Enri 
5514flailed for a way to survive—for a way to save Nemu. 
5515
5516But there was nothing. If she had an idea, it was only to use herself as a shield 
5517—a last resort where she would take the sword with her flesh and make sure he 
5518couldn't get it out. She'd grab onto him somewhere, or maybe even onto the 
5519blade itself as it cut into her—in any case, she'd grab as hard as she could and 
5520never let go. Not until the last of her life flickered out. 
5521
5522If that was the only option she had, then she just had to accept it. 
5523
5524The smile of a martyr appeared on her face. This is about all I can do for my 
5525little sister now. 
5526
5527It was unclear whether Nemu would be able to escape the hell their village had 
5528become on her own. It was entirely possible that there was a lookout making 
5529sure no one ran into the forest. But if she could make it through this, she at least 
5530had a chance. For that slim chance, Enri would bet her life—no, everything. 
5531
5532Even so, fear of the imminent pain made Enri shut her eyes. She braced herself 
5533in the raven-black darkness for the agony that would come... 
5534
5535
55363 
5537
5538
5539
5540Seated in a chair, Momonga gazed at the mirror directly in front of him. The 
5541image reflected in the mirror, about three feet in diameter, was not Momonga's. 
5542Instead, it reflected a grassy plain from somewhere else, as if it were a television. 
5543The grass calmly swayed in the breeze as if to prove that it wasn't a still image. 
5544
5545Showing the flow of time, the sun that had just started to rise gradually 
5546banished the darkness over the plain. The pastoral scene coming into view was a 
5547far cry from the hopeless landscape of the Great Tomb of Nazarick's onetime 
5548world, Helheim. 
5549
5550Momonga lifted a hand and slowly moved it to the right. The view reflected in 
5551the mirror slid to the right as well. 
5552
5553It was a Mirror of Remote Viewing. Since it would display a specified location, 
5554it was an item that PK (player killers) or PKK (PK killers) would find handy, but 
5555because players could conceal themselves easily enough with anti-intelligence 
5556magic and it was vulnerable to counterattacks from reactive barriers, it was also 
5557an item of questionable utility. 
5558
5559But as an item that could display what was happening outside, there were 
5560plenty of reasons for Momonga to use it in his current situation. As he watched 
5561the grassy plain go by from overhead, he thought it looked like a location from 
5562some movie. 
5563
5564"So if I move like this, it'll scroll the screen. And I can switch the angle like 
5565this..." Drawing circles in the air, he kept changing his view. For hours now he'd 
5566been using trial and error to search but had yet to find any sentient (and 
5567preferably human) beings. He silently focused on the monotonous task, but since 
5568all that came up was the same grassy plain, his motivation began to dwindle. He 
5569glanced out of the corner of his eye at the other person in the room. 
5570
5571"What is it, Lord Momonga? Whatever you require, I am at your service." 
5572
5573"N-no, it's nothing, Sebas." The butler was smiling but everything he said was 
5574somehow prickly. He respected Momonga absolutely, but it seemed he was a bit 
5575miffed about him going out without an escort—it'd been like this ever since 
5576Momonga had returned from the surface and Sebas had caught him to give him 
5577"advice." 
5578
5579"I just can't get used to this..." Momonga let his inner thoughts slip out. 
5580
5581
5582
5583Whenever he was with Sebas, he couldn't help but think of former guild 
5584member Touch Me. Not that there was anything strange about that, considering 
5585Touch Me had created Sebas. But why did they hove to be so similar that they're 
5586both equally scary when they're mad? Grumbling inwardly, he turned his 
5587attention back to the mirror. 
5588
5589Once he figured out how to control this thing (it was taking a while), he was 
5590planning to teach Demiurge to use it. This was the idea he'd had for the warning 
5591network. 
5592
5593Even though it would be easier to leave this up to his subordinates, he was 
5594doing it himself with the questionable aim of getting them to think, That's our 
5595ruler , all right, when they saw him working. That's why he couldn't just get fed 
5596up partway and abandon the project. I gotta figure out how to get the viewpoint 
5597up higher. If only there were a user manual..., he thought as he continued 
5598working. 
5599
5600How long had he been doing this? 
5601
5602Probably not that long, but if he didn't get results, he would feel like he'd been 
5603wasting his time. With a glazed look on his face, he moved his hand 
5604absentmindedly and the view changed dramatically. "Whoa!" He shouted a mix 
5605of surprise and triumph. It was like the cheer of a programmer in his eighth hour 
5606of overtime who made a random edit that somehow got his code to work. There 
5607was applause in response—from Sebas obviously. 
5608
5609"Congratulations, Lord Momonga. I can only say that I would have expected 
5610nothing less." 
5611
5612He'd only been using trial and error, so it didn't seem like the type of work that 
5613deserved so much praise—it made him a little suspicious—but the look on 
5614Sebas's face was genuine admiration, so he decided to accept the sentiment. 
5615"Thanks, Sebas, but I'm sorry to make you hang around here with me for so 
5616long." 
5617
5618"What are you saying, Lord Momonga? As a butler, the reason I was created 
5619was to stand by and obey your orders. There is nothing whatsoever to feel sorry 
5620about. However, it is true that some time has passed. Would you like to take a 
5621break?" 
5622
5623
5624
5625"No, that won't be necessary. I'm undead, so I don't get negative status 
5626effects like fatigue. If you need a break, though, you can take one; I don't mind." 
5627
5628"I thank you for your kindness, my lord, but what butler can rest while his 
5629master is still at work? I also experience no physical fatigue, thanks to an item. I 
5630will accompany you until you are finished." 
5631
5632Momonga had realized something about his conversations with the NPCs. They 
5633talked using some video game expressions as if they were totally normal: skills, 
5634classes, items, levels, damage, negative status effects... There was something 
5635sort of funny about saying all those words with a straight face. Putting that 
5636minor issue aside, he was glad he could give orders using game lingo. 
5637
5638He told Sebas he understood and threw himself back into operating the mirror. 
5639Then, after repeating similar movements over and over, he finally figured out 
5640how to adjust the height of his viewpoint. Grinning, he earnestly set about 
5641searching for people. 
5642
5643After a while, something that looked like a village appeared. It was about six 
5644miles south of the Great Tomb of Nazarick. The village was surrounded by wheat 
5645fields, and there was a forest nearby. Postorol was definitely the word for the 
5646scenery. At a glance, it didn't look as if the civilization were terribly advanced. 
5647
5648As he zoomed in, something seemed off. "Are they having a festival?" Though 
5649it was early morning, there were people going in and out of houses, running. 
5650Everyone seemed to be in a hurry. 
5651
5652"No, that's not it...," Sebas, who had moved beside him, answered in a steely 
5653voice as he watched the scene with a piercing gaze. 
5654
5655Sebas's hard tone gave Momonga a bad feeling, and he furrowed his brow as 
5656he zoomed in farther. 
5657
5658Knightlike figures in full plate armor were brandishing swords at simply dressed 
5659people who seemed to be the villagers. 
5660
5661It was a massacre. 
5662
5663The villagers fell one by one each time a knight raised a sword. They must not 
5664have had any means of resistance. All they could do was flee in desperation while 
5665the knights just chased them down and killed them. Horses the knights must 
5666
5667
5668
5669have ridden in on were standing in the fields eating the wheat. 
5670
5671"Teh!" Momonga clicked his tongue and went to change the view. This village 
5672held no value for him. If he thought he could have gotten some information, 
5673there might have been a point to saving it, but like this, no. 
5674
5675I should ignore them. As he made this coldhearted judgment, Momonga 
5676suddenly felt confused. There was a slaughter in progress and all that came to 
5677mind was what Nazarick stood to gain. The emotions he would have taken for 
5678granted—pity, anger, uneasiness—were completely missing. He felt like he was 
5679watching animals on TV, or insects in the dirt, playing out survival of the fittest. 
5680
5681As on undead, om I already counting humons as a different species? 
5682
5683Nah, couldn't be. 
5684
5685He hurried to justify his thoughts with an excuse. 
5686
5687I'm not some hero. 
5688
5689I may be level 100, but as I said to More, normal people here might be that. I 
5690can't just go charging into a situation when I'm in a world where anything could 
5691be possible. The knights may be killing the villagers in a very one-sided way, but 
5692there could be a reason for it: disease, crime, a lesson. There are any number of 
5693possible reasons. If I step in as a third party to drive the knights away, I might 
5694moke on enemy of the country they serve. 
5695
5696Momonga put a hand to his head—to his skull. It was absolutely not the case 
5697that the scene failed to faze him because he had ceased to be human and 
5698transformed completely into an undead, immune to psychic effects. 
5699
5700His hand slipped and a different part of the village showed up on the screen. 
5701Two knights were breaking up a struggle between a villager and another knight. 
5702They forcibly dragged the villager away and made him stand up, with one knight 
5703restraining his hands. Then, as Momonga watched, the other stabbed him with 
5704his sword. The blade went clear through the flesh and came out the other side. 
5705That's probably fatal. But the sword didn't stop there. The knight stabbed once, 
5706twice, three times, over and over, as if taking out his anger. Finally he kicked the 
5707body away, and it fell, splurting blood, to the ground. 
5708
5709Momonga and the villager's eyes met. Or perhaps he just thought they did. 
5710
5711
5712
5713Nah, this has to be o coincidence. 
5714
5715Unless there was anti-intelligence magic involved, there was no way the 
5716villager could know he was being observed. 
5717
5718His mouth worked frantically, spilling a bloody froth. His eyes were already 
5719glazing over, and it was impossible to tell where he was looking. Still he clung to 
5720life and was able to get some words out. "Please, my daughters..." 
5721
5722"What will you do?" Sebas asked, as if he'd been waiting for the right time. 
5723
5724There's only one answer. "Ignore them. We've nothing to gain by saving 
5725them," Momonga answered calmly. 
5726
5727"Understood." 
5728
5729Momonga casually glanced over at Sebas; behind him appeared a vision of his 
5730former guildmate. 
5731
5732"Right, Touch?" 
5733
5734But then Momonga remembered something Touch Me had once said. 
5735
5736"When someone's in trouble, it's only natural to help them." 
5737
5738Back when Momonga had started playing Yggdrasil, there were people going 
5739around hunting grotesques like him. The quote was a memory from those times. 
5740He'd kept getting PK'd and was almost to the point of quitting the game when 
5741Touch Me had reached out to help him. If it weren't for that, Momonga 
5742wouldn't be here. 
5743
5744He slowly exhaled and broke into a resigned smile. With that quote in his mind, 
5745he couldn't very well not go and help them. 
5746
5747"I'll repay the debt I owe you. I have to test out my combat abilities in this 
5748world at some point, anyway..." Talking to someone who wasn't there, he 
5749zoomed out to look at the entire village. He combed over it, searching for 
5750villagers who were still alive. 
5751
5752"Sebas, put Nazarick on the highest alert level. I'm going ahead. Albedo is 
5753standing by in the next room; tell her to fully arm herself and follow—but no 
5754Ginnugagap. Also, prep reinforcements. If something happens and I become 
5755unable to retreat, send in a party with good stealth abilities or invisibility." 
5756
5757
5758
5759"Understood. But if you need an escort, then I would—" 
5760
5761"If you escort me, then who will relay orders? If there are knights rampaging 
5762through that village, there's the possibility another group could appear near 
5763Nazarick while I'm gone. If that happens, I need you here." 
5764
5765The scene in the mirror changed and he saw a young girl send a knight 
5766staggering with a punch. Then she took a younger girl—was it her little sister?— 
5767by the hand and tried to escape. Momonga immediately opened his item box 
5768and took out the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown. 
5769
5770Meanwhile, the girl's back had been cut. There was no time to lose. The spell 
5771glided out of his mouth. "Gate." 
5772
5773Momonga traveled by way of the most reliable teleportation spell in Yggdrosil. 
5774It could cover any distance and had a failure rate of 0 percent. 
5775
5776His view changed. Momonga felt a tiny bit of relief that there had not been any 
5777magic blocking his teleportation. If there had been, he wouldn't have been able 
5778to save the village, and it might have ended with someone getting the jump on 
5779Nazarick. 
5780
5781The scene before him was the one he'd been watching a moment before—the 
5782two scared girls. The older one, probably the elder sister, had shoulder-length 
5783hair in a braid. Fear had drained the blood from her healthily tanned face. Her 
5784eyes brimmed with tears. The younger one had buried her face in the older girl's 
5785back; her whole body was trembling. 
5786
5787Momonga looked coolly at the knight standing before them. He must have 
5788been thrown off by Momonga teleporting in; he'd forgotten he'd been swinging 
5789his sword and was just staring at him. 
5790
5791Momonga had lived a nonviolent life. And he felt this world was real, not a 
5792game. Despite that, confronting an opponent with a sword didn't scare him one 
5793bit. His calm made a coolheaded decision for him. 
5794
5795He opened his empty hand, stretched it out, and promptly cast a spell. 
5796
5797"Grasp Heart." 
5798
5799Magic tiers went from one to ten, and this was a ninth-tier spell—one that 
5800
5801
5802
5803caused instant death by crushing the enemy's heart. It was one of Momonga's 
5804specialties, since he was strong in ghost magic, which often came with effects 
5805like instadeath. 
5806
5807The reason he'd chosen this as his opening move was that even if his opponent 
5808resisted it, there was stun as a secondary effect. In that case, he planned on 
5809taking the two girls and jumping through the still-open gate. When the strength 
5810of your enemy is unknown , you need to hove on evacuation strategy and plan B 
5811ready. 
5812
5813But in this case the prep was unnecessary. 
5814
5815Simultaneously with the sensation of something warm being squashed in 
5816Momonga's fist, the knight silently crumpled to the ground. 
5817
5818Momonga looked down coldly at the lifeless body. 
5819
5820He'd had a hunch it would be this way, but sure enough, he felt nothing upon 
5821killing a human... His mind was like the surface of a placid lake—no guilt, fear, or 
5822confusion. Why? 
5823
5824"Hmm, so it seems I've quit being human in mind as well as in body..." 
5825
5826Momonga walked forward. As he passed the girls, who must have been 
5827frightened following the death of the knight, the elder sister made a hesitant 
5828noise. 
5829
5830One look was enough to tell he had come to save them, and yet they were 
5831panicked as if he had done something insane. What do they expect? 
5832
5833He wanted to know the answer, but he didn't have time for a Q and A. He 
5834confirmed in passing that the elder sister's shabby clothes were torn and her 
5835back was bleeding; he hid the two of them behind him and shot a penetrating 
5836glare at a new knight who had appeared next to a nearby house. 
5837
5838The knight registered Momonga as well and took a step back, as if he were 
5839scared. 
5840
5841"So you're fine chasing little girls around, but I'm too much to handle?" 
5842Momonga sneered in response to the knight's terror and set about selecting his 
5843next spell. For his first move, he had chosen a pretty advanced one. Grasp Heart 
5844
5845
5846
5847was from the magic tree he specialized in, so he got the ghost magic boost, and a 
5848boosted rate of instadeath success, as well. But there was no way to tell how 
5849powerful the knights really were like that. 
5850
5851I should use something else on the next one, not instadeath, as a chance to 
5852test not only how strong beings in this world are, but also how strong I am 
5853myself. 
5854
5855"Well, since you're here, I'm going to have you help me with my experiment." 
5856
5857In comparison to how strong Momonga's ghost magic was, his basic attack 
5858magic was fairly weak. Plus, metal armor was weak against electric magic, so in 
5859Yggdrasil most players added electric resistance to their armor. This all meant 
5860that using electric magic would be a good way to see how much damage the 
5861knights could take. 
5862
5863He wasn't going for the kill, so he didn't need to use a skill to boost it. "Dragon 
5864Lightning!" 
5865
5866White lightning appeared writhing like a living thing from his hand to his 
5867shoulder. A beat later it leaped off the end of his finger pointed at the knight like 
5868an electric discharge from a cloud. It was impossible to dodge or guard against. 
5869
5870The energy took the form of a dragon and lit the knight up glaringly white for 
5871just a split second. Ironically, it was beautiful. 
5872
5873The flash dimmed and the knight fell to the ground like a marionette whose 
5874strings had been cut. The strange odor of his charred flesh beneath his armor 
5875could be smelled faintly. 
5876
5877Momonga had been prepping for his follow-up attack and was astounded to 
5878see how fragile the knights were. "How weak... They die this easily?" 
5879
5880To Momonga, Dragon Lightning—a fifth-tier spell—was way too low level. 
5881When he, as a level 100, went out grinding, he'd been using mainly spells in 
5882eighth tier and up. He barely used five at all. 
5883
5884Seeing that his opponents were so fragile sent all his worry out the window. 
5885There was, of course, the possibility that those two had been particularly weak. 
5886Still, it was hard to feel nervous at this point. Nonetheless, he kept his option to 
5887teleport away open. 
5888
5889
5890
5891It was possible that they specialized in attacking. In Yggdrosil, an attack that 
5892chopped a player's head off would just be counted as a critical hit and deal a lot 
5893of damage, but in the real world, it would be instantly fatal. 
5894
5895Since he could no longer be nervous, Momonga decided to be cautious. It 
5896would be stupid to die from carelessness. 
5897
5898First , / need to test more of my powers. He used a skill, Create Middle-Tier 
5899Undead: Death Knight. This was one of his special abilities. He could create all 
5900sorts of undead mobs, but this one was his favorite tank. Its total level was low 
5901at 35, and its attack level was even lower, comparable to a level-25 mob. On the 
5902other hand, it had good defense but still only about what a level-40 mob would 
5903have. In other words, in terms of levels, this monster was useless to Momonga. 
5904
5905However, the death knight had two handy special abilities. One was that it 
5906would pull all enemy attacks. The second was that it could withstand any attack 
5907once, with one HP (hit point) remaining. Momonga had been able to make good 
5908use of it as a shield for those reasons. 
5909
5910And that was why he was creating one now. 
5911
5912When the Create Undead skill was used in Yggdrosil, the monster would 
5913instantly shimmer out of thin air near the player, but it seemed to work 
5914differently in this world. 
5915
5916A black fog oozed out of the air and covered the knight whose heart had been 
5917crushed. It puffed up but then began to melt into the corpse. Then, he abruptly 
5918stood up with jerky, inhuman movements. Momonga heard the two girls shriek, 
5919but he didn't have time to care about that—he was just as surprised as they 
5920were. 
5921
5922A black liquid glugged noisily out of the slit in the knight's helmet. It must have 
5923been coming out of his mouth. The viscous fluid darkness flowed to cover his 
5924entire body without missing a spot—it was like seeing someone get preyed on by 
5925a slime. Once the darkness had enveloped him completely, his shape began to 
5926warp and change. 
5927
5928After several seconds, the darkness drained away and what was standing there 
5929could definitely be called the vengeful spirit of a dead knight. 
5930
5931
5932
5933He'd grown to a height of around seven and a half feet and his body had 
5934gotten insanely thick. It made more sense to call him a beast than a person. In 
5935his left hand, he held a huge tower shield that covered three-quarters of his 
5936body, and in his right, a flamberge. Normally this blade of more than four feet 
5937would be wielded with both hands, but this giant could easily hold it in one. A 
5938horrifying aura of reddish black twisted around the waved blade, undulating like 
5939the beating of a heart. His huge body was covered in full plate armor made of 
5940black metal with a pattern of crimson arteries going through it here and there. It 
5941was quite the embodiment of violence, with sharp spikes jutting out in various 
5942places. His helmet had horns like a demon and an open face that left his rotting 
5943features visible. In his vacant orbits, his hatred for living things and anticipation 
5944of slaughter burned red. He stood in his ratty raven-black mantle awaiting 
5945orders, his posture appropriately imposing. 
5946
5947Momonga could feel the mental connection to the summoned monster, just 
5948like he had with the primal fire elemental and the moon wolves. He used it to 
5949give an order. "Kill the knights"—he pointed at the knight he'd killed with Dragon 
5950Lightning—"who are attacking this village." 
5951
5952"Yarrrrrgh!" the knight howled. It was a scream that would make anyone's skin 
5953crawl. The air vibrated with his bloodlust. He ran off, swift as the wind, and made 
5954a beeline like a hunting dog on the scent of its prey. It seemed his perception 
5955ability, Hate, was working. 
5956
5957Watching his death knight get smaller and smaller in the distance, Momonga 
5958was made vividly aware of a difference between this world and Yggdrosil —the 
5959difference of freedom. A death knight was supposed to stand by near its 
5960summoner (Momonga) and intercept enemies. It wasn't supposed to take orders 
5961and act on its own. That difference could prove fatal in a world containing so 
5962many unknowns. 
5963
5964Momonga clawed at his face in frustration. "He's gone! What's the point of a 
5965shield who leaves the one he's supposed to protect? Sure, I'm the one who gave 
5966the order, but...," he mumbled. 
5967
5968He could make more death knights, but since he didn't know the strength of 
5969his enemies or what the situation was, he felt he should save up casts of spells 
5970that were limited. But Momonga was a rear guard magic user and had no one to 
5971
5972
5973
5974go out front and tank for him. He felt naked. 
5975
5976I guess I should moke one more. I'll see if I con do it without using o dead body 
5977this time, he was thinking, when someone came through the still-open gate just 
5978as it was beginning to expire and fade away. 
5979
5980The figure was covered head to toe in demonic black armor. Not a single patch 
5981of skin showed among the thorny raven-black plates. It was equipped with a 
5982raven-black kite shield, and in its hands, wearing gauntlets with spikes like claws, 
5983it casually held a bardiche giving off a faint, sickly green glow. Draped over its 
5984shoulders was a mantle the color of fresh blood, and its surcoat was also 
5985bloodred. 
5986
5987"My apologies. Getting ready took some time." From beneath the horned 
5988close helmet came the charming voice of Albedo. 
5989
5990She had learned all the classes that had good defensive abilities or seemed 
5991appropriate for an evil knight to know—like dark knight. For that reason, she had 
5992the best defense out of all the level-100 warrior-type NPCs (Sebas, Cocytus, 
5993herself) in Nazarick. In other words, she was the best tank they had. 
5994
5995"Oh, that's fine. Actually, your timing's perfect." 
5996
5997"Thank you. Then, how will you dispose of these lower life-forms that are still 
5998alive? Would you rather I dirty my hands in your place?" 
5999
6000"...What did you hear from Sebas?" 
6001
6002Albedo said nothing. 
6003
6004"He didn't tell you? We're saving this village. Our enemies at the moment are 
6005the ones in the armor like that guy lying over there." 
6006
6007Albedo indicated her understanding and Momonga looked elsewhere. 
6008
6009"Let's see..." 
6010
6011The two girls shrank and tried to hide themselves under Momonga's 
6012unreserved gaze. Maybe having seen the death knight is what is making them 
6013shake so hard. Or was it the howl? Or what Albedo had said? 
6014
6015
6016Maybe all of it. 
6017
6018
6019
6020Momonga thought he would first try to show them he wasn't an enemy. 
6021Healing the elder sister's wounds seemed like a fine way to do that, so he 
6022reached toward her, but the girls didn't see it the way he did. 
6023
6024A wet patch appeared between the elder sister's legs. And then the younger 
6025sister's. 
6026
6027
6028The smell of ammonia drifted into the vicinity. Waves of fatigue Momonga 
6029wasn't even supposed to experience surged over him. He didn't know what to 
6030do. It seemed like asking Albedo for help would be a bad idea, so he decided to 
6031continue as he had been. 
6032
6033"...It looks like you're injured." As an adult, Momonga had been trained to look 
6034past all manner of things. 
6035
6036Pretending not to notice they'd wet themselves, he opened his item box and 
6037took out a bag. An infinity haversack, unlike its name, was limited to around a 
6038thousand pounds. The items inside could be given menu shortcuts, so it was 
6039Yggdrosil basics for players to use a bag like this for things they wanted to use 
6040often. 
6041
6042In one of his many infinity haversacks, Momonga finally found a red potion. It 
6043was a minor red potion, which healed 50 HP in Yggdrosil. Every player ended up 
6044using them early on in the game. But to Momonga, this item was useless—this 
6045type of potion used justice energy to heal, but for an undead like Momonga, 
6046justice had the opposite effect and worked as a poison. However, it wasn't as if 
6047all his guildmates were undead. That was why he hadn't thrown them away. 
6048
6049"Drink this." He casually thrust it toward her. 
6050
6051The older girl grimaced in horror. "I-I'll drink it! Just please don't make my si—" 
6052
6053"Sis!" The younger girl tried to stop her, looking like she was about to cry. 
6054Momonga racked his brains. 
6055
6056Why the tender family dromo when oil I did was save them and then offer o 
6057potion out of the kindness of my heart? Seriously...what the heck! 
6058
6059
6060They don't trust me at all. I was going to ignore them, but instead I saved 
6061
6062
6063
6064their lives—it wouldn't be weird ot oil if the three of us were tearfully hugging 
6065right now. Or rather, that's what it would look like in a movie or a manga. But 
6066this is the complete opposite! 
6067
6068What's the problem? Do you have to be good-looking to get that kind of 
6069ending? 
6070
6071As various questions came up in Momonga's fleshless, skinless head, he heard 
6072a gentle voice. "He tried to give you lower life-forms a potion out of kindness, 
6073and you refused?! You deserve to die ten thousand deaths..." Albedo 
6074instinctively raised her bardiche. It was clear she was determined to promptly 
6075chop off both of their heads. 
6076
6077Considering how he was being treated after risking danger to save them, 
6078Momonga understood how she felt, but he couldn't allow her to go through with 
6079it or the whole point of coming would be lost. 
6080
6081"W-wait. Don't be too hasty. There's an order to everything. Lower your 
6082weapon." 
6083
6084"...Understood. I obey your word," she replied in a velvet tone and returned 
6085her bardiche to its former position. 
6086
6087Still, the thick air of violence coming off Albedo was more than enough to scare 
6088the two girls so much their teeth were chattering—even Momonga could feel it 
6089in the pit of the stomach he didn't have. 
6090
6091Anyway, we can't get out of here soon enough. There's no telling how bad 
6092things will get if we stay. 
6093
6094Momonga offered the potion again. "This isn't dangerous; it's medicine that 
6095will heal you. Hurry and drink it." His tone contained a bit of kindness even as he 
6096tried to compel her, implying she'd die if she didn't. 
6097
6098She reacted by opening her eyes wide, grabbing the potion, and downing it in 
6099one go. Then came surprise. 
6100
6101"No way..." She touched her back. She twisted around and whacked herself a 
6102few times as if she couldn't believe it. 
6103
6104
6105"The pain is gone, right?" 
6106
6107
6108
6109"Y-yes." She nodded, looking utterly astounded. 
6110
6111So a minor healing potion will do for a wound like that. 
6112
6113That was fine, but Momonga had another question. There was no avoiding it. 
6114Everything depended on her answer. 
6115
6116"Do you two know what magic is?" 
6117
6118"Y-yes. There's an apo-pothecary who sometimes comes to our village, my 
6119friend. He can use magic." 
6120
6121"I see. That makes things much easier to explain. I'm a caster." He cast some 
6122spells. "Anti-Life Cocoon. Wall of Protection from Arrows." 
6123
6124A glowing dome appeared in a ten-foot radius around the girls. There weren't 
6125any other visible effects, but changes could be felt in the air. Normally he would 
6126perfect the setup with an anti-magic spell, but he didn't know what kind of 
6127magic this world had, so he just left it. They'd just have to consider themselves 
6128unlucky if another caster showed up. 
6129
6130"I used a spell that puts up a barrier that won't let any living things through, as 
6131well as a spell that weakens projectile attacks. If you stay there, you should be 
6132pretty safe. And just in case, I'll give you these, too." After giving a simple 
6133explanation of the magic he had cast, he took out two shabby-looking horns and 
6134tossed them over. Apparently the Wall of Protection from Arrows didn't register 
6135them as something to be stopped, so they fell near the girls. "These are items 
6136called Goblin General's Horns. If you blow them, an army of goblins (little 
6137monsters) will appear and obey your orders. You should use them to protect 
6138yourselves." 
6139
6140In Yggdrasil, apart from some consumables, most items could be customized 
6141by inlaying them with data crystals. However, there were also "artifacts," which 
6142were dropped as fixed data and couldn't be augmented. These horns were a 
6143lower-tier example of one of those. 
6144
6145Momonga had used one once: It had summoned about twelve fairly strong 
6146goblins, two goblin archers, a goblin mage, a goblin cleric, two goblin riders with 
6147wolves, and a goblin leader. 
6148
6149For an army, it was pretty small, not to mention weak. To Momonga, these 
6150
6151
6152
6153items were junk; he was surprised he hadn't gotten rid of them. This had to be 
6154the best use for them. 
6155
6156And yet, there was one good thing about the Goblin General's Horns. The 
6157goblins it summoned didn't disappear after a set time, but stuck around until 
6158they died. They would be able to buy the girls some time. 
6159
6160Having given his brief explanation, Momonga set off, referring to the image of 
6161the entire village still in his mind, and Albedo accompanied him. However, before 
6162they had gotten more than a few steps, a voice called out to them. 
6163
6164"U-umm, th-thank you for saving us!" 
6165
6166"Thank you!" 
6167
6168Hearing their voices put their appreciation into words, Momonga stopped. He 
6169turned to look at the two teary-eyed girls and replied curtly, "Don't worry about 
6170it." 
6171
6172
6173"A-and I know it's shameless of me, but...we don't have anyone to rely on but 
6174you. Please, please save our mom and dad!" 
6175
6176"Got it. If they're alive, I'll save them," he promised casually, and the older 
6177sister's eyes widened. She seemed stunned, as if she shouldn't believe he'd just 
6178said that. Then, she returned to herself and bowed. 
6179
6180"Th-thank you! Thank you! Thank you so much! And may I ask..."—she 
6181swallowed hard—"...your name?" 
6182
6183When he went to give his name, "Momonga" wouldn't come out. " Momonga" 
6184was the name of the guild master of Ainz Ooal Gown. What am I now? What is 
6185the name of the last player remaining in the Great Tomb of Nazarick... ? 
6186
6187Oh , / see. 
6188
6189"You would do well to remember my name. I am Ainz Ooal Gown." 
6190
6191
61924 
6193
6194
6195
6196"Yarrrrrrrrrgh!" 
6197
6198The howl set the air vibrating. It was the signal that one slaughter would give 
6199way to another. The hunters would be the prey. 
6200
6201Londes Di Grampp cursed his god for the umpteenth time. In the past ten 
6202seconds, he'd probably cursed him enough for a lifetime. If God really exists, he 
6203should get down here right now and smite this evil being. Why was Londes, a 
6204pious believer, being forsaken? 
6205
6206There is no God. 
6207
6208He had always made fun of the unbelievers who spouted such nonsense, 
6209asking them where the magic the priests used came from, then, but he was 
6210beginning to be convinced that he'd been the foolish one all along. 
6211
6212The monster before him—if he had to give it a name, he'd call it a "death 
6213knight"—advanced a step, looking pleased. 
6214
6215Londes backed up two steps instinctively to put more space between them. His 
6216armor was rattling as he trembled. The tip of his sword wavered in the air. It 
6217wasn't just him—all the swords of the eighteen men surrounding the death 
6218knight were shaking. 
6219
6220Though their bodies were ruled by fear, no one fled. But it wasn't out of 
6221bravery. The chattering of their teeth proved that if they could, they'd forget 
6222everything and run away just as fast as they could. 
6223
6224They simply knew it was impossible. 
6225
6226Londes shifted his line of sight slightly, seeking salvation. They were in the 
6227center of the village. The sixty villagers they'd rounded up were watching them, 
6228terrified, from around the square. The children were hidden behind the slightly 
6229raised wooden platform used for events. Several people carried clubs, but they 
6230weren't ready to fight—not dropping their weapons was the best they could 
6231manage. 
6232
6233When Londes and the other knights attacked the village, they had come from 
6234all four directions and driven the villagers into the center of town. Then, after 
6235searching the empty houses, taking care not to overlook level hideouts, they had 
6236planned to douse them in alchemical oil and burn them down. 
6237
6238
6239
6240There were four knights still on their horses stationed in the area. They were 
6241on watch with their bows at the ready so they could kill anyone who tried to flee 
6242the village. This was a plan they'd used many times with no weaknesses. 
6243
6244The killing was taking a bit longer than expected, but it had been progressing 
6245smoothly. They had gathered the remaining living villagers in one area. After 
6246some moderate culling, they would release a handful. 
6247
6248At least, that's how it was supposed to have gone. 
6249
6250Londes remembered the moment things took a turn. Elion had tried to slash at 
6251some straggling villagers from behind as they were running to the square and 
6252gotten sent flying into the air. 
6253
6254It was so absurd no one could understand it. His armor may have been made 
6255lighter with magic, but it was still heavy, and he was a grown, built man. Who 
6256could make any sense of the sight of him arcing lightly through the air like a ball? 
6257
6258He flew more than twenty feet before crashing to the ground. The crash made 
6259a hideous noise, and then he didn't so much as twitch. 
6260
6261Even harder to believe was the sight where Elion had been moments before. 
6262The horrifying undead death knight slowly lowered the huge shield it had used to 
6263bash him out of the way. 
6264
6265That had been the beginning of their despair. 
6266
6267"Yeaaagh!" 
6268
6269A high-pitched shriek sounded, as if all hell had broken loose. One of his 
6270comrades in the circle, no longer able to bear the fear, turned tail and ran. In an 
6271extreme situation like this, with such a delicate balance, one weak link could 
6272break the entire group. But no one followed him, and they had a very good 
6273reason not to. 
6274
6275A black blur whipped through Londes's peripheral vision. For having such a 
6276giant build, far surpassing the height of an average human, the death knight was 
6277certainly quick on his feet. 
6278
6279His comrade was permitted to run a total of three steps. As he went to take his 
6280fourth, a silver flash cut his body in two like it was nothing. The left and right 
6281
6282
6283
6284halves collapsed to either side and his pink entrails slopped out, sending a sour 
6285stench into the air. 
6286
6287"Krrrrrr," the death knight growled as he stood there bathed in blood, with his 
6288flamberge at the low end of its slash. 
6289
6290It was a purr of delight. That much could be read from his face, even if it was 
6291hard to look at because it was rotting off. The death knight was enjoying this. As 
6292the one with unquestionable authority, as a killer, he was enjoying the feeble 
6293resistance the humans put up—their fear, their despair. 
6294
6295Though they all held swords, no one moved to attack. At first, they had, 
6296despite their fear, but even if they were lucky enough to slip past his defense, 
6297they couldn't put so much as a nick in his armor. And in response, the death 
6298knight didn't even bother with his sword; he just knocked them flying with his 
6299shield, hitting them hard, but not so hard they'd die. His aim in holding back was 
6300"play." It was clear he relished the pathetic humans' frantic struggle. 
6301
6302He only swung his sword like he meant it when someone tried to run away. The 
6303first who had tried to run was Lilick, a good-natured enough fellow, if an 
6304obnoxious drunk. In a flash, all four of his limbs had been severed, and as the 
6305finishing touch, his head was lopped off. Seeing one of their own die was enough 
6306for the others to learn they couldn't run. 
6307
6308Attacking was futile and they'd be killed if they ran. In that case, there was only 
6309one thing to do: Die as this monster's plaything. 
6310
6311Everyone was wearing close helmets, so it was impossible to tell, but they all 
6312must have realized their fate. Some were sniffling, grown men crying like 
6313children. They'd been the strong who had robbed the weak of their lives, and 
6314they'd gotten used to it; they weren't prepared to face the reverse. 
6315
6316"God help us..." 
6317
6318Some murmured between their sobs. 
6319
6320"Oh God..." 
6321
6322If Londes wasn't careful, he felt like he'd soon be on his knees either praying or 
6323blaspheming. 
6324
6325
6326
6327"You bastards! Get that monster under control!" 
6328
6329A voice that grated on the ears like an out-of-tune hymn rang out among the 
6330supplicating knights. It had come from a knight right next to the death knight. 
6331Trying to tiptoe away from his comrade who'd been cut in half, he just looked 
6332ridiculous. 
6333
6334Londes frowned at the ungainly figure. Since the close helmet hid the face and 
6335the voice was strained due to fear, it was hard to tell who it was. Yeoh, but 
6336there's only one guy who takes that tone. 
6337
6338Commander Belius... Londes grimaced. He'd been chasing village girls out of 
6339vulgar desire, then cried for help after getting into a fight with their father. 
6340When someone got them apart, he'd taken his rage out on the father by 
6341stabbing him over and over. That's the kind of guy he was. Back home he was a 
6342man of some means and only joined the company because he thought it would 
6343look good. They'd probably been doomed from the moment he was selected as 
6344commander. 
6345
6346"I'm too important to die here! Buy me some time! Be my shields!" 
6347
6348Of course, no one moved. Sure, he was commander, but nobody cared for him 
6349very much, so there was no way they would risk their lives for him. The only one 
6350who reacted to the shout was the death knight, who slowly turned in Belius's 
6351direction. 
6352
6353"Yeek!" 
6354
6355I'm impressed he could even get words out , much less get his voice to carry , 
6356standing that close to the death knight. Londes was oddly impressed. 
6357
6358Belius's terrified voice thundered on. "Money, I'll pay you! Two hundred gold 
6359pieces—no, five hundred!" 
6360
6361He was offering quite a sum. But he might as well have been telling them he'd 
6362pay them if they survived jumping off a 1,500-foot cliff. No one moved a muscle, 
6363but there was one response—well, half of someone moved. 
6364
6365"Oghabowww..." The right side of the knight who had been split in two 
6366grabbed Belius's right ankle. He spluttered blood as he spoke in words that 
6367wouldn't form. "Ugyahhhh..." Belius screeched. All the knights and villagers who 
6368
6369
6370
6371were within view of the situation froze solid. 
6372
6373A squire zombie. In Yggdrosil, when a death knight killed something, an 
6374undead with the same level as the defeated opponent would spawn. The game 
6375had a system such that anything that died by the sword of a death knight would 
6376be loyal to it for all eternity. 
6377
6378Belius's screech cut off abruptly and he collapsed onto his back, as if 
6379something inside him had snapped. He must have passed out. The death knight 
6380approached the now-defenseless commander and stabbed him with the 
6381flamberge. Belius's body spasmed. "Agh—Aghghhhhgh!" Jerked awake by the 
6382pain, he screamed in a way that made everyone wish they could plug their ears. 
6383"Shabe—Shave me! Preazh! I' joo amyfing!" He'd frantically grabbed hold of the 
6384flamberge sticking out of him, but the death knight ignored that and began 
6385sawing up and down. A chunk of his flesh, plate armor and all, was cut off, 
6386sending a heavy splatter of blood flying. "Gyak, gyak. I'll—arhghghhg—I' pay 
6387you. Urgghhg—shabe meee." His body spasmed violently several times and then 
6388went limp. The death knight, satisfied, moved away from the meaty wreckage. 
6389
6390"No, no, no..." 
6391
6392"Oh God!" 
6393
6394Several of the other knights, driven nearly insane, began to scream. The 
6395moment they ran they'd be killed, but to stay put was a fate worse than death. 
6396They knew both those things and so were helplessly paralyzed. 
6397
6398"Pull yourselves together!" Londes roared, cutting their shrieking short. It was 
6399so silent it felt like time had stopped. "We are retreating! Signal the horses and 
6400mounted archers! Everyone else buy us time until the whistle is blown! We're not 
6401going to die like that! Now, go!" 
6402
6403Everyone sprang into action at once. They moved in such perfect coordination 
6404it was like the paralysis of the previous moment had been a lie. They acted with 
6405the force of a waterfall. By following their orders like machines, they ceased 
6406thinking and could perform miraculous feats. They would probably never achieve 
6407such exquisite order ever again. 
6408
6409The knights confirmed with one another what each of them would do. There 
6410was one knight with one of the whistles they used to communicate—they had to 
6411
6412
6413
6414protect him. He backed away a few steps, cast away his sword, and went into his 
6415haversack for the whistle. 
6416
6417"Yarrrrrgh!" As if in response, the death knight charged. He was heading 
6418straight for the key knight. Is he aiming to destroy our means of escape and 
6419plunge us further into despair? Everyone was chilled to the bone. 
6420
6421The raven-black flood surged closer. It was clear to everyone that whoever 
6422stood in its path would be killed, but they formed a breakwater anyway. They 
6423replaced their fear with an even more terrible fear, fueling themselves to act. 
6424
6425The shield was brandished and a knight went flying. 
6426
6427The sword flashed and a knight's upper and lower body were severed. 
6428
6429"Dazen! Maurette! Take your swords and cut off the heads of those who've 
6430been killed—quickly or they'll come back as monsters!" 
6431
6432The men who were named hastily ran toward the dead knights. The shield was 
6433brandished again, and one was bashed and sent flying; the other attempted to 
6434block the flamberge coming down on him and was cut, sword and all, in half. 
6435
6436In the space of a few breaths, four of Londes's comrades had lost their lives. 
6437Shuddering, he watched—like a true martyr—as the storm of raven black bore 
6438down on him. 
6439
6440"Yahhhhh!" Though he had no chance of winning, he couldn't go down 
6441without a fight. He screamed a battle cry and swung his sword as hard as he 
6442could at the oncoming death knight. 
6443
6444Perhaps the extreme situation had pulled out all the stops in Londes's body. 
6445Even he was astonished by what a powerful attack he'd unleashed. It was the 
6446best swing of his life. 
6447
6448The death knight countered with his flamberge. 
6449
6450One swing sent Londes's vision spinning. Below, he saw his headless body 
6451crumple to the ground. His sword sliced the air, making not so much as a 
6452scratch. 
6453
6454At the same time, a horn resounded through the area. 
6455
6456
6457At the sound of the horn, Momonga—Ainz—looked up. Around him were 
6458scattered the corpses of the knights who had been on watch. Enveloped in the 
6459thick stench of blood, Ainz had been performing experiment after experiment, 
6460but wasn't prioritizing the right things... 
6461
6462He cast away the knight's sword he held. The beautifully polished blade was 
6463dirtied when it fell to the earth. "And I used to always be so jealous of people 
6464with abilities like Reduce Physical Damage..." 
6465
6466"Lord Ainz Ooal Gown." 
6467
6468"Ainz is fine, Albedo." 
6469
6470His simple reply seemed to confuse her. "Oh, tee-hee! l-is it really all right to be 
6471so rude as to abbreviate the name of our Supreme Ruler?!" 
6472
6473Ainz didn't think it was such a big deal. It did make him happy, however, to 
6474hear that she held the name of Ainz Ooal Gown so sacred. His tone naturally 
6475softened. "I don't mind, Albedo. Until my old friends show up, this name is my 
6476name. So I allow it." 
6477
6478"Understood, b-but I will still attach the title. A-ahem...my master, Lord A-i-nz, 
6479tee-hee-hee! B-by the way..." She squirmed a bit, perhaps out of shyness. But 
6480since she was covered head to toe in full plate armor, none of her beauty shone 
6481through. The sight was so strange it was a bit awkward. "C-could it be that, tee- 
6482hee-hee, you're letting me specially call you by this shortened—?" 
6483
6484"No. Being called such a long name every time would be annoying. I'm going to 
6485have everyone call me the same thing." 
6486
6487"Oh. Of course. I assumed..." Her mood suddenly darkened. 
6488
6489Next, Ainz asked her a question with a bit of anxiety, "Albedo... Do you find 
6490anything wrong with me calling myself by this name?" 
6491
6492"I think it fits you extremely well. I think it's appropriate for the man I love— 
6493ahem—for the one who kept the Supreme Beings together." 
6494
6495"...Originally, it was a name that stood for all forty-one of us, including your 
6496creator Tabula Smaragdina. So how does it strike you that I leave all your 
6497masters out of this and take the name as my own?" 
6498
6499
6500
6501"I realize this may invite your displeasure, but...I will be so bold as to humbly 
6502offer one thought. If it causes you to furrow your brow in the slightest, please 
6503order me to kill myself... If one of those who abandoned us were to leave you, 
6504Lord Momonga, who stayed with us all this time, out of it and take the name, I 
6505may have felt it was wrong. But if it is you, my lord, and all the others' 
6506whereabouts are unknown, what else could I feel but happiness?" Albedo bowed 
6507her head in a swift motion and Ainz said nothing. 
6508
6509Nothing after the word abandoned had registered. All his former guildmates 
6510had left for a reason. After all, Yggdrasil was a game, not something one could 
6511sacrifice reality for. That went for Momonga, too. But did he harbor some 
6512suppressed rage toward his guildmates? For "abandoning" him? 
6513
6514"Hrm, maybe, maybe not. Human emotions move in mysterious, complicated 
6515ways. There's no answer... Albedo, lift your head. I've understood your thoughts. 
6516Yes, this is my name. Until some of my friends come to raise objections, it will 
6517refer to me only." 
6518
6519"Understood, sublime lord and master. Nothing makes me happier than that 
6520the man I love should call himself by that sacred name." 
6521
6522"Love/huh...? 
6523
6524Despite his dark thoughts, Ainz chose to avoid the issue for the moment. "Ah... 
6525I thank you." 
6526
6527"Oh, but Lord Ainz. Are you sure it's all right for me to be wasting your time 
6528like this? Of course, I am satisfied simply standing at your side, but...well, hm. 
6529Yes, a stroll might be nice." 
6530
6531That wouldn't do. He had come to save the village. 
6532
6533He already knew the girls' parents were dead. Remembering their corpses, he 
6534clawed at his face. When he'd seen their dead bodies, it was as if he'd seen two 
6535bugs lying dead in the road. He'd felt no pity, no sadness, no anger—nothing. 
6536
6537"Well, let's put aside the idea of a stroll, but it's true that we're not in any 
6538particular hurry. It seems the death knight is doing his job." 
6539
6540"I'd expect nothing less of an undead you created, Lord Ainz. I marvel at his 
6541magnificent efficacy." 
6542
6543
6544
6545The undead made with Ainz's powerful magic and skills were stronger than 
6546normal undead. Still, this one was only about level 35. Compared to the overlord 
6547wisemen and grim reaper thanatoses he could make using experience points, the 
6548death knight wasn't so fancy. If such a weak monster was still out there fighting, 
6549it just meant that none of the enemies in the area were terribly strong. 
6550
6551In other words, they weren't in any danger. 
6552
6553Realizing that, he wanted to pull a victory pose, but he suppressed the urge, 
6554knowing he had to act his part. He did, however, do a mini-fist pump under his 
6555robe. 
6556
6557"It probably just happens to be the case that the knights who attacked this 
6558village are weak. Anyhow, let's go check on the survivors." 
6559
6560Ainz was about to leave when he realized there were some things he needed to 
6561do first. For starters, he turned off the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown's effects. The evil 
6562aura it had been giving off flickered and went out like a flame blown in the wind. 
6563Next, he went into his item box and took out a mask that would cover his whole 
6564face. Into it was carved a difficult-to-pin-down expression—tears or perhaps 
6565anger. It was a bit ornate. If someone had told him it looked like the masks of 
6566Barong or Rangda from Bali, he would have had to agree. 
6567
6568Despite how weird it looked, it didn't have any powers. It was an event item, 
6569and it wasn't possible to augment it. The only way to obtain it was to have been 
6570in-game for two hours or more during the period between seven and ten pm on 
6571Christmas Eve. Or rather, if one was there (and therefore dateless on the most 
6572romantic day of the year), it was forcibly added to the player's inventory—a type 
6573of cursed item. In that sense, it was considered a cursed item. Its name was 
6574Mask of the Jealous, or the jealousy mask. 
6575
6576"Are the admins on crack?" 
6577
6578"We've been waiting for this!" 
6579
6580"There are some peeps in my guild who don't have it, but we can PK for it, 
6581right?" 
6582
6583"Screw being human!" 
6584
6585That was the kind of stuff that was written in the Yggdrasil thread on a major 
6586
6587
6588
6589forum site about the mask Ainz now donned. 
6590
6591Then, he took out some gauntlets. They were the typical, unsophisticated iron 
6592gauntlets one could get anywhere, with no outstanding features. They were 
6593known as jarngreipr and were something the guild had made for fun. Their only 
6594effect was to boost the wearer's strength. 
6595
6596He equipped them, and with that, all of his skeletal exterior was covered. 
6597
6598Naturally, there was a reason he was taking pains to conceal himself. He finally 
6599realized the fatal error he'd been making. 
6600
6601Ainz was used to his bony body from Yggdrosil, so there was nothing horrific 
6602about it to him, but it seemed to strike fear into the hearts of the people who 
6603lived in this world. That must be true, because it wasn't only the little girls who 
6604thought he was there to take their lives—the armed knights had been 
6605frightened, too. 
6606
6607In any case, by changing his equipment he succeeded in downgrading his 
6608impression from evil monster to evil caster...hopefully. He wondered what to do 
6609about his staff but decided to take it. It wouldn't get in the way. 
6610
6611"If you were gonna pray to your god to save you, maybe you shouldn't have 
6612been massacring people?" Ainz spat a line only an unbeliever could spit in the 
6613direction of a knight who'd died with his fingers knit together in prayer. Then he 
6614cast a spell. "Fly!" 
6615
6616He glided lightly into the air and Albedo followed him a moment later. 
6617
6618Death Knight, if there are any knights left alive, leave them. We can use them. 
6619In response to Ainz's thought came compliance. He understood what the death 
6620knight was feeling and what kind of situation he was in, even at a distance; it was 
6621a vague sensation, difficult to describe. 
6622
6623He flew quickly in the direction the horn had sounded. The wind whipped at 
6624him—he hadn't been able to go this fast in Yggdrasil. His robe got twisted 
6625around his body in an irksome way, but the flight was brief. 
6626
6627Soon he was above the village; he looked down. One part of the ground in the 
6628square was darkened as if it had gotten wet. It was scattered with corpses. A 
6629handful of knights were left barely standing. And the death knight stood with 
6630
6631
6632
6633perfect posture. 
6634
6635Ainz counted the surviving knights, who were breathing weakly; it seemed like 
6636moving was too much trouble for them. Four. More than he needed, but that 
6637was fine. 
6638
6639"That's enough, Death Knight." His voice seemed to boom a bit, out of place. It 
6640was nonchalant, like someone who'd gone to the market and was telling a 
6641merchant what they'd like to buy. That was about how this situation registered 
6642to Ainz. 
6643
6644Accompanied by Albedo, he touched down gently. 
6645
6646The knights, despondent, stood stock-still staring at Ainz. They'd been holding 
6647out for a savior, but instead the worst possible person showed up, crushing their 
6648hopes. 
6649
6650"How do you do, gentlemen? My name is Ainz Ooal Gown." 
6651
6652No one replied. 
6653
6654"If you surrender, I'll guarantee your lives. If you still want to fight, then..." 
6655
6656A sword was tossed to the ground. This was followed by the rest, and soon all 
6657four had been readily cast aside. No one said a word. 
6658
6659"...Well, you all seem quite exhausted, but your heads are held awfully high for 
6660being in the presence of this death knight's master." 
6661
6662The knights silently dropped to one knee and hung their heads—not as 
6663subjects, but as prisoners awaiting their beheading. 
6664
6665"I'll send you gentlemen home alive. And I want you to tell your boss—your 
6666owner—" Ainz glided over to one of the knights using Fly and, with his free hand, 
6667slipped the kneeling man's close helmet off to look into his groggy eyes. Their 
6668eyes met through Ainz's mask. "Not to cause trouble here. Tell him if you cause 
6669any more trouble here, I'll bring death to your country next." The knights 
6670nodded over and over, their entire bodies trembling. They were so desperate it 
6671was funny. "Now flee! And make sure to tell your master." He jerked his chin, 
6672and the knights practically fell over themselves as they scrabbled away. 
6673
6674"Acting takes so much energy...," Ainz murmured as he watched the knights' 
6675
6676
6677
6678silhouettes grow smaller and smaller. If the villagers hadn't been watching, he 
6679would have wanted to rotate his shoulders. Just like inside the Great Tomb of 
6680Nazarick, acting this dignified part was a huge burden on a normal guy like Ainz. 
6681But the act wasn't over—it was time to put on a different hat. 
6682
6683He suppressed a sigh and walked toward the villagers. He knew Albedo was 
6684behind him because he could hear the clank of her armor. Cleon up the squire 
6685zombies, he mentally ordered the death knight on his way. As the distance 
6686between him and the villagers closed, the mix of horror and confusion on their 
6687faces became clearly visible. 
6688
6689The reason they weren't upset about him letting the knights go was that a 
6690more terrifying monster had arrived, he eventually realized. Since he was strong 
6691—stronger than the knights—he hadn't thought of things from the point of view 
6692of the weak. Ainz reconsidered and pondered a bit. 
6693
6694If I get too close, it'll probably backfire. Ainz stopped at a reasonable distance 
6695and addressed them in a kind, familiar tone. "Okay, you're safe now. I hope you 
6696can relax." 
6697
6698"Wh-who...a-are you?" A man seeming to present himself as a representative 
6699of the villagers spoke without taking his eyes off the death knight. 
6700
6701"I saw that this village was being attacked, so I came to help." 
6702
6703"Wow..." Relieved murmurs went around the group, but Ainz could tell they 
6704were still uneasy. 
6705
6706Oh, well. I guess I'll change tactics. He took a tack he didn't particularly like. 
6707"Of course, it's not as if I did it for free. I'd like to get paid some amount times 
6708the number of lives I saved." 
6709
6710The villagers all looked at one another. The looks said they weren't sure they 
6711could come up with money, but Ainz could see that their skepticism was reduced 
6712somewhat. Saving people with the base aim of money made him less suspicious. 
6713
6714"l-in this state, I don't—" 
6715
6716Ainz cut him off by raising a hand. "Why don't we discuss that later. On my 
6717way here, I saved a pair of sisters. Give me a little time to bring them here." He 
6718would have to ask those two to keep their mouths shut. They'd seen him without 
6719
6720
6721
6722the mask. 
6723
6724Ainz headed off at a leisurely pace without waiting for the villagers' reply, 
6725wondering if memory manipulation magic would work. 
6726
6727
6728
6729
6730Chapter 4 A Duel 
6731
6732
6733OVER LOR D J-'j The Undcad King 
6734
6735
6736
6737
6738Chapter 4 | A Duel 
6739
6740
67411 
6742
6743The village headman's house was right off the square. Inside, the floor was 
6744dirt. The main room was big enough to serve as a workshop, and there was an 
6745adjacent kitchen. Some shabby chairs and a table had been set in the middle of 
6746the open area. 
6747
6748Ainz sat in one of the chairs and looked around the room. The light coming 
6749through the latticed door banished the darkness to the shadows, so he could see 
6750fine without Night Vision. He observed the woman working in the kitchen and 
6751noted various agricultural implements. There was no machinery to be seen. He 
6752judged that science hadn't advanced very much in this world, but realized 
6753immediately how superficial he was being. In a world with magic, how far would 
6754science even need to advance? 
6755
6756Ainz moved his arms, setting them lightly on the table to move them out of the 
6757sun. His gauntlets weren't that heavy, but the table was shoddily made, so it 
6758rocked and clattered. The chair made a horrible squeaking noise under his 
6759weight whenever he moved. 
6760
6761Impoverished was the word for these people. 
6762
6763Ainz leaned his staff against the table so it wouldn't be in the way. It sparkled 
6764in the light and, especially in this plain room, made it seem like they were in the 
6765land of mythology. He simultaneously recalled the villagers' speechless 
6766amazement; their eyes had practically fallen out of their heads. 
6767
6768He was bursting with pride that the staff he and his guildmates had made 
6769caused such genuine awe. But Ainz suppressed that buoyant feeling to the level 
6770of faint happiness and furrowed his nonexistent brow. 
6771
6772He couldn't force himself to enjoy the forced chill out. Granted, it would be 
6773difficult to get through this situation feeling giddy. With all of this on his mind, 
6774Ainz prepared himself to use his brain—they were about to start negotiating the 
6775
6776
6777
6778price of the rescue. 
6779
6780Of course, Ainz's aim was information, not monetary compensation. But just 
6781saying, ''Please give me information," would be terribly shady. 
6782
6783In a village this small, it probably didn't matter, but if more people—especially 
6784those in positions of authority—interacted with him and realized he knew 
6785nothing about the world, it could be used against him. 
6786
6787Am I being overly cautious? he wondered, but this was like trying to cross the 
6788street by just running into it—at some point he'd get in a fatal accident. That 
6789fatal accident would be a collision with someone stronger than him. 
6790
6791Ainz was stronger than anyone he'd met in this village, but that didn't mean 
6792he'd be stronger than anyone in this world. And he was an undead. He'd gotten 
6793a pretty good idea of the standing of undead here from the way the girls had 
6794reacted. Humans would revile him, and he stood a good chance of being 
6795attacked. He couldn't be too careful. 
6796
6797"Sorry to keep you waiting." The village headman sat in the seat opposite Ainz. 
6798His wife stood behind him. 
6799
6800The headman was tan with deep wrinkles. He had a brawny physique, and it 
6801was clear from one look that it'd been built by hard labor. Much of his hair had 
6802gone white—almost half of his head. His cotton clothes were dirty, but he didn't 
6803smell. Judging by the look of deep exhaustion on his face, he was probably in his 
6804late forties, but it was hard to tell—it seemed like he'd aged considerably in the 
6805past hour or so. 
6806
6807His wife was probably around the same age. Ainz got the feeling she'd been a 
6808trim beauty at one point, but hard work in the fields had worn most of her charm 
6809away. Spots had appeared on her face, and all that was left was a thin old lady. 
6810Her shoulder-length black hair was messy, and although her skin was tanned 
6811from the sun, she had a gloomy air about her. 
6812
6813"Here you go." She placed a shabby cup on the table. The reason there wasn't 
6814any for Albedo was simply because Ainz had had her go check out the village. 
6815
6816He refused the steaming water with a raised hand. He wasn't thirsty and he 
6817couldn't take off the mask, anyway. After seeing how much work went into it, 
6818
6819
6820
6821though, he felt bad for not declining in advance. 
6822
6823Making hot water was hard work. First, she had to use a flint to make a spark. 
6824Then, she had to arrange thinly sliced wood chips to make a fire. From there, she 
6825moved it to the earthen oven to build the flames up. It took quite a while to heat 
6826the water. 
6827
6828In some sense, it was interesting for Ainz to see how water was boiled by hand 
6829without electricity—he'd never witnessed it before. In the past in his world, 
6830people used to cook with gas or something; he imagined it must have taken 
6831about the same amount of labor. I should take this opportunity to leorn about 
6832their technology , too. 
6833
6834Fie turned back to the headman and his wife. "I'm sorry I put you to so much 
6835trouble..." 
6836
6837"N-not at all. No need to bow." The both of them were flustered at Ainz's 
6838politeness. They probably never imagined the one who had been ordering the 
6839death knight around up until a bit ago would bow his head to them. 
6840
6841For Ainz it was nothing strange. It was only natural to behave amicably with 
6842the people one was about to negotiate with. 
6843
6844Of course, he could always use some magic like Charm Person to get info out of 
6845them and then manipulate their memories with an elite spell as he had with the 
6846two sisters, but he wanted to save that for a last resort. In any case, it would 
6847cost a ton of magic points (MP). 
6848
6849Even now there was a heavy, leaden feeling at his core. Even just to overwrite a 
6850couple minutes of memory to make it so he had been wearing the mask and 
6851gauntlets from the beginning seemed to have cost quite a lot of MP. It was a 
6852serious loss. 
6853
6854"Well, then, shall we skip the formalities and get down to business?" 
6855
6856"Yes, but before that... Thank you so much!" The headman bowed his head so 
6857aggressively Ainz thought he would whack the table. A beat later his wife 
6858followed with her thanks and a bow. 
6859
6860"If you hadn't come, we would have all been killed! We are so grateful!" 
6861
6862
6863
6864Ainz was startled by the depth of their gratitude. I've never been thanked so 
6865profusely in my whole life. Well[ the two sisters before thanked me the same 
6866way , but... Ah , / guess I had never saved someone's life before , so it makes 
6867sense... 
6868
6869The vestige of Satoru Suzuki, the man he'd once been, was a bit self-conscious 
6870in the face of their genuine thanks, but he couldn't say it felt bad. 
6871
6872"Please raise your heads. As I mentioned before, you don't need to worry 
6873about it. I did it expecting something in return." 
6874
6875"Of course, we understand. But please, still, allow us to thank you. It's thanks 
6876to you that so many of us were saved." 
6877
6878"Well, then, padding my fee a bit will suffice. Shall we begin the negotiations? 
6879As headman, you must be very busy." 
6880
6881"There's no one who deserves my time more than the one who saved our lives, 
6882but yes, let's begin." 
6883
6884Watching the headman slowly raise his head, Ainz got the gears in his brain 
6885moving. He had to get the information he required through conversation alone, 
6886without relying on magic. 
6887
6888What a pain. I was trained as a businessman , but I wonder how effective my 
6889techniques will be. He made up his mind and began to speak, feeling half like 
6890whatever would happen would happen. 
6891
6892"To get right to the point, how much can you offer?" 
6893
6894"We have nothing to hide from you to whom we are so indebted. I'd have to 
6895check to see how much silver and copper we can come up with, but for copper it 
6896would probably be about three thousand pieces." 
6897
6898I have no idea how much that is! Ainz shouted in his head. 
6899
6900He had asked in entirely the wrong way. He ought to have taken a different 
6901approach. He'd been a horrible businessman in his former life, after all, so of 
6902course his technique was horrible. 
6903
6904The number of coins sounded high, but he couldn't just accept without 
6905knowing their value. Accepting too low of a sum or overcharging would stand 
6906
6907
6908
6909out too much and had to be avoided. I guess I should just be glod they didn't 
6910offer four cows or something. 
6911
6912Just as he was about to get depressed, his mood stabilized. Thankful for his 
6913undead body, he consoled himself by considering that he'd learned at least one 
6914thing: Silver and copper pieces were the currency circulated in villages. He 
6915wanted to know what other denominations there were, but he wasn't confident 
6916he could lead the conversation in that direction. 
6917
6918The bigger issue was the monetary value of a copper piece. He would run into a 
6919lot of trouble from here on out if he didn't know it. Not knowing the value of the 
6920currency would make him stick out way too much. He wanted to stay on the 
6921down low as much as possible while he was still clueless about the world, so he 
6922furiously spun his brain's gears, even just to avoid any more mistakes. 
6923
6924"Carrying so much small change would be a burden, so would it be possible to 
6925make it a little more compact?" 
6926
6927"My apologies. If I could, I'd like to pay you in gold pieces, but...we don't really 
6928use them in this village, so..." 
6929
6930Ainz suppressed a relieved sigh. This was just the chance he'd been looking for. 
6931Now he just had to think how to take it. He felt like his head might start steaming 
6932from the effort. 
6933
6934"Then how about this: I'll buy some of this village's goods at a reasonable 
6935price, and then you can pay me with the coins I give you." Ainz surreptitiously 
6936opened his item box beneath his robe and picked up two of Yggdrosil's gold 
6937coins. One featured the relief of a woman's profile, and the other, a man's. The 
6938former was currency that came into use after the huge update, "The Fall of 
6939Valkyria," and the latter, naturally, was the old kind. Monetarily they were both 
6940the same value, but he was more attached to one of them. 
6941
6942The old currency had been with him since he'd started playing; they had used it 
6943when they formed Ainz Ooal Gown and for most of the time the guild had 
6944existed. When the update was released, the guild was in its heyday and he'd 
6945already collected pretty much all of the gear he wanted, so he'd been just 
6946throwing the new coins into his item box. 
6947
6948The handful of coins that appeared in the air the first time he'd gone hunting 
6949
6950
6951
6952as a skeleton mage, the mountain of coins he got when he snuck into a dungeon 
6953solo and frantically fought off all the active mobs that attacked him, the golden 
6954sparkle when he sold data crystals acquired in a successful raid with the guild... 
6955
6956He dismissed the nostalgia—but put away the old coin and took out the new 
6957one. "If I wanted to shop with this, about how much would it be worth?" 
6958
6959"Th-this is...?" 
6960
6961"It's a coin from a far-off—truly distant—country. Can I not use it here?" 
6962
6963"I think you can... One moment, please." 
6964
6965Feeling relieved to hear as much, he watched as the headman stood up and 
6966brought something over from the back of the room. Ainz had seen one once in a 
6967history book: a money changer's scale. 
6968
6969From then on it was the headman's wife's job. She first held the gold coin up 
6970to a disc-shaped object, seeming to compare sizes. Once she was satisfied with 
6971those results, she placed it on one side of the balance and put a weight on the 
6972other side. He had the feeling she said something about currency by weight. 
6973
6974Ainz rummaged around in his memory to guess the significance of what she 
6975was doing. First, she must hove compared it to this country's currency for size , 
6976and now she must be checking it for content. His gold coin was lower than the 
6977weight. She added another weight to balance them out. 
6978
6979"It's as heavy as about two of our gold coins. E-err, do you mind if I make a 
6980slight scratch on the sur—?" 
6981
6982"Bah! Don't be rude! My most humble apologies. My wife has been most—" 
6983
6984"It doesn't bother me. You can destroy it if you like, but if the inside turns out 
6985to be solid gold, then you'll have to buy it from me..." 
6986
6987"N-no, I'm sorry." The headman's wife bowed and returned the coin. 
6988
6989"Don't worry about it. It's a matter of course when considering a deal with 
6990someone. So, what do you think about that gold piece? That relief is gorgeous, 
6991right? A work of art!" 
6992
6993"Yes, it's quite beautiful. What country is it from?" 
6994
6995
6996
6997"It's from a country that no longer exists." 
6998
6999"Oh, I see..." 
7000
7001"So it's worth two of yours, hm? But considering the artistic value, I would 
7002think it could be appraised a bit more highly. How about it?" 
7003
7004"That may be... However, we aren't merchants, so it's difficult for us to assess 
7005artistic value..." 
7006
7007"Ha-ha-ha. Indeed, I see. So then if I shop with this coin, we'll say it's worth 
7008two of those, all right?" 
7009
7010"O-of course." 
7011
7012"Very well. It so happens I have several of these coins, so I wonder what 
7013amount of goods you'll be able to sell. Of course, I will pay a fair price. You can 
7014charge me the same as you charge anyone in the village. Please take your time in 
7015investigating the matter." 
7016
7017"Lord Ainz Ooal Gown!" The suddenness of the headman's voice practically 
7018gave Ainz's nonexistent heart palpitations. His earnest expression was firmer and 
7019more striking than before. 
7020
7021"...Ainz is fine." 
7022
7023"Lord Ainz?" He seemed puzzled for a moment, but then quickly nodded a few 
7024times before continuing. "I understand just what you mean, Lord Ainz." 
7025
7026Ainz imagined a big question mark popping up over his head. He had a feeling 
7027there was some kind of misunderstanding, but since he had no idea what the 
7028headman was talking about, he couldn't say anything. 
7029
7030"I know you don't wish to be seen as cheap and that for your reputation you'd 
7031like to reach a compromise. It must cost a fortune to hire someone as strong as 
7032you, Lord Ainz. And that's why you want some material goods in addition to the 
7033three thousand copper pieces." 
7034
7035Ainz was completely confused by the headman's proposal and was glad he was 
7036wearing a mask. The reason he'd presented the gold coin and asked how much 
7037he could buy with it was to get a general idea of what things cost in this world. 
7038How did things end up going in this direction? 
7039
7040
7041
7042He didn't interrupt, so the headman continued. "However, all we can afford to 
7043offer is three thousand copper pieces. It's only natural that you would doubt us, 
7044but we have nothing to hide from you, our savior." The headman's expression 
7045was brimming with sincerity, and there was not the faintest suggestion that he 
7046might be lying. If I get tricked here, I've got only my inability to judge character 
7047to blame. "And of course I don't expect that someone as powerful as you would 
7048be satisfied with the paltry sum our small village can offer. If we went around the 
7049village collecting, perhaps we could scrape up something more adequate, but 
7050we've lost a lot of workers—if we pay more than the amount I mentioned, we 
7051won't be able to make it through the next season. And that goes for goods as 
7052well. Since we've lost hands, there will be fields that don't get tended. I predict 
7053extreme hardship for us in the near future if we give up produce now. I'm 
7054ashamed to ask this of you who have just saved our lives, but would you at least 
7055be willing to split everything with us?" 
7056
7057Oh! Is this my chance? Ainz felt as if he'd walked out of a dense forest to find a 
7058panoramic view. He pretended to be deep in thought. He could see where he 
7059wanted to go. He just prayed he would get there. After waiting a few moments, 
7060he replied, "I understand. I don't require any compensation." 
7061
7062"What?! Wh-why not?" The village headman and his wife's eyes widened in 
7063surprise. 
7064
7065Ainz raised a hand to signal he was going to continue talking. He guided the 
7066conversation, thinking what information he should give them and what he 
7067should keep to himself. It was a pain, and he wasn't 100 percent certain he could 
7068pull it off, but he had to. "I'm a caster and until quite recently had been holed up 
7069in a place called Nazarickto research magic." 
7070
7071"Aha, I see. So that's why you're dressed like that, huh?" 
7072
7073"Ah, well—er, yes," he mumbled, fingering the jealousy mask. If casters dress 
7074so bizarrely here, I wonder what the cities look like... Bali's Barong and Rangda 
7075walking down the street came to mind. He'd begun to hope this wasn't such a 
7076shocking world as all that when he realized something strange: The word caster 
7077made sense to them. 
7078
7079In Yggdrasil, the word caster had a broad meaning. It lumped the countless 
7080
7081
7082
7083magic user classes—priests, clerics, druids, arcaners, sorcerers, wizards, bards, 
7084miko, talisman wielders, mountain hermits, etc.—all together. What a 
7085coincidence if it were the same here. 
7086
7087"I don't need compensation, but..." Ainz stopped here to judge their reaction. 
7088"A caster makes use of various things—fear, knowledge. You could call these the 
7089tools of our trade. But, as I mentioned, I've been holed up doing magic research, 
7090so I don't have much current knowledge of this area. I'd like to get some 
7091information from the two of you, and then have your understanding that no one 
7092is to know you sold it to me. Let's do that instead of monetary or material goods 
7093compensation." 
7094
7095"There's no such thing as a free lunch," so the saying goes. Of course he would 
7096ask for something. Anyone in negotiations with someone who just saved their 
7097lives and who said they didn't need anything in return would probably feel like 
7098something was fishy, so he had to make it seem to them like they'd compensated 
7099him—even if that compensation were intangible. 
7100
7101In other words, if he could convince them that selling him information he 
7102needed was a fair trade, they wouldn't get suspicious. 
7103
7104And in fact, both the headman and his wife nodded intensely. "You have our 
7105understanding. We'll never tell anyone." 
7106
7107Great! Ainz was glad his business know-how was worth something after all and 
7108did a mini-first pump under the table. "Oh, good. And I won't be using magic or 
7109anything to enforce your promise. I trust you." 
7110
7111Ainz stretched out a gauntleted hand. Initially startled, the headman seemed 
7112to realize what was going on and took it. Ainz was relieved they had handshakes 
7113in this world. If he had been given a look like, What are you doing? all he would 
7114have been able to do was cry. 
7115
7116Of course, he didn't trust them completely. If they were offered a reward, and 
7117it was good enough, they might spill the beans. By sealing the deal on their 
7118character alone, it just depended on their character. It wasn't about which was 
7119better, just Ainz chose to bet on the village headman's decency. If word got out, 
7120then it got out. He could just use the fact as a trump card in his next dealings 
7121with this village. Recalling their expressions of gratitude and the sincerity of their 
7122
7123
7124
7125interactions with him, though, somehow he felt they wouldn't betray him. 
7126
7127"Well, then, I hope you can teach me many things." 
7128
7129"What the heck?!" 
7130
7131"Is something the matter?" 
7132
7133"Oh no, just talking to myself. Excuse me. I didn't mean to shout." 
7134
7135For one moment, Ainz fell out of character, but he picked up the act again 
7136right away. If he'd had a human body, he would have no doubt broken out in a 
7137cold sweat. 
7138
7139The village headman said only, "I see," and didn't probe any further. Maybe 
7140casters already had a reputation as weirdos in the village. That was no problem 
7141with Ainz. 
7142
7143"Would you like something to drink?" 
7144
7145"Oh no, that's okay. I'm not thirsty, but thank you for asking." 
7146
7147The headman's wife had left. He'd had her go outside to help with the cleanup 
7148and such. Ainz and the headman were the only ones left in the room. 
7149
7150The first question Ainz asked was about the countries in the area. The response 
7151had been all places he'd never heard of. He'd been prepared for anything, but 
7152surprise won out once reality was shoved in his face. At first, he'd been running 
7153his brain over many possibilities, but in general, he'd been thinking he must have 
7154been in the world of Yggdrosil. He could use Yggdrosil magic, so he figured there 
7155must be some connection. But now he was met with names of places he was 
7156completely ignorant of. 
7157
7158The countries in the area were the Re-Estize Kingdom, the Baharuth Empire, 
7159and the Slane Theocracy. Yggdrosil 's world was based on Norse myths—he'd 
7160never heard of any places like these. 
7161
7162His eyes were swimming, and he felt like he might collapse, but he steadied 
7163himself by putting his hands on the table. He'd just ended up in an unknown 
7164world. He'd been prepared to accept it, but he couldn't suppress his 
7165astonishment. 
7166
7167
7168The shock was just too big. It was his first time being hit so hard by something 
7169since becoming undead. In order to calm down, he decided to review what he 
7170knew about the surrounding topography. 
7171
7172First, the Re-Estize Kingdom and the Baharuth Empire. Their territories were 
7173divided by a mountain range. From the southern edge of the mountains 
7174stretched a forest, and about where the forest ended was where the Re-Estize 
7175Kingdom's domain, containing the castle town and this village, began. The two 
7176countries had poor relations, and there was fighting on the plains near the castle 
7177town what seemed like every year during the past several. 
7178
7179Then to the south was the Slane Theocracy. To get a rough idea of how their 
7180territories fit together, it was easiest to think of an upside-down T tilted so it 
7181pointed up and to the right, but slightly melted so the long edge bent to go 
7182straight up. On the left was the Re-Estize Kingdom; on the right, a bit larger, was 
7183the Baharuth Empire; and below the bar was the Slane Theocracy. Supposedly 
7184there were other countries as well, but that was all the info the village headman 
7185could provide. As for the countries' relative power, the headman of a tiny village 
7186wouldn't know that, either. In other words... 
7187
7188"I screwed up..." 
7189
7190The village headman seemed to think the knights had come from the Baharuth 
7191Empire due to the crests on their armor, but in terms of which countries actually 
7192shared borders, it was possible the whole thing could have been a plot by the 
7193Slane Theocracy. It had been a mistake to let all the knights go. Fie should have 
7194grabbed at least one and gotten some info out of him. Now it was too late. 
7195
7196Assuming it had been the Slane Theocracy, then maybe he should strike some 
7197kind of deal with the empire. The kingdom was fine—he'd already earned some 
7198goodwill there for saving this village. 
7199
7200Ainz pondered whether he could really be the only one who'd come to this 
7201world. That can't be. There's a huge chance other players are here. Even 
7202HeroHero might be here. What I need to think about is what will happen if I 
7203encounter other players. 
7204
7205If a large number of players had come, knowing Japanese people, many of 
7206them would group together. Ainz wanted to be part of that if possible. Fie would 
7207
7208
7209
7210make any concessions as long as they didn't have to do with Ainz Ooal Gown. 
7211
7212The issue would be if that group saw his guild as an enemy. That wasn't 
7213completely out of the question—Ainz Ooal Gown had role-played evil and done a 
7214lot of PK-ing, so they were widely detested. He wasn't confident that hatred had 
7215died out. He might even be antagonized out of a sense of justice or righteous 
7216indignation. 
7217
7218To avoid that, the first thing to do would be to make as few enemies as 
7219possible. If he killed locals—or especially if he carried out any unnecessary 
7220slaughter of humans—it could upset players who still had their humanity. Of 
7221course, if he had a reason they found convincing (for instance, saving a village 
7222like this one that was under attack), then it might be a different story. 
7223
7224In short , / need to hove o really good reason for everything I do from now on. 
7225In other words , / didn't want to do this but...I need a procedure. 
7226
7227In the event this group held a grudge against Ainz Ooal Gown, Nazarick 
7228probably wouldn't be able to avoid combat. Considering their current war 
7229potential, they could annihilate thirty level-100 players in one go. And if they 
7230used a World Item, the Tomb would transform into an impregnable fortress. 
7231They'd probably be able to fight off any enemies like they had before. 
7232
7233But it wasn't hard to imagine how stupid trying to withstand a raid without 
7234backup would be. And each time they unleashed the World Item's power, Ainz's 
7235level would go down. If they were attacked in waves, they would eventually be 
7236worn down to the point where they couldn't use it anymore. 
7237
7238Ainz knew focusing on warfare was dangerous because it could lead to bias 
7239and a narrower view of things, but neither was he so naive that he would act 
7240without considering the worst possible outcome. He was simply considering how 
7241to deal with problems. 
7242
7243If he only cared about surviving, maybe he wouldn't have to do all that—he 
7244could just live in the mountains and fields like a beast—but he had too much 
7245power and pride to do that. 
7246
7247If he tried to get along with people, things ought to work out one way or 
7248another. 
7249
7250
7251
7252In that case, the most important item of discussion was how to increase their 
7253war potential. He needed to collect more information about the world, including 
7254who the players in it were. 
7255
7256"There has to be some mistake..." 
7257
7258"Is something wrong?" 
7259
7260"Oh no. Things are just a bit different than I thought, so I was momentarily 
7261upset. More importantly, could you give me some more information?" 
7262
7263"O-okay, yes." The headman changed topics to discuss monsters. 
7264
7265They had them, just like in Yggdrosil. There were dangerous beasts living deep 
7266in the woodlands, especially the Wise King of the Forest, and they also had 
7267humanlike races like dwarves and elves, as well as subhuman races such as 
7268goblins, ores, and ogres. Apparently some of the subhuman races had even 
7269established countries. 
7270
7271People who went around exterminating monsters for rewards were called 
7272"adventurers," and there were many casters among them. In big cities, there 
7273were adventurer guilds. 
7274
7275Ainz also got some information about the nearest fortress city, E-Rantel. The 
7276headman wasn't sure about the population, but he knew it was the biggest city 
7277in these parts. It seemed like it would be the best place to gather information. 
7278
7279The information Ainz got from the village headman was useful, but there were 
7280still lots of unknowns. Rather than trying to get details here, it would be faster to 
7281send a party to E-Rantel. 
7282
7283Then, there was the language. Ainz thought it strange that everyone knew 
7284Japanese in this completely other world, so he tried watching the headman's lips 
7285and—no big deal—he wasn't speaking Japanese. 
7286
7287The movements of his mouth and what Ainz was hearing were totally different. 
7288
7289From there, Ainz did some experimenting. His conclusion? Everyone here had 
7290eaten Translation Gum or something, not that he knew where they'd gotten it. 
7291This world's language, or rather the words anyone spoke, would be 
7292automatically translated by the time they reached the listener. If a word could be 
7293
7294
7295
7296recognized as a word, it would probably work with nonhuman creatures as well, 
7297like cats or dogs. He just had no idea how it was possible. The headman, 
7298however, didn't seem to think anything of it—it was taken for granted. 
7299
7300So it must just be one of the lows of this world? If I take a step back and think 
7301about if they do have magic. It wouldn't be strange at all if this world was 
7302governed by a whole different set of laws. 
7303
7304The common sense Ainz had picked up in his life was not the common sense of 
7305this world. That was a critical problem. Without common sense, he was in 
7306danger of committing a fatal error—nobody ever means anything good when 
7307they say, "That guy has no common sense," and he was certainly lacking it now. 
7308He had to do something, but no brilliant moves came to mind. I can't just grab 
7309someone and say , "Tell me all your common sense!" That'd be ridiculous! 
7310
7311Which left him with basically one option. 
7312
7313"...I guess I need to go live in a city, huh?" 
7314
7315To learn common sense would take a large number of models. He also needed 
7316to learn about this world's magic. There were too many things he still needed to 
7317find out. 
7318
7319As he was going over all of this in his head, he heard the faint sound of 
7320footsteps in the dirt outside the thin wooden door. The interval was large, but it 
7321didn't sound like stomping—it was a man in a hurry. 
7322
7323The knock came just as Ainz had turned to face that way. The headman looked 
7324to Ainz to see how he wished to proceed. He must feel awkward doing anything 
7325of his own volition when he's in the middle of a discussion constituting payment 
7326for me saving the village. "Go ahead, no problem. I was just wanting a break 
7327anyhow. I don't mind if you go out." 
7328
7329"My apologies." The headman gave a slight bow and walked toward the door. 
7330When he opened it, a villager was standing there with the sun at his back. His 
7331eyes went from the headman to Ainz. 
7332
7333"I'm sorry to interrupt, but the preparations for the funeral are complete..." 
7334
7335"I see..." The headman looked Ainz's way as if requesting permission to leave. 
7336
7337
7338
7339"I don't mind. Don't worry about me." 
7340
7341"Thank you. Then, please tell everyone I'll join you presently." 
7342
7343
73442 
7345
7346
7347The funeral began in the public cemetery on the outskirts of town. The 
7348cemetery was surrounded by a shabby fence. Round stones with names carved 
7349on them dotted the yard, serving as grave markers. 
7350
7351The village headman appealed to gods Ainz had never heard of in Yggdrosil, so 
7352that the deceased might rest in peace. 
7353
7354There weren't enough hands to bury all the corpses at once, so they were 
7355starting with what they could. Ainz thought it seemed hasty to bury people that 
7356very day, but there were no religions he was familiar with here, so all he could do 
7357was accept it as different. 
7358
7359Among the villagers present were the sisters he had saved, Enri and Nemu 
7360Emmott. Their parents must have been getting buried that day. 
7361
7362Ainz watched a little ways away from the others, running his hands over a 
7363wand of about twelve inches under his robe. It was made of elephant ivory and 
7364one tip was dipped in gold. The grip was inscribed with runes, giving the whole 
7365object a kind of sacred vibe. 
7366
7367It was a wand of resurrection, a magical item that could revive the dead. Of 
7368course, he had more than just that one. He had enough to bring back everyone 
7369in the village with change left over. But according to the headman, magic that 
7370could bring back the dead didn't exist in this world. So there was the potential 
7371for a miracle to occur in this village, but as the prayer ended and the funeral 
7372entered its last stages, Ainz quietly put the wand back in his item box. 
7373
7374He could bring them back. He just didn't. Not that he was concerned for their 
7375souls or had some other religious reason. There just wasn't anything in it for him. 
7376
7377There were casters who could kill and casters who could revive. It wasn't hard 
7378to imagine either type getting caught up in some kind of trouble. Even if he did it 
7379
7380
7381
7382on the condition they stay quiet about it, the chance of them sticking to that was 
7383low. 
7384
7385The power to oppose death—who wouldn't drool over that? 
7386
7387If the situation changed, maybe he could use it, but for now, he didn't have 
7388enough information. Now is not the time. "I'll have them be satisfied with the 
7389fact that I saved the village," he murmured and then turned to take a hard look 
7390at the death knight standing behind him. 
7391
7392He had some questions about this guy, too. In Yggdrosil, with a few 
7393exceptions, summoned monsters expired after a set time, and since he hadn't 
7394used any special method to summon this death knight, his time should have 
7395been up a long time ago. But he was still here. Ainz had various guesses about 
7396what was going on, but without more information, he couldn't reach an answer. 
7397
7398Next to Ainz and his thoughts, two shadows lined up. They were Albedo and a 
7399spiderlike monster the size of a human wearing ninja gear. From each of its eight 
7400legs grew a sharp blade. 
7401
7402"An eight-edged assassin? Albedo...!" Ainz scanned the area, but there was no 
7403sign of any villagers looking their way. Even in the middle of a funeral, the sight 
7404of Albedo and especially the bizarre monster should have been enough to draw 
7405attention. 
7406
7407Then he remembered: Eight-edged assassins could turn invisible. 
7408
7409"I brought him because he said he wanted to see you, Lord Ainz." 
7410
7411"I do hope you are in good spirits, Lord Momo—" 
7412
7413"Spare me the flattery. More importantly, are you my reinforcements?" 
7414
7415"Yes, sir. There are four hundred minions under me ready to raid the village." 
7416
7417Raid? Why do they think we're raiding? Sebas, this is like a bad game of 
7418telephone. "There's no need to attack. The issue is already resolved. And who is 
7419commanding you?" 
7420
7421"Mistress Aura and Master Mare. Master Demiurge and Mistress Shalltear are 
7422defending the castle, and Master Cocytus is guarding the area." 
7423
7424"I see. If there are too many minions out, they'll just get in the way. Have 
7425
7426
7427
7428everyone except Aura and Mare withdraw. How many of you eight-edged 
7429assassins came?" 
7430
7431"Fifteen in all." 
7432
7433"Okay, then you guys stand by with Aura and Mare." 
7434
7435After receiving the eight-edged assassin's bow, Ainz turned back to the funeral 
7436proceedings. Right as some dirt was being thrown onto a fresh gave, the two 
7437sisters collapsed in tears. 
7438
7439Realizing the funeral wouldn't end anytime soon, he headed slowly back to the 
7440village. Albedo and the death knight followed behind him. 
7441
7442Although they'd been interrupted by the funeral, by the time Ainz left the 
7443headman's house after learning about the area and some amount of common 
7444sense, the sun had been sitting low in the sky. 
7445
7446He'd made this dramatic rescue as a favor to an old friend, but it had taken 
7447more time than he'd expected. He did feel like the benefits balanced it out, 
7448though. Even just realizing that the more he learned about the world, the more 
7449questions he had was worth it. Ainz ran his mind over the things he had to do 
7450while gazing absentmindedly at the setting sun. 
7451
7452It was extremely dangerous to act without being fully informed. The best thing 
7453to do would have been to stay hidden and gather information on the down low, 
7454but now that he had saved this village, that was no longer possible. 
7455
7456Even if he had annihilated those knights, their country would have wanted to 
7457investigate what had happened to them. In his own world, scientific 
7458investigation was advanced, but it was possible that in this world some other 
7459way of investigating had advanced. 
7460
7461Even if they weren't advanced, as long as there were villagers alive, there was a 
7462high chance they'd be able to find out about him. One way to make sure no 
7463information leaked was to take all the villagers to the Great Tomb of Nazarick, 
7464but it wouldn't be strange for the kingdom to consider that abduction. 
7465
7466And so he had given his name and let the knights go. He'd had two aims in this. 
7467As long as he wasn't hiding out in the Great Tomb of Nazarick, he guessed word 
7468of him would spread quickly, so his first aim was to spread word of himself to 
7469
7470
7471
7472some extent; he figured it would be good to guide that process. The second aim 
7473was to spread the story of how someone called Ainz Ooal Gown saved a village 
7474and killed knights. Of course, the ones whom he most wanted to hear the rumor 
7475were Yggdrosil players. 
7476
7477Ainz wanted to belong to either the kingdom, the empire, or the theocracy. He 
7478was sure that if other players were in this world, rumors of them would spread. 
7479But if Ainz belonged to an organization called Nazarick, it was bound to be 
7480difficult to acquire information, not to mention risky. And if he made the mistake 
7481of giving orders to someone with a personality like Albedo, he might 
7482inadvertently make unnecessary enemies. 
7483
7484Even just from the standpoint of acquiring information, it seemed like getting 
7485under the umbrella of one of the countries would be a good idea. In order to 
7486maintain the self-governance of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, as well, it would be 
7487good to have the backing of some authority. He couldn't take his situation lightly 
7488as long as he was in the dark about the relative strength of the countries. Not 
7489knowing what the limit of individual power in this world was also spurred him on. 
7490He couldn't assume there was no one stronger than him in any of the three 
7491countries. 
7492
7493He could think of plenty of downsides to becoming a member of one of the 
7494countries, but he felt the upsides outweighed them. The problem was, in what 
7495position would he "join" them? 
7496
7497I'm not about to be somebody's slave, sorry. I'm not interested in being 
7498employed at a company with horrible working conditions like HeroHero, either. 
7499I'll have to try to impress the various powers and choose the best place once I've 
7500seen the differences in how they treat me. 
7501
7502It's just like changing jobs. 
7503
7504So it's just a guestion of when to start making connections. I might get taken 
7505advantage of the way I am now , with barely any information. 
7506
7507Ainz got about that far before shaking his head as if he were a bit tired. He'd 
7508used his brain a crazy amount during the past several hours. It was a pain to 
7509think anymore. 
7510
7511"Phew...all right. I've done what I came here to do. Albedo, let's withdraw." 
7512
7513
7514
7515"Yes, my lord." Albedo was bristling despite the fact that she had no reason to 
7516be on guard; there was no danger in this village. 
7517
7518In that case, Ainz could only think of one explanation. He lowered his voice and 
7519asked, "...Do you hate humans?" 
7520
7521'Tm not fond of them. They're such fragile creatures—lower life-forms. I 
7522always wonder how pretty they'd be if I squashed them under my feet like bugs. 
7523Oh, but...there is one exception, a girl..." Her voice was sweet as honey, but the 
7524words she spoke were severe. 
7525
7526Ainz considered the beauty that made her look like a goddess full of love and 
7527felt her attitude unbecoming. He replied to admonish her somewhat. "Hm, I 
7528understand how you feel, but please keep your composure and treat them 
7529kindly. It's important to put on the act." 
7530
7531Albedo deeply bowed her head. Watching her, Ainz worried. Her preferences 
7532wouldn't cause problems for the moment, but he wondered about the future. 
7533He realized he needed to be aware of his subordinates' likes and dislikes. 
7534
7535With that, he decided to try to find the village headman. He wanted to be 
7536polite and say good-bye before leaving. 
7537
7538The headman was easy enough to locate. He was conferring in a corner of the 
7539square with some villagers; the looks on their faces were serious, but there was 
7540something off—they seemed nervous. 
7541
7542More trouble? Ainz refrained from clicking his tongue and went over to them. 
7543In for o penny , in for o mile. 
7544
7545"Is something wrong, Mr. Headman?" 
7546
7547It was like a ray of heavenly light beamed across his face. "Oh, Lord Ainz! We 
7548have word that there are mounted knights heading toward the village." 
7549
7550I see. 
7551
7552The headman looked nervously at Ainz. The villagers did the same. 
7553
7554He held up a hand to calm them. "Leave this to me. Gather all the villagers in 
7555your house at once, then meet me in the square." 
7556
7557A bell rang, and while the villagers gathered, Ainz positioned the death knight 
7558
7559
7560
7561outside the headman's house and Albedo behind himself. 
7562
7563Ainz spoke to the headman in a cheerful voice to assuage his fears. "Don't 
7564worry. I'll give you a freebie, just this once." 
7565
7566The headman's trembling lessened somewhat and he smiled wryly. Perhaps he 
7567had been prepared for the worst. 
7568
7569It wasn't long before a group of cavalrymen came into view down the main 
7570road. They rode in formation and proceeded quietly into the village. 
7571
7572"Their gear doesn't match—they've all got custom setups... Does that mean 
7573they're not part of a regular army?" 
7574
7575Watching the cavalrymen, Ainz felt something was off about their equipment. 
7576
7577The knights who had come before with the empire's crest emblazoned on their 
7578chests all had matching heavy armor. But these cavalrymen, they were wearing 
7579armor, but everyone had arranged their equipment to their own liking. Some 
7580wore just leather armor for some parts, while others had taken off iron plates 
7581and wore exposed chain mail. Some wore helmets, some didn't. The one thing 
7582they had in common in that department was that their faces were visible. They 
7583also all wore the same make of sword, but their secondary weapons were all 
7584different types—bows, one-handed spears, maces, etc. 
7585
7586From a glass-half-full perspective, they were a veteran order of knights. 
7587Otherwise they were just a ragtag bunch of mercenaries. 
7588
7589Eventually the party rode right into the square, about twenty men. While 
7590keeping an eye on the death knight, they formed a magnificent row before Ainz 
7591and the village headman. One of them, still on his horse, came forward. He 
7592appeared to be their leader and was more robust than the others. He practically 
7593overlooked the headman, stopped his eyes on the death knight, and then looked 
7594at Albedo. His eyes stayed there for a long time, as if he were caught. But when 
7595he saw that she was just standing at attention without moving a muscle, he 
7596turned his sharp, perceptive gaze on Ainz. 
7597
7598This man had the air of one who made violence his occupation, but Ainz took 
7599his gaze and just stood there. One look wasn't enough to disturb him. 
7600
7601Not that he had always been strong against such eyes. It was probably just 
7602
7603
7604
7605thanks to his undead body. Or maybe it was due to the confidence he'd gained 
7606from being able to use his Yggdrosil powers. 
7607
7608Satisfied with his observations, the man addressed them in a dignified manner. 
7609"I am captain of the Royal Select of the Kingdom of Re-Estize, Gazef Stronoff. 
7610We've come on the king's orders to subdue the imperial knights terrorizing this 
7611region." His deep voice carried clearly throughout the square despite being 
7612quiet, and Ainz could hear a stir from inside the village headman's house behind 
7613
7614them. 
7615
7616"Captain of the Royal Select...," murmured the headman. 
7617
7618Ainz was slightly miffed that there hadn't been anything about this man in the 
7619info he'd received. "Who is he?" 
7620
7621"According to the merchants, he was once champion of the royal tournament 
7622and is now the leader of a group of elite soldiers who serve the king directly." 
7623
7624"And this is really him?" 
7625
7626"...I don't know. I've only ever heard the rumors." 
7627
7628If Ainz squinted, it turned out they did all have the same crest on their chests. 
7629And it did resemble the kingdom's crest the headman had described earlier. But 
7630he was still a little too uninformed to believe the story right away. 
7631
7632"You must be the village headman," said Gazef, turning to the headman. "So 
7633
7634then, if you would be so kind as to tell me who exactly that is next to you?" 
7635
7636The headman's mouth was half open, but Ainz stopped him and gave a brief 
7637self-introduction. "That's not necessary. It's a pleasure to meet you, Captain. I 
7638am Ainz Ooal Gown, a caster who saw this village being attacked by knights and 
7639came to save it." 
7640
7641In response, Gazef jumped off his horse and landed with a clatter of armor. He 
7642solemnly bowed his head. "There are no words to express my thanks that you 
7643have saved this village." 
7644
7645A ripple went through the atmosphere. 
7646
7647It must have been a shock in this world, where social standing was so black and 
7648white, to see the most likely privileged man who held the position of captain of 
7649
7650
7651
7652the Royal Select making a show of respect to Ainz, whose status was unknown. 
7653Human rights weren't even properly established in this country—or depending 
7654on the case, anywhere. They had probably been buying and selling humans as 
7655slaves up until a few years ago. 
7656
7657Despite the fact that they weren't even equals, Gazef had gotten off his horse 
7658and bowed to Ainz. That spoke volumes about his character. Ainz decided that 
7659the man must actually be who he said he was. 
7660
7661"No, I was doing it for the rewards, anyway. Don't worry about it." 
7662
7663"Oh! A reward? Then, you're an adventurer?" 
7664
7665"Something like that." 
7666
7667"Hmm, I see. You seem quite strong... I'm sorry to say I haven't heard your 
7668name before." 
7669
7670"I'm on a journey, just passing through, so my name may not have spread so 
7671much." 
7672
7673"On a journey, hm? I feel bad taking an able adventurer's time, but I'd like to 
7674hear the details about the nasty bunch who attacked this village." 
7675
7676"Of course. I'd be happy to tell you, Captain. I robbed most of them of their 
7677lives. I'd hazard to say they won't be making any trouble around here for a while. 
7678Did you need to hear more about that?" 
7679
7680"Robbed them of their lives... You killed them yourself, Sir Gown?" From the 
7681way Gazef addressed him, he realized this world's names were Western-style, 
7682not Japanese—not surname, name, but name, surname. Now he knew why the 
7683headman had looked at him a little funny when he'd asked him to call him Ainz. 
7684Certainly if someone Ainz wasn't terribly familiar with asked to be called by their 
7685first name, he would have made that face. 
7686
7687He concealed his realization of this faux pas with the mask known as adulthood 
7688and continued. "You...could say that or maybe not." 
7689
7690Inferring the delicate nuance, Gazef's eyes flicked to the death knight. He must 
7691have sensed the faint smell of blood coming off of him. 
7692
7693"Right now there are two things I want to ask you. One: What is that?" 
7694
7695
7696
7697"A minion I created." 
7698
7699He hmmed his admiration and looked Ainz up and down. "And what's that 
7700mask about?" 
7701
7702"I have my reasons as a caster for wearing this mask." 
7703
7704"Could I get you to take it off for me?" 
7705
7706"I'm afraid not. It would be quite troublesome if he"—Ainz indicated the death 
7707knight—"were to go on a rampage." 
7708
7709The village headman knew what the death knight was capable of, and the 
7710alarm was plain on his face. Voices could also be heard from inside the house. 
7711Perhaps sensing the sudden atmosphere change, Gazef nodded gravely. "I see. I 
7712suppose you'd better keep it on, then." 
7713
7714"Thank you." 
7715
7716"Well, then-" 
7717
7718"One moment. I beg your pardon, but this village has just been attacked by 
7719imperial knights. I think seeing all of you with your weapons will cause them to 
7720flash back to that terror. It would probably help everyone relax if you would lay 
7721down your weapons at the edge of the square. What do you think?" 
7722
7723"You're right, but these swords were bestowed upon us by our king. We can't 
7724disarm without his permission." 
7725
7726"Lord Ainz, we're fine." 
7727
7728"Are you sure, Mr. Headman? Captain, I hope you'll be able to forgive me for 
7729my rudeness." 
7730
7731"No problem, Sir Gown. I think your idea was quite correct. If this sword were 
7732not a gift from our king, I would have gladly set it aside. Now, then, shall we sit 
7733down somewhere and have a more detailed discussion? Also, if you don't mind, 
7734we'd like to rest here for the night..." 
7735
7736"Understood. We'll discuss that as well, so please come to my house—" The 
7737headman was mid-reply when it happened. A lone cavalryman rode into the 
7738square. His rough breathing foreshadowed the seriousness of the news he'd 
7739brought. 
7740
7741
7742
7743He loudly announced an emergency. "Captain! Several figures spotted in the 
7744area! They're surrounding the village and approaching!" 
7745
7746
77473 
7748
7749
7750"Your attention, please." 
7751
7752A quiet, level voice sounded so that all present could hear. 
7753
7754"Our prey has entered the cage." 
7755
7756It was a man's voice. There was nothing particular about it. His face, too, was 
7757an average one that would get lost in a crowd—if it weren't for his utterly 
7758emotionless, almost artificial-seeming black eyes and a scar that ran down his 
7759cheek. 
7760
7761"Let us put our faith in the gods." 
7762
7763All those present observed a moment of silence, a condensed prayer to their 
7764gods. 
7765
7766Even on a mission in a different country, they took time to pray—not out of 
7767confidence, but piety. These agents of the Slane Theocracy in the service of their 
7768gods had stronger faith than average citizens. That was how they could perform 
7769cold-blooded acts without thinking twice and feel no guilt. 
7770
7771After the prayer, all of their eyes were glazed over, like glass marbles. 
7772
7773"Begin." 
7774
7775One word. 
7776
7777That was all it took for everyone to move in exquisite coordination to surround 
7778the village. One could sense it was the result of ceaseless training. 
7779
7780This was the unit that carried out mostly illegal activities. They existed even 
7781inside the Slane Theocracy itself only as rumors that followed them like shadows 
7782—one of the six scriptures that reported directly to the high priest, the Sunlit 
7783Scripture, whose most important duty was the extermination of subhuman 
7784
7785
7786
7787villages. 
7788
7789Although the Sunlit Scripture saw the most combat of any of the six special- 
7790ops units, they had very few members—not even one hundred, including 
7791reserves. Their small size implied how hard it was to be accepted. 
7792
7793First, they each had to be able to use tier-three (the highest level a normal 
7794caster could attain) faith magic. Superior mental and physical abilities, as well as 
7795a true faith, were also required. 
7796
7797In other words, they were the best of the best. 
7798
7799Watching his elite subordinates scatter, the man breathed out slowly. 
7800Deployment was done; it would be hard to monitor their movements now. 
7801However, he had no concerns regarding the construction of their cage. Captain 
7802of the Sunlit Scripture, Nigun Grid Lewin had the peace of mind of one who knew 
7803his mission's success was nearly at hand. 
7804
7805The Sunlit Scripture were not experts at covert or outdoor operations. They'd 
7806missed their chance four times. After each failure, they pursued Gazef and his 
7807men from the kingdom, careful to not be found. If they missed their chance 
7808again now, their days of chasing Gazef would continue. 
7809
7810"Should we...get help from another unit next time? I'd like to let someone else 
7811handle this." 
7812
7813Someone was present to respond to Nigun's grumbling. "We really should. Our 
7814specialty is extermination!" He was a subordinate who had stayed behind, in part 
7815to guard Nigun. "So it's weird that we'd get assigned this mission. It's important, 
7816so why didn't they get the Flurry Scripture in on it, too?" 
7817
7818"Exactly. It's unclear why they assigned us alone, but it's been a good learning 
7819experience for us. Incorporating covert operations on enemy soil into our 
7820training isn't such a bad thing. I mean, it's possible that's why they had us do it." 
7821Even as he said that, however, Nigun knew the probability of another mission like 
7822this coming their way was low. 
7823
7824Their mission was to remove Gazef Stronoff, a royal warrior so strong that 
7825there was no one comparable in any nearby countries. This was more of a job for 
7826the Black Scripture, the unit where all members had hero-level power. Normally 
7827
7828
7829
7830it would have been given to them, but this time that wasn't possible. 
7831
7832The reason for that was top secret, so Nigun couldn't tell the lower-ranking 
7833man, but of course he knew what it was. They were too busy trying to resurrect 
7834the Catastrophe Dragonlord—the Black Scripture was guarding the sacred 
7835treasure, Ruinous Beauty, and the Flurry Scripture's top priority was chasing 
7836down the traitor who had stolen one of the shrine princesses' sacred treasures. 
7837
7838Nigun unconsciously stroked the scar on his cheek. He thought of the one time 
7839he'd awkwardly fled from a fight, and the face of the woman who had given him 
7840the scar with her black magic sword came to mind... 
7841
7842Magic could have completely healed him, but he had left the scar there on 
7843purpose, so he wouldn't forget his defeat. 
7844
7845"Blue Rose..." 
7846
7847That woman was from the kingdom, like Gazef. But what Nigun really couldn't 
7848forgive her for was being a priest. Not only did she believe in a different god, but 
7849she tried to prevent Nigun and his men from attacking a subhuman village—and 
7850she thought she was right! She was a fool who couldn't see the big picture. 
7851
7852"Humans are weak, so we must protect ourselves in all manner of ways. She 
7853couldn't understand that, the fool." 
7854
7855The subordinate man, perhaps sharp enough to catch the anger in his 
7856captain's glassy eyes, hastily interrupted. "Th-that kingdom, the whole bunch of 
7857them are fools." 
7858
7859Nigun didn't answer, but he agreed. 
7860
7861Gazef was strong. That's why they had moved to weaken him by stripping him 
7862of his protection. 
7863
7864The kingdom was split into two factions, the king's side and the nobles, who 
7865were locked in a continuous power struggle. Gazef was an impossible-to-ignore 
7866member of the king's faction, so if the nobles thought they could thwart him, 
7867they were liable to act without thinking things through—even if their thought 
7868process was being manipulated by an agent from another country. 
7869
7870One of the reasons the nobles hated him was that he had worked his way up 
7871
7872
7873
7874out of his commoner background by his prowess with the sword alone. 
7875
7876And the result of all that animosity? 
7877
7878The kingdom was about to lose their trump card. 
7879
7880To Nigun, it was utterly idiotic. 
7881
7882The Slane Theocracy also had factions—six of them, but they mostly worked 
7883together. One simple reason they could do that was the fact that they respected 
7884one another's gods. Another was that they knew they hod to stick together in 
7885this dangerous world full of nonhuman races and monsters. 
7886
7887"...That's why we have to get them to walk the same path as us, the path 
7888based on the correct teachings. Humans are not meant to fight, but to walk 
7889together." 
7890
7891And the sacrifice to this ideal would be Gazef. 
7892
7893"Do you think we can get him?" 
7894
7895Nigun took his subordinate's anxiety seriously. 
7896
7897Their prey this time was Gazef Stronoff, the strongest warrior in these parts 
7898and captain of the Royal Select. This was harder than wiping out a huge goblin 
7899village. So Nigun answered in a quiet voice to dispel his worries. "It shouldn't be 
7900a problem. You know those treasures the kingdom permits him to carry? He 
7901doesn't have them equipped this time. Without those, it should be a simple 
7902matter to kill him... I'd even say that if we miss this chance, it will, on the 
7903contrary, be impossible." 
7904
7905Captain Gazef Stronoff's name was known far and wide for his skills, but there 
7906was another reason, as well—the kingdom's five treasures. Currently only four 
7907were known, but Gazef was allowed to equip them all: the Gauntlets of Vitality 
7908that made it so the wearer never got fatigued; the Amulet of Immortality that 
7909constantly healed the wearer; Guardian Armor that was said to be able to save 
7910the wearer from a fatal critical hit, made from the hardest metal in existence, 
7911adamantite; and Razor Edge, a magic sword that was enchanted in the pursuit of 
7912sharpness and cut armor like butter. 
7913
7914Even Nigun couldn't win against Gazef Stronoff if his attack and defense were 
7915
7916
7917
7918boosted to extraordinary levels via that lineup of gear. Surely there was no 
7919human who could. But if he wasn't equipped with the treasures, they had a 
7920decent enough chance. 
7921
7922"Plus, we have an ace up our sleeve. There's no way we'll lose this fight.'' Nigun 
7923patted his breast pocket. 
7924
7925In this world there were three types of nonstandard magic items. Relics of the 
7926Eight Kings of Avarice who conquered the continent in the blink of an eye more 
7927than five hundred years ago were one type. Before the Eight Kings of Avarice 
7928ruled, the dragons did. The dragons' hidden treasures, believed to have been 
7929created by the most powerful dragonlords' magic, were the second type. Finally, 
7930six centuries earlier, the six gods that made up the foundation of the Slane 
7931Theocracy descended. The supreme treasures they left behind were the third 
7932and final type. 
7933
7934And in Nigun's breast pocket was a supreme treasure—even the Slane 
7935Theocracy only had a few of them. It meant guaranteed victory. 
7936
7937He glanced at the steel band wrapped around his wrist. The numbers there 
7938indicated the passing of time. 
7939
7940"Okay, let's begin the operation.'' 
7941
7942Nigun and his subordinate cast their magic—their elite angel-summoning 
7943magic. 
7944
7945• 
7946
7947"I see. Yes, indeed...'' Gazef confirmed the reported figures from the shadow of 
7948a house. He could see three. They were slowly walking toward the village, 
7949maintaining a fixed distance among one another. They were unarmed and 
7950weren't wearing heavy armor, but that didn't mean they would go down easily. 
7951Many casters eschewed heavy armor, preferring lighter materials. In other 
7952words, they were probably casters. 
7953
7954What made that completely clear were the glowing, winged figures lined up 
7955next to them—angels. 
7956
7957Angels were monsters summoned from another world that many people— 
7958especially people from the Slane Theocracy—believed served the gods. It was 
7959unclear whether that was true or false, and the priests of the kingdom asserted 
7960
7961
7962that they were simply a type of summoned monster. 
7963
7964That religious conflict was one reason the countries disliked each other, but 
7965Gazef didn't care who the monsters served. To Gazef, all that mattered was how 
7966strong they were. 
7967
7968As far as he knew, compared to other monsters summoned with the same level 
7969of magic, angels and demons (which were said to be about equal themselves) 
7970were a tad stronger. In addition to having many special abilities, they could use 
7971some magic, so Gazef categorized them among the more troublesome enemies. 
7972Even so, although it depended on the type of angel, they weren't unbeatable. 
7973
7974These ones wore gleaming breastplates and carried long swords of crimson 
7975flame. He'd never seen this type before, so he couldn't guess how strong they 
7976were. 
7977
7978Ainz had come with him to take a look and asked, "Who the heck are these 
7979guys and what are they after? This village doesn't really seem that valuable..." 
7980
7981"So you don't know them...? If they're not after you, Sir Gown, then there's 
7982only one answer." 
7983
7984Their eyes met. 
7985
7986"You've got some enemies, Captain." 
7987
7988"I suppose there's no helping it because of my position, but this is...a rather 
7989large problem. If they have this many casters summoning angels, they must be 
7990from the Slane Theocracy... And if they're engaged in this kind of mission, it must 
7991be one of the rumored six scriptures, their special-ops units. Numbers, strength 
7992—they have the advantage." Gazef shrugged his shoulders, all but openly 
7993grumbling about what a pain it was. His attitude was relaxed, but inside he was 
7994quite anxious. And angry. 
7995
7996"They did a great job using the nobles to take away my gear. If that snake had 
7997been sniffing around the court, things would probably have gone even worse, so 
7998I suppose we should count ourselves lucky that this was all that happened. Still, I 
7999never thought the Slane Theocracy would be after me..." 
8000
8001
8002He snorted. 
8003
8004
8005
8006But they were really outnumbered. They weren't ready. They had no 
8007countermeasures to use. They were fresh out of everything. But there was one 
8008possibility... 
8009
8010"Are those flame archangels? They sure look like them, but...why would the 
8011same monster be here? Is it because the summon magic is the same? If that's 
8012the case..." 
8013
8014Gazef looked to the muttering Ainz and said, with a glimmer of hope, "Sir 
8015Gown, if it's all right with you, we'd like to hire you." 
8016
8017There was no reply. Gazef just felt an intense stare coming from behind the 
8018mask. 
8019
8020"I can promise you any amount in compensation." 
8021
8022"I think I'll refuse." 
8023
8024"If we could even just borrow your summoned knight..." 
8025
8026"I don't think so." 
8027
8028"And if I invoked royal law and forcefully drafted you?" 
8029
8030"That would be a most foolish choice...is...not the kind of violent thing I'd like 
8031to say, but if you attempt to use some power against me, including the authority 
8032of the kingdom, I'd put up a little bit of resistance." 
8033
8034They glared at each other and the first one to look away was Gazef. 
8035
8036"Huh. We'd be annihilated before we even got into it with the theocracy." 
8037
8038"Ho-ho, 'annihilated,' very funny. But I'm glad you understand." 
8039
8040Gazef watched, eyes squinted, as Ainz bowed. He hadn't been joking. His 
8041intuition was screaming at him how dangerous it would be to make an enemy of 
8042this caster. Especially when his life was in danger, he tended to go with his 
8043intuition over unproductive pondering. 
8044
8045Who is this guy? Gazef thought, gazing at Ainz's mask. Whot in the world does 
8046his face look like under that mask? Is it one I'd befomilior with, or... ? 
8047
8048"Is something wrong? Is my mask crooked?" 
8049
8050"Ohhh no, I just was thinking what a peculiar mask it is. If you can control that 
8051
8052
8053
8054monster with it, it must be an unusually powerful magic item." 
8055
8056"Indeed. It's quite rare and valuable. It's impossible to get one anymore." 
8057
8058If someone possessed valuable magic items, then logically their magic would 
8059be powerful. Thinking in that way, Ainz must have been a pretty powerful caster. 
8060Gazef suddenly felt hopeless, being unable to win his support. But he still wished 
8061that as an adventurer, Ainz would take on this one request... 
8062
8063"Well, it's pointless to stand around here all day. Take care, Sir Gown. I 
8064appreciate you saving the village." 
8065
8066Gazef removed his gauntlets and shook Ainz's hand. To be polite, it would be 
8067correct for Ainz to remove his gauntlets as well, but he left them on and it didn't 
8068faze Gazef. He shook Ainz's hand with both of his bare hands and laid his heart 
8069bare to match. "I really, really appreciate it. You did an amazing deed, protecting 
8070the innocent from that storm of atrocities. ...And I have to say: I want you to 
8071protect them again. I don't have anything I can give you right now, but I do hope 
8072you'll consider my request." 
8073
8074"That's-" 
8075
8076"If you ever come to the royal capital, I promise, on my honor as Gazef 
8077Stronoff, that I'll give you whatever you desire." 
8078
8079Gazef took his hands away and was about to drop to one knee, but Ainz 
8080stopped him. "You don't have to do that... I understand. I'll protect this village 
8081without fail...on my honor as Ainz Ooal Gown." 
8082
8083Hearing this vow, Gazef's heart lightened. "Thank you, Sir Gown! Then, we 
8084have nothing to fear. I can go forth boldly into battle." 
8085
8086"Before you do that, please take this." 
8087
8088Ainz must have thought of something as Gazef smiled—he handed him a small 
8089object. It was a weird little carving that didn't seem terribly special to Gazef, but 
8090—"A memento—I gratefully accept. Well, Sir Gown, it's a shame we must part, 
8091but I'm going to go." 
8092
8093"You don't want to wait for the cover of night?" 
8094
8095"There's a spell called Night Vision, so even if darkness is a disadvantage for us, 
8096
8097
8098
8099it likely won't be for them. Plus, they have to see that we've fled the village for 
8100this to work." 
8101
8102"I see. Your analysis is worthy of your position, Captain. You have my 
8103admiration. May you be victorious." 
8104
8105"May your journey continue, Sir Gown." 
8106
8107Ainz watched until Gazef's silhouette grew small. Perhaps sensing something in 
8108his mood, Albedo said nothing despite their lack of time. 
8109
8110Ainz sighed. "I feeling nothing more toward a human I'm meeting for the first 
8111time than I would for a bug, but...once I try talking to them, I start to get 
8112attached as if they were cute little animals." 
8113
8114"Is that why you swore on your honor along with your sacred name?" 
8115
8116"Maybe... No. It was because of the strong will of someone prepared to die..." 
8117
8118He admired that. 
8119
8120Gazef had a strong will, unlike himself. 
8121
8122"Albedo, relay orders to the minions in the area: Check for any ambushing 
8123troops. If there are any, knock them out." 
8124
8125"At once. Ah, Lord Ainz, the headman is coming." 
8126
8127Following Albedo's line of sight Ainz saw the headman heading their way with 
8128two villagers. Anxiety and unease had spurred them to run, and they were out of 
8129breath, but they began to speak as soon as they reached him as if they couldn't 
8130even spare the time it would take to recover. 
8131
8132"Lord Ainz, what should we do? Why has the captain refused to protect us and 
8133left the village?" The headman's words contained more than fear. The feeling of 
8134abandonment was turning to rage. 
8135
8136"The captain did the right thing, Mr. Headman. The enemy is after him. If he 
8137stayed, the village would be the battleground and they probably wouldn't pass 
8138up the chance to kill the people. Him leaving was the best thing for you." 
8139
8140"So that's...why he left? We should stay here, then...?" 
8141
8142"No. I'm sure they'll come back for the survivors here. We can't run while 
8143
8144
8145
8146we're surrounded, but they'll probably attack the captain with all they've got. 
8147That's our chance to escape. Let's take that opening." 
8148
8149That was why he'd left the village in such a visible way. He was acting as a 
8150decoy to draw the enemy's focus. Comprehending the unspoken nuance that the 
8151captain didn't stand much chance of victory, the headman blushed and hung his 
8152head. The captain had gone to battle prepared to die in order to create a chance 
8153for the villagers to escape... The headman hadn't realized, and his 
8154misunderstanding made him angry. He must have been ashamed of himself. 
8155
8156"And here I was thinking... Oh, Lord Ainz, what can I...? What should we do?" 
8157
8158"What do you mean?" 
8159
8160"We live near the forest, but we were never attacked by monsters. We were 
8161only lucky, but we mistook luck as safety and forgot how to defend ourselves. 
8162The result is that many of our neighbors have been killed and we've been a 
8163burden on everyone..." Not only the headman's expression, but those of the 
8164villagers behind him, too, were full of regret. 
8165
8166"There was nothing you could have done. Your opponents were veterans. If 
8167you had put up a fight, it's possible you'd have all died before I arrived." 
8168
8169He tried to comfort them, but he didn't sense their sorrow letting up at all. 
8170Really, this was not something words would fix. All he could do was pray that 
8171time would heal them. 
8172
8173"Mr. Headman, we don't have much time. We should get going so the 
8174captain's resolve will not be in vain." 
8175
8176"Y-yes, you're right. What are you planning to do, Lord Ainz?" 
8177
8178"I'm going to keep an eye on things and escape with all of you when the time is 
8179right." 
8180
8181"We're bothering you again..." 
8182
8183"Please don't worry about it. I promised the captain I would protect you. For 
8184now, please gather all the villagers in one of the bigger houses. I'll cast a bit of 
8185magic defense." 
8186
8187
8188
81894 
8190
8191
8192He could feel the horse's agitation in his legs. Even though the mount was 
8193trained to be a warhorse, or perhaps precisely because he was so trained, he'd 
8194picked up on the fact that they were heading to their doom. 
8195
8196There were only four or five opponents, but they were spread out to surround 
8197the village. Because of that, the space between them was wide, but they must 
8198have been creating a perfect cage somehow. 
8199
8200In other words, a total trap. Step inside and the jaws of death would open. 
8201
8202Gazef knew that, but he was going to try to break through. That was the only 
8203option he had. 
8204
8205He had no chance of winning at range against casters. If he had some archers 
8206or someone with the talent and resources to fight at range, it might have been 
8207different, but since he didn't, he had to avoid a ranged battle. 
8208
8209Fighting it as a siege would be ridiculous. 
8210
8211Maybe if they'd had a stone fortress with big thick walls, but wooden houses 
8212wouldn't do a thing to block magic. One wrong move and the village would be 
8213burned down. 
8214
8215There was one last way, but he felt it was definitely the moral low road: Fight 
8216inside the village such that Ainz Ooal Gown got caught up in it, forcing him to 
8217help. 
8218
8219But if he was going to use a plan like that, his reason for coming to this village 
8220in the first place would be lost. That's why he chose the thorny path. 
8221
8222"We'll attack the enemy to draw them out of their circle and then retreat. We 
8223can't miss that chance!" 
8224
8225His men gave a spirited reply behind him, and he furrowed his brow. 
8226
8227How many of us will make it out of this alive? 
8228
8229It wasn't as if any of them were talent holders; they were all just what they 
8230seemed, but they had come up through Gazef's training and were the product of 
8231
8232
8233
8234hard, unceasing work. It would be a shame to lose them. 
8235
8236Gazef knew he was making a stupid move, but his men followed him anyway. 
8237He turned to shout an apology for getting them mixed up in this, but when he 
8238saw their expressions, he swallowed every word. 
8239
8240They were the faces of warriors. Their expressions showed their determination 
8241to see this through despite knowing what lay in store. It wouldn't be right to 
8242apologize to these men, who had decided to follow him despite the danger. He 
8243felt embarrassed, but his men peppered him with encouragement. 
8244
8245"Don't worry about it, Captain!" 
8246
8247"Yeah, we're here because we want to be! We're with you to the end!" 
8248
8249"Please allow us to protect our country, its people, and our friends!" 
8250
8251Gazef no longer had any words. 
8252
8253He faced forward and howled, "Let's go! We're gonna rip their guts out!" 
8254
8255"Yaaaaaah!" 
8256
8257Gazef spurred his horse and was off and running. His men followed. The horses 
8258galloped at full speed, kicking up dirt as they went across the plain straight as an 
8259arrow. 
8260
8261As he rode, Gazef took out his bow and nocked an arrow. Rocking with his 
8262horse, he drew casually and let go. The arrow flew true and sunk into the head of 
8263a caster in front of them—or at least it seemed like it was going to. 
8264
8265"Tch! So these won't do anything... If I had magic arrows, they'd work, but 
8266whining about things I don't have won't get me anywhere." 
8267
8268The arrow had bounced off as if the caster were wearing a solid helmet. That 
8269bizarre hardness had to be due to some kind of magic spell. As far as Gazef knew, 
8270to penetrate magic that protected against projectile weapons, one needed an 
8271enchanted weapon. He didn't have one, so he gave up on shooting and put away 
8272his bow. 
8273
8274The casters countered with magic. Gazef braced himself mentally to resist, but 
8275just then his horse screamed, rearing back and pawing the air with his hooves. 
8276
8277
8278
8279"Whoa! Easy, boy!" Gazef frantically pulled the reins in and leaned forward to 
8280grab hold of the horse's neck. That split-second action saved him from falling. 
8281The sudden panic sent a chill down his spine, but he managed to suppress it. He 
8282had more important things to worry about. 
8283
8284Breathing heavily, irregularly, Gazef spurred his horse, but he wouldn't budge. 
8285It was as if he had some other master who was more important than the one on 
8286top of him. Psychic magic—they'd put a spell on his horse. Gazef must have 
8287resisted it, but his horse was no magical creature; there was no way the animal 
8288would've been able to resist. 
8289
8290He dismounted, irritated with himself for failing to foresee such an obvious 
8291attack. His men rode carefully around him, parting to either side. 
8292
8293"Captain!" The riders at the tail end of the group slowed down and held out 
8294their hands. They meant to pull him up onto one of their horses. But an angel 
8295bent on not letting him get away flew over faster. Gazef took aim and whipped 
8296out his sword. 
8297
8298A sturdy swing. 
8299
8300The strongest man in the kingdom brandished his sword, and it had the force 
8301to cut through anything. Though he cut deeply into the angel's flesh, however, it 
8302wasn't enough to kill it. 
8303
8304The blood it coughed up dispersed as a puff of the same magical energy that 
8305made up its body. 
8306
8307"I'm fine! Turn around and charge!" After giving the order, he glared sharply at 
8308the angel that had gotten away. It was seriously wounded but was still raring for 
8309a fight and looking for an opening to attack him. 
8310
8311"I see." Something had felt off when he'd brought his sword down, and he 
8312realized now what it had been. Some monsters took very little damage unless a 
8313weapon of a specific make was used. Angels had that power. That's why it'd 
8314been able to take that blow without falling. 
8315
8316In that cose— Gazef gathered the power within him and used the martial art 
8317Focus Battle Aura. His blade began to glow faintly. Taking advantage of the 
8318opening, the angel brought down its crimson sword, but— 
8319
8320
8321
8322"You're too late!" To the strongest warrior around, it was way too slow. His 
8323sword flew. This slice couldn't even be compared to the previous one—he ripped 
8324easily through the angel's body. 
8325
8326Its structure collapsed, and the angel melted into the air. The way its feathers 
8327glittered as they disappeared was like a captivating illusion. If he weren't in such 
8328a hopeless situation, enveloped in the stench of blood, he might have marveled, 
8329but his focus was already elsewhere. 
8330
8331Gazef scanned to see where the next attack would come from, and a wry smile 
8332played across his face—the number of enemies had increased. In the couple of 
8333moments he'd taken his eyes off of the battlefield at large, the enemy had 
8334gathered, along with their angels. It was clear that they'd achieved it by no 
8335ordinary means. 
8336
8337"Dammit, you can do anything with magic!" He cursed the casters who could 
8338perform feats impossible for a warrior like they were trivialities, but calmly 
8339counted them and confirmed that it was all the members who had been 
8340encircling the village. 
8341
8342So the village was no longer surrounded. 
8343
8344"Okay, Sir Gown, I'm counting on you." 
8345
8346His heart filled with joy for being able to save the lives, which had seemed 
8347beyond his grasp, but he remained on guard and stared down the enemy. 
8348
8349The sound of pounding hooves grew louder in Gazef's ears—his men had 
8350turned and were charging. 
8351
8352"I thought I told them once the circle started contracting we were going to 
8353retreat. Those idiots... I'm so damn proud of them..." 
8354
8355Gazef ran like the wind. 
8356
8357This was perhaps their biggest and only chance. Judging from the speed of the 
8358riders, their opponents would probably concentrate their magic on them to 
8359prevent them from getting closer. That would give Gazef the opportunity to turn 
8360this into a melee battle. That was the only thing he could do. 
8361
8362His men's horses screamed and threw their front legs into the air like his had. 
8363
8364
8365
8366Some of the men fell and groaned. Then, the angels attacked. 
8367
8368His men and the angels were evenly matched in terms of strength, but when it 
8369came to basic and special abilities, his men were overwhelmingly inferior. As he 
8370expected, half of the angels ganged up on them. It wasn't only that—the spells 
8371the casters lobbed into the fray created a definite power gap. 
8372
8373One after another, his men fell to the ground. 
8374
8375Gazef ran, not even looking to confirm what he already knew. 
8376
8377His aim was the commanding priest. Not that he thought killing him would 
8378make them back down, but it was the only way he and his men would survive. In 
8379response to his charge, more than thirty angels moved into his path. That proved 
8380what a serious threat they felt he was, but it didn't make him a bit happy. 
8381
8382"You're in my way!" He engaged the ace up his sleeve. The heat from his hand 
8383wrapped around his entire body. He flesh went beyond its limits and he achieved 
8384hero level. At the same time he simultaneously unleashed multiple martial arts— 
8385the equivalent of magic spells for a warrior. 
8386
8387He glared at the six angels leaping for him: "Sixfold Slash of Light!" It was a 
8388martial art performed at a godly speed, over in a flash. One swing, six slashes. 
8389The six angels around him were cut in two and disintegrated into specks of light. 
8390
8391From the Slane Theocracy's side came alarmed voices—from Gazef's men, 
8392cheers. 
8393
8394His arm was prickling after using such a major art, but he could tell the pain 
8395was at a level where his muscles hadn't deteriorated. 
8396
8397As if ordered to cut the cheering short, a new group of angels headed for them 
8398right away. One of them broke off and came swinging at Gazef. 
8399
8400"Instant Reflex!" The moment the angel's sword came down, the spell 
8401activated and Gazef moved in a blur. Before the angel's sword could rip through 
8402him, he'd dispatched the angel with his. In one blow, the angel turned into 
8403specks of light. 
8404
8405Gazef's offensive didn't end there. "Flow Acceleration!" In fluid motions, he 
8406slashed through the angels coming toward him. 
8407
8408
8409
8410He'd taken down another two angels after using a major art. Seeing their 
8411captain pull off a feat that would be impossible for a normal person began to 
8412give the men hope that they could do it, that they could win. 
8413
8414But the theocracy wasn't about to allow that. Their taunts drowned out the 
8415hopeful aura. 
8416
8417"Superb. But that's all. Priests who've lost angels, summon the next! Bombard 
8418Stronoff with magic!" 
8419
8420They'd been approaching hope but were plunged back into despair. 
8421
8422"Not good," Gazef spat as he dispatched another angel. There were no more 
8423cheers even when he got a kill. His men all swung their swords with fretful looks 
8424on their faces. 
8425
8426Manpower, gear, experience, individual strength—on almost all accounts, they 
8427came up short, and now they had lost their main weapon, the hope that they'd 
8428win. 
8429
8430Gazef dodged the swords that came down around him unconsciously and then 
8431hammered back at the enemy. He was definitely making angels disappear with 
8432each swing, but there were still so many. 
8433
8434He would have liked to anticipate the help of his men, but magical weapons 
8435were necessary to cancel out the angels' defensive ability. Without being able to 
8436use Focus Battle Aura, like Gazef, they didn't have magical weapons, and 
8437therefore even if they could hurt the angels, they couldn't do fatal damage. That 
8438was a problem. 
8439
8440Gazef bit his bottom lip and just kept swinging. 
8441
8442How many times had he made the words death in one blow true? He'd used 
8443Sixfold Slash of Light so many times he'd surpassed his previous record. 
8444
8445A warrior of Gazef's caliber could normally use six martial arts at once. With his 
8446last resort in effect, that went up to seven. He was using one to boost his 
8447strength, one to boost his mind, one to boost his magic resistance, one to 
8448temporarily enchant his weapon, and one when he attacked for a total of five. 
8449
8450The reason he wasn't reaching the limit was because using a strong art took 
8451
8452
8453
8454the focus of multiple normal ones—Sixfold Slash of Light, in particular, took the 
8455concentration of three. Even Gazef only had two other major arts, one that used 
8456all his focus and one that used the focus of four normal arts. 
8457
8458By making good use of his arts, he was able to easily defeat the angels. But 
8459they were only summons, anyway. If he didn't take out the summoner, there 
8460would just be more summoned. Biding his time until his opponent ran out of 
8461magic was one strategy, but Gazef would probably be out of energy before that 
8462happened. 
8463
8464In actuality, his arms were starting to feel heavy and his heartbeat was 
8465becoming irregular. Instant Reflex would take his body thrown off-balance by the 
8466previous attack and force it to return to attack stance. That made it possible for 
8467him to attack immediately, but the forced posture changes were a large burden 
8468on his body. 
8469
8470Flow Acceleration temporarily increased the speed at which his nerves worked, 
8471so he could attack faster, but extreme exhaustion was mounting in his brain. 
8472
8473And on top of all that, he was using Sixfold Slash of Light. It was too big a 
8474burden on his flesh. But if he didn't use it, he'd be overtaken. 
8475
8476"As many as you got, bring 'em on! Your angels are nothing, you bastards!" 
8477The roar meant to overwhelm them froze the Slane Theocracy side for just a 
8478moment. Almost immediately, however, a composed voice broke the tension. 
8479
8480"Pay him no mind! The beast is just barking, trapped in his cage! Ignore it and 
8481keep chipping away at him! Just whatever you do, don't approach—the beast 
8482has long claws." 
8483
8484Gazef glared at the man with the scar. If he could take down that commander, 
8485the course of this battle would surely change immediately. The problem was the 
8486angel at his side, different from the ones with the flame swords. That and the 
8487seemingly insurmountable distance and the defenses that were put up again and 
8488again. 
8489
8490He was far away. He was so far away. 
8491
8492"The beast is trying to break through the fence. Show him how futile that is!" 
8493The man's composed voice bothered him. 
8494
8495
8496
8497Even if he'd entered the hero realm, Gazef had specialized in martial arts for 
8498close combat, so he didn't have much of a chance at range. So what? That's the 
8499only path left to me, so I just have to take it. Strength returned to his eyes, and 
8500he set off running. But the path was as difficult as he'd imagined. 
8501
8502The angel's burning swords stabbed and slashed at him. He countered 
8503instantly upon evading but was suddenly assailed by a sharp pain, like he'd taken 
8504a heavy blow to the gut. 
8505
8506Sensing the direction, he looked up and found a caster casting some kind of 
8507spell. "If only you guys used healing magic like priests are suppose—" His words 
8508were drowned out by the shock waves that pummeled him to the ground. 
8509
8510He was confident that if there were fewer, even if they were invisible, he'd 
8511have been able to dodge them by sensing the atmosphere and watching his 
8512opponents' eyes. But when there were more than thirty, he couldn't handle 
8513them all. It was all he could do to shield his sword arm and face. 
8514
8515A pain so terrible it seemed like he'd never get up ran through his entire body. 
8516There were so many places that hurt that he couldn't tell where, specifically, he 
8517was injured. "Gyaghh!" Unable to stand the taste of iron building in his throat, 
8518he coughed up fresh blood. The high viscosity caused it to string down his chin. 
8519
8520Gazef was still staggering from the round of invisible shock waves when the 
8521angels came at him with their swords. The blows he couldn't dodge hit his armor 
8522and were luckily repelled, but the shock that transferred through still hurt. He 
8523swiped sideways at one angel, but it easily evaded his unbalanced attack. 
8524
8525His breathing was rough, and his hands shook. The intense fatigue filling his 
8526entire body whispered that he should just lie down and rest. 
8527
8528"The hunt is in its final stage. Let's give the beast a rest. Don't let up with your 
8529angels—take turns attacking!" 
8530
8531He tried to catch his breath, but the angels surrounding him followed their 
8532commander's orders and came at him swinging. He dodged an attack coming 
8533from behind and blocked a thrust from the side with his sword. The jabs from 
8534flying angels overhead he took with the harder parts of his armor. He couldn't 
8535attack enough times to keep up with the ones he had to fend off. 
8536
8537
8538
8539The fatigue and his dwindling muscular strength made killing one angel per 
8540swing almost impossible at this point. He barely had enough energy to use 
8541martial arts. 
8542
8543His men were all defeated, and the enemy was concentrating their attack on 
8544him. He couldn't break through their circle. He could sense that death had sidled 
8545right up behind him. 
8546
8547A moment's negligence would find him on his knees, and he tried to put some 
8548fight into his body. 
8549
8550The shock waves pummeled him again as he frantically endured. His eyes 
8551swam. No! He put all his body and soul into his back and legs, but it was as if 
8552something somewhere were broken—the energy he could have sworn he was 
8553putting in seemed to leak out. 
8554
8555Suddenly he felt the prickle of meadow grass on his skin. That was proof that 
8556he had fallen. He panicked and desperately tried to stand, but he couldn't. The 
8557encroaching angels' swords chanted death. 
8558
8559"Finish him. Gang up so the job gets done beyond doubt." 
8560
8561I'm going to die. 
8562
8563His muscular arms trembled like jelly, and he couldn't even lift his sword. But 
8564he couldn't give up. He clenched his teeth so hard they made a horrible grinding 
8565sound. 
8566
8567He wasn't afraid to die. He knew that just as he had taken many lives along the 
8568way, one day he, too, would die in battle. 
8569
8570As Ainz said, he'd made enemies. Their hatred had turned into a blade that one 
8571day had to be thrust into his gut. 
8572
8573But he couldn't accept this, this attacking of multiple villages and killing of 
8574innocent people who had no way to fight back. All that just to trap him? That 
8575made him sick—he couldn't lose his life to people like that. And he couldn't 
8576stand not being able to save himself. 
8577
8578"Grahhhhh! I'm not that easy!" he screamed and gave his body all he had. 
8579Drooling a mix of spit and blood, he slowly got to his feet. 
8580
8581
8582
8583The determination of a man who shouldn't have had the power to stand, 
8584standing, caused a momentary retreat among the angels who had closed in. 
8585
8586"Ahhhhgh-ahhhgh." Just standing had Gazef out of breath, made his head 
8587spin; his body felt like it was made of lead. But he couldn't lie down. It just 
8588wouldn't do. 
8589
8590And it wasn't that he sympathized with the pain of the villagers who had died. 
8591"I'm captain of the Royal Select! I love and protect this country! I can't lose to 
8592bastards like you who would defile it!" Gown will protect the villagers. So my job 
8593is just to take out as many of these guys as possible to reduce , even just a little 
8594bit , the chance that more people meet this fate. 
8595
8596He would protect the future of the country by protecting its people. That was 
8597all. 
8598
8599"It's precisely because you spout fantasies like that that you'll die here, Gazef 
8600Stronoff," the enemy commander taunted. "If you had just forsaken the people 
8601in this borderland, this wouldn't have happened. You life is worth more than 
8602several thousand villagers' lives. Surely you must realize that! If you really loved 
8603your country, you would have left them to die." 
8604
8605"You and I ...will never see eye to eye. Let's do this!" 
8606
8607"What do you plan to 'do' in that state exactly? Quit your futile flailing and die 
8608quietly. I'll take pity on you and kill you painlessly." 
8609
8610"If you don't think...I can do anything...then why don't you come over here... 
8611and take my head? In this 'state'...it should be pretty easy, no?" 
8612
8613"Hmm. So you can still talk the talk, huh? You seem to want to fight, but do 
8614you stand a chance?" 
8615
8616Gazef just stared ahead, clasping his sword in trembling hands, focused on his 
8617hateful enemy even as his vision seemed about to blur. He was so focused he 
8618couldn't even see the angels surrounding him ready to attack. 
8619
8620"...Such a pointless endeavor. You're just too foolish. After we kill you, we're 
8621going to kill the surviving villagers. All you've done is bought them more time to 
8622be tormented by fear." 
8623
8624
8625
8626"Heh...heh-heh...," Gazef laughed in response, a grin spreading across his face. 
8627
8628"What's so funny?" 
8629
8630"Gah... The foolish one is you. There's someone in that village who is stronger 
8631than me. His power is so unfathomable I'm not sure all of you would be enough 
8632to take them... There's...agh...there's no way you'll be able to kill the villagers if 
8633he's protecting them." 
8634
8635"Stronger than the kingdom's most powerful warrior? You think a bluff like 
8636that will work on me? That's the height of stupidity." 
8637
8638Gazef smiled faintly. What will Nigun look like when he meets Ainz Ooal Gown? 
8639That thought would be a good souvenir for the next world. 
8640
8641"Angels, kill him." The beating of countless wings sounded over his heartless 
8642words. 
8643
8644As Gazef was about to make a run for it, prepared to die in the process, he 
8645heard a voice right next to him: 
8646
8647"Seems about time I swap in." 
8648
8649The scenery before Gazef changed. He was no longer on the crimson-dyed 
8650plain. He was in the corner of some kind of humble dwelling with perhaps a dirt 
8651floor. 
8652
8653His men were scattered around him and villagers were there, looking at him 
8654with concern. 
8655
8656"Wh-wheream I...?" 
8657
8658"This is a storehouse that Lord Ainz put a magic barrier over." 
8659
8660"The headman...? I don't seem to see Sir Gown..." 
8661
8662"No, he was here up until a moment ago, but you appeared right where he 
8663was." 
8664
8665So it was your voice in my head... 
8666
8667The tension he'd been desperately trying to maintain went out of his body. 
8668He'd done everything he could do. The villagers rushed over to him as he 
8669collapsed to the ground. 
8670
8671
8672
8673The Six Scriptures... Even the kingdom's strongest warrior couldn't beat them. 
8674But no one thought Ainz Ooal Gown would lose. 
8675
8676
8677
8678
8679chapter 5 The Ruler of Death 
8680
8681
8682OVER LOR D The Undead King 
8683
8684
8685
8686
8687
8688
8689
8690
8691
8692Chapter 5 | The Ruler of Death 
8693
8694
86951 
8696
8697No traces remained of the deadly battle that had just occurred on the plain. 
8698The blood dampening the grass was hidden by the setting sun, and the scent of it 
8699was dispersed on a capricious wind. There were two figures standing there who 
8700had seemed to come out of nowhere. 
8701
8702Captain Nigun of the Slane Theocracy's Sunlit Scripture turned to look at them, 
8703bewildered. One appeared to be a caster; he concealed his face with a strange 
8704mask and wore unrefined gauntlets. As if to prove his high status, he was 
8705wrapped in an extremely expensive-looking raven-black robe. 
8706
8707The other was completely covered in raven-black full plate armor. It was a 
8708magnificent suit, not one a person could find just anywhere. He could guess from 
8709looking that it was a first-class magic item. 
8710
8711The newcomers had appeared in the place of Gazef right as Nigun and his men 
8712had had him cornered. And now, Gazef and his men were gone. It must have 
8713been some kind of teleportation magic, but Nigun couldn't think what spell it 
8714might be. Two unknown individuals using magic he'd never heard of—he 
8715couldn't be too careful in this situation. 
8716
8717Nigun had all the angels fall back and form a wall to protect him and the 
8718others; they took a bit of distance from their new adversaries. Then, he stayed 
8719on his guard to see what they would do. The magic caster took another step 
8720forward. 
8721
8722"How do you do, people of the Slane Theocracy? My name is Ainz Ooal Gown. 
8723Feel free to call me Ainz." His voice crossed the distance on the wind. When 
8724Nigun didn't say anything, the stranger Ainz continued. "And behind me here is 
8725Albedo. First of all, I'd like to make a deal with you, so might I trouble you for 
8726some time?" 
8727
8728Nigun searched his memory for the name Ainz Ooal Gown, but nothing came 
8729
8730
8731
8732up; it was possible it was fake. For the time being, he decided to go along with 
8733their story and get some information. Having made that decision, Nigun 
8734gestured with his chin to continue the conversation. 
8735
8736"Marvelous... It seems as though you're willing—thank you. Very well, there is 
8737one thing I must say up front and that is you cannot win against me." 
8738
8739His tone of voice contained complete certainty. He wasn't bluffing or talking 
8740crazy; Ainz believed what he said from the bottom of his heart. 
8741
8742Nigun furrowed his brow slightly. 
8743
8744This wasn't the kind of thing one would say to Slane Theocracy elite. 
8745
8746"Ignorance is a pitiful thing. You'll have to pay for yours." 
8747
8748"Hm, I wonder about that... I've been watching the whole fight. The only 
8749reason I came is because I was absolutely certain I'd win. Don't you think I would 
8750have forsaken that man if I thought I couldn't beat you?" 
8751
8752He mokes sense. 
8753
8754A caster should have other ways to approach the situation. Arcaners, 
8755sorcerers, and wizards generally wore only light armor. For that reason, they had 
8756a better chance of winning if they avoided close combat and used Fly to shoot 
8757Fireball or some other spell from a distance. So for him to come and meet them 
8758face-to-face meant he must have some trick up his sleeve. 
8759
8760How did he interpret my silence? Ainz continued speaking. "Now that you 
8761understand that, I have some questions. First, a little something I'm curious 
8762about: The angels with you appear to be tier-three summons magic flame 
8763archangels—is that right?" 
8764
8765Why ore you asking if you already know? 
8766
8767Paying no attention to Nigun's bewilderment, Ainz went on. "It seems like 
8768you're summoning the same monster as from Yggdrosil, but I'm curious if you 
8769call it the same name or not. Most of the monsters in Yggdrasil have names from 
8770mythology; I'm pretty sure many angel and demon names are from myths. The 
8771most common source of angel and demon names is Christianity. It feels very 
8772unnatural for there to be 'archangels' here when you don't have Christianity. It 
8773
8774
8775
8776would seem to indicate that there are others like me in this world." 
8777
8778I hove no idea whot he's going on about. Annoyed, Nigun countered with a 
8779question of his own. "That's enough talking to yourself for now. Time to have 
8780you answer a question of mine. What did you do with Stronoff?" 
8781
8782"I teleported him into the village." 
8783
8784"...What?" He hadn't even been expecting a reply and the confusion showed in 
8785his voice—he realized why. "You fool. If you lie, all we need to do is search the 
8786village an—" 
8787
8788"It most definitely is not a lie. I just answered when you asked, although there 
8789is a reason I told the truth." 
8790
8791"To plead for your life? If you don't want to waste my time, I'll consider it." 
8792
8793"No, no, you misunderstand. Actually, I was listening to your conversation with 
8794Captain Gazef. You guys have a lot of gall." In reply to Nigun's ridicule, Ainz's 
8795tone and vibe changed. "You declared you would kill the villagers that I took the 
8796time to save. Does that strike you as a very nice thing to do?" 
8797
8798Ainz's robe flapped dramatically in the wind. The same gust maintained its 
8799force and blew through Nigun and his group as well. 
8800
8801The wind blowing over the plain had just happened to come from Ainz's 
8802direction, that was all. Feeling the chilly wind all over his body, Nigun cleared 
8803away the thoughts that had popped up in his head. That wind didn't actually 
8804smell like death... It was just my imagination. 
8805
8806"That's some big talk, caster. And what about it?" 
8807
8808Although he was feeling a bit overwhelmed, he maintained his taunting 
8809attitude with a sneer. The commander of one of the Slane Theocracy's ace 
8810special-ops units, the Sunlit Scripture, Nigun, was not going to be fazed by one 
8811guy—no—he couldn't afford to be. 
8812
8813But... 
8814
8815"I mentioned a deal before. How it goes is you surrender your lives without a 
8816fuss, and this won't hurt a bit. If you refuse, the penalty for your foolishness is 
8817the pain and despair that you'll die in." 
8818
8819
8820
8821Ainz took one step forward. 
8822
8823It was only one step, but he looked huge now. The members of the Sunlit 
8824Scripture took a step back, overawed. 
8825
8826"Ahh..." From near Nigun came a handful of hoarse voices—they were scared. 
8827
8828This presence was unbelievably overwhelming. Nigun himself had never been 
8829so overawed, so he could understand his men's fear. Even the courageous Nigun, 
8830who had made it through many a life-or-death situation and taken countless 
8831lives, felt like he was going to be crushed by the pressure exerted by this 
8832unknown caster, Ainz. It probably affected his men even more. 
8833
8834Who the heck is this guy?! 
8835
8836Whot is this coster really? Whot kind of face is under that mask? 
8837
8838Ignoring Nigun's panic, Ainz's ever coolheaded voice continued. "Here's the 
8839reason I told you the truth: I don't care if I tell you because you're going to die 
8840anyway." He slowly stretched out both hands and took another step forward. He 
8841looked a bit like he wanted a hug, but the sinister curve of his gauntlets gave the 
8842impression of a magical beast that was about to strike. 
8843
8844A chill ran from the tips of Nigun's toes to the top of his head. He'd had this 
8845feeling before—a premonition of death. 
8846
8847"Angels, charge! Don't let him get any closer!" Nigun shouted orders in what 
8848turned out to be more of a hoarse shriek. 
8849
8850He didn't do it to improve morale. He was just scared of Ainz Ooal Gown 
8851coming toward him. 
8852
8853Two flame archangels attacked at his command. Flapping their wings, they 
8854flew through the sky, slicing through the wind. After making a beeline for Ainz, 
8855they thrust their swords without a hint of hesitation. 
8856
8857Albedo will probably step out in front of him. That's what everyone was 
8858thinking, but they couldn't believe their eyes. Not because something happened 
8859—just the opposite. 
8860
8861They didn't do a thing. 
8862
8863Ainz took both swords without moving a muscle. He didn't use magic, evade, 
8864
8865
8866
8867get shielded, or defend; he didn't do a single thing but get stabbed. 
8868
8869Surprise turned to ridicule. 
8870
8871His presence , how strong he was—it hod oil been just talk. It wasn't that 
8872Albedo hadn't tried to protect him—surely the angels had just been too fast. 
8873Once their jig was up , these two weren't so tough. 
8874
8875Nigun sighed in relief along with his men in spite of himself. Feeling ashamed 
8876for his earlier panic, he looked toward Albedo. "You wretches, trying to fool me 
8877with those ridiculous bluffs..." Then, a question formed. Why hasn't Ainz's 
8878corpse fallen to the ground? "...What are you doing? Pull the angels back! 
8879Shouldn't he have fallen by now?" 
8880
8881"W-we're ordering them to pull back, but..." 
8882
8883Hearing his subordinate at such a loss, Nigun snapped his attention back to 
8884Ainz. 
8885
8886The angels were flapping their wings hard. They were like butterflies trying to 
8887escape a spider's web. Two of them slowly parted to either side. But they were 
8888moving unnaturally. They moved away from each other as if someone were 
8889forcing them. And then Ainz, who had previously been hidden in their shadow, 
8890was clearly visible in the gap. 
8891
8892"I told you, didn't I? You can't win against me. You should take people 
8893seriously when they warn you." His quiet voice reached Nigun's ears. 
8894
8895For a moment Nigun couldn't believe what he was seeing. 
8896
8897Ainz was standing there perfectly fine despite swords sticking out of his chest 
8898and gut. 
8899
8900"No way..." One of Nigun's men groaned what he himself was thinking. Judging 
8901from the position and angle of the swords, Ainz should be fatally wounded, but it 
8902didn't even look like he was in pain. 
8903
8904Of course, that wasn't the only surprising thing. 
8905
8906In Ainz's outstretched hands he held the necks of the two angels. They were 
8907struggling to escape, but he wasn't letting go. 
8908
8909"This can't be...," someone mumbled. Angels were summoned monsters, and 
8910
8911
8912
8913their bodies were made up of the summoner's magical energy, but that didn't 
8914mean they were light. They weighed slightly more than an adult human male, 
8915plus they were wearing heavy armor. It would be no easy feat to hold that up in 
8916one hand. Maybe a muscle-bound warrior who had gone through the most 
8917rigorous training would eventually be able to do it, but the man before them was 
8918a caster, which meant that rather than muscle, he had poured his efforts into 
8919increasing his wisdom and magical energy. Even if he were using magic to 
8920increase his strength, if the base number were low, the effect wouldn't be so 
8921great. 
8922
8923So why would he do it? And more than that, why is he fine with two swords 
8924sticking out of him? 
8925
8926"This has to be some kind of trick." 
8927
8928"O-of course! There's no way he could be unharmed with two swords stuck in 
8929him!" Shouts went up in a flustered panic. As a special-ops unit, they'd been to 
8930the brink of death many times and survived harsh battles, but they'd never seen 
8931anything like this. It would have been impossible even for the angels they 
8932summoned. 
8933
8934As Nigun's and his men's confusion deepened, a calm, even voice of someone 
8935who must not have been experiencing pain reached their ears. "Greater Physical 
8936Damage Immunity—it's a passive skill that makes me immune to damage from 
8937low-level monsters and weapons that don't have a ton of data. It can only nullify 
8938attacks from up to level 60. In other words, any level above that and it wouldn't 
8939have any defensive effect whatsoever; I'd take damage like normal. It's all or 
8940nothing...but it seems like it's been pretty useful, huh? Now, then, these angels 
8941are in my way." 
8942
8943Ainz took the two angels he was holding and smashed them into the ground 
8944with tremendous force. He'd put so much power into it that it felt like the earth 
8945shook along with the slamming noise. 
8946
8947The angels died, turned into countless particles of light, and disappeared. 
8948Naturally, their swords also disappeared. 
8949
8950"I thought if I could figure out the reason the angels are named the way they 
8951are, I could figure out why you can use Yggdrosil magic, but I guess I won't worry 
8952
8953
8954
8955about that right now." 
8956
8957Nigun's opponent straightened up slowly, still muttering nonsense. That 
8958nonsense was part of his mysterious horror. Nigun swallowed hard. 
8959
8960"Okay, have you had your fill of this dull child's play? I take it you refuse to 
8961make a deal with me. So now it's my turn." 
8962
8963Ainz the angel killer straightened his posture and stretched out his hands, as if 
8964to show he wasn't carrying anything. In the uncomfortable silence, his words felt 
8965infinitely loud. "Here I go! This is a massacre!" 
8966
8967Nigun felt like he'd been stabbed in the back with an icicle and wanted to 
8968throw up. He felt something that as a veteran slaughterer he'd never felt before. 
8969
8970We should retreat. Fighting with Ainz without knowing for sure we can win is 
8971too dangerous. 
8972
8973But he dismissed that gut feeling. They'd had Gazef cornered a moment ago; 
8974they couldn't just watch their prey get away now. 
8975
8976Ignoring the warning from deep down, he shouted orders. "All angels, attack! 
8977Now!" 
8978
8979All the flame archangels abruptly headed for Ainz. 
8980
8981"You guys really like to play, huh? Albedo, fall back," Nigun heard Ainz's awfully 
8982calm and collected voice say in the midst of the angel attack. He didn't seem the 
8983least bit anxious about having no way to escape the angels that were bearing 
8984down on him from all directions. 
8985
8986It seemed like he was about to be skewered by countless swords, but before 
8987that could happen, he cast a spell: "Negative Burst!" 
8988
8989The earth rumbled below them. 
8990
8991All at once, a wave of black like the reverse of light with Ainz at its center 
8992swallowed up the area. The pulse took all of a moment, and the results of it were 
8993instantly clear. 
8994
8995"This... This can't be!" Somebody's voice was carried on the wind. The scene 
8996before them was that unbelievable. 
8997
8998
8999
9000There had been more than forty angels. They were all obliterated by the wave 
9001of black light. 
9002
9003It hadn't been counter magic to cancel the summons. The way the angels had 
9004been blown away by the black wave meant damage. In other words, he'd wiped 
9005out the angels with damage-dealing magic. 
9006
9007A violent chill went through Nigun's entire body. Gazef Stronoff flitted across 
9008the back of his mind, along with the words he'd said: 
9009
9010"Gah... The foolish one is you. There's someone in that village who is stronger 
9011than me. His power is so unfathomable I'm not sure all of you would be enough 
9012to take him... There's...agh...there's no way you'll be able to kill the villagers if 
9013he's protecting them." 
9014
9015The words matched the scene before his eyes. 
9016
9017That can't be possible! Nigun dismissed Gazef's words from his head and 
9018frantically talked himself down. The strongest group he knew of was the Black 
9019Scripture, and their members could wipe out angels. So all he had to do was 
9020keep in mind that Ainz was at least as powerful as them. Even if he was Black 
9021Scripture-level strong, with their numbers they should be able to take him. 
9022
9023But could a Black Scripture member wipe out an angel with just one spell? 
9024
9025Nigun shook his head and cleared away his questions. He couldn't ask that 
9026now. If he realized the answer, he wouldn't have any way to proceed. So he put 
9027his hand on his breast pocket and took courage from the magic item inside. 
9028
9029He was convinced that as long as he had that, they'd be all right. 
9030
9031His men, who didn't have that support, were coping in a different way. 
9032
9033"Yea-yearrrrrgh!" 
9034
9035"What the hell?!" 
9036
9037"He's a monster!" 
9038
9039Upon seeing that their angels were useless, they began shooting off any spell 
9040they felt they could rely on, shrieking all the while: 
9041
9042
9043"Charm Person!" 
9044
9045
9046
9047"Iron Hammer of Righteousness!" 
9048
9049"Hold!" 
9050
9051"Fire Rain!" 
9052
9053"Emerald Sarcophagus!" 
9054
9055"ShockWave!" 
9056
9057"Stalagmite Charge!" 
9058
9059"Open Wounds!" 
9060
9061"Poison!" 
9062
9063"Fear!" 
9064
9065"Curse!" 
9066
9067"Blindness!" 
9068
9069They threw all kinds of spells Ainz's way. 
9070
9071Through the hail of magic, he kept his relaxed attitude. "As I thought, these are 
9072all spells I know. Who taught them to you? Someone from the Slane Theocracy? 
9073Or someone else? There are just more and more things I want to ask." 
9074
9075A being who con kill ongels in one shot and can't be harmed with magic... 
9076
9077Nigun felt like he was trapped in a nightmare. 
9078
9079"Eaaagggghhhhhh!" Driven mad by the ineffectiveness of their magic, one of 
9080his men took out a slingshot and, emitting a strange scream, launched a pellet. 
9081Nigun wondered what effect that could possibly have against a guy who was fine 
9082being run through with two angel swords, but he didn't stop him. 
9083
9084The heavy iron pellet flew straight toward Ainz with enough destructive force 
9085to easily break a human's bones. 
9086
9087Suddenly there was a sound like an explosion. 
9088
9089One moment. 
9090
9091It only took one moment. 
9092
9093They were in the middle of a battle, so it wasn't as if they'd looked away. Yet 
9094
9095
9096
9097there was Albedo, who should have been behind Ainz, standing firmly in front of 
9098him. Did she teleport? In the place where she had been standing, some dirt was 
9099scuffed into a mound where she had kicked off. That strange sound had been the 
9100impact... 
9101
9102Moving in a blur, she swung her bardiche in a full arc. It left behind a neat, 
9103sickly green afterglow. 
9104
9105A beat later, the man who had launched the pellet crumpled to the ground. 
9106
9107"...Huh?!" 
9108
9109No one could grasp what they had just seen. Our side attacked, so how come 
9110our man got taken out?! 
9111
9112Another subordinate ran over to confirm the man's status (dead) and cried, 
9113"A-an iron pellet cracked his head open!" 
9114
9115"What? An iron pellet? ...You mean the one he just launched?!" 
9116
9117He shot it, so how did it kill him? A voice on the wind delivered the answer. 
9118
9119"Sorry about that. My subordinate here used a couple skills, Missile Parry and 
9120Counter Arrow, to reverse the attack... It seems like you had some defensive 
9121magic up to block projectiles, but if the counterattack is stronger, the barrier 
9122would break, right? It's nothing to be surprised about." Having said just that, 
9123Ainz ignored Nigun and the others and turned to Albedo. "But Albedo, you know 
9124a projectile that puny wouldn't hurt me. You didn't need to—" 
9125
9126"But Lord Ainz! To do battle with you, Supreme One, they must at least meet 
9127some minimum threshold of attack. That pellet... It was too great an insult!" 
9128
9129"Ha-ha! If we said that, though, they'd be completely disqualified. Right?!" 
9130
9131"P-principality observation! Engage!" 
9132
9133Responding to Nigun's hoarse voice, an angel that hadn't budged the whole 
9134time spread its wings. Principality observation was a fully armored angel. In one 
9135hand it carried a mace with a large pommel and its other hand was equipped 
9136with an oval shield. Its legs were completely hidden by long skirtlike hitatare. 
9137
9138The reason this angel, stronger than an archangel, hadn't moved until now was 
9139its special ability. Appropriate to its name "observation," it had the power to 
9140
9141
9142
9143raise its teammates' defense just by watching. However, this ability would get 
9144canceled if it moved. So having principality observation stand by was the wisest 
9145choice. 
9146
9147The fact that Nigun had given it orders showed how shaken he was. It was as if 
9148he were grasping at straws, not even caring what could be done as long as 
9149something was. 
9150
9151"Albedo, fall back." 
9152
9153The angel took its orders and flew immediately to Ainz. Without losing any 
9154momentum, it began beating on him with its sparkling mace. Ainz took it straight 
9155on with his gauntleted left hand, seeming put out by the hassle. 
9156
9157These blows should have broken his arm, but they didn't seem to affect Ainz. 
9158He remained unperturbed as he took two, three hits. 
9159
9160"Sheesh... I guess it's time for a counterattack now? Hell Flame!" 
9161
9162From the tip of his extended right hand's finger sprang a small black flame, 
9163flickering faintly as if one breath could extinguish it. It caught on to principality 
9164observation but was laughably tiny compared to the angel's gleaming body. 
9165
9166However... 
9167
9168With a whoosh, principality observation went up in flames. The resulting heat 
9169was so intense that Nigun and his men, even at a distance, couldn't keep their 
9170eyes open. 
9171
9172Within the roaring blaze that threatened to burn up even the heavens, the 
9173angel's form melted and disappeared. It happened all too quickly. Then, having 
9174burned up its target, the black flame also faded away. 
9175
9176Nothing was left behind. It was as if both the angel and the black flame had 
9177never been there at all. 
9178
9179"Th-that's absurd..." 
9180
9181"In one shot...?" 
9182
9183"Eeeegh!" 
9184
9185
9186"How can that beeee?!" 
9187
9188
9189
9190Nigun's yells mingled with the chorus of confused voices. He didn't even realize 
9191he was shouting. He was just saying whatever came to his mind. He had no sense 
9192of how loud or shrill he was. 
9193
9194Principality observation was a high-level angel. Furthermore, its ratio of ability 
9195points for attack to defense was 3:7. It had the highest defense of all the 
9196principalities that could be summoned on the same tier of magic. 
9197
9198Plus, Nigun had a talent that strengthened any monsters he summoned. The 
9199effect wasn't huge, but the powers of monsters he summoned were stronger. 
9200That meant that there were not many people who could defeat a principality 
9201observation summoned by Nigun. 
9202
9203And to do it with just one spell—he'd never seen anyone capable of something 
9204like that in his life. That was impossible even for the members of the Black 
9205Scripture, who were near the limits of human potential as far as Nigun 
9206understood them. In other words, Ainz Ooal Gown's power was superhuman. 
9207
9208"Impossible! That can't be! There's no way you can destroy an elite angel with 
9209just one spell! What kind of monster are you?! Ainz Ooal Gown—how could I not 
9210have heard of you before? What the hell is your real name, you bastard?" He'd 
9211lost all semblance of composure. All he could do was scream his inability to 
9212acknowledge what had just happened. 
9213
9214Ainz spread his hands apart. The gleam of the setting sun made them look 
9215stained with blood. "Why didn't you think it was possible? It seems to me that 
9216maybe you're just ignorant. Or maybe it's just how things are in this world? 
9217Allow me to answer one of your questions." Everyone quieted down in 
9218anticipation, which caused Ainz's voice to sound extra loud. "My name is Ainz 
9219Ooal Gown. It's not a pseudonym." 
9220
9221This wasn't the answer they'd wanted, but Nigun could sense the pride and joy 
9222coming through in every word. It all left him speechless. A mysterious answer 
9223from a mysterious stranger—it made sense in this messed-up situation. 
9224
9225Nigun felt like his shallow breathing was obnoxiously loud. 
9226
9227The wind blowing over the plain was obnoxiously loud, too. His heartbeat felt 
9228abnormally loud. Someone's heavy, irregular breathing sounded like they'd been 
9229doing sprints. 
9230
9231
9232
9233He thought of various ways to console himself, but the sight of Ainz taking 
9234both of those swords, the sight of him wiping out all of those angels with one 
9235spell, etc., drowned it out with, He's more of o monster than I ever could hove 
9236expected. I can't win. 
9237
9238"C-Captain, wh-what should we do?" 
9239
9240"Figure it out yourself! I'm not your mother, dammit!" 
9241
9242The frightened look on his subordinate's face after being yelled at brought 
9243Nigun back to reality. He couldn't lose composure in the face of this unknown 
9244monster. 
9245
9246As the sun set, darkness swallowed the world bit by bit. And along with it, the 
9247jaws of death seemed to open, ready to swallow everything up. Frantically 
9248suppressing his fear, Nigun gave orders. 
9249
9250"Defense! Anyone who wants to live, buy me time!" With trembling hands, he 
9251took a crystal from his breast pocket. The chains of fear bound his normally quick 
9252subordinates and their movements became sluggish. Even a soldier who wasn't 
9253afraid of death would hesitate when asked to act as a shield against such a 
9254monster, but he had to get them to buy him some time nevertheless. 
9255
9256Two hundred years ago, when an evil spirit had been terrorizing the continent, 
9257a single angel was said to have destroyed it. Sealed in this crystal was magic to 
9258summon that most powerful angel. It had the capacity to take out an entire city 
9259with ease. 
9260
9261Nigun had no idea what it cost or how much effort was needed to summon 
9262this angel, but if he could kill this unfathomable foe, Ainz Ooal Gown, then it 
9263would be worth it. More than anything, they'd all be doomed if he didn't use the 
9264crystal and then Ainz stole it. Those were the excuses he used in his head. In 
9265reality, he was just scared to become a lump of meat like the many beings he'd 
9266slayed. 
9267
9268"I'm going to summon the highest-level angel! Buy me time!" Dangling that 
9269carrot perked his men right up. 
9270
9271Their flame of hope blazed, and Ainz must have noticed, but he didn't do 
9272anything to stop it. He was just muttering things Nigun couldn't understand. "So 
9273
9274
9275
9276he has a crystal with magic sealed inside...? From the sparkle, it doesn't seem to 
9277be super tier. And it's probably an item we had in Yggdrosil, so...the highest-level 
9278angel would be...seraph class? Albedo, use some skills to guard me. I highly 
9279doubt it would be a seraph a sphere, but even if it were a seraph the empyrean, 
9280we'd have to fight with all we've got. Or...I wonder if it could be a monster 
9281specific to this world?" 
9282
9283While Ainz stood, unmoving, the crystal glittered in Nigun's hands as it broke 
9284down as crystals did when used. Then, it was as if a sun that had been trying to 
9285hide suddenly appeared at ground level. The plain was filled with an explosive 
9286white light and a faint scent tickled everyone's nostrils. The legendary angel of 
9287whom tales had been told throughout the ages arrived before him and Nigun 
9288reacted joyously. "Behold, the noble dominion authority!" 
9289
9290The angel was a cluster of sparkling wings. Inside, a hand was holding the 
9291symbol of sovereignty, a scepter, but besides that there were no legs or a head 
9292or anything else. Its appearance was certainly strange, but no one could doubt 
9293that it was holy—from the moment it showed itself, the air was purified. 
9294
9295Before this supremely good being, Nigun's subordinates' emotions exploded 
9296and they burst into applause. 
9297
9298This will be able to kill Ainz Oool Gown. 
9299
9300It's his turn to be scored. 
9301
9302Know your folly before the power of the gods. 
9303
9304Faced with the object of their delight, it was all Ainz could do to string a few 
9305words together. "That's it?! This is you getting serious? This angel...is the ace up 
9306your sleeve?" 
9307
9308Ainz's astonishment banished Nigun's insecurity from earlier; he started to 
9309even feel pretty good. "Yes, that's right! This is the highest-level angel—I know 
9310you can't help but be frightened. Normally it'd be a waste to use something like 
9311this, but I took the liberty of deciding you were a worthy adversary." 
9312
9313"What the heck...?" Ainz slowly raised a hand and put it over his mask. Nigun 
9314could see the gesture only as stemming from despair. 
9315
9316"Ainz Ooal Gown. I summoned the highest-level angel against you—I respect 
9317
9318
9319
9320you as an opponent. Take pride in that! You are a tremendously powerful 
9321caster!" He solemnly shook his head. "Honestly, I'd like to welcome you as a 
9322brother. It would be great to have someone as powerful as you for an ally...but 
9323forgive me. My orders this time don't allow for that. But we will remember you, 
9324the caster who forced us to summon the highest-level angel." 
9325
9326In response to Nigun's admiration came a cold voice. "This is truly...ridiculous." 
9327
9328"What?" Nigun couldn't comprehend what had just been said. From his point 
9329of view, Ainz was nothing more than an offering to this angel. But he seemed far 
9330too relaxed... 
9331
9332"Albedo, I'm sorry...for actually taking precautions against this kids' stuff. You 
9333even used some skills for me..." 
9334
9335"It was nothing, Lord Ainz. If you consider the possibility that something more 
9336than we were expecting could have been summoned, it makes sense that we 
9337should try to lower the chance you would be injured as much as possible." 
9338
9339"Hm? Well, you're right, of course. Even so, I can't believe that this is all they 
9340could muster. I'm stunned." 
9341
9342The two of them were giving off the strong indication that even bothering with 
9343Nigun and his men any longer was absurd. Nigun began to get hot under the 
9344collar. "How can you act this way before the highest-level angel?" he bellowed at 
9345them as they chatted in a leisurely manner, ignoring it. His delight was canceled 
9346out by their overwhelmingly superior attitude and his previous insecurity and 
9347fear returned. Ainz Oool Gown couldn't possibly surpass even the highest-level 
9348angel[ could he? "No! It can't be! It can't be! It cannot be! No one should be able 
9349to beat this angel! It even beat an evil spirit! No human can win against this 
9350angel—you must be bluffing! This has to be a bluff!" Nigun no longer had the 
9351means to control his emotions. 
9352
9353He couldn't accept that there could be an enemy of the Slane Theocracy who 
9354was stronger than their strongest angel. Nor could he accept the fact that that 
9355enemy was standing in front of him. "Use Holy Smite!" 
9356
9357There was a realm of magic humans could never reach: tier seven and above. 
9358In the Slane Theocracy they were able to use some of those spells by performing 
9359large-scale ceremonies, but a dominion authority could use them on its own. It 
9360
9361
9362
9363wasn't the highest-level angel for nothing. 
9364
9365The spell Nigun asked for, Holy Smite, was a tier-seven spell. In other words, it 
9366was a spell of ultimate power. 
9367
9368"Okay, okay. I won't budge, so bring it on. Will you be satisfied, then?" Ainz's 
9369response was totally easygoing, as if he were yielding at a stop sign. 
9370
9371That attitude frightened Nigun. 
9372
9373This angel was the strongest being on the continent, possessing ultimate 
9374power—it had even defeated an evil spirit. There shouldn't be any way to take it 
9375out. 
9376
9377But whot if there were? 
9378
9379Whot if the mysterious coster before me right now could do it? 
9380
9381That would mean that this man is for stronger than an evil spirit. 
9382
9383How could such a powerful overlord exist?! 
9384
9385In response to its summoner's wish for an all-out attack, the dominion 
9386authority's scepter shattered. The shards began slowly revolving around the 
9387angel. 
9388
9389"Aha. A once-per-summons special ability that amplifies spell power? It seems 
9390dominion abilities are also the same as in Yggdrosil..." 
9391
9392"Holy Smite!" 
9393
9394The spell was cast and a column of light shone down—at least, that's what it 
9395looked like. With a roar, the pale, pure light enveloped Ainz as he held a hand up 
9396like a visor. 
9397
9398The seventh tier—this was a spell impossible for a human to cast. 
9399
9400Beings of evil would be "cleansed" by absolute purity. Even if they were good, 
9401they would meet the same fate. It was just a difference of whether a little bit of 
9402them would be left over or they would be completely expunged. That's what a 
9403spell that transcended human potential could do. It would be strange if it 
9404couldn't do something like that. 
9405
9406
9407...But Ainz was fine. 
9408
9409
9410
9411The monster had neither been expunged, nor fallen to the ground, nor burned 
9412to a crisp, nor anything else—he was standing there on his two feet. He was even 
9413cackling. 
9414
9415"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Just what I'd expect from a spell cast by a being strong 
9416against evil... So this is what it's like to take damage? This is pain, then. I see, I 
9417see. But even in pain I can think clearly and my movements are not inhibited." 
9418The column of light faded despite not having done much of anything. 
9419"Marvelous. Yet another experiment completed." His voice was unconcerned- 
9420no, it actually sounded content somehow. 
9421
9422Realizing that, all Nigun and his men could do was twitchily grin. 
9423
9424There was, however, one person who was furious. 
9425
9426"You lower...you base scuuum!!!" A shriek cut through the air. Its source, 
9427Albedo. "You lower life-form bastaaards! How dare you cause our loved and 
9428respected master, Lord Ainz—the man I love, the man I suuuuper love—to be in 
9429paaain?! Know your place as garbaaage! Death is a fate too merciful for youuu! 
9430Km going to give you the maximum pain that exists in this world and mess with 
9431you till you go insaaane! Km going to burn your limbs off with acid, make minced 
9432meat of your man bits, and force-feed it to youuu! When you recover, use magic 
9433to heal him! Aaaah, I hate you! I hate you, I hate you, I hate you so much my 
9434heart feels like it's going to explode!" Her armored arms flailed. 
9435
9436It felt like the world was warping around that spot. The sign of something 
9437twisted by an evil faith in death battered them like a bomb blast. It was wriggling 
9438violently beneath that full suit of armor. Something big was trying to burst 
9439through. Even though Nigun could see that was the case, there was nothing he 
9440could do but stand there stock-still and watch as a monster that would surely 
9441sully the world was born. 
9442
9443There was only one person in the universe who could stop Albedo. He quietly 
9444raised a hand and said, "Albedo, it's fine." 
9445
9446Even just that was enough to stop her short. 
9447
9448"B-but Lord Ainz! The lower life-forms, they—" 
9449
9450"It's fine, Albedo. Aside from the unexpected fragility of their angels, 
9451
9452
9453
9454everything has been going pretty much according to my plan. So why get 
9455angry?" 
9456
9457Hearing those words, Albedo put a hand over her heart and bowed her head. 
9458"You're always right, Lord Ainz. It's so fitting that you would have such a 
9459carefully laid plan. I am deeply impressed." 
9460
9461"No, I mean, I'm glad you were anxious for me and got mad, but...Albedo, 
9462you're more charming when you smile." 
9463
9464"Tee-heeeee! Ch-cha-charming! Ahem. Thank you, Lord Ainz." 
9465
9466"Well, then, sorry to keep you waiting." 
9467
9468Nigun, who'd been going numb watching how carefree they were, came back 
9469to himself at this address. "I know what you really are! Evil spirits! You're evil 
9470spirits!" 
9471
9472Nigun had practically no knowledge of beings who could do battle with high- 
9473level angels. There were the six gods, which included the one he believed in; the 
9474kings of dragons—the most powerful race—dragonlords; the legendary 
9475monsters who were supposedly so strong that one could take out a country, 
9476nation breakers; and evil spirits. 
9477
9478It was said that the Thirteen Heroes defeated the evil spirits and sealed them 
9479away. It made the most sense to Nigun to consider that blast just a moment ago 
9480the seal on an evil spirit being broken. 
9481
9482And if they were evil spirits, Nigun still had a slight hope that it would be 
9483possible to defeat them, as long as he had his angel. 
9484
9485"Again! Beat him down with Holy Smite!" Ainz said he'd felt pain last time. So 
9486maybe he took damage? He's standing , but maybe that's all he can manage. 
9487Innumerable maybes occupied his mind. If they didn't, it would surely break. 
9488
9489But Ainz wasn't about to let him attack twice. 
9490
9491"It's my turn, isn't it? Know despair: Black Hole!" 
9492
9493A tiny dot appeared on the dominion authority's glimmering body. Before 
9494everyone's eyes, it grew bigger and bigger—a vacuum. 
9495
9496It sucked everything in. 
9497
9498
9499
9500Soon nothing was left and it had gone so laughably, stunningly easily. 
9501
9502With the brilliant dominion authority lost, the light in the area dimmed all at 
9503once. The wind rushing over the plains, rustling the grass, seemed to echo. In the 
9504midst of the silence, a hoarse voice spoke. "What ore you...?!" Nigun asked the 
9505impossible being again. "I've never heard of a caster by the name of Ainz Ooal 
9506Gown. But then, there can't be someone who can take out the highest-level 
9507angel in one shot. It would be wrong for such a person to exist." He shook his 
9508head weakly. "All I know is you're vastly stronger than evil spirits. It doesn't make 
9509sense... What ar—?" 
9510
9511"I'm Ainz Ooal Gown. Once this name was known by all. But I think that's 
9512enough chatting, don't you? Any more than this and it'd be a waste of time for 
9513both of us. To prevent further time wasting I'm going to let you know ahead of 
9514time that I've cast anti-teleportation magic around here and I have men waiting 
9515to ambush you throughout the area, so know that escape is impossible." 
9516
9517The sun had sunk completely below the horizon and the land was wrapped in 
9518darkness. Nigun felt like this was the end, and it was obvious that that was the 
9519case. 
9520
9521Suddenly space broke over his crouching men—like a clay pot shattered. But it 
9522was back to normal in an instant, leaving no trace of the abnormal view. 
9523
9524As Nigun floundered for an explanation, Ainz gave him one. "Sheesh, you 
9525should be grateful. It looks like someone was trying to monitor you with 
9526intelligence magic! Luckily, I was within range and my attack wall activated, so I 
9527don't think they managed to get more than a peek. Sheesh, if I'd have known 
9528this would happen, I would have linked it with a higher-level attack spell..." 
9529
9530Those words were a revelation for Nigun. His home country must have been 
9531checking in on him periodically. 
9532
9533"If I only use Explosion boosted to have an increased area of effect, they might 
9534not learn their lesson... Anyhow, that's enough fooling around, I think." 
9535
9536Realizing what he meant, a chill went down Nigun's spine. The taker of lives' 
9537life was about to be taken. And he was so scared he couldn't stand it. Just like 
9538everyone whose life he had taken so far, he was terrified to have his life stolen 
9539away. The eyes of his subordinates gathering on him was bothersome. 
9540
9541
9542
9543He felt like he might start to cry. 
9544
9545He wonted to cry and scream and beg to be spared, but Ainz didn't look like he 
9546was big on mercy. So he held back his tears and groped frantically for a plan. But 
9547no matter how much he thought, there was no one to support them. In that 
9548case, all he could do really was depend on Ainz's mercy. 
9549
9550"W-wait! I'd like you to wait a moment, sir—Lord! Lord Ainz Ooal Gown. Please 
9551wait! I want to make a deal! I swear you'll come out ahead! I'll pay you whatever 
9552you want if you'll spare our lives—no, even just my life!" In his peripheral vision 
9553he could see his subordinates staring agape at him, but they were no longer his 
9554concern. What was important now was his own life, nothing else. 
9555
9556Besides, his subordinates were replaceable, whereas he was not. He ignored 
9557their resentful voices and continued. "It must be hard to satisfy such a great 
9558caster as yourself, but I will match your desired amount as closely as possible. I 
9559may not look it, but I'm quite a valuable asset to my country. I'm sure they would 
9560pay an exceptional sum. Of course, if there is something you would prefer 
9561besides money, I could arrange that as well! So please, I beg you, spare my life!" 
9562Having said all that in one breath, Nigun gasped a few times. "S-so, how about it, 
9563Lord Ainz Ooal Gown?" 
9564
9565In response to Nigun's desperate supplication came a soft, friendly woman's 
9566voice. "Did you not refuse Supreme Being Lord Ainz's most merciful offer 
9567earlier?" 
9568
9569"But—" 
9570
9571"I get what you're saying. 'Even if I took that deal, I would've been killed! I 
9572want to live!' right?" The suit of armor's helmet moved in a way that all but said, 
9573Good grief. "That attitude is plain mistaken. Lord Ainz wields the power of life 
9574and death in Nazarick, so when he says you will die, you lower life-form humans 
9575bow your heads and wait for the end, full of gratitude." She spoke in a tone that 
9576said she believed every word from the bottom of her heart. 
9577
9578She's insane. This woman has no means of rational thought—she's completely 
9579bonkers. Fully realizing this, Nigun turned to Ainz with a glimmer of hope. 
9580
9581Ainz had been silently listening to their conversation up to that point, and 
9582when he realized they were waiting for his decision, he shook his head with a 
9583
9584
9585
9586"sheesh." "Let's see, I think it went something like... 'Quit your futile flailing and 
9587die quietly. I'll take pity on you and kill you painlessly.'" 
9588
9589
95902 
9591
9592
9593Night had fallen on the plain. Walking along, Ainz looked up and noticed again 
9594how full of pretty stars the sky was. 
9595
9596Maybe I went a tad overboard. 
9597
9598As long as Albedo was watching, he couldn't do anything clumsy. As master, he 
9599had to carry himself properly in front of his servant. Partly due to that, he might 
9600have gotten a little too carried away, but still, he'd been playing his part as if his 
9601life depended on it. 
9602
9603So did I pass or not? As long as she's not disappointed in me... 
9604
9605Ainz didn't know she was thinking, Holy cow, you were so cool. Lord Ainz! Tee- 
9606hee-hee-hee-hee! beneath her close helmet, so he ran over again in his head 
9607how he had acted that day. 
9608
9609"But Lord Ainz, why did you save Gazef?" 
9610
9611I wonder... He didn't feel like he could accurately explain the workings of his 
9612heart at that moment, so he said something else instead. "It was a problem we 
9613brought on them, so I figured we should be the ones to solve it if we could." 
9614
9615"Then, why did you give him that item?" 
9616
9617"That was strategic planning. Him having that was handy for me, too." 
9618
9619The item he'd given Gazef was a cash store item from Yggdrasil— one Ainz had 
9620quite a few of. He didn't think he'd be able to acquire any more, but giving one 
9621away this time was not a major loss. On the contrary, Ainz was happy for their 
9622number to decrease. 
9623
9624Those items were consolation prizes for the five hundred-yen gacha, so having 
9625so many just reminded him how he'd wasted all his money and ended up poor. 
9626But that wasn't all. After pouring so much cash into it and finally getting the 
9627
9628
9629
9630super-rare item he'd been after, his former guildmate Yamaiko got it on her first 
9631try. The shock from that still remained in his mind as a hairline crack. 
9632
9633He'd thought to throw them away many a time, but when he remembered that 
9634each one had cost five hundred yen, he couldn't just chuck them. 
9635
9636"Well, I could have used that item or not, but either way was no loss for me, 
9637
9638_ ^ ft 
9639
9640so... 
9641
9642"Wouldn't it have been better for me to wipe them out? There was no need for 
9643you to go save that lower life-form... I didn't sense any truly formidable signals in 
9644the area. I don't think there was any reason you needed to go personally." 
9645
9646"I see..." Ainz didn't have this signal detector built in, so that was all he could 
9647say. 
9648
9649In Yggdrosil, he could tell roughly how strong an enemy was compared to him 
9650by the color its name was displayed in. He could also get information from walk¬ 
9651through sites or his guildmates' intelligence magic. 
9652
9653It was a little bit nostalgic. 
9654
9655I should hove learned some intelligence magic. Ainz regretted not having those 
9656abilities. Of course, he wasn't sure if it would function the same here, but he 
9657probably wouldn't have had to take risks like he had that day. 
9658
9659Well, it's no use crying for the moon. Ainz decided to think about something 
9660else. 
9661
9662"Albedo, I know how strong you are and I trust you, but you shouldn't take 
9663things so lightly. Consider the possibility that someday an enemy could defeat 
9664me. That's especially important now when we don't have much info about this 
9665world. That's why I had Gazef do some work for me out there." 
9666
9667"Aha, so you sacrificed a pawn to test the strength of your enemy. Truly, that 
9668is the proper use for the inferior human race." He couldn't see her expression 
9669under her close helmet, but the tone of her voice was cheery as a flower garden. 
9670
9671He'd been wondering for a while, but as a former human, current undead, Ainz 
9672wanted to know if she really hated humans that much. 
9673
9674Not that he felt sad or lonely because of it. On the contrary, as the captain of 
9675
9676
9677
9678the floor guardians in the Great Tomb of Nazarick, the headquarters of a guild 
9679made up of grotesques, it was probably the correct attitude. It seemed that way 
9680to him anyhow. 
9681
9682"That's right, but of course, that's not all. If you reach out to help someone 
9683when they're on the verge of death, they'll be extra grateful. Also, since the 
9684enemy we were up against was a special-ops unit, even if they were to go 
9685missing, their country probably wouldn't be able to launch a high-profile search 
9686for them, so I felt like if I had the chance I wanted to intervene." 
9687
9688"Ahh, I'm impressed as always, Lord Ainz. Such deep thoughts... I suppose 
9689that's why you captured the commander and his men alive? Brilliant." 
9690
9691Hearing Albedo's praise, Ainz felt like bragging. He was making quick decisions 
9692and engineering plans with no inconsistencies or impossibilities. Maybe I'm 
9693executive material after all? he was thinking, all self-congratulatory, until he 
9694heard Albedo's concerned voice. 
9695
9696"But Lord Ainz... I wonder if perhaps taking both of those angels' swords was 
9697not the best course of action..." 
9698
9699"Oh? I figured I had confirmed that Greater Physical Damage Immunity was 
9700working using those knights outside the village when we first arrived in Carne." 
9701
9702"Yes, that is as you say. I witnessed it with my own eyes. However, it is 
9703unforgivable that you should have been stabbed with their vulgar blades while I 
9704was standing by right next to you." 
9705
9706"Ah, you're right. I acted without thinking of you, even though I was having 
9707you protect me. Sor—" 
9708
9709"And what woman could approve of her love being stabbed, even if he were 
9710unharmed in the end?" 
9711
9712"Urn, indeed." Never knowing what to say in these situations, Ainz gave a short 
9713reply and headed back toward the village. Albedo didn't particularly seem to 
9714want a reply and followed him without saying anything else. 
9715
9716When they entered the village, everyone came out to greet them, led by the 
9717death knight. In the midst of their countless praises and thanks, Gazef Stronoff 
9718appeared. 
9719
9720
9721
9722"Oh, Captain. Glad to see you up and about. I would have liked to save you 
9723sooner, but that item I gave you takes a little while to warm up. I apologize 
9724things got so down to the wire." 
9725
9726"Not at all, Sir Gown. I am grateful. After all, you did save me. By the way, 
9727what happened to...?" 
9728
9729Sensing a change in his tone of voice, Ainz took an inconspicuous look at him. 
9730He had already taken off his armor and was dressed lightly in regular clothes, 
9731completely unarmed. His face was covered in bruises and one of his eyelids had 
9732swollen up—his head seemed just like a misshapen soccer ball—but his eyes 
9733twinkled. 
9734
9735When Ainz looked away slightly, as if it were too bright, he spotted a ring on 
9736Gazef s left ring finger. 
9737
9738He's married... I'm glad we didn't make his wife cry! Ainz thought as he 
9739continued his act. "Oh, I drove them off. I figured it would be impossible to take 
9740them all out, and I was right." 
9741
9742That was a lie, of course. He'd sent them all to the Great Tomb of Nazarick. 
9743Gazef squinted for just a moment, but neither of them said anything. The 
9744atmosphere was tense. 
9745
9746Gazef was the one to end it. "Wonderful. You've saved us from danger so 
9747many times now, Sir Gown. However can we thank you? You must stop by my 
9748manor if you are ever in the capital. I would like to give you a proper welcome." 
9749
9750"Oh? Well, then, I may take you up on that, thank you." 
9751
9752"You won't come with us now, then, I take it? What are your plans, Sir Gown? 
9753My men and I will rest here." 
9754
9755"I see. As for me, I intend to head out, although I haven't decided where I'll go 
9756yet." 
9757
9758"It's already night. Traveling in the dark is..." Gazef trailed off. "Please excuse 
9759me, Sir Gown. You're strong enough that you don't need me to worry about you. 
9760I hope you'll remember me if you come to the capital. My gates will always be 
9761open for you. And I don't have words enough to thank you for allowing me to 
9762have one of the suits of armor from the knights who initially attacked Carne." 
9763
9764
9765
9766Ainz nodded and judged that everything he had come here to do was finished. 
9767Somehow or another, a lot of unexpected things had happened and he had 
9768stayed longer than he meant to. 
9769
9770"Let's go home," he said in a voice only Albedo could hear. She nodded happily 
9771in response, although she was still wearing her armor, of course. 
9772
9773
9774
9775
9776
9777
9778Epilogue 
9779
9780
9781Ainz's luxurious private chamber was ornately furnished and had a crimson 
9782rug. Normally it was covered with a veil of silence, but on this particular day, it 
9783was so quiet the silence could be heard as its own sound. The maid who normally 
9784stood by was gone, leaving only Ainz, Albedo, and a death knight standing at 
9785attention in the corner holding a sword. 
9786
9787Albedo's voice sounded sweet like honey, so it didn't spoil the atmosphere. 
9788"Allow me to report: The commander of the Slane Theocracy's Sunlit Scripture 
9789that we captured near that village has been sent to the ice prison. The plan is to 
9790have an officer of intelligence gathering get information out of him." 
9791
9792"If you're getting Neuronist to do it, that's no problem. But you know I want to 
9793experiment on the corpse, right?" 
9794
9795"Yes, my lord. Then, we are currently appraising the gear we stripped off the 
9796knight-looking things, but I have heard none of the items are very enchanted. I 
9797imagine we'll put everything in the treasury when we're done." 
9798
9799"Sure, that seems appropriate." 
9800
9801"Lastly, as a precaution, we've sent two shadow demons to that village. How 
9802should we handle Gazef Stronoff?" 
9803
9804"Leave the captain alone for now. More importantly, Carne is our only outside 
9805foothold and the only place we've managed to build friendly relations. We may 
9806rely on them for cooperation in the future. Do your utmost to avoid ruining that 
9807connection." 
9808
9809"Understood. I'll make sure we do. Well, then, it was brief, but that was my 
9810
9811
9812
9813report." 
9814
9815Ainz thanked her and took a closer look. She always wore a gentle smile, but 
9816today's was different—she seemed to be in a nearly uncontainable good mood. 
9817The reason was on her left ring finger being stroked by her right hand—a Ring of 
9818Ainz Ooal Gown. Where she wore it was up to her, but it wasn't hard to guess 
9819why she put it on that finger. 
9820
9821If those were her genuine feelings, as a man, Ainz might have been glad, but 
9822her feelings were the result of his fiddling. Guilt smoldered in his heart. 
9823
9824"Albedo, the love you have for me is something I warped. It's not how you 
9825really feel. So..." What else should I say? Would manipulating her memories with 
9826magic be the right way to handle this? Ainz faltered and couldn't say anything 
9827more. 
9828
9829Albedo, still smiling, asked, "How was I before you changed me?" 
9830
9831A bitch. 
9832
9833Not that he could say that, though, so he wasn't sure how to explain things. He 
9834looked calm on the outside, but inside he was frantically searching for a solution. 
9835Albedo, watching him, was again the first to speak: "In that case, I prefer my 
9836current self, so you don't have to fret about it." 
9837
9838"But..." 
9839
9840"But?" 
9841
9842Ainz was silent. He was getting some kind of unfathomable sign from her, as 
9843she continued to smile. 
9844
9845Since he wasn't speaking, she continued. "There's only one thing that's 
9846important." Ainz was waiting for her to continue, and she spoke in a sad voice. 
9847"I'm not a bother to you, am I?" 
9848
9849He opened his mouth and gazed at her face. Her words gradually sank into his 
9850brain—not that he thought he had one—and finally understood what she was 
9851trying to say. He hurried to her defense. "N-no, not at all." He wasn't upset 
9852about being loved by such a beauty. For now. 
9853
9854
9855"So then, it's fine, isn't it?" 
9856
9857
9858
9859"Urn..." It didn't seem to be, but he couldn't come up with a way to convince 
9860her. 
9861
9862"It's fine, isn't it?" she repeated. 
9863
9864Ainz definitely sensed something strange but asked as his last resort, "I 
9865distorted the backstory that Tabula gave you! Don't you want to get the real you 
9866back?" 
9867
9868"I'm sure Tabula Smaragdina would forgive you as a father forgives his 
9869daughter for becoming someone's bride." 
9870
9871"Y-you think so?" 
9872
9873Is that really what he was like? 
9874
9875As Ainz was pondering that, there came a clatter of metal. When he looked in 
9876the direction it came from, there was a long sword on the ground. The death 
9877knight who was supposed to have been holding it was nowhere to be found. It 
9878had just been summoned a little while ago. 
9879
9880"Monsters summoned in the usual way return after their time limit is up... 
9881From the way the sword from this world fell to the floor, their gear was not a 
9882bond that would allow them to remain in this world. In that case, when using a 
9883corpse as a base for the summons, it doesn't return because the tie to this world 
9884is stronger? If we had a pile of corpses we could use them to fortify Nazarick." 
9885
9886"Then shall I gather a pile of corpses?" 
9887
9888"Let's not go digging up Carne's graveyard or anything." 
9889
9890"Understood. But we should come up with an idea how to gather a large 
9891amount of corpses. Now, then, if the death knight has vanished, it must be 
9892almost time for the meeting. Please come with Sebas. I'll go on ahead." 
9893
9894"Oh? All right, Albedo. See you later." 
9895
9896Having left Ainz's chamber, Albedo saw Sebas walking her way. "Sebas! Perfect 
9897timing." 
9898
9899"Oh, Albedo. Is Lord Momonga in his chamber?" 
9900
9901"Yes, he is." She felt slightly superior because Sebas was still calling him Lord 
9902
9903
9904
9905Momonga. 
9906
9907Sebas raised an eyebrow. "You seem to be in a good mood. Did something nice 
9908happen?" 
9909
9910"Kind of." Knowing about the name wasn't the only reason she was happy. She 
9911was remembering her previous conversation with Ainz. She'd said "bride" and he 
9912hadn't refused her or evaded. In other words... Her gentle expression twisted to 
9913become impure even for how evil she was. She would never wear that sort of 
9914smile in front of Ainz. 
9915
9916"Tee-hee-hee-hee-hee! I can get him. I'll show her. I will be the one seated at 
9917his side! Shalltear can have a place to stand." She whispered her aims not as 
9918captain of the floor guardians, but as a woman, and clenched her fists. "My 
9919succubus blood is boiling!" 
9920
9921Sebas looked on, a bit disgusted. 
9922
9923Ainz arrived in the Throne Room accompanied by Albedo. A great many beings 
9924were there, down on one knee to express their loyalty. No one moved; it was so 
9925still not even the sound of breathing could be heard. The noises were Ainz's and 
9926Sebas's footsteps and the clacking of the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown on the floor. 
9927
9928Ainz climbed the stairs and sat on the throne. Sebas, of course, stopped at the 
9929foot of the stairs and kneeled behind Albedo. 
9930
9931Having seated himself, Ainz silently surveyed the scene stretching out before 
9932the stairs. Almost all of the NPCs had gathered. The best part of this was seeing 
9933everyone all together; there were so many different beings it was like a parade of 
9934demons. He wanted to applaud once more the imaginative power of his 
9935guildmates who had brought all this forth. 
9936
9937Looking over everyone, he noticed a few people missing, but that was 
9938unavoidable. The ultra-giant golem Gargantua and Guardian of the Eighth Level 
9939Victim couldn't get away. Not that it was to make up for their absence, but there 
9940were more than just NPCs gathered. There were many high-level minions, no 
9941doubt painstakingly selected by the floor guardians. 
9942
9943Even so, the Throne Room was so spacious it felt a little empty. The Throne 
9944Room was the heart of the Great Tomb of Nazarick and its most important area, 
9945
9946
9947
9948so he understood why people would hesitate to admit minions, but he thought 
9949the rule could be relaxed a bit more. 
9950
9951But that's a matter for another time. Ainz decided to address it at a later date 
9952and opened his mouth to speak: "First, I'm sorry I acted on my own," he 
9953apologized in a voice that didn't sound like he felt sorry at all. This was just for 
9954appearances; what was important was that he apologized. He'd acted at his own 
9955discretion, but he didn't want those beneath him to think he didn't trust them. 
9956"Ask Albedo what happened while we were gone, but there is one thing I want to 
9957tell all of you here right away. Greater Break Item!" Ainz cast a spell that could 
9958destroy magic items of up to a certain level. One of the big flags hanging down 
9959from the ceiling fell to the floor. The crest on it was Momonga's. 
9960
9961"I changed my name. From now on, call me..." Ainz pointed his finger and 
9962gathered everyone's eyes. "Call me Ainz Ooal Gown, Ainz for short." His finger 
9963was pointing to the tapestry behind the throne with the guild's crest. He struck 
9964the floor hard with his staff to get everyone's attention. "Anyone with 
9965objections, stand and say so." 
9966
9967No one had anything to say in response. Albedo spoke, beaming. "We have 
9968heard your honorable name. Hail, Lord Ainz Ooal Gown! To you, most noble one, 
9969Ainz Ooal Gown, we of the Great Tomb of Nazarick pledge our absolute loyalty!" 
9970
9971Then the guardians joined in. "Hail, Lord Ainz Ooal Gown! The one who 
9972brought the Supreme Beings together was you. To you we devote everything. 
9973
9974"Hail, Lord Ainz Ooal Gown! You are a king who wields horrific power. All 
9975beings must know your greatness!" 
9976
9977The NPCs' and minions' cheers echoed across the Throne Room. 
9978
9979Bathing in the praise, Ainz thought, Mates. What would you think of me 
9980monopolizing our proud name for myself? Would you be happy? Or would you 
9981furrow your brows? If you have an opinion, come and tell me. Tell me it's not my 
9982name alone. When that time comes , I'll gladly return to being Momonga. 
9983
9984He looked out at everyone below him. "I'm going to give a strict order now, a 
9985guideline for our policy going forward." Ainz paused for a few moments. 
9986Everyone's expressions had tensed. "Make Ainz Ooal Gown an enduring legend!" 
9987He thrust the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown into the floor with his right hand. The 
9988
9989
9990
9991second he did, the colors from each of the jewels began to come out and 
9992shimmer in the air. "Where there are many heroes, crush them! Because Ainz 
9993Ooal Gown is the greatest hero. Make it known to all living creatures. If we come 
9994up against someone stronger than us, then make it known by something besides 
9995strength. If we come up against a mage who has a large number of men with 
9996him, then choose some other method. We're still in the preparatory stages, but 
9997we must work toward the great day that will surely come. We must make it 
9998known that Ainz Ooal Gown is the greatest!" 
9999
10000He wanted to spread his name and get it into every ear in this world. His old 
10001friends, the guild members of Ainz Ooal Gown, were supposed to have quit, but 
10002there was still a possibility they might be here. That's why he wanted to get to 
10003the legendary point where everyone knew his name. 
10004
10005On the earth , in the sky , and over the sea—all sentient beings must know. 
10006Then , it just might reach a former guild member. Ainz's voice, brimming with 
10007ambition, was powerful enough so that everyone in the room could hear. 
10008Everyone bowed their heads, so in sync that the motion was audible. Their 
10009attitude could be called prayer or worship. 
10010
10011The throne looked a little lonely once Ainz had left, but excitement was still 
10012high in the Throne Room. Receiving orders from their absolute ruler and getting 
10013started on their tasks all together lit a flame of passion in each of their hearts. 
10014Especially zealous were the ones who had received a direct order. 
10015
10016"Everyone, raise your heads." As if tugged by Albedo's soft voice, everyone 
10017whose head had stayed bowed looked up. "Each one of you who has received a 
10018direct order, follow it humbly. Now, we have something important to discuss." 
10019Her eyes never left the Ainz Ooal Gown tapestry behind the throne. The NPCs 
10020and minions behind her looked at it, too. "Demiurge, please tell everyone what 
10021Lord Ainz told you." 
10022
10023"Understood." He was still kneeling like everyone else, but his voice carried so 
10024all present could hear. "This is what Lord Ainz said to me while gazing at the 
10025night sky: 'Perhaps the reason I came to this land was to acquire this untouched 
10026box of jewels,' and then he continued. 'No, I shouldn't monopolize it. The Great 
10027Tomb of Nazarick, my friends in Ainz Ooal Gown, should be adorned as well.' The 
10028'box of jewels' here is this world. So here we see his true intention." Demiurge 
10029
10030
10031
10032smiled, but not warmly. 'The last thing he said was, Taking over the world does 
10033sound kind of fun/ Which means..." 
10034
10035Something glinted in all of their eyes—the color of their determination. 
10036
10037Albedo slowly got to her feet and surveyed everyone's faces, and they all gazed 
10038back at her, keeping an eye on the Ainz Ooal Gown tapestry behind her as well. 
10039"Comprehending Lord Ainz's true intention and preparing to fulfill it is proof of 
10040our loyalty and the mark of able subjects. Know that our ultimate goal is to give 
10041this world, this box of jewels, to Lord Ainz." 
10042
10043Albedo grinned ear to ear, turned around, and smiled at the tapestry. "Lord 
10044Ainz, we will make this world yours without fail." Her voice echoed as she 
10045continued. "We will give all this world has to offer to its true ruler, Lord Ainz!" 
10046
10047
10048
10049
10050
10051
10052
10053
10054Character 
10055
10056
10057Momonga 
10058
10059Ainz Ooal Gown 
10060
10061
10062A caster with ultimate power who 
10063appears as a skeleton 
10064
10065
10066n»it«n - One of the 41 Supreme Beings; 
10067
10068Ruler of the Great Tomb of Nazarick 
10069
10070His chamber in die Great Tomb 
10071of Nazarick’s ninth level 
10072
10073
10074Hxtremc-Hvil (Karma Points: -500) 
10075
10076
10077RjrrLrvHk - 
10078
10079
10080Skeleton Mage 
10081
10082CM_I :»L 
10083
10084Iv|5 
10085
10086elder Lien 
10087
10088lv 1U 
10089
10090l 
10091
10092CJverlord 
10093
10094Ecc. 
10095
10096lv ? 
10097
10098
10099UuUvd. — Necromancer — 
10100
10101Chosen Undead 
10102Etc. 
10103
10104
10105MO 
10106
10107MO 
10108
10109
10110(Race levels] ♦ [Class levels]-100 levels 
10111
10112• Race levels Class levels • 
10113
10114
1011540 acquired tool 60 acquired total 
10116
10117
10118status 
10119
10120
10121Status 
10122
10123Comparative 
10124ratio on a 
10125scale of 100 
10126
10127
101281 
10129
10130HP (Hit Points) I 
10131
10132
10133MP (Magic Points) 
10134Physical Attack 
10135Physical Defense 
10136
10137
10138Dexterity 
10139Magic Attack 
10140Magic Defense 
10141'total Resistance 
10142
10143
10144Special 
10145
10146
10147100 
10148
10149l 
10150
10151
10152
10153
10154
10155
10156
10157
10158
10159
10160
10161
10162
10163
10164
10165
10166
10167
10168
10169
10170
10171
10172
10173
10174
10175
10176
10177
10178
10179
10180
10181
10182
10183
10184
10185Albedo 
10186
10187
10188A merciful, snow-white demon 
10189
10190
10191ft**™*- Captain of the Floor Guardians in the 
10192
10193Great Tomb of Nazarick; primary wife 
10194of Momonga/Ainz (self-styled) 
10195
10196- Throne Room; a room on 
10197
10198the ninth level 
10199
10200Hxtreme-Hvil (Karma Points: -500) 
10201
10202
10203Imp-Iv | Q 
10204
10205Etc. 
10206
10207Guardian- Iv j 
10208
10209Blackguard- 
10210
10211Unholy Knight — MO 
10212
10213Shield Lord-Iv ^ 
10214
10215Ere. 
10216
10217
10218(Race levels] ♦ [Class levels]- 100 levels 
10219
10220• Race levels Class levels • 
10221
10222
1022330 acquired total 70 acquired total 
10224
10225
10226
10227status _O_50_IOO 
10228
10229Status HP (Hit Points) 
10230
10231Comparative - 
10232
102332£»0 MP (Magic Points) _ 
10234
10235Physical Attack 
10236Physical Defense 
10237
10238
10239Dexterity 
10240Magic Attack 
10241Magic Defense 
10242Total Resistance 
10243
10244
10245
10246
10247
10248
10249
10250
10251
10252
10253
10254
10255
10256
10257
10258
10259
10260
10261
10262
10263
10264
10265
10266
10267
10268
10269
10270
10271
10272
10273
10274
10275
10276
10277
10278
10279
10280
10281Aura Bella Fiora 
10282
10283
10284An expert tamer with an unyielding spirit 
10285
10286
10287-Guardian of the Sixth Level 
10288
10289in the Great Tomb of Nazarick 
10290
10291- A giant tree on the sixth level 
10292
10293
10294Aijynmfnt- Neutral-Evil (Karma Points: -100) 
10295
10296
10297RiirUvik 
10298
10299(Lm Level. 
10300
10301
10302— None, because she's humanoid 
10303
10304— Ranger - 
10305
10306Beast Tamer- 
10307
10308Shooter - 
10309
10310Sniper - 
10311
10312High Tamer - 
10313
10314
10315,V 5 
10316
10317-lv^ 
10318
10319,V 5 
10320
10321,V 5 
10322
10323MO 
10324
10325
10326Ere. 
10327
10328
10329• Class I .oris 
10330
10331
10332100 acquired total 
10333
10334
10335status _O_50_lOO 
10336
10337Comparative - 
10338
10339~m MP (Magic Points) — _ 
10340
10341Physical Attack 
10342
10343
10344Physical Defense 
10345
10346
10347Dexterity 
10348
10349
10350Magic Attack 
10351
10352
10353Magic Defense 
10354
10355
10356Iotal Resistance 
10357
10358
10359Special 
10360
10361
10362
10363
10364
10365
10366
10367
10368
10369
10370
10371
10372
10373
10374
10375
10376
10377
10378
10379
10380
10381
10382
10383
10384
10385
10386
10387
10388
10389
10390
10391
10392
10393
10394Mare Bello Fiore 
10395
10396
10397Wimpy ambassador of the forest 
10398
10399
10400R»«ion- Guardian of the Sixth Level 
10401
10402in the Great Tomb of Nazarick 
10403
10404- A giant tree on the sixth level 
10405
10406- Neutral-Evil (Karma Points: -100) 
10407
10408r*c imi* — None, because he’s humanoid 
10409
10410
10411UwLorii- Druid -Iv | Q 
10412
10413High Druid-|v | 
10414
10415Nature's Herald-|v 10 
10416
10417Disciple of Disaster-|v 
10418
10419Forest Mage — MO 
10420
10421Etc. 
10422
10423
10424• CbuUvrls 
10425
10426
10427100 acquired total 
10428
10429
10430
10431Statu* _O_50_100 
10432
10433Status HP (Hit Points) 
10434
10435Comparative - 
10436
104372JS» MP (Magic Points) M————— 
10438
10439Physical Attack 
10440Physical Defense 
10441
10442
10443Dexterity 
10444Magic Attack 
10445Magic Defense 
10446Total Resistance 
10447
10448
10449Special 
10450
10451
10452
10453
10454
10455
10456
10457
10458
10459
10460
10461
10462
10463
10464
10465
10466
10467
10468
10469
10470
10471
10472
10473
10474
10475
10476
10477
10478
10479
10480
10481
10482
10483
10484
10485
10486
10487Afterword 
10488
10489
10490To you who are reading this afterword, nice to meet you. I'm the author, 
10491Kugane Maruyama. 
10492
10493This book is a version of the Overlord I first released on the Web, revamped 
10494with new characters, deleted scenes, and other edits. Thank you very much for 
10495buying it. If you are just flipping through, I'm sending vibes so you'll take it to the 
10496check-out counter. Hrmmm. 
10497
10498The protagonist of this story is a great caster skeleton and the leader of a large 
10499evil organization—no matter how you look at him, he's pretty much a final boss. 
10500So this is a great book for people who can't believe that the heroes in books and 
10501movies save people for free, never put their own interests first, etc. Maybe! It's 
10502pretty nasty. 
10503
10504This work has been out for quite a while on the Web, but I added some pretty 
10505major new characters for the book version. I really hope you like them. 
10506
10507Anyhow, this is the afterword, but to be honest, I don't have much to write 
10508here. So please allow me to say some thank-yous: 
10509
10510To the editor I gave so much trouble to, F-ta, and to so-bin, who provided the 
10511fascinatingly beautiful illustrations: I'd like to give a special thanks. 
10512
10513And to Code Design Studio, who made the amazingly cool cover, and to Osako 
10514for correcting so many proofs: thank you so much. 
10515
10516Then, a thank-you to the people who sent me their impressions of the Web 
10517version and to all those who read it. If you hadn't thought it was interesting, it 
10518
10519
10520
10521probably would never have gotten turned into a book. 
10522
10523Also to my friend from college Honey, who checked the manuscript for 
10524inconsistencies and unclear spots: I'll bother you again, so thanks in advance. 
10525
10526Finally, a thank-you to everyone who bought this book. I really hope you think 
10527it's a fun read. 
10528
10529By the way, I'm planning even more edits, added text, and new scenes for 
10530Volume 2. It's practically going to be a whole new book, so I'm already sobbing 
10531about how little time I have to finish it. Please stick around! 
10532
10533Okay, I think I'll leave off here. Thank you so much, again! I hope you'll 
10534continue reading. 
10535
10536Well then, see you. 
10537
10538Kugane Maruyama 
10539July 2012 
10540
10541
10542
10543Profile 
10544
10545
10546Author Profile_Kugane Maruyama Having given up his dream to be 
10547
10548a writer, he worked as a normal company employee, but when his tabletop RPG 
10549group declined when the members got too busy, the frustration of those stymied 
10550ambitions combined with his desire to write the best story he could, which led to 
10551him posting Overlord online in 2010. It became popular with some kindhearted 
10552people and got made into a book. In other words, he's a modern-day Cinderella 
10553(although he looks like a pig wearing a suit). 
10554
10555Illustrator Profile._.so-bin An illustrator. Switched jobs and got too 
10556
10557busy to make any time for hobbies. Then started illustrating and ended up even 
10558busier. A pet rabbit provides comfort during the pursuit of various endeavors. 
10559
10560
10561
10562
10563
10564A MYSTERIOUS 
10565WARRIOR ARRIVES 
10566WITH A CASTER 
10567IN THE FORTRESS 
10568CITY OF E-RANTEL. 
10569WHAT IS THEIR 
10570OBJECTIVE? 
10571
10572WHO ARE THEY 
10573REALLY? AND ALL 
10574THE WHILE, THE 
10575SHADOW OF AN 
10576EVIL ORDER 
10577ENCROACHES... 
10578
10579
10580
10581
10582Who will survive 
10583the vortex of death 
10584in Volume 2? 
10585
10586
10587I'll revise the Web version a bunch! 
10588...is what I said, so there's no 
10589
10590turning back. I'll do my best! 
10591
10592— Kugane Maruyama 
10593
10594
10595OVERLORD 
10596
10597Volume 2 - The Dark Warrior 
10598Kugane Maruyama | Illustration by so-bin 
10599
10600
10601Coming soon from^* 
10602
10603
10604YEN 
10605
10606ON 
10607
10608
10609
10610
10611Thank you for buying this ebook, published by Yen On. 
10612
10613
10614To get news about the latest manga, graphic novels, and light novels from Yen 
10615Press, along with special offers and exclusive content, sign up for the Yen Press 
10616
10617newsletter. 
10618
10619
10620Sign Up 
10621
10622
10623Or visit us at www.yenpress.com/booklink 
10624
10625
10626
10627
10628Contents 
10629
10630
10631Cover 
10632
10633Welcome 
10634
10635Insert 
10636Title Page 
10637
10638Prologue 
10639
10640Chapter 1 The End and the Beginning 
10641
10642Chapter 2 The Floor Guardians 
10643Chapter 3 The Battle of Carne Village 
10644
10645Chapter 4 A Duel 
10646
10647Chapter 5 The Ruler of Death 
10648
10649Epilogue 
10650
10651Character Profiles 
10652
10653Afterword 
10654
10655Profile 
10656
10657Yen Newsletter 
10658
10659
10660Copyright 
10661
10662
10663
10664
10665
10666
10667
10668
10669
10670
10671
10672
10673
10674
10675
10676
10677
10678
10679Copyright 
10680
10681
10682OVERLORD, VOLUME 1 
10683
10684KUGANE MARUYAMA 
10685
10686Translation by Emily Balistrieri Cover art by so-bin 
10687
10688This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the 
10689product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to 
10690actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental. 
10691
10692©2012 KUGANE MARUYAMA All rights reserved. 
10693
10694First published in Japan in 2012 by KADOKAWA CORPORATION ENTERBRAIN. 
10695English translation rights arranged with KADOKAWA CORPORATION 
10696ENTERBRAIN, through Tuttle-Mori Agency, Inc., Tokyo. 
10697
10698English translation © 2016 Hachette Book Group, Inc. 
10699
10700All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the 
10701scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the 
10702permission of the publisher is unlawful piracy and theft of the author's 
10703intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than 
10704for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting 
10705the publisher at permissions@hbgusa.com. Thank you for your support of the 
10706author's rights. 
10707
10708Yen On 
10709
10710Hachette Book Group 
10711
107121290 Avenue of the Americas New York, NY 10104 
10713
10714www.hachettebookgroup.com 
10715
10716
10717www.yenpress.com 
10718
10719
10720
10721
10722
10723Yen On is an imprint of Hachette Book Group, Inc. 
10724
10725The Yen On name and logo are trademarks of Hachette Book Group, Inc. 
10726
10727The publisher is not responsible for websites (or their content) that are not 
10728owned by the publisher. 
10729
10730First eBook Edition: May 2016 
10731
10732ISBN: 978-0-316-36390-7 
10733
10734E3-20160513-JV-PC