The pleasant summer winds of the sixth floor were replaced by suffocating heat of hellish proportions. Lord Ulbert had guided them through another gate and now the group was standing in front of a decrepit church.
Around them were rivers of molten lava. In the distance, he could see a seemingly active volcano, as it was spewing out magma and clouds of ash.
Nigun looked up and briefly felt both awe and fear. The sky was encompassed in a blanket of crimson blood. For a moment, he thought the sky was going to rain down torrents of blood on him any second now. The black clouds overhead were certainly not helping at diverting these thoughts of his.
He snapped his head back down after hearing a shriek which threatened to destroy his eardrums.
The reality of his situation hadn't exactly kicked into his psyche yet, but now he felt his heart furiously thumping against his chest in primal fear.
An unimaginable count of demons were casually roaming around, not paying much attention to the silently horrified Nigun. They were not really doing anything of the sorts, but it did not really matter to him as he could only think of nothing but worst-case scenarios, depicting the demons and their supposed victims.
Two of the nearest demons did however react to their presence. As much as Nigun did not want any part in this, he had to bear with their malevolent auras approaching him.
Nigun instinctively straightened his posture, and he warily watched the demons kneel before Lord Ulbert. He made sure to remember what they looked like as they might make a reappearance in the foreseeable future.
One was a demoness bore the body of a scantily clad human woman which, admittedly, was rather appealing to Nigun for a split second. But that thought was immediately crushed by what seemed to be an uncanny appearance of a crow's head replacing the region above her neck.
The other was a massive scaled demon with a horns thick tail and two fiery wings. If Nigun had anything to say about this specific creature, it would be that it was singlehandedly the best representation of what a demon would look like.
'If these terrible demons are the first to greet us, what other abominations lay ahead of us that guards this insidious domain?'' Nigun shuddered as he could not prevent himself imagining the other creatures lurking about.
He became momentarily distracted upon feeling the scorching ash-filled air reach his nostrils. It was no wonder to Nigun that this place's living standards here would be the most detrimental to humans, considering its hellish inhabitants.
He pulled out a handkerchief from his coat pocket and put it in front of his mouth and nose. Once he felt his sinuses clear up a little bit, the clairvoyance of the situation gradually began to settle down on his mind.
After meeting an actual demon God, these two demonic creatures didn't instill as much fear in comparison. But his years of leading the Sunlight Scripture had driven his instincts to work in different ways compared to others.
Those demons, in his eyes, would only be considered as pitiful runts to someone such as Lord Ulbert. Judging by how the goat demon barely paid them any attention, it would not be wrong for him to assume such a thing.
Guided past them, the group walked inside the church where, standing in front of a toppled-over altar, a demon in a reddish suit with white stripes waited for them.
"Get as much information out of them as you can. If you suspect anyone is lying send them straight to Neuronist. When you are done, send them to Tabula's lab." Lord Ulbert addressed the demon. Nigun could now see that the demon in question was receiving much more attention compared to the lesser ones.
"As you command, Father. I will provide you with the results of my information gathering posthaste," the demon replied eagerly. He gave an immaculate bow before the Demon God.
'Father? So this demon who killed many Gods is the son of Lord Ulbert.' Nigun thought with growing interest.
Naturally, such information was critical to long-term survival. Of course, there was currently no way of figuring out all of the hierarchies and familiar bonds that were already preestablished within the mysterious realm.
The demon wasted no time in starting the confession gathering.
Each member was given a stone plaque, a handful of paper sheets, and a magical pen.
"Write down every piece of information you find valuable. If anyone tries to hide even the tiniest slithers of data beneficial to Nazarick, you will be sent to our interrogation specialist." The demon said in a pleasant voice with a sadistic smirk on his face. It was as if he actually hoped anyone was foolish enough to do just that.
Not wanting to take any risks, Nigun started to scribble down everything he knew about the holy vault.
He was the only one among the captured scripture members to ever be inside the most guarded place of the Theocracy. In an ironic twist, divulging this sacred information would not get him killed, but instead grant him salvation.
While everyone was frantically writing, the demon was walking among them, with Nigun being unable to help but briefly look up when he walked past him. In the corner of his eye, he saw that the demon had suddenly stopped walking, now being in front of one of the men who looked up with widened eyes.
"It is terribly rude to go out and send a hidden message, especially when you have been assigned a job." The demon leaned forward and stared down the man who immediately shrank in fear.
'That imbecile! Did twenty-six really think they would let us use a message spell?' Nigun continued writing while observing the scene from the corner of his eye.
From the moment he arrived, he had felt a subtle field surrounding them.
At first, it was hard to discern its purpose. At first he tried to look through the eyes of his own summon, but couldn't actually see anything. After some time however, Nigun soon realized the connection between him garnering blank results and this enigmatic field.
It was still unconfirmed, but there was a strong likelihood that the same field he felt from the beginning thwarted any sort of one, if not, two-way communication between his men and outside receivers in charge of reconnaissance. The Windflower Sculpture would be an example of people who were responsible for espionage missions.
Either way, this was still a horrible turn of events. The inability to break through this anti-reconnaissance field would become a massive thorn to the Theocracy. Nigun knew this the most out of everyone.
This meant that even the 7th Seat of the Black Scripture, or in other words, the infamous "Thousand League Astrologer," would not be able to observe what had happened today. Her task at reporting back the outcome of the mission back to the cardinals would be met with frustrating insufficiency due to an apparent lack of data.
Nigun started to hear more blabbering from one of his men, which gave him both unease and second-hand embarrassment. He wanted to tell his subordinate how folly it was to continue making up excuses. He could not do a single thing however, knowing what consequences were waiting for him if he were to do so.
"I just tried to assure my family about the situation. Please, I didn't mean to act so selfishly…"
The scripture member tried to explain himself, and it sounded like he was talking even faster as though time was momentarily sped up for him. Before it could turn out into a hysterical explanation, the demon had cut him off with some sort of control magic.
"As entertaining as it would be to hear more of your pathetic drivel, there are far more important matters for me to deal with at the moment."
The demon motioned for his subordinates to take the man away and resumed his walk. Nigun felt a pang of guilt at seeing one of his fellow comrades leave. It was likely the man was already being sent to execution for having disobeyed an order.
No, it would actually be a godsend for him to die immediately. Learning from Lord Ulbert's personality and this demon's immediate resorting to control magic, these creatures would not be so kind as to grant them a swift death.
After a full circle, he stopped in front of Nigun. The demon's aura was now bearing towards him with full force.
"The leader…pardon me. Ex-leader of the Sunlight Scripture, Nigun Grid Luin. Am I correct?"
Nigun was not surprised about his identity already being found out. He maintained a calm demeanor and responded accordingly, not wanting to waste any more time than necessary. He was not about to follow in the footsteps of the previous man.
"Yes, my lord."
"What sort of artifacts are held in this vault you are describing?"
"I was only permitted to read the holy texts, so I do not know any details but everything held within had come from the Gods and is beyond the mortal ability to replicate, Lord."
"I see. And where is this vault located and how is it guarded?"
"The vault is located in an underground complex under the Cathedral of Light. The door can be opened by a special spell known only by the cardinals and at the entrance is stationed a single person armed with holy artifacts. I have no further detail about her as that information was classified."
"Your contribution is noted and acknowledged. Write down all the details you can about this place and how to locate it. Once you have finished, you will have the privilege to become the first test subject of Lord Tabula Ooal Gown, the God of Knowledge."
Towards the end of his words, the demon had spoken with a noticeable reverence in his tone when he uttered the name of a God. Again, Nigun made sure to write that name down in his mental notes.
'I'll be the first. That might work out in my favor and I gave myself a chance to show my dedication and hopefully rid myself of lengthy torment. One can hope.'
Nodding to himself, Nigun resumed the task with utmost diligence.
It took a few hours to write down everything he thought his new masters would be interested in knowing. At one point, he had to sit down on the scorching hot stone with the stone tablet in his lap. His enchanted pants and coat were not enough to fully protect him from the burns forming on his legs, but sitting like this was the only viable position.
Once he was finished, one of the small imps guided him to his next destination. A foolish man would have thought this was his chance to escape, but Nigun knew better. There was no escape from this hellish place, only a path forward and a vague hope he could survive the trials.
The halls he ended up in after the hellish landscape was a work of art. The artwork, the intricate engravings on the doors and columns was a marvel to witness.
"W-where are we?" Nigun asked the imp in amazement.
"This is the ninth floor of Nazarick." The small demon replied without turning around. He flew forward at a slow pace so it wasn't difficult to keep up even with all the distractions.
'The Ninth floor?! If my memory is correct, not even the Gods were capable of getting this far. I cannot believe I'm saying this, but I'm walking where the Six could have not since eons past.'
The sheer surreality of the whole experience to Nigun was undeniable. But there was no time for him to linger on these thoughts any longer as he was later led to another area.
Along the way, each door he went past was apparently guarded by various sorts of monsters. Some looked almost human, but the uncanny resemblance was more disturbing compared to the others who were grotesque beyond all reason.
"Pay attention, human. The Supreme Ones live here," the imp answered with a mild tone of arrogance. Nigun's semi-open mouth snapped shut as the imp answered the question he himself was about to ask.
"I understand. Are the Supreme Ones you are referring to the same as the gods of this realm?"
"Yes. I had almost forgotten people such as you exist; ones who are unfortunate to be born without this knowledge. The Supreme Ones were once commonly referred to as the players who joined the great guild of Ainz Ooal Gown. I suppose that the term may or may not have the same weight it had once carried, so calling them Gods would be the most fitting one."
'I should remember that when speaking about the Gods of Nazarick. The denizens of this realm surely held their leaders in the utmost reverence…'
The imp led Nigun through one of the guarded areas. His next destination was closer than he thought.
The room that came into the view was fit for the Gods. Each object and piece of furniture was made with such care that a mortal like him needed to wonder how they were made.
But his stay in this area of absolute luxury would not last. The imp moved forward and opened another set of doors leading him into what looked like a lab area.
A monster defying all reason dressed in purple robes looked up from a notebook he was writing in while sitting by a simple metallic table. His overly long spindly fingers had membranes between them while the bald head had a plethora of tentacles seemingly moving of their own volition.
Just to be on the safe side, Nigun kneeled and exclaimed with a tone befitting a soldier. "My Lord, I have come as the first test subject of Lord Tabula Ooal Gown."
"Lord Tabula, the rest of the test subjects will arrive once the information gathering is finished." The Imp bowed mid-air.
"First one here already? I guess we can start then." Tabula responded with a deep guttural tone.
He closed the notebook and put it back in his inventory. With curious eyes, he inspected the man with a scar on his face.
"Is healing magic not readily available that such a scar has been left on your face?"
"I left it on purpose as a constant reminder of my past failure." Nigun looked up to face the dreadful-looking God.
"A widespread ritual practice in your culture or just a personal preference?" Tabula continued the questioning. The practice of leaving visible scars was common among many cultures throughout the Earth's history.
"Personal one, my Lord."
"One who embraces the scars of his mistakes is bound to learn from them. A man of your determination would be a great asset to Nazarick; in the event that you survive your trials, that is. What's your name?" Tabula asked, taking another notebook out of his inventory.
"Nigun Grid Luin, my Lord."
"Just Nigun will suffice. I'm afraid I'm not that good with names." Tabula scribbled down his name and then asked a follow-up question. "Have you given thought to what sort of race you would like to switch to?"
"Forgive me if this is too much of a selfish request, but if it is possible, I would prefer to retain my ability to cast fourth tier magic and keep the talent that lets me empower my summons."
"Then we have few options. My race, the brain eaters, are naturally highly intelligent. Another option would be a dragonoid but that race is more strength oriented. A more universalist option would be a doppelganger. Of course, there always is an option to go for the good old lich or a demon, but those two options I prefer to leave for later experiments or to my peers, whose expertise lies in such races. In either case, your knowledge cap should increase after the race change."
The mental endeavor of having to keep all of that information not going through one ear and out the other was anything but trivial. Despite that, the God had rattled all of that without even stopping to take a breather, giving Nigun a better idea of how extremely knowledgeable he was.
Tabula motioned for Nigun to stand up and follow him deeper into the laboratory.
'…Still, to look like this God… How should I approach this? I simply cannot be so straightforward as to tell this God I do not want to be a brain eater. I need to approach this situation carefully, it seems…'
"Is it a safe assumption you prefer to keep a near-human appearance?"
"It doesn't matter that much to me as long as my combat ability is not diminished, my Lord, but if it's possible then I would prefer to look human or near human." Nigun did his best to not insult the God who now held his life by a thread.
"Very well. I can go with your suggestion. Get on and prepare. The process won't be pleasant." Tabula led him to a metal table with straps that would be used to restrain him.
"Oh, and remove most of your clothing. If the first session is successful they might get torn apart."
Following the instructions, Nigun stripped down to just pants and got on the cold metal table. He prepared to be strapped to the table, but to his confusion, the God simply waved his hand. The gesture was not giving off any semblance of understanding to Nigun in the slightest.
It must have done something to him as he soon felt the entirety of his body stiffen up. His mind remained intact, leaving him to make a swift conclusion. The gesture from earlier must have been related to the paralysis Lord Ulbert had put him in.
"Let's see…I suppose I might be able to learn something from this, so it would do well for me to double-check my notes," Tabula said absentmindedly as he pulled out a velvet-colored notebook from his inventory. He made it hover in front of him while putting one of his hands on Nigun's chest.
A moment later, a current of intense pain shot up through every nerve in his body.
Nigun clamped his teeth together to not scream. In such pain, every second was like an eternity. To his dismay, his body and mind was refusing to go into shock no matter how much pain he was in.
"That's odd. Only the body temperature was lowered. Did I miss something? Where did I… ah, nevermind, there it is." Tabula made the notebook flip itself as another session of torment began.
Nigun did not know if all Gods harbored such cruelty such as him, but he at least understood they were not exactly the forgiving type given what side he was initially on.
The dark God of Knowledge in particular seemed to be indifferent to how much agony he caused and just let out cold, impartial remarks, or sometimes chuckled at his own jokes as he took notes of the tormentous process. It reminded Nigun of how he often made jokes to his former men during some of the Sunlight Scripture's missions in culling various beastmen tribes.
But no matter what these new Gods were like behind their masks, he would survive and be remade into something more fitting to serve the monster Gods that had come to claim the world for themselves.
'Yes. I will survive this! I will see to it that I become reborn and witness the new age. I will not fail! I will not fail…'' Nigun repeated the last four words in his head again and again as he continued to endure his torturous session.
X
With the tiredness that came with a human body and the almost torturous aura of Albedo taking its toll, Ainz switched back to his natural form the moment he was back in Nazarick.
At this point, it was close to midnight and the planning for the next steps was left for tomorrow.
After extensive fieldwork, there was just one thing every bone in his body ached for: a hot, relaxing bath.
Using the rather quiet atmosphere of a late night, Ainz walked to the spa area with a slow stroll, trying to remember what sort of bathing experiences the luxury resort provided.
'Should I go for a jacuzzi? I haven't had one before. Or maybe one of those fancy salt baths? Or maybe a sauna?' There were so many wonderful options to choose from. If he remembered correctly there even was a bath that supposedly mimicked a geyser.
"I guess I'll go for a simple bubble bath first. Playing with bubbles sounds fun." He spoke to himself aloud out of habit.
"Bubble bath is an excellent choice, Lord Ainz." A maid he had forgotten about said enthusiastically.
One quick emotional suppression later and he could reply without sounding too embarrassed. "Ahm… I'm glad you agree with me, Foire."
'That was embarrassing. I should be more mindful that I'm not alone anymore.' The habit of speaking to himself aloud came to the surface only when he thought himself alone, which for the past few days was only when he was in the bedroom.
Once he reached the spa area, Foire obviously offered to wash him but somehow he got the insistent maid to leave him alone under the premise that he just planned to soak in the water and nothing else was needed.
The spa area upkeep was left to a team of stone golems who automatically evacuated all areas with guests in them, leaving only the two lifeless stone statues depicting lions as company.
With all his accessories left in the dressing area where the maid got her way and helped him undress, Ainz entered one of the smaller bathrooms made with a bamboo forest theme in mind.
The bath itself was large enough to let at least five or six people enjoy it simultaneously so there was more than enough room even for his now rather large frame.
The hot water topped with the fruity smell of the liquid soap lulled him into a trancelike state in no time.
"This is the life." He said aloud, taking the small wooden basket and pouring the water over his skeletal face. Not needing to care about breathing or soap getting in his eyes only enhanced the experience.
After repeating the process a few times, Ainz put the basket aside and slid deeper into the water. The automatic heating system assured that the water would be at a perfect temperature indefinitely.
But, as always, fate had other plans for him.
Not even ten minutes later, his solitude was interrupted by someone opening the door without knocking.
Ainz ignited the flames in his eye sockets since they served as a visual indicator of when he was using his sight and turned to look who had come in.
The moment he saw who the intruder was he froze in the spot with his first instinct being to cover up.
"Albedo!" He moved one hand between his legs even though he was in his natural skeletal form, and even if he wasn't, the foam would have shielded him from prying eyes anyway.
"Lord Ainz, I was hoping you would like company?" Albedo said, taking a step closer. Her curvaceous figure was hidden only behind a towel wrapped around her midsection.
"Ahm…" His mind went blank. "I… guess so…"
Albedo smiled, then dropped the towel on the ground, giving him a full view of her gorgeous body.
Even the expressionless face of a skeleton gave her enough hints that Ainz was enjoying the sight of her body. With slow, deliberate steps, she walked forward, swinging her hips seductively.
Even though Albedo was the second woman he had seen naked during the past few days, her presence was not comparable to Buku's, who flashed everyone by accident.
His gaze slowly moved down first to her massive, perfectly shaped breasts, then her narrow, toned waist, and finally to…
"Obscenity detected! A female has entered a male bathing area. Purity protocol activated." A loud voice interrupted their moment. 'Lucifer!' Ainz immediately recognized the voice of the notorious prankster.
The two lion statues rushed past him and tackled the surprised succubus to the ground.
"Dammit! Albedo!" Ainz jumped to his feet. The two statues were around level eighty and could easily handle a surprised player, or in this case, Albedo.
"If he shows up, I will lock Lucifer in a room with all of his damn creations and toss away the key," Ainz swore, carefully aiming a Reality Slash spell to hit at least one of the golems and avoid hitting Albedo.
Albedo let out a screaming growl and punched one of the statues with her left hand which was the only one not pinned down but it wasn't enough to get the golem off her.
Confident that he would not hit the succubus, Ainz cast the spell, hitting one of the lion statues at its side and knocking it over.
Albedo used the opportunity and kicked off the second statue, which hit the wall with a thud. Being freed, she jumped to her feet and instantly was beside Ainz with her trusty bardiche in her right hand.
"I'll take the left one you deal with the one on the right!" Ainz shouted out an order and hurled another Reality slash at the lion statue that was already recovering from the first strike.
Out of the two, it clearly had it easy. The second statue was on the receiving end of countless chops from the furious succubus, being reduced to rubble in mere moments.
Two more slashes were enough to deal with the last standing statue which fell apart into a stony rubble.
Albedo hit both piles a few more times and then said, panting. "I am sorry for causing all this."
"It's not your fault. No one knew that those statues were golems and programmed to attack." Ainz assured her.
Finding courage deep within he approached Albedo to comfort her. The whole situation clearly had stressed her out.
Albedo looked up at him distraught, still standing in a fighting stance covered in dust with her hair being in a disheveled state. Save for a few cuts and bruises she seemed to be unhurt.
'She is…' He once again could not put a coherent thought together. In the current state, she looked as alluring as ever.
Ainz got close to her and stretched out his arms to hug her, but hesitated and froze on the spot. If the overlord side of him was always in control of the situation then Satoru was the complete opposite and became cripplingly indecisive when dealing with women, especially the one that was naked in front of him.
Albedo picked up on his intent and jumped into Ainz's embrace, pressing her soft body against his skeletal frame.
{ Lord Ainz, a defensive protocol activated in your general area. Are you unhurt? } Demiurge's frantic voice invaded his mind.
As second in command to Albedo when it came to Nazarick's administration he was alerted to all the commotion and when Albedo herself didn't respond to the alert he took the charge.
{ Albedo and I are fine. We stumbled upon another of Lucifer's pranks. } Ainz replied.
{ I am relieved to hear that. Sebas is on his way with Pleiades' six-star formation. } Demiurge informed him, sounding much calmer.
The next moment the battle maid group led by Sebas charged into the bathing area and formed a perimeter around them.
"Lord Ainz. We are ready to protect you." Sebas bowed.
Albedo did her best to not snarl at the butler for another interruption but managed to remain calm. The man had done nothing wrong and showing even less control over herself was not acceptable.
She covered herself front and back with her wings and turned to face the head butler. "Sweep the entire spa area and remove all inactive golems and statues and move them to the storage area. Use only female force for the female section of the spa and male force for the male section. No one below level eighty-five is to come into contact with said golems and statues."
"As you command, lady Albedo." Sebas bowed. "Please provide adequate coverage for Lord Ainz and Lady Albedo." He addressed Yuri Alpha and left the area to execute the given orders.
Yuri quickly found two robes and together with her sisters helped the two prank victims to dress.
"I think we should leave them to their work. I'll finish bathing in my quarters." Ainz said to Albedo who still was as distraught as ever.
"I will send maids to accommodate you, Lord Ainz. I'm sorry for the trouble I caused." Albedo said with a bow.
'Should I?' The idea of taking a bath with her was still there. Now being calm after activation of the emotional suppression he could look at the situation logically.
Tabula had pretty much set them both up by changing Albedo's flavor text and asking him to change his. No amount of emotional suppression could erase that.
Albedo's intention clearly was to spend time together in an intimate environment and now the ball was on his side of the field.
Time completely stopped for a moment and in a void stood a timid salaryman facing the highest expression of the undead.
"She is ours to take care of. You are the feeling part of us, you have to take charge!" The overlord spoke with the deep regal voice towering over the man.
"I know… but…" Satoru spoke back with a much softer voice.
"There is no but… she is our responsibility. Cowardice is not acceptable!"
"But what if I… we can't make her happy? What if…"
"We are Ainz Ooal Gown. The one who stands above all. Failure is not an option." The overlord stated, seemingly growing even larger.
"It's easy to say. I… we have not done this before." Satoru met the burning gaze of his other self.
"So what? You made those choices. You let Tabula change her settings. You changed our feelings towards her. You accepted the name of Ainz Ooal Gown as your own." The dark flames became more intense. "Ainz Ooal Gown does not know defeat. If you cannot accept that and be what you chose to be then the Satoru part of us has no purpose."
"W-wait, what do you mean?" Satoru stuttered and took a step back.
"If you cannot take charge and become the man, the God you chose to be, then I will. Either do what we chose or fade away!" The Overlord's voice became unbearably loud as he spoke with the usual indifference in his tone.
'I won't just fade away! I can be in charge, dammit!' Nothing but pure spite drove him forward.
"No! You won't be in charge of anything! I am Ainz Ooal Gown and you, you are just a figment of my imagination." Satoru took a step forward and pushed the undead figure back.
"Is that so?" The Overlord laughed dryly. "Become Ainz Ooal Gown and you won't even need me."
It looked like the skeletal face twisted into a smile and then faded away. It was all him once again.
Ainz returned to the present moment and feeling the high of the mental victory achieved in his own mind he grabbed the succubus by her waist. "You need to relax and bathe as well." He told her and teleported them both to his private bathroom.
Albedo yelped in surprise but quickly recovered seeing her beloved being so resolute which simply drove her over the edge. She pressed against him, kissing his front teeth, and purred. "I am delighted to keep you company, my Lord."
The bath as usual was already prepared and perpetually kept in that state in case Ainz wanted to take one immediately.
He led Albedo towards it and held her hand as she got in first.
With her pressing against his skeletal form and letting out sighs of content his thoughts returned to the mental battle he had fought in his mind.
'If I keep being my indecisive old me, I will likely lose myself fully to my undead side. I can't let that happen. I will be more courageous and decisive.' He glanced over at the beautiful woman that was sitting next to him with her eyes closed and a subtle smile on her face.
'I know what I want. I just… No, I won't hesitate and doubt myself.'
Ainz pulled the doppelganger ring out of his inventory and put it on. Before activating it he touched Albedo's cheek and asked. "I know I said we should take things slow, but would you like to stay with me tonight?"
Albedo's eyes popped open instantly, becoming wide as saucers. "Yes!" She screamed startling the maid who had returned from the spa with Ainz's gear.
Startling at her own reaction, Albedo blushed and added in a quiet tone, "I would love to, Lord Ainz."
'I think the demon form would be more suitable than the human one when I'm with her.' Ainz decided and activated the ring.
"You should just call me Ainz." His lips locked with hers the moment they were formed.
"As you command, Ainz." She replied with a moan, eagerly kissing him back.
X
Pero leaned back into the sofa and drank the last of the wine from the glass. Etzli, sitting in his lap, did the same.
'Drinking with human lips is so much easier.' He had to admit to himself, still in the elven form he had assumed during the adventure outside the tomb. Not wanting to waste the opportunity he planned to give this form a full test drive before switching back to his natural, avian one.
"Should I refill the glass for you, Lord Pero?" Lupus, the maid of the day, asked.
For a moment she was replaced by one of the homunculus maids while she and her sisters responded to the spa incident. But since they were below the power level of dealing with the hidden golems, she and the other Pleiades could return to their assigned posts while Sebas assembled teams capable of resolving the problem.
"I think I have had enough," Pero replied. "Maybe you want more." He asked Etzli since her glass was empty.
"No, I had enough as well." The vampire timidly responded. The idea of bossing around someone as highly ranked as a Pleiades maid was too much for her, even if her loving master let her do it.
"Suit yourself." He playfully tickled her to which Etzli responded with giggles.
Lupus bit her cheek to keep a neutral expression and stepped away resuming a position by the door.
Being late as is, Pero was about to pick up Etzli to carry her to the bedroom when an aura of overwhelming lust hit them like a nuclear blast.
Pero clenched his fists suppressing the desire to tear off his concubine's dress and take her right there on the sofa with Lupus as an audience, to figure out what was going on.
Etzli wasn't helping the situation either as her hand went down his pants and she started to aggressively work on his neck with wet kisses and playful bites.
'What the hell?' Pero heard Lupus let out a whining sound as she pressed herself against the wall and clamped her legs together.
His rather acute sex detection instincts came to one conclusion. 'Albedo!' With her being level one hundred her aura of lust, a natural ability of all succubi and incubi, was simply devastating.
'So Ainz is finally getting lucky. Do your best, man.' He sent a silent encouragement to his friend and carried his uncontrollably horny concubine to the bedroom.
Three hours later Etzli was out cold while Pero was still tormented by the aura of lust that showed no signs of disappearing or lessening.
'Damn, they're still at it.' He did his best to resist the aura's effects and while his attempts at keeping a clear head were working, sleep was completely out of the question.
Frustrated, he jumped out of bed, put on a robe, and walked back out to the main area to find something that would let him pass the time. 'I should talk with them tomorrow. If this becomes a daily thing the ninth floor is fucked and fucking I guess.' Pero couldn't help but think about the implications of what Albedo's aura would do to Nazarick's denizens in the long term.
He heard a quiet moan the moment he opened the door which was then hastily muffled. He caught Lupus pulling out her hand from under her skirt and straightening out being completely red in the face.
"Lord Pero." She greeted him with a strained voice.
"Be at ease. It must be hard to endure this." He waved around in the air.
"I-I can manage." Her voice bordered on a whimper.
"Be at ease." Pero repeated, flashed her a smile, and then looked at the bar to pick something to drink.
'It must be pure torture for her.' He glanced at the maid who barely held it together while walking towards him with an unsteady walk to perform her duties.
"What would you like, my Lord?" Lupus asked.
"Pour me a glass of brandy and get yourself one too, I see you need it."
Lupus did as ordered and downed her glass in one go.
"Better?" Pero asked after drinking his shot.
Lupus gave him a pained look.
"Look, you can leave my quarters, for now, to go somewhere private. Or get together with a guy if you have someone in mind. I can be by myself for a few hours."
"I…" Lupus looked down and shuffled around.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to be insensitive." He apologized to the maid, noticing how uncomfortable she suddenly became.
"No, it's not that, Lord Pero. I…" She held her hands together while leaning forward.
'I would be such a dick if I used the situation.' Pero observed the flustered maid. He had a decent idea of what she was implying but it might have been just the effects of the mind, clouded by the overwhelming aura.
"Look, if it's too hard for you right now, you should leave. I have my limits too, you know. If you are genuinely interested in having some fun with me, it would be better if we talked about it when our heads are clear."
"Why? I know what I want!" She asked in frustration but just bowed and added with a whimper. "I'm sorry."
"Are you sure about it?"
"Yes!"
A few more hours later and Pero was still tossing in bed with Etzli to his right and Lupus to his left. The effects of the lust aura finally started to lessen and he could let out a sigh of relief.
'If Ainz tries to give me shit for this, I'll pin everything on him.' He looked at the soundly sleeping maid.
It took about two hours for both girls to wake up. Luckily for him, Etzli didn't show any signs of jealousy or animosity towards Lupus, who seemingly shared the sentiment.
One quick shower later and he was ready to start the day.
The first order of business was to get breakfast and then go talk with Ainz about the situation he unwittingly had caused.
{ Hey sis, you up for breakfast? } He messaged Buku, mostly curious about how her night went. To his knowledge, she hadn't picked any entertainment for herself before this night.
{ Yeah, give me a minute and I'll meet you at the restaurant. I'll contact Ulbert and Tabula to join us as well. I want to tear Ainz a new one. }
{ Figured out everything, huh? }
{ I am not stupid. }
Walking the ninth-floor halls surely was a surreal experience. Everyone who had any sort of libido was either in a zombie-like state or on the verge of breaking down.
The restaurant staff was no better. He sat down and told the waiter that he was in no rush and that everyone could take their time.
Buku arrived moments later looking fine. "Hey bro, I hope your girl is still alive."
"She is doing great, but she had some help yesterday."
"Oh?"
"Lupus."
"I would ask what Ainz will think, but today he can just fuck right off." Buku sat down next to him and opened the menu.
"That bad?"
"I grabbed one manservant. The guy was a solid eight under the mask but he could not keep up all night, not that I blame him." Buku yawned.
"That's at least something."
"Sure. But if this shit becomes a regular occurrence I need to prepare."
"Just relocate to other floors. Albedo's aura didn't leave the ninth floor." Ulbert suggested as he approached the table.
"So you just ran away like a coward." Pero mocked him.
"If I'm getting laid, I'll do it on my own terms, not because Albedo can't control herself." Ulbert ignored his taunt.
"What about Tabula? I'm curious how he dealt with the situation."
"He just blocked Albedo's aura with a shield and carried on with his work. Apparently, he knew how to deal with something like that beforehand." Buku reported her findings.
"Figures. That guy is a walking enigma." Ulbert remarked. "Either way, since I had a lot of time, Demi and I made a golf course on the seventh floor and made plans to create a relief service if this goes on."
"You plan to make a brothel within Nazarick?" Buku raised a brow.
"Just as I thought, you didn't care about golf. No, not exactly a brothel but a group of succubi and incubi would have surely helped, don't you think?"
"Planning to summon a bunch of them?" Pero perked up.
"At some point, yes, among other types of demons."
"I want some," Pero said like a kid who was waiting for a Christmas present.
"I want some too." Buku joined in.
"Noted." Ulbert grinned. "But both of you will owe me a favor."
"Deal with a devil? Sure, why not." Pero chuckled.
"On a more serious note, what are we doing about the situation?" Ulbert asked, dropping the dealmaker demeanor.
"I'll talk to them. I was planning to do it regardless." Pero said. While they were chatting the waiter showed up with the food he had ordered.
"You? Ainz does not need high fives in this situation, you birdbrain." Buku masterfully stole a piece of fried potato from her brother's plate and tossed it in her mouth.
"Who else, then? You? He will go into full shutdown if you bitch about his first time." Pero shot back and slapped her hand when she reached for another piece.
"Point taken. Just drill into his and Albedo's heads that this cannot go on." Buku glared at him. Her order was still on the way and her bastard of a brother could not be bothered to wait for everyone to have a meal before starting to eat.
"Sure thing." Pero dug into his food full force.
After breakfast, he went straight for Ainz's quarters; ground zero so to speak. He knocked on the door and was let in by Yuri, who on the surface looked fine.
'I guess she, as an undead, was not as affected.' Pero reasoned, walking in.
Albedo was sitting on the sofa, combing her hair and shining like the morning sun while Ainz was slumped down next to her, looking even more lifeless than usual.
"Hey, you two lovebirds. You know you both caused quite a stir." Pero greeted both.
"I know. Yuri found Foire passed out on the floor and she is now being treated for overexposure." Ainz said with a barely audible whisper.
"I was not aware my aura would have such an effect. Especially on me. I apologize for causing you some distress." Albedo said apologetically. "I will start dealing with the aftermath in a few moments."
"Me? I'm fine. So are Lupus and Etzli, but you hit all of the ninth floor." Pero said. He sat down opposite Ainz. 'She must have sucked him dry. Lucky bastard.' He observed his friend who barely made any movements.
"Oh, then it is paramount I get it under control." Albedo's cheeks grew redder.
"You can ask Tabula. He apparently knew instantly how to shield himself."
"Father knew?" Albedo's eyes lit up in surprise but she quickly snapped out of it. "Of course he would know. He did create me."
"I'll be off to perform my duties and speak with Father when I have time." Albedo got up, then leaned down, kissed Ainz on the cheek, and walked off.
"So how's it feel to have a girl?" Pero asked Ainz with a cheerful laugh.
"She didn't stop all night. At some point I lost the demon form but she just went on. I didn't know my skeletal form could feel such things."
"Sounds fun. I would give my left nut for such an experience." Pero chuckled. "Maybe Tabula can give Albedo another sister."
"If this goes on, I will die." Ainz said weakly.
"And we will high-five your smiling corpse at the funeral."
"Ha ha." Ainz waved his hand at him and then let it fall back on the sofa.
"You look like you could use a nap." Pero stood up and patted Ainz on the shoulder.
"I have a lot to do."
"Not a chance." Pero shook his head. "Hey Yuri, your task is to see that Ainz sleeps for a few hours. If he tries to work or leave his quarters you call me."
"Lord Pero, I deeply apologize but Lord Ainz's orders supersede yours." Yuri bowed.
"Fine, I'll rest." He got up and slowly moved toward the bedroom. "Wake me if there is an emergency."
"Sure thing, buddy, but we can manage things without you for a few hours," Pero shouted after him and then leaned close to Yuri and whispered. "If he sleeps less than two hours, you send me a message."
"Lord Pero, I can't…"
"You'll send me a message or I'll give Lupus a bucket of coffee, all the sweets she can eat, and send her in your direction with hand drums and a trumpet." Pero twisted his elven face into an evil smirk.
"I-I will notify you if Lord Ainz does not take a proper rest." Yuri gulped with a shudder from imagining her sister even more active than usual.
Pero flashed her a smile and left Ainz's quarters. There was another person he had to speak with and she sure as hell wouldn't be happy that Albedo got to Ainz first.
Bonus Story - Creating an Artifact.
"I know we caused some trouble for everyone, but don't you think this is a bit of an overkill for compensation?" Ainz asked Buku while both watched a massive crablike creature work the forge.
"You promised to make it up to me, so this is what I want." Buku replied.
"But why Scarletite? Even crafting it costs about three million!?" Ainz raised his voice and got hit with emotional suppression.
"Ainz, do you want me to school Albedo on how to keep you on a short leash?" Buku dropped her voice.
"No. But this is blackmail. You could have picked cheaper materials. It's not like it can break so easily."
"I need it. It is the only thing that will get the job done." Buku watched with glee how the object took form and started to cool down.
The crablike creature took one last critical look at his handiwork and then handed it to a black arachne who started to apply some final touches and make the object softer and easier to use.
"I hope you will put it to good use." Ainz said, looking at the final result. The comb was at least a relic-tier item, if not fully going into the legendary tier.
"I will." Buku smiled, accepting the comb. "This one should be strong enough to survive Aura's hair."
A moment later, she was standing in the treehouse's main room greeted by her two children.
"Look what I got." She probably presented the comb to the twins.
"Me first!" Aura shouted in excitement and plopped in her mother's lap the moment Buku sat down.
"Yes, you first this time." Buku grabbed Aura's waist to hold her in place as the battle of all battles began. The unbreakable comb met the uncombable hair.
A lot of screams were made and tears were shed but in the end, Buku let her daughter go and wiped the sweat off her brow. The girl's hair was finally defeated, having been combed to its last strand.
The uncensored version can be found here - https://archiveofourown.org/works/48447391
Edited by Zirmeister
AN: Thank you for reading the story, and if you have caught up to the latest chapter, you can check out my other work or join my discord server (Link is in my profile) where additional chapters are available or if you are interested in becoming a beta reader.
Proofreading by Tophrel, Ethal07, Alassandro, Sad_Smiles, SwissChocolatess, and Aterro.