Chapter 15 - Volume 3

Part 3

A stagecoach galloped away from the Fortress City.

It was a large vehicle that could comfortably seat six people, pulled by a quartet of horses.

The disc of the full moon shone in the night sky, illuminating the land with surprising brightness. That said, racing at full speed through the night was still a foolish course of action. The wisest course of action would have been to pitch tents, light lanterns, and post sentries while they spent the night here.

The world at night was not under mankind’s control. No, that would not be entirely accurate — no place without light could be considered part of humanity’s world. The night concealed all manner of animals, demihumans, and monsters. Many creatures possessed the gift of darkvision, and these creatures often attacked humanity.

Still, the passengers in the stagecoach barely felt their vehicle galloping through the perilous night.

This was not because of good shock absorbers or the like, but because the coach was travelling along a cobblestoned road.

The paving of roads had begun after the suggestion of the "Golden Princess," but the only places where it had been completed were in those demesnes held by the Crown and by Marquis Raeven, one of the Six Great Nobles. This was because the other nobles protested this gesture, feeling that such roads would only benefit the Empire when they attacked the Kingdom.

The maintenance costs for those roads had also sparked much debate. The reason why Princess Renner had reached out to traders to foot the bill was because the nobles in charge of the areas through which the roads passed were dragging their feet on the matter. Thus, the paving work was in this a sad state of affairs.

Since this region was not too far from E-Rantel — which was administered by the Crown — the work here was of quite a high standard.

Still, it was not perfect. The wagon wobbled a little as it travelled along the street, and some faint vibrations made their way to the passengers.

These tremors terminated the conversation between the occupants of the vehicle.

Among these occupants were Sebas, with Solution by his side. Opposite him was Shalltear, flanked by two of the Vampire Brides who were her minions-cum-concubines. Zack was obviously driving the wagon from the driver’s seat.

A brief silence filled the air inside the wagon, and then at great length, Sebas spoke to break it:

“There is one thing I have been meaning to ask you for a while.”

“Mm? What do you have in mind?”

“I noticed that you and Aura-sama do not get along very well. Is there any particular reason for that?”

“...Actually, I feel we do get along quite well.”

As Shalltear answered quietly, she stared at the nail of her pinky finger, as though bored.

The pearly-white fingernail was about two centimeters long. Although she had a file in hand, the nail looked quite neatly trimmed, so there was no need to work further on it. Shalltear also felt that further action was unnecessary, so she tossed the file to one of the Vampire Brides by her side.

After that, she made to grope the breasts of the vampires beside her with her now-empty hands. However, when she noticed the expressions on the two people in front of her, she retracted her hands, a somewhat embarrassed look on her face.

“It does not seem that way,” Sebas continued. Shalltear’s face wrinkled up, like she had eaten something bitter, and then she replied:

“I… I think we do get along. I simply tease her a little because my creator, Peroroncino-sama, designed me to feud with her. Still, there is no real enmity there. Perhaps Bukubukuchagama-sama designed that girl to not get along with me as well.”

Shalltear waved her hand, as though she were very bored, and then met Sebas’s gaze for the first time.

“Speaking of which, my creator Peroroncino-sama and that girl’s creator — Bukubukuchagama-sama — were elder sister and younger brother. So in that sense, she and I are also sisters.”

“A sibling relationship — I see!”

“In the past, Peroroncino-sama discussed the matter with other Supreme Beings — Luci★Fer-sama and Nishiki Enrai-sama — when they came to my domain.”

A look of reverence crept into Shalltear’s eyes as she recounted her memories of accompanying these exalted personages.

“Peroroncino-sama once mentioned that Bukubukuchagama had the profession of a seiyuu. So popular was she that she even lent her talents to things called ‘aerogays,’ so whenever he purchased a game he eagerly anticipated, he would end up thinking of his sister’s face and he would lose his motivation.”

Shalltear added that she did not know what he meant by that. A somewhat baffled Sebas tilted his head and said:

“A seiyuu… I remember that seems to be a line of work which involves the use of sound. It seems they are skilled in singing, so perhaps it should be similar to a bard.”

After hearing Sebas’s answer, Shalltear laughed, like the tinkling of silver bells, and replied in the negative:

“That is not the case.”

“It is not? How so?”

“I once heard Bukubukuchagama-sama say that being a seiyuu meant giving a soul through sound. In other words, a seiyuu is a job which creates life.”

“Ohhh! I see. It seems I was laboring under a grave misconception. Thank you very much for your correction, Shalltear-sama.”

Sebas and all the others created by the Supreme Beings were infused with knowledge upon their creation, but that was all they had. Because they did not know real life, amusing mishaps sometimes occurred; like say, making a mistake about their revered masters’ jobs.

Feeling terribly uncomfortable, Sebas muttered to himself, engraving the meaning of being a seiyuu into his heart so he would not make the same mistake again.

“There’s no need to take it to heart… ah, right, Sebas, since we are fellow travellers, there’s no need to be so formal.”

“Is that so, Shalltear-sama?”

“Don’t address me as -sama… we are all servants of the Supreme Beings. They may have handed down our positions and set some of us over others, but the truth is that we’re all basically the same.”

She had the right of it. Solution was only obeying Sebas because she had been ordered to do so. Originally, she and Sebas were of the same status.

“I understand, Shalltear. Then, I shall address you in this way from now on.”

“That’s good to hear. Come to think of it, you don’t get along with Demiurge either, do you?”

Sebas remained silent. Shalltear narrowed her eyes, like a playful child, and continued asking:

“The Supreme Beings did not design you that way, so why is that?”

“...I wonder. The truth is, I don’t know why that is the case as well. It must be some sort of instinct that makes me dislike him. However the same should apply to him as well.”

“Hmm — it doesn’t seem that way to me… still, it might be because the feelings of our creators, the Supreme Beings, were deeply engraved within our hearts.”

“That is very likely to be the case.”

Shalltear carefully studied Sebas, who nodded to her. Then, after considering his position, Shalltear felt that he would know the answer to the question which had long hidden in her heart:

“What kind of people are found in the Eighth Floor? I know about Victim, but who else is there besides him?”

Sebas frowned at the sudden query. He looked at Shalltear, a stern expression on his face, trying to discern what she was up to. From where she was seated to the side, Solution’s expression changed as well, though it was subtle enough that the others did not notice.

“...In the past, there were fools who defied the Supreme Beings and invaded Nazarick, breaching the defenses of the Seventh Floor. However, they did not reach the Ninth Floor, where the Supreme Beings resided. That being the case, they must have been stopped at the Eighth Floor, right? Though I do not have any recollection of the event, the opposition must have brought fearsome fighting power with them to make it that far in, so I believe they were halted with equally extraordinary might. However, I have no idea who intercepted the intruders. No, Albedo should know. After all, she is the Guardian Overseer of Nazarick. It would be strange if she did not know that.”

As though ignoring the silent Sebas, Shalltear continued asking:

“...It’s kind of annoying to hear she’s one step ahead of me. What sort of mysterious beings are found on the Eighth Floor? Characters personally crafted by Ainz-sama, perhaps?”

Sebas was made by Touch Me. Demiurge was made by Ulbert Alain Odle. Cocytus was made by Warrior Takemikazuchi. However, even Shalltear did not know what sort of NPC that Ainz — or Momonga, the highest-ranked of the Forty One Supreme Beings — had created.

Surely he had created somebody, right?

That being the case, it was reasonable to conclude that this mysterious character resided on the Eighth Floor, about which Shalltear had no knowledge.

“...No, that should not be the case. This is just a rumor, but I heard that the NPC Ainz created is called Pandora’s Actor, and his strength is comparable to the rest of us Guardians. Apparently, he defends the depths of the Treasury.”

“Does someone like that really exist?”

Unlike Albedo, Shalltear had not been infused with knowledge about everyone in Nazarick. Therefore, this name was new to her.

Granted, the Treasury was a place which one could only enter with the Ring of Ainz Ooal Gown, but it would be strange to leave it unguarded.

The depths of the Treasury.

All of the highest-end magic items that Ainz Ooal Gown had collected were stored in there. It was also said that it contained several World-Class Items. That being the case, it was the most suitable location for the NPC created by the greatest of the Forty One Supreme Beings, Ainz, to defend.

Shalltear’s pride was somewhat bruised as she considered that she had not been chosen to guard such exalted ground, but she consoled herself with the thought that it was unavoidable. To Shalltear, keeping intruders from straying beyond the Third Floor was also a crucial task, every bit as important as protecting the Treasury.

And now, her master had given her another vital task.

“Indeed, but I have not seen that person before. After all, one cannot travel to that place without a Ring.”

“Oh…”

Shalltear’s answer was devoid of energy, as though she had lost all interest in the whole thing. However, Sebas did not seem to mind.

“Still, the Eighth Floor is a mysterious place… it’s kind of a shame.”

“Indeed. After all, it is a place that even we cannot enter. There must be something inside.”

“And what exactly is that something?”

“Could it be there’s a trap in there which might even attack us?”

“Mm, that’s not a bad idea, though if I had to guess… could it be a deathtrap that indiscriminately kills anyone who enters it?”

“The Great Tomb of Nazarick was hand-crafted by the Supreme Beings, and defended by us, who have pledged our lives in service. Anyone who could penetrate an impregnable fortress like that and breach the Seventh Floor would probably not be stopped by a trap like that…”

“Do you want to take a look?”

Shalltear had a smile on her face, like a child up to some mischief. Sebas’s smile was the same as always, but there was a certain nuance to it now.

“Do you intend to defy Ainz-sama’s wishes?”

“Just kidding, just kidding. It was just a joke, no need to look so scary.”

“Shalltear… curiosity killed the cat. We should wait quietly until Ainz-sama tells us otherwise.”

“You’ve got a point there… then, has our prey taken the bait?”

Sebas did not ask about the sudden change in topic. Instead he directly replied:

“Yes, they’ve fallen for it hook, line, and sinker. All we need to do is reel them in.”

Shalltear nodded slightly, and then she lightly licked her lips. Her crimson pupils blazed.

Sebas immediately realized what would put Shalltear in a mood like that. Sensing that this was the perfect time to do so, he decided to bring up Solution’s request from earlier.

“I have a request to make concerning this matter, Shalltear.”

“...What is it?”

The reply was one of annoyance, given that Sebas had jolted Shalltear out of her delight over what was soon to unfold. As though to comfort her, Sebas continued:

“Could you give the driver of our coach to this girl?”

“...Is he an underling?”

“Indeed. He seems to be a messenger of sorts.”

Shalltear closed her eyes and pondered the request. After considering several possibilities, she seemed to have come to a conclusion, and she nodded.

“That should be fine. Besides, he doesn’t look like he’d taste good if I fed on him.”

“You have my sincerest thanks for your generosity, Shalltear.”

“Thank you, Shalltear-sama.”

“Ah, you’re welcome, think nothing of it.”

Shalltear was quite surprised by how tenderly Solution smiled to her. She had not expected such a sincere expression. Then, Shalltear composed herself and turned to Sebas.

“Then, we’re even for that little mistake of mine just now.”

“I understand… In truth, I didn’t expect you to do anything quite as foolish as that. It was merely a jest, was it not?”

“Indeed, you’re right. If you had said such a thing, Sebas, I would have taken it as a joke as well. Then I would have my subordinates watch you in silence. At the first sight of any treachery on your part, I would remove your limbs and have your torso dragged in chains before Ainz-sama.”

“I’m hardly as ruthless as you are, Shalltear.”

“No? Things like that only make me doubt your loyalty more — you would do that too, wouldn’t you?”

Sebas and Shalltear locked eyes, and smiled from the bottoms of their hearts.

“Besides, I like cute girls the best. There might be a different sort of entertainment in giving him to Solution.”

“—Then, how do you intend to capture them? Through 「Paralysis」 or 「Hold Person」?”

Before they had set out for E-Rantel, Ainz had given Sebas an order: “I want to capture humans who know martial arts or magic. However, you will only go after criminals whose absence will go unnoticed.”

Therefore, Solution and Sebas had played the role of a stuck-up, stubborn heiress and her easily-bamboozled butler, with the intention of hooking a fish like Zack.

Shalltear’s mission, on the other hand, was to use a fish like that to net the entire school which followed him.

“Why would I go to such great lengths? Ainz-sama did say that it was all right to drain them dry and turn them into slaves. The important things was that I absolutely had to capture them. Still… investigating them all one by one would be a hassle, so I might as well just suck them all dry.”

Sebas did not speak the words in his heart — “I see,” — but instead nodded. Still, he had to acknowledge that he was not entirely comfortable with Shalltear’s interpretation of her orders. With that in mind, Sebas could not help but say:

“From that point of view, Demiurge-sama would be the most suitable for that sort of work. After all, he can control his opponent’s thoughts, much like Aura-sama can with her breath.”

Demiurge possessed a skill known as 「Command Mantra」. It was a powerful mind-affecting ability which would be invaluable during a capture operation like this.

“...Hah?” Shalltear exclaimed in an unbelievably low tone.

The mood within the coach turned grim immediately, as though a fog of bone-chilling cold hung in the air.

Even the horses pulling the coach seemed to have sensed this, because the vehicle suddenly lurched. The bloodless faces of the Vampire Brides flanking Shalltear turned even paler than usual, while Solution shuddered in her place beside Sebas. Even Sebas, whose might should have been on par with Shalltear’s, could feel goosebumps breaking out on him.

This was the murderous intent emitted by the strongest of Nazarick’s Floor Guardians. The hostility which wreathed her made her previous spats with Aura seem like child’s play. If the situation was mishandled, it might lead to a life-or-death melee.

As Shalltear chilled the air ever further, the color of her crimson pupils began to spill out into her sclera, dying her eyes red as though they were filling with blood.

“Sebas — could you say that again? Or are you saying that a Dragonoid like yourself, in that form, wants to —”

Her eyeballs — now completely red — twitched:

“—Wants to start a fight with me?”

“I misspoke, please forgive me. I was merely a little uneasy. It would be fine as long as your 「Blood Frenzy」 doesn’t kick in.”

Shalltear’s response was silence.

Sebas could tell that the brief silence was a sign of her unease toward herself.

In YGGDRASIL, strong classes were typically balanced out with weaknesses and penalties. One of the penalties Shalltear suffered from was called「Blood Frenzy」. The more fresh blood that covered her body, the greater her urge to slaughter. While this made her stronger, in return she would no longer be able to control her actions.

The reason why Ainz had made use of Shalltear for this mission — who might have ended up ignoring orders or even going berserk — was due to a process of elimination.

Albedo had to remain in the Great Tomb of Nazarick in Ainz’s absence, and among the two remaining Guardians — Shalltear and Cocytus — Shalltear looked more like a human being from a distance.

After that, Shalltear took several deep breaths. She seemed to be trying to suck her anger back up, or perhaps she was trying to quell the uneasiness in her heart.

With her last breath, Shalltear resumed her normal expression — an attractive young girl with a seductive air about her — and her pupils returned to their original color.

“...For the most part, they’ll become my slaves after I drain their blood, which should make things simple. Besides, we don’t need to bring them back alive. Ainz-sama brought it up before as well. Also, I will definitely keep my 「Blood Frenzy」 under control.”

Vampires were a species which could drain a victim’s blood and turn them into perfectly loyal minions. Most Vampires could only create unintelligent Lesser Vampires in this way, but the Vampires which Shalltear could make had nearly as much intelligence as a normal human.

As long as one did not care if the prey was alive or dead, Shalltear qualified as quite a good hunter, although the number of Vampires she could create was limited.

“That’s right, so there’s no need to say more. I will accomplish the mission Ainz-sama gave me without fail, so he will praise me with ‘Well done, Shalltear, you are my most important slave,’ and then say, ‘You are the one most worthy of standing by my side.’”

“Please forgive my shallow comments.”

Sebas’s apology was sincere and came from the heart. It was not just directed to Shalltear, but to someone else.

“I did not realize that my statements were a slight on Ainz-sama, who chose you for this task, and I apologize for that as well. I hope you will forgive me for displeasing you.”

Then, he bowed to Solution and the Vampire Brides in apology — just then, the coach shuddered, and they heard neighing from the horses which drew the vehicle.

“...It seems we have stopped.”

“Indeed.”

Shalltear — lost as she was in fantasies of the praise her master would lavish on her once she succeeded in her task — returned to her senses. She smiled, like a girl who had just thought up a wonderful prank to play. Sebas too was stroking his moustache as he smiled.

Part 4

About ten strong men had emerged from the forest, forming a semicircle around the coach. None of these men were equipped in exactly the same way. Still, while they were not masterworks, their equipment was not of poor make. It was clear that they had hand-picked their weapons.

The casual way in which they were discussing how to deal with their target and the order in which they would go sounded like they already had their prey in the bag. Indeed, they had done this sort of thing countless times in the past. It would be strange if they had felt worried.

After Zack leapt off the driver’s seat, he jogged over to the men who had appeared.

While dismounting from the driver’s seat, he had cut the reins so the coach would not be able to drive off, and after monkeying with the coach doors, they would only open on the side facing the men.

The men brandished their weapons so their prey could see. This was a wordless warning: if they did not come out quickly, they would be in trouble.

In response, the coach doors slowly opened.

A beautiful woman revealed herself under the moonlight. The gathered sellswords and bandits laughed coarsely and looked on her with lustful eyes. It was clear from their expressions that they were delighted.

However, one person among them was taken aback. That person was Zack.

His surprise could be summarized in three words: “Who is this?” Zack had never seen this beauty before. However, the coach was very familiar to him, and the contrast between the two plunged Zack into confusion and left him speechless.

After that, another beautiful woman appeared, dressed much like the first. Doubt began blooming on the men’s faces. Their targets should have been an heiress who did not know how the world worked, as well as an old butler.

And then, a girl who might have been considered "little" showed up, and their doubts vanished.

Her silvery hair gleamed in the moonlight, and her dewy, crimson eyes held a seductive radiance.

The bandits could only gasp at the sight of these beauties, unable to so much as muster up the words for praise. In this moment, even their bestial lust shrank away in the face of true beauty.

Shalltear smiled lewdly as she bathed in the enthralled gazes of the men. She advanced unguardedly before them and said:

“Gentlemen, thank you for coming all this way here for me. May I know who is your leader? May I negotiate with him?”

After seeing the bandits look toward the same person, Shalltear learned what she needed to know. That was to say, everyone else here was expendable.

“You… what do you want to talk about?”

The man who looked like their leader seemed to have come to his senses after his close encounter with these beautiful women. He strode forward.

“Ahh, please forgive the misunderstanding. What I meant by ‘negotiations’ was just a joke for me to learn what I needed to know. Sorry about that.”

“Who are you people…”

Shalltear looked to Zack, who had asked that question.

“You must be that Zack fellow. I will give you to Solution as promised, so could you please step aside for a while?”

Some of the bandits sought an answer for their confusion in each other’s faces. However, among them—

“Hmph, you’ve got a good body for a brat. I’ll make you cry for me in a bit.”

The bandit who happened to be standing in front of Shalltear reached out to grope that ample bust of hers, which did not match her age.

And then — the appendage tumbled to the ground.

“Could you not touch me with your filthy hand?”

The dumbfounded man looked at his now handless arm, and after a moment’s delay, he wailed:

“Ahhhhhhhh! My, my haaaaaaaand—!”

“You’re making so much noise over losing a single hand. Are you even a man?”

Shalltear casually flicked her hand as she muttered quietly, and the man’s head fell to the earth as well.

How had she chopped his head off with her unarmed, dainty, and slender hands? The nightmare before them hardly seemed real. The bandits were terrified beyond all capacity for rational thought, unable to react in the wake of this tremendous shock. However, what they saw next snapped them back to their senses.

The fresh blood spurting from the severed portions of the body moved as though it had a will of its own, gathering above Shalltear’s head and forming an orb of blood.

Shalltear and company knew this was the effect of the skill called 「Blood Pool」. However, the first thing these clueless bandits thought as they saw this inhuman ability was:

“She’s a magic caster!”

Anyone who understood magic should have been able to give a more accurate warning. "Magic caster" was a very broad term which referred to many professions and jobs, and the means of dealing with them were just as varied. In particular, one might think of Shalltear — who only wore a dress — as an arcane magic caster, or perhaps a spiritual magic caster. However, none of them spoke a warning like that. One could thus conclude that none of them knew anything about magic. In other words, they thought of anything they could not understand as magic.

As Shalltear realised this, she looked disinterestedly at these panicking bandits, who desperately raised their swords against her.

“How boring. Clean this mess up. Also, leave this one and that one… understood?”

“Yes, Shalltear-sama.”

The Vampire Brides waiting behind Shalltear on either side stepped forward, and one of them punched the face of a bandit trying to attack Shalltear, sending him flying.

It looked as though someone had swung a metal pole into his face with all their strength.

The bandits arced through the air, accompanied by the sound of something like a filled balloon popping. All manner of bodily fluids — blood, brain matter, and more — burst forth from his skull. The gore gleamed under the moonlight, looking all the more beautiful for its horrific appearance.

More than half of the bandit’s head went flying, and pinkish brains sprayed from the shattered cranium. Pulled by gravity, the bandit’s corpse rolled to the ground with a great thud. That sound was a starting bell which filled the bandits with terror, and Shalltear with delight.

♦ ♦ ♦

Zack smiled stiffly as he watched the scene in front of him.

It was a truly horrific sight.

He wanted to vomit as he smelled the blood which came from the carnage before him.

Men had their hands and feet torn off like scraps of paper, and skulls popped between paired hands like ripe pomegranates.

A breastplate was ripped off and a hand stabbed into the now-exposed belly. When it came back out, it took several meters of gleaming, slippery intestine with it. The fact that the victim was still alive after that spoke of the resilience of mankind.

A man was squirming on the ground, trying to flee even with both legs broken. White-colored objects — his broken bones — protruded through his skin and flesh. He was desperately trying to crawl away with his hands, struggling to get himself away from the source of this horror, wanting to stay alive for just one moment longer.

The beautiful girl looked at the man grovelling at her feet, and her shrill laugh grated at him.

How had things ended up like this...

Zack thought as hard as he could.

No matter how one tried to cloak it in politeness, the world still ran on the principle of the strong feeding on the weak. It was utterly natural for the strong to oppress the weak. After all, Zack had been doing so himself. However, was it right for the strong to go so far and do so much?

Of course not. He could not accept their cruel methods of killing. Then, what should he do? The enemy was simply choosing not to attack him, so if he tried to flee, they would probably do something to him to make him not dare to escape again. Something painful and nausea-inducing, for instance.

Zack felt for his hidden shortsword through his clothing.

Why was his sword so small? How could it possibly stand up to these monsters which could twist off men’s arms so effortlessly?

What had he done to them? He had never thought of doing anything to those monsters.

Zack hugged himself, as though trying to conceal his presence. The rhythmic grinding of his teeth suddenly struck him as extremely grating — what would happen if those monsters heard it and went after him?

He tried to stop himself, but his teeth would not listen to him and continued grinding.

Speaking of which, what kind of people were they? Zack did not recognize them at all.

And just as he thought about that—

“Zack-san, come this way.”

—A gentle, dulcet voice came from behind him, completely at odds with the cruel scenery in front of him.

Zack looked fearfully behind himself, and saw his employer standing before him.

Her expression did not match the haughty and argumentative heiress that he knew her for. If he had been calm enough, he might have felt suspicious about this, but Zack — who had been driven into confusion by this bizarre world and the stink of blood — had no energy left to suspect anything.

“What are those monsters!?” Zack wailed, his voice cracking, at Solution, the moneyed daughter of nobility who knew nothing of the world.

“Why didn’t you tell me there were monsters like these around!?”

Indeed. If he had known about this beforehand, things would not have ended up like this. The bitch before him was responsible for the frightening scene before him.

“Don’t keep quiet, speak up! Let’s get this straight, this is all your fault!”

Anxiety and terror combined to impel him forward, and a furious Zack could no longer bear it. He reached out to grab Solution by the collar and roughly shook her.

“...I understand. Please follow me.”

“You… are you going to save me!?”

“No, I simply wish to take this last chance to enjoy you.”

An ivory-pale hand, cold as ice, gripped Zack’s own, and then Solution stepped forward, pulling him away.

“Even though I already have permission, Sebas-sama does not like this sort of thing, so I would rather do it at a distance.”

He had no idea what she was talking about. However, Zack felt that if he alone was being led away, there might be a chance that he could survive.

Zack pretended not to hear the horrific screams from behind him.

That could not be helped. Zack was too weak. He could not possibly save those comrades of his which were supposed to be stronger than him.

“Please don’t be too excited. If possible… I’d like you to be gentle with me. It would make me very happy.”

Behind the coach, Solution spoke softly to Zack as she waved him over, then reached behind her back, as though to undo her dress. As Zack saw this, he stared with his mouth open; what was this woman up to? Zack looked at Solution like she was some sort of exotic creature.

Solution’s hands had not stopped at all during all this, and so a thoroughly confused Zack asked:

“You… what are you doing?”

“What do you think?”

With that, Solution easily peeled off her figure-hugging bodice.

As though waiting for that moment, her tightly-bound breasts sprang forth. They were firm, springy globes, and her skin seemed vaguely translucent under the moonlight.

Zack gulped at the sight before him.

“Please.”

Solution thrust her chest out, as though inviting him to fondle her.

“What do you want me to…”

Zack had forgotten himself as he fixated on the body before him.

She was beautiful. This was the most beautiful female body Zack had ever seen in his life.

Of all the girls Zack had partaken of, the most beautiful was one who belonged to a caravan which he had attacked. However, by the time it was Zack’s turn, the girl was exhausted. She lay motionless, only spreading her legs like a frog. Still, it had not detracted from her beauty in the least.

However, the girl before him was even more beautiful, and she was not unresponsive like the other girl.

Desire lit the flames of Zack’s lust, and the heat in his lower body began spreading out from his crotch. Panting like a dog, he reached out for Solution’s body.

It felt like — like silk.

Zack could no longer hold himself back, and he seized the more shapely of Solution’s breasts.

And then his entire hand sank into her.

Zack thought for a moment that her body was so soft that it felt as though his entire hand had gone into her. But as he looked at his hand, he realized that this was not the case.

Zack’s hand had literally sunk into Solution’s body.

“What… what the hell is this!?”

Zack screamed in surprise and tried to pull his hand back, but he could not budge it. Not only did it not move back, it was sucked further in. It seemed as though there were many writhing tentacles inside Solution which had latched onto Zack’s hand and were drawing him in.

Solution’s beautiful face did not change even under these strange circumstances. She simply watched Zack in silence. Her expression was that of a scientist watching as a lab animal was injected with some lethal chemical, blending a cold dispassion with curiosity and excitement.

“Oi, stop! Let go of me!”

Zack balled up his other hand into a fist and swung with all his strength at Solution’s pretty face.

Once, twice, three times—

Zack swung at full force, punching heavily and not caring if his fist was injured. That beautiful face remained unmoved despite a grown man striking it with all his might. It did not seem to hurt her at all.

Instead, Zack was frightened by what he felt when he hit her.

That sensation was like punching a soft, filled waterskin. Under normal circumstances, there should have been some resistance to his punch, but he did not feel that he had struck bone at all. This was not how punching a human being should have felt.

The unreal scene of carnage behind him — forgotten due to his excitement — suddenly flashed through his mind.

Zack choked back the impulse to scream.

Eventually, it dawned upon him.

The woman baring her chest to him before his eyes was also a monster.

“Did you finally realize it? Then, let’s begin the fun part, shall we?”

As she said that, a pain like the stabbing of hundreds of needles radiated from his stuck hand.

“Aaaahhhhh!”

“I am now dissolving your hand.”

Zack could not understand these cold words through the agony which gripped him. This was no longer in the realm of his comprehension.

“The truth is, I deeply enjoy watching things dissolve. Therefore, I felt it was a happy coincidence that you wanted to be inside me, Zack-san.”

“Giiiihh—!! You damn monster, go to hell!”

Fighting back the pain, Zack drew his shortsword as he shouted at her. Then, he forcefully stabbed at Solution’s pretty face, and her body quivered.

“Take that!”

However, Zack immediately realized that he had been far too hasty.

What good would stabbing the surface of a lake with a shortsword do? It would merely make more ripples, and that was what happened.

Solution turned to look at Zack, still with a short sword sticking out of her face, and then she gently said:

“I’m sorry, but I am resistant to physical attacks, so a blow like that cannot harm me. Then, I shall dissolve it.”

An acrid stench seared his nose, and within seconds, the shortsword fell from Solution’s face, its blade half-dissolved. Just as she had said, her beautiful, unmarred visage lay before his eyes.

“Who the hell are you!?”

The agony in his hand was slowly spreading up the rest of his arm, but the fear of impending death overrode his pain, and Zack asked his question even as tears brimmed in his eyes.

However, the answer made him want to stuff his fingers in his ears to deny it.

“I am a predatory Slime. Since time is limited, I will need to swallow you up.”

Zack’s arms were pulled into Solution’s body. So forceful was the suction that Zack could not resist it, even if he were capable of doing so.

“Stop stop stop stop stop! Spare me, spare me, spare me please!”

Zack cried and begged, but the force drawing him into Solution’s body was still very strong, enough that a human being could not resist it. His arms, his shoulders, all of them were steadily devoured by her body.

“Lilia!”

With that last scream, Zack’s face was sucked into Solution’s body.

And so, Zack was swallowed whole, as though he were a python’s prey.

♦ ♦ ♦

After a few minutes had passed, there were no longer any survivors. The place was one which reeked of a foul stench.

No, one man still survived. He worked his tongue as he squatted near Shalltear’s feet, licking her high-heeled shoes clean of the brain matter which had spattered them after she had playfully crushed a bandit’s skull underfoot.

Shalltear looked on her now-cleaned heels in satisfaction.

“Well done. Then, in accordance with our agreement, I shall not take your life.”

The man, his frightened features scrunched up into a ball, looked up at Shalltear with a grateful expression on his face and kowtowed repeatedly to her in thanks. Shalltear looked lovingly upon this puppy-like man, and then snapped her fingers.

“Drain him.”

Once the two Vampire Brides came to his side, the man finally understood what those words meant.

“The undead are technically still alive, so I was not lying to you.”

The Vampire Brides bit eagerly into him, and Shalltear looked out of the corner of her eye at the man as his life-force was drained away from him. She turned to Solution — who was rearranging her messed-up collar as she emerged from the direction of the coach — and said:

“Oh, is it over?”

“Yes, I was quite satisfied. I am profoundly grateful to you for this.”

“No need to stand on ceremony. We’re all servants of Nazarick, after all. Speaking of which, did that human have fun?”

“He is currently enjoying himself. Would you like to see?”

“Hm? May I? Then, let me have a quick look.”

A man’s arm suddenly erupted from Solution’s face, accompanied by a vile stench that stung the nose. The source of the odour was that arm. Its muscles were badly dissolved after being exposed to powerful acid, and the reaction of the blood from within the muscles and the acid created gouts of thick fumes.

The arm thrashed about like it had emerged from the surface of a lake, desperately struggling to find a grip on something. Juices flowed from the exposed muscles with every twitch.

“My apologies, I did not know he was still so full of energy.”

Solution was a bizarre sight as she bowed in apology, what with the arm sticking out of her face. She then shoved the arm back into her face, smiling after the flailing arm had been completely swallowed up once more.

“It’s amazing how you can swallow a man whole and look as though nothing had happened.”

“Thank you for your praise. It is not outwardly visible because the interior of my body was originally empty. In addition, I have always been a creature like this, so this must be the effect of some sort of specialized magic.”

“Oh~ Hm, this might be a bit nosy of me, but when will he die?”

“I could secrete a stronger acid to kill him immediately if you wish, but since a human who wishes to enter me is a rare occasion, I would like to let him enjoy it for an entire day.”

“I didn’t hear any screams, did you corrode him with acid?”

“No, I did not. If I dissolved his throat with acid, he might suffocate due to being unable to breathe. Therefore, I inserted part of my body into him to suppress his voice, and it also has the effect of preventing bad smells.”

“I’m quite impressed by your attitude of paying close attention to your toys and playing with them for as long as possible. Incidentally, can you corrode specific places with your acids? For instance, only corroding a certain place?”

“Indeed, that is an easy task to accomplish. The proof of that are the scrolls, potions, and other magic items within my body, and the fact that those items are intact. I could move freely even if I were to take your body within mine, Shalltear-sama, though I would have to ask that you did not move too much.”

“Predatory slimes sure are amazing… mm. Do you want to play together next time?”

“That will be fine. Although… where do you plan to get the toys from?”

Shalltear smiled happily when she found Solution looking at the Vampire Brides behind her.

“Those girls aren’t half bad, but I want to wait until someone tries to invade us and then plead with Ainz-sama to give them to us.”

“Then, please do not forget about my share. I would like to swallow them up to the chest and expose the rest of them. That ought to be quite interesting as well.”

“Not bad. Do you get along with that interrogator?”

“Neuronist-sama? The Special Intelligence-Gathering Officer? Regretfully, I cannot understand that person’s aesthetic sense.”

Shalltear planned to continue, but she was interrupted by a voice behind her.

“Solution, I’ve finished up over here. We can move out any time,” Sebas called out from the driver’s seat, having replaced the reins.

“Understood, I’m coming. Then, Shalltear-sama, though it pains my heart to leave, allow me to bid you farewell.”

Shalltear looked to Solution as she hurried back into the coach, and then to Sebas, who was seated at the driver’s place.

“Then, we shall part ways for the time being, Sebas.”

“Is that so… does this mean you have already discovered the bandits’ hideout?”

“Indeed. We shall invade them afterwards and look for any interesting people who might know something which would please Ainz-sama. Otherwise this would have all been a waste of time.”

“I see. It was a pleasure travelling with you, Shalltear-sama.”

“Thank you for that. Let us meet again in Nazarick.”

“Oh, we’ll be off, then—”