Obsession: Albedo’s Desire

Night deepens, but E-Rantel never succumbs to darkness. Magical streetlights line the main roads, glowing at regular intervals. Death Guards patrol tirelessly, day and night, ensuring the city's safety—a blessing bestowed by the great Lord Ainz. Some nations may fear him, but the citizens of the Sorcerous Kingdom, human and Nazarick servant alike, revere him with utmost devotion.

Thus, a woman can walk the streets alone without fear. Lady Solution, leaving Lord Ainz's residence, is accompanied by her maid instructor on her way home. Even in a less secure city, Solution would stride through the night unfazed.

Her pace is slow, however, as every ten steps, the maid instructor nudges her to pause. Though disguised as mistress and servant, Solution, a Pleiades, outranks the general maid, even beyond the facade. Officially, all Nazarick servants are equal, but reality differs. The maid's boldness borders on disrespect, yet Solution thanks her.

"Lady Solution," the maid says.

"…Thank you," Solution replies.

The pattern repeats. Every ten steps, Solution's form wavers, and the maid corrects her. Though she appears as a beautiful woman, Solution is a slime. If she relaxes too much, her human guise collapses into her amorphous true form. It's rare, but her current euphoria—heart racing with bzzzt bzzzt!—causes her to soften into a squishy state.

Today was fulfilling for Solution. She's returning from Lord Ainz's residence, having been at Nazarick earlier. Lord Ainz himself escorted her, a gesture of kindness, noting she must miss her sisters after staying in E-Rantel. Solution was moved to tears, as were the maids present. Even Sebas held back tears.

Oh, how kind Lord Ainz is! The hymn praising him has five verses.

At Nazarick, she caught up with her sisters and savored exquisite meals exclusive to the tomb. They were delicious, but Solution mused they'd be even better shared with Onii-sama. The true source of her fwoosh fwoosh joy, however, was her meeting with Sebas.

As Onii-sama predicted, the meeting was a triumph. Sebas listened intently, nodding and approving her proposal.

"It's an excellent idea," Sebas said. "Is it from that young man?"

"No, it's my own," Solution replied. "He's reliable, but I don't let him meddle in Nazarick affairs."

"I see, from you…" Sebas mused. "I never imagined you'd consider marriage with a human man."

"It's not about me," Solution clarified. "It's for all Nazarick servants. I propose allowing marriage between servants and humans, applicable to those who desire it. However, it may not affect those who rarely leave Nazarick. I'd like to gather opinions from those who interact with humans often before presenting it to Lord Ainz. Depending on the feedback, I may retract it."

"If it's optional, there's no need to retract," Sebas said.

"As a Pleiades, I'm overstepping," Solution admitted.

"I don't think so," Sebas countered.

"Thank you. Your words give me strength."

"If my words help, I'll offer them freely—and even assist actively."

"Thank you. Could you then inquire about the opinions of general maids in E-Rantel or those trained in Nazarick?"

"A simple task," Sebas assured.

It went perfectly. Sebas asking would lead everyone to assume it's about his own marriage to Tsuare, the human woman he saved. No maid would dare oppose the Nazarick Land Steward's wishes, especially since Pestonya believes Tsuare is Sebas's intended. It's merely formalizing what's assumed. Opposition is unthinkable.

With the groundwork laid, presenting it to Lord Ainz will surely gain approval. The first to benefit might be Sebas and Tsuare. Solution doesn't care about the order—her turn will come. From "Lady and Young Master" to "Husband and Wife." Onii-sama belongs to Albedo, but formally, he'll be Solution's husband.

Her heart boings with triumph, thanks to Onii-sama's wisdom. This euphoria rivals Lord Ainz's praise—perhaps surpasses it. Only Lord Herohero's return could top it. Yet, an even greater joy awaits: her wedding to Onii-sama, complete with a tailored wedding dress. She'll be a bride, a vision of happiness. But a squishy bride won't do—she must be radiant.

"Ufu…" Solution giggles.

"Lady Solution," the maid chides.

"…Yes, thank you."

Slime or not, Solution is a girl with dreams of being a bride.

Fears about Lupusregina's visit proved unfounded, easing Solution's mind. Lupusregina's personality would've surely drawn her to Onii-sama, and Solution had schemed to make her dislike him. But they naturally kept their distance, leaving no obstacles to Solution's ambitions.

Returning to her grand E-Rantel mansion in high spirits, Solution's joy shatters instantly.

"Sooo-chan, welcome back!" Lupusregina chirps. "That Onii-san? Total jerk, a demon even Demiurge-sama would approve of, but crazy smart, super hot, and insanely good in bed! I'm totally smitten, so he's gonna be my husband! Gonna have tons of strong babies!!"

"Don't mess with me!!" Solution snaps.

"Whoa!? That's not funny!" Lupusregina retorts.

"You're the one not funny!" Solution fires back.

"Oh? Wanna go?" Lupusregina challenges.

The clash begins—a Pleiades showdown, beyond a sisterly spat. It transcends a woman's fight. Love is war.

The maids panic as the Pleiades battle erupts. Yet, the Young Master remains unfazed.

"Instruct the maids to stay inside," he says calmly. "If asked, say adventurers borrowed the courtyard for night training."

The instigator, he treats it as someone else's problem, staying cool. Unless Albedo orders otherwise, he'll ignore it entirely.

Solution, a shoggoth-assassin, and Lupusregina, a werewolf-cleric, are both support classes, making their fight a stalemate. Solution's minor damage is instantly healed by Lupusregina. But Lupusregina's cleric class lacks offensive magic, relying on physical attacks, which Solution's shoggoth resistance nullifies.

The mansion's maids are powerless to intervene. The Young Master merely watches, impressed. Death Guards gather, curious, but it's two Nazarick servants—no one can step in. The endless clash halts abruptly.

"What are you doing?!" a commanding voice booms.

Sensing Lord Ainz's presence, Solution and Lupusregina, tattered but unharmed, cease fighting and kneel before him.

Note: The subtitle "L'amour est la guerre!" (Love is war!) came from Google Translating into French. Feedback suggests "L'amour est la guerre" aligns better. Thanks for the input!