“Question them thoroughly, but question them… lightly.” Ainz had said to her when he left the humans in her custody.

When Albedo left the torture chamber of Neuronist, she was still confounded at the orders. “Strange that my lord would give us such an order.” It was enough to make Albedo scratch her horn in confusion when she went to deliver her report. Her feet clicked in a steady rhythm over the stone floor, the echo resounding off the walls in her isolated walk, her lack of company making it easy to enjoy the alone time of her thoughts.

‘Could he have a use for them alive? Further experiments? Obviously I can’t ‘question’ his decision, but if I am to serve well I should be able to better understand his mind.’ That was a comforting thought in and of itself, but the prospect of spending even more time with her beloved Ainz made her entire body quiver with excitement, so much so that when she reached the door to his office she had to stop with her fingers wrapped around the handle.

Albedo’s other hand went to her breast while she got control of her breathing, and then knocked soundly three times on the heavy wood. The dull thud noise carried within, for a moment there was no sound but her pounding heart, and then she heard his voice.

As soon as the sound hit his ears, Ainz was breathing hard. He held a hand to his chest, the gauntlet pressed the flesh beneath his robes and made him only more anxious than before. ‘OK, OK, calm down, stay calm, she doesn’t know, the mask hides racial data at least so there’s no way she could know I’m not undead anymore. All I have to do is ‘act’ the part.’

“Enter.” Ainz announced after anxious seconds and snatched his hand down to his lap before the door opened.

“Your report, Albedo.” He said, borrowing the voice of a no nonsense boss he recalled from his previous employment.

Albedo felt the rush of arousal in her loins at his commanding voice, but keeping her tiny smile and calm composure, she answered him thoroughly as soon as she walked past the death knight and closer to his desk.

“The commander was a font of information, even with minimal prompting, Demiurge did have to use his command mantra once, but now we know everything they do about their home country and the area surrounding it.” Albedo completed her statement, but in her bright glowing yellow eyes, a question lingered.

“Is there something wrong, Albedo?” Ainz inquired, struggling to keep the squeak at bay. ‘Does she know?!’ He wanted to cry out, but she only wrung her hands together in front of her waist and shifted on her feet.

“My lord, permit the question, and forgive me if it is not my place, but… why do we let them live?” Albedo’s question was a very practical one from a demon’s perspective, Ainz recognized that immediately.

‘We know everything, now they’ll just consume resources, kill them and we can have them serve as food, or we can experiment on their corpses, alive they’re a burden. Quick! She’s staring at you, think of something!’ Ainz shouted at himself and cleared his throat.

“Because we don’t know what use they may have later. Perhaps a trade with their home country, perhaps a return of them as hostages as a gesture of good will. Since we can’t know what use they’ll have alive, we shouldn’t kill them yet. Once they’re dead, we may not be able to revive them, but alive we can simply kill them at our leisure.” Ainz spat out the half thought answer from a video game villain he once recalled and watched Albedo’s face.

“My love! My wonderful Ainz, how insightful! How far ahead you think, to even consider the oddities of the unknown and factor that into your fathomless calculations!” Albedo cried out and flung herself from where she stood, to by his chair so that she was at his feet.

“My lord, my love…” She said with reverence and played with the ring on the finger reserved for brides.

“Albedo, the rest…” Ainz said after clearing his throat again and shifting in his seat.

“Ah, yes, yes my lord. Shadow demons monitor the village and we have more following Gazef back to his Kingdom’s capital. We will continue to watch for anyone worth mentioning, and we’ve checked the bodies. None managed to rise from the dead with Pestonya’s resurrection, they turned to dust when we tried. None of their equipment was worth mentioning, some minor enchantments, but not worth equipping any of our own with them.” Albedo finished, and Ainz took up where she left off.

“Good, keep the village under observation and safe from all threats. That’s everything for now.” Ainz said, but Albedo didn’t move from where she’d cast herself.

Which is not to say she was motionless, a hand, her ring bearing hand, came up toward him, and Ainz immediately responded by taking it, a wave of guilt washed over him like a sea breaking through a levy in a hurricane.

“Albedo, stop. No.” The words were torn from his lips with the greatest effort, and the seductive beauty of the succubus hit him like a freight train, he felt his body sweat with anticipation, such beauty, such devotion, all his, for him, and all he had to do was reach out and take it.

But he couldn’t.

“Albedo, you feel what you do because I did something terrible to you. I don’t know how I can ever make it right… you’re the child of a dear friend, and I changed you.” The sea of guilt only rose at his confession, but Albedo’s answer gave him pause.

“What was I before you graced me with your choice, my love?” Albedo asked him with wondering eyes.

His tension was answer enough, and her eyes briefly went away from him.

“I wasn’t a woman you could love, was I?” She asked, and the silence held from her beloved lord.

“I still shouldn’t have done what I did.” Ainz finally said with conviction.

“Do you dislike me as I am? Does it disturb you? Does it inconvenience you? Am I less wanted?” Albedo asked the slew of questions and terror at her own boldness welled up. ‘What will he say?! What if he says yes to any of that? Or worse, all of that?!’

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“No.” Ainz said and put a hand on the soft dark hair of her head. “I could never, you’re the child of a dear friend, as I said.”

“Then there isn’t a problem, it’s no different than if my father, my maker, gave me away to marriage. I like who I am, and what you made of me, and if you’re not unhappy with it either, then is it a problem?” Albedo rose to her knees and clutched her fingers around the gauntlet. The tightness of her hold would have bent a lesser metal or broken a weaker hand, but with his strength and equipment intact, it was like any other woman’s soft hand close to the surface of his body.

They were interrupted by the sound of a sword clattering to the floor. “I see, so a sword of this world won’t bind them here, but if we make them from corpses, they will remain.” Ainz said, explaining the sudden racket.

“Then we should procure more corpses, correct, my lord?” Albedo asked with the automatic competence he expected out of an overseer.

“Yes, but avoid disturbing the graves of the villagers, we should keep our good will with them as high as possible in case we need them later, we must procure them from some other place.” Ainz gave the quick instruction, a flash of pity ran through him for the unfortunates, but eager for a distraction, turned his mind to something else.

“Gather everyone to the throne room. You go ahead first, I will follow shortly.” Ainz ordered, and Albedo rose, slowly, ensuring he got an eyefull of her ample cleavage.

‘Oh my god those are… holy. Divine, beautiful… and they belong to your best friend’s ‘daughter’ of a sort, don’t be a pervert, Satoru!’ Ainz reprimanded himself while his overseer rose to her feet and left the office, rolling her hips before his eyes with every step. ‘Don’t be the sort of boss that takes advantage of a subordinate! Even if you have to hide what you are for now!’ Ainz reminded himself when the door shut, and he was at last able to take a relaxed breath after his successful act.

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‘Ainz-sama feels different somehow, but I can’t put my finger on it, but still… he acknowledged my feelings and didn’t reject them! What a wonderful victory over that little loli lamprey!’ Albedo’s heart sang and a happy smile was fixed unmoving on her face when she encountered Sebas in the hall.

“Lady Albedo, is Momonga-sama available?” Sebas asked, and seeing her face, he asked further, “You seem to be in a remarkably good mood, did something happen?”

“Yes,” was all Albedo said, and walked on with a spring in her step that left Sebas watching her retreat with great but unspoken curiosity.

‘Shalltear will be nothing but my lord’s footstool when all is said and done! I and I alone am going to be seated beside him!’ They were selfish thoughts and selfish words, and part of her quailed at the force behind them, but her woman’s heart which ached for his absolute devotion to her, could not regret them. Nor could she keep her succubus heart from throbbing, or her blood from boiling, nor keep back the fluttering happiness that made her feel light as air all the way to the throne room.

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Sebas followed the fashionably late Ainz into the great throne room where most of the guardians and maids were now assembled. No one moved from the places where they knelt. The tapping of the staff and the sound of footsteps were the only things to break the silence.

The master of death ascended the steps while Sebas knelt front and center before his maids. ‘Such dignity and poise… truly he is the leader of the forty-one.’ Sebas held fast the reverential thought while he beheld the back of the one who stayed.

From on high when he was seated, Ainz was compelled to admit that they made a majestic looking group. ‘My friends, my precious friends, if only you could see what a wonder you truly wrought… you would, like me, never want to leave it.’

Like a rubber band stretched too far, he snapped and the thought was gone, sweat ran down his skin and he shivered within his robes. ‘I can’t fail them!’ He reminded himself and to disguise the shudder, he stood from his throne.

Ainz’s eyes swept his guardians, maids, and many vassals from behind the mask, and he struggled to speak, the words of apology he intended to offer died in his throat. ‘No, don’t. Pleasantry or not, I shouldn’t tell them I apologize unless I am sincere.’

[Greater Break Item] He cast the spell and the flags bearing the sigil of Momonga fell and ceased to be.

Shock briefly colored every face save for that of the unflappable Sebas and the smiling Albedo who already knew his intent.

“My name is now Ainz Ooal Gown, I may be addressed as such.” He swept his staff out before him to hide his nervousness, making a grand gesture of the pronouncement and then holding his arms up high and out. “Does anyone object? If so, let them speak!”

‘Please don’t object! Please don’t say anything, please oh please oh please I don’t want to have to explain myself!’ Ainz begged in his mind.

Nobody did.

“We have heard your glorious name, Supreme One! We pledge our undying loyalty to you, our beloved master.” Albedo pronounced, though when she did, he heard her special emphasis on ‘beloved’ and felt certain that word was her pledge and hers alone.

No other seemed to notice it, or if they did, they saw no way or reason to object to it. The remaining guardians, joined by Albedo, all announced as one, “All glory to Ainz Ooal gown! Supreme Lord and leader of us all! Ainz Ooal Gown, we give ourselves completely to you! Long live your mighty name, our King of fearsome power, all shall know of your greatness!” The shouts and praise of servants high and low were so long and loud that they were heard beyond the open door of the throne room and were taken up even by those not in attendance. It seemed in that moment to Ainz as if the entire tomb shouted as one body, like one being.

Though his breast swelled with pride, a part of his mind was elsewhere. ‘My friends, would you object to using our name? I’m hoping only to borrow it, if there are others like me who are trapped here who may know of us. Perhaps I can help them, or perhaps word of this name will reach you, and you will find your way here… and call it home again. If you do, when you do… I will happily be myself again… assuming of course, the loyalty of the tomb can stay with me as I now am. Perhaps the spell will wear off, perhaps it won’t, but for now… I must hide in my own skin, until I know for sure.’

The shouting died down as if it were timed to do so with his fading, drifting reflections, and he chose to address the tomb again.

“-Next, we’re going to do something new. In the past, the Tomb, our precious home, has always held to itself, defending always in victory, but never venturing out beyond our sacred home. But no legend is ever born from remaining at home. Instead, we will make our mark on this world, make my mighty name a legend that spreads through all time and all lands!” Ainz hoped he wasn’t squeaking as he borrowed the ‘presenter voice’ as best he could, then for dramatic effect, he grasped the staff of Ainz Ooal Gown tightly in his hand, rapped it on the ground, and the air trembled.

“There may be heroes who will oppose us, but we will be greater, surpassing everyone else. Everyone will know us for the true heroes! If there are stronger, we will be smarter, if smarter, we will be stronger. By any means necessary, we will show this world that we are the greatest force to ever exist, will you fight for this glorious future?!” Ainz bellowed out the question, and again the cheers echoed throughout the tomb as renewed oaths poured from ecstatic lips.

‘My friends, if you exist in this world, you or others, you will hear this name one day, and come to me.’ The reverential thought that all but broke his heart, seemed to have infected the rest, and as the cheers died, their heads fell as if in silent prayer for the realization of their master’s vision.

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Ainz sat alone in his room with the door locked by every means available and took off his costume. ‘It really does feel like cosplay…’ He thought privately and stared at the reflection in the mirror. Though he felt somewhat at ease since Albedo had asked to address them when he departed, and therefore no one should come by seeking him, he still had a tingle of doubt.

In the mirror, there wasn’t Suzuki Satoru. He touched his face, it was lean and not at all fat, with almost ‘squared’ features. His hair was still black, but his body looked and felt different. “So this is what it feels like to have a lot of muscles.” He muttered and touched his abs. “I suppose my strength stats are responsible for this, my voice isn’t really that different. In fact it’s almost identical to the one I had as an undead except for the desire to squeak when I’m nervous.” He rolled his eyes and ran his hand through the thick dark hair on his head and took a deep breath.

“The real question though, is how well can I use this body, I seem to be a bit taller than average, that is if Gazef and the village are any example, but how well can I use my warrior skills, and my other magic… and what do I put my spare racial levels to… so much to think about.” He rambled on to the handsome man in the mirror. “So, the first thing though, I can’t keep this secret forever, so who can I trust will definitely not despise me if they know I’m like this? They all ‘seem’ loyal, but Shalltear is a vampire, Demiurge and Albedo are demons… Sebas? Not human but he has a high karma value and should be a lawful good alignment.”

No answers were readily forthcoming to him, but… an idea did take shape, something that would ‘delay’ the discovery by the tomb and allow him to strengthen himself enough that ‘if’ they turned on him, he should be strong enough to fend off anyone. ‘The level cap is raised, who knows how high, if I can become powerful enough, I won’t have to worry, but to do that, I need to grind again. So… I need to both grind, and keep my secret for now until this either wears off or until it no longer matters if it does or not. Well Ainz, looks like you’re putting some levels into warrior, and going on an adventure. But of course… whom should I take with me?’ Ainz had no answer to that one either, but from the bottom of his heart, despite everything, he felt something else entirely.

A sudden, rising… excitement.