Tears of Nazarick

Inside Nazarick.

Throne Room.

"Spreading Vampirism… Arinsu?" The Vampire Empress who had become center of attention bobbed her head towards the greater Doppelganger in charge of leading the Floor Guardians.

"Genau!" Pandora's Actor threw his arm back in authoritative excitement, proclaiming further. "A True Vampire has the intrinsic racial ability to create lesser Vampire peons, it should be no issue for one such as yourself, meine Kaiserin!"

While Shalltear looked inquisitive at Pandora and the rest of the Floor Guardians expectantly looking up to her, she turned her gaze to the Overlord, his hands locked together under his contemplative eyes.

"Shalltear, have you experimented with this ability since Nazarick's transportation into the New World?"

The Vampire felt her lord's burning gaze feasting on her, the embers of his eyes looking her up and down. 'No doubt Ainz-sama's incredible analytical mind is gauging me for usefulness, I can't disappoint him now, Arinsu-nee!'

Clearing out her throat before pushing her small chest forward, Shalltear began: "Ainz-sama. I unfortunately had no use in making any new familiars for myself, but…" She brought a pale hand over her mouth, slim fingers grazing her cold lips and sultrily teasing the protruding fangs. With half-lidded eyes shimmering red for a second, she continued. "I should have retained the ability the same! In fact, I believe I can have a total of ten familiars like that, de-arinsu~"

While Shalltear looked at Ainz with wide eyes yearning to be praised, the Overlord's thoughts reflected on the proposal.

'Ten familiars… In Yggdrasil, Vampires were limited to creating mindless lesser vampires, while True Vampires could make familiars worth up to a tenth of their total levels.'

"That checks out, then. Still, we don't know if there are any fall-backs to turning an individual. If they can gain racial levels from the transformation, their worth to us could skyrocket." Ainz said with his fiery pupils burning bright to inspire his guardians, but silent worries still resounded in his skull. 'They could also grow more troublesome to control, and we'd be taxing ourselves more keeping them in line.'

Unconsciously turning over to Shalltear by his side, her eyes suddenly widened as she turned her chin up, catching onto the Overlord's worries.

"Well, all my familiars should be upmost loyal to me and only mean, arinsu~" She said with a wicked smile, proudly flaunting the powers given to her by her creator before stopping harshly mid-sentence. "Although…"

The pressure in the room dropped as the Floor Guardians expectantly waited for the creation of Peroroncino to continue speaking, only Ainz and a silent Doppelganger already having some idea of her reply.

"The Vampires I create to be my familiars will be loyal to me, but only me! I can command them to follow Ainz-sama and everyone else just fine, but as long as I'm the one to turn them, they'll still see me as their ultimate mistress, arinsu…"

Shalltear's vampiric eyes left Ainz to dart over the Elf Twins, Mare and Aura. Seeing as they are not of immortal races, eventually they'd need to be turned, right?

'That'd be one way of getting back at shorty, de-arinsu~'

While Shalltear's tongue licked her lips and grazed her fangs at the idea, Aura reflexively took a step back, gulping as she protectively held onto her brother's hand.

'No way, flat chest!'

Uncaring or unaware of the sisterly squabble occurring before him, Pandora raised his arms to earn back the attention of the Throne Room.

"Yes! While the True Vampire's power of raising familiars possessed by meine Kaiserin is indeed formidable, it is incomplete without a way to ensure utter, complete subordination to mein Vater, Ainz-sama!"

Stealing the attentions of his peers back to him, Pandora brought his arm up to coolly lower his cap once again, continuing his charade.

"Of course, Ainz-sama has already foreseen a solution to this: [Dominate Undead]."

Demiurge's tail swished behind him while re-adjusted his glasses, sensing his opportunity to exude his knowledge to his fellow Floor Guardians.

"[Dominate Undead], the Overlord's skill to make any undead weaker than him subordinate to him in mind and soul." Demiurge's tongue clicked as he looked to Pandora for approval, finding no expression from the holes baring his face. "Frankly, it's hard to imagine an undead that wouldn't willingly want to follow Ainz-sama."

The elven children nodded along the demon's words and even Cocytus seemed to click his mandibles in approval.

For Pandora's Actor, there was only one Vampire he knew that would openly challenge his Father, one so hell-bent on opposing him she'd surely lead herself to her downfall one moment or another.

'Evileye… Just how did you come across such rare transformation on your own? When you come, will you bring your friend with the Cursed Sword to me as well?'

The Doppelganger's hands momentarily shook in anticipation, eager to explore and analyze every inch of these ladies rarities. Such behavior did not go unnoticed to the Overlord, but he spared him the disapproving look.

"Having Shalltear turn them into Vampire's already seems enough to me, Pandora. We'll have to be mindful of which among our chosen have the most value tied to them." The Overlord spoke from the Throne of Kings, his adamant voice putting the guardians back in line.

"Besides, we'll have to consider that some of them will have to be coerced into turning. Just like I've told Narberal before, while I'd love to have Nfirea chained-up in Nazarick, he wouldn't work as efficient if not left to his own desires." Ainz let his gaze up, staring through the guardians as he remembered the many times Nfirea overshared much with him. "Were it not for his unique situation, he would not have come up with his brand of stamina potions, for example."

As the Floor Guardians took in his explanation, Ainz was sure he heard a wolfish giggle in the back of the throne room before a metal gauntlet snuffed it out.

But it could just be his imagination.

Thinking on the candidates at hand, flashes of the time he spent in the Holy Kingdom flashed through his mind, his thoughts settling on the farewell shared between the Faceless One and Garnet's creation.

"Shizu, please step forward."

Though showing no outward reaction, the internal processors of the Automaton raised erratically in temperature as she was personally called upon by the Supreme One.

"Of course. Ainz-sama." Naturally, such quirks of her system were resolved in the less than a second. She would not delay providing a response and serving Ainz Ooal Gown for whatever reason, especially if her calculations for his next query were correct.

As Shizu approached the Throne of Kings, however, she felt the desperate need to crush something cute and plushy in her hands. Perhaps the pressure of standing before the almighty was getting to her worse than she thought.

'Understood. Increasing sub-task's "Visit Éclair Éklair Éklare in the 9th Floor" priority by plus one.'

"I'm here, Ainz-sama."

Ainz stared Shizu Delta down, her mannerisms unchanging from how she behaved during her mission in the Holy Kingdom. Though he knew she had a favorable relationship with one Neia Baraja, Shizu never pressed him further on requests to visit the Holy Kingdom again.

'Perhaps she's just too flustered to ask? It's hard to say with Shizu. Regardless, since Neia Baraja is her friend, it's important to take Shizu's opinion into account. I wouldn't want to get in the way of any of the Guardians relationships...'

"Shizu Delta. You have accompanied Neia for over a month during our takeover of the Roble Holy Kingdom." The Overlord's words echoed in the Throne Room as he spoke, resounding inside the maid automaton's mind. "Tell me your thoughts, would she be agreeable with being turned into a Vampire?"

Shizu ran the calculations inside her processors, picturing many times over the Sacred Archer in the snapshots of their time together.

"...I think Neia would be scared. Unless she knew it came from Ainz-sama. If she knew it would make her stronger, she could adapt to it." Her eye flashed as her calculations came to a close, but she still added the complementary information. "...If I was with her, she'd have an easier time adapting."

The smallest of smiles appeared underneath Shizu's scarf – That is until the sister calculations she had running under her processors sprang to life, an urgent request blaring from the system.

Turning her head 45 degrees to the left, she put her system's full attention onto the desired target of her scanning – Shalltear Bloodfallen.

'Processors nominal. Re-scheduling combat-awareness processors…

Target 'Shalltear Bloodfallen' has the desired qualities of someone possessing Vampirism. Listing down expected traits…

Confirmed.

> Crimson blood-red Eyes.

> Pale, smooth skin complexion.

> Protruding, sharp canine teeth.

> Inability to physically develop further.

Would you like a visual representation of target 'Neia Baraja' with these traits? [Y/N]'

>>'Yes.'

As the wiring behind Shizu Delta's face plating grew momentarily hotter, Shalltear tilted her head to the side, getting an impression for why the automaton was starring wordlessly at her face.

"My my, I guess even a construct can recognize beauty when she sees it, can't she~?"

Shalltear moved from her position in the throne's armrest, fluttering over Shizu to cup her face in her hands, feeling the android's sleek face-plates warming further at the touch of her gelid fingers.

Shizu, who had overlaid Neia's image over Shalltear's visage in her own field of vision, to better picture her transformation, felt herself risking imminent malfunction at the Vampire's ministrations.

'Notice! New traits confirmed.

> Skin cold to the touch.

> Seducing sight.'

'WARNING! Systems overheating!'

"Ahhh-" The overstimulated automaton stammered, her systems threatening to freeze up, if the rest of her body didn't feel so hot at the moment.

"Fa-Fangs are cute, too…" Her robotic voice skipped, like a record that had been scratched on.

Satisfied with her answer, Shalltear let go of the automaton's face, smirking as Shizu buried her face deeper in her scarf once more.

"Umu." The Overlord, his skeletal jaw dropped for a moment, finally continued to address Shizu's words.

"Very well. Hopefully Neia Baraja will continue to act cooperatively in the meantime. When the time comes, Shizu, I will allow you to accompany Miss Baraja in the period of her turning."

The automaton, face still flushed under her scarf only nodded to the Overlord's words.

"...Very well. Ainz-sama.." Holding onto her legendary-class scarf as it hid her face, the automaton ran off to join her sisters in line once more, hiding herself under the knowing glances of Solution and Lupusregina.

With another matter resolved, Ainz addressed the Guardians once more.

"We are moving forward with Pandora's Actor proposal. It would be a shame to see the seeds we've sown perish before reaching their full potential, after all." The malevolent flames of Ainz's eyes flared brightly for the Floor Guardians – The words of their Sorcerer King were law, and they would scrutinize them to the very letter.

"For now, I believe Jircniv would be our most likely candidate to accept turning." The Overlord raised from his Throne as he continued speaking, Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown already in hand. "His body is at his peak, aging will only degrade his beauty now – And I believe the burden of rulership has taken many years off his mortal life already."

As Demiurge smirked at Ainz's assessment of the Emperor's health, imagining the undue torment inflicted on Jircniv until he willingly gave over the Baharuth Empire to Ainz, Shalltear looked up from her seat in the Throne's armrest to gaze at the skeletal face of her beloved.

"At least Ainz-sama will never have to age! With his supremely sculpted bones that will never wither, his undead splendor will grace us forever and ever, de-arinsu!"

Ainz averted turning his head to Shalltear following her embarrassing compliment, but Demiurge followed quickly behind her in absurdities.

"That is very true, Shalltear. Lord Ainz-sama is also gifted with the immortal intellect of a Supreme Being. Unlike this world's pitiful mortal rulers, there is no way Ainz-sama would be overwhelmed by mere rulership."

Silence.

For just the fraction of a moment, Pandora's Actor felt a shiver run down his spine as the Overlord clutched onto the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown just a bit tighter – The Disaster Aura imbued in his Divine-Class robes bursting forth like an arcane tempest consumed the room whole – but it dissipated back just as quick as it arrived, leaving all the Guardians who felt the shift flinch in response.

"...Umu. It is just like you say, Demiurge. For now, I leave it up to all of you! Floor Guardians, follow my will to the end!"

Striking his 'Royal-Decree Pose Nº5', Ainz waved his skeletal arm outwards, striking awe in all his most loyal subordinates as they took a knee to the Supreme Overlord.

"Yes, Ainz-sama!!!!!"

...But it didn't end there, of course.

Sebas and the Pleiades were the first to leave the Throne Room, the sisters jumping on to surround Shizu and tease her for her little moment with Shalltear before each having to return to their duties. The Floor Guardians too, one by one exited out of the [Gates] that were called for them.

In the end, only Pandora and Shalltear were left together with Ainz, who stood still over the edge of the Throne, Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown in hand.

Sigh.

"Mein Vater? Has something we've done upset you?"

The doppelganger's words resounded in the near-empty halls of Nazarick's massive throne room. It's walls always pristine – The flags of the 41 Supreme Beings forever looming over, an eternal reminder of what took to built it.

And in it's throne, darkness coalesced.

"Think nothing of it, Pandora." Ainz dismissed the Doppelganger's worry, his gaze leaving the hallowed ceiling to look into the rainbow of jewels adorning the guild weapon.

"Nazarick is safe. It's inhabitants are no longer brooding like before, and the Tomb's guardians are well-coordinated to their tasks."

He could feel it, or rather, the absence of it. No longer was the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown thrumming with a negativity of the like when he revealed Albedo's plot of betrayal to all of Nazarick.

Taking one step at a time, Ainz let himself turn away from his NPC to sit back in the Throne of Kings – Even the World Item's name mocked his predicament, it seems.

By his side, Shalltear remained quiet for once. Something quite clearly ailed at her lover, but between her and the Supreme Being – She still felt an insurmountable wall. A lump in her throat that didn't let her speak, knowing she couldn't possibly empathize with an undead existence so superior to her.

So for now, she did the best she could. Fluttering over to sit besides him in his gilded throne, letting one delicate, cold hand tentatively rest over the phalanges of her beloved.

Raising the hand Shalltear hadn't covered, Ainz called forth the control panel of Nazarick once more, peering over the many windows that behaved like security cameras.

"Every one is doing alright, it seems…"

The homunculus maids were cleaning up with a smile on their faces, keeping Nazarick pristine like it should be.

Everything ran smoothly.

"Ainz-sama." The Doppelganger's voice came softer this time, a light bow turning the Overlord's attention from Nazarick's view to Pandora once more. "I must return to my duties as well. May I recruit Renner to conspire on our plan with the Half-Elf?"

The Overlord's eyes briefly burned with light once more, red pupils turning over along his skull towards Pandora's side again.

"Of course. Use her as you see fit."

Offering a quick salute as thanks, the doppelganger turned to leave for the [Gate] summoned for him, but not before sparing a final, knowing look at the Vampire Queen.

Unsure red eyes stared back two black holes before he finally left, leaving Ainz and Shalltear finally alone again.

It was the Overlord who broke the dreary silence.

"...Goodness, it seems our lounging time is soon to be over."

For Ainz, of course, this was the most pragmatic line of thought. Nazarick and the Sorcerer Kingdom could not afford him to sit idly, especially after such a drastic change in the system, he'd have to continue to play the role they all think him so outfitted for...

For Shalltear, things didn't fall in line quite so simply inside her head.

"...Why, Ainz-sama?" The Valkyrie protested, taking his hand into hers, she pressed her head against the Overlord's bony chest, taking his lap as her seat once more.

Surprisingly, he allowed it this time.

"I've already dallied too much, Shalltear. If I don't keep watch over Nazarick, over the NPCs… I can't let things wander any more astray."

Even Shalltear could understand the meaning behind the Overlord's words. While still clinging to his hand, she pushed herself off his chest, red eyes challenging his burning pupils.

"What Albedo did wasn't your fault, Ainz-sama!" Shalltear couldn't believe she hadn't seen through him sooner. Was all the anger she felt towards Albedo blinding her from thinking on how it had affected Lord Ainz?

'To think she could do such a thing after spending so much time, after courting so much favor from Ainz-sama… How could-' "Kya!"

Shalltear couldn't help but let out a low squeal as a bony arm suddenly wrapped around her, pulling her back in for a hug. Her face rested on his chest, Ainz caressed the back of her head with his skeletal finger, the negative energy a boon to her unlike it was for Albedo long ago.

"Perhaps it was my fault, perhaps it wasn't. There is no right way for me to know, Shalltear." Ainz confided into the vampire sitting beneath him, his face resting well above her own as he spoke. "But to let things be pushed this far, to have to exile one of my own friend's creations, to not find out her plan sooner…" Ainz trailed off, his words losing meaning as fear crept up once more, fear his incompetence would bring ruin to all of Nazarick like they nearly did.

He simply believed he wasn't able to be a good ruler. While Albedo and Demiurge were geniuses that overshadowed him in every way, they created terrible justifications inside their heads that painted Ainz as a master that could do no wrong.

Perhaps it was for that reason, then, that Shalltear could understand just a little bit. She didn't need to overthink what he said, if she just took him at face-value, and lent him an ear to listen…

"…Was it the same when you led all the Supreme Beings, Ainz-sama?" Shalltear didn't move her head as she managed to squeal out the egregious question, simply praying on her instincts as she burrowed her face deeper into the silk of Ainz's robes. She didn't notice, then, how the flames of his eyes glimmered at her words, or how he turned his head up to look at the flags of his past friends.

After a moment of consideration, he answered her, honesty plaguing his voice more than it ever had before.

"...No, it wasn't. They did not need a leader, much less a king. Your creators all needed someone who wasn't biased to anyone but Nazarick's best interest and, above all, someone who could settle their arguments." Ainz gaze lingered on the flag of Touch Me and Ulbert, the two of them opposing one another even in the walls each of their flags stood on. "I was the Guildmaster of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, but we were all equal friends in the end. At least I hope they saw it that way, too."

There were times Ainz doubted these feelings. Every one of his friends eventually left Yggdrasil, of course, but he couldn't blame most of them.

If only they had joined him in the end…

As Shalltear listened to the heartfelt words of her Overlord, her eyes widened in the folds of his robes. She'd never thought there be a side to Lord Ainz like this, not one she'd ever be allowed to see.

'Then, if Ainz-sama is telling me this, does that mean he really sees me as his equal?'

She thought of Peroroncino-sama once more, a knot forming in her undead heart she hadn't felt before.

'Ainz-sama… Would he be happier if he didn't have to rule over us?'

Ainz felt something wet running down his robes, Shalltear's hands suddenly clutching tighter onto him, as if he would disappear if she let go. Then came the sniffling.

"A-Ainz-sama…"

Shalltear pushed herself off his chest, crimson lines trailing down her eyelids to her cheeks as she tried focusing on the Overlord's face..

Seeing her beautiful face stained like that, it made Ainz feel like the scum of the earth.

He couldn't understand the feelings going through her head at the moment. The pride in being seeing as equal to Ainz, the amount of love she has for him, the shame for not realizing how he truly felt sooner.

The fear deep inside her that the Guardians were personally saddening him.

Ainz went to clean Shalltear's face with a handkerchief like he had done before, but this time she intercepted his hand, grabbing his wrist with both her palms and stopping it from reaching her as she continued speaking.

"You have given us all purpose beyond our heart's content, Ainz-sama." Shalltear managed to stammer through hiccups and cries, her lips curling into a smile despite the tears still running over. "J-just by confiding that to me, Ainz-sama… You've made this Shalltear Bloodfallen the happiest vampire in the world!"

As Shalltear avoided his hands once more and pressed her head further into his chest, Ainz finally gave in, dropping the handkerchief and bringing his around her to let her settle into a hug.

He still couldn't say he understood it completely, but it didn't look like Shalltear did either.

"...I'm glad that I did, Shalltear."

Perhaps he could delay ending this moment for just a little while longer.

"I'm really glad I did."