Overlord: When Human Meets Inhuman

Chapter 60: "Family feud"

Hello hello, here's another chapter for y'all! Hope you enjoy :)
And remember that we're nearing the end, hehehe...

"Ah, here I am..."

Making the journey from Nazarick to Carne everyday, and then back, is becoming boring. Plus, nothing interesting happens around that village, and I get even more bored since I'm not with…nah, what am I saying, I don't need him. He's nothing but a backstabbing and selfish idiot.

The ruins look exactly the same. Nothing weird, or out of place, as always. I would have expected this place to have crumbled to dust time and time ago, but I guess that the magic of the Supreme Beings prevent this place from disappearing because of erosion.

The Supreme Beings are so unbelievably cool...sometimes the thought that we only have Lord Ainz left among us saddens me. But he's still the coolest around, so there's nothing to worry about!

It’s been a few weeks since he attacked me, and since the days after what happened, Lord Ainz has switched his morning tasks from going with me to Carne from training with Narberal. 

At least that way he won’t be there to bother me or attack me again. 

As I step through the entrance, I feel like I don’t want to see anyone, so I become invisible and start walking my way down to the 9th floor. The halls are very busy, a lot of people going around, but mostly regular maids, so they aren’t able to see me. 

Lately, a lot of people have been getting the sensation that a storm is brewing or whatever, but I don’t really know what they’re talking about. Everything seems to be normal around here, so I don’t get why everybody’s making such a fuss. 

As I’m walking through the 6th floor, along the Amphitheatrum, I feel a hand on my shoulder so I slowly turn around.

Great. I did not need this at all. What does Narberal want from me now?

“What?” I ask, annoyed. 

Now Narberal is taking interest in me? She doesn’t usually give half a shit about anyone, so why would she come to me all of a sudden? 

“I’m just here to talk with you, sister. Can you become visible and listen to me?” Narberal says in her usual empty tone. 

“Fine…what is it?” I ask, as I get rid of my invisibility; I cross my arms and lean my back against the Amphitheatrum’s wall. 

“You’ve changed these last weeks, and both of us know well why. Wouldn’t you say so, Lupu?” 

She always knows how to handle her feelings and maintain her temper. Well, good for her, because I don’t. 

“No, dear sister, I wouldn’t say so. The only person who’s changed is him.” 

Narberal narrows her eyes and takes a step closer to me, ending up a few inches from my face. I know she most likely means no harm, but her eyes tell a whole different story.

“Yes, he has. For the better. He’s been working hard, he’s been suffering all this time, and he’s never asked anything in return. Do you know where he is now, Lupusregina? He’s in the Amphitheatrum, training. These weeks, with my help, he discovered he had a talent for undead magic, and he's been trying to perfect his magic skills day and night. His training would be over, but he’s still going. And guess what? He’s got more training to do this afternoon. Do you know why out of all the options Lord Ainz gave him he chose to train under the supervision of somebody like me? Do you know why he’s been suffering so much and working so hard?” She says slowly and calmly, stressing every single word too much for my taste. I decide to stay in silence at first, since we both know I have no idea what Narberal's answer is going to be. But then I decide to give vent to some of my stress and speak up.

“Because he wants to be stronger, that’s why. So he can turn his back on somebody else and then be justified because he’s “the inexperienced one” or something.” I spit in her face, maintaining the same cold expression. 

“No, you fool. He’s done this only for you. Do you know what has been going on inside him this past month or so? Do you know how many times he’s cried? During training, in the infirmary, in the evening…one day, about a week ago, he personally told me that he couldn’t take it anymore, that the guilt was destroying him. And do you know what you did to answer to his regret and his friendship? You straight up told him you wanted him to die, and punched him in the face. If that isn’t cowardice and disrespect, then I don’t know what it is. Furthermore, he didn’t give up, he worked hard for what he cared about and what he believed in, and he is still working hard. He is strong, Lupusregina, and he is a good-hearted person. That’s why I deeply respect him and admire him. You, on the other hand, are a coward and a hothead. You should think about somebody other than yourself, for a start. He has never thought of his own well-being since coming here to Nazarick, have you noticed? I’ve kept a close eye on him since he’s come here, and in the majority of cases he’s been doing what was good for others, not himself. But I wouldn’t have expected you to notice, since you’re a selfish and careless person. He is the true example of a warrior and a person with a will of steel, you...you’re nothing more than someone who plays the mature adult to hide her childishness.” 

She finishes shaking her head, her expression unchanged, still empty and without any feelings, and turns around to leave.

Well...that felt like a stab to the heart. My own sister is siding with him.

"You're siding with him?! My own sister has turned her back on me…" I mutter, with tears in my eyes. Narberal stops and turns back to look at me, waving her cape.

"I didn't turn my back on you, Lupusregina. You turned your back on him. Do some self-examination, I recommend it. Bye, sister." 

At that, Narberal turns around and flies away, leaving a shitty taste in my mouth, and a shitty sensation in my heart.

She’s siding with him…my own sister turned her back on me. That bitch.

“Useless.” I hiss, as I carefully step inside the Amphitheatrum. 

I’m just curious to see what Narberal meant when she said “a talent for undead magic”. 

I hide behind the entrance gate and take a peek inside. I see him, he's standing right in the middle of the Amphitheatrum, on his own, with some practice dummies around him.

Did he change his clothing again? 

He’s not wearing his black cape anymore. He’s wearing some black shoes, black shorts and a red short sleeved shirt. And he looks very annoyed, or tired, or both.

I didn’t know he’d changed his clothing again…the clothes he’s wearing now look…comfy. 

I become invisible and step a bit closer, to take a better look at what the hell he’s doing. He suddenly raises his left hand, snaps his fingers and some weird…thing appears in front of him. 

It looks like…a dragon’s skull? Weird…

A sphere of red light starts forming in the thing’s mouth, creating a strong flow of air around it. Then the...skull opens its jaws, and blows out a ray of energy with a noise similar to the one of…a ray of energy. The attack completely obliterates the target he was aiming at, then the weird skull thing disappears without leaving a trace. Mark then summons some more of those…silver knives, and starts throwing a hail of them at the other targets, destroying those as well. He keeps going on for a while, summoning those…I don't even know how to call them, and the knives, until he gets tired. He stretches his arms out for a few seconds, puts them in his pockets and walks towards the entrance with a smug grin plastered on his lips, which makes me want to puke. 

I quickly step out of the Amphitheatrum and as soon as I’m outside I lean my back against its wall, taking a deep breath. After a minute or so, he comes out of the Amphitheatrum and his grin grows even wider, for some reason. He teleports away using his Ring of Ainz Ooal Gown, leaving me alone. 

He seems to have improved a lot these past weeks, like Narberal said. Meh, he’s still pretty easy to beat though. Four weeks don’t change somebody’s life…right?