As a royal, an emperor, Jircniv was very accustomed to 'palaces'.
Just as a ranger would not get lost even in an unfamiliar forest, Jircniv was confident that he would not lose his sense of direction even in palaces of different styles in other countries. He would not get lost even without a guide.
This was a kind of perceptual ability, a blessing brought by the profession of 'emperor' or 'king'.
—However, upon entering the ninth floor of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, he lost this confidence. This ability seemed to malfunction. Although he was reluctant to admit it, it really felt like Grandma Liu entering the Grand View Garden.
If it were not for Yuri leading the way in front, Jircniv would probably stand there like a lost child who wandered into the palace, completely at a loss.
Of course, as early as when Jircniv first went to the throne hall for an audience, he was already amazed by the extraordinary luxury of Nazarick.
But the ninth floor brought him a completely different psychological feeling.
The atmosphere was much more relaxed here, and even filled with a sense of life. The environment was bright and not oppressive at all. It was not strange to have string music floating around.
The white walls could be described as flawless, even making people think of a virgin. The air was fresh, and it did not feel like underground at all. Occasionally, one would pass by some thick wooden doors that were full of historical sense, yet so well maintained that they could reflect like a mirror, showing how much effort the servants had put into taking care of them.
Stepping on the soft red carpet made of unknown material, Jircniv, the emperor of a country, actually worried that his shoe soles might dirty it.
Then, from the perspective of an emperor, he felt a bit envious.
It was impossible not to feel envious. It was only human nature, and it was not his fault. Jircniv was not a desireless stone.
(If I could govern from this heavenly palace, it would be the ultimate pleasure.)
Luxurious environment, god-like residence; supreme power, endless wealth and resources; and beauties that could not be picked from ordinary people, loyally serving!
Jircniv dared to say that anyone who did not feel envious of such an environment must be a fool.
However, it must be said that Jircniv was truly remarkable. He immediately changed his thinking.
(No... no, this is not the ultimate pleasure.)
(Sexual desire, material desire, gluttony, sleepiness, and even obsession with art. If any of these take effect, the ruler of this tomb will surely fall into a despicable person!)
(What if it were me... could I govern this place?)
The emperor suddenly shivered.
Because he realized that even if the Demon King were replaced by himself, he would not have the confidence to govern this place!
(How could... how could this place...! Mortals, mortals could never govern such a place...!! No wonder His Majesty is an Undead...)
For just a moment, Jircniv felt a sincere admiration for Ainz.
The emperor's thoughts were interrupted as Yuri stopped. Although the situation was different from that in front of the throne hall, it was still tense.
"This door leads to the banquet hall. Lord Ainz is waiting for everyone inside."
The true Demon King's victory banquet was to be held in E-Rantel in two days.
Although its political purpose almost made Jircniv nauseous, fortunately, his close friend, the Goblin King, would also attend, which somewhat mitigated the bitterness.
As for the other main guests... the old woman pretending to be young would be there, which meant the Dragon Kingdom's intelligence was probably true; there were also representatives of the dwarves, the 'Faceless Ones' who propagated the Demon King's religion, etc., people Jircniv had never met and did not want to talk about.
The key was that among these important people, only he had received this invitation.
Why?
—One hundred percent it was a conspiracy!
Since it was the strategy of the King of Stratagems, there must be some hair-pulling trick!
Incidentally, because there were no names of the Van Zelf family on the guest list of the victory banquet, Jircniv somewhat sadly concluded that it seemed his long-time enemy, the Van Zelf family, had truly fallen completely.
The human war, completely unbalanced by the intervention of outsiders, made the emperor sigh.
(...It seems that that witch is dead too.)
Although from a human perspective, it might be a great loss of a talented person, Jircniv did not feel sad. On the contrary, the death of the second prince made him feel a little sad. According to intelligence from the spy who used to be in the service of the Marquis Raeven, this second prince was actually a man of insight despite his unimpressive appearance.
The banquet hall's double doors slowly opened, and Jircniv pulled his mind back to reality.
(—No matter what trick there is, the damage to the empire must be minimized.)
The spacious and luxurious rectangular space, exquisitely decorated, with dazzling lights. In the center was a huge dining table that made Jircniv wonder "how on earth it was made" without any seams, as if it were carved from a single piece of rare stone.
There were two "people."
First, of course, was the Demon King sitting at the head of the table, as always, inscrutable and majestic.
The other was a woman. Jircniv only glanced at her and, although he felt a bit familiar for a moment, he thought he did not know her. The atmosphere around the woman did not seem human, and she was exceptionally beautiful, probably a member of this tomb. It was just unclear why she was attending.
But first, he had to pay respects to His Majesty.
"I, Jircniv Lun Falorden Eir Nix, Emperor of the Baharuth Empire, and my retinue, greet His Majesty Ainz Ooal Gown."
Except for the emperor himself, several attendants—Fluder, Baziwood, and Secretary Rone—all prepared to kneel and pay their respects.
It is worth mentioning that while Baziwood and Rone both said "Your Majesty the Demon King," only Fluder said "Teacher." But by now, Jircniv no longer cared—although a part of his heart would feel a faint pang of pain.
Ainz raised his hand to stop them.
"Jircniv, this gathering is of a private nature. There is no need to mind the formalities. I hope you understand that."
"I see. Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty. But expressing my respect to you is by no means a formality to me. Please allow me to pay my respects properly."
(Humph, shameless, always trying to test others. If I really don't pay respects, maybe the one to be put on the table next is me!)
With that, Jircniv bowed slightly—less than 45 degrees—while the others knelt.
The meaning in Ainz's eyes was "What a hassle, why don't you listen!" but of course, no one else could see it.
"Well... alright, alright, that's enough. Compared to that, let me introduce... oh, right, you already know each other, so there's no need for me to introduce you."
Huh? We know each other? Who?
Jircniv was puzzled and looked at the beauty, and after a moment, he was greatly shocked.
"R-Renner Tiel Shaltan Lire Vaiself?!"
As soon as he shouted it out, Jircniv realized he had made a grave mistake.
An emperor of an empire would not remember the full name of a mere third princess of another country—under normal circumstances.
But Renner's influence on the empire was so great that Jircniv could not forget this string of names no matter how hard he tried, as he constantly saw it in reports.
And now, due to the unexpected shock, he subconsciously shouted out her full name.
Renner, however, was not surprised at all, as if it were only natural for the emperor to remember her. This was just a small proof of the success of the 'previous plan,' like an optional little medal.
So she was not shaken at all, and merely fluttered her wings a bit, as if greeting—huh?
What?
What is that? That moving thing is what?... Ah? That is what?... Ah? Ah?? What is that?
Jircniv was in confusion.
Ah? Is that? Ah? Ah?? What is that? Wings? People... but humans don't have wings, right? People... people indeed don't have wings, right? Ah?————Ah??
Renner was still alive, sitting right in front of him, in Nazarick, and then... she had wings? What kind of situation was this?
Although Rone and Baziwood did not understand, there was one person who had already guessed the truth.
"Oh... ohhhhhhhhhhh!! This! This is!!!"
Fluder Paradyne, one of the greatest human magic chanters, "Triple Magic Chanter."
Jircniv thought that when he saw the Death Knight before, he had already seen the worst side of the old man, but he did not expect that he still had an "ugly posture" that he could not even imagine.
He twisted his waist, stretched out his withered hands, one eye wide open and the other squinted, his mouth raised, drool splashing, and slowly approached Renner like a greedy thief who had found a rare treasure.
This scene, if Klein were here, he would definitely jump out to attack.
Renner felt a bit regretful that she could not enjoy the sight of the loyal dog defending her.
(But it doesn't matter... after returning to his side and complaining about the wrongs I suffered, I can see his eyes full of self-reproach and helplessness...💗)
Facing the slowly approaching old man, Renner was not panicked at all, but instead her eyes were full of provocation. Because she knew Fluder could not really touch her.
"—Ahem. That's enough, Fluder."
The sudden voice was plain, but it made Fluder retreat quickly like an electric shock, and he tidied himself up again.
"Apologies! For causing a scene, my lord!"
In response, Ainz merely raised his hand, indicating it was fine.
Being preempted, but never mind. Jircniv thought.
Originally, it should have been him to stop Fluder's indecency, but Ainz's "interference" was quite obvious. But now, it was of no consequence. Jircniv even wished the old man would move to the Sorcerer Kingdom as soon as possible.
"Teacher! Allow me to ask! Is this... is this... the legendary 'Race Conversion'? Is it?"
Throughout history, it was not rare for living beings to turn into undead, but that was not "Race Conversion."
That kind of thing was merely exploiting a "loophole," a loophole of "death." It was costly, had poor effects, and there was no choice—only turning into ugly undead.
But what was in front of him?
Renner was still as beautiful as a flower, exuding the aura of the living—this was a miracle!
"I see, yes. I turned Renner into a demon."
The Demon King's brief answer, lightly and casually, but Jircniv felt as if he had been hit on the head with an iron stick.
—I turned Renner into a demon.
So casually, as if it were effortless, just like that, just like that—
—turned a human into another race? Demon!
"...Because Renner has done considerable work."
Even in the midst of great confusion, Jircniv did not miss the key information revealed by the Demon King.
Renner has done considerable work? What kind of work is enough to make the Demon King help her change her race and take her into the Great Tomb of Nazarick?
————Wait, could it be... could it be!!
Jircniv could not help but glare at Renner, although he suppressed it, he still revealed anger.
And in response, Renner gave a very relaxed, faint smile, conveying a kind of "silent affirmation."
—That's right... this woman! Witch! Betrayed her own family... no, betrayed the human race!
As if on purpose, Renner chose this moment to speak:
"Ah, by the way, Jircniv just made a small mistake just now."
"What is it?"
Jircniv felt that talking to her would dirty himself, but although he did not know what status the Demon King had given her, her current position was definitely higher than his—from calling him "Your Excellency," it could be seen—so the conversation had to continue.
"Just now, Jircniv called me 'Renner Tiel Shaltan Lire Vaiself.' But fortunately, my name is not that long now."
"What?"
"Tiel Shaltan Lire... this string of middle names is now waste. Although His Majesty Ainz has shown great favor to my former family, the surname Vaiself has not been abandoned. However, personally, I hope that Jircniv can just call me 'Renner.'"
Renner. So that's the name of a demon.
Jircniv looked at Ainz, and after seeing the latter nod slightly, he shrugged at Renner with a slight disdain but not rude attitude.
"...As you wish. Renner."
Incidentally, about Renner's name, as soon as she entered the Great Tomb, she took the initiative to tell Albedo that she wanted to "erase her middle name along with her surname," because this was a "sign of loyalty."
But after hearing this request, Ainz suddenly saw the figure of the second prince of the kingdom—no, the last king of the kingdom.
It would be too cruel to erase this surname. Although he did not know whether it would make them unhappy, it would be better to let Renner bear this surname as a memento after all.
That is how it was, and the surname Vaiself was retained. Renner Vaiself, that is the full name of the demon.
"Compared to that!" Fluder could not help but make a loud noise.
"Compared to that... teacher! About the race conversion, please allow me to ask in detail!"
"Ah, ah, I know, I know. Wait a moment, we will talk about it after the meal."
Jircniv instinctively moved away from that old man.
There was a certain desire in the old man's eyes, and he hoped it was not that. Jircniv shook his head.
"Well..."
The Demon King suddenly got up, catching everyone off guard.
"I have prepared many delicious dishes today, Jircniv. Please do not be polite and enjoy the Frost Dragon Steak. Although we will discuss for a long time later... for now, please enjoy the feast."
With that, the Demon King activated the Ainz Ooal Gown Ring and disappeared from the room.
...Huh?
Jircniv was caught off guard.
Wasn't it a private dinner? Why did the Demon King... leave?
Jircniv had never been so humiliated as an emperor.
Ignoring the stunned Jircniv, Renner stretched lazily, with a rather coquettish posture, which even made Rone swallow his saliva.
"Well, Jircniv, don't be shy, take your seat, the dishes will be served soon. The cuisine of Nazarick is truly wonderful! It is beyond the reach of ordinary human cooking skills～"
Renner's eyes sparkled, as if she were a little girl genuinely looking forward to the meal.
Her affected acting made Jircniv even more irritable, and he wished he could slap her face.
"W-wait a minute! Uh, where is His Majesty the Demon King?"
"Huh?" Renner tilted her head cutely, "Lord Ainz? His Majesty? He doesn't need to dine with us, does he? It's just the two of us!"
Jircniv felt a lump in his heart.
So that's how it is... that's how it is!
He recalled what the Demon King had said at the beginning—"There is no need to mind the formalities."
So it was all a premeditated move for his behavior... cunning! Bastard! Big bastard!
The whole dinner was just to humiliate me, wasn't it?! The so-called "private nature"... was it to indicate that the object of humiliation was me personally, not the empire? Big bastard!!
So, having him dine with Renner, the purpose was also very clear.
Let a human dine with a human betrayer.
It was equivalent to directly saying, "Hey, you should betray humanity too."
Jircniv felt a chill on his back, as if the fingers of a demon had gently brushed over his shoulder blades.
—Could it be me too?! No, no, no, no, no! I don't want, I don't want, big bastard!!
Ignoring the astonished emperor, the maids pushed in gorgeous trolleys, on which were arrayed colorful delicacies, none of which could be found in the mortal world.
Unfortunately, if Jircniv had not short-circuited, he would have captured a key piece of intelligence.
That is, Renner was very serious and polite to the ordinary maids. She thanked them very politely for almost every service they provided.
And the maids did not react too strongly, as if it was something the other party should do.
This hinted at Renner's real status, but unfortunately, it slipped past Jircniv's short-circuited eyes.
Meanwhile, on the other side.
Ainz, who had been transferred out, was in a very good mood.
(Hahaha, it went very smoothly, Jircniv must be satisfied now!)
Ainz did not understand noble etiquette. He just considered Jircniv and did not want him to feel too much pressure during the meal, so he left the table.
But Ainz, as a social person, would never leave a guest to dine alone.
So who to find to accompany Jircniv?—The best choice was, of course, Renner, Ainz thought.
They were already acquainted and had common ground, how nice!
...Incidentally, Albedo and Demiurge's understanding of Ainz's actions was similar to Jircniv's. So they respectfully agreed to Ainz's proposal with admiration.
(Hmm... Jircniv should be enjoying the Frost Dragon Steak well, right?)
(With this, when it comes to asking him to execute the plan, there will be less guilt, huh. Hehe...)
PS:
In fact, in the original work, Jircniv would most likely not meet Renner... because there is a possibility of information leakage.
According to the speculation of a big shot, a more likely situation is that Jircniv would brainstorm in the palace and come up with the possibility of Renner betraying humanity.
This scene, everyone, is also quite interesting! I will try to write a short story depicting this scene～