Chapter 23: Overlord of a High School (16) (Part)
'Well, let's consider the question of money solved for the moment.' Momonga nodded to himself.
'I don't know how exactly I should feel about making money from black market activities and underground fighting rings, but on the other hand, private security agencies are indeed a good suggestion. I haven't even thought about not killing monsters, but protecting against those! What a blind spot. Of course, I won't be able to do it personally, but I do have the option of working as a subcontractor, and instead of a doppelgänger, I could even use someone who doesn't look human to guard.'
Momonga felt unbridled joy, knowing that one of his more pressing issues was seemingly already solved.
'Raynare, meanwhile, would be busy making money as someone who already knows how this world works… Indeed, I can use my main advantage, a fairly significant fighting force, to make money, and it seems that Demiurge has already taken care of that. Apparently Raynare has been in a dangerous situation up until this point, really, if her level is any indication… I'm surprised she's survived for so long.'
Momonga teleported back to his private quarters and paused for a moment, chewing on the new information he had just received. 'Wait, if Kuoh is demon territory, Ha, and to the Satan's younger sisters at that, I guess Rias and someone else in this academy are the younger sisters of the local rulers. And so for me to happen to appear completely unexpectedly next to them, and apparently I am quite strong in this world, so of course they are interested in me…'
Momonga began nodding his head at the logical train of thought, before immediately pausing as a thought popped up in his head.
'In that case… Then why didn't someone tell me that I had entered foreign territory!? I wouldn't want to start my existence in this world with conflict with the local demons, so why didn't any of them approach me with questions?!'
Moments later, Momonga's emotions were suppressed again, causing him to be able to think logically again. 'No, wait, Serafall did arrive with this very information. Judging by the fact that I entered their territory illegally, it would have been logical of me to promise that I wouldn't violate their rules… I would have easily agreed even to leave if I'd known that this was demon territory, honest! I'm sorry, please, I didn't mean to conflict with you to begin with! Not that I can do that now!'
Another suppression of emotion, and Momonga came to a final conclusion to his situation. 'Well, okay, so the situation is that I've already broken the demons' rules and even brushed off their just outrage, and judging by the mindset that the battle didn't start after that, I managed to defend my position… And I've already promised Raynare to provide protection for her, in which case I can't just backtrack, especially since apparently I've taken a pretty tough stance in negotiations with the demons, albeit accidentally. This is bad, I'll need to send a fairly strong defense for Raynare, from the looks of it. At least a couple dozen creatures of level eighty or higher, and a couple of creatures of level one hundred just in case, especially since I actually entered foreign territory without ample information gathering. Umu, if Punitto Moe were still with me, it would be his job to make battle plans in case of a clash. I almost started a guild war between Nazarick and the demons, after all.'
Reminiscing about the plant Hetermorph, the Tactician of the Guild, Momonga smiled a bit, before it was dampened soon after, remembering that his friend was gone.
'But now I'm alone, and no matter what I say or decision I take, the NPCs will follow me, no matter how wrong or dangerous they might be. A possibility which means that I need to try to keep this situation under control and not provoke even more problems than I've already created… Umu, being a Guild-master in a guild where everything is not decided by democracy is too difficult!'
Only after coming to this thought and noting it on his internal 'things I need to do' list did Momonga finally return to reality, looking around his room again. It was the same as it had been the last time he visited it. The item about the need to come up with a decent plan for coexisting with the demons quickly slotted for something to do 'later'.
'Umu, the best thing to do now is to take the time to do a full inventory of Nazarick and check on all the NPCs, see how they're doing and how they're acclimating with their job. That's what a good boss does, right?' Momonga glanced around his room again, inwardly feeling a little timid at the opulence of the room he had been given.
Before, his gaze came upon something slowly wriggling under the blanket thrown over his bed.
Memories of Albedo meeting him in his private chambers last time almost instantly knocked all thoughts out of Momonga's head, but the suppression of emotion forced him to look closely again. He hadn't said anything or moved since he'd entered the room, so unless the other creature possessed [Thief] levels or similar classes, it was hard to detect him unless one looked in his direction.
Which allowed him to silently, standing in one place, continue looking at the something hidden under the covers, seemingly wriggling on his bed.
By the looks of it, it was as if someone was trying with all their might to imprint themselves on the bed. It was moving slowly across the bed as if a wild animal were trying to wipe itself with all its parts, marking its territory… However, Momonga was not sure whose territory exactly his private quarters were supposed to be.
Momonga's question was answered a moment later when the thing beneath his bedsheets lifted its head slightly, allowing the expensive dark-colored silk fabric to slip down slightly. The sheet slid freely over the now revealed girl's horns, exposing her long silky black hair and pale white skin. Which meant the identity of the mysterious thing under Momonga's sheets can only be one person.
"Albedo?" Momonga uttered, after which the suppression of emotion once again removed the pinkish haze that had fallen over his eyes. "Umu, this is quite the déjà vu…"
Albedo, hearing this address to her, instantly turned around, looking into Momonga's face. The action letting him see, breaking through the light semi-darkness of his private chambers, the heated blush on her cheeks and the loud, slightly intermittent heaving of Albedo's chest from her noisy breathing.
The veil that had hitherto covered Albedo's figure gave way slightly before it lingered on her chest for a moment.
'Déjà vu indeed.' The thought in Momonga's head seemed to freeze before it was replaced by a new one. "Em, Umu, you're naked Albedo… Again."
***
Subsequent part has been cut out. If you want it - my Patreon it is.