Author's Note

As mentioned in the synopsis, with the exception of the last 7 paragraphs/lines this chapter is really just a copy-paste of the first section of chapter 1 of book 10 of the Overlord light novel. For reference, season 3 of the anime finishes with the ending of book 9, so this is soon after Ainz takes over Erantel.

---

The Sorcerer King. The absolute ruler of the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick and the Sorcerous Kingdom of Ainz Ooal Gown. A being who ruled the 41 Supreme Beings, and the last of them who had remained in Nazarick. At this moment, that entity who should have been enjoying the attentions of his subordinates was curled up on a soft bed, reading a book.

 

Said bed had been moved from the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick to this place ― to the private chambers of the former ruler of E-Rantel, Mayor Panasolei, which had been partially remodelled and converted into Ainz’s own chambers. Ever since it had been moved here, he could no longer detect the fragrance which it used to emanate when it had still been located in Nazarick.

 

Perhaps it’s because the bed here doesn’t have perfume sprayed on it, Ainz thought as he leaned his weight onto the bed in question.

 

Of course, sleep was completely unnecessary for an undead being like Ainz.

 

Indeed, it was only the remnants of his humanity telling his mind that he should be tired. That was why Ainz occasionally did this sort of thing, lying down on a bed to cool down his overheated head and heart. However, that was only a temporary solution. Thus, lying down like this for a long time, like a human being would do, was actually quite meaningless.

 

Of course, there were always a few exceptions to the rule.

 

For instance ― yes. While he was reading for instance. In particular, when he was mindful of the way others were looking at him.

 

It should be daytime soon… oh!

 

A weak ray of sunlight filtered in through the gap in the curtains, giving Ainz a rough idea of the time. With that, he stuffed the book he had been reading until now back under his pillow.

 

Then, he inclined his skull to look over to a corner of the room.

 

He saw a maid there.

 

She was one of Nazarick’s regular maids, and she was attending to Ainz today ― to be precise, she had attended to him since yesterday. Currently, she was elegantly seated on a chair with her back ramrod straight. However, that posture had not changed since last night. From what Ainz knew, none of the maids had failed to hold that position.

 

Her line of sight was constantly fixed on Ainz, barring several momentary distractions.

 

It was a truly indescribable burden.

 

Of course, she had certainly not intended to exert this pressure. It was simply because paying close attention to him would allow her to respond immediately to any situation that might arise. However, it made an everyman like Suzuki Satoru want to cry and beg “spare me, please”.

 

Nobody would feel comfortable if they were constantly stared at like this, especially if it was a member of the opposite sex doing it. Even if nothing happened, it made him feel like he had left something undone somewhere.

 

The most important thing was the way she silently responded to Ainz if he made any movement at all.

 

Simply put ― it was a miserable experience.

 

Of course, Ainz was an absolute ruler. If he forbade her to do so, she would stop. However, when he thought of the look on the maid’s face if he said so, he could not bring himself to speak the words waiting in his mouth.

 

After coming to this world, Ainz had quickly sprung into action in the guise of Momon. That was the first time the maids had surrounded him like this. Even now, they continued to render their service to him with awe-inspiring loyalty. It was because he knew this that Ainz could not bring himself to make them obey him by force.

 

Besides, they will get tired of it after a while.

 

It had been a month since he had thought that.

 

The idea that this state of affairs might continue forever filled Ainz with some degree of unease. Because the maids took 41 days to complete a single shift rotation, he had decided to leave that matter for the future, but that line of thinking had merely kicked the can down the road until now.

 

Is this what they call the burden of leadership… administering Nazarick, planning for the group’s future, responding to my subordinates’ wishes… people who stand at the top really are great. No wonder they have such high salaries...

 

The people on top do so little and yet collect so much pay. Now that he understood what they were going through, Ainz laughed at his past foolishness. Then, he slowly rose from the bed.

 

At this moment, the maid silently rose from her seat as well. It made him feel as though there was a string connecting them.

 

How could her movements be so graceful after staying awake through the night?

 

“―I’m up.”

 

“Yes. Then, your servant shall take her leave. After this, today’s maid will come to take over for me.”

 

Ainz did not say anything along the lines of “I’ll leave it to you”, but simply grunted “Umu” and waved his hand to indicate that she should carry on.

 

Perhaps I’m being too arrogant, Ainz thought.

 

Still, it might be better like this.

 

He had sent Hamsuke to ask around, and the maids’ first response seemed to be, “It feels like he’s dominating us, Ainz-sama is the best” or something like that. It would seem they were all masochists, and while it troubled Ainz when he first heard it, after calmly considering the matter, he realized that a ruler needed to act and dress the part. It was what his subjects would wish for.

 

Using a company as an example, a boss had to look and act like a boss.

 

When he thought about it in that way, Ainz felt that what he had done was what the Sorcerer King should have done. The fact was, when he had been spying on the ruler of the Empire, Jircniv Rune Farlord El Nix, in his spare time, he noticed that the man conducted himself in pretty much the same manner.

 

Still, Suzuki Satoru had been a working man, and he felt a little uneasy about not saying something along the lines of, “Thanks for your hard work”.

 

“...Then, you should go have a good rest yourself.”

 

“Ah! ― Please allow your servant to offer her deepest thanks for your generosity, Ainz-sama!”

 

The maid bowed deeply as she expressed her gratitude.

 

“However, it is thanks to this item that you so graciously lent me that your servant could stay by your side to attend you without having to rest, Ainz-sama.”

 

No, that’s not what I meant, Ainz muttered in his heart.

 

It was true that once one put on a Ring of Sustenance, one could go all day and night without any sleep. Still, sitting on a chair and watching Ainz all night should have been nothing short of hellish. Although he was very pleased by their dedication, there was no need for them to go that far.

 

At least they should cancel the night shift… the part where they watch me sleep, right?

 

As maids, it was only natural for them to faithfully serve their master with their hearts and souls.

 

He did not know exactly which of the maids had said it, but he remembered hearing it from one of them.

 

Faithfully serve their master, huh. What would you say if I wanted to live as an equal to you?

 

Unlike how he felt when he first came to this new world, Ainz was now confident that all his subordinates were absolutely loyal to him. As long as Ainz paid attention to his actions and did not do anything which would disappoint them, there was no chance of their betrayal ― barring outside interference. In that case, perhaps he should change the relationship between them, and put himself on equal footing with the NPCs. That might be a good choice to make, at some point.

 

If that happened, Ainz would be free from this life of being a ruler, of having having to rack his brains all day long. In addition ―

 

―it would be like before, indeed, just like during the guild days. I wonder if I could go back to that sort of life again.

 

Whenever he spoke to the NPCs, he kept imagining his former friends superimposed over them. Because of that, Ainz hoped that he would not have to relate to them in the capacity of a master to a servant, but rather, the way they had in the past ―

 

―No, Ainz thought as he mentally shook his head.

 

While he did not know what might plant the seeds of disappointment in his subjects, such a dramatic change in circumstances could not possibly be a wise decision. In addition, since he knew that they desired a master-servant relationship with him, it was his responsibility as their master to continue in that capacity. At the same time, as the last person who remained here, he had to do everything he could for the NPCs (the children).

 

The maid excused herself to Ainz, and left the room.

 

In that moment, Ainz sprang into action. First, he replaced the book under the pillow with another book. The book he substituted in had a very complex title ― just looking at it would make anyone lose the will to continue reading. Then, the book he was reading last night went into his personal pocket dimension ― his inventory.

 

After placing the book where it would not be easily stolen, Ainz breathed a sigh of relief.

 

That too, was part of his responsibilities as their master.

 

He certainly did not want to read those difficult books which made his head hurt all night. If possible, he wanted to read some popular books instead. However, being spotted reading such books would damage Ainz’s dignity as a ruler. Therefore, Ainz was forced to take such troublesome measures.

 

Incidentally, he had already taken into consideration the fact that the maids would move the book under the pillow to another location.

 

Now that he had finished everything he could do on the bed, Ainz pushed aside the thin gauze canopy which shrouded the bed and rose to his feet.

 

Just then, several knocks came from the door. Shortly after that, the maid who was due to take over the next shift opened the door and entered the room.

 

As she saw Ainz getting off the bed, she smiled and approached him. It looked like she was the maid assigned to accompany Ainz today.

 

“Good morning, Fifth.”

 

A blindingly radiant smile dawned on the maid’s face.

 

“Good morning, Ainz-sama! I’ll be in your care today!”

 

If Fifth had a tail, she would probably be wagging it with all her might. Suddenly, he thought of Pestonya wagging her tail in the past.

 

Her maid uniform was the same as the one worn by the previous maid, Fourth. Unlike the battle maids, the regular maids all wore the same uniform. However, their exact appearance varied between each maid ― probably because each maid wearing them was different.

 

Ainz recalled something that one of his friends had said so often that it seemed to have taken up residence in his ear: “Simple maid outfits are good, but decorated maid outfits are the best”. There was also a follow-up to that: “In other words, maid uniforms are the best, no matter how they look. Maid uniforms are the greatest invention in human history. Viva maid uniforms~”

 

Although Ainz did not know what he meant by “viva”, it was probably some sort of exclamation. It might have also been some personally-invented term of his. In this way, Ainz recalled the memories of his past companions, bit by bit.

 

Ainz smiled bitterly ― though his facial expression did not change, of course ― and silently looked at the maid.

 

“Ai-Ainz-sama, is, is there some way I can serve you?”

 

Fifth blushed as her hands tightly gripped the apron of her uniform. It was then that Ainz realized his carelessness.

 

“Forgive me. It seems I was… yes , it seems I was somewhat entranced by you.”

 

“―!”

 

“Then, let’s go.”

 

“―Hieh? Ah, yes. Understood!”

 

The maid froze for a moment, but still managed an energetic reply as she fell into step behind him and they left the room.

 

Ainz passed through several other rooms. What he saw there could not possibly compare to the scenery in the 9th Floor of the Tomb. Thus, when Ainz had decided to stay here, the Guardians voiced their objections one after the other.

 

Point. This place is lacking in taste as a residence for a Supreme Being.

 

Point. The defensive capability of this place is lacking and it has inadequate protection against spies.

 

Point. Point. Point―

 

However, Ainz shrugged all these objections aside and selected this place as his home.

 

This was his responsibility as a King ― after all, Jircniv too lived in the Imperial Palace of the Imperial Capital. Or at least, that was what he wanted people to think. The fact was, this place was luxurious enough for Ainz, no, for Suzuki Satoru. His old home was even less worthy of comparison. In addition, his room on the 9th Floor had always been too flashy and too large.

 

He did not mind it when it was still a game. However, now that he actually had to live there, he was acutely aware that there was no place for him within its walls. All Ainz wanted to do was to burrow into a corner of the room.

 

Ainz led Fifth and the Eight Edge Assassin that dropped down from the ceiling to the dressing room.

 

Several regular maids were already there waiting for Ainz. They executed respectful bows to him in unison. Fifth swiftly joined their ranks as well.

 

“Ainz-sama, what would you like to wear today?” Fifth asked in a voice that was bursting with energy.

 

...Oh, there’s a sparkle in Fifth’s eyes. Come to think of it, didn’t everyone who had this job have the same sparkle in their eyes as well? They do say that ladies like clothing… is that how they express it? Or do they just like coordinating clothes and accessories?

 

A steady sensation of fatigue crept over him, but he could not show it. Instead, he went “Umu” in a conceited way ― or at least, that was how it felt when he practiced beforehand.

 

Frankly speaking, Ainz did not need to change his clothes.

 

His magic robes would not get wrinkled even if he spent all night rolling around on the bed. His body did not excrete any waste products. The dust floating in the air could settle on him, but all he had to do was brush it off. In addition, any place where Ainz went would have already been thoroughly cleaned by the maids. Furthermore, he did not need to eat or drink, and thus he would not get dirty from those activities.

 

Wearing the same set of clothes would not pose a problem to him.

 

However, none of his subordinates could permit that. Yet it was only to be expected; having their absolute ruler wear the same thing everyday would ruin his image.

 

That said, Ainz was not confident in his ability to coordinate his outfit.

 

Now, if he was preparing his equipment for battle, after considering his opponents’ abilities and skills and planning out his tactics, he would be quite confident in his ability to select the appropriate loadout to best combat the foe he was facing. However ―

 

Well, to some extent, the experience gained by Suzuki Satoru allowed him to comment on whether this necktie would work with that suit. It did not let him say anything about whether this purple robe with silver filigree matched a silver necklace socketed with four diamonds and so on. In addition, he had to select clothes to match a skeletal body.

 

However, if he wore a mismatched outfit, people might doubt his sense of style as a leader. That would be like betraying his loyal subordinates. Therefore, Ainz had to give his utmost even in the matter of dressing himself.

 

Therein lay a fatal problem.

 

Would any of his subordinates comment even if Ainz wore something unsuitable? It was a similar situation to a toupee slipping off the head of the CEO of some large company; nobody would dare say anything.

 

That being the case, there was only one alternative left to him.

 

“―Fifth, I’ll leave it to you. Prepare a set of clothing that best suits me.”

 

“Understood! Leave it to me, Ainz-sama! Your servant will take the greatest care in her choices!”

 

You don’t have to get so worked up over this ― well, Ainz thought that, but he had never actually said so to the maids before.

 

“I ― I think red suits you well, Ainz-sama! Therefore, I was thinking of using red as a base color for coordinating your attire. What do you think?”

 

“...I just said that I would leave that matter to you. That being the case, there’s no need to confirm your choices with me.”

 

“Yes! Understood!”

 

If he had no confidence in himself, then all he needed to do was hand the task to someone else ― like how he had allowed the maid to pick for him.

 

Ainz was very troubled by the crimson robe she had selected, however. The red color was so bright that it almost hurt his eyes, and it was further adorned by many huge button-like  gemstones. It might have been acceptable if they were all the same color, but the many gemstones reflected half a dozen different colors of light. In addition, the garment was edged with strange characters embroidered with gold thread.

 

―Is this really normal clothing? Can it be considered clothing in the normal sense of the word?

 

He felt like a sandwich-board man illuminated by neon lights. He would never have picked this clothing of his own accord. Or rather, Ainz began to wonder why he had ever bought this in the first place. Since he had no recollection of his guild members forcing it upon him, by process of elimination, he himself must have obtained it somewhere.

 

Was it a gift? Did I win it in a lottery or some kind of an event? … Still, well, it can’t be helped, huh.

 

Even recalling how he had obtained it would not make the crimson robe before him vanish.

 

While it would be easy to simply refuse, it would turn the  “I’ll leave it to you” that he had told Fifth into a lie. More to the point, Ainz might be the only one who found it embarrassing while everyone else liked it. Or rather, that was quite likely to be the case.

 

And, to put it more bluntly, since Fifth had selected this robe, he could blame her if anyone commented on it.

 

I really am a terrible boss.

 

Ainz knew that this was not something of which he could be proud, and he felt guilty about it.

 

Pushing the blame to someone else was not laudable conduct for a boss ― for a superior. Ainz knew this, but even so, he needed some way to preserve his dignity.

 

He had to protect himself by sacrificing his subordinates. It could not be helped.

 

“―Sorry about that.”

 

“Ah, my sincerest apologies!”

 

“It’s fine… I was just talking to myself. Pay it no heed. Come to think of it…”

 

Ainz decided to choose his words carefully as he asked his question.

 

“There’s something I’d like to ask. Do you think this robe is a bit too gaudy for me?”

 

“Certainly not! After all, just about anything looks good on you, Ainz-sama! Although I feel that black as a base with dark brown as a secondary color would look good too, wearing such colors all the time would not show off your other virtues, Ainz-sama! All this is to imprint your powerful image into the eyes of everyone who―”

 

Ainz interrupted the gushing flow of her words.

 

“―It’s fine. As long as it’s suitable, it’s fine. Then, could you dress me?”

 

“Understood!”

 

Fifth and the other maids got to work.

 

As Ainz remained standing, the maids silently removed Ainz’s clothing. The act of having his clothes changed by women, even if his body was nothing more than a skeleton, filled him with a burning shame.

 

But of course, such a gesture was a natural act for an absolute ruler.

 

At least, it was that way for Jircniv. Ainz had also read the same thing in one of his books.

 

Ainz remained still and allowed the maids to work, while he silently looked into the dressing mirror.

 

Soon, a red-robed Ainz appeared in the mirror. As expected, it was gaudy. It was nothing but gaudy.

 

...No. This world has a pretty divergent sense of aesthetics. For all I know… these clothes might be quite suitable for a ruler to wear.

 

He recalled Hamsuke as an example, and quashed his unease.

 

“Then, let’s go.”

 

Those thoughts went through his head as he strode forth, accompanied by Fifth. How he wished he had the time to sigh.

 

♦ ♦ ♦

 

The swaying, gaudy red robe advanced toward his office. As Ainz neared the door, Fifth swiftly darted forward and courteously opened it for him.

 

Sometimes, he thought of saying, It’s just a door, let me open it. However, as he watched the look on the maids’ faces which said, “Whoa, look at me, I’m working!”, Ainz could do nothing but accept this as a form of automatically-opening door.

 

Ainz led Fifth and the Eight Edge Assassin into the office.

 

The desk in the center of the room was like the one Ainz had in his own room, and it radiated an air of gravitas.

 

It had been brought here from Nazarick, along with his bed. A flag hung in the depths of the room ― the flag of Ainz Ooal Gown ― of the Sorcerous Kingdom.

 

Ainz passed through the room, and approached the balcony.

 

There was a glass box on the balcony. It was not very large and contained a jungle environment. Ainz inserted his bony finger into the box, which seemed devoid of life, and lifted up a leaf. Hidden beneath was a creature that hid in the darkness to avoid the sunlight.

 

Its brightly-colored body was coated with sticky yet slippery secretions, and the front part of its body resembled a pair of human lips.

 

Ainz carefully studied the Lip Bug before his eyes.

 

“―That’s a good color. You look quite lively.”

 

He remembered what he had been once told, which was that color was very important. He also recalled having several Lip Bugs placed in front of him, and being taught to tell when they were most energetic by their color. And indeed; the Lip Bug before him seemed much livelier than the others at that time.

 

Ainz picked out a fresh cabbage leaf from a nearby plate.

 

“Come, Nurunuru-kun. It’s time to eat~”

 

He brought the leaf close to the Lip Bug, which latched onto it with a nom. After he let go of the leaf, the Lip Bug frantically took large mouthfuls out of it.

 

Ainz brought out two more leaves, which the Lip Bug readily devoured as well.

 

He decided to stop there, because Entoma had told him that overfeeding it was not good,.

 

Ainz gently returned the fed and happy Lip Bug to its shaded home in the glass box ― to the place it loved the most .

 

“It seemed a little gross at first, but after taking care of it for a while, it’s grown to be quite cute.”

 

He was not speaking to anyone in particular, just talking to himself. Ainz had a cheerful smile on his face as he closed the thin box lid. The box was not very sturdy, and the Lip Bug could escape if it really wanted to. The reason Ainz used it was to prove his confidence in being able to take good care of its occupant. That said, it was a mercenary monster spawned with gold, so the question of whether or not it would escape still had no answer.

 

Ainz gently cleaned his hand with a nearby cloth, and after finishing all his tasks for the morning, he took a seat in his chair. He leaned his weight onto its back and let his body sink in deeply.

 

...Ah, work. There’s no official working hours, but my heart still sinks around this time. I guess old habits die hard.

 

The desk did not have so much as a speck of dust on it, to say nothing of documents.

 

It was completely unlike Suzuki Satoru’s desk.

 

All this was because he did not need to work through the night. Ainz’s job was to make the big decisions, not worrying about the fine details. After he decided the overall direction, his subordinates went into action.

 

...Still, this is why it’s so difficult. For the first time, I realise that the difficulty of a job is determined by how much responsibility it places on oneself. It’s more mentally than physically tiring… and it’s certainly more stressful. Ah, is it time to start work?

 

There was no need to look at a watch.

 

At that precise moment, a hurried knock came from the door. Fifth ― who was standing at attention by the door ― moved to verify the identity of the caller. However, before she could even reach the door it burst open to admit the familiar face of Albedo with a very unfamiliarlly panicked look on her face.

 

 

“Ainz sama!” She yelled as though relieved to see him as she dashed up to his desk and looked around furtively.

 

“Albedo! What is the meaning of this!?” Ainz shouted out in surprise. Actually, he would have liked to ask something more along the lines of ‘What’s wrong?’ but in order to keep his image he was forced to choose words that were considerably more forceful.

 

“Ainz sama? You? You cannot feel that presence? No, of course! It’s because!”

 

“Albedo! Calm down and try to explain it in a way I can understand!” He was at the ready now. Something that could get Albedo to actually become panicked, it had to be something serious. In fact, he had never seen her like this before.

 

“It’s the lord of demons! I don’t know why, but the lord of demons has come to this town!”

 

“Huh?”