35 「TheHuntBegins」 (1/2)
With her hands clasped together in her lap, she sat there in the living room of a mansion belonging to a woman and a man she had never met before. Across from her on the adjacent side of the room, was the man. Her eyes barely left her hands as all her thoughts were clouding her mind.
”Your sister's name is Tuare, correct?” Sebas had a strong voice, aged in wisdom, yet it had a sweet and formal taste to it like cheese and fine wine.
She looked up to the man, her eyes tracing him from his black slacks to his butler's coat and up to his dashing and sculpted face. His grey hair was not of vulnerability, it showed his intelligence and his insights. This man was a man of heart and great power.
As she met his eyes, Ninya could only nod. ”Yes,” a smile printed itself across her lips.
She could still remember her blond hair, how the blue eyes of hers shined in the light. She wanted so very much just to see her sister. To make sure she was alive, to make sure she was alright.
Despite the smile which covered her lips contradicting what she was truly feeling, Sebas could see it.
The girl had become so strong just to find her older sister and save her. He himself could ask the same questions that his Master's friend had. What would she do after all this work to save her sister? Yet, that wasn't the type of person he was. Like his own Creator, Sebas had a liking for Superhero Stories, and he himself could even be fashioned as one.
All someone had to do was ask for help.
All his master had to do was tell him to go.
Ninya, the girl in front of him, was surely in distressed. Even if she didn't know how close her older sister was at this very moment, she was anxious and very nervous. What if her older sister blamed her? What if when they found her, it was too late? She couldn't stand the idea of that being so…
The two awkwardly sat there until suddenly without any warning, a being of power emerged from thin air. Pearly, unscathed bone, fiery red beads in the abyss of a skull's eye sockets. Ainz Ooal Gown was seated in the third sofa in the room. The Guild Weapon known as the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown stood in his left hand and beside him; standing, was none other than the Succubi Albedo.
A sweat drop formed on her forehead. From as far as she knew, Ainz and Momon had been the same person. However, she was virtually unaware of his true nature of being an Overlord or let alone a Lich. He was just supposed to be a magnificent sorcerer capable of taking out an entire Special Operations Unit from the Slane Theocracy.
However considering he had put himself on the line to save the living, could it be that he holds no hard feelings towards the living? That he doesn't hate them?
Oddly enough, she felt as if he was smiling. Yet she couldn't quite tell what expressions he was making. He was a skeleton after all.
”Momon-san, how'd yo--”
Albedo immediately cut her off as she addressed him as a friend, rather than the 'Lord and Savior' that he was known to be by the Floor Guardians. ”You lesser lifeform! How dare you address Lord Ainz so casually!?”
”Uh oh!” Reaching out a hand for the powerful woman's shoulder, ”Albedo!” Momonga was able to quickly calm and get Albedo to cease her hostilities. Making sure that the woman didn't kill the last of what he saw as a human friend here in the New World.
”I'm sorry Ainz-Sama, please forgive me!” She bowed her head and withdrew herself from the conversation, planting herself on the couch in a dignified, yet small, manner.
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Momonga nodded, ”All is forgiven. Just don't do it again.” Though he had forgiven her, he knew that the next time she just might forget again. This wasn't the first time she had acted out as he was addressed by someone else oh so casually.
There were very few humans whom he had yet to bond with, or have a mutual respect for.
”Ninya, if you please?” Momonga gestured towards the girl, asking her to continue asking her question.
”How'd you make yourself look… Alive?” Her smile opened enough to show her teeth, a bit of her tongue. She was imagining how Jack would answer with a roundabout request like 'Define Alive.'
Momonga's jaw opened slightly before he closed it again. ”Illusion Magic,” to him it was a simple trick to fool those who could not see through the illusions of others.
Ninya nodded slowly, ”Wouldn't light projection magic do better?”
Momonga saw that she had a point. If someone couldn't be fooled by a mental illusion, the projection of light could definitely make a solid appearance, like a hologram. However if the projection was out of sync, it would definitely clip and give the visual illusion away.
”Did Ci-- Did Jack teach you new tricks?” Momonga gave a hardy laugh, as he was amused. Though the way he said it sounded like he looked down on the living, saw her more as a pet or convenience.
”Ainz-sama,” Sebas was facing his Lord and Supreme Being. ”May I ask the reason for your presence?” He had already recently reported to Narazick shortly after their arrival and the day after.
”You may, Sebas. Jack has asked to use you in an operation, in which you will work side by side with Ms. Ninya here.” He gestured towards Ninya with his free hand. ”Search and Save her older sister. I have given my consent.”
Sebas kept his eyes on the being he perceived as Lord Ainz, he stood up and bowed. ”As you wish, Ainz-sama.” As he stood erect, he stared upon the Overlord with grace, ”Where shall we begin?”
Ninya looked back and forth between Sebas and the person she knew as Momonga.
”Jack has been lead to believe that she is being held in the last Brothel in the Capital. However he is currently holed up with...” Ainz appeared to clear his nonexistent throat, ”political matters.”
”Ho-holed up?” Ninya was immediately worried. She knew the reason why he had left her here, or at least believed she knew. She believed that the Nobles would try to subjugate him in the name of the Kingdom and have him work for them.
Yet unknown to her, that isn't how it worked out.
”Focus,” Momonga instructed as he turned to Ninya hearing her worrisome voice, ”Your sister needs you, how long have you been fighting and training to save her? Remember the friends you've lost along the way. Always.” He worked on her sentiment, to make her think of something else other than Jack as he knew that Jack could take care of himself.
Ninya shrank a bit into the couch as she let her mind slow down so she could think clearly. Part of her also knew that Jack was okay, and she wanted to believe it.
”Jack had me get this for you,” Momonga spoke calmly as he took an object out of his item box.
In his hand was a steel black staff just about her height and perfectly balanced. There was even a grip placed based on where she always held her own wooden staff from. The item was decorated with golden inlay which depicted the Four Swords of Darkness, connected by ominous vines. At the very top of the staff was a magic stone surrounded by four wavey spearhead-like blades, similar to the Staff of Saruman the White from Lord of the Rings. And at the bottom, it looked like an oversized Philips head screw driver which could be used for piercing purposes.
This weapon he held out to her, Ninya could hardly believe her eyes. It looked like it had been essentially crafted for her by Jack. It even had his initials in the weird latin-based characters which were decorating his sister's tomb.
Standing from the couch, her hands held in front of her, folded over one another. She took two steps towards him, bowed her upper body and took the item in her two hands. Embracing the cold feeling of the metal on her skin, she stood straight and stared down at the item.
The golden inlay began to shift and soon enough, it was rearranged into words she could understand.
”The Staff of Darkness, Seraph.” As she tasted the words on her tongue, she could only stare at it. The weapon was named after one of the highest ranked angels.
”Interesting name choice...” Momonga poised his thumb and index finger over his chin, caressing it slightly as he too was interested in the weapon. It was clearly orchestrated just for her, and it was protected against even the highest appraisal magical and couldn't be put in an exchange box for gold.