"I see...to think reality was structured so similarly to themes common in pop culture. Were it not for my current situation, I would have found that very difficult to believe..." expressed Ainz, sitting next to Vahn at a private bar, just the two of them.
"Unfortunately, that's why things can seem so unfair at times. For every prosperous, idyllic world, there is another that suffers from inequity and stagnation..." sighed Vahn, shaking his head before downing the contents of his whiskey glass.
"Is there nothing you can do, even as a God? Or is it a case where there are as many evil Gods as there are good ones?" asked Ainz, his curiosity evidently piqued.
"If anything, there are far more evil and self-serving Gods than there are good ones. Those at the top just happen to trend toward order," answered Vahn. "In my case, I try to be just and fair while accounting for cause and effect. Unfortunately, in my efforts to create a place where species from a variety of settings could live alongside each other and take advantage of the opportunities my organization made available, we ended up triggering an antibody response from reality itself..."
"No good deed goes unpunished..." muttered Ainz.
"Indeed..." Vahn appended, exhaling faintly from his nose before adding, "That's why I relinquished most of my power—to slow the spread of the Anathema and to seek power beyond Authority. I don't know how long it will take, but I will eventually reach a level where the systems responsible for maintaining balance across reality bend to my will..."
"That's quite the goal. As for me, I simply wish to protect the place and creations my friends and I worked so hard to make..." remarked Ainz, his flame-like eyes nearly extinguishing as he raised his gaze to stare at the ceiling.
"Mmmn..." responded Vahn, understanding that Ainz was likely thinking back on all the times he had shared with his friends. Thus, for several minutes, he allowed the man to reminisce in silence while he focused on the perspectives of his other selves.
"I have never been a particularly religious man..." said Ainz, breaking the silence before glancing at Vahn and stating, "But I would appreciate your guidance and advice. Contrary to what my subordinates believe, I am not some supreme, faultless being. I fear I may not have what it takes to lead and protect them in this new world..."
"It's good to remain humble, but from what I've seen, it doesn't matter if you're capable or not..." argued Vahn, leaving Ainz confused and at a loss until he explained, "You're not quite at the level of a God, but you possess a form of Authority. The same power that compels your Floor Guardians to obey you goes both ways, allowing their trust and belief to influence your thoughts and behavior. In other words, so long as they believe that you're an immutable, all-powerful Supreme Being, you will gradually develop into one. That's the double-edged sword that is trust and Divinity..."
"I see...that explains many things..." muttered Ainz, lowering his head to stare at his skeletal hands, palms facing upward. Ever since he had taken his current form, he had felt increasingly disconnected from the emotions and aspects that made him human. He had thought this was a protective measure implemented by the remnants of YGGDRASIL's system, which he still had access to, but Vahn's explanation reframed things.
"I wouldn't worry about it," said Vahn, drawing Ainz's gaze as he smiled and stated, "As long as you keep in mind who you are and what you hope to accomplish by your actions, you won't magically become someone you no longer recognize. As I just explained, the connection between you and those who believe in you goes both ways. And as the confluence point of their faith, you have greater influence over them as individuals than they do you as a collective. After all, you're a Supreme Being. Whereas they're your eternally loyal retainers..."
"So, that's how it is..." hummed Ainz, cupping his inordinately pointy chin in thought.
"To that end, have you thought about what you want to do from here on?" asked Vahn, pointing out, "Because I get the impression the residents of Nazarick aren't especially fond of humans. I'm not complaining, nor am I in any danger, but in the time I've been here, I've had my head blown off and a chunk taken out of my arm. I view all of this as a novel experience, but I worry your group will be regarded as monsters—a sentiment that is bound to influence you, as it isn't solely the beliefs of their followers that shape a nascent God's Divinity."
"In other words, if enough people were to regard me as a God of Death and Destruction, my nature would change to reflect that belief—shaped by their fear..." Ainz concluded, his expression unchanging but appearing thoughtful as Vahn grew better at reading him.
"That's correct," affirmed Vahn, nodding. "That's why it's important to get ahead of such things. If you anticipate how people will react to what you do and get those around you to work around them, you become the force dictating the narrative, weakening the influence external impressions have on you. Put simply, you place the burden of how people perceive you onto a small group. This grants them greater influence over the development of your Divinity, but it's generally better to be shaped by the expectations of those you trust than the fear or ignorance of the masses."
"This information is sure to prove invaluable..." Ainz acknowledged, fully accepting that the man seated next to him was a God. If he wanted to, he could reach out and physically touch Vahn with his icy grasp whenever he pleased. Despite that, he felt there was an imperceptible, impossibly vast distance separating them. And based on Vahn's explanation, the very fact that he acknowledged that distance likely meant there was little he could do to affect the charismatic, extremely informative God in any meaningful way...
"That's also why I will continue to assert to your subordinates that I'm not here to interfere with your affairs or install myself in a position of power or authority," Vahn appended, raising his glass and nodding as he stated, "I am happy to be your friend and confidant, but I am ultimately an outsider—not just here in Nazarick, but this world itself. I may lend you my power and words if you request or have need of them, but you must keep in mind that everything has a cost. The more you rely on others, the weaker your overall power and authority. But if you rely entirely on yourself, you create a scenario where those who have entrusted you with their livelihoods and protection are unable to live or function without you."
"I will be sure to keep that in mind," affirmed Ainz, followed by a lengthy silence as he fell into a state of introspection. There were many things he wished to discuss with Vahn, but while the latter had informed him that he didn't require sleep, Ainz didn't want to keep him too long.
"Before we part ways for the evening, there is a certain matter I would like to hear your opinion on..." expressed Ainz, giving off the impression he was nervous or, at the very least, apprehensive.
"Sure. Let's hear it," responded Vahn, smiling reassuringly. What followed was Ainz detailing to him the mishap that had occurred before his sudden transmigration—specifically the incident in which he edited Albedo's data on a whim. He never expected her to become real, so now he was stuck in a situation where he had an ultra-powerful Succubus who was madly in love with him. Meanwhile, he had virtually no experience dealing with the opposite sex, and since he felt guilty about editing her data in such a way, he couldn't reciprocate her feelings in good conscience.
Contrasting Ainz's expectations, Vahn's response was that, since he had been the one to edit Albedo's data, he had a responsibility to reciprocate her feelings. The action couldn't be undone, so instead of forcing both of them to suffer, the appropriate thing to do was to own up to his mistake and make something positive from it. The implied alternative was for him to continue feeling guilty and burdened, which, due to her perceiving her emotions as real, would harm Albedo's self-esteem. Thus, if he cared for her, he would accept her love as a consequence of his actions, learn from the experience, and move forward...
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With his and Ainz's discussion coming to an end around four in the early morning, Vahn was about to be escorted back to his room by Sebas and the Pleiades when the tall, sharp-chinned skeleton remarked, "Ah, Vahn. Before we part ways, there is something I would like to try. You said you had access to YGGDRASIL's system, correct?"
"In a sense," confirmed Vahn, stopping to meet Ainz's gaze with his hands positioned relaxedly behind him.
"Then, while you need not accept if this works, please humor me for one moment," expressed Ainz, prompting Vahn's brows to rise as he tapped a system window and spoke as if he were speaking to a command prompt, stating, "Slash Guild Invite Vahn Mason..."
bloop
[Player [Momonga] has invited you to join the Guild [Ainz Ooal Gown]. Will you accept? (Yes/No)]
"If it's what you were curious to confirm, I've received a system prompt," affirmed Vahn, reaching up with his right index finger and surprising Ainz by accepting the invitation.
"You accepted..." Ainz noted, expecting Vahn to refuse, since it technically made the otherworldly Dragon God his subordinate.
"Is there a reason I shouldn't have?" asked Vahn, adopting a relaxed smile that made it clear to Ainz he wasn't even remotely concerned with how he was perceived.
"On the contrary. I will now make you one of the Guild's Officers, second only to myself in authority," stated Ainz, grabbing at his chin as if he were caressing an invisible beard. Afterward, he shifted his gaze to Sebas and instructed, "Our conversation has gone on for some time. Escort Vahn to his room so that he can rest. Once he has, see to it that he's given a tour of the facilities on the Ninth and Tenth Floors. If he requests it, show him the remaining Floors as well."
"As you will, Your Excellence..." responded Sebas, placing a white-gloved hand over his chest and offering Ainz a steep bow, prompting the Pleiades to offer bows of their own. With that, Ainz turned around and disappeared in a flash of bluish-white light, the result of using Greater Teleportation to move directly to his private quarters.
"Does this mean Entoma can no longer take bites out of Lord Vahn...?" questioned Entoma, shattering the tension that was created in the wake of Ainz's rather abrupt departure.
With everyone staring at him as if they were awaiting his response, Vahn smiled, extended his left hand to caress the somewhat oily-feeling insect parts that comprised Entoma's hair, and said, "As long as you request my permission first, I don't mind letting you take a bite out of me on occasion. Just don't make it a habit."
"What about the rest of us...?" asked Lupusregina, wiping her mouth with the back of her right wrist as she flatly asserted, "It's not fair if Entoma is the only one permitted to eat you..."
"I would argue it's unfair to expect me to allow myself to be eaten at all," countered Vahn, the amused smile on his face making it clear he wasn't particularly bothered by the assertion. He had learned from Ainz that his Guild and its NPCs were comprised almost entirely of heteromorphs and monsters. They weren't evil, per se, but many within their ranks naturally predated humans. Thus, as he held up his right forearm for Lupusregina to possibly take a bite out of, he partially transformed using the power of the Dog-Dog Fruit, Model: Okuchi-no-Makami.
"But if you insist...go ahead..." hummed Vahn, causing Lupusregina to frown as she tentatively sniffed at his arm and immediately ascertained that he was at least part wolf. She didn't have a taste for her own kind, so instead of biting him, she stared at Vahn with golden, upturned eyes, and gave his forearm a slow, protracted lick...
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