Chapter 54: Tangled Lies and the Great Library

Trailing behind Shizu, whose satisfaction was evident to those who could read her, was a humiliating ordeal.

The denizens of Nazarick were brutally honest. No cunning schemes—just taking what they wanted by force. Not foolish, but wisdom was for the weak to defy the strong. Yet how many times had Shizu deceived him?

The promise of acquiring "specimens" was a lie, luring him to an inescapable safe room.

Knowing how to escape the safe room was a lie; it required six hours.

But that too was a lie—after four hours, Shizu manipulated a gimmick to exit, as it activated after four hours.

Yet even that was a lie; it worked after three.

What did they do in that extra hour? The same as the prior three, with Shizu dominating.

Being deceived was humiliating; being bound and used by Shizu was worse. Had she been upfront about her desires, he might've complied. But being manipulated wounded a pride he thought long gone.

"…I'm done with you, Shizu-san."

"!?"

Shizu spun around at his faint murmur, lightning-fast.

"…Why?"

"You lied repeatedly, hurting my heart."

"I won't lie anymore."

What's with "then"!? He bit back the retort, exhaling a weary sigh. The energy restored by a maid's bed was drained.

"Even without lies, no. You're too selfish. I can't keep up without moderation."

"Then I'll moderate."

What's with "then"!? He clenched his teeth to stay silent.

"No means no. Just say what you want instead of trapping and binding me."

"Mm… But you bound me first."

"That wasn't my choice. It was beyond my control."

"Intent doesn't matter—results do. You bound me."

"I freed you promptly. What followed isn't my fault."

"I'm not wrong. I just returned what was done."

"Fine, but I'm done."

"Mm… That's troublesome."

"I'm not troubled."

Shizu's expressionless face betrayed anxiety to those who could see it. But he didn't care. Her troubles weren't his. Only Albedo-sama's were.

Their argument unfolded in the ninth floor's Royal Suite. Nazarick's vastness meant it was rarely crowded, but a voice interrupted.

"Here you are. Oh, Shizu's with you."

"Yuri-sama."

"Yuri-nee."

It was Yuri Alpha, Pleiades' eldest sister, breathtakingly beautiful like her siblings. Her long black hair in an elegant updo and glasses highlighted her intellectual charm. Noticing Shizu's distress, she spoke.

"First, Albedo-sama's orders: the Pleiades will attend to you during your stay in Nazarick."

"Thank you. I'm in your care."

He'd met Yuri before—not just at the throne room speech or last night's expedition ceremony, but when Shalltear brought him to Nazarick. She'd greeted him at the surface log house and was present when he met Ainz-sama with Albedo-sama. Her pained expression when he shared his story stood out.

With a karma value of 150, Yuri was distinctly good in Nazarick, unlike the man—white on the outside, black within. Kinder than her mischievous second sister or sadistic, sharp-tongued younger sisters, she couldn't ignore Shizu's plight.

"Are you two arguing? Is something wrong?"

"Yuri-nee, listen. This man's being cruel."

Yuri's eyes glinted. Though good, her loyalty to Albedo-sama paled against her sister's needs.

"He bound me with a magic item and did strange things."

"…Is that true?"

Yuri's voice turned cold. If true, she'd deliver her creator Yamaiko's iron-fisted punishment—a female teacher from Ainz Ooal Gown's guild.

"You're skipping context. I didn't choose to bind her—it was her carelessness. And I freed her quickly. But Shizu locked me in a room, bound me, and had her way for hours."

"It was fair retaliation. You enjoyed it."

"That's your assumption. Did you count how many times I begged to be freed?"

"Not once."

"…You little—!"

Shizu darted behind Yuri, clinging to her, staring up plaintively. Yuri realized both were at fault.

"I'll be at the surface log house, so Shizu will handle him. Apologize for any wrongs and get along."

"…Sorry."

"Good. Shizu, I know you get carried away, but moderation is key, okay?"

"!?"

The man reeled at Yuri's words. Moderate intimacy was fine!?

The second sister was a lustful wolf, the third a depraved slime. Narberal, another third sister, seemed tame but perhaps ignorant. Shizu was a draining doll. Was Yuri, their leader, similar? The last Pleiades, Entoma Vasilissa Zeta, an arachnoid, seemed unlikely to share such desires, but Solution's precedent shook his confidence. Her love for human flesh suggested other appetites.

Unbeknownst to him, he'd later share a deep bond with Entoma, plunging E-Rantel's mansion into terror—a future even Ainz couldn't foresee.

His thoughts about Yuri were a misunderstanding. So were Yuri's.

Yuri knew Shizu loved cute things. The man's striking beauty, even to Yuri, made Shizu's playful urges understandable.

"Indulge Shizu within reason."

"…Yes, understood."

"No need for formality. We're maids, Pleiades or not."

"…Got it. May I call you Yuri-san?"

"Of course."

Yuri smiled radiantly and left. Shizu puffed out her chest with a smug look.

"I'll guide you."

"…Please."

"Where to? Rest again?"

Who'd rest!? He bit back the retort. Knowing Shizu would drain him again at bedtime, his shoulders slumped.

"To the Great Library, please."

"...Oh… Ohh… OHHHH!"

The Great Library "Ashurbanipal," Nazarick's pinnacle of knowledge on the tenth floor, overwhelmed him. He knelt, voice incoherent, overcome by awe.

Endless corridors lined with bookshelves stretched to towering ceilings adorned with intricate frescoes and arches. A second-floor balcony, three meters above, held equally vast shelves.

Recovering, he approached a shelf, pulling out a book. It was in Japanese, learned mostly self-taught under Shalltear's guidance. It detailed clothing from a distant land. The next book was its prequel.

The countless books weren't decor—they held unknown knowledge.

The Great Library's completion was fraught with challenges, unknown to the man and Nazarick's minions.

Its vastness could house near-infinite books. Yet in YGGDRASIL, Nazarick's former world, books were scarce—fewer than 5,000, including item books, grimoires, and skill books. A library with so few was laughable, barely a study.

They converted YGGDRASIL's video records into books, but even that fell short of 10,000. A library with 10,000 books was a mere room, not a library.

This ignited the Ainz Ooal Gown guild's passion. Serious players with playful spirits, they donated personal books. Momonga, now Ainz, contributed business books from his work. Peroroncino's efforts, though problematic, added R18-restricted books, encrypted to bypass YGGDRASIL's regulations—gibberish to the untrained eye. His boldness risked bans, reflecting his courage as Shalltear's creator.

The 41 guild members gathered 50,000 books, respectable but far from filling the library. Manual efforts were futile, so programmers like Herohero built a system to auto-download free online books, reaching 10 million. The guild celebrated with fireworks, a memory warming Ainz's heart.

Even after the guild left YGGDRASIL, the program continued. Only the head librarian knew the total count.

"Some books are restricted, in off-limits areas. You can read anything visible," Shizu said.

She'd only guided him, yet, forgetting her torment, he thanked her sincerely. Shizu-chan was cute, her intimacy restrained but overwhelming—ultimately, Shizu-chan was the best!

"Borrowing requires a library card. Ask the head librarian. I'll take you."

The head librarian, Titus Annaeus Secundus, was a small skeleton with two horns and four-fingered hands peeking from a scarlet robe.

"Pleased to meet you."

Unfazed, the man greeted warmly, offering a handshake. Titus, puzzled—humans, except mad old mages, feared him—was touched by the friendliness.

Titus shook his hand, explained the library's layout and rules, and issued a library card. With the vast library, guideboards or card catalogs helped, or one could ask the few librarians.

Cleared to use the library, the man restrained his eagerness. Duty came before desire.

"Lord Titus, could you recommend someone for dictation?"

"Any librarian can, including me. Why?"

"I need a report for Lord Demiurge transcribed."

His report for Demiurge was complete, two of three parts perfected with Albedo's revisions. But his handwriting was poor. Unaccustomed to Japanese, his thoughts outpaced his pen, resulting in scrawled, near-illegible text, mocked by Albedo.

Even now, with fluent Japanese, Solution transcribed Ainz's documents. Submitting such writing to Demiurge felt shameful. A professional was needed.

"Any referenced books?"

"Yes, lent by Lord Demiurge, titled…"

The books required advanced knowledge, understood only by Titus. Others could transcribe, but comprehension ensured smoother work.

"A task from Lord Demiurge can't be ignored. I'll do it."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I'll delegate other duties."

"Thank you. Shizu-san, I'll be with Lord Titus. It might bore you."

"…Got it. We'll pick books together after."

Shizu wandered off, and Titus led him to a quiet reading room.

"Let's begin."

The man fluently outlined an urban development plan for E-Rantel.