Even though I had already thought that permanent Summons -not really an apt name for what I wanted, but I guessed it would stick for now - were going to be a pain in the butt, I hadn't imagined it would be this difficult to create more of my inferior kin. The angels that I created were dumb or non-sentient. In the way that the Death Nights were. They could still follow orders and do stuff that needed some thinking, but they weren't able to think on their own. They were more machine than living creatures and therefore they weren't what I sought after.
Soldiers or canon fodder were fine and dandy, but I needed generals, and strategists as well. I didn't need angels that blindly followed orders, but a group of individuals that could come up with their own ideas and schemes. I thought I could just use the soul energy plus some higher-level [Create] skill that I gained through my advancement as an Archangel, but they wouldn't form quite correctly.
At first, I thought the creation skill was faulty as I hadn't been a complete Archangel, but even the normal creation spells that I already had as an NPC weren't created correctly. They continued to be without any thoughts of their own, which made me think about the reason for these mistakes.
Of course, I could just use some paladin or fanatic to act as my medium to tether my creations to this world, but why would I want to use up resources if I could have it all with basically no cost? Besides with my current capabilities, it was just a matter of time. Through my knowledge gained through my book and my talent, I was quickly able to deduce several theories and one I had been able to test immediately.
I summoned a higher-tiered angel. A temporary Summon, but one that wasn't a mindless one. He could think and plan. He was also quite reverent about my status as an Archangel, who had a special need for his service. Though he was less enthusiastic when I peered into his inner workings. Not that he was able to resist, but it was quite interesting that he didn't like that.
He thought I was out of my authority to peek at that as it was only allowed for the one that had created him - another Archangel from his words, though he couldn't remember which one, just that it wasn't me. That tidbit was rather interesting but not what I needed to know. So, after peering at his inner workings to his displeasure as he couldn't resist his Summoner, I got to glean what constituted his core being. It was a rather interesting concept.
Rather than plain old souls, the angels were concepts themselves or rather they were emanations of the plane they were born in, which kind of fit why Archangels could represent a concept to its limit and why they didn't delve into other concepts. They just couldn't. They were bound to their concepts since they were created from them and just gained sentience. Their powers were just a result of the circumstances they were created in.
It was probably why they would never be able to fully wield their emanations as they were born from the emanation. The creation couldn't grow beyond what had been given to him for a specific purpose. It was why they all were capped at level 120 despite the fact that they should be indescribable by a mere leveling system. They wielded a part of reality after all. If they wanted to, they could brute force their will into existence, just like I could now.
It was quite ironic that their advantage of being given immense power at birth was to their detriment. Them being born out of the emanation that they wielded part of was what had limited them to the concept.
It was why I could gain understanding from all concepts as I, despite being an angel that became an archangel, had a soul. I was Sovereign of my own existence that took from concepts and integrated them into my own personal strength. Unlike them, I wasn't a being with purpose coded into their existence, which was quite ironic considering that I used to be an NPC. Being forced to be a puppet for these years had now allowed me to control my own fate.
After figuring that out I was tempted to create an angel through the concepts I had learned, but I stopped myself at the last moment. I needed to be careful about how I would go about it as a mishap and I would create an angel that could grow beyond me as I didn't put any restriction on its growth.
Perhaps I accidentally created a disloyal angel that would rebel against me. Something I couldn't allow. There was also another thing I became privy about. Since I was the existence that could create beings from the concepts I had gleaned, then that would mean, I could also bestow other beings with these insights and essentially bind them and their modified souls permanently to me and my domain.
Even if I didn't have undead, android, or demonic followers, I could change my mortal followers, so that they would never die unless I did. In fact, I could probably make it so that even if they were killed, their souls would return to me in their death.
It had been one of the reasons, I had only seen Enri or any other targets in this world as a pastime. It was an ambition, but nothing I could or should pursue. They would die anyway and I wasn't going to develop a deep relationship with them as I knew they would leave me behind in their death. However, if my conjunctions were correct then I could keep them by my side forever.
Of course, for that, I needed some test subjects and I already had someone in mind. A certain someone that would surely be interested in spreading my religion, right? I glanced down at the naked Yuri, who was diligently cleaning me after Albedo had left.
The succubus probably wanted to make it a habit to visit me during her lunch break and get fucked or to suck me off, only for her to spray her bodily fluids around. I had Yuri clean up after her. For some reason, she saw it as an honor and I wasn't going to refute her feelings.
The diligent maid looked like she was doing god's work. It made me remember the words she had mumbled the last time I had asked her to do something naughty. 'Ainz would never ask for something like this.' At first, I had seen it as a complaint, but her happy expression told me otherwise.
Maybe it was her inner mumbling coming to the surface since I had told her she would be my personal maid. Of course, perhaps in her mind it just meant that she would be working mainly for me and was relieved of her other maidly duties as a Pleiades since she had now joined the royal maids. So, it wasn't a guarantee that she would actually betray Ainz for me
I didn't need her to betray him, but I still wanted to be able to rely on her if push comes to shove. I didn't like the uncertainty of the women I slept with, having leverage over me and the possibility to be disloyal, especially those that had their loyalty to another written into their beings through an affiliation system.
By now, I had come to appreciate and fear the power some lore remarks could have on reality. After all, I had been given godly powers over the course of a few days that were beyond a normal NPC's capabilities. I had been cautious about the possibility of betrayal before, but it felt like I hadn't been cautious enough with new allies I would make with the other NPCs.
Just giving Yuri this much insight about some of my plans and having her in close proximity to where I had consumed my items had been quite the oversight. That being said, I also gained some confidence in Aneko, Sueko, Edan, and Albedo.
For the former three, I had inserted their loyalty and love into them, and to a certain degree, it should be able to contend with their loyalty through affiliation to Nazarick. Not to mention they had been created as personal NPCs from players that had missed their chance at godhood, so their loyalty wasn't exactly a given. Albedo on the other hand had given me no reason to suspect her love for me.
I would just test her a bit more and experiment with other NPCs to see whether I could permanently bind them to me and make their betrayal an impossibility. I knew I was a bit domineering, but the stakes were just too high. My life literally depended on it and I wasn't going to risk it because of some reluctance on my part.
Of course, that didn't mean I should just start with some NPC and bestow them with some conceptual powers. No, I could experiment with some other lifeforms first and confirm my theories.
"That's enough. Thank you, Yuri." The maid still had my dick laying across her face. Her eyes fluttered open in a panic before standing up to the side again, waiting for more orders. I only glanced at the pool she had left behind on the wooden floor. "Clean it up before cleaning yourself as well."
Her face blushed as she looked at the 'shame' she had left behind. "Yes, your majesty." Like the undead she was, she quickly recovered again before pushing her glasses up. She then went ahead and used magic to clean up the room and get rid of the smell that had accumulated in there.
I walked out and headed for the garden. It had been already a few days since I had instructed Sueko to take care of the blueberries, which I knew she would do a phenomenal job at. It had been for these two items, the blueberry bush of arcane knowledge and the Flora's Embrace Vial, that I had given her a green thumb, so powerful that she could grow anything she wanted.
Now with the tools in hand, it would be a walk in the park for her to create the most ridiculous of plants, herbs, or fruit. An endless supply of any powerful item I could want. Obviously, if I had known that there were seemingly no limits to what I could gain through the lore of the items, I would have exaggerated some effects even further than I already did. I could have forgone the blueberry bush and relied on the vial entirely, but now it was too late.
However, in the end, it wouldn't really matter if I needed to use up all my items to reach invincibility instead of just one. This had been the safe route. Slow and steady wins the race and all that. After walking out into the garden, sunlight lit up my face through the leaves of a nearby tree. I approached the blueberry bush that seemed to have grown twice in size.
It even seemed to glow with divine energy and with my senses I could tell that this bush was extraordinary, which would have puzzled me as it should have been a blueberry bush that didn't differentiate from any other normal bush, but that was exactly why I wasn't too surprised by the current state of it. After all, it had been subjected to a lot of powerful items and was being taken care of by excellent personnel.
If it didn't radiate with power, any fool would realize that there was something wrong with this 'normal' bush. I reached out and was about to pluck one before my hand was slapped away. I glanced over at Sueko with a raised eyebrow. "This one isn't ripe yet." She responded and took out a little basket with some blueberries that were rich in color and looked mouthwatering. Although I wouldn't say I hated blueberries, I didn't like them enough to deeply desire to eat one like I was now.
"Thanks." I simply said and took one. The moment it landed on my tongue, I could feel something tingling, something was entering my perception. When I bit down on it and let the juices spread in my mouth, it grew stronger almost exploding. The moment I swallowed the fruit there was a burst of colors and impressions. The layers of reality were stripped away like a maiden's clothes. In this state, all was left for me to bare witness. Reality was never this vulnerable before and I could study it to my heart's content.
It lasted for a moment and I could feel my mind rising, soaring to never seen secrets. It was exhilarating as I discovered more and more before it abruptly stopped. Like the morning after the deed and the regret settled in the maiden, her secrets were now once again hidden from my sight. I couldn't help but sigh as I looked at the basket and found that there were still so many more.
At that moment, I almost felt compelled to take another and let my sights be opened once again. To be enlightened was unexpectedly addictive. Once again, I felt that I should have grown more powerful. I should have gained more levels in the arcane, but my powers had barely changed. The only thing that I had gained was a small headache as if I had overloaded my brain by pouring too much knowledge into it. Have I already reached the limits of what I could learn?
I shook my head and decided to wait until I reached the next emanation and addressed Sueko. "How about you eat one?" I asked, causing Sueko's eyes to widen. She looked down at the blueberries and seemed to hesitate. She must have realized what powers these held.
There was no way with her talent that she missed the peculiarities of them, though I guessed it depended on which lore had more effect. The blueberries that even Odin couldn't differentiate from normal ones, or Sueko's talent to know the ins and outs of any and every plant she tended to.
"R-really? But these are Your Majesty's precious berries!" She must have taken my warning to keep this bush safe at all costs seriously. Indeed, if the berries were wasted before I had planted the bush I would have felt the loss, but now that the bush stood tall and strong. It produced fruit abundantly and I wasn't going to be stingy with those that I knew would remain loyal.
"Of course. Take as many as you like." I answered, making her vibrate slightly from excitement. She carefully took one as if she was scared to drop it. With her slightly shivering hand, that concern was probably well-placed. She placed one in her mouth and her eyes glazed over before light appeared inside them, her soul lit up and enlightened.
Though instead of delving deeper into reality, she turned her gaze to me. Her gaze seemed to pierce right through my divine domain and into me, stripping me naked as she peeked directly at my soul. It was probably the first time, I felt this naked, which was ironic since I spend most of my time in the New World naked.
She continued to gaze at me, studying each feather of my hidden wings with interest. They already started to hold exceptional powers in them, so I knew even if the effect wasn't as great as learning the secrets of reality, she would still gain something. A moment passed before the light slowly faded and she was left behind staring at my face.
She then looked at the blueberries and clearly wanted to eat another, but I was curious about what she had seen. "How was it?"
Her hands clasped together as if she was about to drop to her knees and pray. "It was beautiful. You are beautiful." If anyone said that I had blushed then they would be lying.
"...Thank you. How do you feel-" My eyes slightly widened as I sensed a new power growing inside her, but that wasn't all. I could feel her connect to my domain and I instinctively knew that she could communicate to it and ask for power. If I wanted to I could allow her to. It was quite similar to what I had already planned on doing.
"I feel great. I feel warm." She took a step forward and just gently placed her cheeks on my stomach, while I slowly patted her head. The fluctuation in her aura made it clear she had just jumped 10 levels at once, all in [Sanctified Slayer]. A divine assassin, huh?
Should I have been surprised? She did have some levels as an assassin, but I would have guessed that she would have gotten levels of a class that was more in tune with nature, given her green thumb. Perhaps this said more about me than her She did after all gain these levels after perceiving my soul.
The short peaceful moment was interrupted by someone stepping into the garden. I glanced over to see Aneko, who looked at her sister with wide eyes. I could tell she understood that her little sister had bridged the gap in power and even surpassed her a bit. It wasn't anything too obvious, but she must have felt a certain threat from someone that she used to be able to defeat easily.
Previously, she had 8 levels over her sister, which would mean she would win against her almost every time. Sueko would only have a 2 percent chance of winning if she gave it her all and Aneko had a bad day. Now they were equal with Sueko having the advantage.
Aneko stepped forward as her eyes flickered to the basket in Sueko's hands. "Your Majesty, the collaborative mission had been arranged. There is a tribe in the southeast of Kalinsha. Their movements had gained some attention from the local noble. It seemed like they are..."
She continued to explain the suspicion of the Paladin Order of this little demi-human group. They hadn't attacked any settlement, so the judge was still out for that, but it was best to take this mission. If they could be reasoned with or differentiated themselves from their savage kin then I might put a good word in.
"So, who will be my contact person?"
"Neia Baraja." I couldn't help but chuckle slightly when I heard that answer. This was a rather good opportunity. After I had left her unconscious beside Fubuki, she woke up and disappeared quickly. Seemed like she was too embarrassed to have a chat with me. She would come around, especially since she was now stuck with me.
I wondered when she would give her everything to me and if she would start a religion in my name as well. I shook my head at that thought, I couldn't expect anyone to worship me just because I had given them a bit of action, right?
...
"Saint Clementine!" A childish voice sounded out. Clementine turned around and smiled at the small girl boy that dragged her to his friends, the local kids.
"Oh, my." She exclaimed as she looked at the flowerbed edging at the house the village kids had bestowed her. "Thank you. It's lovely." She said wholeheartedly as she rubbed the children's heads. In the beginning, she had loathed staying in this village like a country bumpkin, but the threat of the Angel's followers as well as the genuine appreciation of her presence as she helped the village defend against a few demi-humans had her question her choices until this point in her life.
Together with the rest of the villages she had built up a strong wall and trained anyone that had asked for her guidance. Even among the children, she was quite popular as she would always take her time to entertain the little ones.
Their innocence and kindness had infected her as well as Enri's bubbly personality. And since she knew she couldn't escape, she had no choice but to accept her lot in this village. Before she knew it, she was enjoying this new life of hers, though there was more to why she had changed. It had been the witness of what she could have if she hadn't been full of evil.
How Lord Azazel loved the beautiful women in that bedroom of his, had permanently etched itself into her memories. She wanted to experience it too, but her choices in life had denied her this experience. That night, she had cried herself to sleep and the way Lord Azazel had dismissed her was still stabbing her deeply. Perhaps forever, but in the end, she was just grateful that she was able to change and experience contentment, no matter the reason for it.
After letting the kids play again, she walked toward the village chief's house. Enri had put a lot of effort to grow the village in size but also in population. The choice of the population would have branded the entire village as traitors in several kingdoms, primarily the Theocracy, and even in the Re-Estize Kingdom. She politely waved at the goblin as she continued to walk to the chieftain.
She entered the house and could already hear her moan Lord Azazel's name. She couldn't blame the younger woman, but the time she had spent slicking away her slit had grown in the last few days, especially when Lady Lupusregina had told her about his possible visit. Fortunately, Enri restricted herself to the nights and mornings as it would otherwise interfere with her work as the chief.
Clementine went to one of the windows and pulled it open abruptly, scaring the young boy that was listening in on Enri's daily masturbation session. "I advise you to not do it again, otherwise I will have to treat you as a predator and report you to lady Lupusregina." Clementine admonished Nfirea coldly, making him pale before he ran away in a panic. This wasn't the first time he wanted to listen in but she had hoped it would be the last.
It had been an accident the first time, but once he knew it was a regular thing, he had come over once a week. He was practically obsessed and Clementine had given herself the task to keep the young man at bay as it wasn't his to witness such an intimate moment of a woman he wasn't in a relationship with, especially a woman that was destined for Lord Azazel. Perhaps, he needed a stronger emotional incentive to keep away.
She opened Enri's bedroom door, startling the village chief. Enri realized it was her, making her sigh in relief. "Geez, Clementine. You can't just walk in here!"
Clementine rolled her eyes. "Didn't you tell me to remind you? You wanted to ask Lady Lupusregina about Lord Azazel?" She responded as she sat down on the bed. It wasn't without reason she had just entered the room. It was to take in the smell of the glass containers Enri had been gifted. It had reminded her of the night she had witnessed and given the substance inside, it had been Lord Azazel's precious semen.
It was like a drug that twisted your mind and heart into worship. She basked in the scent even as the sweat of the other woman mixed with it. There was also the phallic object Enri used to masturbate with, though she couldn't find it lying around now. Still just remembering the size and shape... To say, she was envious would be an understatement, but she had long accepted her fate.
"Right! I almost forgot!" Despite saying that, she made no moves. The missing phallic object should have clued Clementine in already. She just shook her head.
"Get ready then."
"Of course, just give me a minute!" Clementine nodded and walked outside, closing the door behind her. It wasn't even a minute before her moaning started again. She couldn't help but itch for a session as well, but she was more disciplined than the younger nymphomanic, so she stayed her hand and waited for her to finish.
In the meantime, she wondered why Lord Azazel would visit the village again. Was it to choose someone to come with him? She shivered at the thought despite knowing that she didn't have any redeeming requirement for him to choose her. Perhaps she could be of some use, but what could she possibly give him?