NOVEL WEB 16. Pandora’s Actor
After sighing a few times, I felt it was time to move onto the next order of business. I'll be equipping the floor guardians with world items. World items are nowhere near strong enough to be compared with objects like infinity stones. One of them affects a world at most while the other works on a universal scale. Regardless, there is nothing wrong with being extra prepared.
Since I'll have to go to the treasury, I'll have a talk with Pandora's Actor as well. Despite his character, he is also very smart and has useful abilities, so I'll make him read the comics as well. All so I can also send him off to make my slacker life a reality.
Thinking so, I got up from the throne and prepared to leave. As expected, the guardians started making a fuss when they saw me leaving. Perhaps because I was planning on going alone as quickly as possible or because I had only been in the throne room for about 10 minutes before I'm leaving again. Sorry kids, but you have deal with an unreliable leader. As their arguments for having someone accompany and protect me even within Nazarick were starting to annoy me a little, I finally said 'Fine, one or two of you can come along with me.'
Such a phrase seemed to have sparked a conflict as I did not designate who should accompany me. But I did not care. I was in a bad mood. This was how it would be for the foreseeable future. Yet, it seemed the candidates were decided rather quickly. Maybe as they were afraid I would be displeased that they took a long time to decide? Anyway, the winners were Sophia and Aura. I was truthfully a bit surprised that Albedo did not win in whatever method they used to decide, but chalked it up to the fact that she did not truly want to accompany me. Despite the angry and depressed face she was displaying, I was not Ainz after all. I'll change her settings back to normal while she is reading comics.
As the other guardians begrudgingly backed off, I teleported us towards the treasury. The treasury was located in a separate spatial plane and could be considered a separate floor in itself. Normally, one would need the rings of Ainz Ooal Gown to enter, but I was an exception as a master of dimensional magecraft.
The entrance was a treasure hall that had a limitless ceiling. It contained vast amounts of wealth in gold and luxurious items.
"I didn't know our guild had this much gold!" Aura said genuinely shocked by the vast display of wealth.
'This gold is mainly used for resurrection. It is also a distraction for possible invaders. If they see all this gold, many of them won't even try to move further. That is, if they even made it here. There is an item called 'blood of Jormungandr' that makes the surrounding air highly toxic and prevents thieves from trespassing.' I spoke a bit about the design of this place.
We flew across the hall and reached the door to the treasury which looked like a bottomless pit. 'Glory to Ainz Ooal Gown.' I spoke and a series of words in Latin appeared on the door. I spoke one again- "With great sagacity it doth ascend gently from Earth to Heaven. Again it doth descend to Earth, and uniteth in itself the force from things superior and things inferior."
And so, we entered the armoury. Aura was looking around with keen interest. Her playful nature does complement such behaviour. I guess I'll take Aura and Mare to play somewhere when I have time…don't judge me, I'm very busy…unfortunately.
Sophia on the other hand did not seem to care much at all. I know her settings well as I wrote them myself and they were taken from my memory of her. I remember inputting possessive behaviour into her flavour text to make her similar to the original, but maybe I accidentally created a yandere? There is also no Merazophis here for her to be a yandere, after all. Nothing about him or the kumo desu plot was mentioned in her flavour text either so she is fundamentally different from the original Sophia. No, while she is staring at my back very creepily, it is still far off compared to a true yandere like Albedo. She should just be concerned for my safety like other NPC's. At least I think so.
I remember that Nazarick has many data crystals remaining and the guild level cap has been lifted probably as this is not YGGDRASIL anymore. Maybe I can try to experiment and create other NPC's in the form of Wrath or Ariel as well later. I can use the Administrator skill to achieve this. This was not tested by Ainz in the original as truthfully there was no need for him to do so, but every NPC created is an addition to my strength.
As I was lost in my thoughts we finally made it to the lobby where Pandora's Actor was disguised as Ainz.
"Momonga-sama?" Aura exclaimed
'No Aura, that is Pandora's Actor. Momonga's creation. Remove your disguise, Pandora.'
Pandora removed his disguise and returned to his original form and bowed towards me followed by a salute in an exaggerated manner.
"~Welcome to the treasury, meine Göttin~. To what do I owe this visit from one of the great supreme beings herself?"
I could see Sophia frowing at his behaviour while Aura may have thought he was funny. Anyway, I tried to diffuse the situation quickly.
'I came to get world items stored in the treasury. You may also have heard about our transfer to this world. I have some tasks for you. Firstly, here are items that Momonga had left behind when he departed. Arrange them properly.' I handed many of the items in Ainz's inventory to Pandora's Actor.
"Has my creator really passed away?" I could sense the sadness in Pandora's Actor's voice as he spoke.
'I am sorry but that is the truth. I don't know what else to say, but know that I don't plan to be leaving anytime soon.' That may be cold but I really did not know what to say. I did not understand their dedication to me on a fundamental level. Nor did I have time for sentimental squabbles.
"It's okay, meine Göttin. I have had these last two days to think over this. At the very least, I have one last supreme being to serve before losing purpose in my life. I will complete the task you assign to the best of my abilities. Please assign me the second task as well." Even I did feel a little sad at this. Haa, Momonga couldn't you have stayed behind for a couple more minutes? You would have made everyone's life easier.
'Very well. After arranging Momonga's items, go to the Grand Library to meet up with Demiurge and Albedo. You can study the information I have stored with them. Once you are finished, I will give you your next task.' I ordered.
"Wenn es meines Gottes Wille!" He replied again in his signature exaggerated manner and moved on to work. Not before, I gave him my ring of Ainz Ooal Gown, of course. I did not want to be attacked by the golems inside.
'Now let's head into the Mausoleum.' I declared