Work Report

Momonga, residing within the Great Tomb of Nazarick, had been feeling quite uneasy lately. However, no one could ever know this secret; to everyone else, he remained the supreme ruler of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, a king whose very presence commanded awe without the need for anger.

The truth was known only to Momonga himself. He lived every day in a state of anxiety, the failure of that battle causing him to doubt his own ability to lead Nazarick as its master.

He possessed no knowledge of statecraft, nor even the skills of a corporate manager. After all, having only graduated from elementary school, he had always been the one being led, doing whatever his superiors demanded.

He had only ever needed to mechanically complete the tasks assigned to him, spending his remaining time immersed in the virtual world. Now that he had suddenly become the ruler of a faction, he was already terrified, and to make matters worse, he had allowed his subordinates to witness his failure not long ago.

At the same time, having become embroiled in the disputes between the great powers of this new world, he had been like a bird startled by the mere twang of a bowstring for the past few days. How could the strength of a single guild possibly withstand a nation? How could a failed ruler avoid chilling the hearts of his subordinates?

These two matters left him incredibly vexed. To re-establish his prestige before his subordinates, he needed a success, yet he did not know what would even qualify as such. As for seeking trouble with the Slane Theocracy, he dared not even consider it at present.

For now, he could only try his best not to conflict with the opinions of his subordinates, lest he breed greater resentment and cause them to leave Nazarick.

Momonga believed that, looking back, it was fortunate he had made the right choice that day, choosing not to ignore the opinions of the majority in favor of acting arbitrarily.

It was because of this that the Guardians were still willing to honor him as the ruler of Nazarick. Although Albedo had been wronged for the time being, there would surely be a way to pardon her in the future.

Knock, knock, knock.

A knocking sound came from outside the office door. Momonga hurriedly adjusted his mindset and posture, assuming a dignified, upright appearance.

Although Demiurge had suggested having maids attend to his side, he had refused. Unless there was something special, he preferred to stay in this office alone, while also familiarizing himself with every detail of Nazarick as quickly as possible.

Even though Nazarick was the place he knew best, there were areas he hadn't visited in so long that he couldn't quite recall the details.

"Come in," Momonga responded in a deep voice to the knocking.

With a click, the exquisite double wooden doors were opened. Demiurge walked in from outside, and upon seeing him, Momonga felt an inexplicable sense of guilt.

It wasn't that he feared Demiurge; in terms of raw power, Demiurge was no match for him. But when it came to management ability, Demiurge could leave him in the dust by miles.

To facilitate the task he didn't know about, Momonga had granted Demiurge a certain amount of authority, allowing him to mobilize a portion of Nazarick's personnel.

Although he didn't know how to manage subordinates, he did know one thing: "If you employ someone, do not doubt them; if you doubt them, do not employ them."

Since he had already entrusted the matter entirely to Demiurge, he couldn't call a halt to it without reason just because of his own anxieties. Even so, some measures still needed to be taken.

If Demiurge were to mobilize the Guardians, he would need to report it to Momonga—whether out of his care for these Guardians or his need to rely on them for his own protection.

Momonga did not want any of the Guardians to meet with misfortune due to Demiurge's reassignments, and naturally, the same applied to Demiurge himself.

However, Demiurge had not mobilized the Guardians; instead, based on their individual situations, he had proposed some constructive supplementary arrangements.

Those arrangements were things Momonga hadn't even thought of before. With Demiurge's proposals, Nazarick's defensive capabilities were not just improved by a notch—at the very least, the loopholes he had previously overlooked were now patched.

What made Momonga feel guilty was that whenever Demiurge offered his opinions, he would always add, "You must have already foreseen these issues, yet you allowed this subordinate to discover them personally so that I might correct my own shortcomings. You are truly worthy of being the Supreme Being."

This left Momonga feeling deeply ashamed. He hadn't known anything at all, and he could only say that he hadn't known, as he did not wish to claim credit for his subordinate's work.

But after saying so, Demiurge would only assume he was being humble. He truly wasn't being humble, but helpless, he could only accept his subordinate's flattery with a guilty conscience.

"Ainz-sama."

After entering the room, Demiurge bowed to Momonga before saying, "There are two matters I need to report to you. I wonder if you have the time?"

"Ah, it is no trouble. I am free right now. Please, speak," Momonga said. He truly had nothing left to handle; he had basically finished reviewing the situation in Nazarick.

"Then let us begin with the first matter." Demiurge stood straight and adjusted his glasses. "Regarding the punishment for Mare and Aura..."

"Please wait a moment, Demiurge." Momonga hurriedly interrupted him. He didn't know why this was being brought up again. If Albedo had indeed been at fault in the eyes of others, the Elf Twins, as support troops, had not committed a grave error considering the strength of the enemy.

"Is something the matter, Ainz-sama?" Demiurge asked.

"The punishment for those two has already been decided. Although you may feel they failed to provide timely support as a rear guard, they did very well given the strength of the enemy. Therefore, I do not wish to impose any additional punishment on them."

Momonga finished in one breath, observing Demiurge's expression.

There was only Demiurge in the room now, and he thought that if he laid out the logic, perhaps he could make Demiurge abandon the idea of further punishment.

"You are truly merciful, Ainz-sama," Demiurge remarked upon hearing this, then explained, "However, this subordinate was not suggesting that Ainz-sama impose additional punishment. I merely wished to report that the content of their punishment has been basically completed."

Momonga felt a sudden wave of embarrassment. So, Demiurge had only wanted to report on that progress. Although he looked awkward, it was fortunate that he was merely a skeleton.

"Their hard work is appreciated; they finished so quickly," Momonga said.

"Yes, the surface structures of Nazarick are no longer visible, and they have merged seamlessly with the surrounding forest. However, there are still some issues that require your instructions," Demiurge said.

"Oh? Speak freely," Momonga nodded.

"How should we handle the original monsters in the forest? With the sudden expansion of the forest, the monsters there seem to want to claim this area as their own," Demiurge said.

"Let Aura handle it," Momonga said. "The monsters are also part of the camouflage for Nazarick, but do not interfere too much, lest we reveal any flaws."

"Understood, my Lord," Demiurge paused before adding, "There is also a second matter that requires Ainz-sama's intervention."