Zinrus and Evileye stood silently before a white tombstone engraved with the name: Elizabeth Sarein Zinrus Eitrigg.

"Oh, so you're named after your mother. How'd she die?" Evileye asked, a nonchalant tone in her voice. "Did it have anything to do with the Cult?"

Zinrus tried not to roll his eyes. The vampire came off as a rather….tactless individual. She acted very differently from what Zinrus had been taught was acceptable throughout his upbringing.

But he did not dislike the vampire. Evileye's blunt attitude and sharp tongue was a refreshing change of pace from the lofty yet hollow words of the fellow junior noblemen he frequently had to converse with.

He enjoyed Eloise's company for that same reason. She was not someone who fussed over pointless formalities and seemed to mostly ignore noble custom. Sometimes, it was hard to believe that she was of noble birth at all; her behavior was more reminiscent of a village girl.

"My father wasn't the only one who carried all these unorthodox views; my mother was in on it too." explained Zinrus, "They worked together to investigate some kind of hidden conspiracy in the New Kingdom, which was why I got angry when I saw he was doing the same things with another woman."

"Anyway, almost five years ago, as she was returning home, she was attacked." he finished.

"Returning home? From where?" Evileye interrupted, her interest suddenly piqued.

"Where…." Zinrus wondered. He was sure he knew the answer, but once again, he couldn't quite visualise the location. A foggy feeling settled in the back of his mind as he tried to reach the answer that was at the tip of his tongue.

"I-I'm not sure…." he finally replied.

From beneath her mask, Evileye's gaze narrowed as she saw Zinrus's strange response yet again. "Who attacked her and why?"

"My father told me that it was some kind of frenzied bird monster. He called it a freak accident."

Evileye remained silent for several seconds as she heard this.

Bird….?

"Did you ever see the actual body?" she asked again.

"Only at the funeral, but her face was concealed underneath a veil."

Evileye gazed at the dirt in front of Elizabeth's tombstone.

[Earth Sense]

Through the spell, she could detect two types of disturbances in the earth. One was a small patch of dirt that had evidently been moved on a regular basis, and the other was a large mound of dirt that had been unearthed some time ago, but had since remained untouched.

She walked over to the small patch of dirt and cast [Reverse Gravity]. Sure enough, a white box emerged from the earth to float into the air, surrounded by tufts of loose dirt. Zinrus's father likely came here to routinely update the box with new information, which made the spot where the box was buried easily identifiable.

She grabbed the box hanging in mid air. However, before heading over to Zinrus, she cast [Silent Magic: See Through] and gazed at the larger, undisturbed mound of earth to her side. Her enhanced vision penetrated through several layers of earth to finally rest upon an ornate wooden coffin.

She gazed into the coffin. Sure enough, the half-decayed body of Madam Eitrigg was present as expected. However, a particular feature of the corpse caught her eye: the edges of the skull's eye sockets had several thin slashes scraped into the bone. Upon first glance, Evileye thought they looked like fractures, but as she focused her gaze, she could see that they more clearly resembled scars left by some claw or talon that had been sunk deep into the eyes.

She grimaced. No wonder the boy's father concealed his mother's face from his son-it must have been a gruesome sight. Some type of flying creature likely dove onto her from above and ripped….

"Is something wrong?" asked Zinrus, unable to see the wary expression beneath the vampire's mask.

Evileye turned her sight away from the coffin and walked back towards the boy.

"Everything's fine." she said as she handed Zinrus the box. "I'm not an official member of the Resistance, so I can't initiate you like your father can. None of those rites mean anything anyway, so just open it."

Zinrus shrugged. He had little attachment to the Resistance or their customs. With a bit of effort, he unclasped the lid from the box, noticing the helm-shaped symbol on the lid as he did so.

"What does the symbol represent?" he asked.

"Ah, that!" a rare tone of excitement crept into Evileye's voice, much to Zinrus's surprise. "That's the representation of the Resistance's Creed, the Helm of the Raven Black Hero. It was inspired by Momon, one of the few heroes powerful and brave enough to stand up against Ainz Ooal Gown all those years ago. I have to give it to those amateurs, they do occasionally have some great taste."

"Oh, where is Momon now?" Zinrus asked in curiosity. He recalled hearing about that name sometime during one of his lessons with Professor Tyris.

Evileye's sudden excitement vanished just as quickly as it came. "Disappeared without a trace after the Sorcerer King's death. No news about him has turned up once in the past one hundred years."

The vampire seemed to enter a melancholic state of silence after that. Zinrus wondered whether Evileye and this "Momon" individual had some sort of unique relationship. As the silence began to grow awkward, he quickly turned his attention to the box before him. He set it down on the ground and knelt to inspect the contents within.

The first item that stood out to him was a platinum coated badge lying atop the stack of documents that filled the rest of the box. Zinrus picked it up and inspected it, half expecting to see another depiction of Momon's helmet. This time however, the insignia on the badge was that of nine concentric circles and two swords that crossed at the very center. Four arrows pointed towards each of the four corresponding angles formed by the crossed swords.

"What is this?" asked Zinrus as he ran his finger down the cold metal of the badge.

Evileye snapped away from her thoughts and gazed at the item in Zinrus's hands. "That is the official mark of the Resistance. The organisation was founded by four noble houses, which is what the arrows represent. It was also protected by two of the four Imperial Knights, which are represented by the crossed swords, and the nine members of the Eight Ripples, represented by the nine circles.

"If I recall correctly, your House Eitrigg was one of the founding houses, and would thus be represented by one of the arrows." added the Vampire a moment later.

"I thought the Imperial Knights served the emperor?"

"The Bloody Emperor had a bit of a...mental breakdown after Ainz Ooal Gown's death. His two loyalest knights, Baziwood and Nimble retired shortly afterwards and went underground to combat the remnants of the Sorcerer Kingdom. The third surviving knight embarked on a….different path."

"Anyway, enough questions." Evileye's waved her hand impatiently as she walked over to the box, reaching inside to grab a bundle of parchments tied together with string. "We need to take a look at these documents."

Not long after beginning her inspection of the documents' contents, a disturbed expression emerged on Evileye's face. The expression deepened with every flick of a page, culminating in a horrified look of surprise.

"What's wrong?" Zinrus asked. While he could not see Evileye's face, he felt a sudden heavy tension in the air as the vampire's concern grew.

"It seems…." she replied in a troubled voice. "Your father was looking into something very big indeed. Based on these reports, citizens have been disappearing in waves all over the New Kingdom of Re-Estize. The total number of missing individuals has reached over one million."

"What?" gasped Zinrus. "But how? Everyone would be up in arms if so many people have disappeared. There's no way you can hide the disappearance of a million people just like that."

"Apparently," she explained. "These disappearances occurred gradually over the past two decades." She tapped her finger on one of the documents. "Your father explains here that he and your mother worked with a few other members of the Resistance to uncover an overarching pattern of an almost systematic nature."

"He concluded that collusion from the local authorities and government officials was necessary in order for such a massive phenomenon to be kept under wraps. That's why he began to suspect the Sovereign Duke." she continued.

"Speaking of the Sovereign Duke…" Evileye suddenly recalled. "The reason Arin Aenoch contacted me was so I could identify a person of interest the Duke had been meeting with…"

Before she could finish, Zinrus had already begun rummaging through the box. He pulled up a brown folder with the words "identification needed" written on it in ink. A note scribbled on a small piece of paper was attached to one corner of the folder.

"Here, I just noticed this." he said as he handed it to Evileye.

The vampire nodded her thanks, shifting her gaze first towards the attached note. She read it aloud: "Rest In Peace Gilford Bevarius Fern, who died in the making of this piece of evidence. Although Gilford was killed, he successfully hid the sketch for my eventual extraction. However, the recorded individual is not a face I am familiar with. Must investigate further."

Killed? For recording their appearance? How was Lord Eitrigg able to get his hands on it then? The questions just keep piling further….

As she mulled over the thoughts in her head, she slipped her hand into the folder to pull out a hand-drawn sketch.

Evileye took one look at the individual in the sketch and froze.

"Wh-what?! This doesn't make any sense…." she gasped. Her mind raced with a thousand possibilities, and a murky conclusion gradually began to form in her head…..

"Huh?" sputtered the confused Zinrus. "Wh-"

"Grab the box. We have to get back to Lakyus NOW." interrupted the vampire with an urgent tone. "We'll need her help if we are to figure all of this out. We aren't safe out here. I believe we may be caught in a web of something far bigger than I initially imagined…."

Hidden within the shadows of the nearby crypt, Tira silently watched as the figures of Evileye and Zinrus disappeared into the distance.

An inscrutable expression on her face, she leaped effortlessly onto the roof of the crypt and produced a small black feather. She tossed it into the air, where it floated for several seconds before black goo began to ooze from the vane, encasing the feather in a sticky obsidian liquid.

The black goo began expanding and coalescing, forming a black winged shape that writhed as its silhouette grew more and more defined. Eventually, it transformed into a jet-black crow, flapping its wings as it landed soundly on the roof to look at Tira.

The crow was almost unnaturally pitch-black, covered in stygian feathers from head to toe, save for one exception: its eyes, which shone with an auburn glow.

"Brief me quickly. I can only isolate myself from them for so long." an inhuman voice came from the crow, as if somebody had forcefully repurposed the bird's caw to make it sound like human speech. It was impossible to tell whether it was male or female.

Tira gave a respectful nod as she replied. "Your suspicions were correct. The Witch has long been conducting operations outside of our knowledge. Over one million citizens have disappeared throughout the last few decades."

The crow narrowed its brown eyes in contemplation. "A million citizens? What is Renner planning? Lord Demiurge never authorised such a thing…."

"If I may ask," interjected Tira, "how did someone like her allow the Resistance to obtain an image of her? It seems strange for the Witch to make such a careless mistake…"

The crow scoffed. "Careless mistake? She must have suspected that I'd begun poking my nose into her business. She allowed her image to be sketched so that she would have an excuse to send you to kill Zeerus Eitrigg and Arin Aenoch, whom she knew I had my eyes on as well. She was sending me a message."

Tira's eyes widened. "Does that mean she knows where my true loyalties lie?"

The crow chuckled, a disturbing sound that resembled the croaking of a dying animal. "She likely suspected it the moment you were assigned to the New Re-Estize Kingdom. Do not ever underestimate the Witch of the Fallen Kingdom, she is the only human that comes close to the great minds of Nazarick."

"But who would have thought," the crow continued, "That the famous Evileye would show up of all people and give you a reason to retreat. To think that she would know about the Black Boxes as well…. You played along very nicely, and now my cover remains intact and new tools have come into my grasp. The odds of the game have tipped back in my favor."

"So what now?" Tira asked. "Do we confront the Witch?"

"No." the crow snapped. "Infiltration and corruption of the Resistance remains the priority. That is the task assigned to me by the Demon Hand. To compromise this assignment in favor of an unclear circumstance would be foolish."

The crow suddenly tilted its head backwards, as if hearing something behind it. "My time is up. You are to remain on standby until further notice. I will deal with the former princess when the time comes."

With that, the crow began to convulse before slowly morphing back to a globule of black goo. Tira held out her hand as the liquid dissipated into thin air, leaving only the original black feather as it drifted back onto the assassin's palm.

The Shadow sighed as she put the feather away. At times like this, she was reminded of the great gap that still existed between her and the true monsters that were the other nine Pillars. Here she was, a glorified enforcer swaying to the tune in a game between the Witch and the Orphan.

Tira was among the last to fulfill the conditions for her black box. It took years before she managed to track down her two sisters and kill them, thereby completing the last of the requirements needed for her to truly devote herself to Ainz Ooal Gown.

When the Black Box finally opened, she reached her hand inside and was immediately engulfed by a cascade of shadows, which seeped into her flesh and soul in a cold embrace. When she finally came to, she did not feel any stronger, nor did she feel any change in her abilities.

However, Tira knew from that day onward that a part of her had been altered forever. She no longer aged, and she now felt an immutable distance from the humans she interacted with. On the other hand, she developed an intense attachment to the forces of Nazarick, and a fervent loyalty and admiration towards the Supreme Being Ainz Ooal Gown.

Sadness washed over her as she reminisced on the memory of the Sorcerer King. Tira's greatest lamentation was not being able to interact more with the Supreme Being before his Fall. Most of the other Pillars had some sort of personal connection or history with His Majesty, but Tira had only interacted with him briefly when he came to inspect Iljaniya's training one day.

To her great surprise, the Supreme One deemed fit to converse with her that day. He inquired about her training and the progress of the Iljaniya assassins. He asked her if she had any suggestions or advice in regards to the improvement of the Kingdom's espionage program.

But most memorable of all were his closing words; the great inspiration he would bestow upon her in her time of loneliness and resentment: "The King's Shadow is a thankless and lonely position, for not even the greatest of mortal rulers understand the pain of the dark, the sacrifice of the unseen. But do not fret, Tira, for no shadow nor light in this world escapes the supremacy of my reign. As the world bathes under the illumination of my Kingdom, you will be the one to lead the shadow into an eternal prominence."

She had not been bluffing or lying during her exchange with Evileye. After being abandoned by the two people she once saw as family, Lord Ainz Ooal Gown gave her a purpose, an ideal to strive towards.

And so she served the Sorcerer Kingdom with utter devotion before His Fall, and continued to do so afterwards as the Church of the Deathless rose to prominence. It was during this time that Lord Demiurge gifted her with the Black Box as recognition for her devotion.

While the transformation she had undergone did not grant her any apparent powers besides immortality, she felt a greater affinity for the shadows and continued to grow stronger as she trained over the course of a century. She felt like something had unlocked inside of her, a hidden realm within her mind and soul that she had only just begun to explore.

The specific effect of her Black Box was never disclosed to her, but she suspected that it had something to do with the Hanzos she trained under a hundred years ago. Recently, she had begun to produce very faint afterimages during training, much like those the Hanzos would leave as they moved. Of course, it was nothing compared to the almost lifelike blurs that the Hanzos could produce with every step, but perhaps after a few hundred years, she could attain some modicum of that incredible prowess.

[Aspect of the Shadow] was a special skill she developed herself that combined her knowledge of martial arts with her new affinity for the shadows. It allowed her to develop a temporary boost to all her shadow-based abilities.

So far, only the three martial arts users amongst the Pillars-including herself-had managed to develop such an ability. Those who had no understanding of martial arts relied on more unorthodox ways to boost their combat prowess. Lord Demiurge had called it a "peculiar interaction between the mechanics of the Old World and the New."

It was something that Tira took pride in, despite the looming sense of inferiority she felt towards the other Pillars of the Deathless.

Perhaps in time, as she continued to develop her control over [Aspect of the Shadow], she could reach new heights like never before.

When the time comes, will you be watching, my Lord? As we restore your legacy upon this world…..

Tira gazed up into the distant sky for a brief moment before slipping away, disappearing into the shadows once again.

Renner Theiere Charderon Ryle Vaiself gazed down upon the shirtless body of Climb as she stroked his golden hair. He mumbled a few incoherent words, his eyelids fluttering open and close as he shifted confusedly in the bed he was lying on.

With a satisfied smile, Renner produced a peculiar circular object in her hands. It looked like a round stone tablet with a metal dial at the center. Three elaborate images were carved onto the top, left and right of the stone tablet.

Renner put her hand on the dial and turned it to the image on the right, which depicted a peculiar cross between a serpent's face and a crescent moon.

Climb's eyelids immediately stopped fluttering about, and his mumbling stopped. He now looked like he was in a deep sleep; a state of absolute tranquility.

Renner turned and strode out of the room, closing the door delicately behind her. She raised the stone contraption to her face, tilting her head in appreciation as she stared at it.

The "Disc of Njorun" was an item provided to her by Lord Demiurge as an alternative to shackling Climb to a room in Nazarick. After binding Climb to the item, she could choose between three settings.

The current setting with the serpent moon simply caused Climb to fall into a deep sleep. The setting on the far left was represented by a carving that resembled the cross between a boar face and the sun. This would snap Climb back to a state of full alertness.

The carving in the middle depicted a brain half-submerged in a swirl of waves. This would cause Climb to enter a half-conscious state. He would actively register everything that happened to him during this time but he would be unable to physically react aside from some shifting of his body and mumbling. Upon switching out of this state, Climb would lose all memory of what happened during this time.

In a way, she actually preferred such a measure, as it allowed for a bit more variety in her day to day interactions with Climb. While she would never get bored of simply chaining him up and doing whatever she wanted with him, it was also difficult for her to let go of the loyal puppy eyes he gave her as he did her bidding without question. She still found enjoyment with the constant shifts in her facade, and it was endearing to see Climb's continued blind faith and reverence towards her.

The best part of all was the memory wipe aspect of the central setting. Renner loved to see the shock and confusion on Climb's face as he saw his pure princess begin to conduct all sorts of obscenities upon him. The process of his shock, helplessness, resignation and then the ultimate activation of his reluctant libido stimulated Renner to no end. As he never remembered the last session, she could repeat this process over and over to no end.

Of course, the primary purpose of the Disc was not to fulfill her desires. Renner still had to answer to the Demon Hand and serve the will of Nazarick. Thus, she had to occasionally send Climb out on certain assignments as she schemed to grow the power of the New Kingdom of Re-Estize.

At this point, due to a combination of Renner's manipulation and the Seeds of Corruption, Climb's moral compass had become warped beyond recognition. He no longer saw good and evil, but rather, For the Princess and Against the Princess. He would torture and kill anyone on her behalf, making him a valuable enforcer for the Deathless.

As much as it pained Renner to allow Climb away from her vicinity, she accepted it as a temporary necessity. She had been carrying out a massive operation throughout the past few decades, and if all went well…..it would be her final act of service, and she would live in bliss for all eternity.

She walked over to a small oval mirror attached to the wall above a large cabinet. She reached inside, taking out a thin granite slab with a rune carved upon it.

Renner pressed her index finger upon the rune, causing it to pulsate with a pale blue glow. She waited.

Soon, the heavily muffled voice of a man echoed from the rune: "Reporting in again so soon? You have already completed your part in Project Avarice, the rest is no longer your concern."

Renner's face remained an impassive mask as she replied: 'I'm afraid the Shadow and the Orphan have caught wind of my operations. While there is no longer any risk of them disrupting the project, it will be quite troublesome to avoid their continued prodding."

"And what would you have me do? I have little doubt that you can stall the two of them by yourself. In time they will understand what this is all about." the man replied.

"My concern, of course, lies with the scrutiny of Lord Demiurge. If he were to be informed of my suspicious activities, then I'm afraid I will have to to reveal your plans to him if questioned…" murmured Renner, a glint of concern in her dark eyes.

"Do what you have to do. I simply do not want him in the way of my machinations, for this is something I must undertake alone. Besides, my preparations are almost complete, and the conclusion to my quest is at hand. By the time Demiurge turns his gaze to you, I will have either succeeded or failed."

"Forgive me for asking, but why?" Renner urged. Even she could not understand why this individual had to resort to such secrecy. "Surely, your plan would have proceeded much quicker and smoother with the assistance of-"

"That is not the problem." the voice interrupted. "Demiurge possesses a brilliant mind, but he, like all the other Guardians, is blind to a singular truth. That blindness makes him unfit for this task."

"Stall for time as long as you can," he continued. "The Orphan is preoccupied with a different assignment, and will not make a direct move on you until they have established a foothold in the Resistance. If I happen to succeed, you will know….."

"...the entire World will know."