The Ruler of Conspiracy

by Kugane Maruyama

  “Y-yes…” Her face was bright red, but she put on a dignified expression. Then she said, “Lord Ainz!”

  What? he was about to ask, but instead his eyes grew large.

  “Ogyaa!”

  Ainz doubted his ears. What is she saying?

  Proving that he hadn’t misheard her, she bashfully said it again. “Ogyaa!”

  …She’s definitely imitating a baby. I mean, if it was anything else, I’d be scared. Why is she doing that? Is it stress because I piled too much work on her? Oh! It could be something to do with Nigredo. We were just talking about releasing her from disciplinary confinement before.

  As Ainz was feeling confused despite being undead, Mare began to squirm.

  “Umm, I’m, uh, okay, so…if Albedo wants to…”

  Those words were a revelation to Ainz.

  Basically, in response to him saying that these two were kids and she was an adult, she was putting on an act to say she was a kid, too.

  But why an infant? And I still don’t think having Albedo in my lap is…

  Then again, she had dared to do something so embarrassing in order to make her appeal. As the one at the top and as a man, he couldn’t ignore that. And Albedo was actually, like Aura and Mare, a being similar to a child. It wasn’t right to pick favorites.

  “Sorry, Mare.” Having made up his mind, he let Mare down and waved Albedo over. “Come, Albedo.”

  “Yes, my lord!”

  Her embarrassed expression from a moment ago had vanished, and she seemed to be bursting with as much anticipation as a puppy about to be taken on a walk when she appeared beside him instantaneously.

  For Ainz, still seated, trying to lift Albedo by putting his hands under her arms was more than a little difficult.

  “…Sorry, could you sit down from where you are?”

  “Yes, my lord! Understood!”

  Having traded places with Mare and sitting on Ainz’s left femur facing away from him, she nestled in.

  The first thing Ainz felt was softness. She had a mature softness to her body that the children didn’t. Then came a warmth that seemed to seep into him, making him restless.

  Wow, is she soft!

  She was a level-100 warrior, but it was hard to tell where she was keeping her muscle; to put it unkindly, she was as soft as a mollusk.

  “Tee-hee-hee-hee-hee.”

  He heard her quietly giggling.

  The fragrance wafting up from Albedo’s hair tickled Ainz’s nostrils.

  “Hmm?”

  That moment, a spark seemed to flash through the brain he supposedly didn’t have.

  I’ve smelled this somewhere before. Albedo’s clothes? No. Perfume?

  Ainz had definitely smelled Albedo’s somehow relaxing scent before. But he couldn’t manage to find the right memory.

  “Hmm…Albedo. Are you wearing some sort of perfume?”

  “Yes, I am. Does it displease you?”

  “No, not at all. It smells nice.”

  Albedo abruptly turned to look at him. Her eyes were open so wide, they scared him a little.

  “You think so, Lord Ainz? If you like, you can smell me some more. For an hour—or a whole day!”

  “No, I don’t think… An hour is a bit…” To tell the truth, though, he was ever so slightly interested. And if he smelled it more, perhaps he would recall the memory. “Mm, well, will you let me smell just a bit?”

  Ainz moved his nasal bones in a little closer and inhaled Albedo’s scent. Since he was closer than before, the somehow comforting fragrance was a bit clearer. Yes, he had definitely smelled it before, but he couldn’t quite remember where. As he desperately followed the threads of his memories, he was interrupted by an icy voice.

  “…Lord Ainz.”

  For a second, he didn’t know who the speaker was, but then he realized it was Aura. When he nervously shifted his gaze, she had narrowed her eyes in disgust. Her lips jutted out slightly, her cheeks puffed and pouty.

  “You’re being kind of creepy.”

  “S-sorry.”

  She’s right.

  He cursed himself for being foolish enough to do something like that in front of a child. From a moral education standpoint, it was awful. At this rate, his old friends would call him out in the tone they’d use if they were angry at their little brother.

  “A-all right, both of you. Time to get off my legs. Albedo, let’s continue the conversation we were having before.”

  But they didn’t move.

  Neither of them budged. They seemed to be waiting to see who would go first.

  “Sheesh…”

  Ainz picked Aura up and set her on the floor. He heard Albedo chuckle to herself. “Tee-hee-hee.”

  “…Aura was the first one to sit, that’s why. You get down, too, Albedo.”

  “B-but Aura was sitting there for three minutes and forty-one seconds. I’ve only been here for fifty-seven seconds. I humbly request that I should be allowed to stay for three more minutes.”

  “But, Albedo, you spend more time with him.”

  “That’s just how it goes. It’s work.”

  “Oh? So it’s just work? I’m here because I wanted to see Lord Ainz.”

  “Ngh!”

  Albedo’s butt squirmed on Ainz’s thigh, and the two girls glared at each other.

  He knew why Albedo wanted to sit in his lap, but what was Aura’s reason? Surely she didn’t love him the way Albedo did. In the first place, he didn’t remember doing anything that would be worthy of so much love, and it was too soon for a child like Aura to have romantic feelings. So then… Having thought that far, Ainz reached an answer.

  I see. She wants me for her own?

  It was possible she wanted a father figure. Aura and Mare had been created young. They were at an age where they should have had parents. So maybe she was trying to get what she was missing from Ainz?

  He had been thinking that if there was a dark elf country, he wanted to go there to find the dark elf siblings some friends. But Satoru Suzuki had never yearned for a father figure, which was why he never noticed the possibility that Aura and Mare might.

  I wonder if the library has moral education books for kids.

  When they were merely data, it wasn’t an issue, but now he needed something to make sure Aura and Mare had proper mental development.

  Yeah, they need to make dark elf friends! I’ll make that higher priority. Speaking of which…

  “Aura. There’s something I wanted to ask you. What happened to those three elves I gave to you and Mare?”

  “You mean the ones who tramped into Nazarick with their dirty feet but were pardoned because you’re so compassionate?”

  Ainz nodded.

  He had given the slave elves accompanying the workers he had summoned to Aura and Mare. Really, he didn’t want to leave any uninvited trespassers alive, but they hadn’t entered Nazarick by choice and they weren’t there to steal his treasures, so he figured it was okay to have mercy on them.

  He also thought that since they were elves, maybe they would have a good effect on Aura’s and Mare’s development.

  “I see. We left them on our level for now.”

  “Left them?”

  “Yes, for some reason they bustle around trying to take care of us. It’s sort of annoying.”

  “I-it’s like Aura said. W-we can dress o-ourselves, but they still try to help…”

  “You need to get your act together, Mare. That’s why they try to change your clothes for you. They don’t do that to me.”

  I see. So they try to take care of them, hmm? I guess they are acting sort of like my maids. I identify with your suffering, Mare. Still, it seems to have been worth saving those three. But are former slaves bad for moral education? Hrm.

  “Well, we spared them. Don’t get angry and kill them or anything. If they’re too much of a nuisance to you, tell me and I’ll send them somewhere else.”

  “Understood! Thank you.”

  After Mare nod
ded, Ainz said, “Now then”—and turned a cold gaze on Albedo—“Albedo, it’s about time for you to get down. I’m sure it’s been three minutes.”

  She looked reluctant for the briefest of moments but obeyed silently and got off his lap.

  “By the way, what are you guys doing, Lord Ainz?”

  “Hmm? Oh, we’re going through the suggestions everyone in Nazarick had about making the country better. Do you two have any ideas? Anything at all.”

  Aura’s face brightened up.

  “I have a great idea, Lord Ainz!”

  “Oh-ho. What is it, Aura? Let’s hear it.”

  “Okay! I think boys should dress as girls and girls should dress as boys!”

  …BubblingTeapot!

  Ainz howled his old friend’s name internally.

  For a moment, he hallucinated a pink slime apologizing—Sorry—in a cute voice that didn’t match its appearance at all.

  “I see. Lady BubblingTeapot’s idea, huh? Certainly, it’s not a bad idea. And implementing the will of the Forty-One Supreme Beings in this country would be good.”

  Really? Ainz wanted to say out loud, but he couldn’t.

  Anyhow, he needed to veto the idea. But there was a problem.

  These two dressed the way they did out of obedience to BubblingTeapot. If he was going to reject Aura’s idea, he needed to come up with a reason why it was fine for them but not everyone else.

  He couldn’t think of anything on the spot.

  “Lord Ainz. Shall I begin the process of carrying out Aura’s proposal?”

  Why are you in such a hurry?

  There’s no time left.

  If I allow this, it’s as good as announcing that the Nation of Darkness is a country with deviant tastes. We can’t have that. The only one who would be happy is BubblingTeapot. No, even if she were here, I bet she’d never visit our country.

  There are a few people who, if they heard the NPCs they created had attained consciousness, would actively avoid them, never mind coming to visit. BubblingTeapot is definitely one. Yamaiko and Ankoro Mocchi Mochi would probably come, though. They’re all women, so why is she so different…?

  Thinking back on her fondly, Ainz stood and gazed out the window. It wasn’t as if there was any meaning in that gesture. He was just buying time. Once he had a way to start figured out, he spun around and looked at all three of them.

  “I definitely reject that idea.”

  “B-but why?”

  Of course you would ask that… But giving all men without a partner on Christmas a mask would be a much better law that that one.

  He exhaled deeply. Of course, it didn’t mean anything. He was simply buying more time.

  “There are multiple reasons. Do you need me to explain each one, Albedo?”

  “Y-yes, p-please.”

  He had intended the question for Albedo, but Mare intercepted. He’s normally so docile, so why is he being so vicious now? Ainz thought to himself sadly. He was sure Albedo would have said, No, that’s all right. I’ll explain to these two. But under these circumstances, he had to explain it himself.

  “…All right. I’ll explain. I wonder where I should start.”

  Ainz brought a hand to his chin and hmmed. It goes without saying, but that was also to buy time. After thinking so frantically, he nearly broke out in a cold sweat, he had an idea.

  “First, hmm. You probably thought that since you two are dressed like that, everyone else should, too, right? That that’s what BubblingTeapot would want? But that’s not true. Yes, you guys are special.”

  “We’re special?”

  “Exactly. BubblingTeapot has you two dress that way because you’re so special to her… Do you want to make everyone special like that?”

  “Of course not!” Surprisingly, the one who shouted was Mare. “I would hate that! I don’t want a ton of strangers to have what Lady BubblingTeapot gave especially to my sister and me!”

  “Y-yeah. That’s what I think. You get it, right, Aura?”

  “Yes! It was stupid of me to not consider Lady BubblingTeapot’s feelings!”

  Whoo! Ainz suppressed his urge to do a fist pump.

  “Other than that…”

  Aura and Mare already agreed. Letting the conversation end on a vague note was probably fine. There was just one thing he was worried about.

  Albedo murmured, “So we rejected a few,” and Ainz turned to look at her.

  With her uncommon intellect, she might have been thinking about something beyond what he could follow. He was worried she might find it weird if he ended the conversation there.

  When their eyes met, she cocked her head and smiled.

  Ainz averted his gaze, unsure what her reaction meant. An elder lich happened to be standing where his eyes ended up, and his gaze was drawn naturally to the documents in its hand.

  “Ah, so you were thinking about that, too, Lord Ainz? That was the one you looked at the longest. I think it would be fine to discuss it with these two, if you like?”

  The sudden remark made him shift his eyes back to her.

  “Hmm. So you were thinking about it, too, Albedo.”

  “Yes. I was sure you would bring it up. You must have thought it would be all right to talk about it with them, right?”

  “I’d expect nothing less from you, Albedo. Even if I don’t say a word, you know what’s on my mind.”

  “Nonsense, my lord.” She bowed with a smile and Aura puffed her cheeks up crankily. “But more importantly, I hadn’t considered what you said about Lady BubblingTeapot’s feelings, either. Such is the brilliance of our creators, the Supreme Beings. Your points of view are simply beyond me.”

  “Oh, don’t say that, Albedo. I think someday your abilities will surpass even my own.”

  She was already way better than him. Ainz wondered, embarrassed, what he was even saying, but Albedo nodded with a face full of determination.

  “Yes, my lord! Someday, for sure!”

  “Umm, were there any other reasons?”

  “Ah yes, Aura. Albedo, tell the other two. Make your explanation simple so even children can understand. Yes, make it easy to grasp.”

  Having told her that, he turned once again to the window as if to say, I’m not talking, you are. But every bit of his attention was focused on his hearing so he wouldn’t miss a word Albedo said.

  “Yes. Actually I was thinking of suggesting it to Lord Ainz later, but there is a bit of a problem.”

  “What? Who’s causing trouble? Should we go kill them quick?”

  “No, it’s not like that. Actually, we’ve learned that in the near future, there will be a supply shortage. If we told everyone to swap clothing now, it would be a headache unless we told everyone to exchange used clothes.”

  What? Really? It wasn’t as if Ainz could actually ask. He frantically recalled what was written in the documents from before.

  There was something about materials, but he felt like there was quite a good amount. But if Albedo said they would be running short soon, it must be true.

  Isn’t that actually really bad? But couldn’t we also just buy stuff from the empire or the kingdom? We should still have assets for that in the city.

  Albedo answered Ainz’s natural question. “This is a commercial city doing a fairly good job fulfilling its economic role of supply stockpile. But since Lord Ainz took over, almost no merchants have visited from the three neighboring countries. For that reason, our supplies are gradually being depleted.”

  “Couldn’t we just bring some in from somewhere that has some? What if we stole from the empire or the kingdom?”

  “Sis, th-that’s a bad idea. ’Cause, uh, umm, didn’t Lord Ainz prohibit the use of military force against our three neighbors?”

  That was right. He wasn’t sure what the future would hold, but until the city was fully under his control, he wouldn’t allow anyone to exercise military might. Of course, it would be a different story if someone attacked them first.

  “Th
en what’ll we do?”

  “Uh—uh, we don’t have to worry, I don’t think. Umm, uh, Lord Ainz will figure something out.”

  Ainz wanted to say, So you’re dumping this in my lap now? to Mare, but he held himself back. Who could betray the trust of these two kids as Aura chimed in with an “Oh!” while she stood beside Mare?

  But as a run-of-the-mill company employee, there was no way he could come up with a proper plan to assuage the city’s economic woes. That was why he played one of his two trump cards.

  He slowly turned around and said as if he was completely confident, “Albedo, you’re already working on it, right?”

  In other words, he was throwing it at someone capable.

  “Yes, soon we’ll be reaping the seeds Demiurge sowed.”

  “There you have it. You two don’t need to worry about a thing.”

  He did feel a bit guilty when everyone in the room looked at him with gleaming eyes as if they were observing someone amazing—as well as fear of the disappointment that would appear in their eyes when they found out it was all a sham.

  But Demiurge, huh? I dunno what kind of plan he’s been concocting, but I’d expect nothing less from him.

  Ainz wanted to ask more about this harvest, but there was no way he could do that—because Ainz Ooal Gown was supposed to have a handle on everything.

  I know I should probably study economics, but when I read difficult books, my eyes just kind of glaze over… Like, c’mon, there must be a simpler way to explain Keynesian economics. Is my mind simply not as flexible anymore because I’m getting older…?

  Ainz had been plenty capable of learning the game systems in Yggdrasil. He never bragged, but he had astounded his guildmates by memorizing over seven hundred spells he had acquired. On top of that, knowledge of spells he didn’t have was a weapon that allowed him to read his opponents’ abilities, so he had done his best to learn about all the magic in the game. As a result, he was probably one of the top five in the guild when it came to magic knowledge.

  He had accomplished all that, but academic books were simply beyond him.

  Hmm? Is it possible I can’t learn anything else because I don’t have a brain?

  That was impossible, since he had learned a ton of things since coming to this world, but the terrifying thought sent a chill up his spine.