Lydia's POV
"Huh? Could I be the first to arrive?"
Although the tone is mature, the voice sounds pretty young. Where the voice comes from, a [Gate] can be seen; it appeared when no one was looking. The [Gate] itself looks like a black and red portal composed of swirling darkness, and from it, a figure emerges.
She wears a soft-looking black evening dress with a big, heavy-looking skirt. Her upper body is dressed in a lace-embellished ribbon and a short tailored jacket. She is wearing long lace gloves and therefore has hardly any exposed skin.
The only term to describe her fine facial features, which expose wax-like skin, would be 'real beauty'.
Her silver hair is tied in a single, very long ponytail, leaving her face uncovered, and her dark red eyes exude a pretty and flirtatious look.
She looks fourteen years old, or even younger. But her chest area is a little inconsistent compared to her age; it is highly uplifted.
"Instantaneous movement is strictly forbidden in Nazarick; weren't you told not to deliberately use [Gate]? You should be able to walk to the arena, so just use your feet, Shalltear," Aura remarks with an impatient and icy voice.
Mare started trembling again and quickly left his sister's side with small steps to go next to me, as if looking for some kind of protection. However, Aura's 180° change in attitude took both me and Momonga by surprise.
The girl who used the highest tier of transfer magic to come here was called Shalltear.
Shalltear Bloodfallen is the NPC created by Peroroncino-san to be the Guardian of the first three floors of the Great Tomb of Nazarick. She is also the strongest Guardian in a 1v1 fight.
She doesn't even look at Aura's grim face as she stands next to Momonga; instead, she walks directly in front of us.
Her body was emitting an intriguing perfume.
"It stinks." Aura swears as she covers her nose with her hand.
"It could be because it is the smell of the undead, since the meat is rotten." she continues.
Perhaps seeing Momonga raise one of his arms out of reflex to smell it, Shalltear unhappily frowns.
"These kinds of words are very offensive. Momonga-sama is an Undead, you know." Shalltear replies to Aura's words coldly.
"What? What nonsense are you talking about, Shalltear? How could Momonga-sama be an ordinary undead?! He should have reached a realm above the undead, or even the level of an undead god," Aura argues angrily.
I don't know if "undead god" is a good term, but Momonga is indeed a high-tier undead. An Overlord is one of the ultimate species of undead and has access to the most powerful spells and racial skills of the undead line.
If we use the lore as a reference, Overlords have absurd potential as magic casters with their ability to absorb the knowledge of their victims. In-game, this was shown with the racial skill [Dark Wisdom]. This skill is similar to my skill [Sage Wisdom], with the difference being that I gain stats and spells (in my case, schematics for summons as well) by reading books, while he gains them by absorbing them from corpses.
"Greetings, Momonga-sama, Lydia Evie Hart-sama. I am truly delighted to see you today." Shalltear greets us, snapping me out of my thoughts in the process.
I got lost in my thoughts again. I hadn't even realized that they stopped bickering in the meantime.
I smile at Shalltear to hide that I stopped listening.
"Thank you for your kind words, Shalltear. Also, please call me Lydia; it will be easier that way." I tell her softly.
Shalltear seems to become a bit flustered.
"Y-yes, Lydia-sama." she replies hastily with a small blush on her porcelain skin.
Aura appears to want to say something but holds back.
Cocytus appears not long after from a door of the arena. Cocytus is the Guardian of the 5th Floor of the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick. He is a Vermin Lord and looks like a giant blue bipedal insect with ice growing on his back. He is also holding a blue halberd in one of his four arms.
"You have come, Cocytus." Momonga comments to Cocytus upon his arrival.
"Receiving orders from Momonga-sama, of course I would come at once." Cocytus replies reverently in a loud and grave voice that fits his body and personality perfectly.
White mist drifts out from Cocytus's mouth, followed by the sound of the moisture in the air freezing. Just being around him would cause various detrimental effects, such as frostbite, on beings without any cold resistance.
"Lately there have been no intruders; it is very relaxing, right?" Momonga comments idly. Maybe he is trying to start a conversation?
"Indeed. That being said, there is something I need to do; therefore, I cannot relax yet." Cocytus replies, with his ever-present serious and reverent tone that seems to define him.
"Oh? There is something you need to do? Would you tell me what it is?" Momonga asks, interested.
"Yes, training. It comes in handy anytime, anywhere." Cocytus replies as a matter of fact.
It is true that Cocytus is a warrior. He was created by Warrior Takemikazuchi-san to be the perfect warrior, both physically and mentally.
"This is admirable, Cocytus. Thank you for putting in so much effort for our sake. But please, don't push yourself too hard; remember to rest as well." I tell him, so as to not let Momonga be the only one talking to the NPCs that are now alive. But also because Cocytus's mentality, if pushed to the extreme, can become worrisome for his health, even though I don't know the limits of a level 100 being; but, as the saying goes: better safe than sorry.
"I am profoundly thankful for your gracious words, Lydia Evie Hart-sama. Every ounce of effort was worthwhile just to hear those kind words from you." he replies in his ever-serious and reverent voice, but I swear I feel like his voice became softer.
I smile at Cocytus even though I grumble internally.
"Please, just call me Lydia. It will be easier that way." I ask him gently.
I think it would be better if at some point I made an announcement about it, so as to stop repeating myself every time I meet another NPC.
"Yes, Lydia-sama. Also, it appears that Albedo, Ivory, and Demiurge have arrived." Cocytus comments as he turns his head to look behind him.
At the arena entrance, we can see three shadows approaching. Walking in front is Albedo, followed by a man in a red suit with a metallic-looking tail and a big humanoid moth dressed in... I don't know the name of those clothes, but they resemble those you would see a desert traveler wearing—at least, that is what I think they would look like; she even has a big covering hat. The figure also uses her moth wings as a cape.
The man in the red suit is Demiurge, the Guardian of the 7th Floor of the Great Tomb of Nazarick. He is an archdevil, even if he looks human on the outside.
The towering humanoid moth is Ivory, the Guardian of the 11th Floor of the Great Tomb of Nazarick. Just like Cocytus, she is a Vermin Lord and also my personal creation.
Arriving at a certain distance, Albedo smiles and bows deeply toward us. Ivory and Demiurge bow elegantly as well; even though Ivory is much less elegant, her movements and body language have an almost nonchalant and carefree aspect to them despite being respectful.
"I made everyone wait; I am very sorry." Demiurge apologizes with a small smile.
He is roughly 1.8 meters tall, possesses tanned skin, and has a face that reveals partial Asian characteristics. He also has nicely combed black hair and round glasses that hide his eyes.
I smile at Demiurge to put him at ease.
"Don't worry about it, Demiurge. You are not late, and we are the ones who called all of you on such short notice." I reassure him.
Demiurge smiles at my words and is about to respond, but Momonga speaks first.
"It seems like everyone is here." he comments, gazing at every Guardian present in the arena as he puts back on his persona of a ruler.
"Momonga-sama, it seems that there are two who have not arrived yet." Demiurge says in response.
"They were not called here, so don't worry about it." I reassure him.
"These two Guardians' priority is to work only under certain circumstances. So far, the situation does not require them to come." Momonga explains calmly.
"I see." is Demiurge's only response, with a small smile that could also be interpreted as a smirk.
"Also, I have already said this before, but for those who were not here: please call me just Lydia. It will be slightly easier that way. I intend to make an announcement at some point to give this instruction to every inhabitant of Nazarick, so feel free to transmit it or not to whoever you wish." I instruct one last time, giving the same command I gave to almost everyone here already.
"""""""Yes, Lydia-sama.""""""" They all respond simultaneously with a bow.
Phew, that's done. Even with the change to my mind, it's still complicated to speak to multiple people at the same time and be the center of attention. Maybe my social anxiety wasn't removed, but simply lessened? Or maybe it's just in my nature to be shy despite the changes? Or perhaps it is that I'm so used to feeling this way that my mind tries to recreate the feeling in its absence?
Apparently, Momonga noticed my unease.
"Don't worry, I'll handle it from here." he whispers to me as he leans down towards me because of the sheer difference in height between the two of us.
"Thank you." I whisper back with a small nod.
Of course, the exchange isn't exactly discreet as we both are the sole focus of the Guardians present in the arena, but they can't hear us because of the distance between us and the Guardians, and they don't seem to question what we are saying to one another. Momonga and I are on the high ground at the borders of the arena, while the Guardians are slightly below us in the arena in front of us.
After confirming that everyone who is supposed to be present is indeed here, with the exception of Sebas, Albedo addresses the Guardians.
"Everyone, please offer your loyalty to the supreme ruler." she orders the Guardians solemnly.
All the Guardians bow their heads before Momonga even gets a chance to interrupt. Everyone starts to form a line with Albedo standing in front and all Guardians arranged one after another behind her. Each Guardian is showing a serious and respectful expression. One could see that the atmosphere is serious. Standing the closest to us, Shalltear steps forward.
She kneels, one hand on her chest, and gives a deep, respectful salute.
"1st, 2nd, and 3rd Floor Guardian Shalltear Bloodfallen comes to see the Masters." she announces as she presents herself with a smile.
Then, Cocytus steps forward, kneeling as well in the same way as Shalltear did.
"The 5th Floor's Guardian, Cocytus, comes to see the Masters." he announces, presenting himself with an honor-bound seriousness.
Then come the Dark Elf twins, kneeling as well.
"6th Floor's Guardian Aura Bella Fiora comes to see the Masters." she announces and presents herself, her tone much more serious than before.
"I-I'm also the 6th Floor's Guardian, Mare Bello Fiore, comes to see the Masters." Mare follows his sister's lead and presents himself in a much more reserved manner.
They are followed by Demiurge.
"The 7th Floor's Guardian, Demiurge, comes to see the Masters." he announces eloquently with a clear voice as he presents himself.
"The 11th-floor guardian, Ivory, has come to see the masters," calmly announces Ivory.
Finally, Albedo takes a step forward.
"Overseer of the Guardians, Albedo, comes to see the Masters." she announces solemnly as she presents herself.
Albedo then continues her report with her head down in a clear voice.
"Except for the 4th floor's Guardian, Gargantua, and the 8th floor's Guardian, Victim, the Guardians of each floor have come to kneel down... as Master requested. We would all go through fire and water without any hesitation for you." she reports without any hesitation.
Facing six lowered heads, Momonga hesitates. I am hesitant to utter a sound as well. I doubt I'll be able to speak and keep my voice steady under this kind of pressure. Despite this, I do my best to keep a gentle smile on my face, despite the pressure of their expectations and my rising anxiety at the sudden solemn ambiance.
Momonga then uses one of his skills: [Aura of Despair]. Physical shadows come out of his body and a sudden, crushing pressure affects everyone present, including me.
The Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown boosts Momonga's stats and the power of his skills to an absurd degree. This causes his skills to be able to bypass most of my defenses and resistances. Fortunately, at least, it does not bypass all of my resistances; if that were the case, I would simply die by the instant-death effect of [Aura of Despair].
On top of the crushing pressure making it even harder to keep smiling like nothing's happening, I feel my mana leaving my body as an almost invisible bluish and purple mist in reaction to the skill. It's an instinctive reaction to protect myself from [Aura of Despair], but even with that, the skill is just too boosted to be stopped. I also feel my mana regeneration kicking in at the same time to replace the mana I'm continuously losing.
"Raise your heads." Momonga commands, and his new voice combined with [Aura of Despair] gives the impression of an absolute ruler ready to exercise his authority.
Every Guardian raises their head in perfect synchronization.
Even I don't have the confidence to defy his will under those conditions. His tone of voice and the pressure of [Aura of Despair] are just too much. And I know what he is like deep down. I can only imagine what the Guardians must feel right now.
I don't even know how I'm managing to keep a smile on my face as if nothing is happening. I feel like I'm using all my might to not slip up and show something unworthy of the ruler that the Guardians seem to see me as.
"So... firstly, thank you all for coming." Momonga begins, as if starting a big speech.
"Please do not thank us. We are only loyal subordinates of the Supreme Beings. You are our supreme ruler." Albedo interjects humbly, despite the crushing pressure.
I also assume that the other Guardians think the same, because no one is showing any sign of denial of Albedo's claims.
It also seems that she misunderstands Momonga's hesitation.
"...Momonga-sama, feeling hesitation is quite right because, compared to Momonga-sama or Lydia-sama, our fundamental strength is insignificant." she continues, speaking with a respectful and awe-filled expression.
"As long as the Supreme Beings orders it, no matter how difficult the task, I—no, all Floor Guardians will go all out, even if it means destroying ourselves. We vowed to never shame the forty-one Supreme Creators of Ainz Ooal Gown." she vows reverently.
Following Albedo's voice, the other Floor Guardians echo in unison:
""""""This I swear!""""""
Their voices are full of strength and determination. Now, Momonga's fear of betrayal feels like a joke.
Momonga seems to gain confidence; the red lights inside his eye sockets shine brighter for a short instant. And he raises both of his arms sideways in a sharp movement in a display of pride.
"Guardians, you are the best. I'm sure you will be able to understand my purpose and achieve the mission with success." he exclaims loudly, causing the Guardians to smile with joy.
"There might be some things you cannot understand, but I want you to concentrate on listening. I believe the Great Tomb of Nazarick was involved in an accident of unknown origin." he continues, causing the Guardians to regain a serious expression.
"Although I do not know the cause of this accident, Nazarick, which was originally in a swamp, was transported to some grasslands. Is there anyone who knows anything about this phenomenon?" he asks as he gazes at the Guardians below.
Albedo looks at the Floor Guardians' faces before looking back at Momonga.
"No, I'm sorry, we cannot think of any leads." replies Albedo remorsefully.
"Well, I have another thing to ask the Floor Guardians. Did anything strange happen on your floors?" he continues, to which they all reply that there's nothing strange happening on their respective floors.
"Momonga-sama, I want to investigate the 4th and 8th Floors as soon as possible." proposes Albedo, as the Guardians of the 4th and 8th floors are not present, thus unable to report the status of their floors.
"So be it. Albedo will be given this task, but pay attention to the 8th Floor. If there is an emergency situation, you might not be able to deal with it." approves Momonga.
Albedo salutes with a deep bow to show her understanding.
"Then give me responsibility for the surface." interjects Shalltear eagerly.
"No, Sebas is scouting the surface right now." Momonga shuts down the idea immediately.
Albedo, who was present at the time, shows no reaction, but on the faces of the other Guardians emerge expressions of surprise that they are unable to hide.
It's normal; after all, Sebas is one of the strongest NPCs of Nazarick. So, having him do a simple reconnaissance mission could be seen as being extremely cautious about the situation, making everyone feel especially tense.
But I only realize this now, now that I think about it. I sent Sebas because he was in front of me and I needed to test if he would follow orders, nothing else. Was it a mistake to ask him out of all the NPCs in the Throne Room?
"It's about time for his return..." Momonga muses out loud, snapping me back to reality once more. I don't know how I even got lost in thought under the pressure of [Aura of Despair] in the first place.
Maybe I'm getting used to it? After all, this body doesn't seem to feel pain; even if I know that I'm taking continuous damage from [Aura of Despair], I don't feel pain, just a sense of my body losing a bit of the mana composing it.
Well, "getting used to it" is a really strong way to say it, as I still feel the pressure as vividly as when it appears, but... it's like I'm getting used to dealing with it. It's like my mind was reminded to catch up with my level 100 body.
Sebas appears from the entrance of the arena and walks towards us. Like all the other Guardians, he kneels in front of us. He walks in as if [Aura of Despair] didn't exist! If he can do that, I should at least be able to keep it together as well; I'm supposed to be one of the strongest here, if not the strongest.
"Momonga-sama, Lydia-sama, I apologize for being late." Sebas apologizes, his face and his voice betraying no emotion.
"No problem; report about what you have seen of the surroundings." brushes off Momonga.
Sebas raises his head and looks at the rest of the Guardians.
"This is an emergency; it would be good to let all the Floor Guardians know." Momonga clarifies, seeing Sebas's gaze on the Guardians.
"Yes. Firstly, the surrounding one kilometer of land is grassland. There are no man-made structures around. Although I have seen some small creatures, there are no humans or large creatures." Sebas quickly begins his report.
"Those small creatures—are they monsters?" asks Momonga.
"No, they seem to be creatures with no fighting capability." Sebas clarifies.
"...I see. Those grasslands you speak of, they wouldn't happen to be those with sharp frozen grass blades, which would pierce you as you walk by?" he asks, surely trying to pinpoint what kind of biome we are in.
"No, just normal grassland. Nothing special." Sebas answers as a matter of fact.
"You also didn't see any sky-castle-like structures in the sky?" Momonga continues to probe for additional information.
"Yes, there were none. Whether in the sky or on the ground, there were no signs of humans." Sebas replies.
"I see, just a simple sky... Good work, Sebas." Momonga concludes Sebas's reports with those words.
This doesn't tell us much. It at least confirms for good that we are not in YGGDRASIL anymore. This can be as much a good thing as it can be a bad thing.
Once we are alone, I'll try using the [Eye of Heimdall] to better grasp our environment. But I'd be a liar saying that I wasn't scared of using it. It was fine using it to gaze at Mare in the distance; he was nearby. I'm afraid of the potential sensory overload I could receive if I try to use it on a large scale. After all, this isn't a game anymore, but reality.
No one guarantees that the [Eye of Heimdall] still works as it did in YGGDRASIL. And if the little test I did with Mare is anything to go by, I believe that it became stronger in this new world. Or rather... it became much easier to use, and I feel like I can see and hear various things at the same time, rather than the effect similar to a glorified [Remote Viewing Mirror] it had in YGGDRASIL.
"Guardians, firstly I want everyone to increase the security of each floor. Because we do not know what might happen, do not be careless. If there are any intruders, do not kill them, but instead capture them alive. Try not to harm them either. During this unknown situation, I'm sorry to trouble everyone with these things." Momonga orders, snapping me out of my thoughts once more.
The Guardians all acknowledged the order and bowed in salute.
I've gotten lost in thought multiple times already in the span of a single conversation. I don't remember being this sidetracked before. Is this part of the change my mind has gone through, or is still going through?
Wait, I'm doing it again.
"Next, I want to understand under which system this organization operates. Albedo, how do the Floor Guardians exchange information with each other in this situation?" Momonga asks Albedo.
"Every Guardian protects their own floor according to their own judgment; however, Demiurge is generally responsible and everyone shares their intelligence with him." she replies clearly.
Momonga slowly nods his head in satisfaction.
"That's great. Nazarick's security is taken care of by Demiurge, and the one in charge of the Guardians will be Albedo. The two of you should prepare a more comprehensive management system." orders Momonga.
"Understood. Planning of the management system should not include the 8th, 9th, 10th, and 11th floors, right?" inquires Albedo.
"The 8th Floor has Victim, so it should be alright. No, the 8th Floor is off-limits, as is the 11th Floor. The order given to Albedo is also canceled. No one is to go up to the 8th or 11th Floor without my or Lydia's permission. Ivory is excluded from this order for the 11th Floor only, as she is the Guardian of the 11th Floor. After the release of the seal, there will be direct access between the 7th and 9th Floors. Include the inner layers of the 9th and 10th Floors in the planning as well." Momonga clarifies and orders.
"Are you sure you want to do it this way?" Albedo asks in surprise and shock.
Even Demiurge widens his eyes in surprise, clearly showing their inner feelings.
"Is it okay to let those servants enter the holy areas of the Supreme Beings? Is it really necessary to go to such great lengths?" she continues in disbelief.
Momonga takes a bit of time to answer to this.
"...No problem. Because of this emergency situation, more manpower is needed." Momonga replies hesitantly.
"Understood. I will carefully select through strength and character." she acknowledges.
Does she really intend to restrict access to the 9th and 10th floors this rigorously? She called it "the holy area"; does that mean that they really see us as some kind of gods? That would... explain their behavior around us.
I'll have to see if I can still be friends with them; an eternity with only fanatical servants seems lonely.
No! Bad Lydia! Stop getting distracted by your own thoughts.
"Aura and Mare... Can you hide the Great Tomb of Nazarick? Using illusion magic—just thinking about the cost of maintaining it, what a headache." Momonga asks the twins.
Aura and Mare look at each other and start thinking.
"U-Using magic is a bit difficult if you want to hide everything... But you could use mud to paint the walls, then cover them up with plants..." Mare proposes after a short while of reflection.
"You say you want to use mud to dirty the great Nazarick's walls?!" Albedo questions; although her voice is soft and sweet, her tone shows her rage.
Mare's shoulders shake; although the surrounding Guardians did not make a sound, their body language all shows their agreement with Albedo.
"Albedo... Do not interrupt. I was speaking with Mare." interrupts Momonga in a surprisingly low voice.
"Ah, I am extremely sorry, Momonga-sama!" Albedo hung her head low, her face frozen with fear. The other Guardians and even Sebas stood still, acting as though the sentence from before were also intended for them.
It makes me feel bad for them. It makes me want to speak up, to show them that it isn't that important if they get scolded a little bit. Maybe I can even use it as a subtle show of strength by acting like [Aura of Despair] isn't there? I'm sure they'll like it. But... can I do it? Can I just brush off [Aura of Despair] like that? I guess there is only one way to find out.
"Can you do it? If you're allowed to cover the walls in mud, can you hide us from the outside world?" I ask in a gentle tone to ease all of their minds from [Aura of Despair], or at least try to.
"Ye-Yes. If you would allow it... but..."
"However, when viewed from a distance, wouldn't the ground look too unnatural? Sebas, are there any hills in the surrounding area?" Momonga interrupts Mare and asks Sebas for confirmation.
"No. The surrounding area is just flat grassland. But there is also a night cycle here, so at night it can successfully fool others." Sebas replies.
"I see... If it's only to hide the walls, Mare's idea may actually be a good one. Then, are we able to create dirt mounds in our surroundings to properly camouflage the walls?" asks Momonga, taking back the lead of the conversation.
"This should then make it not so obvious." confirms Sebas.
"Very good. Then Aura and Mare, the two of you will be in charge of this task. You can use items from any of the floors to complete your task. As for the part that is facing the sky and cannot be hidden, wait until your task is finished before using the illusion magic; make it so no one can see Nazarick from the outside." orders Momonga.
"Ye-Yes. Yes, sir." Mare acknowledges the order in his own, reserved way.
"Alright, that is it for today. Everyone, go back and rest; later on, start your tasks. Because of our lack of information, try not to be too reckless." Momonga concludes, as if ending a meeting.
All the Guardians bow their heads in understanding.
"Finally, there is something I want to ask all of the Guardians. First, Shalltear, what kind of person do you believe me and Lydia to be?" Momonga asks the question which was the reason he reunited the Guardians in the first place.
"Momonga-sama is a beautiful crystal. You are the world's most beautiful being. Even precious gems cannot be compared to your pale white body. And Lydia-sama is the cutest Supreme Being. You are so adorable that I believe you might be the embodiment of the word 'cute'." Shalltear replies without any hints of hesitation or shame.
I feel my cheeks heating up at the sudden shameless compliment. This is even harder to endure than [Aura of Despair]. I feel my expression twist slightly in embarrassment despite trying my best to keep the smile on my face.
What kind of answer is that?!
"Cocytus." Momonga continues, completely oblivious to my embarrassment, or ignoring it.
Leave me some time to get ready, you insensible skeleton! You can't just act like this didn't happen!
"More powerful and stronger than any Guardian. Supreme rulers of the Great Tomb of Nazarick." Cocytus replies.
At least his answer is normal, even if it's still embarrassing to be praised and flattered this much.
I was just a secretary in real life; I'm not used to receiving compliments or praise.
"Aura." Momonga continues the rotation.
"You both are thoughtful and compassionate." she replies.
"Mare." Momonga continues.
"Y-You both are very kind and gentle." Mare replies, his answer similar to yet slightly different from his sister's.
Okay, those two are fine; I can take them. They are not exaggerated or as embarrassing.
"Demiurge." Momonga continues.
"Momonga-sama is both wise in judgment and quick in action. Lydia-sama's benevolence is equaled only by her humility, as well as her infinite wisdom. Both of you are flawless beings." Demiurge replies calmly, as if he didn't just drop a bomb even bigger than Shalltear's right there.
Infinite wisdom? A flawless being? Really?! Is that how he views me? That's too much... My cheeks are burning and my mind is screaming at me to leave and bury myself in a hole somewhere. Or maybe just in my room on the 9th floor?
"Sebas." Momonga continues, uncaring as ever.
Show that you care for my mental health at least, you dense idiot!
"Momonga-sama is the person responsible for gathering us all. But most of all, you both are compassionate and refused to abandon us until the very end, in order to stay behind and fight alongside us." Sebas replies.
"Ivory." Momonga continues.
"Momonga-sama is the uncontested master of death as well as the dead. Lydia-sama is the uncontested master of life as well as all living monsters." she replies simply.
Master of life?! Where does that even come from, Ivory? I'm not a priest that can heal wounds or bring people back to life!
Well, I suppose that in a sense I can... But that's not the point!
"Finally, Albedo." Momonga continues for the last time.
"You both are the absolute rulers of all of us, our greatest masters. Momonga-sama is also my most beloved person."
I suppose all their answers are revealing of how they view us and of their personalities. Shalltear appears to be more concerned with appearance; Cocytus, with strength; the twins, with our personalities; Demiurge, with our intellect; Ivory with our abilities; and finally, Albedo, with our status.
"So it's like that. We clearly understand everyone's thinking. The responsibilities that were given to our previous companions are now all given to you to handle. In the future, please be dedicated to your duties." Momonga answers their flattery as if it were nothing. How does he do that?
Seeing the Guardians bow their heads, Momonga uses teleportation to get away from the arena. Instantly, the pressure from [Aura of Despair] disappears with him.
...
Did he just leave me behind?
You idiot, moronic, empty-headed skeleton! What am I supposed to do now?
I gaze at the still-kneeling Guardians in front of me, below in the arena, and let out an inaudible sigh.
I walk down to the arena, and more particularly, toward Ivory.
As I walk, I see the majority of the Guardians staying still and silent. It makes me want to sigh once more, but I refrain from doing so, as I don't know how they would take it.
I eventually reach Ivory; she's shorter than Cocytus but still taller than Momonga. Even on her knees, she's taller than me.
Anyway, I grab Thought from my shoulder and hand the limp lizard to Ivory. It must have fallen asleep during the conversation.
"Ivory, can you take care of it? It might be useful in the future." I ask gently, not wanting to give her the impression of forcing her.
She raises her head and gently takes Thought from my hand.
"Of course, mother." she replies briefly as she examines Thought on her hand.
I smile happily at her, but on the inside, I'm puzzled.
Mother? Is that because of my job class? Or because I'm her creator? No matter, let's just get out of here and give that skeleton a piece of my mind.
I turn around and walk towards an exit of the arena while looking for Momonga with the [Eye of Heimdall]. Once I find him, I teleport next to him, leaving the Guardians alone in the arena.
He is standing alone in a corridor on the 9th floor.
"What was all that for?!" I snap at him just after teleporting, startling him in the process.
"W-what do you mean?" he asks hesitantly, stuttering slightly.
"The [Aura of Despair]—that's what I mean! You know that friendly fire is a thing now, and you just activated it out of nowhere without even a warning. I was already having trouble keeping a straight face in front of the NPCs, and—" I rant, but Momonga interrupts me by putting his hand on top of my head.
"I'm sorry; I see that stressed you out more than I thought. To be completely honest with you, I hadn't meant to use [Aura of Despair]; I guess I panicked there." he speaks calmly while petting my head; it's strangely relaxing.
"I... I don't even know how I managed to stay composed. I felt like your aura was going to crush me." I complain weakly as I close my eyes to feel his hand moving on my head.
"I thought that it didn't affect you when I saw your lack of reaction. I suppose you even fooled me. You did great there, Lydia."
"Hum... Why are you speaking like you're talking to a child?" I ask, but I'm barely paying any mind to the conversation anymore, as I'm more focused on the pats he's giving me. It's pleasant; I could get used to this.
Maybe seeing my lack of focus, Momonga doesn't bother answering and just observes me for a little while without stopping his hands. Yeah... I could get used to this. I could maybe even get addicted, not that it's a problem.