Chapter 3

The tunnels seemed out of place in Nazarick where much of the architecture was grandiose in design and breathtaking works of art were commonplace; in comparison the tunnel which the group was traversing was made out of dirt.

It was also not very wide. The Guardians had to walk in a single file line which made their job of protecting Lord Ainz very difficult, especially since he insisted on taking his position at the front.

"Who made this place? How dare they make Lord Ainz walk in such filth…" Albedo muttered.

"Lord Ainz! The tunnel seems to be sloping upwards." Aura's voice could be heard from the back of the line.

"Yes, from my position I can see where it ends."

As Ainz emerged, he was presented with an odd sight. The area he now found himself in was easily the size of an entire Floor.

He found himself in the center of a battlefield where smoking craters dot the landscape. Ainz could also see many suits of abandoned weapons and armor that lay scattered. Destroyed palisades and remnants of large siege engines litter the battlefield along with unfamiliar banners.

Thirteen star shaped fortresses on elevated hills surrounded the battleground and directly across from where Ainz stood was a massive mountain. Each citadel had great banners draped over the walls, many of which match similar emblems found on the banners that lay scattered over the battlefield. On the walls flags with the symbol of the guild proudly fluttered in the non-existent wind.

Upon seeing this Ainz gestured towards the Guardians, who were still on high alert.

"At ease, we are still within the Great Tomb."

"Forgive. Us. Lord. Ainz. But. I. Have. Never. Heard. Of. Such. A. Place."

"No no no, Cocytus, do not apologize. Lord Ainz has provided a learning experience."

'Eh, what is Demiurge talking about?'

"Demiurge is right, Lord Ainz has noticed that the Guardians have never once done a group exercise and that is why he brought us all here. Ainz chose this area because it is unfamiliar territory which means we can train on operating in unfamiliar territory."

"Oh!"

"Of course!"

"I. Should. Have. Known."

"L-lord Ainz is very insightful."

'Well, I guess Albedo has created my excuse for me.'

"So who are they?" Aura pointed in the direction of the mountain.

Ainz could see 2 humanoid figures that had just exited the fortress at the base of the mountain. They were making their way towards Ainz and the Guardians and moved at a pace that, to Ainz's knowledge, no New World inhabitant could reach.

Soon they were close enough to make out the finer details.

The first figure was a albino female; her skin and hair were as white as snow and her dull grey eyes. She wore a trench coat over light leather armor, trousers and hunting boots. Her attire was very distinctly Victorian in style, made entirely from black leather, and adorned with belts and buckles. Sheathed on her left hip was a thin longsword and on her right hip hung a holstered flintlock pistol with an unusually long barrel.

The second figure was dressed in a way that resembled a knight. However the armor he wore was horribly scarred. It was dented, burned and half melted. The armor itself was a strange combination of plate mail, chain mail, leather and scale mail. The helmet looked like a chunk of melted metal and what might resemble a misshapen crown can be seen upon its crest. In his left hand he held a long twisted piece of metal that was shaped like a greatsword. But there was no sharp edge, instead it was more of a staff whose entire length was serrated. Strangely, he held it by what would have been the blade of a normal sword.

"Halt. That is close enough." As Ainz calls out, he notices that the Guardians have taken battle stances. However their concern was unfounded as the newcomers both knelt.

"Welcome my Lord. We were unaware of your arrival. If we had known you were coming we wouldn't have kept you waiting." Said the peculiar knight.

If Ainz could, he would have winced in pain since each syllable sounded as if they were created through the scratching of metal.

Ainz waved down the readied weapons of the Floor Guardians.

"The two of you must be NPCs created by members of the guild."

"That is right Lord Momonga." Spoke the knight. Oddly the female beside him did not make any attempts to speak.

'Perhaps she is mute?'

"Ah, I have taken up the name of the guild. I am now known as Ainz Ooal Gown."

Ainz heard a soft moan come from one of the Guardians behind him.

'Please ignore that.'

"My apologies Lord Ainz, forgive this one as he meant no disrespect."

The kneeling figures seemed to have sunk lower to the ground.

"It is fine, you are not at fault as it seems that there would have been no way for you to have known."

Ainz fell silent.

'Why is it that none of these NPCs have made themselves known after we appeared in the New World? Under normal circumstances I could blame it on the eccentricity of one of my guild mates but I am still not certain as to who built this place.'

Ainz then becomes aware that the Guardians were staring at him, hanging onto every word that he said.

"Ahem, I have decided it is finally time for the rest of Nazarick to become aware of the existence of this…"

Ainz searched for the word that best described this hellscape.

"Vault my lord." Came the soft voice of the pale lady.

"Yes, thank you. So I have decided to… inspect the area and to educate the Floor Guardians on operating in an unfamiliar environment."

Ainz mentally apologized to the NPCs in the vault, surprise workplace inspections rarely worked in the favor of the workers.

"Now I believe introductions are in place."

"I am privileged to be named Vault Guardian Azirim" proclaimed the knight.

"And I am privileged to be named Medulla, second Vault Guardian" said the pale lady, whose voice was hardly louder than a whisper.

'Privileged...? Yeah, Sixs made this place. He was not very good with names. Makes me wonder how long it took him to name these two.'

Ainz recalled the memory of Sixs, a member of the guild who lamated the single playable character limit of Yggdrisil.

While Ainz understood, the Guardians did not as there were faces of confusion.

"I don't understand, 'privileged to be named'? What does that mean?"

"I hate to admit it but I am as confused as Shorty is on this one."

"We are the only two NPCs in the vault with names, the others have titles or designations."

This was an alien concept to the Floor Guardians. There was not a single NPC that was created by the Supreme Beings that was not named. To them, their names that were given to them by their creators were treasured.

"Sniff… Sniff..." Mare looked as if he was going to burst into tears.

"Uwah! How sad!"

"To think there were NPCs that did not have the joy of having a name…"

Ainz stared in shock as he watched the Floor Guardians break down in tears. Even Cocytus, who did not have any way of producing tears, could be seen wiping at the corner of his eyes with a handkerchief.

"Well then, could you please show us around the Vault?"

"Of course my Lord."

"Guardians, be sure to pay close attention to your surroundings and you will learn something from this experience."

"Yes Lord Ainz!"