The work of a floor guardian was never-ending, and Demiurge couldn't be happier about this fact. Of course, he had to take breaks and indulge in leisure activities per orders of his father, but that was a minor concern as even in his free time he could expand his knowledge in the library or form better connections with his peers, both of which could be helpful for later work. From one sunrise to the next, he was always doing something that would be beneficial to Nazarick.
One of the peers he frequently interacted with surprisingly turned out to be the guardian of the first three floors, Shalltear. At first, after her monumental failure at her job, which in his mind was outright high treason towards the Gods, where he advocated for her removal and a more competent guardian put in the young vampire's place, and was one of the majority to shun her afterward. His father, however, was of differing opinion, declaring that anyone without a world item could have ended up under mind control and she was nothing more than an unfortunate victim who wanted to prove herself to Lord Ainz.
It took him several days analyzing all available data in every possible permutation to come to a conclusion that, although highly unlikely, he too might have ended up in this exact situation. Such revelation was disturbing for sure and made him seek out a way to atone for his lack of faith in a fellow floor guardian who had just done her best given the circumstances. After all, giving their all was expected from any individual within the tomb; he had seen how she had broken down after realizing she had failed.
Thus when Lord Pero had requested Lord Ulbert to give tasks to Shalltear, he volunteered to take her in his care and utilize her household to scout the countless caves found in the Azerilisia mountains, something the two Lords were more than happy to allow him to do.
They had soon set up a small forward work camp in the southern base of the mountain range, right next to the main fortress of the area. Shalltear was left in charge of it while he performed other duties nearby and elsewhere.
The three-story tower-like structure had a few bedrooms, a dining and planning area, and an observation spike that rose above the treeline, housed numerous servants and logistical services.
As every other day he teleported in forty minutes past noon, finding Shalltear dining surrounded by the named vampire brides, as they were Lord Pero's chosen and thus above the nameless peers, meaning they qualified to eat with her. She sat at the long table, various dishes in front of her with her subordinates occupying most of the seats eating as well. Noticing him arrive, the vampire brides stood up while Shalltear continued to dine.
Shalltear was feasting on a piglet cooked barely above rare, which was the preferred way to enjoy meat for most of the predatory entities found in Nazarick. Her human pet was devouring the discarded parts Shalltear was dropping in the bowl sitting beside the table, mostly shredded tendons and small meat bits. The pathetic creature was getting thinner by the day and gaining new sets of scars and bruises by the hour.
"Ah, there you are, I have news." Shalltear greeted him with a smile, proudly displaying her fangs as vampire brides bowed.
"Have you found the dwarves?" Demiurge inquired, his interest peaking.
"No, but I found one of their cities, which was abandoned relatively recently. There were signs of battle but no bodies were left behind, much to my disappointment. My wolves did explore the tunnels leading deeper and there are no nearby settlements. However, it seems there were attempts at hiding certain paths. I will plan out the next few routes and send them deeper in this afternoon," She explained, beaming with pride.
"Excellent. I'll be sure to report your findings to Lord Ulbert. This city might serve as a staging ground for further invasion." Demiurge replied with a subtle grin, already beginning to form rudimentary expansion plans in his mind.
Such news surely would catch his father's attention, which in turn meant that an expansion proposal would need to be written, and this proposal would eventually find its way to Lord Momonga's table. Demiurge knew that his father was too kind to just write the proposals himself and thus would let him shine, allowing him to contribute to Nazarick even more.
"I can also scout the mountains if you need. My bats are immune to cold." She offered, perking up at the idea of being praised by the Supreme Ones and waving for Demiurge to take a seat, a vampire quickly bringing in a new chair.
"If that doesn't take away from your capabilities in exploring the cave system, then by all means, please do so. I'm sure Lord Ainz will be thrilled to know you showed initiative." Demiurge stated as he sat down, reaching for a fork.
One of the vampire brides put a plate with a large piece of meat in front of him, leaning far too forward for proper etiquette while another poured him a glass of wine, subtly pressing her upper chest against his shoulder. Their actions could easily be forgiven as they were created as temptresses and performed such actions without thinking, they knew their places. They meant no harm, much like how the frost maidens, serving under Cocytus, meant no harm with their freezing auras.
"I hope he notices… that I am trying." Shalltear sighed absentmindedly, biting her lip till it bled.
"Nothing goes past Lord Ainz's notice. We just need to do enough for him to acknowledge our efforts. You should know this," Demiurge commented.
"Am I doing enough?" She inquired, her demeanor timid and anxious.
'The blow to self-worth was no doubt nearly fatal. I too would question my every move as well, always fearing that I am not doing enough.' He could easily read the young vampire. It was no secret among the tomb's inhabitants that she had hoped to become Lord Ainz's consort but ultimately lost to Lady Albedo who, on purely objective grounds, was a better candidate for the position, second only to Lady Buku, not only being alive and capable of bearing children, but also being a lot smarter and generally more competent in everything she did. Demiurge wasn't aware of what preferences Lord Ainz had in women, but it was safe to assume that the creations of Supreme Beings had to be to his liking, no matter the individual physical characteristics.
His sadistic part urged him to remind her of this loss, but he would never act upon it when it came to dealing with his peers who worked alongside him, especially if it could be detrimental to what they could contribute. There also was a strong curiosity towards the idea of Supreme Ones producing offspring. He knew they could create life directly through their magnificent abilities, but there also were some tidbits of information that sexual union could be used as well, one documented example being Lord Tabula and his wife Mariposa having at least three children in some other world.
"It is not for me to say." He chose the next words carefully to make the common ground. "To be honest, I ask this question myself too, yet father always pushes me to take time off."
"Daddy does the same. I know I should take his word as law, but he is my creator and wants to pamper me as his daughter, so he often says things to encourage me, even if we both know it's a blatant lie."
"That is a fair point against the perceived objectivity of Lord Ulbert and Lord Pero, but at the same time they best of all know our limitations and might, using lies to push us towards our limits," Demiurge added.
To him, his father's advice was akin to dogma, to be followed with utmost fervor, but the Supreme Ones often professed they were not perfect and even they could make mistakes. In a sense, it was a paradox he couldn't solve, that if perfection itself said they were not perfect, then what was perfection?
"You're so smart." She nodded in agreement, producing a small notebook from the bow of her headdress. "This definitely is a conversation I should write down."
'Always willing to learn. I should indulge this desire of hers more often.' With time to spare, he could enjoy the meal without a rush and share his understanding of Supreme Ones with his peers.
The one thing that had dawned on Ainz while performing a logistical overview was that he had yet to visit most establishments on the ninth floor, and that his absence had left a negative effect on morale. Thus he sought to remedy his negligence by quickly scheduling meetings in various places made for his and the enjoyment of his peers.
Today's choice was the theater where the troupe, which consisted of doppelgangers, was performing a Kabuki show, an amusement the other past guild members found highly entertaining.
He, Ulbert, Albedo, and Buku were sitting in the VIP lodge while the regular seats were filled by the NPCs from all floors at his request, to rest and enjoy the show. The tickets to shows were distributed as a reward for their efforts and another clever way to make the overzealous NPCs take time off. After all, what was the point of such entertainment if there was no one to enjoy it?
As the actors appeared on stage and started their performance, Ulbert spoke in a hushed tone, "Shalltear has found an abandoned dwarven city in the caverns and a few frost giant settlements in the mountains."
"Be sure to reward her for her efforts," Ainz replied, his gaze set on performers who despite being fully in their roles occasionally shot glances at him, as if pleading for verification that their efforts weren't for naught.
"I will, don't worry about it. The point is we have our next expansion points." The goat demon continued.
"I have my hands full training the army. Do we really need the mountains right now?" Buku butted in, frustration seeping into her voice. She was barely paying any attention to the play as she was preoccupied with communicating with Cocytus over new training regiments.
"The administrative sector is also strained at the moment. The local lesser life forms need to be whipped into shape and educated. There are also pending surveys on what resources can be found in our domain." Albedo voiced her concerns as well. Lately, she and Buku had become friends as the military and administrative sectors expanded through the forest, their communications becoming a daily, if not almost hourly, thing as a result. She found the relationship immensely useful as Buku had an insight about Ainz no one else had, which was also helpful in bed as well as the desk.
"Fair point. Though speaking of the domain, we should finally announce the Empire before our subjects and show off the Emperor and Empress." Ulbert turned away to hide the smirk, knowing that Albedo would take the bait hook, line, and sinker, fixating on her being the Empress.
And he wasn't wrong as the succubus' pupils dilated like that of a cat spotting prey as she leaned closer to Ainz. "Ulbert's proposition is sound, though we should marry first so I can legally be your Empress." She attempted to speak calmly but her voice cracked and changed pitch halfway through as she grabbed his hand.
"Shouldn't be too hard right? Pestonya can act as the priest." Buku only added fuel to the fire without a shred of shame to divert attention away from the expansion of their territory. They needed time and resources to unify their current lands, this would be a convenient way to assist in doing so on top of just teasing Ainz.
Ainz could feel Albedo's unreasonable grip nearly cracking his bony fingers from how strong they were. She had already dropped hints of marriage to make her position by his side undisputable, and now it seemed other conspirators were aiding her cause.
'I already know I want to spend my life with her, so marriage would be the next logical step. I guess there is no reason to deny her wish.' "I agree, but let's make a small ceremony and announce our marriage when we officially create the Empire," He replied.
Albedo gasped, a pinkie breaking in the process, but that was a small concern as he could easily repair it. Her breath became ragged, bordering hyperventilation. "We can do it after the performance. I will get my wedding dress and order Pestonya to prepare the chapel." She spoke hastily.
Knowing Albedo's enthusiasm on the matter, Ainz could only go with the flow. Only an hour later when the show was over he was standing in the chapel with only his friends and all the floor guardians present except for Gargantua who wasn't sentient and thus would not understand the meaning of the performed ritual. Since there was no precedent on marriage within the Great Tomb, he had to set it and thus was clad in his usual midnight black robe while Albedo had a tight, snow white dress, traditionally used in western marriages she apparently had sown after their first night together.
Pestonya dramatically recited a speech found in the library as she hadn't performed such a ceremony before; he and Albedo then exchanged vows, promising to be by each other for eternity, ending with her planting a kiss on his teeth as Ainz had chosen to remain in his natural form, feeling it appropriate for the occasion.
As the ceremony ended, a new sensation unlike any before engulfed him like warm water. He felt an overwhelming sense of love coming from Albedo, as if her now entire divine nature wished to merge with his. He could see in her gaze, the deep desire to consummate the marriage. She was the Goddess of Love and Desire, and reciprocal marriage, no doubt, fell into her domain.
His choice was made and his vows were exchanged. All that remained was to indulge in the overwhelming desires of his Empress, of which his wife gleefully dragged him off for while his friends hollered and shrieked behind him.
Once they were in the privacy of their quarters, Albedo's aura exploded like a vortex around him, as if she had held it in like a breath for far too long. Reality melted around them, leaving them in each other's company and nothing more.
His emotional suppression had no power or even meaning anymore, as it was but a product of his physical self, now but a faint whisper of what they were. Their true, immaterial, divine forms clashed and merged, bringing bliss no words could explain merging the material and immaterial realms into one around them. At this moment, he knew her completely. She was his Goddess and he was her God. There was no more form to divide them, no barriers to break down anymore. In divine union they were one, the universe itself a witness of their marriage.
The vows, the promises, they didn't matter. Life and Death merged with Love and Desire, each opposite yet inseparable as with life there was death, so was desire in love. They wouldn't be fully separated anymore, their bond so transcendental no words in any mortal language existed to describe them.
Today they became husband and wife, Emperor and Empress. Today, they were one.
It was an eternity spent in bliss before Ainz returned to his senses and his material form regained meaning upon the pillows and blankets.
His skeletal form buzzed with energy he could only describe as divine. Albedo was lying beside him, a radiant smile on her peaceful face as she slept so deeply barely any breath escaped her, content with the day.
There was only a lingering sense that the real ritual of marriage had happened there in the immaterial, and their souls now shared a bond no force in the world could break.
Ainz gently brushed her face. Something had changed about her. It took only a little concentration to sense what the change was. Albedo was now the Goddess of Love and Family, desire becoming a lesser aspect of her.
His nonexistent heart skipped a beat when he noticed another change. The fruit of their union was already growing within his wife.
Editing by aidan_lo.
Proofreading by aidan_lo, fvvck, Sluethen, IAMTHEPLOKOKIOPO, x4x, clagan and Mfkzrocker
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