[SHALLTEAR] My, my. It appears I'm the first to arrive.
[MOMONGA] Shalltear. A true vampire.
She guards the first, second, and third floors
of the Great Tomb of Nazarick.
Oh, wow! Lord Momonga!
The one man I could never rule above!
My eternal beloved!
[MOMONGA] Wha-- Hey!
Stop, Shalltear.
You're starting to slobber on him.
[SHALLTEAR] Hello, half-pint. I didn't realize you were here.
[grunts]
[SHALLTEAR] Having such a foolish older sister
must be difficult, Mare. However do you manage it?
Miss Fake Tits.
What?!
Just as I thought!
That's why you went through the trouble of using a gate.
You were in a hurry, but since you overstuffed
your top so much, you worried
they would shift if you ran here.
Ah! Watch it, elf!
You've got nothing but a boy-chest!
True, but I'm only 76 years old.
I can still develop.
Whereas, you're stuck in an undead body.
Maybe you should learn to accept those bug bites.
How dare you!
I'll make sure you regret that!
[MOMONGA] Talk about nostalgic.
Shalltear's creator, Peroroncino,
and his older sister, Bukubuku Chagama,
who created Aura and Mare,
used to have fights like this all the time.
[COCYTUS] What a ruckus.
[AINS] Hm?
[COCYTUS] Stop acting like children in front of the master.
[MOMONGA] Cocytus. He's the guardian of the fifth floor,
and a virtual personification of the word "Warrior."
I'll stop once this elf bitch pays for her lies!
[AURA] Try it, vamp!
[AINS] That's enough!
Shalltear. Aura.
We don't have time to be playing around.
[AURA, SHALLTEAR] Forgive me, my lord.
[AINS] I'm glad you're here, Cocytus.
[COCYTUS] I will always come when you call.
[AINS] Mm. Good work.
[DEMIURGE] Sorry, everyone.
I hope you weren't waiting too long.
[MOMONGA] Demiurge. He's an insanely powerful demon,
and guardian of the Tomb's seventh floor.
If Nazarick is ever in crisis, he is set to lead
the other NPCs in its defense.
My lord. We, the Guardians,
pledge our fidelity.
[MOMONGA] The world of the massively popular DMMO-RPG,
Yggdrasil, drastically changed after its last day of service.
Though magic can still be used,
various rules have changed and the NPCs
have begun to move of their own volition.
[AINS] Raise your heads.
[MOMONGA] Jeez, could I look any more
depressed and hopeless?
[AINS] I am very pleased that all of you have come.
[BOTH] Huh?
Your thanks are wasted on us.
We have pledged ourselves to you, and live to obey, lord.
I fear that our abilities may not
meet your expectations.
Despite this, we will strive to meet them,
in honor of the lost Supreme Beings,
our blessÃ©d creators, this, we vow!
[GUARDIANS] This, we vow!
[AINS] Most excellent, my Guardians!
I have no doubt that all of you will fulfill
your duties without fail!
[AINS] Now, then.
[GUARDIANS gasp]
[AINS] The situation outside the Great Tomb of Nazarick is,
at present, entirely unknown to us.
With this in mind, I've had Sebas survey
the surrounding area.
[AINS] Grasslands?
[SEBAS] Yes, lord.
I'm afraid the swamps that once surrounded
the Great Tomb of Nazarick are nowhere to be seen.
Furthermore, I could not confirm a single building,
human, or monster within one kilometer of here.
It would seem we are completely isolated.
[AINS] Very good, Sebas. You've served me well.
As I suspected, it appears that Nazarick has been
transported to an unknown land by equally
mysterious means.
Floor Guardian leader Albedo,
and defensive leader Demiurge. I have a task for you.
[DEMIURGE, ALBEDO] Lord.
[AINS] Fortify our defenses and work on a way
to strengthen our information gathering.
The rest of you, follow their lead.
[AURA, MARE, COCYTUS, SHALLTEAR] Lord!
[AINS] Mare, is there a way to conceal
the Great Tomb of Nazarick?
Yes, though, it will be difficult
if all we use is magic.
But, if we covered the walls with dirt and vegetation.
I think it would help to camouflage us from intruders--
[ALBEDO] You want to smear the glorious Nazarick
walls with dirt?
[AINS] Albedo! Don't make needless remarks.
Yes. Forgive me, lord. I was careless.
[AINS] Are you confident the dirt will be sufficient, Mare?
Y-Yes. I am.
As long as you allow it, of course. Except...
[AINS] Right. One random mound would look unnatural.
Sebas, are there any hills around the Tomb
we could blend in with?
No. The area is barren.
Nothing but flatlands as far as the eye can see.
[AINS] Fortunately, the land can be molded to suit our needs.
Would making dummy hills suffice?
Yes, I do believe we would blend in
with such a surrounding.
[AINS] Excellent, then that is what we shall do.
Afterwards, we will use illusion magic to hide
the open areas we cannot cover.
[MARE] O-Of course, lord. It will be done.
[AINS] Lastly, there is a question I would have
each of you answer.
First, Shalltear.
In your own words, tell me what kind of person I am to you.
Beauty incarnate.
There is nothing, living or undead,
that could ever compare with your radiant glow.
[AINS] Cocytus.
[COCYTUS] A man whose strength is unrivaled
by any guardian.
You are truly worthy of ruling the Great Tomb of Nazarick,
always and absolutely.
[AINS] Aura.
Compassionate.
And you're always three steps ahead of the game.
[AINS] Mare.
You're a leader who's kind, as well as merciful.
[AINS] Demiurge.
A man who makes wise decisions then acts
upon them efficiently and without any form of hesitation.
Also, your enigmatic nature makes it nigh impossible
to predict you.
[AINS] Sebas.
You are the head of all the Supreme Beings,
and, even though the other creators had left us behind,
you mercifully stayed in Nazarick until the very end.
[AINS] And lastly, Albedo.
You are the highest-ranking member
of the Supreme Beings.
Our ultimate master, and the ruler of Nazarick.
As well as the man to whom my heart belongs.
[AINS] U-Uh, y-yes, I see.
I have heard your thoughts, and given you your orders.
Go work faithfully in my name.
[GUARDIANS] Lord!
[MOMONGA sighs] I'm beat.
Why the hell do they have such glorious
views of me?
They're so... serious!
I thought I was going to faint, that was so scary.
Seriously!
I was sure the pressure would crush us!
[COCYTUS] To think he would be this amazing.
When he shows his true power and authority,
he's even more glorious than I imagined.
[DEMIURGE] Indeed.
[COCYTUS] He seemed pleased with our vow of fidelity.
I hope that is the case.
He acted completely different when he was alone
with Mare and me.
In fact, he was super kind and gentle.
[ALBEDO gasps]
He even gave us something to drink
because he thought we looked thirsty.
That just proves he's a true ruler,
through and through.
His power and mercy make him amazing!
It's just as you say, Mare! He was incredible, wasn't he?
He sensed our feelings and acted on them accordingly.
Just as an absolute ruler should!
Of the 41 Supreme Beings, he stands at the top!
And when all of the others had left us behind,
he mercifully stayed with us.
[SEBAS] If there's nothing more, I'll return to my duties.
I do not know where Lord Momonga
has gone within the Tomb.
But, wherever he is, I should stay by his side.
Very well.
If anything happens, please inform me immediately, Sebas.
Especially if Lord Momonga
calls for me personally. I will rush to his side!
No matter what I have to sacrifice!
But, if Lord Momonga wants me to join him
in his bedchamber, then I will need time to prepare.
I would need to bathe first.
Of course, if he wants me to go without bathing,
--then I'd be happy-- --You've made yourself clear.
Now, if you will all excuse me, I must take my leave.
[SHALLTEAR whimpering]
Is there something wrong, Shalltear?
[COCYTUS] Are you hurt? Ill?
No, I'm fantastic.
I just got a little over-stimulated, is all.
His power was so intense, my underwear
went through a small crisis.
[GUARDIANS groan]
[ALBEDO] Disgusting bitch!
[SHALLTEAR] Ugh. What?
Don't pretend you aren't thrilled
over the gift he just gave us. He shared so much of his power.
If something that incredible doesn't
make you wet, you must be rancid beneath that skirt!
[ALBEDO] You filthy parasite!
The Supreme Beings made me what I am.
I take pride in it, and a big-mouthed,
idiotic gorilla like you won't change that.
Keep flapping those fangs, Lamprey.
See where it gets you!
Right... Aura.
I'll let you deal with the women issues.
Whoa, not so fast!
You can't dump this on me!
[DEMIURGE] If it starts to get bloody, I'll intervene.
Um...
[COCYTUS] Goodness.
Is this really something worth fighting over?
You, too, Cocytus?
[ALBEDO, SHALLTEAR growling]
[DEMIURGE] Their vitriol aside, I'd be quite interested
to see the result of such a union.
What?
It would be a great addition to our forces
and it would pave the way for Nazarick's future.
I'm not sure I follow you.
[sighs] Every great ruler needs an heir, don't they?
Uh?
Lord Momonga stayed behind until the end.
However, one day, he may leave to join the other
Supreme Beings, wherever they went.
Therefore, it would be nice if he left an heir
we could pledge our loyalty to. Agreed?
[MARE] Um.
So, you're saying that one of them should give birth
to Lord Momonga's heir?
[COCYTUS] Blasphemy!
If we do our jobs, that won't be needed.
Yes, of course.
But, instead of just serving one lord,
we could pledge ourselves to his line.
[COCYTUS] Oh? That would be kind of nice.
No, it would be wonderful! I can see it so clearly now!
I would be Uncle Cocytus!
By the way, Mare?
Is there a particular reason you're wearing female garments?
[MARE] Actually, this is something that Bukubuku Chagama
chose for me.
She said I was a "cross dresser,"
or something like that.
Maybe wearing these clothes makes it easier
for me to cast my magic spells?
[DEMIURGE] Hm. Interesting.
Perhaps it would be fruitful to try having the males
dress in female garments at some point. Later.
Cocytus, come back to reality, please.
[COCYTUS] What a magnificent scene.
That is truly a future to wish for.
[DEMIURGE] I'm happy you're happy.
Aura! Have Albedo and Shalltear finished their little spat?
Yeah, the catfight is over, but now they're arguing.
We are deciding who the master's head wife will be.
Obviously, the ruler of Nazarick will have multiple wives.
It would be strange for someone of Lord Momonga's
position and power not to have a harem.
But only one of us can be his official wife.
Yes, that's fascinating, but, don't you think
we should focus on the task the master set for us?
Yes, of course. Back to work.
But, Shalltear, we will discuss this later, at length.
Looking forward to it.
Now, then. It's time to begin planning.
[MOMONGA] I only took on the class of magician, but,
since I'm level 100,
I should have enough strength to swing a sword.
Let's see...
[gasps]
[MOMONGA] Looks like I still can't wield or equip items
that aren't specific to my in-game class.
It's been three days since I came to this world,
and I haven't once felt uneasy about my undead form.
Maybe my mentality changed along with my body?
I know that if I get emotionally unstable,
some outside force makes me calm down.
That bears investigation.
I haven't felt the need to eat or sleep
since I got here. Also, I didn't act on my libido.
I guess that's another sword I won't be wielding.
Shall I get that?
[AINS] Yes. "Create Greater Item"!
[AINS grunts]
[MOMONGA] It really is like Yggdrasil.
If a magic item allows it, I can bypass my class restrictions.
[AINS] Narberal.
I'm going to go outside the Tomb for a bit.
The guards shall accompany you.
Just say the word.
[AINS] No need. I will go alone.
Please wait, lord!
If you leave without an escort,
we would be unable to protect you.
It is our sworn duty to act as your shields, and perish.
[AINS] I won't allow it.
There is something I want to do discreetly.
My decision is made.
As you wish, my lord.
[AINS] This is so tiring.
I won't be able to use magic in this armor,
but I can make do with my items.
[MOMONGA gasps]
[MOMONGA] Jealousy, Avarice, and Wrath?
Why are the three demon generals under Demiurge
on the first floor?
[gasps]
[MOMONGA] Demiurge.
[DEMIURGE] It's you, my lord.
But, why are you traveling without an armed escort?
And wearing such armor?
[MOMONGA] Crap! How'd he know? Calm down.
Only someone wearing a guild ring
can freely teleport around Nazarick.
Of course he knew.
[AINS] Well, there is a reason for all of this.
So that's how it is.
[MOMONGA] Huh?
As expected of a great ruler,
your attention to detail is impeccable.
[MOMONGA] Wait. What?
I just wanted to go outside for some fresh air!
However...
I can't let you to leave here without an escort.
If something happened, I couldn't forgive myself.
[AINS] Hm. Then, I will allow you and you alone
to accompany me.
Thank you for indulging my selfishness, lord.
I will not fail you.
[MOMONGA gasps]
[MOMONGA] Amazing.
I've never seen a night as clear as this before.
The artificial sky Blue Planet made on floor six
was impressive, but it didn't hold a candle to this.
[AINS] "Fly"!
[DEMIURGE growling]
[MOMONGA] I can see everything with just the moon's light.
I wish Blue Planet were here to see this world's
unbelievable beauty.
[AINS] The stars in the sky glitter like jewels
in a treasure box.
[DEMIURGE] I believe this world exists so that you may
adorn yourself with its infinite riches,
and we Guardians exist to help you do so.
[AINS] Hm. You could be right about that.
Perhaps I was sent to this land to obtain those jewels
for myself, along with every treasure
that shines beneath them.
But, to hoard such things would be
the height of selfishness.
Instead, I could use them to adorn the Great Tomb,
it's residents, and my friends of Ains Ooal Gown.
If you wish it, we will use all the power
of Nazarick to obtain it for you, my lord.
[AINS laughs] We don't even know what exists in this world.
It's a little early for a quest.
Then again, it makes me think.
The most enjoyable thing now might be taking over the world.
[DEMIURGE gasps]
[MOMONGA] Who am I kidding?
There's no way we'd pull that off.
I wonder, though.
Am I really the only player
who came to this world from Yggdrasil?
My message skill didn't reach anyone,
but it might be because they're too far away
or the effect of the magic has changed.
[MOMONGA] If that's the case, maybe I should spread
the name of Ains Ooal Gown throughout this world.
[AINS] Hm.
[MOMONGA] That's Earth Surge.
He's using a skill to increase his magic range,
and one of his class skills to amplify the effect.
Well done, Mare.
[DEMIURGE] Lord Momonga.
May I ask what you plan to do?
[AINS] I want to thank Mare for his hard work.
What do you think I should give him as a reward?
[DEMIURGE] I am sure that he would be happy
just to have you speak to him, my lord.
[AINS] Mm...
Oh! Lord Momonga!
[MARE] Why are you here?
Oh no, did I make a mistake already?
[AINS] Not at all, Mare.
The work you're doing is of the utmost importance.
It will protect Nazarick from intruders, and more.
[MARE] R-Right.
[AINS] I wanted you to know just how satisfied I am.
Your performance thus far has been exemplary.
Um. Thanks, Lord Momonga.
[AINS] I would like you to have this.
[MARE] That's a Ring of Ains Ooal Gown!
But, only Supreme Beings are allowed
to wear an item like this! I can't possibly accept.
[AINS] There's no need to panic, Mare.
Huh?
[AINS] Moving between Nazarick's floors can be difficult.
This will allow you to do so unimpeded
and easily complete your work.
Now, take this ring and serve Nazarick well.
[gasps]
[gasps] Thank you so very much, Lord Momonga!
I'll be sure to work extra, extra hard for you
and the honor of Nazarick, I swear it!
I'll be worthy of this gift!
[AINS] I'm depending on you, Mare.
Yes! By the way, my lord, I was wondering.
Why are you dressed like that?
[AINS] U-Uh, um... Well... that's--
[ALBEDO] It's simple, Mare.
[DEMIURGE] Albedo.
It's for our sake.
He didn't want to bother any of us while we were working.
It's like a disguise.
If we knew that he was here watching us,
we would stop working to praise him.
If that happened, then nothing would get done.
Isn't that right, Lord Momonga?
[AINS] As expected of Albedo!
You knew exactly what I was thinking.
I'm leader of the floor Guardians, my lord.
But, even without that title.,
I'm certain that I would sense your thoughts and feelings,
as if they were my own.
[MARE] Is that so?
[ALBEDO yells]
[AINS gasps]
Is there something wrong, master?
[AINS] U-Uh, no. Nothing at all.
Right, then. Mare. Sorry for interrupting you.
You may return to your work, now.
Oh, sure!
I'll get right on it, lord. Please, excuse me.
[AINS] Albedo.
I should give one to you, as well.
"Give me one"? Of what, lord?
[AINS] This will make your work as administrator
of the Guardians a little easier. Use it wisely.
[ALBEDO] Thank you very much.
[AINS gasps]
[gasping]
[AINS] W-Work diligently.
Demiurge, I will prepare one for you another time.
I understand, lord.
I only hope that, one day, I can prove myself
worthy of such a treasure.
[AINS] I have done what I planned to do.
I will return below before I cause any more distractions.
Oh, yes!
We will attack the next village tomorrow morning.
And guide the beasts to their cages.
[AINS] After using a magic item to survey the surrounding area,
I discover a human settlement.
A small village is dyed red with blood and flames,
as a group of knights brutally attacks it.
However, even as I watch the massacre unfold before me,
I feel nothing at the loss of all the innocent lives.
Perhaps... I've lost my humanity along with my human form.
Chapter three: "Battle of Carne Village."