Finally, after three days in this New World.
From the other side of the massive stone doors, an overwhelming wave of magic power that seemed to vibrate the very air transmitted itself.
It was an absolute presence permitted to only a single entity within the entire domain of the Great Tomb of Nazarick.
The freezing chill governing death, and the heavy pressure of a king who rules over all creation, surged into the space of the 『Vault of Wisdom』, accompanied by physical mass.
The moment they sensed that wave, Ra and Apep, who had been passing the time in the darkness, froze perfectly still.
The golden bird god returned the epic poem he held to the void using magic power, reverently folded his massive wings, and fell to his knees on the stone floor.
The pitch-black serpent god also vanished the anatomy record he was reading as if flicking it away, coiled his massive torso in multiple layers, and sank his head to the lowest possible position.
Not a single shred of the relaxed atmosphere from moments ago could be felt from the two giant gods.
All that existed was a posture of one hundred percent pure, absolute fealty toward their Creator and Supreme Master.
I, too, instantly sank my body of black fog until it was mere millimeters above the floor.
With a single command of my will, the hundreds of pages and parchments that had been orbiting me halted their movements in unison, arranging themselves into orderly geometric patterns in the air behind my back.
All hundreds of my eyeballs were lowered, completely shutting off their purple and blue light.
The heavy doors swung open from the center without making a single sound of friction.
Standing there was a grotesque king truly befitting the title of the embodiment of death.
He wore a pitch-black and purple robe adorned with luxurious decorations.
In the eye sockets of his exposed skull, dark red points of light flickered eerily in the darkness. In his hand, he grasped Nazarick's greatest treasure, the guild weapon 『Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown』, designed with seven serpents coiled around it.
Ainz Ooal Gown.
Formerly Momonga, and the absolute ruler of our Nazarick.
Just by him taking a single step onto the floor of the vault, I felt the illusion that the room's temperature had plummeted several degrees.
His 『Despair Aura』 should have been completely suppressed, yet the mere remnants of the magic power overflowing from him possessed an intimidating presence that seemed to freeze the soul.
"——Raise your heads."
The King's imperial decree echoed deeply and heavily.
We raised our heads simultaneously, capturing His Supreme Form in our vision. Ra and Apep remained completely motionless, and I, too, did not let the contours of my black fog waver by even a fraction of an inch.
"You have done well. Good work on the defense of the 8th Floor and the management of this Vault of Wisdom."
Ainz advanced with a slow, deliberate gait until he was just a few meters in front of me.
"I have received reports from Albedo that you are all functioning without delay. However, as this place is the linchpin of Nazarick's knowledge, I wished to confirm it with my own eyes."
"We are immeasurably honored that You would take the time to visit personally, Lord Ainz."
I replied in a low, echoing voice, making sure absolutely not to mix in any excessive embellishments.
"Our 『Vault of Wisdom』 has been fully prepared to welcome You, Lord Ainz."
"Mmm. Tawil Balah. First, report the current status of this vault. ...Are there any missing tomes, anomalies in the magic preservation system, or any sort of interference from the outside?"
In response to Ainz's inquiry, I outputted the index that had been organized in my brain into audio without leaving even a few seconds of silence.
"To state the conclusion first: there are absolutely no anomalies. All functions are operating in a state of perfection."
Matching my words, a portion of the pages aligned behind me emitted a pale blue light, projecting a concise status screen into the air.
"I shall report the details. First, the physical loss among the entirety of the 130,000,000 text data files and magic scrolls housed here is zero. The maintenance systems for the temperature, humidity, and magic power density within the archives are all within the acceptable range of normal values. Second, absolutely no logs of external intrusion, detection magic, or interference from unknown networks have been detected. Third, the magic power charge rates of the defense mechanisms, including both Ra and Apep, are constantly maintained at one hundred percent, and are fully prepared for immediate interception."
I paused my words there and stared at Ainz's red points of light.
"That concludes the current status of the 『Vault of Wisdom』. Are there any additional items You would like to inquire about?"
—Silence fell.
Ainz stood looking down at me without blinking his red points of light, keeping the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown planted on the floor.
My report contained absolutely no excessive admiration like, "As expected of Lord Ainz, to concern Yourself with such minute details!" nor any fanatical praise like, "Before the majesty of our Supreme Master, no anomaly could ever possibly occur!"
I simply stated the conclusion first, and concisely conveyed the current situation using only accurate numerical values and facts.
That was all.
After a few seconds of pause.
The red points of light in Ainz's eye sockets seemed to waver softly.
And then, I could tell that the "intimidating presence of an absolute ruler" he wore—a tension like a tautly stretched thread—relaxed slightly, but undeniably.
"...A splendid report. Extremely easy to understand."
Ainz's voice had lost just a bit of the terribly heavy, theatrical resonance it had moments ago.
"From the management of the archives to the maintenance of the defense mechanisms, there is not a single opening. Just as Albedo reported, it seems you perfectly understand and execute your role. I am delighted that there is not a single concern that requires my attention."
"I am honored by Your overly generous praise."
I bowed flatly, yet with profound respect.
"Mmm... It truly is a lifesaver."
The single phrase Ainz let slip.
It didn't sound like the words of Ainz Ooal Gown, the Undead King, but rather the genuine, unfiltered feelings of the single human being inside him, Satoru Suzuki.
I painfully understood the reason for his faint relief.
For the past few days, he must have been constantly wearing the mask of Nazarick's Absolute Ruler, a mask far too large for him.
Demiurge, who, out of deep affection, overthinks every single one of his words and arbitrarily connects them to grandiose master plans.
Albedo, who directs a deranged amount of love toward him and returns even the most trivial of words with fervent, fanatical praise.
They are undoubtedly highly competent, but at the same time, to him—who used to be just an ordinary guy—they are also people who consume a terrifying amount of mental energy just to interact with.
And then comes my report.
To Ainz, the existence of a low-maintenance, highly competent subordinate with whom you can have a normal, professional conversation like me must have felt like finding an oasis in a desert.
Though his skeletal face had no expression, my hundreds of eyes could clearly see the unnecessary tension smoothly drain from his broad shoulders.
"Tawil Balah."
"Yes."
"Your information processing abilities, and your logical thinking unswayed by emotion... You are truly worthy of the heart and soul Bellriver poured into constructing you. If he were here, he would surely be immensely proud."
Ainz's words were a mixture of deep affection for his former comrade and the loneliness of loss.
"My omniscience is something granted to me by Lord Bellriver. However, the one who determines what purpose that knowledge is wielded for is solely You, Lord Ainz, who currently rules this Nazarick."
I answered without breaking my flat tone, simply stating facts.
"To present the information You desire, Lord Ainz, and to derive the optimal solution for the future You desire. That is my sole function as the management system of this vault."
"...Mmm. How incredibly reliable."
Ainz nodded deeply.
That gesture was no longer something forced to keep up majestic appearances, but a sign of pure trust toward a competent subordinate.
Behind me, Ra and Apep shifted slightly.
They, too, must have sensed the air around their Master soften and lowered their alert level by one degree.
A comfortable silence filled the massive vault.
It felt just a little bit like the atmosphere from the YGGDRASIL era, when the Supreme Beings would visit here and chat while searching for information.
"Now then, shall we get to the main topic?"
Ainz raised the tone of his voice by one notch, regaining his face as King.
The gems on the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown in his hand began to glow eerily, as if resonating with their Master's will.
"I did not come here today merely for an inspection. Tawil Balah. There is information I want you to search for immediately using that database of 'Omniscience' you possess."
Here it comes.
While spinning the index of my inner database at maximum speed, I turned my hundreds of pupils toward Ainz.
My preparations for that had been completed long ago.
"Command me as You will, Lord Ainz. All of my knowledge exists for You."
I quietly crossed my black fog tentacles and waited for the King's next words.