Chapter 8: Orange
Ainz took a deep breath and spoke. His tone was that of an extremely tired office worker. He was rather tired with today in all actuality. He had told his only witnesses to run away from what he thought was going to be a rather cool battle. But it turned into Aeskell finding an old NPC she had lost a while ago after she had been kicked from her old guild.
“So, tell the story one more time. I need to know why there’s a Giant Hamster here,” he grumbled out.
Aeskell nodded, then retold her story one more time. He was starting to get annoyed by whatever being was chucking so many inconveniences at him all at once. In all honesty, he really was starting to get annoyed. It was so much that his emotional suppression went off.
“Ok so, a while ago back in Yggdrasil I was sitting in my guild room by myself as I usually did when my guildmates went out to fight monsters and complete quests and stuff. I was spinning the prize wheel because I had nothing else to do. I then got Hamsuke,” she told him.
That was it. He never knew you could get a Giant hamster at the prize wheel, and he used that thing a lot. What struck a chord with him though, was that she was left alone by her guildmates.
She was left alone to tend to the base while her “friends” did all the things one would usually enjoy doing with said “friends”. It was kind of sad that she didn’t seem to notice the lack of any real fun that she had while a part of this guild she lived in.
At least, it appeared that way. Ainz didn’t know if she knew he could tell, but she was in pain. She dearly wanted that loneliness she had to go away. He knew that feeling, that nagging ache at the back and simultaneously at the forefront of your mind. He felt it many times before.
This NPC had brought up bad memories, but he couldn’t just get rid of Hamsuke. She seemed to at least care for the giant hamster. But all of that would come back later, right now they needed to explain what was going on to said hamster.
“So Hamsuke, do you know what’s going on?” he asked the large rodent.
The beast shook her head, yes it was a she. The hamster then stayed silent. It was likely searching or waiting for an explanation from him or Aeskell. Though, that was strange. Yes, she was her master, but he wasn’t.
He wasn’t a part of the guild that Aeskell was kicked out of. It was almost like she knew that Aeskell had become a part of his guild, a part of Ainz Ooal Gown. But the beast had shaken her head. That meant she knew nothing of what was going on.
“Ok, when your master was kicked out of her old guild, the one you most likely lived in, she was on her won for a while,” he explained, goading for some form of reaction.
All the NPC did was look shocked at his words. It seemed that Hamsuke was either oblivious, or forgetful. At least that was how it came off to him. He didn’t know how it came off to Aeskell or to Narberal. But he didn't know and couldn’t read their thoughts.
The large beast turned to its master and started to holler like a dying animal. It would be annoying if the NPC wasn’t so large and cuddly. Hamsuke also had her face and chest squished together with Aeskell.
“Master was kicked out of the guild! No! Say it isn’t true master!” begged Hamsuke to Aeskell.
Aeskell leaned back form the begging and groveling Hamsuke with a look that spoke volumes. She didn’t have the most memories with this NPC, but she did like him in a way that one would like their cat.
Now that she was actually here, she was starting to remember all the times she stuffed her face into the fluff that was the oversized rodent. In all honesty, the memories made her cringe internally, but that was in the past.
“Anyway, as I was saying. When your master was kicked out of the guild, she stayed alone for a while until she started to dungeon dive; at least that was what she told me,” he continued, but then Aeskell picked it up.
“Then I found The Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick. I had heard of the dungeon turned guild base, but I wanted to see it for myself. So I decided to start to dive in and after a multitude of failed attempts to make it through on my own, the last day came and I soon became part of the guild. The rest is history,” she told her NPC of old.
The large rodent then looked at the Automata for a long minute. It was almost like she was sizing her, making sure that she was truly her master. Of course, Hamsuke knew that this was her master, but it felt like she had changed.
She felt a bit more at peace despite the embarrassing memories as well as the cold and lonely ones. The rodent didn’t think this far into though, all she saw was that she was in low level gear and was traveling with new friends.
“Master, what happens now?” Hamsuke finally asked the automata.
Aeskell tilted her head to look at the skies. In it, she saw the clouds rolling over each other. It was amazing what beauty nature could bring. She then looked to Ainz and he let the metaphorical smile grace his face. Her gaze was so cute and pleading that he had to let the NPC in.
“Since Aeskell is no longer a part of her old guild, and since you are no longer in her old guild base,” he then looked to the NPC, “you can become a part of our guild, the guild I changed my name to! Ainz Ooal Gown!” he shouted at the top of his non-existent lungs.
Ainz then looked to where Aura was watching them and motioned for her to reveal herself. In one swift jump, the dark elf hopped down from the tree she was standing on and looked at the beast with a slightly depressed look. She really wanted that thing’s pelt.
“Aura, could you relay a report to Albedo for me and Aeskell at what happened here? Also tell her that we Hamsuke will probably be coming with me, Aeskell, and Narberal on adventures,” he told the young girl.
Aura looked at the large rodent and then at her lord.
“Of course, lord Ainz! I just wish I could have had her pelt…” whispered Aura.
It was a good thing that Hamsuke didn’t hear it or she likely would have fainted. For as soon as Aura appeared from her hiding spot, Hamsuke nearly fainted at the shock.
…
