How did one prepare to tackle an obstacle?
There were any number of means, often tailored to the specific obstacle
in question, but in this case, Ainz opted for numbers and territorial
advantage.
He had Aura and Mare stand on either side of the throne in the reception
room the guardians had made for him. For the first time in a while, he was
holding the real Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown.
The goal was to present himself as the absolute ruler of Nazarick, the
guild master.
But despite these preparations, he might still fail to defeat his adversary.
She was the last boss. Worse than the Devourer of the Nine Worlds.
An urge to swallow spit he didn't have struck him deeply.
He'd rehearsed this countless times in his head. Imagining how she
would react and concocting flawless answers. Yet—Ainz was but a man.
His thoughts could not even reach the realms she walked in.
In other words—
I just have to get lucky!
He was pinning his hopes on his ad-libbing skills and simply hoping that
his future self would make this work.
Lumièlle was on standby at the door, and she indicated the greatest
obstacle had finally arrived.
"Show her in."
"Certainly, Lord Ainz."
She needed no introduction.
It was none other than the captain of the floor guardians herself—
Albedo.
When she saw Ainz, her smile vanished, and her demeanor grew grave.
"I apologize for keeping you waiting," she intoned, bowing low.
"Raise your head," he said. "Do not concern yourself with that, Albedo.
I was informed your arrival would be delayed, so you are simply on time."
When he'd sent Albedo a Message, she'd been busy in the Ice Prison
and not dressed for an audience with him. She'd requested time to make
herself presentable.
Ainz saw no reason to refuse this and had set the meeting for a full thirty
minutes after the time she'd requested, ordering her to meet him here.
Albedo had appeared ten minutes before the appointed hour. Was it her
personality, or was it the iron rule of business dealings?
Albedo raised her head and took a knee before the throne.
He got right to the point.
"Albedo, I am taking a paid vacation."
He could make any number of excuses for this. But when he'd done that
in the past, it had only led the conversation astray. In which case, it was best
to state his goal plainly. And Demiurge wasn't here. Less chance of things
getting wildly out of hand.
Albedo looked up at him, her brows briefly twitching. Her eyes glanced
left and right, observing Aura's and Mare's reactions.
Ainz braced himself for her response.
"Nazarick included, everything in the Nation of Darkness belongs to
you, Lord Ainz," Albedo said, deadly serious.
Hng?
He didn't have any idea what she was implying.
No clue whatsoever.
Why on earth would she say that?
What leap in logic, what thought process, what conclusions had led her
to these words?
More importantly, how should he respond to them?
Two answers sprang to mind.
First: The hell you say? Second: That's right!
Naturally, he intended to make both of these sound more regal.
Ainz fired up his hypothetical synapses, trying to burn out the circuits.
Time was of the essence. Albedo had put the ball in his court, and he had to
return it soon.
"…You may have misunderstood me, Albedo. That is not my point."
An honest response. Had pretending to understand ever worked in his
favor?
Oh yes, once.
As a result, he was revered as the absolute ruler of Nazarick, Ainz Ooal
Gown.
At the cost of Satoru Suzuki's heart.
A light bulb went off.
"I—I beg your pardon, Lord Ainz."
She bowed her head.
"I am not angry. There is no need to bow."
Only complete scumbags would enjoy forcing innocent people to lower
their heads.
"The phrase I used seems to have misled you."
Nazarick had neither a payroll system nor a formal process for taking
time off. It gave employees no rights at all. So the phrase paid vacation
must have sounded like some sort of metaphor. The blame here lay on
Ainz's failure to implement systems benefiting his workers. Naturally, part
of Ainz insisted he had allowed this situation to continue only because the
NPCs themselves had stood in his way, desiring nothing but constant labor.
Based on Satoru Suzuki's own experiences, no matter how bad the
working conditions were, they could be tolerated as long as the people you
worked with were pleasant. Meanwhile, even under ideal conditions, if you
couldn't stand your coworkers, you wouldn't last long.
In that sense, Nazarick denizens were all fabulous, and perhaps that was
what kept things running smoothly.
"My mistake. Forgive me."
Ainz bowed his head.
"L-Lord Ainz! Please raise your head!" Albedo protested. He did.
"Now that we have both bowed our heads, I hope all is forgiven."
"There was nothing to—"
"If I cannot bow my head to you, then we are done for. That would no
longer be me."
Albedo gasped, eyes going wide, then bowed low once more.
He caught movement on either side of him as well. Perhaps they were
surprised by Albedo's reaction.
Before he could ask what this was for, Albedo looked up.
"By paid vacation, you mean you plan to take those two somewhere?"
That was more like it.
Leaping from those words to travel plans was downright terrifying. If
Ainz had been in Albedo's position, he would have asked, If the twins are
with you, will you be relaxing on the sixth floor?
"I plan to take them to the elf country supposedly located south of here."
"The elf country…" Albedo thought about this a moment, then said, "I
see."
He wasn't sure what she thought she saw.
Perhaps she had been considering a diplomatic mission herself. He
would have to be sure.
"…Let's not leap to conclusions. I am not intending to conduct any
diplomacy. Just taking a look around."
"Understood."
That was easy. He'd expected her to have more to say.
That was actually alarming in its own way. It felt like there was a
perception gap occurring, and that could have fatal consequences.
"…So I shall be taking a paid vacation and using it to tour the elf
country with the twins. If anything urgent comes up, I will be available via
Message and can come right back. Nothing else is going on here. I have no
further plans. I mean that. You have my word."
"Understood. Will you be leaving right away?"
"Uh, yes, in fact." He hadn't actually gotten that far, but given the
Theocracy's invasion, sooner was better. "That is the plan, but Aura and
Mare will need to prepare."
"It should not take them long. Lord Ainz. If you wish to leave now, it is
their duty to be ready on the spot."
This didn't sound like a good thing to him, but the twins were both
nodding.
"Hmm."
If they said they were ready, perhaps he shouldn't argue the point.
Still…
"One thing I'd like to verify. Not just with Albedo but with you two as
well, Aura and Mare. Answer me this. The Great Tomb of Nazarick has
founded the Nation of Darkness. The Empire has become a vassal state, the
subhumans in the wilderness have come under our rule, and just recently we
annihilated the Re-Estize Kingdom. Our domains have expanded, as has the
size of our bureaucracy. And this leaves me concerned. Have we trained the
personnel adequately to compensate for that growth?"
Would a few people taking a vacation cause a work stoppage?
Aura and Mare were in leadership roles. They were for all intents and
purposes critical staff. Rank-and-file workers might easily fill in for one
another, but the top positions were not so easily subbed out. And yet—if
them taking time off was all it took to grind things to a halt, they were in
real trouble as an organization.
That would require he put the kibosh on this plan, or at least make some
alterations.
"That is my concern here. If we are lacking, then we must take drastic
measures to correct it."
"I do not believe there will be an issue. If anything does come up,
Demiurge and myself are here. If Pandora's Actor is available to assist us,
no problem is insurmountable."
"I see. That's excellent news, Albedo. You addressed my concerns
before I raised them up. That is why you are Nazarick's brightest mind and
captain of the guardians. Work befitting that title. Most magnificent. I am
suitably impressed."
It was every bit of praise he could muster.
Unlike Ainz, she was properly tending their operations. How could he
not shower her in praise?"
"I thank you," she said, bowing low. But when she stood up, her cheeks
looked rather stiff.
Another question had suddenly occurred to him, so he asked, "This time
I will be bringing Aura and Mare, but would our operations suffer if you or
Demiurge took a vacation?"
That made her hesitate.
"I have faith that in our absence, the others would step up to fill the
gaps, working at the level you have come to expect, Lord Ainz."
"Hmm. Albedo—faith is not enough. What I ask is whether we know for
certain it can be done. I realize this is difficult, perhaps painful, for you to
voice doubts about the capabilities of the floor guardians, about your own
colleagues. But I asked that you determine if they are truly up to the task
after taking emotion out of the equation, leaving only the truth behind. If
they are not capable, then when time allows for it, we must train them to
compensate for their shortcomings and take whatever time is necessary to
ensure the stability of our operations. Albedo—I'm sure these concerns
have long since crossed your mind—"
"Er, um, Lord Ainz…I hate to interrupt. Um, sorry."
"What is it, Mare?"
"Well, um. S-sorry again. I really don't know if I can do amazing things
like Albedo does."
There was a brief silence; then Albedo's voice echoed through the room.
"Is that all?"
What?
Ainz saw nothing in Mare's statement that would draw Albedo's wrath.
To his mind, this had simply been a confirmation of fact.
"Er, uh…yes?"
"Mare!"
Albedo's voice cracked like a whip, and his shoulders quivered. Her face
twisted, her fury palpable.
Before Ainz could stop her, she spat, "You are a floor guardian, yet you
cannot do the work a Supreme Being requires?!"
"Albedo! It is nothing to shout about. What is wrong with admitting to
what one cannot do? Claiming one can do what they cannot—that is a far
graver problem."
"If I may be so bold!"
Her voice was still raised, despite his warning. But it was no longer
directed at Mare, so Ainz allowed it.
"It is not the accurate assessment of his current capabilities I am
objecting to. My concern is that he offered no suggestions on how he could
acquire the skills he is lacking! If a Supreme Being wants a job done, no
floor guardian is allowed to shrug, say they can't, and consider the matter
settled."
Urgh. She had a point.
He couldn't find anything wrong with her argument. From that
perspective, Mare's statement was a failure.
"Lord Ainz, I believe Albedo's position is correct. Mare should retract
his statement."
Aura's voice was awfully cold. With his own sister turned against him,
Mare let out a series of whimpers.
"As a floor guardian—"
"Enough!"
His roar stopped Albedo from further reprimands. Naturally, this was a
performance, and he was not actually angry with her. His emotions required
no artificial suppression.
As he yelled, he switched on an aura. This was just a visual effect, used
to forcibly draw attention, not to inflict any debuffs. Naturally Albedo,
Aura, Mare, and even Lumièlle were all carrying psychic nullification
items; he was well aware it would have no negative impact on them.
He wasn't sure what Albedo had planned to say next. Perhaps she had
meant to gently guide Mare to the right answer. But if there was any chance
of developing a lasting rift between them, Ainz had to step in.
"…Mare, what Albedo said does make sense. If you believe you can't
do something, offering a solution is always a good idea."
"I-I'm sorry."
"That said, Albedo, if a subordinate thinks they're not up to a task but
are assigned to it anyway, is that not a problem with management?"
"…It could very well be."
"I believe there were failings on both sides here. Albedo, I do appreciate
your dedication. But everyone makes mistakes. To ensure that mistakes are
not repeated—or worse, covered up—a first offense should be gently
admonished."
Fact of the matter was, Albedo possessed an excess of both loyalty and
ability, and that combination made her very strict with everyone else. Ainz
generally rejected these proposals, so nothing too dire had come of it. But if
he relinquished all authority to her, there was a very real possibility it would
culminate in a purge.
No, I'm probably worrying about nothing. Still…
"Yes, Lord Ainz. I may have lost my temper there. Forgive me, Mare."
"Er, uh, oh, no, I think what you said was right, Albedo. I was in the
wrong. I apologize."
Both bowed—Mare went down a full ninety degrees—and the matter
appeared settled.
"…So where was I? Oh, right. I'll be taking you two on a paid vacation
to the elf country, so while we're away, make sure your work is covered.
Let's say…finish up and transfer your work over the next three days. If
possible, rather than pass it to another floor guardian, have your own
subordinates handle things. If that proves too demanding…"
They had only just felled the Re-Estize Kingdom, so Albedo had far too
much on her plate.
"…Then consult with Pandora's Actor. Am I clear?"
"Yes, sir!" they both said.
"Who will be your retinue?" Albedo asked. "The Hanzos?"
Not a bad idea. The Hanzos had proven astonishingly useful. Honestly,
if they had the money and data to spare, he'd gladly summon more.
They'd used up all the Hanzo data, but the library still had data on other
ninja monsters. They could make use of that, but—
But I don't want to use too much of what we have stored in the Treasury,
and I'll have to hold off until my gold reserves recover. Or should
strengthening Nazarick be our top priority? I'll think about it on the way to
the elf country. Ugh, I need more money! Enough that I don't have to watch
the bottom line. Is there anyone out there sitting on a vast store of gold?
Someone who can't complain if we just swipe it from them…?
"…Lord Ainz?"
"Mm? Oh, my apologies. I got lost in thought there. My retinue…"
He was about to say the Hanzos would be fine but then stopped himself.
Good businessmen knew when to take a hint, but he had never really been
anything more than average. The dice had simply rolled in his favor here,
and his instincts told him not to accept that suggestion.
There'd been a hint of something off in Albedo's tone of voice, in the
corner of her eye.
"…I wasn't planning on taking the Hanzos. Did you need them for
something?"
"Oh, no. If you're not taking them, far be it from me to object to your
decisions…" She hedged her words for a moment, trying to gauge his
response. "They say the Hanzos have your favor, Lord Ainz. There are all
manner of denizens who wish to serve you, and I thought this might be an
excellent opportunity to grant others a turn."
When she saw him thinking this over, she hastily summed it up.
"Just bear in mind that there are others eager for a shot at impressing
you."
He nodded sagely, but inside, he was clutching his head.
Ainz—or Satoru Suzuki—was but a humble man. It had never even
occurred to him that this might be a whole thing.
He did favor the Hanzos. But it would never do for other subordinates to
start resenting that.
Favoritism was a given in any company. It was only normal to promote
people you liked, even if their abilities were not quite all there. But if this
started souring coworker relationships, then it had to be addressed.
He would have to fix this. Ainz had just been thinking that the staff
harmony was the only thing that made Nazarick's working conditions
tolerable.
At the very least, he could not afford to bring the Hanzos this time.
"I'll decide who to bring later— No, send word around now. Whoever I
end up choosing, make it clear that they must be ready in case I do."
He grinned, but that mirth didn't go beyond the surface.
"Brilliant suggestion, Lord Ainz," Albedo said, bowing her head. "I'll
immediately contact everyone within the Great Tomb of Nazarick."
"Mm, make it so."
Ainz got to his feet and left the room, accompanied by Lumièlle alone.
Letting out a sigh like a businessman at the end of a long, hard day.
When the door closed, Albedo straightened up. The twins had, too, and
their eyes met.
"Um, Albedo, can I ask you something?"
"What?"
Aura got to her feet. "Lord Ainz said we were going to the elf country
for a paid vacation…but what's he actually after? It's not just to relax and
have fun, right?"
"I hardly think so."
"Oh? Th-then what?"
Ainz Ooal Gown was the absolute ruler of Nazarick, a brilliant leader
whose every action contained multitudes.
They had to assume he was up to at least three things at all times.
Being king was far from a frivolous position. You didn't just cast it aside
like one might throw off a winter coat. He might call it a vacation, but even
if they told other countries as much—to them, he was still there as the king
of the Nation of Darkness. His every gesture would convey the will of his
country. Even the dumbest man would know that.
So this vacation to the elf country must mean something else, must
disguise another purpose.
"So what is Lord Ainz's real goal?"
"Like he said, I suspect the organizational reforms are a part of it, but
the information he'll be gathering will be far more critical," Albedo said.
"Demiurge would be able to expand on this more than I can, but…we can
assume that the Theocracy is waging an extensive campaign against the elf
country right now."
"Th-the Theocracy?"
Everyone in Nazarick had been briefed on them by now. They could
omit the basics in casual conversation.
"Yes. They view us as a potential enemy, and with us preoccupied with
the conquered kingdom, they'll be in a rush to wrap up their ongoing war
with the elves."
"Because they don't want to be in two wars at once?"
"Exactly. The Nation of Darkness and the Theocracy are not yet overtly
hostile to each other, but they won't want their forces split between their
northern and southern borders. Odds are very high that they'll commit to a
large-scale engagement to decisively end their conflict with the elves.
Reconciliation is likely off the table, but—well, there's always a
possibility."
Albedo didn't care if the Theocracy wiped out the elves or not. If they
enslaved the elves, the Nation could use that as a casus belli and claim they
were attacking to liberate them. It was yet another argument they could use
in their case against the Theocracy. If anything, that would be ideal. But it
seemed their master had other thoughts on the matter. And he was likely
going to gather more information to inform his next move.
Perhaps Demiurge would be able to say for sure.
Albedo had the advantage on domestic issues but ceded expertise on
military issues to him. She was ashamed to have missed something she
should have picked up on, but more than that, she wondered why Demiurge
had not acted himself.
Is he acting without telling us? If he secretly gathered information on the
elves and didn't send it our way, he might be plotting something. I doubt
that, but…
Demiurge was often away from Nazarick, busying himself with one
project or another, and had much more autonomy than the other guardians.
Or perhaps it was more accurate to say the other guardians were disinclined
to fully exercise the autonomy they had. The information Demiurge gleaned
and actions he took were reported to his master after the fact, in writing—in
considerable detail, which made going through them something of a chore.
Thus, Albedo was kept abreast of his operations. In theory, she was well
aware of everything he'd been up to, and this had not included anything elf-
adjacent.
Given Demiurge's personality, he was unlikely to keep secrets. It was
much more likely he simply hadn't gotten around to the elves yet.
But given her own actions, Albedo couldn't rule it out entirely.
Perhaps she could go see Demiurge the moment she left—or summon
him to her. This was not a topic to broach in his domain. But if they spoke
with her minions around, Demiurge might figure out what she was after.
But if he brings his demons with him— No, would he do something so
drastic? Does he suspect me? I haven't made my move yet, so—
"A-are we going to fight the Theocracy?"
"Mm? Oh, possibly. I couldn't begin to predict that far ahead. Perhaps
Lord Ainz is uncertain himself, which is why he's insisting on calling it a
vacation."
Mare's question pulled Albedo from her reverie. She'd been deep in
thought, but neither seemed to think that odd. For the moment, she put
Demiurge out of her mind.
Her master might think he was acting not as the ruler of Nazarick but as
an undead on holiday. Perhaps hoping that if something went wrong,
Nazarick would not suffer for it.
"Maybe there are elements in play even Lord Ainz himself cannot
decipher. And for that reason, he's decided to detach himself from Nazarick
for the time being."
"No way!"
"Whaaat? L-Lord Ainz doesn't know something?"
They looked extremely surprised and more than a little dubious.
Their master's ingenuity predicted all things and controlled their every
outcome. They'd seen innocuous-seeming gestures pay huge dividends any
number of times. As far as they could tell, he was acting with an eye on the
future a thousand years from now.
Even suggesting that he might err— Well, it was only natural they'd
think Albedo must be wrong.
"So you can't figure out what he's up to, either?" Aura said, folding her
arms behind her head.
Albedo winced at that. "Even I cannot plumb Lord Ainz's deepest
thoughts. That much has long been clear to me. Honestly, I have no idea
what motivated him to use the phrase paid vacation. But bear in mind that
going to the elf country may well lead to conflict with the Theocracy."
Both twins nodded gravely.
"Er, um, should we not bring our own underlings?"
"Other than anyone Lord Ainz personally picks, you mean?"
Albedo considered this. Part of her agreed bringing anyone not
personally selected would be acting out of turn. But there was also a chance
he'd be delighted they'd acted of their own volition.
"If Lord Ainz desires a small, select unit… No, wait." Albedo thought
harder. "Each of you select two security details, one for a small team and
one for a larger expedition. I'll speak to Demiurge about Lord Ainz's likely
purpose and follow up with you afterward."
Lord Ainz seemed very concerned about loss of organizational efficiency
within Nazarick. Is that related to his reasoning here?
When she'd attempted to reassure him, he'd responded with sarcasticsounding praise. Albedo had likely not understood his concern and failed to
secure his trust.
He was very worried…
They had added a mind as brilliant as Albedo and Demiurge, but was
that not enough? Or—?
When the twins nodded, Albedo concluded, "Aura, Mare, who Lord
Ainz chooses may give us a hint as to his purpose here. I suspect this will
be your toughest assignment yet. Be prepared for anything, never let your
guards down, and keep your wits about you."
The twins responded with enthusiasm.
Given their combat abilities, she felt certain they could keep their master
safe—but caution never hurt.
She would have to speak to Demiurge and be ready to bring the
combined might of Nazarick to bear if the situation called for it.
Even if that delays our search for the kingdom's survivors, it's better to
be prepared.
Prioritizing the tasks ahead in her mind, she and the other two guardians
left the room.