"——From here on, I shall disclose the initial analysis report from my 『Vault of Wisdom』 regarding the relics of the group known as the Sunlight Scripture brought in by Demiurge earlier, as well as the interrogation records of the prisoners."
My low, heavy voice echoed through the Throne Room.
Dozens of ink tentacles extended into the air from my body of black fog, drawing elegant trajectories like a conductor waving a baton.
Responding to those movements, the cluster of pages kept on standby around me emitted a pale blue light as they deployed a massive, translucent holographic display right before the eyes of Lord Ainz, Albedo, Shalltear, and Sebas.
It was not some hard-to-read ancient text with a mere string of characters.
Mobilizing all of my skills as a former salaryman, it was a magnificent 『Executive Summary』, optimized so that the main points could be conveyed in exactly three seconds.
Crucial keywords were emphasized in crimson runes, and differences in magical pathways were visualized as beautiful, three-dimensional graphs.
"To state the conclusion first: in the society of the humans we have currently made contact with, the laws of magic are completely identical to YGGDRASIL's Tier system. However, the level they have reached is hopelessly low; it is presumed that even those capable of wielding the 3rd Tier are exceptionally rare. Furthermore, likely to compensate for the fragility of their magic, they have acquired a unique self-enhancement system nonexistent in YGGDRASIL known as Martial Arts, which consumes mental focus."
At my concise report, the air in the Throne Room faintly trembled.
"Kufufu... Ahahahaha!"
Shattering the silence was Shalltear's laugh, ringing like silver bells, yet terribly sadistic.
She narrowed her crimson eyes into crescents and cast a mocking glance at the hologram I had deployed.
"Just as I said! The 3rd Tier is their limit? Magic of that level couldn't even surpass my automatic regeneration. No matter how rare these so-called Martial Arts are, they are ultimately nothing but the flailing of inferior organisms. What need is there to go out of our way to sneak around and hide from such fragile wretches?"
Like a Sales Department Head confident in her victory, Shalltear puffed out her chest and looked up at Lord Ainz.
"Lord Ainz! Tawil Balah's report has proven the correctness of my proposal. As I thought, I should suppress this city called E-Rantel from the front tonight, turning all the humans into blood bags and placing them under Nazarick's control!"
Shalltear, asserting a hardline policy with absolute confidence.
Her argument was certainly not wrong, assuming "strength" was the only metric applied to those present in this room.
With my knowledge of the anime, I know that Nazarick's fighting force is absolute in this New World, and currently, there is no opponent we would lose to in a head-on clash. Just as Shalltear says, suppressing E-Rantel through brute force would be child's play.
However, that is nothing more than a short-term victory.
In corporate terms, it's a third-rate method of ignoring compliance to pursue immediate profits, only to be saddled with massive litigation risks later on.
In order to prevent the single man known as Satoru Suzuki from falling into becoming a true monster, and to guide the organization known as Nazarick to genuine stability, I must completely dismantle her Martial-Faction Logic here and now, and powerfully back up Ainz's cautious approach.
"...Shalltear Bloodfallen. Beautiful True Vampire who governs the 1st through 3rd Floors."
Switching the display of the hologram, I called out to her in an extremely calm tone.
"Your strength is absolute. A fortress city like E-Rantel would sink into a sea of blood in a single night if you were to get serious. On that point, I do not doubt your power in the slightest."
"Is that so? If you understand that, then why are you—"
"However, your perspective is far too short-sighted."
Blinking my hundreds of pupils in unison, I sharply cut off Shalltear's words.
"You are only looking at the victories of tomorrow, or the day after. However, what Lord Ainz seeks from us must surely be the absolute peace of Nazarick ten, a hundred, or even several hundred years from now."
At the scale of several hundred years that I unleashed, Shalltear fell slightly silent.
I could tell that Sebas's gaze sharpened, and Albedo's spine, as she waited beside the throne, twitched in reaction.
"Think about it. We, the Great Tomb of Nazarick, transferred from YGGDRASIL to this unknown world for some reason. ...If that is the case, who can definitively assert that there are no entities who transferred to this world in the past, exactly as we did?"
Moving a tentacle, I drew the class icon for a 『World Champion』 and the glowing rune symbolizing a 『World Item』 into the air.
"Currently, we have only obtained information on a single city called E-Rantel. But this world is vast. In a distant empire we know nothing of, or on a continent across the sea... what if a nation founded by a player possessing the World Champion class who transferred here in the past exists?"
"A-A World Champion...!?"
The composure Shalltear had until moments ago vanished from her face.
There was no way she, a Floor Guardian, did not know the terror of that absolute title held by the Supreme Being, Touch Me.
"Or what if a World Item slumbers in the vault of an unknown nation? If we rely on brute force to ravage a fragile E-Rantel and loudly announce our presence... that would be tantamount to us declaring war on any unknown powerhouses who might be lurking throughout the world. Ravaging the board before we have completely mastered the intelligence, inviting unnecessary alliances among our enemies. ...I can only call that a sheer act of folly that exposes our Supreme Master to unforeseen risks!"
Immediately after my logical, yet intensely condemning words echoed through the room.
"It is exactly as Tawil Balah says!!"
A sharp voice that seemed to tear through the air flew from beside the throne.
It was the Overseer of the Guardians, Albedo.
Just from hearing a simulation where her beloved Lord Ainz was exposed to danger, her beautiful face warped like a Yaksha demon; she spread her pitch-black wings wide, enraged.
"Shalltear! Is satisfying your thirst for blood the only thing inside that head of yours, woman?! If your careless actions were to cause a situation where an unknown World Champion turns their blade toward Lord Ainz, dying ten thousand deaths would not even begin to cover your sins!!"
"W-What did you say?! I don't have the slightest intention of exposing Lord Ainz to danger—! In the first place, there's no way such powerhouses are conveniently transferring here one after another—"
"I am saying that proposing brute force is foolish in itself when we are in a situation where we cannot eliminate even the one-in-a-million possibility, you brainless vampire!"
Albedo and Shalltear began a fierce argument.
Alright. Albedo took the bait.
I pumped my fist inwardly. Albedo prioritizes Ainz's absolute safety above all else.
By presenting a long-term risk, she completely became a powerful ally to my logic.
"——Silence, both of you."
A single phrase, low but accompanied by absolute heavy pressure, was released from the throne.
At Lord Ainz's voice, Albedo and Shalltear instantly ceased their argument, their shoulders jerking as they bowed their heads deeply.
"Tawil Balah is in the middle of his report. Cease this unsightly behavior."
Lord Ainz chided the two with a majestic attitude, but to my eyes, I could clearly see the Skeletal King weeping tears of joy internally (though since he's a skeleton, they didn't physically fall), thinking, Well said, Tawil! That's exactly it, I'm terrified of other players existing!
When the boss finds it hard to say, "I'm kind of anxious about this, so let's not do it," a subordinate steps in with perfect data and logic to speak on his behalf: "This is a critical risk to management."
This is the true essence of a former salaryman.
"I am terribly sorry, Lord Ainz..."
Watching Albedo and Shalltear apologize simultaneously, I converged the graphs of the hologram into a single conclusion.
"Therefore, Lord Ainz. In the present situation where an unknown system like Martial Arts exists and the full picture of the world is unclear, Shalltear's martial might should be preserved as our Final Trump Card. And——"
I quietly directed my gaze toward Sebas.
"The approach Sebas Tian is currently taking: falsifying his identity and cautiously investigating the structure, geography, and hidden power dynamics of human society. As the Record Administrator, I declare that this is the most logical optimal solution to guarantee Nazarick's safety several hundred years into the future."
At my words, Sebas's shoulders twitched faintly.
In the hot-blooded Nazarick, his proposals tend to be taken lightly and dismissed as passive.
However, the Guardian of the 8th Floor governing omniscience, armed with abundant data and overwhelming logic, had grandly supported and guaranteed his policies as the correct answer for Nazarick right before the High Command, Lord Ainz.
Sebas slowly turned his face toward me, and with a color of deep gratitude and respect in his strict eyes, he bowed deeply and quietly.
With this, I owe Sebas a massive 'favor.' It's a perfect strategic placement for our alliance.
"...Magnificent."
Lord Ainz leaned forward from the throne and nodded deeply.
That voice was not just carrying the theatrical majesty from earlier, but genuine admiration for the perfect logic I had prepared.
After that, I spent another hour sharing the knowledge I had acquired.
"Tawil Balah. Your far-sightedness is truly befitting Nazarick's Keeper of Knowledge. Not being caught up in short-term victories, but viewing this world with a plan spanning several hundred years... I have no words other than splendid."
"I am honored by Your generous words."
I crossed my tentacles and bowed reverently.
"Shalltear. It is exactly as Tawil says. I highly evaluate your loyalty and power, but now is not the time to wield it. Continue to capture and investigate the humans, but absolutely do not take any actions that stand out. Understand?"
"...Y-Yes, My Lord. As Your heart desires, Lord Ainz, I shall proceed with the utmost caution."
Though she looked frustrated, Shalltear displayed a posture of absolute obedience to Lord Ainz's decision.
"And Sebas. Your investigation policies shall continue as before. Just as Tawil guaranteed, the information you gather will become the cornerstone that solidifies the supremacy of I, Ainz Ooal Gown. I am counting on you."
"Yes. I shall absolutely meet the expectations of my Supreme Master. ...And to You, Lord Tawil Balah. I express my deepest gratitude for backing my humble opinion."
While pledging his loyalty to Lord Ainz, Sebas also showed clear gratitude toward me.
"Do not concern yourself over it, Sebas. We are all merely parts of a single massive system functioning for Lord Ainz. I will analyze the raw information you gather and turn it into Nazarick's shield. ...Let us both perfectly fulfill the duties given to us."
I returned a calm yet solidary cheer that would resonate most with Sebas's sense of justice and rational personality.
Sebas nodded deeply once more, and a clear trust toward me dwelt in his eyes.
Perfect. I sealed Shalltear's rampage with logic, pushed Lord Ainz's evaluation of me to the maximum level, brought Albedo to my side, and built a powerful cooperative relationship with Sebas.
Quietly dispersing the hologram deployed in the Throne Room, I was enveloped in a pleasant sense of accomplishment deep within my black fog.
My own board, set up to counter the ultimate chess player known as Demiurge.
Its initial placement had just been completed more beautifully than I could have ever asked for.
The Great Tomb of Nazarick is no longer just the stage of an anime.
It is my own Reality, where I must exhaust my intellect, survive, and guide it.