Demiurge Makes His Move

Leaving the Round Table Conference Room on the ninth floor, Momonga walked along the luxurious red carpet and slowly descended the grand staircase.

This was the junction between the ninth and tenth floors. Before him stood a magnificent pair of double doors, more than five meters tall and decorated with intricately carved statues. The right door bore a goddess, while the left depicted a demon. The statues were so lifelike they seemed ready to leap out at any moment.

Momonga had never imagined that one day he would walk toward the Throne Room with such heavy steps. The doors were the work of "Luc★ifer," a man who lacked communication skills and had no sense of personal boundaries.

Even Momonga found him difficult to deal with, and might even have disliked him a little. Yet despite that, at this moment, Momonga desperately wished he could be by his side. He would have welcomed even someone as unpopular as him.

During his call with Albedo, Momonga had told her that he had been resurrected in Nazarick. He then ordered them to return to Nazarick immediately and summoned all the Guardians to the Throne Room.

But after ending the call, he suddenly regretted it. He shouldn't have issued such an arbitrary order. In his haste, he hadn't figured out how to explain his defeat or face his subordinates.

Would his defeat make them think he wasn't all that impressive after all, leading them to betray him or even seize control of Nazarick? If so, what would become of him?

He had originally only been worried about an unknown enemy, but now the situation seemed even more complicated.

Company leaders might sometimes be incompetent figureheads, but they always had some outstanding ability. Whatever that ability might be, anyone who managed to reach a leadership position had to have some particular strength.

Even when they made a bad decision at work, they could smoothly find a suitable excuse and shift the blame to their subordinates, preserving their authority.

As the supreme ruler of Nazarick, Momonga believed his only real strength was PVP. Yet he had suffered a crushing defeat in the field where he excelled most.

It had been an assassination, but a loss was still a loss. Nothing in the world was absolutely fair, except death. Back in YGGDRASIL, "Ainz Ooal Gown" had once PKed a player through an assassination, only to be killed in turn.

In the end, his indignant companions had hunted down that player and driven him out of the game. Perhaps what was happening to him now was payback.

Momonga didn't want to shift the blame to Albedo, Aura, or Mare. This incident had already dealt a serious blow to his authority. If he blamed them on top of that, they might become even more dissatisfied.

It might also upset the other Guardians who served him as one of the Supreme Beings. If things continued this way, one day they would betray him.

Momonga couldn't think of a way to explain his defeat, but he couldn't blame his subordinates for it either. He stood before the doors to the Throne Room for a long time, weighed down by anxiety and uncertainty.

At last, he pushed the doors open. Some things simply had to be faced. If it came to it, he would bow his head to his subordinates and admit his failure.

If they were disappointed in him and wanted to leave Nazarick, he would do everything he could to keep them. If they made demands, he would meet them.

Whatever else they were, these Guardians were like the children of his former companions. After losing his companions, Momonga didn't want to lose them too.

As for the unknown enemy, if he discovered that it was a player from YGGDRASIL who hated "Ainz Ooal Gown," then he would at least have to take adequate precautions. Perhaps that person had come here along with their guild, just as he had.

That would be bad. If it really was a player who hated "Ainz Ooal Gown," there probably wouldn't be any chance of reconciliation. If their positions were reversed, Momonga wouldn't forgive "Ainz Ooal Gown" for what he had done either.

He passed between forty-two finely crafted pillars. As he approached the throne, Momonga couldn't bring himself to look at the Guardians kneeling before him. Thanks to this undead body, he was at least able to make his way to the throne.

He sat gently upon the Throne of Kings and looked down at the Guardians, who had bowed their heads to receive his instructions. Every face was solemn.

"Please, don't look like that, everyone..."

Momonga groaned inwardly. Sitting in this seat was already stressful enough as he awkwardly tried to imitate the mannerisms he imagined a ruler should have.

Now he was under even more pressure. But staying silent forever wasn't an option either. Momonga gave a light cough and began gathering his thoughts, only to be interrupted.

"Lord Momonga! Forgive my rudeness, but I believe there is something I must ask you to agree to."

Demiurge's expression was stern. Still kneeling, he lifted his head and stared at Momonga. His face seemed to show a determination to see things through, no matter what.

This is bad. Just as I thought—they're dissatisfied with me as their ruler. Momonga groaned inwardly and was about to speak, but another voice beat him to it.

"Demiurge, mind how you address him. Lord Momonga has changed his name to Ainz Ooal Gown. As the unifier of the forty-one Supreme Beings, only Lord Ainz is worthy of bearing that name."

As the Floor Guardian Overseer, Albedo had a duty to correct the Guardians' misbehavior.

"Oh?" Demiurge glanced at Albedo, then looked toward Momonga and asked, "Lord Momonga, is that as Albedo says?"

"Uh... yes. I intend for the name Ainz Ooal Gown to resound throughout the entire world." Momonga nodded stiffly, explaining that he had decided to change his name back in Carne Village.

"I see. As expected of a Supreme Being—ensuring that all things under heaven know the greatness of Ainz Ooal Gown." The corners of Demiurge's mouth lifted slightly.

To conquer the world under the combined name of the forty-one Supreme Beings—that was the grandeur of the Supreme Being who ruled over them.

"It's... it's nothing... Ahem... Demiurge, you... you said you had a request. Tell me what it is. I'll agree to anything. Also, everyone, please stand. There's no need to be so formal."

In truth, Momonga was the one who felt awkward. Listening to Demiurge's praise, he was so nervous that he nearly addressed him as "you" using an honorific out of habit. It would be strange for a superior to use such a formal address with a subordinate.

"As you command."

Demiurge and the other Guardians rose to their feet. Then he looked at Albedo and said to Momonga, "Lord Ainz, please strip Albedo of her position as Floor Guardian Overseer and imprison her in the Frozen Prison until she recognizes her mistake."

When his words fell, an eerie silence settled over the Throne Room. Cocytus stood silently, saying nothing. Shalltear looked almost gleeful, while Aura and Mare wore startled expressions, though they also seemed somewhat nervous, as if they had done something wrong.

"..."