Ainz Ooal Gown: Noble Knight

He straightened the collar of his dark suit, and then

Raise your right hand in front of you, fingers together, and sit up straight.

A standard German military salute.

Ainz's jaw opened a crack, but this time, he was not enveloped by the forced calming green light.

Because the moment he saw that action, Ainz's attention was immediately drawn to something else.

He caught a glimpse of the top page of the papers Demiurge had just hidden; it had crooked lines drawn on it, like a breakdown diagram of some action.

It's somewhat like... the German military salute pose that Pandora's Yakert drew based on himself.

“Demiurge,” Ainz said, trying not to sound embarrassed, “that move…”

"Hmm?" Demiurge maintained his salute.

"You don't need to do it anymore."

Demiurge's movements froze for a moment.

His gem-like eyes gleamed slightly behind his glasses, and his expression shifted from an elegant smile to a thoughtful seriousness.

He slowly lowered his right hand and asked in an almost repentant tone:

"...Was it because my movements weren't up to standard?"

"No."

"Is it a matter of angle? Or the timing of raising your hand?"

"neither."

Demiurge's expression grew even more serious.

Seeing his expression, Ainz felt a surge of complex emotions. He wanted to explain that he "just felt ashamed," but the words stuck in his throat.

It's no use saying anything; given Demiurge's personality, he'll probably interpret it as something else entirely.

"...Anyway," Ainz decided to give up on continuing the discussion, "just be more careful next time."

Demiurge raised his eyes. It must be that his execution wasn't up to standard. He'd ask Pandora to draw a high-definition animation next time.

"...Yes, Lord Ainz."

Ainz sighed silently to himself and decided to stop thinking about it.

He turned to the side, revealing the three small figures that had been hiding in the shadows behind him.

Demiurge's gaze followed Ainz's movements and landed on the three children.

They stood there, the eldest boy still protecting the two younger ones behind him.

The youngest child was only four or five years old. She was clutching her brother's clothes, half of her face hidden behind the tattered fabric, with only one eye showing. She was cautiously sizing up the man in the suit in front of her.

Against the backdrop of the seventh level of Nazarick, the three small figures stood out conspicuously, like small animals that had wandered onto the banks of a lava river.

Demiurge's brow twitched slightly.

"……This is?"

Ainz stood in the center of the study in the Crimson Temple, quickly organizing his thoughts.

"Demeurge".

"exist."

"Because of that dragon, you had to abandon your plans to build a ranch. I've kept that in mind ever since."

When Ainz said those words, even he was a little surprised.

He hadn't intended to say it so solemnly, but once the words left his mouth, they naturally veered in that direction.

It was probably because of Demiurge's annoyed expression just now.

It's really unreasonable for a boss not to reward outstanding employees.

“Consider these children as compensation. You can use them as material…make full use of them.”

Chapter 109 Xiaodi's Gratitude Experiment

The seventh level of the Great Tomb of Nazarick.

The surrounding lava river gurgled softly, and dark red light shone through the cracks between the charred stone pillars, enveloping the crimson temple in a layer of ever-changing light and shadow.

Demiurge's gaze fell on the three small figures huddled together.

They were at the entrance to the study. The eldest boy spread his arms wide, trying his best to protect the two younger children behind him, even though his legs were trembling and the fear in his eyes was almost overflowing.

The youngest girl clutched her brother's clothes, only one eye peeking out as she cautiously sized up the devil in the suit before her.

“Demiurge, the existence of that dragon forced you to abandon your plans to build a ranch. I’ve kept that in mind.”

Demiurge's body trembled slightly, and his gem-like eyes suddenly lit up behind his lenses. He stared at Ainz, his entire being enveloped in a powerful emotion.

After a moment, he finally spoke, his voice trembling slightly at the end: "Lord Ainz... I only mentioned it casually when I was making the plan, I didn't expect you to have kept it in mind all this time."

Ainz's jaw opened slightly.

No, actually I didn't remember at all.

Ainz retorted inwardly that if he hadn't just remembered them, these three children would most likely have been directly transformed into low-level undead and then completely forgotten by him.

"He even went out of his way to find suitable materials for his subordinates." Demiurge looked at Ainz through his glasses, his gaze filled with admiration that words could not express.

Ainz felt his soul being silently burned.

He wanted to say that these were just three children he had casually picked up during an experiment.

But Ainz's gaze fell on Demiurge's eyes, which were brighter than usual with gratitude.

If I were to tell the truth now...

Ainz quickly mentally simulated what Demiurge would probably look like with disappointment.

Although, given Demiurge's personality, he would definitely say things like, "Lord Ainz need not worry about it," or "How could I dare to ask for more?"

But the kind of disappointment that is deliberately concealed is more painful than direct disappointment.

Moreover, as the ruler of Nazarick and bearing the name Ainz Ooal Gown, if he cannot even do the most basic thing of "taking care of the feelings of his subordinates", then what right does he have to bear this name?

Ainz clenched his jaw to suppress his guilt. He was somewhat relieved that he had this undead face; at least his emotions wouldn't be revealed.

He waved his hand: "No need for that, Demiurge. I've seen everything you've done for the Great Tomb of Nazarick. This is just a small, insignificant gift that I brought along."

Ainz quickly ended the conversation and turned to walk towards the door.

"Then the material is yours, Demiurge. Make good use of it."

"Yes, Lord Ainz."

Demiurge's voice came from behind him, and the German military salute was perfectly executed.

Ainz took a few steps, then suddenly felt something was wrong.

He turned around and saw Demiurge still in that pose, gazing at his back with a devout look.

"...Demiurge. Didn't we already talk about that move?"

Demiurge paused slightly, then lowered his right hand again, his regret evident in his expression: "It was my fault for being impolite, but Lord Ainz has shown me such kindness, I really..."

Ainz felt a dull ache in his skull again.

"...You should process the materials first; I have other matters to attend to."

Having said that, he gave Demiurge no further chance to be moved and strode out of the Crimson Temple.

The temple watched him gradually disappear into the distance.

Ainz walked along the encircling lava river for a while, making sure he was out of Demiurge's range of perception, before slowly stopping.

He let out a long breath.

Although the undead do not need to breathe, this action itself has become a habitual way for them to release stress.

"...We finally managed to fool them."

Ainz muttered something to himself.

He gazed at the scorching space, his thoughts involuntarily drifting back to the three children in the Crimson Temple.

What will Demiurge do with them?

Ainz silently deduced the scenario in his mind.

Demiurge is known for his meticulousness, so he will probably conduct some basic experiments first.

It's probably some kind of resurrection experiment or treatment experiment.

Although the children may experience some pain during the process, it is something that must be done in order for Nazarick to obtain accurate intelligence.

Thinking this way, Ainz felt a little more relaxed.

Inside the Crimson Temple.

The sound of the door closing echoed in the empty study, and the three children trembled simultaneously.

Demiurge remained in the position of watching Ainz leave, the expression of emotion that had appeared on his face because of Ainz-sama's personal concern was gradually fading.

What followed was the same kind of focus that an artist would have when facing a canvas.

He looked at the three children. The boy bit his lip, trying not to make a sound, while the girl's thin shoulders trembled slightly.

Demiurge took two steps forward and knelt down in front of the three children.

His movements were elegant and composed, and a gentle smile appeared on his cunning face, making him look like a kind person greeting children.

"Don't be afraid." His voice was gentle, with a magical quality that made people want to believe him. "Lord Ainz has entrusted you to me, which is an honor for you. I will make good use of you."

The boy wanted to beg for mercy, but Demiurge didn't give him the chance.

He reached out, his long, slender fingers gently stroking the boy's head, his fingertips brushing against the slightly dry hair caused by malnutrition.

“What perfect material,” Demiurge exclaimed sincerely.

The three children looked at him and felt a deep-seated fear.