Perhaps I've grown, and learned to control myself.

If it wasn't because of Shalltear's brainwashing, it's possible that he would have ignored the potential gains to Nazarick and killed Evileye. The Great Tomb of Nazarick and the NPCs created by his former friends were treasures that Ainz wanted to protect. He would not forgive any attempt to harm them, but he also had to consider what was most important and which choices to make to attain it. That was maturity.

Ainz reflected that his capacity had grown to match his experience, and the illusion of the face underneath his helmet smiled to itself.

At this rate, there’s no doubt that he would be able to become a true ruler of the Great Tomb of Nazarick. Or rather, he hoped to reach that stage.

Before that, I have to avoid disappointing people or suffering great setbacks… it’ll be very hard on me…

“Is that so? As expected of Ainz-sama, you completely saw through that woman. Such vision could only belong to one destined for the throne.”

“Enough with the pleasantries, Narberal. More accurately, it was my mistake which led to her suspicion.”

Ainz waved Narberal off in a gesture that also hid his embarrassment. Then, in a steely voice, he issued his command.

“Let’s go, Narberal. Go and discover all the details of this scheme, and then tell me about them. Also, tell Albedo that if this drags on, we will have to join in clearing up Jaldabaoth’s mess.”

Narberal bowed and cast a spell.

Inside his heart, Ainz rejoiced. He had not lied to Narberal. Ainz’ current state as a Perfect Warrior meant that he could not use magic. Thus, using Narberal to relay messages from Demiurge was only logical. But there was another reason, one that he could not say out loud.

In order to better pretend that he had already seen through Demiurge's plans, and not let Albedo and Demiurge suspect anything, he had to minimize contact with them.

If he assigned Narberal to do it, it would be like playing a game of telephone, and some of the information might end up distorted. However, he would rather take that gamble than risk damaging his image as the supreme ruler of the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick.

Ainz slowly made his way back to Evileye.

While Narberal was talking to Demiurge, it would be up to him to draw her attention.

"Really now... it'd be good if we could somehow get through this. Speaking of which, I wonder what the face of a child with such power looks like under the mask...”

 

Part 2

Lower Fire Month (9th Month), 5th Day 00:47

Though it was in the middle of the night, a corner of the royal city was lit up by torches as though it were broad daylight. A somewhat cramped room was packed full of men and women. They were all dressed in battle gear, but there was no unifying theme among them.

They were all adventurers within the capital who had responded to the hasty summons of the palace. Orichalcum and mithril-ranked adventurers notwithstanding, even lowly iron and copper-ranked adventurers were present for this.

The more senior adventurers had already realized that the reason outsiders like themselves had been permitted into the palace was in order to take care of the problems plaguing the capital. Some of these adventurers had already begun guessing at their employer upon seeing the youth in white armor standing at attention in the corner. Even fewer of these adventurers had any idea of the true identity of the katana-bearing man who stood beside the youth.

The great door to the chamber suddenly opened, and what appeared was a band of women, causing a stir.

Every one of them was known to the adventurers within the Kingdom.

At their head was the leader of the adamantite ranked adventuring party "Blue Rose", Lakyus Alvein dale Aindra.

Close behind her was the Golden Princess Renner, along with the leader of the Adventurer's Guild in the capital. Then there was Evileye of Blue Rose and one of the twins. And at the back was the strongest warrior of the Kingdom, Gazef Stronoff.

As the group stood before the gathered adventurers, the youth in white armor unrolled the scroll in his hands, and pasted it onto the wall behind him.

It was a detailed map of the royal capital.

The first to speak was a woman in her forties, a former member of a mithril ranked adventuring party whose eyes were still filled with vitality.

"Ladies and gentlemen, to begin with, I'd like to thank you for being able to be present for this emergency meeting."

After the room had quietened down, she continued to address the adventurers with an earnest expression on her face.

"Normally, the Adventurer's Guild would never interfere in national affairs."

Every eye turned to the members of Blue Rose, but they remained silent. After all, eyes could not speak like the mouth could.

"However, this is an exceptional case. The Adventurer's Guild has decided to cooperate fully with the Kingdom, in order to quickly resolve the problems facing us. The princess will relate the details to us, so I pray you will be quiet and listen."

The Princess slowly advanced, flanked by the members of Blue Rose and Gazef Stronoff.

"I am Renner Theiere Chardelon ryle Vaiself, and I am deeply grateful that everyone here was able to respond to the extraordinary summons issued tonight."

She bowed demurely to them, and several sighs of affection rose from the adventurers as they saw the delicate sight before them.

"Normally, I would render duly deserved praise upon all of you, but as time is of the essence, let us arrive presently to the point. This night, a portion of the capital—"

Here the princess raised a finger to a part of the map —the northeast corner— and drew a circle around it.

"—a portion of the capital was surrounded by a wall of fire. The flames are more than thirty meters in height, and I am certain you have all seen them."

Most of the adventurers nodded in agreement, while some went to the palace windows to look outside. The high walls surrounding the palace meant that they couldn't see the wall of fire directly, but the reflected light from the flames stained the sky red, and that they could see.

"This flame ought to be an illusion of some sort, because touching it does not cause harm. According to those who have contacted it, the fire does not have heat, or impede movement. Moving past the firewall should not pose a problem either."