The Great Tomb of Nazarick's ninth floor—the SPA Resort.
Sig-san looked at the mysterious blue glow emanating from the hot spring, a pensive expression on his face.
Ainz, standing beside him, explained with a smile, "This is the Cherenkov Hot Spring, a secret atomic energy hot spring. They say it can cure certain diseases, but that hasn't been verified. At most, it can relieve back pain, which is enough for a welcoming bath."
"Is that so?" Sig-san removed his armor and equipment, wrapped only in a bath towel, and stepped into the water, his tail flicking up a splash.
After returning to Nazarick, he reverted to his most frequently used semi-human form. Perhaps because of his lack of familiarity, he always felt that the human form was too restrictive, and this was the most comfortable.
Ainz was already scrubbing his body with a brush, the bristles making a scratching sound against his bones.
"Sigh, this body of mine is so difficult to clean."
Sig-san looked down at his own body and saw eight-pack abs. Although his skin was an unnatural dark color, his physique was absolutely perfect, as if meticulously sculpted by a creator.
It wasn't as exaggerated as a bodybuilder's, but it wasn't scrawny either.
However, this body didn't seem easy to clean either. While dragon scales didn't cover his entire body, there were scattered hard, silvery-white scales on his back and waist, which could easily hide dirt.
Sig-san helplessly asked, "Are there any more brushes?"
Ainz immediately handed him one. "The bristles are quite stiff. I've already worn out several, so I switched to this type."
After taking the brush, Sig-san also began to scrub his body. The sound of scrubbing echoed in the hot spring, and the two of them resembled a pair of unfortunate brothers.
Sig-san, who had just finished scrubbing his tail, looked at the shining scales, a sense of satisfaction rising within him. Seeing Ainz struggling to scrub the bones on the inside of his body, he offered a suggestion.
"Next time, try a slime bath."
"I don't really like that sticky sensation, and then it wouldn't really be a hot spring bath."
As a traditional Japanese person, the act of bathing in hot springs was ingrained in him. Ainz was stubborn about this.
"Alright. Do you want me to help you?" Sig-san said with a smile.
He wondered what Ainz would feel if he put his hand inside his bones, and wanted to experiment.
"Eh?"
Ainz suddenly felt Sig-san's gaze was a little scary and quickly waved his hand. "Let's not, I'm almost done here. Let's talk about the next steps."
"Alright." Sig-san, who had originally stood up, sat back down, leaning comfortably against the edge of the spring.
"I've already had Demiurge take them to the interrogators. We'll get information soon. I think they should be considered decent combatants in this world."
Ainz pinched his chin and said, "Hmm, I plan to have Sebas and Solution disguise themselves as master and servant to gather information in the Kingdom. I'll also have Shalltear capture some more people with special skills and bring them back."
"Shalltear?"
"Although Demiurge would be more suitable, he still has to handle Nazarick's internal affairs. Shalltear, with her mind-control abilities, can also handle this task, and her strength is also very high."
Ainz had made this decision after careful consideration, as he didn't want the children of his comrades to be in danger. Shalltear and Sebas were both strong combatants of Nazarick, and sending them out made him feel more at ease.
Sig-san pondered for a moment. The current plot development hadn't deviated much, and the information he knew was already sufficient.
He himself was a Dragon Knight, capable of facing ordinary True Dragon Lords alone. With this powerful safeguard, he could act freely in the new world. However, Shalltear's Blood Frenzy was a major problem.
"I'll go with Sebas and the others. I've already learned the language of the new world, and I can assist Shalltear as well."
Although he intended to reveal that Ainz Ooal Gown and his comrades had dealt with the Sunlight Scripture, it was hard to say what the Slane Theocracy would think.
It was a coincidence that Shalltear encountered the Black Scripture, but the cause of this coincidence was Ainz's counter-intelligence barrier, which led the Slane Theocracy to mistakenly believe that a True Dragon Lord had revived, prompting them to use a World Item, intending to bring the Dragon Lord under their command.
If Shalltear's lock-on skill, [Pristine Pure Lance], hadn't killed the person who activated [Downfall of Castle and Country], she might have truly been controlled.
The Black Scripture itself was not to be feared; the main concern was the World Item [Downfall of Castle and Country]. Sig-san didn't want Shalltear to be controlled right under his nose.
"Is that alright?" Ainz asked somewhat uneasily.
His first thought was that it seemed a bit exaggerated, but upon closer thought, while Shalltear was strong enough, her mental stability was indeed insufficient.
One mistake could lead to utter ruin, so being fully prepared was the right thing to do.
"Don't worry, just leave it to me. You are the one who inherited the name Ainz Ooal Gown, and I will assist you wholeheartedly." Sig-san patted his chest in assurance, a confident smile on his face.
Ainz blushed, even though he had no face. "Sig-san, please stop joking. I'm serious."
He truly wished a comrade would come to him and question why he monopolized the name. He would gladly change back to Flying Squirrel, but alas, it was just a fantasy.
"I'm serious too. Alright, no more brooding. We still have important matters to attend to."
...
Inside the Throne Room, many people knelt. Ainz, clad in a magnificent robe, slowly ascended the throne, clutching the Guild Weapon.
Sig-san naturally stood beside him, fully armored, his face obscured. The red light from his eyes pierced through his helmet, exuding immense pressure.
Albedo knelt beside the throne, Sebas stood below the stairs, and the Guardians were arrayed in order. Gargantua and Victim were not present as usual. Apart from them, almost all of the NPCs were gathered here.
"From this day forward, I shall be known as Ainz Ooal Gown. Our goal from now on is... to make Ainz Ooal Gown an eternal legend!"
Sig-san slightly bowed his head and said clearly, word by word, "Long live Ainz Ooal Gown."
"Long live Lord Ainz Ooal Gown! We swear to faithfully serve Lord Ainz Ooal Gown, who commands the Supreme Beings, until death!"
Shouts of "Long live!" continuously echoed through the Throne Room. Everyone cheered loudly, their blood boiling.
Ainz sat on the throne, looking down, his own heart infected by the fervor. Just as he was about to sigh in emotion, a green light flashed, and his mood returned to a dead calm.
Forced calmness could sometimes be truly maddening, but maintaining composure was necessary for leading Nazarick. It felt truly awful.
Sig-san hummed softly, evidently in a very good mood. Just as he was thinking about what to have for dinner, he suddenly felt something amiss.
"Hmm?"
At some point, Albedo had looked up at him. When she realized she had been noticed, she shyly lowered her head.
Sig-san smiled helplessly at the sight. When Albedo was normal, she was truly adorable.
In a place unseen by others, Albedo whispered, "Long live Lord Sig-san..."