"...Huh?"
Albedo's head snapped to one side.
She stared blankly at Naohara-sama as he walked past her from behind. Her mind instantly became as empty as a blank sheet of paper.
What exactly was going on?
He had just appeared like that, without any warning?
And where was Tabula Smaragdina-sama?
Where had Tabula Smaragdina-sama gone?
As the armor covering her body dissipated like smoke, Albedo's eyes filled with confusion and bewilderment.
Her lips remained slightly parted, as though she had been struck by a paralysis spell.
If her wildly fluctuating emotions had to be put into words, they would probably be:
[Without the slightest warning or hesitation, you appeared in my world, bringing me a surprise and sweeping me away.]
[Yet once again, without my noticing, you quietly disappeared from my world without a word, leaving behind nothing but memories~]
After briefly freezing up, Albedo finally managed to reboot several seconds later.
As the Guardian Overseer, she was undoubtedly highly intelligent and quick-witted. Her ability to process all kinds of complex documents and information was proof enough of that.
Faced with this sudden turn of events, she knew she had to calm down and analyze the situation.
She slowly closed her eyes. When she opened them again, clarity had returned to her gaze. At least, that was how it appeared on the surface.
"Naohara-sama..."
Albedo slowly lowered her proud head and knelt before him with reverence.
"It seems there's no need for me to explain any further. So, Albedo, how do you feel?"
Naohara looked down at her and chuckled softly.
How did she feel?
Albedo smiled bitterly to herself. What could she possibly say?
She had never imagined she could be manipulated so easily.
Every step had been carefully laid out for her.
It began with Pandora's Message, which unsettled her mind. From that moment onward, the urgency of the situation wrapped around her like an invisible net, binding her tightly and steadily eroding her ability to reason.
Then came the carefully chosen words, gradually leading her along and piercing through her emotional defenses. She sank deeper into anxiety and unease, while anger blazed within her and her rationality slowly crumbled.
Finally, threatening Tabula Smaragdina-sama's life became the last straw, completely shattering what remained of her composure.
By then, she could no longer think calmly. She had no time to think at all and could only act according to her truest feelings.
The plan itself had been simple, even riddled with obvious flaws, yet she had noticed none of them. She had followed the predetermined script one step at a time.
"Naohara-sama, when did you find out? And why...?"
Albedo pursed her lips and asked cautiously.
This had clearly been planned in advance. Naohara-sama must have known about the matter long ago, so why had he not exposed it from the beginning?
Why had he chosen to resolve it in this manner today?
"As for when, it was when Pandora and I went to the Theocracy. As for why... I suppose I wanted to see what choice you would make before deciding how to deal with the problem."
Naohara's tone remained calm. He did not appear angry or enraged by what had happened.
He then continued.
"Albedo, when I put myself in your position, I can understand your feelings. That's why I won't stop you from holding on to your resentment."
"So, out of personal interest, I conducted an experiment. Judging by the result, you passed the test."
Which mattered more, the settings or the Creator?
If the situation took place inside a game, then the answer would undoubtedly be the settings.
Everything in a game was governed by programs and algorithms, and the settings formed their foundation.
However, once NPCs gained the ability to think independently, the matter became far more complicated.
Albedo had simply provided Naohara with an opportunity to test that question.
What value did the experiment have?
None whatsoever.
He had done it purely to satisfy his curiosity.
"Because I protected Tabula Smaragdina-sama without hesitation?"
"Exactly. If you had hesitated or attacked him today, I would have been forced to take emergency measures."
"But the result was good. Still, Albedo, you really do have quite the double standard."
Naohara patted Albedo on the shoulder, amusement flickering in his eyes.
The day's gains had been quite satisfactory.
Not only had he resolved the issue of the Supreme One Search Team, but he had also satisfied his curiosity.
He had confirmed the accuracy of the claim that Albedo's armor could withstand three attacks of unlimited power, while also testing Sephis's current strength.
He was thoroughly pleased with the outcome.
"A double standard... Naohara-sama, you really are..."
Albedo could not help laughing softly. By now, she completely understood the deeper meaning behind the Supreme One's actions.
She rose respectfully and moved to Naohara's side, an indescribable emotion appearing in her eyes.
How wonderful, Naohara-sama.
Even after such an act of treason, you were still willing to give your subordinate another chance.
Perhaps, if it were you...
Albedo thought silently, a faint smile forming on her face.
"Here's your ring back, Pandora."
Elsewhere, Naohara raised his right hand, slipped the ring from his finger, and passed it to Pandora.
The ring was one of Pandora's pieces of equipment, and it had also been the key to Naohara's successful transformation into Tabula Smaragdina.
Through Zesshi Zetsumei's Talent, Naohara had successfully read the weapon memories contained within the ring, allowing him to acquire the previous user's special skill.
For Pandora, who possessed the traits of a Doppelganger, his only special skill in his normal form was transformation.
That ability allowed him to copy another person's appearance and abilities at roughly eighty percent of their original power.
Pandora's transformation ability had a fixed limit. He could store no more than forty-five forms.
Of those, forty-two were templates based on various Supreme Beings.
Naohara had taken advantage of that. First, he acquired Pandora's ability, then used it to transform into Tabula Smaragdina and achieve a flawless imitation.
Finally, his own status as a Supreme Being supplied the last missing piece, the special instinctive response that NPCs experienced in the presence of their Creators.
The result was completely indistinguishable from the real Tabula Smaragdina. Even Albedo had been unable to detect anything unusual.
"Hehehe, Naohara-sama... Um... shouldn't we..."
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