A Journey Through the Multiverse Beginning with the Supreme Sovereign

After arriving before Saigō, Shalltear's delicate, pert nose worked hard to sniff him. The wax-pale skin of her face flushed faintly with excitement.

It even made Saigō wonder whether he had some strange smell on him.

Still, he had to admire Shalltear. Even crawling, she carried herself with such elegance.

"Demiurge, Shalltear!"

Saigō spoke in a low voice.

"Your servant is here!"

"I am here!"

Both Demiurge and Shalltear immediately reined in their expressions and adopted respectful, attentive postures.

"The two of you need not follow Momonga's investigation. Go deep into the human heartlands. I need sufficient intelligence!"

"...That intelligence includes, but is not limited to, the myths, history, culture, races, nations, and the current political conditions of the countries on this continent."

"While gathering intelligence, I permit you to use any unconventional and drastic means necessary."

"...Especially you, Demiurge. As a demon skilled in deception and disguise, obtain what I want from the upper ranks of human society whenever possible."

"Humans are greedy. With a demon's methods, I trust you will not disappoint me!"

The Black Flame beneath Saigō's hood issued an evil yet majestic voice, delivering orders to Shalltear and Demiurge.

Saigō could not wait for Momonga to slowly investigate everything.

Due to his personality, Momonga would be overly cautious in his actions.

Every personality had two sides, and Momonga's would slow the progress of the work.

Thus, while ordering Momonga to conduct intelligence work outside, he also needed to dispatch a "special" team directly into the human heartlands to retrieve what he needed.

Only after gaining sufficient understanding of this world's history and nations could Saigō make his next judgment.

And if he wanted intelligence quickly, special methods were inevitable. Cruelty and slaughter would certainly be involved.

The reason Saigō had not said this outright earlier, but instead brought it up privately with Shalltear and Demiurge,

was because he knew that some methods might be unacceptable to Momonga.

Saigō did not know what Momonga would become in the future, but for now, Momonga still possessed a high human moral bottom line.

Thus, he might reject certain methods.

As for himself, Saigō considered his moral bottom line flexible. Anyone who could climb to a high position in human society could never be the kind of person who was truly kind.

Saigō had seen far too much darkness within human society.

"You need not report the specific process to me. Just tell me the final results. And do not tell Momonga about what you do."

"...Also, do not go overboard. Keep everything discreet. Before I know enough about this world, I do not want to make too much noise and attract the attention of certain beings!"

"Especially you, Shalltear!"

After laying out his detailed demands, Saigō glared at Shalltear again.

Saigō remembered that Shalltear seemed to possess an ability similar to "berserk." When the Great Tomb had been invaded in the game, she had demonstrated that skill.

In a game, such abilities merely added some stats and came with negative effects.

But in reality, anyone could guess how troublesome such a skill would be.

Having been singled out by Saigō, Shalltear became uneasy. She quickly prostrated herself and trembled as she said, "...I shall certainly heed your teachings, Supreme Sovereign!"

Hearing Shalltear's self-reference, Saigō frowned.

Although she used "I," it was not the humble self-reference of an aristocrat, but the term used by courtesans from the pleasure quarters.

In other words, Shalltear's manner of referring to herself carried the implication of a prostitute selling her body.

In that regard, she had something in common with Albedo.

Whether Peroroncino or Tabula Smaragdina, their character settings were truly vile.

"Supreme Sovereign, I understand your profound intentions. Please rest assured. I shall place the most detailed intelligence on this world before you."

"...I shall become the vanguard of your conquest of this world, bringing darkness and terror to the land, so that every living being who resists shall despair beneath the supreme radiance of your death!"

With one hand behind his back and the other resting before him, Demiurge wore an evil smile and bowed respectfully.

He felt that Lord Zarathustra had given him the finest possible task.

When facing humans as tiny and cowardly as ants, a demon should naturally use terror and evil to make them submit.

Even if he needed to learn something from human mouths, a demon should naturally accomplish it through demonic means.

Just listen to what Lord Zarathustra required!

The geography, history, culture, nations, and mythology of this world—merely from these requirements, one could imagine what kind of ambition and grand plan his lord possessed.

As a loyal servant of the Supreme Sovereign, a demon created by Calamity of the World, he would surely devote every effort to preparing for the Supreme Sovereign's plan to conquer the world.

Shalltear, who had been slower than Demiurge, hurriedly said, "...As your most trusted slave, I shall offer my blood to you, most noble Supreme Sovereign!"

After speaking, Shalltear glared at Demiurge, as though blaming him for stealing her chance to declare her loyalty.

Demiurge merely adjusted his glasses, smiling without a word.

"Albedo, the security of the Great Tomb is temporarily entrusted to you. If outsiders enter, capture the intruders. After prying intelligence from them, throw them to The Death Knight."

Having given his general instructions, Saigō was no longer needed throughout the Great Tomb for the time being.

Those assigned fieldwork would do fieldwork, those assigned internal affairs would handle internal affairs, and he could peacefully return to his guild room to continue studying that dark space.

That was what a qualified leader should do.

"I shall never allow any petty, ignorant fool to defile the soil of the Great Tomb, Supreme Sovereign!"

Albedo spoke in a soft, delicate voice and gently bent at the waist.

Saigō nodded, activated the ability of a ring on his hand, and teleported directly to his room.

The instant Saigō vanished, Albedo's expression changed drastically. She bared her teeth at Shalltear and revealed a savage, terrifying smile.

"...Ha! You lamprey! Taking advantage of my inability to speak, you dared to try and steal the Supreme Sovereign's love for me. Your crime deserves ten thousand deaths!"

Shalltear showed no weakness. Covering her mouth with one hand, she laughed softly. Her seductive eyes held no fear as she glared back at Albedo.

"...Gorilla, you usually act so obedient that you do not even dare to laugh. Are you afraid that your disgusting smile will sicken the Supreme Sovereign?"

Albedo's expression changed sharply, and the black wings at her waist spread wide. "...Shalltear, shut your mouth. Do you think the Supreme Sovereign will look at you one more time just because you attached fake things to that flat body of yours?"

"...Remember, fake is fake. No matter how hard you try to falsify it, it will never become real!"

As she said this, Albedo proudly thrust out her chest.

Dazzled by the swaying of Albedo's figure, Shalltear's face turned livid. This was the matter she least wanted anyone to mention.

"I... I... Albedo, do you wish to fight me to the death here?"

"And why not!"

Albedo's face twisted as she let out a vicious laugh.

Seeing the two argue more and more fiercely, Demiurge had no choice but to step in and mediate. "...Enough, you two. Private fighting is forbidden within the Great Tomb."

"...If you do not wish to anger the Supreme Sovereign, please calm yourselves for now."

Demiurge's words did indeed calm the two somewhat.

"I can see both of your loyalty and love for the Supreme Sovereign. How about you hear a suggestion from me and settle which of you is superior?"

Hearing Demiurge's words, Shalltear and Albedo both looked at him as if asking what brilliant idea he had.

"Of the forty-two Supreme Sovereigns, only two remain. The others have left us. For us, we can no longer afford to lose even one more Supreme Sovereign!"

"...The Great Tomb of Nazarick cannot survive on only two Sovereigns."

"Although it is improper to think so, if the two Supreme Sovereigns truly abandon us, then we must find someone capable of inheriting the position of Sovereign."

Before Demiurge could finish, Albedo and Shalltear both looked at him warily. Rarely, they stood on the same side. "...Demiurge, rein in your delusions!"

"...Your delusions are an act of overstepping! You dare covet the position of Sovereign?! If that is so, we have no choice but to kill you here!"

Demiurge hurriedly waved his hands. "...That is not what I mean. Please let me finish!"

"...What I mean is that the Great Tomb needs an heir. Given Lady Shalltear's and Lady Albedo's excellent bloodlines, if they were to receive the bloodline of a Supreme Sovereign as well, they would surely bear the finest heir!"

"What do you think of this proposal? Whoever bears an heir for the Supreme Sovereign first shall ascend to the foremost position, rather than resolving matters through martial combat that would anger the Supreme Sovereign."

"...Though I believe the Supreme Sovereign will not abandon us, the existence of an heir would also add to the Great Tomb's strength!"

Demiurge's words moved both Albedo and Shalltear greatly.

Whoever bore Lord Zarathustra's child first would be the winner? This was an excellent suggestion!

Seeing that the two had stopped arguing, Demiurge shrugged.

See? Resolving disputes between women required wisdom. Surely, with the Sovereign's wisdom, he could devise an even better way to resolve their conflict.

Still, he would overstep just this once and help the Sovereign resolve this trouble.

After all, if even such trivial matters required the Supreme Sovereign to resolve personally, what use were subordinates like them?

As for whether Albedo and Shalltear possessed the ability to bear children, or whether Saigō had the necessary equipment, that was not within Demiurge's considerations.

In another world, within a barrier established somewhere on String God Island, a beautiful woman with fiery eyes dressed in a Twelve Layered Robe looked at the friend beside her and asked, "...Natsuki, are you ready?"

Chapter 14: Nangong Nayue

"Natsuki, are you ready?"

The elegant woman with a pair of gorgeous fiery eyes, dressed in a splendid Twelve Layered Robe, looked at her friend and ally beside her with a somewhat complicated gaze.

Sendou Aya, the Scribe Witch who controlled LCO!

When words infused with magical power were written into books, even ordinary books could gain incredible abilities after prolonged exposure to magic, becoming Grimoires.

However, if the abilities within a Grimoire were abused, the knowledge recorded in the book would be lost, and the Grimoire itself would lose its special properties.

The organization known as Library LCO was an association composed of magicians and Witches obsessed with knowledge.

The organization's purpose was to collect Grimoires scattered around the world, safeguard the knowledge within them, and prevent outsiders from abusing Grimoires as they pleased.

Judging from its objectives alone, LCO had no problems at all. It could even be described as great.

But the members of LCO were far too obsessive, much like those extreme animal rights organizations.

The methods they used while collecting Grimoires were neither reasonable nor lawful.

Thus, after a long time, LCO had been labeled a "terrorist organization" by the vast majority of nations.

Nangong Nayue wore a Gothic black dress, its hem decorated with lavish lace and ruffles.

Her ink-black hair cascaded down her back, and her delicate, exquisite features made her resemble an adorable doll.

Her slender, straight legs were clad in black silk velvet stockings, while her small, jade-like feet wore high heels of the same color. Several straps wrapped around calves so slight one could encircle them with a hand.

From her appearance alone, Nangong Nayue was completely like a little girl. Calling her a child would not be an exaggeration.

Yet in truth, Nangong Nayue was already a high school student. The reason she retained the body of an elementary schooler was due to the effects of a certain spell.

"I have been preparing for this moment since birth. I began learning all manner of knowledge once I understood the world. What special preparation would I still need?"

Although her mental age was that of a high school student, the youth of her appearance and body still affected Nangong Nayue in some ways.

Her childlike, slightly unclear way of speaking was one such effect.

Such babbling, like a toddler learning to talk, would ordinarily seem adorable. Yet when that youthful voice came from Nangong Nayue, it inexplicably carried a sense of authority.

Although Nangong Nayue's expression barely changed and she appeared very calm,

as her friend and ally, Sendou Aya could still detect a trace of unease and unwillingness in Nangong Nayue's state of mind.

Yes, Nangong Nayue was unwilling to accept this, just like herself.

Sendou Aya withdrew her gaze from Nangong Nayue and looked toward the magic circle ahead. Her beautiful brows furrowed, making her seem pitiful.

Nangong Nayue was about to sign a contract with a demon through that spell, using her soul as payment in exchange for the qualification to become a Witch.

A Witch was a woman who signed a contract with a demon. By selling her soul as the price, she gained abilities equal to those of a demon and could wield magical power rivaling that of a high-ranking demon.