"…A fake."
Ainz looked up at the Foxian girl on the screen, making his judgment.
There was no doubt that this Tingyun was a fake, but when exactly she had been replaced, he couldn't fathom.
Since arriving on the Xianzhou, Tingyun had been with the Astral Express crew. The idea of someone switching her out under Welt and Stelle's noses was laughable. Even if Stelle didn't notice, fooling Mr. Welt would be next to impossible.
The bystander sees clearly, while those involved are clouded… Perhaps that's why Mr. Welt hadn't been vigilant.
Since the battle with the Ambrosial Arbor's Deer, Ainz had felt something off about Miss Tingyun. For a clerical worker "afraid of Kafka lashing out," venturing near the cauldron was utterly out of character. With her usual demeanor, she'd likely want to stay as far away as possible.
"Albedo, regarding Tingyun on the screen… have you noticed anything strange?"
Ainz's dull voice echoed in the room, pulling Albedo's thoughts from her seething jealousy.
Jealousy.
Yes, jealousy.
Since taking over for Sebastian to attend to her master that afternoon, Ainz's gaze had lingered on her for barely a minute. To make a good impression on her beloved master, she had used magic to smooth her hair and meticulously prepared her appearance.
Her beauty was already flawless, and now it should have been even more perfect. Yet, her master hadn't spared her a second glance, completely oblivious to her efforts.
But that woman named Tingyun—
Ever since she appeared, her master's attention hadn't left her. That wretched woman had stolen the gaze of her beloved master, an unforgivable sin. It seemed Albedo had to be wary of more than just Shalltear.
The moment she saw that fox-woman with her fluffy tail, Albedo's exquisite face twisted into a grimace of burning jealousy, her aura so oppressive it was as if a demon had crawled out of hell.
"—Lord Ainz," Albedo's voice was cold and solemn, resonating in the room. "As you say, Tingyun is indeed very strange."
"Oh?"
Albedo's voice trembled, accompanied by the chilling sound of grinding teeth.
"Her skin must have been maintained with some secret technique to keep it so smooth, and the fur on her tail has been specially treated. She might even be using charm-enhancing magic. This scheming, despicable woman, daring to steal your attention from me—"
"…!"
"—Stop, stop! Albedo, that's not what I meant."
Ainz only now noticed the sour atmosphere permeating the room.
"What I meant was, can you detect any transformation magic on Tingyun?"
"Magic?" Albedo snapped out of her reverie, her intense jealousy subsiding as her usual gentle demeanor returned. "Lord Ainz, there are no traces of transformation magic on Tingyun."
"Perfectly replicating someone's appearance down to every detail isn't difficult. But copying their memories to completely replace someone… Lord Ainz, I don't believe that's possible."
"Even I, or Demiurge, who specializes in mental magic, couldn't achieve it."
"Oh? Why not?"
"…Because of habits," Albedo took a deep breath. "Memories can be replicated, but habits are hard to mimic. Tingyun grew up on the Xianzhou and has worked in the Sky-Faring Commission for years. If she weren't the real Tingyun, Yukong and the others would likely have noticed by now."
"Well said, Albedo."
Though Ainz praised her, he gave a bitter smile inwardly. As a skeleton, he couldn't show it on his face.
…Even the Overseer of the Guardians believes such transformation magic is impossible?
It seems the power gap between these two worlds is quite significant…
——
[After dealing with the Mara-struck guarding the cauldron, Stelle quickly shut down three smaller cauldrons.]
[As the mist cleared, Fu Xuan's excited voice came from afar: "Excellent… truly excellent! This Master Diviner will lead the troops to rendezvous with you now."]
[Stelle ascended the steps to the largest cauldron, where a familiar figure stood guard—Dan Shu. But at this moment, she had shed her human form, fully embracing the Mara-struck state.]
["The cauldron… has been extinguished," she murmured dimly, looking up at it. "No matter. What must come will come."]
[Fu Xuan slowly approached with her troops, her voice carrying little surprise upon seeing the leader. "So it's you, Dan Shu…"]
["Chief Alchemist, you've met the Master Diviner… You don't seem surprised."]
[Fu Xuan crossed her arms, a confident smile on her face. "Indeed. The Disciples of Sanctus Medicus must be hiding in the Alchemy Commission—this, the General and I both knew. We simply lacked evidence to hold the Six Commissions accountable, so we waited for you to reveal yourself."]
["Very well. Bringing the Stellaron's evil to the Xianzhou, reviving the Ambrosial Arbor, luring people into Mara… these grave sins will be accounted for one by one by the Ten-Lords Commission."]
["Sins?" Dan Shu laughed instead of growing angry. "If what I've done is a sin, then the Xianzhou's ancestors are equally guilty! It was they who accepted the Abundance's gift, turning their descendants into long-life species…"]
["The Disciples of Sanctus Medicus are merely walking the path our ancestors once trod, pursuing transcendence. What sin is there in that?"]
["Back then, the Ambrosial Arbor's roots enveloped the Xianzhou Luofu, like a living entity. Our people roamed the stars, unrivaled. Everyone could ascend to immortality, transforming freely. The Abundance's miracles blessed the nine Xianzhou ships—what a glorious era that was…"]
[Dan Shu's gaze swept over the fallen Mara-struck around her, her tone tinged with regret. "Look at the Xianzhou now. Bowing to the Reignbow Arbiter, repeatedly ravaged by the Abundance's followers! The Ten-Lords Commission even forces us to abandon immortality… How lamentable. I don't blame your ignorance. But now, we have a chance to restore the ancient ways…"]
"It seems learning history well is truly important."
In Shinjuku, Japan, Lu Mingfei and Erii, back at their love hotel, sat on the sofa like a real couple, watching the screen.
The floor-to-ceiling windows were drawn shut, casting the room in dim light, filled with the scent of aromatherapy and the faint fragrance of Erii's hair. Sitting so close, Lu Mingfei could hear her soft breathing.
It felt like watching a movie in a private theater.
Suddenly, Erii picked up a pen and paper, scribbling before holding it up to her chest, tilting her head with a puzzled expression: "Ascend to immortality? What's that?"
Lu Mingfei thought to himself, this is just the twisted logic of the Abundance's followers! Who knows what nonsense these people, obsessed with restoring some ancient dynasty, would spout?
Still, he wrote on the paper: "It means living a long time."
"Can you go play in other places then?"
"Of course, as long as you live long enough, you can go wherever you want." Lu Mingfei added on the notebook, "Why, does Erii have a place she wants to go?"
Erii nodded obediently and wrote: "I want to go to Tokyo Skytree."