In the Throne Room on the tenth floor of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, Momonga sat upon the throne and addressed the row of figures standing below him.
"First, I must apologize for my willful actions. If anyone wishes to know what happened, you may ask Deloris."
"Second, there is an urgent matter I must inform everyone of…" As he spoke, he raised his right hand, extended his index finger, and cast a spell at the flag that represented himself. "Greater Item Break."
After the spell was activated, the flag was destroyed amid a faint glimmer of light. Seeing this scene, his subordinates all fell into a panic, unable to understand why he would do such a thing.
"I have changed my name…" Momonga's voice rang out slowly. "From this day forward, address me as…"
Holding the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown in his left hand, he struck it forcefully against the floor. The gesture seemed to symbolize something. Rising to his feet, he declared, "Ainz Ooal Gown. Ainz will suffice."
"Anyone with objections may step forward." Even though he knew no one would oppose him, as the leader—the king of this place—he had to display the proper authority.
Albedo lowered her head, her eyes closed as she spoke, "This subordinate has learned Your Supreme Name and swears absolute loyalty to the Supreme Being."
"Long live Lord Ainz Ooal Gown!" she was the first to shout.
After her, the others followed in unison. "Long live Lord Ainz Ooal Gown!"
"To offer everything to the Supreme Being…" Shalltear wore a proud expression, seemingly delighted by Ainz's decision.
"The king who possesses supreme power," Aura and Mare, the siblings, echoed together.
"All things in this world shall come to know the greatness of the Supreme One." As the most fervent worshiper of the Supreme Beings, Demiurge naturally offered the most lavish praise.
Cocytus exuded a frigid aura as he spoke in a deep voice, "The king who surpasses all."
"Glory be with the ruler of death and the King of the Undead." Albedo lifted her head and gazed at Ainz with gentle eyes.
"The leader who will guide us to the highest pinnacle, the Lord of Nazarick, my elder brother." Although she did not kneel, Chu Lian displayed sufficient respect and offered her praise to Ainz.
"I command you all—let the name [Ainz Ooal Gown] become an immortal legend!" He struck the floor once more with his staff and issued his proclamation.
His words caused those beneath him to erupt into cheers.
"Yoho! We shall fight for our king and make the name [Ainz Ooal Gown] the most eternal existence in this world!"
"Whether in the sky, upon the land, or within the sea, I will spread the name Ainz Ooal Gown to every intelligent being across this world. I also hope it may reach the friends who might have come to this world as well." After watching them cheer for a moment, he fell silent and then departed on his own.
Chu Lian watched his departing figure without speaking. She then slowly turned to face the others.
"Lord Ainz has left. You may all rise."
"Yes, Lady Deloris."
When Ainz was absent, Chu Lian was their leader. Now, there was not a single person who harbored any dissatisfaction.
"May I ask, Lady Deloris, where you and Lord Ainz went, and what occurred?" Demiurge stood and inquired about their outing.
"Lord Ainz and I went to a small village called Carne Village. We rescued two girls along the way and helped the villagers drive off their invaders." Chu Lian slowly descended the steps and came to stand among them, unconcerned by their varied appearances, as she calmly recounted what had just happened…
"In other words, those humans you brought back are sources of information to help us understand what kind of world this is?" Demiurge felt pleased by Chu Lian's thinking. Although it was something most of them could have considered, for someone as young as Lady Deloris to plan so thoroughly was truly rare.
"Yes. They are people who will allow us to understand how this world exists. With them, we can formulate a plan for conquering it." Chu Lian did not conceal her intentions and stated them plainly.
"Haha, Lord Ainz once mentioned something similar when we flew above the clouds," Demiurge said. He would never forget that moment—it was the beginning of the Undead King's radiance shining upon this world.
"In that case, Lord Demiurge, please repeat what Lord Ainz said at the time and tell everyone." Chu Lian nodded and stepped back, standing beside Albedo in a listening posture.
Unexpectedly, a soft body pressed directly against her back. A pair of arms wrapped around her neck, and the fragrance of a young woman filled her senses, leaving her slightly intoxicated.
"Please listen from within Albedo's embrace, Lady Deloris." Albedo's voice was gentle, making it impossible for her to refuse. She could only remain within her arms and listen to Demiurge's words.
He stood up and surveyed everyone present. Once he saw that all eyes were focused on him, Demiurge smiled and began.
"When Lord Ainz gazed up at the night sky, he once said…"
"I may have come to this place in order to obtain this jewel box that belongs to no one else."
"And in the end, he also said…"
"Conquering the world sounds like it could be quite interesting."
After perfectly imitating Ainz's words and mannerisms, those present exchanged glances before looking at the two girls who were embracing.
"Everyone, the ultimate goal of the Great Tomb of Nazarick is to present Lord Ainz's [jewel box]—that is, this world—to Lord Ainz." After Demiurge finished recounting Ainz's words, Albedo grew serious. She released Chu Lian from her embrace, faced the gathered guardians, and spoke.
Her statement was the final declaration that ignited the emotions in the room. Their cheers were even more fervent than when Ainz had changed his name.
"Yes. Our objective is to conquer this world. Any who do not submit to Lord Ainz—be they individuals, nations, races, or even the entire continent—shall be made to kneel." Chu Lian's voice was clear and gentle, yet filled with resolute strength.
"No one can halt our advance, because we will inevitably crush all enemies. I have the confidence to accomplish this. Will you present this jewel box to Lord Ainz?" Chu Lian raised her head, her gaze utterly serious.
"As long as it is the command of Lord Ainz and Lady Deloris, we will accomplish it without fail." Shalltear spoke with an excited smile. Her crimson eyes fixed upon Chu Lian, and the possessive gleam within them grew even stronger.
"This is my greatest aspiration in following my lord. The world shall belong to Nazarick. All will submit to Lord Ainz, the Supreme One." Cocytus brandished his weapon. No one longed for war more than he did. For a warrior, dedicating everything to one's master was only natural.
"If Lord Ainz wants to do it, then of course I'll help." Aura spread her hands, clearly delighted. She was not a war fanatic, but any idea of a Supreme Being was something she believed must be accomplished.
"As long as Lord Ainz desires it, Mare will definitely make it happen." Mare clutched his staff tightly. Though his voice sounded soft, his resolve was no weaker than anyone else's.
"It would be my honor. The Supreme One, with his unparalleled wisdom, has given us a goal. As long as we advance toward it, we will become the rulers of this world." Demiurge appeared the calmest on the surface, yet in truth he was the least calm of all. He simply concealed that fervor perfectly.
"Then it is time to begin formulating a plan for conquering this world. We must arrange everything properly so as not to trouble the Supreme One. If we cannot even handle such a minor matter, we would be unworthy of being his subordinates." Finally, it was Albedo who summarized matters. After she spoke, the guardians of each floor gathered together and began devising a world conquest plan.
Chu Lian remained completely silent among them, merely acting like a doll held within Albedo's arms. Although they consulted her at every step of the plan, she simply nodded in approval without offering any suggestions.
The other guardians seemed accustomed to her behavior. They discussed excitedly without paying attention to whether she participated.
"Little Lian'er, it's comfortable in Albedo's embrace, isn't it?" In truth, it was not that Chu Lian did not want to speak. At this moment, she had already been dragged into the system space by a jealous Ayase and was being thoroughly ravaged there.
Here, her body could return to its original form according to her will or retain its current appearance.
She had originally intended to revert, but Ayase gave her no chance. The moment she pulled her inside, she threw her onto a red bed, leaned forward, straddled her waist, and lowered her head to play with her fox ears while speaking softly.
"Ayase, I didn't do it on purpose. There was no way I could avoid it in that situation. It would definitely have hurt her feelings." Chu Lian felt helpless. She had already deeply understood how fragile a girl's heart could be. Even if Albedo was not someone weak, she still had to consider that possibility.
"Really? I think you were just enjoying the softness and warmth of her embrace…" Ayase refused to let it go, lowering her head to kiss her delicate neck.
"Absolutely not. Look, since coming here, who have I provoked? Albedo was someone I planned to change from the very beginning. As for the others, including Shalltear, Aura, and the Pleiades maids, I haven't touched any of them, right?" Chu Lian felt extremely wronged. Why had Ayase never been like this in the real world, yet after arriving here she had become like a jar of vinegar, overflowing with jealousy?
"Do you want me to remind you? Carne Village, the two sisters Enri and Nemu. Can you really say you didn't make a move on them?" The moment Ayase mentioned this, Chu Lian immediately remembered.
"I only gave them those two items to prepare for entering again in the future. I have absolutely no intentions toward them."
"Really? I don't believe you, Little Lian'er~" Ayase gently left a kiss mark on her neck before lifting her head to look at her flushed face. "This is our world for just the two of us. Don't let anyone else interfere, understand? I just want to spend some time quietly with you. I don't want unnecessary people disturbing my life."
"Ayase…" The meaning behind her words was already obvious. Chu Lian understood, so she merely called her name softly.
"Mm?" Ayase looked into her dazzling eyes, slightly puzzled.
"Your jealous expression is really cute. I promise you, I absolutely won't provoke other women. I'll only complete the missions, then leave. When we enter again next time, we can collect the rewards then."
"You said it. If you fail to keep your promise, then what you agreed to with me will have to be fulfilled ahead of time." Chu Lian naturally knew what she meant by "what you agreed to." Her gaze lingered briefly on Ayase's exquisitely beautiful feet before she nodded in agreement.
"Hold me…" Turning onto her side on the bed, Ayase spoke softly to Chu Lian.
Reaching out, she embraced the woman who now appeared somewhat fragile. Her face buried into her fullness as she inhaled her scent. "Ayase, I know you must have your own thoughts. But whatever you plan to do, please don't leave me. I can't be without you. Even if you must leave, don't be gone too long. At most… don't exceed the nine days you left me last time by much, alright?"
"I won't leave…" Ayase said as she breathed in her fragrance.
Whether it was true or not, whether she could truly keep that promise, Chu Lian treated those words as truth and responded silently, I heard you… I heard you…
Their intimate time passed quickly. Outside, the others had already drafted a preliminary plan. As long as they refined it gradually, the plan would take shape.
After finishing their discussions, everyone dispersed. After all, they each had duties to fulfill and could not remain away for too long.
Only Shalltear cast Chu Lian a peculiar glance before leaving. The others departed with satisfied expressions.
"Lady Deloris? Lady Deloris?" After everyone had gone, Albedo finally noticed Chu Lian's unusual state and called out to her several times. When she received no response, a lovestruck smile appeared on her face. "Lady Deloris is spacing out… then this is my chance… hehehe…"
She bent down, bringing her face closer. Gazing at Chu Lian's perfectly shaped lips, she leaned in for a kiss.
However, Ayase had been paying attention the entire time. The instant Albedo was about to kiss her, she pushed Chu Lian's consciousness back into her body. Slightly confused as her awareness returned, Chu Lian instinctively glanced around, causing Albedo's lips to land on her cheek instead.
"Albedo, please don't do things like that again." Gently freeing herself from her embrace, Chu Lian sighed as she looked at Albedo's deeply satisfied expression.
"But Lady Deloris looked so adorable like that. I couldn't help wanting to get closer," Albedo said without embarrassment, simply voicing her true feelings.
"I understand. Go back and rest. Everyone has been busy all day and must be tired." Chu Lian had no way of dealing with her. Although in theory her status within the Great Tomb of Nazarick was higher, she could not do anything harsh to her and could only avoid the situation.
"Yes, Lady Deloris." Seeing her tired expression, Albedo stopped teasing. After responding softly, she vanished from where she stood.
Chu Lian turned back and silently looked at the throne. A faint smile curved her lips as she murmured quietly:
"This world… does it belong to you, or to me? The answer is actually quite obvious…"
After speaking, she turned and left…