Chương 71: Chapter 19
"And you decided to declare yourself my apostle?" Pero questioned the batshit insane women kneeling before him. Both Peter and Clementine had independently reported the mission to kill the Giant of the East in great detail, giving him a clearer picture of why he felt the worship earlier. The fact that Clementine was persuasive enough to make trolls worship him, even though the barely sentient creatures didn't even understand what a God was, and why one would need to worship a God, was astounding. But the method of how she had done so was … concerning.
"I am your voice, your weapon, Lord. None has taken this honor yet, so I took it upon myself to spread your name and gather worshipers for you!" She replied, her voice coarse and her breath shallow as she trembled.
"Look at me," he ordered. The decision needed to be made and he was unsure if he wanted to make it.
Clementine glanced up, meeting his intense stare with unfathomable devotion in her eyes that went beyond a description of mere words. Fanatic was too tame of a description for what she was towards him. To her, his will was an unquestionable absolute. She would take her own life, should he deem her unworthy to be in his presence, in an instant. It was only his desire to keep her around that kept her alive.
And this insanity was why Pero was reluctant to fully accept her into his group. Sure, he still held minor resentment towards her for killing the Swords of Darkness, but it would be easy to forgive as they now lived better lives than before, and Ninya had admitted earlier that she found it hard to hate Clementine, due to her indirectly helping find Tuare. The rest of the group had also reported about how she was so … different, that they too were struggling to connect the Clementine they despised with the one who whole-heartedly served him.
Maybe it was his very nature to nurture and gather the unhinged and psychopathic to become his loyal followers, for violence and bloodshed. His consorts weren't all that different, for starters. He quickly found out that all of them were disturbingly similar and reveled in the pain and suffering of others, sadists to their cores to the point that even Demiurge lauded them for their devotion. In the case of Etzli, it was easy to write it off as her being a vampire and thus from a more violence-inclined race, but the three succubi alongside her were the same. From what he had learned, succubi and incubi, being full-blooded demons, weren't evil by nature, and fell into the same spectrum as humans, ranging from evil and psychopaths to borderline saints wanting to bring love and happiness in their own way, and he got three demented ones who bathed in the blood of tortured animals daily.
'I accepted my calling… it's people like her that want to worship me the most.' Pero leaned forward and pressed the talon of his index finger against her chin, lifting it ever so slightly.
Clementine gasped and stretched out to not be impaled upon it, her breaths all but stopping from sheer ecstasy that overrode even her survival instincts.
"What do you want beyond worshiping me and causing death and misery?" He asked.
"Lord, that is all I want-"
Pero pushed his talon deeper into the chin, breaking the skin as blood began to drip. "Don't lie to me."
"But I… This is all…"
"Really, now? No ambition, no desires, nothing?" Pero questioned. Maybe she had suppressed them during the torture, but surely other desires had to be there. She desired something, elsewise she would be content with doing exactly as ordered, akin to a puppet. Only desires lead people to do more.
She gulped, wincing. "I…I want to be recognized by you, and praised by you. I want to be more than human, like the rest! I don't ever want to leave your glorious light. I…" For the first time, she tried to look away, apparently ashamed of having spilled her desires to her God.
"Spill it all out!" He ordered. If she was to become recognized as his most devoted follower as an apostle, he needed to know her well.
"I am envious of your consorts! They get your adoration while I get nothing. I feel unworthy to be in your presence. I want to be praised by you, I want to be seen as worthy. I am not fully cleansed of my mortal desires yet. I am trying but I… failed to get rid of them." She winced, closing her eyes as if expecting to get punished for what she said. She had, after all, just revealed that she was unsatisfied with her God's treatment of her, a sin for those as lowly as her who was worth as much as a shed feather of his, nothing more.
'Did she just ask to be added to my collection?' He retraced her words carefully, pondering over them. If she wanted to be his concubine, she surely would have tried to be seductive. He had seen how playful she could be. No, what she asked was recognition and attention, the consorts were just her idols on how to obtain them. The question was should he take her as another consort or treat her more like Shalltear, without any desire for her body?
'I can't go the daughter route and then change my mind later, that would be messed up. I guess for now I'll just treat her as if she's a Nazarick native.' He decided on a more neutral route. Should he ever decide to bed her, the option would be there. If not, no harm would've been done.
She had done enough to prove her worth to gain some attention, given that she had managed to do what even others had thought impossible through sheer devotion and fear. There were only benefits to treating her as a native from here on out, and no other God would question it.
He let go of her chin for a moment, watching the blood trickle from the wound down her neck, quickly reaching the breastplate. "You have done enough to take the position of my apostle." He spoke slowly.
To show he would take care of her, he retrieved a basic healing potion from his inventory, removed the cork, and brought the vial to her lips. "What reward do you want to receive the most?"
Clementine drank the offered remedy without questioning why the entire potion was wasted on such a minor wound, staring with euphoria up at him the entire time. After taking the last gulp, she gave her answer. "I wish to be more than a human!"
"In that case, I'll ask Tabula to give you a race change. For now, seek out those who wish to receive my blessing. Twenty locals should do it for the first tournament. Do so and I'll order a new set of gear for you to be made, and the race change will come." He gently wiped her lips with a handkerchief.
"Y-you would grant me so much?" She stuttered in disbelief. "I-I am not unworthy anymore?"
"I admit I was pissed when you killed the Swords of Darkness, but you have done enough to redeem yourself. I can feel how loyal and devoted you are. I firmly believe in properly rewarding my servants, no matter who they are. Continue doing good work, and I will give what your heart desires." He dragged the flat side of the talon over her cheek, feeling her squirm in utter delight.
"Thank you, Lord. I couldn't have dreamt of such blessings!" Clementine exclaimed with a shaky voice, ecstasy shaking her to her core.
After dismissing her from his quarters, Pero dropped on the sofa in a half-lying position, sighing. In this short exchange, he had felt the sensation of being worshiped getting stronger and more distinct than ever, especially when he had promised Clementine the race change. It didn't give much in terms of power compared to what he had already, but if he could get a legion of such devoted followers, his power surely would become unrivaled. Best of all, he only needed to pay close attention to one and make sure she was fully devoted to him, and she would handle the rest.
He quickly ignored the reports of Clementine shrieking in a euphoric ecstasy as she rushed off to slaughter and intimidate more local tribes, both conquered and unconquered.
<X>
For the second time, both of them were visiting Nazarick. Enri was holding onto Nfirea's arm with the veritable strength of an ogre while they crossed the gate despite still being human. Luckily, her soon-to-be husband could withstand her intense nervousness due to being empowered by the Gods, but he still wished she could learn to relax around their superiors somewhat.
It was these new heights that had enabled him to reach a breakthrough which was to be the topic of today's meeting. The vial in his left hand was filled with purple liquid littered with blobs of vibrant red, a huge step towards his and his employer's goals. If he shook the potion slightly, it temporarily became nearly entirely red for several minutes until gradually separating into two distinct liquids once more.
"You two are as tense as last time. I'm considering offering liquid courage to calm your nerves." Mariposa greeted them with a lot more casual demeanor than the last time, having already acknowledged them in their previous meeting.
"Is that some sort of potion?" Enri asked.
"Lady Mariposa was referring to alcohol," Nfirea explained. He had heard the term used by adventurers many times before, among the many terms they had used to describe the liquid.
"Ohh!" Enri blushed slightly, ashamed at her lack of experience on the matter. For villagers, alcohol was something only used in large celebrations, for the older adults to pass the night. "I think I would like some."
Their hostess waved over a maid and before they knew it, a glass of strong but pleasant fruity-smelling liquid was in their hands while the potion, Nfirea had worked on, found its place on the table for Lady Mariposa to view.
Enri downed the glass in one go, becoming even redder in her cheeks as her expression became less tense with time. Nfirea, not knowing any better, followed her example and gulped down the drink within a few seconds.
As someone who had never tasted anything stronger than diluted beer or wine from village celebrations or the occasional bar meet-up with clients, he was sorely unprepared to feel as if he had just drank a liquid equivalent to a high-quality fire enchantment, which was masked under an immensely pleasant taste that almost succeeded at its job. It took all his willpower not to break into a coughing fit though, but it was an excellent drink.
"This was just what I needed," Enri commented. "I didn't know it could taste so good."
"I agree," He somehow managed to get out while holding his relaxed facial muscles in place through sheer willpower.
The demoness didn't seem to be convinced as she gave him a sly smile, looking amused with their mortal antics.
"Let's move on. Nfirea, my husband is waiting for you in the lab." Mariposa mentioned the door to her left, leaning back on her sofa.
"Don't forget the potion!" She called after him as Nfirea got up and approached the door at a brisk pace, forcing him to run back and grab the vial before disappearing into the next room.
Both Enri and Mariposa shared a knowing look. "They are so alike." The demoness commented.
"Is Lord Tabula…" Enri didn't know how to ask about the similarities between her soon-to-be husband and the monstrous God, two individuals of vastly different abilities of statuses. How could they, mere mortals, compare to the greatness of the Gods?
"He is very forgetful and overly obsessed with his work and interests, but at the end of the day, he always remembers to give me the attention I crave," She answered, motioning for a maid to bring another bottle of alcohol.
"Just like Enfi."
"They found one another for a reason."
"If only I could find guidance that easily." Enri let out a tired sigh, the alcohol having taken its toll.
"You are a leader by nature, so I would think picking Lord Ainz as your patron God would be a natural choice," Mariposa commented as she refilled the glasses with the finest brandy Nazarick could offer and handed one to Enri, taking one for herself as she sipped from it.
The girl surely needed to kick back and relax for a while, which both of them could afford to do right now with Tabula and Nfirea likely going over research unless someone or something interrupted them. "This is strong stuff. Better to take small sips." She cautioned the girl.
"I didn't want to be a leader, but no one cares about what I want." She complained while sampling the spirit in a slower manner, taking the warning to heart as she felt the burn trickle instead of flood like earlier.
"The best leaders are those who understand the burden of leadership, yet aren't ones to seek it for the rewards of power or control. Tell me, when you have no other choice, are you a bad leader; do you neglect the needs of those in your care?"
"Well… no one is complaining. Everyone in the village was telling me I was doing great, but I thought they were doing it so I didn't quit so none of them had to take up this stressful position. The elders were more than delighted to shove all their responsibilities onto me. Lady Mariposa-"
"I think we can move to a first-name basis. You can even call me Mari if you like." She interrupted the girl.
"Oh, I don't know if I can be so informal."
"Our husbands can be, I see no reason why we couldn't either. Among my kind, I am considered to still be very young. And all you are doing is doubting yourself."
"I guess so. But how should I go about worshiping Lord Ainz?" Enri inquired.
"It is very simple my dear, just pray. When you need help or guidance, follow what your heart tells you to do. Mortals intrinsically search for assistance when they need it. When everything goes just like you want, send a prayer of thankfulness to strengthen the connection further. Worship of Gods can be subtle without a need to gaze upon them every day, it just takes time. As long as you yearn for the divine connection, it will be there to guide you, and when you need it, Lord Ainz will guide you both directly and indirectly." Mariposa spoke with passion and reverence behind her voice, whether from experience or her husband being a God, Enri couldn't tell, perhaps both.
"That sounds easy," Enri admitted, relieved at the answer. She had been to a temple all but twice in her life, and both times it was nerve-racking. The tall ceilings and the echoey hall gave a sense of immense inadequacy, which was only actuated by priests preaching about how grateful humanity needed to be towards the Gods for saving them, to serve wholeheartedly regardless of what else they felt or did. The Gods were supreme, and one had to give their all to even glimpse the realm of the Gods. Many had spent their entire lives in intense devotion, only to obtain nothing, and the temple itself controlled huge swathes of political and economic power from what mortals would give to seek the Gods' assistance.
Now, she knew that she had met a God, and this God, despite his scary appearance and "heretical" race, was a kind one who wouldn't look down on her. It was easy to imagine that Ainz Ooal Gown looked after her, considering all he had done. There was irrefutable proof that he did. The village was more protected than ever against beasts and bandits. She had a group of versatile, loyal helpers that came from a magical item gifted to her by him. And as if all that wasn't enough, Yuri Alpha was sent to help and protect the village as a direct representative of his will. Any one of these would've been enough for the church to seize control of the village and commandeer it for its connections, the last one being potentially enough to shake religion to its core if push came to shove.
'Thank you, Lord Ainz, for everything. I am grateful for all you have done for me.' She sent a silent prayer to her God as Mariposa refilled her glass, a small smile dancing across her lips.
Editing by aidan_lo.
Proofreading by aidan_lo, IAMTHEPLOKOKIOPO, Sluethen, fvvck, Mfkzrocker, and, clagan and Stac.
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