As Ren finished speaking, and as the corpses of the fallen theocracy elites lay strewn across the floor, both Momonga and the Guardians of the Great Tomb of Nazarick stood there, completely stunned.
They had only just learned that Shalltear had been controlled and were still preparing to investigate the culprit… yet on Ren's side, not only had he already uncovered the truth, he had even eliminated those responsible.
"The ones who attacked Shalltear," Ren continued calmly, "are the same group you encountered earlier in Carne Village, Momonga—the Slane Theocracy. The World-Class Item they used to control her is called Downfall of Castle and Country. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to wipe them out completely.
"They seem to possess multiple World-Class Items. Aside from the one used on Shalltear, the item they used to escape from me… was likely another of the same tier."
Hearing the name Slane Theocracy, Momonga immediately recalled the group he had encountered before—the ones who had disguised themselves as agents of the Empire, attempting to assassinate the Kingdom's Warrior Captain and spark conflict between nations.
At the time, their magic had clearly originated from YGGDRASIL, which had made him cautious.
But when he realized that their so-called trump card was merely summoning a high-tier angel of only moderate level, he had dismissed them as insignificant.
Now, however, it was painfully clear—
The Slane Theocracy was far more dangerous than he had ever imagined.
Dangerous enough… to control Shalltear.
"These corpses," Ren added, glancing at the fallen bodies, "belong to individuals who have all stepped into the realm of heroes. Demiurge, I'll leave them to you for research. If they're no longer useful, let Momonga use them as materials for summoning undead.
"With levels this high, you should be able to produce something… far more interesting."
Demiurge immediately bowed deeply.
"Your generosity is most appreciated, Ren-sama."
At that moment, Albedo stepped forward, her expression resolute.
"Our most urgent priority is dealing with Shalltear."
She wasn't wrong.
Among all the Guardians of Nazarick, Shalltear's overall combat ability ranked at the very top. In a one-on-one battle, none of them could defeat her.
If they fought as a group, victory would be guaranteed—but their Supreme Beings seemed intent on handling this personally.
"Wait," Momonga interjected, raising a hand. "Ren, you've already done more than enough. You identified the enemy and eliminated the threat. So at the very least… allow me to—"
He was cut off mid-sentence.
"Momonga," Ren said flatly, "do you have absolute confidence that you can defeat Shalltear?"
The question hung heavy in the air.
"And this situation isn't unrelated to me," Ren continued. "I already knew there was a possibility someone would target Shalltear. But I chose not to interfere.
"Partly to teach her a lesson—and partly to remind all of you of something important."
His gaze swept across every Guardian present.
"In this world, you are not invincible."
Silence fell instantly.
"Yes, overall, the inhabitants of this world are weak. But that doesn't mean there aren't hidden monsters lurking beneath the surface.
"Shalltear's current state is the result of her own recklessness. Let that be a lesson."
The weight of his words struck deep.
Almost simultaneously, every Guardian—including Albedo—dropped to one knee.
"We have been negligent!"
Though Shalltear was the one who had fallen, they could not deny it—
They had all, to some extent, looked down on this world.
"Now then," Ren said, shifting the tone slightly, "as for who should handle Shalltear… let's put it to a vote."
"…A vote?" Momonga echoed.
"You said it yourself once," Ren replied casually. "A ruler who listens to others is wiser than one who rules by absolute authority. Everyone here is our ally, so let them decide."
"The candidates are simple. You… or me."
It didn't take long.
Hands were raised.
The result… was overwhelmingly one-sided.
Momonga received exactly one vote—
His own.
Ren, on the other hand, secured a landslide victory.
"Forgive us, Ainz-sama. This is for your safety." —Albedo
"Indeed. It is not a matter of your strength, but of compatibility. As a magic caster, facing Shalltear places you at a severe disadvantage." —Demiurge
"Ainz-sama's strengths differ from Ren-sama's, just as ours differ from Shalltear's. Against armies, you are unmatched. But in a one-on-one battle… Ren-sama is the more suitable choice." —Cocytus
Aura and Mare remained silent.
Not voting for Ainz already felt like a betrayal to them.
But as creations tied to their respective Supreme Beings, they understood Shalltear's capabilities better than most.
Ainz was powerful—
But against Shalltear, the odds were simply too low.
Still unwilling to accept defeat, Momonga turned to the Pleiades Battle Maids.
"…Then you six—vote."
The maids exchanged uncertain glances.
To them, both Ren and Ainz were beings far beyond comprehension. Choosing between them was nearly impossible.
In the end—
Three votes went to Ren.
Three votes went to Ainz.
For a brief moment, hope flickered within Momonga.
But then—
"Alright, that's enough," Ren said, rubbing his temple. "You're just being stubborn now."
He shot Momonga an exasperated look.
"This isn't some factional split. It's about deciding who fights Shalltear. If you drag all of Nazarick into this, people are going to start getting the wrong idea."
He wasn't exaggerating.
If the vote expanded any further, those unaware of the situation might think the two Supreme Beings were dividing Nazarick into opposing camps.
That kind of misunderstanding could be catastrophic.
"…Fine," Ren sighed. "I get it. You want to take responsibility, don't you?"
He paused, then relented.
"In that case, you'll take the first round."
Momonga froze.
"…What?"
"From what I remember, Shalltear has a resurrection item given by Peroroncino. After her first death, she'll revive in perfect condition."
Ren met his gaze.
"You go first. I'll take over after that."
For a brief second, the hollow red glow within Momonga's eye sockets flickered brighter.
"…Thank you. That will be enough."
With that, the matter was settled.
As the two of them turned and left together, the Guardians remained behind—finally releasing the breath they had been holding.
"…That was too close."
For a moment there, they had truly feared the worst—
That Ren-sama and Ainz-sama might actually fall into conflict.
And if that ever happened…
It would be a far greater disaster than Shalltear's control.