Ainz fell into contemplation as he watched the scene unfolding in his daughter's room.
Fortunately, Albedo had been temporarily sent back, with Ainz using the excuse that E-Rantel couldn't be left unsupervised.
Aura had also been sent away with the excuse of 'children should go to sleep immediately,' leaving only Shalltear by Ainz's side.
After all, Shalltear, like Ainz, was an Undead who didn't need to sleep, so there was no such thing as staying up late for her.
Although he felt a bit like a 'failed father' for peeking at his daughter's room while she was resting, wasn't this unavoidable?
After all, there was still a Player or an NPC standing beside his daughter, wasn't there?
If he used his concern for his daughter's safety as an excuse, even if his daughter, Ellie, found out, she would probably forgive him, right?
Probably... "I hate daddies who peek into my room, hmph!"
Hmm... After mentally picturing Ellie saying that to him with a stern face, he forced himself to remain calm and decisively activated his ability.
It seemed he still cared quite a bit about how Ellie viewed him as a father! It would be better to keep the peeking a secret! After returning, he would need to thoroughly brief the Guardians who were accompanying him on this trip.
So, putting that issue aside for a moment, why had his daughter, Ellie, suddenly attacked Chao Lu with Shalltear's skill?
The way the thrown spear was made to miss at the critical moment looked very much like a test of Chao Lu, but why would Ellie choose this moment to test her?
Before the test, they had a brief conversation, and only then did Ellie attack her. Had something been mentioned that could make his daughter angry?
Hmm... Although he hadn't spent much time with Ellie, he had gained a general understanding of his daughter, Ellie, while teaching her magic and from the words of Albedo, Shalltear, and the other Guardians.
Aside from the two previous instances of Blood Frenzy, his daughter had never shown any negative emotions in front of him, the Guardians, or even the regular maids and NPCs. This time, he had clearly seen the slightly angry expression on his daughter's face when she attacked Chao Lu.
Hmm... It seems I'm still a bit of a failed father, but I can't really blame myself!
Think about it, suddenly having such a cute daughter appear out of nowhere, it's bound to take some getting used to, right?
He had never even had a girlfriend before, so facing a daughter who suddenly appeared, he really didn't know how to get along with her. Moreover, he had to set an example for the Guardians around him, so he had no choice but to adopt the demeanor of a strict father.
Therefore, while Ellie was still in Nazarick, he hadn't spent much time with her. Thinking about it this way, he really was quite a failed father.
He remembered Albedo saying that every time Ellie returned, her first question was always whether he was there, and upon learning he wasn't in Nazarick, Ellie would always appear slightly disappointed.
Although the credibility of these words from Albedo's mouth wasn't very high, the things Ellie had done for Nazarick to establish itself in this world since she left already spoke volumes.
You see, every time Ellie saw him, she would sweetly call him 'Daddy' and then eagerly burrow into his arms.
Tsk... Had the 'Forced Calm' activated again? After a flash of green light, Ainz instantly felt a sense of dullness.
He wished this passive skill could be turned off. To some extent, the negative effects of this passive were more annoying than the positive ones, even though he had been able to maintain his facade because of it.
Uh uh uh... It seems I've digressed again. Wasn't I supposed to be thinking about why my daughter attacked Chao Lu?
How did I get off topic again?
I need to think carefully, as this concerns my daughter's safety. While in the past, the most important thing to me was the existence of other Players in this world.
However, now... If I put information about Players and my daughter's safety on a scale, isn't it obvious which way it would tip?
Although my daughter is intelligent and clever, and she also has Touch Me's Champion Armor protecting her, she's still just a child! If anything were to happen to her... as her father!
Another flash of green light passed.
Hmm... I've digressed again. The main reason I'm overthinking is probably that I can't fully grasp my daughter's thoughts, right?
After all, Ellie's intelligence truly surpassed his imagination. Even Demiurge, Nazarick's strategist, often boasted to him that Ellie had inherited Ainz-sama's wisdom. The crucial question is, which 'Ainz-sama's' wisdom did Ellie inherit? He had no idea!
Now, through the Far-seeing Mirror, Ellie's room had once again returned to quiet. His daughter, Ellie, was already back in bed, while Chao Lu remained standing by Ellie's bedside.
This was truly difficult to judge. It would be much easier if he could have heard their previous conversation. Unfortunately, this magic didn't have such convenient capabilities. Long-distance surveillance combined with eavesdropping was something even Nigredo, who was most skilled in information-gathering magic within Nazarick, couldn't achieve, so he couldn't rely on this magic.
Although there were indeed methods for eavesdropping, the risk was too great. His daughter was so intelligent that she would surely discover it. If she were to find out... "Daddy Ainz actually eavesdropped on me! Daddy doesn't trust me! So disappointed, so disappointed..."
Another flash of green light passed. Hmm... It's better not to do such risky things.
Hmm! Ainz, who was now holding his hand to his chin, pretending to be deep in thought, noticed a slight anomaly in the Far-seeing Mirror.
It was... Chao Lu, who had been standing by his daughter's side, had briefly glanced slightly upwards and to her left, precisely at the location where the Far-seeing Mirror's surveillance was focused.
This seemingly casual gesture gave Ainz a very unsettling thought. Could it be... that this person knew she was being watched?
This individual's identity was still unconfirmed; she could be an NPC or even a Player. It would be normal for her to see through the Far-seeing Mirror's surveillance. But if she already knew she was being watched, why hadn't she taken any counter-intelligence measures?
If she had directly used information counter-attack, even he would surely have suffered a certain degree of damage. However, she didn't do so... which meant she must be plotting something!
Ellie is in danger!
He couldn't let this person stay by his daughter's side! But how could he inform Ellie? Would his sudden appearance in this place not cause problems? If this matter was also within his daughter Ellie's expectations, wouldn't his rash intervention be a huge embarrassment?
"Daddy Ainz actually came over on his own and ruined my plan! I thought Daddy Ainz understood my intentions in doing this! Daddy Ainz, really, cold glare, cold glare..."
Yet another flash of green light passed.
Hmm... But he was truly too concerned that Chao Lu might be a threat to his daughter! What should he do? Should he send Guardians over to ensure Ellie's safety?
That wouldn't work either, Ellie is so smart, she would definitely see through it immediately. What should he do?
Demiurge not being here was truly too painful.
Hmm... Albedo wasn't here either, so he had to figure something out himself. This was agonizing... Ah!
He got it... If he couldn't go directly or send Guardians, then wouldn't it be fine to send *her*?
"Shalltear, go call Nabe. I have something to discuss with her." Ainz, who had been silent for a long time, ordered Shalltear, who was standing behind him, gazing at the Far-seeing Mirror with a lovesick expression.
------------------------
I've posted 70+ chapters in advance on Patreon.
Webnovel updates will still be daily, as usual.
It might not seem tempting right now but who knows what the future holds?
[email protected]/SolyuraMT
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"