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Orion was momentarily speechless. As a successful man who had climbed the social ladder and wielded power, many had offered to be his subordinate, even metaphorically his "dog." Yet, even then, people were usually more circumspect. Someone like Shalltear, declaring it unabashedly in front of everyone and taking pride in it, was a first for him.
Orion's gaze settled on Shalltear. **Shalltear Bloodfallen**, created by **Peroroncino**. As an otaku in every sense, Peroroncino had imbued Shalltear with elements covering almost every aspect of anime culture. She appeared only thirteen or fourteen years old, barely 140cm tall – a classic loli physique. She wore a deep red and black evening gown typical of vampires, with a characteristically puffy, layered "cake" skirt. Her attire was pure Gothic Lolita, adorned with lace and ribbons. Slender arms were covered by lace gloves, not an inch of skin visible, like a sheltered noble maiden – prim and elegant.
Shalltear's features were delicate and lovely, her skin flawless as white wax. Long silver hair, tied in a single side ponytail, cascaded down, decorated with cute ribbon bows. Usually, her dark crimson eyes held a seductive, mischievous pleasure. But when facing Orion, that pleasure burned with intense heat. The seductiveness was palpable; under her gaze, even Orion felt as if he was being mentally licked.
By all appearances, she was an elegant, beautiful, and charming young girl. However, Orion knew the truth.
Vampires in Yggdrasil were nothing like common perception. They were classic heteromorphs. Shalltear's true form was a terrifying monster – a grotesque creature resembling a lamprey eel, its maw bristling with razor-sharp teeth. The kind of horror usually confined to nightmare films, capable of making one's hair stand on end with a single glance.
Recalling the vampire forms he'd seen in-game and contrasting them with the stunningly beautiful girl before him speaking in a coquettish tone, Orion suddenly thought—
*This is actually pretty damn hot!!*
He had to admire Peroroncino's artistic skill. Shalltear's breathtakingly beautiful appearance wasn't due to shapeshifting. Peroroncino, with his masterful brushstrokes, had literally painted a leech into a beauty. What profound love for 2D culture must one possess to achieve such a feat? Only a true master-level otaku artist could look at a pig and, through sheer imagination, paint it as a beautiful maiden.
Flashing through Shalltear's details in his mind, Orion maintained a stoic expression. He waved a hand dismissively, "...All of you! **Nazarick** must mobilize!"
"...Return to your stations! Fulfill your duties!"
The kneeling Floor Guardians bowed their heads in unison, their voices filled with reverence, "...We offer the tribute of our loyalty to the Supreme Beings!"
Everyone except Shalltear and Demiurge departed. Momonga left with them to handle his tasks. Only Albedo remained, standing quietly behind Orion like a dutiful attendant, a graceful smile on her lips, her silk-gloved hands clasped demurely before her. However, the iridescent golden glow in her eyes burned with fury as she stared at Shalltear. Shalltear met her gaze with open挑衅 (tiǎoxìn - provocation/challenge), clearly ready to clash if not for Orion's presence.
Demiurge watched the scene with mild exasperation, shrugging elegantly. But upon seeing Orion deep in thought, he quickly lowered his head, awaiting the Supreme Being's decree.
Meanwhile, Orion was privately messaging Momonga.
"Zarathustra, what's the deal with that Shalltear? Her emotions are completely off the rails!" Momonga couldn't help but vent. As an ordinary person, hearing someone unabashedly declare themselves your "most loyal dog" while kneeling was shocking and bizarre.
"You'll have to ask Peroroncino about that, Momonga... weren't you two quite close?" Orion deftly deflected the question.
Momonga seemed to choke on his words. After a few seconds, he sent back a wry mental chuckle, "...Ah, Zarathustra, mentioning Peroroncino suddenly makes it all make sense."
"...I completely forgot Shalltear was his creation. Knowing him, I can guess why she's like this. It relates to Peroroncino's... *sexual preferences*. Better not to elaborate!"
Orion chuckled mentally, "...Yeah, you otaku are disgusting!"
Momonga wanted to protest the broad generalization but held back. He pressed on, "...Setting Shalltear aside, what about Albedo?"
"...She was created by **Touch Me**, right? You were closest to him. You should be able to guess her personality settings."
It wasn't that Momonga was interested in Shalltear or Albedo. 'Emotion Nullification' combined with his racial traits eliminated any male physiological desires. As the Guild Leader of **Ainz Ooal Gown**, he actually wasn't intimately familiar with every NPC's personality settings. In this unknown new world, he feared internal problems within the guild more than external threats. The guild was built by all the members; Momonga, who placed immense value on bonds, couldn't allow it to falter under his watch. He *had* to understand every NPC's personality and behavioral patterns to decide their future management. This stemmed from his cautious nature and talent for information gathering.
"As for Albedo, I can probably guess her personality and behavior."
"...Touch Me loved settings and ritualism. What isn't widely known is that he also loved '**gap moe**'." Orion answered Momonga's query in detail to reassure him.
"Gap moe?" Momonga was curious about the specifics.
"Mhm. For instance, Albedo appears pure and chaste, giving off the vibe of a gentle, well-bred lady."
"...But that guy Touch Me definitely set her as something like, 'secretly a wanton slut' behind the scenes!" Orion stated bluntly.
"*Hiss*... You call *that* gap moe? That's just a 'hypocritical bitch'!" Momonga gasped, unable to suppress his shock.
"Oh? You know that term? Seems you've privately studied quite broadly, Momonga," Orion teased.
"Ahem! Let's not discuss that topic. I'm just a bit shocked, finding it hard to accept," Momonga flushed mentally, feeling embarrassed.
"However, don't worry too much. Earlier, I subtly probed Albedo and inferred other settings from her words."
"...As I said, Touch Me loved contrast."
"In Albedo's personality, he probably also set her to be loyal to Touch Me, but secretly always having an affair with her master's best friend – namely, me. That's the source of her 'wanton' nature."
"...And because he loved setting up contrasts, Albedo probably secretly *hates* her master."
"I'm quite glad Touch Me isn't here with us. Albedo's settings don't bother me, but for him, it would be a disaster."
"...If Touch Me were here, Albedo would kill him one day. And now, with no way to modify NPC settings anymore, it's truly poetic justice – he brought it upon himself."
Orion spoke with a hint of schadenfreude. *Serves you right for messing around with crazy settings!*
"Zarathustra... you and Touch Me play so wild..." Momonga's voice finally came back, sounding faint and distant.
*Indeed,* Orion thought, *those who choose 'heteromorphic' races, turning themselves into inhuman monsters, always seem to have some psychological quirks compared to normal people.*
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