"This is quite the venue for a conversation..." remarked Vahn, his gaze sweeping the hall's interior, taking in its marbled support pillars, forty-one distinct banners, and lavish decorations. It was a conference room on par with the one in his palace, and as his senses probed the materials through his Domain, he found them to be extraordinarily durable.
"I honestly wasn't expecting a meeting like this to occur so soon. Had I more time, I would have prepared a more appropriate venue," responded Ainz, making his way to the head of the table before adjusting his robes to sit. At the same time, Albedo briefly caught Vahn's attention as the ebon-black armor she was wearing disappeared in a flash of bluish-white light, replaced by a white, form-fitting dress with a tapered, multi-pleated hem, golden trim, and golden adornments reminiscent of a spiderweb covering her chest. Her golden eyes, long, raven-black hair, and curvaceous figure were striking, to say the least, but what caught Vahn's attention were her white, inwardly curving horns and the raven-black wings that adorned her hips, framing her figure.
Expecting Vahn to gawk or gaze at her with a greedy expression, Albedo was moderately surprised when he gave her a simple acknowledging nod before turning his attention to Ainz and asking, "Just to confirm, but you're not originally from this world, are you?"
"Albedo, please leave us," said Ainz, making a dismissive gesture with his left hand.
"But, my Lord. Are you certain we can trust this man? What if he attempts to harm you...?" asked Albedo, her expression and tone full of concern as she narrowed her eyes to glare sidelong at Vahn.
"Albedo, we should not be so quick to assume the worst of people. And I can tell based on Vahn's reaction to your true appearance that he harbors no ill intent. Do not complicate things by presuming otherwise," countered Ainz, reaching up with his right hand to remove the peculiar grinning mask covering his face. Vahn was surprised to see that his true face was that of an evil-looking skull with angular features, a spear-like chin, and fiery red eyes that glowed within abyssal-black cavities, but the only change to his expression was a slight raise of his right brow.
"Wow. That visage actually brings your outfit together surprisingly well," remarked Vahn, causing Ainz to lean his head back and exhale a throaty chuckle as he made his way over to the seat closest to the skeletal man and sat down. It wasn't his first time meeting a Lich, and since Ainz was presumably a human reborn, transmigrated, or compelled into his current form by external, narrative forces, he wasn't going to judge him based on appearance alone.
Concluding his laughter, Ainz turned to the still-present Albedo and said, "Albedo, have the Pleiades and our Head Chef prepare drinks and a meal for our guest."
Returning his gaze to Vahn, Ainz questioned, "Is there anything specific you would like to request? There are very few dishes that my Chef cannot prepare. You need only to name it or provide the recipe."
"I will gladly eat if you're able to. Otherwise, I don't actually require food to sustain myself," Vahn answered, causing Ainz's fiery crimson eyes to flash before he questioned, "Could it be that you're also an Undead? Or is that a boon afforded to all in our situation?"
"First, I should clarify that our situations aren't the same," stated Vahn, shaking his head before elucidating, "It's true that I came to this world from another, but my origin is a place called Termina, a transdimensional hub of sorts. If I'm not mistaken, you—"
Raising his right hand to interrupt Vahn's explanation, Ainz shifted his gaze to the still present Albedo, his tone firm and a dark aura rising from his body as he warned, "Albedo...I will not repeat myself..." in a voice that seemed to rise from Hell itself.
"Yes, Lord Ainz. Please forgive my imprudence..." expressed Albedo, her demeanor shifting to one of subservience as she folded her white-gloved hands over her lap, closed her eyes, and offered a steep, apologetic bow. Then, without further lingering, she departed the room with the poise of a highly professional Maid.
"Haaaaaa..."
Waiting for Albedo to close the door to the chamber, Ainz exhaled a tired sigh and massaged his forehead with a skeletal, ring-adorned hand. Then, lowering his hand, he met Vahn's gaze and expressed, "I apologize for my companion's abundance of caution. Not long ago, she and the others who arrived in this world alongside me were Non-Player Characters created by my Guildmates and me in a DMMO-RPG called YGGDRASIL. They are now very real, but they carry the quirks bestowed upon them by their creators, including their absolute loyalty to me."
"As fate would have it, I also have my fair share of zealous followers. Our circumstances are wildly different, but I can at least empathize with that aspect of your situation," affirmed Vahn, offering a curt nod.
"What do you mean by that?" asked Ainz, his expression unable to change due to his head being a skull. His fiery eyes, however, burned with greater intensity, making it clear he was listening attentively.
"As I mentioned before, I'm not from your world, nor was I a player of the game you were presumably playing before coming here," stated Vahn, his expression and tone relaxed as he revealed, "This might sound difficult to believe, but I'm actually a God, with my official title being the Dragon God of Infinite Possibilities. And before you ask, I had no hand in your coming to this world. I can, however, help you return—presuming you didn't come here intentionally."
"I see..." muttered Ainz, slumping in his chair and staring at Vahn with an unreadable but presumably contemplative expression. It was clear to the latter that he didn't believe him, but, given the uniqueness of his situation, Ainz didn't entirely dismiss his claims.
"Can you provide proof of your Divinity...?" asked Ainz, his tone measured and his gaze unwavering.
"What would you have me do?" asked Vahn, raising his right brow as he revealed, "This vessel of mine is restricted to allow me to experience the world more organically, but as long as it's not excessive, I can perform a feat or two to give weight to my claims."
"..."
Seeing how calm and confident Vahn was, Ainz found himself weighing his next words. If the man across from him were truly a God, then it was probably best that he didn't antagonize him. And there were more than a few stories of mortals challenging the capabilities of a God, only to have everything they cherished taken from them...
Following a lengthy silence, Ainz expressed, "For now, I shall take you at your word. Whether you're a God or something else entirely is secondary to this situation. What concerns me far more is your claim that you could return me to my world. If such a feat is within your power, then it follows that you could also bring others from my world here. That is a possibility I find very interesting..."
"It's certainly a possibility..." confirmed Vahn, his expression tinged with a hint of incredulity as he questioned, "But to what end? Who would you ask me to transport, and for what purpose?"
"Though I am still searching for my place in this world, the world I came here from was not a pleasant place to call home..." started Ainz, his words briefly trailing and a weary sigh rising from his non-existent throat before he revealed, "It was a dystopian world dominated by mega-corporations and private interests. A world where rampant pollution had cast the skies in perpetual gloom, and simply leaving your home necessitated the use of respirators that required twice-daily filter changes. I am certain this world has its fair share of issues, and I can say this with the utmost certainty. It is infinitely better than a collapsing society where you must pay merely to breathe..."
"That's a sentiment I can agree with wholeheartedly..." affirmed Vahn, his smile changing into a slightly somber expression as he could feel the pain and loneliness contained in Ainz's words. It was clear to him that the man wished to share the wonders of a new, unpolluted world with his family or friends. There was just one problem...
"The issue with your request is that this isn't your world to invite others to or colonize," expressed Vahn. "I can definitely help those from your world relocate here, but it wouldn't be fair to those left behind if only those you chose were provided the opportunity. And if this world were to suddenly experience an influx of millions, possibly even billions of people—what of the native populations?"
"..."
Unsure of how to respond to Vahn's words, Ainz remained silent, his mind racing. Part of him wanted to question that, if Vahn were truly a God, why did he allow things to devolve as they had become in his world? The man spoke about fairness, but what was fair about a situation where more than 99% of a society was functionally enslaved, serving the interests of the 1% who happened to be born at the top?
Fortunately for Ainz, Vahn recognized that he was likely the protagonist of the setting he had found himself in. Thus, upon sensing the grievances his words had understandably seeded within the man, he exhaled faintly from his nose, presented a wry smile, and offered, "How about this? It will take some time, but I will have a new world prepared, one where the people of your original world will not have to compete for land and resources with a native population. In the interim, you should do what you can to ascertain how and why you were sent to this world."
Hearing Vahn mention creating an entirely new world as if he were talking about the weather, Ainz found himself at a loss. He wouldn't believe Vahn could do what he claimed until he actually did it, but he was beginning to accept that the man before him was a God. Someone who was attempting to deceive wouldn't speak so confidently about the kinds of topics he was broaching as if they were mundane.
Thinking that Ainz still wasn't satisfied, Vahn exhaled a second time and appended, "Fine, one final compromise. I honestly have no idea how long it will take to locate your previous world, as I don't know how you arrived here. Once that method has been discovered, I will help you contact your world and the people you presumably wished to invite here. If you wish to remain here and they're willing to join you, I will use my power to arrange their transmigration. Sound good?"
"On the contrary. It sounds marvelous...!" exclaimed Ainz, rising from his throne and spreading his hands wide. There was nothing he desired more than to reunite with his Guildmates and spend time as they used to in the early days of YGGDRASIL. If there were even a 0.001% chance that Vahn was speaking the truth, he would overturn every grain of sand in his new world to uncover the method by which he had been sent to it.
Reacting to Ainz's shout, Albedo, a serious-looking Butler with silver-grey hair and a well-groomed beard, and a group of armored Maids burst into the room, the former exclaiming, "Lord Ainz! Has this man done something to offend you!?"
"Enough...!" shouted Ainz, sweeping his left hand with significant flourish as he commanded, "Prepare a feast! Tonight, all of Nazarick will celebrate my joining hands with a fellow Supreme Being, Vahn Mason! Let his name and the fact that he is a most honored guest be known to all!"
Hearing their Lord refer to Vahn as a fellow Supreme Being, the gazes of everyone who had intruded into the chamber snapped to and bored into him. In their minds, there were only forty-one Supreme Beings, and Vahn was most certainly not among them. However, as they had unconditional faith in their Lord's words, everyone except Albedo resolved to treat Vahn with the utmost respect...
...
..
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