Harbingers of Change

Chapter 9

With a rapid increase in Tempest's administrative and ruling sector, the demand for capable servants skyrocketed. Obviously, Nazarick's ruling class was well covered in that regard, but an average merchant or town administrator was hard-pressed to find a maid or manservant who could cook, clean and serve guests in a dignified manner.

With this in mind, Momonga had entrusted Sebas and his closest confidants to solve the problem.

The most logical option, save from just spawning servants on the ninth floor, was to provide rigorous training to the local populace. The spawning option worked well enough to provide staff for Nazarick's natives, but the maids and manservants were not too happy to be employed by anyone else.

But there was another solution to this problem. After all, even the weakest monsters that were named by Lord Momonga could learn the trade of a professional housekeeper. Everyone, regardless of differences in strength and intellect, praised his magnificent ability as it could completely transform one's life.

To teach them a rather simple and elegant plan was made; willing volunteers would be taught everything a servant should know and then provided with opportunities to seek employment through the newly formed housekeeper guild.

The potential attendee list had filled up within a day considering that it was not the hardest job and would pay rather well, not to mention servants would enjoy guild protection against unethical and shady practices of employers.

After acquiring a building for the guild and picking thirty maids from the ninth floor as trainers and clerks, Sebas gathered his main subordinates in the servant area's main meeting room.

Sitting at the end of a table, Sebas waited for the rest to take seats. Beside him sat Pestonya and Yuri, and further away sat Diablo with Eclair in his lap.

Both assistant butlers had formed a tentative friendship to get each other's help with vastly different goals. While Diablo was gunning for the position of Momonga's personal attendant, the penguin was under the impression he had gained an ally who would help him rule over Nazarick.

Once everyone had settled in Sebas spoke with the same tone; soft-spoken, yet stern and unyielding.

"As you all know, Lord Momonga has requested for me to solve the problem regarding capable servants. Last time we settled on the trainer list, but now I must ask for your input on a more important matter: who should be the guild master."

Diablo listened to his superior speak with a faint smile on his handsome face.

For over a month he was carefully preparing for this day. Whispering ideas in the ears of his peers, carefully guiding them to press for only one option. Of course, this had to be done as subtly as possible, as even Diablo was not a fool to forget that there were eyes and ears everywhere in the holy sanctuary that was Nazarick.

"If I may," Diablo spoke up, more or less matching Sebas' tone. Seeing his senior give a small nod, he continued with a stern expression.

"I have taken the liberty to look for suitable candidates, but I have come to the unfortunate conclusion that I didn't find anyone suitable among Tempest's wider populace. My suggestion would be to pick someone from Nazarick, which thereby ultimately boils down to everyone present and the rest of the Pleiades' maids."

"I have already begun looking into that, but the choices remain thin enough as it is. I am thankful however that I am not the only one who reached this conclusion. Yuri, would one of your sisters be up to the task?" Sebas asked, cupping his bearded chin.

"Unfortunately, I too have considered something like this. As capable as my sisters are, none of them, save for Aureole, have any leadership experience." Yuri sighed as she picked up a cup of tea.

"I see… While Aureole can no doubt perform to our standards, her current responsibilities forbid her from taking on this duty. She is a critical part of Tempest's transportation network, after all," Sebas explained, shaking his head. "She would be a perfect candidate otherwise, but Lord Momonga has understandably disallowed her being taken away from her current role."

"I have not heard much about this 'Aureole' person, therefore I cannot offer an objective opinion. What say you, Eclair? Maybe you could take upon this position. You have both skill and charisma."

Diablo addressed the penguin in his lap, knowing that he would refuse. Both Yuri and Sebas furrowed their eyebrows, feeling that they knew exactly what Eclair was going to say.

"While the position is quite tempting, I'm afraid I have to deny this role. The sacred duty of keeping the ninth floor clear is too important for someone such as I. In addition, this role would impede the task bestowed upon me by Lady Ankoro Mocchi Mochi, and that is simply unacceptable." Eclair shut down the idea just like Diablo had planned.

"I understand. The duty given to someone as remarkable as you cannot go uninterrupted. Forgive me for asking," Diablo replied, half-bowing apologetically. Eclair simply gave a dismissive wave towards the demon who concealed his devilish smile.

Sebas let out a short sigh, weighing his options. The potential candidates had shrunken down to three: him, Yuri, and Diablo.

Naturally, it was not right to have Pestonya take the role, as her being the head maid made her schedule as busy as it was. It already took a herculean effort to manage the ever-growing horde of maids. Factoring these in her candidacy, Sebas mentally wrote her off the list.

"Lord Sebas, maybe you should take the position yourself. Eclair and I are capable of running the day-to-day activities of Nazarick's servant staff, woof." Pestonya suggested.

'Perfect. She took the bait I planted. Now for the killing blow to remove any suspicion of me.' Diablo nodded in agreement with the head maid's suggestion before reclaiming the reins of the conversation again.

"If Lord Sebas takes upon the critical role personally, we should redouble efforts in finding a candidate who could take over the guild master position in a reasonable timeframe."

"With your help, that should be a viable option." Sebas reluctantly agreed.

The meeting ended with one step closer to his goal. If Sebas was too busy with other duties sooner or later he would have to delegate some of them to others. A helpful piece of advice, a right whisper to his fellow servants, and he would become Lord Momonga's personal attendant.

To be his only attendant obviously was out of the question as the hordes of maids would likely find a way to remove him instead, but there was no need to hog all the glory. They could still be on rotation and help with things. All it mattered to Diablo was to be by his master's side in a more concrete fashion.

'Now, onto the next step of my plan. I need to leave a good enough impression on Lady Albedo for her to let me make beverages for Lord Momonga.' Diablo broke into a devilish smile as he walked the halls of the ninth floor.

The demoness was a much harder nut to crack, but with the right approach, he could get past her defenses to catch the chance to leave a flawless impression. From what he knew, she was intelligent enough to notice his tampering.

If Albedo, for whatever reason, decided that he wasn't trustworthy, all of his plans would fall like a house of cards. The cunning demoness would never let anyone she deemed unfit to be anywhere near Lord Momonga.

'I think the best approach will be to make tea for her and the other two consorts. Shion's palate is simply abysmal as she cannot even tell the difference between a good tea and a bad one. Shalltear is refined enough. I think I'll start with her.'

As Diablo indulged into his scheming absentmindedly walking towards his next destination, a feeling of unease washed over him, prompting him to stop his walking.

'She is near.'

"Scheming to get closer to the master?"

The words laced with a frightening chill made Diablo immediately recognize the owner of the curious voice. Rubedo had somehow manifested herself in front of him, and the two began a silent staredown.

The void creature, no matter how hard she tried to fit in, always brought an aura of enigmatic fear wherever she went. It baffled Diablo that, out of all the people he had ever met in his millenniums, Rubedo was the only one that made him genuinely be on guard for his own safety.

Diablo flashed her a polite smile. Hiding the wariness in his tone, he spoke with a riveting calm.

"You could call it inner competition. As long as it is not destructive and it benefits the master, I see no problem in the strategy I undertake to get closer to Lord Momonga."

"Spare me your drivel. Still, it's quite interesting how far you are willing to take this." Rubedo took a few steps forward, invading his personal space. "Yes… I see now. You have a faint scent of the depths on you."

"Why, I could say the same about you, Lady Rubedo. The master of Nazarick seems to have an interesting deck of cards up his sleeve." Diablo leaned closer to her.

Despite having all the reasons to fear her, Diablo couldn't help but embrace her mystical presence. And it wasn't anything as banal as her good looks or position close to Momonga. If what the demon heard was correct, very few had stood so close to someone like her and lived to tell the tale.

"I am not hiding what I am. Master knows. You, on the other hand, have dwelled where beings of forms do not go, yet continue to hide the scars within you." Rubedo traced her index finger over his chest. "I wonder why you decided to serve my master. Ambition? To get his power? My sister has noticed your machinations. Nothing gets past her gaze, and now it is my duty to see if her suspicions are correct."

As much as Diablo wanted to weigh his choices, choosing any path that would favor his selfish benefits was unwise right now. The beast from the depths was beyond his ability to defeat.

He ultimately decided against his self-preservation instincts, letting Rubedo come closer to him like a predator inching towards its immobilized prey.

"Nothing of the sort, I assure you. I find Lord Momonga fascinating."

"Sweet lies from a little demon. You are not of their design. You have your own ambitions." Rubedo dragged her index finger over his cheek.

Diablo was a highly tolerant demon, at least compared to his peers. But he could not let anyone downplay his loyalty.

"I find your accusations to be baseless. I have done nothing that could be deemed as going against the will of Lord Momonga. As a demon, I would never break a deal, and the deal is that I will be Lord's royal servant for five millennia. Maybe a lot longer if his generosity wills it." Diablo's voice grew harsher as his expression darkened.

"That is well within standards, I suppose. Nonetheless, let me give you a taste of what awaits you should your ambitions outgrow your reason."

Rubedo took a step back, and she began to place multiple layers of shields around them. Diablo instinctively put his guard up against a possibly hostile action.

With a smile that could only be described as purely unnerving, she jammed her fingers into her head at the edges of her face just in front of ears. The crackling noises reminiscent of porcelain shattering into a million pieces made Diablo wince. What followed afterward was something truly bizarre.

Rubedo proceeded to remove her face like a mask, revealing a wicked sheet of void for the demon to see.

As soon as Diablo's eyes fell on the churning, twisting darkness that would have sent ordinary men to madness, he could not bring himself to turn away. Perhaps he was now being allured to the true form of Rubedo for some odd reason.

No, he could only surmise that it was but a mere fraction of the incomprehensible truth which stood before him.

Diablo could not help but let out a choked gasp. Something dangerous was hiding within Rubedo, that was for sure, but the demon genuinely felt like he was going to be devoured in one fell swoop. It became increasingly difficult for him to stand his ground, let alone keep his gaze locked on the humanoid-shaped horror.

Without realizing it himself, his smile soon matched that of Rubedo's face that she casually held in her hands.

"I recognize it. That horrific scent of the deep depths…! None of my equals dared to plunge there. Even Rouge refused to do so, saying that it was a fool's errand even for beings like us. All of my peers assumed I would never see the light of day again."

Diablo admitted that continuing to interact with Rubedo did not ease the palpitations in his chest. The only thing that drove him to see this through was gaining more knowledge, even if it meant risking his own life.

Ignoring his instincts screaming at him to get away, Diablo lifted his white glove-clad hand and extended it toward the tar-like substance in front of him.

"You are the reason why Master is so fascinating. He controls you, a being that seeks to consume everything in its path. Yet despite that power that no one should have a right to control, you allowed him to shackle you. I simply cannot fathom Master's convictions."

"Compared to my ravenous counterparts who are driven by baseless hunger, I am more intertwined with curiosity. Yet despite how things will play out, it won't be me who devours this ordered universe. It will die a natural death in its due time."

"Of course, I can at least understand that. Curiosity, while beneficial at times, can only do so much without an unlimited time frame to operate with. Still, my peers are foolish for succumbing to their fears. What I saw there were only beasts of endless hunger, but I am none the wiser and have managed to pull myself out before I became a victim of their consumption."

With unknowing intent, Diablo slowly moved his fingers toward the darkness, pushing his finger into what was her forehead.

The silent movement was met with due response, as Rubedo gently pushed his arm away. She placed her human face back in its place, mending the cracks as a result of her presentation. She then lifted her own arm and broke it off at the wrist.

A tendril-like appendage grew out of the stump and touched Diablo's neck.

Diablo watched her actions intently, hiding the trepidation on his face. His infallible instincts were screaming for him to make a run for it. This was an erroneous move, of course, as Diablo felt he could easily ascertain the motive behind this intriguing appendage.

It was clear if he tried to run, Rubedo likely would try to consume his entire being.

On the other end of this tense encounter, a brief feeling of worry crossed Rubedo's mind. This was not related to the action she was currently undertaking, but rather the reason for doing such a thing.

'Master is my window to ordered existence. Diablo is of no real concern to me, but his curiosity may lead to unforeseeable problems. If Albedo has taught me one thing during those sporadic lessons, it is that I should nip it in the bud before it blooms. I won't let anything endanger my master.'

After coming to a conclusion, Rubedo wiped out the last vestiges of her hesitation. Diablo seemed to sense a vague change in the air surrounding Rubedo, which only made him more on guard.

Without warning, she jammed her tendril-like appendage into his chest directly at a certain spot. It was where the demon had gained a permanent scar during his first, and last, plunge into the depths.

Diablo groaned in pain, but that was the only reaction he allowed himself. He continued to feign ignorance of his pain despite the staggering amount of danger signals traveling within the entirety of his material body.

"Wait, just hold on a moment! How long is this going to-"

"I need to see the truth for myself. Do not resist." Rubedo smiled at him creepily, ignoring the clenched teeth of the demon.

The gritting of Diablo's teeth continued to persist until something else changed, subsequently affecting the demon's own reactions to the otherworldly pain he was going through.

His teeth started to make chattering noises followed by the shaking of his arms. It was as though his body was placed in an icy prison.

"W-what is this? This feeling… Never would I have expected it to feel this cold…"

"Master could withstand my touch, but we all know he is vastly superior to someone like you." Rubedo finally withdrew the tendril and reattached her hand. "If I am correct about you, that you are the only one amongst your peers that has seen a glimmer of the truth, then you and I are not so different in our endless pursuits. But if you wish to serve under the same Master, then you must always remember to keep the Master's desires above your own."

"That… was my intention from the very start." Diablo huffed, though he did his best to utter his words as though they were nothing but mere facts. He straightened out his butler's suit and kept a steady gaze on Rubedo.

"That being said, I would advise not performing such a test on lesser servants of Lord Momonga. While you caused mild discomfort in me, a lesser creature would break down instantly. I would not be surprised if even their soul capitulates to a momentary exposure of your… being."

"Hm? Of course. I would never go out of my way to endanger a denizen of Nazarick."

Rubedo tilted her head like an innocent child would, but Diablo could see through it right away.

'She tries to fake innocent curiosity every chance she gets. And what was that about endangering a denizen of Nazarick? Does that mean I am still not considered as such in her own eyes? No, that can't be it. There must be something else at play. I must be more careful in my future encounters with this abomination.' Diablo grimaced to himself.

"Then, am I to correctly assume that all of this was a test from the beginning?" Diablo questioned, maintaining his friendly facade.

"Yes, you could say that. Consider this test to be a… stamp of approval to be worthy of standing by our Master. I will be sure to report my findings to Albedo as well."

With those words, Rubedo teleported away, leaving only a faint afterthought of her dreadful presence.

Once it was fully confirmed that she was gone from his vicinity, Diablo let out a chuckle at the diabolical test that was performed on him.

'It seems I stand corrected. A beast from the void can be tamed, after all. Surely my Master's powers know no bounds if he can control his servants and make them utterly loyal, regardless of their origins.'

Diablo felt his confidence falter, albeit just a little. Remaining on top of others in his pursuit to be Lord Momonga's personal servant was not going to be an easy task if there were anomalies like Rubedo getting in the way.

However, he found the interaction to be more productive than he initially thought.

'In the end, the biggest problem solved itself. How wonderful.'

X

The risk of being scolded by Lord Momonga for taking unnecessary actions was better than letting a potential traitor roam around unpunished. Albedo had noticed Diablo's actions being rather self-serving for a while. What exactly the demon planned was hard to tell, but there was no doubt in her mind that Rubedo would find out and discover his machinations.

Trusting the void creature who now called herself her sister was not optimal, but Rubedo's self-interest was to keep Momonga alive and retain an opening to the material world.

Albedo put aside another report and started to read the next one whilst trying to keep her mind focused on the task. She knew making pointless speculations would get her nowhere.

She briefly considered utilizing Nazarick's surveillance system to witness the interaction between Diablo and Rubedo, but it would only impede her duties. When she found out that the demon was still alive and on the servant list, her concerns had finally been extinguished.

As Albedo flipped pages of a detailed report from Rigurd about the capital's day-to-day planning, the door of her office opened without a knock. There was no need for her to scorn the visitor as she immediately recognized their aura.

"Well? Do you find him trustworthy?" Albedo asked. There was no mistaking her sister's hidden aura for anything else.

"He wishes to serve. There is duplicity in his heart, but his loyalty is ensured," Rubedo replied, approaching the table.

"You understand that if you are mistaken, we might let a traitor get closer to Lord Momonga. While I trust your appraisals of an individual, this particular demon is too secretive for his own good."

"The little demon is like me. He is unwilling to abandon his thirst for knowledge; an understandable sentiment that our Master would understand to a certain degree. I had initially pegged him as your average, arrogant demon who only yearns for power and nothing else."

"Go on?" Albedo furrowed her eyebrows in slight annoyance, not knowing where her sister's explanation was going.

"Interestingly enough, he does not hold ambition in his heart. As long as our Master remains, the demon will serve without question." Rubedo said in her usual soft emotionless tone.

'So he is loyal. But why? What reason does this demon have to have such a mindset? He is not the creation of a Supreme Being? Maybe he knows something about our creators we do not? I guess I will just have to rely on Lord Momonga's wisdom this time and report my findings.'

Albedo put down the report with pages open to return to it later and motioned for Rubedo to follow.

"If you had divulged this information to me before we arrived in this world, I would find all of this hard to believe. Nevertheless, it is prudent that we report these findings to Lord Momonga as soon as possible. Compared to our Master's judgment, we are but feeble beings."

True to Albedo's words, Momonga ended up listening to Rubedo's report, followed by the succubus who offered her own appraisal on the matter.

Once both had told their opinions on the matter, the crimson points in the undead's eyes flared up to a vicious intensity. The two women started to have nervous looks on their faces.

"While I could excuse Diablo's earlier actions, he had essentially gone behind my back. Some of his actions could even be considered as obstructionism. Is he mocking my efforts to create a safe and hospitable work environment?" Momonga spoke to no one in particular.

The two women shuddered at the barely concealed venom in their Master's words. It only terrified them more that the papers that Momonga had been holding the entire time were now crumpled.

"M-my Lord, it is treasonous for a fellow servant to go behind your back! But I fail to understand the deeper meaning behind Diablo's actions, if there is any. Should he not receive the proper punishment for his actions?" Albedo answered, trying her best not to show visible distress.

"You have a point, Albedo. And no, there is not a deeper meaning behind this. But I consider some of his actions to be inexcusable, nonetheless."

Workplace aggression was quite common back in Momonga's world. It was unavoidable for new employees to be treated harshly by the higher-ups, but even their peers gave them the cold shoulder. Wanting to focus on improving their own public image, some employees were entirely uninterested in helping people settle down into their workplace.

The thought of Diablo mimicking the attitude of an overly ambitious employee who disregarded his peers' feelings reminded Momonga of those dark times.

"Then, shall I dispose of him, my Master?" Rubedo said. "If someone who had pledged their loyalty to Nazarick turns away from their duty, they will soon learn that this sanctuary can also become a hellish prison. I can promise you that the touch of the void will be the least of their concerns."

"There is no need to go that far. I will look into it myself. Albedo, please call Diablo in."

"Of course."

Albedo gave a stern nod before placing two fingers next to her head. Momonga leaned back into his chair, letting go of the now crumpled reports.

'I have no doubt Rubedo's words are true. If she says Diablo is trustworthy, there must be some merit to their words. Hmm… this would probably be the best time for me to learn more about her ability. I could make my own assurances without having to depend on Rubedo.'

Rubedo had already proven her loyalty to an obsessive level on several occasions. This loyalty made Momonga think the void being would happily kill her own sisters should they do anything suspicious. Still, not having Rubedo interfere this time was better safe than sorry.

{ Rubedo, can you show me how you looked into his soul? } Momonga sent a Message as he mentally retreated to the void being's core. This allowed him to interact with her with much less restrictions.

The experience was by no means pleasant, but his undead nature provided him with ample shielding. While her true form continued to give him a mildly unpleasant feeling, it was no longer unbearable to be around.

{ I understand that my Master will have to wield the void in the foreseeable future. I would be more than happy to show you. }

To Momonga, it amused him that Rubedo sounded childishly enthusiastic about helping him out.

Soon though, he began to make the shape of the loose tendrils near the core. They had slowly reshaped itself to resemble Rubedo.

Momonga mentally prepared for the feeling of being directly touched and activated Omniscience to understand her actions.

Rubedo moved one of the tendrils into her master's chest in the place where his heart should be. The intense coldness engulfed him, but it was nothing he couldn't handle before and now. Ainz continued to let the void creature explore his very being while simultaneously using his skill to understand what she was doing.

As a result, new sub-skills needed to be created for convenient use. For this purpose, he created a new core for Omniscience and named it the Touch of Void. This new subskill could see the information from the void's perspective, which saw everything as food to consume, and thus not let even the slightest sliver of information remain unnoticed.

'Without Omniscience, I'm not sure if I could make sense of this. But by now I learned not to question these auspicious gains.'

{ That's enough, Rubedo. I learned the ability. You can let go of me. }

There was a slight hesitation, making Momonga think for a split second he would have to put his foot down. To his relief, Rubedo retreated from her advance.

{ Thank you, Master. To taste you was exhilarating. }

'Really? Why does she have to make everything sound so creepy? Do the other beings in the void act like this? Well, it doesn't matter. I learned what I could, so it's best to wrap this up as soon as possible.'

When Momonga returned back to the present moment, he saw that Diablo had already entered his office and was presently kneeling before him. A palpable air of tension surrounded the demon.

"Your actions were not left unnoticed. Did you seriously believe you would outsmart everyone?" Momonga said to the demon whose confidence was visibly fading.

"No, my Lord! I had assumed my actions would be beneath your notice. I am but a humble servant aiming for the position where I could serve the best." While Diablo managed to speak calmly, he cursed himself for speeding up his explanation at the very end.

It was becoming increasingly clear that the pressure in the room was honing in on Diablo's position. A glistening droplet of sweat on the demon's cheek betrayed the rampant thoughts within his mind.

"Is that so? Ah, there is no need to feel under duress, Diablo. I understand where you're going with this." Momonga stood up from his office chair, and he put his hands behind his back in a magnanimous manner.

For a moment, Diablo felt color return to his face, only for it to completely drain when he heard Momonga's next words.

"But I would cease with the pretty words, Diablo. Your machinations involved shoving other loyal servants out of your way which is more harmful than beneficial to me."

"My Lord…"

Diablo could not muster the strength to look up. The way the conversation was going only spoke of his imminent demise.

"However, after giving a brief read on the reports, I can now see clearly that your motivation to rise up in the ranks is genuine. Since even Rubedo acknowledged your loyalty to Nazarick, I will allow you to explain the purposes behind your recent actions."

Diablo swallowed the saliva that had been rapidly building up in his mouth for the past few minutes.

Just as he had thought the waters were clear and he was one step closer to his goal, all his efforts were on the verge of collapse.

To someone as great as Lord Momonga who could change the hands of fate on a whim, Diablo felt his own actions were miniscule in comparison. But going against his Master's efforts, no matter how small, was most likely considered a severe act of treason for everyone within Nazarick.

'I have already made it this far. I can't afford any mistakes right now!'

After forcing his mind to be in a state of calm, Diablo slowly stood up, adjusting his tie as he found the words he wanted to say.

"My truest wish is to be near you, my Master. I have only one option on how to achieve this goal. Obviously, I cannot compete with your lovely concubines, so changing my gender to suit your preferences was something I couldn't entertain from the get-go."

Diablo momentarily switched to being a woman to emphasize his point. For a demon like him, gender was nothing more than a preference that could be changed at will.

To Momonga and the others, this action of his would be initially seen as nonsensical.

This was true especially for Albedo, who was conflicted on whether she should feel outraged or bewildered. She ended up clenching her fists as the thought of a new harem competitor made its way into her head.

However, Diablo had two reasons behind this.

First, Diablo needed to be more upfront about his goals. He was well aware by now that going through things in a roundabout way was a waste of his Master's time. This was amongst the first things he learned about Lord Momonga during his tenure as a lowly servant of Nazarick.

'I admit it was a huge blunder on my part to desperately explain my actions. If I were in my Master's shoes, I too would get angry if they did not explain their own misgivings immediately.'

Second, Diablo wanted to play up on Albedo's ego. Compared to people like Sebas, someone who would gladly abandon their ego to serve Lord Momonga, the succubus could not help but act haughty around his Master's presence.

This led to Diablo thinking that the path of appeasement would be the surefire way to earn Albedo's sympathy. He did recognize that Albedo was initially displeased by his mere suggestion of becoming a concubine, but by the end of his explanation, he was relieved to see a prideful smirk on Albedo's face.

"Yes, that… Hm. That is… quite interesting, to say the least." Momonga spoke with several pauses, making Diablo briefly confused. "Well, I had already understood from the get-go that your ambition has earned Sebas' respect despite how aggressive you had been."

That much was true, and Diablo felt a genuine pang of guilt for his senior. There was no doubt in the demon's mind that Sebas's compassion was wasted on someone like him.

"Indeed, and for that I must apologize. It was not my intention to belittle the other servants of Nazarick. I consider my own experience to be matchless, yet I failed to see the damage caused by my own arrogance. I assure you, Master, that I have no ulterior motives. I would only prefer to remain in your service as a personal servant for eternity."

Silently Momonga took a step closer to the demon and extended his hand, touching Diablo's chest with his index finger. Unlike Rubedo whose inspection was performed with a tendril-like object from the void, his own technique was less subtle.

A pitch-black current traveled out of the tip of his bony finger, as though a bolt of lightning was drenched in tar. The demon's expression twisted into a pained shock.

"This is…!"

Dablo looked down with widened eyes, seeing the mysterious current working its way from his chest all the way to the lower region of his neck. He immediately felt a sense of deja-vu, though it was an oddly more pleasant feeling compared to Rubedo's horrifying touch. The demon looked back up to face Momonga with a wide grin.

"So it's true! You have already tamed the void and beckoned it to your will. Never have I foresaw such a development, but if it is someone like you, my Lord, there can be nothing but surprises. I have nothing but pure astonishment for my Master's abilities." Diablo gave a warm smile, completely ignoring the otherworldly pain he was feeling right now.

'What the hell? He really does just want to be a professional ass-kisser. Is there really no ambition beyond him just wanting to serve? And here I thought I would only see this zealousness come from people within Nazarick.'

A feeling of tiredness crept upon Momonga's mind when he thought about yet another overwhelmingly loyal servant being added to Nazarick's ranks.

"Well, Diablo; it seems everything you said was true. That however doesn't give me a reason why I should oblige your wishes, considering you went around my back to achieve them."

'It would be a waste to discard him right now. Reports did say he learned all the household duties of a butler with a frightening speed. If Sebas feels overburdened with running the school and overseeing upper management for Nazarick's servants, I could let Diablo take this position.'

"What do you think, Albedo?" Momonga turned to his head consort, knowing that this decision would affect her as well.

"I do not agree with his methods, but as a creation of the Supreme Being, I understand his desire to be close to you, Lord Momonga. A single chance to prove himself capable could be given. If he ever fails in his duties, he could be handed over to Demiurge, as he is well versed in handing out the proper punishment," Albedo said, still holding a smug grin on her face.

As she was saying this, Diablo managed to catch a glance from the succubus that practically screamed:

'Do not mess this up.'

"I see. That is an excellent suggestion, Albedo. Very well."

The sinister looking lightning began to recede, and Diablo let out a sigh of relief. He quickly resumed back to a stoic demeanor, seeing that his Master was about to say something.

"I have made my decision, Diablo. From now on, you are my personal attendant. However, I will not tolerate any sort of scheming against Nazarick and its inhabitants. The other servants that have been caught in your ambitions have always served for the betterment of Nazarick. Depriving them of such duty could be seen as a slight to my judgment."

Diablo was unable to prevent the goosebumps from traveling over his body. He mentally cursed to himself when he saw the smug looks on Albedo and Rubedo; both watching from the sidelines the entire time.

"My Lord… You have my word that I will not interfere with anyone's duties and keep in mind the wishes of homunculus maids." Diablo said with utmost reverence. He placed a hand over his heart and deeply bowed.

"We shall see."

In the end, his goal had been achieved. In an ironic twist of events, Diablo realized he needed to be more careful than ever to not draw the ire of Lord Momonga and Albedo as both were unlikely to put complete trust in him any time soon.

'It will be a lot safer to do the more hand-off approach and let the maids do their jobs. I think I should start with learning the food and drink preferences of Lord Momonga and his three consorts. The happier they are with my performance, the less risk of losing my position there is.'

After sorting out the thoughts in his mind, Diablo straightened out his posture. Remembering the refined movements he had accrued from his experience as a professional butler, the demon flashed a charming smile.

"Then, what is your bidding, my Master?"

Edited by Zirmeister.

AN: Thank you for reading the story, and if you have caught up to the latest chapter, you can check out my other work or join my discord server (Link is in my profile) where additional chapters are available or if you are interested in becoming a beta reader (gives access to chapters months ahead of regular readers).

Proofreading by Ethal07, Alassandro, SwissChocolatess, Tophrel, Visur Nyxan, aidan_lo, and Yogpod.