t on at Roberdyck. She had beautiful crimson eyes. It felt that they had gripped Roberdyck's heart. Moving, even breathing, felt difficult underneath her pressure.

Underneath the girl's gaze, Roberdyck could not move.

"Shalltear. Capture the woman from earlier."

"Understood, Ainz-sama."

The girl—Shalltear smiled. However, seeing that shining smile from the side, Roberdyck sent cold shivers down his spine. He directly felt that she was a monster wearing a beauty's skin.

"Why are you not looking here directly?"

"Eh, because...."

Shalltear was displaying a rather shy expression. Ainz looked upon his own body and shook his head.

"It's just bones?"

"Ainz-sama is special! Really, please don't make me say those things again. It is rather embarrassing.."

With both her hands holding her face, Shalltear was fidgeting around with a kyakya expression.

"Shalltear .... You really do not change at all.. .. Do behave a bit more seriously ... Oh well .. go and catch it, but since she could still be of use, you are strictly prohibited from breaking your prey."

"Understood. I will catch her without damaging her."

"Do enjoy the hunt."

"Yes, I intend to do that."

Shalltear bowed deeply towards Ainz before strolling away. Every single step she took seem was akin to shortening of Arche's life, Roberdyck understood this yet he did not made a move.

Shalltear walked pass without taking a single look towards them. Although the distance separating her and her prey could be covered just by running, it still looked rather far off.

After Shalltear's footsteps faded into the distance, Ainz began to speak with Roberdyck.

"Now then, why don't we make a deal."

"What sort of deal?"

"If you cooperate with me, I promise that I will not kill this girl, Arche."

"How do I.... cooperate?"

The suggestion itself may not be an actual cooperation. But Roberdyck understood that it was a good chance for him to preserve the life of his comrade.

"Now, my subordinate who is currently in pursuit belongs to the cleric class. However, the god that she believes in is completely different from yours. In short, I am not familiar with the four gods whom you worship. Hence, I would like to find out from the users of cleric magic, whether they attain their power from their gods."

"...What are you trying to say?"

"...Have you met the existence that you call god personally?"

"God is by our side!"

"Such an answer. This means that you have never met him in person?"

"No! When I used my magic, I could feel the presence of an immeasurable existence. That is god."

"....Then again who were the ones that decide who god is? God himself? Or was it the people that used such power themselves?"

Roberdyck recalled the contents of discussion from the various debates on the subject of the divine. To Ainz's question, there were no clear conclusion from it. That was why till now, the priests continued to debate about the matter. If it was really like that, then part of the divine debate had their conclusion drawn out for them.

Ainz continued to speak as if trying to stop Roberdyck who opened his mouth.

"...Mah, treating those beings that dwell within a higher existence, let's assume they are the gods you speak of. Are they something that is totally colorless? Or do they exist like a concentrated mass of power. The droplets of power dripping from them cause the changes? Well, this is a world where magical laws exist. It would not be a joking matter should god exist."

"...."

"My apologies. I am not talking about any of those things. The power of the gods that you believe in. I don't think we could simply learn something like that...How about some human experimentation?"

The words coming out from Ainz's mouth were very dangerous.

"...Human experimentation?"

"That's right. What happens if I change a part of your memory? Substituting one of the gods that your worshipped with another. What would the outcome be like?"

Utter madness. That was the honest thought that came into Roberdyck's mind.

No, his opponent was an undead. His level of thinking had reached a different realm of possibility.

Ainz moved one step backwards, looking at Roberdyck with a bemused air. His gaze was akin to a researcher observing his test subject. Roberdyck wanted to vomit at the thought of it.

"If you are willing to cooperate with me, as a reward, I shall guarantee the safety of that girl, Arche."

"Is there any evidence that I could trust your words.."

"That would be impossible isn't it? Looks like you are not the trusting type. Mah, since you are unwilling to cooperate, I could force you into participating my experiment. Even that girl would be a useful experiment subject."

"...Don't you have a single shred of mercy inside you?"

"Your joke ends here, do you think I would be merciful to those who dirtied Nazarick with their filthy mud prints?"

Roberdyck looked towards the sky, the glistening star filled sky.

Then towards the ground, where the bodies of his friends lay upon the grounds of the arena.

Roberdyck let out a deep sigh. Numerous considerations came into his mind. He considered each and everyone of them before making a final decision.

"One more condition. Please let me bury my dead friend's body."

"...No choice. Be thankful then, lesser beings that dared to thread their filthy mud stained shoes into Nazarick and besmirched the names of my friends, to receive an act of mercy from me.... I shall not use their bodies."

Death itself was an absolute existence. Resurrecting the dead was something in the realm of the impossible. At least let the souls of my comrades rest in piece, and let Arche be spared from death, the cleric, Roberdyc prayed.