Inside Shalltear's residence, a somewhat disheveled man knelt on the ground.
His hair was messy, and his chin was covered in stubble. The muscles beneath his clothes looked solid, clearly not something achieved through mere training, but more like those of a well-trained warrior.
Brian Anglaus.
He was the human with martial arts skills whom Shalltear had captured from the bandit's lair, and the only one who survived.
The remaining captured bandits were sent to Demiurge's farm, while the women they had imprisoned for their desires were granted a painless death.
Because it was too far from Nazarick, the bodies were not reused and were incinerated on the spot with Dragon's Breath.
All of this was done under Sig's command. Shalltear had no questions. She understood the meaning behind letting the Black Scripture go, but there was still one thing she didn't understand.
Two Vampire Brides, sensing their master's bad mood, served her carefully.
Looking at herself in the mirror, Shalltear sighed, "Brian, right? Let me ask you a question: Do you know why Sig-sama let those adventurers go?"
When the mission was almost complete, she happened to encounter a team of adventurers. She had intended to kill them quickly, but Sig-sama stopped her.
She truly couldn't understand why they would let go of humans who might reveal their whereabouts, especially when they were merely low-level creatures that could be killed with ease.
Brian's throat bobbed. Unlike the Vampire Brides, as a minion, he felt the pressure more acutely.
He spoke with difficulty, "Perhaps it was intentional."
"Of course, I know it was intentional!" Shalltear retorted with a sharp voice.
Not only Brian, but the vampires also knelt down, their bodies trembling like sieves.
Realizing her attitude was too aggressive, Shalltear reverted to her charming maiden appearance, wrapping her fingers around her silver hair and speaking in a seductive tone.
"Then you tell me."
"Yes." Brian swallowed, "If I'm not mistaken, Sig-sama must want the news to spread, to attract more people to explore."
"Hmm... that makes some sense."
Brian steeled himself and said with high spirits, "With Sig-sama's wisdom, there must be other intentions. As a mere servant, this is all I can think of."
"Never mind, I can't really expect much from you." Shalltear looked at the Vampire Bride, "Give me a hairstyle suitable for wearing a qipao. My nails seem a bit long. They're too fragile as weapons, but trimming them constantly is also troublesome."
No, she couldn't say that. It would be too disrespectful to Peroroncino, who created her.
Brian said, "Should I help my master trim them?"
Shalltear covered her mouth and chuckled lightly, elegantly extending her hand, "Haha, it seems after being turned into a vampire, you've become a qualified nail clipper."
While enjoying the service, Shalltear couldn't help but feel a little troubled again.
She wondered what Sig-sama was doing. It seemed her thoughts of Ainz-sama had decreased significantly these days. Was she perhaps falling for someone else?
Was this what it felt like to cheat? It was inexplicably exciting.
"Nail clipper, you can leave for now."
"Yes, my master." Brian was as if granted a great pardon, and he quickly ran off as if a flood or fierce beast was behind him.
The Vampire Bride also got up to leave, but Shalltear pulled them back, placing a hand on each of their soft parts, a wicked glint in her eyes, "You don't need to leave. Stay here and continue serving me."
What followed was an indescribable scene.
Nazarick's Great Underground Tomb, Ninth Floor, Bar.
Demiurge sat on a high stool, raising his glass, his tail swaying slightly behind him, "Sig-sama, do you like the environment here?"
"It's very good. It seems you've found a nice place, and the wine tastes excellent too." Sig looked at the mushroom-headed figure busy behind the bar and gave him an encouraging smile.
Pich bowed in gratitude, overwhelmed. If Demiurge hadn't instructed him beforehand not to overreact, he would surely be kneeling in thanks right now. Fortunately, his face showed no expression.
Tentacle-like hands presented the freshly mixed drink, "This is a new creation I've mixed, please try it, Sig-sama."
Looking at the ten-layered cocktail "Nazarick" mixed with ten colors of sweet wine, Sig felt a sense of admiration.
Although the assistant chef looked very strange and didn't have a specific name—Pich was just a nickname given to him by everyone—his bartending skills were beyond question, and he could also make various drinks and potions.
Unfortunately, most people in Nazarick had poison resistance, so Pich was destined not to see guests get drunk from his drinks. However, most people would feel drunk due to the atmosphere, so he rarely felt sad.
After clinking glasses with Demiurge, Sig drank it down heartily, leaving an empty glass, "Delicious."
Because he was happy, Pich's speed of wiping glasses increased significantly.
Demiurge also showed a determined smile upon seeing this, wondering what he had imagined in his mind, "Pich, you must continue to work hard to receive praise from Sig-sama."
"Yes, I will definitely continue to work hard to develop new drinks."
"Don't rush too much with that. Do you have any iced happy water? I haven't had it in a long time." Sig gently smacked his lips.
Pich broke out in a bead of sweat the size of a bean, "Forgive my ignorance, but what kind of drink is happy water?"
Demiurge frowned, seemingly also thinking seriously.
Oh no, I'm used to calling it that.
Sig bit the bullet and explained, "It's just cola. Because drinking it makes people feel happy, it has that nickname. Don't worry too much about it."
Both of them showed expressions of understanding. Demiurge, who never drank cola, also asked for a glass.
Pich, on the other hand, was deeply ashamed. As someone who could mix all kinds of alcoholic beverages, he was unaware that cola had the special effect of uplifting the spirit. It was truly a dereliction of duty.
To prevent the situation from escalating, Sig quickly said, "Ahem, Demiurge, let's talk about serious matters first."
Demiurge nodded, "Yes, first, we need to borrow Sig-sama's minion to make him the resurrected Dragon Lord."
"Understood. I will summon a level 50 Shadow Dragon."
"Thank you for your understanding. At that time, Sig-sama will form a team with the traveler pursuing the Shadow Dragon Lord and the powerful Fei Fei to accomplish the feat of killing the Dragon Lord."
"As for Theocracy..." Sig hesitated.
The people he let go should have noticed that something was amiss, after all, they weren't fighting a Shadow Dragon.
Demiurge pushed up his glasses, "You don't have to worry at all. I completely understand Sig-sama's intentions. Even I couldn't have devised such a perfect plan."
"Tell me, let me see your understanding."
"In my opinion, those people from Theocracy do not possess what could be called wisdom. After witnessing Sig-sama's heroic figure, they certainly won't believe that the Shadow Dragon is your true form; they'll be more inclined to believe it's a subordinate."
"Precisely. Fei Fei and the nameless traveler who kill him will be able to move around more freely, and they might even come into contact with Theocracy's envoys, which will then provide us with a reason to invade them." Demiurge revealed a very cruel smile.