Demiurge paid no mind to Albedo's murderous glare. It wasn't as though he hadn't asked Ainz for permission, but Ainz's answer had already made everything clear.
Even Ainz would rather lose a little face than let Albedo off the hook for her mistake. That showed just how displeased he was with the incident.
As the most loyal servant of the Supreme Beings, Demiurge had to help ease Ainz's burdens. Negligence like this absolutely could not go unpunished, or things would only get worse in the future.
Demiurge looked at the Guardians, who were whispering among themselves, and declared, "Things did not happen as Albedo described. Ainz was not merely driven back..."
"Demiurge!!!" Albedo snapped furiously, her gaze cold and terrifying.
But Demiurge continued addressing the Guardians. "Ainz was actually killed by the enemy. This happened because Albedo neglected her duties. Does anyone still have any objections to my proposal?"
When he finished speaking, no one voiced an objection. They all looked at Demiurge with uncertainty, though. Albedo had previously said that Ainz had been driven back, and while they had now heard an even worse outcome, they had already become much more prepared to accept it.
Naturally, once they had accepted it, anger followed.
"Ainz, I have no objection to Demiurge's proposal. As a Guardian, Albedo failed to fulfill her duty. That is a grave dereliction of duty. However, I don't believe this punishment is enough. I hope you will make it harsher."
Shalltear was the first to speak. Setting aside her rivalry with Albedo over Ainz, she believed that, as a Guardian and for Ainz's sake, she would rather die in battle than allow him to suffer so much as a scratch.
Yet Albedo had not only failed to repent for her mistake; she had also tried to conceal and downplay it. If not for Demiurge, they would all have remained in the dark.
"Ainz, I agree with Shalltear's proposal. A mistake this grave is more than simple negligence. Even taking her own life would not be excessive."
As someone who prided himself on being a samurai, Cocytus could not accept that his master had been killed while his master's blade had survived. He knew he should not force his own principles on others, but that did not stop him from agreeing with Shalltear.
"Ainz, I believe Lady Shalltear's proposal is entirely reasonable." Sebas agreed with Shalltear as well. He did not share Cocytus's samurai mindset, but as Nazarick's head butler, he would not let a subordinate's mistake go unpunished.
After nearly all the Guardians had given their opinions, Demiurge looked toward the Elf Twins. "You were also somewhat negligent, but your mistake was negligible compared to Albedo's. How to deal with you is up to Ainz."
With that, Demiurge bowed to Momonga. "Ainz, the matter is clear. I ask that you dismiss Albedo from her position as Floor Guardian Overseer and imprison her in Frozen Prison to reflect on her actions."
All the Guardians now agreed that Albedo should be punished. But Momonga knew that this was not Albedo's fault. The enemy had used Time Stop magic.
Even though he and his friends had equipped these level-100 NPCs with Divine-class gear, they were still different from players. Apart from certain racial abilities, time resistance could only be gained through equipment.
Back in YGGDRASIL, however, NPCs had not played a significant role in guild defense. Guilds had relied mainly on traps, and he and his friends had created level-100 NPCs mostly for role-playing.
No one had thought it necessary to give NPCs time resistance. Without it, the issue had never been all that serious in YGGDRASIL.
During Time Stop, attacks could not be launched. Even with delayed magic, at most a single offensive spell could be delayed, while buff spells were not restricted.
In short, time resistance was essential for the precise maneuvers needed in player-versus-player combat, but it was unnecessary for guild NPCs.
That was precisely what had led to this situation. Albedo had no time resistance, and what had happened was entirely beyond her control.
Momonga did not want to punish Albedo. But if he let her off, the other Guardians might grow resentful. He still had to take everyone's opinions into account.
If a Guardian would only step forward and say a few words in Albedo's defense, he wouldn't be in such a difficult position. Then he could reduce her punishment without making it seem forced.
Right—Aura and Mare!
Momonga suddenly remembered that Demiurge had not been too displeased with the two of them. They bore the least responsibility. Besides, since Demiurge knew about the matter, there was a good chance one of them had told him.
And although Demiurge had not expressed any displeasure toward the Elf Twins, he had still called for them to be punished. So, if they wanted to clear themselves of blame, they needed to say a few words in Albedo's defense—at least for now.
Hmm... That could work. But I can't openly ask the Elf Twins to speak up.
With no other choice, Momonga could only stare at Aura and Mare, hoping they would understand what he meant.
Aura and Mare suddenly felt a chill. They realized that Ainz was staring intently at them, though they had no idea how long he had been doing so.
Mare trembled, his pointed elf ears drooping even lower. Aura, too, had none of her usual energy. She stood still, tense and obedient.
At last, Mare could no longer endure Momonga's silent stare. Trembling, he stepped forward and raised his hand toward Momonga.
"Oh? Mare? Is there something you'd like to say?"
Momonga was delighted. As expected of Mare—he had understood what he meant.
"A-Ainz... I... I... I agree..." Mare stammered.
"Hmm? Agree with what?" Momonga asked, taken aback.
"I agree with Shalltear's proposal," Mare said quickly. Ainz must have been staring at him because he hadn't given his opinion.
"Ah... uh..." Momonga was taken aback again.
No, that's not right. Why did it turn out like this? Mare, that isn't what I wanted to hear.
"Ainz, I agree with Shalltear's proposal too," Aura said, adding her opinion at once.
Other than Albedo, even the Elf Twins—whose mistakes had been minor and who had not yet given their opinions—had now spoken up. Demiurge once again addressed Momonga. "Ainz, please do not let this pass without punishment. If this mistake is excused, a much greater one may occur in the future."
Momonga understood perfectly well that if small mistakes were ignored, they could grow without limit. But in this case, Albedo truly wasn't to blame.
Still, he didn't dare contradict Demiurge. As far as the matter itself was concerned, he felt that the Guardians' confidence in his authority had already declined. If he now insisted on going against the majority, he might ultimately alienate his subordinates.
If his authority were still intact, Momonga would have rejected Demiurge's request on the grounds that Albedo lacked time resistance.
But he couldn't do that now.
Before you continue