A Multiversal Journey Beginning with a Supreme Sovereign

Momonga's voice carried a trace of unease. It was clear that he had no confidence at all right now.

As an ordinary person, he had suddenly been transported to the New World.

Even if he still possessed the strength he had in the game, who knew whether this was a place where Sword Saints roamed everywhere and Archmages were as common as dogs?

It was perfectly understandable that he felt panicked, did not dare shoulder responsibility, and wanted to cling to Saigō's thigh.

Upon hearing Momonga's words, Saigō grumbled inwardly, So you want me to earn the money and support the household while you're responsible for looking pretty?

That would not do, Momonga. It would be better if they switched roles.

Saigō began considering how to find an excuse to fool Momonga.

If possible, Saigō would actually prefer for everyone to hole up in the Great Tomb of Nazarick without even stepping outside. That would feel much safer.

The main reason was that Saigō could not find an opportunity in this world to become stronger.

An opportunity to unlock other demon forms, to make becoming a being with a chicken no longer mere nonsense, or even to completely inherit the Mother of Evil Gods' Spirit Core.

Those invitations he had sent out in that dark space were where the opportunities lay.

Thus, compared to exploring this world of swords and magic, Saigō would rather study that dark space and the invitations.

He was now completely different from who he had once been. In Cyberpunk's reality, Saigō had merely been human.

But now, he had completely become a demon and fully obtained his power. Saigō felt that perhaps that dark space might undergo new changes as well.

That was why he wanted to stay in the Great Tomb without going out and become a shut-in!

Just as Saigō was considering an excuse, Momonga suddenly realized, "...I understand, Zarathustra!"

"...Before dealing with external threats, one must first settle internal affairs. Compared to exploring the outside world, the stability of the Great Tomb and the loyalty of those NPCs are more important!"

"Your strength is greater, so you need to remain at headquarters and maintain the Great Tomb's stability!"

"...And because of your class, you cannot use basic equipment, nor do you have transformation magic. You are not suited to walking outside."

"Besides, I at least have a class-change skill. I can also wear a mask and pretend to be human. In that case, it makes sense for you to handle the inside while I handle the outside."

"...As expected of you, Zarathustra. You thought of so much in such a short time, and I even blamed you for pushing this job onto me!"

"Don't worry. I definitely won't let down your expectations. I will protect the Great Tomb of Nazarick, which now has only the two of us left!"

Seeing Momonga's admiring gaze, Saigō was dumbfounded. He had not expected Momonga to imagine so much on his own.

But Momonga, that look in your eyes was a little dangerous. I really had no interest in men, much less a skeleton!

Still, since Momonga had found an excuse for him, Saigō went along with it and said ambiguously, "...Mm. It's good that you understand."

Seeing his opinion affirmed, Momonga immediately gained confidence.

He rose to his feet and spiritedly addressed the Guardians kneeling on the ground. "...Everyone, since you have heard Zarathustra's instructions, go fulfill your respective duties!"

"Yes, Lord Zarathustra, Lord Momonga!"

The many Guardians answered respectfully.

At that moment, Saigō suddenly spoke. "...Shalltear and Demiurge, you two stay behind. I have further orders for you."

Shalltear abruptly raised her head.

She licked her lips, revealing sharp vampire fangs. Raising her beautiful swanlike neck and thrusting out an obviously fake chest, she said in a burning voice:

"...Lord Zarathustra, you have finally seen it. I am your most Loyal Dog, your most trustworthy slave!"

Zarathustra, You People Play So Wildly! ### Saigō was rendered somewhat speechless.

As a successful man, as someone who had once climbed to the upper ranks and controlled resources, there had been no shortage of people who wanted to be his dog.

Even so, ordinary people would usually be more tactful around Saigō.

Someone like Shalltear, who bluntly said it before everyone and even took pride in it, was something Saigō had never seen in his life.

Saigō's gaze fell upon Shalltear.

Shalltear Bloodfallen, created by Peroroncino.

As an otaku in every sense of the word, Peroroncino had filled Shalltear with styles and elements that encompassed nearly every aspect of 2D culture.

She looked only thirteen or fourteen years old and stood merely 1.4 meters tall, with the standard build of a little girl.

She wore a black evening gown accented with deep crimson, very much in the style of a vampire. Her skirt was a typical puffy cake dress.

Her outfit as a whole had a Gothic style embellished with lace and ribbons.

She wore lace gloves on her slender arms, and not a sliver of skin was exposed anywhere on her body. Like an aristocratic young lady raised in seclusion who had never met outsiders, she appeared dignified and elegant.

Shalltear's features were proper, delicate, and beautiful. Her skin resembled white wax, flawless without a trace of any other color. Her long silver hair was tied to one side and fell over her shoulder, adorned with a cute bow.

Normally, Shalltear's dark crimson pupils always brimmed with bewitching delight.

But when facing Saigō, the delight in her eyes turned into burning passion.

That bewitching aura seemed ready to spill forth. Being stared at by her eyes, even Saigō felt as though he were being licked.

No matter how one looked at her, she was an elegant, beautiful, cute, and charming young girl.

But Saigō knew Shalltear's true nature.

The vampires in Yggdrasills were completely different from what people imagined.

The vampires here were typical aberrations. Shalltear's true body was actually a horrifying monster, its mouth filled with sharp teeth and its appearance resembling that of a lamprey.

Such a creature would normally only appear in horror films. Seeing it even once would make every hair on one's body stand on end.

Thinking of the vampires he had seen in the game before, then looking at the breathtakingly beautiful girl before him speaking in such a coquettish tone, Saigō suddenly felt—

This was actually fucking exciting!!

Saigō deeply admired Peroroncino's artistic skill.

The reason Shalltear possessed the appearance of such an unparalleled beauty was not because she had any shapeshifting ability.

Rather, Peroroncino had used his extraordinary artistic ability to forcibly draw a leech into a beautiful woman.

What kind of love for 2D culture was required to accomplish such a feat?

Only master-level 2D artists could see a pig, use their imagination, and draw it into a beautiful woman.

Many details about Shalltear flashed through Saigō's mind, but his expression remained unchanged. With a wave of his hand, he said, "...Everyone, the Great Tomb of Nazarick must begin moving!"

"...Take your positions now and fulfill your duties!"

The many Floor Guardians knelt on the ground, lowered their heads, and spoke in unison with respectful expressions. "...We offer our loyalty to the Supreme Sovereigns!"

Other than Shalltear and Demiurge, the two Guardians Saigō had singled out, everyone else departed.

Momonga left with them as well, preparing to carry out the work ahead.

Only Albedo remained behind Saigō, an elegant smile on her lips. Her jade-like hands, clad in silk gloves, were folded before her as she stood quietly like a demure maiden.

However, Albedo's iridescent eyes, gleaming with golden light, were filled with fury as she stared at Shalltear.

Shalltear returned her gaze provocatively. If Saigō had not been here, the two would probably have already started arguing.

Demiurge watched the scene with slight helplessness and gave a carefree shrug.

But after noticing Saigō lost in thought, he hurriedly lowered his head and waited for the Supreme Sovereign's command.

At this moment, Saigō was having a private chat with Momonga.

"Zarathustra, what exactly is going on with Shalltear? Her emotions are seriously off!"

Momonga could not help complaining.

As an ordinary person, anyone would be shocked and astonished upon suddenly hearing someone kneeling on the ground and so brazenly declaring that they wanted to become your most Loyal Dog.

"You should ask Peroroncino about that, Momonga... Aren't you closest to him?"

Saigō casually tossed the question back at him.

Momonga seemed to choke up. A few seconds later, he sent back a bitter smile. "...Now that you mention Peroroncino, Zarathustra, I think I can understand."

"...I had forgotten that Shalltear was created by Peroroncino. If it was him, I can probably understand why Shalltear is like this. It concerns Peroroncino's sexual preferences, so let's not talk about it!"

Saigō chuckled. "...Yeah, you 2D people are really disgusting!"

Momonga wanted to say that his words painted with far too broad a brush, but he held himself back and continued asking, "...Putting Shalltear aside for now, what is going on with Albedo?"

"...She was created by Tabula Smaragdina, right? You were closest to Tabula Smaragdina, so you should be able to guess her personality settings."

It was not that Momonga had any interest in Shalltear or Albedo.

The ability Compulsory Release, coupled with his racial traits, meant he had no male desire for women whatsoever on a physiological level.

As the guildmaster of Ainz Ooal Gown, Momonga was not actually familiar with the personality settings of all the guild's NPCs.

After arriving in such an unknown New World, compared to the world outside, he was more afraid of problems arising within the guild.

The guild had been built by every member of Ainz Ooal Gown together. Momonga, who valued emotional bonds greatly, would not permit anything to go wrong with the guild under his watch.

Thus, he had to understand every NPC's personality and know how they acted in order to determine what should be done afterward.

This stemmed from Momonga's cautious nature and was also where his talent for gathering intelligence lay.

"As for Albedo, I can probably guess her personality and behavior as well."

"...Tabula Smaragdina liked settings and liked a sense of ritual. What people did not know was that he also liked gap moe."

Saigō answered every one of Momonga's questions in detail to put him at ease.

"Gap moe?"

Momonga was curious what kind of gap that meant.

"Mm. For example, Albedo looks pure and gives people the impression of a gentle, well-bred young lady."

"...But Tabula Smaragdina would definitely have set her up as something like, 'a slutty whore behind the scenes'!"

Saigō straightforwardly told Momonga what kind of gap it was.

"Gasp... You call that gap moe? That's just a two-faced bitch!"

Momonga sucked in a breath and could not help exclaiming.

"Oh? You know that term too? It seems you have learned quite a lot in private as well, Momonga."

Saigō's words carried a teasing tone.

"Ahem, let's not discuss that sort of thing first. I'm just a little shocked and having trouble accepting it."

Momonga's old face reddened, and he felt rather embarrassed.

"But you don't need to care too much. Earlier, I probed Albedo indirectly and inferred some of her other settings from her words."

"...Just as I said, Tabula Smaragdina liked contrasts."

"In Albedo's personality, he probably also set her to be loyal to Tabula Smaragdina, yet secretly always have affairs with her creator's friend—me. That is where Albedo's debauchery comes from."

"...Because he liked setting up contrasts, Albedo probably wants nothing more than to kill her own creator."

"It is fortunate that Tabula Smaragdina is not here with us. Albedo's settings mean nothing to me, but to him, they would be an absolute disaster."

"...If Tabula Smaragdina were here, Albedo would eventually kill him. Now that the NPC settings can no longer be changed, he has truly brought this upon himself."

Saigō said gleefully. Letting them mess around and create random settings—this was their retribution!

"Zarathustra, you and Tabula Smaragdina play so wildly..."

Only after a long while did Saigō hear Momonga's faint voice.

Sure enough, people who liked choosing heteromorphic races for themselves and turning themselves into neither human nor ghost always had something different in their minds from normal people.

Let's Have Children with Lord Zarathustra! ### Saigō beckoned to Demiurge and Shalltear.

Demiurge gracefully bowed with one hand behind his back, then adjusted the glasses on the bridge of his nose and slowly walked over to Saigō.

Shalltear, meanwhile, panted heavily.

Her scarlet eyes shone with obsessive, twisted infatuation as she crawled toward Saigō on all fours like a little dog.