Narrator's POV
While Ainz, Lydia, and their temporary companions are accomplishing their quest, something else is happening in a back alley of E-Rantel, hidden by the darkness of the night.
Two men can be seen fleeing something in the shadows. One immediately gets his skull pierced from behind through his iron helmet by a short estoc, killing him instantaneously. His comrade shakes wildly and soon falls like a puppet whose strings have been cut.
The man begins praying that someone heard his comrade being killed or him falling so that someone rushes over, but no one should be stupid enough to do that regardless.
This entire zone of E-Rantel is filled with abandoned places, which is why he decided to meet his client here.
As the man turns around on the ground to look at his assailant, he glares at the woman in front of him. But the glare can't hide that he is just putting up a brave front to hide his fear after seeing this woman kill his three companions.
The woman flicks the short estoc, still dripping with blood. The blood splatters on the ground and the walls at her movement, leaving the estoc shining coldly, reflecting the moonlight.
The woman hums, sounding almost childish. "You are the last one, pal~," she sings, smiling like a predator enjoying the chase.
"You, why are you doing this?" the man asks, and even if he feels that the question is dumb, he really doesn't understand why it ended up this way.
The man isn't an adventurer; he and his companions are what are known as 'workers', accepting jobs bordering on being criminal, or even committing crimes directly.
It is possible for others to bear grudges against them, but they have never worked in this city or seen this woman before.
"Ah, why am I doing this? Ara~ I just want you, pal~," replies the woman cheerfully.
The man, unable to understand the woman, blinks. "What—what do you mean?" he asks.
"There is a certain someone I'm looking for right now~," she begins. "But she left the city recently," she whines, her smile never leaving her face. "So I need someone to keep an eye out for me and tell me when she returns. I don't want to do something that troublesome~"
"Then just make such a request! That’s not what you are trying to do!" screams the man in outrage.
After all, workers are willing to break the law; he doesn't understand why the woman wants to kill him.
"Ara ara ara, you might betray me~," she accuses playfully.
"If we receive the agreed remuneration, we won’t betray you!" screams the man, trying to bring some sense to the deranged woman.
"Hmm? Let’s change that a bit, okay? I like killing people; I love it; I can’t help myself," she explains, her smile growing wider the more she talks. "Ah, I like interrogating, too," she adds, as if just remembering.
The man's expression grows serious after hearing that. "What the hell is wrong with you?!" he screams.
"What exactly is the reason? Because I had to keep killing for my job? Because I was always compared to my excellent big brother? My parents devoted all their love to him? Or perhaps because I was toyed with before becoming strong? Maybe because after messing up and getting captured, I was interrogated for days? Having to eat a scorching pear is really painful, you know," she explains, dropping her smile. For an instant, in front of the man is just a young girl, but it all vanishes in an instant as the woman smiles once more.
"Just kidding, all of that was a lie. Fake, fake~ I didn’t experience any of that. But even if everything were true, knowing the past won’t change anything. I turned out like this because of accumulated experiences~ Ara~ Speaking of which, this is thanks to Kaji-chan collecting intelligence for me, allowing me to contact you guys immediately~ You know how long it takes just to find help these days—"
She releases her grip on her estoc, letting it fall on the man, stabbing deep with only gravity, making the man scream in pain. This sharpness indicates that the estoc isn't made of mere steel.
"This is orichalcum. Or to be more exact, it’s mithril covered with orichalcum. It’s amazingly good stuff," she explains proudly.
With this explanation, the man understands that he and his companions never had any chance of winning against her; having such a rare weapon proves the strength of the woman.
"Now then... time for the next step. If you get heavily injured, pal, you won’t be of use... But no matter how much I hurt you, Kaji-chan can mend you with faith-based spells—this means I can enjoy torturing you endlessly," she explains, like a child explaining a fun game while taking a second estoc from behind her cloak.
"Using this should be good... Sorry if I miss~" she apologizes, sticking her tongue out playfully.
The man, using his last remaining strength, turns his back on the woman and starts sprinting as soon as he is on his feet, using a martial art to ignore the pain from the estoc still embedded in his leg.
Behind him, he hears the woman pretending to be surprised, but he ignores it, focusing purely on escaping. In the darkness, he runs with the sense of direction he is so proud of.
But with a cracking sound, the calm yet cruel voice of the woman comes from right behind him, "Too slow~"
Instantaneously, he feels an intense burning pain in his right shoulder, and his mind becomes shrouded in darkness.
Recognizing the effects of a [Mind Control] spell, the man resists with all his might, but as he resists, the shadow on his mind intensifies.
The sound of a friend comes from behind.
"Ara ara~ Are you okay? Is the wound deep?" the woman asks playfully with fake concern.
In response, the man turns around with a friendly smile, saying to his friend, "Yeah, it’s no big deal."
The woman smiles upon hearing his response.
Lydia's POV
We resume our travel at sunrise, following a road hidden by the grasslands.
"We will reach Carne Village before long," Nfirea calls out to everyone else.
Officially, Nfirea is the only one who has been there before, even though Ainz and I have been to Carne Village before.
Everybody nods in response to Nfirea's words and doesn't give any other reaction. After all, there is an incredibly awkward atmosphere between the groups. Even Nfirea can feel it, which is why he has an impatient expression, probably wanting to get to the village and walk away from the awkwardness as soon as possible.
I can see Ninya stealing glances at us, particularly Ainz, that I can only qualify as disdainful. It probably has to do with what happened this morning. He came to us to apologize, and while I responded to him—as I had time to calm down and felt bad for almost killing him by discreetly summoning the Shadow in a petty tantrum—Ainz ignored him.
I guess I'm the only one who isn't surrounded by the awkward atmosphere, now that I think about it. I'm just very close to its source, as I'm sitting on the back of the carriage, just in front of Ainz.
I didn't think an undead could be petty, but I guess it's not that strange, especially Ainz, who until not so long ago was still a normal human.
"W-Well! The view here is so vast and open; perhaps we don’t need to march in formation—" Lukruth states, trying to break the awkward atmosphere.
To our right, a vast green forest can be seen, bringing some doubt to his statement. And I don't think it's wise to drop our guard in an open area either way...
"Is it really wise to drop our guard in an open area?" I ask, trying to understand if I perhaps missed something.
Perhaps he just said that to break the awkwardness without really thinking it? But that would be stupid to even suggest it if that's the case; there must be something I missed.
"Not really. It's very important to stay vigilant," replies Peter to my question.
"In order to avoid being attacked, it is important to keep alert at all times," adds Dyne.
I nod in understanding at their responses.
So I didn't actually miss anything; Lukruth's suggestion was just a stupid one he made on the fly to break the silence.
"Maybe a dragon will fly here from a faraway place and attack us," suggests Ninya unexpectedly.
"What kind of weird development is that? Use your common sense; how could that kind of thing happen, Ninya!" complains Lukruth.
"Of course it is impossible. It’s only a rumor that there are dragons on the outskirts of E-Rantel. I heard that in ancient times, there were dragons that could freely manipulate the weather, but I have never heard of anyone seeing a dragon recently. Ah, no... recently I’ve heard that Frost Dragons were seen near the Azerlisia Mountains, but that was really far to the north," explains Ninya.
In YGGDRASIL, dragons were considered the strongest species, with the exception of a few unique species such as mine. And even then, dragons are really powerful thanks to their extremely high stats in all categories, be it defense, attack, physical, or magical, while mine is wholly focused on magic only.
"Ah—if you don’t mind my asking, what’s the name of the dragon that’s able to change the weather?" asks Ainz, finally breaking the tension surrounding him.
Ninya turns to look at Ainz and gives a small, cheerful smile; the rest of the Swords of Darkness, as well as Nfirea, give their own smiles.
"Terribly sorry! Once we’ve returned to the city, I will look that up!" apologizes Ninya excitedly, causing me to tilt my head in confusion, as the words and the tone don't match each other.
"Eh, in that case, Ninya-san, if time permits, would you please help me check it out?" asks Ainz, sounding almost bashful.
"I understand, Momon-san!" accepts Ninya cheerfully while the rest of the Swords of Darkness all nod in satisfaction.
"Alright, we should be arriving at Carne Village soon," exclaims Nfirea cheerfully; it's the first time he has sounded cheerful since this morning, but then he suddenly becomes silent.
I turn my attention to the village to understand why Nfirea has suddenly gone silent.
Oh, did they build a wall? Neat.
Well, calling that a wall is generous. It's more like a sturdy fence than anything else.
The entire village is surrounded by that fence, which is kind of impressive, knowing that there was nothing a few days ago.
As I observe the village more closely, I see how they did it.
So... Enri—if I remember correctly—used one of the two Horns of the Goblin General. I see her waiting behind the fence not far from the entrance, as some goblins—looking more intelligent than the ones I killed—are waiting in ambush in the wheat fields beyond the entrance.
Oh! She even has the direwolf cub at her feet. It has grown a bit. It now reaches her mid-thigh. It is still adorable though.
Can I still call it a cub? Yeah! Of course I can. Look how adorable it is. Its eyes have gained a new sharpness, equaling the new sharpness of its teeth and claws. It's even gently wagging its tail.
I think I let some of my feelings slip, as I feel the shadow getting jealous through our link as it peeks a little out of my own shadow beside me. It even took the shape of a direwolf cub. So, of course, I begin petting it while no one is paying attention to me until it is satisfied and goes back into my shadow.
Wait, maybe I should listen to what the others are saying rather than fawning over the cub.
"Maybe I’m worrying too much... but I clearly remember the village from the last time I came here, and I noticed two very suspicious differences. One is that even now I don’t see anyone working in the fields, and the other is that some of the wheat has already been harvested," points out Nfirea.
"I see. In that case... what exactly happened here?" asks Peter, uneasily.
Are they not talking about the fence? Or they did, but I wasn't listening yet.
"Everyone, please leave this to us," asks Ainz. "Lily..." He looks my way.
"I don't feel any negative intent from the village nor any trace of malevolent magic," I reply, playing along, to which he nods.
"Well, it looks like I was just too worried." Nfirea accepts my analysis without hesitation. Even the Swords of Darkness all ease up at my words.
Why are you all trusting me so much all of a sudden? I didn't even give any proof, nor have I shown myself capable of doing that before. I was even preparing a small speech as to why I was able to detect those kinds of things!
"There shouldn’t be any problems then. In that case, we should continue... right?" asks Peter, looking at both Nfirea and Ainz.
They both nod, so the carriage keeps moving toward the village.
Well, I guess it's not a bad thing that they trust me now. It's just a bit... unexpected. Is it because of my spell yesterday?
The road gets narrower and narrower as we approach the village; on both sides of the road are the wheat fields the summoned goblins are hidden in.
It looks like a green sea swaying with the wind. It gives such a peaceful feeling just looking at it.
"Eh?" blurts Lukrut, puzzled.
He looks around the wheat fields carefully.
Even though it isn't harvest time yet, the wheat stalks still reach a height of seventy centimeters.
"What’s wrong?" asks Ninya after hearing Lukrut, as he is just behind him.
"Eh? Nothing; maybe it’s just my imagination?" he replies, sounding doubtful of himself.
Yet, he still quickens his pace to bridge the gap between himself and Peter.
We have passed a few camouflaged goblins already. They seem to be observing us as much as I am observing them.
"What?!" shouts Peter while hastily reaching for his weapon.
"Could you lay down your arms?" the goblin in front of him spoke up first, his weapon already raised, making Peter and everyone else freeze in place.
"Oh-oh, please lay down your weapons. Could you please convey this message to the people behind you? We do not wish to use these bows and arrows to kill you," the goblin asks again.
Okay, maybe not as composed as I thought. He even stuttered a little bit.
Peter looks around, noticing the other goblins surrounding us.
"Could you spare our lives?" asks Peter, unsure and confused.
"Of course, if you surrender," replies the goblin.
He seems to be the chief of the goblins, given that he is the only one speaking. And Peter seems to be more confused than ever before in his life.
So I stand up from behind the carriage, bringing the attention of every goblin to me, as I walk up to the front of the carriage.
"Excuse me. You are this village's protectors, right?" I ask the leading goblin.
"Well... you could say that, yes," he replies uneasily as more goblins come out of the wheat fields with their weapons raised.
Everyone is looking at both of us with even more confusion than before.
"We are not here to bring any harm to this village. We are adventurers escorting our client as he gathers herbs in the forest. We wish to base ourselves in this village to make it easier. Is that acceptable?" I explain softly, and I see the goblins looking at one another, unsure as to how to proceed.
"Lily-san! They are goblins!" Peter warns me, probably believing that I'm not aware of it because of my 'blindness'.
In response, I turn my head towards him. "It doesn't change anything. I told you, right? I don't sense anything malicious from the village or them," I reply patiently.
My response seems to reassure him as much as it confuses him. As I turn my head back towards the goblins, I see one of them break formation and head toward the village. Probably to warn or ask advice from Enri, their summoner.
But before he could even cross the gate of the village, something blurs out of it at an alarming speed, and I see Enri running after the gray blur in panic.
Yep... it's the direwolf cub running at top speed towards me...
Oh... Wouldn't that blow my cover?
Once it gets close enough, it jumps towards me with an excited, high-pitched howl similar to a bark.
I tried to catch it, but by its sheer speed, it tackled me to the ground, causing everyone around me to scream out in panic.
It is already quite strong for its level. I can't help but feel proud of it.
As I think that, the cub starts licking my face excitedly, making me laugh as its tongue tickles. "Hahaha, stooop, get oooofff..." I whine while laughing as I try to get him off of me, without much success.
I only sense amusement from the cub, as, even though I transfer the link to Enri, I still have a remnant of our link from which I can still sense the feelings of the cub, even if I can't impose my will through it anymore.
Well... maybe... I've never tried... It's not like I impose my will on my other summons either way...
Hum... perhaps I should address the fact that everyone is now looking at me and the cub with confusion. Even the goblins, who look even more shocked than Nfirea and the Swords of Darkness.
Either way, the cubs ignore my pleas and keep going without any sign of stopping soon.
As a savior coming from heaven, Enri finally catches up with her grey menace and pries it off of me. Much to its dismay, it lets out a pitiful whine, even though it doesn't struggle (much) in her arms.
"I'm really sorry, I don't know what happened to her. She never done that before," apologizes Enri while tightly holding the cub.
I stand up and brush the dust and dirt from my clothes, but before I can say anything, Nfirea beats me to it.
"Enri?!" he asks, relieved and confused.
Well, everyone but Ainz and me has been nothing but confused for the last minute. At least it made everyone lower their weapons.
"Nfirea?" she asks back.
So... they know each other? My, how small the world is.
I should probably say something, at least for the sake of trying to protect my cover. But how do I explain what just happened? Oh, right! Talents! A talent can explain almost anything.
"Don't worry, animals and monsters have always behaved strangely around me," I explain with a small smile. "I believe that I have a talent that causes this; well, at least it's the most probable explanation." I pause. "Or perhaps I'm just blessed, hehe. Animals and monsters have always loved me for some reason," I add humorously.
Enri looks back at me, and her eyes widen momentarily when they land on the Eye of Heimdall on my chest. She shakes her head and asks, "You are adventurers accompanying Nfirea?"
I give a nod, and she nods back in response before looking back at my blindfold and quickly saying, "Then, please, come in."
All the goblins step away from the road, allowing the carriage to enter the village without any problems.
Demiurge's POV
As I walk on the 9th floor of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, my shoes echo on the immaculate floor; as I walk, the sound quickly fades back into the almost sacred silence surrounding this floor. Although there are a number of servants on duty on this floor, it doesn't harm the mythical atmosphere.
As I walk, I can't help but look around, and a smile quickly grows on my face. "How glorious and majestic," I mutter to myself in awe.
I can't help but admire the 9th floor in all its majesty. I admire the scenery here because this is the floor of the 41 Supreme Beings. This is their domain and, to me, this makes the floor as holy as the Supreme Beings themselves.
Every time I walk around this floor since Ainz-sama's merciful decree, I'm filled to the brim with joy and vow once more my devotion to my creator and the Supreme Beings. This sentiment isn't only mine, but belongs to each denizen of Nazarick that walks on this floor. Even the most boisterous clowns and musicians do their best not to utter a single sound that would disrupt the tranquility of the 9th floor when walking through it.
If anyone dislikes this scene, they are either disloyal to the 41 Supreme Beings or harbor thoughts of disloyalty.
While thinking, I turn the corner and arrive at my destination: the room of the Supreme Ruler of Nazarick, our Overlord, Ainz Ooal Gown.
While walking over to the door, I notice a few people opening the door and leaving the room. They also notice me and wait respectfully for me to get closer.
There are only two beings in front of me. One is dressed like a butler, one of the ten male servants of this floor. Yet, I can't distinguish him from the other male servants, as he wears a mask covering his entire face and only utters weird sounds.
The second being is a small penguin with a black bow tie.
"Long time no see, Assistant Butler," I greet him.
The penguin gives a cheerful smile in response, or at least he seems to be smiling as he returns the greeting. "It’s been a while, Demiurge-sama," he replies with a deep bow.
This penguin is, despite what its appearance suggests, not a simple penguin, but a heteromorph called a Birdman, and his name is Éclair Éklair Éklare.
Birdmen should normally be similar to Peroroncino-sama, one of the 41 Supreme Beings, looking like a humanoid, bipedal bird. But for some reason, this one looks like a genuine penguin. Yet, I don't question it, as he, too, is a creation of the Supreme Beings.
"Is Albedo inside?" I ask.
He rises from his bow. "Yes, Albedo-sama is in there," replies Éclair.
With Ainz-sama and Lydia-sama away, Albedo is the one in charge of the Great Tomb of Nazarick. But she doesn't work in her own room; she shuts herself in this one instead, and everyone knows it.
Her actions are permitted by Ainz-sama himself, so the only one who might protest is Shalltear, who is away.
I tried to stop her by giving her some advice that played on her feelings, such as, 'Shouldn’t a good wife wait for her husband and take care of their home?', to which she answered, 'There’s nothing wrong with a wife guarding her husband’s room.' And as much as it shames me, I had nothing to say against that, so I gave up.
I focus back on my current conversation and nod in appreciation to Éclair before remarking, "How rare to see you here. Isn’t your workplace in the guest room?"
"With Sebas-sama away, I have to work doubly hard in his place, too. I was discussing the division of tasks with Albedo-sama in detail," he replies cheerfully.
That's right; he was created with that goal. As a Supreme Being was the one who gave him that objective, I have no objection to it, no matter how blasphemous it is... In fact, I should even give him some encouragement. After all, as saddening as it is for him, he is never meant to truly accomplish it.
"That is true. With him away, the 9th floor of the Great Tomb of Nazarick would be in your hands," I remark with a smile.
"Absolutely right. In order to rule the Great Tomb of Nazarick in the future, now is the time to work hard," he exclaims giddily.
That's right; his goal is to take over the throne of the Great Tomb of Nazarick. It's common knowledge that Éclair eyes the throne.
Of course, I would dispose of him mercilessly if the Supreme Beings command it. Or rather, if Ainz-sama commands it, as I have a hard time imagining Lydia-sama, the ever so merciful and benevolent Supreme Being, giving such an order.
Instead, for now, as long as the Supreme Beings themselves aren't bothered by it, I'll tolerate it.
I give him a smile and add, "That's right, work hard. So, what do you plan first?"
"Cleaning! Are there any other chores? No one can clean better than I! You can even lick the toilet bowl after I clean it," he replies with great pride.
That pride is deserved; after all, he is perhaps the best cleaner in all of Nazarick, and it is thanks to him that this floor is as immaculate as it is now. If there is one thing that Éclair takes pride in, it's his position as Assistant Butler. So much so that, if his goal of taking over Nazarick hadn't been given by his creator, Ankoro Mocchi Mochi-sama, I'm certain he would be ready to give it up to keep his current position. This is what makes him an asset worthy of admiration in Nazarick.
So, in response to his confidence, I nod in satisfaction and reply, "Wonderful. You have a very important job. If this floor becomes dirty, it would be an insult to the Supreme Rulers."
Before Éclair can give another exclamation filled with pride and arrogance, I ask, "I know your work is of the utmost importance, but who is taking care of this floor in place of Sebas?"
"That’s the job of the head maid, Pestonya. Compared to cleaning, management is no big deal," he replies dismissively.
"I see... The servants created by the Supreme Beings have been delegated corresponding tasks... Speaking of which, isn’t it hard to clean with your penguin hands?" I inquire curiously.
"I can overcome this pair of hands and clean deftly with my skills," he boasts proudly while puffing out his chest.
He then continues, but this time, his voice contains a trace of displeasure, "By the way, Demiurge-sama, this doesn’t seem like a question a person whose intelligence is just beneath mine would ask." As he speaks, he grabs a comb handed to him by the male servant behind him and begins combing his hair skillfully.
"I am not a simple penguin, but a rockhopper penguin created by Ankoro Mocchi Mochi-sama. Please don’t get that wrong. And this is not a hand," he pauses dramatically, "it’s a wing."
"Pardon me," I apologize with a bow, as it's the best way to get him to drop the matter.
Éclair turns to look at the male servant and I rise from my bow as he orders, "Carry me there."
"Eeek~!" utters the male servant as he grabs Éclair and carries him under his armpits.
Because of his appearance, Éclair moves with shuffling steps, making him rather slow, which is why he is usually carried around by a male servant.
"I will bid my leave, Demiurge-sama," exclaims Éclair as he's carried away.
"Yes, farewell, Éclair," I reply, turning my attention away from the assistant butler being carried like a soft toy and toward the door to Ainz-sama's room.
I knock gently on the door and, after a few instants, I enter even though I didn't hear a response.
I can't help but sigh in exasperation when I look around and don't find Albedo.
I open another door and enter the interior room.
The rooms of the 41 Supreme Beings are designed in the image of a presidential suite, with a large bath, bar counter, living room with piano, master bedroom, guest room, kitchen for personal chefs, walk-in wardrobe, and many other rooms.
I head to the master bedroom without hesitation. I knock on the door and open it without waiting for a response.
There is a large bed of extravagant size in the room. A lump slightly bigger than a person is squirming under the covers.
"Albedo..." I call out in annoyance.
Albedo's face emerges from under the covers; her bare shoulders can be seen, as she is likely naked. Her face is pink with excitement, probably from what she was doing...
"What are you doing here?" I ask. Despite trying to hide it, some exasperation leaks from my voice.
"I want Ainz-sama to be surrounded by my scent when he returns," she explains without a hint of shame.
Despite already understanding, I can't help but feel dumbfounded by her explanation as I stare at her for a few seconds before shaking my head weakly.
I don't say, 'Ainz-sama is undead; he probably doesn’t sleep in a bed,' or, 'Even if he does, the bedsheets would be changed immediately.' If this is enough to satisfy her, then let her be...
"But don’t go overboard," I comment weakly.
"I don’t know how much would be overboard, but I have taken note. Right, Ainz-sama?" She takes out something from under the covers, stunning me to my core.
I thought it was Ainz-sama for an instant, but it lacks depth and presence.
"Is that... a body pillow of him... Who made it?" I ask, dumbfounded.
"I made it myself," she answers with pride.
Her response makes me slightly open my ever-closed eyes in astonishment.
I didn't think she had such skills.
Perhaps spotting my astonished expression, she keeps boasting delightfully, "Be it cleaning, laundry, or sewing skills, I am at the level of a professional."
"For the child that might be born in the future, I have made clothes and socks. All the way up to 5 years old," she smiles and lets out a "fufufu" giggle that makes me feel weak and makes me want to just leave this woman here and leave right away.
She keeps going despite my silence, "Either boys or girls would be fine... Ah! What about dual sex or sexless?" she asks herself, as if that's something of capital importance, which, for her, it might actually be.
I can only stare at her silently as she chatters away about her fantasies.
No, that's not true. I do have something to say.
"Isn't Lydia-sama already the heir to the Throne of Nazarick?" I ask, not seeing the need for a child.
This causes her to freeze in contemplation and makes me uneasy as I feel like my words have awakened something in Albedo, dormant until now.
"You're right..." she begins. "With how Ainz-sama is treating her recently, she could even be considered his daughter already," she muses.
"Does that mean that to become Ainz-sama's perfect wife, I'll also have to become Lydia-sama's mother?" she mutters to herself.
"Isn't that going a bit far, trying to become a Supreme Being's mother?" I squint at her, feeling the need to stop whatever thoughts are germinating in her head.
"Oh?" she hums arrogantly. "I'm sure Lydia-sama wouldn't object to it if I go about it correctly. After all, she trusts me enough to tell me about her past~," she explains teasingly, and her words get me to freeze.
"She told you her past?" I ask, stunned.
That's an immense honor. So much so that no one in Nazarick believes themselves worthy of such knowledge.
"Yes~," she teases. "But now that I think about it, I do believe that it is something you should know. Of course, I'm not going to spread it without her approval first. Just know that humans are off-limits for your experiments. If you want more information, perhaps you'll get your answers by asking Lydia-sama directly. With how generous she is, she might give you your answers."
Something I should know? Humans are off-limits? It must be linked to Lydia-sama's past, as like most beings of Nazarick, Albedo's view of humans is very similar to mine.
"In fact, for Lydia-sama's sake, make sure that your experiments are as painless as possible. While Ainz-sama will certainly not be bothered, Lydia-sama could be," she commands.
"Don't worry, Albedo, it was already planned; after all, I'd never do anything that might potentially offend a Supreme Being," I explain.
"Hmm... Good. Does your presence here mean that you are going away to accomplish your mission?" she inquires.
"Indeed, it is about time for me to set off. Of the Guardians left in Nazarick, only you and Cocytus are free to act. I don’t have anything else to advise you; please be careful."
I would normally have added more or explained some of the experiments I'm planning to do. But I feel like the longer I stay, the more I give her strange ideas by my simple presence.
"With that said, I bid you farewell and wish you good luck in managing Nazarick in my absence." I turn around to leave without waiting for a reply.
While Albedo is excellent at managing Nazarick, she is lacking when it comes to the military aspect, which is why I would normally help her with that. But with my absence, she'll have to manage on her own.
As I leave the room, my thoughts go back to my planned experimentation. It will be hard to execute the ones related to psychology without psychologically harming the subjects, so I'll put them on hold until I find a solution for that. As for the more physical experiments, I can just put the subjects into a magically induced sleep.
Hmm...