Pleiades Day

Part 1

Yuri Alpha — one of the Battle Maids and the assistant leader of the Pleiades — was thinking as she observed every action taken by the subject with a keen gaze that did not miss a single movement.

— She was not the most suitable person for this job.

Ultimately, she was a Battle Maid. Combat was her primary calling, while being a maid was a secondary vocation.

Originally, the responsibility for this task would surely have been borne by a person who could have been called her friend, Pestonya S. Wanko.

However, she understood very clearly that such a thing was impossible.

Yuri’s friend was currently within the Frozen Prison of the 5th Floor. It was a harsh environment that would set one’s bones shivering with cold, but Yuri did not have any special thoughts about the matter. That was because she knew that her confinement was nothing more than merciful treatment from the Supreme One.

After all, Pestonya had used her own judgment to twist the edict of the Supreme Beings’ leader, the absolute ruler of the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick, Ainz Ooal Gown.

Originally, that would have warranted capital punishment.

Nigredo, who had committed the same offense, was confined in the same place as her. Due to that incident, they were as closely joined as if they were bound by blood. In addition, Nigredo would not be too badly chilled with Pestonya by her side. After all, Pestonya’s fur possessed cold resistance. Rather, if they had been imprisoned on the 7th Floor, perhaps she might have been worried for Pestonya.

That said, would it not be better to let a regular maid help with this? No, there’s no way Sebas-sama would not have considered that. But still… Yuri glanced at the steely butler who stood to one side. Was it inappropriate to do so because of her position? — Ah.

Yuri called out in a clear, bright voice. It was a little harsh, yet somewhat gentle as well.

“—Hold on for a moment. Your body’s center-line has shifted a little. Please visualise the difference in the strength between your dominant and non-dominant foot, and then try again from there.”

“—Yes.”

The person who answered was a human in a maid uniform.

This person was an extremely rare sight in Nazarick, a pure human. Her name was Tsuare.

She was a woman who had been brought to Nazarick from the Re-Estize Kingdom’s Royal Capital, and she had been assigned to Sebas as his direct subordinate. That said, while she had done some maid’s work before, she had no official experience as a maid, which was why she was undergoing training like this.

Since she had been through a fairly long period of training, which included proper walking posture and a regular maid’s duties, Yuri’s personal opinion was that she passed. In other words, it was time for her to accumulate practical experience and progress towards her goal of a being more perfect maid.

However, the man beside her would not permit that.

In order to train this maid to further perfection, they had been drilling her harshly without pause.

Yuri returned to her original position, quietly watching Tsuare as she walked.

…Seems like she’s getting tired.

Tsuare’s forehead sparkled with shiny beads of sweat.

That was only to be expected. She had been practicing for over an hour now. Even walking normally for an hour was enough exercise to make a person break a sweat. How much more so for someone like her who had devoted her whole heart to this, focusing her attention into the tips of her fingers and toes? It was exhausting work, not just in a physical but in a mental sense.

To Tsuare, who was purely human — unlike Sebas and Yuri — these drills must have been a harsh experience.

…Why is Sebas-sama training her like this? She’s already reached a certain standard… Or does he want her to reach the level of a regular maid? The poor thing.

A regular maid of Nazarick could easily clear the training routine which Tsuare was doing now. However, they had been created by the god-like Supreme Beings. Thus, it was only natural that they should be capable of doing so.

In contrast, it was also natural that Tsuare — who was not made by the Supreme Beings — would be unable to do so.

However, the present circumstances would not permit that.

By order of the Supreme One, Tsuare would apparently be serving as the leader of the human maids within E-Rantel in the future. That would imply that she would be the bearer of the Supreme One’s will, and thus obliged to discharge her duties flawlessly.

But according to rumors from the regular maids, the human maids in question would not be serving the Supreme One. Instead, they were simply hired help responsible for cleaning and odd jobs in the residence of E-Rantel’s former mayor. If that was the case, was there a need to demand such a high of performance from her, Yuri wondered.

She observed the way Tsuare walked.

It was 25 meters from the opposite wall to here.

She had walked this short distance so many times already, and she had done so every day.

Honestly, this girl is really hardworking.

Beneath her cool exterior, Yuri smiled faintly.

“…I submit that she is of a passable standard. What do you think?”

She turned to the side, requesting confirmation from the butler beside her.

“No. She is a long way from passable. It would be better to continue training her for a while more.”

“…Sebas-sama, attempting to do too much within a short time will not produce good results. Shall we end here for the day?”

Sebas shook his head.

“As you have said, forced instruction will not produce good results. However, she has little time left. Several days ago, Ainz-sama officially informed Tsuare of the date when she would begin assuming her duties. Tsuare will be taking the position of head maid and she will be managing the human maids. Any mistakes she makes, now and in the future, will shame Nazarick.”

“While that is true… you will be going with her as well, Sebas-sama. If anything happens, would it not be better for you to handle it?”

“Such thinking would be a mistake. Of course, I will strive to keep her from making mistakes, but I cannot always be by her side. In addition, she is placed above others. It is her duty to serve as an example for her subordinates — to be someone whom others look up to.”

This argument was sound. It was so sound that it permitted no further response.

In truth, Yuri felt the same way. As the eldest of seven sisters, she worked hard everyday to keep her little sisters from seeing her in a disgraceful state.

Although Yuri had already accepted his reasoning by this point, Sebas was not finished speaking.

“Please think about Ainz-sama.”

“Ainz-sama?”

While Yuri was confused by the sudden mention of the Supreme One’s name, she thought of the pure white face of her absolute ruler. The being who had united the 41 Supreme Beings.

“As the Supreme One, he has no need to take action personally. That is because we were made to serve as his arms and legs, to complete any task given to us no matter how difficult.”

That went without saying.

The denizens of Nazarick existed to receive orders and perfectly execute them. No, one could say that they were permitted to exist in order to do so. Nobody here thought otherwise.

“That is a matter of course, but what about this?”

“But what is actually happening now? Right now, Ainz-sama has chosen to take the lead and personally stand before us. I feel this is in order to show us what it means to be a ruler.”

"Hm hm," Yuri grunted in agreement.

“…And there is one more possibility, a most disastrous possibility, one that frightens me and which I do not wish to say is the correct answer…”

Before Yuri could ask about that possibility, Sebas spoke again.

“In the past, Ainz-sama defeated the strongest of the Floor Guardians, Shalltear-sama. With his charm, he united the Supreme Beings. And his wisdom can even awe the twin intellectual pinnacles of Nazarick, Albedo-sama and Demiurge-sama. Thus, he has shown us the image of an absolute ruler who is fully furnished with the essential qualities of fighting power, charisma and intellect. That being the case, should we not follow in his footsteps?”

“I see…”

“Naturally, setting the unattainable peak that is Ainz-sama as our goal is not only disrespectful but foolish in the extreme. But even if it is just by one step, I feel we should strive to draw closer to Ainz-sama. While forcing her to do this might be a mistake, it is also necessary if she is to stand above others.”

Yuri sighed deeply. That was a perfect explanation.

That being the case, Yuri had nothing else to say.

“Still — is that really all?”

Sebas looked at Yuri as she said this, and then he spoke so quietly that even Yuri, who was standing beside him, could barely make out his voice.

“Ainz-sama said that we could welcome Tsuare as a guest of Nazarick, but Tsuare herself told Ainz-sama that she wished to work as a maid. Some people might think her words would be a sign of underestimating the work of a maid. Under these circumstances, if Tsuare makes any mistakes in carrying out the instructions given to her by Ainz-sama, his opinion of her will surely plummet. It is very difficult to restore a ruined reputation, and so I do not want her to even begin to stumble, regardless of the harshness of my methods.”

Yuri frowned in her heart.

That was because training Tsuare harshly for that reason was equivalent to saying that Nazarick was at fault.

While the Supreme One had decreed that Tsuare would be a fellow worker in Nazarick, Yuri had heard from Lupusregina that there was a subtle separation between her and the regular maids. The regular maids looked on Tsuare as an outsider who was stealing their precious job from them. While they would not treat her coldly or disdainfully thanks to orders, what they really thought sometimes shone through in the way they treated Tsuare. I noticed because it’s me, her little sister had said.

Perhaps Pestonya could have mediated matters between both sides, but she was under confinement and had missed the chance to meet Tsuare.

It was almost as though she had changed places with Pestonya. That might have been a source of the regular maids’ unhappiness.

Yuri had no words to answer Sebas, but she made a suggestion anyway.

“I understand. However, it might be best to give her a rest. ‘Too much cramming is unproductive’, Yamaiko-sama once said.”

“Did Yamaiko-sama say that?! Is that so… while we could eliminate fatigue with our abilities… if Yamaiko-sama said so… Very well. Then, Tsuare, take a break. Have a seat on that chair and rest.”

“—Yes.”

Yuri and Sebas watched Tsuare from behind as she walked to the chair.

“She moves much more beautifully now compared to before.”

“Thank you very much. It is all thanks to you, Yuri.”

“It was nothing of the sort. That was the fruit of her hard work. Speaking of which, what sort of training will she be doing next?”

Yuri had been asked to handle walking practice, and somebody else would handle other things.

“Cleaning and the like will be taught by Eclair.”

“Ahh, is he in charge of that?”

He was the perfect candidate to teach someone how to clean. Yuri felt that it was a bit of a shame.

Yuri enjoyed teaching other people. While that did not extend to taking the jobs of others, she would gladly accept any request to do so.

Yamaiko-sama probably expected that of me — that is to say, myself.

While she could not behold the revered visage of her creator now, she could feel a warmth in her heart when she did things which were related to the Supreme Being who had made her.

She observed Sebas — who was standing beside her — produce a pocket watch from his breast pocket.

“Yuri, we still have quite some time until we are due to meet Eclair…”

“I feel we should stop here for today. Forcing her to carry on while she is tired might lead to bad habits. If they end up being ingrained in her, all our efforts until now might be wasted.”

Yuri shrugged.

“…Bad habits are hard to break, are they not?”

“…It is as you say. Then, let us stop here for today. Thank you for coming here today for her.”

Sebas nodded to show his thanks. After that, Yuri heard Tsuare make to rise, so she held out a hand to stop her. Tsuare also nodded in thanks.

Yuri looked at the gloves Tsuare was wearing.

They looked like the same gloves Sebas was wearing. If they possessed the same abilities as well, they would be magic items which reduced elemental damage from fire, acid and the like. While they were only about as powerful as expendable items, the fact that Sebas had actually given her an item bestowed upon him by the Supreme Beings showed how much he thought of her.

No. Yuri immediately rejected her own thought.

Given the way he was worried about how the people around Tsuare looked at her, he had been thinking of her from the very start.

Was it because he had been ordered to by the Supreme One, or was it for some other reason?

When Yuri saw the white handkerchief peeking out of Tsuare’s maid uniform, the corner of her mouth settled down.

Asking would be terribly insensitive.