Hey friends and fans! Kairomaru is bringing you a new chapter! Eight Fingers begins to move against Sebas and Solution, unknowingly going against the ‘Will of the Supreme One’ which will gain them Nazarick’s ire. The Blue Roses and Princess Renner plan to assault the forces of Eight Fingers within the capital, which will require planning. Just how big will this situation become?
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Chapter 20 – Greedy Intentions Offend the Divine
On a broad street in the royal capital of Re-Estize, there was a large, high quality inn that was often patroned by upper rank Adventurers from Platinum rank and higher, mostly because those were the only Adventurers that could afford the accommodations. Climb entered the establishment, noting the guards at the front door, the proprietor likely having hired the armed security to break up fights between Adventurers. As he walked through the large common area he felt the needling gazes and heard the whispers of the various Adventurers at the tables. He’d removed his mithril plate armor before leaving Valancia Palace, as this favor that he was doing for Lady Aindra was supposed to be discreet, so he did look somewhat like an Adventurer, he supposed.
“Yo, virgin!” Gagaran called out as soon as she spotted Climb. The warrior woman was out of her armor at the moment and enjoying a flagon of some kind of alcohol at the table she shared with Evileye.
“It’s been a while.” Climb greeted the two Adamantite-ranked Adventurers, while inwardly wishing Gagaran wouldn’t call him that. “Lady Gagaran and Lady Evileye.”
Gagaran grinned at Climb. “Yeah, long time no see.”
Evileye barely nodded in acknowledgement to Climb, her face hidden behind her white mask as always.
“Did you come to get laid?” Gagaran asked Climb with a smirk while pointing at herself with her thumb.
“I most certainly did not.” Climb denied with a shake of his head. “I have a message from Lady Aindra.” He informed the two women, seeing both of them sit up just slightly. “Lady Aindra said: It seems like we’ll be making a move real soon. Details when you get back, but I want you to be combat ready at any time. End message.”
Gagaran chuckled slightly. “Whoa. Sorry you had to come all the way here just for that. Seems like such a menial chore for the princess’s bodyguard.” Still, the look of excitement that shone in the blond woman’s eyes couldn’t be missed. Gagaran had been wanting to REALLY hit the Eight Fingers where it hurt for a while now.
Climb waved off the ‘tediousness’ of the task, happy to do whatever he could to help Princess Renner. “Oh, and today I was blessed with the opportunity to receive training from Lord Stronoff. He praised that move you taught me, the overhead strike.” He told Gagaran with a small smile.
“Oh, that? Hmm, nicely done.” Gagaran gave Climb some light praise. “But you know, you should assume that move won’t work out and come up with the next thing.”
“Lord Stronoff said the same.” Climb mentioned that the Royal Chief Warrior had given him the same advice.
Gagaran chuckled at that. “Great minds, right? You don’t have much innate ability, so make a chain of three moves that way even if your opponent blocks them, they can’t transition into an attack.” Climb’s blue eyes were focused as he took in the information from the Adamantite-ranked warrior. “If they learn your pattern, your doomed, but for first-time opponents, it’ll be pretty effective. Make a chain of strikes so that you can push, push, push.”
“Got it.” Climb was grateful for the instruction, even if it was only verbal. ‘My hard work isn’t all for nothing. I don’t know if I can come up with a chain attack, but I’ll do my best.’
“Oh yeah, you wanted to ask Evileye for something too…magic training, right?” Gagaran recalled Climb wondering about learning magic the last time they’d spoken. She and Climb both looked at the masked and cloaked young woman sitting at the table.
“Kid. You don’t have the aptitude. Pour your efforts into something else.” Evileye said bluntly, not sugar-coating Climb’s lack of compatibility with magic. “You don’t seem convinced.” She noticed, seeing Climb’s determined gaze. “Gifted people show it from the beginning. Some people say ability is like a flower before it’s bloomed…that everyone has the potential, but…if you ask me, that’s just wishful thinking. Something inferior people say to console themselves.”
Climb clenched his fists at his sides.
Evileye noticed the subtle motion and almost rolled her eyes behind her mask. “The leader of the Thirteen Heroes was like that. Legends say that he started out as an ordinary person. He was weaker than everyone, but as he continued swinging his sword, getting injured along the way, he became a hero stronger than anyone. He already had it. It just hadn’t bloomed yet. But you’re different. You work hard and stay the same.” Her words weren’t meant to comfort; they were driving home a point to the young man. “That’s how it is. Ability is unmistakable. There are those who have it and those who don’t. I won’t tell you to give up, but just know where you stand.” Seeing Climb’s expression unchanging, Evileye decided to make a direct comparison. “Gazef Stronoff, he’s a good example. That’s a man with potential. Climb…do you really think you can close the gap in your abilities if you just work hard enough? Climb, you’re not meant to spend your time chasing after the stars.
‘I know I don’t have the aptitude. But…I exist for the princess, to do her will…’ Climb thought to himself, fists still clenched at his sides.
“Even with me saying all that, you still won’t quit, huh?” Evileye questioned, almost rhetorically.
“Nope.” Climb confirmed with a resolute shake of his head.
Evileye let out a small sigh. “What a fool you are. Truly a fool…I cannot understand it.” She gazed at Climb through her mask. “Those with dreams that can’t be attained destroy themselves, you know. Is there anyone who would cry if you died?”
Garagan perked up at Evileye’s persistence. “What’s this, Evileye? Are you harassing him so much because you’re worried about him?”
“Shut up, meathead!” Evileye was leaning over the table and grabbing Gagaran by the collar of her shirt.
“But it’s true, isn’t it?” Gagaran teased her teammate with a little smirk on her face.
Evileye let go of Gagaran’s collar and sat down heavily in her chair, letting out a such a heavy sigh that it was audible even through her mask. “First, learn about magic. Up to Tier Three should be enough.” While Climb wouldn’t make it as any kind of Caster, even warriors needed to know about the most common forms, and Tiers, of magic that could be used against them.
Gagaran held her chin as she thought for a second now that the topic of magic had been brought up. “Hey, Evileye… Rumors say that there are spells that go up to Tier Ten. But if no one can use them, how do we know they exist?”
“Hmm…” Evileye hummed and Climb blinked as the dull background sounds of the inn went silent.
‘The sounds…?’ Climb glanced around without turning his head.
Evileye spoke up a second later. “Don’t panic. I just used a trifling item to keep people from listening in.” Seeing that she had Climb and Gagaran’s attention, Evileye continued. “In one of the myths from centuries ago…there are beings known as the Eight Greed Kings. It’s said that they stole the powers of the Gods and ruled this world with their immense strength. Roughly five-hundred years ago…described as taller than the sky and dragon-like, the Eight Greed Kings obliterated a country in the blink of an eye and conquered the world with their overwhelming power. However, they were greedy and fought each other because they coveted one another’s possessions. At the end of the story, they all died…” Climb and Gagaran both blinked at the end that had befallen the beings that had conquered the world. “It’s believed that the Eight Greed Kings possessed countless powerful items. Among them was an unimaginably powerful grimoire known as…The Nameless Book of Spells.”
“You mean the Tenth Tier spells were written down in that book?” Gagaran asked her teammate.
“Indeed. Supposedly, it lists all the spells. Rumor has it, every new spell created is recorded in the book automatically. That’s how we can be certain that Tenth Tier spells exist. Of course, there aren’t many people who even know about the book.” Evileye told Gagaran—and Climb by extension—how the Tenth Tier of magic was even known about. “Anyhow, that’s the answer, Gargaran. Got it?”
Gagaran nodded easily, looking thoughtful about such an item, but more interested in the powerful Eight Greed Kings. “Yeah.”
Evileye turned to look at Climb again. “Climb. Don’t do anything foolish like giving up your humanity just because you want power.”
“Giving up my humanity? You mean like the demons in stories?” Climb asked, considering most tales of that nature to just be stories to scare and caution children.
“That…or becoming undead or some other type of magical being.” Evileye said with a tone that made Climb immediately believe the woman had seen such things before. “Most people who turn undead end up warping their minds. They’re passionate about their ideals, so they go that route to realize them but the physical changes strain their minds too much, and they transform into something horrific.”
Gargan cracked a grin while looking at Climb. “Imagine how the princess would react if she woke up one day and Climb was an ogre! She’d go into shock!”
Evileye shrugged at that. “Well, that’s one thing you could do. Using transformation magic, you could change temporarily.”
“Could we please get off this topic?” Climb requested, not wanting to think about changing into some monster.
“Humans aren’t terribly strong to begin with, you know? Actually, most of the Thirteen Heroes hailed from other races, not humanity. By the way, we say ‘Thirteen Heroes’ but in reality there were more.” Evileye revealed something that wasn’t widely known among the people. “The original owner of our leader’s sword, Kilineiram, was the Black Knight who possessed the four Swords of Darkness, and he was part demon.”
Gagaran nodded at that. “The most powerful of the Swords of Darkness, created by condensing infinite shadows and negative energy, the demonic sword Kilineiram.” She looked at Evileye curiously. “So…is it true that if you unleashed its power completely, it would radiate enough dark energy to swallow an entire nation? Or is that just a sack of horse shit?”
Now Evileye was tilting her head slightly. “What in the world…? Where did you hear that?”
“I overheard our leader saying it when she was alone.” Gagaran told Evileye, looking a bit confused herself. “She was holding her right arm while saying that only a woman who serves the Gods like her could control its full power…or something like that.”
“I’ve never heard of Kilineiram having such an ability.” Evileye said as she considered what she knew of the Sword of Darkness. “It’s true cursed items can take over the user’s mind, but Kilineiram isn’t explicitly cursed, it just contains immense amounts of negative energy which is harmful to living things.”
Climb’s eyes widened and he leaned forward. “Is Princess Renner in danger?!”
Evileye shook her head. “Calm down. As I said, Kilineiram isn’t cursed, it’s just full of negative energy. Unless Lakyus attacks Renner with it, the princess is in no danger.”
“Then everything should be fine…” Gagaran drew out the last word a bit. “But should we inform Azuth about what I overheard Lakyus say?”
“Having to borrow the strength of a rival is unfavorable, but she is his niece…” Evileye let out a thoughtful hum. “We should probably talk to her first before getting Azuth involved. If there is a problem, only an Adamantite can defeat another Adamantite.”
Climb relaxed slightly since it seemed that Gagaran and Evileye had any potential problem under control.
Evileye perked up slightly. “Ah, right, I forgot. Gagaran, there’s apparently a third Adamantite-ranked Party in the Kingdom now that’s based out of E-Rantel.”
“What? Really? First I’ve heard of it.” Gagaran leaned forward a bit, eager to hear about the new Adamantite Party.
“Yes, apparently they were assigned the color ‘Black’…so, if by some miracle another Adamantite Party appears, they’ll be designated ‘White’.” Evileye said of the unlikely chance of the Kingdom gaining four Adamantite Parties.
Gagaran huffed a little. “White, huh? I’m not a big fan of the Slane Theocracy. That one time we wound up really getting into it with those secret unit guys.”
Climb looked between Gagaran and Evileye as they talked about the past experiences of their Party and their opinions of a foreign nation.
“You don’t like them, Gagaran? They’re personally trying to kill me, but I agree with some of their policies.” Evileye let her opinion be known to her teammate. “Or rather, from the human race’s point of view, the task they’ve set for themselves, the vow they made to protect humanity, is correct.”
“Huh?! So it’s okay to kill demi-humans and Elves who didn’t even do anything wrong, then?!” Gagaran demanded with a scowl on her face.
Evileye shook her head once. “Certainly some of what they do is heartless…but consider this: far away from here, demi-human races superior to humans are building nations. Humans are even slaves in some of those places. One of the biggest reasons there aren’t countries like that around here is the Slane Theocracy. Of course, whether I’d be able to say the same thing from the perspective of the unwanted minorities is another question entirely.” Evileye admitted that she couldn’t see the issue from every perspective and couldn’t comment on the situation of the demi-humans. “But on top of that, there’s a very good chance that the Slane Theocracy were the ones that created the model for Adventurer Guilds.”
Gagaran blinked at that in surprise. “Are you serious?”
“Who can say?” Evileye didn’t know for sure, given the Slane Theocracy was one of the oldest nations in the west. “The truth is unclear, but there’s a good chance.”
Climb spoke up once there was a break in the conversation. “Sorry to interrupt, Lady Evileye. About the new Adamantite Party, what are the members’ names?”
“Mm? Ah, yes. I believe one was named Momon. A warrior known as the ‘Raven-black Hero’. It’s a two-person team. His partner is an Arcane Caster named Nabe, also called the ‘Beautiful Princess’, a powerful Caster capable of using Third Tier magic.” Evileye told Climb and Gagaran what she knew of the new Adamantite Party.
“Huh? Just two of them? So, they have some tricks up their sleeves, then.” Gagaran crossed her arms with a wide grin. “So, what’d they do to earn Adamantite Rank?”
Evileye only took a second to recall everything she’d heard before telling Gagaran and Climb. “I heard they did it all in the span of two months…” That got Climb to lean in closer, his interest piqued. “First, they handled an incident in E-Rantel where several thousands of undead appeared. Then, they wiped out a coalition of goblin tribes coming up from the south. Gathered rare herbs from the Great Forest of Tob while providing escort and security. They even slayed a gigantic basilisk and then destroyed a division of undead that were streaming in from the Katze Plains. I also heard that they took out an extremely powerful vampire.”
Gagaran blinked at everything that ‘Darkness’ had done in just two months. “Holy hell, these two sound awesome.”
‘A gigantic basilisk?! Petrifying gaze, lethal venom, and scales as thick as armor and comparable to mithril!’ Climb knew what a basilisk was and its threat level as the King was always informed when one appeared within the Kingdom’s borders.
“But…a gigantic basilisk…has to be impossible to manage with just a warrior and a caster. How do they heal?” Gagaran had to ask, given that a good Divine Caster capable of casting powerful healing magic and status curing magic was standard to any Party handling a basilisk.
“You mean something like that would be hard for you, Lady Gagaran?” Climb asked the warrior woman, his respect for her skills obvious in his voice.
Gagaran nodded to Climb in confirmation. “I can handle thousands of undead, no problem. But a giant basilisk with its petrifying gaze and extremely toxic venom? No way. Without restorative measures, it’d be too much for me. They’re considered the ultimate test for any warrior for a reason.”
Climb stood up straighter, a firm look on his face. “I know how strong Blue Rose is.” He raised his fists in front of him. “No, Lady Gagaran! There’s no way these newbies could best you!”
“Hah!” Gagaran barked out a short laugh, a big smile spreading across her face. “Thanks for the praise!” She stood up and put her hands on Climb’s shoulders. “Now, let’s get naughty!”
“I respectfully decline.” Climb’s reply was instant.
Gagaran sat back down with a laugh. “You better loosen up or you’ll always be a virgin!”
Evileye actually was rolling her eyes behind her mask now. “I suppose I shouldn’t say that they’re just a Party of two. They apparently tamed the Wise King of the Forest and now keep it as a pet.”
“The Wise King of the Forest?” Gagaran had never heard of such a creature before.
“I don’t know the details, but folklore says the Wise King of the Forest has reigned in the Great Forest of Tob for eons. Its might is supposedly unrivaled.” Evileye shrugged at not knowing much about the creature.
Gagaran rested her chin on her palm. “But hey…how embarrassing is ‘Beautiful Princess’ as a nickname? She can’t possibly live up to it, right?”
Evileye turned her head slightly to look at Gagaran. “Apparently, Nabe is quite beautiful. At least, according to what I heard she’s as beautiful as the Golden Princess.”
“Y’hear that?” Gagaran snickered at Climb, knowing that he and Renner were close.
“Looks are a matter of personal taste.” Climb said with his eyes closed to not see Gagaran’s teasing face. “And for me, there’s no one more beautiful than Princess Renner.”
Gagaran playfully scoffed at Climb not reacting to her teasing. “I see.”
Evileye stood up from her chair. “We’ve been chitchatting too much. Sorry to make you listen to this nonsense.” She nodded to Climb just slightly. “We’ll follow Lakyus’s orders and begin preparations now.”
Gagaran stood up as well and looked at Climb. “Okay. Run along back to our leader now. We’re counting on you, virgin!” Her eyes rested on the sword on Climb’s hip. “Oh, and make sure that you always have your main weapon handy. That’s the proper attitude for a warrior to have. You never know what might happen.”
Climb placed his hand on the backup sword he had with him. ‘She noticed that I didn’t have my regular sword on me, even after we haven’t seen each other for months.’
“And do you have the items I gave you?” Gagaran questioned him.
“The bells?” Climb put his hand on the small pouch on the right side of his belt. “Yes, I have those right here.”
Gagaran nodded with a small smile. “Okay, good. Remember this, all we warriors can do is swing our weapons, but sometimes that’s not enough. What fills in that gap for us is magic items. Acquire lots of items and don’t let them go. And make sure that you always have at least three healing potions. That’s saved me before.”
Climb nodded and gave Gagaran a short bow. “Understood.”
“You’re surprisingly caring.” Evileye got back at Gagaran for earlier.
“Don’t make fun of me…” Gagaran grimaced at Evileye before turning back to Climb one last time. “Sorry to have held you up. What I mean to say is, don’t slack on preparation and precaution!” With that, she tossed a wave over her shoulder and followed after Evileye.
-Capital City Adventurer’s Guild-
Sebas, wearing the magical glasses that Momonga had given to him, was noting down the Quests on the board and categorizing them based on type: Monster Extermination, Escort, Reconnaissance, and making sure to record the reward paid for each type and each rank to get a reliable average. He turned a few heads, mostly the women who found him very handsome, but a few of the Adventurers wondered what a butler was doing looking at the request board.
Once Sebas had gotten the information that he wanted to collect about the types of Adventurer requests in the capital, he put the notebook away and stowed the glasses in their case before leaving the Adventurer’s Guild. Even as he walked back towards the manor, he turned more than a few heads, the various women giving him a glance—or sometimes more than just a glance—as he walked by with his perfect posture and steady stride. When he opened the front door of the manor he was greeted by Tuareninya.
“W-Welcome…back…L-Lord Sebas…” Tuare greeted him, dressed in simple maid clothes of a black dress and a white full body apron over it with frilled hems.
“I’m home, Tuare.” Sebas gave her a small smile as he closed the door behind him. “Is work proceeding smoothly?”
Tuare nodded once. “There’s…no problems.”
Sebas noticed Tuare’s slow and soft speech. ‘The air around her is still dark, but she’s speaking a bit louder than she was before.’ He walked with her as they headed down the hall. “What’s for dinner today?”
“It’s…pota-potato stew…” Tuare answered softly.
“That’s something to look forward to.” Sebas smiled at Tuare gently. “Your cooking is delicious.”
Tuare blushed faintly, bringing one hand to her mouth. “Th-That’s…not…true.”
Sebas disagreed with the same gentle smile. “No, no, it is. I can’t cook at all, so it really helps me out. Please tell me if you’re missing any ingredients.”
“Okay. I…check later…” Tuare said quietly.
“Tuare…” Sebas leaned forward a little to match the young woman’s height. “…shall we go shopping together later?”
Tuare stiffened up noticeably, her eyes going wide as she trembled slightly. “N-No…th-thank you…”
Sebas had hoped differently. ‘So she still can’t…’ He slowly moved his hands and gently cupped her cheeks. “Tuare. I understand your fear. But please do not worry. No matter what danger comes your way I will keep you perfectly safe. Tuare, please try to take this step. If you’re scared, you can close your eyes.” His face was gentle as he looked into Tuare’s eyes. “Can you trust me, Tuare?”
“Lord Sebas…is unfair.” Tuare replied softly. “If you…say that…can’t…say no.” She looked down cutely when Sebas smiled gently at her.
“I have a few things to talk to the young Lady about so I’ll come fetch you later.” Sebas told Tuare as he stood back up to his full height.
Tuare looked down towards the floor. “Lady…S-Solution?”
Sebas nodded and understood Tuare’s stutter in this instance. “It’s all right. She’s like that with everyone. Whenever she sees a cute girl, she sulks.”
“B-But…I’m not…” Tuare nearly panicked at being called cute in comparison to Solution. “She’s s-so…”
“I think…” Sebas said once Tuare calmed down a little. “…I prefer your looks to Solution’s.”
Tuare’s looked stunned before her face dropped into shame and self-disgust. “But…I’m…dirty…”
Sebas’s expression softened as he looked at Tuare. “Jewels are like that, aren’t they?” Tuare squeezed her arm, her body trembling slightly. “Clean ones with no scratches are worth more and called beautiful. But humans aren’t jewels.” Tuare blinked and looked up at Sebas in surprise. “You said you’re dirty, but what are the standards for deciding a human’s purity or beauty? The average? The ordinary? Then does that mean the opinions of the nonconforming minority don’t matter? Just like aesthetics vary from person to person if we say human beauty lies somewhere beyond appearance then I believe it resides not in someone’s past but within them.” Sebas said as he took a step forward again. “Judging from the time that we’ve known each other, you’re not the least bit dirty.”
Tuare gripped the front of her white apron tightly in both hands. “If you…think…beautiful…then, hold m-” Her words were cut off as Sebas gently wrapped her in a hug.
“You’re beautiful.” Sebas assured Tuare as he gently held her and patted her back. Once Tuare stopped trembling and her body relaxed into Sebas’s arms, he gently pulled back to look at her with a soft smile. “Tuare, I’m sorry but the young Lady is calling.”
“I…understand.” Tuare nodded once and stepped back, her cheeks pink. She watched Sebas walk further down the hallway before he stopped at the door of the sitting room where Solution was currently at. He gave her another gentle smile before entering the room.
Once Sebas closed the door behind him, both he and Solution waited until they felt Tuare had walked back towards the kitchen.
“Has Lord Ainz contacted you about moving Tuare?” Sebas asked the Pleiades Maid.
“Not yet.” Solution answered promptly with a single shake of her head. Taking Tuare away from the capital would happen once Lord Momonga had everything set up and prepared.
Sebas nodded in understanding. “Very well, Tuare has taken well to being a maid and she knows how to cook simple dishes. That will further our cover until we leave the capital.”
Solution looked at Sebas curiously. “Have you already compiled the information that Lord Ainz requested us to collect while we are here, Sebas.” She asked respectfully to her superior.
“I’ve mapped out most of the capital’s important locations, recorded the requests and rewards at the Adventurer’s Guild, we’ve also got a detailed report on the economic situation within the capital, and I’ve compiled a large amount of new spells from the Magician’s Guild that we’ve already sent to Nazarick for study and replication.” Sebas listed off all of their completed objectives.
“Then we merely need to wait until Lord Ainz calls us to return with the girl.” Solution said, not hating Tuare, but clearly not yet ready to give the young woman the respect of using her name.
Knock
Knock
Knock
The door knocker on the front door was easily heard by both Sebas and Solution, even through the door and down the hallway. The two exited the sitting room and Sebas walked ahead of Solution, heading to answer the front door while Solution headed for the small parlor that was used to meet guests, as was proper for the ‘Lady’ of the house. Tuare knew to stay in the kitchen of the manor if anyone besides Sebas or Solution came to the manor, so she would be out of sight and safe.
Sebas stopped at the front door and lifted the small slat that acted as a peephole. “Who is it?” He asked properly, just as a butler should.
“Patrol Chief Staffan Heivish.” He was a man with wide shoulders and dressed in decent clothes. On his chest, he wore a heavy crest that shone with the glint of copper metal, most likely a mark of his rank and authority. The somewhat healthy complexion of his face was ruined by being padded with blubber-like fat and he was quite rotund and overweight, likely due to overindulging his eating habits.
‘A Patrol Chief…a position that puts one in-charge of the patrolling guards. Their work spans a broad range of activities.’ Sebas knew this entirely because of the information gathering he’d been doing since he and Solution had arrived in the capital. ‘What is someone whose job is to keep the peace doing here? And…that man…’ He glanced at the man standing behind Staffan, clearly not an official of any kind given his looks. The man’s skin was pale, as if it hadn’t seen the sun in a very long time. He wore a green and black hooded short cloak over a black leather armor, thick brown pants, vambraces on his forearms, and a sword at his hip. ‘This man is clearly different. Why are these two together here?’
“As you know, we have a law in the Kingdom that prohibits slave-trafficking.” Staffan said with a clear air of superiority that came from having the law on his side. “It was Princess Renner, herself, who spearheaded the initiative to plan and adopt it. We caught wind that someone in this manor might have violated that law, so we’re here to obtain the truth of the matter. May we come in?” The way the heavy man said it made it very clear that it wasn’t a request.
Not having any legal reason to keep the Patrol Chief out, Sebas opened the door and guided the two men inside. Once they arrived at the parlor, Staffan and the out of place man sat down in the plush chairs across from the small couch that Solution sat upon. The beautiful Pleiades Battle Maid still wore her high-quality orange and yellow dress that left her shoulders bare and used a corset to hold it onto her body while pushing up her large breasts and showed off as much cleavage as possible while still being ‘appropriate’ for a young Lady of a wealthy family. Staffan’s eyes were practically locked onto Solution’s tits from the moment he entered the parlor. Sebas stood to the side of the couch, looking to all like a proper butler just waiting to attend to his young Lady’s needs.
‘It’s obvious which of the two we need to be wary of during this conversation.’ Sebas thought while looking at the hooded man with the sword.
Solution picked up on Sebas’s intent and looked at the pale man before turning her blue eyes onto Staffan. “Who is that man?”
“Hm?” Staffan tore his eyes away from Solution’s breasts upon being spoken to. “He’s a representative of the establishment that brought this matter to our attention.”
“I’m called Succulent. Pleased to meet you, my Lady.” Succulent gave a small nod of his head to Solution, the slight smile on his face was in no way pleasant or charming though.
Sebas saw the slight smirk on Succulent’s face and knew that this wasn’t just some random attempt at a shakedown. Staffan was most likely a legitimate Patrol Chief, therefore a fight would only cause more attention and issues, which went against Lord Momonga’s directive to lay low and keep Tuare safe. ‘He’s laid the groundwork, but to what end? Tuare was about to be disposed of, she clearly had no value to that establishment any longer I left no evidence behind of who I was or where I was going either.’
Solution sat with her back straight against the plush cushions of the couch, the slight movement making her tits bounce and drawing Staffan’s eyes to them again. The rotund man would’ve been drooling if it wouldn’t have ruined his reason for being there in the first place. “Now then, what seems to be the trouble?” She asked primly, as if whatever the situation was, it was beneath her.
“Ahem.” Staffan coughed into his fist to unsuccessfully hide that he’d been staring inappropriately. “We received a report that someone had abducted one of the establishment’s employees. We heard the person illegally handed over some money to another employee. Paying for an abduction…that sounds an awful lot like slave-trafficking, don’t you think?”
“Oh?” Solution’s expression became bored as she stood up, surprising both Staffan and Succulent. “I leave all bothersome tasks to Sebas.” She turned away from the two men and looked at Sebas with the air of a young Lady that couldn’t be bothered. “Sebas, take care of it.”
Staffan jolted in his seat. “A-Are you sure about that?! You might end up a criminal!”
Solution rested her right hand against her cheek. “Oh my, how frightening. Then, Sebas, if it seems like I’m going to end up a criminal, please tell me.” Sebas bowed to Solution, playing the part of the dutiful butler perfectly. “Goody day.” Solution smiled at Staffan, looking like a radiant young lady to the clearly perverted man. She walked out of the parlor and closed the door behind her before the Patrol Chief could gather his wits.
“Well then,” Sebas sat down on the couch across from Succulent and Staffan. “I will hear out what you have to say in place of the young Lady.”
“Hmm, very well. We’ll have you hear us out then.” Succulent said, clearly showing which of the two men was really in charge. “As Chief Heivish said…our, well, yes…an employee of ours has gone missing. And what do you know? After grilling one of our men, he admitted to taking money for her. I didn’t want to believe that anyone working at my establishment would break the law…but I was forced to turn him in for the crime.”
Staffan’s fist slammed down onto the armrest of his chair. “As you should!” He slapped his hand onto the coffee table between Sebas and them over and over again. “We cannot permit a filthy injustice like slave-trafficking! That’s why Mr. Succulent who came forward regardless of the impact on his shop’s reputation is a model citizen!”
Succulent grinned as Staffan once the patrol chief sat back in his chair. “Thank you, Chief Heivish.”
‘What a farce.’ Sebas thought of the display, seeing the two men sharing looks between each other. ‘It’s clear these two are in collusion. That means they’ve undoubtedly come prepared to attack, if necessary. I must not let this fuss grow any bigger.’ Looking directly at Staffan, Sebas spoke simply and clearly. “The employee disappearing is unfortunate, but I fail to see what that has to do with myself or the young Lady. If the man you questioned gave you my description, then it only means that he’s seen me or someone of a similar appearance within the capital. I have been going around the capital with the young Lady since we arrived, there are undoubtedly hundreds if not thousands of people that know what I look like within the city. That cannot be considered evidence.”
Staffan blinked at the logical argument. “After listening to the man involved and running a detailed investigation…”
“…we found that it WAS you that purchased my employee, Mr. Sebas.” Succulent finished for Staffan.
“How could you conclude that I did such a thing? What’s the proof?” Sebas asked simply and directly, looking completely unbothered by the two men in front of him.
Succulent wasn’t thrown off his game just yet. “The scroll. The employee we questioned told us the one he handed the girl over to had an unusual scroll on him. Once we knew it had been purchased from the Magician’s Guild, the rest was able to be deduced with a physical description and a little legwork.”
‘I hadn’t considered the scroll.’ Sebas thought to himself as he recalled having it in his hand when he’d initially met the man from the shop and taken Tuare away.
“The circumstantial evidence alone makes it clear that you were the one that took the girl and that you used money to gain custody of her.” Staffan said, looking as if he and Succulent had cornered Sebas, even though the butler hadn’t admitted to anything. “My job is to ascertain whether or not slave-trafficking occurred…and it seems very clear that it has.”
Sebas looked at the patrol chief without giving any hint of his thoughts away. “Circumstantial evidence is not enough to charge one with a crime. Shouldn’t a meeting like this wait until after a full investigation has been completed to ascertain the truth of the matter?”
Staffan put his hands together, a sneer crossing his face. “Yes, I’d like to wait as well.” He lied as easily as he breathed. “But since we’ve already received the complaint in writing from the business…we needed to investigate swiftly to find the perpetrator.” The sneer became an ugly grin. “Even if we have to take you in by force.” He looked at his fingernails with the air of a man that was used to getting what he wanted whenever he threw his weight around as a patrol chief. “Luckily, the establishment is fine with a settlement. Naturally, some compensation will apply. And it will also cost a bit to destroy the document that accuses you of slave-trafficking.”
“This seems more like extortion, than a proper legal settlement.” Sebas’s voice wasn’t raised, but the depth of it had clearly changed. “Exactly how much money are you trying to take?”
“For starters, we’d like you to return our employee…and, yes, we’d like you to pay us the money that would have been made if she hadn’t been missing.” Succulent said with a small grin.
Sebas’s face may as well have been carved from stone for all the expression it showed. “You believe that we even have this girl, without evidence, and expect us to be able to return her? How much money are you after?”
Succulent leaned forward just a little. “I’ll make it cheap. How about a hundred gold and an additional solatium…for a total of four hundred gold?”
“W-Wait a moment! That’s not all!” Staffan spoke up while looking at Succulent, clearly wanting his own share.
“Oh, that’s right. Since we reported the damage there is still the fee to destroy that document…even if we settle the matter privately.” Succulent said as if what he was suggesting wasn’t blatant corruption and extortion.
Staffan sneered again, his eyes gleaming with greed. “That’s right, Mr. Succulent. It won’t do to forget that.”
Sebas let out a short breath that sounded suspiciously like a ‘hmph’.
“My apologies.” Succulent didn’t seem apologetic in the slightest. “One third of the solatium should be reasonable for destroying the document…for a total of five hundred gold.”
Both Succulent and Staffan were smirking now, assured that they’d backed the butler into a corner that he couldn’t escape from.
“That’s a rather significant sum.” Sebas mentioned, his tone controlled and measured. “And I do not have this girl to return to you.”
“Well, that’s unfortunate.” Succulent said with a confident grin. “But if you really can’t hand the girl over…or pay the appropriate amount…perhaps you could lend us the Lady of the house and she could work off the amount that you can’t pay?”
Staffan looked over at Succulent with a wide smile on his face and excitement clear in his eyes. “Oh! That makes sense! If you create a vacancy, then you should fill it!” The lecherous look on the fat man’s face was disgusting.
Sebas’s eyes hardened and Succulent, the only one looking at Sebas at the moment, instinctively flinched in his chair as their eyes met. “You overstep in your lust.”
“D-Don’t be ridiculous!” Staffan shouted as he turned to look at Sebas. “I’m doing this to uphold the law created through Princess Renner’s esteemed will! You call that lust?! How rude can you possibly be?!”
“Now, now. Please calm down, Chief Heivish.” Succulent said, holding his hand out towards the fat official. Staffan sat down heavily in his seat with a huff, though his expression didn’t match the supposed anger and indignation he was feeling.
‘An intimidation tactic? What a horrible actor.’ Sebas thought to himself at the obvious ruse that Staffan had tried to pull.
Succulent spoke up, having pushed away the flinch from earlier as him overreacting to a butler that was probably trained a little to protect the young Lady he served. “I think we’ve said everything we can for now. I’d like to come back the day after tomorrow to hear your decision. That’s fine with you, right, Mr. Sebas?” He smiled darkly at the butler, clearly used to getting his way in these situations.
“I will see you out.” Sebas said properly, his voice steady and his eyes firm. He walked the two men out and saw the many city guards that Staffan had brought with him for the first time, all of them armed with swords on their hips and spears in their hands, as they waited outside the front entryway on the street in front of the manor.
“I owe that employee of ours some thanks.” Succulent said to Sebas as he exited the manor. “I never imagined that someone slated for disposal would lay a golden egg…is what a certain someone said.” He sneered at the butler, knowing that the farce of legality wasn’t needed anymore.
Sebas closed the door in Succulent’s face, making the thug blink at the both the rudeness and the clear lack of concern that Sebas had for him or Staffan’s position. With a scoff, he followed after Staffan and glanced at a few shadowy corners and alleyways, making sure his subordinates were in place to watch the manor without giving anything away.
Within the manor, Sebas waited at the door until he couldn’t feel the presence of Succulent or Staffan and his men. “Solution, you were listening, right?” He asked rhetorically as Solution faded into view from her invisibility, having been standing between the parlor and the only door that led to the kitchen where Tuare was practically hiding. Protecting Tuare was the will of Lord Momonga and that made it the will of Nazarick.
“We must inform, Lord Ainz.” Solution said simply as the Supreme One’s order had been to contact him if anything happened. “In their greed and their lust,” She’d easily seen how the fat pig of a man had stared at her tits from the moment they’d met. “…they’ve gone against the will of the Supreme One.”
“Since they specified the day after tomorrow…I believe we are going to be surveilled.” Sebas said and when he saw Solution look at him curiously, he elaborated. “They want to see if we’ll attempt to flee. That would only make us look guilty in the farce of a legal system they’re exploiting. They may even be intending to try and eliminate me specifically as that would leave the young Lady ‘unprotected’ and they could take her and Tuare, who they believe is here, along with seizing all the assets from whatever legal loophole they come up with. They think we’re weak, so they’re going to try and suck the marrow from our bones. That’s just the type of humans they are.”
Solution nodded in understanding. “After we inform the Supreme One, what will you do?”
Sebas looked over his shoulder at Solution, and then at the door to the kitchen. “I believe, after we’ve reported to Lord Ainz, that I’ll take a walk.” The tone he spoke with was like stone as he planned to make himself bait to those watching them, just to see what they’d do.
“I will contact Lord Ainz.” Solution produced a magic scroll that had been stored within her body thanks to her true nature as a slime.
“I will check Tuare.” Sebas said as he headed for the kitchen while Solution used the [Message] scroll to contact Lord Momonga.
-Later-
The swirling black and purple void of the [Gate] spell appeared within the large sitting room of the manor. From within Albedo stepped out first, her golden eyes gazing at everything in the room, which was only Sebas and Solution at the moment. Moving to the side, she took up position on the right side of the couch. Momonga exited the [Gate] next, his wings wrapped around him as they often were when he was around humans, disguising them as an immaculate feather cloak. Both Solution and Sebas immediately kneeled and bowed their heads to the Supreme One.
“Rise.” Momonga said as he sat on the couch, the [Gate] closing a second later. “Explain the situation, in detail.” He ordered Sebas. The Pleiades Maid and the Head Butler of Nazarick both stood up properly, standing at attention before Momonga.
“My Lord,” Sebas began to explain how he’d found Tuare, paying off the worker to use his panicked fleeing as a distraction, how the Eight Fingers had tracked him down from seeing the magic scroll he’d purchased, their ties to at least one Patrol Chief in Staffan, but probably more throughout the capital city, and there targeting of Tuare and now Solution as well.
Momonga listened to everything while touching the immovable core of his Primordial Deity being so that he didn’t react emotionally before Sebas was finished. “I see.” He hummed thoughtfully as he processed everything for a moment. “Bring Tuareninya before me, Sebas.”
Sebas blinked once, but nodded and excused himself from the room. “I will return shortly, my Lord.”
As soon as the door closed behind Sebas a dark aura of blackness began to seep off of Momonga. Solution tensed just slightly as the power began to fill the room. Albedo closed her eyes and remained silent, even though she was the closest to Momonga’s negative energy.
“They dare target those under my protection…” Momonga let the words out lowly, yet they filled the room with pressure. He could practically see the faces of Staffan and Succulent, how they must’ve looked at Solution with their filthy eyes. The creation of his friend Herohero, the last person that had forced himself online even in the last several minutes of the game just so that he could visit Momonga one last time in YGGDRASIL. “Their greed and lust offends me.” He said clearly, the blackness around him briefly lashing out at the air. With a breath, Momonga touched the core within him again to steady his emotions and rein in the negative energy that was around him. “Know that their insult towards you will be paid back tenfold, Solution Epsilon.” Momonga told the Pleiades Maid with a smile that assured her of his words.
“Your grace is immeasurable, my Lord.” Solution smiled as she bowed to Momonga.
Knock
Knock
Two soft knocks on the door got everyone’s attention.
“My Lord, I’ve brought Tuare.” Sebas said through the door.
“Enter.” Momonga called and the door opened, letting Sebas step inside with Tuare following behind him. “Good day to you, Tuareninya Veyron. I am Ainz Ooal Gown, the Master of both Sebas and Solution.” He introduced himself to Celicia’s older sister with as much regal bearing as he could muster, even letting his Deity Aura expand to the corners of the room while designating Tuare as an ally.
Tuare let out a soft gasp as she felt a warmth and strength fill her suddenly as she gazed upon the man sitting on the couch. She glanced at Sebas briefly—and the thought that she still preferred his looks even compared to the incredibly handsome man before her passed through her mind—before she bowed at the waist in a nearly perfect ninety degree angle. “I-It’s…very…nice to…m-meet you, L-Lord Gown.”
Momonga nodded, even if Tuare couldn’t see it, it was mostly to assure Albedo and Solution that he found Tuare’s level of respect sufficient. “Raise your head, Tuareninya.” Once Tuare stood up straight again, Momonga continued speaking. “I have heard of your plight, Tuareninya Veyron. You are now under my protection and no further harm will come to you.” He assured the young woman. “The situation within the capital is not conducive to you staying here any longer. Will you allow me to move you to a safe location? You will be separated from Sebas for a time, but once everything is resolved, you will be given a choice for your future.”
“A…choice?” Tuare asked softly, not having been able to make any choice for herself in far too long.
“Yes.” Momonga confirmed with a small smile. “You may have your memories of the horrors you’ve suffered erased and be sent to live in a place far from here with everything you’d need to start a new life. Or, if you choose, you may come under my rule and work under Sebas as a maid. Either option will allow me to fulfill a promise that I made.”
Tuare gasped in shock at the options presented to her. She wasn’t very knowledgeable about magic at all, so she assumed that wiping away the horrid memories of the last few years must be possible. But the second option, to stay with Sebas, made her heart thump in her chest. It was only after the two potions had both processed in her mind that Momonga’s last statement registered. “A…p-promise?”
Momonga nodded as his Deity Aura increased with just a single point of MP. “I made a promise to your younger sister, Celicia, that I would look for you and reunite the two of you if possible.”
“C-Ce-Celicia?” Tuare’s eyes filled with tears, but these were tears of relief and joy that her little sister was still alive after she’d been separated from her years ago by the greedy noble that ruled the territory they’d been born in. “She…alive?” She asked Momonga, trying not to wipe her tears with her hands, thinking it would be disrespectful.
“Very much so, and she’s been looking for you this entire time. She’s become a Caster and was even an Adventurer for years in her quest to find you.” Momonga told Tuare what Celicia had done to try and find her. “She now lives under my rule and has become something of a student of mine in the magic arts.”
Tuare’s legs gave out from under her and she fell to her knees as the tears of joy ran down her cheeks. “I…prayed…so much…that Celicia would…be safe. That we could…find each other…again.” Her words were stuttered and sometimes took a second to say through her tears and emotions.
Momonga’s Deity Aura practically wrapped around Tuare as he increased it further with another point of his MP. He even let positive energy begin to shine from his form slightly. “Then put your faith in me and see your prayers answered, Tuareninya Veyron.”
Tuare couldn’t speak, her emotions were too much, but she felt the warmth and strength within her, like she was being held in a warm hug. Looking at Momonga as the tears fell from her eyes, she saw the radiance around him and brought her hands together without a thought, assuming the pose of prayer.
Momonga briefly felt something within him…or at least he thought he did, but it was gone almost as quickly as he noticed it. “Sebas.” Momonga looked towards the Head Butler.
“My lord?” Sebas bowed promptly.
“Take Tuareninya to calm down for a moment, please.” Momonga instructed as he could see that Tuare needed a little time to get herself together.
Sebas nodded and gently kneeled down at Tuare’s side, taking out his handkerchief to wipe her eyes softly. Tuare took Sebas’s hand and stood up, only to bow deeply to Momonga once more in gratitude. When she straightened up again, everyone in the room was graced with a beautiful smile filled with a joy that could only come from someone that had found true happiness within themselves and their life.
“Thank you…my Lord.” Tuare said in clear reverence to Momonga.
“You’re welcome, Tuareninya.” Momonga gave her a gentle smile as Sebas guided her out of the sitting room and down the hall.
Solution closed the door and the mood changed as Momonga let the radiance fade and pulled his Deity Aura back to its normal area of effect close around himself.
“Guardian Overseer Albedo, the organization known as the Eight Fingers must pay dearly for their offense to Nazarick.” Momonga said strongly, his voice almost seeming to resound within the room.
“Absolutely, my Lord. These lower lifeforms should suffer as much as possible for going against the will of a Supreme Being.” Albedo agreed instantly with her lord and beloved. But her intelligent mind also had thoughts about furthering the reach and power that her love wielded politically. “However, we may be able to make use of part of their organization to further your goals.”
Momonga considered that and tried to connect the dots of what Albedo was thinking based on the reports that he’d gotten from Sebas about the Kingdom of Re-Estize already. “You’re suggesting that we don’t wipe them out entirely, but instead take over the Kingdom’s underworld, correct?” He REALLY hoped that’s what Albedo was implying or he’d look like a fool for misunderstanding her.
Albedo smiled and nodded. “Yes, my Lord. I knew that you’d understand my idea without needing me to explain.” She wanted to gush about how ‘in sync’ they were to understand each other’s thoughts like this, but she held it in for now.
“I see.” Momonga closed his eyes and looked thoughtful as he tried to piece together everything that taking over a massive underworld organization would entail and require. ‘Oh man, I’m SO out of my depth here! The reports say that the underworld of Re-Estize easily makes up almost half of the actual power in the country, but how do we take it over? We have to leave those who know enough to run things…but eliminating the majority would be necessary to truly take control, right?’ Not letting his inner thoughts show, Momonga opened his eyes and looked at Albedo. “Very well. We will convene in Nazarick to develop a plan to punish the Eight Fingers and take over their operations afterwards. But first…” He did know that he could apply some of his vast knowledge of tactics from YGGDRASIL in their current situation. “…we will leave one of the Doppelgangers here in the guise of Tuareninya. The Eight Fingers need only to take the bait for us to be able to find their hiding spots…and with a little work behind the scenes, this could be another feat for the Adamantite Party ‘Darkness’ to achieve and boost their reputation and fame even further.”
“Brilliant, Lord Ainz.” Albedo smiled at her lord turning this situation to his favor in multiple ways. ‘The girl at least knows which Deity to truly put her faith in, as well. So she’s a step above the other lower lifeforms. And she’s given us the perfect excuse to spread the power and influence of Nazarick ever further into the Kingdom.’
In short order, Tuareninya was switched out for one of the low level Doppelgangers of Nazarick. The girl hadn’t seen that, of course, as she was taken away via the [Gate] spell to just outside of Nazarick. Sebas was allowed to show her inside and set up a room and accommodations for Tuare. Including meeting the Head Maid, Pestonya, and all of the Homunculus maids that she’d be working with. It was quickly understood that Tuare was a new worker, one faithful to and under the protection of Lord Momonga, and was to be treated as such as she learned the ins and outs of being a maid.
While Sebas returned to the manor immediately afterwards and headed out for his walk to check on the surveillance situation that they were under from the Eight Fingers; Momonga, Albedo, Demiurge, Shalltear, Aura, and Mare gathered in the Throne Room to discuss the plans to eliminate and practically subsume the Eight Fingers organization.
“My Lord, if I may, there are many goals we could obtain while carrying out the punishment of the organization that has gone against your supreme will.” Demiurge spoke up first with a bow.
“Tell me, Demiurge, what goals would we achieve for Nazarick by punishing the Eight Fingers?” Momonga questioned while giving Demiurge the floor.
Demiurge lifted his head and stood to his full height. “There are a few goals that immediately benefit Nazarick upon the completion of this operation, several of which we could gain by expanding our actions a bit and putting on something of a performance.”
That got all eyes on the Arch Devil. Most were eager to hear how they could gain more for Nazarick, while Momonga was trying to keep up with the intelligence of Demiurge.
“Explain it simply, Demiurge, we want to be sure that everyone that will have a role understands their part.” Momonga said while touching the immovable core within him to maintain a completely unbothered expression and tone of voice.
“Of course, Lord Momonga.” Demiurge gave a half bow to Momonga before he began to explain his idea. “We need only to infiltrate one location and acquire a person of some importance to the organization to learn where the true leaders of the Eight Fingers are or will be. This should, of course, be done as discreetly as possible. Once we know where the leaders are, we can abduct them and take everything of value from their residences and any hidden storages they may have. However, to cover up this abduction and plundering, we stage an attack on the Kingdom and focus their attention away from the underworld. If we choose the location within the capital properly, we can take much of their stores of goods and materials for a monetary windfall. The people in said area can also be taken for use in experiments for Nazarick’s benefit. This both gains us resources and money as well as weakens the capital’s forces of soldiers and Adventurers that will fight to repel the attack.” The explanation of the plan was simplified and easy to understand, as much as the Arch Devil could make it.
Shalltear nodded as she went over the points of Demiurge’s plan. “Getting information won’t be difficult.” Her blood red eyes glowed slightly as a hint of her ability to [Charm] those weaker than her…which was almost everyone in the New World.
“Nazarick will gain quite a bit from this operation, I approve, Demiurge.” Albedo gave the Floor Guardian praise for his plan, especially as he’d come up with it so quickly after hearing the current situation.
“If we just need to capture people and bring them back to Nazarick, that’ll be easy.” Aura said with a bright grin. She had PLENTY of pets that could use a little exercise.
Mare nodded after a moment. “I…I’ll do my best!” He could capture a person…as long as he knew who he was looking for, of course. Confidence wasn’t Mare’s strong suit, even if he was VASTLY more powerful than almost anyone else he could meet in this world.
Momonga considered the plan as Demiurge had laid it out and wanted to change part of it…but wasn’t sure how to bring it up. ‘Killing a bunch of innocent people just because they happen to live in the wrong place doesn’t sit well with me.’ He then recalled his plan to have the defeat of Eight Fingers be an achievement for Momon and Nabe. “Demiurge, your plan had many benefits to Nazarick.”
“Thank you, my Lord.” Demiurge accepted the praise with a grateful bow.
“There is one thing I’d like to add.” Momonga said with as much confidence as he could project while talking to someone he knew was MUCH more intelligent than he was. “Instead of taking all of the citizens within the area of the operation, I’d like to have ‘Darkness’ save them and defeat the ringleader of the attack. The merit and reputation boost for such a feat alone would ensure that the fame of Momon and Nabe would spread even into other lands. That would benefit Nazarick in the future, as it is much easier to enter a country when welcomed and invited in by those in power, rather than to sneak in as spies.”
Demiurge held his chin as he thought before a grin spread across his face. “An excellent idea, Lord Momonga! If we take the criminal elements only from a group so large, no one would be likely to notice and would see those who died as simply random chance. A few of those ‘unruly’ elements may need to die in front of the innocent to sell the danger they are in and further boost the reputation of Momon when he saves them by defeating the mastermind of the attack.” It was clear that the Arch Devil was in full planning mode now as he put together the operation like a theatre production in his mind.
‘I’m glad that worked.’ Momonga let out a huge mental sigh of relief, even as his expression remained the same. “Let’s come up with an operation that assures Nazarick gains every possible advantage, my Guardians. But do not forget, this is also a punishment for the Eight Fingers that tried to threaten and extort us and lay claim to one of ours and one under my protection.”
“We’ll make sure they fall into absolute despair for the affront against you, my dearest Lord.” Shalltear promised, her fangs notably lengthening and her blood red eyes became slitted.
“Heck yeah!” Aura declared while throwing her fists into the air. “Let’s have them run for their lives through the forest while my pets hunt them for food!”
Mare raised his hand halfway. “We could…also, maybe throw them into the Colosseum for…entertainment?”
Demiurge placed his right hand over his chest, a truly devilish smile on his face. “Their suffering must be commensurate with their folly, my Lord. They will not be allowed to die so easily.”
Momonga nodded…even as he was now tightly holding on to the unshakeable core of his Primordial Deity being to keep from reacting to the horrible things his Guardians were clearly planning for the members of Eight Fingers. ‘I have to make sure to steer them away from seeing atrocities as a first, last, and only means of punishment.’ He remembered Seimei’s words of advice when it came to controlling the former NPC’s with incredibly negative karma ratings so that Nazarick didn’t become a monstrous existence upon the world. ‘But…just this once, I’ll allow it.’ The Eight Fingers weren’t worth forgiveness from everything he’d learned about them.
“Ah, yes, Lord Momonga.” Demiurge spoke up after a moment. “There’s one person I’d like to meet within the Kingdom before the operation, if I may?”
“Who is that, Demiurge?” Momonga questioned the Arch Devil curiously.
Demiurge’s smile was almost unsettling. “The only competent one within their hierarchy, my Lord.”
-End Chapter-
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Blue Roses are planning to make their move against the Eight Fingers locations within the capital! Unknowingly, their operation is about to run into an even bigger operation.
Eight Fingers makes their move to retrieve Tuare and extort as much money as possible from Sebas and the young Lady he serves. Greed, corruption, illegal dealings, it’s really no wonder the Kingdom is barely holding itself together.
Sebas doesn’t admit to ANYTHING in this version though, partly because he’s fulfilling Momonga’s orders instead of hiding that he helped Tuare, and partly because…why would he? They have circumstantial evidence at best and without a confession they can only reveal how corrupt the law enforcement is to try and extort money and make demands.
Momonga meets Tuare and gives her options for the first time in years. He also reveals that her little sister, Celicia, has been doing everything in her power to try and find Tuare. The relief, joy, and happiness that floods Tuare is overwhelming as hundreds if not thousands of prayers over the years are all answered at once. Tuare can’t help but to kneel and pray before the one that fulfilled her longest held wishes.
The feeling within Momonga from such a thing might just imply something…perhaps he gained a new faithful?
This Momonga—since he’s not an unfeeling undead—makes the easy decision to simply swap Tuare out with one of Nazarick’s many Doppelgangers. Let the Eight Fingers take the bait…they’ll only be ensuring their own destruction.
Then the planning to punish, eliminate, and subsume the Eight Fingers organization begins within Nazarick! So many goals to achieve, so many benefits to gain, and so much punishment to unleash!
As the Eight Fingers jump on a nuclear landmine with both feet and smile on their faces, just what will the fate of the Kingdom be, and who will play a part in the everything that transpires?
Keep reading to find out!
Until I get your reviews, later!