Chapter Sixty-One

  It was a strange thing for Demiurge to watch it unfold, he paid little mind to the others, not to Albedo who seemed to have taken to her pet, Renner, not even to his master, Ainz Ooal Gown. Watching the human paladin oversee the union of his father to someone who was not a Supreme Being was on the one hand, previously almost blasphemous even to suggest. But?

  ‘She isn’t entirely human, more than that, she seems to readily accept him as he is… too many humans are unwilling to do that.’ He pondered, and thought of the nation he had so recently brought near to collapse. The Holy Kingdom wasn’t the only possible target at the time, he could have chosen the Slane Theocracy, he could have chosen the Argland Council State, ironically the only states he didn’t consider was the one his Lord had brought to heel by himself, and the Re-Estize Kingdom which was being brought down internally by the Princess herself.

  But the Holy Roble Kingdom was his choice because out of all the Kingdoms of men, that one had the worst relationship with heteromorphs and demihumans, openly hunting them, frequently clashing with and killing them. ‘For Project Utopia to succeed, they had to go. Strange then, that they should also go and produce some of the most loyal and even fanatical of Lord Ainz’s human servants…’

  As an Archdevil, he was uniquely well suited to determine the nature of a person’s soul, and whether they spoke the truth or a lie when they addressed him or others. And now that they had a suitable tool in the form of the Masked Evangelist, the next step in the securing of the Holy Kingdom could begin fairly soon…

  But right there in that moment, watching his father wed the Draconic Queen, he heard her vow, and judged it true. ‘I will not regard her as a mother, of course… but if she is trying to deceive my father, she’s a better liar than I, and I don’t think that’s possible.’ He could cross another country off the list of those needing decimation.

  It was almost disappointing in a way, when it came to his more monstrous tendencies, he reveled in the pain and destruction he could bring about. For Albedo, who enjoyed it, it was more perfunctory, and for Pandora’s Actor, it was an unpleasant chore, but for himself? ‘Bliss. Oh well… it was always going to end eventually as Project Utopia continued to develop. And Lord Ainz has a point, what glory is there to Nazarick to rule over mere ruins?’

  And so, all things considered, if it did not change his nature in the slightest, Demiurge found a calming kind of acceptance in the ceremony he watched unfold. It was an easy victory for the Supreme Beings, ‘And maybe it won’t be half bad, having a younger sibling to teach. Or would I pledge to serve the offspring of my creator…?’ He wondered about that as he eyed the belly of the Queen with a little half smile on his face. He doubted she knew yet.

  But Demiurge? He knew.

  “Dominic… you’re back?” She asked with surprise when he came to her position within the treasury. “Why are you dressed like that?” She looked him up and down, “Did you escape?”

  “Yes. From a monster more terrible than you.” He said, and watched the expected, disgusting result. Her eyes glassed over with venal lust and one hand went to her belly.

  “Is that even possible?” She demanded, an edge to her voice as she looked down, then raised her eyes to face the Cardinal of Wind.

  “It is. The father of Jaldabaoth.” He said at once, “I’ve come to order you to kill it. If you can.”

  “You said it’s more powerful than I?” Zesshi pointed out, “How am I supposed to do that?”

  “Take what you need from the treasury, close the gap, I don’t care if you let him defeat and have his way with you first, or if you seduce him like a tavern whore hungry for gold, I don’t give a damn how you do it, but when you’re done, kill it.” Dominic demanded. His disgust with the half-elven animal redoubled as she agreed.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  She didn’t even question his vile way of suggesting what she do with him, her perversion was as bad as her heritage, and yet again he recalled his argument with Raymond. ‘The future of humanity includes the future of that girl!’

  Dominic would never agree with that. She was a trump card, ‘And the fate of all cards is to eventually be discarded.’ He thought with smug satisfaction that actually let him keep a smile on his face as he explained everything that had taken place in recent months.

  “So I need to go to the Draconic Kingdom?” Zesshi asked at the end of the explanation.

  “Yes.” He said and turned to Yu Sebius, “You said there is a place he can be ambushed?”

  “Yes.” The priest said as he wrung his hands together, “It’s been heard that they search for others like themselves, the one called Ulbert and the one called Ainz,” he licked his lips and whispered in hushed, conspiratorial tones, “through various means, we have learned what one of these looked like. The Demon Emperor Ulbert can be lured out alone to meet with them, and that will be your chance to act. Go as far as the mountain around Yellow Rock, and wait for us to call you in.” Yu Sebius urged, and Zesshi all but bounced for joy.

  ‘Finally, a foe worth fighting! And finally, I can have what I want!’ She pondered what kind of child might spring from a union of herself and a demon, but whatever it might have been, it would be powerful beyond words, and that… that was all she really cared about.

  Zesshi didn’t need more information than she had, she already had her scythe, but what she needed more than that was her armor, she wasted no time in donning it, leaving Dominic and the young priest alone, she went deep within the treasury and put on her rings, bracelets, necklace, and the divine armor left by one of the six great gods… which one, she neither knew nor cared. Power surged through her body, even if she’d been a normal person in this state, she would be a tough customer.

  Now? As a Godkin in divine gear? She felt as strong as a goddess and as giddy as an innocent schoolgirl going to her first day of a new school. Even Dominic was hard pressed to say she was not a presence in her own right, like any holy knight, had she been truly human, he would have been far more proud. ‘Why did we have to have a mongrel halfbreed for this… and a perverted one at that?’

  While he was fairly sure she knew he didn’t like her, the commonality of being disliked had it so that she could not see the real depth of it when it was in front of her.

  “Good luck.” Dominic said after she gave him a moment to take in the sight before him. With anyone else, there might have been questions, concerns, briefings…

  But Zesshi was a law unto herself, a force of nature whose wants were her one true guide, and her loyalty, Dominic knew, was severely lacking despite all they’d done to instill it in her from childhood.

  But the ‘Good luck’ was at least sincerely meant, if for no other reason that the father of Jaldabaoth could not be allowed to exist in the world of men.

  She took off at a dead run, her martial arts already in use, it would take days for her to arrive so far away, and no doubt she’d have to stop for directions at least once or twice. ‘Headstrong idiot.’ He mused, and Yu behind him coughed into his hand.

  “Ah, Cardinal, why did we not take her with us?”

  “Because then she would have stayed here waiting for us, and she’d be here to see me take something else.” Dominic said as he walked further down the long dim hall.

  “Something else?” Yu pressed, “What she took alone, if she’s as powerful as you say…?”

  “I have no idea if he’d be willing to mate with her or not, or if she can seduce him, maybe he’ll find halfbreeds as repugnant as I do. Maybe he can even kill her and will choose to do so.” Dominic pointed out as they walked, their feet slapped the moist floor and created a wet echo as they went ever deeper within, until he came to a door and held up one hand in front of it.

  “I plan on making sure we win, even if she loses. But to do that, we need this.” Dominic replied as he stepped into a room filled with a pulsing white glow.

  “Clothing?” Yu inquired as he looked at the white magical outfit.

  “Not just any clothing. We call this one, ‘Downfall of Castle and Country’. And it will serve to ensure the collapse of both among those traitors when we are through.” Dominic chuckled as he picked up the sacred clothing in hand and tucked it reverentially under one arm, the smile on his face, he felt, might just go on forever.