Was this appropriate? It definitely wasn't, but Sueko couldn't help herself. She didn't know why, but ever since she had drank that strange liquid out of her sister's mouth coupled with Azazel-sama touching her, she had been feeling strange. A strange heat was blossoming in her core every time she would think about it. Just having the prince in her proximity made her feel strange.
Now she had the urge to be close to him, to touch him. Of course, she didn't want to impose herself on him. She was but a simple maid, so instead, she opted to sit in his chair. However, it quickly became abundantly clear that this wasn't enough for her, either.
She held Azazel-sama's used napkin close to her nose, sniffing it, tasting the places his mouth had touched, while her hips rocked back and forward. Her movement came instinctively, like a wild beast inside her that wouldn't rest until satisfied. However, despite moving according to what she felt was right, she didn't feel relieved. It was quite the opposite. She felt more frustrated by the second.
Aneko had told her to come to her if she had any questions as if she knew what would happen after that event. She wanted to consult her sister but found it too embarrassing. Now she was sitting in Azazel-sama's chair, rocking back and forward, trying something that she didn't understand. Maybe she should emulate what she had done before when she tasted that liquid?
As soon as that idea came to mind and her hands lowered to her crotch, she heard the office door open and steps coming outside. From his strait and the information the house was sending her, she knew it had to be her prince, but didn't he say that he was busy with something until the next night? Or did she remember wrongly and he just said that he was busy this night?? It was early in the morning and he had already returned, so she must have mistaken it! With panic, she stood up and cast a [Clean] spell, which regretfully cleaned the napkin that she had dropped as well.
She didn't think much about it and quickly grabbed the dust catcher before looking at the stairs, where his Majesty walked down the stairs with a frown on his face. Perhaps it was just her imagination, but he appeared to be glowing as he walked down with a regal grace that made her heart flutter.
He was in deep thought and surely thinking about something so profound that she wouldn't understand half of it if he shared his thoughts. When he saw her, a light smile blossomed on his face, causing the heat in her core to come back with vengeance.
His eyes flickered down her form and to her legs, causing her hands to subconsciously clasp in front of her crotch. She could feel liquid running down her inner thighs. Did she pee herself again?? Worse was that she had forgotten to put her panties back on and was now standing in her short skirt in front of his Majesty.
If she moved, she would show her unsightly self to him. Something he surely didn't want to see. After all, the prince had once given them some additional pants. Even though those panties had less cloth and were riding up her private parts every time she wore them, it was clearly a sign for them to wear something underneath their dress, right?
"Are you okay?" Ahh. How considerate of him to think about my well-being.
She couldn't help but feel lost in his worried gaze. It wasn't until he stood right in front of her that she came out of her daze. "... I am more than okay. I am very happy, your Majesty. Just being able to serve you fills me with euphoria." She answered honestly.
"... I see. Thank you for your service. It is much appreciated." He answered before leaning toward her. His lips coming closer and she was getting more and more nervous. When she could feel his breath, she felt how her blood was pumping into her head. Even though she knew all the mechanical parts inside her body were running fine and that she wasn't affected by a disease either, her body still acted strangely.
She had long excluded any external effects and now that she once again experienced how fast her heart was beating and the heat in her body increased when he approached her, she knew for certain that it was just her emotions triggering her body to react a certain way.
The realization eased her a bit, but also made her confused. After all, she didn't have emotions for a long time. Only having been grazed with emotions by Peroroncino, who told her and her sisters that blank faces were boring.
In the end, she would need to consult her sister, as she was far more adapted to this. Azazel-sama sniffed her before he raised an eyebrow. She knew that her body was exuding an abnormal smell every time her body reacted this way. However, he didn't do anything this time and just backed away before saying that he would go to Momonga-sama. She didn't know why, but she was slightly disappointed.
She wordlessly followed him. Usually, Aneko would follow him, but she was nowhere to be seen, so she decided to do it, as it wouldn't be appropriate for him to go alone. Azazel-sama looked over his shoulders and saw her walk through the 10th floor with him and slightly smiled at her, causing blood to rush to her head once again. She really needed to fix this, otherwise, she couldn't concentrate on the tasks at hand.
They strutted through the 10th floor, while numerous maids attempted to greet Azazel-sama. However, she was easily able to drive them away with a stare. There were a lot of women in the tomb eager to approach him once they saw him without a guard.
Scaring them away was one of the most important tasks she had if she was the only one around, at least that was what she felt like. However, not everyone could be easily chased away, especially if they were from the Pleiades. Their status as the last line of defense just in front of the Throne Room made it clear that the Supreme Beings put a lot of importance on them.
Them greeting the prince with some simple words wasn't something she could prevent even as a Royal Maid. So, her frustration was accumulating once she saw Narberal Gamma and Lupusregina Beta walk out of their room just when they were about to reach the portal toward the 9th floor.
Naberal bowed to Azazel-sama as a proper greeting.
"Azazel-sama ~su." However, Lupusregina cheerfully waved her hand with the greeting. How disrespectful!
"Naberal, Lupusregina. It is pleasant to see you." Azazel-sama greeted back while ignoring Lupusregina's blatant disrespect. He was as merciful as ever, which made her irritation of Lupusregina even higher. She was clearly exploiting the prince's goodwill. Sueko was glowering at her, but the beast was willfully ignoring her.
"Long time no see! Haven't visited us for a while now ~su!" Lupusregina said with a big smile on her face, clearly pointing out to her that they had a 'good' relationship.
"Nazarick is currently in a precarious situation, so his attention needs to be more focused," Sueko interjected before glancing at Naberal, who was staring at Azazel-sama and even though she couldn't blame her as she usually felt the same, it still bothered her for some reason. "It's also why he won't have the time to entertain you. So, if you could excuse us."
The two maids looked at her in frustration, but she wouldn't budge on it. Before they could protest, Azazel-sama spoke up again, "Time is indeed precious since I am on my way to meet up with Momonga-sama. I had hoped to catch Aneko, though I am sure you two could inform her that I am with Momonga-sama in the small meeting room, right?" Fortunately, Azazel-sama didn't have any plans to stay with these two any longer than necessary. She knew they didn't have a good relationship, otherwise, Azazel-sama would have invited them to tag along!
"Of course. Whatever you want... and I mean whatever ~purr~." Lupusregina said with a strange tone that seemed to insinuate something. Wasn't it clear to do whatever the prince ordered? Why did she need to specify that?
The two didn't look exactly happy, but they wouldn't and couldn't reject his order to instead follow him. There wasn't a need for them to come along, as she was already there to serve his needs as his maid. Not to mention that they were tasked with informing her sister. Just before they used the portal to the 9th floor, she looked over her shoulder, and with a sudden urge, she smirked at Lupusregina. The beast was waving at the prince, though her smile twitched when she saw her smirk.
Afterward, they headed straight for the smaller meeting room that could only hold 15 people at most. It wasn't like the round table where every Supreme Being could sit, but it was enough for most raids, or so she had heard.
Sueko knocked and announced his arrival after getting permission to enter. She opened the door for the prince and let him enter the presence of Momonga-sama and Sebas. The prince strutted inside like it was no big deal to meet the highest Supreme Being, the current ruler of Nazarick.
"Momonga-sama. I apologize for not being able to attend to you until now. I seek your guidance." Just like she had imagined him to be, eager to learn how to rule with Momonga-sama's guidance, and she was there to witness it. In the future, she would need to push and ask to be on his side more often, though Ane would probably be unhappy. Would Azazel-sama be unhappy if we both served him at the same time?
"Eh? ... I am currently viewing our immediate surroundings to get some information." Momonga-sama's response prompted Azazel-sama to approach him and look at the 1-meter-high oval-shaped mirror together. She couldn't see what they were seeing, but she was content with being able to watch Azazel-sama's focused expression as he looked at how Momonga-sama handled the mirror.
At one point, they seemed to have found something, as Azazel-sama pondered out loud. "An attack?"
"... Indeed." Momonga-sama waved his arms, probably to take a better look as he agreed.
"What shall we do?" Sebas asked. Azazel-sama and Sebas looked at Momonga, waiting for his decision. Momonga opened his mouth before he closed it again. He looked at the mirror for another moment before speaking up.
"... Sebas prepare a support unit. Azazel, you and I will rescue them now." Momonga-sama stood up and was about to head out before he was stopped by Azazel.
"Momonga-sama, wouldn't it be best to be disguised in case these humans are hostile to the undead?" His question stopped Momonga-sama in his track before he nodded.
"... You are right. I will. You save those two for me." Azazel-sama nodded before his armor appeared on him and ordered her to get his wife to come with her armor, just in case. He then stepped through, while in Ainz-sama's hand appeared a strange mask, which he then wore.
She wasn't sure what happened next as she concentrated on the order to contact Albedo-sama and tell her about his request.
...
I stepped out of the gate with my normal armor on. My appearance caused the two knights to be instantly stunned as they watched me come out of the black void. They regained their senses when my sword appeared in my hand.
"A knight?! Y-you, I warn you! D-don't step any closer!" The guard exclaimed as he took a step back while pointing the tip of his sword at me. I had already arrived in front of him and cut off his head. A stream of blood erupted from his head as his body slumped to the ground.
The other stumbled as he turned around to flee before he was enveloped by blue lightning, frying him through his armor. The [Dragon Lightning] coming from behind me was enough to let me know that Momonga-sama had already arrived.
A bit surprising that he opened up with that instead of [Grasp Heart], but perhaps it was because I had already disposed of the first with one hit that he guessed they weren't as formidable as feared. I turned around and approached the two frightened girls cowering on the floor, while Momonga-sama turned the corpse into a Death Knight and ordered it to kill those with the same armor as the two we had disposed of.
I leaned down and noticed that she was injured more heavily than what was shown in the series. Her arm had been cut off by the elbow, besides the gash on her back. "Stay still, I will heal you. Hey, hey, look at me, focus on my voice. Everything will be alright..." I spoke to soothe and distract Enri, whose forehead was dripping with sweat, and the corners of her eyes were wet from tears that threaten to break out.
She was still holding a strong front for her sister as she bit her lower lip to prevent any screams of pain from leaking out. Her will to save her sister from danger was stronger than the pain inflicted on her.
Perhaps it was the adrenaline helping as well, but it didn't seem to take a lot for her to listen to what I had said. She nodded and stared at me. Previously, I had even prepared more lines to explain in case they were afraid of me, but I guessed that were the benefits of being seen as a knight in shining armor. Heh.
Seeing her push away the fear of their deaths and regain a sense of calmness, I extended my hand toward and cast, [Heal], a 6th-tier spell. She was enveloped in a green light before it subsidized again. Her hand had regrown and the severed one on the ground had disappeared as if it was reconnected to her arm. Enri looked at her reattached hand and turned it around to spectate it in shock.
She was absolutely flabbergasted and then turned to me with a deep shock and fascination in her eyes. Before her eyes widened in realization and profusely thanked me for saving them. To be honest, it was a close call. It certainly was a bit of a surprise to see her state.
Though the little difference in her degree of injuries made me think she was indeed a lucky girl. Momonga-sama had to have stepped out of the tomb to watch the stars earlier but ended up staying outside longer because Albedo hadn't distressed him, which ended up with us arriving just before she died.
Though perhaps I should applaud the soldiers for being this pathetic to not even be able to kill a defenseless girl and her younger sister. Just as I straightened again, I heard another walk out of the open portal open. My wife stepping out of it in all her glory.
This was the first time I had seen her in armor, and I had to say, it definitely suited her. Though she could wear a potato sack and she would make it seem like the latest fashion trend. Momonga-sama looked at her but said nothing about the presence of the world-item, Ginnungagap. Seemed like the seed I had placed in Momonga-sama's mind was already blossoming.
Momonga-sama glanced at the two before he looked at me. "Well done saving them. Albedo, these are our enemies." I bowed slightly and uttered my thanks, though I was beginning to worry as he only looked at the two girls, but didn't seem to have the intention to help them, so I turned to them and cast several holy and normal protection spells around them.
I knelt on one leg. "See this boundary? Don't walk out of it. As long as you are inside, you will be fine by most aggressors. It is a shame I can't give you anything in case you are attacked..." I looked at Momonga-sama, "Should I stay with them to make sure they survive?" In my periphery, I could see Albedo tilt her head at me in confusion. I should probably tread carefully, even if she said nothing.
Momonga was quiet for a brief moment as well. Although the mask prevented me from seeing his expression, I didn't really rely on his non-existent expression to know what he felt. So, I could somehow tell that his gaze switched between the human sisters and me before his gaze finally landed on Albedo. Afterward, he came to a decision and threw something at me.
I caught the familiar horns. Fortunately, at least this was following what happened in the series. To be honest, I would have preferred if we didn't conquer the entire world at all, but if we went that route, it would be best if not much changed.
It would help me predict the future, at least until I could move to another country and away from the tomb. It would take some time until I could contend against the entire tomb before that, though I needed to lie low while contributing something to not appear strange. Having said that, I was still going to have another talk with Demiurge. Perhaps I could prevent his misinterpretation to spread to the entire tomb.
"This should be enough to keep them alive. At least, against those soldiers." Momonga said before turning his back to me and heading for the village. Albedo turned her head away from the leaving Momonga to me, wordlessly urging me to come along. Without further ado, I handed the goblin horns over to Enri before I stood up and caught up to Momonga with Albedo on my side.
"W-wait," Enri called out, making Momonga stop for a moment. "Th-thank you very much for saving us!" "Thank you very much!" The two sisters shouted sincerely.
"Don't worry about it," Momonga said, and it surprised me. He was taking the initiative to speak up, which made him appear as the leader. Of course, he was leading us, but I had guessed that he might let me do the talking.
After all, even though he had helped, it would be more appropriate for me to respond, since I was the one that prevented the third and possibly last blow to her. I was even pretty sure that he had addressed me. However, he still stepped forward.
"Wh-what is your name?" Enri asked, her eyes now switching between Momonga and me.
"My name?" Momonga paused for a brief moment before announcing his new name. "You will do well to remember my name. I am Ainz Ooal Gown!"
"Th-thank you Gown-sama!" Enri uttered before glancing at me before she could inquire about my name, which might have caused an awkward moment for Momonga - guess it was Ainz - from now on.
"I am Azazel. Was a pleasure, human." I said as I waved my hand before we three left the area.
After exiting the forest, we killed some soldiers, or at least Ainz did as he experimented with his spells and even used the sword of the guards to see how much damage he dealt. At one point, when addressed as Ainz Ooal Gown, we were allowed to shorten it to Ainz, which Albedo and I were quite happy about, though I was mostly happy to not say that mouthful of a name...
After having experimented to his non-existent heart's content, we flew above the village until we arrived at its center. Several soldiers were being massacred by the Death Knight. "We should probably capture some of them to get some information." I seemingly offhandedly mentioned as another soldier was cut down.
Momonga nodded at my suggestion before ordering the Death Knight from killing anymore. Afterward, he told them to get lost and deliver their kingdom the message to not mess with this area if they didn't want to seek death. "Capture half of them," Momonga said to me as we watched the disguised soldiers run away with all their might.
"Understood." I instantly connected with Aura via [Message]. I knew from the novel that the two elf siblings - or at least Aura - were mentioned to be responsible for supporting us if there was something amiss. Of course, they wouldn't be used, or at least they didn't seem to contribute much in the series.
"Aura. There are several soldiers escaping. Capture half and sent them to be locked up for interrogation."
"Yes, sir. Will do." Aura's positive attitude could be felt through the telepathic link. It was quite easy to tell who was on the other side. I wondered why it was said to be a source of miscommunication in this New World. I remembered that [Message] wasn't really trusted here since there was once a case where false information was fed through it and caused the downfall of a kingdom or was it just a city?
I didn't remember the details, but I wasn't sure how this couldn't be trusted. It was quite easy to identify the other person by comparing the telepathic frequency and the feel of the mana used to initialize or accept the spell. Maybe through masking as one could with one's life or magic essence? As far as I knew, there wasn't a spell that could hijack the [Message] spell either.
"Remember to inform us if you noticed movements of more soldiers or other third parties."
"Understood, your highness." After she said that, I discontinued the spell and turned back to Ainz, who was now talking to the village people about his compensation. He then went along with the village chief to discuss his payment in the form of information. On the other hand, we were to wait outside and guard this house and the village in case something happened, so we could react immediately.
I approached Albedo, who was lost in thoughts and I could already guess why. My arm snaked around her armored waist and pulled her to me, which she happily allowed. She fell into my arms, hugging me back. A glance at Ainz, who was looking at us from the door to the village chief's home, let me see how he gave me a thumbs-up before disappearing into the hut.
My attention was back on Albedo, who was silent as she leaned her head against my armored chest. The hand holding her world-item was hugging my back. "What's wrong?" I asked as we stayed like this. We got some looks from the other villages, but I couldn't really care less about their opinions or gossip. They weren't even part of Nazarick yet.
"That... human girl. Do you want her?" She asked quietly.
"Hm. She is quite attractive for a human farm girl." Enri was a natural beauty and I would place her at an 8 or even 9 in my previous world that was dominated by make-up and Instagram filter, though compared to the denizen of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, she was rather mid.
"That girl kind of reminded me of you." At my response, she looked up at me.
"How so?" She wasn't sure if she should feel offended by it, so she wanted some clarification.
"You had seen her, right? Using her own body to protect her loved ones, no matter the outcome. I thought that if there was no other way, you would probably do the same for me, right?"
There was no way to see through the helmet, but I could feel her relief and then her loving gaze, regardless. "Of course, I would give up everything for you... I guess, in that case, we do have some traits we share."
I chuckled slightly as I see how difficult it was for her to admit that she had something in common with a 'lower life form'. Though even if she tried, there was nothing to disagree with my words. It was just the concept that irked her. "Of course, you are more, way more beautiful, though she does have something I find interesting that you don't possess."
"Wh-what is it? Perhaps I can rectify that flaw." She almost desperately said.
"No. No. Not a flaw, just something different... She is more fragile. It's not an advantage and in most things, it would be a flaw on her part, but I keep wondering how she would look like when I... It doesn't matter... though speaking of them, I should probably get those two and bring them back to the village."
She searched for something in my eyes before speaking up. "I will go get them. Continue to protect Ainz-sama." She gazed at me and I wondered if she could feel my gaze as I could hers through the helmet.
I nodded, "Alright. Be careful and don't forget to call the support unit if something happened. Your safety is the most important thing." I squeezed her in my hug, which she returned strongly. She had shyly turned her head away before she went off to get the two sisters. We could probably have tasked the support unit with getting them to the village, but I felt like Albedo would have insisted on bringing them personally.
Hopefully, she didn't cut them down and make it appear to be an accident. As Albedo was on her way to get them, I watched how the villagers prepared their farewell to their lost loved ones. I observed how they arranged everything. It was clear they were not unfamiliar with the concept of death, but they weren't that used to it, either.
It took some time and organizing to get everything going. My thumb rubbed over my index finger as I mused whether we should revive them. They would be part of Nazarick after all, but I shook my head.
Although we would make waves soon, it was best for Nazarick to keep the news of our potential as quiet as possible. There was no need to invite trouble for us. At least not for now when we had barely any information about the outside world except for the little that Ainz would gather from the village chief.
Information that would help us orientate ourselves in this world, but hardly enough to make preparation to prevent an invasion. We could crush any invaders, but the attention was still hardly useful.
It didn't take long for Albedo to return with the two sisters in one piece and they didn't seem too disturbed to indicate that they were threatened by Albedo. Maybe she erased her memories? To be honest, I would forgive her probably anything. She had some freebies left over from me. Of course, some things couldn't be forgiven, but her being murderously jealous? Her obsessive love was why I was attracted to her in the first place!
Was this appropriate? It definitely wasn't, but Sueko couldn't help herself. She didn't know why, but ever since she had drank that strange liquid out of her sister's mouth coupled with Azazel-sama touching her, she had been feeling strange. A strange heat was blossoming in her core every time she would think about it. Just having the prince in her proximity made her feel strange.
Now she had the urge to be close to him, to touch him. Of course, she didn't want to impose herself on him. She was but a simple maid, so instead, she opted to sit in his chair. However, it quickly became abundantly clear that this wasn't enough for her, either.
She held Azazel-sama's used napkin close to her nose, sniffing it, tasting the places his mouth had touched, while her hips rocked back and forward. Her movement came instinctively, like a wild beast inside her that wouldn't rest until satisfied. However, despite moving according to what she felt was right, she didn't feel relieved. It was quite the opposite. She felt more frustrated by the second.
Aneko had told her to come to her if she had any questions as if she knew what would happen after that event. She wanted to consult her sister but found it too embarrassing. Now she was sitting in Azazel-sama's chair, rocking back and forward, trying something that she didn't understand. Maybe she should emulate what she had done before when she tasted that liquid?
As soon as that idea came to mind and her hands lowered to her crotch, she heard the office door open and steps coming outside. From his strait and the information the house was sending her, she knew it had to be her prince, but didn't he say that he was busy with something until the next night? Or did she remember wrongly and he just said that he was busy this night?? It was early in the morning and he had already returned, so she must have mistaken it! With panic, she stood up and cast a [Clean] spell, which regretfully cleaned the napkin that she had dropped as well.
She didn't think much about it and quickly grabbed the dust catcher before looking at the stairs, where his Majesty walked down the stairs with a frown on his face. Perhaps it was just her imagination, but he appeared to be glowing as he walked down with a regal grace that made her heart flutter.
He was in deep thought and surely thinking about something so profound that she wouldn't understand half of it if he shared his thoughts. When he saw her, a light smile blossomed on his face, causing the heat in her core to come back with vengeance.
His eyes flickered down her form and to her legs, causing her hands to subconsciously clasp in front of her crotch. She could feel liquid running down her inner thighs. Did she pee herself again?? Worse was that she had forgotten to put her panties back on and was now standing in her short skirt in front of his Majesty.
If she moved, she would show her unsightly self to him. Something he surely didn't want to see. After all, the prince had once given them some additional pants. Even though those panties had less cloth and were riding up her private parts every time she wore them, it was clearly a sign for them to wear something underneath their dress, right?
"Are you okay?" Ahh. How considerate of him to think about my well-being.
She couldn't help but feel lost in his worried gaze. It wasn't until he stood right in front of her that she came out of her daze. "... I am more than okay. I am very happy, your Majesty. Just being able to serve you fills me with euphoria." She answered honestly.
"... I see. Thank you for your service. It is much appreciated." He answered before leaning toward her. His lips coming closer and she was getting more and more nervous. When she could feel his breath, she felt how her blood was pumping into her head. Even though she knew all the mechanical parts inside her body were running fine and that she wasn't affected by a disease either, her body still acted strangely.
She had long excluded any external effects and now that she once again experienced how fast her heart was beating and the heat in her body increased when he approached her, she knew for certain that it was just her emotions triggering her body to react a certain way.
The realization eased her a bit, but also made her confused. After all, she didn't have emotions for a long time. Only having been grazed with emotions by Peroroncino, who told her and her sisters that blank faces were boring.
In the end, she would need to consult her sister, as she was far more adapted to this. Azazel-sama sniffed her before he raised an eyebrow. She knew that her body was exuding an abnormal smell every time her body reacted this way. However, he didn't do anything this time and just backed away before saying that he would go to Momonga-sama. She didn't know why, but she was slightly disappointed.
She wordlessly followed him. Usually, Aneko would follow him, but she was nowhere to be seen, so she decided to do it, as it wouldn't be appropriate for him to go alone. Azazel-sama looked over his shoulders and saw her walk through the 10th floor with him and slightly smiled at her, causing blood to rush to her head once again. She really needed to fix this, otherwise, she couldn't concentrate on the tasks at hand.
They strutted through the 10th floor, while numerous maids attempted to greet Azazel-sama. However, she was easily able to drive them away with a stare. There were a lot of women in the tomb eager to approach him once they saw him without a guard.
Scaring them away was one of the most important tasks she had if she was the only one around, at least that was what she felt like. However, not everyone could be easily chased away, especially if they were from the Pleiades. Their status as the last line of defense just in front of the Throne Room made it clear that the Supreme Beings put a lot of importance on them.
Them greeting the prince with some simple words wasn't something she could prevent even as a Royal Maid. So, her frustration was accumulating once she saw Narberal Gamma and Lupusregina Beta walk out of their room just when they were about to reach the portal toward the 9th floor.
Naberal bowed to Azazel-sama as a proper greeting.
"Azazel-sama ~su." However, Lupusregina cheerfully waved her hand with the greeting. How disrespectful!
"Naberal, Lupusregina. It is pleasant to see you." Azazel-sama greeted back while ignoring Lupusregina's blatant disrespect. He was as merciful as ever, which made her irritation of Lupusregina even higher. She was clearly exploiting the prince's goodwill. Sueko was glowering at her, but the beast was willfully ignoring her.
"Long time no see! Haven't visited us for a while now ~su!" Lupusregina said with a big smile on her face, clearly pointing out to her that they had a 'good' relationship.
"Nazarick is currently in a precarious situation, so his attention needs to be more focused," Sueko interjected before glancing at Naberal, who was staring at Azazel-sama and even though she couldn't blame her as she usually felt the same, it still bothered her for some reason. "It's also why he won't have the time to entertain you. So, if you could excuse us."
The two maids looked at her in frustration, but she wouldn't budge on it. Before they could protest, Azazel-sama spoke up again, "Time is indeed precious since I am on my way to meet up with Momonga-sama. I had hoped to catch Aneko, though I am sure you two could inform her that I am with Momonga-sama in the small meeting room, right?" Fortunately, Azazel-sama didn't have any plans to stay with these two any longer than necessary. She knew they didn't have a good relationship, otherwise, Azazel-sama would have invited them to tag along!
"Of course. Whatever you want... and I mean whatever ~purr~." Lupusregina said with a strange tone that seemed to insinuate something. Wasn't it clear to do whatever the prince ordered? Why did she need to specify that?
The two didn't look exactly happy, but they wouldn't and couldn't reject his order to instead follow him. There wasn't a need for them to come along, as she was already there to serve his needs as his maid. Not to mention that they were tasked with informing her sister. Just before they used the portal to the 9th floor, she looked over her shoulder, and with a sudden urge, she smirked at Lupusregina. The beast was waving at the prince, though her smile twitched when she saw her smirk.
Afterward, they headed straight for the smaller meeting room that could only hold 15 people at most. It wasn't like the round table where every Supreme Being could sit, but it was enough for most raids, or so she had heard.
Sueko knocked and announced his arrival after getting permission to enter. She opened the door for the prince and let him enter the presence of Momonga-sama and Sebas. The prince strutted inside like it was no big deal to meet the highest Supreme Being, the current ruler of Nazarick.
"Momonga-sama. I apologize for not being able to attend to you until now. I seek your guidance." Just like she had imagined him to be, eager to learn how to rule with Momonga-sama's guidance, and she was there to witness it. In the future, she would need to push and ask to be on his side more often, though Ane would probably be unhappy. Would Azazel-sama be unhappy if we both served him at the same time?
"Eh? ... I am currently viewing our immediate surroundings to get some information." Momonga-sama's response prompted Azazel-sama to approach him and look at the 1-meter-high oval-shaped mirror together. She couldn't see what they were seeing, but she was content with being able to watch Azazel-sama's focused expression as he looked at how Momonga-sama handled the mirror.
At one point, they seemed to have found something, as Azazel-sama pondered out loud. "An attack?"
"... Indeed." Momonga-sama waved his arms, probably to take a better look as he agreed.
"What shall we do?" Sebas asked. Azazel-sama and Sebas looked at Momonga, waiting for his decision. Momonga opened his mouth before he closed it again. He looked at the mirror for another moment before speaking up.
"... Sebas prepare a support unit. Azazel, you and I will rescue them now." Momonga-sama stood up and was about to head out before he was stopped by Azazel.
"Momonga-sama, wouldn't it be best to be disguised in case these humans are hostile to the undead?" His question stopped Momonga-sama in his track before he nodded.
"... You are right. I will. You save those two for me." Azazel-sama nodded before his armor appeared on him and ordered her to get his wife to come with her armor, just in case. He then stepped through, while in Ainz-sama's hand appeared a strange mask, which he then wore.
She wasn't sure what happened next as she concentrated on the order to contact Albedo-sama and tell her about his request.
...
I stepped out of the gate with my normal armor on. My appearance caused the two knights to be instantly stunned as they watched me come out of the black void. They regained their senses when my sword appeared in my hand.
"A knight?! Y-you, I warn you! D-don't step any closer!" The guard exclaimed as he took a step back while pointing the tip of his sword at me. I had already arrived in front of him and cut off his head. A stream of blood erupted from his head as his body slumped to the ground.
The other stumbled as he turned around to flee before he was enveloped by blue lightning, frying him through his armor. The [Dragon Lightning] coming from behind me was enough to let me know that Momonga-sama had already arrived.
A bit surprising that he opened up with that instead of [Grasp Heart], but perhaps it was because I had already disposed of the first with one hit that he guessed they weren't as formidable as feared. I turned around and approached the two frightened girls cowering on the floor, while Momonga-sama turned the corpse into a Death Knight and ordered it to kill those with the same armor as the two we had disposed of.
I leaned down and noticed that she was injured more heavily than what was shown in the series. Her arm had been cut off by the elbow, besides the gash on her back. "Stay still, I will heal you. Hey, hey, look at me, focus on my voice. Everything will be alright..." I spoke to soothe and distract Enri, whose forehead was dripping with sweat, and the corners of her eyes were wet from tears that threaten to break out.
She was still holding a strong front for her sister as she bit her lower lip to prevent any screams of pain from leaking out. Her will to save her sister from danger was stronger than the pain inflicted on her.
Perhaps it was the adrenaline helping as well, but it didn't seem to take a lot for her to listen to what I had said. She nodded and stared at me. Previously, I had even prepared more lines to explain in case they were afraid of me, but I guessed that were the benefits of being seen as a knight in shining armor. Heh.
Seeing her push away the fear of their deaths and regain a sense of calmness, I extended my hand toward and cast, [Heal], a 6th-tier spell. She was enveloped in a green light before it subsidized again. Her hand had regrown and the severed one on the ground had disappeared as if it was reconnected to her arm. Enri looked at her reattached hand and turned it around to spectate it in shock.
She was absolutely flabbergasted and then turned to me with a deep shock and fascination in her eyes. Before her eyes widened in realization and profusely thanked me for saving them. To be honest, it was a close call. It certainly was a bit of a surprise to see her state.
Though the little difference in her degree of injuries made me think she was indeed a lucky girl. Momonga-sama had to have stepped out of the tomb to watch the stars earlier but ended up staying outside longer because Albedo hadn't distressed him, which ended up with us arriving just before she died.
Though perhaps I should applaud the soldiers for being this pathetic to not even be able to kill a defenseless girl and her younger sister. Just as I straightened again, I heard another walk out of the open portal open. My wife stepping out of it in all her glory.
This was the first time I had seen her in armor, and I had to say, it definitely suited her. Though she could wear a potato sack and she would make it seem like the latest fashion trend. Momonga-sama looked at her but said nothing about the presence of the world-item, Ginnungagap. Seemed like the seed I had placed in Momonga-sama's mind was already blossoming.
Momonga-sama glanced at the two before he looked at me. "Well done saving them. Albedo, these are our enemies." I bowed slightly and uttered my thanks, though I was beginning to worry as he only looked at the two girls, but didn't seem to have the intention to help them, so I turned to them and cast several holy and normal protection spells around them.
I knelt on one leg. "See this boundary? Don't walk out of it. As long as you are inside, you will be fine by most aggressors. It is a shame I can't give you anything in case you are attacked..." I looked at Momonga-sama, "Should I stay with them to make sure they survive?" In my periphery, I could see Albedo tilt her head at me in confusion. I should probably tread carefully, even if she said nothing.
Momonga was quiet for a brief moment as well. Although the mask prevented me from seeing his expression, I didn't really rely on his non-existent expression to know what he felt. So, I could somehow tell that his gaze switched between the human sisters and me before his gaze finally landed on Albedo. Afterward, he came to a decision and threw something at me.
I caught the familiar horns. Fortunately, at least this was following what happened in the series. To be honest, I would have preferred if we didn't conquer the entire world at all, but if we went that route, it would be best if not much changed.
It would help me predict the future, at least until I could move to another country and away from the tomb. It would take some time until I could contend against the entire tomb before that, though I needed to lie low while contributing something to not appear strange. Having said that, I was still going to have another talk with Demiurge. Perhaps I could prevent his misinterpretation to spread to the entire tomb.
"This should be enough to keep them alive. At least, against those soldiers." Momonga said before turning his back to me and heading for the village. Albedo turned her head away from the leaving Momonga to me, wordlessly urging me to come along. Without further ado, I handed the goblin horns over to Enri before I stood up and caught up to Momonga with Albedo on my side.
"W-wait," Enri called out, making Momonga stop for a moment. "Th-thank you very much for saving us!" "Thank you very much!" The two sisters shouted sincerely.
"Don't worry about it," Momonga said, and it surprised me. He was taking the initiative to speak up, which made him appear as the leader. Of course, he was leading us, but I had guessed that he might let me do the talking.
After all, even though he had helped, it would be more appropriate for me to respond, since I was the one that prevented the third and possibly last blow to her. I was even pretty sure that he had addressed me. However, he still stepped forward.
"Wh-what is your name?" Enri asked, her eyes now switching between Momonga and me.
"My name?" Momonga paused for a brief moment before announcing his new name. "You will do well to remember my name. I am Ainz Ooal Gown!"
"Th-thank you Gown-sama!" Enri uttered before glancing at me before she could inquire about my name, which might have caused an awkward moment for Momonga - guess it was Ainz - from now on.
"I am Azazel. Was a pleasure, human." I said as I waved my hand before we three left the area.
After exiting the forest, we killed some soldiers, or at least Ainz did as he experimented with his spells and even used the sword of the guards to see how much damage he dealt. At one point, when addressed as Ainz Ooal Gown, we were allowed to shorten it to Ainz, which Albedo and I were quite happy about, though I was mostly happy to not say that mouthful of a name...
After having experimented to his non-existent heart's content, we flew above the village until we arrived at its center. Several soldiers were being massacred by the Death Knight. "We should probably capture some of them to get some information." I seemingly offhandedly mentioned as another soldier was cut down.
Momonga nodded at my suggestion before ordering the Death Knight from killing anymore. Afterward, he told them to get lost and deliver their kingdom the message to not mess with this area if they didn't want to seek death. "Capture half of them," Momonga said to me as we watched the disguised soldiers run away with all their might.
"Understood." I instantly connected with Aura via [Message]. I knew from the novel that the two elf siblings - or at least Aura - were mentioned to be responsible for supporting us if there was something amiss. Of course, they wouldn't be used, or at least they didn't seem to contribute much in the series.
"Aura. There are several soldiers escaping. Capture half and sent them to be locked up for interrogation."
"Yes, sir. Will do." Aura's positive attitude could be felt through the telepathic link. It was quite easy to tell who was on the other side. I wondered why it was said to be a source of miscommunication in this New World. I remembered that [Message] wasn't really trusted here since there was once a case where false information was fed through it and caused the downfall of a kingdom or was it just a city?
I didn't remember the details, but I wasn't sure how this couldn't be trusted. It was quite easy to identify the other person by comparing the telepathic frequency and the feel of the mana used to initialize or accept the spell. Maybe through masking as one could with one's life or magic essence? As far as I knew, there wasn't a spell that could hijack the [Message] spell either.
"Remember to inform us if you noticed movements of more soldiers or other third parties."
"Understood, your highness." After she said that, I discontinued the spell and turned back to Ainz, who was now talking to the village people about his compensation. He then went along with the village chief to discuss his payment in the form of information. On the other hand, we were to wait outside and guard this house and the village in case something happened, so we could react immediately.
I approached Albedo, who was lost in thoughts and I could already guess why. My arm snaked around her armored waist and pulled her to me, which she happily allowed. She fell into my arms, hugging me back. A glance at Ainz, who was looking at us from the door to the village chief's home, let me see how he gave me a thumbs-up before disappearing into the hut.
My attention was back on Albedo, who was silent as she leaned her head against my armored chest. The hand holding her world-item was hugging my back. "What's wrong?" I asked as we stayed like this. We got some looks from the other villages, but I couldn't really care less about their opinions or gossip. They weren't even part of Nazarick yet.
"That... human girl. Do you want her?" She asked quietly.
"Hm. She is quite attractive for a human farm girl." Enri was a natural beauty and I would place her at an 8 or even 9 in my previous world that was dominated by make-up and Instagram filter, though compared to the denizen of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, she was rather mid.
"That girl kind of reminded me of you." At my response, she looked up at me.
"How so?" She wasn't sure if she should feel offended by it, so she wanted some clarification.
"You had seen her, right? Using her own body to protect her loved ones, no matter the outcome. I thought that if there was no other way, you would probably do the same for me, right?"
There was no way to see through the helmet, but I could feel her relief and then her loving gaze, regardless. "Of course, I would give up everything for you... I guess, in that case, we do have some traits we share."
I chuckled slightly as I see how difficult it was for her to admit that she had something in common with a 'lower life form'. Though even if she tried, there was nothing to disagree with my words. It was just the concept that irked her. "Of course, you are more, way more beautiful, though she does have something I find interesting that you don't possess."
"Wh-what is it? Perhaps I can rectify that flaw." She almost desperately said.
"No. No. Not a flaw, just something different... She is more fragile. It's not an advantage and in most things, it would be a flaw on her part, but I keep wondering how she would look like when I... It doesn't matter... though speaking of them, I should probably get those two and bring them back to the village."
She searched for something in my eyes before speaking up. "I will go get them. Continue to protect Ainz-sama." She gazed at me and I wondered if she could feel my gaze as I could hers through the helmet.
I nodded, "Alright. Be careful and don't forget to call the support unit if something happened. Your safety is the most important thing." I squeezed her in my hug, which she returned strongly. She had shyly turned her head away before she went off to get the two sisters. We could probably have tasked the support unit with getting them to the village, but I felt like Albedo would have insisted on bringing them personally.
Hopefully, she didn't cut them down and make it appear to be an accident. As Albedo was on her way to get them, I watched how the villagers prepared their farewell to their lost loved ones. I observed how they arranged everything. It was clear they were not unfamiliar with the concept of death, but they weren't that used to it, either.
It took some time and organizing to get everything going. My thumb rubbed over my index finger as I mused whether we should revive them. They would be part of Nazarick after all, but I shook my head.
Although we would make waves soon, it was best for Nazarick to keep the news of our potential as quiet as possible. There was no need to invite trouble for us. At least not for now when we had barely any information about the outside world except for the little that Ainz would gather from the village chief.
Information that would help us orientate ourselves in this world, but hardly enough to make preparation to prevent an invasion. We could crush any invaders, but the attention was still hardly useful.
It didn't take long for Albedo to return with the two sisters in one piece and they didn't seem too disturbed to indicate that they were threatened by Albedo. Maybe she erased her memories? To be honest, I would forgive her probably anything. She had some freebies left over from me. Of course, some things couldn't be forgiven, but her being murderously jealous? Her obsessive love was why I was attracted to her in the first place!
