Demiurge's Guidance

Because of Sephis, Naiyuan was feeling conflicted as he wandered through the corridor.

"As expected, becoming a Dragonoid has made me more prone to anger than before."

Naiyuan thought helplessly.

Sephis's matter had left him extremely irritated. He knew Sephis was definitely not acting alone; Aura and Mare had most likely been involved as well.

All three were his children, so they would inevitably have contact with one another.

Although he had warned Sephis not to entertain such thoughts, he still felt deeply uncomfortable.

His own child was planning to assassinate his best friends.

What kind of bizarre development was this?

With his thoughts in a mess, Naiyuan had not gone far before he encountered an old butler who seemed utterly out of place in the Great Tomb.

It was Sebas, carrying a large pile of items in his arms.

"Lord Naiyuan." The moment Sebas saw Naiyuan, he immediately bowed.

"Sebas, what are those things in your arms?"

"This is Lord Momonga's order. He wishes to test the effects of these items."

Seeing Naiyuan's confusion, Sebas promptly explained.

"Would my lord require this subordinate to summon some maids?"

As a butler, Sebas saw that Naiyuan had no one accompanying him and immediately asked.

"No need. I want to be alone and have some peace and quiet for a while."

Naiyuan waved him off, then continued alone toward the depths of the corridor.

"Did something happen?"

Watching Naiyuan's somewhat lonely back, Sebas felt worried. This was the first time he had seen Lord Naiyuan, a Supreme Being, in such a state.

"I should inform Lord Momonga and Lord Herohero. I hope the two lords can find a solution."

With that thought, Sebas straightened up and quickly headed for his destination.

"Lord Naiyuan, what is wrong?"

Within the residential area of the Tenth Floor, a worried and questioning voice interrupted Naiyuan's aimless wandering.

It was Demiurge. He stood in front of Naiyuan, his eyes filled with concern.

As Nazarick's strategist, Demiurge could easily infer another person's thoughts and condition from their expression.

So when he saw Naiyuan, he immediately wondered whether there was something wrong with his eyes. What had he just seen?

Lord Naiyuan, one of the Supreme Beings, had a face full of confusion. This was the Supreme Being known as the strongest, someone who should always be confident and dignified. How could he possibly feel the confusion of the weak?

"It's you, Demiurge. Sorry, I didn't notice you even though you were so close."

Naiyuan looked up at Demiurge and spoke somewhat apologetically.

His normally magnetic voice now carried a trace of hoarseness.

Sephis's question and the image of himself feeling killing intent toward Sephis kept flashing through his mind, making him extremely restless.

He had clearly wanted to ease his mood through a walk, but it did not seem to be working very well.

"My lord, is something troubling you?"

"I think you could speak with Lord Momonga and Lord Herohero. You might feel better afterward."

Demiurge offered the suggestion. Only Lord Momonga and Lord Herohero, who were also Supreme Beings, could possibly counsel a Supreme Being through his troubles.

"No, I can't go to Momonga and Herohero about this."

Naiyuan shook his head and rejected Demiurge's suggestion. At that moment, he did not know how to face the two of them.

His own child was plotting to kill them. How was he supposed to say that?

"Then, if I may be so bold, this subordinate is willing to share Lord Naiyuan's burden."

Seeing this, Demiurge boldly spoke up.

As a Floor Guardian, listening to a Supreme Being's worries and offering his insignificant advice was also part of his duty.

"Then... let's talk."

Perhaps because he wanted someone to confide in, Naiyuan did not reject Demiurge's request. After a moment of hesitation, he agreed.

By the corridor, the two sat directly on the floor and began to talk.

After organizing the thoughts in his mind, Naiyuan began his account.

"If a child wanted to eliminate others of equal standing to his father in order to protect his father's position, but the two people he wanted to eliminate were also his father's best friends..."

"Demiurge, if you were that father, what would you do after learning about it?"

Demiurge fell into thought. The question was not complicated, and he quickly grasped the general situation.

But with his intelligence, he had already sensed that something was wrong. He felt that this question was hinting at something.

A child, a father, and two friends.

As he connected the information in his mind, cold sweat instantly began to form on Demiurge's forehead. His own guess had frightened him.

If he was right, this matter could trigger a terrifying upheaval throughout Nazarick.

At that point, all the Floor Guardians would be dragged into it. No one could stay uninvolved.

"Lord Naiyuan, this question..."

Demiurge spoke in a trembling, terrified voice.

"You don't need to worry. This won't happen."

"You only need to tell me what you think."

Seeing that Demiurge had already understood the deeper meaning behind his words, Naiyuan reassured him.

He knew perfectly well what Demiurge was afraid of, but it was impossible for such a thing to happen. As long as he was alive, it would never happen.

"Forgive me, my lord. This subordinate was disrespectful."

Demiurge spoke apologetically.

Having gradually calmed down, he understood now.

His guess had frightened him so badly that he had overlooked the key point.

Lord Naiyuan already knew about this and had stopped Sephis.

Once he understood that, Demiurge immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

"I believe that father should guide his child and help him understand the relationship between those people, allowing him to abandon that idea."

"Of course, the child acted out of sincere devotion, merely directing it in the wrong way. So this is only a misunderstanding. As long as it is explained clearly, there should be no problem."

"Besides, Lord Naiyuan also said that the child loves his father very much."

After thinking for a while, Demiurge gave his opinion.

Naiyuan did not interrupt him and simply listened quietly.

"What if that father did something excessive to his child at the time?"

Naiyuan nodded and continued asking.

"Lord Naiyuan should already know the answer to that. As I said, that child loves his father deeply enough to risk his life to assassinate others for him..."

Demiurge fell silent there, his meaning already obvious.

The child had even prepared himself for death for his father's sake. How could he possibly become angry with him so easily?

Once Naiyuan understood that, his mood immediately improved considerably.

"Thank you, Demiurge. Your answer made me feel much better."

"You praise me too highly, Lord Naiyuan. This is simply a case of those involved being confused while onlookers see clearly. I merely voiced the thoughts of an observer."

Demiurge modestly replied, though the tail swaying constantly behind him showed that he was in an excellent mood.

Helping a Supreme Being resolve his doubts was itself a blessing to Demiurge.

"But I think you helped me a great deal, so... take this. Consider it your reward this time."

Seeing his expression, Naiyuan smiled happily. Then he took an item from a rift in the air and tossed it directly to Demiurge.

Demiurge hurriedly caught the item. When he saw what it was, his entire body froze in place.

"Lord Naiyuan, are you truly giving this to your subordinate?"

Looking at the ring in his palm, which seemed to shine brilliantly, Demiurge could not hide his emotions.

All of his usual elegance vanished. His entire body trembled intensely as he spoke in an excited voice.

A ring. The ring he had dreamed of.

Just yesterday, he had still been envious of Mare and had sworn to properly fulfill the Supreme Beings' orders, hoping that he too might receive such a blessing.

Yet he had never expected that before he had even done anything, the ring would already arrive in his hands.

"If you like it, then put it on. This is your reward, Demiurge."

Naiyuan watched Demiurge with a soft laugh. His reaction was exactly as Naiyuan had expected.

In his life before last, he had felt some regret for this loyal fellow who had never received a ring. Now, he could use this reward as an opportunity to give him one.

It could also be considered the fulfillment of one of his old, small regrets.

"This subordinate will work even harder to fulfill the Supreme Beings' plans."

"Do your best. If you have time, go see Sephis. I hope the two of you can become good friends."

"This subordinate understands."

At Naiyuan's words, Demiurge's eyes flickered a few times. He knew Lord Naiyuan was reminding him to guide Sephis.

Demiurge did not refuse. He had already intended to do so. By all rights, someone harboring such an unforgivable idea should have been erased immediately.

But Sephis was the child of a Supreme Being. Since a Supreme Being had spoken, Demiurge no longer intended to pursue the matter.

"As a Floor Guardian, not only did he fail to share a Supreme Being's burdens, but he even caused a Supreme Being to fall into distress."

"How fortunate you are, Sephis. Lord Naiyuan even became confused because of you. What an honor that is."

Looking at Naiyuan before him, Demiurge could not help feeling a trace of Envy. He deeply admired such pure affection.

"Demiurge, go attend to your work. I'm going to find Momonga and Herohero now."

Having recovered, Naiyuan waved farewell to Demiurge and began walking back the way he had come.

He planned to first go see Momonga and Herohero, then find another chance to meet Sephis again and completely clear up the misunderstanding between them.

"Safe travels, my lord."

After watching Naiyuan disappear from sight, Demiurge turned and headed toward the Eighth Floor.

Now, he was going to have a proper talk with Sephis. Sephis's thoughts and plans had filled him with fury.

"If a Floor Guardian dreams of harming a Supreme Being, then what meaning does his existence have?"

"Sephis, let me see your resolve."