A bit later. Carne Village.
"What do you plan on doing next?" Gazef Stronoff stood beside me at the edge of the square, watching Shalltear chat with the Emmot sisters.
I couldn't take my eyes off the scene either. It was a bit terrifying to let the vampiress off her leash, but she had solemnly sworn to be a good girl and not kill anyone without an order, even if they started insulting me or Nazarick directly. Securing that last promise had been particularly difficult, but the weight of authority works wonders. If it were up to me, I would have sent her back to Nazarick already, but the villagers had thrown a feast to celebrate the village's salvation. Since I still had a few matters to settle here, I had to play the role to the end. That meant Shalltear had to do the work of two, as a normal, sweet little girl cannot simply ignore a celebration, even if it is just local amateur hour. A child must be restless and curious, period. The Floor Guardian was by no means pleased with this turn of events, but she was managing so far, and I had picked her company with intent. For once, her creator's depravity played into my hands—among the vampire's many fetishes was a tender love for yuri, so she certainly wouldn't kill a pretty girl like the elder Emmot sister on sight.
"I intend to study what I obtained from the Sunlight Scripture. After inspecting their belongings, I discovered some distinct differences in our schools of magic and I wish to investigate them."
"And what did you find?" the warrior asked, turning to me with curiosity.
"Your healing potions. They are blue—whereas back home, all healing potions are red. In my youth, I happened to read about green-colored concoctions, but those were records of very outdated recipes from almost a previous era." I padded out the Yggdrasil lore with personal memories of its ancient ancestor, Neverwinter.
"Does that mean you won't be heading to E-Rantel yet?"
"I see no point. It is better to extract maximum information from the two dozen casters I am taking with me than to waste time trying to persuade city mages to share that same knowledge. Besides, seeing your reaction to my skill level, I fear it would be problematic to achieve a normal working relationship with my local colleagues."
"Don't like being the center of attention?" Stronoff smirked.
"If I loved attention, I would have settled at some court rather than in the middle of nowhere. Power and fame are pleasant, but I prefer magic and the quiet rustle of the yellowed pages of an interesting book... Perhaps that is the voice of old age, who knows?"
"It seems suggesting you go to the capital is useless," Gazef noted, showing no particular sadness over the fact.
"Maybe later. The capital is a place of intrigue and many tangled interests, and I have no desire to step into that swamp or feel like a blind kitten that every second person can manipulate as they please."
"I wish I could reassure you," the Captain looked up at the sky, where distant stars had long been burning, "but unfortunately, you are right. The Kingdom is not seeing its best days right now, and even the King could hardly protect such a person from the scrutiny of the nobles."
"Hmm... Since I will surely find out about it eventually, could you..."
"Right now, the entire Re-Estize Kingdom is divided into the Royal Faction led by the King and the Noble Faction led by Marquis Boullope," Stronoff said, understanding what I wanted to ask mid-sentence. "The nobles view commoners as mere pawns in their power games; they are deeply mired in corruption and resist all the King's attempts at reform. To be blunt, the situation is very close to a civil war, and if it weren't for the annual clashes with the Baharuth Empire, one of the high nobility would have raised a rebellion to overthrow His Majesty long ago." Stronoff looked directly at me, without a hint of a smile. "The King manages to maintain a shaky balance, but every year we fall further behind the Empire, where the Blood Emperor has gained absolute power and is creating a unified army that does not rely on noble levies."
Well then... Even though the warrior tried to stay out of politics, as I understood from his answers—or rather, the way he answered—he knew the situation quite well. He also understood that even a direct ban on gossiping about the events at Carne would not significantly slow the spread of rumors about a powerful mage who single-handedly destroyed an elite Theocracy squad. Fifty direct witnesses, the prisoners he would take to the capital, a whole village of peasants—someone will let something slip; the only question is "immediately" or "in five minutes."
"So, I should expect messengers from both factions..." I pretended to be deep in thought. "You, as I understand, support the King?"
"Yes. I am the King's bodyguard and have sworn loyalty to him."
"And they decided to eliminate you using the forces of the Theocracy. At the same time, the 'collateral damage' in the form of a couple of villages did not bother the organizers... And there will be no direct proof, of course."
Actually, there already was none. All the prisoners interrogated by Stronoff as soon as we returned to Carne could confirm nothing except receiving orders from the Cardinals. And even that order was only heard by Nigun Grid Luin—the squad leader. This meant the Slane Theocracy could easily brush off any accusations, claiming it was a slander and the leader of the Sunlight Scripture acted on his own. As for the fact that someone from within the Kingdom helped them bypass the border fortress city of E-Rantel unnoticed, the saboteurs only suspected it, having no concrete information or names. In short, upon returning to the capital, Gazef would receive fanfares and congratulations, but he would be able to change absolutely nothing, except perhaps making it harder for the organizers of this brazen setup to repeat it—though even that wasn't guaranteed.
"Alas," the warrior shrugged, "we have what we have."
"Well, I shall remember that. And take it into account." So, the kingdom is weakened... that opens up certain prospects. In that light, obtaining a piece of land one way or another won't be difficult. Or rather, legalizing it; getting it isn't hard anyway. The question remains—do I need it?
"Thank you." Apparently, Gazef took my words as disapproval of the nobility's actions. Well, everyone has a right to be mistaken. Personally, I saw nothing extraordinary in the desire to devour a weakened king and a callous disregard for victims. Not after meeting the staff of Nazarick and having thoughts about genocide and inferior beings. "How do you feel about a little drink?" my companion suggested more cheerfully. "I heard they make decent homemade wine here."
"Since when?"
"Just now, from my lieutenant," Stronoff chuckled.
"It sounds tempting, but I must decline." Sigh... maybe that's why all liches are so angry? No drinking, no eating, no fondling girls. You really start thinking about destroying all living things when you're like this. Because why not, and I'm jealous anyway.
"Afraid to leave your daughter unattended?" the warrior offered the first hypothesis that came to mind.
"No," I shook my head. Heh, why not? "I had an acquaintance, a sorceress nicknamed Dagedra... I haven't touched a drop since. A drunk magic caster is worse than any natural disaster, believe me."
"Dagedra?" Gazef was genuinely interested.
"Even a Dragon would step over her with caution. Also known as the Enemy of All Living Things and the Flat-Chested Terror. I suspect the second nickname appeared right after someone called her the third... well, alcohol was involved there too." Incidentally, Shalltear could claim those titles for herself here. But I won't tell her that—one shouldn't offend cute little girls. Especially if they are bloody psychopaths who could single-handedly slaughter a continent.
"Kheh... khah," Gazef tried hard not to laugh, "yes, that is an argument."
"So forgive me, but this serious battle, which might leave behind many motionless bodies smelling worse than most zombies, you will have to face without me. But you may have a few mugs for me."
"I certainly shall," Stronoff nodded and, after saying his goodbyes, departed. Sigh... I suddenly felt so sad and lonely. I really want to kill someone...
Message: "Albedo, do you hear me?"
"Momonga-sama, do you need help? I am ready to deploy immediately!" the excited reply came without a second's pause.
"Everything is fine, I have finished already. You can cancel the alert."
"I didn't doubt for a second that you would crush those pathetic insects!" came the joyous response.
"That's actually what I'm calling about. Prepare a few dozen holding cells for prisoners. I will deliver them to Nazarick in the morning; everything must be ready by then."
"It shall be done!" Albedo purred. "Perhaps you wish for me to prepare anything else?" Her voice took on a sultry tone. "Your bedroom for rest after the journey? Perhaps a bath? Or would you like a relaxing massage?"
"No need..." How to end the conversation tactfully? Oh! I know! "But thank you for the concern, Albedo. You are the best. Now forgive me, I have a few more matters to settle..." I cut the connection.
Now, about the slaughter... I mean, when crossing the road, you should hold small children by the hand. Not that I doubted the peaceful intentions of the blood-sucking monster surrounded by "skins of blood," but everything is going just a bit too smoothly. This tranquility bodes ill... And I still have to decide what to do with that peasant girl Enri, who, covered in a very cute blush, is currently occupying my "daughter."
The girl herself was quite pretty, although she couldn't compare to Albedo. Even most of the maids in Nazarick, to my personal taste, surpassed her in every way. But that wasn't the point. In the manga, she was a sort of secondary character who diluted the overall level of pompous absurdity happening around Momonga, under the general motto: "Let's invent our beloved boss's dreams from snippets of his phrases and fulfill them before he can even blink!" Nevertheless, from what I heard, her full story in the light novel was quite remarkable. Sitting stuck in the village and commanding a small squad of summoned goblins, she managed to gain three new commander-type classes in a couple of months. If I'm not mistaken, they were Sergeant, Commander, and General, and she even leveled General up to level two. A simple peasant girl. Not even the village head's daughter. But even that wasn't enough; she somehow managed to charm a bunch of forest monsters, starting from local wild goblins unrelated to the summoning artifact and ending with several ogres who usually only view humans as food, but here they recognized a skinny girl as their chief with a single shout. One would think it couldn't go any further, but as soon as she was pushed against a wall, the girl also activated a hidden effect of the summoning artifact that even Momonga didn't know about, and instead of two dozen average goblins, she created a five-thousand-strong army of ultra-elite units for that race. When you think about all that, your imagination draws a sort of mixture of Albedo and Shalltear, multiplied by Demiurge's practicality and Sebas's impeccable self-control, but... No. Reality was scarier. Enri was just a sweet, smiling girl with a helpful nature and not a single bit of talent for acting. As they say: curtain.
And what I should do with someone so original was completely unclear even at the planning stage of the scouting mission from Nazarick, even though I wasn't entirely sure back then that this world was the right one. On the one hand, her abilities were completely insignificant compared to the power of the Floor Guardians or even the Pleiades. But on the other, to just walk past such a phenomenon and do nothing at all... Even the thought makes me feel like an idiot.
"Shalltear, how are you doing here?" Creeping up behind my "daughter," I interrupt her conversation with the cause of my doubts.
"Lord Zellos-oto-san!" The Bloody Valkyrie broke off her conversation and smiled at me warmly.
"Am I interrupting? Forgive me if so..."
"Not at all! You could never interrupt! Enri and I were just... discussing womanly matters, right, Enri?"
"Y-yes!" the poor peasant girl practically jumped. "P-please don't worry, Zellos-sama!"
"I see," I tilted my head slightly. "I hope my daughter hasn't troubled you, my lady? After all, our countries' traditions can differ greatly." God knows what that walking collection of fetishes might have said. If this girl tells someone later, my reputation is toast. Not that I care much about my reputation in the eyes of inferior beings living on the edge of a weak and worthless kingdom... Control your thoughts, Comrade Archlich, control them!
"No, no, we were talking about l-love!" Enri lowered her eyes to the ground, and her face began to flush deeply, making me suspect something bad. "Love" from Shalltear's mouth can take on very... specific shades.
"About love?"
"Y-yes, how to tell if you love someone or not... and what to do about it."
"Oh? And what is the answer to one of the most difficult questions of existence?" Whew, false alarm. The combat gothic loli turned out to be a good girl after all; I'll have to reward her later.
"Imagine," the vampiress said softly, hiding a smile and modestly lowering her eyes, "just imagine that this person has disappeared. One moment they are here—and the next they are gone. And will never be back again. Or that they are in pain and suffering. And see how your life changes from that. If you feel nothing, then there is no love. But if your world shatters into a thousand shards... If your heart aches from the pain... Oh... Forgive me, Zellos-oto-san," the little one pressed her whole body against me, "I suppose that half-glass of homemade wine was too much and I'm talking nonsense." For some reason, it seemed to me that behind this playfulness, she was trying to hide something else... Ah yes, all the denizens of Nazarick have a complex about being abandoned by all their creators except Momonga. Albedo even secretly dreams of killing all the guild players if they are ever found in this world, and that desire extends even to her own creator.
"A good answer, Shalltear..." I gently touched her hair.
I wonder, did Peroroncino put that into her too? It seems too smart and logical for that eroge-obsessed fan. According to Momonga's memories, he was just an overgrown idiot without much life experience outside the game. Though... he might have read it online or in one of his hentai games; those plots revolve around love too, and you have to fill the gameplay between the bedroom scenes with something. Anyway, it doesn't matter now.
"Enri and..." I tried to remember the name of the little red-haired girl who had given Shalltear a flower a few hours earlier and was now restlessly turning her head while standing near her sister, "eavesdropping on the adults' conversation" until she was chased away.
"Nemu!" the little mite blurted out, not shy at all.
"Yes, right..." And I involuntarily wondered... was the term "mite" in my thoughts an affectionate term from my past life experience or a derivative of "insect"—an inferior being? "Anyway, Enri, about your previous suggestion."
"Forgive me, Lord Zellos," the peasant girl faltered. "I realize it was rude of me and probably completely unnecessary now..." The girl's embarrassed tone made Shalltear stir, and I moved my hand from her head to her shoulders, pressing down slightly to pull her close so she wouldn't butt in.
"Why so? I would be interested in speaking with a local alchemist, especially if he is an expert in his field, so I am still grateful for the letter and the advice. However, kindness should be repaid with kindness, so..." I reach into my inventory with my free hand, mentally focusing on what I want to pull out. It looked like sticking my hand into a small purple portal. "Take this." I hand her two Horns of the Goblin General. I could have given her something else, but why reinvent the wheel? Besides, it's unknown how much of her potential's awakening was due specifically to these artifacts, for where there is one hidden effect, there may be another. "These items can summon a squad of goblins to protect you. Judging by what I see in your Kingdom, such help won't be superfluous for the village."
"I... I cannot accept this! It is far too expensive a gift!" The girl even went pale.
"To refuse what the Mast-m-m-ph!.." The beginning of Shalltear's protest was literally smothered by my palm.
"I will not take no for an answer." It came out a bit harsher than intended—fighting a huffing True Vampire pressed against what serves as my stomach with one hand is quite taxing, you know.
"T-thank you..." the peasant girl stammered, timidly accepting the artifacts.
"I only ask that you do not give them to anyone else. If you decide to use them, do so yourself."
"A-as you command, Lord Zellos!" Enri bowed deeply, her golden braid brushing the ground.
"Now, now, there is no need to be so formal. Actually, I would ask you to write to your friend once more. It would be better if he hears what happened here from you rather than through rumors. But it is getting late; that can wait until tomorrow. Besides, it is time for children to be in bed." I turned my gaze toward Nemu, giving the girl a heavy hint. She followed my gaze, looked at Shalltear, and nodded vigorously while clutching her gifts to her chest.
---
"I hope you are satiated?" Once inside our assigned room, I sat down on the bed.
"You should not trouble yourself with such things, Lord—"
"Father," I interrupted the vampiress. "I am your father right now, Shalltear. Do not forget that, I beg of you."
"Oh, that is so arousing..." She leaned closer, biting her lower lip. "I..." She froze. "I beg your forgiveness!" Her head cut through the air with a whistle as she folded into a deep bow, her voice shifting from sultry to terrified and guilty. "I did not mean to touch upon that uncomfortable subject. It will not happen again, Zellos-oto-san."
"Let it be."
"Please, do not be lenient with your loyal servant! Punish her without mercy!" Bloodfallen protested fervently, still bent before me at a perfect ninety-degree angle.
"...I truly cannot tell if you are genuinely repentant or if this is simply one of the fetishes Peroroncino programmed into you." I confess, I couldn't help myself. Despite all her apparent sincerity, I was beginning to physically sense a trap in every confusing situation.
"What do you mean, Lord Zellos?" Innocence itself looked up at me.
"Masochism," I answered, wondering why I even bothered. "You enjoy all those things... whips and... tails." To my misfortune, I recalled an accessory—thank the gods, never used—from the cat-ear and school uniform set.
"Oh, ye-e-es..." Did I mention innocence? Forget it. Before me stood lewdness incarnate, drooling from a massive dose of filthy fantasies. "Whatever my beloved oto-san desires..." Just as I thought she might actually start dripping saliva—not figuratively, but quite literally—the girl shook herself off and lowered her head again. "But I truly am repentant for my unseemly words. Though my unworthy body craves your touch, and restraining these feelings is beyond my strength, I would never dare to consciously cause you discomfort, much less upset you with word or deed. This does not lessen the weight of my guilt, but I swear to you, all my transgressions stem from shameful ignorance, not malice."
"Fine, I believe you." What else was there to say? "Back to the first question: are you satiated?"
"Yes." Before me stood the well-bred, good little girl again, hands folded neatly in front of her. "True Vampires can go without feeding for months, so you should not burden yourself with worry over such a trivial matter."
"Ahem..." Indeed, I had slipped up; that detail was certainly present in my inherited memories.
"Lord Zellos, may I ask you a question?"
"Yes."
"Why do you bother with all these humans? You even gave two of them valuable magic items and intend to let most of the prisoners go. I understand you are using them to gather information about this world, but wouldn't it have been simpler to just take that ring if it was so valuable? That man you showed such mercy toward didn't seem to even consider resisting. And those girls..."
"Do you not like them?"
"They are cute..." Shalltear turned pink, coyly looking away. "Such sweet desserts..." She rubbed her thighs together. "But... but they are just weak humans! They have done nothing to deserve such grace!" Recalling herself, she continued, "I simply do not understand your designs and I fear I might accidentally ruin something." She fell silent and blushed again, hiding her eyes. "You held my hand so firmly all this time..."
"Tell me, Shalltear, what would have happened if I had destroyed all these people or taken them to Nazarick?"
"Well..." The vampiress thoughtfully pressed her index finger to her lips. "I suppose... nothing comes to mind," she confessed, shoulders dropping tragically.
"After a while, the disappearance would be noticed, and a scouting party would be sent to discover their fate. And even if we eliminated that party, and the next, and several more after that, eventually we would be discovered. But they would no longer come to talk; they would come to destroy us. Given the power gap I witnessed today, at some point every neighboring nation would go to war against us, and war is a tedious business. Besides, what pleasure is there in defeating those so much weaker than yourself? There is more satisfaction in killing a mosquito—at least it irritates you with its buzzing. What can these peasants do? Soiling our hands by killing them is simply beneath someone of our level. In short, I would have gained nothing but a mountain of wasted time and no pleasure at all." I hoped these motives would sink in with the Guardians so I wouldn't see a repeat of the canon circus: "Let's conquer all life for the Supreme One! Ugh-ugh-gaaa!"
"You are so farsighted, Zellos-oto-san!" The vampiress gazed at me with pure adoration, reminding me once again that these bloody maniacs took any nonsense Momonga uttered as divine Revelation. Not the most pleasant feeling.
"That is only the first layer," I said, shaking my head. Dammit... with such "critical" listeners, what guarantee do I have that I'm saying anything smart and not just spewing total garbage? I urgently need to find someone level-headed as an advisor. Someone who won't fall into a religious ecstasy at my every sentence. "We need information, including the magic that created this ring." I displayed Gazef's gift. "There was nothing like this in Yggdrasil; this item is literally priceless. If the locals can create such things, I must know 'how.' But searching for knowledge myself... Though I am immortal, wasting centuries on what can be obtained in a month by showing a little loyalty to the locals is foolish at best. Soon this troop will return to the capital, they will tell the King everything, and the people of this world will begin to seek my friendship. Once they do, they will bring me everything I am interested in. Knowledge, artifacts, resources... Remember, Shalltear: being noble and generous to inferior beings is profitable. There are always different ways to reach a goal. One could frantically search for food for the living population of Nazarick and worry every time about where to find more when the last batch runs out, or one could present oneself as a kind neighbor and receive everything without effort, simply by providing minor favors that cost you nothing but justify any expenditure of resources for the neighbor. And finally: never forget caution. Overconfidence has destroyed many great beings, and until we know everything about this world, it is best not to forget etiquette. Prudence in word and deed has never hurt anyone."
"Lord Zellos..." What was I saying about religious ecstasy? Here it is, in full bloom. "You are truly magnificent! You have thought everything through to the smallest detail! As expected of the greatest of the Supreme Beings!"
"I hope you will convey these thoughts to the other Guardians. Now, let us sleep—I have much to ponder."
---
The soldiers of Re-Estize were packing up quickly, showing no signs of yesterday's drinking. Prisoners were being tied into a marching column, horses were being saddled, and flasks were being filled from the well, but all this bustle passed me by. In total, we had nearly a hundred people from the Slane Theocracy in our hands. Gazef took all the regular soldiers and officers, as well as a third of the casters who, according to the interrogations, were involved in earlier crimes against the Kingdom. To be honest, almost everyone in the Sunlight Scripture was guilty of such, but the Captain of the Royal Guard took the most "distinguished" ones. I didn't object. Whether they hung from a gallows by order of the Royal Court or became material for experiments in Nazarick made no difference to me. The latter was actually less desirable simply because my lich nature was actively egging me on toward it, and I had firmly decided to fight its manifestations whenever possible. As for their knowledge, they all had the same training, so whether ten or sixty told me the same thing mattered little—the exception was the commander, and I was keeping him anyway. Otherwise, it was openly beneficial for Stronoff to return home in triumph, not so much to help a good man, but to provide a lesson to the local rulers.
"I suppose it is time for us to say our goodbyes," I said, approaching the knight as he finished donning his armor. Though he had mentioned he wasn't exactly a knight, in my book, he deserved the title of Paladin.
"Indeed. It was a pleasure to meet you, Zellos." The Captain extended his hand.
"Likewise, Gazef." I shook it. "I doubt this will be our last meeting."
"I would be honored," the man smiled slightly. "Are you quite sure you don't need help escorting them?" Stronoff nodded toward the group of bound magic casters remaining in my charge.
"Yes, I will transport them with a spell; my servants can handle it from there."
"Then I wish you luck, Lord Mage!"
"Indeed, I shall need it." I involuntarily glanced toward Shalltear, who was again whispering secrets to poor Enri. Judging by the latter's face, it was definitely something lewd now. And Albedo was waiting for me back in Nazarick... I would definitely need luck.
In response to my comment and the direction of my gaze, Gazef tactfully remained silent, though his smirk widened.
"Shalltear, it is time," I called to the girl. "Say goodbye to your friends and let us begin." The whispering intensified, but within half a minute, the vampiress was by my side. "Ready?"
"Of course, Zellos-oto-san."
"Then... it is time to go home." Tagging the "trophies" and activating teleportation was the work of a second. The prisoners were sent to the Frozen Prison by default, but as for the Bloodfallen and I...
"Lord Momonga-a-a-a!" Albedo's joy-filled scream shook the walls of my office. Before I could even wonder "was she lying in wait?", I was nearly knocked off my feet by the charging succubus. "You've returned!" The yellow-green eyes of the girl clinging to me burned with a dangerous obsession, and her wings fluttered continuously, like a cat's tail. "I was so worried about you! That tiny, insatiable slut—what was she doing with you for two nights straight?! Was she hitting on you?! Making indecent proposals?! Using your kindness to make you help her out of her dress?! Perhaps she tried to share your bed?! I heard those filthy humans have a habit of sleeping all together in a heap on the floors of their wretched shacks, sharing one dirty scrap of cloth! Tell me, I beg you, Momonga-sama! Did that canned misunderstanding bother you?! Just say the word and I will kill her immediately! And please, do not tell me you gave in to her vile advances! I know it is impossible! That wench's pathetic attempts could never break the will of the foremost and most perfect of all the Supreme Beings! But please—tell your faithful Albedo everything! If Shalltear caused you emotional trauma with her tiny, underdeveloped body, I am ready to fix everything right now! Just say the word! I beg of you! I will do anything! I am sure you need the support of a real woman right now! If you wish, we can even call the Pleiades! Whatever the Greatest One desires! I am ready to put forth all my strength to erase the trauma caused by that flat brat from your memory!"
"SHUT U-U-UP!" A flashbang of insulted loli exploded nearby, finally knocking the wind out of me after that verbal machine-gun fire. "How dare you insult the Lord so?!" The Bloodfallen was on the warpath. "Not another word, you hear! You are coming with me right now!" The cute little girl effortlessly pried the succubus off me and, with the speed of a fighter jet, dragged her out the door, completely ignoring the fact that the door was some thirty meters away in this office-hall.
"Um..." My first reaction after the "disconnect" vanished into the void.
"Allow me to congratulate you on your successful return to Nazarick, Momonga-sama," Sebas greeted me with bone-chilling composure, bowing respectfully.
"Yes, I..." The noise and screams erupting from behind the door made me cut the sentence short. "What was that?" Trying to ignore the female screams, I addressed the butler, adjusting my robes to calm my nerves.
"Lady Albedo was very concerned about your mission. It began immediately after you first entered the village head's house," Sebas explained restrainedly.
"...I see." Damn. The Mirror of Remote Viewing can't see through walls without an additional scroll spell. Two nights, huh? Poor Albedo...
At that moment, the sounds of the brawl ceased, and an anxious silence fell over the office...
"WHA-A-A-A-A-A-A-AT?!" ...which didn't last long.
"I will be in the library," I informed the butler before teleporting. And no, it wasn't fear—the draft in my skull just now was definitely not that. I am simply a wise lich seeking knowledge. Yes, let's go with that.
A bit later, somewhere nearby...
"We... I... N-no... How could this be?.. Momonga-sama..." Tears streamed down Albedo's cheeks. "I... I never thought of anything like that. All I dreamed of was for you to be happy... How... how could I be so blind?"
"The Master... he is so... so..." Someone sniffled nearby in a second voice. "He endured it just so he wouldn't offend us, and we..."
"Waaaaah, Momonga-samaaaa!!!" the succubus wailed aloud.
"Do not give in to despair just yet, Lady Albedo," a heavy hand rested on the girl's shoulder, "and you as well, Lady Shalltear."
"S-Sebas," the two tearful rivals, who were sitting almost in an embrace and happened to be the strongest Guardians of Nazarick, turned to the stoic butler. "Don't you understand?" Groaning, Albedo wiped her eyes with an already soaked handkerchief. "Lord Momonga is so great! He chose to suffer and take the blows of fate upon himself so as not to cause distress to us—who were so foolish and worthless that we could not realize the simple truth!"
"And yet, I ask you to calm yourselves."
"H-how can one be calm?!" the vampiress protested, snatching the handkerchief from her friend and blowing her nose loudly.
"The fact is, the Master once spoke to me on this subject," Sebas said, calmly producing his own handkerchief and handing it to Albedo. "According to Lord Momonga, there is a solution to this problem, but he does not yet deem it possible to use it."
"What?.."
"How?.." the girls perked up in unison.
"He explained to me that he found a way to be reborn as a different being, ceasing to be undead, long ago. But he asked if I would remain loyal to him if that happened."
"And?"
"Naturally, I replied that our loyalty belongs fully and unconditionally to Lord Momonga. It matters not what he looks like or what he becomes. However..."
"What?! Speak already!" the vampiress urged the butler.
"I may be mistaken, but it seemed to me that the Master did not believe me," the dragonoid bowed his head.
"But why? He is our creator! He is the only one of the Supreme Beings who stayed with us until the end! The very thought of any of us rebelling against him... It is impossible! Never!"
"I have pondered this," the man nodded, "and... I was forced to admit that the Master's doubts are not without merit."
"Explain yourself," demanded a voice capable of freezing an entire continent. It was no longer Albedo; now, before the leader of the Pleiades stood the Overseer of the Guardians. A demon whose power was only slightly inferior to the Supreme Beings themselves.
"The Master has done indescribably much for us," the butler began to explain with dignity. "He gave us everything. The meaning of existence, goals, life itself. But what have we done for him?"
"We... we..." Albedo realized with horror that they had done nothing for the Master. Everything they had was merely words, backed by not a single deed. So how could the Master trust them? Why should he believe they would continue to serve his will? What if he were vulnerable during or after the moment of Rebirth? Humans are pathetic and weak; Albedo had never hidden her contempt for them. So how could the Master trust someone who strikes the weak and has proven their loyalty with nothing? Trust them in his moment of possible weakness? Terror once again clenched its claws around the girl's heart.
"How could this be..." Shalltear whispered nearby. "I am not worthy of the Master's trust..."
"Calm yourselves, Lady Albedo, and you, Lady Shalltear," the butler asked again. "I understand you; I went through the same thing myself not long ago. But consider this. The Master did not abandon us like the others. He gave us a chance. And our task is to prove that he was not mistaken. And then... then the Master will remain with us. Perhaps even in an even more perfect and majestic form."
"Yes... yes, you are right, Sebas!" The succubus shook herself. She would prove she was worthy of the Master's trust, that her loyalty belonged to him not in words, but in deeds! It didn't matter how much time it took; she would achieve her goal, even if she had to destroy this entire world to do it!
"I need to get to the library immediately!" the vampiress jumped up.
"We do!" the Overseer raised her voice. "We need to go to the library! We must urgently find out more about this Rebirth... No! Sebas, Shalltear! I've changed my mind! Sebas, gather the Guardians; they must know. And then we will decide how to prove our loyalty and reliability to the Master!"
"As you command, Lady Albedo..."