Personnel Adjustments

"Now, let us proceed to the next order of business." Seeing that he had cleared the hurdle without incident, Momonga felt his tension ease slightly. With Nazarick's internal issues addressed, it was time to turn his attention to external threats.

In truth, Nazarick's internal problems had been sparked by external pressures; once the outside threat was resolved, the internal ones would naturally be settled as well.

"Ainz-sama, if I may interrupt, there is still one matter that requires resolution." Demiurge spoke up again, his gaze fixed on Momonga, who sat upon the throne.

"Hmm..." Momonga felt a surge of anxiety. If the enemy were players, it would be one thing—even if they possessed a guild like his own, it wouldn't matter—but unknown enemies were the most terrifying. He was desperate to arrange Nazarick's defenses, but...

"Speak your mind," Momonga signaled.

"Ainz-sama intends to arrange the defensive deployment of Nazarick next, is that correct?" Demiurge offered a confident smile, displaying his intellect to the Supreme Being he served.

"Haa..." Momonga's anxiety vanished, and he nodded. "That is correct, Demiurge. Do you have any good suggestions?"

"I believe that before we do so, we must appoint a new Floor Guardian Overseer. Only then can we properly coordinate our defenses. This position is of critical importance," Demiurge stated.

"Your proposal is sound; it is indeed necessary." Momonga fell into deep thought. Albedo's role was not merely to lead the Guardians, but also to manage the functional operations of Nazarick.

"Ainz-sama! I am willing to take on the position of Floor Guardian Overseer! I will do everything in my power to protect you!" Shalltear volunteered with an excited expression. If she became the Floor Guardian Overseer, she could stay by Ainz-sama's side every single day. She wasn't about to miss out on such a wonderful opportunity.

"Uh... Shalltear..."

Just as Momonga was about to voice his opinion, Demiurge cut in first. "Ainz-sama, I object to Shalltear taking this position."

"Aha? What is that supposed to mean? I'm not some gorilla! If I am the Floor Guardian Overseer, I will ensure Ainz-sama never suffers even the slightest harm. I will stay by Ainz-sama's side twenty-four hours a day!"

Shalltear glared viciously at Demiurge. Blocking someone's path to love was akin to killing their parents; if Demiurge didn't have a sufficient reason, she would not let him off lightly.

"Hmm..." Before Demiurge could respond, Momonga spoke. "Shalltear, you are still needed to guard the first, second, and third floors. You are not suited for this position."

"But... Ainz-sama." Shalltear's spirit immediately deflated, and she looked at Momonga with a pitiful expression, hoping he would change his mind.

"Say no more. We shall select from the Guardians of the eighth floor and beyond," Momonga said. The eighth floor was Nazarick's final line of defense; if the eighth floor fell, there would be virtually no chance for Nazarick to turn the tide.

"Ainz-sama, if that is the case, then only Sebas is fit to be the Floor Guardian Overseer. If it is Sebas, I have no objections." Although Demiurge did not have a good relationship with Sebas, he would not let personal grievances interfere with what was beneficial to Nazarick.

Besides, Sebas had a steady temperament; having him serve as Floor Guardian Overseer was far better than Shalltear.

"No, not Sebas," Momonga said. "Sebas is the Guardian of the ninth floor and also serves as the butler and manager of the Pleiades. If that position were vacated, there would be no one suitable to replace him."

"May I ask, Ainz-sama, who else is capable of serving as Floor Guardian Overseer?" Demiurge inquired.

"Have you heard of Pandora?" Momonga asked.

"Pandora?" Demiurge paused, then shook his head. "I am not familiar with that name, my Lord."

"He is a Guardian I created myself, and he is not listed among the Floor Guardians," Momonga explained. It seemed that even the Guardians did not know all the secrets of Nazarick.

"Oh? A Guardian created by Ainz-sama? Ah, in that case, I believe there should be no issues. However, I wonder what his strength is like?" Demiurge raised a question. The Floor Guardian Overseer required not only intellect but also sufficient power to protect Ainz-sama.

"You need not worry about that; he possesses strength equal to your own," Momonga said. As the Guardian of the Treasury, Pandora would be unable to turn the tide if Nazarick were breached, so it would be better to reassign him.

Furthermore, he possessed the "King of the Castle" class, which could reduce the guild's maintenance costs.

"Then I am reassured," Demiurge said. "May I ask if Pandora-sama can participate in this meeting?"

"Hmm, there is no rush for that," Momonga said. A significant amount of time had already passed, and he needed to organize the defenses as quickly as possible. "Before Albedo steps down, she will execute one final order. Guardians, listen well."

As Momonga finished speaking, all the Guardians, including Albedo who still lingered there, knelt to listen to the Supreme Being's command.

"Albedo, activate all of Nazarick's defensive traps and set them to the highest state of emergency. Furthermore, no Guardian is permitted to leave Nazarick without authorization. Additionally, dispatch monsters with stealth capabilities to patrol the perimeter of Nazarick within a two-thousand-meter radius."

Momonga knew this would increase Nazarick's maintenance costs, as those traps would consume resources every second, but it was a necessary precaution. Consuming resources for defense was far better than having the enemy seize Nazarick's wealth after a breach.

"Ainz-sama, should Gargantua also be activated?" Albedo asked cautiously.

"Not for now. Gargantua is not suited for defensive warfare," Momonga said after a moment of thought.

Gargantua, the Floor Guardian of the fourth floor, was a massive golem created by the YGGDRASIL developers. Because it stood thirty meters tall, it had been placed in the underground lake on the fourth floor.

However, Gargantua was not suited for defensive combat; it was classified as a strategic-level siege golem.

Looking at Albedo, Momonga suddenly thought of someone else and continued his instructions. "Additionally, transfer 'Rubedo' from the eighth floor to the fourth floor to serve as the Floor Guardian. Have 'Rubedo' manage Gargantua, and when the enemy arrives, she shall be the one to activate it."

"Understood." Albedo recalled the younger sister created by Tabula Smaragdina.

Momonga pondered the arrangement; this should be foolproof. Rubedo's strength was not the highest among those on the eighth floor, but excluding equipment and item bonuses, she was the strongest NPC among all the Guardians.

However, defeating "Rubedo" would require something special. In this way, he could use her to test the enemy's trump cards.