Albedo had already changed into a beautiful and elegant long white dress. The fabric was as light as a spider's web and decorated with detailed gold patterns that followed the lines of her perfect body. However, her face remained unusually pale.
She took a deep breath and stopped Shalltear from asking more questions. Her voice carried a slight, barely noticeable shake.
"Shalltear! I swear by my title as the Guardian Overseer of Nazarick that what I saw was exactly what Lord Ainz saw! That power... it was no illusion! It is an absolute force that we cannot understand. It could easily erase us—and all of Nazarick—from existence!"
Her gaze swept over the crowd before finally landing on Ainz, who sat upon the throne. Her eyes were filled with lasting fear and absolute loyalty.
Ainz spoke slowly, confirming Albedo's words. "What Albedo says is true. I, Ainz Ooal Gown, confirm in the name of the Supreme Being that the person known as Ilya is real. At Level 119, she is an unknown factor that is far beyond our imagination."
Seeing Ainz so serious—and even invoking the name of the "Supreme Being"—all doubt vanished instantly. A deeper silence fell over the Throne Hall. The only sound was the heavy breathing of those present. Even Demiurge, the greatest planner among them, felt cold sweat forming on his forehead. Pandora's Actor maintained his pose of worship for his father, yet shock was visible in his eyes. Narberal and the other maids lowered their heads, not daring to make a sound.
"Listen," Ainz's voice was like ice, striking the heart of every Guardian. "I hereby issue the highest order: The Great Tomb of Nazarick will enter a state of maximum alert immediately. However, no member is allowed to provoke, investigate, or even try to contact the being known as Ilya! No one is to act without my direct command! Anyone who disobeys... will be seen as a traitor to Nazarick and all the Supreme Beings. They will be punished without mercy!"
His heavy gaze swept across each Guardian, burning the iron rule into their souls.
"Your will be done!" the Guardians shouted together. Their voices echoed through the vast Throne Hall.
After the meeting ended, the Guardians left with heavy hearts to begin implementing the alert protocols. Albedo also departed to attend to her duties.
But when she returned to her private room and changed her clothes, she sat alone in silence. Ainz's grave face and Ilya's world-shaking yet casual attitude replayed over and over in her mind.
"Lord Ainz's orders are absolute..." Albedo whispered to herself. A look of struggle crossed her beautiful face. "But is leaving such a dangerous person alone truly the best choice for Nazarick? That woman... she didn't seem... to mean any harm."
She remembered Ilya's final expression—she had looked like a child who had simply played a bit too hard. She had casually brought everything back to life and restored the earth. A strong sense of curiosity grew in Albedo's heart, along with a spark she hated to admit: a desire to help Lord Ainz shoulder his burdens.
"Just... watching from a distance. No contact, no being seen... surely that wouldn't count as disobeying Lord Ainz's orders?"
Once the thought took root, she could no longer stop it. In the end, her loyalty to Ainz and her duty to protect Nazarick proved stronger than strict obedience to the command.
She changed back into the elegant white dress made of spider-silk. The gold patterns glowed softly under the light. Casting her best hiding magic to completely erase her energy and presence, she slipped out of Nazarick like a poisonous snake moving through the shadows.
Based on the location Lord Ainz had described, she guessed the girl had headed toward the Baharuth Empire.
Meanwhile, Ainz remained alone in the Throne Hall. His large skeletal body sat deep within the throne as he had sent away all his servants.
"Level 119... Level 119..." he repeated the number over and over. The soulfire inside his skull flickered wildly. "This makes no sense! How could the YGGDRASIL system allow such data to exist? Is she a Game Master (GM)? No, the servers are closed... Is she a player who arrived before us and broke the level limit? But to break the limit... how much experience would that take? And that power... that light sword was definitely not a normal skill or a World Class Item!"
He searched through all his memories as Satoru Suzuki, trying to find any mention of "Ilya," but found nothing.
"Her behavior... is completely unpredictable!" Ainz clutched his skull, feeling as though his mind was about to overheat. "She looks like a playful little girl out for a walk! But that's why she's terrifying! She might act without logic! Destroying you or saving you might depend entirely on her mood! Does a child need a reason to step on an ant?"
Ainz felt a bone-chilling cold. He would rather face a powerful enemy with a clear plan than an unknowable "Chaos" that possessed the power to crush everything.
"Who was she... in reality?" Ainz tried to imagine Ilya's real-world self. "From her face and her tone... she acts like everything is new, yet she feels superior... she doesn't seem like an adult who has been crushed by the real world. She's more like... a high schooler? Seventeen or eighteen? Twenty at most! A girl whose mind might not be mature, but who possesses world-ending power?"
This thought made Ainz even more worried. An adult's hatred followed patterns, but the whims of a "child" with the power of a god were truly deadly.
"Preferences... she seems to like... food?" Ainz remembered Ilya's huge appetite at the tavern and how she had asked about sweets. "This might be the only lead... but who would dare use that to get close to her? If one dish isn't to her taste..."
The more Ainz thought, the darker the future seemed. He felt that the Sorcerer Kingdom he had worked so hard to build might look like a sandcastle to her—one she could kick over at any moment.
"We must stay hidden... we must be even more careful. Until she shows obvious hostility or we find a way to stop her, Nazarick must never be seen by her!"
While Ainz was lost in analysis and worry, Albedo had already found the golden figure.
She was on a busy shopping street in the capital of the Baharuth Empire.
Ilya was there. She seemed to have completely forgotten the incident at the small town. She ran excitedly between different food stalls and dessert shops, holding several bags of pastries and candied fruits. She also carried a cup of a local milkshake. Her cheeks were puffed out as she ate, and her blue eyes narrowed with happiness like a cat that had found a treat. Sometimes she would stomp her feet in delight at a good taste. Other times she would frown at a strange flavor, only to be quickly distracted by the next item.
She even stopped at a stall selling small trinkets, picked up a cute feather hairpin, tried it on while checking herself in a blurry mirror, and paid quickly. She then pinned it into her golden hair. Her innocent appearance—full of pure curiosity—was a huge contrast to the "Demon God" who had created a massive crater with a mere wave of her hand.
Hidden in the shadows, Albedo watched all of this from afar using magic. Her perfect face was filled with confusion.
(What is wrong with this woman?)Albedo's heart was in turmoil. (She possesses power that makes even Lord Ainz tremble, yet here she is acting like an ordinary girl? Obsessed with food and cheap trinkets? What is her goal? Is this a disguise? But does someone like her need to hide herself so... perfectly? Or is this truly her real self?)
Albedo stared at Ilya's back, her mind working like a machine. Every time Ilya smiled at a tasty snack, Albedo analyzed it, searching for any hidden reason. However, the answer remained "Unknown." This wasn't mere hiding—it was something deeper. She simply didn't care enough to fake her behavior, like a human who doesn't bother pretending in front of an ant.
(I must be careful. Lord Ainz's order is the most important thing. But as the Overseer, I cannot leave the safety of Nazarick to the "goodwill" of this unknown being. I must keep watching... but I must not be caught. Any risk must be stopped before it begins.)
Just as she was fully focused on her target, a small ripple in space occurred behind her, carrying a faint sweet scent of blood.
(?! Who is it? Someone who can bypass my hiding barrier? This feeling is—)
Albedo's muscles tensed for battle. Her instincts screamed maximum alert. But before she could move, a cold yet soft hand pressed gently against her back. The fingertips slid slowly down her spine. Then another arm wrapped around her waist from behind like a large snake. With great strength, it pulled her back, pressing her against a tall, soft body that radiated danger.
"!"
Albedo halted the attack magic she was about to cast and turned her head. She saw a beautiful face wearing a cruel smile. The person had a blindfold, with a purple light glowing faintly underneath.
Rubedo.
She was the special being from the eighth floor of Nazarick, created by the Supreme Being Tabula Smaragdina. She was the strongest fighter in Nazarick, not a Guardian, and was usually kept sealed on the eighth floor.
Now she wore a special black nun's outfit. She had long black hair and carried a strange energy that was both innocent and deadly.
"Rubedo!" Albedo's voice was low and cold, anger clear in her tone. "You dare break your seal without permission? Who allowed this?!"
Rubedo rested her chin on Albedo's shoulder and let out a low, playful laugh. "Seal? That kind of thing... if I want to undo it, I just do it, don't I?" Her gaze pierced through Albedo, locking onto Ilya in the distance. "Besides... I smelled it. A very 'interesting' scent. Such a wonderful 'new toy'... how could I miss it?"
(This lunatic! The most unpredictable person had to come out now!) Rage burned in Albedo's heart, but she remained outwardly calm. (I cannot let her run wild! If she provokes Ilya, the result will be catastrophic! But a direct order might not work on Rubedo... I must guide her—or stop her by force.)
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