Overlord of biblical proportions: Return of the Biblical God (10)

“Jaldabaoth, huh?” Yasaka paused for a moment, her expression revealing genuine contemplation, after all, she truly was pondering the implic

“Jaldabaoth, huh?” Yasaka paused for a moment, her expression revealing genuine contemplation, after all, she truly was pondering the implications.

There were not many Youkai agents in the Khaos Brigade, not for the lack of means or want, but simply because the Youkai faction itself lacked sufficient numbers of powerful, loyal agents Yasaka could deploy across other organizations. However, it was impossible for her to ignore the Khaos Brigade entirely. Thus, she knew significant changes had recently occurred within their ranks…

To call the Khaos Brigade a ‘unified’ faction would be a grave overstatement, a mistake even. At best, they resembled a primitive barbarian horde from ancient times, sworn to a warlord’s banner but loyal only to their immediate leaders, rarely heeding to any central authority. Concepts like discipline, chain of command, or loyalty were foreign to them, leading to making infighting as common as clashes with external enemies. With the Khaos Brigade avoiding large-scale joint operations ever since its founding, its members viewed one another more as rivals than allies.

The only reason why most leaders kept an eye on the Khaos Brigade was mostly because of Ophis. Not keeping an eye on the Ouroboros Dragon is almost as silly as trying to stake a claim in the Dimensional Gap and pissing off Great Red.

That was why ‘Significant changes’ for the Khaos Brigade usually meant internal chaos during their quieter periods. Factions commanders replaced like fitting on a new glove via schemes or brute murder, shifting loyalties, and fleeting internal alliances dissolving faster than ink dried on their treaties. 

But Yasaka was faced with an even greater upheaval, one that might even have a rippling effect for the people outside the Khaos Brigade.

The creation of an entire faction was rare even for the Khaos Brigade, chaotic as it was, but for it to consist of the Old Gods, those of the pantheons forgotten by the world? As the de facto leader of Japan’s youkai, still formally part of the Shinto Pantheon, Yasaka was obligated to monitor such developments.

Most of the surviving Old Gods had lost the bulk of their power, reduced to shadows of their former selves, but, even weakened, they remained formidable enough to deter most factions from trespassing into their pocket dimensions. The rewards were simply not worth the risk.

After all, whatever divine relics or treasure one could find, would also be weakened by the lack of power from the pantheon’s gods.

Exceptions existed, of course. 

Pantheons like the Norse and the Greek, were bolstered by pop culture and a still active coven of worshipers, still maintained some relevance – though even they paled compared to their ancient might. A dozen true gods stood against hundreds of forgotten ones.

Yasaka tracked the ‘Old Gods Faction’ growth closely, and could admit that she was somewhat worried. 

Its growth was exponential, it absorbed the Aztec, Inca, Sumerian, Phoenician, and Baltic pantheons, along with the Yoruba and Voodoo deities, while being led by two elven-looking Finnish gods. Meanwhile, reports on which pantheons joined grew harder to parse with each update, but it was only a matter of time before they targeted major mythologies. Pantheons like Egypt’s, still boasting formidable deities like Aten, one of the world’s strongest gods, or even Zoroastrianism’s weakened but still strong, insular survivors.

Such a prospect unsettled Yasaka. If this faction would then approach the Shinto Pantheon, she was unsure if her ‘patrons’ would say now. She’d be trapped between duty to her people and refusing to join an internationally known terrorist group. 

Already vulnerable and territorially compromised, she’d face immediate, direct retaliation from Devils angered by the Khaos Brigade’s recent attacks. 

Her faction’s, her very own and her daughter’s future hung in the balance.

Still, despite a future prospect of doom, she needed to have a clear head — Yasaka had never heard the name Jaldabaoth being mentioned in the reports. She was, somewhat, superficially aware of the Gnostic myths but had never considered that mythology real. It was, after all, an apocryphal offshoot of the old Christians, one of the many schisms the religion have had.

So, to find that a ‘god’ was now carrying that name, was surprising. She hadn’t even heard any of the old gods mention such a figure.

Yasaka paused for a moment, as if scrutinizing Gargamel’s form before her. Such was her nature as a ruler, never to dive headfirst into uncertain things, but, his story was undoubtedly too peculiar to dismiss outright.

But she wasn’t foolish either, and save for a few rough edges, typical when someone recounts a true tale, his account rang genuine. Of course, Gargamel hadn’t told Yasaka everything, but doing so would have been suspicious of its own, especially for a Devil who had betrayed his own faction and bore the title of Great Governor. 

Yasaka, in turn, had no intention of trusting him completely. Nonetheless, she had to take his words at face value at this point. Or perhaps applaud him as the greatest liar and actor she’d ever known.

“I’ve heard this name only in passing during my studies of other mythologies,” Yasaka glanced at Gargamel, then decided to reciprocate with a sliver of her own knowledge, as if building tentative trust. 

“To my knowledge, the leaders of the Old Gods faction are two Finnish deities who take the form of children… Moreover, Gnosticism has never manifested itself in existing mythology, many consider it a false religion, much like modern fantastical faiths, incapable of birthing gods.”

“Which makes what I’m about to say all the more perilous as it is serious.” Gargamel sighed, interlacing his fingers into a bridge below his nose as his elbows rested on the table, as though shielding his face from Yasaka. 

“The Gnostic’s Demiurge is real, very much so. And I can state with utmost certainty that he is the true master, the puppeteer, behind the Old Gods faction and their rise. Why else would two forgotten Finnish deities suddenly gain enough power to subjugate multiple pantheons…? And the motivation to do so, as well, abandoning their own self-imposed exile in their dimension?”

Yasaka frowned slightly at the information, it fit neatly into the building explanation and quelled a nagging question she herself had pondered earlier.

“Gnosticism has never shown itself off before,” Yasaka noted, zeroing in on the one detail that troubled her. “Even their believers have seen their gods or their divine miracles.”

“Is its resurgence not a miracle in itself?” Gargamel countered with a simple question. “Other religions lasted mere centuries before vanishing without a trace, yet Gnosticism persists through the ages. Zoroastrianism, despite being one of the oldest religions, had followed the same tactics and still endured. No one doubts its existence.”

Yasaka had to admit there was some truth in what was said, many real religions lasted just a couple of centuries before being cast aside after a few divine battles or the conquest of the tribes that birthed them. In contrast, Gnosticism, which emerged close to the dawn of Christianity and endured centuries of heresies and persecution, still existed even if only in small cloisters, resurfacing repeatedly in places where it seemingly had been uprooted.

“However, even so, this is no more than conjecture for now,” Yasaka eventually retorted, her words sounding like an objection, though she had already half agreed, acknowledging at least the theoretical possibility of such an event.

“Perhaps…” Gargamel Marbas visibly grimaced, clearly reluctant to admit flaws in his otherwise elegant theory. “I haven’t met the Demiurge personally, of course… However, I have encountered the Sophia directly, and I can assume she is responsible for the actions in your territory.”

Yasaka strained her mind and memory, dredging up long-neglected information about Gnosticism to recall anything about a ‘Sophia’ in the mythology, in the Gnostic Pantheon, beyond it being a common female name. Finally, a rather sparse recollection surfaced.

“The female aspect of God?” Yasaka sounded surprised she even remembered such a detail, but she already had an objection to the Devil’s information.

“Kyoto was attacked by a vampire, not an embodiment of divine holiness.”

Of course, this revealed information Yasaka hadn’t intended to share about herself or Kyoto, but given the current level of negotiations, it now seemed trivial enough information to disclose freely.

“Oh, believe me, her holy powers rival those of angels. Perhaps, even exceeding many,” 

Gargamel replied, his face twisting in discomfort. Whatever his prior encounter with the Sophia had entailed, it certainly hadn’t ended amicably. His next words only confirm Yasaka’s speculation.

“The only reason I’m standing before you now is… The Sophia was very thorough in making sure that I’m the only one standing before you now. There is, no one else.”

Yasaka needed no further explanation. For a brief moment, she almost nodded, closing her eyes in tacit acknowledgment of her interlocutor’s loss, before stopping herself. It wouldn’t do for her to just start agreeing at such an early juncture, instead resuming her questioning. 

“And yet, a vampire with holy abilities? I find that hard to believe.”

“Nevertheless, it is the truth, and I can offer no more proof than my words,” Gargamel sighed, spreading his hands helplessly. “Gnosticism’s greatest strength lies in its secrecy, no one has ever witnessed its figures or miracles directly, leaving one unable to prepare, even my meeting with the Sophia was accidental… Even when it ended with me fleeing the Heavenly Host.”

After a moment’s contemplation, Yasaka’s eyes widened with surprise at the implication. “You mean to say…”

“Precisely,” Gargamel nodded gravely. “The Sophia was in contact with the Angels, and I suspect that she isn’t the only one, nor that the Angels are her sole allies. Gnosticism transcends religion by nature, it isn’t bound solely to Christianity and can don any disguise, including that of Angels. I don’t know of their reach into the other faiths, but I suspect their influence is vast… Vast enough to sway countless religions, and factions even. You see where this leads, yes?”

Yasaka paused, then inhaled sharply. “The entire Khaos Brigade…”

“Merely a hypothesis, of course.” Gargamel quickly added, before grimacing. “But one rooted in facts, a possibility that displeases me as much as they might you.”

“The Infinite Dragon lacks human understanding, and yes, they aren’t involved in managing the Khaos Brigade. But how could an eternal loner conceive of creating such a group, one so antithetical to their very existence?” Gargamel let out a deep sigh, shaking his head, as if he was saying ‘what can you do about it?’ then offered a wry smile. 

“Forgive me. I’m accustomed to being a teacher… Do not take offense at my philosophizing. I mean no insult.”

Yasaka, in turn, shook her head, signaling that she was definitely not angered by the Devil’s tangents. Her mind was instead far more occupied with the thought that perhaps behind the face of the Khaos Brigade, behind the infinitely powerful, yet equally passive Ouroboros. There existed a force of immense cunning, one that had covertly enveloped other religions with unknown agents over millennia of preparation. The only question was… What kind of goal could such a force possibly pursue?

"Suppose… Suppose that I believe what you are saying." Yasaka exhaled with clear displeasure at the information she had just received, it was, after all, quite bad news. Though, she does acknowledge that she had no grounds for anger under the current circumstances and so any violent reactions would be quite rude and uncalled-for. 

Even if she hadn’t known the underlying motives of the Khaos Brigade’s covert actions, the truth of the matter was, they are indeed moving. Whatever motive they might have, terrorists by the very meaning of the word, would only cause trouble. Troubles that might even reach her shores. 

Now, armed with this knowledge, at least she could attempt to act… Even if her options were limited. "But I still see neither the reason for such actions… Nor how any of this concerns you, and your ‘capture’ of Kuoh. I assume I can interpret the Gremory’s agent’s actions this way, can’t I?"

While the news about the Khaos Brigade’s movement had sidetracked her interest somewhat, it still doesn’t mean that she would miss the sudden changing of hands of Kuoh.

“The term ‘capture’ doesn’t sit well with me, nor, I admit, the subject of fighting for land that isn’t even mine. But I doubt this is the most critical part of our conversation at the moment," Gargamel Marbas sighed, closing his eyes. He missed the sight of Yasaka internally awarding him half a point. At least he had the decency not to claim Japan as a Devil’s territory by right, only by the right of the strong, perhaps. 

“Oh? And what is the most ‘critical’ thing to be discussed?” Gargamel had at least earned Yasaka’s attention. Even if the sudden change in topic was a touch too blatant. But then again, the topic of the Devil perhaps stepping on the toes of the Gremory, would make anyone especially wary right now, so Yasaka would not mention it.

Perhaps not seeing the calculation of what the information might be worth to the Kyoto leader, Gargamel continued.

"The Jaldabaoth seeks to prevent the return of the Biblical God, for what reason, I can’t say why. Whether it’s out of personal opposition, or perhaps the belief that God might interfere with some other, far grander scheme of theirs. But based on all I’ve gathered, he is hellbent on stopping the Biblical God’s resurgence."

Yasaka could easily list a dozen possible reasons why Jaldabaoth would want to annihilate the Biblical God and thwart his return. From the obvious, like eliminating a powerful rival, to the esoteric, tied to the world’s end when the Christian god’s second coming would happen. Though the latter is perhaps not so unique a reason. Almost all religions have their apocalyptic ‘revelations’ Christianity not being unique in that regard. 

Yet for Yasaka, the ‘why’ mattered far less at this moment than the ‘how’. 

"What exactly is the Jaldabaoth doing? Judging from your information, he had attacked various of Kyoto’s Youkais, sent agents among the Angels, and even became the mastermind behind the Khaos Brigade… They are all incredible, but they don't seem to form a coherent strategy to prevent the Biblical God’s return."

At this, Gargamel simply shook his head.

"The name holds the clue. Chaos," Gargamel exhaled. "Khaos Brigade exists, and is used to sow discord in this world. Rogue mages, bloodlines of the Old Satans, even descendants of heroes – they are all tools to create as much chaos as possible, weakening the world itself… Until it is primed for the Jaldabaoth’s final strike. His goal isn’t merely to delay God's return, but to erase Him and any chance of His resurgence. Something that requires more than just dismantling Christianity."

‘Just dismantling Christianity’, as if destroying the religion with the most believers in the world was just that easy. Though, Yasaka could now see how the Jaldabaoth was thinking of making it happen. 

Indeed, the old gods who still retained their power did so by embedding themselves in humanity’s cultural fabric. Even if no longer being widely worshiped, names like ‘Zeus’ or ‘Odin’ endured in Humanity’s memory. 

Christianity and its God, however, had become humanity’s bedrock over millennia, with the world’s calendar marked by His Son’s birth. To destroy such a foundation would mean annihilating Humanity itself. 

In this war, every drop of chaos spilled onto fertile ground served Jaldabaoth’s purpose.

"So, you’re suggesting they have become an apocalyptic cult?" Yasaka raised an eyebrow, surprised to hear that a belief like Gnosticism was becoming something like that. Or perhaps it has always been that way? 

Even the most desperate, power-hungry gods sought to rule the world, not erase it. Ragnarök, Armageddon, some form of ‘the end of days’ existed in every self-respecting faith, yet few truly wished to trigger them… Though, ‘few’ didn’t mean ‘none’. 

Some religions saw the Apocalypse as inseparable from their existence, and their future.

“I can speculate about how they would ultimately do it, but no more,” Gargamel exhaled tensely. 

“My information on their goals is incomplete, the only thing I can state with certainty is that they do not desire the revival of the Biblical God and seek to sow chaos across the world. Beyond that, alas, I know nothing.”

“Then why approach me?” Yasaka finally asked, having weighed the situation fully, the question had lingered on her tongue throughout his tale. “I understand avoiding contact with the Angels if they’ve been compromised by Jaldabaoth’s agents. But choosing me as your candidate for aid seems… odd.”

After all, Yasaka herself knows just how little of a difference the Youkai could make against someone like Jaldabaoth. So she could not see why Gargamel would be talking with her right now.

“Because Jaldabaoth ensured I cannot turn to other factions,” Gargamel replied irritably, leaning back slightly. “I wished to reach out to the Devils, the New Satans at least, have always struck me as worthy rulers, divorced from the Arch Traitor’s dogma. But Jaldabaoth had also known this as well, and so he incited the Fallen against the Devils. Now any attempt I could make to contact them would fail as the Devils turtle's up to prevent a second attack.” 

To say that Yasaka was shocked would be underplaying it, after all, to hear that the event that had shaken up the Supernatural world, the Crimson Satan’s rampage, was the result of a third party’s meddling? Though now that she knows about the Khaos Brigade’s movement from behind the scene, Yasaka could easily see how and why such a thing would be orchestrated.

Before Yasaka could even fully digest the news, Gargamel continued.

“The Fallen? Annihilated. The Old religions? Under Jaldabaoth’s thumb. The powerful pantheons he hasn’t conquered yet hold no interest in aiding me as I am, ostensibly, still part of the Devil’s faction. I was once a Great Governor, now I am merely another Devil with a handful of followers. My only option was to seek those unbound by the old religions and…”

‘…those too weak to brush me aside’, the unspoken words hung in the air. Yasaka grimaced but acknowledged the truth. She loathed being seen as weaker, but her personal pride mattered little in the face of reality.

“Initially, I considered approaching the Vampires, but…” Gargamel gestured dismissively, and Yasaka nodded, she didn’t need the Devil to elaborate, She’d already received reports of the Angels purging the remnants of the Fallen seeking refuge in Vampire territories. At best, they’d refuse outside contact, let alone aid someone tied to the Three Factions.

Yet this revealed another dilemma, if even the Vampires couldn’t assist Gargamel… What could the Youkai offer?

“So, what are you proposing?” Yasaka leaned back, arms folded beneath her ample chest, the time for negotiations has come, and she is not one that would not use all the assets under her disposal. 

“Saving the world sounds noble, and the Yokai would gladly oppose the Khaos Brigade… but we are few. Controlling Japan in our prime was already enough of a struggle, championing the entire world is beyond us.”

She understated the truth – the Yokai were not only few but weak and fractured. Had she truly commanded Japan, the Devil would never have seized part of her territory, tossing what meager ‘compensation’ they would throw at her like scraps to a beggar.

“The Khaos Brigade has already begun to act, not openly, but through proxies. Their previous passivity has shifted to aggression.” Gargamel’s gaze sharpened. “If you’re asking whether I have a plan to resolve this… I do not. I seek allies. After speaking with you, I intend to contact groups I can tentatively trust, the free mages, elves, dragons, everyone that is not already under the sway of the Jaldabaoth, or have not yet been destroyed. Once we muster enough strength, we might even attempt to engage with the Church. Jaldabaoth may have infiltrated them, and even have eyes on the Angels –  but I hold hope that the higher hierarchies, the Seraphim at the very least, remain loyal to God. If this endeavor succeeds, our alliance will finally have a voice loud enough to be heard. If not…" 

Gargamel Marbas trailed off, clearly unwilling to elaborate on the alternative, before exhaling and offering a sorrowful smile, spreading his hands. "At least in my final moments, I can take solace in knowing I tried."

Yasaka, observing such a scene, smirked in turn, her first wholly genuine emotion during their entire exchange. "A Devil forming an alliance to save the world by resurrecting the Biblical God… How deranged the modern world has become."

It would be some kind of Divine ‘Comedy’ indeed, but Yasaka could at least appreciate the ridiculousness of it all.

"I’ve lived my life believing war to be an absolute evil, and now I seek an army worthy of defending that conviction. You could say I’m fighting for faith… That strikes me as far madder than anything you could think of," Gargamel smiled back and extended an open hand to Yasaka.

After a moment’s pause, she clasped it, prompting his smile to widen.

Busy as she was thinking of the war ahead, the faint glint in the Devil’s eyes went entirely unnoticed by Yasaka.

***

Albedo returned to the church in such a state of reverent euphoria that even her wings, which normally rested as still as a stone statue against her lower back, trembled incessantly. Her wings’ feathers grazed the vaulted ceilings of the church as if yearning to embrace every stone that had bore witness to her Lord Momonga’s descent upon this sinful earth. 

There, she found Demiurge in the underground office, equally elated, however, unlike Albedo, who wore her emotions openly at that moment, Demiurge’s joy could only be sensed through their shared bond as servants of Lord Momonga. His demeanor, facial expressions, and narrowed gaze remained flawlessly controlled, never slipping from his mask of composure.

On the inside, however, Albedo could clearly see that Demiurge was basically shaking with excitement the same as she.

"Albedo? I see Lord Momonga’s reward has pleased you greatly," Demiurge remarked, not showing an inch of his own excitement as he nodded toward her.

"Likewise, your negotiations with the Youkai seem to have proceeded quite successfully," Albedo replied, her voice nearly musical as Demiurge nodded again.

"I followed the primary negotiation script with Yasaka. Deviations were minimal," He acknowledged, shifting one eye back to his computer screen cluttered with graphs and projected trends. "Hmm. Time to liquidate the assets."

"Financial pyramids?" Albedo’s gaze flickered across the data, quickly reading through the flow of data and getting to the image that it provided. 

"Is such a gift wise for Yasaka? Even if she remains under our control, granting her authority over the production facilities… Are we not bestowing too much honor on this fox?"

"Her loyalty will be tested repeatedly, of course, and she will be eliminated if necessary," Demiurge replied coldly, devoid of the warmth he’d shown earlier acting as ‘Gargamel’. 

"But as the Scriptures decree, all deserve a chance at redemption, even those cursed not to be born into service of the Forty-One Supreme Beings."

Albedo nodded in solemn agreement before circling back to her objection. "Her faction is absolute garbage."

As much as she didn’t want to, she had to agree with Shalltear’s pronunciation of the Youkai. Not that she would be saying it where the Vampire could hear her, of course.

"Precisely," Demiurge nodded in agreement with the Guardian Overseer. "That is why they will accept any subsequent decisions we make and believe that they are gaining benefits from them. I have already dispatched agents to certain Youkai clans in case a replacement for Yasaka becomes necessary. However, Lord Momonga first descended upon this land, this island. Thus, I believe it is prudent to extend a measure of hospitality toward the owners of this territory. After all, Lord Momonga himself stated that he would judge them by their true faith, not their appearance. Does this not align with the diversity of heteromorphic beings within Nazarick?"

"Perhaps," Albedo conceded smoothly. "However, if Yasaka proves incapable of enduring Lord Momonga’s mercy once she learns the truth of him and of us… her punishment must not be hindered."

"Need we even discuss something so self-evident?" Demiurge shook his head mildly, as if to say, ‘Who do you take me for?’ before returning his attention to his computer and shifting the topic. 

"How are the experiments in Nazarick faring?"

"The magic-based simulation of computer systems has advanced sufficiently enough that it requires your personal expertise before it could go further. Additionally, a question has arisen regarding the use of Yggdrasil materials in semiconductor production." Albedo replied calmly, if somewhat unsure of the meaning of the contents of her report. 

Though she possessed knowledge of science, it was not her primary specialization, hence her visit to Demiurge, currently the most suitable for coordinating Nazarick’s resource management for experimentations in this world. Both technological, and biological.

"Additionally, Pandora’s Actor has reported that he had completed the acquisition of a video hosting platform and is prepared to develop it further. He also reported that he requires additional human resources."

"I would suggest they require missionaries, but unfortunately, that is not the case," Demiurge remarked as he rose from his seat, voicing what Albedo already accepted, though she took no pleasure in it. 

Truly, how much simpler things would be if humans embraced Lord Momonga’s words as truth! 

Yet the current reality was starkly different. 

The improved quality of life of the modern world had bred complacency, breeding atheism, passivity, and disinterest in theology or religion. Humanity now craved only bread and circuses – and both were already plentiful.

And, because causing a worldwide famine to engender the necessary panic to make Humanity rely on gods again is too unreliable to work, never mind the fact that the foolish humans might start worshiping the false gods again, cutting off the bread would not work. No, to spread the Kingdom of God again, one had to rely on another method. 

Entertainment. If it was strong enough to even allow the weak Greek and Norse Pantheon to still be called ‘strong’, it would also serve as the means to convert believers.

Though, merely flooding the entertainment platforms; the Tvs, Radios, and the Internet with sermons would be woefully insufficient. They needed more, something primal, something that always captivated humans. Emotion, and there were many to choose from.

Although Albedo, and many a denizen of Nazarick preferred to use love and lust, surely the foolish humans would convert once they see perfection. Pornography, while effective for drawing attention, risked tainting the religion’s higher purpose and sullying the blessed Word of Lord Momonga. Humanity’s base imperfections demanded such temptations remain segregated for now. 

Alternatives were needed, laughter, surprise, awe…

"Humans are so… trivial," Albedo opined as she watched Demiurge’s departing back, though her tone lacked its usual sharpness, her mood still buoyed by recent interactions with Lord Momonga, her disgust still shone through. 

"They don’t crave teachers – they crave clowns."

"The cost of their Fall was great indeed," Demiurge replied solemnly and with a nod, a [Gate] opened before him, whisking him back to Nazarick’s blessed halls. Watching his fellow Guardian disappear Albedo took his previous seat at the computer, eyes scanning the real-time metrics. 

Stock indices, futures volumes, share prices, before pausing in contemplation as she spotted something. Revenue channels, already established with minimal effort, ensured ample funds for Nazarick’s purposes; soon, these would fuel industrial expansion in Japan via the pact with Yasaka… Yet the scarcity of human resources still remained acute.

Even considering the fact that, at this stage, any unprepared humans could be used, whether to use as an initial base for hosting facilities or to staff factories, they did not need to be loyal followers of Lord Momonga yet. At least, not until their allegiance was tested by confronting reality. 

This failed to reassure Albedo. 

Training suitable devotees took time, meaning she needed to start cultivating future instructors immediately. These instructors would later pass on their knowledge to the next wave of followers, and this critical task demanded finding not only capable individuals but also malleable ones. Those who could absorb lessons and conditioning in the desired manner, yet mature enough for their behavior to be controlled and manipulated. 

Furthermore, to ensure comprehensive oversight, Albedo required not just students but also active teachers, a group equally scarce at present. Even the already subjugated Fallen Angels or youkai proven unfit for the role…

A faint tug at the edge of her consciousness alerted Albedo to an incoming [Message]. 

A moment later, she heard the most sublime voice in existence: "Albedo, I wanted to confirm, we’ve resolved all issues with my school, correct?"

Albedo’s eyes snapped open as realization struck. "Lord Momonga… Surely you don’t intend to handle this personally?!"

"Ah, erm, well, yes, naturally…" Lord Momonga’s voice wavered slightly, only making it sound even more beautiful and melodic in her ears. "That is, I understand your concerns, but… Ahem, could you clarify what exactly you’re referring to?"

"Of you becoming a teacher, of course, Lord Momonga," Albedo replied instantly. 

“Oh.”

On the other end of the metaphorical line with Albedo, Lord Momonga fell silent before exhaling slowly and uttering words that Albedo, to her profound chagrin, failed to interpret correctly. 

"This quest just… never ends…"