Chapter 116

Ainz' dreams of Albedo were no less erotic than before, and the guilt of having them was like a mountain on his heart. So much so, that all he wanted to do was leave the room. His subordinates were ready to go as he expected, little needed to be said, and so nothing was. Surrounded by the finery of the making of the forty-one, he opened the gate and left Nazarick behind again.

They appeared in the same place from which they previously departed and began to make their way toward the mountains of the dwarves. Being away from the place of guilt did wonders for his spirit, not to mention being surrounded by nature in a way that was impossible in his native world.

Memories of home however, were weaker than before. Little was reflected on, except for those bright memories of his forty friends. After hours of hiking over high hills and through thick woods, they emerged onto an open plain from which the view of the mountains became crystal clear. The luminous light of the early day glinted off the dew of the grass making the field appear to be a carpet of diamonds glinting in the day.

The gentle breeze caressed his body, though concealed as he was, he barely felt anything on his skin. Ainz glanced behind him at Demiurge, he searched the archdevil's face, and asked himself, 'What am I looking for in him?' It wasn't long before Ainz realized it.

He was searching for wonder, awe, 'Does he marvel at the beauty of this world as I do? Lupusregina greatly enjoyed the outdoors, and even made friends… in as much as she is able to… could he? Demiurge was designed to be the pinnacle of evil… after the cruel CEOs who wrecked our world… but also loyal to his own… cunning and ruthless, a devil through and through… can something… someone like that take pleasure in this existence?'

Ainz however, had looked too long and Demiurge was not the sort to miss the eyes of his master, even masked, falling on him. "My Lord, can I serve you in some way?"

Demiurge's tail lashed at his back, but his crystalline eyes revealed nothing, nor could they. His voice was smooth as a knife's edge, of a slightly higher pitch, and without any hint of hesitation in anything he said or asked.

"No. No, Demiurge. I was just thinking… how do you think your creator would see all this?" Ainz asked and resumed his walk on the long dirt trail as Zemberu waved back at them, indicating it was safe.

"My Lord, I don't understand, forgive my feeble mind, could you please explain?" Demiurge's mouth closed tightly to await his Lord's answer.

'No, of course he wouldn't understand that question…' Ainz thought and asked instead, "Do you think he would enjoy seeing a world which looked like this? Would he appreciate it, regard it as art… or just a thing to be built on and used?"

As they resumed their walk, Demiurge looked down at the dust and dirt, folding his hands behind his back as he took up position at Ainz' left side. "My Lord… I would not dream to speak for the mind of a Supreme Being… but if I may offer my own opinion… Lord Ulbert helped with the baths and the lake, and when he helped with the baths, integrated nature into the workmanship. I believe my creator would have seen this, found it good, and chosen to use his incalculable genius in such a way as to use it without destroying it."

Ainz brought his white gloved hand up to his chin and stroked it while the stroll went on. "That does sound like Ulbert… but is it also," Ainz hesitated, gauging more about the dangerous archdevil meant for roundabout questioning, and some things could only be sought head on, "your view?"

"I do as the Supreme Beings command of me." Demiurge replied.

"And if you were allowed to follow your own designs for this world, if I had not remained and you had instead, along with Nazarick, have been sent here alone?" Ainz asked.

"The kingdoms of this world are many and destructive, without the supreme will of our lords, of course I would bring down the kingdoms of the many races and put them under one rule, then the world would be better off, break down their numbers a great deal…" Demiurge went on and on, detailing the ways in which he would have punished the leadership of the nations and kingdoms for their existence. As he watched the archdevil and listened to him, it was like hearing one of Ulbert's rants about the corrupt being in charge…

'They get all they do, and what do they do? Bring destruction with it! They ruin everything, all the time, everything, they'd call it a modest proposal to use our blood to lubricate their machines.'

He was all but seeing the top hat wearing, goat-headed avatar of his friend smacking the table and the 'zero damage' indicator appearing.

Nostalgia swept over him as he listened to the horrors Demiurge would inflict if he were given leave to do so, and yet for all that nostalgia, the unbridled torments the archdevil intended were gruesome and gory enough to prickle every one of Ainz' instincts.

The horrifying realization hit him.

'Demiurge intends to do this to humans. I am human… again… for now. I could defeat and escape from him with relative ease… but if he does not accept me, he will never stop trying to destroy me. Other than Albedo, if there is one whom I must… remove... It is the one in front of me now… could I do it? Could I really kill Ulbert's son to save myself?' Ainz asked and his fingers twitched inside his gloves, he folded his hands behind his back and clenched the outer fist tight in the palm of the other.

He was so lost in thought while Demiurge went on that he almost didn't notice when Zenberu stopped walking.

The lizardman was looking toward the mountain right enough, but though it loomed as only a mountain could, he stopped walking toward it. The reason why became evident a moment later when Ainz stopped. The path branched in two directions.

"You are lost?" Ainz asked him, and the Lizardman hung his head and said.

"Forgive me, My Lord. It's been years since I've come this way and I just don't recall exactly which way I went… give me a few minutes, if you please, I will recall, I'm sure."

Demiurge was clearly agitated by the request, "Expecting a Supreme Being to wait y-" The archdevil trembled with outrage until Ainz held up a hand.

"He was not created as you were, had he known he would one day come this way again I'm sure he would have made a point of remembering." Ainz consoled the lizardman, who nodded rapidly under the wave of malice that seeped off of Demiurge.

"I can help you remember," Ainz offered and made a point of keeping himself as the focus of Zenberu's eyes, "I can look through your memory, it is a painless process, though I haven't got the most experience with it, you should be fine."

"As you command, My Lord. If my body is yours, so is the rest of me." Zenberu replied, and the malice of Demiurge vanished like a fog blown away in the wind.

"Then be seated, relax yourself, and I will begin." Ainz instructed, and Zenberu did as he was commanded, sat himself awkwardly on the dust, closed his eyes and took a deep, slow breath.

"I am ready, My Lord." Zenberu said at last, keeping his eyes shut to receive his Lord's magic.