One hour earlier.
Ainz returned to the Great Tomb of Nazarick with a great deal on his mind.
What exactly made him a Supreme Being?
Was it his strength?
Certainly not.
If combat ability were the only measure, then in a fair duel against one of the Guardians, with no advance preparation and no access to excessively powerful items, Ainz could never confidently claim that he would always win.
Then was it the loyalty born from having created them?
That seemed closer to the truth.
It was also why he and the other forty members of Ainz Ooal Gown had all stood as equals, each one a master of the Great Tomb.
But how should Nazarick treat the unexpected variable that was Lucien Vale?
Five years earlier, YGGDRASIL’s developers had hosted a special battle royale tournament with more than four hundred participants.
Every contestant had been sent into a randomly selected open-world map with a single objective.
Kill every other participant.
Because Ainz’s primary build was that of a magic caster, a chaotic free-for-all involving hundreds of independent players placed him at an obvious disadvantage.
Even if he had participated, he almost certainly would not have achieved a particularly high ranking.
So Touch Me had represented the guild instead.
His final result had been fifteen kills and fourth place.
The champion of that tournament, however, had been Lucien.
He had taken first place by an overwhelming margin with forty-six kills.
Assassin-type classes certainly possessed advantages in that kind of environment.
They excelled at ambushes, explosive burst damage, stealing weakened targets from other players, and finishing off survivors.
But those advantages alone could never explain such an absurd result.
Anyone capable of achieving that kill count had to possess extraordinary skill of his own.
In the real world, Ainz had worked in sales.
Lucien, meanwhile, had earned his living through gaming.
His total playtime had been several times higher than that of even ordinary hardcore players.
He was certainly not some rigid PvE specialist who only knew how to repeat established strategies against monsters.
There was little doubt that Lucien’s individual combat ability surpassed Ainz’s own.
Should he call a meeting?
Perhaps gather all the Guardians and discuss how Nazarick should deal with him?
No…
Ainz slowly shook his head.
The matter was too important.
It required extreme caution.
A room full of conflicting opinions would not necessarily help him.
It might instead interfere with his judgment and push him toward a decision completely different from the one he would otherwise have made.
Guardians such as Cocytus and Shalltear, whose strengths did not lie in complex strategic reasoning, were not yet suited to participating in discussions that might determine Nazarick’s future.
After thinking for a long time, Ainz summoned the most intelligent person beneath him to the throne room.
“Demiurge.” Ainz lowered his voice, maintaining the dignity expected of a Supreme Being.
“I require your wisdom.
From this point onward, no matter what I ask, I want your most carefully considered and truthful answer.” He paused.
“Tell me.
Compared with Nishikienrai, how would you evaluate my strength?” “This…” Demiurge froze for a moment.
The absolute seriousness of the Supreme Being seated upon the throne made it clear that this was not the time for empty praise.
He lowered his head and answered truthfully.
“This servant believes that, considering the characteristics of your respective builds, Lord Nishikienrai would hold the advantage under most conditions.” “Very good.” Ainz continued.
“What I am about to tell you is that I have encountered someone whose ability is extremely close to Nishikienrai’s.
His name is Lucien Vale.” “Or rather, he may even be stronger than Nishikienrai.” “He comes from the same world as I do.
We had heard of one another before, although we never personally interacted.” Demiurge’s eyes widened in shock.
At that point, Ainz rose from the throne.
He turned his back to Demiurge and looked upward at the enormous banner bearing the emblem of Ainz Ooal Gown.
A sense of nostalgia filled him.
“You know, Demiurge, whether it was Nishikienrai, Bukubukuchagama, Ulbert, or any of the others, we originally began as nothing more than a group of people who shared similar interests.” “By chance, we eventually came together.
We became friends, fought beside one another, and through our combined efforts created the guild known as Ainz Ooal Gown.” “In those days, most of us preferred traveling and fighting together.” “Lucien was different.
He preferred working alone as a mercenary.
If someone paid him, he completed the job.
He never joined a guild.” “But his individual ability was exceptional.” “Extremely exceptional.” Ainz fell silent for a moment.
“But now, all of them are gone.” “And I have found myself in a world completely unfamiliar to me.” “Perhaps I need to begin again from the very start.” “Demiurge, how do you think I should approach him?” The real question had finally been asked.
Demiurge gradually composed himself and considered it seriously.
“Lord Ainz…
do you wish for him to become your companion?” “Hmm…” Ainz pressed the ring on his right index finger beneath the bridge of his nasal cavity as he thought.
“When we first met, my only intention was to avoid making him an enemy.” “But after speaking with him, I found that conversation between us came surprisingly easily.” “If he could provide assistance as we move forward in this world, that would naturally be ideal.” “In other words, you do not wish merely to make use of him.
You seek a cooperative relationship?” “That would be accurate.” “His strength deserves my respect.
More importantly, we have already established friendly relations.” “You could say we are already cooperating.” Demiurge’s multiple thought processes accelerated once again.
Then his eyes suddenly brightened.
An expression of realization spread across his face.
He adjusted his glasses.
The tension he had shown earlier faded considerably, replaced by a confident smile.
“Thank you for allowing an insignificant servant such as myself to participate in a discussion concerning something so important to Nazarick.” “I am deeply honored.” “However, I believe I now understand your intentions, Lord Ainz.” “May this servant have the privilege of meeting Lord Lucien?” Ainz turned slightly.
“What do you intend to discuss with him?” “The future of Lord Ainz, Lord Lucien, and Nazarick itself.” “When the discussion reaches the appropriate point, I will have Narberal contact you.” “At that time, I humbly ask that you come and witness that glorious future with your own eyes.” The small private room had been completely transformed.
The little square table had been replaced by a polished ceremonial table coated in wax and gleaming lacquer.
Fresh fruit and roasted cuts of meat had been arranged across it.
The meat appeared to come from a Frost Dragon, an edible recovery item from YGGDRASIL that Lucien had not tasted in a very long time.
A bottle of champagne had also been placed farther inside the table.
Two glasses had already been filled halfway.
Narberal had changed back into her black-and-white battle maid uniform and stood waiting beside the table.
The moment Lucien entered, she folded her hands neatly before her abdomen and bowed deeply.
“Please allow me to apologize for my earlier disrespect, honored guest.” Before Lucien could respond, Demiurge, standing half a step behind him, immediately hardened his expression.
“Nabe!
Mind your words!” “Mr.
Vale is not a guest.
He is a treasured friend of Lord Ainz.” “There is a significant difference.” “Yes!” Nabe’s body stiffened, and she bowed even more deeply.
“My earlier conduct was unforgivably rude.
Please forgive me!” “…There’s really no need for all this.
It was nothing.” Lucien stepped farther into the room.
Only then did he notice that the small chairs from earlier had also been replaced.
Previously, from the perspective of someone entering through the door, Lucien had sat near the lower-left side of the table while Ainz sat diagonally across from him at the upper-right.
Now there were only two seats, both positioned at the far end of the room.
One was a large leather executive chair.
The other was a throne constructed entirely from the bones of various creatures.
Lucien merely looked at them.
He did not sit down immediately.
Demiurge noticed every detail of his reaction.
He immediately realized that Lucien did not seem to enjoy excessive ceremony.
Perhaps he preferred things simple and direct.
That would also fit what Demiurge knew of him as a solitary player who had never belonged to any guild and had always operated independently.
As a result, Demiurge abandoned the long speech he had originally prepared.
All the elaborate lines beginning with, “Please allow this humble servant to express his immeasurable reverence toward your exalted presence.” He discarded all of it.
“Please, take your seat.” “The one beside yours is Lord Ainz’s throne.
He will be joining us shortly, so there is no need for concern.” Demiurge gestured toward the leather chair.
Lucien detected no traps or mechanisms anywhere in the room.
Although he still had no idea what Demiurge was planning, he sat in the seat that had clearly been prepared specifically for him.
Demiurge’s expression suddenly became noticeably more animated.
He gave Nabe a subtle look.
Then he placed his right hand over his chest, drew one leg half a step backward, and lowered himself onto one knee.
“Here and now, please allow me to offer my loyalty to you both!” “First, I pay my respects to Lord Lucien Vale, the supreme ruler of the human realm, and…” At that exact moment, Nabe activated the message scroll that had been prepared in advance.
Ainz had been waiting in the throne room for quite some time.
Because he feared that Lucien’s assassin abilities might detect a concealed surveillance spell such as an observing eye, Ainz had deliberately refrained from using any form of magical reconnaissance on the private room.
Even so, he had remained deeply concerned.
What if Demiurge somehow offended Lucien?
The two had never met before.
Ever since Demiurge left, Ainz had been unable to completely rid himself of that worry.
Now, at last, the signal had arrived.
Ainz immediately activated teleportation.
He appeared beside the ceremonial table.
“…the Undead King, Lord Ainz!” Overcome with excitement, Demiurge could no longer keep his demonic tail still.
It swayed rapidly behind him.
Ainz stared at the meticulously prepared feast on the table.
Then at Demiurge, kneeling beside it with absolute devotion.
Then at Lucien, who was looking back at him in complete confusion.
Ainz’s jaw slowly dropped farther and farther open.
Until it looked as though it might actually come loose.
(To be continued.)