After freezing the shallow lake that comprised much of the Lizardmen's home and using a thirty-meter-tall Siege Golem to fling a massive cube onto the center of the battlefield, Nazarick proceeded to conduct a Royal Procession with hundreds of magically armored undead. Ainz had invited Vahn to take part, but he politely refused. Instead, he observed from the comfort of the hastily constructed but well-made command building that Aura had prepared to accommodate everyone during the four hours given for the Lizardmen's battle preparations.
"Lord Vahn, is there anything else I can grab or do for you...?" asked Entoma, having been assigned to Vahn as Lupusregina's alternate while the latter handled a different assignment.
"No. But I appreciate the consideration," Vahn affirmed with a casual nod, seated atop one of two silver-backed, black-cushioned thrones present in the command building's central room.
"It is my honor to be of service," Entoma asserted, her mandibles clicking faintly behind the insect masquerading as her face. Vahn got the distinct impression she was anticipating a reward, but as he wasn't in the mood to part with an arm, he offered her a Golden Meat Apple to tide her over. The latter, along with its lesser variant, was the alternative he had prepared to supplement many of Nazarick's inhabitants' programmed urge to consume raw and human meat. They resembled perfectly ordinary or golden apples from the outside, but anyone who bit into their crisp, crunchy flesh would discover that they had the taste and texture of the person's favorite meat dish.
fwoom
As events concluded in the mirror Vahn was using to watch them play out, a Gate opened a few meters away. From within, Ainz, followed closely by Shalltear, Aura, Mare, Albedo, and Demiurge, appeared in the same order in which they disembarked during the broadcast.
"Ah, Vahn. What did you think of our performance? Would you say it was effective in demonstrating Nazarick's prestige and instilling terror in the hearts of our foes...?" Ainz questioned, his fiery crimson eyes settling on Vahn as the latter rose to welcome the group.
"Considering their representative tried to surrender midway through, I would say so," Vahn affirmed, habitually extending his hands to caress the heads of Aura and Mare as they gravitated toward him.
"Excellent," Ainz hummed, sounding very pleased. At the same time, he began scanning the room openly, drawing Aura's nervous gaze. The fact that she had completed the temple-like structure in less than a day was a credit to her skill as a mason and carpenter, but if Ainz disliked it, she was prepared to prostrate herself and apologize on the spot.
"This room is quite spacious. And the encompassing structure is equally impressive..." Ainz noted, shifting his gaze to Aura, his eyes flashing as he expressed, "Excellent work, Aura. If ever a time comes where we need to construct a town or city, I shall leave it in your capable hands."
"Lord Ainz! I am undeserving of such high praise, but thank you!" Aura exclaimed, pumping her fists and beaming from ear to twitching ear as she barely contained her urge to jump for joy.
"Do not speak such nonsense. It is for me to decide when and where to give my praise, and it is never without warrant," Ainz countered, his firm tone causing a fearful but excited shiver to run up the spines of everyone present, sans Vahn.
"On a related note, it also falls upon me to met out due punishment when my subordinates err..." Ainz continued, his gaze shifting to Shalltear as he thoughtfully cupped his chin.
"Oh, please, Lord Ainz. Even if I must strip down and bear your mighty cane upon my body, I am willing to endure anything to have the shame of my betrayal expunged..." Shalltear expressed sincerely, taking a knee and bowing her head nearly ninety degrees in pained supplication.
"Lord Ainz will decide your punishment himself. You would do well to keep your head bowed and your suggestions to yourself..." Albedo warned, her yellow eyes shimmering with menace as she stared down at Shalltear as if she were viewing an insect.
"Albedo, do not interfere in this matter..." Ainz interjected, raising his left hand to block Albedo's view of Shalltear as he glanced back at her over his shoulder.
"Yes, Lord Ainz. Forgive me for speaking out of turn..." Albedo responded, closing her eyes and bowing her head.
"Now, where was I..." Ainz muttered exasperatedly, his fiery gaze briefly meeting Vahn's before he glanced down at Shalltear and ordered, "Raise your head, Shalltear."
"Lord Ainz...?"
Doing as she was instructed, Shalltear raised her head to reveal teary crimson eyes. As she did, Ainz gave a curt nod and explained, "As your unintended betrayal was principally caused by my oversight, I shall not punish you too harshly. On the other hand, had you not lost yourself to your Blood Frenzy, you would not have found yourself in that situation..."
"I have no excuses..." Shalltear expressed, closing her eyes and lowering her head before Ainz shook his own and calmly clarified, "But even that is not something you can be faulted for, as it was ultimately a characteristic given to you by your creator, Peroroncino. Painfully, while I would like to preserve my companions' original intentions when creating each of you, our circumstances require us to adapt. As such, your punishment will take the form of rectifying your lack of self-control."
Before Shalltear could ask Ainz for clarification, the skeletal Overlord went on to proclaim, "Henceforth, you will be prohibited from harming or taking direct, individual action. You will naturally be permitted to defend yourself if the need arises, but it is my hope that, bound by this restriction, you will refine your ability to lead and consider the broader impact of your actions. Do you accept this burden?"
"Gladly, my Lord...!" Shalltear responded, nearly shouting at the top of her lungs.
"If Lord Ainz wills it..." Albedo sighed.
"As expected of Lord Ainz...such foresight..." Demiurge hummed.
"Good for you, Shalltear~" Aura chimed.
"It's good we didn't have to cane you..." Mare commented out of pocket, looking slightly disappointed.
"Excellent. We will discuss the specifics of your punishment at a later date," Ainz expressed. "For the time being, I would like to use this time to discuss how we might be able to support Cocytus in his administration of the Lizardmen."
Making his way over to the throne next to Vahn's, Ainz briefly met the former's gaze before he turned and they sat down in concert. The Floor Guardians naturally remained standing, but none of them offered a word of complaint as they posed ideas ranging from having the Lizardmen farm fish to endlessly harvesting their fangs, claws, hides, blood, and organs to be used in the production of alchemical concoctions and equipment. Even low-tier Healing Magic could restore limbs and replace organs, so as long as they were thorough, they would have an endless supply of materials to make use of—not just from Lizardmen.
Fortunately for Nazarick, while Ainz acknowledged that the proposition, posed by Demiurge, would be the most efficient approach to addressing their supply issues, it was ultimately rejected. He had already instructed that Cocytus was not to use fear to govern the Lizardmen, and while they might be able to dull or even negate the pain their suppliers experienced, he contended it would diminish their morale and compromise their ability to improve if they were routinely subjected to mutilation and treated as a renewable resource...
...
..
.
Following Cocytus's extremely one-sided victory and Ainz's subsequent resurrection of the Lizardmen involved in their last stand, Vahn attended an impromptu banquet and spent the evening in his room at Nazarick. He originally planned to depart for E-Rantel the moment the battle was over, but Ainz had insisted that he join them to commemorate Nazarick's first successful conquest and to enjoy The Great Tomb's amenities—including a dip in a hot spring.
"Lord Vahn's body is really incredible..." remarked Mare, his cheeks lightly flushed as he took it upon himself to scrub Vahn's right shoulder and back as the latter discussed his future plans with Ainz.
"Oh? Thanks for the compliment," Vahn responded, raising his right arm and tensing his muscles as he explained, "But while I train regularly, most of my appearance is handcrafted to appease the preferences of my wives and lovers."
"Then you're able to change your form at will?" asked Ainz, preempting Vahn's response by palming his head and acknowledging, "Of course you can. I have witnessed you do so many times. The wine I consumed during the banquet must have gone to my head."
"I am curious, though..." Demiurge interjected, sitting on the edge of the hot spring with his segmented tail swaying slowly behind him and a white towel adorning his waist as he stated, "Forgive my impertinence, but I am curious to know if there are any particular limitations to Lord Vahn's ability to change form. Specifically, would it be possible for Lord Vahn to assume the form of a Siege Golem on the scale of Gargantua?"
"As long as I'm aware of the composition of whatever I'm changing into, there are no limitations," Vahn answered, unconcerned with the possibility of Demiurge conspiring against him. He was almost positive the demonic man was doing precisely that behind the scenes, but so long as the man's schemes were aimed at him, they were predestined to fail.
"Does that include Lord Vahn changing gender...?" Demiurge asked, the devilish, near-perpetual smile on his face broadening as he adjusted his glasses with his right middle and ring fingers.
"That is indeed an impertinent question. But now that it has been posed, I can't help but be curious about the answer..." Ainz confessed, cupping his chin and glancing at Vahn thoughtfully. He dared not say it aloud, but if Vahn's healthy brown skin, masterfully sculpted figure, slightly messy hair, and bright, aquamarine eyes were superimposed onto a woman, they would appear very striking.
"To clarify, it is within my power to change my gender. But I prefer to stay male and very seldom have a reason to change," Vahn answered, shaking his head.
Raising his right hand, Vahn met Demiurge's gaze with a cool smile and produced hypodermic needles from his fingertips, stating, "But if you're curious to test my capabilities, I could change your gender just as easily. How about it?"
Catching Vahn a little off guard, Demiurge didn't hesitate to respond, "Oh? That could be interesting. What say you, my Lord? If Lord Ainz demands it of me, I would not hesitate to change my gender."
"I feel as though we've strayed a bit from our original topic..." Ainz stated, strategically choosing not to answer or dismiss Demiurge's query outright as he met Vahn's gaze and asserted, "But it's useful to know you possess such a capability. There are surely those among Nazarick's denizens who feel uncomfortable with—or simply inconvenienced by—the forms they've been bestowed. If it is not an inconvenience, I would defer them to you to help them settle into forms they find more agreeable."
"That shouldn't be too difficult," Vahn confirmed with a nod, wriggling his fingers as he supplanted, "Though this particular method requires that the target be organic and susceptible to hormone therapy. I have others, but they're less convenient."
"I understand," Ainz affirmed, shifting his gaze to Demiurge as he stated, "I leave this matter to you, Demiurge. Let Vahn's capabilities be known to Nazarick's denizens and compile a list of all those who may wish to have their appearances amended—along with their rationales. We will prioritize those who have physical deformities or conditions that hinder their duties and overall quality of life..."
"As you will, Lord Ainz..." Demiurge responded, rising to his feet, placing his right hand over his left breast, and offering a steep bow. Ainz hadn't intended for him to leave there and then, but that was precisely what he did, choosing to waste no time in carrying out his Lord's order...
...
..
.