Do Not Disappoint Me, Demiurge

"Albedo, do you have anything else to say?"

Momonga attempted one final effort, hoping Albedo might offer a defense so he could take the opportunity to step down and grant her a light sentence for a first offense.

"This subordinate has no objections. I voluntarily resign from my position as Overseer of the Guardians and submit myself to the 'Frozen Prison'," Albedo said, bowing her head. She cared little for whatever punishment she might receive, but she was furious that Demiurge had disregarded Ainz-sama's dignity.

"Hmm..." Momonga nodded, feeling a sense of despair. She had confessed so readily that even if he wanted to exonerate her, he had no way to do so.

"I hope you understand one thing," Demiurge said, spreading his hands toward Albedo. "Until Ainz-sama dismisses you, you remain the Overseer of the Guardians. You have no authority to resign from your post."

He then looked toward Momonga. "Please issue your command, Ainz-sama."

"..." Momonga sighed silently. The momentum was against him, and he had already done what he could. "Effective immediately, Albedo is relieved of her duties as Overseer of the Guardians and shall be detained in the 'Frozen Prison'. The duration of her confinement will be discussed at a later time."

"As you command, Ainz-sama," Albedo replied, bowing her head.

"Then I leave this to you, Cocytus. You are in charge of the Fifth Floor of Nazarick. Take Albedo there and find a suitable place for her confinement," Momonga said. Doubting his ability to convey his intent through eye contact, he spoke plainly, hoping Cocytus would find a comfortable place for her.

"Understood, Ainz-sama," Cocytus replied meticulously, already beginning to weigh which room in the "Frozen Prison" would satisfy the "suitable place" Ainz-sama requested—it certainly could not be too comfortable.

"Please wait a moment, Ainz-sama," Demiurge suddenly interrupted.

"Hmm, is there something you wish to add?" Momonga asked.

"Forgive this subordinate's presumption, but may I ask if the reason you summoned the Guardians is to discuss the wretches who attacked you?" Demiurge inquired.

"That is correct." Momonga nodded. He had intended to bring this up, but the matter had been delayed by Demiurge's proposal.

"In that case, I ask that you delay sending Albedo to the 'Frozen Prison'. Although her negligence was severe, we still require her testimony regarding the situation," Demiurge suggested.

"You are right. While I have already heard Albedo's account, one person's perspective is limited. Very well, Cocytus, wait a moment. Let Albedo recount the situation," Momonga ordered.

"As you command, Ainz-sama," Cocytus said.

Albedo then recounted every detail since arriving at Carne Village. Once she finished, the Guardians in the Throne Room fell into silence.

"That is essentially what happened. Everyone, please share your thoughts," Momonga said, breaking the silence.

His understanding of the enemies was limited to the fact that two were working in tandem. One was a Magic Caster of at least level 64; given that a new tier of magic is unlocked every seven levels, the tenth-tier spell Time Stop would require at least level 64 to learn.

However, it was safer to assume level 71. After level 70, one could learn a Super-Tier spell for every level gained; if one's primary class was a Magic Caster, it would be better to learn Super-Tier magic than to remain stuck at the tenth tier.

As for the other enemy, Momonga recalled the state he was in. After being struck by the first punch, his entire body had gone rigid and immobile.

Based on that effect and the fact that the opponent seemed to be using their fists, he surmised it was likely the Monk skill "Stunning Blow."

He said "seemed" because he had only caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye and never actually saw the attack, but the opponent had definitely used a blunt strike. Analyzing the way they had pinned him down, it was highly probable it was a Monk.

Momonga felt a wave of nausea. Monks were the class all Magic Casters dreaded most. They lacked flashy skills, but they were the most troublesome opponents. A high-level Monk with a pure build could easily deal true damage and possessed incredible movement speed.

While the damage from "Stunning Blow" wasn't high, if one's stats weren't sufficient to resist it, it would inflict a prolonged state of paralysis. If a Magic Caster wasn't fully prepared, the outcome would be dire.

The Monk who had killed him, Momonga believed, must have been a very pure-build Monk. It had taken only four punches to deplete his HP. He had never encountered such a Monk in YGGDRASIL; perhaps only the former World Champion of the Monk class could achieve such a feat.

Wait, Momonga realized with a start—could the person who attacked him be that very World Champion?

In YGGDRASIL, there existed a "pay-to-win" class, where the more one spent, the stronger they became. There was a Monk player who had attained the title of World Champion by relying on such classes, and his famous catchphrase was, "Pay-to-Win Punch, 10x!"

But...

Momonga dared not provoke such a person under any circumstances. Upon obtaining the "World Champion" class, one gained two incredibly powerful skills, and combined with his pay-to-win build, someone of that strength was nothing but trouble.

Furthermore, he was certain that none of the companions of "Ainz Ooal Gown" would have provoked such a person. If there was no prior connection, there should be no reason for them to harbor hostility toward "Ainz Ooal Gown."

Suddenly, the identities of the two enemies became shrouded in mystery. Although he had tentatively concluded that the Monk who killed him was that former World Champion from YGGDRASIL, this was merely a preliminary guess. It wasn't even certain if they were players at all. In this world, Tier Magic existed, so it was reasonable to assume that the Warrior-type classes from YGGDRASIL might also exist here.

Perhaps they were reinforcements for that group of soldiers.

Momonga remembered Nigun and those soldiers who used Tier Magic. He knew far too little about this world. Currently, he was assuming the enemies were players, but it was possible they were natives of this world.

Those soldiers...

Momonga suddenly recalled that during his battle with them, his Aggressive Information Defense Barrier had been triggered. This meant someone had been spying on them, even if they hadn't seen anything.

Perhaps that was why they had dispatched follow-up reinforcements.

Therefore, setting aside the player hypothesis, the most likely culprits were those soldiers from the Slane Theocracy.

A chill ran down Momonga's spine. If the Slane Theocracy possessed such powerful individuals, what was his small guild in comparison? They might be wiped out with a flick of the finger.

Intervening in the affairs of Carne Village had indeed been a mistake. He seemed to have accidentally become entangled in a conflict between great powers.

"Ainz-sama, what do you think of this approach?"

Demiurge's voice interrupted Momonga's train of thought.

"Eh? Hmm..." Momonga snapped back to reality, finding Demiurge looking at him with eager anticipation. He had been too deep in thought to notice what the Guardians had been discussing.

However, he could not admit that he hadn't heard a word, or his already precarious authority would drop another level.

Moreover, now that he might have provoked a major power, he couldn't afford to do anything that would diminish his authority, if only for the sake of his own safety.

"I believe your idea is excellent. I shall leave everything to you to handle, Demiurge. Do not disappoint me," Momonga replied in a low voice, feigning the appearance of someone who had carefully considered the matter.

Since he didn't know what Demiurge had proposed, simply handing the matter over to him was the only way to mask his distraction.

"As you command, Ainz-sama."

The corners of Demiurge's mouth curled into a cruel smile.