Interlude: Ozimandias (228)

As he left the training room after his meeting with Scáthach, Ainz could only sigh as he tried to shake off his melancholic mood, which was summarized in one simple phrase. “What has happened to my life?”

Once again another ingenious plan of the invincible great Ainz, the lord of all the secret cunning plans in the world, was revealed, already leading to an incredible result!

If only this fellow Ainz would occasionally tell his inconceivable plans to the simple Master of Chaldea, Ainz, how much easier his life would be!?

Shrugging off his slight melancholy after a moment, Ainz glanced at the door behind him. He could hear Scáthach getting into the swing of things, he shuddered to imagine what she was imagining when she stabbed the training dummy… Hopefully, it’s not him.

Coming to the conclusion that there was no point in staying here, he let his feet guide him forward. He needed distraction to try to put out of his mind the annoying thought that he had once again, most likely, spawned another legend about the genius Ainz, that he would probably never fully know, nor understand.

In any case, putting aside all that stuff about yet another ‘brilliant’ plan of his, what did he accomplish in the end?

He had met up with Scáthach and their relationship has become a bit better? She had treated him with the utmost prejudice before, to the point of outright assault. But, after their short meeting, which Scáthach had construed into something else entirely, she calmed down and sort of even became a little more loyal to Ainz. It wasn't a perfect result, but it wasn't a failure either.

Ainz had interacted with a Servant and the Servant treated Ainz a little better. That means that he could forget about what actually had happened and say that he had at least achieved some positive result.

This interpretation of the meeting with Scáthach made Ainz nod inwardly in satisfaction.

With his mind somewhat calm, Ainz once again returned his attention to his internal day planner.

He had already met with Scáthach, Semiramis, Medusa, and her sisters, King Arthur, two versions of her even, Jacques de Molay, Olga… And that’s it? He seemed to have visited all the new Servants he had summoned at the moment, didn't he?

Some idle niggling on the very edge of his consciousness made him pause, causing him to consider his summoned Servants carefully. Semiramis, Jacques, Arthur, Altria… That seemed to be it? But why does it seem like he had forgotten something?

That thought on the edge of Ainz's mind made him frown a little. But, no matter how much he tried to remember whatever it was he had forgotten, it kept slipping away from him again and again. Which made Ainz, after a couple of minutes of frustratingly fruitless attempts, decide to just forget about it. If it’s so important, he will remember it in due time.

After all, he had dealt with all the Servants who were displeased with him at the moment!

The Gorgon Sisters, Scáthach… And yeah, that’s it, right?

And yet again, another twinge of annoyance shot through him, like an itch that disappeared as he tried to find where it was. Even his suppression of emotion, recently relegated to the background due to his greatly increased control of his own emotions, returned for a moment.

But it was no use, the feeling that he was missing something didn’t dull, now more like a splinter of wood underneath his fingernail, irritating him to no end.

And just when he felt the satisfaction of resolving Scáthach’s issues!

Now he was sure of it, there was indeed something, something he had clearly forgotten, but Ainz, try as he might, could not remember what it was that he had forgotten. Only that it was somehow related to the Servants.

Straining his mind, once again Ainz wondered for a second if it was actually just a product of his imagination, everything was going smoothly, so his mind conjured up some kind of imaginary problem. Shaking his head off of such a strange thought, Ainz decided that he might as well check his memory, if only to at least preserve his peace of mind.

However, how exactly was he supposed to do that? Maybe he should retrace his steps?

Ainz turned around, noting that he had involuntarily already walked halfway to his room. Turning around and walking back to the training room, he tried to grasp the thought that had continued to be elusive. Perhaps it was a bit silly to think that a particular spot in Chaldea would jog his memory, but something had provoked the thought to appear. At this point Ainz was willing to entertain the idea that a GPS coordinate would somehow jog his memory, the half-remembered memory just that annoying.

Slowly, Ainz walked, step by step, concentrating on his senses and trying to detect the tiniest sign that something in his environment had led him to such self-doubt.

Well, when he retraced his steps it became obvious that something in the halls had indeed had twinged his memories, it was so obvious in fact that Ainz began questioning how he had missed it in the first place.

Walking along the halls of Chaldea uniform doors leading to rooms, either residential or for some other purpose lined the walls, as ubiquitous as the sterile, white walls. Except for one.

One of the doors had become a monolith of stone and gold, with designs evoking the feeling of deserts and ancient tombs, densely decorated with ancient symbols and pictograms that tells a story. Ainz however didn’t have the presence of mind to discern what any of the decoration means, he was struck blind by the realization at once.

The strange door made him think for a moment before all his memories came together in a coherent line and a light bulb shone above his head. “Ozymandias.”

With that, Ainz looked at the monolithic door in front of him and thought for a moment.

If he had already put off a meeting so many times…

Maybe he might as well just not meet him now?

***

The Great King of All Kings, Pharaoh of Pharaohs, and God among Gods, Ozymandias the Illustrious, was used to being the most magnificent among all rulers and heroes of all time.

No, certainly Ozymandias was not foolish enough to claim that there were none who were capable of giving him trouble, be it in battle or in ruling. But by all accounts, and for good reason, Ozymandias considered himself the greatest king of all time. A hero worthy to be looked upon with admiration even by other heroes.

It would take a thousand Servants to get Ozymandias to fight them seriously, and it would take a thousand kings to surpass his greatest achievements.

In other words, Ozymandias' worldview was rooted in who he had always been, and who he was at this moment. In his own perception, there was simply no discrepancy between the picture of what his encounter and existence in Chaldea ‘should’ have looked like, and what his existence in Chaldea ‘must’ looked like.

His perception is reality, in his mind, there was simply no difference between these concepts.

Wasn't he the Great Ozymandias, and all the lords of the world bowed to him by his right, not by his command?

Certainly this did not mean that Ozymandias envisioned Chaldea as a kingdom that would change at his mere command, with walls of gold and hundreds of servants attentively serving him at his whims, at least not immediately. Time would ensure that the bare wall of Chaldea would reflect his majesty in time.

But, there was a certain bare minimum, a level that Ozymandias took for granted. Even among the homeless, and the vagrant, there were those who stood at the top, it is simply a truth of the world. While it was certainly true that Ozymandias would not allow even the thought of falling to such a level, Ozymandias, possessed of this knowledge, realized that he did not require choruses praiseworthy of his position.

After all, Ozymandias' position was so high that no palace in the world nor exaltation would achieve such a feat.

All Ozymandias demanded was that his person deserved to be properly honored and treated. It was a show of his great magnanimity that he would accept a mere dozen rooms to display his magnificence with. He is after a reasonable King, and Chaldea is in dire straits, he just asks the least of what is expected so that Chaldea could show him the respect that his position demands.

That is why, when he was confined to only one room, it came as a great surprise to Ozymandias.

Instantly, as soon as he heard that his reasonable concession had been refused, as if it were not a great act of charity, but merely a request that could be, and had been, refused, Ozymandias was perplexed. Ozymandias does not issue orders, reality itself would assert his vision to be realized. So, to have his expectation to be so violated? For someone to dare, to not just refuse Ozymandias, but to outright defy him? That a mere lowly retainer of Chaldea, whose sole function was solely to ensure the best possible living conditions for Ozymandias… To refuse his bidding?

Such insolence certainly needed to be punished with lashes. But, as he internalized such offense, Ozymandias was not so much enraged by such a display of willfulness from Olga-Marie, who was now charged for the maintenance of his private quarters, as he was baffled. The mere possibility that someone could… Refuse the great Ozymandias’ commands?

For that is what his words demand, obedience as befit his station.

Ozymandias' anger was palpable, almost a physical phenomenon evoked into the real world, so great was his vexation. But, he did not show his displeasure to his servants, which though not spoken, surely included all the lesser Servants of Chaldea and the common folk busy with their own affairs.

Instead, Ozymandias had commanded his 'Master', a title meant for his role and not for his station, for no one is Ozymandias’ master, to appear before his eyes for discussion. Ozymandias wished to understand exactly what Ainz and Olga-Marie's gesture meant in this instance, what strange deviation in their perception had caused them to act in such a horrendous manner towards their king.

Ainz, however, did not appear before him as propriety demands, to Ozymandias' surprise. But as his great magnanimity demands, he had forgiven his Master’s tardiness, for surely it was simply expected that imperfect people do not have the perfect grasp of their schedules. He had forgiven his Master’s tardiness, for not appearing before him at the soonest possible time. And when he didn’t show up five minutes later, it was worth Ozymandias' while in his favor to make allowance for Ainz's possible difficulties along the way.

But Ainz didn’t show up, not an hour later, a tardiness that would merit execution in his kingdom, not two hours later, and not even a whole day after.

Surprise at such an insult soon turned, first to consternation, then to anger. Then he began wondering if it was a negotiation tactic. Of course, Ozymandias had planned to have a detailed discussion with Ainz about his lacking accommodations, but there was only one outcome that would come from that.

And that was Ainz would recognize Ozymandias' rightness and that he would give him the preferential treatment he was entitled to. Even if Ainz refused to do so, a possibility that Ozymandias had considered with his foresight, for his wisdom requires him to take into account the impossible. The possibility that Ainz would simply not meet him came as a surprise to him.

It was the second time that Ozymandias had been surprised by something, and both of them had happened in Chaldea.

Ozymandias found a certain poetic charm in his enemies, who in their stupidity chose to stand against him. He could, albeit with contemptuous irritation, take silent notice of opponents fighting against him, but not having enough honor to openly oppose him. But to ignore his august self entirely… This was the first time such an event had happened to him, extremely new.

So new in fact, that the king of all kings, Ozymandias, upon encountering such an event… Became confused.

Indeed, he was simply confounded in the face of such an event, so out of the ordinary that it was simply unthinkable. He had been cursed, blessed, feared or loved, but no one had ever ignored Ozymandias.

Predictably, however, Ozymandias' strange sense of bewilderment did not last long in his mind, turning into anger, driven primarily by incomprehension. For how dare they ignore the great Ozymandias? The key word being ‘how’. Ozymandias' anger was generated from the fact that the reality he was observing was some kind of nonsense that had no logical explanation for why it was happening.

His displeasure demands recompense, an appropriate amount of course, for Ozymandias was still unwilling in his desire to punish the guilty to doom mankind, he would deign to allow an explanation from his master. He would not kill him, for he was the last master of mankind, but his fury would find just recompense. As he was coming to the conclusion that a limb would be his demand, a thought held him back from that decision by a new, yet very simple thought.

Was Ainz, his ‘Master’, a special kind of stupid? No, that would be absurd.

The memory of his encounter with the dangerous and yet equally enchanting woman, Medb, spoke otherwise. The woman, who only bore a superficial resemblance to the ruler of the mythical lands of Ireland that Ozymandias was made aware of by the Throne of Heroes, would not be so loyal to a stupid person. It made him think again, not only about Ainz's superficial unwillingness to answer to Ozymandias, but also about the deeper motivation that led to that decision.

After all, could one who possessed the loyalty of Medb be a fool? And if he was not a fool, why would he make such an erroneous decision. Not only to refuse Ozymandias' orders, but to refuse to even meet with him?

That thought of Ozymandias made him think, trying to come up with an understandable explanation for the current situation.

The possibility of maintaining his own authority in the eyes of his subordinates? Ozymandias discarded immediately. No Master would have their authority diminished for following Ozymandias' orders. Simply due to the fact that, naturally, Ozymandias' orders had a higher priority than any other decisions.

In other words, following Ozymandias' orders couldn't be considered weak-willed, just as the Sun couldn't be considered predictable for only rising from the east every day.

A desire for revenge? Excluding the fact that Ozymandias saw no reason at all for Ainz to take revenge on him, revenge would need prior interaction. Indeed, in the Singularity they could even be called allies fighting on the same side. Just because Ozymandias had shone the most brilliant, it was too petty to be considered meaningful revenge, but also too dangerous to be discounted altogether.

Jealousy is a natural consequence of being the King of Kings.

And so, after long deliberation, Ozymandias the Great came to only one possible conclusion from all the data available to him. These actions of Ainz were… A test.

Not a test of how far Ozymandias was willing to follow orders or tolerate his self being debased, Ozymandias executed people for lesser insults. It was a test of how far Ozymandias was willing to go in his demands, and the realization of them.

After all, Ozymandias was well aware that once humanity was restored, Servants like him would find themselves in the midst of a world completely unprepared for their existence, and Ozymandias the Great's actions could spur civilization to collapse and prosper. Ozymandias' charisma, intelligence, and power could not be described by the framework of the human mind. Which is why Ainz wanted to know how Ozymandias would react when faced with a world of foolish humans who had forgotten who they were supposed to worship and whose orders they were supposed to obey.

Would he take by force the rewards due to him? Will he demand the fulfillment of his desires without regard to the conditions and positions of nations and states? Will his natural need for luxury overpower his understanding of the deplorable situation of humanity, this moment of cataclysm, a reflection of the deplorable situation in which modern mankind finds itself?

There was only one way he could describe the ‘test’ that he was being put under…

Admirable impudence!

The insolence of such a thing, even the desire to ‘test’ Ozymandias, was so wild to him that it exceeded the threshold of mere insolence, the worst insult one could do to their King! And, just as the hands on a dial return to their original position after a full circle, Ozymandias' anger and irritation reached such heights that they seemed to extinguish themselves, becoming nothing.

The insolence of such an action was so great that for a moment it caused Ozymandias real admiration, just as Kings might admire the insolence of a jester as they insult their King.

In this admiration, Ozymandias refused at first to vent his anger on Chaldea, deferring his desire for satisfaction or a meeting with Ainz. Not because Ozymandias would yield to his demands for verification, but rather from shock and in anticipation. In what surprising way could Ainz surpass their insolence this time?

And so, Ainz had surpassed Ozymandias' expectations yet again, when, even after giving in to this farce of a ‘test’, he did not show up to meet with him. Surely, he had shown his great patience by waiting for an entire hour to see to the completion of this ‘test’ of his, for an entire day to pass?

In Ozymandias' understanding, after he had shown forgiveness in the face of Ainz's actions, an event that in itself was worthy of mention in the history books, so rare and significant was it. Ainz was supposed to appear in order to explain his actions, in order to testify at least deference and respect for Ozymandias… Yet, Ainz did not reappear, leaving Ozymandias alone.

And, for the first time in a long time, Ozymandias suddenly realized that he was in an empty room.

Not only not having received any fulfillment of his natural need, but even below the rest of the Servants, in view of the fact that no servants had been allocated to his service. Is he not the greatest among what he might deign to be his peers!? So why has his room remained bare and sterile!?

It cost nothing for Ozymandias to alter his room according to his sense of beauty, but the very fact that the King of all Kings had to furnish his room with his own personal efforts… Inconceivable! But neither would he allow himself to be mocked for having a lacking domicile…

An insolence that once again reached a full circle of emotions, passing past admiration, almost enough to anger him fully. But no, a king must be in control of his emotion, a tantrum is below him. But seeing the bare walls, his anger would rise again, forcing Ozymandias to make a decision that he would not have made under any other circumstances.

To take care of his own decorating himself.

In no time, Ozymandias' room was altered to suit his taste, for a King does not need servants to do his bidding… But in such a matter, principle was important!

However, after changing his room, Ozymandias was immersed in thought. Could Ainz's incredible insolence surpass itself this time, too? The trick of ignoring Ozymandias had worked twice, and Ozymandias had, in his largesse, had allowed it to happen, but he would be disappointed if it were to happen a third time.

Even the most delectable of dishes would lose its taste if eaten again and again.

However, the moment he thought of such a thing, the door to Ozymandias room opened, without any plea for the one beyond to be allowed entrance. An astounding disregard for etiquette, but before the thought could percolate, the one he was waiting for finally appeared, his insolent master that had dared to make him wait for a day, Ainz had finally appeared on his doorstep.

He remained unbowed or in fear, looking at Ozymandias as if he had not just insulted the King of Kings most severely.

“You wished to speak with me?”

***

After much deliberation, Ainz finally came to the conclusion that he could not indefinitely postpone talking to Ozymandias. As much as he wants to do otherwise, since he didn’t have an answer to give Ozymandias.

He couldn’t allow Ozymandias to use multiple rooms for himself, less so a dozen, but neither did he have anything to give him to calm him down. As much as Ainz loathe appeasing a person that resembled too much his old bosses, demanding privileges for no reason at all, Ozymandias was tentatively one of his subordinates, he could just shut him off.

But, Ainz had no idea what to do.

And if Ainz couldn't comply with Ozymandias’ demand… Then he planned on not bringing it up at all. The best option would be if Ozymandias had already forgotten about his demands, which meant that Ainz could just pretend that he was checking out all his new Servants, and he could go about his days. Should Ozymandias raise the issue of his demands again… Then Ainz would have no choice but to take Ozymandias’ complaints.

However, upon entering the room, Ainz was shocked. The room looked radically different to the other rooms in Chaldea. Gone were the bare, sterile walls, changed into mosaics and warm stones, as if it had been brought entirely from some painting of the legendary Egyptian pyramids. But, soon those too were immediately forgotten when Ainz met face to face with Ozymandias, who was silently examining Ainz himself with…

Some strange semblance of respect in his gaze?

Ainz took a closer look at Ozymandias just in case, trying to determine if it was just a figment of his imagination, he didn’t look pissed at least. Actually, he looks perplexed now. “I… Wanted to talk?”

The confusion in Ozymandias' voice was so noticeable that Ainz couldn't help but seize his chance to quickly take control of the dialog. If he’s lucky, he might be able to just escape now without having this conversation!

“I'm sorry, I guess it wasn't you. In that case, we can just assume that I came by to check on my new Servant. How are you settling in at Chaldea?”

Ainz instantly added a follow-up so that it wouldn’t be obvious he was trying to escape, as he glanced around at the decorations around the room. "I see you've spent time and effort decorating the room… It's strange to ask a question like this, but I assume you like it?”

“Just to talk… effort…” Like a mesmerized ghost, Ozymandias stretched out a few phrases spoken by Ainz before furrowing his brow slightly, as if trying to think about something incredibly complex. But judging by his facial expressions, one could see that he's taking a measure of something either so incredibly stupid or so brilliant, that it had never occurred to him until this moment.

Ainz however missed this entirely, instead thinking that the King might be hungry, or might be having a stomachache. Luckily, before he could open his mouth and share his opinion, Ozymandias spoke as he looked at Ainz with some strange emotion. “Yes, I do find Chaldea to be… Acceptable.”

“Good," Ainz tried to find the next topic of conversation with Ozymandias without focusing on Ozymandias' strange actions. "Have you talked to the other Servants yet? Or how about Archer's cooking?”

Ozymandias, looking at Ainz, blinked slowly before, as if with reluctance and incomprehension, answered. “No.”

‘Why does he speak like that?’ Ainz glanced at Ozymandias’ face, trying to divine the reasons as to why he spoke so haltingly, as if it took great thought to answer such simple questions. Ozymandias was not acting at all like had done during his summoning, Ainz was expecting more anger and arrogance to be honest.

‘It's not like I asked him anything special, just an ordinary, simple conversation… Am I… Am I making him embarrassed?!’

Other than the rather memorable first meeting as he summoned him, Ainz had not interacted with Ozymandias at all. There’s that time they coordinated the attack on Camelot, but he barely spoke then, and it couldn’t really be called a proper conversation even so. And so, with so lacking an interaction, he did not know exactly how Ozymandias normally acted, much less his personality.

Ozymandias's demand for additional luxuries had formed a picture in Ainz's mind that reminded him instantly of his old world. Of bosses and other people who were convinced that they should have gotten more than everyone else by the mere fact of their existence. It had soured Ozymandias’ image in Ainz’s mind, even if his demand was somewhat out-of-line for someone that hadn’t done any work in Chaldea, in principle, Ainz wasn’t against people wanting luxuries.

Ainz was not in favor of absolute, unthinking, equality, whatever that means, but he knows that the idea was just silly in his perception. But in Ainz’s mind, rewards and privileges needed to be earned, either thorough loyal work, or outstanding results, and Ozymandias had done neither, though of course not through his own fault.

Ozymandias is certainly powerful, with many useful skills, but to demand special treatment on the basis of his past merits just after arriving in Chaldea Ainz considered a move that smacked more of arrogance than anything else. But, could Ainz have been inadvertently wrong in his judgment?

For example, once so long ago that it seemed to Ainz to have happened in a past life, Ainz had experienced seeing a veteran team demanding special treatment from a new boss. They had indeed done many good works in the past, so perhaps it was natural for them to demand something for their work. Ainz didn’t know what had happened to them, probably nothing good, really. The bosses, new or not, don’t really appreciate having the lower rung employee demanding anything from them…

Back then, Ainz also agreed with the veteran workers… So could he also be facing the same citation, with him playing the part of the new boss?

After all, if one thought about it in purely factual terms, Ozymandias was a ruler, or someone of a similar level, right? He was probably used to having all his orders obeyed at his first command and was probably unaccustomed to rejection, but when faced with rejection he could easily have been unaware of exactly how he should have reacted to it.

Not that Ainz, of course, had encountered such situations in reality, but various stories repeatedly raised the theme of how a person spoiled by money suddenly faced a reality in which they were no longer as powerful as before. It had become a real shock for them and changed their attitude to life, and the creators of such works had to get the ideas for such stories from somewhere, so such a situation could happen in reality!

So, having just arrived in Chaldea, Ozymandias demanded special treatment, didn't get it, tried to demand it anyway, and when it didn't work… He went back to his room and just did it himself! And now, when meeting Ainz he clearly didn't know exactly how he was supposed to behave, embarrassed and unsure of how he should have responded to Ainz himself!

The picture of Ozymandias as a young wealthy heir, unaccustomed to the life of the common people, that, when confronted with something that did not fit into his world view, instantly retreated and became an insecure lost young man had formed in Ainz's mind. So much so that he couldn't help but feel some pity for Ozymandias, and so decided to correct his previous prejudice against him and lend a helping hand to the maladjusted young man.

“Hmm, in that case, I think we should go for a walk. Come, I'll introduce you to Archer and his cooking.”

Ozymandias, hearing Ainz’s words, seemed to freeze for a moment, then slowly, as if he was not in full control of his lips, replied back slowly, sounding unsure. “Thank you?”

His hesitation was so evident that in Ainz's mind, Ozymandias’ response sounded like a question to Ainz. Ainz felt a wave of sympathy for Ozymandias, Ainz too, most of the time, was unsure of himself.

It seems that he had found a kindred spirit!

Ainz felt proud of himself. He could almost pat himself on the back at how he had handled his interaction with Ozymandias, at just how quick he had come to understand his new Servant’s character!

***

Ozymandias could only say one word regarding his current condition.

He had definitely been sucked into a vortex of madness.

Madness, there was no other way to describe Ainz's current actions. And there was no other way to explain why Ozymandias had agreed to be a part of it, other than him being sucked into the vortex of madness.

The mere mention that Ozymandias ‘wanting to see Ainz’, as if he were the petitioner and Ainz the patron granting his request, would have been enough in other circumstances to warrant a flogging to death of the insolent impudent. No, it was even a light punishment for daring to attempt to enter Ozymandias' room without his say so or announcement, without knocking even !

Ainz's actions were not just to the extent of gross insolence, a violation of social code, but sheer madness. And looking at this madness, being a part of it, Ozymandias felt himself starting to lose his mind.

So much so, that in succumbing to this madness, it was as if Ozymandias began to accept it as the new normal.

Just as when faced with something so out of the ordinary, a person's mind could simply break down. After that, even the most unbelievable detail of the environment would be seen as something natural and taken for granted. Simply because, otherwise, that person's brain would tear itself apart in an attempt to understand something that wasn't designed to be understood.

This thought made Ozymandias, against all his understanding of the possible, respond to Ainz's words, and even succumb to his manipulation, taken not by the elegance of intrigue, but by an unexpected and disarming openness.

Every action, every word of Ainz's, broke a hundred written and unwritten rules at once, or went against every possible belief Ozymandias has. And so Ozymandias could only clap in admiration, recognizing that Ainz was indeed a magnificent master of etiquette.

Because a fool who knew nothing of etiquette would always refrain from violating at least some, and an enemy who wished to injure an opponent would refuse to violate the most basic of proprieties. Getting a zero score on any knowledge test was no less difficult a task than getting one hundred percent, because even relying on luck, a person had to choose some percentage of correct answers.

In order to avoid every right answer, one had to know exactly what that right answer was and go against it.

Ozymandias immediately recalled Medb and her actions, the brat that played with etiquette and customs. And yet, Ainz certainly surpassed that one by at least an order of magnitude. While Medb only used etiquette for her own purposes, Ainz violated it with blatant openness, but did so in such an exhaustive manner that it was virtually impossible to stop and virtually impossible to repel its effects.

Ozymandias had only to clap in admiration at these impeccable actions. He watched Ainz, before his eyes, break every rule of etiquette imaginable, to achieve a result that could be deemed unattainable.

With negative actions, somehow achieving positive results.

“Yes, I think I'd like to meet this Archer.” Ozymandias replied after a moment, feeling his mind and awareness warp, seeing what used to be a violation and madness instead into a new normal. He could only feel a rush of strange pleasure at the situation.

Perhaps Ozymandias could not be defeated on the grounds of intrigue, only forced to recognize the achievements of his enemy. But, if his opponent instead was not using intrigue, instead playing an unknown game, the rules of which Ozymandias did not understand, and could only follow the example of his likely opponent?

Victory and defeat was perhaps the wrong word to use. A new game, however, is something that he could enjoy.

Ozymandias felt a slight smile on his ever-beautiful Pharaoh's face and tilted his head forward favorably, expressing his favor with Ainz's actions.

Even if Ozymandias did not achieve the terms he was entitled to, however, he may have gained entertainment and experience that hundredfold outweighed the value of just a few lost rooms in his personal use.

Ainz, of course, missed all the implied meaning with Ozymandias’ smile, taking it just as the shy, young lord shyly expressing his happiness. Strangely enough, he wasn’t all that wrong.