Advance, the Battle Arrives

Southwestern Territory, "Ilip"

Under the moonlight.

A light breeze blew through the air, bringing a faint chill.

Sebas stood atop the city wall. Rarely, his back was not perfectly straight, and one hand rested lightly against the sturdy stone railing.

"There had indeed been something I had failed to consider."

Sebas murmured inwardly.

Not long ago, he had received a Message from Albedo.

Citing that "the nation was too small to be worthy of the Supreme Beings' name," she had temporarily rejected the nation's name.

Sebas had named the new nation "Tachimya," after his creator, the Supreme Being Touch Me, so that this land and this world would bear the mark of the Supreme Beings.

Since the nation had been built by rescuing the slaves of this land, Sebas believed there could be no more fitting name.

In this world's language, the latter "ya" meant "land."

"Rejected... yes, merely rejected. The name itself had not been refused."

Sebas's gaze sharpened as he looked into the pitch-black night beyond the city wall, as though he had realized something. "It was Albedo."

"If Lord Ainz had denied this name, it would not merely have been rejected. And Lord Ainz had not given the new nation another name."

He suddenly realized it!

Sebas's expression shifted. Recalling Albedo's tone when she had sent the Message only further confirmed his guess.

"I roughly understand what happened now."

Sebas was not angry. His back straightened once more. "It is enough that Lord Ainz did not refuse."

"...And it truly would have been inappropriate. A tiny area within the Southwestern Territory was nowhere near enough to bear the name of the Supreme Beings."

Smack!

Releasing the stone railing he had been gripping.

Sebas turned around and walked down the stairs from the city wall. There were no