The bone broke under her mandibles with a satisfying snap, Entoma shifted her head to let a Purple Emperor access the marrow with its proboscis. They swarmed in the air around her, alongside several varieties of flies and beetles, carrion insects.
The orc whose arm she had torn off let out a belated scream and fell to the blood soaked dirt. They were immediately swarmed with roaches and worms, intent on devouring.
"Hey! Remember to share!" She admonished as they perforated his flesh and dug through skin. She took another bit from the meat of the arm.
A gate opened a few feet above the soil and three more meals fell out of it. Ainz floated through after them.
"Here are the last of the runners." He told her, looking around at the boneyard she had been making.
Nearly two dozen people in various states of eaten lay dead or dying around her. The dirt was nearly mud with spilt 'wasted' blood and her swarms were picking everything clean to white bone.
The orc she had been partaking of let out a gurgling scream, one of her centipedes was crawling down it's throat, intent on the juicy bits within.
"Wonderful! Thank you Ainz. It's so important to finish my food." So saying, she flicked her spinnerette and caught the three who were attempting once again to run in a web of acidic silk.
Their cooking meat smelt amazing and the web would add a lovely texture. The collapsed in a screaming heap and she stalked over, tossing the arm to a patiently waiting ant, one of the larger varieties. It caught the meat in mandibles and began to consume, rubbing hind legs together and giving off pleased pheromones.
Ainz chuckled. "Just don't eat so much you get sick. We can always save some of these humans for later."
One of those, a human, heaved bile and acid from their own stomach, mixing flavours with her own acid still cooking away and digesting their flesh. "They are so much better fresh Ainz! With the first of fear in their blood!"
She crouched next to the weeping human, the one who had so kindly seasoned itself, she put a hand to its face and tore out the meat of its cheek. "So much more tender, with a little spice."
She gestured and other ants, about the size of a medium dog Ainz had said, scuttled forward to start on the other two recently delivered delicacies.
Entoma tuned out their screaming to focus on Ainz as she continued to tear pieces off her chosen prey.
"You're the expert on that. Hmm, I wonder if we could manipulate memory, or their hormones more directly to improve flavour?"
"We can!" She said around mouthfuls. "Demiurge figured out how with farming."
"Ah… with the Abelion sheep. Very useful creatures those."
"And sooo tasty." She tore off a strip of bicep, eliciting little more than a whimper, the fight had left this meal, along with the sharp adrenaline flavour.
"I imagine." He said, taking out a scroll and using it to return the human to panicking wakefulness. "Did any of the ones you had here know about that Evileye's whereabouts?"
"Nooo!" She bemoaned, "nothing, they know nothing!"
Ainz sighed, "Neither did these, It's been nearly two weeks since her last confirmed sighting in this area. The Blue Rose may have moved on again."
She tore another chunk from her meal, the fresh panic giving the meat a lovely scent. "I want her voice! I want to take it from her, Ainz."
"A proud vampire like that won't stay gone to ground for long. You shall have it one day."
She dipped her chunk of flesh in fresh blood and brought it to her mouth. "Thank you, Ainz. This was still fun anyway."
Ainz hummed and looked around, one of her ants had finally succeeded in taking the head off its chosen meal, her webbing having impeded it. The little swarming creatures had nearly picked all the bones clean by now. "I'm glad you enjoyed yourself, Entoma."
The human let out a wheezing gurgle, she had been overzealous and blood was pooling in its lungs now through the tears in its throat. "I like catching! But waiting is even better!"
"Oh? In your web you mean?"
"Uh-huh!" She nodded, digging into the meal's torso to get the last of her favourite organs while the adrenaline spike of drowning was at its height. "It is so much more satisfying to watch them get caught and struggle."
"Hmm, a bit like watching a good plan come together I would imagine."
The heart was nearly still under her fingers. 'I should eat that while it is fresh.' She tore it out and signalled to her waiting insects that they could have the rest.
"Is it?"
Ainz hummed, "Well, maybe. The spider's web is a common metaphor for plans at least."
"But your prey doesn't struggle, Ainz! They don't even know they're caught, it is so cool!"
"Ah, umu, thank you. But I don't know if that is quite true…"
As he spoke she took a bite out of the aorta, and squeezed to let the heartsblood run across her tongue.
"Ah, I just mean that like how with the web, they also don't know it is a trap until too late. By then no amount of struggling will save them, but they do know about the trap."
'Not always! Like Zu-chan's humans who don't even realise they are trapped!' She expressed this around a mouthful of atrium, Ainz seemed to understand.
"Ah, well, possibly so. Actually Entoma, have you had the chance to spread any real webs on the outside."
"Nu-un." She swallowed the now no longer pulsating meat. "Just around the Black Pit, not outside.
"Ah that's a shame. Maybe when we do find this vampire we should spin a proper web, of conspiracy and silk both."
"Yes! Please Ainz? That would be amazing!"
He laughed. "Of course Entoma, that sounds like a lot of fun!"
"Yaaay!"
Her swarm made a buzz of discordant sounds, they were finished eating everything.
"I suppose we have time now actually, even without knowing where evileye is. Nothing else is scheduled for another few hours."
'That would be nice but…'
"Ahh, I am too full Ainz, we can't. It would waste food!"
They had to pretend to be people now, it wasn't hard, she had eaten enough for a week. A passing horse shied away from her, apparently the scent of blood still lingered. Noticeable to the animal, but not to the people over the scent of salt from the nearby ocean.
Entoma's real prey, the masked vampire, and her human associates had travelled very far to the north of the Argland council state. But they were running out of land now. The coast, a proper frozen waste this far north, was narrowing and they were being boxed in.
Ainz had long ago dispatched several of Narazicks agents to push them ever northward after the fall of the Re-Estize kingdom. But they hadn't been seen in some time, they disappeared around the time the Baharuth Empire began to invade this nation's southern border. Having taken the long road through abandoned Re-Estize territory supported with ships that travelled a northern route.
"Where could they go!" She exclaimed, waving an arm and nearly knocking over a scurrying ratfolk who ducked the inadvertent swipe and cussed severely.
Ainz, disguised in a 'Halloween item' that made him look like a barbed devil, commanded a wide berth. This place was tolerant of all creatures, but some commanded a certain extra respect. So too would the Sorcerer kingdom Entoma assumed 'Food, and not-food.' She probably could have walked about as an arachnid without exciting comment, but with the opportunity for disguises she too wore a costume. That of a Yuan-ti malison, she was a little taller with a snakelike head, but so nearly completely enveloped in robes nobody could really tell. The place was frigid, she preferred warmer, as would the species she had chosen to mimic.
"Hmm, we have been chasing them towards a coastline. It's possible they took ship when news of another war broke out."
Entoma could see shipping in the distance, tall masts and bundled sales of many vessels windbound and somewhat frozen in harbour. "Escaped?" she hissed.
"Not beyond our ability to find. We shall get Nigredo or your littlest sister to scry for them when they have a moment."
Aureole would be able to manage that without problem, probably Nigredo too. She nodded and looked back towards the harbour, some sort of commotion had been going on and now sparks were flying, literally.
"I'm glad! What do you think they are doing?" she pointed to the lighting fires
Ainz followed her pointing. "Besides burning their own city? Let's find out."
As was only right, the assembling crowd parted for them, rather for Ainz, as they approached. Up close they could see three large piles of wood, each with a tall pile central to which people were bound. The leftmost was aflame, the minotaur bound to tried, and failed, to remain stoic in the face of charing hair and burning flesh.
"A witch burning? I wouldn't have expected that here."
"Why not?" She asked, 'it seems appropriately barbaric and wasteful for these lesser creatures.'
"It hardly seems like the ambience. Plus this world has well documented and respected magic."
The flames had nearly enveloped the minotaur, oil had been rubbed into fur by the smell and lit quickly. "Have you seen something like this before?"
"Not personally," Ainz answered, "though I've seen artistic renditions."
The cooking meat smell was quickly being overtaken by burning flesh, and worse, hair. "What is the point of it?" Entoma asked, "They can't eat them afterwards, it's all burnt."
Ainz hummed, the costume included a voice modulator and the rumble was far deeper than normal, other onlookers stepped swiftly away, leaving them a bubble of privacy.
"Typically superstition and cruelty. 'Our harvests have failed and livestock perished of plague, this must be the work of a witch.' Then they take a hapless mortal whom nobody liked very much, blame them for everything, and burn them. Possibly religion is involved, or a powerful person trying to hush up some crime of their own by disposing of a witness or a victim."
'Strange.' She thought, "Did this happen often where you came from?"
"Oh no," Ainz said with a laugh, "Not for hundreds of years, but it used to be prolific enough that we had an idiom for unjustly pursuing and prosecuting a group you don't like, a 'witch hunt' it was called."
Entoma inhaled, trying to separate the sweet scents from the foul. The second pyre had now been lit and the harpy strapped to the pole was screeching in preemptive agony for all that the fire was barely licking her talons. Though the oil glistening in her feathers promised to change that swiftly.
It was a very effective privacy screen for conversation, that frantic screeching.
"Is that what we would call our search for that vampire-bitch?" She asked as the screams of the first victim were finally silenced.
"Oh no, Evileye deserves to be hunted. The phrase 'witch hunt' implies the victim is innocent, which she is not."
Entoma nodded, Evileye was certainly not an innocent. "What about these people then?" She asked.
"An excellent question. I would have almost expected someone to be here giving a speech about their supposed crimes, it would fit the mood."
Entoma twisted her head to the side as a figure ignited the third pyre without comment. "This doesn't seem a very efficient way of doing executions."
"No," Ainz agreed. "It is mostly performative. Though this one lacks a certain theatrical air."
The third pyre was properly engulfed by now. The victim in question, unlike the others, was indeed the picture of a witch. Or possibly a shaman, enrobed in black with tattoos of blue and white seeming to shift and ripple in the firelight. She looked contemptuously down at the assembled crowd and seemed not to notice her own bubbling flesh.
'That one is nearly respectable.' Entoma said as much, adding "I wonder why they are burning these people."
"Hmm, perhaps we should ask." So saying Ainz waved a spined hand, "Telekinesis." A massive wave of water rose from the ocean that lay only a dozen feet behind. The mass of water temporarily beached the nearby ships, and doused both the pyres and the crowd in something rather like a tsunami.
As the water struck the last 'witch' it flash-froze in a cascade of ice that swept through the crowd. Icicle shards piercing limbs and a secure frost pinning all but herself, Entoma, and Ainz in hypothermic place. Icy blue scales grew around the woman's eyes and horns emerged from her head, her hands changed to scaled claws as a clearly draconic cast came to her features. She casually broke free of the binding ropes and stepped down towards them, grinning with sharp teeth.
'Well that was weird.'
Ainz seemed to agree, if the quiet "...huh" was any indication.
"And who might you be?" the 'Ice dragon?' in humanoid form asked, her voice the crash of ice against a tidal shore.
Ainz discarded his devilish costume and stood resplendent in his divine-class gear, quickly pulling out a replica of the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown. "I am the Sorcerer King." The crowd, which had been frightened to silence by the fairly respectable magic, then induced to cacophony by ice inhaled as one.
They likely would have begun murmuring or continued screeching if Entoma hadn't likewise cast aside her costume and unleashed her meagre - comparatively to lord Ainz - fear aura as a gorged arachnid. The fear of spiders ran deep through every peoples and these ones became entirely still.
The dragonoid gasped and stepped back, grin shifting to a worshipful smile.
"I had been hoping to kneel before you, Supreme Sorcerer King." The dragonoid said, prostrating herself in reverence. "I had planned to travel hidden to you, but you foresaw my plans, cast off my obfuscation, truly your omniscience is above even what rumour claims. As expected of a God."
Were they here to meet this dragon? She hadn't known that. 'I thought it was only searching for Evileye.' Trust Lord Ainz to have many different plans moved forward by every action.
Ainz was quiet for a moment, probably to give his next words their deserved weight. "It is more convenient to our shared goals, without the question of your alleged demise by these…plebeians." The crowd flinched at the clear distast in Ainz's tone, 'as well they might.'
The kneeling dragonoid shivered. "Of course Master. I see now that it would have been a liability to your more perfect plans. Still I beg to serve. My father, the Diamond Dragonlord is dead by my hand. The seeds of civil war are sprouting, I would break this place, and remake it in your image, oh God of Death."
'God of Death? That is an acceptable name for Lord Ainz.' Seemingly a pleasing mortal so far. 'Definitely a not-food.' Entoma decided.
"Have they indeed? You must have been busy, and yet no rumour speaks your name."
True, She had read all the reports searching for mention of the vampire-bitch and an ice dragon cultist of death had not been mentioned. 'It must be part of Ainz's secret plans.'
"I have silenced every tongue, oh Great God of Death. I have struck myself from history so that I might better reshape this small part of the world in an echo of your splendour, a mere nameless vessel for your greatness. I would have let my bloodline die this day, that I might seek you out and lay in supplication before you, oh Death. By your grace I would beg to take this land for you, perfect it for you or if I am unworthy, to die in truth that you might claim what is yours."
'Adorable. Maybe a little pretentious.' But in fairness, Ainz was very divine, and few new worlders saw that so clearly.
Ainz let a silence fall, clearly he was giving a lesson in the theatrical performance that this dragon's plans had been lacking. 'Ainz is so cool, and so nice to teach this wyrm. And I'm learning lots too!'
"Hmm, so that was your plan. Now… convince me of your motive."
Ainz spoke like he had heard far more than what was said in those words, and found her plan wanting. But like he could use it for his own purpose, if only the creature would submit utterly. 'So cool! So amazing!'
Entoma looked around. The assortied mob was completely still, smelling of fear and dread, several having fainted from cold and terror, more were looking between the dragon and the Overlord with wide eyes. The minotaur on the first pyre had burnt crisps earlier and the harpy, somewhat less burnt, had a lance of ice through her chest. The entire area was ringed with frightful spires of ice jutting out and upwards, a hedge of thorns for anyone foolish enough to try and enter.
'And she sure sounds devoted.'
"I have read the old legends, Great God of Death. Of the foolish Dragon Emperor who summoned Puh'layers in hubris. Those creatures lesser than yourself who shook this world to it's foundations, bringing death and dread. I see now with your presence the fulfilment of that hubris, and I understand the great truth of the world: All that lives, must die. All our great works will fall, only Death is eternal, I would be your herald, I would usher in that perfect age. You are divine, and I would serve your great purpose."
'Death, and Nazarick, are eternal.'
The dragonoid spoke in very clear worship, almost trancelike, a prayer in her eyes, her body a statue of purpose. 'Like that snack of Zu-chan's.'
"A surprisingly clear understanding, and such earnestness is not to be spurned." Ainz said after a moment in which he looked closely at the woman's face.
"You must prove yourself and your devotion of course. Not as a nameless dread, but a true servant of Death" Ainz was magnanimous, "Bring this land under your control, eliminate all your kin for their insult to fate. Bring about that promised perfection, and you will perhaps rule in my name; as an extension of my will! But first…" He trailed off and the dragonoid shifted, taking on a properly draconic form at his hint.
She was perhaps half the size of Aura's pets, of mostly brilliant white scales interlaced with veins of icy blue scale that shot across her body like kintsugi. Curled horns were clear and light refracted through them, iridescently illuminating the whirling snowfall that manifested around her. The creature was moderately impressive, but nothing truly extraordinary by Entoma's measure.
The gasps and whimpers from the crowd belied that to new world standards.
Then, the dragon prostrated herself, folding vast wings and spoke as Lord Ainz's trailing off had indicated for her to do.
"I, Nixcerra Valkoinen, last dragonlord of my line, forswear all other allegiance and solemnly pledge my fealty to the God of Death, Ainz Ooal Gown; the eternal harbinger of the End and the keeper of the final slumber. The Supreme Being unto whom this world belongs.
I bind my essence to your service. I shall be the embodiment of the inexorable force of death, spreading the frost of mortality across the lands which are all yours.
I vow to guard the realms of the living and be warden to the dead, to ensure that the souls of those destined to die know your grace, and find their way to your eternal embrace. Where they shall rest in peace or face the final judgement of your divine wisdom.
I shall be a sentinel of the frozen places, a lesser harbinger of that same End, and a servant of the inevitable. My wings shall cast shadows over the living, a constant reminder of your omnipotent presence.
In your name, I shall freeze the hearts of those who defy you or the natural order, and with every beat of wing or of my frozen heart I shall echo your divine decree: 'That all life must end.'
This oath I pledge, unyielding and eternal, to Ainz Ooal Gown, my master and the one true God."
As the dragon spoke her very appropriate oath a cold light enveloped her and spread around as threads of power proffered in supplication to Lord Ainz. "Wild magic?" He said contemplatively, reaching out to grasp the threads. In his grasp they became as chains and wrapped themselves tight around the dragon, binding her to her oath and settling as a black web amidst her scales overtaking the blue veins and casting a net like webbing.
'That looks interesting.'
"I accept your oath, oh Sentinel of the Frozen North, and remake you in my image that you may spread the truth of Death and Destiny. Your place shall be one of power subservient to Nazarick, realm of the divine, but greater than any mortals in the fulfilment of your solemn duty.
Rise, Nixcerra Valkoinen, Oathsworn of Nazarick, First of the Undying Sentinels. And claim for me the lands of your birthright and beyond that you may prove yourself, and earn a permanent place amidst the stars."
The black strands of what Ainz had called wild magic tightened around the dragon, rotting away blue scales to undead necrotic black and bleaching the nearby white to a brilliance of polished bone amidst the glimmer of snow. The aura of cold intensified and the civilians of the mob flash-froze and many rotted in an instant. It was not enough to harm Entoma even in the first unrestrained flash of power, but it was significant by this world's standards.
'Amazing! Is this the true power of a Supreme Being? To remake and create like this?'
The transformed dragon rose on limbs that were at first shaky, then sturdy with a new power. 'The power bestowed by Ainz and that strange magic.'
"I shall prove my worth, Great One. All in this land will bow to you." Her voice was now a death rattle, though it carried the the same surety of purpose. 'Ainz is incredible to have spotted such a promising servant of Nazarick! And what a binding oath she swore.'
"In every land Nixcerra. But slowly, death has eternal patience."
"All is as you say, Great One." Her eyes, before a gleaming blue, were black as pitch and shone with an unlight like Ainz's own. "I shall bring Argland under your rule, Its people shall be your most devout, and serve in just worship." So saying, and having received a dismissive nod of Ainz's head, the dragon took off into the air with a haunting roar, leaving Entoma and Ainz alone with a garden of frozen corpses.
"Hmm, so it did take up a use of 'Create: High tier undead,' I had imagined the wild magic would cover it. Ahh, but this way she is bound to me as a created undead in the Yggdrasil system. Permanently loyal but retaining sentience, interesting." Ainz mused.
Entoma pulled a frozen arm off a nearby corpse, one of those more frozen than rotten. 'Like an ice-pop.'
"That was amazing, Ainz! But what are the Undying Sentinels? I've never heard of those in Nazarick."
Ainz shook himself out of musing on magic. "Oh, I have no idea, I just made it up on the spot based on her oath. Hmm, perhaps like Area Guardians for regions outside of Nazarick? Or maybe not, it's an auspicious title. 'Of the North' I called her, perhaps one for each cardinal direction? No, this world is a globe, east and west wouldn't make sense."
"You said 'frozen north' Ainz" She pointed out, tasting the icy treat.
"So I did. Perhaps for major geographical features then. Frozen north, the deep ocean, the great desert, or something like that. I'll figure that part out later if any more situations like this come up."
"It was exciting!" She said, "That was even more fun to see than hunting the vampire, a powerful creature knowing their rightful place serving you!"
Ainz put a hand to the back of his skull. "Ahh, I'm glad you think so. Though I'm afraid we'll need to cut this trip short so I can make sure our puppet war via Bahruth doesn't interfere with this new development."
That made sense, if taking over Argland via civil war was the dragon's trial it would be unfair for Nazarick to help by supporting another war against the country at the same time. It had yet to ramp up beyond skirmishes according to Narberal, with a whole swath of the former Re-Estize kingdom or a moderate sea buffering the two nations.
"It was cool!" Entoma threw her arms up, tossing the unsatisfactory popsicle away with the motion. "Are you going to make all the dragonlords undead servants for ruling outside Nazarick?"
"Ahh… I think we'll just start with the one and see how it goes."
'A taste test, smart.' Few of the creatures seen in this world here were worthy of true association with Nazarick. This one seemed a likely exception but was unproven. "What about that new Imp from the kingdom we destroyed?"
Ainz seemed to consider this. "Renner? She would certainly be capable of administering a sizable region in accordance with our standards. That would be counter to my agreement with her however."
Entoma scoffed. "That puppy of hers is sooo boring! That won't be enough for her for long."
"You're probably right." Ainz acknowledged, "There is only so much of the same monotony anyone can take and she would do well serving us."
"Guardians for outside Nazarick Ainz mused. "Undying Sentinels of our will. Regional governors will certainly help us keep tabs on an entire world while maintaining our own comfort and security."
He turned to pat a hand atop her head, she leaned into it. "That is a fantastic idea, Entoma. I am pleased you thought of it."
'Praise from Ainz!' He was so kind, even pretending this hadn't been his goal all along when she got the answer correct before he spelt it out for her. She clutched his hand to her head with her own arms as he lifted and she was swung up. Seeing her desire Ainz scooped her up with the other arm and pulled her into a princess carry before casting a "Gate" to bring them back to Nazarick.
'He what?" Narberal looked stunned. "How did… oh for crying out loud of course he did."
Entoma cocked her head to the side. "Was it supposed to take longer like with Baharuth? You should know not to underestimate Ainz, Bara-chan."
"I-... Right, yes, Of course not Entoma." Narberal lay her face against the table, shaking slightly for a moment, then sat back up, calm. "Can you tell me exactly how everything with the dragon happened, from the beginning?"
"Sure!" She jumped up and conjured a few mirror-bugs, Narberal was an excellent audience and always liked Entoma's insectoid visual aides. "We were walking through a town on the northern coast of Argland when we saw fire at the docks…"
She caused the mirror bugs to reflect a simulacrum of the scene. Narberal watched the entire story with a deep focus, nodding along seriously and occasionally taking a moment to laugh in 'awe?' at how perfectly Ainz had handled the situation.
"Incredible." Narberal commented when Entoma had finished. 'It sure was!'
"He completely avoided the logistics problem we were going to have with supply lines by giving Baharuth cause to slow the campaign until spring once word of this spreads. Not to mention justification for eventually allying with this Nixcerra's side in the civil war since their Casus Belli was antagonistic dragon lords that she will slaughter. A rightful-ish heir to Argland will ease transition and the Sorcerer kingdom has another unofficial vassal state despite being basically uninvolved."
"Really?" She asked. 'That is a lot of things.'
Narberal made a face. "Really, plus a moderately powerful servant, and a distraction for those nations growing wary of our power. We will control the entire western coast in half a year when that's done and once the Holy Kingdom reunites as a theocracy; which the religious conversion of Argland will also legitimise." She let out a small laugh. "Plus a trial run on regional governors apparently."
"Not to mention the easier time we will have learning what wild magic is with an oath sworn practitioner and in obfuscating Nazarick's power by publicly using hers. And dealing with the most potentially bothersome nation with entirely third parties, and severely weakening the only halfway creditable thorn in our sides and setting him up for destruction."
"Lord Ainz is amazing!" Entoma declared jumping up, 'the most amazing of anyone, ever!' She dismissed the summoned insects and glomped onto Narberal. "How did Ainz know how to do all that Bara-chan? That dragonlord being on our side wasn't even in the Argland reports he let me read."
Narberal pulled them both down to a chair. "To get so many things done in one fell swoop? Maybe he just got lucky?"
'Lucky? Of course not, don't be silly!' She had seen how meticulously planned that all was, how flawlessly executed. Entoma said as much and Narberal chuckled.
"Of course, we all know how complex Ainz's ten thousand year plan is."
"It's okay if you don't know exactly how either Bara-chan. Even Albedo and Demiurge looked confused when Ainz told them what he'd arranged for.
"So it really was one of those then." Narberal said cryptically and shook her head while Entoma patted it consolingly.
Predictably, according to Narberal, the Platinum Dragonlord requested Momon and Nabe's assistance in dealing with 'a great evil' that had now slaughtered its way through several of his fellow Argland councillors and the weaker dragonlords. Apparently the ice dragon had assembled just over half the nations population into cult-like worship of death itself, a steadily growing number.
Unlike her prediction, he did not manage to connect 'God of Death' to Lord Ainz. Though the Slane Theocracy had done so, and was nearly brewing a civil war of its own, with some proclaiming Ainz a reincarnation of Surshana, their equivalent deity/player and others declaring that to be blasphemy.
A heretical notion, but apparently a convenient one. By all the demonic cackling that had ensued from that report. Entoma had been sitting in on a lot of meetings to continue watching this saga unfold.
'Sadly,' Entoma thought, slouching against a tree on the sixth floor. 'This is all very important and time sensitive, which means Ainz is too busy to keep Vampire hunting. And Aureole and Nigredo are both too overworked on gates or tactical divination to scry for me.'
She had voiced none of this of course, her personal quest for a replacement voice was only a priority because Ainz valued her desires. The hunt was indulgent enough really, and as had been said to their new agent 'death is endlessly patient,' she could wait.
'But I should do something! ' Narberal got to go play with Pandora's Actor and adventure until she got to kill another dragon with Ainz, the platinum one presumably, Shizu and Solution and Lupusregina got to go undercover and help organise and arrange that. Meanwhile Yuri was having an unreasonably good time being an administrator of reconstruction in the former Re-Estize kingdom plus, one of the few projects not currently on hold.
Ainz's amazing in-progress-but-inevitable takeover of Argland via undead ice dragon had split Nazarick between frantically busy arranging the finer points of empire behind the scenes, or stuck in a holding pattern and waiting for resumption of their projects once appropriate resources could be given back to them.
Demiurge had been seen cackling with what everyone hoped was glee, which was exciting.
'What should I do though?' Her typical work was among the things set on pause for the time being. Entoma looked up at the faux night sky, that dragon was well on its way to 'earning its place among the stars' as Ainz had put it so at least this wouldn't last for long.
'Wait! Among the stars.' Dancing, among the stars! She hadn't been lying when she loudly proclaimed to Yuri her desire to learn outside of Ainz's office that one day. 'We could arrange a ball!'
Entoma bolted up from seating. Tomorrow was the day of the week where Ainz would read anonymous suggestions from anyone in Nazarick and would spend a few hours here doing so despite the busy schedule.
'Perfect timing, I will ask then!'