Inside the ever-gelid halls of the Frozen Prison, footsteps sounded against cold, stone floor as an ever-changing phantom marched to his desired destination.
Standing against the set of double-doors disguised as a painting of motherly affection, Pandora's Actor held tightly onto the fetus doll that'd serve as key to addressing the Overseer's sister.
'Nigredo is Nazarick's security Meister, I can only hope she will follow her duty to the utmost and see to reason. If not…'
The doppelganger decided not to finish that thought, putting his trust over his compatriot rather than assuming she'd be in line with Albedo's schisms.
Stepping inside the security room, Pandora came face-to-face with Albedo's older sister – or he would have, had the lengths of her hair not covered the carnage hiding below.
"It's wrong, it's wrong, it's all wrong! My baby… You took it away, you took it away from me, you, you…"
Suddenly snapping her neck up, her visceral visage was clear to see against the blue-tinted ice around her.
"YOU." Pandora's Actor remained unflinching as she raised the giant pair of scissors. "GIVE ME BACK MY BABY!"
As screams filled the Area Guardian's room, Nigredo rushed-in to cut the intruder in half, assured her blade would slice through before Pandora easily disappeared from where he was standing.
Before she could turn to where he had shadow-stepped to, the Doppelganger was faster on the draw with his doll.
"Here is your child, mein Fräulein!"
Silence. As Nigredo approached to take the Fetus Doll in her arms, it was like her defense mechanisms had never been triggered at all.
"...Treasurer, to what pleasure do I owe your visit?"
While her hands were lost on gently cradling the "baby" she was given, she turned to walk back to her proper seat, Doppelganger following close behind.
After hearing so much of his eccentricities from her younger sister, Pandora's silence came-off as off-putting to her.
"Well?"
Pandora's Actor glanced at the particularly empty sides of their surroundings before taking his seat, adjusting his cap lower on his eyes before speaking on a stern voice.
"...We have to talk about the Overseer, Nigredo."
Nigredo shivered in place.
One could have confused it for the freezing weather of the fifth floor, but the NPC was about to commit the greatest sin one could do for a sibling. Undoubtedly, this chain of events would forever change the Great Tomb of Nazarick.
"Well. What is it, Nigredo? You requested for me to come at once."
The great lord of Nazarick was standing before her. She witnessed his mercy once before, when he lowered himself to hear her pleas for the infants of the kingdom. She could only hope for that mercy once more.
"Ainz-sama, please forgive me, but I foresee a great calamity coming for the Tomb of Nazarick."
"Ho-oh?" If Ainz had brows, he would have lifted them now.
'Nigredo is most skilled in surveillance, with her divination skills she would be able to foretell anything near the Tomb that might seek to hurt us. But a Great Calamity? This is a first from her.'
Ainz waved his hand, signaling her to continue. The NPC lowered her head for the first time, letting her hair almost fully cover her features once more before mumbling something.
"I permit you to speak up, Nigredo. If there's any dangers I should be aware of, it is your duty to inform me!"
He was getting impatient now. She could no longer keep her Lord waiting. Raising her head again, she made her proclamation.
"Lady Albedo, the Guardian Overseer, has betrayed Ainz Ooal Gown."
She felt a weight lift off her shoulders, Nigredo could almost collapse now.
The two kept staring at each other, the silence palpable.
'Huh?! Albedo? Please, this must be a joke. How could she of all people-'
Inhibited. It took some time, but his emotions settled once more.
"Nigredo, that is a condemning accusation against your sister. I shouldn't bother asking, but do you have proof for that?"
Nigredo flinched. She raised her arm to summon scrying mirrors with the information she prepared, but a bony hand stopped her before she could do it.
"Tell me, Nigredo. When you say Ainz Ooal Gown, are you referring to me or to the guild?"
The Overlord towered over her, the darkness from behind him almost swallowing her whole.
'This must be the true presence of Lord Ainz, how frightening. But I can't despair now!'
"I'm afraid she has turned her back against the whole guild, my lord."
Nigredo lifted the recordings, crystal mirrors rewinding footage of her talks with Albedo.
Her execution squad.
Her talks with Nigredo about her plans
Her distaste for the other supreme beings
The things she said alone in her room
The orders she gave to Rubedo and the rest of her squad.
"Ainz Ooal Gown. How ridiculous."
Those last words kept repeating inside his head. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Was this his fault? Was it because he changed Albedo's settings to madly love him?
No.He couldn't afford to think about that now.
She wanted the blood of the guildmates on her hands. She wanted to kill his friends.
"Thank you for showing me this, Nigredo. You are free to return to your duties with Yuri Alpha."
"You have my gratitude, my lord."She tried her hardest not to flinch while she bowed. Ainz's words were so serene, but she could read deep into them. The sadness, the disbelief, the fury.
She could only hope for her Lord's mercy once more.
Ainz turned to leave after dismissing Nigredo. Instead of taking a [Gate], he simply walked off the Frozen Prison, much in his mind he had to think over as he traversed the glacial wastes.
Albedo was still where her lord had left her, standing besides the bound woman that dared to attack them.
Her beloved was about to say something when Nigredo interrupted him, she must have had something really urgent to tell. Still, the overseer could feel the deep fury in Ainz's fiery eyes after using [Control Amnesia] on this agent from the Theocracy. She could only imagine what torturous punishment he must have in mind for her.
"Fufufu, maybe he'll let me take care of things for once. It's not everyday we get someone of your strength try and attack us."
She slid her fingers beneath Antilene's ribs, letting a small sigh escape her mouth.
Suddenly, her line of thought was interrupted by a [Message].
[Albedo, come see me in my chambers immediately.]
The message cut short right after.
'My beloved, what are you so eager for? I barely had time to kneel down…'
Antilene was left alone as Albedo hurriedly left the quarters, silently wondering what fate awaited her…
Albedo peeked at the massive door frame leading to the Overlord's room. She has stood on the other side several times, eagerly awaiting her master's return from his various duties to the tomb.
Has time finally come that she is presented her lord's mercy? Just a bit of his love… She fondly remarked the kiss he gave her before she exited to the kingdom, kindly caressing her own cheeks.
Finally opening the doors, she traversed to the most intimate realm she could share with her lord…
"Ainz-sama! I'm sorry for my delay, I was making sure I looked just right for-"
"Stand down, Albedo."
The air grew colder around her. She briefly glanced up to see her lord surrounded by a halo of pure darkness. This essence… He had only shown the guardians once before.
"My lord, is something wrong?"
"Albedo, I will cut straight to the point."
Ainz stared at the kneeling guardian. The word 'beauty' would never be enough to describe her, she was the gift to the guild created by his friend Tabula.
He had defiled her once before, but he couldn't think about this now.
"Albedo, is there something you wish to tell me?"
A pause. Like a child who has been caught cheating in a test, or an employee who knows his scheme to sell out business secrets to a rival company has been found out.
"My lord, I-I don't know what you mean."
"Albedo!" A skeletal fist hit the table. The succubus lowered herself further, still refusing to speak.
This only served to infuriate the Overlord more.
After looking down on her for what felt like an eternity, Ainz finally sighed.
''Yes. Then, as your master, should not I be ultimately held responsible?''
"Albedo, I know of your scheme to hunt down the members of Ainz Ooal Gown."
"M-My lord!"
The overseer raised her voice in shock, but immediately regretted it, taking a step back and hanging her head down.
"I just want to know Albedo, why would you plan for such a thing?"
"Ainz-sama, I know how much the Supreme Beings leaving us behind has left a wound in your heart, in all of our hearts!"
"They abandoned Yggdrasil, they left you behind in a dying world, one that would cease to exist! You're the only one who stayed with us, even knowing it could be the end of you!"
"So that's why! They made my beloved hurt! They're not worthy of standing the grounds near the Sorcerer King, they're not worthy of living right here with Momonga-sama!"
The Succubus let her emotions get the best of her, the bitterness in her blackened heart finally spewing out to the point she called to her lord's previous name.
"Albedo...That much is true. The others abandoned me, that much I believed even back then. It is true I was hurt, but just as it was my choice to stay, it was theirs to leave."
"But lord!"
"And as much as it did depress me, their departure from this world did not hurt as much as you're hurting me right now, Albedo."
Her eyes widened. Could she really have been that foolish?
Ainz walked past her, leaving her kneeling form on the floor.
"And yet, it seems someone has already gotten ahead of you. Did you know Bellriver had already been erased from the world?"
She had no way of knowing, of course, so her gasp wasn't a surprise.
"I've already lost my compatriots too many times, Albedo. I would not exaggerate to say I would depart from this world, if I knew I lost the chance to meet them once again."
She had no words to utter anymore. The thought of her lord, her beloved leaving because of something she would have done is too much to bear. Even if she wanted to declare she'd end her life, her body trembled too much to even move a muscle.
"You will gather the guardians in the throne room at the earliest convenience, including Pandora's Actor and Victim. We will discuss the future then. Do not fail me again, Albedo."
Saying that, he left the trembling mess of a succubus behind, not letting the hurt sitting deep within his soul out any longer.