The Reeducation of Arche Eeb Rile Furt

Chapter Two: A New Role

"Worms, you will reside here. I will return in eight hours to take you to breakfast." The beautiful voice was cold.

Glancing about the well-appointed suite, Arche thought it was nicer than the town homes of some nobles she had visited. There was a small foyer, communal living space, what looked to be a cupboard and a sideboard, and four open bedroom doors, seemingly fully furnished with extremely high-quality items. It was leagues better than the rooms they'd had at the Singing Apple.

Arche finally replied when it seemed no one else knew what to say. "Thank you, Narberal...?"

"Narberal Gamma." The dark eyes met her own. Arche instinctively bowed her head.

"Thank you, Narberal Gamma. Is there a washroom we can use?"

"There are en-suite bathing facilities for each room. You will find towels and light clothing for your use as well." If possible, the maid's eyes grew even colder than before. "Demonstrate your gratitude to the Supreme One by serving him. There is no higher purpose in this world."

At that, she turned and left, closing the suite's door behind her.

The members of Foresight were alone, with only the sound of a pendulum clock to break the quiet.

Arche laid her staff against the wall and walked to an overstuffed chair, then proceeded to collapse into it. The other three glanced at each other, then sat down as well. Whatever spells had been cast on them in that arena, their clothes were now unblemished, and they did not even feel the exhaustion one might expect from their hours fighting in the tomb.

The blonde spellcaster took a shaky breath, and her head fell into her hands.

"I'm so glad you're all alive."

Hekkeran chuckled nervously. "Well, is this a dream or what? I know for sure that little girl in the arena cut through my damned ribs with her hand, and I was just about gone... what the hell happened?"

Arche looked up at him. "It was magic. One of the dark elves, Mare I think. I think it was an eighth tier healing spell."

Roberdyck gasped. "Eighth tier? Does such magic even exist?"

"That's... Arche, are you saying this Ainz Ooal Gown has that power too?" Imina asked fearfully.

The girl shook her head. "No. His power... it exceeds tenth tier magic, I think. It was so overwhelming it was difficult to tell."

The three of them froze, uncomprehending.

"Tenth tier magic… this unknown tomb… those servants of his… none of this makes sense. How can this be real?" Roberdyck asked.

Arche looked at the priest seriously. "That is why I called him a god. I was not exaggerating, or trying to flatter him. It's the truth, unless you've got some other definition for god I don't know about."

A moment later, she spoke again. "He said he would safeguard my sisters from all harm, if I agreed to serve him willingly. He has the power to do that, and I believe his offer was genuine." She shook her head. "Why offer anything at all? I'm certain he could use magic to force obedience, or just threaten me in a thousand ways... No, Lord Ainz Ooal Gown offered freely. He did not need my help; he gave me a chance to live. He even let me have a chance to save all of you." The girl sniffled, trying to hold back tears.

Imina pondered this for a moment, then leaned over to take Arche's hand. "Thank you for saving our lives."

"I was so terrified you would say no!" Tears were running down her face now, but Arche continued to speak. "I hoped you would trust me... I was so worried about you, Rober," she said to the priest. "I was so afraid you would denounce me and then you would suffer the consequences..."

"Hey, it's all right," the older man replied softly. "We're here thanks to you. The other workers are all dead I imagine, from what he said. You made the right decision."

"So," Hekkeran said softly, looking down. "What now?"

They all looked at him as he sighed and lifted his gaze to Imina.

"His power is real. The power of his servants is real. If Arche's right, Lord Ainz Ooal Gown is a god. It's pretty clear that those who oppose him are in for a hell of a time. What are we doing here?"

None of them wanted to say anything. All remembered the shadow demon that had tracked them before. Here, in his own castle, Ainz Ooal Gown could surely hear them.

Finally Imina spoke.

"That speech of his, when we offered fealty... he didn't sound anything like what I expected. I think we could serve him... honorably."

"He mentioned slavery to me, when I met him," Arche stated. "He was offended by it, offended by that idiot abusing those elf slaves. You know, the emperor dispossessed my family. I'm no longer a noble, and I'm no great fan of the Empire. I've not much respect for nobles in general..." She leaned forward, tears drying on her face. "But from how he acts, how he has treated us... Lord Ainz Ooal Gown seems more like what a king should be."

Hekkeran looked over at their priest. "Rober? What do you think?"

The priest sighed. "I left my old life because I couldn't help people when I wanted to. The temples want money for healing, and adventurers have to play by their rules. Maybe... maybe this could get me closer to what I wanted than just being a worker. This Ainz Ooal Gown... I suppose I'll see what I think as we go. We're in this now, so we have to deal with it, god or no god."

"So, our oaths are given, now we do what we promised. Are we all agreed then, Foresight?" Hekkeran asked, his voice serious.

"I'm fine with it," Roberdyck answered.

"Imina?"

"Why not? This job might turn out better than we think." She smiled at Hekkeran. He was alive. That was enough for now.

"Then that's it," Hekkeran announced. "Foresight, this is the job now."

OL

Imina woke to the chime of a clock, counting five before stopping. Next to her, she heard Hekkeran grumble as he rolled over. For a moment she could almost forget where she was... but the unbelievably soft sheets against her skin, the cool, fragrant air, and the spacious room around her belied her attempt to forget.

She was in the Great Tomb of Nazarick, and she was a servant of Ainz Ooal Gown.

She and Arche had spent the better part of an hour the night before figuring out how the bathrooms worked. Imina knew it was a ridiculous thing to be amazed by after the day she'd had, but the facilities were so perfect and clean it just added to the otherworldliness of the place in which they found themselves.

From the "sixth floor arena" of yesterday that Narberal assured them was indoors, to the unimaginably beautiful and luxurious palace of the "ninth floor," everything in Nazarick, even the plumbing, was amazing.

She shook her head, then leaned over to kiss her lover.

Hekkeran had refused to let her go last night, showing the fear and anxiety he tried to hide from Arche and Roberdyck to her alone as they lay together. They had made love desperately, as though it were the end of the world.

Perhaps that's what it was, Imina thought as she rose from the bed to clean herself up. And this is the first day of the new world.

With that more hopeful thought in mind, she got ready to face the day.

OL

Things were far from normal as the supremely beautiful Narberal Gamma led them down the hallway, but at the same time, getting breakfast seemed like a very human thing to do.

The members of Foresight had been shocked yesterday to hear from Arche that Darkness was actually composed of Ainz Ooal Gown and Narberal Gamma. Honestly, though, it was just one more revelation piled on top of the others.

Now Narberal, in her very peculiar maid uniform, was leading them to breakfast.

"Ms. Narberal," Roberdyck began, "are there many humans in Nazarick?"

Without a pause, the maid answered, "There are not. Before you arrived, there was only one human here, and she joined us only recently."

The four humans looked at each other with some hesitation. Then they heard the sound of conversation, and Narberal stopped in front of an archway before turning to face them.

"This is the cafeteria. Meals are served here regularly. Find your way here in the future and do not disgrace yourselves, flies."

With that, she walked into the room. Arche followed behind her, with the other three close by.

The sounds of conversation died away quickly when they entered, to be replaced with whispers. All around them the members of Foresight could see what appeared to be strikingly beautiful maids, all of whom were eating.

Narberal led them to a serving line and said nothing further. Hekkeran looked around, trying to appear friendly.

No one appeared to return his friendliness.

Sighing, he tried to retain his composure when, at the front of the line, he saw what were clearly monsters making breakfast.

Imina caught his eye, and shrugged. What are we supposed to do? It's breakfast.

Hearing Narberal order what sounded like a perfectly normal, if rather substantial, selection of food, they each ordered in turn. Eggs, sausage, bacon... it all seemed perfectly ordinary. Out of whimsy, Arche ordered pancakes, something she had not had in years.

Narberal waited for them, then led them to a table and sat down. They each nervously eyed their plates for a moment before Arche poured syrup from a ramekin over her pancakes, then took a bite.

The girl's eyes grew wide and her expression showed shock. Hekkeran, Imina, and Roberdyck watched her as she swallowed.

"This... these are incredible." She said in wonder after drinking some milk. "These are the best pancakes I've ever tasted." She stopped, then looked at her glass. "This is the best milk I've ever tasted."

With that, they all dug in to find that Arche's verdict was not misplaced.

"This is the best breakfast I have ever had," Imina declared after sampling her bacon.

For whatever reason, Narberal Gamma appeared to be a little happier with them than before.

"Yo!"

Imina shrieked as she felt someone tug on her ears, and turned around to find someone sitting on the chair beside her.

It was a dark-skinned woman with long braided red hair and a cap. She seemed to be wearing something like a cross between a habit and a maid uniform.

And, as Imina was beginning to expect, she was fantastically beautiful.

"Who, ah, who are you?" She asked, mindful of Hekkeran's tension beside her. No one at the table had seen this woman sit down.

"Ahahaha! I'm Lupusregina Beta, of the Pleiades Battle Maids! You four must be the workers who swore allegiance to the Supreme One! Lucky you! Those ones outside were so pathetic. I mean we didn't get to do anything but watch them all bleed to death while the Old Guarders cut them to pieces. They didn't even take very long to die!"

Her tone was very light, but her words and the look in her eyes froze the four of them in place.

"I hope you four can be more entertaining than that... Ouch!"

"Lupusregina, enough," Narberal called, having just smacked the other woman on the head. "They are Lord Ainz's servants, not your toys."

"All right, all right. You're so uptight. Guess I'll get something to eat then. Later~su!"

With that, she got up and scampered over to the serving line.

A bit shaken, they tried to return to their breakfast. Narberal was unperturbed.

OL

Once breakfast was done, Narberal ushered them through a free-standing magical gate, which she did not bother to explain, after which they were back in the arena.

The maid left them there after introducing their new caretakers, Aura Bella Fiora and Mare Bello Fiore.

"Well, Lord Ainz has ordered us to evaluate you here on the sixth floor, since that business with Shalltear didn't show us much."

Aura's words and bright grin brought a shudder to the party.

"I'll be working with you three for a bit. My brother Mare's going to deal with you, spellcaster girl."

With that, Aura motioned the three of them toward what appeared to be rows of skeletons and straw dummies, while Arche turned to regard the quiet elf before her.

"Ah, I'll be testing your magic as Lord Ainz ordered," the elf began in a soft voice.

It reminded her a little bit of her sisters. But she did say brother, right?

"Now, what tier of magic can you use?"

"I can cast spells up to the third tier," she answered. At fifteen, it was likely that there was no more experienced mage in the whole of the empire. Arche was not by nature given to boasting; she was a serious girl. Nevertheless, she knew well enough that in Nazarick, her magic power was nothing worthy of note. Arche had been humbled many times in her short life, so she was prepared for it here again.

Mare made a face. "Well, we'll need to work on that... which spells can you use?"

After she went through the list of spells she knew, Mare stared for a moment, then gestured at a peculiar target twenty meters away. It looked like some sort of metal sphere on a pedestal.

"Build up as many magic arrows as you can, then release them at the target," he ordered.

"Of course," she said, then took up her staff.

Just like drawing a bow, Arche. She heard the voice of Master Paradyne in her mind, recalling the day she learned to build up multiple instances of the spell.

First one, then another, and another of the shining arrows appeared above her staff. Finally she had five of them, and let them fly.

As she expected, all struck the target dead center. She turned to look at Mare, who regarded her with a bit of a frown. She wasn't sure whether he was disappointed, bored, or just didn't much like humans.

"Cast Lightning at it now."

She obliged, once again demonstrating perfect accuracy. Lightning was her strongest attack magic, and her long hours of practice had paid off. This time when she turned to Mare, he merely said "Again."

Not wanting to displease him, she did so.

"Again."

She threw the bolt.

"Again."

Another one.

"Again."

Sweating now, she complied.

"Again."

Gasping, she cast once more, and her aim held true.

"Again." The voice had the same intonation as the last time.

Drawing her strength, Arche could feel the burn of mana leaving her body, and the lightning flew.

Then she fell, first to her knees, and then right onto her face in the sand, breathing heavily.

Her head spinning, she heard what sounded like Mare casting a spell. After she caught her breath, she stood up shakily.

"My apologies," she said quickly, not wanting to offend him.

Mare just shrugged, then reached into what appeared to Arche to be a hole in space, and withdrew a bottle.

She stared, astonished, as the elf held it out to her.

The bottle was some sort of glass, but it was very finely made stuff, tinted a light blue color. "Where did you get this?" She asked.

"My inventory," he commented absently. "Drink it."

Glancing at the elf, she unstoppered the bottle, then drank.

It was... refreshing. Almost like very cold tea on a hot day, she thought. Then, as she drank the last of it, she blinked and looked down at herself.

"What... what just happened?" She asked in wonder.

"It's an MP potion. It restores your mana. Now, again," he ordered.

Depositing the bottle carefully behind herself, Arche raised her staff and kept casting.

OL

After two hours and several more potions, Mare called a halt to her practice session.

"Lord Ainz has requested your presence," he said.

Then Mare grabbed her arm, and suddenly they were somewhere else. Mare announced himself to the insectoid figures before the door, one of whom conferred briefly with a maid before announcing, "Lord Ainz will see you now."

They entered the enormous room, and there, not ten meters from her behind a huge desk, was Ainz Ooal Gown.

She genuflected as soon as Mare took a knee, before anyone could tell her to do so.

"I've brought the girl Arche as you requested, Lord Ainz," Mare stated happily. It was clear from his voice that he was pleased to see Ainz.

"Thank you, Mare. Arche, raise your head. You may kneel."

At those words, Arche lifted her gaze and noticed that the white-clad woman, Albedo, was also present. She hurriedly got onto one knee, mimicking Mare.

"Mare, apprise our lord of the girl's performance, please." Albedo requested, her voice strikingly beautiful to Arche's ears.

"I tested her on the level forty training target, Lord Ainz. She can only cast up to third tier magic, but her stamina is unusually high for her level, and she shows very good accuracy and, ah, and mana control."

"Good work, Mare." The dark elf blushed at the praise. "Now, go to your sister and take the other members of Foresight to their quarters once Aura is finished. Then the both of you can return here. I need to speak with this one."

"Of, of course. Thank you, Lord Ainz!" Mare said, then made his exit.

Ainz turned to Albedo. "Albedo, can you use the Tomb's systems to view her?"

Albedo made a gesture, and Arche was astonished to see a strange glass with words of some kind appear in the air before her. After a moment, Albedo turned to Ainz again.

"My lord, it does appear that we can see her status. It is very much the same as the other residents of Nazarick."

"Excellent," Ainz nodded. "What are you able to see?"

"The girl holds levels in Wizard, Academic Wizard, and High Wizard. I believe her overall level should be... seventeen." Albedo's beautiful face showed a frown. "Strange..."

"What is it, Albedo?" Ainz asked, trying to conceal his nervousness. The fact that they could see such information about her directly was extremely interesting to him, and could prove to be extraordinarily useful, but Albedo's remark worried him.

"Lord Ainz, there is something odd about the status display for this girl. I have never seen this particular notation."

Arche, meanwhile, was wondering what on earth they meant by all this. She was extremely anxious that Albedo was finding something wrong about this appraisal, whatever it might be.

"Let me see," Ainz said and opened a display of his own with the staff at his side. He scrolled, finally located her entry, and looked over the data there. It looked standard to him, the classes and levels were perfectly reasonable, though high for what he had seen in this world thus far, no surprises for the most part. No title was listed for her, but otherwise the listing was comprehensible...

What? Ainz thought as his eyes found what Albedo must have seen. What on earth does this mean?

There before him was a stamp on Arche's display, in the bottom left corner, that stated Level Limit Attained, EXP exceeded, and just beneath it was a gold button.

Break Limit.

He'd never seen this before. Even as guild master this option had never appeared, not for an NPC, and obviously not for any guild member.

The level cap was set by the shitty devs, and the highest it ever got was one hundred, he thought. Perhaps humans in the New World have some limit of their own? Or perhaps it varies by individual? That could explain why someone like Lakyus could cast fifth tier magic, while someone else could not... it could be about potential and level caps, combined with whatever experience they manage to gain.

He glanced up at Arche, whose confusion was apparent.

Does that mean this girl is at the limit of her growth?

"Arche," he stated after a moment's thought. "Would you like to become stronger?"

"Wha—, I mean, yes, Lord Ainz. I'm sure I could be of better service to you then." Arche answered in a flustered tone. "I'm a hard worker, and I will do my best to improve."

"Very well. Then, Arche Eeb Rile Furt, I shall grant you strength..."

As Albedo watched, wide-eyed, Ainz tapped the button that she herself did not see on her own console display.

Are you sure you wish to Break Limit? 250,000 gold will be consumed.

Ainz hesitated, but then realized that it cost far more than this to resurrect Shalltear, and even that was basically nothing for the treasury. And anyway, this is an experiment I must carry out. This could be critical in this New World.

He pressed the button.

250,000 gold has been consumed. Limit Break initiated for Arche Eeb Rile Furt. Max Level is now 100.

Even as the text appeared, Ainz saw Arche's body enveloped in a shining blue aura, then she floated about one and a half meters off the ground.

"My, my lord! What, what is happening to—" Arche yelled in a panic.

Then her voice abruptly cut off, and her eyes glowed gold, then closed.

In the next moment the blue aura shattered like glass, and Arche floated down gently to the floor. When her eyes opened, Arche dropped her staff and fell to her knees, an expression of awe on her face, her gaze a thousand miles distant.

Ainz was, as per usual, extremely grateful for his skeletal poker face and emotion suppression.

On the display before him, Arche was now level eighteen.

OL

She drew a deep breath, then another, then a third before shaking her head and coming back to herself.

What the hell was that?

Arche had never experienced anything like that before. She'd been terrified floating in the air, but then it was as though she had fallen asleep. What followed, though, she knew had been no dream.

A silent corridor of light, the sensation of falling forever... it had been almost ecstatic until she suddenly woke up, like she had fallen out of bed and had the wind knocked out of her.

She looked at her right hand, flexed her fingers.

I feel... different. Like my magic is just below the surface somehow.

Then it clicked in her mind. He did what he said he would. I'm stronger now.

Arche bowed her head quickly. "My lord, I forgot myself for a moment. My sincere thanks for what you've done."

Ainz nodded regally at her. "Indeed, Arche. You can now grow as strong as you can imagine, so long as your effort matches your will."

"Thank you, Lord Ainz!"

At that moment, Aura and Mare arrived.

OL

"You will be traveling with Aura and Mare to Arwintar, to deliver an ultimatum to Emperor Jircniv."

What could she say in response to such a declaration? Arche was all too aware that Ainz Ooal Gown had nothing to fear from the Baharuth Empire or its leader, but getting front row seats to such a spectacle... she was honestly shocked that she would be allowed to participate.

"I will be happy to accompany them, your majesty. May I ask what my role will be?" She replied.

"You will guide them to the palace, and to the emperor. You known him by sight, correct?"

She thought back to her presentation to the young emperor when she was a child, and the second time she had seen him at a state function.

"Yes, though I do not know him personally, your majesty."

"Lord Ainz," Albedo interjected, "I would like permission to attire this girl in a state befitting one included in a delegation from Nazarick."

"Hmm," Ainz drew his hand to his chin. "Very well. Albedo, I will come with you and Arche to the treasury and give her some reasonable equipment, and a better staff as well. Something appropriate to her level and classes..."

He stood gracefully, then addressed Aura and Mare. "Why don't you both come along as well?" They stood in assent, and Arche rose afterward.

Ainz warped them all to the door before the treasury. The casual use of teleportation magic, for the whole group no less, still astonished her, but on the heels of whatever he had done to her just before…

Things here move very quickly.

Idly, Arche wondered what Ainz was planning to provide for her. For years now she'd been using the same magic staff and basic armor, since all her money had gone to paying her parents' living expenses and debts. The equipment worn by everyone she had seen in Nazarick was extraordinary.

Even the maids from the cafeteria had been wearing heavily enchanted magic maid uniforms. Just thinking about how much gold such extravagance would cost hurt her head. If the Baharuth Emperor went mad and forced the whole Imperial Magic Academy to enchant maid uniforms and nothing else for ten years, they might be able to outfit as many maids as Ainz Ooal Gown had with something approaching that level of quality.

As for what Narberal Gamma was wearing? Or Mare?

Arche was perfectly confident that no amount of money would suffice to acquire such equipment, anywhere in the world. Nonpareil failed to do their items justice.

Then the maid accompanying them opened the door, and Arche saw a very strange sight. A tall being with a blank face with black eyes and a mouth, with disturbingly long fingers, wearing some sort of yellow outfit she'd never seen. The being snapped to attention as they entered.

"Mein creator! How marvelous that you have chosen to visit, what fantastic things did you need from the TREASURY OF NAZARICK this beautiful day?" After a series of wild gesticulations, the strange figure bowed courteously.

Arche had never seen such a performance, even at the Magic Academy. And there had been some absurd specimens there. Honestly, I wonder what those entitled jokers are up to now anyway.

Ainz sighed audibly.

"Pandora's Actor. I have come for some equipment for this new ally of ours, Arche Eeb Rile Furt. She is a human magic caster."

"Of course, Lord Ainz! Would you like me to offer suggestions for this young maiden's accessories? A fine set of Valkyrie Armor perhaps, for the lovely blonde beauty?"

"Pandora's Actor," Albedo interjected, glaring at the doppelgänger. "Please." She turned to Ainz. "Lord Ainz, may I suggest Boots of Striding and a Cloak of Elvenkind, since she is but a frail human? And some reasonable standard mage wear, in gold and blue."

Ainz nodded. "A good suggestion, Albedo. But she will need a few more items. Pandora's Actor, retrieve... hmm... a Ring of Regeneration, a Wizardry Staff, and... a Velvet Crown. That should suffice."

"Yes, Lord Ainz!" With that, Pandora's Actor turned to gather the materials.

"Arche."

"Yes, Lord Ainz!" She said, startled out of her reverie.

"Albedo will show you to the changing room off to the left here."

As he spoke, Pandora's Actor returned with the equipment, and Albedo took custody of it.

"Follow me."

Arche did so, eager to avoid Albedo's bad side. Based on what she had seen thus far, Albedo seemed to be second only to Ainz himself in the hierarchy of Nazarick. She wasn't sure what that meant in terms of strength... but she was hardly naive enough to suppose Albedo could be trifled with.

"Get changed," Albedo gestured to a side door. "Be quick about it, and do not waste Lord Ainz's time. He is already being unimaginably generous to you."

"Of course," Arche assented uneasily. It seemed she was already on the other woman's bad side. That would need to be rectified.

Arche slipped through the side door and found herself in a large room with mirrors lining the walls and several benches and clothes hanging racks. Naturally everything was absurdly well crafted.

She got changed in a hurry, very curious to see what these items were. She'd never heard of any of them, but the names sounded very promising… and they were shining with magic under her gaze.

The clothing was enchanted (well, it was all enchanted) and so neatly sized itself to her as she put it on. It turned out to be a white blouse with blue and gold trim, a broad collar with a kerchief of some kind, and detached sleeves, along with a knee-length skirt and trimmed blue leggings. The slim boots were a deep brown, and very comfortable once she put them on. The cloak was equally fine, feeling as though it had hardly any weight to it at all.

She put the ring on her right hand, then placed the strange velvet circlet on her brow.

Lastly, she picked up the staff.

It was a two-handed staff, but light, with deep red and brown wood in an S-curve near the top. The head of the staff was some strange red gemstone. Arche hoped it was not actually a fist-sized ruby.

The moment she took up the staff, it was as though she felt magic actually flow through her veins. Whatever this is... I don't think I'll find its match soon.

Arche finished up quickly, and emerged from the changing room carrying her old outfit in a small bag that had been included by Pandora's Actor with her equipment.

"My apologies for the delay, Lord Ainz. Thank you for this equipment." She said sincerely.

Ainz seemed to be in a good mood, for whatever reason.

"Let me tell you what they do. Your Boots of Striding should make it so you will not tire even after a fifty mile march. When you raise the hood of that Cloak of Elvenkind you should be almost invisible, especially in woodland, though it will work well even in a crowded room. The Ring of Regeneration will heal you gradually if you are ever injured. It should drag you back even from the brink of death, given sufficient time."

Arche gaped at this list of wonders delivered in such a nonchalant fashion.

Ainz continued, "The Wizardry Staff raises the power of all magical attacks, makes you more dexterous, and increases your overall magic using capability. Finally, that Velvet Crown has a number of effects you may find useful. Take it off for a moment."

Arche complied dumbly.

"First, it will automatically cast Feather Fall if, for example, you should fall off a cliff. You would then float unharmed to the ground."

The blonde girl stared at the small circlet in wonder.

"Second, it has some active effects. These may be useful in case of any danger, so pay attention. At a mental command, the crown can exercise one of three spells. A five meter range of Silence once every three hours, a five meter range of Darkness once every hour, or Freedom, once per day. Do you know what that last spell is, Arche?" He asked patiently.

"N-no, your majesty. I am sorry but I do not." She said nervously.

"It's all right. Freedom can be used to escape restraints of all sorts, like manacles, a Hold spell, or a web. This crown will allow you to escape confinement if captured, assuming you are clever in using it. Do you understand?"

Arche could not help but stare wonderingly at Ainz for a moment. "Yes, your majesty. I truly appreciate the use of these items of yours!"

Ainz shrugged. "Consider them yours, so long as you serve Nazarick."

The girl felt faint. "Thank you for your generosity, Lord Ainz!" She said, bowing again.

"Does she make a presentable appearance for Nazarick, Guardian Overseer Albedo?" Ainz asked.

"She does, Lord Ainz. Thank you for indulging me. It would not do for a representative from the Great Tomb of Nazarick to be outfitted inappropriately, or to be unable to defend herself." Albedo replied cordially.

"That was very thoughtful of you, Albedo. I'm pleased to see you taking the initiative like this."

Albedo made a sound that seemed rather erotic, and clasped her hands tightly. Aura looked at her brother and rolled her eyes.

Ainz cleared his throat. "All right then. Pandora's Actor, we're leaving."

When they were back in Ainz's office, he addressed Arche again.

"Go deposit your old things in your quarters. I trust that you will find it acceptable to reside with your sisters in that suite for now?"

Her sisters. Arche had to bite her lip not to cry out. "Your majesty, I would be very happy to have them with me, if it pleases you." She desperately hoped she would not have to wait long to see them again.

"Hmm, very well. Once this task with the emperor is finished, we will retrieve them. For now, while you and your companions become accustomed to your duties, they will reside here. You will be responsible for keeping them out of trouble."

Ainz of course had no desire to see two little girls get injured through negligence in Nazarick.

"You are very magnanimous your majesty. Thank you very much," Arche replied, trying to control herself.

OL

On the walk back to her quarters, Arche reflected on what she needed to do. Ainz stated she had two hours before Aura and Mare would meet her outside Ainz's office, and then they would depart for Arwintar. It seemed like rather a long break for her to get lunch, but she hadn't argued the point.

She had the feeling they would not be taking a carriage to the capital, but did not ask any questions. For now, she needed to eat something and drop off her old equipment.

Arche entered the suite without knocking, only to find her companions sitting in the living area, looking worn out.

"Arche!" Imina cried. "Where have you been..." her voice trailed off as she noticed the fine clothing and equipment her friend was wearing. "What is all that?"

Arche smiled softly. "I was given these items by Lord Ainz. He's sending me to Arwintar with the elf twins to confront the emperor."

At this they were all taken aback for a moment. Then Hekkeran rolled his eyes.

"I guess that would surprise me... but it really shouldn't any more."

"What are you going to tell him?" Roberdyck asked.

"I think they're going to demand his presence to apologize for the invasion of Nazarick," Arche answered quietly. "I'm just going along to point out the palace and the emperor, I think."

She set her items down on her bed and came back in.

"Are you sure that's all?" Imina asked, looking thoughtful.

"What are you thinking?" Hekkeran asked her.

"I'm thinking that Lord Ainz Ooal Gown doesn't do things by halves. Maybe sending Arche is a message. She's Fluder Paradyne's former apprentice, her family was dispossessed by the emperor... there could be a lot of potential signals there." She frowned, trying to work it out.

"I don't know what he means by sending me, but it must be at least a little important. He said I can bring my sisters back when it's done." Arche looked hopeful.

"They're going to come here?" Roberdyck asked worriedly.

"I know, I'm worried too, Rober, but he said I can let them live with me while we figure out what our job here is going to be," she said. "I mean, at least I can be with them here."

"I hope it turns out all right," the priest said softly.

"What about that fancy new gear?" Hekkeran asked, changing the topic. "That a reward?"

"No, not really," Arche said. "Guardian Overseer Albedo suggested that I take it. I think she wanted me to look the part, and also not to get killed if something goes wrong."

"Is it as good as it looks?" Hekkeran queried.

"Better," the mage said, shaking her head. "It's incredible. I'll tell you all about it later, but I have to get something to eat and then get back to work."

"We'll join you then," Imina offered. "That training this morning was brutal." The others nodded somberly.

"Yeah..." Arche said softly. "I have something else to tell you guys about later, too. Not now though."

Imina looked worried, but nodded. The others seemed to agree.

With that, they made their way to the cafeteria, hopeful for another excellent meal.

OL

"Lord Ainz, may I ask why you are so interested in that human girl and her companions?" Albedo asked. She was at once genuinely curious about her master's plans and compelled to inquire about any woman who garnered his attentions.

Ainz looked up from the report on his desk and thought for a moment. He was not always entirely honest with the Guardians, but this was a time he could be mostly clear.

"Albedo, you saw earlier that this girl had reached the level cap, correct?"

"Yes, I did."

"But her level cap was much lower than expected. I believe that the residents in this world, not just humans but all races, will have some level cap, but it will be individual in nature. In other words, this girl worked very hard and reached great strength, but she would never have been able to attain the power of that woman who leads Blue Rose, Lakyus, for example. We do not even truly understand how experience gain functions here."

"You intend to use her as an experiment, then?"

"Indeed. She now has a level cap of one hundred. I do not know if she will ever gain sufficient experience to reach that high, but I imagine that with our support and focused leveling with our tools, she could become more powerful than any human we have yet seen."

"Lord Ainz... can we really trust a human with such power? Is it worth the time and resources of Nazarick?" The Guardian Overseer sounded concerned.

"I appreciate your concern, Albedo. It befits you as head of Nazarick's Guardians to be so responsible." He inclined his head toward her.

Albedo trembled with pleasure under this praise.

"However, the most important resource of all is information. Through Arche, we will probe the limits of human potential in this world. The minor items we've provided her, caring for her sisters, and giving her companions their lives... all this is of little cost to us, but will serve to build trust and loyalty. I believe she can be made to respond in kind." Ainz tried his best to sound definite about this. Certainly he was not averse to killing when necessary, but he had little desire to harm children.

Surely, though, Arche will understand that it's not just in her best interests to work with us, but the best interests of everyone she holds dear.

"As usual, Lord Ainz, I am in awe of your deep thinking. To have plucked this girl from the worker teams sent on an unrelated mission... then planning to use this girl to explore the fundamental role of levels in this world... to engender a sense of gratitude in this human at little cost and with great return... to showcase Nazarick's power by exhibiting this girl's strength out in the world… and then to use her to further perplex the Baharuth Emperor in negotiations..." Albedo smiled brightly and bowed her head. "My lord, truly you are the Supreme One. I can only hope to continue to serve you forever!"

Ainz was, as usual, embarrassed by the praise, and in addition did not really understand her last points. "No, no Albedo. I rely on your abilities to see such possibilities. You are invaluable to me, and a tremendous help every day."

"Truly?" She replied, eyes shining.

"Ah, yes, truly. Now Albedo, be sure to put out the word to be patient with our new residents... but most especially those two sisters of hers once they arrive. I do not want them harmed. Their well-being depends on Arche's behavior, but so too does her loyalty rest on their well-being."

"Of course, Lord Ainz. I will ensure your wishes are carried out. The two human girls will be given special latitude." She inclined her head, her wings still shivering from her master's compliments.

OL

AN: I'm really glad to see the positive response here. Thanks for all the reviews! For the record, I don't have any issues with the LN plot for Arche; I just thought this would be an interesting alternative, and a chance to explore Nazarick's residents a little.