V10 Side Story: Girl's Talk

[So apparently, the special edition of Vol. 10 comes with a side story, and someone on baidu translated it, which means I translated it too. It seems to take place after part 1 of chapter 1. It would be nice if someone could send me a picture of the side story so I can verify it. - N.]

Overlord Vol. 10 SS: Girl’s Talk

Shalltear, who had been invited to Albedo’s room, blinked as she saw a petite Dark Elf standing at the side, and then she looked to the owner of the room in surprise. She heard a laugh, and then an answer:

“Ara, what’s wrong? I think it’s good to deepen our relationships as women. Do you mind?”

“I don’t mind, how about you?”

“I… we are all right with this.”

“You can refer to yourself in the singular now.”

“Then I shall. I suppose I can be forgiven for only doing this once a day.”

Shalltear was led into the room and to the indicated table, and she her eyes took in what was laid upon the pure white tablecloth.

The preparations for afternoon tea had already been laid out.

There were as many teacups as there were people. There were also triple-layered cake racks gleaming in silver and packed with desserts. No matter where one looked, there was always something delicious in view. It was a mouth-watering sight.

At a glance, there were tender, juicy strawberries, soft and moist sponge cakes as well as strawberry cakes made with practically butter that was virtually oil-free. There were fruit tarts which exuded a citrus fragrance, made with copious amounts of fresh fruits. In addition, there was a rich cheesecake which radiated a refreshingly tangy scent. The sticky chocolate cake was brown in color and sprinkled with gold powder.

Of course, the choices were not as boring as being limited to cakes alone.

There were cream puffs that seemed to be squashed under the weight of the custard sauce which filled them. There were long, cylindrical peach jellies and jellies made of Kyoho grapes, and even jellies of fruits which could only be found in YGGDRASIL.

“What’s this all about?”

“I asked Pestonya to make some sweets. However, it’s not Sous-Chef’s cooking, so eating it won’t grant any magical effects or the like.

“Ohhh, so the trolley was to bring these over.”

Shalltear recalled her encounter with the dog-headed head maid.

At the same time, Albedo was skilfully making her own preparations.

The teacups were all well made. Although one usually associated teacups with the color white, Albedo was setting out black teacups covered with intricate designs of gold filigree.

They were practically works of art. However --

“I prefer blue, I’ll bring some along next time.”

“I think I’ve got some in gold with floral patterns--”

“The two of you have good taste. No, I should say the Supreme Beings have bestowed you with good taste.

Albedo was still pouring tea even as she spoke.

The fragrance filled the surrounding air, and it stimulated Shalltear’s nose.

She thought of several kinds of tea as she continued to savor the scent, and then Shalltear decided on a particular variety.

“...Is this Platinum++ Asgard Pekoe?”

“I’m not too sure, but I think it should be. Pestonya said something along those lines.”

“...Why is something as good as this in the hands of someone who can’t appreciate it…”

“What do you mean, Shalltear?”

“This is an extremely high-end crop that needs to be harvested in Asgard at specific times within specific seasons, by people with specialized job classes.”

“Mm, mm--”

“Albedo, is it alright to use such good stuff? Won’t it make Ainz-sama or the other Supreme Beings mad?”

“It will be fine. I have already received Ainz-sama’s approval. Please.”

Shalltear’s hand wavered between acceptance and rejection as she reached toward the cup presented to her. The sheer quality of the tea intimidated her.

Aura did not hesitate for an instant and gulped it down, with one hand planted on her waist as she did. In contrast to Shalltear, who was staring with eyes wide, Aura merely said, “So bitter!” after downing an entire cup of super-high-class black tea in one shot.

“Hah?”

“Mm, fruit juice or sports drinks would be better.”

“You!”

It’s wasted on you! Shalltear forced back the urge to scream that at her.

Aura was just a girl, so educating her in the ways of enjoying tea was her duty as her senior.

“Aura, allow me to show you the proper way to drink tea.”

Shalltear gracefully picked up her teacup and took a mouthful. The natural tangy flavor spread through her mouth, Of course, Shalltear preferred fresh blood, but she could also savor this sort of thing. That was how refined her palate was..

“Drinking it elegantly in this manner is the--”

Is the proper way in which to enjoy tea -- she wanted to say that, but Aura paid Shalltear no heed and moved on to wolfing down strawberry cakes instead. Shalltear could only stare in dumbfounded silence.

“Ah, Albedo, more please.”

“All right. What will you have next?”

“Mm. I’d like…”

“...Aura. Here I am, trying to teach you the proper--”

“--I say, Shalltear. Tea is meant to be savored as it is drunk, am I wrong? Certainly it looks uncouth before Ainz-sama and the others, but this is a private tea party among friends, is it not? In addition, she does not drink in such a crude way, so it should be fine, don’t you think?”

“Huhuhu, you lose~”

“Kuh… A-anyway, Albedo, did you just call us here for a tea party?”

“Indeed. I wanted to have a nice chat with my fellow Guardians.”

“Mm~”

Shalltear quirked an eyebrow, but did not rebuke her. The fact was, they were all beings created by the Supreme Beings. Though they showed their loyalty in different ways, their aims were one all the same. That being the case, deepening their understanding of each other was a good idea.

“Now where have I seen the furniture in this room before?”

The furniture in this room was quite similar to Shalltear’s recollections of the room which belonged to a certain great person. In response to that question, Albedo smiled radiantly before answering:

“That’s right, Shalltear. By the grace of Ainz-sama, I have been permitted to decorate my room in the same way as that of the Supreme Beings.”

“...You’re even using the same things as the Supreme Beings… it would have been more polite to refuse.”

“Are you saying I should refuse a gift from Ainz-sama?”

Their intense glares suddenly turned toward their carefree compatriot.

Aura looked from one party to the other, and then asked Shalltear in surprise:

“I don’t know why you’re so mad, Shalltear. My room is filled with furniture from Bukubukuchagama-sama. Isn’t your room the same way?”

Indeed, it was.

Just about all the furniture in Shalltear’s burial chamber was placed there by her creator. When one put it that way, there was nothing else she could say.

As she watched Albedo smile and Shalltear bite her lip, Aura posed a question.

“Then, hm. Albedo, how about your clothes? If you were given furniture, does that mean you don’t have clothes?”

“Those too were granted to me by Ainz-sama.”

“Why does Ainz-sama have women’s clothes?”

The suddenly immobile Albedo looked uneasily to Shalltear, as though begging for help. However, Shalltear could not spare the energy to help her. That was because she was desperately trying to deny the answer which loomed in her mind.

“That, that sort of thing happens too.”

“Isn’t that usually because he has a woman he wants to give them to?”

Thanks to Aura’s words, the suddenly-frozen Albedo raised her teacup and saucer to her mouth, savoring the fragrant tea as she smiled and replied:

“Indeed, Ainz-sama is such an outstanding individual. He must have courted more women than there are stars in a galaxy.”

The saucer and teacup clattered as they struck each other. The amazing thing was that all the tea that spilled out was somehow retained within the saucer, without staining the white tablecloth.

Neither did Shalltear have the energy to calmly praise Albedo.

“He must change his women one after the other.”

“That, that’s right. After all, he is Ainz-sama, the one who rules all the 41 Supreme Beings. He must be very popular. The, the most important thing is who gets to remain by his side in the end. His history with women is not the problem… Of course, if any of those women from before dares to shamelessly show her face before him again, I will definitely kill her.”

“Y-yes.”

Albedo and Shalltear smiled to each other. In the corner of their eyes, Aura shrugged, as if to say, “Well, it’s fine”.

“Let’s leave it at that for now.”

“Then, how about something else… but, what should we talk about?”

“Mmm~ It should be something to do with Ainz-sama, right, Aura?”

“Sure we could. As for Ainz-sama -- he’s very charming, and very gentle.”

Shalltear noticed Albedo’s face twitch a little. If one did not know what lurked within those depths, one might have assumed those gentle eyes were simply looking at them. She deliberately fondled the ring on her left ring finger, bathing in the light it radiated.

You bitch -- Shalltear swallowed those words before they could be spoken, and smiled. This was not entirely an act, because her face naturally relaxed every time she thought of her master.

“Ainz-sama… is truly an outstanding master.”

“Which part of him do you think is the most beautiful, Shalltear Bloodfallen?”

“If there’s too much custard, it’ll spill out of the puffs.”

“That would be his pure white body, of course. Its proportions are ideal. How I wish I could touch his body.”

Needless to say, what she actually wanted to do was climb all over him and savor the taste of his bones, but she could not actually say that.

“Indeed, his body -- against which even ivory pales in comparison -- is quite beautiful… although, don’t you think the most beautiful parts of Ainz-sama are his eyes? Those mesmerizing, deep eyes, like gateways into the abyss… I can feel his dignity and iron will through their jewel-like glow.”

Not bad.

Still, Shalltear did not feel they could surpass Ainz’s pure white body.

“Really? Then wouldn’t his alabaster body be better? Do you not wish to be embraced by that body? Do you not want to touch it with your hands?”

A crack appeared in Albedo’s smile. Sensing that this was the moment to advance, Shalltear pressed the attack.

“That’s not all. Consider his hands placed upon our waists, and drawing us close to him.”

“Ugkkkkk!”

“More, please.”

“And how about then being brought before his broad and sturdy chest, to hear him whisper, in low tones, his -- lo -- ving -- words to us?”

“Nggggfffu!”

Albedo seemed to be pinching her nose. Her fingers were flecked with something red.

“Ah, this cheesecake is great.”

“How about it, Albedo? Tell me your answer. Is his body not better?”

“That, that’s far too impure! How, how could you talk about that sort of thing? Tempting me with his body is unfair! I was talking about pure beauty!”

“Is that so? Yet the way you’re acting is declaring my victory.”

“Guh!”

“I say--”

“What do you say, Aura? This is the most exciting part. Wipe your mouth so you can be a live witness as this woman admits her defeat. Come, Albedo, admit it! Admit that the most beautiful part of Ainz is his bony body!”

“Nguuu!:

A smile of victory dawned on Shalltear’s face as she watched how Albedo was gritting her teeth, and then Aura muttered to herself:

“What part of Ainz-sama isn’t beautiful? Isn’t he pretty all over?”

“????”

“????”

Shalltear nodded to Albedo.

“Indeed, Ainz-sama is the physical incarnation of beauty. We can’t say which part of him is best.”

“Yes, Albedo. It would be disrespectful to do something like assigning ranks to the body parts of Ainz-sama, the Supreme One.”

“So we have our answer.”

“All parts of Ainz-sama are beautiful! However, there are parts which are more attractive, based on personal preference.”

This was truly a glorious sight.

Well, aside from the confusion a certain girl felt at all of this.

“Is it really all right to have these people as my fellow Guardians?”