The Two Leaders

“It’s very important to obey the organization’s rules. While there are times when they should be bent, I won’t hold this incident against you.”

“Thank you very much! Thank you very, very much!”

“Although it might be troublesome, please tell me the details of her request. This isn’t a formal acceptance of the request, but rather, it’s so that it’s easier for me to take action should the situation call for it.”

“I understand! I’ll go get the details from her right away! Then, please excuse me!”

The receptionist fled from the room at top speed, as though a typhoon had passed through.

“...Even if you want to gain my sympathy, please don’t scold innocent people. It upsets me.”

“...As I thought, I can’t put anything past you, Momon-kun.”

The guildmaster’s sincere reply told Ainz that his hypothesis had been correct.

It seems the tricks of the Japanese salaryman can be used anywhere. Then, the question is—

The image of Lupusregina appeared in Ainz’s mind.

How did Lupusregina not know of the monsters that a village girl like Enri was aware of? Was therea failure in establishing an information network? I need to check this out.

I have to return to Nazarick soon, Ainz thought as he awaited the receptionist’s report.

♦ ♦ ♦

Nazarick Time 16:41

A worried Lupusregina entered Ainz’s office. The panic and unease of being suddenly summoned was written all over her face. Inside the office was Lupusregina, the regular maid Sixth, the battle maid Narberal, Aura, who was the one most familiar with the forest, the Eight Edge Assassins on the ceiling, and the owner of the room, Ainz.

By the way, Albedo was still in confinement.

Lupusregina was about to prostrate before Ainz when he interrupted her.

“Lupusregina, is there something you’ve kept from me?”

After seeing the confused look on her face, he wondered if she did not know about it after all. Ainz decided to repeat what he had heard about the Giant of the East and the Serpent of the West from the Adventurer’s Guild. However, as Lupusregina seemed to have known about this long before, Ainz’s mood changed drastically. He exhaled long and loud.

“So you were aware of this, then?”

“Yes. About that—”

“You fool!”

Ainz’s thunderous shout, filled with wrath, seemed to shake the very room. As the others recoiled like they had been physically struck, Ainz felt something suppress his emotions, but even after the peak of rage was cut off, his anger surged up again, and there was no way he could fully rein in his ire.

“Why did you not report this to me? Were you trying to deceive me?”

“N-no! Nothing like that!”

“Then why? Why did none of this reach me at all! What was the reason?”

“B-because I th-thought it wasn’t a big deal, s-so I didn’t report…”

For some reason, the sight of the frightened battle maid peeking up at him only incensed him further.

“Lupusregina Beta! I am thoroughly disappointed in you!!”

Lupusregina was not the only one who flinched at this. Nabe and Sixth were trembling too, and the Eight Edge Assassins on the ceiling seemed to have froze up as well.

“I gave you the task of taking care of the village, but that did not mean you could do as you please!

You were told to report anything that happened in the village, anything at all, so what is the meaning of this!”

“That’s…”

Ainz’s face twisted as he looked down on Lupusregina, who was unable to answer him. This was an unforgivable sin for a worker; no, for anyone. These rules were obvious for anyone who did business, or rather, for anyone who worked in society at all: “Report, Communicate, Discuss”.

Report what you learned. Communicate clearly with others. Discuss issues as they came up. They were considered the lifeblood of a company’s operations, and they were very important.

If she can’t even do that, I don’t think I can forgive her from the perspective of a leader… no…

As he looked on the terrified Lupusregina, Ainz could not help but think that he was at least partially to blame. These mistakes would only result if a superior was unreliable and could not properly direct his subordinates.

A failure in the group’s communications is my fault. I couldn’t take proper control of this… maybe Ishould step back and let Demiurge or Albedo handle this sort of thing.

“...Lupusregina, are you aware of Carne Village’s value to Nazarick?”

“Hah? No… yes. Er, I heard Ainz-sama say that village is very valuable…”

“No, no, I mean, what do you, personally, feel is valuable about the village?”