Overlord: When Human Meets Inhuman

Chapter 40: All alone

Ahhh, what a good night's sleep…

I jump up from my bed and get ready and dressed for the day in a few minutes. I just put on a simple pair of pants and a black shirt.

I figured that the coat I made sucks, it makes me look old, so I'll stick with normal clothes for the time being. Now, who knows what awaits me on this day?

I walk out of my room with my hands in my pockets and I start whistling happily.

Usually Nazarick is way more noisy in the morning, hmm…

I also woke up just in time to do my usual trip in the woods with Lupusregina.
"Oh, there you are. Luckily it wasn't hard to find you, because of your whistling."

Huh?

"Oh, good morning." I mutter, as I turn around and smile lightly.

What's Yuri Alpha doing here?

"Hm. I'm here to give you some useful information. First of all, Lord Ainz left for E-Rantel this early morning, and he took some people with him. Among those, there are Master Sebas, Shalltear, Demiurge, Lupusregina, Narberal and Entoma, including all of the human maids. He will remain in E-Rantel for a week or two."

I'm sorry what?

"I…I see. And is there-"
"Your morning patrol in the woods has been canceled for the time being, since you will take Shalltear's place as guardian of the first three floors of Nazarick. You will, on the other hand, need to make a patrol run of Nazarick's perimeter every afternoon. You will need to report to Lady Albedo every evening, since she is now temporarily in charge of Nazarick."
Yuri adjusts her glasses and gives me a look that expects an answer.

Well...this came as a surprise. I'm...kinda overwhelmed right now.

"I understand. I will try to fulfil my duty as best as I can. And you have my gratitude for taking the trouble of coming all the way down to the 1st floor to let me know my tasks."
I make a small bow and give Yuri Alpha another slight smile, at that she nods and clears her throat.
"Hm. I appreciate when people recognize others' work. Do your best, and don't disappoint Nazarick."
Yuri, after having finished her very serious and formal announcement, mechanically turns around and walks away.

Okay, what the fuck?! I'll be all alone, taking over Shalltear's job…I won't see her or Tuare or Lupusregina for a week, maybe two. This is…just great.

“So how do I fill up my time now?” I ask myself as I start walking around Nazarick’s empty 1st floor.
I need to wait until the afternoon to do my patrol run, and I still have a couple of hours before lunch. I decide to take a look around the basement, just to do something different than sitting on my hands in my room. I take a look at every torture device in the room, some are weird, some are big, some are small. I manage to guess the usage of of some of them, while in other cases I’m left confused on how they work.

Couldn’t this room have been a bit more…lighted? I understand that this lighting is perfect for torturing, but it’s kinda annoying.

I take a few more steps around and casually I end up near the bed.

Yes, where things happened yesterday. And also during those two weeks but nevermind.

“Is that…A note?”
There’s a small square of paper sitting in the middle of the bed. There’s something written on it but I can’t see from here.
I slowly reach out with a hand and grab the piece of paper. There’s a message on the back.
“Let’s see…”

It’s Shalltear’s handwriting.

“For Mark.”  That’s all there’s written on the back.
I slowly unfold the piece of paper and for some reason my heart starts racing.

Right, by now my own blood must be as much as half of the blood I have in me. The other half is Shalltear’s. That’s why I’m so excited, I think.

“Hello Mark,
I’m sorry I didn’t have time to warn you in person this morning, but Lord Ainz wanted to leave very early, and on a very short notice. I didn’t want to wake you up because I thought you needed rest. I personally asked Lord Ainz for you to take over my job while I’m in E-Rantel with him, so I hope you’ll do me and him proud. But I’m sure you will, Mark. Even if I’ve never told you, you’ve always done me proud, every single time.
Oh right, and here comes the best part! For you, at least. If you look closely at the wall on the right side of the bed, and if you’re not stupid, which you aren’t, you’ll find a switch. Pull it and you’ll have access to my…private prison. That’s where I keep humans locked up, and when I’m bored I take one or two and have some fun. And you’ll be very happy to hear this, since I hereby grant you the freedom to do whatever you want with the humans in there. Just leave some for me when I come back, alright?
I hope you won’t get too bored while everybody’s away, and I hope you won’t miss me too much...eh, who am I kidding, of course you will. If we were talking face to face, I’d have just laughed at your face, by the way.
I have to leave you now, since it’s time for me to leave for E-Rantel. I hope you’ll find yourself well these days while I’m away. Just one recommendation: PLEASE don’t get yourself killed, alright?
Yours,
Shalltear.” 

And there’s a heart on the bottom of the page. Reading this warmed my heart in a way that not many things can do.

I stand still like an idiot for a few seconds, until I realize what Shalltear wrote in that letter.

The humans. I want humans. NOW.

I turn around and start looking for the damn switch on the wall. Fortunately I both look closely and I’m not stupid, so I manage to find it in a few seconds. As I flip it, a small part of the wall opens up and I get in, full of curiosity. And full of bloodlust. I find myself staring down a pretty long and narrow corridor, with cells on my left and my right.

And of course, it’s dimly lit.

I walk around the cells a bit and after a bit of thinking I open one with a man in it. I don't bother memorizing anything about him, since he's going to be dead shortly.
“Come with me. And don’t try anything funny.” I mutter and hiss, showing him my fangs, seeing the guy’s face turning into pure terror.

That’s what I like to see.

I take him out of the prison and I drag him to the metal board where Shalltear ties people up, and guess what I do? I tie him up and draw my knife, pointing it at his chest. He doesn’t say anything, he just stares at me frozen in fear.
“Any last words?” I ask in a creepy tone.
I wait one, two, three seconds, but nothing.
“Alright. Suit yourself.”
I hiss another time and I stick the knife in his chest, and I hear him screaming very loudly.
“Oh, did that hurt? I’m not done…”
I drag the knife down his chest, on his belly and all the way down his left leg. At some point as I’m going down his thigh, he stops screaming.
“Meh, you died quickly. Oh well…”
I take a very good look at his insides, getting pleasure from seeing the blood pouring out like a fountain. I then take my knife back, clean it on his clothes and put it back in the scabbard, then I pull his heart out and I crunch it with my hands, getting blood all over my arm.
“Ahh…thank you, Shalltear…thank you so much.”
I then realize I should clean up the mess I made, but I also realize I can't be bothered to, so I walk back to my room and wash up. When I realize that the morning still isn't over, and that I have to actually work in the afternoon, I start feeling gradually worse and gloomier.
I lay in bed on my back, and at some point I feel so terribly hurt and gloomy that I start crying silently, as the pain I'm experiencing in my chest becomes almost unbearable.
"Shalltear..."