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Chapter Text

Overlord Fanfic / Butterflies in the Stomach - by Squid "JP" Bulbord

Prologue

 On the 9^th floor of the Great Tomb of Nazarick one could find many rooms for leisure and various services. One of such establishments was the small cocktail bar run by Sous-chef, lit dimly by purple magic lights, it is the perfect place to enjoy a variety of drinks and beverages which could give potential status buffs to whoever consumed them, of course such thing wasn’t the appeal of the bar, as not only some of the patrons could neither drink nor get inebriated, but the buffs provided by the consumable items were either too weak or redundant for the other guests.

 In fact, the bar of the 9^th floor was by all means a purely recreational area, one where the many denizens of Nazarick could visit to take a break and quietly drink in peace in the comfortable ambience. However, today the air of the saloon was uncharacteristically cold, as a faint icy mist could be felt even by those with cold resistance. This surprisingly refreshing cool air was the first thing Demiurge, the devilish guardian of the 7^th floor and frequent visitor of the bar, felt as he opened the door to the establishment, and after looking around for a bit, the source of the cooling was identified. Demiurge saw the familiar sight of a huge icy blue carapace, it was Cocytus, guardian of the 5^th floor.

“Fancy seeing you here again, my friend.”

 Demiurge said with a genuine smile. He and Cocytus would usually hang out at the bar whenever they were free, however they had both been very busy diligently fulfilling their master’s plans, so their meetings became sparse.

 “Ah. Demiurge. It. Is. Good. To. See. You. As. Well.”

 Cocytus said in his usual monotone yet powerful voice. One could notice the constant icy mist -the cause of the unusual cold atmosphere- emanating from his mandibles, Demiurge knew this was a sign that there was something bothering his fellow Floor Guardian.

“Is something the matter, Cocytus? Your turning this place into the next Frozen Prison…”

“Forgive. Me. I. Just. Have. Been... Thinking. About. Something…”

“Oh? Is it about managing the lizardmen? If so I can offer you my help.”

 It was no secret that Demiurge intellect and cunning was one of the highest in Nazarick, and even if Albedo was probably a better choice to ask about administrative advice, Demiurge was confident in his abilities on managing as well.

“It. Is. Not. Though. Perhaps. I. Could. Still. Use. Your. Advice. Regarding. My. Current. Problem…”

“Anything for a friend and fellow member of Nazarick.”

 The air grew colder as Cocytus took deeper breaths as if preparing for a challenging battle, and- with the determination of a warrior- he said:

“What. Do. You. Know. About. Love?”

*

Chapter Text

 A commotion could be heard from a particular room in the 9^th floor of the Great Tomb, but it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary, in fact this was the expected cacophony for this time of month, for today was the monthly gathering of the combat maid squad, the Pleiades. Ever since coming to the New World the six maids, whose original job was to serve as the last line of defense in Nazarick, now had plenty of tasks assigned to them by their great leader, and taking this into account, their wise and benevolent ruler had provided the sisters with a day of rest each month. Usually the Pleiades would use this time to report on their activities and chat over a tea party, and today was no different.

 “Lupusregina! Please refrain from mentioning the nightly activities of the humans you guard while we are eating!”

“Eeeh? But aren’t we supposed to report on or duties?”

 The sight of Yuri Alpha scolding Lupusregina Beta was nothing new, CZ2128 Delta was quietly drinking a chocolate smoothie while Solution Epsilon watched the scene while finishing up digesting her own meal. As Narberal Gamma examined her sorroundings, she glanced at the unmoving face of her younger sister, Entoma Vasilisa Zeta, usually such a thing wouldn’t take her attention, afterall all Entoma’s unblinking cute “face” was nothing more than a mask hiding her true apperence, as such most people would not be able to make up her thoughts or emotions from her expressionless features, but as her sister, Narberal had a way to gage her fellow maid mood.

“Entoma, are you alright? You haven’t spoken in a while, and you barely touched your plate...”

 Narberal signaled to a plate with bits and pieces of many types of meats, luckily Entoma usually refrained from bringing her little “snacks” during their meetings.

“… A-ah, is that so?”

“Entoma not eating? Something must be seriously off then~ su”

“Oh, could it be the meat isn’t of your liking today?”

 As a fellow enjoyer of such particular kinds of meats, both Solution and Entoma shared their opinions on the various cuts provided by Demiurge and Pulcinella. Though Narberal couldn’t understand the appeal of such meals -much less differentiate the apparently many ways it could taste- she supposed it could explain her insect sister odd behavior.

“Ah, well, n-no, that’s not it… Say, is it okay if I ask you all about something?”

“Oh?”

 “… What do you know about love?”

 The room went completely silent for a moment, until it suddenly exploded with a collective eruption of noise.

“E-eeehhhh??”

“What”

“You mean love love? Like the romantic type of love? Or is this about your feelings towards your little snacks ~su”

“Oh my, I wouldn’t take you for the romantic type, Entoma.”

“…Uwaa, that is actually very cute.”

 As the monotone voice of CZ was heard over the commotion, Narberal looked at Entoma, who was currently hiding her face behind her long sleeves, as if trying to hide her nonexistent blushing face, though her pancaking antennas gave her embarrassment away regardless. Taking in this whole scene, Narberal couldn’t help but feel a warmth in her chest, though made individually by different Supreme Beings, the Pleiades were created as sisters, and seeing them playfully teasing like this made her feel fulfilled.

Clap. Clap. Clap.

“Quite down everyone, let Entoma speak.”

 Just as she was getting lost in her thoughts, the battle maid heard the stern claps of Yuri Alpha. As expected from the vice-captain, and the oldest sister, of the Pleiades, Yuri was usually the one to mediate the other sisters.

“So, Entoma, you want to know our experiences with… Love?”

 Entoma embarrassedly nodded.

 The other maids looked at each other.

“W-well, I don’t think any of us has had any… personal romantic history…”

 Yuri shifted her glasses nervously. To say that was an understatement, none of them had undergone any such experiences, as not only did they show no interest in it, but they also had no time to think of such things when serving their master’s will. All that Narberal knew about love came from her time as her adamantite adventure persona, Nabe of Darkness, were many of the worthless insects –known as humans- often bothered her with their insignificant feelings, if it weren’t for her master’s orders she would have exterminated them without a thought…Wait, could Lord Ainz be preparing her for moments like this? As expected from the unlimited wisdom of the supreme ruler of Nazarick.

 Still, why was Entoma curious about such topics? Could she have received some assignment involving it? Narberal knew that, apparently, Demiurge was conducting some sort of experiments that involved cross-breeding, though she did not know much. Maybe Entoma was just curious about the customs of the outsiders, for some reason she had been visiting the lizardmen tribes, so perhaps she had encountered such behaviors there…

“I mean; I do know some stuff from my time guarding Carne Village su~. It’s very boring though, all couples do is walk around, kiss sometimes and sleep together and stuff.”

 Lupusregina said in her usual laidback manner. If anyone one of them knew something about social customs outside of Nazarick, it would probably be her, but as expected she had not experienced it herself – and to be fair, the werewolf maid wasn’t exactly the brightest of the Pleiades-

“…Is that so? Doesn’t sound very romantic.”- CZ said while sipping her chocolate flavor drink.

“Perhaps there are books about the topic in the Library of Ashurbanipal…”- Yuri mentioned.

 The battle maids started to chat over the topic, but just before they started to drift off Narberal decide to ask Entoma the question that had been in her mind.

“Why do you want to know about romance anyway?”

“Ah – w-well… I am just curious that’s all.”

“Is that so? I’m starting to suspect that you might have a little crush su~”

“… Maybe…”

 The cutesy voice of Entoma echoed in the room only for it to be met by silence, the same calm that would take place before a storm. And just as before, the room exploded with a cacophony from the various maid sisters.

“EEEEHHHH??! NO WAY!!!”

 Lupusregina shouted loudly, slamming her palms on the table and staring at the now embarrassed bug maid with eyes sparkling like stars.

“Oh my, to think Entoma, out of all of people...”

“…Uwaah, I wanna hear more.”

 Narberal was speechless from Entoma’s sudden declaration, a variety of thoughts passed through her mind – Entoma was in love? The same Entoma who ate human limbs for dinner? No, maybe they misheard her, yeah that had to be it, but one look at the arachnoid maid said otherwise. Entoma was desperately trying to hide her never-changing smile face the same way a young girl would do when discussing her first crush to her friends. Well, Narberal supposed that was precisely the case.

 Still, who could possibly be her sister’s love interest? Come to think of it, could Entoma have been afflicted by a [Charm] spell? Usually the Pleiades would have had abilities or items to negate such spells, but if there was one thing her master had made it clear to Narberal during their time as Momon and Nabe, is that one could not underestimated the outside world, and with the Shalltear’s brainwash incident as proof, one would be utterly foolish to be overly confident now. Still, the possibly of such thing seemed too far-fetched for a variety of reasons-

Clap. Clap. Clap.

“Everyone, calm down!”

 Once more Yuri snaps Narberal back to reality.

“Entoma, I am very glad that you felt comfortable enough to share your feelings with us, if you’d like we would be more than happy to support your emotions.”

 As expected of their big sister, handling the situation with maturity.

“Yuri…Ah -Thank you.”

 Entoma started to fidgeted on her seat, with her antennas wagging. It was quite cute. 

“To be completely honest I am not sure of what I have been feeling. It’s… It’s like I have this weird sensation in my chest, a fluttering tenderness that makes me lightheaded…”

 She paused for a moment.

“It’s as if I have butterflies on my stomach… or at least that’s it feels like…”

 Silence once again fell upon the tea party, but this time, instead of igniting a chaotic barrage of reactions, the noise that broke the quietness was a monotone yet cute voice.

“… Cute.”

 CZ moved to Entoma and hugged her maid sister. Entoma seemed surprised but she did not pushed CZ away, accepting the embrace.

“So that’s how it is huh? I might not understand this lovey-dovey stuff, but I suppose it’s the duty of an Older sister to support her little sis su~” – Lupusregina said with a playful smile.

“Oh Entoma sweetie, there’s nothing to be embarrassed over, I for one think it’s lovely to see you experiencing such emotions.”- the soothing voice of Solution comforted the arachnoid Pleiade.

 Narberal looked at her neglected tea cup, with the chaotic turn of events, she had almost completely forgotten about it, she took a sip –the liquid was now cold, but it still tasted sweet- as she reflected the current situation. She didn’t know how to react, this wasn’t a something she could understand, she had never felt such emotions… Unless… the feeling Entoma described, the fluttering feeling deep inside one’s chest, Narberal had felt something similar whenever she would glance at all of her sisters enjoying their time together, fulfilling the purpose their creators had given them, was that love? If so, then she could actually understand her sister…

“Entoma” -Narberal spoke up- “It is as the others have said, we are your sisters, we are here for you and we will help you in any way we can.”

“You guys…”

 Entoma responded with a reassuring voice, one that showed the emotion her face could not reflect, as she finally returned a hug for CZ. A very cute sight, Narberal thought.

 After a moment passed, the Pleiades all gleefully smiled at each other, and with this wholesome mood Lupusregina patted Entoma’s back.

“So, tell your big sisters, who’s the lucky person you have on your mind?”

 Everyone’s ears perked up, this was the one thing they were probably all asking themselves on their minds, who could possibly be their sisters crush? Was it someone from the Great Tomb? It couldn’t possibly be an outsider – Then again, wasn’t Sebas in a relationship with someone from the New World? Even CZ had made a friendship with a human too…

 Curiosity grew more and more on each of the battle maids, their every senses on alert as Entoma finally mustered the courage to reveal whoever she had in mind.

“… I… I think I might like Lord Cocytus."

 The room once again exploded in noise.

*

Chapter Text

 Demiurge stoop completely still after hearing his fellow Floor Guardian question, the sudden, unexpected topic from the giant ice warrior insect made Demiurge freeze in place, without knowing how to react. His mind too was in a similar frozen state, to the point where his first thoughts were if this was some sort of special ability that Cocytus had used on him, one where both his body and mind would be frozen for an unknown amount of time –of course Demiurge had never heard of such abilities, but it would be fitting for the level 100 frost vermin lord.

 The chilling breaths of Cocytus could still be heard, so time hadn’t stopped, still Demiurge remained motionless, he thought perhaps he had misheard his friend, he was a very cunning and perceptive demon, but surely even Demiurge could misunderstand things, his Supreme ruler proved as such countless with his unmatched intellect. So to be sure, he asked Cocytus:

“… Forgive me, Cocytus, but did you asked me my opinions on the topic of love?”

“Yes.”

 Cocytus responded without a hint of hesitation, which only send Demiurge mind into further disarray.

“Ah, I see…”

 Demiurge fixed his glasses while trying to gather his thoughts into some sense of cohesion. Cocytus, the Guardian of the 5^th floor of Nazarick, the ruler of the lizardmen, and a weapon master whose prowess was unmatched in terms of pure physical strength, had just asked about the topic of romance to Demiurge, the strategist demon emperor responsible for guarding the 7^th floor. Why? After some quick thinking, Demiurge deduced the most likely reason.

 “Ah, of course, you want to check in on my progress on the breeding experiments, I have been taking into account the emotional state of the subjects-

“No. That’s. Not. Why. I. Asked. You.”

 Cocytus denial of the –so far- only logical explanation Demiurge could come up with once more threw the sleek demon commander mind out of its rails. Was this a test of some sort? Yes, this must be one of his wise masters many tests to challenge him, as expected from Lord Ainz.

“Demiurge. I. Am. Going. To. Make. Myself. Clear. I. Do. Not. Have. Any. Ulterior. Motives. I. Am. Simply. Asking. For. Romantic. Advice. From. A. Friend.”

 The imposing insect warrior took a deep breath and exhaled once more a fine icy mist and Demiurge thoughts were interrupted before they could get out of hand. Ever since they started frequenting the bar of the 9^th floor their relationship had greatly strengthen, and so the demon from the fiery inferno and the warrior from the freezing glacier had formed a friendship, as such they had gotten used to each other’s personalities and quirks, that’s how Demiurge could understand Cocytus emotions despite the ladder’s lack of facial expressions. But Cocytus too had become keen on Demiurge tendencies to overthink, which although a great tool for understanding the will of their Supreme ruler, tended to get out of hand in social scenarios.

 After his friend had shown consideration for that aspect of him, Demiurge felt a bit ashamed for not understanding Cocytus plight, the Floor Guardian legitimately wanted advice from a confidant, someone he trusted enough to open himself up to, and all Demiurge could think was how it related to their work. Demiurge shook his head, as if to take the bad thoughts out of his mind, and spoke with a bittersweet smile.

“Forgive me, my friend, it appears I was once more inconsiderate of others feelings.”

“No. It. Is. Quite. Alright. My. Question. Was. Too. Sudden. I. Should. Apologize. As. Well.”

 The two of them looked at one another in mutual understating and Demiurge took a seat next to Cocytus on the bar stand and gestured for Sous-chef -who had quietly been cleaning on the other side of the table- for his usual drink.

“So, tell me good friend, what has been bothering you?”

“Ah. Well… How. Should. I. Put. This…”

 As Cocytus gathered his thoughts Sous-chef brought Demiurge’s drink, a delectable cocktail composed of a mixture of fine drinks that blended into one exuberant red-tinted beverage, it apparently granted the user fire resistance, but Demiurge, who already possessed immunity to flames, only drank it for its spicy yet refreshing taste.

“Lately. I. Have. Been. Experiencing. This… Feeling… This. Innate. Discomfort. In. My. Chest. Whenever. I. Think. About. A. Particular. Someone… I. Do. Not. Even. Know. How. To. Describe. It.”

 Cocytus put one of his 4 hands on his face, as if he was feeling feverish and checking his temperature, and the chilling steam from his mandibles once more started to grow.

“It. Is. Like. This… Chilling. Sensation. In. My. Gut. That. Makes. Me. Feel. Uneasy.… I. Even. Went. To. Check. With. Pestonya. To. See. If. My. Health. Was. At. Fault.”

“I see. Seems pretty serious then, but are you sure this… condition you’re feeling is love?”

“I. am. Unsure. But. According. To. Pestonya. That. Could. Be. It... That. Is. Why. I. am. Asking. For. Your. Opinion.”

 With that said Demiurge started thinking. On one hand, he was glad that Cocytus trusted him enough to help him out on this tricky situation, but on the other hand Demiurge himself had no personal experience with romance, so he did not know if what his friend was feeling was love or not. The Arch-Devil of the blazing inferno was granted by his creator a great intellect and cunning -adapt at scheming impeccable plans for all matter of operations, his skills at manipulating were appropriately devilish, and when it came to military strategies he was second to none- however Cocytus seemed to have found the one topic he knew nothing about.

 Demiurge took a sip from his drink, gulping the spicy liquid down, and sighed.

“If you allow me to be honest, Cocytus, I personally have no idea whether what you are feeling is love or not”

 He looked down at his beverage, and, for a brief moment, glanced at his own reflection

“As you can probably tell I am a very pragmatic person, a trait personally instilled on me by my creator that I take a lot of pride in, so I hope you’ll forgive me for not being able to give you the answer you are looking for…”

 It took all of Demiuge’s pride to confess as much, he was doing the one thing every strategist knew not to do: Showing one of his weaknesses. He wondered why had he done that, although Cocytus was a friend there was no reason to outright tell him such things, he could have easily just have come up with a clever excuse, but for some reason he felt compelled to be honest… ‘Is this what true friendship is all about?’ he pondered, perhaps this was the relationship Supreme Beings -their creators, who according to Lord Ainz, were great comrades- had with one another?

 For a moment Demiurge swore he felt an odd feeling deep within his chest… A chilling uneasiness hard to describe. The thought of he and Cocytus sharing a bond similar to their mighty supreme rulers filled him with a mixture of emotions.

“I. See. I. Understand…”

 Cocytus let out another powerful frosty breath as he gestured for Sous-chef to also give him a drink.

 They would both enjoyed each other’s company in silence as Cocytus received a huge glass mug filled with a goldish brown carbonated liquid with a frothy foam on top, it was one of the many beers served at the bar, one of Cocytus favorites for its strong and rich taste. The frost warrior then proceeded to consume down the entire flask in a single gulp, finishing it with one of his spine chilling exhales of air.

“Aaahh!! There. Is. No. Stronger. Opponent. Than. One’s. Own. Inner. Struggles!”

“I couldn’t agree more, my friend. No wonder Lord Ainz tests us Guardians with trials meticulously designed to demonstrate our inner flaws, only the Supreme One could find the perfect way to improve us!”

“What. A. Wise. And. Merciful. Leader. Lord. Ainz .Is. Truly. Unmatched! I. will. Never. Forget. What. I. Learned. From. My. Failure. With. The. Lizardmen… Realizing. One. Can. Still. Strive. For. Improvement. Is. The. Fuel. Of. Any. Worthy. Warrior!”

 The giant figure spoke with reverberating devotion and respect for their undead master. Demiurge could more than relate.

 “His. Test. For. Sebas. Had. To. Be. His. Most. Drastic. Example... The. Proof. Of. Loyalty. He. Undertook. With. That. Human. Truly. Shook. Him. To. His. Core. But. Sebas. Demonstrated. Such. Willpower! As. Expected. Of. Lord. Ainz!”

 Suddenly the cunning arch-devil felt a surge through his brain as if he was hit by a lighting spell of a high enough tier. Of course! How could he have been so ignorant, overlooking such an obvious option graciously provided by his grandiose ruler? In fact, this might just be part of his unfathomable masterplan! It was so obvious now looking back at it... Demiurge couldn’t help but once more be amazed at Lord Ainz’s enigmatic intellect.

“Cocytus, that’s it! Although I hate to admit it, perhaps we could use Sebas’s experience with his little human “pet” to aid you in your troubles…”

 He fixed his glasses and laughed a devilish chuckle, much to his companion’s worry. To say the devil of the blazing inferno and the iron butler had a bitter relationship would be an understatement, no small fee thanks to their different karma values and –by extension-  moral standings, however they were both still well-mannered gentleman, so their disputes were usually relegated to passive aggressive arguments over many topics. Their most heated dispute came from the aforementioned episode involving Sebas acquiring of a low life human, something that led to doubts over his loyalty to Nazarick and the Supreme Being, Sebas, however, proved his fidelity and most surprising their Lord had accepted his request to integrate the feeble girl into the Great Tomb. At first Demiurge could not understand why their master showed such uncharacteristic mercy, but now everything fell into place like puzzle pieces creating a grandiose picture.

“Demiurge. I. Pray. You. Will. Not. Do. Anything. Unreasonable…”

*

Chapter Text

 It was a normal day at the wetlands of the Great Lake, the lush weather -granted by the warm sun and moist air- was perfect for not only the cold blooded demi-humans of the area, such as the toadmen or the lizardmen, but it was also the ideal habitat for a diverse array of invertebrate species, especially for the many types of insects and other arthropods native to the region.

 From agile dragonflies and vibrant cicadas, to graceful butterflies and enigmatic water striders, one could find a near endless number of small yet plentiful critters scurrying on the marshy ground or flying overhead. All exquisite snacks for Entoma, the insect loving maid of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, whose webs were perfect to catch the many crunchy delights for her to enjoy, with her favorites being the rare but most delectable millipedes that would find themselves caught in her silk traps, they had a bitter taste –ironically an adaptation to ward off potential predators- that she found quite weirdly enjoyable.

 It was some time ago that she requested permission from the Supreme ruler of Nazarick to be able to visit the lizardmen tribes in order to venture for her peculiar appetizers, and at first her master was heavily against the prospect any denizen of Nazarick leaving the Great Tomb, especially someone like Entoma, who not only was weaker than the likes of the Floor Guardians, but also had been attacked by outsiders before. In fact, that was particularly harsh for the bug battle maid, whose encounter with the adamantite adventure group, Blue Roses, was near fatal. However, her merciful master granted her selfish request, in part for her pleading to atone for her previous failure, but also thanks to the support of Kyouhoukou, the duke of terror, who was more than glad to have Entoma not feeding on his familiars for a change.

 Now visiting the Great Lake was a part of her weekly routine, stocking up on whatever palatable morsels were unfortunate enough to find themselves snared on her webs, which today included various dragonflies alongside a few caterpillars. Even so, there was another reason she frequented the united lizardmen tribes, a secret motive she neglected to mention to her superiors and colleagues. Usually doing so would be considered treason among the denizens of Nazarick, an incredibly heinous crime, and Entoma herself was filled with immense anxiety on doing so, but she could not help it, something else compelled her on her wander outside the Tomb, an ulterior motive that not even she understood yet still nagged her chest.

 After finishing up her last snack she headed to a specific area of the lizardmen tribes, an open area where the reptilian warriors diligently prepared themselves physically and mentally for combat, in other words, it was their training grounds. There she saw many scaly demi-human fighters practicing all sorts of martial arts and spells, the lizardmen where a race that prided themselves on their combat power as much as any other demi-human, but unlike the other more savage species, the reptiles possessed a sophisticated tribal society that knew the strength in one’s wisdom and intellect, as such they more than welcomed the new, more organized, training regime brought by the Nazarick. And overseeing them all was a huge figure, his blue exoskeleton reflecting the gleaming sun as refreshing cool mist left his mandibles, that figure was Cocytus, the Floor Guardian of the 5^th floor of the Great Tomb of Nazarick… And the reason Entoma visited this specific area.

 After the conquest of the lizardmen tribes, Cocytus became the leader of the reptilian demi-humans, guiding them with an iron fist and respect for what he considered to be promising warriors, teaching them not only the ways of battle and warfare, but also on the beliefs and culture of Nazarick. Entoma had first met Cocytus when Lord Ainz had ordered her to observe the frost warrior in his war against the lizardmen, she recalled her first impressions upon accompanying him, despite both being denizens of the Great Tomb –as Entoma was relegated to the 9^th floor, with the occasional visits to the 2^nd snack on Kyouhukou’s room, while Cocytus was stationed to guard the 5^th floor- so they hadn’t personally met each other, the warrior had a huge powerful aura that sent chills on Entoma’s spine (or her exoskeleton equivalent to it), yet despite his overwhelming strength and commanding presence he still treated her as an equal, as another fellow creation of the Supreme Beings.

 To be completely honest, the pleiade was quite nervous while accompanying the Floor Guardion, she had no idea how to properly act in front of a level 100 being whose weapon wielding skills were said to be unmatched even amoung his peers, so for the most part she simply stood by and followed her master’s instructions, carefully observing Cocytus every move and action, luckily her unmoving face did not give away her nervousness. She was at awe at Cocytus battle tactics and skills, as expected of a Floor Guardian, but then the unthinkable happened –Cocytus failed his mission- the lizardmen had won the fight against the undead army provided by their master, at that moment Entoma had to come to gripes that even someone like Cocytus, an incredibly powerful warrior, could still commit mistakes. Of course, their gracious and lenient overlord not only forgave the ice cold insect, but gave him a second chance to prove his worth and even spare the lives of the demi-humans.

 Entoma now knew all too well the bitterness of failure, her defeat at the hands of Blue Rose made her feel a terrible shame that tinted her soul to no end, it was a wretched feeling, a mixture of hatred, disappointment and sadness that she had no idea how to deal with, then she thought back to Cocytus, who when confronted with failure still stood firm to confront his mistakes, not just undoing them, but also building on top of that experience to grow. Right at that moment she decided to follow his example, instead of dwelling on her misdoings, she too would grow, she prepare for the chance when she would get her revenge and prove herself once more to Nazarick and her master. And to do that she would study the imposing Floor Guardian who had inspired her.

 So, for the past few weeks, Entoma would visit the lizardmen tribes to check in on Cocytus, she would examine how he would treat his battalion of scaly soldiers, like a true commander he would demonstrate both authority and respect for those under his wing, she observed how much more lenient Cocytus could be when compared to the other Floor Guardians, showing genuine trust and kindness to the lizardmen. despite being outsiders, he would help them when they fall, participate on their parties and holidays, even being invited to dinner by many families. The maid would sometimes see him play with the younglings of the tribes, the juxtaposition of his hard muscular arms carrying the small fragile reptiles made Entoma feel a funny tingling sensation in her chest.

 “Ahem… Is. There. Anything. I. Could. Help. You. With?”

 A could cough shook Entoma awake, it appeared while she was lost in her reminiscing, Cocytus had noticed her.

“A-ah, Lord Cocytus, g-good morning, I didn’t mean to interrupt your activities.”

 She said with a slight panicked tone, although her face-mask thankfully did not show it, she was sure her frantic antennas movements gave her away.

“It. Is. Alright. I. Have. Just. Finished. Todays. Training. And. Was. Wondering. If. You. Were. In. Need. Of. Something.”

“Oh- no, I mean, I am grateful for your hospitality, but I am simply here to see you.”

 A minute passed as the two bugs looked at each other, suddenly Entoma felt the air grow colder as blue tinted fog seeped in.

“…To. See. Me?”

 Just what was she saying? It made her sound like as if she was here to purposely encounter him -wait wasn’t that the reason why she was here? No, she was simply here to better herself by Cocytus example. Yes, that was it, she was here to observe the strong powerful guardian before her, the imposing, ice cold arthropod with a shining exoskeleton and sapphire compound eyes, a noble warrior by every meaning of the world, the guardian that possessed a stern yet generous personality, the same strong arms that held weapons for the might of the Great Tomb of Nazarick also gently lifted children to his back to play. A frigid iceberg with a burning ember inside of it…

…Ah, she felt that odd feeling again…

…

“… Uwaa, how adorable.”

“Right? Who would have guessed that the same Entoma who eats cockroaches for dinner also would be so lovey-dovey?”

“So you like the gentle noble sort? I always thought you would be into more… malicious types, I suppose.”

“Oh my, to think it would be Lord Cocytus, out of all denizens of Nazarick, whose stole our little sister’s heart~”

“Everyone, please, let’s not cause a commotion…”

 The stern yet tender voice of Yuri Alpha, vice-captain of the battle maid group, asserted her authority over the other beautiful ladies in the room. The six maidens present were as pretty as they were unique, from the quiet and reserved CZ2128 delta, with a cute pinkish hair and a constant poker face that made her resemble a doll, to the loud and extroverted Lupusregina Beta, whose fiery red locks combined with her tanned-skin gave her an athletic aura. Of course each of the maids actually hid their true monstrous nature behind their beautiful façade.

 The tale, recounted by Entoma Vasilissa Zeta, was what caused the discourse among the Pleiades. After the reveal that she, the arachnid maid with the unflinching face, might be attracted to Cocytus, the ice cold Floor Guardian, her sisters were insistent on knowing every detail about it. From when she started having such affection, the circumstances that brought such feelings to blossom, to the extent to which she held her endearment to Lord Cocytus, the insect maid seemed quite embarrassed over her retelling of everything that transpired -though it was hard to tell given her lack of facial features- but such reaction was only to be expected. Still, the contrast of the inhuman maids acting like regular sisters was very amusing.

 After the room quiet down, Yuri Alpha fixed her glasses and turned to the small presence sitting in the corner of the room, a regular looking maid that had stayed in complete silence until now. Compared to the fellow maids, her looks and attire were humble and simplistic, her blond hair was nothing like the golden curls of Solution Epsilon, her petite figure wasn’t nearly as cute as the likes of CZ or Entoma (she couldn’t even begin to compare it to the voluptuous forms of Solution or Yuri), and her face, in contrast with the sculpted beauty of Narberal Gamma or Luspusregina, was plain at best. At least that was how the young human girl in the room viewed herself…

“So, Tuare, what do you think?”

 As all of the Pleiades looks turned to her. Feeling the immense pressure from their expecting gazes, the only regular human maid of the Great Tomb of Nazarick had a single thought in her mind:

‘…How did I end up in this situation?’

*

Chapter Text

 Among the luxurious hallways of the 9^th floor the well-kept and stoic figure of an elderly gentlemen with a gray beard could be seen inspecting the grand architecture around him. The man -dressed in a black suit, characteristic of a butler- entered one of the many lodgings present on the corridor. Upon closing the door, the butler examined his surroundings, the room was a fancy yet modestly sized chamber containing accommodative sets of well-crafted furniture such as comfortable velvet couches, a wardrobe and a coffee table on its center, the most notable feature of the room, however, had to be its fireplace present on the wall adjacent to the entrance, above it hanged the banner of the Ainz Ooal Gown guild.

 This was the Guest Room of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, a place to temporally welcome any potential guest that might be permitted visit, but as one could expect, this was one of the least used rooms in all of Nazarick. Apparently its original purpose was to lodge any friendly members from other guilds in Yggdrasil, as well as serve as a place for those who might become future members of Ainz Ooal Gown, but as time went on such conditions became increasingly more unobtainable, so now the room was functionally abandoned.

  The grayed hair butler ran a gloved finger on one of the furnishings of the guest suite, he then glanced at his fingertip.

“Spotless…”

  He said while giving a slight sigh. The man was Sebas Tian, the head butler of the Great Tomb of Nazarick and the Leader of the Pleiades Six Star formation. His responsibilities mainly referred to managing the mundane domestic tasks of the 9^th and 10^th floor carried out by the butlers and maids of Nazarick alongside Pestonya Shortcake Wanko, the head maid. Given his high level and similar stats, Sebas could also be considered as an honorary Floor Guardian, protecting the 9^th floor from any threats as well as going outside of the tomb to server orders from the Supreme Being, in fact he had already carried out many operations on the New World, fulfilling his master’s desires on gathering information.

 That being said, after his operations in the Re-Estize Kingdom, with the acquisition of the underground crime syndicate “Eight Fingers” –and especially his mishaps involving a human female he took under his wing- Sebas no longer received many direct orders from his Supreme ruler, now relegating most of his time to his usual job as head butler, hoping to show his diligence to his master by demonstrating his competence on the Tomb. However, given the fact that even the Guest Room, arguably the most neglected room of the 9^th floor, was in pristine condition, Sebas had realized that there was no work left for him to do, the maids and butlers of Nazarick were as efficient and hard-working as he was, so he usually would just show up to inspect their impeccable work.

 To say he was a bit sad wouldn’t be wrong, he knew that this perfectly clean environment was a sign that everything was in order, that Pestonya with the homunculus maids and Ecleir with butler servants were both fulfilling their creators wishes, so he was not dissatisfied with them, if fact he was proud of them for it. The truth was that Sebas was a little envious of the others who received direct orders from his master. After being given instructions from him personally before, and being praised for it, he could not help but to be envious of the Floor Guardians and their relationship with the Supreme Ruler. Especial resentment came from the arch-devil, and personal rival of the dragonoid butler, Demiurge, who had been very active with his plans and activities through-out the New World, personally being recognized by Lord Ainz for all of his efforts.

 However, the iron butler didn’t stay dissatisfied for long, for despite his duties as head butler having ended for the day, he had something else to look forward too. Despite not having much interactions with the Supreme ruler anymore, Sebas considered this a price to pay after being given the most merciful blessing he could have ever asked from his master, as after his operations in the Kingdom he was allowed to bring in the human girl he rescued to Nazarick, taking care and training the woman into becoming a maid at the Great Tomb. Now Sebas had another fulfilling activity to do after his work for the Supreme Being: Enjoying the company of Tuareninya Veyron.

 He shook aside the slight blush that seeped in his otherwise stoic face as he suddenly felt the air around him get slightly colder and colder, as if a glacier was approaching in the distance. It couldn’t be the weather, not only was the 9^th floor underground but its temperature was magically kept at a comfortable degree for all of its denizens – Besides, Sebas should have had measures to resist most effects related to low temperatures- therefore there could be only one reasonable explanation…

 The door for the Guest room opened up, and the form of a well-dressed men, adorning an orange suit and round glasses, with black hair combed back and a plated tail, appeared on the doorframe while giving a devilish grin that usually signified that whatever was about to happen would be no good. Sebas could only think of the phrase ‘Speak of the Devil’ as the arch-devil in front of him spoke up:

“Long time no see, Sebas.”

“It’s good to see you too, Demiurge. May I know what brings you here?”

“We were looking all around for you, luckily the maids knew you were inspecting the Guest Room.”

 As Demiurge stepped in, a giant figure could be seen behind him, and a chill wind ran through the room. The huge arthropod made his way inside, ducking his head slightly to pass through the door, and politely greeted Sebas.

“Greetings. Sebas. I. Hope. You. Are. Doing. Well.”

 A rough voice rang out with a chilling breath from Cocytus, the frost vermin lord, and Sebas bowed down in salutation. It was unusual to see the frost warrior in the 9^th floor, especially now that he was stationed outside of Nazarick managing the lizardmen tribes, so Sebas pondered what matter had brought both him and Demiurge –who, too, had many errands outside of the tomb- to interact with him. Though the thought came to his mind, it wasn’t likely to be an emergency, otherwise he would have been notified in advance.

“Greetings to you as well, Cocytus.”

“Alright, now that we are done with the pleasantries, let us not beat around the bush. Sebas, Cocytus and I had a question I’m afraid only you can cast a light on…”

 “Is that so?”

 The iron butler stroked his beard as he thought about what topic he could have more expertise over Demiurge. Although part of him hated to admit it, there was no denying that Demiurge was nothing short of a genius, adapted at scheming, planning and administration. Few in Nazarick could keep up with him, even Lord Ainz praised his intellect on multiple occasions. As such, the only matters Sebas could confidently say he knew better than Demiurge were those he was specialized in: unarmed combat, ki skills, and domestic services -but something told him the Floor Guardians present here weren’t looking to be enlightened on how to dust a cabinet…

 Demiurge cleared his throat, and behind him Cocytus seemed to breathe harder in anticipation.

“Ahem… Sebas, what can you tell us about love?”

Sebas and Demiurge stared at each other for a solid minute.

“… huh? Excuse me, Demiurge, did you-”

“Yes, you heard me correctly, I assure you.”

 Sebas turned to Cocytus, seeking help from the third party to confirm if the situation transpiring was, in fact, happening. Perhaps it was some sort of joke from his rival and Cocytus was there to presence it.

 Sensing the confusion on the butler’s face, Demiurge gave a small sigh as he motioned to one of the sofas.

“I supposed it can’t be helped. Here, let us sit down as we properly explain everything to you.”

 The three gentlemen sat down on the sofas, and began their discussion after Demiurge and Cocytus laid down their issue at hand. Sebas frowned as he stroked his beard, after absorbing all the information he had just received he took in a breath and spoke,

“… I see… This is certainly an unexpected turn of events. So you two believe I might be of help in define the concept of love?”

“Precisely… Although. Demiurge. Was. The. One. Who. Suggested. To. Come. To. You.”

“I simply figured your experiences with that human might be of help.”

 As Demiurge gave a devilish smirk, Sebas could not help but internally flinch. Knowing the arch-devil in front of him, Sebas was almost sure he had some scheme to torment poor Tuare, she was protected under the name of Lord Ainz Ooal Gown so he did not need to worry about anything too nefarious, but Demiurge could still inconvenience her in ways only a demon could. The thought of him making Tuare uncomfortable made Sebas feel a sting in his heart.

“What exactly do mean by that?”

“Ah, worry not, Sebas, I am not here to torment that poor girl.” Demiurge said with a smirk. “We thought perhaps you could help explain what exactly are the emotions you feel towards that human so that Cocytus might understand his.”

  Sebas took in a deep breath as he thought about what answer could he give to help his comrades. He closed his eyes and tried to imagine the first thing that came to mind when he pictured the abstract feeling of love…

 After some more deep thinking, the butler came to an answer.

“At first love can feel… like a pressure in your heart, as if a sudden weight was put on your chest, it can be discomforting, it might make you stiff or confused, and at times it might even sting your heart…”

“Sounds like a terrible debuff effect.”

  Demiurge said as he gave a slight chuckle. Cocytus stood motionless, hearing intently. Sebas continued with his explanation.

“… But that feeling is only when you do not know if your emotions are reciprocated. Here, imagine it as the feeling you get as your waiting to hear Lord Ainz appraisal of your work, it’s a form of anxiety that derives from the uncertainty of the other person’s feelings.”

 Suddently a large grunt of frosty air sounded from Cocytus.

“I. See.”

“Is there any way to get rid of such an ailment? Are those in love doomed to feel such agonizing anxiety?”

 “That’s the thing-” The iron butler stroked his beard. “It only ends at after getting the other party’s response. In other words, you must make your feelings know.”

“I don’t understand, is this whole ordeal really worth it? Sounds like unnecessary commotion on my end.” Said Demiurge.

“Indeed. Is. Love. Really. Worth. It?”

“Well gentlemen, at least in my experience, if the feelings are indeed reciprocated the sensation one feels is… gratifying.”

 Demiurge raised an eyebrow as Cocytus remained attentive.

“Love can feel… warm, I suppose. It’s like the sensation of being next to a nice fireplace in the cold of winter, the same sensation of drinking a cozy drink, a tenderness rarely felt elsewhere that brings in a unprecedented comfort…”

“… Like. The. Gratification. Of. Working. To. The. Supreme. Ones?”

“Yes, that’s the closest emotion I can compare it to.”

“…And this is what you feel whenever you are with that human girl?”

There was a moment of silence between the three gentleman seated at the guest room, then finally Sebas spoke up.

“…Yes, Tuare...” Sebas couldn’t help but soften his voice when talking about her” Seeing her smile after a day of working… It reinvigorates my spirit. I am not sure when it started, but her gentle nature has become infatuating to me, it calms me if I feel stressed, it helps me to look forward to the end of my duties knowing that she will be there with her eager smile to welcome me.”

 Again silence befell the room, and, after what felt like an eternity, Demiurge finally broke the stillness with a smirk.

“To think even the stoic Sebas would be capable of giving a hint of blushing.”

 Sebas choose to ignore the teasing of his devilish rival and brushed aside his emotions. Now all he had in mind was a singular question that poked at his curiosity. So, after clearing his throat, the butler addressed the two floor guardians before him.

“Regardless, if you permit me, might I know why exactly Lord Cocytus is wanting to enquire about love?”

“You know; I’ve been meaning to ask the same thing” Demiurge added “I was so caught up in the moment that I didn’t question it.”

 With both men now looking at the large insectoid, Cocytus left various huffs of cold air.

“Don’t tell me you… fell in love?”

 Suddenly the room temperature dropped exponentially.

*

Chapter Text

 Tuareninya Veyron was once a peasant girl, a normal young lady who lived quietly in a village in the Kingdom of Re-Estize, and although she doesn’t like to remember much of her past, she sometimes still relives the days she would spend with her parents and younger sister in her dreams. Unfortunately, those simpler times would be ravished from her once the noble of their domain would take both she and her sister to slavery, following that would be the events that would traumatize her nightmares.

 But after many years of abuse and mistreat the gods sent her a guarding angel to save her from her unending hell, a caring elderly man would take her under his wing and bring her to a place one could only call heaven. In fact, she often would question if she had died and this was the afterlife, not that it would matter to her either way.

 Now she served as a maid in the Great Tomb of Nazarick, working alongside 41 other maids -who were as pretty as they were skilled at their job- under the guidance of one Lady Pestonya Shortcake Wanko. Tuare would now spent her days learning how to be the ideal maid worthy of maintaining her place in the Great Tomb, learning proper etiquette, customs, skills and everything else that came with such a job. It was tough work, but if this was the price to be in such a marvelous place, next to her beloved to whom she was indebted to, then she would not complain.

  That being said the pressure certainly did not waver, her peers are impeccable in their work, inhumanly so, compared to them the human girl was a plain cleaning cloth next to intricately crafted silk curtains adorned in complex patterns. Pestonya would often tell her to not compare herself with the other maids, reassuring her that she held her own value, but how could she not feel out of place? The other maids were not only diligent, precise and talented, they were beautiful too.

 She was nothing special. Yes, nothing special at all. So she asked herself again:

“How did I end up in this situation?”

 Tuare currently found herself in her room on the 9^th floor surrounded by six impossibly beautiful women, each unique in both appearance and personality, the battle maid sisters of Nazirick, the Pleiades.

“So, tell us Tuare, what can you tell us about love?” asked the red haired beauty Lupusregina

 She didn’t know what to say, so she decided to gather her thoughts.

 Today she had finished her lessons with Lady Pestonya and was until now resting in her chambers, usually Lord Sebas would be wrapping up his duties by this time as well and they would both spend some time together. But instead today when the young girl went to open the door of her room to welcome her beloved, she was instead greeted by six maids.

 Currently she was corned by the Pleiades and was made to hear the story of one of their youngest sister, Entoma. By the looks of it she was having troubles with her emotions towards one of the Floor Guardians of Nazarick, Cocytus. What Tuare had learned by in her time in the Great Tomb, Cocytus was the guardian of the 5^th floor, a giant ice insectoid who specializes in armed combat. The idea of a giant bug being someone’s crush -let alone someone as cute looking as the maid before her- was rather amusing.

 It appeared that the battle maids were looking for romantic advice.

 She didn’t know what she could even say, surely marbled beauty’s like them had much more experience with it then her, right? Was this a test?

“Hello? Tuare? Are you there?”

“Y-yes, s-sorry Lady Lupusregina.” Tuare bowed slightly, apologizing.

“Hahaha! no need to be so polite su~!” Lupusregina laughed it off. “We just thought since you and Master Sebas are kind of a thing you might help us know how to deal with this whole love ordeal…”

 “I-I see.” She said with a blush forming across her cheeks.

“We are sorry to trouble you with such frivolous matters Tuare, but you are the only one we know of who might give in some insight into this” Said Yuri Alpha while shifting her glasses.

 Tuare looked across the room and gazed at all of the Pleiades gathered around her, as they all looked genuinely attentive to whatever her answer might be, in specific the one whose face, ironically, never faltered from her usual cute smile. Entoma, the cute maid in question, seemed to be paying close attention, her eyes fixated on Tuare every move (in fact, she seemed to not even be able to blink at all).

“S-so, let me see if I understand it correctly, you wish to know whether what you feel for Lord Cocytus might be love, miss Entoma?”

 The maid silently nodded, Tuare couldn’t tell by her facial features, but she acted as if she was embarrassed.

 But what could she possibly tell them? What could she tell them about love? What even is love?

…

 She took a deep breath as she tried to construct a good enough answer. Then she looked at Entoma.

“I’ll be honest, I am not an authority when it comes to matters of the heart, I can only speak from my experiences…” She breathed in again and placed her hands at her chest “… W-when I was saved by Lord Sebas I was most grateful, but it was only after witnessing his kindness and chivalry that I became smitten by him…”

“Chilvalry?” the insectoid maid perked up.

“Y-yes, his civil and elegant ways are one of my favorite aspects of him. The way he is always polite regardless of who he is dealing with, his calm and stoic nature even when faced with adversity, the gentle way he treats others despite his overwhelming power…”

 As Tuare listed the aspects of her love, Entoma seemed to be paying even more attention, she could see the antenna like protrusions at top of her head start to wave around like the tail of a puppy, it was rather cute in an unexpected sort of way. Suddently Entoma spoke up as she stepped closer

“Like about seeing him take care of those much weaker than him?”

“Precisely!” Tuare continued, a little be more at ease. “Seeing him like that makes my heart feel lighter, it… it makes me feel warm inside and it gives me a fluttering feeling unlike any other…”

“Does it feel like you have butterflies in your stomach?” Entoma questioned as her antennae wiggled around.

“Yes, I suppose that is the closest analogy I can think of.”

 Then Entoma grasped Tuare hands and broght her unmoving adorable face close to hers, and before Tuare could even register just how surprisingly cold the hands of the young maid were, Entoma asked her one final question.

“Is all of this, all that that you feel towards Master Sebas… Is it love?”

 Tuare was a peasant girl at heart, there was much she did not know and could not understand about the world, and even now, after being taken to an unfamiliar place, surrounded by unfamiliar denizens, she felt more uncertain than ever. But there was one thing she knew, one thing she could answer without hesitation. So, with the sincerest smile she could muster, she answered:

“Yes. I love him.”

“…”

 The Pleiades were speechless for a moment, they looked at each other for a brief minute, until Entoma finally broke the silence.

“This feeling… I think I feel it too. I want to feel as certain as you do, Tuare. I want to feel this emotion reciprocated, I want to let my butterflies out, let them fly to the skies.”

“…Uwaa, cute.”

 Abruptly one of the battle maids –Shizu, if Tuare wasn’t mistaken- hugged her lovestruck sister.

“Oh my, Entoma, don’t worry, we are here for you dear”

“Yeah~su! We are gonna support you the best we can, remember?”

 So one by one the Pleiades begun to reassure their younger sister, be it caressing her like Shizu, or giving her positive reinforcement like Lupusregina or Solution, and Tuare couldn’t help but find it wholesome seeing the maids before her acting like sisters, but it also stung at her heart a bit. She truly still did miss her own sister.

“Alright everyone, settle down now” Yuri Alpha quiet down the group “So Tuare, what should be our next step moving forward?”

“What do you mean, miss Yuri?”

“Well, how did you deal with your feelings towards Master Sebas? After you realized your emotions what did you do?”

“O-oh”

 Tuare thought about it for a moment, then just as quickly she became flustered again and hid her red face behind her hands.

“W-well…” The young maid in training mumbled “…I kinda just… confessed right away.”

“Oh, is that so…” Yuri once more placed her glasses back into place with unmatched grace.

“So all Entoma has to do is confess~su?”

 Entoma looked around nervously, her antennae wailing hysterically, before hiding her face behing her long sleeves.

“S-She doesn’t have to do it straight away!” Tuare tried to clear the situation “…Though I suppose the only way to deal with your emotions is to make your feelings know.”

“Make them known...” Entoma seemed to ponder about that for a bit.

“Say, Tuare, how did you confessed to Master Sebas?”

 There was a long minute of silence, something that did not go unnoticed by the battle maids. The more Tuare took to answer the more their anticipation grew and grew, until finally she gave her final answer:

“I… Kissed him…”

*

Chapter Text

 The sun beamed down on the southern foothills of the Azerlisia Mountains, there lied the Great Lake. The high temperature of the region, combined with the cool airs that came down from the mountain range and the humidity from the lake, helped to create a lush forest that housed the perfect weather for all types of creatures and demi-humans. In the boarders of the lake one could find the now united tribes of the demi-human’s denizens under the flag of the Sorcerer’s Kingdom.

  The Sorcerer’s Kingdom was divided into various regions due to its wide arrange of geographical locations, in a sense one could call them provinces; an administrative division within the country. To manage these locations, different envoys of the Sorcerer’s Kingdom took the duty to govern each province.

 There was the capital of the nation, E-rantel, and its subsidiaries -such as the many villages and territories surrounding it- which were under direct supervision of Albedo; The Katze Plains, a barren land were undead tended to spawn, which was currently under no direct control; The Abelion Hills, an area of wilderness populated by all sorts of demi-humans, which was under the dominion of Demiurge. Then finally, there was the region of the Great Forest of Tob, where the Great Lake resided, and the person assigned to rule over it was Cocytus.

 After his conquest mission by the orders of the Supreme one, Cocytus became responsible for managing and administrating the demi-human tribes which were now under the reign of Nazarick, more specifically the united lizardmen tribes. The huge insect warrior was to be in charge of governing the lizardmen as best as he could, and he hoped to bring prosperity to the Sorcerer’s Kingdom and Nazarick, the problem came in the fact that Cocytus was not confident in his leadership skills.

 Cocytus was a warrior, he viewed himself as the sword his master would yield, fighting for whatever his magnanimous master saw fit, but the task his master had given him was one far beyond what had expected. But he couldn’t disappoint his master, bringing shame was unacceptable.

“Growing. Beyond. Our. Expectations. Was. It?”

  The insectoid reminisced over his master’s wishes. Lord Ainz mentioned in the past how he, in his infinite wisdom, wanted the Guardians to learn from their experiences, to grow beyond the boundaries set by their creators. How magnanimous of him, truly he was the leader of the Supreme Beings, but all of this didn’t change Cocytus fear of failing his master. But no work was a true test of their resolve if it were not challenging, only Lord Ainz could devise such cunning ways to improve the denizens of Nazarick.

 And so this is what Cocytus was doing at the moment, diligently training the lizardmen under him to grow in strength and wisdom. Luckily the lizardmen were a rigorous people, they were warriors at heart like him, Cocytus had seen their potential the same as his master viewed in him, and if he could make them flourish under him then perhaps he too would grow as an individual.

 But what exactly did it meant to grow beyond what was expected of one’s self? How could he achieve this? Cocytus wasn’t as smart as the likes of Demiurge or Albedo, they both always seemed to know or at the very least understand a fraction of the will of their master, and they always provided work that earned them praise for their efforts. Compared to them Cocytus was a dull weapon next to polished and sharp armaments. So much for being his master sword.

 It was then that, at the edges of the training area where the scaly demi-humans fought, that Cocytus saw the petite figure of a young maiden, her hair was a vibrant pink and her maid uniform stooded out from the tribal attires from the lizardmen. That was Entoma Vasilissa Zeta, one of the younger member of the Pleiades, the arachnoid maid.

 Cocytus had become keenly aware of Entoma as of late. Ever since she was sent to observe his efforts in the war of conquest against the lizardmen -the one where he failed his initial attack- she picked his attention, she was calm and contained yet so small and fragile looking, she sat with elegance and carefully analyzed the entire battle without saying a word, like a predator calmly examining its prey (which by what his friend Kyouhukou told him about her, that was a fitting comparison). But it wasn’t until her defeat by the adamantite adventurer group Blue roses that Cocytus had begun paying more attention to her.

 The arachnoid maid’s defeat had become infamous around Nazarick, it was the first time one of the Great Tomb had been put under such peril ever since Shalltear’s incident, but unlike Shalltear, who was mostly physically unharmed from her brainwashing, Entoma’s condition was much direr. Cocytus didn’t know the specifics, but by what the reports said Entoma had suffered major damages from the attack, if it weren’t for Demiurge appearing to save her in the nick of time, things could have ended badly for the level 51 battle maid.

 Cocytus knew defeat, but never had he experienced it something quite like what Entoma had ever since coming on this new world, yet despite her tremendous loss Entoma never faltered. Unlike Shalltear, who after her incident couldn’t face her reality, the Pleiade never dwelled on her failure, and Cocytus found that highly notable.

 She would perform her duties as if nothing had happened, always concentrating on her next task. He thought others didn’t appreciate her for that, getting up after being knocked down was not as easy of a feat as it might appear on the outside, Cocytus knew that very well, yet Entoma still did it.

He couldn’t help but admire her resolve. Well, that and the contrast it had with her outward appearance, she looked so fragile and delicate, so unassuming, yet he knew this was a mere façade to her true ferocious and predatory nature… Something about that divergence really enticed him, it made him want to know more about her, figure out what else she was capable of.

“I. Want. To. Know. More. About. Her.”

 As he clutched his halberd at that intrusive and unfamiliar feeling, he stepped forward in her direction. This wasn’t the first time he had noticed her showing up in the lizardmen tribes, often he would see her snacking on some of her morsels while gazing at something, but to where her poker face did not give away (at times he could swore she was observing him).

 He wanted to know why she was here today.

 So, after giving a slight cold cough, Cocytus approached the battle maid.

“Ahem… Is. There. Anything. I. Could. Help. You. With?”

“A-ah, Lord Cocytus, g-good morning, I didn’t mean to interrupt your activities.”

 He was greeted by a cute sounding voice, it appeared he had startled her on accident as he could see her antennae moving about.

“It. Is. Alright. I. Have. Just. Finished. Todays. Training. And. Was. Wondering. If. You. Were. In. Need. Of. Something.”

“Oh- no, I mean, I am grateful for your hospitality, but I am simply here to see you.”

 A minute passed as Cocytus felt an odd sensation in his chest he never felt before, a tenderness that went against his literal frigid persona, a foreign emotion he wasn’t prepared for…

“…To. See. Me?”

…

“I see…” the elderly gentleman stroked his beard

 Meanwhile the devil beside him seemed to be deep in thought, taking in as much of the information as he possibly could.

 The air at the guest manner was now so cold that visible mist of frosted air could be seen

“It. Is. Rather. Embarrassing. Retelling. All. Of. This.”

“Lord Cocytus, what you feel is a noble emotion to have.” Sebas spoke up. “And although I cannot speak for your heart, I believe what you are experiencing is in fact… Love.”

 Another breath of chill air rose from Cocytus.

“Is. That. So…”

 There was a pause lasting for what felt like an eternity. It appeared the two men in the room were waiting for Demiurge to give his thoughts on the matter, but for once in his life Demiurge did not know what to think.

“I’ll be frank with you gentlemen…” The demon gave a pause as he prepared his next words, shifting his glasses as he spoke. “…I do not know what to say… This concept, this feeling…” He looked down at the palm of his hand before curling into a fist. “I cannot understand it, it seems irrational in nature to me, so forgive me Cocytus, my friend, but I’m afraid I cannot weigh in my thoughts in the matter…”

 His voice was apologetic, he could see a look of surprise on the face of the usually stoic Sebas, it must have been jarring seeing his devilish rival being so defeated. Cocytus, on the other hand, had his usual unreadable expression, only after a while did the huge figure let out his words.

“Demiurge…”

“That being said” The arch-devil interrupted. “I want you to know that you have my full support on whatever your decision moving forward shall be. I might not understand where you are coming from, but that won’t stop me from helping you as best as I can”

 Demiurge looked up to his fellow Guardian and gave his usual smile. He might not understand romance, but that wouldn’t stop him from supporting his friend in whatever he could. This feeling, this unconditional respect for someone else, to a friend, now that was something he could understand.

 “So Sebas” He spoke enthusiastically with a smirk. “What should we do from here?”

*

Chapter Text

“Who would have guessed Tuare would be so shameless~su”

“Lupusregina! Please do not refer to her in such a provocative way.”

“…I thought she was quite cute.”

“Still, who would have guessed such a frail human would be so bold”

With their usual banter, The Pleiades made their way through the luxurious halls of the 9^th floor after paying their visit to Tuare, deciding to head back to their own chambers. On the way, the insect loving maid, Entoma, reflected on everything that had just transpired.

Their conversation with the human maid had been very insightful. Talking with someone who had previous experience with romance helped to validate her current emotions, it made her feel more at ease knowing that she wasn’t alone, but if there was one other thing Entoma gleaned from the experience was that now the only thing left to do…

“Making my feelings known…”

 Luckily Tuare had cleared herself by stating that the lovestruck maid didn’t need to feel rushed to do so, neither did she had to be so extreme when demonstrating her affection. She had mention how often relationships take time to build, and that one should gradually show their love to another. Yet still there could be cases where one confessed everything right away, throwing caution to the wind and just hoping for the best.

 Entoma did not understand it, why did it all had to be so complicated? Love was more and more appearing like fighting in a battle, so many different tactics to choose from, yet at the end of the day it all depended on you and who your opponent was. In that case, which approach would work best? Should she be cautious and take her time, or should she be direct and to the point?

 What sort of tactic would work best on her target? Would the level 100 frost warrior prefer a bolder proposal, or was it best to be subtler about it?

“I don’t even know how he feels about me.”

 In that case it would probably be best to gage his reaction over time, but how would be something she would have to think about later. She had so much to worry about now, she essentially needed to court a being twice as powerful as her and the anxiety was getting to her.

“What if he just says no…”

  Love was complicated, too complicated, so she would just have to deal with another time, perhaps it would be best to ask for more advice from Tuare. But first she would grab something to eat, all this worrying was starting to make her hungry.

 Then the corridor started feel colder. A frigid and familiar sensation started to seep in the halls, and before the battle maids could even react to the shift in temperature they spotted the source of the cold on the other end of the hallway. There a towering figure could be seen approaching with two other silhouettes accompanying it.

 Entoma recognized the icy blue carapace instantly, his powerful four arms, one of which carried a halberd three times her size, his massive mandibles that exuded a frosty mist with each breath he took and his tail which swung back and forth... That was undoubtedly Cocytus, the Guardian of the 5^th floor, coming her way.

 Alongside him there were the image of two well-kept individuals, both adorning suits –one with a flaming orange suit and the other a pure monotone black set respectively. The one with the rounded glasses and combed back dark hair was Demiurge, Guardian of the 7^th floor, the other with the silver hair and grey beard was the head butler, and leader of the Pleiades, Sebas Tian.

 After growing closer with each step, the Pleiades each gave a small bow before Yuri Alpha spoke for them.

“Lord Cocytus, Lord Demiurge, Master Sebas, it is great seeing you all here.”

“Ah, Yuri, it is good seeing you too.” the signature voice of the arch-devil responded

 “What brings you here?”

“About that, me and Cocytus were just at the bar and we bumped into Sebas here by chance…”

 As the two conversed, Entoma couldn’t help but gaze at Cocytus. “Why was he here now of all times?” she thought. Then, in one quick motion, the arachnoid maid turned her face away from him and towards her sisters in hopes that, maybe if she did not look at the Floor Guardian, perhaps he wouldn’t notice her.

 That was when she saw Lupusregina muttering something to the others, whatever it was she did not hear it in time, all she saw was her redhead sister give a wink at her direction with the most mischievous smile she had ever seen, only rivaled by the ones she would give mentioned her antics with the humans at that village. Entoma immediately felt a sense anxiety rush through her being, whatever was about to happen would be no good.

“Say su~. I just remembered I have some stuff I need to do back at Carne Village, so please excuse me.” Lupusregina said deviously.

 “Eh?” Entoma’s antennae twitched in surprise.

“Ah, that’s right, I have some important issues I must discuss with Pandora’s Actor regarding Momon and Nabe’s next task.” spoke Narberal with a flat voice.

Next came Solution and CZ.

“Oh my, me and CZ need to borrow Yuri for an important conversation, so we too should be going.”

“…Yes, very important conversation.”

 Entoma started looking around nervously only to meet eyes with Yuri, who seemed as confused as her by that statement, but before she could intervene Solution put a hand on the eldest sister shoulder and suddenly Yuri gave an understanding look.

 It was then that the insect loving maid realized what was happening, she needed to act fast before their plan went into fruition, but before she could do anything Demiurge interrupted her with a devilish smile as he uttered:

“Is that so? I understand it perfectly. I myself have some urgent matters to attend to at the seventh floor, so I must bid you all farewell.”

 He stared at Sebas, who stayed quiet for a moment until realizing something.

“I suppose I should be going to see Tuare then…”

 The bearded man stated, and look at Cocytus with what seemed to be a reassuring look. She could not discern the expression of the Floor Guardian, but she almost could sense surprise emanating from him.

 And so, one by one, everyone started to leave the room, heading off to their respective destinations. As her sister went on their way past the large frost warrior, Lupusregina turned around and gave a big thumb up before turning the corner, leaving behind Entoma and Cocytus all alone.

“…”

There was an awkward frigid pause between the two of them, a silence only occasionally broken by the larger insectoid cold breaths. She stood there, her exoskeleton frozen by what felt like a freeze spell, but her insides were still as lively as ever, anticipation rushed to her veins and coursed through her being. Should she leave too? Why was Cocytus still here? Should she say something?

“Ahem…”

 Just then the stillness was shattered by a cold cough and Entoma was brought back to her senses.

“Entoma. Since. We. Are. Here. I. Would. Like. To. Ask. Something. Of. You…” Cocytus said with an imposing voice.

“Yes, Lord Cocytus?” She replied as normally as she could, Cocytus was still her superior, he was most likely just going to give her an errand. She had no reason to expect anything else.

“The. Lizardmen. Will. Be. Holding. A. estival. This. Weekend. And. I. Was. Wondering… If…”

 There was a delay between his words, he appeared to be evaluating something, but what she could not tell from his emotionless face.

“…If. You’d. Like. To. Accompany. Me. To. This. Event. Perchance.”

 There was yet another short pause, Entoma tilted her head as processed the words which had just been stated, unsure of what she had just heard.

“…Accompany you?”

She contemplated the swirl of emotions in her heart, the butterflies in her stomach stated to flutter again, so many different feelings rushed to her mind that she once more thanked her masked face from showing any unnecessary reactions.

“I. believe. It. Would. Be. Beneficial. To. Have. Others. From. Nazarick. To. Experience. The. Outside. Culture. To. Better. Understand. This. New. World.” He instantly replied.

 “Ah, of course, he is prioritizing the development of the denizens of the Great Tomb, as expected from a Floor Guardion… still, for some reason, I still feel…”

 There was a familiar uneasy yet fluttering feeling deep in her chest, but before anything else she to make one thing clear.

“… Is there any reason for you to have invited me in particular?”

“Ah. You. See…”

 Cocytus seemed to be trying to recall something. He clutched his halberd as his cold breaths sounded through the air.

“There. Is. No. Specific. Reason”

“I see… In that case, I accept the invitation, Lord Cocytus”

 Entoma gave a moment’s thought.

“May I ask the nature of the event?”

“The. Festival. Shall. Be. A. Commemoration. For. Their. Ancestors. That. Fought. In. The. Great. Wars. Of. The. Past…There. Will. Be. A. Feast.””

 The arachnid maid couldn’t help but perk up at the idea of food.

“Understood.”

“I’ll. Be. Expecting. You. Then.”

 After giving a bow, Entoma and Cocytus parted their ways without saying a word.

…

 As Cocytus walked away and turned the corner he let out a breath he didn’t even notice he was holding. He didn’t expect it to happen so soon, but everything went according to plan.

 Sebas mentioned it was usually a gentleman’s duty to secure an encounter with the person he wished to court to get to know them better as well as show them more of yourself, it was important for Cocytus to spend more time with Entoma to not only be sure of his feelings, but to hopefully make her interested in him as well. And so, with help from Demiurge, they elaborated a way to invite Entoma to the festival the lizardmen were holding, it offered the perfect excuse to invite her as well as it proportionated the best mood for their encounter. He would have to thank Demiurge later, if it weren’t for him he wouldn’t have come up with a good enough reason to ask her out of the blue.

He didn’t want to impose his authority over Entoma’s decision, so he made sure to make the invite as casual as possible so that she could deny it if she so choose. He hopes she didn’t feel pressured to give a response.

“Ahh. I. Feel. Very. Anxious. About. This… ”

 The frost warrior sighed an icy breath, he hoped Warrior Takemikazuchi would give him the wisdom to handle this situation.

*