Word count: 2470 words
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"I've decided to hear you out." Ainz said calmly, his hollow voice echoing softly.
Meliodas didn't smile this time. He simply gave a respectful nod.
"Good," he said, folding his arms and finally turning serious. "Let's not waste time then. I know about your current… situation."
Ainz didn't move, but inwardly his thoughts sharpened. 'He's already shifting the tone. He's planning to show leverage. Let's see what kind of card he plays now.'
Meliodas continued without waiting.
"I know one of your strongest subordinates Shalltear Bloodfallen was brainwashed."
The effect was immediate, like an invisible knife pressed against a bone.
Even Narberal's posture twitched.
The fact that Meliodas possessed such intimate knowledge of Nazarick's affairs, knowledge that should have been impossible for an outsider to obtain sent a chill through his undead nerves.
'Is there a traitor among my own forces? No… impossible. The Floor Guardians would never betray me. Then how…?' Ainz desperately tried to make sense of things, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not even come close to finding a logical explanation.
"I know who did it," Meliodas added calmly. "And I know how much of a nightmare it's going to be for you to fight her. Shalltear's not just a regular Guardian, she's the strongest. You'll need perfect planning, the best spells, and even then… the battle could go either way."
He leaned forward slightly, resting his forearms on the table.
"And even if you manage to defeat her, you'll need to spend an obscene amount of Yggdrasil gold just to resurrect her properly, without losing her levels or experience."
Ainz didn't respond immediately. His glowing eyes dimmed slightly as his thoughts accelerated behind his skull mask.
'That information is extremely classified. Only the highest echelons of Nazarick know it. No outsider, no force in this world, should have been able to gather all of this so precisely. And yet here he is, listing facts that even Albedo or Demiurge would never speak aloud without magical precautions.'
Meliodas exhaled through his nose and leaned back again.
"But I'm offering you something different," he said. "Let me handle it." He raised a hand lazily and gestured as if swatting away the difficulty of the situation.
"With my powers, something like this is almost trivial. Give me a shot at canceling the brainwash. No risk to Shalltear. No cost to you."
Ainz felt the stirrings of something deeper than caution, some kind of conflicted awe.
'To call such a task 'trivial'… He's either unbelievably arrogant or genuinely powerful enough to back it up. Either way, he's dangerous. And his intelligence source... This informant, this method of surveillance is clearly beyond anything Nazarick currently possesses. Could it be a World Item? A deity? Or some an ability of one of his other minions?'
Still, Ainz did not allow emotion to break through the calm mask of his voice.
"You keep surprising me Meliodas…" Ainz thought about it for a moment, then fixed his gaze at Meliodas. "You offer something valuable, but I assume this is not a gift freely given." His voice was steady.
The room fell into a brief silence.
Ainz's red eyes flickered once. "So. What's your price?
Meliodas's smile beamed. "You got it right, Ainz. I'm not that kind of a person to do it for free after all."
Meliodas' golden eyes didn't waver, then he continued. "The Holy Kingdom."
The skeletal overlord said nothing at first. "…You seek to conquer it?"
Meliodas smiled faintly. "Yes, but you see, I'm not planning to raze cities or shatter their military to bring it to its knees. That is not my style. I want it handed to me on a silver plate, the smart way with the people cheering my name when I take the throne."
A pause, then Meliodas continued."I want to be their savior."
Even the silence after that felt louder than words.
Ainz's crimson gaze flared slightly, a subtle visual shift that only those familiar with him would notice.
Narberal, behind him, instinctively tensed. She was still rattled from her earlier humiliation, especially after being silenced by her master. But she remained obedient and wordless, simply listening now like a loyal shadow.
Ainz slowly tilted his head. "You want to rule the Holy Kingdom… as a hero?"
"Exactly," Meliodas replied without missing a beat. "And I know you're in the middle of a plan with Demiurge. Oh sorry, I meant Jaldabaoth."
That name struck like a gong.
Ainz's hand, ever so slightly, twitched. "…You know about that too."
"I do," Meliodas said, tone calm but firm. "The fake evil lord plan. The human-sympathy project. The idea to let Nazarick look like a 'necessary evil' by creating a false villain for you to heroically defeat. It's a brilliant move, I'll admit. Political manipulation through fear and dependency."
Ainz leaned back slightly.
'He's not just well-informed. He's deeply analytical. No regular spy could've gotten that level of detail, he understood the why behind the plan, not just the what. He's someone used to playing at this level…'
"I won't interfere with your plan," Meliodas continued. "I'm simply asking you to let me step in at a key point. Let Jaldabaoth push the Holy Kingdom to the brink of collapse. And then…" he tapped the table once, "I come and save the day."
"And what would I gain in return for giving you the spotlight?"
Meliodas shrugged. "As mentioned before, you get Shalltear back. No gold wasted. No risk. No loss of levels. I'll remove the brainwash effect."
Ainz was silent for a while, and Meliodas respected it. The undead's bones didn't creak, and his expression was ever stoic, but inside...
'He's suggesting I throw a wrench into Demiurge's plan. That could have consequences. Demiurge's loyalty is absolute, but still, I will have to convince him that this is for the benefit of Nazarick, well it actually is... Then again, I can always reframe this adjustment as a deeper part of the strategy. Meliodas' intervention might even strengthen the long-term narrative.
Outwardly, Ainz finally spoke.
"…Your sources are unsettling. No ordinary information network should be capable of learning the name Demiurge, let alone his relation to Jaldabaoth. I must ask… are you using a World Item?"
Meliodas blinked once, then chuckled. "I'm not using a World Item. Let's just say I have… unique ways. Let's leave it at that."
That answer didn't satisfy Ainz, but it didn't surprise him either.
"I see," Ainz murmured. "And I assume the recovery of Shalltear's original state is guaranteed?"
"I don't make empty promises," Meliodas replied, his voice dropping to a more serious tone now. "You'll get your Guardian back. As she was before the brainwashing. No memory gaps. No level loss."
Ainz's hand moved at last, just a slight gesture. "And in exchange… I let you act during the Jaldabaoth operation. You want to insert yourself as the Holy Kingdom's savior."
Meliodas leaned forward again, folding his hands.
"Yes. That's it."
Ainz's red gaze burned a little brighter. 'So many risks. So many unknowns. But if he's telling the truth… this could save me effort and resources. And I can always assign Demiurge a deeper strategy and convince him that this was part of the plan from the start. I've done it before.'
He tapped one skeletal finger against the table. Then his voice came low, steady.
"…You knew of Shalltear's situation, of Demiurge's disguise, and even of the Jaldabaoth operation. That level of intelligence is no coincidence."
Meliodas gave a cocky smile, sharp as a blade sheathed in silk."No. It's not."
Ainz finally voiced what he had been holding in since the start of the meeting. "…Who. Are. You?"
Meliodas rested his chin on his hand, his aura lazy and terrifying all at once. "Just a regular everyday normal motherfucker."
Ainz could only chuckle at the reference provided by this mysterious man in front of him.
And yet, despite everything, Ainz didn't tremble. "…Very well," Ainz said at last. "Continue."
"Well, that wraps up the first part of our talk," he said with a playful stretch, intertwining his fingers over his head. "But there's another matter I'd like to bring to the table. Something a bit bigger."
Ainz didn't reply. His glowing crimson gaze remained locked on Meliodas, expectant.
"Your Great Tomb of Nazarick, the closest city to you is E-Rantel. Which means, of course… you're in the Re-Estize Kingdom."
Ainz could not even bring himself to be surprised by the amount of information Meliodas had at this point, he simply listened.
Meliodas tapped the table rhythmically, keeping his pace. "Look. Someone as powerful as you isn't going to stay in the shadows forever. Eventually, you'll have to declare your presence. Build a dominion. Take your claim on this world. That's inevitable. The world's balance of power shifts just by you existing."
Ainz narrowed his eyes. "…And what about that?"
Meliodas's eyes gleamed mischievously, and he said it with the smooth confidence of a man offering a kingdom like it was a favor. "I'll give you one."
That got Ainz's attention. "You're suggesting… handing me a country?"
Meliodas nodded. "More precisely… Re-Estize."
Silence again. Ainz didn't speak because he was thinking fast. 'Re-Estize? Handed over just liek that? That's… no small offer. And if he's serious, that means he's either completely in control of the current regime or delusional. But… considering he already took control and became king...'
"I assume you're aware," Meliodas continued, reclining slightly, "that I've… replaced the king. I'm the true ruler of Re-Estize now. The queen, Renner, well, let's just say she's loyal. Very loyal."
Ainz didn't need clarification. The undead lord may not have had traditional emotions, but there was a perceptible weight in his next words. "…You've made her your puppet."
Meliodas smirked. "Oh, I didn't even need to. She practically volunteered. That one's… different."
"You offer a great deal, but that price… doesn't come without expectation." Ainz said, voice slow and cold.
"Of course not," Meliodas admitted. "There's always a price."
He leaned forward, the playful light still in his eyes. "I'll give you Re-Estize officially. Full dominion. Total control. You get the infrastructure, the population, and the nobles, all wrapped up in a neat little gift box. But in exchange, I want two things."
Ainz didn't move. He was used to such deals, he had once been a guild leader negotiating guild alliances in YGGDRASIL. But this was different.
This was real.
"State them."
Meliodas held up a single finger. "First I want one Ring of Wish Upon a Star."
Ainz's glowing eyes narrowed visibly.
"…A high-tier item from YGGDRASIL. Its ability to grant a high-level wish, possibly even rewrite reality within bounds. That is no small request."
"I know," Meliodas replied with a small smile. "But I'm not asking for it to be used, just the item itself. I'll decide how to use it later."
Then a second finger rose.
"Second I want twenty Summoning Crystals that call forth the angel Dominion Authority."
Ainz's mind moved quickly. 'Dominion Authority… A low-tier angel-type summon by YGGDRASIL standards. But in this world, it's still overwhelmingly powerful by human standards, especially in a religious state. And he wants twenty of them?'
"You intend to use them in the Holy Kingdom." Ainz asked to confirm.
Meliodas nodded. "They're already weak. Jaldabaoth's assault, assuming you accept the first part of our deal, will leave them in ruins. I will need those crystals for my country's safety and border control. Also, they're a religious nation. Their people love light, divine power, symbols of the heavens."
He tapped the table once again. "Just imagine it, Twenty Dominion Authorities… descending from the sky as I march forward in shining armor? That's how you get a country to beg you to become their ruler."
Ainz was quiet. Too quiet.
'His approach is clear. He's not just looking for conquest. He's looking for adoration. A conqueror and a liberator. That level of psychological warfare is… impressive. With those crystals, he could stage a divine intervention. The optics would be perfect.'
"Finally," Meliodas added, "as a gesture of good faith, and to sweeten the deal… If you accept this offer, I'll even tell you who brainwashed Shalltear. And how."
Ainz's gaze suddenly flared.
That had his full attention. "You know how it happened?"
Meliodas nodded once. "Of course I do! And the identity of the one responsible. Something not even Nazarick has been able to uncover."
That struck hard. Ainz's mind worked at a blinding pace now.
'If I accept the terms, I get a kingdom, and its strategic position near Nazarick, he even cleared it from that pest of Eight Fingers. I gain vital intel about the one capable of affecting a Guardian. And I spend some items, they may be valuable, but not irreplaceable. The Wish Ring is hard to come by, true. But not impossible. And Dominion Crystals… I already have plenty.'
Still… he remained silent.
Meliodas, ever the demon with a prince's smile, folded his hands neatly.
"I'm not forcing you," he said. "Just offering something… fair."
After a moment of silence, where everyone had the chance to clear their thoughts, Meliodas decided to conclude. "Well, this is about it. Of course, I am not expecting an answer right now. Go and take your time to think about it. I will be waiting for your answer."
At last, Meliodas slowly pushed back his chair with the soft scrape of metal over the polished marble and stood.
Ainz slowly stood as well. The flowing black robe of the Undead shimmered with arcane threads as he moved.
Meliodas is nothing less than a grandmaster in diplomacy. 'This entire meeting was a battlefield'
The two approached each other in the middle of the throne room, their steps echoing softly in the vast, silent chamber.
There was no music. No ceremony. Just tension and unspoken recognition. Meliodas stopped a few feet in front of Ainz and extended his hand, palm open.
Ainz stared at the offered hand for a moment. His crimson eyes glowed a bit brighter.
Then he extended his bony hand and grasped Meliodas's. Their handshake was firm. Not overpowering, neither sought to dominate. But it held weight. The kind of pressure only titans feel when they meet an equal.
"I shall send an envoy to your castle in the next few days to let you know about my answer." Ainz replied.
This was the first confrontation between two Overlords. Two monsters. Two minds built for war, guile, and dominance.
Then, two notification sounds were heard in Melidoas mind.
[Mission completed]
[You survived your first confrontation with Ainz Ooal Gown]
[You have been rewarded an A-rank summon]
[New generated mission]
[Complete the mission you received from Ainz Ooal Gown]
[Reward: S rank summon]
TO BE CONTINUED --->