55Note: This story is a work of fiction. It has many content of adult nature. If you do not want to read such content, please close your browser window or press the convenient back button.
This story uses the same setting as my other story "Momon, Big Black Changeling". Essentially, Ainz Ooal Gown is the same type of creature as in that story, although this and that story happen in different worlds.
It was a shame to have to leave the warmth of the bed, and the feeling of his lover's skin against his. But Ainz had a duty to fulfill, and many expectations to meet. As such, he regretfully had to stir on the bed, and therefore wake up Zesshi Zetsumei, who squirmed to wakefulness.
She groaned. "I sense… You're about to leave, my lord?" She rubbed her smooth bubble butt against his front.
"Regretfully, yes," Ainz said, savoring the feel of her nakedness against him.
"It would be a fine thing if in the future we can make it so all we do is fuck and sleep and eat." She turned on the bed until her front—and her baby bump—faced him. He felt her sweet breath on him, and the glitter of her heterochromatic eyes beneath the blanket. "Though it would be a droll thing, I think. The senses can't be stimulated for that long, and indolence may become our bane—but perhaps it can be done under you, my lord."
He had no idea what to say to that. He grunted, and kissed Zesshi's shoulder, before rolling from out of her bed. The prospect of spending the rest of his life with his wives making babies with them seemed like the natural thing for one such as he. But he also knew that it didn't seem logical in the long run. For example, how could he care for his babies, his children? How could he protect them, his wives, and ultimately Nazarick, if he wasn't always working to advance its objectives? Take the issue of the Holy Kingdom, for example—if he left them alone for hundreds of years they might just grow into a force that could destroy them.
And that must never happen.
He donned his official garments as the Sorcerer King, instead of his usual equipment as Momon. It was the Sorcerer King who had been petitioned by the Kingdom, and who had come to its aid against Jaldabaoth. He had been "defeated" in public using this form, so it was logical for him to wear this again on going out.
Zesshi stared at him as she sat perched on the bed. She rose, then patted his back, smoothing out the wrinkles on his clothes.
"Thank you," he murmured.
"If you're to appear as anything, my lord, it must always be the best," Zesshi said fondly, as she appraised the rest of him for any other places to fix. "My husband must remain as glorious without as he is within. Whether as the celebrated hero Momon, or the Sorcerer King Ainz Ooal Gown."
"Exactly what I was thinking," Ainz said.
"What is the plan?" Zesshi asked. "Are you heading off to battle wearing this?"
"That's exactly it," Ainz admitted, though he felt hesitant to give off any details.
"Are you prepared?" she asked, a little teasingly. "Memorized your lines?"
He quirked a brow at her. "I can manage."
"On a more serious note, is your equipment adequate for the task?"
Ainz wondered what she meant by that. His Sorcerer King garb was no less powerful than his warrior garb, as it allowed him to focus much more on his magic caster abilities, which was where he was more specialized. If Zesshi was referring to something other than the upcoming "duel" with Jaldabaoth, then he was far more protected as Sorcerer King than as Momon, for he could cast a lot more powerful spells if he wore these garments.
"Everything's fine," he said. "Don't worry."
Zesshi shrugged. "It's a wife's place to worry. Or to nag. I'm sorry."
"No, it's fine," Ainz said, smiling, feeling a rush of affection for the shorter woman. "But I urge you not to worry so much. It might be bad for the children. So be assured that I shall always return, no matter what."
She stood on her tiptoes, never minding her nakedness, and pushed her gravid front against his. He leaned down to match her height, locking his lips with hers in one fervent kiss. Zesshi made a small whine as they made out, breathing sweet puffs of air on his face. When he drew back, her face was flushed, eyes rimmed with tears.
"Goodbye, and be safe, my lord," she said. "I and the triplets shall await your return."
This time, Ainz laid his hand on her belly, and felt the heartbeat of his children thrum within her depths. "I will," he said. "Count on that."
Ainz made some final preparations to his equipment, making sure that everything was in their proper places. Zesshi returned to the bed, wrapping the sheets around her naked body as she watched him work. Once he was truly done, he turned to her and nodded.
She smiled silently. There was no need to add even more words to their parting. Ainz faced the door, then left.
As the door closed shut behind him, he looked up and down the corridor, drawing his gaze over the doors to his other lovers' rooms. After his time of intimacy with Zesshi, everything to do with the mothers of his children left him with a strong, possessive desire. It was not just the primal need to procreate with these lovely women, but also the dogged, fierce determination to protect them, to keep them and his children safe from all that would harm them. In a way, it was another form of "love", and he was only just realizing it.
I have to start manning up, Ainz thought. The vestigial part of him that was still Suzuki Satoru was reminded of his home's culture, and of the responsibilities demanded of a man who was looking forward to starting a family. Having never thought of starting one back home, he'd never given it much concern. But now he was reminded of it once again.
He smiled grimly to himself. Suddenly playing a small part as Ainz Ooal Gown in Demiurge's plan wasn't just some diversion. It was a vital part of maintaining Nazarick's supremacy, and further from that, the safety of his subordinates—and his newfound family.
"Not going to mess this up," Ainz muttered. He teleported to his offices, now intent on recovering an item that he'd left there. He hadn't given much thought to it before, but now he realized it was very much vital to his survival going forward.
When he arrived at the corridor outside, he paused, as something in his transformed senses alerted him to an unusual sight. There, lurking just out of sight of the guards surrounding his office, was someone he didn't usually see, other than the debaucheries a few weeks back. It was Clementine.
It was not as if she was forbidden to walk around here—this floor was for his lovers' use now, after all. But it was unusual for her to be anywhere near this place, as it wasn't her usual haunt, or so the reports told him. Shrugging to himself, he went inside the office to complete his business.
Having retrieved the item successfully from its hiding place, Ainz was about to teleport directly out, when he was struck by curiosity. He went back out of the office into the corridor, and saw that Clementine was still there.
Ainz cocked his head, bemused. Here was a mystery that called for him. With that thought in mind, he sneaked over to her location, making sure not to make his presence known.
He saw Clementine leaning against the wall, her pregnant belly jutting out and hanging like a large fruit from her body. The sigil marking his ownership of her womb glowed lewdly on her pale skin. Her arms were crossed, and she was pouting, her brows furrowed in thought.
When his shadow fell upon her she immediately jumped and squawked, turning around so quickly it could have easily been missed. But Ainz reached out to steady her.
"Easy there, easy," he said chidingly. "You're moving for two now, remember?"
"Ack… Kha…!" She opened and closed her mouth wordlessly, her eyes staring with shock at him. Then she wiggled herself free from his hands. She cleared her throat.
"F-fancy seeing you here, 'your majesty'," she said, an insolent smile returning to her expression. He could still see she was flustered, as evidenced by the flush on her cheeks. "I didn't know you were already back. What brings you here to this part of your palace?"
He drew back and cocked an eyebrow at her. "I should be asking you that question. What brings you to this part of the floor? Even you must admit it's quite unusual for you."
She made a mock-gasp. "Unusual? How can it be unusual? Do you track my every move, your majesty? Do you keep watch over my daily movements, such that you know where it is I like to go? If so, that is quite flattering for little old me, though even I can see it's as close to pathetic as can be. Seriously, I'd weep for the image that gives you, that of an old busybody looking out for his fuckbuddy like a doting old coot."
He only stared at her. She stared resolutely back; though it was she who lost the staring contest.
"Anyway," she mumbled, clasping her hands behind her back. "What are you still doing here? Shouldn't you be moving on? Unless there's some business you have with me..?"
He kept staring at her.
"N-not that I'm expecting anything, mind! If you're here specifically to ask for sex, then that's off-limits." He didn't miss her mutter "regrettably" under her breath. She cleared her throat. "Those annoying healers you got were very insistent about it. No sex until a few weeks later. So, sucks for you, I guess, not that I'm bothered about it."
He smiled. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "What? What are you smiling for, you weirdo? Haven't you got something to say? Huh? Say something! You're seriously creeping me out."
Ainz continued to stare with the patience of some sort of saint. "Alright, fine! Whatever! I normally don't do this, but today I got a weird idea. An idea I think I'm regretting now. I just wanted to see the whole place, you dig? I didn't come up here to see you—no, to see if you were here! No, definitely not! So don't get any bright ideas, you hear me?" She bit her lip, giving him a full-on glare. "Oi. Say something! You—"
Whatever she'd been about to say was interrupted when he suddenly drew her into a fierce hug, his larger arms easily encircling her smaller body. She yelped and stomped her feet, struggling to escape his grip. He looked down and saw the bright red flush on her face.
"What the fuck are you doing, idiot?"
He said nothing and just continued to hug her until her body sagged against him. He didn't quite feel affection for Clementine like all the rest, but she was something "precious" to him regardless. And judging by the fact that she didn't seem too worked up about being in his arms, he could rightly guess that there was some of that same affection coming in the same way as well, even if it was barbed by her cruel words and standoffish attitude.
At least something had come out of agreeing to consider the former assassin as a mother candidate.
He sighed and relaxed his grip. He noticed that even without his arms in the way, she didn't quite jump out to leave. Indeed, she seemed reluctant to let him go, and he allowed her to lean her weight against his body.
"I ain't like the rest," she said. "I don't really worship you, or love you."
"I'm sensing a 'but', here."
"There ain't no buts!" she cried, though she didn't really try to leave, and just leaned against him with that same blush. "Don't you fucking misunderstand!"
"I see. Well, no more needs to be said," he conceded. He could tell she had grown attached to him in her own way. And he didn't begrudge her that small affection, just as he was well in his rights to treat her the same.
"Speaking of 'butts'," she said, her voice muffled by his chest. "Am I really gonna have to wait a few more weeks before we get some kinky action again, 'my lord'?"
"Hrm…" He reached around to squeeze her ample butt. Then he caressed her boobs, which had grown considerably since her pregnancy. This pair could easily do the job. "We can definitely be a little… creative, even now. Especially with these. But not right now. I've business to do."
"Well alright… I guess that'll have to do…" Finally she stepped back out of his chest, though she didn't really try to walk away.
"Take care of yourself, seriously," he said, glancing down at her gravid belly.
"Heh, you don't need to keep reminding me, idiot," she said, rubbing her bare belly. "Me and the kids'll be right fine."
Ainz raised a brow to himself, upon seeing the bright smile on her face. It was a strange thing to see, as it seemed to come from some genuine joy, untainted by cruelty or pretension. He didn't mention that fact, though, and bid farewell as she waddled away.
Watching one of his former enemies walk away laden with child gave Ainz some mixed feelings of longing and desire. He felt a strong compulsion that drove his steps not towards the Holy Kingdom yet, but straight to the Mother's Hall. He didn't even have a specific reason for it in his mind. His feet just walked him there, as if they had a mind of their own.
Many of the servants straightened when he approached. He but bid them a wave as he entered the Hall, which was barred from even the other members of Nazarick without his express permission. Certainly he, as Ruler of the Tomb, needed no permission as he swept inside, his gaze taking in the whole place.
No one was inside the hall. He felt a sudden crushing emptiness. He smiled bitterly to himself. What was he hoping to see, coming here? What was even the point? Obviously he couldn't expect them to be here all of the time. Half of them had duties, like Albedo, while the other half were possibly wandering around like Clementine, or perhaps in their quarters like Zesshi. It was all normal, logical for none of them to be here.
"My pardons, lord Ainz," said the unctuous voice of the steward on duty. "Was there something you needed..?"
"Hn." He whirled, and made to leave the Hall. "It's nothing. Carry on." The servants bowed as he left.
He couldn't quite describe the disappointment he was currently feeling. In fact, he felt so unbalanced that he just kept walking through the corridors without any destination. Twice he passed Zesshi's room, and in those times he hoped she would open the door, to at least assuage him. But she didn't, and he didn't wish to knock on her door, to let her know that something was wrong with him.
He sighed. What the hell am I even doing? He crossed his arms and shook his head. He had a duty to attend to. The stage had long been set and it was time for the grand finale.
"That's what I heard."
"Well, that can't be too bad."
A pair of voices came, belonging to two people who just now rounded the corner. They belonged to a pair of the Pleiades: Narberal Gamma and Solution Epsilon. Ainz cocked his head, as the pair drew closer. His eyes were mostly affixed on the former than the latter. Narberal Gamma was as the other mothers, pregnant with his children. The way her belly swayed as she walked entranced him, and without thinking he bridged the distance between himself and the pair.
"Good day Ainz-sama—mulph!"
As with Clementine, he drew the maid into his embrace and kissed her deep, showering her lips with his affection.
After getting over the initial surprise, Nabe was able to respond to his kiss. She melted against him as he dug his tongue deeper into her mouth, coiling around her own as they swapped saliva in a very loud, deliberate, lewd fashion. Eventually, Ainz found that she was just as eager as he to be sharing this intimate kiss, as her own tongue morphed into just the right shape to coil joyously around his.
"Ngh… Fuu… Haaah… Ainz… sama…"
Narberal's face had turned into an indistinct mess when he ended their kiss, a sight he loved to see on her face. Her knees wobbled, unsteadily. He held onto her with one arm, to protect her from falling and possibly hurting their children.
"Easy now," he scolded playfully. "You're carrying something precious in you now."
"Y—yeshh…" she panted, holding onto his clothes as if she wanted him to take her then and there. While the offer was certainly tempting, he was able to steel his mind, recalling what Clementine had just mentioned.
"Later," he said. "Like I said you're already carrying something quite precious, and I know at this stage your body isn't supposed to do anything vigorous. So be patient, Nabe."
"Alright, Ainz-sama…"
Ainz watched her literally melting expression bemusedly. Then he turned to face the other maid, who'd been standing there for their entire lewd exchange.
"Ahh, sorry about that, Solution," he said apologetically. "That was rude of me, I guess." Showing off his affection so boldly to an unrelated person was the height of discourtesy. He was only able to get away with it because he was Ainz-sama, but he felt this was something he shouldn't really abuse.
"Ainz-sama…"
"Hm?"
"M-mm-me…" Solution bowed. "If you could please grant me your favor as well…"
"Ah, well, that's…" Ainz scratched his cheek awkwardly.
The look Solution was giving him was something he had only seen on the likes of Albedo, or Shalltear. It was a look of utter depravity, as of a predator sniffing out precious meat to glut itself. In this case, it was enough to make Ainz do a double-take.
Right. Solution Epsilon was one of the other Pleiades he hadn't gotten around to making into a mother. It was rather awkward, as this was because he had no idea how to work with her innate race. While he could form into any number of cosmic horrors on a whim to match her just fine, his mind was still regrettably human—and he thus could not comprehend how exactly he could make someone like her into a mother.
Still, when faced with her directly, especially with her innate beauty and the frilly dress she wore, it was hard not to conclude that it didn't really matter how. He shouldn't be overthinking it.
He took her by the shoulder and drew her into his arms. She gasped, then drew herself closer to him.
"Ainz-sama…" she whispered, looking up solemnly at him.
"I'm sorry for that. I'll get to you in time, have no fear. But that's going to be after Yuri's turn."
Her expression turned sad and pouty. "But Ainz-sama, I want it now…"
"And I will, I promise." To show her his sincerity, he leaned forward to kiss her. He poured a little more passion into it than usual, even though it was like he was treading his tongue into a viscous soup. It felt strange, but not bad.
"My first kiss…" she muttered, as they withdrew. "It's as magical as they said…"
"I look forward to savoring you. All of you," he said, gripping her body forcefully. "But later. You will get your turn."
She smiled, her eyes glittering with promise. "… Yes! Thank you, Ainz-sama! I can't wait!"
"Ainz-sama!" Ainz turned to see Nabe, who had somewhat recovered from her dizzied haze. Her expression was serious, despite tinged by a clear blush. "Please take care! I'll do my best for the children!"
"Good luck, Ainz-sama!" Solution said.
He smiled and patted them both on the head. "Good. Thank you for supporting me. I shall promise to match your expectations in every way."
His earlier apprehension had gone. His mind was cleared of all doubts.
It was time to be Ainz Ooal Gown, the Sorcerer King.
At last, after many diversions he was finally able to proceed directly to the battlefield set in the Holy Kingdom. He arrived at an isolated camp well away from either the invading demihumans or the Kingdom armies. It was a place specifically set aside for Nazarick's purposes, where Demiurge would be able to watch over the ongoing progress of the whole plan.
The aforementioned Floor Guardian bowed as soon as he appeared in resplendent light. Beside him, Albedo bowed in her turn, though not as deeply owing to the formidable baby bump she was now carrying.
"How do I look?" he asked, holding out his arms to the sides.
"Glorious, my lord," Demiurge said with tremulous voice.
"The most handsome, beautiful being," Albedo said, in equally fervent tones.
"Ah… thank you," Ainz said awkwardly. He coughed and cleared his throat. "Before we begin, though, are you sure you're alright Albedo? Did I not tell you this could be delegated to Demiurge?"
The two raised their heads. Demiurge cocked a brow without saying anything else at his fellow planner.
Albedo flushed and curtsied. "The honor you have given me is immense, my lord. But despite that I can still carry out my duties without fail. Please be assured that I am doing my utmost best to balance my work and my babies."
"As she says, my lord," Demiurge said quietly. "I can attest to the fact that she has yet done nothing unsatisfactory."
Albedo narrowed her eyes, as they flashed with a dangerous, steely gleam towards the smiling devil. "Demiurge…"
"Hold it, Albedo. I asked Demiurge to do that. Don't you get it? You're carrying my children now. It's not some work that can be taken lightly. Or do you consider bearing my children to be something of a hobby?"
Albedo's eyes widened. "No, no, of course not my lord!" she said, bowing repeatedly. "It is a sacred task that I am blessed, honored, delighted, to be given, my lord! I will not fail in this as well!"
"If you understand that much, then you also understand how in your state it would make much more sense to leave jobs to other people, right?"
"..Yes," she replied, mumbling.
"Good." He shrugged, then turned to Demiurge. "Have the pieces been all assembled? What's the situation here?"
"The liberation army you've 'recruited' have been readied, my lord," Demiurge said, pushing up his glasses. "They have all been briefed by the doppelgangers—masquerading as you, beg pardon—on your goals and their place in the overall plan. They will follow the orders 'you' set to the letter. Even through death, though as per the plan I fully expect no casualties from their part."
Far below their current vantage point was the occupied city of Prart, which was the stage for the "final battle". The newly reunited army of the northern and southern parts of the Holy Kingdom had forged through hundreds of miles to liberate this city, on their way to retake their nation's territories. The humans weren't aware that this had all been planned beforehand—that their intelligence had been exploited from the start.
"Our 'Prince' has worked out quite well, my lord," Demiurge said. "In fact, he might be the best that Nazarick has on hand. It is a shame his assignment is… long-term."
"I'll leave that judgment to you," Ainz replied. In a sense, he was the strongest, most potent doppelganger in all of Nazarick, and he had a way to detect others of his race. His only concern about anyone of Nazarick being outside for the long term was the risk of forgetting their loyalties. To that end, Albedo and Demiurge had developed ruthless contingencies—and these contingencies even had their own contingencies. After the fiasco involving Shalltear, both of them seemed intent on making sure such a thing never happened again, much like Ainz.
"Happily, I can report that sales of the newly manufactured rune-based equipment have been approved, my lord," Demiurge said.
"Oh? How did that one manage it?" After repeated failed overtures to sell his new dwarf-crafted items to the paladin commander Remedios, he'd lost all hope in finding a market in the Holy Kingdom.
"I do not rightly know my lord. All I have is a guess." Demiurge rubbed his chin. "It's… a rather long explanation."
"Keep it short."
"Yes, my lord. The ones who bought the items were certain nobles from the southern faction. Apparently, Remedios' denouncing the items was as much of a glowing recommendation to those humans. They would do anything to discredit or show that woman to be short-sighted, all just to gain some small advantage." He snorted. "Fools."
"Well, that's fine, as long as they don't divide into some sort of civil war just yet."
"Our 'Prince' is doing his best."
The combined north-south armies did not come to contend with Jaldabaoth himself; fully confident that the Sorcerer King had dealt him a terrible blow. They expected to turn the momentum of the demon lord's defeat to begin a campaign of reconquest, however costly it might become. But "Jaldabaoth" was set to appear, and would reap an appropriately horrifying toll on the armies.
"By the way, what's the status on…" Ainz trailed off, glancing to the side at Albedo. He found it awkward to discuss her in front of the Overseer, because then an inevitable flood of questions would come rolling in. And one way or another he would have to answer, which would most definitely lead to another stupid scene. And that would just be a big headache.
Luckily, Demiurge was quick to catch on to what he meant. As Albedo cocked her head, he drew him aside and spoke in an undertone.
"The person has been ordered far from the frontlines my lord," he said. "And Shizu is there to watch over her and ensure her safety no matter how the situation develops. She's also there to restrain her if she becomes overzealous, but I'm confident that's a fairly low possibility of happening.
"Shizu, huh… I see…"
Demiurge glanced over his shoulder at Albedo. "If it would not be rude to ask, my lord, but are you intending to bring this woman in as a candidate? If so, would it not be better to take her inside Nazarick as soon as possible?"
Ainz frowned. "I haven't decided on anything yet. Don't go assuming things by yourself—that is a dangerous habit."
"Of course, my lord," Demiurge said smoothly. "I apologize."
Ainz waved dismissively. He glanced at Albedo, who luckily didn't seem to have heard their exchange. "Alright, continue with the briefing."
With the situation thus turned dire, the soldiers and heroes in the army would teeter on the brink of despair, until the miracle arrived. Wholly unexpected and unlooked for, Ainz would descend with glorious standard, turning the tide of the desperate battle. Then, at the end of the bloody conflict, he would deal a powerful blow against the demon lord, banishing him from the Kingdom forever.
The commanders embedded into the demihuman armies were then to disappear or withdraw as they were able, leaving the slaughter of their former charges under the humans. In the future, the surviving tribes would flee from that place, and were expected to seek asylum with the Sorcerer Kingdom, providing Nazarick with yet another layer of defense against all its enemies.
"Our 'prince' will remain to ensure that the transition to the next government will be smooth and orderly."
"Do you expect any trouble on that front?" Ainz really wasn't really in a position to analyze the flow of political intrigue.
"Even if they end up rejecting the Prince's claim we still have a sizable foothold. If it erupts in civil war—an unlikely prospect in my opinion—then our supporters are well placed to win. They have already been equipped with the right tools."
"Very good. You are to be commended for your tremendous foresight in these matters, Demiurge."
"Before your astounding magnificence, my lord, I am but a pale, feeble light," Demiurge demurred, with a deep bow.
"You give me too much credit." He shook his head, and sighed. He turned to Albedo. "We're about to begin. Get back to Nazarick, Albedo."
"I.. I'd much prefer to be here, my lord," she said.
Ainz sighed. Beside him, Demiurge turned around. Shaking his head, Ainz walked forward to clasp her by the shoulder. He snapped his fingers.
A Gate opened behind Albedo. It led directly to Nazarick. Before she could react, Ainz drew forward to kiss her, thrusting his tongue firmly into her mouth to muffle any sort of protest. As she moaned and cried into his mouth, he pushed her forward, until she was beyond the threshold of the Gate.
He pulled out from her lips with a loud, wet smack. "Stay out of trouble," he told her, though he saw her face had gone slack from lust. He backed a few steps and snapped his fingers again, causing the Gate to close shut before the Overseer could react.
Ainz licked his lips. There were many other things he could have told Albedo. There were many other things he could do to Albedo.
But now was not the time.
He turned to Demiurge. "Let's begin."
If one were to take Neia back just one month she would have been quite awestruck and intimidated to be in such illustrious company. Gathered over the maps laid out on the central table were her country's highest authorities, upon whose shoulders laid the very future of the Roble Holy Kingdom.
There was Prince Caspond, heir apparent, who had been newly rescued from the Demon Lord's clutches. He was heir and relative to royal blood, and it was generally considered among the people that he would succeed the throne, assuming they won. Beside him stood Neia's superior, the dour and indomitable Remedios Custodio, grandmaster of the paladins, and informal military commander of the whole campaign. Across from the pair were a bunch of the dukes and barons from the southern territories, who had hitherto been unbloodied by the demihuman scourge.
One would have thought that these men and women would be committed to the noble cause of liberating their country, yet a bitter divide could be clearly observed by even the dimmest of observers. Neia, whose eyes were sharp both literally and not, could detect the long-simmering tension boiling in this very chamber, even as they deliberated on the course that would shape their country forevermore.
She sighed to herself. Such a tense atmosphere had little effect on her now. Her mind, her body, her heart now ached with a pain that could not be soothed by any medicine known to man. When she thought of her beloved Ainz-sama, who was perhaps dead…
No, she told herself, banishing that thought firmly into the back of her mind. He could not, should not be dead. He was strength itself; he was justice incarnate. He had retreated, perhaps, to marshal his powers, or to deceive his great enemy for some grand stratagem. She was sure of it. If he had truly been killed, as many now whispered, there would have been a lot more chaos in the aftermath. Surely rumors would have come, of the Sorcerous Kingdom's fall, of a great rampage of creatures now unfettered by His Majesty's demise.
But everything remained as ever, relatively speaking. So the worst could not possible have happened. Ainz-sama would surely return. She clenched her hands tighter on the table until her knuckles turned white.
"… We have the newest intelligence from our Zern allies," the prince was saying. He pointed to spots on the map. "The city's defenses are weak here, here, and over here. If we can marshal a swift, decisive battle, simultaneously, on all these points, we can storm the inner wall and allow the main army to enter the gates."
Remedios' eyes flashed. "You shouldn't trust the word of these creatures. How do you know they haven't given you this information just to deceive? Perhaps their so-called defection is a ploy by the great Deceiver, and we're being fed whole-heartedly into the gullet of a trap!"
"Control yourself, grandmaster," one of the Southern nobles snapped. "You are in the presence of royal blood!"
"And I am the commander of this ragtag group you call an army," Remedios said. "And I can clearly state, here, and now, that this plan is foolhardy. Pray forgive my bluntness, my prince, but this is not a good plan."
"She has a point," said one of the other nobles. "Loathe am I to allow even one of my precious subordinates on a fool's course. Begging your pardon, my prince, but has this been verified by our own scouts?"
Prince Caspond waved his hands apologetically. "Their defenses are significant, magical or otherwise. I'm afraid we already lost the one scout trying to verify the situation."
"Then the way is not safe, after all?" cried the noble. "I beg you sir, find another way."
"The longer we dally, the more time this gives the enemy to entrench themselves!" the prince said. "And it gives them more time to gather an army to retaliate. They could even be marching on this location at this very moment!"
"Then we must withdraw," said another noble. "Retreat to our fortress to the south! It was foolish for us to try to take this city without proper leadership!"
"No, we will NOT!" Remedios roared. "We will not retreat! Not while your Queen, not while the high priestess could still possibly be saved! Their last known location was in this very area, and I'll be damned if we do not expend any effort to save them from the clutches of evil!"
The nobles raised their brows in contemptuous silence. Prince Caspond said, a little gently, "Then, if you did want to attack, Grandmaster, what would the plan be?"
"A total assault!" she said, slamming her hands on the table. "Commit all our resources here, now! I shall be the vanguard, the speartip of our assault, along with all my knights! We shall bring the wrath of Heaven down on their miserable hides, and woe to those who oppose us!"
"The demihuman defenses are considerable," the Prince said, shaking his head. "And with this, casualties will be significant. You will reap far more lives than my plan with yours."
"For the survival of this nation, we must indeed require the greatest of sacrifices," Remedios stated. "My life is not the least of it. If I can barter my life for that of the Queen, I will surely do it in an instant."
"Remedios Custodios, you will not be using my men for a suicide charge," a noblewoman cried. "Such blatant foolishness!"
Neia sighed. They'd been going through pretty much the same argument twice now. Always it returned to the means by which they would accomplish their goal. But in Neia's opinion, it was rather impossible for the Queen or the High Priestess to still be alive after all this time. Surely the demihumans would have found use for them, and would have paraded them around to dampen their spirits if they still had them in custody? Perhaps that vile Jaldabaoth had some scheme in mind for their bodies, but for now there hadn't been any indication that was really the case.
"My lords, my ladies!" said a soldier, who came dashing into the room. "Urgent news!"
Another soldier came bounding in, breathless. "Dust cloud! Forces sighted in the distance!"
"Form up!" Remedios instantly shouted, moving outside swiftly. The whole place instantly descended into a frenzy of activity as the camp came to life.
Neia found herself slipping through the mustering crowd to her assigned spot. Thanks to her current duty, she was to be placed firmly in the rear, as support, for the remaining duration.
"Yah," the Demon Maid greeted.
"Yes, right, we need to be mobilizing now," Neia said, gathering up her things from her tent.
This Demon Maid had been captured by Lord Ainz and had been freed from Jaldabaoth's control. Now she was an able creature fighting on behalf of the human army, using exotic-looking weaponry. She'd seen its abilities first-hand, when they had rescued that Zern prince, and she knew this maid was more powerful than she could ever be. Even the bow granted to her by the Sorcerer King could not make up for the power deficit.
It was fortunate that the maid was so cooperative, and that Neia was able to control her, somewhat. But still, thanks to her, she couldn't assist in the front lines and must remain near the back. It frustrated her that she could not prove her newfound strength to her benefactor, who was surely still alive out there somewhere.
"Are you prepared?" Neia asked, once she'd set her gear on herself. Her eyes tracked the steady movement of people outward, as they got ready to make ranks as the commanders saw fit.
"Always prepared," the sullen maid replied.
Neia sighed. It was a long shot, but there might be a chance that the Demon Lord could subvert this one again, especially without Ainz-sama here. Perhaps it would be a lot better to stay inside the camp, to make sure that didn't happen at all.
She joined the muster on the lines. These were all soldiers who had started to heed her words regarding the truth of strength and justice represented by Ainz-sama, and who looked up to her as some kind of mentor. She should have been embarrassed by all this attention, but she was earnest in her belief, so she did not discourage them.
Along the way, she was able to hear the news of what was happening on the front, passed down all the way down the grapevine.
It seemed that the army that had been sighted had indeed been a fresh batch of demihuman reinforcements. If they were allowed to combine with the besieged force in the city, their advantage in numbers would have sufficed to make their victory all but certain. As such, during the first hour of muster, a contingent had been sent forward, with Remedios at the head, to prevent the armies from entering the city. The cries of battle could be clearly heard over the air as Neia fingered her bow nervously.
This latest move was perceived as foolhardy, and even Neia could see why. If they found themselves outmaneuvered, Remedios' assault would soon find itself caught between hammer and anvil, no matter her strength. As the orders came streaming in, Neia's group was tasked with retreating to a high vantage point to scout out the area, as the captains feared a sudden flanking maneuver from an unexpected force rushing in through the surrounding forests.
From this vantage point, Neia was able to discern the flow of battle on the front. Remedios was still engaged with the approaching army, while the garrison still did nothing. The camps had been literally emptied out, as the other nobles had committed to Remedios' charge. If they managed to wipe out the approaching army entirely, they would be free to storm the city at their leisure—at least, according to the rumors. Neia herself wasn't really sure if anyone would commit to an assault even if they beat the demihumans outside.
She recalled how the paladins had described the extreme difficulty in besieging the city, as the demihumans had been sufficiently supplied by Jaldabaoth, to say nothing of the human captives that they could easily consume if needed. They could take months to starve out, and the humans inside would be completely wiped out. That was the reason for Prince Caspond's insistence on an assault.
After a few minutes, the order was given. Neia and her fellows watched a second wave from the army march forward to reinforce Remedios, flanking the demihuman army on one side. Another, third wave was sent forward, set to intercept any attempts by the city defenders to sally.
The stench of death wafted over through the wind. Neia braced against the smell and estimated the number of soldiers still remaining. Aside from the core guarding the supplies, there was the rear guard containing herself, and one other group. The united army was stretched perilously thin.
When the forward armies were well-entrenched into the battle, a loud horn sounded.
"That's us," said her captain.
"Where are we going?" someone asked.
"We've been ordered to a position close to the walls!" the captain yelled, pointing at an area just north of their position. "Rear guard, march forward, and link up with the third detachment!"
"Are we just abandoning the camp?" a soldier next to her asked.
They were probably committing to the city assault, Neia thought. It meant that there was a possibility of Remedios winning her gambit with the approaching army—or perhaps they were even close to total victory already. She turned to the demon maid Shizu and said, "Come on, then."
"Very well," the maid said flatly, jogging after her.
She marched quickly with the others, under the sweltering midday sun, the specter of death hanging over their heads. Neia kept her eyes on the top of the walls, trying to see if any attacks would come from that way.
Thankfully, they were able to connect with the third wave without incident. The fourth main group lay to their immediate west, sandwiching them in-between. With the battlefield this close they could now more clearly hear the din of battle, and the screams of the dead and the dying.
"Neia."
"What?" she almost snapped, turning to the Demon Maid.
"Are you scared?"
"No, of course not," Neia replied, a little irate. She was scared, as ever, but she wouldn't let the fear take hold of her. She wouldn't want Ainz-sama to see her gripped by that self-same fear.
"I see. That is impressive."
She didn't need a demon maid's praise; it was almost like receiving praise from the enemy. She'd rather Ainz-sama praise her, as he'd done just a short time ago, on one of their many talks.
She had just been a mere squire, sent as security for Remedios, on a last-ditch attempt to gather aid for the Holy Kingdom. At first she had been quite perplexed that Ainz-sama had chosen her among all the paladins there as a sort of representative and go-between. But after a few meetings, her apprehension had mellowed, and she had just attributed his strange decision to be just an unfathomable part of his greater wisdom.
As time passed, the secret meetings with Ainz Ooal Gown had sparked a natural interest in the man himself, who professed to be some sort of great wizard who yet somehow delighted in the mundane, like Neia herself. She had been awed by the attention he was giving her, and was intrigued by the solemn nature that was hidden away behind his great and awe-inspiring façade. She thought, or perhaps assumed, that she could peer straight into the real man behind the mask.
She felt no shame in admitting that she had grown… fond of Ainz-sama. It was a mysterious feeling that coursed through her entire body, and made her heart flutter and clench in her heart. She admired his wisdom, his patience, his understanding.
It had been a cruel, painful thing to see someone she considered dear to her disappear, as if defeated, on that day. Despite resolutely keeping to the belief that he hadn't died, she could still feel the raw emotion of loss and heart-rending grief that his disappearance had wrought in her soul. Coming so soon after her father's death, it was a heavy blow.
A horn, sounded, stirring her from her reminiscing. The sounds of battle returned to her awareness. She looked around, trying to see what she had missed in the lull.
"What's happening now?" she asked, tapping the soldier next to her.
"I don't know," he replied. "But something's happening to our left. Over there. There's a commotion."
The man had hardly finished speaking when a loud, thrumming noise sounded, like thunder rolling through the dark clouds. Suddenly, a great wall of fire erupted in the distance, which then spread like a curtain over the battlefield, moving left to right until it encompassed Remedios' army on the complete other side, before completing the circuit in a splendid circle.
"We're surrounded…!"
"What sorcery..?"
"The Demon Lord!"
Then the walls seemed to crumble into nothing as a great din sounded, of many demihuman throats bellowing their challenge to the sky. Like ants deserting a broken anthill they emerged, charging forward with bared, bloodthirsty steel.
The leftmost line hastily converged, pushing Neia's group back as it and the third wave met the oncoming tide of demihumans in a great, noisome clash. The demihumans hemmed them in from all sides, even spreading so far as to harry Remedios' line.
Luckily, the lion's share of the advancing army had already been dealt with, allowing Remedios and the rest to turn about to come to their aid. As Neia cried and shot her arrows into the air, the paladin vanguard pushed back the demihumans, sweeping forward under the paladin grandmaster's righteous charge.
Still, the counter-attack couldn't last long. The left flank, the one closest to Neia's, began to crumble before long, forcing the line to flatten until Neia's group was closer than ever to the front. Around her she sensed the soldiers' terror at being so close to the enemy, and already she could see the telltale signs of cowardice.
"Fight on!" she roared, brandishing her bow. "Our strength is justice! Together, let us prove Ainz-sama's words correct! Forward! Justice!"
The demon maid dashed forward, clearing a path for Neia and the others. Neia didn't even have the time or the energy to spare for scolding her or reining her in; she charged forward in a berserker haze, following the path of carnage while dealing as much of it in her own way.
Her glorious charge had its effect—the line refused to crumble. The demon maid rained confusion in the enemy flank, destabilizing their line and allowing Neia's group to reap a bloody toll. The other soldiers, bolstered by this sight, charged forward in their turn, tightening their line and forcing a wedge into the enemy mass.
When Neia finally returned to her senses, she was knee deep in demihuman gore, and all around her was the sight of chaos and blood. She called to Shizu, who was still meticulously slaughtering the enemy, then called for the others to fall back and regroup.
The other soldiers reformed the line in due time, protecting Neia's hasty entrenchment to ensure none of them overextended.
"Thad demon maid is bloody powerful!" one soldier told Neia. "I'm glad it's on our side!"
Thanks to Neia's successful charge, the demihumans were now trapped in a pincer hold that was ready to crush everything between them.
Suddenly, the whole battlefield was lit up by a great glow, as if a sun had bloomed right behind them. Neia turned back, and saw something that made her blood freeze.
The Demon King himself strode forward from a column of fire, flanked by a dozen or more great demons. Wreathed in flame, Jaldabaoth streaked across the battlefield like a runaway comet, and crashed into their rear with a decisive sound. Soldiers crumpled like so many paper dolls, consumed by unholy flame or otherwise trampled by their fellows as they fled from Jaldabaoth's power.
Jaldabaoth's entry had unsettled the furor and the will that kept the army aloft. Where the demon walked the line crumbled into nothingness. It took Remedios coming to the rescue and pitting her and her paladins against the creature before Jaldabaoth's rampage was stopped. Even then the army still paid a price: without Remedios, the enemy was able to push back the northern flanks, pushing them backwards straight into the molten furnace of Jaldabaoth and his demons just behind them.
Even in her own part of the line, the soldiers were beginning to falter. Not even Shizu's might or her own entreaties could stop them from giving themselves to fear. Jaldabaoth was just that effective in putting fear into their very souls.
"Fight on!" she cried, as she put arrow after arrow into the enemy. "Strength, is justice! Justice!" But no one heard.
She could see paladin after paladin fall to Jaldabaoth in the distance. In the maelstrom of his fury and malice, only Remedios withstood the tide, and even she looked like she could do nothing more but brace herself. Soon, there were only a few paladins left, and it was only then a matter of time.
"Oh, Ainz-sama," Neia cried, deep in her heart. "May I be requited in your name!"
Thus she strove, back to back with her charge, felling demihumans left and right. Though many witnessed their deeds, none took up the charge, none even attempted to form a cohesive wall. It was every man for himself, and despite Neia's and Shizu's attempts they could not kill their enemies quickly enough for it to matter.
Is this how it ends? She thought, deep in her heart. I don't get to see you ever again?
Oh Ainz-sama…
"Take heart, brave warriors of the Holy Kingdom!"
A most wondrous sound filled the air. Both Neia and Shizu turned towards its source. Neia's mind was filled with a blissful white.
Sitting astride a dark, armored horse, the Sorcerer King of Ainz Ooal Gown was there in the distance, his august form having parted the wall of flame in two. Against his brilliance, even that fell sorcery burnt itself to dust, until all in the battlefield could behold his magnificence.
Behind him strode the gleaming armor of a multitude of demihumans and humans, each glowing as if possessed by his grandiose power.
"From darkest night I have returned, to banish the blackest heart from this land!" Ainz cried, his voice like the booming voice of a powerful god. And then he charged, and his army followed him, cutting into the enemy with the force of a raging storm. The Kingdom armies could do nothing but fall to the side, fearing that even they would be caught up in the Sorcerer King's glorious charge. Before him, the demihuman armies scattered like ash from a long-dead hearth.
Nothing could withstand him. He was strength. He was justice.
"Ainz-sama!" Neia screamed, joining her voice with the rest, who had found themselves saved on the eleventh hour. She screamed until her throat could cry no more; she screamed until her soul grew hoarse from exultation.
Day or night, Carne Village bustled with activity. The dwarven hall was always a noisy din of chipping, tapping and knocking as the dwarven craftsmen worked on and on. The smoke issuing from the house belonging to the Bareare alchemists never stopped or faded as eminent concoctions were born within.
Presently, Nfrea Bareare emerged from the smoking house, panting and wheezing. He pulled down his work mask and fanned himself in the cool morning breeze. Then he walked over and across the village to the communal well, while cradling his right hand in his left. Once there, he took a bucket of water and doused his hand in it, while gingerly testing the sore part of the skin.
"Enfi? Something wrong?" said Enri Enmot, who happened to see him. The young man turned his head and smiled sheepishly.
"Burned myself on a decanter. Don't worry, it's just a little burn."
Enri rolled her eyes. "I've seen your 'little burns' before, Enfi. Come on then, let me see."
With a deep blush on his face, the young man allowed his friend to take his hand. She drew a small bag of herbs from her pockets, and with it fashioned a poultice. Then she bound the skin with a small strip of cloth.
"There," she said, smiling. "That's all better."
"Th-thank you, Enri," Enfi said, stammering. Their eyes met; then instantly looked away. Enri cleared her throat, though she didn't let go of his hand.
"Wow, wow, what a saucy little scene! Is that romance I smell, su~?"
It was to this scene that a very pregnant Lupusregina Beta came, walking confidently yet slowly. She bore a huge grin, almost leering at the fussing young couple.
"Oh, Lupus-san," said Enfi, bowing. The "guardian" overseeing Carne Village on behalf of the Sorcerous Kingdom was someone both of them knew. "It's been a while since…" His voice trailed off. "Oh."
"Oh my," Enri said, putting a hand to her mouth. "Lupus-san, you're—"
"Wha? Oh, right, ehehe…" Lupus looked down at her pregnant belly and stuck out her tongue. The two could only stare in shock; they'd never expected to see this from Lupus of all people. "Yeah, I managed to get around, su~ Got a little pup to take care of now."
"Er… congratulations?" Enfi offered.
"Why thank you, Enfi-chan! I'll be sure to offer my congratulations when you've got your own on the way… Huh? Why are you two blushing?"
"Well, that's…" The two glanced at each other and smiled awkwardly.
"Ohhhh, I'm really sorry," Lupusregina said, slapping herself. "That was so rude of me, su~ So little Enfi hasn't gotten to breeding you yet, Enri-chan? That's a shame, you kids have to start getting it on, to get your little kids on the way, su~"
The two were now blushing to the roots, half in shame and half in anger. Yet neither of them could do anything about the latter, from their mutual fear of the maid.
"A-anyway," Enri said, with cramped face. "It's nice to see you again, Lupusregina-san. We haven't seen you for a long while…"
"Yeah, we were wondering what happened to you."
"Hm? Oh right, I did stop visiting huh? That's a shame, su~ But I did have something important to do, so you'll have to forgive me, su~ Lupus-chan couldn't really put it off~"
"I… see…?" Enfi said.
"So, then, Lupusregina-san, who's the husband? Is he anyone in the village?" Enri asked.
"Husband? What is that? Is it tasty?" Lupus asked, cocking her head.
"Wha-? Er… I mean, your husband who is…" she gestured feebly. "The father of your child…"
"Oh that. I don't know what a husband is, su~ but I do know what you mean. So then, if you and Enfi-chan hook up and give you a baby, he'll be your 'husband' then?"
"Wha—" Enfi dissolved into a coughing fit.
"W-well. Lupusregina-san, to be a husband… and wife, I guess it takes a lot of different steps. And a lot more steps and things to consider from becoming husband and wife to… well, to getting a kid…"
"Well, can't you skip some steps?" Nfrea mumbled.
"Enfi…!" Enri whispered, sounding mortified. "Putting that aside, Lupusregina-san, if he's not your husband, then who is he? The father of your child?"
"Oh, he's a strong someone, and someone whom I shall devote my whole life to~su."
"Where is he now? Does he live in the village?"
Lupus shook her head. "No, he's far more important than your dinky little village, su~ He's for great things, the father. And with luck, this kid will be, too."
The middle of a stinking, bloodied battlefield wasn't exactly a good place to meet. But the opportunity was there, and they took it, even just to take a single breath.
Prince Caspond pushed up his helmet and saluted the magic caster. "Hail, Ainz Ooal Gown. From the shadow of uncertainty you have returned to us in our dire need. You have the eternal gratitude of the Holy Kingdom, as well as myself."
"Thank you for your words, Prince," said Ainz. "I can only apologize for taking so long to come here. Since the end of our last battle, I have had to gather this assorted band of liberators and deserters who desired an end to Jaldabaoth's tyranny all over the Abelion Hills."
"Your timeliness needs no apology, my good king," said one of the southern nobles.
"Why do you all stand here, jawing away like maidens at a spring?" cried another noble. "There's a battle to be fought, still!"
Ainz made a rumbling sound. "Hoom, you are right. Let us leave our congratulations and adulation for later, gentlemen. We must end Jaldabaoth's reign here and now, once and for all."
The meeting was dismissed and Ainz turned to leave. But before he could, Neia came running up, just in time, skipping over blood and offal with the sprightliness of a mountain goat.
"Ainz-sama! Ainz-sama!" she shouted. "You're not dead, you're not dead! You're really here!"
"Hrmn… Ah, yes, it is good to see you safe Neia Baraja," Ainz said. "However, let us talk later. I've some business to attend to with the demon lord."
"Yes! Go get him, Ainz-sama! Show him what true strength means!"
"Y-yeah, certainly I will. You can be assured of it." Ainz left, leaving Neia just standing there with a star struck expression on her face. A moment later, Shizu arrived, and together they witnessed Ainz's next heroic exploits.
They weren't able to hear what the Sorcerer King said to the Demon lord, but Neia was able to get the details from those who were near.
Jaldabaoth had already exhausted Remedios' resistance, and had already tossed the unruly grandmaster aside. It turned to face the approaching Ainz, who used a series of magical symbols to seal off their small battlefield from the rest.
"Dwarven artifacts," it was described, for the symbols looked much like the dwarven runes inscribed on dwarf-made objects.
With this newfound artifice the Sorcerer King had somehow managed to create a field that disabled Jaldabaoth's ability to flee, while also ensuring that no one else would be able to interfere in the battle. A wave of flame soon erupted through the small bounded area, proof of Jaldabaoth's fury. And yet the field held true, keeping the flames from racing out to consume the battlefield. The great sorcerer bore the brunt of the flames all by himself inside that field.
What followed was a spectacle of light: signs that a magical battle was being waged inside. None could clearly see the combatants within the "bubble" that Ainz had erected, but it was clear to all who watched that this was it: this was the decisive battle for the Holy Kingdom.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the bubble shattered. Up flew Jaldabaoth, his monstrous form wrapped in many colored lights. Down below Ainz Ooal Gown stood, his hands upraised, clenching his magic weapon to the sky. After uttering some magic words, there was a brilliant flash.
Jaldabaoth's form exploded like a firecracker, showering the area with motes of light.
At the sight of his defeat, the remaining united armies of the Kingdom raised their arms in joyous cheers and shouts. Likewise, their enemies faltered and wailed in despair, at the sight of their champion and leader so clearly and so decisively beaten. The gathered armies, seizing upon this chance and elated by their victory, swept them off the field with merciless glee. No demihuman—at least none who had been aligned with Jaldabaoth—lived to see the sunset.
In the aftermath of the battle, there was much to be done. Neia, despite her desire to go directly to Ainz, had been assigned other duties.
After the last demihumans in the field had been slain, the task was then given to the army to systematically root out any enemy who had remained inside the city. At this, Ainz intervened, saying that those who surrendered to him specifically should be spared the blade, for they would join his nation in rebuilding their lives and their dignities in an era of peace.
"I do not pray that bygones be bygones," Ainz said, "But is it not true that we should be magnanimous in defeat?"
"Certainly the Sorcerer King speaks true!" Prince Caspond had exclaimed. "And let it be so!"
Unfortunately, none saw fit to surrender to the Sorcerer King, and were thus summarily slain by the paladins and soldiers. Afterwards, they had discovered and liberated thousands of humans who had been imprisoned by the demihumans. Effort was made to grant them a semblance of succor, with Neia being ordered to supervise the transport of grain and water from the army camp for them.
When night came, the victory celebrations went into full force. The beleaguered soldiers, now free from the spectre of death, danced and feasted in the ruined city. All of them gave a prayer to the gods for sparing them. All of them gave a toast to Lord Ainz, for his aid.
The nobles had their own victory feast, laid out in the former mayor's mansion. Naturally, the Prince was the centerpiece of the event, though Ainz was the guest of honor. And much honor was accorded him, as vowed by nearly all the nobles present. They pledged their friendships, promised gifts and oaths of monetary gratitude to such a generous, powerful man; who not only ruled as King but also fought as a hero from ages past.
Neia couldn't even participate in any of the celebrations, let alone the Prince's feast, as she had to deal with aiding Remedios in searching the city top to bottom for any sign of her sister or the Queen. It was a fool's errand, but she didn't have it in her to refuse the woman, especially with how manic her eyes gleamed. Predictably, the search ended in failure, though it took the other paladins to convince Remedios from literally diving down into the sewers.
As such, Neia didn't seen Ainz at all until the next morning, when rumors came that he along with the demihuman allies were getting ready to return to the Kingdom. She left Shizu to its own devices and ran for her life, intent on meeting Ainz-sama one more time.
"Ainz-sama!" she shouted.
"Ah, I was wondering where you'd been," Ainz said. "I was just about to go try and look for you."
She flushed bright scarlet at the implication that the great Ainz would trouble himself to find her at all. "Well, I'm here, so I saved you the trip, Ainz-sama. May we talk?"
"Certainly." The proceeded to a more private area, an old two-story house with a balcony overlooking the street outside. From here they could see the city waking up from its previous festivities, as the important work to restore and fix everything Jaldabaoth ruined began in earnest.
"First of all, I want to thank you, my lord," Neia said. "On behalf of my country, of course, and for me. This is a debt none of us can ever repay."
"Ah, please, it's nothing. I've already been thanked enough times already."
"As is right," Neia said, nodding. "But this is a thank you from me, personally, Ainz-sama. You… you are my shining jewel. My brilliant star. When I heard you… And when I saw you arrive, I was…" Gods, she was going to cry. She shook her head and willed those tears away.
"I'm sorry to have worried you," Ainz said gently. "But I'm here now, and I am also equally glad to see you're safe."
Ainz then went on to describe his side of events, of how he'd just found himself knocked far away by Jaldabaoth's attack. He'd then decided that instead of returning right away he would try to undermine the demon lord's strength from within by recruiting all the demihumans who were coerced or disagreed with his methods. The others who were completely loyal were, regretfully, destroyed.
"What will happen now?" Neia asked. The demihumans were ever a problem for the Holy Kingdom. Just because Jaldabaoth was dead didn't mean that in the future there wouldn't be some other great creature who would unite the disparate tribes for yet another chance at conquest.
"Those who have agree to join me have also agreed to be relocated to the Sorcerous Kingdom," said Ainz. "They will remain under my protective aegis, but they will also have to agree to the laws that bind everyone there. They won't be a problem for anyone else anymore—at least not if the others try to make a problem."
"So you'll be leaving soon then…?" Neia asked.
"What of you, Neia? My previous offer still stands. I extend that same invitation again, today." He reached out his hand in welcome. "Please, do join me, Neia Baraja."
Neia blushed, far deeper than she'd ever had before. The way Ainz-sama said it made it seem like those cheesy stories ferried about in the camp about this or that soldier proposing marriage to their ladies. It really did feel like that on this very moment.
"Um… ahhh…" Say yes, her mind said. There was no other reason to say no. Her duty to her country was done, her family was gone, and she didn't desire to have anyone, even the Sorcerer King, bring them back. She'd done her service, and here was a chance to follow her heart.
And yet she said, "Not… Not just yet, please." This was her decision. "Just… for a little while, let me remain. I must see my service through, until the nation is back to what it was before, in my father's time. W-when that's done, I—I'll definitely seek you out. I'll definitely drop everything to come to you… So could you please…?" she fumbled on her last words, her emotions choking her speech.
Luckily, Ainz-sama was there to pick her up. He brushed his hand against her cheek and said softly, "Very well, I shall wait; for however long it takes you."
"It won't take long!" she shouted. "Er… sorry… I mean, it shouldn't take long. I promise."
"Long, or short, it matters not. I shall be waiting regardless."
She smiled brilliantly; her eyes, once a fixture of fascination or fear, now glittering like stars. She leaned her cheek against his hand and felt his indescribable presence fill her like a great, powerful spirit; and she allowed its warmth to permeate her every being.
"… May I call you Ainz-sama?" she begged. The sorcerer king had refused such addresses before, but she felt that this was just what a great man like him deserved.
He clucked his tongue, but shrugged. "Do as you will; I can't very well stop you from doing as you please."
"Yes, thank you, Ainz-sama! Also…" she faltered.
"What is it?"
"C-can I ask just one favor? Please?" Her heart clenched painfully.
"If it is within my power," he rumbled.
"Could you show me your real face? Just for a little bit?" She knew his secret; that he was a great sorcerer, true, but also that he was routinely changing his appearance, to fool his enemies.
Ainz said nothing, as if the question had utterly surprised him. Then he smiled and removed his mask. What was shown there was not the bone-chilling arrogant face of an undead, but the utterly normal-looking man. One would think that such a normal-looking face would have dashed her expectations, but she didn't care. He exuded a charm she had seen in no other man.
Therefore, she surprised Ainz by standing up on her tip-toes to give him a small, silent kiss on his cheek.
"Soon, my lord," she promised. "Soon." Then she said something that she thought he wouldn't hear. Just three words.
Then she turned and fled, her shame catching up to her senses. But the shame was not of a woman rejected but of a maiden deeply in love.
Shizu, who had been standing to the side for the whole conversation stepped forward. Neia had never once noticed her there.
"I did not understand the last part of her speech. What was it, Ainz-sama?" she asked.
"Ah… Hrm…" Ainz said, clearing his throat awkwardly. "I didn't hear it either."
The maid cocked her head to the side. "I see."
"Come, let's head back. I need to speak with Albedo and Demiurge about the rest of the business."
"By your leave."
As the Gate materialized, Ainz thought back to what Neia said, and what she did. But most of all what she'd said. Those were three simple words, and he had heard it many times before. But it still pleased him to hear it.
Then again, if she were to join, then things would get a lot more complicated from then on. "What a pain," he muttered.
"Hm? What is it, Ainz-sama?" Shizu asked.
"Oh, nothing. Come on."
They returned to Nazarick.
To his surprise, Zesshi and Keeno were there waiting for his arrival. She was not the only one: Narberal Gamma was also there, as was Shalltear. He was further surprised to see Clementine. Almost all his mother candidates were there waiting, all resplendent in their pregnant glory.
When the Gate had closed behind him, all the mothers bowed, and said, "Welcome home, Ainz-sama!" they all cried, in unison.
He smiled, and spread his arms. They all rushed forward to accept his wide embrace. "I'm back, for now."
Afterwards, he went to his office with Albedo, where Demiurge waited.
"Lord Ainz, I did not expect you to return so soon," Demiurge said. "That being said, I must congratulate you on a job well and truly done."
"I am pleased to have played my part. That said…" He glanced from Demiurge to Albedo. "Before I retire for some much needed rest I would like to know the future of this enterprise."
"Ah, but do you not already see it unfolding in your mind's eye, oh great one?" Demiurge said.
No, of course not! He wanted to say, but didn't, obviously. He gestured with his hands. "Indulge me, Demiurge. Albedo. At least show me how far you have grown."
The two conspirators smiled proudly, before nodding. "Then by your leave, Ainz-sama," Albedo said.
Not long after the battle—and that was yesterday—the plan to evacuate the demihuman "allies" was already in effect. This accomplished two things: that the Holy Kingdom would not even think of revenging themselves against the demihumans, and that the demihumans would likely not think of going back on their word. Both instances were easy to surmount, but it would have still required Nazarick to make an effort. It was better to spare even the slightest chance of failure, and thus head off the problems before they even started to sprout.
With that out of the way, Albedo had then sent messages and emissaries throughout the known land, bearing a letter from Prince Caspond. It did not proclaim or promise anything, but it did solidify in the other nations' minds that no matter what happened, the Prince had the strongest claim and would thus be expected to ascend the throne. Any dissenters would be practically pressured to recognize the Prince's claim as legitimate. Such dissenters included Remedios herself, who had still insisted that the Queen and her sister were still alive, and that the former was still the legitimate ruler of the Kingdom.
Sadly, despite the innocent Neia's determination that the nation be built as it was, the reality beneath the surface would be much different. Under Prince Caspond's regime, society would be realigned so as to present the Prince as not some Holy King, but a mere mortal, and that there was no need to pay anything more than lip service to the gods. This would drive some conflict into the paladin order and the temples, but that was well within expectations. The Holy Kingdom was intended to become "Holy" just in name, more akin to Re-Estize, with its policies firmly allied to the Sorcerous Kingdom.
Pro-Ainz movements were then to be sprinkled about, focusing and reinforcing the human masses towards being accepting of Ainz as their supreme sovereign. Vassalization would then naturally follow, though not to the speed that Ainz had managed with the Empire.
"My deepest apologies for that, my lord," Demiurge said.
Ainz cocked his head. "Ah… that's alright? I guess?" He wasn't exactly sure why Demiurge was even apologizing.
Lastly, though this was only a minor point, the riches and spoils plundered from the cities of the Holy Kingdom were safely inside Nazarick. Some had already been transported long before, with the many treasure-keepers combing over the items under the keen leadership of Pandora's Actor. With the war's end, the riches had all been truly plundered, leaving the Kingdom sadly destitute, but such was the fate of those beneath them.
"I believe that should be all, for now, my lord," Demiurge said. "If there are other things to cover, I and Albedo shall certainly prepare it on the reports. Was there anything else you wished to know about?"
"No, that will be—ah, wait a second." He turned to Albedo. "Please await me at the Hall, Albedo." Her face brightened. "Assemble the others." Her expression soured. "Go now, I wish to relax."
"By your will, my lord," Albedo said, a little half-heartedly. To the side, Demiurge shook his head subtly.
When Albedo had left, Ainz turned back to the bespectacled devil. "I'd like to arrange an addition to the Mother's Hall, if you please. She'll be coming in due time, but not this instant. Just ready a place for her when the time comes. And try not to leak this to anyone, least of all Albedo."
"Certainly, my lord," Demiurge said. He quirked his brow. "May I please confirm that this is in addition to the two slots you requested earlier?"
Ainz started. He'd completely forgotten about that. "Err… yes. That's right." He snapped his fingers. It was a bit of a morbid reminder, since they were in that condition thanks to a blunder. But he appreciated the reminder nonetheless. "Speaking of that matter, then, have you briefed the crew with what they need to do?"
Demiurge bowed. "Everything is in readiness, my lord. Even Albedo would attest that she is ready to play her part. Once you've brought them back, leave the rest to us."
"Well, I'll be taking care of the other end, but okay," Ainz said, turning towards the exit of the office. "I'll do that later today." For now, he had some wives to indulge in and be indulged. Clementine did promise the use of her boobs had she not?
She did not know where she'd been, but she knew it was a dark and scary place. It was cold and unforgiving, like a moonless night without the hearth's pleasant embrace.
The next thing she knew, she had awakened in a strange place. She'd thought it was heaven, at first, for all the grandeur that greeted her. Then she looked down and realized she was now wearing a skimpy-looking one-piece night dress, which was a few sizes too small.
"Welcome back," a voice said. She saw a beautiful-looking woman standing there beside her. She looked like she was some sort of elf, with heterochromatic eyes. The one notable thing about her was her heavy-looking baby bump, which spoke of her condition as a mother. "Are you feeling well?"
"Um…" It was as if she'd forgotten how to speak. The words were there in her head, but her throat couldn't seem to articulate. "Th—th—haah…"
"That's fine," the elf woman said. "That's how the body works after resurrection. Are you not familiar with how it works?"
Resurrection? Had she been resurrected? If so, that surely meant that—
She'd died.
"Ack!" A sharp pain crossed her mind. It was as if her brain was trying to remember something, but something else was holding it back, like a cork in a wine bottle.
"Please don't strain yourself!" the elf woman said. "Allow your body, mind and soul to realign, so please calm down and relax. It's only a matter of time."
She panted and wheezed, as the pain subsided. Calca noticed that there was one other person in the room, who was lying down beside her. Jerking with recognition, she saw it was Kelart Custodio, her right-hand, who was also wearing the same dress as her.
"Allow me to walk you through your circumstances," the elf woman said gently. "I understand that it is a lot to take in, but it is important to remain calm and focused. Now, do you know your name?"
Calca, she knew. Calca Bessarez. Holy Queen of the Roble Holy Kingdom. Yet she could not say it with her throat. Thus she had to nod, then point to her throat.
"I see. Throat still not working? Very well. My name is Zesshi Zetsumei, but you can call me Zesshi if you like. I do know your name, Calca. Don't look surprised, of course we know. Anyway, let's go on."
The elf woman proceeded to ask her a series of questions pertaining to simple facts about the world, the time, peoples and places. She was asked to write, and she did, though with fumbling fingers. This time, when she spoke, it was with halting words, spoken through hoarse throat.
"Where… am… I…" she said, gasping. "What… happened…"
Zesshi was about to answer when Kelart groaned beside her. She shifted from side to side on the bed, before her eyes opened to look at the ceiling. Then she screamed.
"Kel.. art…!" she cried, diving to touch the other woman.
"Ahh… Haaahhh… Haahhhh…!" Kelart's eyes went to her, then widened in recognition. In an instant she had risen to seize Calca in a fierce embrace, so tight that it almost hurt.
"Okay, okay, Kelart-san, you have to let go of your Queen. Her body's still a bit delicate."
Kelart froze, then showed a look of uncertainty at Zesshi.
"It… fine…" Calca said, miming to Kelart. "Is… help…"
Kelart relaxed, though she still looked tense as she looked around the room.
"My apologies, Calca-san, but I must be asking the same questions I asked you of Kelart-san here. Is that alright?"
Zesshi then asked the same questions of Kelart that she had asked of Calca. Near the end, Calca was now able to form a single, slow sentence; while Kelart had succeeded with words.
"What has happened…?" Calca repeated.
Zesshi sighed. "I do not know if there is a right way to say this." She looked from one woman to the other. "The both of you were incinerated by Jaldabaoth."
Both women gasped. Thankfully, the memory of such a death had been decisively blocked, so neither of them felt the same pain as before. Perhaps their deaths had been so swift that no memory remained but the very last moments of pain, and that was not something they wished to recall.
"Kelart, I assume you are versed with resurrection, correct? Could a pile of ashes be resurrected?"
"Nnn… Nnooo…" she replied, shaking her head.
"What my master has done, then, is rather miraculous would you not think? He has taken your soul from oblivion and raised you back up to life—even wrapping you in the same body as before." Calca saw Kelart's eyes widen. Zesshi's smug gaze wandered to Calca. "Surely something like this, you will admit, approaches the realm of the vaunted gods."
"That is…" Calca could hardly breathe. "If that is so… Then why were we brought back..?"
Zesshi raised a brow. "Surely you do not mean you wished to remain dead?"
"If your master… is powerful, as you say… why would he need… us…? All the power… of the priests of the temples… combined… could not do what you've done…" Calca narrowed her eyes. "Perhaps you wish for control… of the Holy Kingdom…? But you could have it all… with this power… without us…"
Zesshi smiled. "Ah, so you are indeed wise, oh former Holy Queen. Yes, my master did not raise you to take control of the Holy Kingdom. After all, your brother rules it now, as the Holy King." Kelart started, surprised. "And my master would have allowed you remain dead, as he has no interest in the Holy Kingdom.
"But he does have an interest in you."
Nearly all his wives were there in the chamber with him. They had come from either idle curiosity or their perceived loyalty to his presence. Clementine and Keeno made up the first group, perhaps intrigued by his mention of using a powerful resurrection spell. The other NPC mothers from Nazarick, along with Zesshi, were from the latter group, eagerly accepting the invitation to be there with him no matter what he was doing.
Before him on the pedestal were the two corpses that had been recovered from the ruined palace rubble of the Roble Holy Kingdom. They belonged to the Holy Queen Calca Bessarez, and the High Priestess Kelart Custodios. Their bodies had been preserved through the icy arts of Cocytus's subordinates.
"See? I told you they were beautiful," Shalltear said.
"Only you could possibly think of these lumps of dead flesh as beautiful," Albedo sniped, with a roll of her eyes. The two were about to have another go at it when Zesshi stepped up.
"Please…" Zesshi said boldly. "Let us allow our lord to focus on his work."
"Thank you, Zesshi," he said, to which the half-elf smiled. All the others in the room could clearly see Albedo and Shalltear glaring daggers at her—to a lesser extent Narberal Gamma was doing the same, too.
"This will take but a moment," Ainz said. To them it was as if he was preparing to wind up some big and powerful spell, but personally he was just trying to weigh which cash shop item he would have to sacrifice. Resurrections of this scale were not cheap, relatively speaking, as he had only access to a limited number of the items that he had taken from Yggdrasil. Once they were consumed, there was no way to recover them.
This was why he was always reluctant to promise resurrection to anyone in this world, as his own resurrection spell was capped at a certain level. The "True Resurrection" that had no limitations or weaknesses were things only his cash shop items could do. He only intended to use it in the most extreme circumstances—perhaps if he were able to meet any of his friends here, a possibility that had grown very much remote in the past year or so.
Finally, he decided on the item. After crushing it in his hand, a powerful brilliance lit the air. An angelic figure emerged, a wheel of fire wreathed in many legs and wings.
"Wow…" someone said.
"As expected of you, my lord, such wondrous power…" said someone. He was pretty sure that was Zesshi.
He directed the angel's attention towards the bodies on the pedestal. A beam of light shot out, bathing the corpses like a ray of intense sunlight. For a brief moment, there was nothing but blinding light—
And in the next moment, the angel had disappeared, and the bodies were left lying there. He went there eagerly, to see how his item had worked. It didn't take a doctor to see the ruddy flush of their beautiful skin, and of the absence of any of their wounds, and of course, the tell-tale rise and fall of their bountiful chests. They were as naked and beautiful as the day they were born, and most importantly—they were alive.
"It really is amazing, Ainz-sama," Keeno said. He looked around and saw that the other wives had also gathered around to look at his handiwork.
"What… what are your intentions for them, my lord?" Albedo said, a little anxiously.
He could sense that the others were also waiting for his reply. This felt awkward. He shook his head and said, "Why, to be loyal mothers, of course." The others shared a glance among themselves. These two were said to have their own unique magics—for now he was most curious about breeding a child in them, but also because he wanted them as his own, now that he was no longer denying himself the pleasure.
"Return to the Hall," he ordered. "I have things I need to do." Out of all of them, only Zesshi seemed to realize what he was going to do. As the others filed off, Ainz retrieved an item from his inventory and dipped his fingers inside it.
Thus daubed with a strange, ink-like substance, his fingers went down to the sleeping Queen's navel, right above where her womb must be, and began to write.
Try as they might, they could not look away from the scene in front of them.
Zesshi Zetsumei had led them to a certain chamber. The entire place was dimly lit, with the only illumination coming from candles scattered about the room in random intervals. There was a thick smell of incense in the air, a sweet, fruit-like scent that made goosebumps rise all over their skin.
They had expected to be introduced to their benefactor, this "Ainz Ooal Gown". They wished to know why they had been resurrected, and what his intention was for the two of them.
What they didn't expect was the scene of debauchery they saw the instant their feet crossed over the threshold.
At first there was the large, burly, muscular man sitting languidly on his throne, gloriously naked, his bronzed skin shining under the dim light.
Seated to the man's right was a beautiful woman with strange horned ornaments on her head, her pregnant bulge shining with lewd moon-like brilliance. To his right was another brunette, slim and slender, sucking tenderly on the man's proffered finger.
Three pregnant women were on their knees, all of them gathered in a huddle between his spread legs. There was a woman with silver-blonde hair, a woman with long, flowing blonde locks, and a woman with short blonde hair. It was clear even to the two women that the trio were not just kneeling for the sake of it—no, their actions were decidedly clear and debased. They were each slavishly working hard on the man's cock, as clearly evidenced by the loud, wet, smacking sounds that emanated from his crotch.
Moans and pants filled the air. They thought they would be more outraged to be shown something like this.
But they couldn't look away. They stood frozen, transfixed by the sight. A dim part of them felt something inside their cores quicken, like the first thaw of spring. There was an itch in their lower areas that kept humming at their minds with dogged persistence.
"Allow me to introduce our lord and master, and your benefactor," Zesshi said, curtsying. "Lord Ainz Ooal Gown, supreme ruler of all."
As they watched, the man grunted, causing the three women to cry and yelp as if they had been surprised by something. Ropes of hot, white-looking fluids came raining down all over the women's hair, splashing all over their bodies, and even shooting down like meteors to splatter all over the carpet.
Then the man rose, standing to his full height. He loomed above all of them, a magnificent example of a towering edifice of male domination. The two felt their knees tremble as he strode forward, unashamed of his nakedness, his long, thick manhood jutting out like a victorious scepter before him. Their eyes couldn't help but be drawn to it, as if it had its own hypnotic power that rooted them in place, that made their minds go to places they didn't know existed.
"I welcome you, former Queen Calca Bessarez, and you, Kelart Custodio," the man said, grinning. He stopped behind Zesshi, who moaned as he pulled her dress down to a heap around her ankles in order to massage her swollen breasts. She moaned, like some pleasured whore, her nipples squirting madly. As her milk leaked through his fingers, the man nodded to them. "I welcome you to this, our sanctuary of Nazarick."
His solemn eyes traveled up and down over their bodies, making them shiver from his attention.
Calca swallowed. Kelart couldn't help but whine.
Beneath their clothes, the sigils burned brightly on their skin, unnoticed.
Chapter commissioned by UltraSpink of Da USA, thank you. A reminder that the story is commissioned.
If you'd like a story commissioned, feel free to contact me here, or on archiveofourown under "RHoldhous".
