Apart from the embarrassment, Ainz felt another intense emotion.
That was loneliness.
When his comrades retired from the game one after the other, Ainz decided to create the Avatara to be the caretakers of their equipment. When questioned by the guild members who had yet to retire, this was his reply.
Perhaps it was for them to be the final caretakers.
But in reality, the reason that Ainz continued to create the Avatara while the member count diminished was simply because he was lonely. The members whom he played with all this time were disappearing.
To show that the comrades in the Great Tomb of Nazarick and himself were together in life and in death, and to become their compensation, he built these Avatara.
It is the same story for why this place was named the Mausoleum. Its original name was the Secret Chamber of the Treasure Hall, but Ainz renamed it, in memory of the companions who departed from —— or rather vanished from the YGGDRASIL game. Hence this became their place of slumber.
Just as Ainz was being so pensive, a grieved shout penetrated through the entire passage.
“Please don’t——Please don’t say such a thing!”
With the earlier feeling of solitude immediately blown away, Ainz hurriedly looked at Albedo. And was so surprised that he drew back. Albedo’s eyes were filled with glistening tears, prepared to fall at even the slightest wink.
“......Ainz-sama. Compassionate Ainz-sama who remained until the end, to whom we devote our complete loyalty, please do not say such a thing! We sincerely hope that you can stay with us forever as our master!”
Albedo kneeled before Ainz and lowered her face.
Mixed with a choked voice, continuously repeating “Please…...please…....” in a hoarse murmur, it sounded like a prayer, and at the same time, like a wail of grief and agony.
In his entire life, Ainz had never seen someone pleading so desperately.
He never considered that such a casual joke would make Albedo so emotionally stricken. This filled Ainz with guilt, and he bent his knee and helped Albedo stand.
“Forgive me.”
Had he not considered that he was abandoned by his past comrades before?
When he was all alone in the Great Tomb of Nazarick, or every day that he felt disheartened because everybody was not around.
Did he not feel anger because of his loneliness?
Knowing this bitter feeling himself, why was he unable to understand Albedo’s feelings, why did he allow Albedo to feel the same pain?
Albedo who got up and had cried herself into a mess long ago still had tears trickling down her cheeks.
Ainz took out a handkerchief, and wiped away Albedo’s tears clumsily and tenderly.
“.........”
Although he wanted to apologise once more, he kept silent because he could not find the appropriate words to say.
Because of his lack of skill with interpersonal relationships, he did not know what comforting words to say to stop her tears.
Sobbing endlessly, Albedo made a request to the overwhelmed Ainz:
“Ai- Ainz-sama, please agree to me, promise to me that you will never abandon us and leave this place!”
“......I apologise, however……”
After ‘however’ , Ainz did not continue speaking. He had a particular reason for it, but Albedo assumed that his silence was due to something else.
“Why! Why can you not make that promise? Did you have thoughts about abandoning us already? Why! Is there something which makes you unhappy? If you would just explain, I will immediately remedy it! If you think of me as a hindrance, I shall immediately take my own life!”
“No!”
Ainz shouted loudly. Taken by surprise, Albedo’s shoulders jumped.
“Hear me out. First, right now for example…...there is no method which can save Shalltear. Shalltear’s mind control is the effect of a World Class item. That alone is absolute. The only way one would be able to resist the effects of a World Class item is to either possess one yourself, or to have a special class.”
While having her tears wiped like a child by Ainz, Albedo asked:
“That’s... that’s why, you came here... came here to take... take the World Class items, right?”
“Correct, in order to allow the Guardians to hold these World Class item. Theoretically, using a similar type of World Class item should make it possible to free Shalltear from her mind-control. However, I am hesitant about using the World Class items inside here… truly I am a worthless master, because I place more importance on mere items than on my loyal subjects.”
