Aura stood on the carriage step, refusing to enter.
A stench rose from the man—a mix of male and female scents. She'd smelled it before when he and Mira were together, but this time, Shalltear's scent tainted it, making it unbearably foul. She couldn't get closer.
"Didn't you leave?" I asked.
"Just answer. What were you doing with Shalltear?"
If Aura was here, she'd likely seen everything. Even with undead horses and Mira on guard, a skilled ranger like her could slip past unnoticed.
"You saw, so you should know."
"Tell me what you were doing!"
Her tone was sharp, though I couldn't fathom why she was so upset. If she wanted an answer, I'd give it.
"I was pleasing Shalltear-sama. Bluntly, we had sex. You've seen it before, so you know what it's like."
"…Shalltear's vying to be Ainz-sama's consort. Do you realize what you've done?"
The carriage's magical light, dim for a vampire like Shalltear, didn't let me see Aura's face clearly. Her voice sounded calm, but she was anything but.
She knew Shalltear played with underlings, a shameless vampire who'd soak her underwear in Ainz-sama's presence. Her promiscuity was no secret in Nazarick. So why was Aura so upset?
If she felt Shalltear stole me, it'd be simple—she outranked me, a human under Albedo's command. She could order me to stay away or punish me. But that wasn't it.
She felt I was stolen by Shalltear, left behind. Shalltear had approached me, not the other way around. Aura wasn't foolish enough to miss that, yet she couldn't help blaming me.
"Hm…"
"Can't answer?"
"No, I understand. I know Albedo-sama and Shalltear-sama compete for Ainz-sama's favor. I believe Albedo-sama will win."
"So you did that to sabotage Shalltear!?"
"Not at all."
I'd done far more with Albedo-sama, so the thought never crossed my mind. When they pursued me, I had no choice but to comply. Explaining that to Aura wouldn't help.
Fortunately, my time with the kingdom's princess gave me insight.
"Do you know what a courtly knight is, Aura-sama?"
"Trying to dodge the question?"
"No, it's a noble role. Since you don't know, I'll explain. Please, come inside."
"I'm fine here."
"Very well."
I moved toward her, but her glare stopped me. I sat back down, facing her.
"Imagine a lord from the empire's eastern edge, ordered by the emperor to lead an army to the Holy Kingdom. How long would the journey take?"
"What's that got to do with anything?"
"It's to explain a courtly knight's role."
"…Ten days?"
"It's on foot. Even seasoned adventurers need to camp from Carne Village to E-Rantel. An army moves at the pace of its slowest member. The lord rides, but soldiers walk, carrying supplies. A short trip might mean sleeping under a cloak, but a long one requires tents, eating up time. Rest is needed, too—six hours of travel a day at most.
They'd march to the capital, then detour south around the Azerlisia Mountains, passing near Carne Village. Cross the kingdom or the Theocracy, then face the Abelion Hills, where Demiurge-sama operates. Reaching the Holy Kingdom would take three months, if they're lucky."
"Three months!? No way!"
"At least three. Humans can't fly. After their mission, another three months back. Winter travel is harder, so they might wait for spring. A round trip to a known land could take over a year."
Aura was stunned. A journey she'd make in days took humans a year. It reinforced her view of their inferiority.
"Lords leave their lands for over a year, leaving their wives behind."
"Obviously, they wait."
"But they're alone, lonely. A courtly knight comforts such ladies."
"But Ainz-sama…"
"Yes, Ainz-sama is in Nazarick."
I didn't elaborate, knowing she understood.
Ainz-sama had been on a short expedition, not months or years. But his skeletal form couldn't sate fleshly desires, no matter how much they craved him.
"For nobility, it's different. Kings and consorts record their unions publicly. Children born outside these times lack inheritance rights. A king's fling with a townswoman doesn't make her child a prince. The same applies to queens. The young emperor keeps his wife and concubines close, but I can't say for the kingdom's aged ruler."
"So you're saying you only did it because Shalltear told you to? You feel nothing for her?"
"Of course not. She's beautiful, and though she's demanding, it's an honor."
I'd just glimpsed true beauty in Shalltear. If Albedo-sama lights the world, Shalltear shines at night. Together, they dominate day and night—akin to world conquest.
"You did that with me too, right?"
"Yes. I hope you enjoyed it."
"Tch, that's not the point!"
She vividly recalled being licked and sucked.
"…So."
Aura hesitated, torn. Her rivalry with Shalltear, the allure of that pleasure, her attachment to me, and the moment's impulse pushed her to speak.
She couldn't ask how I felt about her, fearing a disappointing answer. But as a Floor Guardian, equal to Shalltear, she should be entitled to the same.
It felt manipulative, but she had no other words.
"If I told you to do it with me, would you?"
"Sex?"
"…Yes."
"Impossible."
Her face flushed with anger at my instant reply.
"You know why. You've seen me. Your body's too small—it wouldn't fit."
Even knowing a woman's pleasure, her immature body couldn't handle it.
"I can please you as before, but penetration's impossible. It wouldn't even get hard."
"!!"
"Wait for your body to mature. As a long-lived being, you'll outlive me. You're destined to grow beautiful, and anyone you desire—"
I stopped. The open carriage door revealed only darkness. Aura's faint silhouette was gone.
"Master, is something wrong?"
"…Just breathing the night air. Any issues with the return?"
"None. The horses will reach the capital without my input."
"Then join me. It's a long way."
"Yes! The slow pace means it'll take time, but I'm free to obey any command!"
Unlike Albedo-sama, Shalltear-sama is often sated after one round, not absorbing vitality or semen. I'd prepared for her, but with only one go, I had energy to spare.
Aura returned to Nazarick, fleeing the scene as if escaping.
Was it regret? Defeat? Fleeing a mere human felt pathetic.
"Oh? If it isn't Aura."
"…Shalltear."
At Nazarick's surface log house, Yuri seemed concerned, but Aura brushed past, taking a gate to the ninth floor. Trudging along, she ran into the last person she wanted to see.
Fresh from her indulgence, Shalltear was in high spirits, forgiving even a servant spilling wine on her dress with a laugh.
"Still so tiny, huh? You're so small, I might miss you and step on you. Wouldn't want to crush something so pitiful, so stick to the corners."
"…Call me tiny again, and I'll snap."
"Then you're a kid. Kids should be in bed, sleeping alone!"
"SHALLTEAR!"
"Wanna go!?"
Sated and sharp, the night's vampire was unstoppable. Aura, worn down, snapped. A rare Nazarick catfight ensued.
Scratching, biting, hair-pulling, slapping, headbutting—an unladylike brawl.
Normally, Aura's cunning would outwit Shalltear's impulsiveness. But today, rage blinded her. Both level 100, Shalltear excelled in close combat, unlike Aura, who led armies. Only Albedo could match Shalltear in a brawl. Cocytus or Sebas would concede quickly, reading the room.
"Ugh…"
"What a childish mind. Learn to act your age."
Challenging Shalltear in close combat was reckless. Aura collapsed, dizzy, as Shalltear laughed and strutted away.
Later, watched by worried maids, Aura stood, wiping her eyes, head bowed. She wanted to be alone, to sleep, despite hating Shalltear's words.
Lost in thought, she didn't notice the great presence until it spoke.
"What's wrong?"
"A… Ainz-sama!"
She knelt, head lowered to avoid disrespect.
"You're walking listlessly, unusual for you. What happened?"
"N-Nothing! I'm sorry for worrying you, Ainz-sama."
Causing Ainz-sama distress was unbearable for Nazarick's servants. Even half-dead, they'd say "nothing" to spare him.
Ainz understood this. He appreciated their care but found their silence troubling. Aiming for a humane organization, he needed to hear their struggles.
Aura, created by Bukubuku Chagama, was mature yet childish. Her dejected walk and failure to notice him were alarming. He wanted to resolve her issue, but she wouldn't speak.
Time to use his honed ruler persona.
"Your happiness is my joy, your sadness my sorrow. If you care for me, speak. If you can't, I won't force you."
"Never! I'd never sadden you, Ainz-sama…"
His boundless kindness sparked an anthem of praise in Aura's mind.
Her eyes, slightly red, met his as she looked up.
"It's just… Shalltear called me tiny and childish, and I got mad. I'm so sorry for troubling you."
She bowed again.
(Shalltear, huh? I thought she'd grown kinder, but did my praise make her cocky?)
Shalltear had meant to cheer Aura up, roughly translating to: "You look down. Don't let the servants see you like this—rest." Even her Vampire Bride Elite Six couldn't decode it. The catfight was meant to lift Aura's mood, but Shalltear's nature made it inevitable.
Communication matters greatly.
"It's fine," Aura said, smirking darkly. "Shalltear's undead—she won't grow. But I will. I'll call her childish one day."
Her grim smile chilled Ainz's spine.
(This is bad. Aura's heading to the dark side!)
A dark elf falling to darkness—what a calamity.
"Wait here."
"Ainz-sama?"
He teleported away, returning with a plain bottle filled with blue, round objects.
"Here, for you."
"What is it?"
She took it, the contents sparkling like gems in an unassuming container.
"It's called 'Strange Blue Candy,' a magical item. Lick it, and you'll temporarily become an adult."
"I can't accept something so precious!"
"It's valuable, but you're far more so."
By Ainz's standards, it was rare—no longer obtainable. But useless, a forgotten YGGDRASIL quest item. He had ten spares, gathering dust.
To Aura, it was a divine gift, tears streaming as anthems of Ainz's greatness played in her mind.
"Try it."
"Yes!"
She popped the lid, took a large candy, and put it in her mouth. Not sweet, slightly bitter—an adult taste.
"Oh…" Ainz murmured in awe.
"How do I look?"
The angle of her neck as she looked up was different. Her hands seemed larger. She felt bigger but couldn't see herself without a mirror.
"You're definitely an adult now. Show Shalltear—she won't tease you anymore."
"…Yes! Thank you, Ainz-sama!"
She wanted to know how she looked, but Ainz couldn't elaborate.
He watched her run off, long legs carrying her swiftly.
(Didn't expect that. I might've done Shalltear dirty.)
"SHALLTEAR!"
"Enemy attack!?"
"Don't be stupid."
Aura kicked open the Corpse Wax Chamber's door. Shalltear lounged on a grand bed, attended by Vampire Brides.
"No way… Aura!?"
"Yup. Ainz-sama gave me an item to become an adult. This is me grown up."
"Ainz-sama… to Aura…"
Shalltear rose, then collapsed, kneeling with hands on the sheets, forehead touching the fabric.
"…I surrender."
"Shalltear-sama!?" her Brides cried.
Their beloved master admitted defeat. They wanted to fight, but even they couldn't deny Aura's dominance.
"Apologize!" Shalltear snapped.
"We acknowledge Aura-sama's victory."
The Brides knelt, foreheads to the floor in a formal, pleading apology—dogez.
Adult Aura's mere presence secured total victory over the vampires.
"Good. …So, Shalltear, I need to ask you something."
"Leave us," Shalltear ordered. "What do you want?"
"Drop the act, talk normally."
"Fine. But to think that tiny kid would become… this."
"Still calling me tiny or childish?"
"Sorry!"
"It's fine."
"What's up?"
Blushing, Aura averted her eyes from the half-naked Shalltear.
"About sex… how do you do it?"