(edit: 21 May 2020) A/N: My apologies to Ok Boomer and Mintdesco for being so forgetful. However, you guys are in for a treat since both had won the competitions on our Tiamat fanfic discord (omake and fanart respectively). As promised, the winner of the omake competition will have their personal omake published on the site and the fanart will be used for both the discord and fanfiction profile picture. Once again, big congratulations to both of you guys!

Omake by Ok Boomer

Protecting Tiamat

In the shadows he worked, to serve the light. That was his job, to loom in the shadows, protecting his Goddess from any danger that should ever befall her. He was her personal servant, Shroud, a name his Lady had so graciously given him. He would protect her from anything, that was his singular purpose, until should he take his final breath.

Shroud was proud to serve the Supreme Beings, and he was grateful that his Lady and Lord Ainz had stayed behind with them. He was created to serve, to kill, to die for the Supreme Ones, and that was what he intended to do. For now though, he was to watch over his dearest Lady, the one who rules all of Nazarick, Tiamat, the Goddess of Dragons. So great was she, it fulfilled him to even bask in her presence.

Suddenly, a yawn! His Lady had woken up! It warmed his heart to bask in her beautiful arua, one that shined brighter than the sun. "Good morning, Lady Tiamat," he said, as he bowed to the Supreme One. "Good morning," Tiamat said. "Can you go out of the room as I get ready?"

"Of course my Lady, shall the need arise I shall be right there."

Shroud tranmugated into an inconspicuous spider, to attract attention away from himself, should the need come for him to strike from the shadows. He so wanted to kill any humans that had the nerve to so much come near his Lady. Oh, how he desired to shoo away those pests. But his Lady, in her everlasting compassion, had so kindly allowed these lower life forms to tread in her area. And he would heed her every command.

So, Shroud crept into a dark corner near the door of his Lady's room. He vigilantly watched for any threats that might spring up. Luckily, none came as Lady Tiamat exited her room. Shroud saw that she was wearing a stunning dress for once, that furthered her already outstanding beauty. He remembered that she was attending a human noble's party. He was disgusted by this notion, as some ant DARED to take her precious time. He wished she was back at Nazarick, their home, where it was much safer and more defendable. Nevertheless, he would accompany his Goddess anywhere she chose to go.

Shroud followed his Lady downstairs, where everyone at the inn greeted her.

"Good morning, Silver Priestess!"

"Have a great day, Priestess-sama!"

"Good Morning, everyone!" his Lady said with a beaming smile.

Shroud brandished his blades, preparing to kill these lesser beings who dared to speak out of turn. Suddenly he received a [Message] from his Lady! "Shroud stand down!," she said. "But they-!" "No buts! They didn't do anything wrong!" "Your wish is my command, my Lady." Shroud didn't understand how she could be so kind at times, but it was not his place to resist the will of the Supreme Beings.

Shroud continued to follow his lady out of the Establishment, and onto the dusty stone road. Human cities were always so dirty. Shroud jumped from roof to roof, following his lady all the way to E-Rantel's east gate. It was there that a guard waved her over from the front of the line to exit the city.

"Over here, Priestess-sama!" the guard called over.

"Thank you," Tiamat replied.

Shroud frowned. A human dare yell at one of the most exalted of beings? YetOnce his master was out of earsight, Shroud revealed himself again.

"May I ask where we are going, my Lady?" he said.

"Oh, Shroud, I didn't know you were still following me!" she replied.

"Forgive me my Lady, but Lord Ainz instructed me to protect you wherever you may decide to travel," he responded. "I am here only to serve, and if it pleases you I will even sacrifice my life in service to the Supreme Ones."

"Gosh, no, don't do that! You're very precious to me Shroud!" Tiamat said.

"Thank you my lady, I will continue to serve to my full capacity!" Shroud responded.

Just then, Pentakrisis stepped out of a [Gate]. "Greetings Shroud. And hello Master!" Pentakrisis bounded up to Tiamat like an energetic puppy.

"Taki! How have you been? Ohmycuteadorablelittlebaby!" Tiamat energetically yelped as she pounced on Pentakrisis and hugged him.

Shroud looked down. He wishes his Lady would do that to him too. However, it was not his place.

Suddenly, Lady Tiamat gestured to him!

"You too Shroud! Come on, group hug!" she shouted with a beaming smile.

Shroud eagerly jumped at the chance. He wished the moment would have lasted forever. He felt so elated! However, that had that filthy human's party to attend.

Tiamat climbed on to Pentakrisis' back with Shroud following as he casted [Invisibility] on himself. Shroud hated flying- it was cold and there were no dark spots to hide- but he withstood it for his Lady. Now that he thought about it, he never asked what the party was about. "Lady Tiamat, what is the reason you are attending this pig's party?"

"Oh Shroud, it's party I got invited to by the request of Blue Rose. If I didn't attend I would look bad in front of fellow adventurers, and if I want to keep this persona, I need to have friendly relations with fellow adamantite adventurers." Tiamat calmly explained.

"As expected of my Lady, your wisdom is unparalleled," Shroud said.

"No need for that Shroud, we're all family!" Tiamat said sarcastically.

"As a Supreme Being, I cannot heed your request. Forgive me Lady Tiamat, but there is a bare minimum to how you are spoken to." Shroud said. He was deeply ashamed of himself, not being able to obey her command.

"It's okay Shroud, thanks for that!" Tiamat replied as she gave Shroud a grin.

"Your thanks is wasted on me, my Lady. Your kindness is revered throughout all of Nazarick." Shroud said as he bowed deeply to the Supreme One.

"Now as for the reason for the party itself, now that eludes even me," Tiamat stated.

Before they could spare any more conversation, the noble's mansion started to break from the clouds, offering Shroud the amazing view of the land below them, from way up high.

Christina Tora Richelieu Aindra, secondborn daughter of the Noble House of Aindra, was excited for today. For today you see, was her 14th birthday, which marked her as an official member of the House. This also marked the date of her introduction ceremony, which also introduced her to potential suitors in person.

In the Kingdom of Re-Estize, children born all the way from commoners to royals had a high mortality rate. Either from malnutrition, disease, or other causes, it was a serious problem for not just the Kingdom of Re-Estize, but all human nations. Existing in a medieval world with dangerous monsters and no modern medicine wasn't the best combination for a human child. If you were lucky, you were born into the Slane Theocracy which had decent healing magic, but even the Theocracy had its problems.

Now you see, Nobles had less of a problem with malnutrition, but they still had a problem from disease, other scheming Nobles, or monsters who didn't care who you were. Many noble houses had lost a lot of official members to child mortality. To combat this, the Kingdom had a law where a child born into a Noble house wouldn't be considered an official member until they were 14 years of age, marking them both an adult and an official member of Noble House. This was to ensure that the children that survived through childhood would be worthy enough to carry the name of the house, and also lessened the number of official nobles, which resulted in less deaths and less scheming among members of noble houses.

Christina was thrilled to finally enter the house and fully claim the title of a noble. It was thanks to their House's Guardian that she had survived this long, so she offered a quick thanks before her servants started preparing her for the ceremony. She wondered who she'd meet there. Oh that's right, her cousin was coming! She'd long looked up to her older cousin who now led the famous Adamantine Adventurer group Blue Rose. She couldn't wait to see her! Speaking of, she had gotten word from her servants that they had invited the Silver Priestess too! She couldn't wait!

As soon as Tiamat saw the mansion, she ordered Taki to go down to the entrance of the mansion. What caught Shroud off guard though, was that Taki took this with ruthless efficiency. When he received the order, he immediately darted down to the surface, which scared Shroud so much that he almost passed out.

Shroud glared at the doofus dragon who startled him so much. He could sense that the big dragon didn't care though.

As soon as they landed, some humans started to approach them. Shroud began to prepare for a scuffle, it was unusual for humans to approach such a mighty creature like a dragon so readily. This was suspicious!

Tiamat then calmed Shroud down. "Don't worry, that's just Blue Rose. They were the ones who invited us, for goodness sake!"

Shroud put away his weapons and slipped into the shadows as he heeded his Lady's request. "Yes, my Lady."

Shroud examined these so-called "strong" adventurers. They were human for one, so minus points there. Not that Shroud ever expected anything good out of humans, they were all disappointments. He silently cast [Appraisal] on Blue Rose. Weak, except for the one in the red robe with the mask. Shroud could sense negative energy emanating from her. She could pose a decent threat. He would keep an eye on her.

Next, his 8 eyes moved to the big lady in red armour, if she could be called that. Level 29. Shroud smirked. This thing was their tank? Puny humans. Granted, she had the size of a tank, she was bigger than Shroud, but in terms of strength she was grossly imcompetent in the eyes of our favorite 8 legged friend.

Moving forwards, his eyes drifted to what appeared to be twins dressed in very peculiar outfits. They appeared to be assassins, judging from the way they were dressed and the weapons they were carrying. Yes, he could very well see them. They were well hidden, but as an assassin himself of higher caliber, it was so easy to find them, it was like he was taking flesh from a baby imp.

Finally, he focused his attention on what appeared to be the leader of the party, who had the gall to approach his supreme master.

He let his bloodlust seep for a minute. Tina, who was the closest to Shroud and an assassin who specialized in stealth and detection, immediately felt it and alertly looked around the room. Shroud cursed in his mind. He had made a rookie mistake, not concealing his killing intent. He quickly calmed himself down and masked his presence again, like the true professional he carried himself out to be, serving the most Supreme of all entities.

Tiamat noticed Tina looking around. "Is everything alright?" she asked.

Tina, finally thinking it was her imagination, responded, "No, it's nothing, I thought I felt extreme hostility for a minute, must've been nothing."

Tiamat, realizing who it was, immediately used [Message] to contact Shroud. "Shroud! Don't cause any trouble!" Surprised and ashamed that his master had so suddenly caught on, he apologized. "Please forgive me, Lady Tiamat. It won't happen again."

Shroud chastised himself. How could he have been so careless? Nevertheless, he pressed forward. His enemies would not wait, and he wouldn't either.

Tiamat assured Tina, saying that everything was alright. "Tina, if there was anything amiss, I'm certain I would've sensed it as well."

"Of course Hannah-san, I'm certain as well. It was just my mind playing fickle tricks on me." Tina said.

Inwardly, Tia sighed in relief. They didn't suspect a thing! Those acting classes from Albedo really paid off. She would have to bake her treats sometime. "Hmm, maybe a cheesecake?"

Shroud reevaluated the situation. While Blue Rose didn't seem to think there was anything amiss, other parties might've catched on. He didn't sense anyone strong or powerful at this event, but it was always good to make sure. He casted Widen Magic: [Danger Sense]. This spell was particularly suited to the assassin's toolkit, as it identified threats between the parameters set by the caster, and therefore was very flexible and reliable in a lot of situations. As an added bonus, it also heightened the caster's senses to their surroundings. In this case, he casted it to identify entities levels in the 50-80 range, and the response he got confirmed his suspicions. There was a powerful creature here! It might've caught on to his presence...that would not be ideal. Other than the masked magic caster he sized up earlier, there was some sort of threat that loomed. He estimated it to be around Level 60ish. Nothing his lady couldn't handle, but something that could disrupt the security of the Supreme One! This could not be allowed to stand.

He sent a quick [Message] spell to his Lady. "Lady Tiamat-sama, I have just detected a near Level 60 entity that could pose a challenge. May I proceed to engage it?"

Tiamat was surprised at the sudden message, but she already felt the presence. It didn't seem to omit any hostile intent, but it was never bad to be cautious. She shot a [Message] to Shroud. "Don't attack, but collect more information about it. Gauge what it's intentions are, and pull back if it attacks. Try to establish friendly relations with it. For now, I'm going to interact with the humans at this ceremony. If something pops up [Message] me."

Shroud got the message. He would follow orders, like a good creation of Nazarick he was created to be. He responded with a [Message]. "Yes, my Lord" (Code Geass, anyone?)

The aura that emanated from the thing, or whatever it was, seemed to be coming from the center of the lake that was right next to the noble estate. There was a small island in the middle, so that's likely where it was residing. Shroud went to investigate.

The problem that faced Shroud first was how to get across the lake. He could easily get across by skipping on the water to the island, using the agility he natural agility his species had. Unfortunately, that might attract the attention of whatever was on the island and the humans. Water suddenly bursting into the air in a path seemed unnatural. Shroud would have to use outside resources for this one. He quickly sent a [Message] to Lady Tiamat. "I'm terribly sorry my Lady to be a hindrance like this, but can I borrow a magical item with the flight spell?"

Tiamat responded saying, "Sure! Give me a minute."

Tiamat excused herself suddenly, saying that she needed to go use the refresher. Once she was out of eyesight, she quickly casted a [Gate] portal to take her to Shroud. Once there, she pulled out the Wings of Valkyrie from her inventory, a magical item which increased not only the user's strength and mobility, but also allowed them to fly without any mana cost, like they had a racial level which allowed them to fly. To her, it was a trash item. To Shroud however, it was the personal belonging of a Supreme One, to be treated with the utmost of care.

Shroud quickly thanked his Lady before she left to go back to the human's event. He didn't have time to waste! He quickly equipped the Wings of Valkyrie, and darted towards the Island after he casted [Invisibility] and [Sensory Protection] on himself. He needed to be as stealthy as possible.

Shroud landed on the island safely without anyone noticing. When he glanced one last time at the ceremony, Tiamat gave him one last thumbs up before going in.

Tiamat was currently making connections in the reception before the ceremony. When Shroud had asked for her assistance, she had gone to his aid, but now she was busy. She had talked to adventurers, nobles, knights, and wealthy merchants who had relation to the Aindria family. To be honest, it was a little tiring for her. She had to keep up her Silver Priestess persona in front of many different individuals, and it was wearing her mind out, even with her draconic fortitude. She was currently talking to a young noble named Aire Hilant Lezord Orisarz, who was the owner of the lands next to the Aindra domain. He was currently trying to recruit her, and she was trying to get out of the conversation.

"Hannah-san, I'm sure we could come to a fruitful agreement, if you agree to become my subordinate. With my influence and your dragon, we could accomplish much!"

Tiamat internally cringed. She had gone through this many times before, many nobles had tried to get her for her looks and dragon. She was tired of shutting down the never ending onslaught. "I'm sorry Aire-san, but a tenant of my faith is to serve only the Dragon Goddess herself, and as such I cannot accept your offer. I am deeply sorry."

She could see his face stiffen up. This was her chance to escape from the conversation! "Now if you excuse me, I have other things to do!" She quickly walked away from him.

"Please wait, Hannah-sama! We can surely come to an arrangement!"

She sped up her walking and pretended not to hear him. Suddenly, she ran into a girl! "Oh I'm so sorry for running into you, please forgive me!" Tiamat apologized as she extended her hand to the girl.

The girl looked up to her, and suddenly Tiamat could see that her eyes started to gleam. "Oh my goodness, I can't believe I get to meet the Silver Priestess! Thank you for picking me up, and I forgive you. My name is Chirstina Tora Richeliu Aindra, and thanks again for coming to my ceremony."

Tiamat realized that this girl was what the whole event was about. "Oh, it's nice to meet you too! And congratulations on your entry into the House!'

"Oh thank you, it is nice to hear that from someone as great as you! Here, come into this private room so we can speak more! I would love to opportunity to get to know you better!"

Seeing as she had no other choice, she reluctantly followed the girl into the room. She hoped she could get to Nazarick as soon as possible…She wondered what Shroud was doing?

Shroud was currently searching for the powerful being that could be a threat to his Lady. He had scanned about half of the island already, and he was beginning to become inpatient. If it could be a threat then it had to be eliminated now! Suddenly, he felt it! The formidable presence, one that could cause him grief! He felt chills. It probably had noticed him…

"Who goes, the one that intrudes on my territory? Why dare come, if you can sense my power?"

Shroud laughed. "You may be strong, but you can never measure up to the Supreme Beings. I may be weaker than you, but they are the strongest in existence."

"Ho? And who are these so-called "Supreme Beings?"

Now Shroud was getting annoyed with whoever this was. "They are the wisest, strongest, and most powerful of anyone in existence. They aren't so-called that, they deserve the moniker, because they are. They cannot be addressed any lower."

"Then I want them nowhere near me. I do not desire having to fight strong opponents, for it may lead to my downfall. Although, if anyone were to lay a hand on me or my house that I protect, I would be forced into action…"

Shroud saw an opportunity to settle this without fighting. After all, if there is no need to expend resources to fight, then why should you? "I have come here on my Lady's behalf, and she does not wish to fight you. However, if you were to become a threat, she ordered me here and now to retreat. Even if I don't make it, they will eliminate you with all of Nazarick's fury. So I am offering you an opportunity. Ally with us, and we will not harm you or interfere with your house. And in return, you and your house will cooperate with us should we ever need it. Do we have an alliance?"

"Hmm...that does sound appealing. However, how am I supposed to know if you are trustworthy? And I do not know the power of your superiors yet!"

Shroud gritted in annoyance. "Look over there, at that human's party! Focus on the Silver Haired Lady! Can you not feel the raw power emanating from her? That alone is all the proof you need! If need be, she also controls the dragon that you saw fly here!"

"A Dragon?!"

Shroud grinned. "Yes, exactly that! A Dragon, the most fearsome of creatures to exist! Now again, will you accept our deal, or be cleaned?" Shroud could feel the creature pondering it's slim choices.

"Hmph! Very well, I will heed your request. However, if you ever break your agreement, consider it done!"

"Very good. Now, I shall take my leave. Do not interfere with the ceremony or my Lady. That is all, farewell."

"Please leave as soon as possible!"

Shroud flared in annoyance. That creature was so stifling! How dare he not want to be in the presence of a Supreme One? Still he heeded his master's orders to not engage. He equipped the Wings of Valkyrie and left the island.

Tiamat was currently attending the ceremony, and they were in the initiation part. Christna had begun to walk towards the house leader to be inducted. Tiamat still didn't truly know how the human nobles worked, but she nonetheless watched with great interest.

"Christna Tora Richeliu Aindra, do you swear to uphold the values, traditions, and prestige of the House of Aindra?"

"Yes, for I, Chirstna Tora Richeliu Aindra, swear today and furthermore to bring the House of Aindra to glory!"

"Very well! On this day, I, Aruth Delo Intera Aindra, head of the House of Aindra, pronounce you a member of the House! Do not disappoint us, and withhold the house's honor!"

"Yes!"

The crowd clapped politely, and a few cheers rang out, most likely to curry favor with the head of the house. Tiamat herself gave a nicely paced clap, befitting of her status. She still found human politics to be interesting, not that she got politics even when she was still human. Now that the ceremony was over, she could get back to Nazarick and bake! Oh right, what would she bake for Albedo as a treat for her hard work? Cupcakes? Muffins? No, a pie would do it!

As the congregation got up and started to file out, Tiamat made sure to give respects to both the head of the house as well as Christna, and thanked Lakyus for the invitation. She then paid the dues to the House's Guardian, and then strode out into the field.

Shroud then came up to her. "Did you enjoy yourself, my Lady?"

"To be honest Shroud, it was tiring, but I had to go to uphold my Persona. But let's go home, back to Nazarick!"

Shroud beamed. He had feared that Lady Tiamat had like these filthy human's places more than Nazarick, and would leave them, but that didn't seem like the case. She would still stay with them! It made his cold spider heart feel warmer. "Yes my Lady, exactly as you say!"

Momonga looked up from his desk as Tiamat burst into his office, again. "Did you have fun at the human event, Tia?"

"It was tiring, and I'm much glader to be here in Nazarick now. Momonga, don't tire yourself out now!" She teased.

Momonga visibly annoyed, said "Oh? If you lighten my workload, then maybe it won't be as tiring."

Tiamat visibly flinched at that. "Well, it was nice talking to you! Now I need to go bake-"

"Here you go!" Momonga said as he handed her a stack.

"Nuuuuuuuu!" Tiamat cried as she knew she would be stuck for awhile.

Shroud smiled at the Supreme Ones as he observed. It seemed like they were not going to leave anytime soon. He just hoped that his Lady wouldn't attend another human's ceremony again. It was quite troublesome to deal with. But now, he pressed onward, defending his Lady till his last breath! Glory to Lord Momonga! Glory to Lady Tiamat! Glory to The Great Tomb of Nazarick! And finally, Glory to Ainz Ooal Gown!

A/N: Thank you Razel Treasure, Amaya, Harish, and Yanlin for editing this chapter 3

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Chapter 29: A Resolve for Two

Tsuare slowly opened her eyes.

'The ceiling looks nice…'

Her eyes widened, and she immediately shot up out of the heavenly bed. Where was she?

Her heart raced as it pounded against her ribcage. Adrenaline pumped through her veins as she looked around her in panic. Was she in the house of yet another depraved noble?

Her body involuntarily shuddered as it subconsciously prepared itself for what it knew would happen next.

After a few minutes, she managed to calm down enough to breathe normally and properly take in her surroundings. Outside, it was a wonderful sunny day with a herd of puffy white clouds lazily drifting across the azure sky.

Inside, she was in a fancy bedroom—the most beautiful room she had ever seen—decorated with a beautiful chandelier that glowed with a warm yellow gleam, and a big window where she could see the trees and the skies and a few more besides. Every wall was covered with what seemed to be expensive wallpaper, and the room was decorated with a multitude of intricately crafted items she had never seen before.

Tsuare had spent so much time in the dark, cramped, room, that she was unaccustomed to her new bright surroundings.

How long had it been since she had last seen the blue sky? She could not recall.

Two gentle knocks came from the door, echoing in the quiet room.

Tsuare jolted in surprise, and began to curl in on herself. A few moments later, the door opened and Tsuare was greeted with the sight of a well-dressed elderly butler.

She shivered in fear.

Her hands turned paper-white as her fingers tightly clutched the bed sheet she was laying on, her breaths coming out in short gasps as her mouth dried up.

Who was this butler? Another new client? Someone who was about to take her to a new hell?

She had to escape. Right now!

"Ah, so you're already awake!" a female voice chimed from down the hall, light footsteps growing ever closer until an alluring woman with long red hair peeked at her with amethyst eyes from behind the butler.

Tsuare remembered her. She had seen her in her dreams while she was asleep.

The butler stepped aside respectfully, allowing the mysterious woman to walk inside the bedroom.

Tsuare couldn't help but to stare in awe.

The woman in front of her was the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. Hers was a beauty that made all of the girls back in that place look mediocre by comparison. Tsuare glanced at her eyes and felt an innate sense of ease. The lady exuded an aura of warmth of gentleness, and her expression was completely open with not a trace of deceit.

The heels of her flats lightly tapped against the ground as she walked towards her. The lady stopped at the side of the bed and plopped down with a flop, causing the bed to shake a bit.

"How are you feeling?" she softly asked, a strand of crimson hair escaping from behind her ear as she tilted her head.

How did she feel?

How long had it been since someone had asked her that?

The blond haired girl could not answer. Instead, she looked down at the bedsheets she was still grasping onto, her head stuck in her horrible past.

Knowing that she wasn't going to answer anytime soon, the red-hair woman's lips curved up in a sad smile, "By the way, I brought you something to eat. Sebas, if you would?"

"Certainly, My Lady," he nodded before bringing in a steaming bowl of what seemed to be a white soup filled with mushrooms.

The butler—Sebas, Tsuare knew now—gave the bowl of porridge to the woman sitting next to her, who then began to slowly stir the soup inside the bowl with careful motions. After a while, the woman stopped and scooped a spoonful of porridge out, gently blowing on it before facing the front of the spoon towards Tsuare.

"Here, this will warm you up."

The red haired woman waited and Tsuare's knuckles grew even paler. Was she feeding her? She could feed herself.

Right as Tsuare was about to grab the spoon from the beautiful woman, she shook her head, "That's alright, say aahhh…" the red-haired lady murmured patiently.

With no small amount of hesitation, Tsuare raised her head and opened her mouth. The woman carefully put the spoon in her mouth, before taking it out once its contents were all in the bedridden girl's mouth.

Tsuare chewed a little, the soft porridge not offering much resistance to her newly healed teeth, and swallowed it down. It was simple in terms of flavor, but that wasn't important to her at the moment.

'It's warm…'

The woman took yet another spoonful and gently blew on it again before giving it to her, and this time, Tsuare chomped on the spoon like there was no tomorrow.

"It's alright, eat slowly. The whole bowl is yours, and if you want more I can always make another portion. Right, Sebas?"

"Of course," the stoic butler replied in affirmation.

But their words fell on deaf ears.

Instead, Tsuare was stuck in the past, recalling how meal time was always, always only a bit of tough, moldy bread and cold soup. Sometimes, she considered herself fortunate to even get just that.

Just when was the last time she had a proper meal?

When was the last time the meal was warm?

She had only eaten two spoonfuls, and yet those two bits of porridge made her feel warm and safe. So warm that Tsuare couldn't help but to begin to weep. Her chest heaved as her body was wracked with sobs, every drop of suffering she had accumulated over these long, long years gradually being wringed out of her.

Tiamat watched, her eyes pained as she gazed upon the girl who had everything taken away from her.

'Like looking into an old mirror.'

It was more than mere crying; it was the kind of desolate sobbing that could only come from a person who had lost all hope. The blond haired girl covered her face in shame as her wails echoed throughout the quiet room.

She struggled futilely to keep her cries silent as tears dripped between her fingers. Her breathing was ragged, gasping, as the bedsheet was slowly dotted by drops of moisture.

"It's alright…" Tsuare could barely register the woman talking, "You're safe now."

And so after a long time, Tsuare cried.

She cried and cried until no more tears came, leaving behind nothing but emptiness and a strange feeling of resolution.

She cried until dusk to the first light of the next day, before she finally fell asleep from exhaustion, the two strangers accompanying her all the while.

After what felt like hours and the girl's crying having died down to the occasional sniffle, Tiamat finally spoke, "Sebas, could you heat the porridge again for me? It's gotten cold, I think."

"Of course—"

Tiamat passed the bowl to Sebas, but before he could take it from her, the girl suddenly screamed.

"No!"

Tiamat couldn't help but to jolt. To say that the scream surprised her would be an obvious fact. If it was not for her enhanced reflexes, the contents of the bowl would have spilled all over the floor.

'That would have sucked…'

"No?" she asked the girl as she cautiously placed the nearly spilt bowl safely on her lap.

The girl hurriedly wiped away her tears with the back of her hand, and with a determined look in her puffy eyes, she stared straight at Tiamat, "Please give it to m-me."

She sounded like she was begging.

"It's alright, warm porridge is waaaay better than cold. It's only going to take a moment too," Tiamat tried to reassure the distressed girl.

"It's okay, I'll finish it!"

"B-But…"

Before Tiamat could finish her sentence, the girl leapt out of the bed to grab the bowl off of her lap and proceeded to inhale the mushroom porridge with gusto.

Tiamat gazed in awe at how the young petite girl consumed the food she had made, treating even the smallest droplet as a sacred treasure. She drained the bowl and returned it back to Tiamat.

Tsuare sighed in contentment for the first time in ages and sank into the bed before her eyes suddenly shot open as she remembered something.

"T-Thank you!" she hurriedly replied in panic, hoping that the lady wouldn't be offended by her lack of manners.

"Of course! If you ever want more, ju—" the crimson woman began to respond before out of nowhere, a small sound came from the back of Tsuare's throat and out her mouth.

She had let out a small burp.

She was mortified, frozen on the spot. Tsuare couldn't believe she had let that happen in front of the beautiful woman and the stern butler. The two looked like they were nobles too, which only deepened her chagrin.

Her face turned a bright cherry red.

The woman must have been disgusted with her lack of etiquette. Tsuare didn't want to make a bad impression; she was beyond grateful that they had prepared this food for her, tended to her wounds, and most importantly, saved her from that hell hole. That was why she had wanted to finish the food in the bowl even if it had turned cold. That, and it was the best thing she had tasted in years.

Sebas, being the gentleman that he was, discreetly handed Tsuare a glass of water and took the bowl away from her.

"Do you want another bowl?" the butler asked with a much softer tone than before.

"U-Um, it's okay… I don't want to cause too much trouble for you all…" Tsuare muttered timidly as she turned her eyes away from the two kind strangers, "You've already done so much…"

"It's alright… Uhhh," the crimson haired woman scratched her head in what Tsuare would have called embarrassment if she didn't know any better. Surely, such a put-together being was beyond such petty feelings.

"I should've asked this earlier, but…" the lady continued scratching the back of her head with a sheepish look on her face as she extended an open head towards Tsuare, "What's your name?"

The girl just stared at the hand offered to her.

Tiamat sweatdropped, 'Am I being too straightforward? That's probably making her uncomfortable…'

She awkwardly began to retract her hand, "Ah, that's okay. I'm Tiamat, by the wa—"

The blonde-haired girl grabbed Tiamat's hand with an astonishing celerity, "Tsuare. I'm Tsuare. T-Thank you, Lady Tiamat."

Tiamat's face shifted from wide-eyed surprise to a warm smile as she clasped the girl's—Tsuare's—hand between her own. "It's nice to meet you, Tsuare. If you need anything, please tell me or Sebas here," she gestured towards the butler standing behind her.

Tsuare flinched at the sudden contact. "I-I'll keep that in mind, Lady Tiamat," she said as she did her best to put on a bright smile.

The Dragoness's eyes dimmed a bit in sadness. She was fully aware of how the girl in front of her felt at the moment. Considering the trials Tsuare had been through, it was surprising that the girl was willing to talk to her at all.

'Count your blessings, I guess…'

"Great!" Tiamat moved a leg off the bed as she prepared to get off, "In that case, I'll let you rest for a bit. If you need me, I'm a holler away. Also, just Tiamat is good," The crimson Dragoness playfully winked in an attempt to lighten up the mood.

"Wait," right as she was about to stand up, Tsuare grabbed her hand, "I-If it isn't too much trouble…" she trailed off as if she was unsure of what to say next, "Could you stay with me a little bit longer."

Tiamat's face softened. "Of course," she swung both of her legs back onto the bed as she got herself comfortable on a pillow next to Tsuare.

"Sorry for bothering you…" the abashed girl turned her head away from her kind host. She couldn't remember the last time someone had been this patient with her.

"Hey," Tiamat playfully grinned, "I did say that if you did need anything, just ask."

"T-Thank you…" the two continued to sit there in an awkward yet comfortable silence.

A few more minutes passed before the stone-still butler took out an elegant pocket watch and glanced at it. "My Lady, I must excuse myself for now. There are some tasks that Lord Ainz have assigned to me," the butler bowed, "If either of you need anything, please call for Solution."

"Mmm, take your time, Sebas. Have a safe trip!" Tiamat waved from her lounge. Tsuare waved too, not quite sure as to what she was supposed to do.

Sebas bowed once again before he walked out the strong oaken door, gently closing behind him with a soft click as he did.

Silence filled the room once again.

"... So, is there anything you like to do?" Tiamat pushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear as she tried to start a conversation.

Tsuare remained quiet. The Dragoness waited.

'Maybe she's asleep…' Tiamat felt tempted to poke the girl's cheeks.

Just as she worked up the nerve to pat Tsuare's face, the blonde girl suddenly responded.

"I… liked picking flowers with my sister."

"Your sister?" Tiamat pushed herself up from her lounge, straightening her back against the wooden bedrest as her expression became attentive. She hadn't expected Tsuare to open up so quickly.

"Yeah…" Tsuare quietly murmured as Tiamat saw her smile for the first time, "We would go into the forests when it was warm and just wander around for hours…"

Her eyes grew distant as she began to recall hazy memories from what seemed like a lifetime ago. "Sometimes, we would take some food for us to eat while we played there. Lucia Ninya…" Tsuare's voice faltered, "She loved eating berry jam. I would wake up at night just to find her rummaging around the pantry for more of it," she giggled as she sniffled and wiped her eyes.

"I-I miss kissing her jam-stained cheeks. I miss seeing her run around with the brightest smile in the w-world," she was having difficulty controlling her voice, her body trembling with the force of her recollections.

"I miss her," Tsuare whispered. She didn't know why she was so comfortable around this stranger—albeit, a stranger who had saved her life. For some reason, she felt like this woman beside her was a kindred spirit.

Tiamat could only look on sadly. 'She's had it really rough.'

"H-Hey, cheer up!" the Dragoness patted the girl's back in an attempt to cheer her up, "I'm sure your sister's out there looking for you. Just wait and you'll see," she pulled the girl in for a hug, "Everything's going to turn out okay."

Tsuare wiped her nose as the last of her sniffles died out, burying herself into Tiamat's shoulder, "T-Thank you."

The two sat on the bed like that for a while, sunlight streaming through the windows to rest on the peaceful pair.

"Tiamat-sa—n?" Tsuare broke the calm silence.

"Mmm?" Tiamat sleepily responded. Her utterly relaxed position, the warm sunshine, and the companionship made it the optimal conditions for a nap.

"Why did you save me?"

Tiamat was drowsy no longer. She propped herself back up into a more awake position. "Why do you ask?"

"Well," the girl nervously pushed her index fingers against each other, "No one would care enough about someone as worthless as me—"

"Stop," Tiamat grabbed her shoulders with a frightening intensity that caused Tsuare to flinch, "You're not worthless," she dropped the girl's shoulders, her voice dropping to a sober whisper, "You're not."

Tsuare couldn't help but think that the kind lady was talking to herself too.

"So don't say that you are," Tiamat hugged a pillow up against her chest.

"You're right," Tsuare quietly responded, finally looking the lady straight in the eyes, "Someone did come to save me in the end after all."

The room remained tranquil for a bit longer before the silence was broken by Tiamat this time. "Tsuare?"

"Yes, Tiamat-sa—n?"

"It may be a bit too soon to ask this, but…" Tiamat's voice faltered, "What do you plan on doing with your child?"

She expected the girl before to look at her in shock, to break down in tears again, to shut the world out as she had a few hours ago.

Tiamat did not expect her to look out the window with a calm, almost serene look in her blue eyes.

"Was it that obvious? Even I wasn't sure yet," the girl cracked a small half-hearted smile, "I guess something like this was to be expected."

Unwanted pregnancies were commonplace at the brothel. Tsuare could recall many of her coworkers having to give up their children to the orphanages while the most fortunate managed to send their children under the care of a client who had taken a liking to them.

However, not everybody was so fortunate. The specific place where she was enslaved was much more tolerant of… deviant activities than anywhere else.

Tsuare's body involuntarily shuddered. She didn't want to think about it.

Truly, it was a small blessing that nothing like that had happened to her.

As Tsuare was still musing on these issues, Tiamat gently poked her in the shoulder. "Uh, I'm sorry for mentioning that… You know what? Please forget that I asked," the red-haired woman bowed her head in obvious guilt.

"A-Ah! No, please raise your head, Lady Tiamat…" Tsuare wrung her hands, "I also think that this is something I need to figure out too."

"That being said," she turned her gaze back to the outside she had finally gotten to lay her eyes upon after so long, "I don't know where to start…"

Tsuare paused for a moment, her hands unconsciously wandering down to her stomach, "Our parents died when we were young."

Tiamat nodded. She could understand the feeling of losing one's parents.

"Lucia and I… we've only had each other to rely on. And life definitely wasn't easy for us either," Tsuare continued, eyes watery yet firm as she voiced her resolve, "But life was good back then with just the two of us."

Her voice trembled as she continued speaking, "I can't say that I've always been grateful for being born. Who can, after going through that hell?" Tsuare forcefully wiped her eyes.

Tiamat remained silent.

"But even after all of that," Tsuare straightened her back, "I'm glad that I'm alive. I'm glad that I can see the sun again. I'm glad that I get to hear the birds chirping outside," her voice grew in strength with each sentence, "I'm glad that you and Sir Sebas saved me, Lady Tiamat."

Tsuare paused for a deep breath. "This child… my child… I'm going to keep it."

"Are you sure?" Tiamat stared hard at the girl, her words coming out more forceful than she intended, "Surely you want to move on from everything that happened there? That child will be a constant reminder of what happened in the darkest period of your life," Tiamat panted as she caught her breath, "Are you absolutely sure?"

Truly, she felt like she was gazing into a mirror from the past.

Tsuare remained surprisingly calm in the face of the Dragoness's outburst. Her features were completely relaxed, as if she had accepted life in its entirety.

"Honestly, I'm not," Tsuare admitted, "But who would? All I can do is my best."

"Why…" the voice that came out from the red haired lady was so small that Tsuare almost didn't hear it.

"Why?" Tsuare repeated her question, and Tiamat nodded, "Why do I want to keep the baby?"

Tiamat once again nodded, her eyes full of uncertainty and questions.

Tsuare closed her eyes. "I hate what hasd happened to me. Even now, I'm running away from it. I hate the people there for what they did to me," she opened her eyes, "But if I let my fear and hate take over my life, over everything that I want to do… then what was the point of being saved by you? It's true that I want to escape from my past, but to push that onto a child…" Tsuare's voice trailed off as she looked out the window.

Tiamat just stared at her.

"Exactly, no one gets to choose. But you can. You can choose what to do with your life now without its influence. You can choose to be free."

Tsuare shook her head, "Not it. A baby, Lady Tiamat."

"It," Tiamat pressed on, "It's going to ask you questions you can't answer. It's going to haunt you for the rest of your life. When you look into its eyes, you will be reminded of everything that happened to you."

"Even still, this is all I have left," Tsuare put a hand on her stomach, "And I'm not going to get rid of it."

"Tsuare—"

"I know I'm being selfish," Tsuare cut her off, "I wasn't thinking of the baby's life. But I know that if I get rid of it, I would find it harder to live. To abandon a child because of the sins of their father… I only have my sister, and I don't know even if she's still alive. This is all I have left, so please…" a small tremble made its way into her voice, "Don't take this baby away from me…"

Tiamat couldn't help but to grit her teeth. Couldn't she see? Her stubbornness would only cause her more pain in the end.

Just like it would have for herself.

"Fine," the Dragoness almost spat towards the girls whose watery eyes were still full of that mocking determination, and she stood up from the bed, having had enough of the conversation. She knew that Tsuare would not listen to anything she said. So why waste her breath?

As she was just about to turn the knob to the door, Tiamat stopped.

She couldn't leave this girl alone.

Afterall, she had been in the same spot as Tsuare. The two just happened to make different choices.

Tsuare chose to keep the baby, while Tiamat decided to let it go.

If only Tsuare knew that the option she offered was the best one.

She didn't know how it would feel to have people staring and talking behind her back. She didn't know about the venom that would flow so readily from the mouths of complete strangers.

How the future would pan out, how the child would grow, and how the child would be crushed after hearing that they were not born out of love but of a despicable act.

She simply didn't know.

'Why does it feel like I'm trying to convince myself?'

Tiamat gave a slight shake to her head. This wasn't the time for some self-reflection. She couldn't just leave Tsuare be knowing that the girl was about to make a huge mistake.

"What about a deal?" this would be her last offer.

Tsuare wiped away her tears, "A-A deal?"

"Yes," Tiamat turned around to look at the naive girl's face—filled with confusion and uncertainty—while her own was filled with a bitter spite, "If I manage to find your sister, abort it. Because then you won't be alone, right?"

"T-Lady Tiamat?"

"You said that your baby is all you have left, hmm? But you still have your sister. I'll find her and bring her to you. But in exchange, you have to abort the baby. Do you understand?"

"Why…"

"Do you understand?" Tiamat repeated, a little bit louder than necessary.

"I… I," Tsuare stammered. Everything was happening too quickly. "I'll think about it."

Tiamat opened the door, taking one step out before she stopped and turned her head back at the girl, "That's all I need you to do."

The Dragoness closed the door behind her with a sigh and leaned against it, slumping all the way down to the ground.

'That's all I need to do.'

w(°ｏ°)w

A couple of days had passed since Lady Tiamat's frightening outburst.

Tsuare was still staying under her care. Her meals were delivered to her room three times a day, and the beautiful golden haired maid would even give her some mouth-watering snacks from time to time. If she asked to go out and take a walk, the maid would allow her.

She was still being treated like a guest despite her rudeness to Lady Tiamat. Perhaps she should've agreed with the crimson-haired lady. After all, who was she to defy the one who had saved her life?

But Tsuare knew she would regret it if she gave in to Lady Tiamat.

Speaking of her benefactor, whenever she asked the beautiful maid about Lady Tiamat's whereabouts, she would always reply with: "My Lady is busy," or "Lady Tiamat has an appointment," or "She is not here."

Tsuare didn't miss the cold edge in the maid's voice.

She sighed as she walked yet another circle around the garden fountain. It was beautiful, but the only flowers that grew were the wildflowers that were left untended under the shade of the bushes.

'What if Lady Tiamat is avoiding me…?'

She felt terrible for offending her savior.

With such a cloud hanging over her, Tsuare circled around the garden for a bit longer before she walked back towards the house where the golden haired maid was watching from afar. Her poised form and her straight back with her folded arms made for a beautiful yet intimidating image.

The maid—Solution-san, Tsuare had learned her name from the serious butler—opened the door for her.

"Thank you, Solution-san. I think I'm going to go back to my room," Tsuare told the maid. The beautiful maid barely nodded in acknowledgement, her eyes full of an all-consuming apathy.

Tsuare uncomfortably looked down at her feet as she walked inside the mansion. She wasn't sure if it was just her imagination, but the maid seemed to be a lot more passive aggressive ever since Lady Tiamat's outburst.

She shuffled off to her room, Solution watching her from the corner of her eye. Right as she was about to reach her door, Solution spoke. Tsuare flinched.

"Human. I do not know nor care how you have offended Lady Tiamat, but I recommend that you tread more carefully in the future," Solution began to very conspicuously clean one of her knives, "I hope you take heed of my words, human."

Solution spun her knives and smoothly holstered them at her hips before walking down the hall opposite to Tsuare's room. "In the meanwhile, Lady Tiamat has told us to accomodate you. Please call out for me if there's anything you need."

"Y-Yes… Thank you, Solution-san," Tsuare nervously bowed before quickly ducking into her room. Once she closed the door behind her, she jumped straight onto the comfy bed.

'Scary.' Although she understood that the blonde maid only meant well, she couldn't help but feel a cold shiver in her presence.

Tsuare sighed into the pillow. These nice people had saved her, were taking care of her, even when she had obviously offended their master, and she still had the nerve to complain?

She lifted her head a tad to catch a glimpse of the sunlight streaming in from the window.

"It's a nice day outside…"

w(°ｏ°)w

"It's the Silver Priestess!"

"Welcome back, Priestess-sama!"

"Feel free to come grab some fruits from me anytime you want!"

"Thank you for the offer," Tiamat strained a smile, "But I have to head to the Guild. I'll definitely come get some later though!"

"Did you hear that?!" the stall vendor boasted to everyone around him, "The Silver Priestess said that she loved my fruits!"

'I didn't say that though…' Tiamat sweatdropped. Ever since she and Taki had flown back to E-Rantel from the Capital, the townspeople had been mobbing her with praise and gifts. As a result, she was forced to wade through the crowd all the way from the gates to the guildhouse.

"Thank you, but please excuse me," she carefully nudged a young woman a bit to the side, "Ah, careful there!" Tiamat almost tripped as she nearly stepped on a small child playing on the ground. "Excuse me, coming through," she slipped past two men and finally saw the blessed sight of the Guild's front entrance.

Tiamat let out a relieved sigh and opened the doors.

"The Saint of E-Rantel!"

"Priestess-sama!"

"Welcome back, Priestess-sama!"

Tiamat almost groaned as she was bombarded by yet more cheers. "Hello everyone!" she politely waved and greeted with a picture perfect smile.

The desperate Dragoness was almost to the receptionist until she heard yet another person call her from behind. "Hannah-sama! Hannah-sama!"

This time she did groan, albeit inaudibly, closing her eyes and forcing on a smile before turning around, "Yes, what is it?"

Her eyes widened once she saw who had been calling out her name, "Antonios-san?"

"Yes!" he snapped to attention much in the way Tiamat imagined soldiers would, "You've finally come back!"

"Antonios-san," Tiamat grinned, "It hasn't even been a full month since I've last come."

"Still," the adventurer moved his arm in a sweeping motion across the whole room, "Everyone here has missed you."

Tiamat looked at all the clearly excited and happy adventurers. She looked down at her hands as she was hit by a twinge of shame.

'I didn't realize they were looking forward to seeing me this much…'

Tiamat bowed her head low, her silver locks cascading over her face,"Thank you, that was very kind of all of you. I'll make sure to visit more often."

But before Tiamat could turn towards the receptionist, Antonios was already asking another set of questions.

"Where have you been, Hannah-sama? I heard you got escorted to the Capital? What does the King's castle look like? Is it true that you were personally escorted by Gazef-sama himself? What about—OUCH!"

"Oi, Antonios!" Borg had been standing quietly at his side and finally decided to bonk the idiot's head when he saw the strained smile on the Priestess's lips, "Stop bothering the Priestess, we've got a quest to do!"

"Cranky old geezer… "

While Antonios was grumbling, Borg apologized on his teammate's behalf, "I'm sorry for his behaviour, Hannah-sama. Please continue about your day."

"I don't mind at all," she smiled at the sight, "Goodluck on your quest. I hope I can join you guys again someday," Tiamat waved while Borg dragged Antonios away by the collar of his neck.

"Hannah-samaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa—" Antonios whined in tears, as if he was a child being dragged away from his favorite toy.

Tiamat stifled a giggle. Seeing Antonios being dragged away like that was pitiful but hilarious nonetheless. She resolved to exchange more than just a bit of pleasantry in the future.

"By the way, Borg-san…" Tiamat fluidly raised her arms to stop the man's long stride, "What kind of mission is your team taking this time?"

"It's a missing person's quest, Hannah-sama!" Antonios answered quickly as Borg was just opening his mouth to speak, "Why? Why? Would you like to join us?"

Antonios's eyes sparkled like sunlight shining on clear water. His expression was so open and honest that Tiamat couldn't help but to falter for a fraction of a second. It was crystal clear that he was already expecting her to join again.

However, Tiamat's mind latched onto something else Antonios had said, "Missing person quest? People can put up requests to find a missing person as well?"

"Yeap! Adventurer's gotta do what Adventurers gotta do, right?" Antonios smiled brightly.

"I see!" Tiamat clapped her hands together. She never thought she would find a solution to her problem this quickly. "Thank you Antonios-san! I didn't consider this as an option. Good luck on your quest, once again," she said cheerfully, this time truly waving them goodbye.

"Eh? That's it? I thought you want to talk to me mor—"

"We. Have. A. Quest. Remember? Hmmm?" Borg stared at Antonios so intensely that he couldn't help but to look away.

"Y-Yes…"

"See you later, Hannah-sama. I'm sorry that I have to cut this conversation short," Borg apologized one more time.

"It's alright, please take care."

With that, Borg dragged Antonios out of the Guild and all of a sudden, the quiet atmosphere that was there before had turned lively. Apparently, the rest of the Adventurers had been watching their conversation so intently that as soon as the boisterous Antonios had left, they immediately began to excitedly chat to each other.

They were gravitated towards something extraordinary, and the more they were exposed to it, the more they wanted to learn about it.

Tiamat knew that people would lose interest in her soon enough. After all, people would always find something else to capture their attention. This time it just happened to be her and Ainz.

Suddenly, she was instantly reminded of the meeting that she had with Blue Rose.

"They said you eloped with the Black Warrior Momon."

Tiamat stared at the floor, embarrassment flooding through her at the memory.

'Waaah, what's up with that rumour?!'

She wanted to retreat to her room back in Nazarick and lock herself in for the next century. Or perhaps she could ask Yuri to help her dig a hole so she could hide in there and die of shame.

A man who saw the fabled Priestess just idly standing in place decided to muster up his courage and ask if she wanted to come and join his team. Surely, the kind Priestess would give him and his comrades a chance. And even if he was rejected, he would be rejected by a beautiful woman, so there was no way it could be that bad.

"Priestess-sama, we couldn't help but to overhear your conversation with the Hissing Vipers. Perhaps if you are interested, we could take a quest together…"

He jolted back in surprise when he saw the gentle flush of pink that had arisen in her cheeks. At that moment, the ever-unperturbed Adamantite hero looked vulnerable. The man couldn't help but to hold his breath. It was as if he saw something he wasn't meant to see.

Tiamat looked at him, her cheeks still dusted with a faint red,, "A-Ah...I'm sorry, my mind was somewhere else, you were saying?"

"N-N-N-Nothing! E-E-Excuse me!"

The dragoness looked at the man running away from her, "What's with him?"

"Hannah-sama?" the receptionist called out her name.

"Yes?"

"It's a surprise to see you again in E-Rantel, Hannah-sama. It has only been a week since Gazef-dono had escorted you to the Capital."

It was obvious even to Tiamat that the receptionist was fishing for something juicy to gossip about.

Deciding to not satisfy the woman's curiosity, Tiamat just smiled and nodded, "Actually, I came to E-Rantel because there's something I need from the guild."

"Of course Hannah-sama, we'll be glad to help."

"I want to post a quest to find a missing person."

"A missing person?"

"Yes."

Seeing how it was an Adamantine Adventurer that had issued the request, the guild's receptionist became serious and quickly went to work, "Understood. Please wait in the waiting room while we sort things out. "

Tiamat nodded and walked into the usual waiting room with the receptionist leading the way. As soon as she left her post, another receptionist with the same uniform took her place.

"Please make yourself comfortable, Hannah-sama. Shall I serve some tea while you wait?" the receptionist politely asked.

"Ah, no thank you. There's a lot of people waiting for you."

"I don't mind, Hannah-sama," she said with a smile, "I'll be back soon enough."

Tiamat nodded, letting the woman do what she wanted. She knew that she should be wary especially since the tea that had been served to her the first time at the guild by the guildmaster was laced with a charm potion. It proved to be utterly useless against her high resistance stat, but the fact that the guild had tried was bad enough.

As the receptionist closed the door behind her, Tiamat sighed, the muscles on her face relaxing.

"Finally…" Tiamat moaned, "Having a lot of eyes on you can be embarrassing sometimes. Honestly, I could feel their stares burning a hole in my back."

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a humanoid spider revealed itself on the ceiling.

"Then shall I eradicate them?"

"Shroud…"

"But they dare burn the Supreme Being! I shall be swift, My Lady!"

"It's a metaphor," Tiamat explained calmly, "And besides, if I let you have your way, the whole city would die by your hands alone."

She instantly regretted what she had just said. Judging from the spider's personality, his next words were going to be…

"That's a splendid idea, My Lady!" Shroud happily exclaimed, "As expected of a Supreme Being!"

"A No is a No, Shroud," Tiamat said firmly, "They didn't mean any harm after all."

She could sense the arachnid's dejection all the way from her sofa.

Out of curiosity, she took a quick glance at the ceiling. The assassin looked like a dejected whimpering puppy. A deadly, murderous puppy, but a puppy nonetheless.

His legs were all folded in, and his head was hung low in shame. "Forgive me, My Lady…"

Tiamat giggled. She definitely had the most adorable assassin in the world.

"So no slashing?"

"No slashing people today, Shroud."

The dragoness could see his entire form droop in disgrace.

'Cute,' she thought to herself.

And so Tiamat continued to wait in a comfortable silence, looking out the window every now and then. Even now when she was happy, devilish thoughts continued plaguing her mind.

Why was she even doing all this stuff for someone she only met a few days ago?

'Isn't it obvious? You know what it feels like to be in that kind of situation. You are helping her.'

But why? Was it because they were both met with the same circumstances?

'Yes.'

Was it because she saw herself in Tsuare?

'The perfect mirror.'

Then why was that girl so headstrong? How was she able to make such a difficult decision without any hesitation?

'Because you were a coward.'

Tiamat flinched. Shroud, noticing this, immediately questioned her.

"What's wrong, My Lady?"

Yet his question fell on deaf ears.

A coward? She repeated those words in her heart. Was she really? Was she a coward for choosing her own happiness over her unborn child?

She knew without a shadow of doubt that she would not have gone through with the pregnancy from the beginning. She had zero desire to have a baby, and she wanted to be pregnant even less. Especially under those kinds of circumstances.

Then why was she still regretting it?

"My Lady?" Shroud asked once again.

"Just leave me be," Tiamat bitterly whispered, "Maybe everything wouldn't be so fucked up if I was dead…"

Shroud abruptly jumped from the ceiling to the top of the coffee table. Tiamat was so shocked at the sudden movement that it drew her attention away from her own poisonous thoughts.

"My Lady, talking about death like that…" the spider hesitantly started, "Forgive me for my impudence, but… I dislike hearing such things."

'Ah, that was an inconsiderate thing to say in front of him…'

The fact that Albedo had the intuition to understand that they were abandoned meant that the rest of the denizens of Nazarick had that capacity as well.

She wished she could've done more to keep Ainz Ooal Gown together. But who was she to worry about the problems of others when she couldn't even straighten out her own life?

Her thoughts drifted back to the Floor Guardians. To know that the people who created them had walked away without knowing why would drive anyone insane. Was it because they weren't good enough? Not strong enough? Not full of wisdom, intelligence, and cunning?

These questions would stalk the back of their minds for a long, long time. Their pain too, would ache deep in their hearts for maybe their entire lives.

Tiamat grabbed the hands of the assassin with all the gentleness she could muster, "I'm sorry, Shroud," looking him in the eye, "I… it was just a joke. I didn't mean it."

The assassin nodded after hearing the Supreme Being's reassurance and returned to his place on the ceiling.

A few seconds later, three quick knocks came from the door. Tiamat jolted and looked towards it. Had she really been so distracted that she hadn't even noticed the person come up behind the door? She cursed inwardly. What if they had heard her talking with Shroud?

"Excuse me, Hannah-sama," the receptionist pushed the door with a tray of tea and some biscuits.

"Thank you," Tiamat said with a smile.

"Now," the receptionist sat across from her with a small stack of papers on her lap, presumably documents the guild would need for the quest, "A missing person quest issued by an Adamantine ranked adventurer will usually draw a lot of attention from Adventurers. Is the person you're looking for someone important? Royalty perhaps? Or could it be a noble?"

"I have no idea actually…" Tiamat racked her brain as she tried to extrapolate more details from the little information Tsuare had given her, "Does the status of the missing person actually matter?" she asked out of curiosity.

"Indeed, Hannah-sama. The status of the person in question will determine the rank of the quest. Of course, if it's someone important, the rank of the quest will go up and more capable people would be sent out."

"I see. What if I were to provide a hefty reward?" Tiamat picked at her fingernails , "Surely, even a strong adventurer would look for anyone if they were given enough money. Either way, it doesn't really matter what kind of adventurer is going. My time is limited and I just want this person to be found as soon as possible within these three months."

Abortions were safer during the first trimester of pregnancy; any longer than that and it would endanger Tsuare's life. "I don't care about how much I have to pay either. If you want, you can put up the highest price possible. Money is not an issue."

The receptionist furrowed her eyes. The Priestess's was quite difficult. She wanted to find a missing person of unknown status who needed to be found within a limited amount of time. Usually it would take adventurers a long time to find a missing person since they had to scour the lands.

Well, at least the Priestess was making it easier since she was willing to pay a high sum.

"Understood," the woman in front of Tiamat nodded, "Do you have any details on the person's appearance?"

"No."

The woman's eyes boggled in disbelief, "Excuse me Hannah-sama, but it would take more than three months to find a missing person without any identification. Even the smallest bit of information would be helpful. Is there anything you know about this person?"

Tiamat carefully thought back to the brief conversation she had with Tsuare about her sister. Tsuare had never described what her sister looked like, and so Tiamat shook her head, "Sadly, I only know her name and gender. Perhaps a rough approximation of her age as well. Ah, and she has a sister called Tsuare too."

It was official. The Priestess was asking for something that would be nigh-impossible to complete. Even if the entire Kingdom was given as the reward, there was no way anybody would be able to find someone with barely any identification whatsoever. Furthermore, if said person was using a disguise… needless to say, the quest would really become impossible.

Unless…

"Would it be possible to… consult this Tsuare regarding the appearance of her sister?"

Tiamat stiffened. Tsuare was someone who had been affiliated, although unwillingly, with the less savory elements of the city. Getting her involved like this could draw unwanted attention and greatly inconvenience everyone.

"I'm afraid not," with that in mind, Tiamat tilted her head in apology.

'Yup, this is definitely impossible.'

But of course, the receptionist kept that to herself as she struggled to keep up her strained smile, "I understand Hannah-sama. Please tell me anything else you know about this missing person."

"I am looking for a girl younger than eighteen with the name Lucia Ninya," Tiamat paused for a moment to think, "An orphan that loves jam."

The receptionist sighed. Today was going to be a long day.

w(°ｏ°)w

Maria let out a long sigh.

Most of her colleagues were already saying their goodbyes as they finished up their shifts, and the number adventurers in the guild were starting to dwindle down as they head back for their inns. Now it was only Maria, a few adventurers, and her stack of paperwork.

All day long she had been sitting at her booth with her paperwork piling higher and higher, especially after a new quest from a famed Adamantine adventurer had come. But she knew that the Guildmaster wouldn't care about the amount of paperwork she had to do or her wrists.

The sound of the clock ticking filled her head, and she could swear it was slowing down, as if to add to her already considerable suffering. She was sitting there alone with a cold cup of tea that the Priestess didn't even bother touching. It wasn't like she put a Charm Potion in there or something.

As she thought about the Priestess, her mind drifted back to the horrendous task at hand.

All she ever wanted at the end of the day was a cold refreshing beer before going to sleep. But sadly, she had to do something important.

Everytime something extraordinary happened, she had to report it to the guildmaster and this was something that she had to report.

Once the last adventurer closed the doors of the guildhall behind him, she sighed and made her way to the guildmaster's office.

Once she was standing in front of Pluton Ainzach's oaken doors, Maria knocked twice, "Pluton-sama. It's me, Maria."

"Come in."

The sunlight that would illuminate the office during the day was gone, replaced with the flickering flames of candles. Regardless of whether it was night or day, there was always the same sense of severity and tension that pervaded the entire room. Even Maria who was used to it could only stare at the wooden floor, unable to look up.

"Have you finished what I have requested?"

"Yes, Pluton-sama."

The old man nodded, "Good, good."

She handed him the stack of paper she had been carrying with her. Pluton lifted the papers on top to the candlelight and carefully read the contents.

"Hannah-sama wants to find someone?" he confirmed again as he scanned the document he had in hand.

"Yes, Pluton-sama."

"Hmm," his eyes lingered on the piece of paper, "Lucia Ninya, an orphan girl, and younger than eighteen…" he skimmed the pages.

Maria stayed quiet.

"That's not very specific isn't it?"

"That is true, Pluton-sama. However, Hannah-sama could not provide any more information regarding the missing person," she tried to explain herself calmly.

Pluton sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, "It seems that I have to ask for the Mayor's help this time. You haven't posted anything on the quest board right?"

"Not yet Pluton-sama."

It was so obvious to Maria that the guildmaster was trying his hardest to get into the hero's good graces. Why wouldn't he after making a huge blunder like trying to drug her? The Priestess was so wary that she didn't even take a sip of the tea she had provided for her earlier.

"Good. For now, collect all the information we have about this person called 'Lucia Ninya.' Tomorrow, I'll go to the Mayor for help as well."

"Understood," and with that Maria left the room.

Once he was sure he was all alone inside the dimly lit room, Pluton leaned back against his chair and yawned.

'Lucia Ninya, Lucia Ninya… Ninya.'

He couldn't help but wonder why the name Ninya sounded so familiar.

w(°ｏ°)w

After she had finished her business at the guild, Tiamat was yet again blocked by a mass of people eager to get a glimpse of the fabled Saint of E-Rantel. With the help of the kind receptionist, she was guided—well escorted to be exact—to the best inn in E-Rantel to stay for the night.

The Shining Golden Pavilion.

One of the most famous locations in the city as well as the most luxurious inn that was frequently visited by high ranking adventurers and nobles.

When she finally arrived and opened the door, a neat array of the staff members—all clean-shaven and dressed in grey house-jackets—bowed to greet her.

"Welcome to the Shining Golden Pavilion, Hannah-sama," the line of staff members warmly greeted her as she walked through the double doors.

"T-Thank you…" Tiamat stuttered. She knew that there would be a lot of people waiting for her at the entrance from their presence, but she thought it was because they were just curious. Were all rich people hotels like this?.

Tiamat looked around the place.

The floor was tiled in marble that echoed with every step. The crystal chandelier refracted its own light and splashed dancing artifacts of glowing luminescence across the floor. Embroidered silk sofas were tastefully placed around the lobby, giving off an air of comfort and sophistication. Heck, even the twin door handles were a pristine gold. The reception desk was made of amber colored wood and a smooth white granite top. Exquisite paintings hung from the rich, red walls. Tiamat lifted her head and saw that even the ceiling was decorated with painstakingly crafted designs.

Tiamat could only gape at the splendid sight.

'Am I still in E-Rantel right now?'

The contrast between the outside and the inside was so apparent that it hurt. It was as if she had landed in a completely different world just by walking into the inn.

An elderly man that looked like the innkeeper had come to greet her at the entrance. "Thank you for your patronage, Hannah-sama. Your room had been prepared. Would you like to have dinner first before you rest for the night?"

"Uhhhhh, what?" Tiamat confusedly asked. She had just arrived without a reservation; there was no way her room had been prepared in advance. Unless the inn had an empty room to spare, but looking at how some people that looked like nobles or very rich merchants were throwing her an envious gaze, she was sure that the inn didn't have much space at the moment.

"Your room has been prepared. Would you like to have dinner first? Our restaurant serves the best and most extravagant dishes cooked by first-class elite chefs with the freshest ingredients preserved by magic. Only a few people have had the privilege to taste the culinary artworks that our chefs have created," the innkeeper elaborated as he subtly boasted.

"Ummm…" Tiamat slowly looked around again. The ornate detailing, the colors put in; every hue from gol to rich wood, completed by the accent colors of the sky and the sea were the perfect compliment to the elegant aesthetic of the inn. Whoever ran the place certainly knew how to beautifully design an interior, or at least employed someone who did.

That was why it scared her.

The rundown inn where she had stayed when she had first arrived in E-Rantel didn't care about aesthetics and only cost her two silver coins a night. So how much money would staying at this place cost?

Furthermore, she had told the receptionist that she would be willing to pay any price in order to find Lucia. Therefore, she had to save up all the money she could for the quest reward because who knew how much they would ask from her? And she did promise that money was not an issue.

'Me and my big mouth…'

"Excuse me," she resisted the urge to wipe her forehead as she responded to the inn-keeper. The elderly man came towards her with smooth, confident strides. Tiamat leaned closer to his ear. She took a big gulp, swallowing her saliva before she asked, "How much would it cost?" she whispered.

The inn-keeper raised his eyebrows. Surely someone as high and mighty as the Priestess could afford to stay one night at the Shining Golden Pavilion, the most prestigious inn in E-Rantel.

"I assure you, our prices are not as expensive as it may seem, Hannah-sama," he calmly stated.

Tiamat started to break out in a cold sweat.

This method that they were using… Wasn't it the same as her bakery?

She deliberately wouldn't put the prices of her bread and cookies in plain sight because she knew that if she were to put a number on the board, then people would probably leave the bakery before they would bother tasting anything.

Only regular customers would know how much her products cost, and the publicity that she got from one-time visitors would be put into good use for promoting the bakery.

"You know…" Tiamat's eyes darted towards the door, "On second thought, I think it would probably be better if I just leave. Yeah… That's a good idea," she edged a bit backwards.

The innkeeper gaped at the woman in disbelief.

No one, and absolutely no one, would reject staying at the Shining Golden Pavilion. Moreover, everyone was dying to taste the cooking of the chefs at the restaurant.

So why would the Priestess refuse the very place that all people craved to visit at least once in their entire lifetime?

This wouldn't do! He needed the Priestess to stay in his inn!

"We will offer you the best services in the world, Hannah-sama," the man said and he inwardly grinned. No one would refuse the best service that the inn could provide for them.

But instead, Tiamat looked even more scared.

'I knew it! This man is a master businessman!'

She also used a similar method back on Earth on first time customers. Give them free bread to taste and they would later return to the bakery just to buy the taste they craved so much. The devil's trick!

He would pamper her and make her return to this inn again and again and again until she would begin to see staying at the inn as the norm.

Tiamat adamantly shook her head, "I think I'll just stay at the Wooden Horse Inn again. Please excuse me," she slowly backed out the door. Once she made sure that the door was closed, she turned around and ran away.

The innkeeper's jaw dropped. People who had been around to see the exchange began to talk.

"Did she just…"

"There's no way!"

"The Priestess refused to stay at the Shining Golden Pavilion!

And thus a new rumor began to spread once again.

Later in the future, the Wooden Horse Inn would experience exponential growth in customers from the Priestess's regular visits. As a result, it eventually became an establishment catering to even the most elite.

But that was a story for another time.

Omake: Shalltear Needs a Hobby

"Shalltear."

"..."

Albedo sighed, her elbow propped up on the table as she rested her forehead against her hand. "Shalltear."

"Zzzz… Huh? Wha wuh tha?" the petite Vampire groggily rubbed her bleary eyes. "What do you waaaa—" she covered her mouth with a hand as she stifled a yawn.

Albedo blinked and tightly pursed her lips, patiently waiting for the Vampire to get herself together.

"So, what did you want, gorilla?" Shalltear propped her cheeks against her hands, her eyes narrowing to an adorable squint, "You've been hanging out with me a lot too, arinsu~. What are you up to?"

"Would you believe me if I said I just wanted to spend time with you?" Albedo calmly took a sip from her glass.

The bar went dead silent.

Then all of a sudden, Shalltear burst into laughter, "AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

The Succubus's eyes twitched, but she stayed where she was without a word as she waited for the Vampire to stop laughing.

"Aaaaaaa~" Shalltear wiped her eyes, "That was a good joke, arinsu~ So what do you really want?"

Albedo sighed again. She had been doing that a lot recently. "What do you usually do in your free time, Shalltear?"

"Haaaaa?" Shalltear pushed her face into the Succubus's. To her credit, Albedo didn't back away but if one looked closely, they would be able to see a hint of exasperation. "Why do you care about what I do, arinsu~?"

Albedo put her palm against Shalltear's forehead and slowly pushed her back to her seat. "It's just a question, lampr—Shalltear."

"Hmmm…" Shalltear scrunched up her eyes at Albedo, lifting a hand to her chin at the same time, "I usually help Aureole manage the teleportation channels and guard the First, Second, and Third Floors. If I'm not doing that, I'm relaxing with my Vampire Brides," Shalltear vigorously nodded her head with no small amount of pride, "Pretty good, right arinsu~?"

Albedo stared at her with deadpan eyes, "So all you do is either stand in place, wander around, or have sex?"

"I-It's not that bad!" Shalltear suddenly stood up from her barstool with a clatter, "I do important stuff too! Lord Ainz and Lady Tiamat told me so!" Shalltear's crimson eyes grew a little watery as she glared furiously at Albedo. "Just because I'm not doing paperwork like you doesn't mean I'm not doing anything important!"

To the Vampire's eternal surprise, Albedo lowered her head with sincere regret, "I'm sorry, Shalltear. I never meant to imply that your work was unimportant by any stretch of the word."

"You better be sorr—! Wait, what?" Shalltear stopped herself mid-sentence as she fully processed what her eternal rival had said, "Did… did you just apologize, arinsu~? To me?"

"Yes. Is it really that surprising?" the Succubus tapped the table with a finger, "Anyways—"

"Wow," Shalltear blankly stared at her, "You've changed, arinsu~"

Albedo stopped mid-sentence, closing her mouth as she looked at Shalltear with a rare and sincere gentle gaze, "We should all strive to better ourselves, no?"

To Shalltear's simultaneous dismay and delight, Albedo pulled her into a hug, "I'm sorry for how I treated you before, Shalltear. Can we be friends?"

Shalltear spluttered and blushed as she tore herself away from the Succubus's embrace. To be honest, she didn't know how she felt about this development. On one hand, she was annoyed that her constant rival wanted to get cozy with her. On the other hand, she felt… fuzzy?

"Hmph!" Shalltear crossed her arms and turned her head away with a pout, "Why are you asking something so dumb when you're supposed to be super smart, arinsu~?"

Shalltear opened her eyes a sliver, and her heart fell slightly when she saw the brief look of hurt that flashed across the Succubus's face.

"Of course we're already friends, arinsu~! Why else would I hang out with someone as annoying as you, arinsu~?"

Albedo's eyes immediately lit up. She did her best to hide it and almost succeeded, but Shalltear could tell. The Succubus was no stranger to her after all.

Strangely enough, Shalltear felt a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. And so she let her mouth stretch into the wide grin Nazarick was so familiar with. "Don't get too big-headed though, you hairy virgin gorilla, arinsu~"

Albedo rolled her eyes with a sigh and a smirk. "If you smile like that, your mouth is going to get stuck that way, you know? Whale-mouthed lamprey."

Shalltear kicked her legs back and forth from the high barstool she was sitting on, "And you're going to stay a virgin doing paperwork forever, arinsu~" Shalltear stuck out her tongue, "So, what were you going to say, arinsu~?"

"Hm?" Albedo tilted her head in an unusual moment of confusion, her head still a little fuzzy from Shalltear's earlier declaration, "Ah. Yes, you should find a hobby, Shalltear."

"I do have a hobby," Shalltear chugged her drink like a five-year old drinking soda, "I have lots of sex with my Vampire Brides, arinsu~"

"What I mean," Albedo tried to clarify, "Is some activity that betters yourself through making something that you and others would cherish or improving some skill that can further the glory of Nazarick and bring joy to yourself and others."

"Woah," Shalltear leaned against the countertop, "That was complicated, arinsu…"

The Overseer's eyelids fluttered as she pursed her lips together, "Find some productive activity."

"That easy, arinsu~?" Shalltear interlaced her fingers and rested her chin on top of them.

"For you? I feel like it might be a bit difficult," Albedo teased as she gently pinched Shalltear's nose.

Shalltear swatted the Succubus's hand with a scowl, "Watch it!"

Albedo giggled, "Alright, alright. So, what do you plan to do now?"

The Bloody Valkyrie sank into deep thought, "Maybe… maybe I can cook and bake stuff with Lady Tiamat, arinsu~!" her pale cheeks furiously blushed, "And then, and then I can get close to her and grope he—!"

The unamused Overseer smacked the back of Shalltear's head, "If that's all you're looking to do, you're just going to be wasting Lady Tiamat's time."

"Okay fine, arinsu…" Shalltear grumbled, "I'll take it seriously then, gooooorilla," she stuck her tongue out.

Albedo smiled with closed eyes, the seemingly friendly gesture underlined with a heavy warning, "That's great! I'll make sure to talk to Lady Tiamat about how you're doing later."

Shalltear pouted with squinted eyes as she hopped off the barstool, "Just you watch, you stupid overgrown chimp! I'm going to be the best baker ever, arinsu!" She proudly jabbed her chest with her thumb before marching out of the bar.

The Succubus good-naturedly rolled her eyes.

'She's actually taking my advice…' Albedo couldn't stop a small smile from sticking onto her face despite her impeccable acting skills.

"Albedo-sama?" Sous-Chef tried to get her attention, "Will Shalltear-sama be back to finish her drink?"

Albedo turned her eyes towards Shalltear's unfinished strawberry juice.

"No," she looked back towards the exit where the boisterous Vampire had left just a few moments ago, "I don't think she will."

"Lady Tiamat!"

"Shalltear?!" the Dragoness shouted over the bustle of the kitchen, putting down her cooking knife as she weaved through the staff, making her way towards Shalltear, "How are you?" she pinched the Vampire's cheeks, "I haven't seen you in so long, aaaaaaa!" Tiamat enveloped the noble Floor Guardian in an all-encompassing hug.

Shalltear shamelessly took this chance to grind herself against Lady Tiamat's chest. "I've—ahhhn~ missed you lots too, My Lady~"

Tiamat, oblivious to Shalltear's odd actions, released her from the hug and tilted her head, "So what brings you down to the kitchen, Shalltear? Are you hungry? Do you need something to eat?" Tiamat put her hand on the chibi Vampire's stomach, causing the Guardian to tremble in excitement even more, "Your stomach seems kind of empty… Make sure you eat often, okay?"

"Mmmmmm~" the Vampire moaned, clearly in heat, "I want a different kind of food, My Lady, arinsu~"

Tiamat stared at her in confusion, "But you can eat regular food…?"

Shalltear reached up to grab her Lady's twin pillows. Drool was gathering at the edges of her mouth as her hands neared the Promised Land.

That was, until her hands were grabbed by Lady Tiamat.

"Awwww, Shalltear~" the motherly Dragoness tightly hugged Shalltear to her chest, "Did you really come here just to grope me? You're just like a cute widdle widdle baby!" Tiamat cooed as she rubbed the Vampire's head.

"I'm not a baby!" Shalltear lifted her head and stared furiously at Lady Tiamat, blood dripping from her nose. She widened her eyes at the sound of her own outburst and quickly covered her mouth in shame. "I'm sorry, arinsu! I—"

"So cuuuuute!" Tiamat cheerfully grabbed both of Shalltear's cheeks and pulled them around, "As expected, my children are the best!"

Shalltear blankly looked at the Supreme Being's warm smile. Her features wavered as her eyes grew watery, "Uuuuuuu…"

"Oh!" Tiamat worriedly put her hand against Shalltear's forehead, "Are you sick?"

"I can't get sick, My Lady…" Shalltear whined as fat tears fell down her chibi cheeks, "I'm so sorry, uwaaaaa!"

"What for?" Tiamat gently patted her head, patiently waiting for the chibi to recover her senses.

"I came down here because Albedo said I needed a hobby, and I thought baking stuff would be a good one since I would be able to do it with you…" Shalltear rambled, "B-But when I came down here," she sniffled, "All I could think about was groping you! And you love me enough to call me your child too, arinsu…"

"Shalltear," Tiamat warmly caught her attention as she knelt down to look her in the eye, "Thank you for wanting to come down to spend time with me. Even if it's to… grope me, I'm really glad that you thought to come to me first when Albedo gave you that advice," the Dragoness lightly rapped her knuckles against Shalltear's forehead, "So don't worry about it, 'kay?"

The Vampire sniffled again, "'Kay."

"So," Tiamat extended her hand to the Bloody Valkyrie, "Want to do some baking?"

A Few Hours Later

"Shalltear."

"Yes, My Lady~?" Shalltear looked up—her eyes big, bright, and hopeful—at her crimson-haired mentor, "Did I do a good job, arinsu~?"

Shalltear put the tray of "food" down on the kitchen island next to her finished pieces.

They were supposed to bake cookies…

Yet Tiamat didn't know what to call the… the… abomination Shalltear had made.

Tiamat glanced at her own pieces: round, succulent, chocolatey, and ready to be eaten at any time.

And then her gaze trailed over to Shalltear's things.

Instead of round cookies, the baked goods had taken on an irregular shape that was strangely reminiscent of a game that consisted of all cubes that Tiamat used to play. The cookies were charred into black crisps, and smelled like baked iron.

The two were like heaven and earth—no, heaven and hell.

"So, so?" Shalltear excitedly asked Tiamat, her eyes beaming with excitement and pride, "How did I do, My Lady?"

Her eyes positively sparkled with happiness. Tiamat's bottom lip wavered.

She didn't have the heart to tell the adorable Vampire the truth.

"Mmhm, yes, it's amazing Shalltear! Y-You did super w-well! Yay!" Tiamat tried to fake her compliments, but when her sharp nose caught a whiff of Shalltear's cookies, she couldn't help but to gag.

"My Lady?!"

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no," Tiamat repeated over and over, her back hunched over.

"My Lady?" Shalltear was patting the Supreme Being's back, concerned over her strange reaction.

"I—I can't lie. Not in front of those horrific abominations," Tiamat began to weep, "Shalltear, I'm sorry, but maybe you should find something else to do."

It was like a sharp arrow had pierced right through her undead heart.

The beautiful image of her baking side by side with Lady Tiamat—with her licking the leftover batter and occasionally groping the Supreme Being—had cracked like a mirror into tiny little pieces, never to be recovered again.

"N-No baking?" Shalltear asked in a small whimper.

Tiamat covered her nose with her sleeves, approached Shalltear and rubbed her back, "I don't think baking is your thing, Shalltear. But it's okay, I still love you even if you're awful at it."

"R-Really My Lady?"

"Really, really."

Shalltear jumped into Tiamat's arms, and the Supreme Being embraced her with open arms.

"Oh, Shalltear?"

Shalltear—who was enjoying the wonderful feeling of her Lady's soft, heavenly bosom— answered in a happy tone, "Yes?"

"Get your hands off my butt."

Shalltear put her hand on her chin as she walked down the hallway, her eyes focused on the carpet as she tried to think of another potential hobby.

"I swear, I will show that Gorilla that my hobby will further the glory of Nazarick, arinsu!" Shalltear resolutely declared as she shook her fist in the air.

A homunculus maid that had been cleaning the hall gave the Floor Guardian an odd look before shrugging and returning to her sweeping.

"But what am I supposed to do now, since Lady Tiamat rejected me, arinsu….?" Shalltear's shoulders slumped. How was she supposed to find something productive and fun now?

'It'll be hard to bury myself in Lady Tiamat's warmth now too…' Shalltear's back was completely slouched over now. She fell face-down onto the hallway carpet and rolled around with absolute disregard for her status as an exalted Floor Guardian.

The maid who had been cleaning could only look on with shock and pity.

"Arrrghhh!" Shalltear clutched her head as she continued rolling back and forth, "What's something useful I can do, arinsu?!"

It was at that moment that a familiar pair of sandals and white hem crossed her vision.

"Shalltear?" Albedo knelt down, putting the stack of papers she had been holding aside, and curiously looked at her, "What are you doing here?"

"Hmph!" Shalltear turned away from her rival, covering her ears with her hands.

"Ahahaha~!" Albedo laughed good-naturedly, "Now I can see why Lady Tiamat tolerates your presence despite your constant harassment," the Overseer lightly poked Shalltear's cheek, "You really are adorable."

"Hmph!" Shalltear tried to swat the Succubus's hand away, "I'm trying to think, so leave me alone you dumbo Gorilla!"

Albedo smiled warmly, picked up her papers, and stood back up, smoothing out her dress as she did so, "In that case, I'll leave you to your thinking then, Shalltear." the Overseer waved and walked away, her back gradually disappearing down the hallway.

"Hmph, I'll show her who's boss, arinsu!" Shalltear brushed her dress off as she picked herself off the ground, "I still don't know what to do though, arinsu…" her lips drooped down again as she was reminded of her plight.

Her gaze wandered to the end of the hallway where the Overseer had left from.

"What if….?" crimson eyes slowly drifted towards the maid, "Hey you, arinsu!"

"Y-Yes, Shalltear-sama!" the homunculus maid snapped to attention. She and her friends had always wondered what it would be like to meet one of the exalted Floor Guardians face to face.

She had never imagined that it would be so frightening.

Knees trembling, the maid fearfully looked down at the petite Vampire and inadvertently recalled how the intimidating Guardian was rolling on the ground throwing a temper tantrum moments earlier.

The tension slowly leaked out of her body, "Is there something I can help you with, Shalltear-sama?" she repeated, far more composed than before.

"Yes. Lead me to Lord Ainz's office now, arinsu~" Shalltear demanded, much like how a child would demand toys from their parents.

"As you wish, Shalltear-sama," the maid put her right hand over her chest as she bowed, "Please follow me."

"Lead the way then, maid," Shalltear proudly marched behind the maid, swinging her arms in wide arcs as she lifted her chin high.

'I know exactly what to do!'

The pair walked for a bit before the maid came to a stop before a set of plain wooden doors. To anyone who had at least some taste in design, they would be able to recognize the doors as masterpieces despite their subdued appearance.

Of course, Shalltear had no eye for something as silly as design, nor did she even bother to appreciate the door.

Instead, she slammed the doors open with arms outstretched, without having even bothered to knock first.

A very tired Overlord lifted his head from his work. "Shalltear. What are you doing here?"

"I am here to ask you for something, Lord Ainz, arinsu!" Shalltear loudly declared.

Ainz sighed, a long sigh that spoke of many hardships, and dragged his hands down his face, "I see. However Shalltear, could you knock first next time? And could you perhaps open the door gently instead of slamming it open?" Ainz nearly pleaded with the Floor Guardian, his pride as their fath—master the only thing holding him back.

Shalltear immediately fell to the ground on one knee, a picture perfect genuflection, "Yes, Lord Ainz! Please forgive me for my rudeness, arinsu!"

"No, no, no it's okay," Ainz waved a hand regally, "Tell me what you came here to ask, Shalltear."

"Lord Ainz," Shalltear took a deep breath in as she mustered all of her courage and yelled at the top of her lungs, "CAN I WORK FOR YOU?"

Ainz winced. He didn't have eardrums that could be damaged, but the screech threw him off guard regardless.

"Shalltear," Ainz slowly spoke in what he hoped was a calm voice, "You already work for me. You're the Guardian of the Upper Floors of Nazarick after all, don't you know?"

"Y-Yes, but…." the crimson lolita squirmed around, "I was wondering if… if… if…"

"If what, Shalltear?" Ainz patiently asked as he gazed upon her in the same way a parent would to a child who wanted attention.

"If I could help you do paperwork or something, arinsu… " the Vampire's voice trailed off into a small whisper.

'This has to be a prank. There's no way Tia didn't set her up to do this.'

"Very well," Ainz decided to humor her, "In that case, do you know anything about what we do in this office?"

"Yes!" Shalltear's eyes immediately brightened up, "Lord Ainz and Lady Tiamat do important things here!"

'She left out Albedo…' Ainz observed.

"You're right," the Overlord nodded in acknowledgement, causing the Vampire to preen with pride, "But it is much more complicated than it may appear. Come over here, Shalltear," Ainz waved for Shalltear to stand next to his desk.

The Vampire happily skipped over to Ainz, past his desk, and right onto his lap.

"Ahem," Ainz coughed into his fist.

"What is it, Lord Ainz?" Shalltear curiously looked up at him with worry in her eyes, "Are you sick, arinsu?"

'I'm a skeleton. I don't get sick…' Ainz screamed in his head.

"No, Shalltear. I am quite alright," he declared as regally as he could with the small Vampire on his lap, "However, I am worried that you might be uncomfortable in this position. Perhaps it would be better if you pulled up a chair next to me?" Ainz hopefully suggested.

"No, this is perfect, arinsu~ I sit like this with Lady Tiamat all the time too," Shalltear tilted her head back, her face completely straight as she looked right at the Overlord.

'No way, no way, no way,' Ainz fought back the urge to pick the lolita up and set her on another chair, 'Wait, why do I feel jealous of Shalltear?'

Before he could follow that train of thought, Shalltear spoke up again, "So what do I need to do, Lord Ainz, arinsu?"

"A-Ah, yes," Ainz coughed into his fist yet again as he pulled out an extremely simple report regarding the production of Death Knights in Nazarick, "Could you tell me what this report is describing, Shalltear?"

He handed the paper over to a pair of petite and pale hands.

Shalltear squinted her eyes as she scrutinized the report.

"Lord Ainz?"

"Yes, Shalltear?"

"What does this number mean, arinsu?"Shalltear pointed at the '1' near the top of the page.

Ainz sweatdropped. 'There's a description right next to it….' But being as patient as he was, he kindly responded, "That's reporting how many people can create permanent Death Knights in Nazarick."

"So just one right?" Shalltear pouted as she held the paper up to the light, "I bet that's you, Lord Ainz!"

The Overlord smiled genuinely this time. 'I am beginning to see why Tia enjoys spending so much time with the Floor Guardians… Shalltear is truly adorable.'

He absentmindedly rubbed her head. 'Regardless of how cute she is though… she's a complete idiot when it comes to something like officework…'

Suddenly, he felt something very damp on his cloak.

'What's this?' Ainz shifted Shalltear around and put a bony finger to his thighs. His finger came away with a clear, sticky fluid.

"Shalltear?"

"Ahhhn~ Yes, Lord Ainz?" Shalltear was now shamelessly shifting her hips back and forth against the exasperated Overlord's lap.

'And she has the audacity to pretend like nothing is happening either. That's it! There's no way I'm going to let her work near me.'

"I…. do not think that an office job is suitable for you. Perhaps your…. Talents. Yes, your talents would be better applied elsewhere," Ainz put both of his hands on her hips and slowly attempted to lift the Bloody Valkyrie off his lap.

To his dismay, Shalltear latched onto the sides of his cloak with an adamantium tight grip. There was no way he, a mage, would be able to physically force off the Valkyrie.

"Shalltear," Ainz's voice dropped. He was in no mood for her foolishness. "If you do not get off me, then I will have to punish you."

"Yes~ Please punish me Lord Ainz, arinsu~" Shalltear had dropped all attempts at keeping a straight face. Her cheeks were as red as tomatoes, her breath hot and steamy, and her movements only grew more vigorous.

Right as the Eight-Edge Assassins above him were about to make their move, the doors of the office opened, revealing none other than Albedo.

"You brat. I tell you to go find something productive to do, and you try to rape Lord Ainz?" Albedo seethed at Shalltear, "Have you no shame?"

"You're just jealous, arinsu~" Shalltear stuck her tongue out as she crossed her eyes, a thin stream of drool escaping from the edge of her lips, "That I got a chance to do—"

Albedo closed the distance between them in a blink of an eye and tore the lolita off the Overlord's lap, throwing her to the other side of the room. She then turned with a worried expression to the very, very tired skeleton.

"Lord Ainz, are you okay?"

"Ah…." Ainz sighed as he stared at the ceiling, his hand grabbing a towel from his Inventory to wipe off the residual fluid, "I am alright, Albedo. Your assistance could not have come at a better time."

"I apologize for not arriving sooner to prevent the situation from happening," Albedo bowed in remorse, "I will personally assign a maid to keep Shalltear out."

"Stop pretending like I'm not here, arinsu!" Shalltear glared at the Succubus.

"There is no need to go that far," Ainz generously declared, ignoring Shalltear, "However," he directed a scathing gaze at the Vampire, "You will not be working with Tia, Albedo, and I in the office. You have demonstrated a complete lack of self-control and total ineptness when it comes to paperwork," Ainz's crimson eyes softened, "I am sorry Shalltear, but please look elsewhere."

Shalltear sniffled. Ainz panicked.

'Maybe I was too harsh on her…'

"Shalltear," his voice as a worried parent, "These doors are always open for you. So feel free to visit whenever you like, okay?"

"Y-Yes, Lord Ainz," Shalltear wiped her eyes as she recomposed herself, "I'm sorry for being so rude, arinsu…"

"We all make mistakes, Shalltear," Ainz gently reassured her from the safety of his desk, "And it is important we strive to avoid them in the future."

"I won't do that in the future then," Shalltear's eyes sparkled with determination, "I promise I'll work hard on it, Lord Ainz, arinsu!" she pounded her chest with a fist.

"Excellent," Ainz nodded, "Now, please continue your search for a hobby."

"Can I stay for a littl—"

"No."

[And then that Gorilla ruined everything and threw me out like I was a kid!] Shalltear fumed over『Message』. [Right when I was so close too…]

[Is that so, Shalltear-san?] the light giggling of a girl filtered into Shalltear's head.

[Anyways Aureole, I still need to find a hobby since Lady Tiamat and Lord Ainz both wanted me to do something else.] Shalltear sat down on one of the cold crypts of the First Floor, her face scrunched up in frustration.

[Hmm, although it is indeed good to have something to do, don't push yourself too hard, Shalltear-sa—Ah, Shizu is requesting access to the Sixth Floor.]

[Okay, arinsu.] Shalltear waved her hand, feeling the familiar sensation of mana being drained out of her, and closed the portal once she confirmed that someone had passed through it. [So anyways, what should I do?]

[Seeing as you're so eager, Shalltear-san, would you like to pay a visit to me? I'll delegate someone else to guard the Guild Staff then.] Shalltear could hear the soft smile of the Youngest Pleiades even through『Message』.

Shalltear shrugged despondently. It wasn't like she had anything to lose at this point anyways. [I'll do that then, arinsu. I'm going to ask Lord Ainz first though.]

[In that case, I'll be looking forward to your presence then, Shalltear-san] With that, Aureole Omega cut off the call.

"Haaaaaa…" Shalltear let out a huge sigh, "Who would've thought finding a hobby would be so hard, arinsu? Anyways, I should probably ask Lord Ainz now… " Shalltear casted another 『Message』.

Beep Beep [Shalltear? Is everything going well?] She beamed at the radiant sound of her Lord's voice.

[Yes, everything is okay over here, Lord Ainz~] Shalltear coughed, forcing herself to focus on the issue at hand. [I just wanted to ask if I could go and visit Aureole-san on the Eighth Floor.]

[Rejected.] Ainz flatly turned down her request. Shalltear's shoulders slumped. [The Eighth is far too dangerous, even for you, if something goes wrong.]

She nearly gave up on her search right then and there, but the smug face of that insufferable Gorilla filled her with a strange sense of determination.

And so she talked back. [B-But Lord Ainz… Umm… Aureole-san is helping me find a hobby, arinsu.]

Shalltear waited with baited breath as silence filled the call. After a while, Lord Ainz finally relented. [Very well. A repeat of the last incident would be a little troublesome after all. Find Pestonya and have her take on your duties for the day, Shalltear.]

Shalltear's back straightened up again. [Yes, Lord Ainz! Thank you so much, arinsu!]

[It's no trouble, Shalltear. I wish you and Aureole luck in your… hobby search.] With that remark, he closed the call.

"Okay. Well, I guess I better get going then, arinsu~" Shalltear opened a portal and skipped through it, sending a『Message』to Pestonya as well.

[Pestonya, could you take on my duties for just today, arinsu?]

[As you command, Shalltear-sama, woof. I will contact Aureole-sama immediately, woof.] A beep indicated the end of the『Message』.

"Alright, arinsu!" Shalltear pumped her fist, feeling a bit of excitement and trepidation at her first visit to the fabled Death Zone of Nazarick. "To the Eighth Floor!"

As she stepped out of the gate, she was greeted by a hot blast of wind to her face. Shalltear squinted as she looked around the mythical Eighth Floor.

All she saw for miles around was the sight of a vast, dusty wasteland. In the far distance stood a cherry blossom tree of titanic proportions.

'Wow, arinsu…" Shalltear marveled at the scenery, "So this is where Aureole-san lives, huh? Well, I guess I better tell her that I'm here, arinsu~" she casted a 『Message』.

Beep Beep

[Aureole-san, I'm here, arinsu~]

[Mmm, just come over to the Cherry Blossom Sanctuary, Shalltear-san. Ah! Also, please be careful as you come over.]

Shalltear lifted her eyebrows in curiosity. [Careful? I'm the strongest Floor Guardian in Nazarick, arinsu!] she loudly bragged, [What's there to be careful of?]

[I have no doubt that you're very strong, Shalltear-san.] Aureole calmly explained. [However, there are entities on this Floor that can be… frightening.]

Shalltear hemmed and hawed for a moment before deciding to trust her colleague. [Okay, I'll be careful then, arinsu~]

[I look forward to your presence then, Shalltear-san.] A beep indicated the end of the call.

"Hmmm, arinsu," Shalltear looked at the giant tree in the distance, "I guess I should get going then."

The Vampire took off in a burst of supersonic speed, leaving a massive cloud of dust and wind in her wake.

'This isn't as frightening as I thought it was going to be, arinsu~' she thought as she continued to zip towards the Sanctuary.

Suddenly, Shalltear felt a chill go down her spine. She slammed her heels against the ground, skidding to a stop, as she quickly turned her head back and forth.

"What was that, arinsu?" she muttered under her breath, "Weird…"

A loud roar shattered her composure. Shalltear quickly zoomed off, faster than before, towards the Sephiroth Tree.

'Shit, is that one of the monsters Aureole-san was talking about? It must be super strong if it was part of the group that killed all of the intruders in the raid, arinsu…'

Frankly speaking, she had no desire to squabble with such a being.

"Ah!" Shalltear perked up as she noticed the Tree looming above her, "Almost there, arinsu~"

She came to a stop right before running into the hallowed gates of the Sanctuary. Shalltear cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled, "AUREOLE-SAN! I'M HERE, ARINSU!"

Shalltear stood there and waited. A few seconds later, the gates silently opened, revealing a delicate black-haired miko with a blindfold over her eyes. In one of her pale slender hands rested some kind of pure-white ceremonial staff.

"Shalltear-san!" Aureole smiled, "Please come in."

Shalltear stood there for a moment, staring at her mysterious coworker.

'So this is what the only human in Nazarick looks like this, huh? She's so cute… I just wanna gobble her up, arinsu~'

"You can stare at me all you like, Shalltear-san," the Miko smiled in amusement, "But please," she moved to the side and gestured towards the inside of the blessed Sanctuary, "Come in."

Shalltear nodded, taking a tentative step past the gates.

"Oh, I don't bite," Aureole joked as she grabbed the uncertain Vampire's arm and dragged her past the gates, "There's nothing to be afraid of here."

"But what about the monsters you mentioned in the『Message』?" Shalltear took several furtive glances at her surroundings.

"Ah, them?" Aureole put a hand on her chin, "They're all outside of the Sanctuary. Here, it's just you, me, and Victim."

Shalltear let out a sigh she didn't know she had been holding in. 'How shameful… I'm a Floor Guardian and I still get scared by just some sounds, arinsu…' She jolted as she felt a delicate hand pat her back.

"There's no need to be ashamed of something so small, Shalltear-san," Aureole warmly reassured her, "Anybody would be wary of the Eighth Floor, especially after Lord Ainz prohibited everyone from coming here."

"How did you know what I was thinking, arinsu?" Shalltear asked curiously. Truly, the Eighth Floor was a mystery.

"Just call it… a hunch," Aureole smiled. Shalltear was sure that if Miko wasn't wearing that blindfold, she would've been winking, "Anyways, please make yourself at home, Shalltear-san."

The Vampire obliged, making her way to a long wooden table sitting in front of an immaculate sand garden. She made sure to carefully jump over to the table rather than just walk all over the garden. Even she could tell that someone had put in tremendous amounts of effort to cultivate all the clean lines and concentric rings of the garden.

Aureole smiled yet again upon seeing this before making her to the table as well. 'Albedo-sama, is this a result of you changing as well?'

Once the two were seated across from one another on cushions, Aureole shook her staff. A moment later, a petite girl with short brown hair and a fox mask that obscured her face silently appeared beside her.

"Could you go prepare some tea for us?" Aureole gently patted her head. The girl nodded, vanishing as quietly as she had appeared.

"Uhhh…" Shalltear hesitated for a second, "Is she a human too? Just curious," she pointed a finger at the empty space the girl was previously occupying.

"Her?" Aureole hummed, "She's a type of demon spirit. It's a bit difficult to explain."

"She looks pretty cute for a demon spirit, arinsu~" Shalltear fidgeted around. She didn't know where to start.

The reason why Shalltear was acting so reserved was because she didn't know anything about the person in front of her aside from the important work she had been doing for Nazarick. Her brides, that Gorilla—Albedo—and even the rest of the Floor Guardians knew how she was like. But somehow, she felt the need to be more professional in front of her coworker, especially after that particular incident.

Her professionality and usefulness to Nazarick was definitely questioned afterwards. Shalltear didn't know what shame felt like before. Now she wanted to avoid such an incidence at all costs.

She wanted to do better. She had to.

"She is, isn't she?" Aureole enthusiastically replied, "Ah, speaking of her, here comes the tea."

The fox-masked girl had suddenly appeared again, this time with two cups and a teapot on top of a smooth wooden tray. She carefully laid the tray on the table and bowed before stepping back to Aureole's side.

"Thank you," Aureole serenely nodded to the girl as she poured out two cups of tea for herself and Shalltear, "I think Shalltear-san has something private to talk about, so you can leave us for now." The girl bowed once again before walking past the two and into the depths of the Sanctuary.

"So," Aureole took a sip from the steaming tea, "A hobby?"

"Yeah, arinsu," Shalltear took a sip and made a face, "Bleeeegh! What is this, arinsu? Leaf water?"

"Yes," Aureole swirled her tea around in the cup with a smile, "It is indeed 'leaf water.' You don't have to drink it if you don't want to, Shalltear-san."

"Shalltear," the Vampire firmly responded as she steeled her nerves before taking a shot of tea, "You can just call me Shalltear. We're coworkers after all, arinsu."

Aureole's smile grew even softer, "In that case, please call me Aureole. I would hate to stand on ceremony with you as well, Shalltear."

"Okay then, Aureole," Shalltear put down the teacup, giving up on trying to stomach the leaf water, "So the Gori—Albedo, told me that I should find something to do with my free time, and Lady Tiamat and Lord Ainz both told me that I should find something else to do, arinsu."

"Mmm," Aureole poured out another cup for herself, "I got that much from our conversation earlier. And you're here because you think I can suggest something suitable for you?"

Shalltear sheepishly scratched the back of her head, "You're the only other Guardian I'm close with besides the G—Albedo, arinsu…"

"I see," the Eighth Floor Guardian looked at Shalltear sadly from under her blindfold. Her coworker must have been hiding a ridiculous amount of pressure under her boisterous appearance. The recent mind control stint could only have worsened her state too.

Aureole put her cup down and stood up, "Well, the best way to find a hobby is to try lots of things until you find one that you like. And you've been doing a really good job there, Shalltear," Aureole smiled, "Here. How about this? I'll stick around and find stuff for us to do until you find an activity that you like. What do you say?" Aureole extended a hand to Shalltear.

Shalltear stared at Aureole's hand for a moment before firmly grabbing and shaking it, her eyes full of determination. "Sounds good to me, arinsu!"

"Great!" Aureole clapped her hands together, "I'm going to go grab a bunch of stuff from my room then," she turned around and ran towards the depths of the Sanctuary before suddenly turning around with an impish grin on her face, "Don't go anywhere, alright Shalltear?"

Shalltear looked at her confusedly. Maybe her coworker was as lonely as she was? "Don't worry. I'm staying right here, arinsu~"

For some odd reason, her chest felt really warm. Maybe it was like the kind of warmth she felt when hugging Lady Tiamat or straddling Lord Ainz?

No, Shalltear shook her head. That was a different kind of warmth, one that burned her body with a fierce intensity.

The warmth that she felt now was a lot like the kind she felt when she was around Albedo. Somewhere around where she felt like her heart would be. Kinda fuzzy too.

'Maybe… another friend?' Shalltear could only hope. Guarding the First, Second, and Third Floors by herself all day could get awfully lonely.

And so Shalltear distracted herself in such a way as she waited for Aureole's return. After a few more looooong minutes, she finally came out from the door that connected the inner Sanctum to the outer house.

"I'm back!" Aureole cheerfully called out to Shalltear, breaking the Vampire out of her stupor, "It took a while since there was a bunch of stuff I wanted to bring out," she carefully placed a large bundle of items on top of the table.

"Woah, arinsu…" Shalltear poked at the bundle, "What is all of this?"

"A list of prospective hobbies that I've brought out for us to try out," Aureole pulled out a handful of blank scrolls and two large calligraphy brushes, "First, let's try some calligraphy!"

Thirty Minutes Later…

"Hmmm…"

"Did I do a great job or what, arinsu?" Shalltear puffed her chest out with pride, not bothering to wipe off the few stray drops of ink that had somehow made their way to her face.

"It's true that everyone has to start somewhere…" Aureole muttered to herself as she stared at the… character her friend had calligraphed. In actuality, it was nothing more than several thick sloppy strokes that had blended together into one big black blob.

'But this is a bit much…'

"Let's try something else, Shalltear!" Aureole put away the brushes and the scrolls as she pulled out her shamisen.

A Few More Moments Later…

Aureole lowered her shamisen with a sigh, the shrill notes from earlier still ringing in her ears, "Perhaps not singing either then…"

Shalltear's shoulders dropped, "I thought I would be good at singing because Lady Bukubukuchagama is my aunty…"

"It's okay, Shalltear," Aureole patted her newly made friend on the back, "Singing is something that takes a lot of practice after all."

Shalltear slumped over on the table, "Uuuuuu…"

The Cherry Blossom Miko gazed at Shalltear with a sad frown. Surely, there was something she could do for her friend?

'She likes fighting a lot from what I've heard… So maybe something where she has to move her body a lot…?' Aureole perked up.

"Shalltear," she picked up her shamisen again.

"Uh huh?" Shalltear's disinterestedly responded, her muffled voice barely heard as her face was buried between her arms and the table.

"I have another idea," the Miko gently strummed the strings with her bachi, causing crystal clear notes to float around in the large room, "Could you move in front of me?"

"Okay, arinsu…" Shalltear slowly got up and moped her way to the center of the room. "What do I do now…?" she listlessly asked Aureole.

"Mmm, just move along to the music, Shalltear," Aureole began playing a slow shōmyō, "You don't have to worry about form or anything. Just focus on the music."

"Oh, okay," Shalltear shuffled her feet along the floor, "I don't know anything about dancing though, arinsu…"

"A good place to start would be to move along to the rhythm is some sort of pattern," Aureole softly murmured to herself before lifting her head up, "Shalltear. For now, move your feet back and forth, and then left to right with the beat of the song. Try to keep your arms at chest level and parallel to it too."

"Like this, arinsu?" Shalltear moved in according to her friend's suggestions. As expected, she moved with awkward steps, unsure of her every action.

'The mind-control incident really messed her up…' Aureole gazed at the struggling Vampire with a soft gaze, 'Her movements are surprisingly smooth though, despite being so awkward…'

"You're doing a good job, Shalltear!" Aureole encouraged as she continued playing her slow somber piece, increasing the tempo by a tad, "The awkwardness goes away with practice."

"Really, arinsu?" Shalltear perked up, "I-I mean, hmph! Of course I can do at least this good, arinsu!"

"I'm looking forward to seeing you improve even more then~" Aureole giggled, switching from strumming to plucking as she played around, "But more importantly," she dramatically paused her playing, "We've found something that you like!" Aureole carefully put her shamisen down before excitedly leaping onto Shalltear.

"W-Waaa!" Shalltear fought to recover her balance from the unexpected hug, "So does that mean I've found a hobby, arinsu?" she asked eagerly.

"Yup!" Aureole got off her back and smiled brightly, "Now just make sure you practice a lot, okay Shalltear?"

"Yeah!" Shalltear fist pumped the air, "Now I can show that G—I mean Albedo who's boss, arinsu!"

"Do remember that you're doing this for yourself most of all, Shalltear," Aureole sagely commented as she bent down to pick up her instrument, "But yes. You are indeed the boss," she stretched her fist out and Shalltear fist-bumped it. "Well!" Aureole put a hand on her hip, "Wanna practice some more?"

"Yes, arinsu!"

And so a few more hours passed for the two: with Aureole gradually expanding the genre of pieces she played as Shalltear grew more and more comfortable with dancing. Laughter filled the Outer Sanctuary as the odd pair enjoyed their time together, until they were both lying on the ground out of breath.

"Ahhhh~" Shalltear took a deep breath in, "That was really fun, arinsu~"

"It was, wasn't it?" Aureole smiled as she stared up at the perpetually bright sky of the Eighth Floor, "Dancing really does suit you. Would you like to come visit again? It's not often that I get to have friends over," Aureole turned her head towards her friend.

"Definitely, arinsu!" Shalltear sat up and vigorously nodded her head, "I'm super glad I asked you for help, arinsu~"

Aureole continued to stare at the sky from under the all-encompassing Sephiroth, her lively beam of happiness receding into a gentle smile.

"Me too, Shalltear. Me too."

imaweeaboo: Hellow everyone, its been a while since we updated. I hope you all enjoyed this quarantine content that we have here [cackled inside the house]. I'm sure the quarantine must be hard on everyone [hey, if you enjoy being inside that's good too], stay strong and stay inside people, please don't be a dum dum. In any case, chapter 30 is done too, and if you like to see it quickly, you all can join the discord server. I won't give you the server link lololol, search for the link in the previous chapter. Gambatte~

Hackslashbash: Yeah, Tia is kind of a bitch here. But worry not! She'll be served humble pie.