Episode 2 Thoughts and Policies
There were multiple large and small shadows in the throne room.
Six shadows. All of them stand in one place with familiar and nostalgic appearances.
Their appearance varies from those who look like humans at first glance to those who can be recognized as heteromorphic species at a glance, and everyone has a unique appearance .
As if they were talking about something until now, the eyes of the guardians who had gathered in a circle all turned towards us. At the moment they were first directed at Momonga, then at Peroroncino and Ulberto, their faces were uniformly astonished.
Immediately tension runs through Momonga and the others.
Just when I was preparing myself to see what kind of reaction would come back, the moment I thought the outline of the vampire princess was blurry, a small shadow passed by Momonga and Ulberto.
"Ugh!?"
""………teeth?""
A voice that sounded like something was stuck and a dull sound that sounded like something had fallen.
When I looked back towards the sound while letting out a stupid voice, I saw the Vampire Princess hugging Peroroncino who was on her buttocks like she was riding a horse. She seems to be crying, and her sobs can be heard softly from the vampire princess , whose face is buried in her tight chest covered with her feathers.
“Sha, Shalltear…?”
"... Pe, Peroroncino-sama... Hey, welcome back...!"
As expected, the face that was lifted from the chest was soaked with tears. However, her vampire princess' pretty beauty didn't get damaged, and on the contrary, her fragility stood out, and she drew out her charm even more.
Involuntarily, Peroroncino's throat gurgled loudly.
The words "If you don't eat a set meal..." cross your mind.
However, Peroroncino miraculously remembered where this place was and who was around, and shook his head violently and managed to mobilize all his reasons.
"...I'm home, Shalltear. I'm sorry for making you feel lonely."
I gently called out to her and softly embraced her small body. Peroroncino felt a soft touch and a sweet scent coming from his arm, and instinctively rubbed his cheek against the vampire princess's silvery-white hair.
Momonga and Ulberto involuntarily show complicated expressions, even though it is a moving reunion scene, with actions that could lead to sexual harassment if one mistake is made.
Whether it's time to stop or not, we exchanged words with just a glance.
However, in the midst of that, in a suit
I let out a small sigh when I saw that she was also shedding tears while smiling happily.
When I gave Momonga a refusal with just a glance Ulbert straightly
I put one hand on my chest and grabbed the shoulder of the devil who was asking me to bow.
“…Hey, don't cry anymore, Demiurge.
“Uh, Ulbert-sama, I'm sorry…”
“Stop crying if you think so.
I didn't have a handkerchief, so I had no choice but to put my thumbs on my cheeks and wipe away the tears. However, no matter how many times he went back and forth, tears flowed, and new tears overflowed from the side he wiped and wet her cheeks and Ulbert's fingers.
"Ah, Um... Ulbert-sama's hands will get dirty..."
"You idiot, you can't get dirty. Focus on stopping your tears instead of doing that."
His words are blunt, but the hand that wipes his tears is as soft and gentle as ever.
Momonga smiled at Ulberto, who was showing his clumsy kindness.
“…Yes, what are you doing, Peroroncino-san?”
"Guhe!"
A voice like a crushed frog for the second time today pops out of Peroroncino's mouth.
Peroroncino instinctively released his arms from the Vampire Princess due to the shock of being pulled at the base of his neck, and managed to escape from Momonga's bony hand, rubbing his throat a little resentfully.
"Uu, what are you doing, Momonga-san?"
"It's my fault, Mr. Peroroncino, who sexually harasses a young girl."
"No! This is my personal touch with NPCs!!"
“If you tell a blatant lie, Mr. Ulbert will send Harisen flying.”
Peroroncino desperately tries to make excuses, but Momonga has no island to cling to.
At the time of Yggdrasil's heyday, Peroroncino's older sister, Bukubuku Chagama, was the stopper, but now she's not here. You and Ulbert must be strong! While Momonga was enthusiastic, it seemed that the surrounding NPCs had calmed down considerably.
"Then, everyone, please show your loyalty to the supreme."
The other guardians nodded in unison at Albedo's words. vampire princess
The vampire princess took a step forward in front of Momonga and the others, who were slightly puzzled as to what was going to happen.
"First, second, third layer guardian, Shalltear Bloodfallen. Before you."
The vampire princess kneels with one hand on her chest and bows her head deeply.
“Fresh Blood Warrior Maiden” Shalltear Bloodfallen… An NPC created by Peroroncino who takes the form of a 14-year-old beautiful girl.
The skirt of the jet-black ball gown she was wearing stretched out softly, further accentuating Shalltear's youthful beauty. Her waxy white skin and her silvery long hair dazzle her eyes.
"Fifth Floor Guardian, Cocytus. In front of you."
With a distorted voice that sounded like a squeak, a gigantic pale insect came forward.
"Ruler of the Frozen River" Cocytus, an NPC created by one of the guild members Takemikazuchi Takemitsu.
A 2.5-meter pale giant that looks like a fusion of an ant and a praying mantis. It has a thick tail twice its height and countless sharp icicle-like spikes growing from its whole body. I'm taking the courtesy of The exoskeleton that glittered like diamond dust and the cold air that spewed out of its mouth occasionally gave me the illusion of a giant iceberg kneeling.
"Sixth layer guardian, Aura Bella Fiora. Before you."
"Oh, likewise, the guardian of the sixth floor, Mare Bello Fiore. Oh, in front of you."
Next came the twin Dark Elves.
"Great Trainer" Aura Bella Fiora and "Messenger of Nature" Mare Bello Fiore... A 10-year-old NPC created by Bukubuku Chagama, one of the guild members and sister of Peroroncino. Brother and sister of Dark Elves in the form of
The short golden hair, jade and blue eyes, and the androgynous beautiful features are very similar because they are twins, but it seems that the older sister's lively personality and the younger brother's timid personality are clearly expressed. was.
But more than that...
(...Why did Mr. Buku Buku Chagama have Aura dress up as a man and Mare dress as a woman...)
(Well, both of them look good and cute, isn't it good?)
(…As expected of siblings.)
At the same time, Momonga and the others were conversing with the twins, who were kneeling with their hands on their chests and bowing their heads.
"Seventh Floor Guardian, Demiurge. Before you."
Not noticing Momonga's silent exchanges, the crimson devil gracefully steps forward.
"Creator of Hell" Demiurge, an NPC created by Ulbert.
With oriental features, brown skin, jet-black hair carefully swept back, round glasses, and a three-piece crimson suit, he is reminiscent of a successful businessman or lawyer. However, the long tail wrapped in a silver carapace peeking out from behind was swaying in a good mood, and the creator, Ulbert, had the image of a loyal dog.
"Albedo, Supreme Guardian, in front of you. With the exception of Gargantua, the guardian of the 4th floor, and Victim, the guardian of the 8th floor, all the guardians of each floor bow before you. We dedicate all of our loyalty to you."
Finally, Albedo takes a step forward, kneels, and bows his head.
Even with a faint smile, it should be said that it has a dignified appearance that seems to be a guardian supervising. Momonga and the others unconsciously gurgled at the words chanted in a sonorous voice and the six heads lowered in front of them.
Unconsciously, I felt like I was going to retreat due to the unusually tense and intimidating feeling.
However, the three of them somehow managed to stop and looked at each other as if they were prepared and nodded slightly.
Staring again at the NPCs who bowed their heads once more, I opened my mouth while choosing my words.
"Raise your face"
First, Momonga called out to remove even a little of this oppressive atmosphere.
After confirming the NPCs who were still kneeling and raising their heads, Ulberto and Peroroncino decided to follow Momonga in a ruler-like manner.
"First of all, let me apologize for surprising you guys with my sudden return."
"Thank you for following our words and gathering together."
"What are you saying! Please stop apologizing and thanking me. The return of Master Ulberto and Master Peroroncino was the earnest wish of all of us Shimobe. Being able to serve you once again is an unexpected extremity."
The other guardians looked up at Momonga and the others without objection to Albedo's earnest appeal. She stared straight at them as if her words were everything.
I still have no idea what is going on.
But their loyalty seemed believable.
"Thank you. You say we don't need gratitude, but we appreciate your loyalty."
"And I think it's reliable. You guys will do more than we expected."
"Currently, this Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick... No, it is possible that Yggdrasil itself is caught up in an unforeseen and unexplained situation. The cause is still unknown, but I have noticed something suspicious or unusual. Is there anyone?"
At Momonga's question, Albedo looked over his shoulder at each guardian.
After exchanging glances for a few seconds, Albedo immediately turned to face Momonga and the others again.
"No, I'm sorry, but we have nothing to think about."
“Then, has anyone experienced any special abnormalities on each floor?”
In response to the question that followed, each of the guardians opened their mouths.
"There is no abnormality on the 7th floor."
"The sixth floor too."
"Y-yes. It's just as Onee-chan said."
"Death like the 5th layer"
"There were no abnormalities from the first floor to the third floor."
Momonga nodded once at the guardians who spoke negative words.
If what they said is true, then rather than the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick, the entire Yggdrasil may be in trouble . just places.
As I pondered what to ask next, I suddenly saw Sebas, who was heading outside to investigate, enter the throne room.
When Sebas came trotting this way, he slowly got down on one knee and lowered his head.
"Sorry for being late"
"No, I don't mind. Rather than that, tell me about the surrounding situation."
"Huh. First of all, it's a grassy plain about 1km away, and apart from the small animals that are expected to live there, we haven't been able to confirm any intelligent beings, such as humanoid creatures or large creatures."
"Prairies...? Not swamps?"
"Yes. Grasslands."
Momonga and the others fell silent at Sebas's report.
The Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick should have existed in a poisonous swamp with a thin fog. There should be a frog-like monster named Zweg living there, but according to Sebas' report, even that monster is gone.
"...In other words, did Nazarick itself transfer to an unknown place? Sebas, was there anything floating in the sky?"
"No, there was no such thing. The same thing as the night sky on the 6th floor was spreading."
"night sky!?"
“…Is there anything in the surroundings that might bother you?”
"No. Except for the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarik, no man-made structures could be confirmed."
「「「……………………」」」
The three fell silent again.
This is clearly an abnormal situation, and the three heads once again sound the alarm bell.
I've never heard of a building suddenly teleporting to a different location. It wasn't just a building, it was the building that was the home of the guild.
When the three of them frowned, they tightened their minds and began to think about their future actions.
“Each guardian, first raise the alert level of each floor by one level. There are many unknowns about what will happen, so don't let your guard down. I don't want to get into trouble in a situation where I don' t know anything."
"After that, we need to cover it up... It would be better if there weren't any intruders right now, and if we're surrounded by grasslands, we'll have to do something about it."
“No, it would be better to check the security first. Albedo, how is the exchange of security information between the guardians of each floor?”
Peroroncino asked Albedo while talking as if they were consulting each other.
"The security of each floor is left to the discretion of each guardian, but an information sharing system with Demiurge as the general manager has been completed."
"Heh, that's good. Demiurge was in charge of the defensive battle, wasn't he? Well then, Demiurge, who is in charge of Nazarick's defense battle, and Albedo, who is in charge of the guardians. Under the responsibility of both of you, create a more perfect one. ”
"Understood. Is it okay to create a system that excludes the 9th and 10th layers?"
Momonga tried to nod to Albedo, who confirmed it in the form of a question, but was stopped by Peroroncino just before.
"No, that would be bad. The eighth floor is dangerous even for us."
"... That's right. Then, the eighth floor is off-limits. Only allowed to enter if I, Ulberto-san, or Peroroncino-san give permission. Release the seal so that you can come directly from the seventh floor to the ninth floor. Next, we will conduct security including the 9th floor and the 10th floor.”
“Yo, are you okay!?”
“…To be allowed to enter the realm of the supreme beings.
Albedo let out a startled voice, and Demiurge, who was standing behind him, expressed his feelings in a low voice with a startled expression. Momonga and the others must have been so wary. But for Momonga and the others, no matter how careful they were, it wasn't enough.
We didn't know how effective our power would be in a situation where we didn't know anything, and we didn't want to get involved in trouble in such a situation.
Besides, there is a passage that Albedo considers the 9th and 10th floors to be sanctuaries, but with a few exceptions, NPCs and
The Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick had fallen as soon as the 8th floor was broken through, and it was only because some of the opinions were adopted that they should wait on the throne like a villain. It was Ulberto, who was the first to assert that opinion, and turned his face away from Momonga and Peroroncino, who were staring at him silently.
"Ah, Gohon. There's no problem, Albedo. It's an emergency, so you should provide more protection."
“I am in awe.
Albedo nodded with a serious expression, and Ulbert nodded with satisfaction.
Momonga was staring at Ulbert, but he regained his composure and turned his attention to the kneeling Dark Elf twins.
"Then the cover-up operation next... Is it possible to cover-up the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick without Aura, Mare, and deployable genjutsu?"
"Well, it's difficult with magic. If you want to hide various things on the surface of the earth... But, for example, if you put soil on the wall and grow plants on it..."
"Dirty the glorious walls of Nazarick?"
A low voice like crawling on the ground pops out from Albedo. Even though she is wearing a pretty pure white dress, is it just my imagination that it looks like she is emitting a dark aura from her body?
Marley's slender shoulders start to tremble, and a heavy air begins to drift.
However, the unpleasant atmosphere was blown away by Peroroncino's voice, which seemed to be intentionally bright.
"Hey, come on, don't fight. Albedo knows that it's an emergency right now, right? This is necessary. Besides, it was Mr. Ulberto who said that a cover-up was necessary in the first place."
"Hey, Korra. What do you mean, bird head?"
“Mare, is it possible to cover the wall you mentioned earlier with soil?”
“Yes.
Ignoring the glaring Ulberto, Peroroncino nodded at Mare's words and stared at Momonga.
Momonga looked at Albedo, who was restless, took a small breath and shifted his gaze to Mare.
“…Very good.
“However, if you look at it from a distance, don’t you think the bulge of the earth looks unnatural? …Sebas, are there any hills around here?”
Stopping glaring at Peroroncino, Ulberto regains his composure and asks Sebas.
Sebas didn't even show any signs of thinking, and immediately shook his head and spoke in denial.
"No. Unfortunately, it seemed like the land was flat. However, it was night, so I can't say for certain that I might have overlooked it."
"Is that so... Then why don't you make a dummy by piling up dirt on the surrounding ground in the same way?"
"If that's the case, I think it won't stand out so much."
"Okay. Mare and Aura should work together to get started on it. You can bring whatever you need from each floor. I'll talk later about the magic that can't be hidden in the upper part of the sky, which is effective for those who don't belong to Nazarick.
“Yes.
In response to Ulberto and Sebas' words, Momonga orders Mare and Aura.
Watching the twins bow their heads, Momonga looked to Urberto and Peroroncino for something else .
“… Well, today is the dissolution. Everyone, take a rest and then start your actions.
"We are between the round tables, so if anything comes up, let us know."
"See you later~"
Momonga and Ulbert acted like rulers of Nazarick, but Peroroncino quickly returned to normal and even waved his hand. Momonga and Ulberto let out a big sigh, grabbed Peroroncino's arm and neck behind him, and stepped forward to quickly leave. Passing between the guardians bowing Their heads again, the Pleiades Yuri and Solution opened the door to the throne and lowered their heads.
Momonga and Ulbert passed through the door and came out to the corridor, and finally stopped after hearing the sound of the door closing behind them. I let go of Peroroncino and put my hands on the wall and let out a deep sigh.
""...TI'm tired...""
"Yes?"
Peroroncino blinked his eyes at the two who suddenly lost their strength.
"Um... do you want to take a break?"
"... No, I don't know where the eyes are here, so let's go to the round table first."
"...that's right"
At Peroroncino's suggestion, Momonga shook his head and Ulberto regained his balance.
The three naturally started walking down the corridor with Momonga in the lead. At that time, do not forget to keep an eye out for anything that has changed even a little. However, fortunately or unfortunately, nothing strange was found at all, and when the three arrived at the round table on the 9th floor, they naturally sat down on a nearby seat.
Normally, I would sit down in my assigned seat, but since there were only three of us here, no one would complain about the seats of the other guild members.
The three of them sat down deeply in their chairs, letting out a big sigh.
There are too many things going on at once and my emotions can't keep up.
Peroroncino, who was the happiest of the three, was no exception.
"...What the hell is going on?"
"I don't know. What I do know now is that I can't contact the GM. It's highly likely that Yggdrasil itself, not Nazarick, is going crazy....The rest is just that this isn't a dream ."
"I have to check each one. I'm going to tell you my thoughts from now on, so please speak up if you have anything."
“Oh, as expected of Momonga-san!”
"Understood, Gil Mass."
Momonga unintentionally gave a small wry smile to Peroroncino and Ulberto, who immediately replied with mischievous words and smiles. However, he quickly pulled her together, and sorted out her many thoughts in her head, voicing her own questions and opinions.
First, are the NPCs I've come into contact with programs?
Momonga's opinion is no.
High-level emotions such as conversing or shedding tears in response to your words are impossible to program. From the temperature of Albedo's hand that Peroroncino felt, it would be the best proof that they have raw bodies.
So, assuming that they have become humans rather than programs, how unchanging is their loyalty to themselves?
In the real world, loyalty is a fragile thing that can be eroded by the slightest thing. Does that apply to them as well, or is it like a program, once set, it never changes?
“Hmm… I think it will be fine as far as Albedo and Shalltear are concerned.”
“Certainly. Did Albedo even kill himself to try to hold us back?”
"That's true, but I still think you shouldn't let your guard down. Until it's clear that it's okay, let's be careful not to be taken aback or underestimated."
"Yes"
"understand"
Confirm that Ulberto and Peroroncino nodded and move on to the next story.
Second, what is this world?
If you think about it normally, it would be reasonable to think of it as the world of Yggdrasil. However, based on our earlier opinion on NPCs and our state of being able to move facial expressions and have five senses, we can't really think of it as being in the game. It may be an impossible story, but I wonder if I got lost in a different world where virtual reality became reality.
"………Different world…?"
"... Momonga-san, isn't that unreasonable? Even if the virtual world has become a reality, it's still natural to think that the world of Yggdrasil has become a reality."
"But that doesn't explain why Sebas said that the swamp had turned into a grassland. If the world of Yggdrasil had become a reality, Nazarick should still be in the swamp."
"That's true, but..."
Ulbert wrinkled his eyebrows and fell silent.
Momonga and Peroroncino unintentionally exchanged glances at Ulberto, who began to ponder while playing with his beard. Peroroncino shrugged his shoulders and urged Momonga to continue talking with only his eyes in silence. Momonga knew that no one could stop Ulberto, who had become like this , and that no matter what she did, it was useless, so she decided to continue talking.
Third, if this world is a different world, how far is it reflected in reality?
Facilities, items, equipment, magic, etc. in Nazarick... I needed to find out exactly which ones I could use and which ones I couldn't. Especially the availability of items and magic is a matter of life and death here. This is not something that can be left to the NPC, and the three of us will have to investigate it as soon as possible.
And finally, what is your future course of action?
The first step would be to collect information. Whatever the world really is, it's still lacking information. Momonga, Ulberto, and Peroroncino were painfully aware that no matter what they did, gathering information was essential, and that failure to gather information would lead directly to death.
But then...?
"... Mr. Ulberto, Mr. Peroroncino, do you two want to return to the original world?"
Peroroncino blinked his eyes at Momonga's sudden question. Ulbert, who had been immersed in his thoughts all this time, also glanced at Momonga with golden eyes.
Momonga gazed at his bones, which were clasped together on the round table, and let out words like he was talking to himself.
"To be honest, I don't think I want to go back to my original world. It was everything."
While remembering the fun memories of Yggdrasil so far, I put my strength into the hands of the combined bones.
I always wanted that happy time to continue. Contrary to the confused thoughts of being caught up in such an abnormal situation, I felt no small amount of joy.
Far from the disappearance of the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick, there are important companions in front of me, though not all of them.
Maybe those happy days will come back...
However, no matter how much he wished for it, if the two of them wanted to return to reality, he could not ignore it.
Looking at Momonga, whose eyes were filled with bitterness, the words that came out of the silent mouths of the two were surprising.
"I don't think I want to go back either. It's true that I retired from Yggdrasil, but it wasn't because I hated Yggdrasil.
"...Ulbert-san..."
"I too... have some regrets about the eroge that I haven't cleared yet, but more than that, I want to be with Momonga-san and Ulbert-san. Shalltear is here, too. Besides, look at me. If we go back, Albedo will kill himself."
"...Mr. Peroroncino..."
“Hey, is Buku Buku Chagama-san okay?”
"Wait, how old do you think I am? It's true that I'm a little concerned about your sister, but that's a different story."
“Hmm.
Umberto with a grinning smile and Peroroncino who laughs brightly.
Momonga was stunned by the two of them who spoke with unchanging attitudes, but he felt a warm feeling slowly overflowing from his chest.
For the first time in my life, I'm glad I'm undead. If I had a real body, I would probably have cried even though I was uncool.
“…Thank you, Ulberto-san and Peroroncino-san!”
However, even the trembling voice is not deceived, and Ulberto and Peroroncino spill laughter.
When the two got up from their seats, they approached Momonga and lightly tapped him on the shoulder.
"It's too early to say thank you. It's going to be busy from now on."
"That's right, Momonga-san! We still don't know what's going on, so let's do our best and survive together!!"
"...Hey, it sounds a bit like a death flag, so don't do it."
"Haha, that's right. Let's do our best together!"
The presence of these two people is really reliable.
While Momonga was thinking about the future, she said that the three of them would be fine, letting a powerful light shine through her eye sockets.
The story isn't going very well... (sweat)
It's a specification that part of the common names of Aura and Mare are omitted when the guardians call themselves...
I apologize if there is any discomfort.
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