Her time to shine had finally come. Shalltear marched towards Lord Ainz's office with all the grace she could muster, as befitting of her status as one of the floor guardians.
'Lord Ainz will be so proud when I perform all our tasks to perfection. He will drop that past-her-prime cow Albedo and fall for my youthful charms! Daddy did tell me I am the prettiest girl in all of Nazarick,' She gleefully indulged in her fantasies of how her efforts would be rewarded, not paying much attention to her surroundings.
And why would she? The polite bows of maids and guards were only natural when someone of her status was present. Her vampire brides could deal with their responses just fine, and she was on a mission to complete.
Today she would take six of them with her on her mission. Lord Ainz didn't give much details yet, but she suspected it would be the hunting of lowlifes the Overlord talked about when he visited her.
Reaching her destination, she paused before the double door that led into Lord Ainz's quarters and waited for the door guards to declare her arrival.
One of the homunculus maids opened the door and she could finally set her gaze on the man, the skeleton she desired the most.
Playing up her grace as much as she could, Shalltear entered the sacred area, smoothly followed by her vampire bride escort.
Once she was in Lord Ainz's office, she curtsied the best she could, while the vampire brides kneeled before the ultimate master of the Great Tomb of Nazarick.
"Lord Ainz, I am ready to serve," she proudly declared, purposely ignoring Albedo being present and standing by Ainz's side.
"That's good to hear. I'm sure you'll perform splendidly," Ainz replied, before addressing Albedo. "Show Shalltear the area she will be hunting."
Albedo took a few steps in the young vampire's direction and handed her a rolled-up map. "You will be hunting bandits, hermits, and other outlaws—individuals whose disappearances won't be noticed," Albedo instructed, commanding in tone. "Do not leave the marked area, and ensure your actions go unnoticed. Failure is not an option."
Shalltear snatched the map out of the succubus' hands, her face contorted in a snarl. 'That bitch is trying to save face in front of Lord Ainz by looking down on me!' she seethed internally.
"I understand dealing with pathetic humans is a major task to you," Shalltear replied with a sneering smile, "but such a thing is trivial for someone competent. But who am I to judge, I won't ever reach your old decrepit age."
"This is a serious task and yet you sink to childish insults. Maybe some growth would be good for you, but alas you'll be like this forever, unable to grow up," Albedo returned her insult with a polite smile, utilizing her taller stature as leverage as she stared down at her peer.
"That's enough!" Ainz interrupted both, knowing that they would only increase the nastiness of their remarks towards each other.
This wasn't the first occurrence of such behavior, and it surely wouldn't be the last.
"I'm sorry, Lord Ainz," Both responded in unison, giving the impression that they had practiced the response beforehand.
"Let's keep things civil. Shalltear, is your assignment clear?" He guided the conversation in a more productive direction.
"Yes, Lord Ainz. I am to hunt humans in the assigned area and do anything to avoid suspicion," Shalltear recited, beaming with pride.
"I know I can count on you. Good hunting."
"A carriage is waiting outside the tomb. Since the cost to create it was minimal and the horses summoned by Aura are expendable, don't consider them as critical resources," Albedo chipped in, now on her best behavior.
"Understood. I will deliver everything I capture to the fifth-floor prison area," Shalltear replied in an equally dignified manner. Angering Lord Ainz again was the last thing she wanted to do, both formally and personally.
X
Shalltear yawned while placing her head in the vampire bride's lap as the carriage bumped over the muddy road. Being bait was a rather boring endeavor, but that was the safest way to lure out a bandit group praying on poorly prepared travelers and was all but guaranteed to catch one if they were around the area.
There were six of her brides in the carriage with her, and they would be the ones to catch the runners so she wouldn't have to do such menial tasks. She would go after the larger fry if they were strong enough.
They traveled the southern parts of Re-Estize for ten hours and had no luck thus far. If she didn't know better, Shalltear would have suspected that Albedo had intentionally sabotaged her chance to prove herself, but that wasn't a plausible scenario. Beyond their feud for who was more deserving to stand by Lord Ainz's side, they didn't put their own desires above the wishes of the Supreme Ones, and the Supreme Ones wished for her herself to find these weaklings.
"Wake me up when something happens," Shalltear sleepily ordered and closed her eyes.
The next thing she knew, someone was gently nudging her and speaking in a soft voice. "Lady Shalltear, the doppelganger driver is reporting the carriage being surrounded."
"Finally!" Shalltear shot up, cracking open her eyes as one of the vampire brides offered a small mirror for her to check her appearance. Finding no flaws, she motioned for one of the vampire brides to open the carriage door.
The sight outside wasn't pretty, to say the least. She scrunched her nose at the disgusting odor escaping the messages of unwashed men closing in, pungent and unpleasant.
"He, he, looks like it's our lucky day, boys," The closest one to the carriage grinned, his yellow teeth on full display, many of whom were either half broken or missing entirely.
"Look at the pair on that little one!" Another one shouted.
Shalltear ignored their remarks, concentrating on her task. These lesser creatures clearly had no other use than to be lab animals to be experimented on. None of them as much as considered her careless travel to be a trap, but that was expected of creatures with fewer brains than Kyouhukou's children.
Her gaze then fell on a man with blue hair leaning against the tree in the distance. His demeanor was casual, but his gaze was sharp as a knife. He was assessing the situation with cold confidence, calculating and analytical.
'That one is different. The Supreme Ones did say to look out for talented servants. Let's see how he will deal with pop monsters,' Her interest peaked.
Meanwhile, the first bandit had closed in and reached out to grab her breasts. Realigning back in disgust, Shalltear chopped off the man's arm with bare hands, exclaiming, "Do not touch me, you disgusting ape!"
The man stood stunned, failing to understand what had occurred as the blood poured out of the stump, slowly forming a ball above Shalltear's head. Once reality set in he fell back with a scream, yelling for the others to avenge him.
"Round them up," Shalltear ordered the vampire brides.
The undead woman tore into bandits without hesitation, crippling and maiming them without mercy and tossing them into the gate opened by Shalltear.
The blue-haired man jumped into action, drawing his katana and assuming a defensive position.
'He doesn't try to run. Either confident or stupid, perhaps both,' Shalltear mused.
It didn't take long for one of her subordinates to reach the man and lunge at him. The man's sword moved with a decent speed, slashing the vampire bride in the chest.
The vampire let out a pained scream and leaped away from the man. Obviously, a mere slash could not kill a vampire, and she regenerated to full health in mere moments.
'Above pop monsters and used some unknown technique. I believe this is what the Supreme One's were looking for. I cannot let him get away for Albedo to claim credit if I send him with the rest of these animals. There is only one thing I can do to ensure there is no doubt in anyone's mind.'
She approached the man with a confident stride. The man stared her down in the same defensive position, before announcing themselves, "Name's Brain Unglaus. Remember it well, monster."
"Oh, am I supposed to introduce myself?" Shalltear stopped in her tracks with a confused expression.
"In that case, I am Shalltear Bloodfallen, servant of the Supreme Beings." She curtsied.
"I didn't expect an answer, to be honest," Brain replied, his blade pointed at her.
This man oozed confidence as if his mediocre ability was something to be proud of. 'Maybe he is strong by human standards? Should I offer him to join willingly? Daddy did tell me that good manners often help and violence should be used sparingly.'
"You have piqued my interest, Brain Unglaus. Unlike the rest of these lesser creatures, you have at least some skills. Not much mind you, so don't get any ideas that you're that valuable, but my masters would find some use for you."
"I don't work for monsters," He rejected her more than a generous offer.
"I guess I will have to do it the hard way," Shalltear shrugged and stepped forward.
Brain remained still as if waiting for her to be close enough. Since the man wasn't a danger to her, she confidently approached him.
Once she was just over two meters away, Brain suddenly moved, aiming for her neck. Shalltear casually caught the blade between two fingers and yanked it out of Brain's grip, tossing it to the side.
"W-what? That can't be possible," He blinked in surprise.
Shalltear closed in, grabbed Brain by the back of his neck, and pushed him to his knees, staring into his eyes. "You should feel lucky I even consider you worthy of my attention!"
Brain struggled against her grip, gargling for the air as the young vampire's nails dug into his neck. All his life, he had trained to be the strongest, and for the second time, he had fallen short.
Years ago, he had entered a tournament and decimated all opposition, beelining for the champion title, only to be stopped in the finals by a man whose ability surpassed his. This man soundly defeated him, claiming both the title and fame. This man, Gazef Stronoff, was the only one who ever defeated him.
For years, he had trained for the rematch, honing new martial arts abilities that would help him get the upper hand, only to end up like this; held like a helpless pup by a monster who saw him as a passing curiosity and nothing more.
Shalltear meanwhile shifted her hand up, grabbing his face and prying open his mouth. Maybe it was a waste of effort, but if there was even the slightest chance to get praise from Lord Momonga, she wasn't about to miss it.
Bringing her left hand to his mouth, Shalltear bit down in her palm, letting her blood flow. She brought the hand over the man's mouth, pouring her blood into it. Only a few drops reached her target before the regeneration kicked in and sealed the bite wound, but even a single drop was enough to do the deed.
She let go of the man who fell to the ground, convulsing as his face grew paler by the moment and his brown eyes changed blood red.
Finally, he let out a gasp and got into a kneeling position. "What do you wish for me to do, mistress?"
"Go through the gate and report that I made you my thrall. Vampire brides will guide you to my Sanctuary," Shalltear ordered the man, the one she had just turned into a lesser vampire.
His power level hadn't changed much and he was only marginally above the vampire brides, but it was better than nothing, and it permanently marked the capture as hers.
The night was still young, and who knew, maybe she would find something even better to present before her masters.
X
Humans were weak, too weak to carve their own path in the world. She now knew the true scope of power, and even such legendary figures like Gazef Stronoff were nothing behind the might of the monstrous Gods and their loyal servants.
Once Ninya believed monsters to be cowardly brutes that knew nothing of honor, bravery, and compassion, but recent events had once again proved that humans were capable of truly despicable actions, and so-called monsters were capable of noble deeds. It was the undead God of Life and Death that saved the city of E-Rantel. It was her new master Lord Pero who had not only given her another chance at life but also a safe home and everything she needed.
Ninya, as she always did, woke up at six AM to a beeping noise from a magic tech clock. Her morning routine of showering and washing clothes she wore yesterday took about twenty minutes as she left her yesterday's set drying on a string. The next stop was the cantina where Lukrut waited for her. If before he was a friend and teammate, then now he acted more like her older, overprotective brother, much to her annoyance.
The Nazarick's staff still gave dirty glances and gossiped behind their backs, but not much could be done to change their minds. She and Lukrut were outsiders, and humans at that, and nobody liked it when foreigners got involved.
"So are you sure you want to go through this? You know, even the Boss is not sure if it's a good idea," Lukrut asked, pieces of food escaping his mouth as he spoke.
"I don't want to be weak. I hate to be so weak," Ninya replied.
Unsure if a race change was the right decision, she was willing to go through the process if it made her stronger. A weak human like her wasn't even worth considering if so-called expandable pop monsters could cast up to tier-five spells. And that was nothing compared to upper echelons, who could easily wield such unimaginable magical power equal to the tenth-tier spells.
"Look, we're making solid progress. You are on the verge of becoming a third-tier caster years faster than you ever dreamed. I want to be absolutely sure you want to do this," Lukrut continued to push her away from the idea.
"Third tier is nothing, you know that. I'm not saying you need to do this but I don't want to be weak, I… that monster… If I am to face someone like her again, I want to be ready." Ninya looked down, covertly wiping tears out of her eyes.
"I see I can't talk you out of it. Just… just…you know… I want to be sure you are sure you want to go through it."
"I am," Ninya replied with determination, but then her voice became a lot quieter. "But there is something I want to ask of you."
"You know I won't say no," Lukrut leaned over and slapped her shoulder.
"Ow! Why do you keep doing that?" Ninya whined.
"Because you make funny faces. And to lighten the mood," he chuckled in response.
"Right. What I wanted to ask is that you continue looking for my sister if something goes wrong."
"Nothing will go wrong."
"I know, but if it does…"
"I promise. Though if you die, I'll go ask the big Man himself to raise you as undead so I can kick your ass for dying."
"Ugh. You wouldn't!"
"I would. So you better not die," Lukrut shook a finger at her threateningly.
"Deal. I won't die," Ninya extended her hand for a shake, which Lukrut accepted.
The conversation died down and both ate the remainder of their breakfast in silence. No matter how tasty the food was, she still had to force it down bit by bit.
Despite her boastful attitude, Ninya couldn't bring herself to just change herself to that degree. What if she lost all sense of self? What if she stopped caring about the few people she still had in her life?
Who knows how her mind would change once she was something else, even if that something else was still human-looking?
After finishing breakfast, she walked a few circles around the ninth floor both dragging out the time, as the meeting was scheduled at ten AM, and to distract herself from the intrusive thoughts of losing herself.
Just a few minutes before the time was up, she stood at the doors leading into the sanctuary of the God of Wisdom. She had not seen the somewhat reclusive Lord Tabula before, and all she knew was that he was a brain eater, a particularly disturbing-looking type of heteromorph.
While she slowly paced back and forth, the massive door opened and a maid motioned for her to come in. With timid steps, she entered the dwelling of a God and was greeted by a beautiful woman in an elegant dress.
"Ninya, good morning and please come in, you are just in time. My name is Mariposa and I will conduct an interview on behalf of my husband to help you decide on the race you want to become."
"Good morning, Lady Mariposa," Ninya replied with a bow, trying to sound confident as her voice fizzled off.
"Come," Mariposa motioned for her to follow.
Ninya did as told, giving a better look at her host. The woman had horns and a pair of large leathery wings.
'Is she a demon? She must be. She is so pretty.'
She was led to a cozy corner with a small round table and a pair of chairs. A maid filled the cups with deliciously smelling tea and placed a plate of pastries beside a pile of documents.
Knowing that refusing the treats would be impolite, Ninya took a sip from the cup while looking at her options.
"As I understand, you are a caster and would prefer to be a magically oriented race."
"Yes." Ninya gave a small nod.
"In that case, these should be your best options," Mariposa pulled out a few pages from the folder and handed them to Ninya.
The first and most monstrous option was to become a brain eater. After reading the description of the race, she decided that it wasn't something she would like to be.
The next was to become a demon, but this option wasn't properly tested. She would likely retain her human looks, but there were no guarantees. Also, demons had one of the worst reputations among the monster races as creatures of pure malice, meaning any future contact with other humans would be thrown out the window.
The few short interactions with some of them gave her the impression that it likely wasn't the case for all of them. But the idea still was not as appealing.
The last option was to become a doppelganger. It was the most versatile race, and not only would she be able to keep her original look as one of the forms, she would be able to shapeshift into almost every form imaginable.
Just in case, Ninya went over the few other options from the whole list, but besides becoming a dragonoid or a lich and a few other heteromorph races, none of them sounded too appealing.
In the end, doppelganger seemed to be the most natural choice for her, as if she knew beforehand that it was the race she wanted to be.
"I think I would like this one," Ninya announced, handing back the papers.
"That is an interesting choice. I'll make sure my husband gives you at least a few versatile forms to train with," Mariposa commented.
Ninya didn't have a chance to worry about her choice for too long, as before she knew it she was strapped to a metallic table and stripped down to her underwear.
With a nervous gulp, she observed Lord Tabula making the last preparations.
Since Ninya wasn't just a test subject, Tabula knew he needed to be extra careful; he even prepared an amnesic spell in an attempt to not traumatize the girl too much. Getting on Pero's bad side for botching the race change of his subordinate would invite trouble Tabula surely didn't want to deal with, and if this went well then even he got some data.
After paralyzing the girl and applying an amnesic spell, he could start the process, which in theory should be rather straightforward. Placing his spindly fingers on Ninya's forehead, he poured the mana into a transformation spell of his own making.
To his relief, Ninya rather quickly changed into a thin pale figure, with three fingers on each hand and three dark holes for a face.
An appraisal showed that she kept her human form as one of the transformation options, meaning that the race change was an astounding success and he wouldn't need to explain himself to Pero or Ainz.
Once the paralysis spell was canceled, Ninya slowly sat up and groggily asked, "Did it work, my Lord?"
"Yes. There were no problems whatsoever, but it will take some time to get used to your new race. Let's start with the basics. Try turning into your human self," Tabula excitedly urged her to test the results.
"How do I do it?" Ninya asked, staring at her hands and touching her face.
'Hmm, it seems I will need to get help from a doppelganger. Ainz's son would be the most obvious option but he is busy with an experiment. Oh, I know. One of Pleiades is a doppelganger.'
"Let's call someone of your kind to tutor you."
{ Dear, could you get Narberal for us? We are in need of her expertise. } Tabula messaged his wife.
{ One moment… She is coming. }
Once Narberal arrived, she could easily explain how to change forms despite having only one form, that of a young woman with Asian features, in her arsenal.
Ninya, to her credit, was a quick learner and easily picked up the tips from the maid.
The trick was to clearly visualize the form she wanted to choose and with some concentration, she once again was the human girl. Best of all, it didn't require constant concentration to keep the form, making it feel just as natural as being a human.
Since she wasn't proficient in the new abilities yet, she was taught only two alternate forms. One was a brain eater, which massively boosted her mana pool and intelligence. The other was a succubus demon, which not only gave increased strength and agility but also the seduce ability, which Ninya decided to never use under any circumstance.
Of course, it was only the beginning of her training, and she needed to get the hang of switching forms as fast as taking a breath according to her superiors. As someone who had diligently trained for years, Ninya knew it was only a matter of time before she got the hang of her new self.
Unfortunately, time was something she didn't have. In just one week, she was to join Lord Sebas in the mission to get Nazarick's roots in the capital of Re-Estize.
X
After a few hours of much-needed sleep, Ninya arrived at the sixth-floor arena for the first training session after the race change.
Lukrut was already there, practicing archery with the bow gifted to him by Lord Pero. Their new employer was rather generous when it came to equipment, and both she and Lukrut now wore gear usually reserved for mithril and adamantite teams.
Ninya walked towards her friend with short timid steps, unsure how he would react to her new self.
"Hey, did you change your mind?" Lukrut asked, looking her up and down.
"No, I did get a race change," Ninya responded with a voice barely above a whisper.
"But you look exactly the same, I think. Unless you are hiding hooves under that robe," Lukrut commented, skeptical of her statement.
"I'm a doppelganger. It's a race that can shapeshift," she explained, while nervously playing with her fingers.
"Oh, that's great. So you just look like a human or can you turn into something else?" Lukrut put the bow over his shoulder and approached his friend.
"I have a default form and few other ones… I…"
"I promise not to be weirded out. Unless you turn into me. That stuff is creepy. Oh, right I didn't tell you. A doppelganger is posing as me in Re-Estize," Lukrut nonchalantly explained.
Ninya looked up at him with a faint smile and let out a sigh of relief. "No, I can't turn into you. At least not yet."
"You got to show me what you can do. We're a team. I won't be weirded out. Scout's honor." He raised his hand in a mock vow.
"If you do, I won't talk with you," She responded with a pout and turned into her default form.
"Yup, I've seen this one," Lukrut commented.
Ninya hesitated a bit and then turned into a brain eater. Same as the God of Knowledge, she had gray skin and tentacles on her face in place of hair. Her long robe hid her androgynous figure.
"Ok, this one will take some getting used to. Not as scary as I imagined in the grand scale of things," Lukrut remarked.
"This one increases my mana and intelligence. With little effort, I should be able to learn tier four and tier five spells." Ninya explained in a lower, croaking voice.
"Fifth tier? Damn, maybe I should change race as well. Something good looking though. Maybe one of those demons who look handsome. The girl ones have such nice round-"
"Lukrut!" Ninya interrupted him with a screech.
"Sorry, I got lost in thought," He chuckled, "Still, maybe you should get a copy of one of them. Could help with your anxiety."
"That… I… I already have," she mumbled, changing into the demon form.
It was a blessing that the robe hid her proportions as her much more feminine form would prevent her from looking Lukrut in the eyes and he sure as hell would tease her for it.
Still, her face became more attractive, giving her larger eyes and fuller lips. Of course, the demonic traits like horns and wings appeared as well. From the short description, she knew those traits could be hidden, but currently, she didn't know how.
Before Lukrut could open his mouth, she hastily explained. "This form makes me faster and stronger. I can try close combat weapons."
"Sure, sure. You being a looker doesn't hurt either. Just in case steer clear from Lady Buku."
"Lady Buku knows I'm a girl."
"I guess. Ok, if you have any more forms to show then it's enough gawking on my part and we should train," Lukrut flashed her a smile.
He had already decided to always treat her as a younger sister no matter how she appeared, so her demon form didn't make things awkward no matter how good-looking she was.
One thing he could say for certain was that he was envious of how much stronger Ninya was. And she had barely any control over her new forms. Who knew what she would be capable of in a few months.
'I should look into this race change as well. It's not like I am planning to marry a human girl anyway. Who knows, if I get a new form, I may have a chance with those demon hotties,' Lukrut mused, observing how Ninya tore apart a wooden target dummy with a short sword.
Compared to various monster races, humans were at the bottom of the barrel when it came to both physical and magical abilities. Best of all, a lot of nonhuman races looked just like humans. He was still unsure what race Lady Buku was, but she and her children looked like elves which was close enough to a human.
And then there was the additional benefit of either a much greater life span or outright immortality depending on the race. The new life was far too good for him to even think of returning to the old ways, even if it had cost him so much to get here.
X
One week had passed since she wasn't a human anymore, and it was now time to start repaying the debt and join the mission to Re-Estize capital.
She and Lukrut arrived in Lord Ulbert's office at eight, entering right after an elderly man and a beautiful blonde woman. She had seen both in passing and only knew that the old man was the head butler and the woman was one of the Pleiades battle maids.
The moment the door closed behind them she and Lukrut kneeled, with the maid doing the same. Only the old man took a light bow, signifying his high status.
"Everyone is present. Let's start. Rise," Ulbert addressed everyone from behind his office table, Demiurge standing by his side.
"Sebas, you will pose as a merchant selling magical items. Your task will be to establish connections and draw the attention of a crime syndicate known as Eight Fingers. Demiurge," Ulbert motioned for his son to proceed.
"All these items are deemed to have little immediate value to Nazarick, but would be considered rare artifacts by human standards. I will oversee the whole operation and provide the necessary intel. Sebas, you will be given autonomy in your decisions as long as you follow the general plan," Demiurge spoke while handing over a crate to Sebas.
"Moving on. Since Pero has entrusted you three to me I would prefer to not put any in harm's way. Solution, you will play the role of Sabas' daughter. Use your natural charms to extract information whenever possible," Ulbert continued.
"Lukrut, Ninya, you will play the adventurers who guide a foreign merchant. We already have the necessary paperwork sorted out. Ninya, we erased your old identity from the guild's archives and forged a new one. If you run into old acquaintances, report immediately and we will assess what steps should be taken. Any questions?"
"Lord Ulbert, if I may, what are the plans regarding Eight Fingers?" Sebas asked.
Ninya glanced at the old man. Out of everyone present, he gave off the warmest aura, reminding her of a kind grandpa who would let children sit on his knees while he told fairy tales.
Both the Demon God and his son were complete opposites to the butler, however, radiating subtle malice. Solution, while not giving out the same level of malice, still felt like a predator hiding behind that beautiful mask.
"We will take over their organization and turn it into an asset for Nazarick. If you are convinced that any of the leaders are worth recruiting, report your findings to Demiurge. One more thing. Each of you will be given shadow demons to use as you see fit. Ninya, your main priority is to assist Sebas. If your sister is found during the mission it will be up to Demiurge's discretion on how and when to rescue her. For now, we are keeping a low profile."
Ninya didn't dare to argue on the point. The fact that the Demon God was willing to spend resources on trying to find her sister was more than she could ask.
An hour later, the whole group arrived at the outskirts of the capital through a gate.
While they traveled in the same carriage Ninya learned a lot more about her current superiors. Solution of the Pleiades was considered a sister of Lupusregina and both had a friendly relationship. She wasn't shy to reveal her true nature of a predatory slime and since she and both Ninya and Lukrut worked directly for Lord Pero, she vowed to look after them as the followers of the same God and even commended Ninya for discarding the weak human form and becoming more worthy to serve a Supreme Being.
Lukrut wisely didn't try to flirt with her despite her good looks and somewhat flirty personality. The maid claiming she liked eager men inside her sounded more like a threat, not an invitation to fun activities, to Ninya, but everybody had their preferences.
Ninya had noticed that Lukrut had changed a bit and was a lot more cautious around women or strangers in general, though still kept his friendly demeanor. She couldn't blame him for that. After what the human monster found out about her, she had her whole worldview changed as well.
Ninya was also right about Sebas. The old man was the embodiment of good manners and addressed her as a young miss despite her being Sebas' subordinate. He wasn't particularly talkative, but when he did talk he ensured everyone had everything they needed to perform their tasks.
Once the initial conversations died down, she spent the rest of the time staring out of the window. As a low-rank adventurer and daughter of farmers, she had never used such luxurious transportation, and she intended to enjoy it while she could.
The ride wasn't too long and soon enough they were playing their roles and selling items to a local merchant. It wasn't a hard guess that the magical items were expensive, still, it was a bizarre sight to see that many golden and platinum coins in a single place when she haggled in bronze and silver.
She played the role of a guard and suggested hiding the money well, as there were more than enough unsavory types lurking around.
After that, they settled in a high-end inn where she and Lukrut took turns guarding the rooms Sebas and Solution occupied. Of course, she wouldn't fight anything should anyone try to threaten the mission, but standing alone by the doors was a nerve-wracking experience even with her newfound powers.
On the plus side, the room she and Lukrut shared had soft beds with thick cotton covers, and the breakfast served in the inn was quite tasty. She did have to admit to herself that Nazarick's food had spoiled her and she wouldn't be able to go back to eat the slop she ate as an adventurer.
For now, the mission had only started and the next step would be to rent a mansion and get the attention of the crime syndicate.
X
Thirst. He felt this endless thirst. His senses were much sharper now, particularly his sense of smell. Everything with warm blood made him even more thirsty. The feeling was mildly annoying at best but it was always there.
His mistress had sent him to this unknown place and now he needed to figure out what to do next.
The coldness of this frozen place was pleasant despite him wearing only pants and a shirt. In fact, Brain hadn't felt so good in a long while.
He groggily looked around. The effects of becoming a vampire hadn't worn off yet. There was one thing he knew for sure. Everything he knew about power was laughably off the mark. Tasting the blood of his mistress had shown him the true scale and how insignificant he was. Humans stood no chance against an ultimate existence like Shalltear Bloodfallen.
There were more of the same type of vampires that were around sorting out his former allies. He didn't particularly care what happened to the mercenaries who were nothing more than a glorified group of bandits and slavers.
They were dragged off one by one by the vampires and other types of monsters. He only watched, knowing he would serve his purpose elsewhere.
After he had stood and glanced around for a good minute one of the vampires approached him.
"You must be the one mistress converted? I am ordered to take you to the Guardian Overseer and put you on Nazarick's servant list."
"Lead the way. Mistress told me to follow the guidance of her other servants," he replied.
It wasn't hard to notice that all vampires were women and attractive ones at that, making him a clear outlier. He hadn't seen himself in a mirror but it was a fair guess that his eyes were likely the same color as theirs, though he still had his dyed blue hair.
"What is this place, miss?" He asked while following the vampire through the frozen landscape. Various monsters lurked in the distance, but they seemingly didn't care about his presence, which made sense since they likely served the same mistress as him.
"This is the fifth floor of the Great Tomb of Nazarick ruled by the Supreme Beings. Our mistress is the guardian of the first three floors," The vampire explained.
'Guardian? My mistress isn't even the highest type of being!? There is something above her?'
"Who are these Supreme Beings?"
The vampire then explained in detail about the five rulers who had claimed Godhood. She then told him about the floor guardians and other Nazarick natives, much to his surprise.
'Mistress is a daughter of a God. That would make her a demigod. I should feel blessed she decided I was worthy enough to be converted,' Brain mused.
While he learned details of the Great Tomb and its rulers, they had reached a portal and arrived at spacious halls suited to be a living space of Gods.
'How insignificant I am in the grand scale of things. I will redouble my training to be of any use.'
The fact that he was barely above the weakest monsters of the tomb didn't sit well with him. Someone of his strength usually wasn't important enough to even receive a name, and yet he had been elevated into this.
As he contemplated his fate, they arrived in a spacious office with a winged and horned woman behind a desk.
"Lady Albedo, this is the one Lady Shalltear converted. She believes this man can be of use to Nazarick," the vampire stated with a bow.
Brain mimicked her just in case.
"I see. Did she give a reason why?" Albedo inquired, staring at Brain like he was a mud stain on her office carpet. Which he may have well been, given the difference in strength between pop monsters and floor guardians.
"This man struck one of the vampire brides with an ability Lady Shalltear didn't recognize."
"You there, what is your name and what technique did you use to impress Shalltear?" Albedo's demeanor instantly changed from disdain to curiosity.
"My name is Brain Unglaus. I used some martial arts I developed myself. First was the [Field], which lets me perceive everything in a three-meter radius around myself, and the second was [God Slash]. Mistress Shalltear was able to overcome both with ease," Brain explained.
"Martial arts? Hmm, looks like her judgment was on point," Albedo uttered with a faint smile. "You are exactly what the Supreme Ones are looking for. Until further notice, you will serve Lord Pero. And I strongly suggest you learn how to properly address Supreme Beings and others superior to you. Shalltear is not the only one you will now serve." Albedo's tone was polite, but the fact she was not addressed according to her station by this man clearly irked her.
"Sorry, I am new to such things, Lady Albedo," Brain quickly tried to remedy the situation.
He was never one to deal with nobility to any capacity and now it was paramount he learned how to deal with beings far superior to him.
"As long as you do not disrespect the Supreme Ones you should be fine. I have registered you in Nazarick's servant list. Your main station will be on the third floor, but Lord Pero might have other plans. He is waiting in the sixth-floor arena. Dismissed." She waved them off.
The moment he stepped into the massive Colosseum he was greeted by a birdman. "Hey, man. I'm Pero and you'll be in my care for now."
Brain silently bowed, unsure how to respond to such a casual greeting.
"So here's a deal. Since you know martial arts I want to see if they can be taught to others, me included. Do you have any way to tell immediately?"
"I'm sorry but there is no way to tell. I would have to train each candidate individually and see if there is any potential, Lord Pero," Brain cautiously responded.
"Sure we can go with that. Who knows, maybe we can get Tabula to develop a method to know from the get-go. How about you take a day off to get used to the new circumstances while I gather trainees. By the way, how strong are you? Did my daughter test your limits?"
"I was able to strike a vampire bride. but Mistress Shalltear was far beyond my ability to combat."
"Ok, do you know Gazef Stronoff and where you are compared to him?" Pero went for the only strong human measuring stick they had at the moment.
"I lost to Gazef years ago, but I believe I am equal or superior to him now." Brain boasted the only thing he felt he could still claim.
"Yeah, that means we'll have to be careful. Most of the people you will train are a lot stronger."
Pero sent him off to the third floor and he was given his own corner in the communal room of the vampire brides. His only passion in life might have been his weapon and endless strive to get stronger, but the horde of beautiful women without any shred of shyness was distracting, to say the least. The sleeping, dining, and bath areas were shared, and they weren't bothered by his presence one bit.
For some men, it might have been a paradise, but for him, it meant he once again needed to work on his mental discipline. His old goal of defeating Gazef might've been taken away, but it had been replaced by a new one; to make his mistress proud.
Proofreading by Sluethen, nate051499j6, Aurodium, atharv, and Sapphire_Drake, Antilene, and aidan_lo.
Edited by aidan_lo.
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 (https://discord.gg/WmGKVU3XG2) where additional chapters are available or if you are interested in becoming a beta reader (gives access to chapters months ahead of regular readers).