Chapter 34: "Betrayal...again?"
--------------------------------
Ainz pov
He was sitting at his desk in his room, like every day. Large stacks of paper piled up in front of him and blocked his view, like every day. However, the atmosphere was a little different than usual.
Of course, he wasn't able to sleep, but he still spent the night in bed reading. From then on, everything started normally; he got up and let the maids dress him. Even if he didn't exactly enjoy it, he had read in his book, The Road to the Overlord, Part 2, that a ruler didn't do this himself. Since he wasn't able to eat either, he immediately got to work as always. The many documents on his table made him want to go back to bed immediately, but as always, he had pulled himself together. He was the ruler of the great tomb of Nazarik, and therefore it was his duty to make sure that everything was in order.
One look at the documents was enough to tell him that he would sit there until the afternoon, but it didn't even get that far. Around lunchtime, someone contacted him via [Message] and it was a solution. She told him that she suspected that Sebas had betrayed him and Nazarik. That alone had already set off all the alarm bells in his head. He knew he was paranoid at times; his friends had mentioned it often, but what if he was right?
What if Sebas was also mind-controlled, like Shalltear?
What if he had gained self-confidence as an NPC and decided that he no longer wanted to serve the great tomb of Nazarik?
What if it was something in his code that was responsible for his actions?
And, God forbid, if something like that could also apply to the other NPCs?
It was a disaster.
Apparently, according to Solution, Sebas had picked up a young girl, a prostitute, and that, despite his orders, not to attract any attention from others. He personally had no problems with helping some people, but on the other hand, he also had no problems with letting them die. Why should he? They had nothing to offer him, no advantages, and many disadvantages. He needed Sebas to collect information in the capital, to attract as little attention as possible, and not to pick up random strangers on the street.
Normally, he would have been happy about such moments of independence from the NPCs, like a father watching his child grow up. However, this was something different; this was about more, about Nazarik, about his and his friends' home; it was important to him.
He had immediately instructed Albedo to raise all the alarm levels in the great tomb and to summon all the guardians to him, even those who were outside of Nazarik, like Demiurge. And now, with the help of Pandora's actor as his double, the NPCs set out to confront Sebas. So he sat here, confused, worried, and a little angry, so much so that his suppressor was unable to suppress his emotions.
Sometimes, when work allowed it, he missed his friends, who would have helped him in such a situation. Of course, he still had Oriana, but he hadn't heard from her after her self-imposed house arrest. That was another reason why this day was shit; he, among all the others, had to tell her about the situation. The last time she found out about Shalltear's betrayal, she freaked out, further proof that their new bodies were affecting their minds and further proof that her arrest was justified since Ash had never behaved like that.
It was unsettling, and sometimes he wondered if there wasn't something he could do for her. However, there was little he could think of that would appease a vampire, and so he stayed out of it.
He sighed and said the magic words: [Message].
"Oriana? Can you hear me?" he asked
"Ainz?" she responded.
"If you are calling me despite my self-imposed lockdown, it must be something very important." She spoke with bated breath.
"You are right with your suspicion; something has happened," he said ominously.
"And? Please don't make me wait. What is it?" She asked impatiently.
"I don't know if I should..." he hesitated.
"Just promise me you don't freak out about this; we need a cool head now," he finished.
"Your choice of words is worrying but fine, I promise." she responded
"It is about Sebas... There is a good reason to believe that he...betrayed us." He finished and waited for her tantrum.
"That doesn't sound good. Is it confirmed?" She asked, surprising him with her cool and logical reaction.
"You...Are not angry? The last time, your reaction was much more violent." He asked confused.
"Of course I'm angry, no more and no less than last time, and yet it feels different. Maybe I've gotten better at controlling it, but I doubt that. If I were to make a decision, the reason would probably be that Shalltear is a vampire, and just the thought of her defying me does something to me." Oriana guessed
"Mmmmm, that does make sense," he hummed.
"To get back to Sebas, what are you planning to do about it?" she asked.
"I have already ordered the Guardians and Pandora to meet with Sebas; I want them to check if it is a trap. If it is clear, I will change with Pandora and question him myself," he said with resolve in his voice.
"It sets me at ease that you have a plan, guild leader. I hope this is just a misunderstanding and Sebas is either mind-controlled or just being an idiot. Having a traitor in our mids and that traitor also being an NPC's would be worrying," she admitted.
"If I understand it correctly from your words, you don't want to come with me, do you?" he asked.
"I do want to help you, but I am not comfortable enough to go outside, and since you have ordered Demiurge back, I also have to take over his side of the plan for Operation 'Gehenna'. There is still a lot to do; after all, a kingdom will not conquer itself," she joked.
"So soon? How do you always manage to keep up with this genius? I usually never have any idea what he's always talking about." He stated
"Haa, I am also pretty clueless, but as the saying goes, fake it until you make it. Plus, it's hard to mess up when the person you're trying to impress thinks you're a god. All you have to do is mumble something, and he'll do the rest." The vampire queen explained
"Oh well... wait, that means you never actually do anything when I ask you if you have time and you answer that you're planning something with Demiurge?" He asked indignantly.
"Calm down; I really have something planned for Re-Esdize," she promised.
"And what is that?" he asked skeptically.
"Oh, believe me, it's a wonderful little play, and your and my alterego will take the lead roles, along with the evil demon king. Doesn't that sound good?" Oriana said in a teasing voice
"A play?" he asked cautiously.
"But of course, and believe me, the hero's tragic backstory and his many great lines will make it a great success," she said excitedly.
"So you really...wait, who's going to play the hero?"
"You, of course, silly," she responded.
"..."
"Hehehehe," laughed Oriana, breaking the silence.
"You can't," he gasped. "You'll make a fool out of me."
"Mmmmm"
"So you really want to watch rather than participate directly and carve your name into history? Haaa, how disapointing," she said in mock disappointment.
"Fine, fine, but only if you can provide a replacement. I already have exactly the right person for it. Convince him, and you're out," she said with glee in her voice.
"And who would that be?" He asked
"Why, your son, Pandaras, actor, of course," said Oriana, and he could almost feel her grin.
Haaaaaa, kill me, he thought.
--------------------------------