Chapter 56: Demi's Wisdom
The atmosphere in the Throne Room was heavier than usual.
With the exception of Sebas, away on his mission in the royal capital, every Guardian of the Great Tomb of Nazarick had gathered here.
Albedo stood to the lower right of the throne, her pure white ceremonial gown spread like fresh snow across the stone.
Demiurge stood to the left, his round glasses catching cold glints in the magical light. Cocytus held all six arms hanging at his sides, the blade-like tips of his fingers slightly drawn together.
Aura and Mare stood side by side a short distance behind them. Aura's ears were turning slightly; Mare had his head lowered, fingers twisting anxiously at his staff.
The news of Shalltear's betrayal had dropped like a silent bomb among them.
Ainz sat on the throne and went through all the known intelligence in full — from Shalltear's disappearance during the mission, to Nigredo's fruitless search, to his own inspection of the battle site, and finally the dispositions he had ordered.
His voice was steady. No unnecessary embellishment.
When he finished, he turned his gaze to Demiurge.
"Demiurge. Tell me your thoughts."
"As you command, Lord Ainz."
Demiurge stepped forward, placed his right hand on his chest, and gave a correct, formal bow. When he straightened, the eyes behind his glasses were burning with something close to fanaticism.
"Though the timing may be somewhat unsuitable — allow me to say that your wisdom surpasses all admiration."
"Ah?"
Ainz's jaw dropped open involuntarily, producing a short, clipped sound.
But the forced calm surged up from somewhere deep in his consciousness immediately, pressing the rising confusion and alarm back down.
Ainz's thoughts spun quickly. That can't be right. Didn't I underestimate the enemy? I sent Shalltear alone after someone who could use Martial Arts, and that's what led to this. Why is he praising me?
Ainz's gaze settled on Demiurge's face.
That composed face showed not a trace of mockery. The corners of his mouth were slightly upturned, his brow easy — genuine, heartfelt admiration.
Unless he's actually displeased with me, and this is his way of making a point.
But Ainz studied him for a moment and set the idea aside.
Demiurge was serious. He was praising him in complete good faith.
"Ahem." Ainz cleared his nonexistent throat. "Demiurge, there's no need for praise right now."
He kept his voice as level as he could, as though compliments of this kind were something he had long since grown accustomed to.
"Yes, Lord Ainz." Demiurge inclined his head slightly. "As humble as ever."
"Demiurge, what are you actually talking about?"
Aura finally couldn't hold it back. Her upright ears tilted forward, her young face written over with genuine confusion.
"Which is to say..." The corners of Demiurge's lips curved into a meaningful arc. "The Guardians can never reach the heights of Lord Ainz's wisdom."
He adjusted his glasses. The gaze behind them sharpened.
"Even I have only managed to glimpse a small portion of what Lord Ainz intends."
"Ah — !?"
A flash of green light passed over Ainz. The forced calm triggered again, in rapid succession.
It showed just how thoroughly Demiurge had shaken him.
"Demiurge." Ainz put a note of authority into his voice. "So that the other Guardians can follow the current situation — please explain your reasoning in the plainest terms possible."
He paused, then added:
"I will, of course, supplement anything you may have missed once you've finished."
"As you command, Lord Ainz."
Demiurge gave another deep bow.
"If I have understood anything incorrectly, I ask that you correct me at any time."
He straightened and turned to face all the assembled Guardians. His analysis began.
"First."
Demiurge raised one slender finger.
"Shalltear's actions against us were not the product of her own will. She was subjected to some form of irresistible interference."
Ainz gave a slight nod.
This matched his own assessment.
So I'm not entirely hopeless after all. A quiet private exhale of relief.
"Second."
A second finger.
"The powerful enemy Shalltear encountered was the result of a chance engagement — a coincidence, not a planned confrontation."
Ainz was already losing the thread by the second point.
Didn't Shalltear go out specifically to capture someone? How was it a chance engagement?
But Ainz didn't speak. He maintained a slight nod, as though this were something he had already worked through completely.
"I see."
A voice came from the right side of the throne.
Albedo tilted her head slightly. A faint understanding moved through those golden vertical pupils.
"Was it because she went after the adventurers who had been waiting at the perimeter?"
"Precisely."
Demiurge turned to Albedo and nodded.
"Lord Ainz had naturally worked through that already, of course."
"Ah? Ah, yes. Quite so — but go ahead and explain it for Aura and the others, Demiurge." Ainz said, his composure slipping just slightly.
"Based on the traces Lord Ainz examined at the scene, we can reconstruct a rough account of events." Demiurge's voice was unhurried.
"After Shalltear dealt with the mercenary bandits in the cave, she discovered adventurers conducting reconnaissance nearby. Because there was a second group waiting at the perimeter, she summoned her familiars and sent them into the forest to hunt down the one responsible for the relay."
Demiurge paused, giving the other Guardians a moment to absorb the information.
"Those familiars encountered an unexpected and powerful opponent in the forest, and were destroyed."
"By that point, Shalltear had likely been killing at such a volume that she had entered a blood frenzy."
A note of resignation entered Demiurge's voice. "In that state, she wouldn't take time to probe the enemy's strength. She would simply charge in herself."
He said it that way — but in truth, Demiurge had private doubts about whether Shalltear would have shown much caution even at full clarity of mind.
"Lord Ainz found a path at the battle site leading deeper into the forest. The branches along both sides of that path had been freshly broken — clearly the marks left when Shalltear passed through at extreme speed."
Demiurge looked toward Ainz.
"That concludes my analysis, based on the available intelligence."
He finished and bowed, deep and precise.
The Throne Room was quiet for a moment.
Ainz sat on the throne, the dark red light in his eye sockets pulsing faintly.
So that was it.
Those traces — the fragments he had seen but not connected — had been assembled by Demiurge's analysis into a picture that fit together without a gap.
"Well said, Demiurge."
Ainz's voice carried the measured approval of someone who ruled.
"Your analysis is entirely consistent with what I had worked out."
Demiurge's head lowered further.
"The honor is too great, Lord Ainz."
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