Chapter 44

Sewing clothing for her daughter was one of the more enjoyable pastimes for her. Even the piles upon piles of already made clothing were not a deterrent to pursuing this pastime for Albedo. There were so many styles and types left that she didn't need to worry about running out of ideas any time soon. What was best was that with Splendora growing up so quickly, she would have to remake many of the already sewed dresses and costumes in the future. At the very least, the ones that weren't enchanted to accommodate any size would need to be remade.

With Ainz attending a meeting with Ulbert and Tabula, and Splendora training with Cocytus, she was left in silent solitude in their common dwelling in the imperial castle. With practiced movements, her fingers moved the needle through the fabric in a precise manner.

An unexpected knock on the door interrupted her whole work.

"Come in." Albedo said, looking up to see who was disturbing her peace.

Her smile faded for a brief moment, seeing the familiar six-winged angel. Eleleth's presence was mildly uncomfortable at its worst. She should not have thought so lowly about one of Ainz's top summons, but she just couldn't help it.

"Ainz is not here." she said, putting on a professional smile.

"Actually I came to talk with you, Empress Albedo." Eleleth responded with a polite bow.

'She usually doesn't bow before me. What would that angel want from me?'

"Me?"

"Yes. An interesting opportunity has presented itself, and I think you would be interested." Eleleth said, straightening up.

Wanting to emulate the behavior of her husband, Albedo motioned for the angel to sit down and said. "Go on."

Accepting the succubus' offer, Eleleth sat down, leaning back on the sofa in a casual manner.

"Since you are the only one left without an Apostle, I took the liberty to look for suitable candidates for you, your highness."

"Why would I need an Apostle?"

"You are a Goddess now."

"So what? Just because the Supreme Ones picked their mouthpieces among the mortal vermin, why should I do the same?"

"I would have assumed your father, Lord Tabula, or my master had explained the reason."

"They did." She of course knew that worshipers increased the power of a God but, despite everything, she was not ready to put herself on the same level as the Supreme Beings. "Why are you doing this, angel?"

"You are the beloved wife of my master, and there is nothing more important for him than his family. As the Emperor's loyal servant, it is my sworn duty to uplift not only him but his family as well."

'That did the trick.' The Empress bloomed into a genuine smile, changing her demeanor to a less hostile one.

"Tell me then, what do you have in mind?"

"A group of former Roble paladins was sent to Nazarick to atone for their attempt to usurp the throne. I made sure they already know that their religion is false. But as all fanatics, they cannot exist without a figure to devote themselves fully."

"You are offering me some worthless humans?"

"Not just any humans. The group is led by a woman called Acilia Baraja, Neia's mother."

'Mother of my husband's Apostle. If I could control her, I could keep a closer eye on that girl as well.' Albedo smirked and remarked.

"How interesting. Do you think she can be easily controlled?"

"Yes, your highness. She is not only desperate to get atonement for attacking her Queen but also to mend the bridges she burned with her daughter and husband because of her fanatical devotion to the false religion. All she needs is a little push and you will have a servant that will do anything in your name. Once a fanatic, always a fanatic."

'Maybe I underestimated Eleleth. Ainz did say she was a demon before becoming an angel. It may be beneficial to stop keeping her at arm's length and let her be the family's guardian. But it is paramount to know what she herself desires besides power.'

"Carry it out then. If you are successful, how do you wish to be rewarded?"

Eleleth stood up bowing deeply. "Being in your good graces is enough as a reward. I shall inform you, my Empress, when everything is prepared."

"Good. Then consider yourself the official guardian of the imperial family." Albedo said returning to sewing.

Taking it as the Empress telling her that the conversation is over, Eleleth bowed again and left the room.

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The King of the Slane Theocracy, Alaf sat on the throne alone. The daily meeting with his main advisor had ended and all the guards had left the throne room as well. Each day the cardinal has become more fanatical, slowly losing any sense or reason.

The feeling that he and his beloved wife Lumina were the only ones remaining sane in the entire royal palace loomed over him. Maybe not going to the surface often enough had made him jaded and pessimistic, but everyone was overly eager to liberate Roble, even though the monster Gods had expanded their empire and slowly surrounded his own nation.

The captain of the Holocaust scripture had reported that Nazarick had started to take over the Elf Kingdom, and it was only a matter of time before their hordes of monsters took over that entire region as well.

What scared him the most was the deep-seated sense of wrongness he felt when talking with the God of Light. As if it was something unbelievably dark just appearing as his ancestor God.

With a sigh, he stood up from the throne and walked toward his quarters. Alaf quietly opened the doors to not wake his wife in case she slept. Giving birth to his son had taken a lot out of her, and she needed any chance to sleep she could get.

His fears of disturbing Lumina were unfounded as she was breastfeeding Alanus, who greedily drank the nutritious milk. Lumina's handmaiden was standing by the bed but seeing the King approach, she bowed and left the room.

"How are you feeling?"

"Tired. How was the meeting with Raymond?"

"As usual. He wants to start the 'liberation' of Roble as soon as possible."

Lumina looked down at her son and frowned. She too had finally met her God but when she did, instead of the joy she hoped to feel, dread filled her heart. The God had expressed the joy of his bloodline living on, but the assurances that his son would serve a higher purpose felt purely sinister.

"My love, Alaf, I can't stop thinking of what kind of future we are building for our son." she carefully started. Alaf did share her unease but to express heretical thoughts was something she was not willing to do even to her husband.

"Don't worry. We will persevere. Our son will grow up to carry out our family's legacy." Alaf said to put his wife's mind at ease.

Lumina smiled looking at her boy who vigorously consumed his meal with the determination of a born warrior.

'I need a way out. I would give everything for my wife and son to have a future!' Alaf pleaded to no one in particular.

{ So the great King Alaf has gotten cold feet. How amusing. }

'What?! Who are you?'

{ I can offer you a deal. Find a place where we will not be disturbed. }

"I have business to attend to. I will be back soon." Alaf quickly said to his wife and went to his office, locking the door behind him. Just as the lock clicked shut a figure appeared in his chair. He could see only an outline but it was enough to send a shiver down his spine.

"Demon!"

"How perceptive of you." the figure said, illuminating the room with a floating ball. Alaf looked at the goat-like demon sitting in a chair for a moment and then readied his spear for a strike.

"I would advise against such actions. We wouldn't want to make your wife a widow just yet." the demon said with a sinister cackle.

Alaf stood motionless for a moment. He knew who was before him. The Demon God of Trickery, Ulbert Ooal Gown.

"What do you want?" he asked with disdain.

"I think we both know this is more about what you want."

"I will not make a deal with a demon. I am not stupid."

Ulbert grinned, leaning back. "Yet you think you can stand against us. Listening to the lies of whoever pretends to be your God."

"I…What assurances do I have that you will not betray me?"

"The word of Ainz Ooal Gown that any deal made by us will be fulfilled by me as long as you do your part."

"Like I would…"

Ulbert unleashed his aura, losing his composure. "Don't think I can't just make you watch how your family is killed in front of you, boy!"

Alaf gulped, taking a step back. The demon was right. He had no way of stopping him or the other monster Gods. Maybe playing along was the best option for now. Quickly bowing he said.

"I apologize for my outburst."

"That's better. Now then, what do you want?"

"I want a future for my wife and son."

"Interesting. And what are you willing to sacrifice for it?" Ulbert asked with a grin.

"I will gladly give my life."

"I don't care about your life."

"Then what must I give?"

"I'll make one thing clear for you. If you decide to cross me, I will make sure your family suffers more than you can imagine. That said, what I need from you is to delay the execution of the elves as much as you can."

"There isn't much I can do. The system was made so that it cannot be stopped by anyone."

"I know that. I don't need it to be stopped, only delayed. Nazarick will launch a rescue campaign very soon. In the ideal case, I want to get three out of the seven million elves held in Slane. The rest can be butchered however you like."

"If I do that, what do you offer in return?" Alaf asked.

'Why is he worried about three million, not all of them? That just doesn't make sense.' The demon surely had some kind of goal with that in mind, but he couldn't even begin to guess what that goal was.

"In return, you and your family can relocate to Nazarick and live in peace. I assure you that it would be a decent life with luxury compared to your current situation."

"Just delay the slaughter of elves, that's it?" Alaf asked in disbelief. It sounded too good to be true.

"Almost. You will give orders to start the war as well. But at least a month after the mass slaughter."

"So my people will die?"

"Yes."

"If Nazarick assures that my people are spared, I can cleanse the leadership of Slane Theocracy and offer surrender."

"No! I do not need Slane to surrender. Your people will serve other purposes."

"What purposes?"

"Not your concern, boy. Do what is required of you and you will get what you want."

'Sell my country for Lumina and Alanus. Why do my instincts tell me that it is the right choice?'

As much as he wanted to do his duty as king, the desire to do what was right as a father and a husband trumped it. He would have to betray his homeland and almost everyone he ever knew for his family.

'There will be no forgiveness for me, but for them, I will burn in hell.'

"I agree."

"Excellent. Do what you can and be assured I will keep my part of the deal as well." Ulbert said, and disappeared, leaving King Alaf alone in his office.

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Twenty figures stepped off the ship in Re-Lobell. One of the liches overseeing the port started to float in their direction immediately.

Acilia grabbed for her sword on instinct but a hand on her shoulder and a whisper from one of the other paladins, "We are in the monster empire now." stopped her.

"Right." Acilia said, resuming a neutral stance.

"Are you citizens of the Empire of Nazarick?" Lich asked while holding an open notebook.

"No. We are from the Holy Kingdom of Roble on a pilgrimage."

"Personal weapons are allowed but any act of aggression will be stopped immediately. Discrimination against other species is not allowed. A visitor's pass costs two silver per person and will be valid till the end of a year. In case of a more permanent residence, you will have to renew it each year."

Acilia took out forty silver coins to get passes for the entire group as the lich quickly asked for names and handed out the passes with names and basic descriptions to each of the paladins.

Not wanting to interact with an undead more than necessary, the group departed as soon as they were permitted to do so. It was easy to see that a lot of dock workers were undead, but there were few other species besides humans as well.

'How can they so easily work among the monsters?' Acilia asked herself. It was one thing to just hear rumors about the monster empire, but to see it with her own eyes was a completely different case entirely.

The walk through the city was no different. Although the majority of the populace were human, the undead guards stood everywhere. The two meter tall undead monstrosities holding the enormous shield made every part of her being shiver in terror. Even without knowing what they were, one thing was clear; it would likely take the entire group of twenty fully armed to even stand a chance against one of them, and they were everywhere.

'If we would have sought war with Nazarick our kingdom would have fallen without resistance. How could I have been so blind?'

Despite her own fears, it was bizarre to see people walking past them without a care.

"Acilia, shouldn't we get supplies for the road?" one of the paladins asked.

"We will buy what we need before leaving the city. Double-check your equipment before leaving the city. It is still cold enough to die from it if your sleeping bags are not adequate."

"We are not squires!" another said in a defensive tone.

"Cold weather doesn't care about your rank!" Alicia remarked.

The last thing she now needed was bickering among themselves. The journey would be hard enough as is.

Since they wore tabards with the Robble flag on them over the warm clothing, the group received a few curious stares. But beyond that, there were no incidents and the market square provided all the goods they needed. Mainly, dried food and local maps but also a few extra bottles of oil to keep their equipment in a decent state.

Alicia's attention turned to a family of three working in a nearby stall. The wife, husband and their daughter, who looked about nine years old, worked together, packing the wares for clients. The parents looked happy, selling the goods with smiles on their faces and giving words of encouragement to their child from time to time.

A pang of intense guilt struck her heart. She was never so warm towards her husband and daughter, but such scenes never bothered her before.

'Why do I feel so guilty all of the sudden?'

The guilt about her recent actions were different and she felt it constantly, but this was unexpected, like a sudden hidden attack. Despite her best efforts to put her attention back to the task at hand, the guilt ate at her heart.

It was hard to tell how long she stared or when tears appeared on her face but a sudden hand on the shoulder snapped her out of it.

"Alicia, are you ok?"

"I am fine. Let's get what we need and move on." She responded, discreetly wiping the tears away.

'I need to find Neia. Even if she never forgives me, she needs to know I wish to take back the last words I said to her.'

In the past, all the doubts could be prayed away, but now? Now it wasn't an option anymore. She needed to find a way to set her mind back to the journey ahead. With food and water packed in bags, the group moved towards the city gates.

As if it was an answer to her need, one of the churches dedicated to the monster Gods popped into view as they walked.

From an onlooker's point of view, the entire group turned and walked inside the building looking like they were in trance.

Their layout was different from the ones found in Roble's churches but it still gave her that same sense of warm familiarity. Instead of the statues of four Gods worshiped in Robble, inside stood eight statues of the New Gods.

A human priest inside gave them a curious look but then smiled and said.

"Welcome. Blessings of the Gods to all of you."

The whole place radiated divinity. The Gods were present here. None of them had felt anything like this in the churches found in their homeland.

Ailia walked up to a statue of a horned, winged Goddess feeling drawn to it.

'Empress Albedo, The Goddess of Love and Family.' She quietly read the inscription and then looked up at the intricately chiseled stone face that looked down at her, as if judging her sins.

'You are not worthy of being in her embrace.' Her own voice said to her. Without delay, she dropped to her knees before the statue in silent prayer. 'Please guide my path. I have pushed my family away. Please show me how to make things right again.'

As she repeated the words in her mind a few more times she felt some of her brethren kneel beside her. There was no denying it, the Gods were real and they ruled these lands.

Once Acilia opened her eyes looking around. Most had chosen either the Goddess of Love and Family or the one that looked like a representative of the wolfmen species.

'All of them choose. They know just as I do.'

The short visit to the church had filled the void in her heart. There once again was someone to pray to. It would take weeks to reach the capital of the Nazarick, but the hardship would show her devotion to repenting for her sins.

From what Acilia had heard the roads of Re-Estize were in an abysmal state so she was mentally prepared for what amounted to walking through the wilderness.

The expectations were shattered the moment the group got outside the gates of Re-Lobell. A recently made paved stone road invited them onto an easy path to travel on. After a few hours of walking, the idea of just walking off-road crossed Acilia's mind, as it started to feel unjustifiably easy to travel.

When the sun was almost at the horizon, the group had walked about fifty kilometers. Even though there were inns to stay in at the roadside, it was unanimously agreed upon that they would sleep outside.

With the volunteer guard groups sorted, they set up a camp lighting a fire and everyone besides the three active guards got into their sleeping bags and went to sleep.

Acilia found herself standing in the hall of the Roble's royal castle, with a scene playing in front of her.

"I have no daughter." A figure resembling her said as tears formed in her daughter's eyes. "Don't bother coming home" were the parting words to her husband.

She ran up to them, but neither Pavel nor Neia acknowledged her presence.

"I am sorry." she said to them, but they turned around and walked away.

"Wait!" Acilia shouted, grabbing her husband's shoulder but her hand went through it.

"You think you deserve their forgiveness?" a smooth voice asked.

"I…No. I do not." Acilia said more to herself.

"You will just give up on your family?" the voice asked again.

She turned around to see Empress Albedo emerging from the shadows with an expression of disgust. The Goddess had noticed her.

"I will do anything to atone." Acilia said, kneeling before her.

"Anything? Bold words. But words alone don't mean anything. You came to your senses because you were forced to, not of your own merit."

"Please guide my way. Please let this sinner know what to do."

A long knife landed before her with a klang. Instantly she knew what she must do to prove to the Goddess her determination. With a trembling hand, she picked up the knife and opened her mouth. The damned tongue that drove her family away had to be cut out. Pulling her tongue out as far as she could she cut it off, feeling the intense pain instantly. The blood filled her mouth rapidly and she started to choke on it.

"Seek me out and I will take you in." The Goddess said, picking up the bloodied knife from her hands.

Her breathing stopped as she choked on her own blood. The vision dimmed…

Acilia awoke with the pain and choking sensation that didn't leave. The cold air hit her real lungs right away as she sharply inhaled in panic.

'It was just a dream.'

The Goddess showed what she must give as a tribute. A tribute that she was willing to pay.

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With the business of acquiring the Apostle that the nature spirits guided to him concluded and the Elf King Removed, Blue Planet could return his attention to helping the local populace. Since Earan and Muirin were on their way to the capital to deal with the administration, he was accompanied by Lia.

Both arrived at one of the border provinces by using a gate. Just as Planet feared, the city looked almost barren. The buildings had barely been kept together and no one was walking across the dirt filled streets.

"I knew things weren't great but I didn't expect everything to be this bad." Lia remarked, looking around.

Why was no one walking the streets? She looked at the windows of the nearest buildings and could see outlines observing them.

"The Slane Theocracy." That was all that Blue Planet said. The hostility with which he said it made Lia shiver.

'Father was rescued from Slane. Lord Blue Planet seems more angry than usual. The situation there must be horrible.'

Lia noticed three figures coming down the street in the distance. As usual, she followed her first instinct and took the lute in her hands in case she needed the help of her friends forgetting that they could manifest in the presence of her God. She didn't even have to mention the invisible guards that were assuring Lord Blue Planet's safety.

Once the trio got closer, she could see that one of them was dressed as a noble, even if the clothing itself looked rather worn down. The remaining two sported chain armor and spears. The group looked more afraid than anything else, but Lia remained ready to defend herself and her God just in case.

The one dressed as a noble began to look even more uncertain, and then motioned for his two guards to remain where they were and slowly approached Lia and Blue Planet. Not wanting to provoke the two figures, he stopped a few meters away from them and bowed.

"Welcome honorable guests. I am Marquis Gordan Yorke. I presume I am in the presence of the God of Nature and his esteemed Apostle."

"Hello. I am Blue Planet. We are here to help."

"Of course. The newly appointed King Earan already sent the message about your coming, my Lord. I do apologize for the poor reception, but our resources are very limited." Gordon said apologetically.

"Do not worry about the reception. I need a space for the staging area. Nazarick is ready to send troops to secure the border and resources to give people basic necessities."

The noble looked at Blue Planet simply not believing the statement.

The King's letter had warned that the Empire of Nazarick was taking over but he would never have believed they would just help the impoverished elves and not just subjugate them. But ultimately, it didn't matter what he believed. It was made clear that he either followed orders unquestionably or was replaced by someone who would do so.

"The gathering area in front of my mansion should be big enough for a start. I'm sorry but until now our forces used guerilla tactics, taking the advantage of the forest that separates us from the Theocracy."

"Let's use it then, at least for now."

Despite being a regional center, the town wasn't particularly big, and the walk to the Marquis' mansion took about five minutes. Without delay, Blue Planet sent the order to open the gates. Once the black void appeared, he clearly noticed the noble take a nervous gulp but he didn't pay too much attention to it. The man was understandably distrustful and that could be mended only with time and proving his intention to help.

Lia also turned her full attention to the void. The first ones to come through were a girl holding a large scythe and a young woman with cat ears.

'Other Apostles. The half-elf girl was Zesshi the Apostle of War and the other one is….' Lia took a step back. 'The Apostle of Murder. It will be fine. She is on our side.'

Both immediately approached her and Lord Blue Planet just as the rest of the troops poured through the gate. Lia suppressed her desire to hide behind her God and waited for them to come close.

"Lord Blue Planet, we are ready to start cleansing the border of Holocaust scripture intruders." Both said bowing.

'They call themselves a Holocaust scripture? Just what kind of sick degenerates made that country?' The name "Holocaust" could only have come from the earth and the players who founded the Slane Theocracy.

"Do your best." Planet responded, turning his attention to the arriving food crates. The matters of war were best left for those who knew it better than him. The more he found out about the Slane Theocracy, the less he wanted to deal with it.

Just as her God walked away, she was left in front of the two apostles.

"So, you coming with us to the hunt?" Clementine asked with a smile that was on the verge of appearing insane.

"H-hunt?" Lia squeaked.

"The scripture trash will not wipe themselves out." Zesshi remarked.

"I am more of a support." Lia said, taking another step back.

"Relax. You are one of us." Clementine said, leaning in uncomfortably close. "We are all good friends here, right Zesshi?"

"Can you stop being so fucking creepy?" The half-elven girl hissed, smacking her companion on the back of her head.

"Ow! I was just playing around." Clementine yelled, grabbing her head.

"Whatever. You were Liadan, right? What can you do then?"

"Call me Lia." It was easier to demonstrate so Lia strummed her lute. The spirits dutifully appeared dancing around her but keeping a safe distance from both Zesshi and Clementine.

"They can give power or take it away and they can be my eyes as well."

"Sounds useful. Extra scouts in the forest are always useful. After the main army will set up a defense line, we need to hunt down every last one scripture member still remaining in the Elf Kingdom." Zesshi said matter of factly.

Should she reject the request? Lord Blue Planet felt angry when he heard the scripture mentioned.

"I'll ask Lord Blue Planet." Lia said, practically running towards the elemental who was organizing the distribution of food to the local populace.

"My Lord. The other Apostles are asking me to join the hunt. What should I do?"

"Do you want to help them?"

"I don't know, but if I do not stop this scripture they will hurt more people."

"Sometimes we must do things we don't like because they must be done." Planet said. 'Is that Ainz's pragmatism starting to rub off on me?'

"Then with your permission, I will join the other Apostles."

"If you need help, don't hesitate to call for me."

"I will. Thank you, my Lord." Lia said, returning to her newfound companions.

As a seasoned adventurer, she had seen death before. Far too much in fact but the duty to protect trumped her personal dislike of killing.

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Ainz arrived at the conference room on time as always, with Albedo by his side. Punctuality was a trait he prided himself on. Considering the sensitive topic at hand, the two of his gentler friends were not attending. Ankoro was absent for the simple fact that the long talks bored her, and if she could avoid the meetings she definitely did. As for Blue Planet, he was busy with the Elf Kingdom, and thus Ulbert had suggested leaving him out this time.

Even before stepping into the room, he already knew that Ulbert and Pero would be there already. Buku would arrive a few minutes after he did, and Tabula had likely forgotten about the meeting altogether and Mariposa, as usual, would drag him in last.

The prediction was on point as Buku arrived a minute later and Tabula appeared through the gate a few minutes later.

"Everyone is here. We can start." Ainz said, looking at the brain eater taking his seat in a hurry.

"I did all the preparations I could on my side. The King of the Slane Theocracy agreed to delay the execution as much as he can. Our extraction teams are ready to act as fast as possible." Ulbert said.

"Are the crystals in place?" Ainz asked Tabula

"Yes, I prepared them. The upper limit we can risk gathering and using is still four million. More would destabilize the fabric of reality, no matter how careful we are."

"Hmm, this means we can't fully avoid what is about to happen. Ulbert, are you sure the King will keep his word?"

"He is afraid and pushed into a corner. To save his family, he is willing to betray everything else. But there are no guarantees that he will succeed in keeping those lunatics at bay. In the very worst case, we are looking at millions of souls going to the Old One."

"Buku, your input."

"The coastal cities are fortified as much as possible. Roble will likely get hit the hardest and our volunteers will only provide marginal support. Considering that we need for Slane's army to enter the Roble and cause enough damage for them to beg for our protection, we can fully assume whatever that thing is, it will wake up."

"Ainz, you want my teams to do some cleaning in Roble?" Peros asked.

"If they can be discreet enough. But finish assisting Planet first."

"Sure thing."

"I have a few topics to disclose if you would indulge me." Tabula suddenly said, putting a pile of scribbled over papers on the table in front of him.

"Of course." Ainz replied and noticed Pero glancing at the door.

{ Don't even think about it. This might be important. } Ainz instantly messaged the avian who looked at him with desperation in his eyes

{ Come on. I can get the short version afterward. } Pero pleaded.

{ Not a chance }

Ainz suppressed the chuckle, seeing Pero sulk in his chair and look at the door with longing just as Tabula started to speak.

"As some of you might have noticed, the mortals in our proximity are starting to believe in our divinity. I have investigated it a bit further and concluded that the longer any of us is a proclaimed God the stronger this effect gets. Additionally, the more join our pantheon the greater the accumulative effect."

"What has to do with anything Tabula?" Ulbert asked in annoyance.

"I will explain, my friend. This effect is the reason why people are flocking to join our sects, since all the other known religions are not connected to actual Gods. But once the Great Old One awakens, his influence will clash with ours."

"So you are telling us we will have to worry about mortals worshiping him even within the Empire?" Ainz asked.

"Yes. He is an ancient being and all of us would barely counter his influence. There is a way to mitigate this effect. I have started to work on a new type of aura that would let us project our claimed divinity with a much greater effect." Tabula said and then turned to his daughter. "If I'm not mistaken, you are the only one left without an Apostle."

"I will get one soon, father. She is already on her way to me."

"That's good."

"Tabula, how much time do you need to fully develop this new type of spell?" Ainz asked.

"Hard to tell. This type of magic differs from the tier and wild magic, thus I have no experience in crafting a spell and adapting it to tier magic."

Ainz took a pause contemplating. The next steps of action would cause the deaths of millions and awaken the creature from under the waves. But at this point, it was pretty much unavoidable, no matter what steps he and his friend take. It was better to make the first strike and be prepared than to get caught by surprise.

"Then it is settled. Ulbert, carry out the operation."

Bonus Story - The Game.

Two figures sat opposite each other with a board painted black and white between them. They weren't alone. A group watched them with great interest as much was weighted on the outcome of the duel of wits between the two players.

Piece by piece the game figures found their places on the board. It was not the first game nor the last, as the bet could not be decided by a single game. One of the opponents had the position of power and the other craved it.

The small hand moved the first figure and her opponent moved his figure by pushing it with his flipper.

The onlookers watched with great interest the match of checkers between Splendora and Eclair. If at any point Eclair would have five victories more than her, he would be accepted as one of the Lords and achieve the first step towards ruling Nazarick.

Unfortunately for the penguin, the current score was seven to one in Splendora's favor. With only the first game played by them ending in Eclair's victory, the chances of accomplishing his life's goal fade once again.

As the game neared its predictable end, Splendora announced.

"Victory is mine once again!"

Eclair pointed his flipper at her saying. "Don't celebrate yet. I can still win."

"You can do it, Eclair." Ankoro shouted from the sidelines, trying to keep a serious expression.

"I will not fail you, my lady."

'Victory must be mine this time.' He put all his mighty mind into action to find any weakness in his opponent's formations. Calculating the best possible outcome he moved one of his last pieces. 'That should do it.'

Splendora grinned and with a quick movement of her piece, removed his last two pieces from the board.

"I WON!" she shouted.

"I will get you next time!" Eclair shouted back and jumped down from the chair, and waddled off, fuming.

Edited by Edgy.