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.