The wind howled.
The skies were well-nigh grey, overcast with clouds that dared not rain upon the existences below them.
In this very continent, atop the mountainous hills that once led way to lively cities and ever-flowing commerce, the desolate plains now only served as meeting grounds for the mightiest of the Undead.
There were ten of them. All Night Liches that, even in single numbers, were unliving natural disasters for humanity.
Should they wish, even just one of them could travel alone and become a legendary monster, bringing ruin to the kingdoms of men and having their name written down as curses to be remembered for generations to come. Such frivolous wishes would never pass their mind though.
The ten chancellors of Corpus of the Abyss met in these very mountains every fortnight, but not of their own accord. This abstract meeting was decreed by the one who conquered them with his strength, one they bend their knee to out of their instincts for self-preservation, as his rule served no purpose to benefit them.
They could never hope to challenge him though, for he was an existence linked to the very core magics of the world, a True Dragon Lord.
The Elder Coffin Dragon Lord. The One who forsake his status as one of the living to transcend into something much more terrible.
Something that held the very frivolous wishes they abhorred.
"Forgive my lateness, the clouds blinded us from arriving sooner."
The one that spoke landed on his skeletal dragon, its undead claws digging deep into the soil below before letting his master go. He was a monster humanity couldn't hope to defeat, an undead unique to this world, his six arms and two heads bearing a grim visage that on their own would bring fear to any who witnessed him. He was a powerhouse whose hits could rival that of a Death Knight, his name was Banezeri Anchas – The Abyss of Corpus.
"Don't feel bothered about it." A disdainful voice spoke to answer. "The 'White Saint' is fashionably late, as usual"
The slender figure badmouthing their colleague was none other than Krunui Log Entesh Na – The Crimson-Eyed Duke. Of all the Chancellors, he's the one who'd have the less trouble fitting in with humanity, not only for his appearance that'd certainly be deemed beautiful, with his monochrome hair that reached down his shoulders and alluring red eyes, but for much of his ideals and ego carried over from when he was still mortal.
Like his title implies, Krunui is most recognized by his red visage, the red eyes that stared deeply into the hearts of men, a manipulator like no other. His fellow chancellors would often criticize him for leaving himself too exposed, as his clothes held little to no magical power, but he'd rather adorn himself with his royal pedigree than wear something heavy and bulky that'd only slow him down. It's not like he'd ever find himself at the front-lines, his puppets would often do the work for him.
"Miss me already, oh talented duke of ours?" A silken voice spoke from behind him, sending shivers he would never admit to down his spine. Granz Locker – The Saintess of White, was the one to break her amplified invisibility just to disturb Krunui.
He wasn't lying about her being late, she's known among the chancellors for being almost foolishly 'too preoccupied' in her own research to ever contribute to Corpus. Though none would dare put the words against her practice, as she was the only one among them that dared tap into the 9th Tier of magic.
'And not too long before I reach into the Tenth.'
"Tch, damn you Locker." The startled duke stepped back, almost spilling the wine cup he had summoned over himself. "To waste ninth tier invisibility like this-"
Krunui breathed deeply for a second, putting a smug smile back on to not break his facade, hiding his jealousy away while still clenching his fist down to the bone.
"Yeah! You almost scared poor Kunivela here half to death!" An energetic voice spoke behind them, the feminine form of Rozaell teasing the paranoid caster besides her.
The Wise Wolf – Rozaell was perhaps the Night Lich that stuck out most among them, using her magic as a means of amplifying her natural strength rather than to burn her enemies down. Her armor was light, covering half her body in scales of slain beasts, while still showing enough skin below that made her femininity – even in undeath – obvious. Her knuckles were wrapped with claws made of the finest Mythril, her sharp and deadly weapon of choice that was often coated in the Yellow Revenant's concoctions.
"Aww, don't belittle poor Kuni here, he's paranoid enough as it is."
Granz's voice did not help the decreasing mood of the epitaph-less Kunivela, but he doubted she was ever trying in the first place.
'Paranoid? I'm the only one treating things seriously here! Yes, call me paranoid for setting magical traps in my stronghold, call me insane for protecting my research with the hundred minions I've raised and dominated! It's like they don't see how much of our work is jeopardized here!'
Away from the chattering quintet, the rest of the liches had divided in two groups, the first trio kept quietly to themselves, silently waiting for their master's arrival.
The three wore robes, different in design but drenched in black all the same. Morgaran and Maezor – The King of Decay & The Death Rider stood besides the first ever chancellor, Azennor – The Elder of the Hosts.
The King of Decay was an imposing figure, wearing the skull of a giant beast as a helm that always crowned his face. Though he was also a spellcaster, his specialties required him to get very close to his opponent if he wanted to melt and meld their flesh, so it was no surprise his body held the stamina and muscle needed to survive at sword's length.
Maezor required no introduction, his epitaph obvious when one saw the beast that always accompanied him, one of the world's own legendary undead that alone could cause hundreds upon thousands of deaths. Even when not riding atop his Soul Eater, Maezor's destructive magic scraped the heights of the seventh tier. His intimidating armor almost made his body look like an extension of his own beast.
Finally, there laid Azennor himself. He looked more like armor than man, unmoving, shining with the runes of each Chancellor tinted on the plates of his ward. Sitting on the ground was the man that stole the minds of so many of his kin hundreds of years ago. He realized undead that grew powerful enough, that lived old enough would always hunt each other down, drowned in their luster for research or power, or even boredom itself. That's when he founded Corpus of the Abyss.
It gave him no pleasure to see his organization be taken over by the wyrm, but he was no match for him. He knew he wasn't the strongest, he never was, but his skill over the minds of others extended to his own. All the minds he twisted and drained of knowledge until his kin was nothing more than mindless husks gave him the wisdom and cleverness needed to build Corpus, and that same cleverness was the thing that let him sit still now, unmoving, waiting for the Dragon Lord to cause his own downfall.
In their own little corner, the two remaining liches held an important meeting.
"Sister." A gravelly voice spoke as it reached for something underneath his robes and coat. It was a vial with a red, shimmering liquid. "I don't believe this will cure your condition quite yet, but it might bring you some form of satiation."
The cloaked woman extended out a curious hand as she took the vial. At a first glance, she could not be mistaken for any evil, perhaps just a very sickly woman hiding her thin, emaciated form under a long cloak.
As she took off her hoodie however, anyone with a weak stomach would faint at her sight. Bloody-red eyes with a dark sclera almost jumped out of her face, tearing streaks of black running below them like cracks on fine marble. Her jaw was filled with scratches of different size and depth, almost fully flagellated to the bone. If one would look between her cloak, they would find a figure almost fully covered in bandages, hiding away the rot brought about by her endless hunger.
This was Aurelin – The Eaten of Corpus.
"Thank you, Gaelenn. I had lost hope when turning to undeath didn't rid me of this...hunger." She held the flask near her eyes, almost tinted the same hue as the drink before her. "But I'll still hold onto some hope for the sake of your drinks."
She still remembers the night when she first awoke her talent. Her parent's cabin had been overtaken by the rain, and her big sister was slowly succumbing to disease…
'We couldn't give you a proper funeral...'
She removed the cork and drank deeply from the flask. It was chunky, almost like a smoothie with an indistinct flavor.
"I do hope the taste suits you well, sister. One average-weighting human body should provide for at least six flasks like the one you're drinking from."
The man behind the concoction was Gaelenn – The Yellow Revenant of Corpus. He stood hunchbacked, the coats over his skin hiding away bones from his spine that stuck out from under him. His body was completely covered in a fine leathery suit that hid away everything from vials of different poisons to multiple blades of all shape and size.
His face was the most eye-catching aspect of him, the mask that covered it shaped like a gravelly spike that curved downwards, completely hiding any feature from sight. The beak-like artifact not only protected him from most forms of poison and hex alike, it also shielded him from the stench of death he left resting at his laboratory.
There were few things in his unlife that brought him fulfillment, even his work as a doctor back when he was mortal didn't bring him much joy once it was finished. Saving lives once mattered to him, but he soon fell in love with the process of the operation, digging blades unto flesh, discovering how many ligaments of a person's body he could strip away before their heart would stop beating. It was no surprise that he fell into a great depression when healing magic began being widespread in his village, but he would soon find a new form of love in dissecting the darker arts.
The bandaged lady in front of him soon finished downing the bloodstained flask, almost dropping it from the small convulsion it provided her.
"It's… Fantastic." Aurelin suddenly spouted as she raised her head.
It took her a bit to rise from her stupor before she continued. "It's not the same as a full feeding…" She timidly ran her fingers against her face, feeling as the scars of her mouth receded bit by bit. "But it's satiating enough. You did an amazing job, Gaelenn."
'Especially for making a body six times as valuable.'
The revenant doctor spread his arms wide upon hearing the news, satisfied with the fruits of his work.
"Wonderful, sister! The experiments paid off after all!"
Aurelin had been providing him a lot of her meals for him to work with, so he spent uncountable hours buried away in his lab, mixing and stirring, ripping sinew and draining blood together with his magical concoctions to create something that could feed into his fellow chancellor's mystifying condition. It went unspoken how much blood had been spilled to create such a drink.
Not that they would run out anytime soon.
"You two best quiet yourselves, He is about to descend."
The sobering voice of their six-armed compatriot brought the two back to their senses. Indeed, they could feel its presence all around them, even Gaelenn's mask couldn't shield him from the overwhelming aura the Dragon Lord gave off.
As the ten chancellors turned their heads up, a massive, writhing pile of different cadavers descended from the heavens. This twisted ball of undeath was but one of the many mouthpieces their lord had conjured in his centuries of unlife, all starting from his transformation hundreds of years ago.
Sensing an unusual quietness coming from the wyrm, the White Saint was the first to prostrate before the beast. She was clever enough to know when her plans had been stirring discomfort in the creature that reigned over them, but she hadn't slipped up once before and wasn't going to start now.
Not when she was so close to her goal.
"Hail! Our leader, the Elder Coffin Dragon Lord has come to grace us with his presence once again. We chancellors have all gathered here to serve under your command, forever bound in undeath."
"Bound in undeath." The nine voices repeated after her, lowering themselves to show servitude towards the ball of flesh.
Suddenly, the chancellors could feel as their bodies were enveloped one by one by the writhing pile of undeath, a show of dominance the wyrm would often pull when it needed to speak with them personally.
It was almost a taunt, bringing his opponents inside himself so they may gaze at his true, awe-inspiring form. None would dare raise their blades against him when met with such powerful visage.
It was how he assimilated Corpus into his own, and these meetings were just a dark reminder of how they would fall against him should they ever dare challenging him.
"Granz Locker." The wyrm turned it's head to the White Saintess. "You made quite the trouble for me with your little play."
She didn't let the accusing tone of it's voice stir her resolve. Locker had long set countermeasures in place that ensured her body would dissolve upon her final death, not wanting to give the dragon lord any pleasure of raising her as a thrall should she have to fight him.
"Lord. I'm not sure I see the meaning behind your words, please enlighten this foolish servant with your wisdom."
"Fuhuhuhu — At least you know your place. Very well, I'll tell you what you did-"
She wanted to smile at how easy her lord was to please, but her expression suddenly faltered seeing the mangled, charred body that had been thrown towards her feet.
It was the body of a dwarf, one she could recognize even after all the hell it had been put through. Certainly, the unscathed red ingot he had been clutching to his chest even in his presumed final moments should have been a dead giveaway.
"I hope you remember, Locker, how you sent this pitiful dwarf my way."
She could feel the stares of her fellow night liches landing onto her, but her eyes were too busy with the shining red ingot, still holding onto it's form inside the dwarf's grasp.
"Of course, my lord." She genuflected. "This foolish dwarf crossed the border flaunting this mythical ingot around, hoping to find something – Or someone that could help him melt it down."
The saintess looked up from her bow with a twisted smile, trying to entertain the dragon lord as she recounted. "I simply informed him that Your Majesty is the strongest, and would have no problems lending his flames for such a thing. As long as the dwarf told you where he got the ingot from, of course."
She was telling the truth so far, and if the state of the forge-master's body was anything to go by, her plan had been flawless.
"...Indeed, Locker. Just as you expected, he told me every single, LITTLE detail I wanted to hear..."
The wyrm revolted, each word he spat out laced with an underlying fury that made Kunivela gulp. The other chancellors weren't too far behind him trying to understand what roused the dragon lord's fury, all they could do was listen intently for his spiel.
"And what have I learned from him, Locker?"
Faster than what they could see, the Dragon Lord lunged in front of the White Saint, landing a massive claw on the shriveled body of the Forgemaster, erasing the little that was left of his body with his negative energy.
'He didn't even merit becoming a thrall.'
Granz Locker could only make her resolve as she waited for the wyrm to finish it's words. She barely noticed the reflection of the ingot, still intact after even the last bits of the dwarf dissolved.
"This...Filth." Cure Elim picked up the ingot and stared deeply at it. He remembered still, centuries ago when that damned scum proudly announced itself to the world.
That scourge the Emperor dragged onto their realm, wielding a massive, crystallized blade that tore into the flesh of his kin effortlessly. How many had fallen to it?
He witnessed it first hand, and forever engraved the names he heard uttered by the filth. Among the many items the Eight Greed Kings boasted about using, 'Adamantite' was apparently a favorite. Even within the Thirteen Heroes, the Magic Craftsman that felled dragons by himself and went on to found the Dwarven Kingdom was always clad in Adamantite Armor.
"So, tell me, dwarf. How did you come across this ingot?"
The Forgemaster looked in horror, but still tried to hide his shock as he answered.
"M-My liege, it is as I've told you. The Sorcerer King entrusted this to me in the hopes I could forge armor out of it. But this blasted thing-"
'Sorcerer King...Could he be another one of them…'
He interrogated the dwarf for all he had, and every piece of information just confirmed his suspicions more and more. The dwarf barely had time to process as his lower abdomen had been pierced by the tentacle Cure Elim writhed at him.
"Another one...Another filth of the Emperor…"
The fires consumed him quickly after that.
"...Yes, this FILTH marks the Sorcerer King as another one. Another one of that scourge the Platinum's father called onto this world."
The Elder Coffin dragon lord explained to the rest of the wide-eyed chancellors. As overbearing as the wyrm was, he had often recounted his fury at the Dragon Emperor whenever he scoffed at Corpus' use of Tier Magic, the corruption brought about by the Great Gods and the Greed Kings.
Granz Locker did not expect this development. She understood the strength of the Sorcerer King very well, and hoped sending that dwarf into the wyrm's maw would be enough to rouse him into attacking the northern continent, but this reaction far outdid that.
She adjured to Cure Elim. "Lord, do you plan on attacking the Sorcerer Kingdom?"
The Saint didn't even have to look to feel the eyes of her fellow chancellors burning a hole through her skull. Krunui would even go as far as berating her out loud.
"Locker, have you gone mad? You've heard the stories just as us! We can't-"
The Red-Eyed Duke stopped dead in his tracks as he felt the wyrm's glance falling back on him. Whatever Locker was planning, he couldn't let her drag them all into the hell she was digging herself into.
"Both of you, silence yourselves!" The Dragon Lord roared, bringing them all back to their knees once again. He had grown irritated of his little pet project upon realizing what the Sorcerer King truly was, but he could still use them to his advantage.
"The Sorcerer King will be a troublesome opponent." The words were enough to cause Krunui to slump over, as well as cause more unrest in the rest of the chancellors.
Cure Elim wouldn't be so foolish.
"It's for that reason I won't attack him directly. Neither will any of you, I have better uses in mind for all of you…"
Yes, he could see it so clearly now.
In his ambitions he didn't even see the relief written over the chancellors faces.
"Fuhahaha… Granz Locker! Since you started this, you're being sent first, on your own."
"I command you! You are to travel north into the Slane Theocracy! You should do undercover fine, won't you?"
This is it, the chance she had been waiting for.
"My lord." She bowed. "I will do as you ask. Am I allowed to wear the Mandala?"
It was a risky gambit, and Cure Elim knew that. She flinched for the first time as the massive dragon lord turned his neck back at her with a glare.
"No. It will be too much of a risk to move the World Item alone. If you don't return in ten days, the rest will move for a full assault at the Theocracy."
The Saintess faltered. 'That complicates things… No, I'll just have to take another approach…'
Cure Elim, on the other hand, was already envisioning the full extent of his future reign.
'Yes, it's perfect… I'll make thralls out of the blackened blood of the God-kins, then use their treasures against the Sorcerer King… A perfect revenge against the folly of the Dragon Emperor!'
While the wyrm was lost in his own ambitions and mirth, the night liches of Corpus discussed over themselves.
"Master Azennor." It was the Morgaran who spoke up first, followed by Maezor. "What shall we do?"
Azennor only wistfully looked towards the White Saint. If he knew his student well, he knows where her ambitions will take her.
'She played her cards well.'
"...Ten days." Azennor was cryptic enough as he led his two confidants away.
"Ten days to train for our fight against the Scriptures."
"Abyss!" Rozaell was quick to jump to Banezeri's side. "We're gonna train too, right?!"
"Hum." The giant watched the smaller girl punch her knuckles together in excitement. "It has been too long since we fought together, it may do us well."
"All I needed to hear!" She started stretching her arms and neck then and there, itching for a fight. Banezeri didn't think she'd be so eager to start, but seeing the look Roza was giving him he'd knew it be a fruitless endeavor to stop her now.
All he could do was minimize the damage.
"Goodness, I didn't even get to to talk with brother Anchas before that berzerker jumped him!"
Gaelenn was less than impressed at the situation unfolding all around him. He wasn't eager to fight the Theocracy up close.
As he ventured close to Banezeri's skeletal dragon though, different ideas sprouted inside his undead mind.
'Well, I have a lot of different concoctions that haven't come to fruition yet. Maybe we can finally put that aerial-plague experiment to good use.'
With newfound resolve, Gaelenn ran an emaciated hand on the dragon's head as if trying to pet him, before letting out a bone-chilling laugh for all to hear.
While Krunui was still anxious on Cure Elim's stance of opposing the Sorcerer King, there wasn't much he could do now that Locker set them on this path. He was eager to return to the defenses and comfort of his castle, but there was still something important he had to ask the wyrm.
Taking a deep breath, the duke approached the dragon lord with utmost grace before calling onto him.
"Lord Cure Elim!"
The white snake-dragon pulled himself out of his daydreams, turning his neck an unnatural amount of degrees to address the cringing duke.
"Ah, Krunui. I thought our matters were already settled?"
"Forgive me, lord. I must simply inquire on our strategy should we really set out to invade the Theocracy."
Krunui waited for a reaction, but the dragon lord simply pointed at him to go on.
Fighting off a gulp in his throat, Krunui continued.
"How many puppets am I to mobilize, Lord?"
"Ah, so that's what it is. That's a sensible question, Krunui, we wouldn't want to put your talent to waste, after all…"
The slightest smirk came across the duke's face. He wasn't the only one blessed with a talent inside Corpus, his powers just let him stand out quite nicely.
There's a reason Krunui doesn't get his own hands dirty. When he was young, his peers were impressed at his magical, floating weapons. It wasn't unheard of, there were rumors and tales of strong warriors and mages that used spatial enchantment, but they realized too late what Krunui had was entirely different.
There were different ways to bending the will of others. Some used mind-control spells, others simply broke their minds until they couldn't fight back, and some would rather kill them and raise them as undead than waste any more effort.
Krunui's magic ran deeper than that. Azennor could drain people of their wisdom and wills until they were nothing but mindless husks, but as long as their bodies were still useful, all Krunui had to do was mark them to turn them into his thrall – his puppet.
That's how Krunui kept his castle guarded so well. Azennor and Gaelenn taught them all how every little part of an opponent can be used against them. Even after they're slain, their bodies and minds are powerful resources you shouldn't let go to waste.
"Tell me, were you able to raise that one?"
Cure Elim could only be referring to one body here. It hasn't been too long since Corpus hunted down and assimilated a fleeing Zurrernorn. And the treasures they had lying dead with them…
"It was a success, Lord." Krunui smirked, proud of himself.
He still remembered the perverted, unnaturally wide smile the orange-haired woman gave him after he raised her. Even knowing he had taken over her mind, he couldn't help but shiver at the twisted expression she gave off wherever she looked.
"And like you had requested of me, I sent her off to that desolate kingdom of Inveria."
"Very well. I learned a lot about the Rainbow-Eyed people whose souls I've harvested from that time… Let's hope she comes back with something interesting."
It was another gamble by the wyrm, hoping she would find and recover any powerful items he might have missed during his first hunt for souls, but he wasn't expecting Krunui to disappoint him when he has been such a useful tool for him thus far.
"Ah, you wanted to know how big of an army you can send to the Theocracy, right?"
"...Yes, you can certainly put it that way, lord."
"All of them."
Krunui blinked. The whistling of the wind overwhelmed his ears as his mind drew to a blank.
"WHAT?!"
Inside Nazarick
Third Floor.
"...And that's what I learned from talking with those Death Knights that made their rounds here, Ainz-sama!"
"Intriguing. Honestly, I never figured they were much for conversation."
Shalltear was reminiscing with the Overlord, telling him how she would invite the Death Knights that came on patrol from outside the Tomb for the Chambers whenever she got bored.
"They aren't, most of the time at least~" She recounted with a dismissive arinsu. "The ones that came all the way from E-Rantel all tell the same stories of keeping the city peaceful. Only some lucky ones get to boast about killing some mindless beast that got too close to the borders..."
"Honestly, it all seems very boring, arinsu."
"Well, peaceful times can come across as boring. If we had to keep the Death Knights entertained, I don't believe there would be much of a city left for them to defend."
'And as boring as it gets, E-Rantel will be thankful that it's people won't have to suffer widows and hunger in times of war.'
The thought of the Death Knights being sapient enough still lingered inside Ainz's head. It already turned his world upside-down when he was first transported into this world and the NPCs started talking to him, and as much his summons had clearly grown more combat-awareness compared to YGGDRASIL, he never spoke to them much further than giving them combat orders.
'Well, at least being linked to me means they won't start a revolt. Ahhh, this is ridiculous, I must be the only Overlord in this world worried about the possibility of being betrayed by my own underlings.'
Shalltear smiled as the two floated back over the derelict rope bridge. Ainz-sama had once again gone quiet, probably lost in thought as he often does. Not that she would ever fault him for it.
'I can't imagine all the thoughts that must go over the mind of a Supreme Being at any given time, where else would Lord Ainz get all his fantastic plans from?'
As the two had reached the Adipocere Chambers, Ainz raised his hand to lift the curtains to enter before suddenly stopping in his tracks. Shalltear only inspected his face with curiosity, wondering what move the Overlord would make next.
A familiar voice went off inside his head.
[Lord Ainz Ooal Gown-sama. The Floor Guardians have gathered in the Throne Room as you have requested. May I open a [Gate] for you?]
He lifted a bony finger to his temple, nodding on to Shalltear that their time was up.
[Yes, that would be ideal, Aureole. You've done well.]
He could tell the shrine maiden was bowing at the other end of the [Message] spell as the massive purpurine vortex emerged behind the Vampire and the Overlord.
"It seems we're done here, Shalltear. Are you ready to move?"
The Overlord extended a skeletal hand to the Vampire, which she gleefully took on her own.
"As long as I'm with you, Ainz-sama~"
She closed the gap between the two of them, almost hugging Ainz as she pressed her body into his while they crossed the [Gate].
Aura arrived in the Throne Room still holding onto Mare's hand. The little Dark Elf looked around, eager to find Lord Ainz's splendorous visage, but unfortunately came out short.
In fact, the room came out depressingly empty.
'Not just because of Lord Ainz, but Albedo… and Shalltear?'
Her keen instincts weren't lying to her, a certain vampire had also missed her cue to present in the Floor Guardians line, at least in the little elf's eyes.
"Where's Shalltear? Man, I'm never going to let her hear the end of it if she misses a meeting from Lord Ainz!"
Her bemused comment didn't go unheard to the two remaining guardians. While the frozen insectoid remained unfaltering, Demiurge couldn't help but anxiously shift his tail as he motioned to the elf child.
"I wouldn't worry too much, Aura. I'm sure Lord Ainz has been keeping a close eye on Shalltear."
'Eh?' Aura turned her head with a raised eyebrow towards the towering devil. She felt Demiurge knew more than what he let on whenever he talks like this, and she doesn't like being in the dark one bit.
'Especially if it has to do with Shalltear!'
While Aura was busy trying to extract answers out from the coy devil, Mare had already placed himself next to Cocytus on the line and was ready to serve, or doze off for a few minutes if Lord Ainz would take too long. Soon enough, he heard another scratch in reality as a [Gate] opened next to the throne.
It wasn't their Lord, however. Stepping outside the portal was a tall figure, draped in the finest leather uniform that exuded an aura of imperial authoritativeness. His slender limbs swiftly raised to dust themselves off after crossing through the rift. After looking over the Throne of Kings to confirm he hadn't been late, Pandora's Actor turned to face the apprehensive group of Guardians.
"Humm. I was hoping to arrive in tow with Ainz-sama. But! I may have miscalculated a bit."
The doppelganger shot a cold look towards a particular devil in the room before it's hollow eyes landed in each one of the Floor Guardians. Demiurge was the only one here who knew of the role to come that landed on his shoulders, he at least had one ally less he needed to impress when acting the Overseer.
And speaking about impressions…
'Mein Vater, why are they staring at me like that?'
The doppelganger's visage landed on the two dark elf children. Pandora's Actor went through the small amount of interactions he held with them to figure out the meaning behind their eager looks, but his mind came out empty.
Resigned, the treasurer stepped towards the twins. Mare's glance never stopped following him.
"...Children, is there something wrong?"
"N-No there's not, Pandora-sama!" The dark elf boy suddenly stuttered back. "It's just…"
'Pandora-sama? Why, I don't remember ever…'
Before the doppelganger would lose himself further thinking about this new nickname gifted to him, the spunkier sibling spoke up.
"It's just we never get to see you around here!" Aura pointed an accusing finger towards him. "You're never with us on the meetings, you do all that cool stuff alone or with Lord Ainz!"
'Cool stuff?' Pandora's Actor had turned flabbergasted. 'They think that I'm… That I'm…'
"I-It's true!" Mare suddenly chimed in again, furthering knock Pandora's Actor back with surprise.
"Lord Ainz s-showed us the recording of your fight, Pandora-sama! The way you fought was r-really cool!"
"Mare's right! You kept that Riku guy on his toes without even using any of Lord Ainz's strongest spells!" Aura seemed genuinely enthusiastic as she recounted the fight. "Lord Ainz told us that it was not even a fraction of your true power! He said you could easily demolished anyone if you went all out!"
"Y-Yeah!" The twins were just fighting over the attention of a motionless Pandora at this point. "Lord Ainz said there's no guardian that could beat you if you fought seriously, t-that's why you're the only one on the treasury…"
Pandora's Actor was shook.
'Mein Vater… Really thinks so strongly of me?'
He couldn't help but smile on the inside. But he wanted to do so much more, to tremble, to scream out, he was barely keeping himself together from saluting.
'But...Nein, I have to keep up with them now.'
Pandora slowly lifted his head. He seemed to have left the two twins looking anxiously at the silent doppelganger's direction.
He needed to meet their expectations.
Clicking his boots together, the ever-changing phantom proudly saluted to the twins.
"Of course, my children! I am the creation and child of the most Supreme One, our almighty Lord Ainz! It would be the most sacrilege for me not to bear his awesome strength most dutifully!"
The children beamed at the sheer demonstration of power coming from Pandora's Actor. Aura and Mare never had been close to the creation of Lord Ainz before, but he was just like how they imagined him after first meeting their Lord in the coliseum so long ago.
'Vater, for the first time since I left the treasury… I found someone who doesn't scoff at me! Two of them!'
It didn't take too long after for the sound of another [Gate] echo throughout the Throne Room.
All champions and stewards of Nazarick stared together, the visage of Supreme One traversing the [Gate] next to the gilded throne. The Overlord came forth, shocking the guardians as he walked with a True Vampire in hand.
Shalltear Bloodfallen felt the eyes of her comrades landing on her as Ainz stepped towards the throne. She has no idea if she should kneel like they had too considering her current standing, so she settled with an awkward half-bow while keeping a hand to her dress.
"You may lift your heads."
Ainz could see the varied looks of surprise painted on the guardians faces, especially from Aura and some of the Pleiades. He could hardly blame them, even he had to do a double take when he realized Shalltear had taken the throne's armrest for a chair.
'I'm not going to keep them waiting forever, will I? Come on Ainz, just say something!'
"My guardians, everyone, you have done well in gathering for this meeting. There is much we need to discuss."
It was not only the Floor Guardians, the Pleiades had also been requested to participate, but they wouldn't be the only ones getting the news.
With an almighty click of the guild weapon, Ainz Ooal Gown raised from his throne, extending a hand forward to access Nazarick's control panel.
'Let's see…' The Overlord fiddled with the different menus, searching the different bolded options until landing on the broadcasting system.
'Perfect, it should work well enough for this.'
In what happened under the blink of an eye for the guardians, Ainz summoned the Tomb's scrying measures, not to overlook other areas of the tomb like when the workers invaded under Demiurge's plan, but to broadcast this meeting to every inhabitant of Nazarick.
"First of all, I want to express my sincere gratitude for the composure of the Floor Guardians." Ainz started strong. "Ever since our last meeting, we faced rather troublesome events that could have easily spiraled into our own destruction – I'm happy we have overcome all of that together."
Ainz gauged the effects of his words in each member. Demiurge still had his little coy smile after being praised alongside his fellow guardians, but speaking of Albedo's plans seemed to have brought him just a little over the edge. Cocytus was trying much to be his usual self, but the way his tail restlessly shifted made him look more anxious than ever.
"Aura and Mare, it brought me great comfort seeing the two of you growing closer at the face of hardship. Keeping close bonds tightened even in times of trouble saved the Supreme Beings many times before in the past. That's why I urge all of you to follow in Aura & Mare's example!"
The siblings bowed in perfect unison as they thanked Lord Ainz. 'To have ourselves compared to the Supreme Beings…' Aura couldn't help but clutch her wristband tighter.
Still distant from the throne, Yuri Alpha attended the meeting with the rest of her sisters. She couldn't help but tense, hearing just now that the Tomb had been facing some unknown trouble for some time! She tried hard not to fidget.
'I doubt my sisters know any better, I bet I look as afraid as them.'
Besides CZ and Entoma, it wasn't hard to feel the anxieties coming off the Pleiades. It's their duty to keep the home of the Supreme One cleansed and safe, what could have gone under their radar?
'Think, Yuri, Think. Maybe it's something we weren't meant to know? Then why call us in for this meeting? If our Lord wants to punish us for not catching-on earlier, I need to step up for my sisters and-'
"Yuri Alpha! I'm grateful you and Sebas could make it in and bring the rest of the Pleiades for this meeting, please step forward."
The butler of steel moved first, carving in the parlous path she and her sisters would walk on towards the golden throne. The dullahan held her breath still as she presented to the Supreme One.
It was time to hear the Overlord talk.
"As you must have already surmised, the Pleiades have been withheld information, a particular strike in the heart of the Tomb that needed to go unnoticed."
The battle-maid shivered with the Overlord's choice of words. Even around her, she could feel the scowls of her superiors Floor Guardians increasing.
"M-My Lord, if the Pleiades had known anything-"
Her words were snuffed out as the Overlord raised his arm.
"This wasn't done out of distrust on the Pleiades on my part, I hope you can understand that."
The Overlord's voice was serene and understanding, but still carried the weight of magnanimous authority. It silenced Yuri back onto her place.
"Right now, it's best we all move forward from this. That's why I'm bringing the information out for the whole Tomb."
A bony hand snapped it's fingers. All of the sudden, the Throne of Kings started burning with a yellow-fiery aura, before it cast out of itself a burning orb of pure white. This flaming orb spun unnaturally in the air before sprouting it's own multiple pairs of wings, and in it's center the pure-white gave away for one, onlooking eye.
'Right, Tabula had spent some insane amount of data crystals making the Throne of King's [All-Base Broadcast] look like a [Seraphim Watcher]. That guy…'
The guardians all looked on in awe, never having seen one of the spells of the [ToK] in use like this. 'It almost makes me feel bad. It's just simple guild-managing stuff guys!'
"With this, the information shared in this meeting will be known to all other floors. It's funny, for a Guildmasters tool I barely had use for it in the past…"
Ainz looked to the Vampire sitting at his side. Shalltear was adamant, he didn't know if she realized she was part of the information to be shared later, but she'll probably have something to say too.
If this was a business meeting like in his old world, he should start with the bad news, letting everyone in the office down before lifting them up again with some surprise he had been keeping under wraps.
'That's right Ainz, assassination plots and surprise weddings, just the normal stuff any company has to deal with it.'
From pressing onto the WI's panel, a wide screen displaying the events of the Throne Room was summoned into thin air before the Floor Guardians. It was like looking looking at your reflection in a mall's security camera.
"Perfect. Now to bring this image to the rest of the Tomb."
It was as simple as checking-on boxes on a list.
From the Cafeteria to the Bar in the 9th Floor, from the Amphitheater to the Rivers of Lava in the 7th Floor. Every inhabited area was receiving this broadcast.
The Field of Flowers, where Pinison was happily tending her apple orchard.
The Harem Room, where Fith was cheerfully cleaning up.
The Adipocere Chambers, where Foire and the Vampire Brides were getting along all to well now.
Even in the Frozen Prison, where a certain Half-Elf girl tiredly tried opening her eyes, seeing herself confined once again in an empty room…
And in the irradiated wastes of the 8th Floor, four separate screens had been called into place.
One in the Cherry Blossom Sanctuary, where Aureole gathered her underlings, angel dolls and fox girls to watch with her and Victim.
Another appeared deep underground, sheltered and hidden away from the terrors that lurked below. Inside this massive forge, a Dark Dwarf watched in awe as the golden screen brought him away from his work.
Further still, in another secluded corner of the landscape, a screen cautiously edged near the set of beings, as if afraid of being destroyed by them. The Trio of Mockery sighed, putting their cards down on the table and vowing to resume their game of poker later.
...And finally, hanging over the edge of an endless abyss, unhindered by the lilac streaks of magical lighting lay the Twisting Nether's screen, ominously staring down a silent Succubus.
The Overlord stood up, grasping the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown in his hand as he prepared his grand announcement.
"We'll go over what happened last meeting."
"The Guardian Overseer Albedo has betrayed her role, and thus, all of Nazarick. She prepared an execution squadron to hunt down other Players, but really intended on using such force to find and kill any Supreme Being to cross into this New World."
Ainz gave a well-intended pause, letting the Pleiades process the information at their own pace.
Yuri Alpha was appalled, she could barely keep her arms up as they drooped down low from the shock. Sheer disbelief widened her eyes and that of her sisters.
Solution took a step forward like she wanted to say something, but she came out short, only a paralyzed mess much like Yuri as she felt her knees would give out at any given moment.
It started to look like they were all too shocked to speak, but-
"WHAT?!"
The unapologetic outburst came from, most unexpectedly, Narberal Gamma.
"H-How?! She's the one that loves Momonga-sama the most, isn't SHE?!"
The doppelganger's usual personality seemed to have cracked under the pressure, but not just her emotions…
"N-Narberal!" Yuri tried to reprimand her, but her voice caught up in her own sobs.
"I don't understand! How could she?! After everything-"
Narberal was melting.
She moved erratically from side to side, trying to make sense of this terrible revelation. Albedo was their Overseer, put in place by the Supreme Ones to forever serve them. It completely shattered her worldview to know she could have betrayed them like that.
Her mind was running like hell. It didn't make sense it didn't make sense, was she tricking them? Was she lying all along? How can Narberal know that? How is she expected to believe that?
She gasped, her form dropping down to the floor, trying and failing to recompose herself.
She couldn't stop it.
"Narberal…" The low voice came from the Overlord. Not only was the Pleiade's panic attack ailing at him empathically, he could feel that same kind of unrest coming from all over the place.
The Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown shivered with negativity as every floor in Nazarick took in the news. Reverberating echoes of hurt and disbelief from the Tomb's inhabitants trembling at the staff at the same rate Narberal's head hit the floor.
'This is bad. The Floor Guardians didn't take things terribly, but…' Taking in the terror from the Staff of AOG, Ainz couldn't help but imagine the other residents of the Tomb. 'If the battle maids are taking it like this, then the homunculus maids, even the other brides...'
Hearing her master's voice, her guardian's instinct made her lift her head towards him. Her face was a mess, half of it torn apart, resembling something like Pandora's own.
It was too much for her, to let her Lord see her like this. Her mind was racing between trying to hide herself and wanting to disappear until things made sense in her head.
She didn't even realize when she started casting the lightning spell. Or how it was aimed at her own body.
Someone couldn't take just watching any longer.
"Nabe-chan! Stop acting like an idiot already, su!"
Lupusregina was tense. Her eyes were still wet with tears, both from Albedo's revelation and from seeing her sister in pain. She wasn't going to step up at first, but when Shizu tried to instead Lupus didn't let her, she knows their levels and Shizu had no chance if something bad happened.
'Still pretty scary. Nabe-chan never lost her cool like that.'
The writhing doppelganger on the floor only looked pleadingly to her wolfish sister. With her one eye that hadn't lost form, she begged she put it all to a stop.
Not only were her limbs melting and reforming under pressure, the lightning spell around her certainly didn't help.
"Don't tell me I never did anything for you, Nabe-chan!"
The wolf-girl took a deep breath, looking at her sister a final time before lunging at her to scoop her up.
'Grrr… Doesn't… Hurt at OW OW OW'
Lupusregina grit her teeth as she was enveloped in the same [Dragon Lightning] that coursed through Narberal's body. It hurt a lot, and surely was going to make a mess out of her clothes, but Narberal needed this.
"Come...on…!"
Finally, she grabbed onto her enough to get her hands close to her face. Looking her sister straight in her eyes, Lupus closed their heads together before speaking again.
"I'm right here, Nabe-chan. We all are, that's all that matters, right?"
The doppelganger stopped, her body slowly settling in on one shape again.
Soon, the lightning completely flickered out, leaving only a very charred Lupusregina behind, the sight of which left Narberal completely speechless.
"L-Lupus-san, I…"
The tanned girl only coughed, shaking her head to try and get all the soot out from her hair.
"It's fine Nabe-chan! Just don't do anything like that ever again, su!"
Having Lupus scolding her so close, especially after doing that in-front of everyone, even Ainz-sama…
"I… I don't know-" Smack!
"That's the least I can do before I heal you, su!" Lupus snuck her tongue out at Nabe after banging their heads together just to drop Narberal down. "Now let's get you back there."
Yuri still looked beyond disbelief as Lupus dragged their sister back in line. She also could see how Entoma had shrunk under her own uniform, possibly whimpering after hearing the news, but Shizu was doing her best to comfort her once again.
'These sisters of mine…'
A small smile appeared in the dullahan's face as she used an armored hand to wipe away her tears.
Now she had to represent them.
Yuri Alpha turned to the Supreme One again. Tenseness was still high in the room, the rest of her sisters behind her comforting Narberal, most of the Floor Guardians still awry, no doubt because of her sister's previous outburst but also for being reminded of this betrayal by the Overseer. Sitting in the throne, the ever supreme Ainz Ooal Gown towered over her, with Lady Shalltear feeding on the dullahan's panic with only her looks.
Yuri could only kneel to the supreme.
"My lord, please forgive my sister for her behavior, I should have restrained her before she got so far into-"
"Yuri Alpha, please lift your head."
The teacher did as told, hoping whatever punishment Ainz-sama had in mind could fall on her shoulders instead.
"I will not take offense for one of my subordinates airing out their grievances, even if it's on me." The others looked like they wanted to speak, but Ainz raised a hand to stop them. "Narberal Gamma, all you have done is vent out your frustrations. Even if you were lost inside them for a moment, you had someone take you out from that spiral and remind you of what mattered in the moment."
The Overlord looked at the tanned battle-maid this time, who was still kneeling next to the resting doppelganger she was healing.
"Lupusregina, I am truly proud of you. You have come forth to save a comrade even when doing so meant putting yourself at risk. This is something that every Supreme Being stood for in the past, and I'm very grateful to see it coming from one of you."
The wolfish maid could barely voice out her gratitude. To have her Lord speak to her like this, especially after her previous failures that hurt at him so much…
"Thank you, Ainz-sama."
She kept her teary eyes hidden under cap, showing only a big toothy smile while healing Narberal Gamma.
"I hope this is enough to put all of you at peace. Holding onto grievances is what made Albedo turn her heart against us in the first place. You have done no harm, Narberal Gamma, remember that."
The doppelganger being laid to rest by her healer could only nod her head as a show of courtesy. At least most of her features had returned back to their beautiful princess form.
"And you, Yuri Alpha, should feel proud as well. I'm sure you're well responsible for keeping the Pleiades in line. I am happy they have a good older sister to take care of them."
It was Yuri's time to get her words caught up on her throat.
'Goodness… And I was fully meaning to sacrifice myself for them, did Lord Ainz see through that too?'
"Your kindness knows no bounds, Ainz-sama. We are truly lucky to serve under the most magnanimous of the Supreme Beings."
Ainz did not know how to respond, but seeing the nods coming from Shalltear and the rest of the Guardians told him it was a good thing. He didn't have to worry much as Yuri brought herself back to the line with the rest of the star sisters.
"I am glad you all think so. However, with Albedo's punishment and banishment in hand, we face the issue of a missing post. The Tomb would face countless problems down the line without an Overseer in place."
'Now for the first big reveal. Hopefully they like Pandora… Ah, I need to make him look cool for them now, that's what a boss does when he's showing off his new special hire!'
The eyes of the guardians gleamed, all eager to know what the extent of Lord Ainz's infinite wisdom will provide them this time. It was then one figure raised and separated from the crowd.
"I hope you all remember how Pandora's Actor fought Riku Aganeia in my stead. Not only his combat calculations are extremely formidable, he has already been responsible for sorting the Tomb's finances and keeping the treasury safe all this time. There are the reasons I'm deciding to raise Pandora as Overseer!"
The eyes of the Floor Guardians gleamed with anticipation as Pandora's Actor took the steps towards the throne. Each one of them knew him as Ainz-sama's enigmatic creation, and all (besides some bemused members of the Pleiades) were eager to serve this branch of Ainz-sama's power.
"My esteemed Floor Guardians, I promise to fulfill this new duty, no, to play this new role to my utmost perfection! There will be no compromises to our beautiful Nazarick, home of the Supreme Beings under my command!"
The Doppelganger presented himself with grace and power, every step from the throne to when addressing the Floor Guardians was immaculate, like he trained his whole existence for this.
'I feel it's a bit too flashy myself, but the Floor Guardians seem to approve.'
Ainz glazed over the line. 'Hey, Mare and Aura are even clapping for him! I don't know if all that encouragement is good for his head…'
"Mein Vater! The Guardians are ready to hear your next proclamation."
Finally and with a dramatic bow, the doppelganger finished his presentation and turned back to Ainz.
'Well, hopefully it will all work out for him.' Ainz looked to the Staff again, seeing the previous anxious energy from the Tomb had severely subsided. 'That means we're making progress, now to wrap things up.'
"Thank you, Pandora's Actor." The Overlord turned to the petite figure in his right before returning to address the Floor Guardians. "Now it is time to inform you all of my decision in staying in the Tomb."
The flames in Ainz Ooal Gown's eye sockets shone brightly. Shalltear felt the air getting stuck on her throat as each one of the Floor Guardians looked on mystified.
'Ainz-sama… Are you really going to…'
"Indeed! It had been a long time coming for me to choose. Since you Floor Guardians decided to make me King, I think it's only right to raise a Queen inside Nazarick as well!"
The faces of the Guardians immediately lit-up, gasps abound. Demiurge only raised his glasses up with a knowing smile while Cocytus exhaled an excited breath of frost. Next to the Pleiades, Sebas only smiled and nodded after looking at the surprised glances of the sisters, especially Solution who had unknowingly called-it earlier.
For a Dark Elf girl, the truth was finally dawning on her.
'W-Wait! Then that means-'
Before she could continue that thought, Ainz settled the truth for her.
The Overlord pushed himself off the Throne of Kings, scooping up the True Vampire in his arms in one swift motion.
Shalltear knew this was coming, but never expected it to happen like this! She could only let out a small squeal for being carried in the arms of the Supreme One.
"I have made my choice, Shalltear Bloodfallen will be Queen of Nazarick, head wife of the Overlord!"
Ainz Ooal Gown made his declaration loud and clear to all the beings watching. The looks on the faces of the Floor Guardians were nothing but excitement, surprise and eagerness. From the looks of things, the Tomb was currently roaring.
'Wow, I finally said it, huh?' Ainz looked to the vampire in his arms. Shalltear didn't know what to say, the last time she was carried like this was during her resurrection…
Right now- 'Ainz-sama… My Ainz-sama…'
She could only smile at him.
He turned to face the Floor Guardians once again, a mighty aura enveloping him and Shalltear whole before speaking.
"If anyone has a problem with this choice, I urge them to speak now!"
The crowd of Floor Guardians immediately fell to their knees, voicing their cheers of approval in unison. Even behind them, Ainz could see the Pleiades, a Solution who seems very happy for Shalltear and a Lupusregina smiling with her head down, pouting like she had lost a bet.
Only one Guardian stood apart, Ainz raised a non-existent eyebrow as he saw…
"Aura?"
Shalltear turned from Ainz's face to look as well, the dark elf girl was the first and only one to move forward. She took measured steps going out of line, looking straight down to the Supreme One and the True Vampire in his hands.
"I…"
Aura's body language was stunted, she looked unsure of what she should say at a time like this. Even Mare watching from behind didn't know what his sister was doing.
Suddenly, the girl bit her tongue and bowed.
"I, Aura Bella Fiora, want to be the first to congratulate Shalltear Bloodfallen on rising to become head wife of Ainz-sama."
Ainz was confused, but Shalltear seemed taken back at Aura's gesture.
"Shorty…"
The True Vampire elegantly fluttered down from her Lord's embrace to meet Aura on the steps to the throne.
Face to face with her best friend, Aura couldn't help but smile. 'Shalltear really did it.'
To Aura, it felt like it was just yesterday when she caught Shalltear in a depressive slump at the Sous-chef bar, and how she decided to cheer her up back then…
"Well, if you're not gonna aim for Ainz-sama's heart and fight Albedo, I will!"
She ran away embarrassed after saying that, but it had gotten Shalltear's mood up at the time-
"This Shalltear Bloodfallen accepts your praise, Aura-sama~"
The dark elf thought this was going to be it, but she let out a squeal of her own when she was suddenly pulled in for a hug by the vampire.
"Thanks for everything, shorty." Shalltear whispered in Aura's ear.
Aura wanted to pull away from the hug, but gave-in in the end. Shalltear could have this one.
"Bet you didn't even need to stuff your chest!"
After using some of her full-strength to give Aura a strong enough hug just to squeeze away a few hitpoints out of her for her comment, Shalltear let her sibling-cousin go free. The dark elf pretended another fully polite bow before sticking her tongue out and rushing back to Mare's side.
"Why that little-" Shalltear wanted to go after her, but was interrupted by the Overlord's mirthful laughter.
"Well, it appears everyone supports us together, Shalltear."
The words from her lover brought her back to his side. Ainz-sama really was such a smooth ruler! 'Then again, if anyone had a problem with it, I'd just challenge them on the spot! They'd be going against Ainz-sama's words, after all.'
"I'm relieved everything has gone well. My guardians, let us usher in a new era for the Great Tomb of Nazarick!"
"Right!"
Cheers from all. Ainz felt almost ready to shift gears and end the Seraphim's transmission, but Pandora stopped him in his tracks.
"Ainz-sama, I believe we aren't finished yet."
"Hum?"
Ainz turned to see his Doppelganger son in confusion. 'What did I miss this time?'
Worst still, he realized Demiurge was about to step up to say something.
"Of course, Pandora is right, how could we forget?"
Ainz wasn't the only one confused as Aura and Mare turned their heads from Demiurge to Cocytus, who also spoke.
"We. Have. A. New. Overseer. Now. We. Need. A. New. Ritual. Of. Fidelity!"
Ainz's eyes burned brightly. Yes, that would be the perfect way to end things.
Looking over his side, he could already see the Doppelganger eager to receive the orders. Ainz only sat back in his throne, his smiling Queen by his side as he gave the command.
"Pandora's Actor! You may… No, I command you! Fulfill your duty as overseer!"
The phantom in military robes stared still for only a second. He turned to face his peers, walking down the edge of the throne's steps to address them.
The Frozen God of the Fifth Floor, Cocytus, was lost in awe staring into the Royal Throne.
'So...Big…'
He felt it now. No, he had felt it many times before, ever since they all arrived in this New World, but right now, staring at Lord Ainz, the imposing figure of the Sorcerer King on the gilded throne of Nazarick. Lady Shalltear Bloodfallen on one side, and the protector of the Treasury Pandora's Actor on the other. He really was…
'Untouchable.'
"Mein Guardians! Our Lord demands our vow of fidelity!"
Pandora's Actor spun on his heel, leading his voice to the Floor Guardians.
"Guardian. of. the. Fifth. Floor. Protector. of. the. Lizardmen. Cocytus. I. Bow. Before. The. Supreme. One."
"Guardian of the Sixth Floor, Aura Bella Fiora. I bow before the Supreme One."
"A-Also Guardian of the Sixth Floor! Mare Bello Fiore. I bow before the Supreme One."
The arch-devil nodded and readjusted his glasses.
"Guardian of the Seventh Floor. Foil to the hero Momon, Demiurge. I bow before the Supreme One."
Now for the ones closest to Ainz.
"Guardian of the First, Second and Third Floors." The Valkyrie got up and close to Ainz's right where he sat. "Head Wife and Queen, Shalltear Bloodfallen! I bow before the Supreme One, Arinsu~"
Finally, the Doppelganger clicked his heels together. "Overseer to the Floor Guardians, Guardian of the Treasury, Pandora's Actor! I bow before mein Vater, the Supreme One!"
Ainz Ooal Gown rose from his throne, Staff in hand.
"I hear your vow, Guardians! Continue serving me dutifully, now and always!" With the cheers of the guardians and a final click of the guild weapon, Ainz close off the broadcasting and the Seraphim shut-off, closing his one eye as his many wings furled back into itself and it vanished back into the Throne of Kings.
The Sorcerer King sighed, satisfied with the results.
'Despite everything, the meeting was a success in the end.'
Writing-off that win, Ainz swore he could see some of the Pleiades fighting with Sebas in the background.
"Aww, I wanted to vow my fidelity too! Why do only the top guys get to kneel, su?"
"Affirmative. Seems counter-intuitive. Will query administrator at a later date."
Ainz chuckled. Not everything went perfect it seems, perhaps he'll bring something up with Pandora later.