Lydia's POV
There isn't a single trace of the battle that just took place in the grasslands. The wounded soldiers have been sent to the warehouse of the village along with Gazef, thanks to Ainz's little totem, and we took their place.
Ainz at the center and me to his right.
In front of us stands the group of magic casters in their weird uniforms alongside an Archangel of Flame for each of them. Except for their leader, who's the only one not wearing a helmet; he is accompanied by a Principality Observation rather than an Archangel of Flame. This isn't a bad choice, as Principality Observation boosts the defense of any ally within its line of sight as long as it is stationary.
Yet, it is only a valuable strategy for fights below level 40 at best. This angel is just a mid-tier angel that becomes irrelevant in fights above level 50.
The fact that they only use low-tier angels such as Archangels of Flame and a single Principality Observation screams how weak they are.
I heard everything this guy, Nigun, said to Gazef during their fight. He and his little group are really the worst. It made me think back to what the Village Chief told me.
Their mission is the elimination of Gazef Stronoff. The village is irrelevant now that they have found Gazef; yet, they intend to completely wipe out the village—simply for their own amusement, because they can.
Now I feel stupid for feeling bad for the knight earlier. I knew that he was a bad person. But he is also part of their group. A group of murderers who kill under the excuse that they are doing it for their country while taking a depraved amount of pleasure in doing so.
They have no regard or consideration for the lives of others, nor a great cause for which they are doing what they do. They do it simply because they enjoy it. To have power over others.
Those kinds of people really make me angry... no, furious.
Wouldn't it be better for everyone... if, before they got the chance to destroy more lives elsewhere... we got rid of them?
Narrator's POV
Nigun, the Captain of the Sunlight Scripture, stares at the two people in front of him in surprise. One of them is an imposing magic caster covered in a dark purple robe, wearing a strange mask that covers his face and iron gauntlets covering his hands. His robe looks expensive and gives off an aristocratic air.
The second person is also the one who confused Nigun the most. She is a little girl with a delicate appearance and long, flowing blonde hair, wearing a short, luxurious robe and a blue gem on her chest that glows subtly.
What intrigues Nigun is the presence of the child herself on the battlefield. In what world does someone bring a child into battle? She appears to be adorned with magic items as well, meaning that she is perhaps a magic caster, or worse, something entirely different than a human attempting to make them lower their guard with an innocent appearance.
Whatever the case may be, Nigun ordered all the angels to retreat. The disappearance of Gazef Stronoff followed by the appearance of those strangers can only mean that the two phenomena are linked. This indicates that at least one of the two figures in front of him is capable of using teleportation magic, which, in itself, is enough to put Nigun on guard.
"Good day, men of the Slane Theocracy. I am called Ainz Ooal Gown. It would be a great honor for me if you could simply address me as Ainz." Ainz introduces himself, his tone composed despite being in front of more than twenty members of the Sunlight Scripture and their angels.
"The person beside me is Lydia. I wish to make a deal with everyone here; would it be possible to take a little of your time?" he proposes.
Unbeknownst to Ainz, his introduction—specifically Lydia's—raised Nigun's suspicions exponentially.
It could have been a coincidence. But after observing the child being adorned with various magical items, as well as her expressionless face, he didn't count on it. Those strangers in front of him must be cultists and that child one of their latest objects of worship. They even gave her that cursed name.
Most aren't aware of the legends, as they are kept secret by the Slane Theocracy. But Nigun, as the Captain of the Sunlight Scripture, knows everything there is to know about them—about the Dark Goddess worshipped by monsters and demi-humans all around the world, despite the numerous attempts of the Slane Theocracy to erase any trace of her.
Taking Nigun's silence as agreement, Ainz starts speaking once more. "Excellent. Thank you for taking the time to hear me out. First, there is one thing I want to mention, which is that there’s no way for you to defeat me."
Ainz's declaration makes a frown of annoyance appear on Nigun's face, annoyed at the presumed arrogance of the man in front of him. Yet, Ainz's confidence creates a certain unease in Nigun's heart.
"Your ignorance is saddening, and you will pay for your foolishness." replies Nigun. As the captain of the Sunlight Scripture, he has every right to be confident in his own strength.
"...About that, is that really the case? I was carefully observing this fight, so my standing here means that I am fully confident in my victory. Do you really think I would come out and rescue that man if I didn’t believe I would win?" retorts Ainz calmly, as if not in front of the entire Sunlight Scripture.
Nigun himself has nothing to say in the face of that logic. He himself is wondering where the confidence of the man in front of him comes from and if he is at least a fraction as powerful as he makes himself out to be. That uncertainty causes Nigun to hesitate in how to deal with this man and his companions.
Yet, even in his hesitation, a plan begins to form in Nigun's mind as his eyes land back on the little girl beside the towering man.
'She must be powerful or have an exceptional talent to become an object of worship.' 'After killing the man, I could take her to the Theocracy.' 'She must be under some form of brainwashing to follow them like that. But she's young, she can still be corrected and become an asset of the Theocracy.'
Those are the thoughts running inside Nigun's mind. For him, no matter how confident the man in front of him is, Nigun is still the captain of the Sunlight Scripture. He could defeat almost anyone that hadn't entered the realm of heroes, and even then, with the help of his men, even a hero could be slain.
This is proven by how easily they toyed with Gazef Stronoff; while he has not yet crossed into the realm of heroes, he is close—too close. And if a man like that isn't a threat to them, then even a hero could be dealt with.
Ainz speaks up once more at Nigun's lack of response. "If you understand, there's a question I want to ask. The angels you summoned—you must have used the 3rd-tier spell [Summon Angel], am I right?" Ainz asks rhetorically.
Nigun shoots Ainz with a look of disdain, yet Ainz ignores it and continues.
"The monsters you summoned are quite similar to the ones in YGGDRASIL, so I was curious if they were named the same as well. YGGDRASIL monsters were named after myths... Angel and Demon monsters should also have something to do with myths. These Angels and Demons are usually related to Christianity, but with the absence of Christianity in this world, it would be very unnatural for something called an Archangel to appear. This means that within this world, there are people similar to us."
"Stop talking to yourself. Where did you send Gazef Stronoff?" Nigun demands furiously, having no idea what Ainz is talking about and with his patience running thin.
"To the village," answers Ainz truthfully.
"...What?" blurts out Nigun, puzzled. He hadn't expected to receive an answer. He can only conclude that Ainz is lying.
"How stupid; even if you are lying, a simple search of the village would —" begins Nigun, but he's quickly interrupted by Ainz.
"—I am not lying, only answering the question... and to be honest, there is a reason."
"...Could it be to ask for mercy? If you can save us some time, then maybe I'll consider it," speculates Nigun condescendingly.
"No, no, no... Actually... I heard your conversation with the Warrior Captain... how courageous."
Ainz’s tone and manner changed, looking at the mocking expression of Nigun: "You dare to shamelessly say that you would kill the villagers that I, Ainz Ooal Gown, had painstakingly rescued? Nothing else would displease me more," announces Ainz with a quiet fury.
The strong winds flutter Ainz’s robe and breeze through Nigun and his men.
It is just a coincidence that the wind from the grasslands came from Ainz’s direction, but Nigun quickly shakes off the misconception appearing in his mind; surely he is just mistaken and the wind didn’t smell of death.
"...S-So you are displeased about that, Magic Caster. So what?" Although he is intimidated, Nigun still does not change his cynical attitude.
After all, how could the Captain of the Sunlight Scripture, who held the trump card of the Slane Theocracy, be afraid after hearing the words of some random guy?
"The deal that I mentioned before is that I hope that you will quietly surrender your lives; this way you can be spared from physical pain. Otherwise, if you resist, which would be very stupid of you, you will have to pay the cost of dying in despair and misery," announces Ainz darkly.
He then takes a step forward and, although it's just a step, Ainz's figure looks enormous in the eyes of the Sunlight Scripture, causing them all to take a step back.
Several hoarse voices came from Nigun’s surroundings.
That was the voice of fear.
This was the first time Nigun had experienced such intense, inexplicable pressure. Therefore, he could understand his subordinates’ fear.
Even Nigun, a veteran of countless battles who is unsure of how many times he has been on the brink of death or how many lives he has taken, can feel the suffocating pressure emitted by Ainz, this mysterious Magic Caster. What his subordinates are feeling is probably even more intense.
'Who the hell is he?' 'He isn't a simple cultist!' 'Just who is hiding under that mask?' 'Is he perhaps one of the Ten Heralds? No... perhaps even the Apostle...'
Nigun's thoughts accelerate with his rising anxiety.
"That is the reason I did not lie. Because there is no reason to lie to men who are about to die," Ainz speaks coldly.
Ainz opens his arms slowly and takes another step forward. He gives the impression of wanting a hug, but with his strange curved fingers he looks like a magic beast that is about to pounce.
A chill runs down Nigun’s spine. Having been on the brink of death before, he knows this feeling is a premonition of death.
"Order the Angels to attack! Don’t let him get close!" barks Nigun to his subordonates.
Having received their orders, the subordinates transmit them to their summoned Archangel Flames, and two of them fly rapidly towards Ainz with their swords of fire pointed, ready to impale him on the spot.
But they stop mid-air.
Under the puzzled gaze of the Sunlight Scripture, their wings of fire turn from their orange hue to a deep, powerful blue. The light coming from where a face should be under the angels' helmets and their swords undergoes the same transformation. Their presence changes completely, and even their idle movement becomes lifelike, as if life had been breathed into those mindless summons.
Then, the other Archangels' Flames that stayed beside their summoners transform as well and, to Nigun's shock, Principality Observation is affected as well.
Lydia's POV
[Domination] seems to work just fine. I was able to take control of all of their summons in the blink of an eye, but I wasn't expecting their appearance to change. I could use them to kill them all. After being affected by [Domination], they become mine, which means that they receive all power boosts from my job classes. With their new power, it should be easy to kill their former summoners.
But... why am I still hesitating? They are scum. They don't show mercy; why should I show any to them? I already killed the knight before. Why... why isn't it becoming easier? I thought I had already made up my mind earlier...
I give a mental command, and all the angels fly toward us to settle in the air behind us.
The leader of the... Sunlight Scripture, if I remember correctly, has his mouth open in shock and his eyes look like they are going to burst out of their sockets.
All the other men of the Sunlight Scripture let out noises of shock and fear, completely dumbfounded by the entire scene in front of them. I even hear some of them mumbling out loud, trying to convince themselves that it must be an illusion or a dream.
Ainz turns his head toward me. "You didn't need to intervene; you know that, right?" he asks rhetorically, yet his tone stays gentle. A complete 180° from his earlier demeanor with the leader of the Sunlight Scripture.
With his words, all heads turn to me and their eyes widen even further in shock, but I ignore them for now.
"Leave them to me, please." I demand weakly. I need to do this—to prove to myself that I can do something when it matters.
Ainz seems to ponder the request and turns his head towards the Sunlight Scripture. They just stand there, seemingly not knowing what to do, staring at us, particularly at the angels behind us.
The leader of the Sunlight Scripture stares at me with horror in his eyes.
Ainz turns back to me. "Okay, but don't forget that I can take over at any time if you need it." he agrees.
I take a deep breath.
After steeling myself, I give the mental order, and with it, all the angels rapidly fly toward the Sunlight Scripture with their swords ready. Only Principality Observation stays idle at my side to apply his passive buffs to all the other angels.
This finally wakes up the Sunlight Scripture from their stupor. Some of them try to hastily summon more angels to fight the ones charging at them, but most just throw spells at them.
"[Water Sphere]." "[Bind]." "[Poison]." "[Blast]." "[Stalagmite Assault]." ...
Despite their power boost, the angels are still around levels 20 to 30, so their spells are actually effective to some degree, making the fight look even from an outside perspective. Yet... unlike their angels, mine move more organically. Without me even managing them, they adapt their strategy to the enemies' actions and take the upper hand.
It's a slow and methodical massacre.
The first man of the Sunlight Scripture to fall is cut in half at the waist by a blue sword of flame that went seamlessly through the angel the man used as a shield.
The second is pierced at the head by a blade of blue fire that melts through an earth wall hastily raised.
Some of my angels pause after being affected by a [Blind] spell, but even then, the enemies can barely scratch them thanks to Principality Observation buffs.
Another man of the Sunlight Scripture falls with a guttural scream of terror and pain as he is lifted up into the air by two angels and ripped apart from both sides. His remains are then thrown into another fight, distracting other men of the Sunlight Scripture and causing their demise.
In desperation, one of the men of the Sunlight Scripture shoots a spiked metal ball from some kind of slingshot on his gauntlet at me, but the projectile passes through me seamlessly. He is then quickly impaled by three angels, as if in response to his act.
With each brutal kill of one of my angels, I shudder in both pity and guilt. Even knowing that they most certainly deserve it, it doesn't stop me from feeling something with each life I take through my summons. The emotions prevent me from giving any additional orders to my angels or summoning something else. Without me even noticing, I start to tremble while looking at the one-sided massacre, and tears form in the corners of my eyes.
I close my eyes, but it only makes it worse, as now I hear much more clearly their screams of fear, pain, and horror.
I feel a hand land on top of my head, stilling my body and grounding my mind almost immediately. I open my eyes to see Ainz looking at me through his smiling mask.
Why... why always the head, man?
I lean into his hand, distracting myself from the still-ongoing massacre in front.
"Do you want me to take over?" he asks softly, his tone almost a soothing whisper.
As I am about to nod, something else catches my attention first.
The leader of the Sunlight Scripture, who grew more and more restless as the 'fight' went on, had his face light up like he just had an illumination or saw salvation. He then hastily searched for something inside his uniform, and what he took out was surprising and alarming.
It's a Crystal of Magic Sealing, and it has the glow of a high-quality one that can even contain Super-Tier spells. Not only do they have spells from YGGDRASIL, but they also have items from the game...
The leader of the Sunlight Scripture then shouts to his men, "I'm going to summon an angel of the highest level; hurry and buy me some time!"
Of the highest level? Is he going to summon a Seraph-class angel? A Seraph Empyrean, perhaps? Or maybe... something even higher? After I destroyed Midgard, the devs disseminated across the nine worlds of YGGDRASIL various one-time-use items capable of summoning world-class beings to give other players a chance against me. But unlike a one-time-use World Item, those would not reappear somewhere else after being used; they are limited.
Could this crystal be one of those items?
I turn my head to look at Ainz hesitantly.
Ainz gives me a nod and turns fully toward the enemies, his hand leaving my head in the motion.
I still don't understand why his hand can calm me down so effectively... it's like a cheat. And a growing part of me wants more of it.
The leader of the Sunlight Scripture releases the spell contained in the crystal, breaking it in the process; the spell is unleashed with bright rays of light.
The grassland is dyed white, as if the sun has just descended from the sky. An unknown aroma also fills the air.
"Look! Behold the glory of the highest-ranking angel! Dominion Authority!" the leader of the Sunlight Scripture cheers almost maniacally.
The being that appears has a collection of shiny wings; within the numerous wings, there are tablets etched with symbols of royalty. The head and legs of the being cannot be seen, and its body is pristine white. A holy symbol appears in a similar way to a magic circle where its head should be. With the appearance of the angel, the surrounding atmosphere looks purer.
Dominion Authority? It... in a strange way... feels... deeply offensive.
"Just... Just this? This Angel...? To go against my strongest killing ability?" Ainz says with difficulty, surely feeling the same way I do.
Probably misunderstanding the reason for our astonishment, the leader of the Sunlight Scripture continues, overjoyed, "That's right! Even if you’re afraid there is no way out, this is the image of the highest-level Angel. Originally, using him here would be a waste, but I judge that you both have that value."
Please stop calling it the 'highest-level angel' in front of me; it feels even more insulting. I was worried for nothing, and now with his words, I feel like he is spitting in my face.
"How could this be..." mumbles Ainz in a defeated tone as he slowly raises a hand to his mask in defeat.
"Honestly speaking, it is truly respectable that you made me summon the highest-level Angel against you. You both are Magic Casters who possess fearful magical powers; be proud of it!" The leader continues, unaware of our thoughts.
He then nods heavily and continues, "Personally, I would really like to make you and your companions my comrades. Even now, your strength is so great... But you must forgive me; the situation this time does not allow for it. At least we will remember you—remember you as the magic casters who made me summon the highest-level angel."
I feel like I'm receiving psychic damage each time he calls it the 'highest-level angel'...
Perhaps they are capable of feeling my emotions, as my angels retreat and go back to my side.
"Really... how boring." Ainz speaks up coldly, snapping the leader of the Sunlight Scripture out of his reverie.
"What?" he replies in shock.
"To be so on guard for such a childish game..." he mutters in disdain.
I let out a sigh but don't add anything; he already said everything there was to say for both of us.
"Even in front of the highest-level angel, you can still maintain this kind of attitude!?" the leader of the Sunlight Scripture shouts in outrage.
"No! Impossible! That cannot happen! There is no way that any man is stronger than the highest-level Angel! This Angel is even capable of defeating a Demon God! Facing a mere human—it must be a bluff! Definitely a bluff!" he yells uncontrollably, unable to contain his emotions.
He then looks up at Dominion Authority and shouts, "Activate [Extreme Holy Strike]!"
"I know, I know. Cast it quickly; I won’t do anything. Are you satisfied?" replies Ainz to the Sunlight Scripture leader's fury, apparently fed up with this.
In response to the Sunlight Scripture leader's order, the tablet in Dominion Authority's hands shatters and its fragments start to slowly rotate around its body.
This is a one-time special skill that allows Dominion Authority to increase the strength of a spell. I used it a bunch of times when I was a lower level, but it stopped being useful after levels 50 to 60.
As [Extreme Holy Strike] activates, the only thing visible is a beam of light falling from the sky.
With a sound akin to a special-effects laser, bluish-white light constantly falls down on the two of us.
I don't feel anything. So I look around in curiosity, inspecting the spell from within. Perhaps I could reproduce it? Of course, even if I do, the spell will be weaker than if it were from someone with magic caster job class levels; I'm still a summoner at my core, after all.
Or will it? Maybe if I pour more mana into the spell, I could make it even stronger. After all, mana is the thing I have in abundance. An almost unlimited supply of it, actually. I think I was the player with the biggest mana pool and the quickest mana regeneration in all of YGGDRASIL.
Beside me, I see Ainz putting a hand above his head as if shielding himself from mildly inconvenient sunlight.
"Hahahahahahaha. To be expected of magic that has increased properties against evil... So this is the feeling of pain... Does it hurt? Of course, of course! But even though I feel pain, my thoughts are clear, and it did not affect my actions," he comments to himself joyfully and I can't help but send him a weird look.
The beam vanished without a trace a few seconds later.
"Excellent, there ends another experiment," Ainz continues to mumble to himself.
An experiment? I suppose that... yeah... it could be considered one.
"It sounds as if nothing happened; no, he sounds content." I hear the leader of the Sunlight Scripture rambling in stupefaction, not sure if he must still consider Ainz as a human, I assume.
Then, his face pales as if he had a revelation. "I know... I know your true identity! Demon Gods! You two are Demon Gods! Once again! Activate [Extreme Holy Strike]!"
"Leave it to me, Lydia. You've done enough," Ainz demands softly before turning to the leader of the Sunlight Scripture, even though I didn't give him an answer. "Looks like now it’s my turn... Feel despair, [Black Hole]," he chants with a hand raised towards Dominion Authority.
Not even an instant after the chant, space seems to distort around a small dot that appeared on the Dominion Authority's chest. The dot then rapidly grows in size, and everything around it is sucked into it with a force that looks absolute.
Not even a second later, Dominion Authority vanished without a trace and its aura of purity disappears with it.
A deafening silence overtakes the plain as the wind blows across the grassland. The silence is only interrupted by the voice of the leader of the Sunlight Scripture, which is full of disbelief.
"Just what are you..." he mutters weakly, yet his voice can be heard clearly in the silence.
"I have never heard the name Ainz Ooal Gown, the Magic Caster... No, there is no one who should be capable of destroying a highest-level Angel. There is no such existence..." he continues as he shakes his head weakly.
"I only know that you have far surpassed the power of a Demon God... This is really going too far... Who are—" he keeps rambling weakly.
"—I already said, I am Ainz Ooal Gown. Other than this name, I am still not well-known. Let us skip the small talk; continuing to say anything more would be a waste of time. Also, in order to not waste your efforts, I have to tell you some things: I have already disabled the ability to use teleportation magic here. In addition, my subordinates nearby are waiting in ambush, so you have no means of escape," Ainz explains coldly.
The Sun has now completely set and night takes its place, giving the grasslands an even more eerie atmosphere.
Huh? What's that? Is someone trying to spy on us?
I look up at the night sky and expand my senses with the Eye of Heimdall, following the imperceptible line of mana invisible to anyone but me before Ainz's defenses destroy it.
What I see on the other side of the thread of mana is a young girl who seems to be wearing a... Japanese schoolgirl uniform?
She has pale skin and short, very light brown hair. She wears a black ribbon accessory on her head and hexagonal glasses. Her school uniform is principally red with a bit of purple, and her short skirt is pinkish-white. She also wears knee-high stockings with small shoes.
A small pinkish-white bag is beside her as she is seated at a desk inside a small, lit room which I assume to be her bedroom.
Her eyes widen, as I assume she didn't manage to see anything before her spell was destroyed by Ainz's defense. The attempt is sloppy; the spell she uses is only of the 4th tier and doesn't have any counter-intelligence spells activated. Anyone higher than level 40 could detect her and perhaps even trace her back with the right items or spells.
She didn't see anything, and it doesn't seem like she can use anything above the 4th tier, so there's no point in looking further than this.
At the same time, in the grassland, a sound similar to glass breaking can be heard, and a small fracture appears where I was looking in the sky, as if space itself had shattered, before quickly disappearing.
"Oya oya... You guys better thank me. Looks like there is someone who has been using Intelligence Magic to monitor you, but because I am also within the range of effect, I was also able to resist the spell by using an Anti-Information Magic Wall, so I won’t be subject to surveillance... Ahh, if I had known this would happen, I would have prepared some more high-level counter-spells," Ainz explains condescendingly.
The leader of the Sunlight Scripture has a look of understanding. Maybe he knows who is trying to peek?
"With some strengthening, I could influence a huge area with [Burst] and maybe teach that peeper a lesson... With that, the game is now over," he adds before turning his attention back to the Sunlight Scripture in front of him.
The leader of the Sunlight Scripture looks like he is about to cry, and judging by the sounds the others are making, I assume most of his men are as well, if they are not already crying. It's hard to tell with their weird helmets.
"Wa-Wait a moment! Lord Ainz Ooal Gown... No, Master! Please wait a moment. We... No, I want to make a deal with you! It will definitely be no loss to you! As long as you spare my life, I will prepare any amount of gold you want!" he begs desperately, making me frown.
The same man who was talking about massacring villagers just because they were there is now begging for his life. The irony is as overwhelming as it is infuriating. The nerve of this man... He also doesn't say anything about his men... truly... he is despicable in every way.
Unaware of my thoughts, he continues, "To satisfy a great Magic Caster like yourself would surely be difficult, but I will definitely prepare you a satisfactory amount of gold! I have a strong position in my country; the state will be willing to spare no cost in saving me! Of course, if you have any other demands, I would gladly oblige! I beg of you! Please have mercy!"
"S-So how is it, Master Ainz Ooal Gown?" he finishes, panting, looking at Ainz with hope.
In response, Ainz simply shakes his head. "I'm afraid I cannot do that. You see, I have made a promise, and letting you go may risk it being broken. And I don't go back on my word. Also, what did I tell you earlier? Lie down obediently and I'll grant you a painless death. If not, you will die in despair and misery."
The hope in the leader of the Sunlight Scripture's eyes disappears with that statement.
.
.
.
After coming back to the village to fetch Albedo and the Death Knight, we all returned to Nazarick—to the Throne Room, to be more precise.
Ainz is seated on the Throne of Kings while, as if it has become my official seat, I sit in the armchair to the left of the throne.
In front of us, a large number of NPCs are assembled in the Throne Room, and despite the number of beings inside the large room, the room is completely silent. It is as if the silence is sacred, and no one is willing to break it in any conceivable way.
The Guardians and Albedo are all kneeling at the front of the crowd with the exception of Victim, the Guardian of the 8th floor, and Gargantua, the Guardian of the 4th floor.
For most of the NPCs here, it must be their first time in the Throne Room, as the 9th and 10th floors are off-limits to everyone except guild members and the servants working there.
"I apologize for gathering all of you here," begins Ainz in an unrepentant tone, his voice resonating within the room.
"As for why I summoned everyone here, Albedo will explain in a moment. There is something more pressing that I have to inform all members of the Great Tomb of Nazarick." I point a bony finger at his banner and chant, "[High-level Item Destruction]."
The large banner representing Momonga falls to the ground as it burns with blue magical flames.
"I have changed my name. When you address me from now on..." He points behind the throne, and everyone's gaze follows. Their eyes land on the giant banner of the guild of Ainz Ooal Gown. "Call me Ainz Ooal Gown—Ainz will do."
He then picks up his staff, the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown, and hits the ground with the bottom of the staff, drawing back the gaze of everyone present.
"All those who oppose, state your piece," he exclaims loudly to the crowd.
No one objects; Albedo speaks up with a smile. "We all now know the name of the Lord. Hail Ainz Ooal Gown-sama! Supreme Overlord Ainz Ooal Gown-sama, all members of the Great Tomb of Nazarick swear undying fealty to you."
Then, as if waking up something primal in them, everyone began chanting, "Hail Ainz Ooal Gown-sama! Supreme Overlord Ainz Ooal Gown-sama who leads us! We will dedicate our all to you and swear undying fealty to you! Long live Ainz Ooal Gown-sama! Everyone knows the greatness of Ainz Ooal Gown-sama and the terrifying power he possesses!" they cheers and praises. The Throne Room eruptes in cheers.
Even I simply watch the scene with a soft smile.
"Well, then—" He looks at everyone.
"——I will announce the goal for everyone." Ainz pauses, and everyone's expressions turn serious. "Turn Ainz Ooal Gown and Lydia Evie Hart into eternal legends."
He strikes the ground with his staff again. The staff seems to respond, and the crystals on it shine colorfully.
"If there are many heroes, then we will replace them all; let the entire world know that Ainz Ooal Gown is the true hero! If there are people stronger than us in this world, I will find a way other than violence. If we see a mage with numerous subordinates, we will use a different method. This is just the preparation phase; in order to let everyone know we are the greatest, let’s strive hard together!"
Ainz’s voice reaches every corner of the Throne Room.
Everyone in the Throne Room lowers their head with a sound distinct to each individual, similar to a prayer.
.
.
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Narrator's POV
Not long after Ainz Ooal Gown's announcement, he and Lydia Evie Hart left the Throne Room. Yet, the excitement lingered in the Throne Room. Receiving the Supreme Overlord’s command and acting in unison motivates everyone, especially when they are bestowed with an order.
"Everyone, lift your heads." Albedo's voice cut through the silence of the room.
Everyone who had lowered their heads in prayer looked up.
"Everyone will do as Ainz-sama commands. Next, there are still important announcements to make," she announces, much to the excitement of everyone present.
Her gaze stops at the banner of Ainz Ooal Gown behind the throne. The others present are also staring at it with reverence.
"Demiurge, share what Ainz-sama told you," she demands as she turns her gaze towards Demiurge.
"Understood," the demon replies with his signature grin as he stands up from his knees, and his voice is clear to everyone in the room.
"Ainz-sama said to me as he looked up at the night sky, 'I might exist in this place to obtain that box of jewels that belongs to no one.' Then, regarding Lydia-sama's wish: 'No, this isn’t something that we alone should have. Perhaps it should be used to decorate the Great Tomb of Nazarick.' The jewel box refers to this world. Ainz-sama’s true wish is this."
He smiles, and it isn't a gentle one as he continues, "And Ainz-sama continued, 'Conquering the world is a very interesting idea.' So the conclusion is..."
Everyone’s eyes turn sharp at the demon's words. These are eyes that show a strong resolve.
Albedo's gaze slowly moves to everyone's face, and everyone stares back at her.
"Understanding the Supreme Being's true intentions and making preparations is the way loyal and outstanding subordinates should act. Everyone must understand the final objective of the Great Tomb of Nazarick is to take that jewelry box—this world—for Ainz-sama and Lydia-sama," she exclaims loudly as she turns to face the giant banner once more.
"Ainz-sama, we will definitely give this world to you," she vows, her voice reverberating in the Throne Room. "Giving everything in this world to the Supreme Beings, the true Overlord Ainz-sama and the Daughter of Mana, Lydia-sama."