The dark red light dwelling in the eye sockets of Ainz Ooal Gown pierced straight through my body of black fog.
The King's imperial decree was issued. I ceased the blinking of my hundreds of pupils, honing all my nerves - the entirety of my Omniscient Flesh's information processing resources - toward his words.
"Tawil Balah. Cross-reference all the YGGDRASIL data you possess and search for information regarding the following keywords."
Ainz spun his words slowly, as if verifying them one by one.
"First, the Slane Theocracy. Second, the Sunlight Scripture. Third, techniques used by Warrior-class individuals known as Martial Arts. And lastly... regarding entities known as the Six Great Gods."
Triggered by that voice command, the countless pages quietly orbiting me began to spin at a furious speed.
The sharp sound of paper tearing through the air echoed throughout the space of the Vault of Wisdom.
Within my brain, astronomical numbers of indexes were rapidly flipped through, initiating a matching process against the keywords Ainz presented.
Since the transfer, Ainz had already made contact with humans on the outside and had even experienced combat.
The fragmented, unknown words he had obtained during that time - he had come to have me, Nazarick's giant dictionary, confirm whether they existed within the pre-existing game data, or if they were entirely unique to this world.
A few seconds later.
From among the cluster of pages flying around me, a few parchments were ejected, coming to a dead halt in the void between Ainz and myself.
However, no pale blue runes were printed upon them.
What surfaced were completely "blank" pages, without a single letter written on them.
Without showing a shred of agitation, I voiced the search results and reported them.
"——Answer. I have completed the search, Lord Ainz. Data regarding the four keywords You presented absolutely does not exist within my database."
I pointed at the blank pages floating in the air with a tentacle of black fog.
"I have scanned all domains, from all items and NPCs in YGGDRASIL to the history of all player guilds, down to the flavor text of World Items. However, the proper nouns 'Slane Theocracy,' 'Sunlight Scripture,' and 'Six Great Gods,' as well as the concept of 'Martial Arts' - which appear to be extra-systemic skills for Warrior classes - are entirely unknown information that does not correspond whatsoever to the laws of YGGDRASIL."
At that brutally clear answer of "Zero," Ainz fell silent for a moment.
It is impossible to read emotions from a skeletal face.
However, an atmosphere drifted about him as if his shoulders had slightly slumped, or as if he were disappointed by a result he had anticipated, thinking, 'Just as I suspected.'
Here, prostrating oneself and apologizing profusely with a "I am deeply sorry for being of no use," would be a third-rate response.
What a boss seeks is not apologies for why something cannot be done, but the Solution on how to break through the current situation where it can't be done.
"Lord Ainz."
Before the silence could drag on, I continued my words in a quiet yet powerful tone.
"Data regarding this unknown outside world does not exist within our vault. This is an unshakable fact. However, that by no means signifies we are incapable of handling it."
Ainz's red points of light wavered slightly.
"...Oh? What do you mean by that, Tawil?"
"I am not a mere search engine, but the Keeper of Knowledge who has mastered the special classes [Archivist] and [Sage of Lost Wisdom]. Drawing out pre-existing data is not my only function; to [Analyze] unknown phenomena and [Integrate] them as new data is my true duty."
I tilted my body of black fog slightly forward, making a proactive proposal to the King.
"If the pages are blank, we need only write anew upon them. Lord Ainz, please bring into this vault copies of unknown magic circles You collect in the outside world, fragments of information obtained from prisoners, or the remains of unknown items. I shall use YGGDRASIL's perfect laws residing within me as a control group, and disassemble those unknown technologies of the New World."
The blank pages floating in the air began to emit a bluish-purple light in response to my magic power.
It was not the glow of a helpless void, but the radiance of a ravenous margin, ready to absorb infinite knowledge from here on out.
"What sort of magical pathways do the Martial Arts they use trace? How does the lore of the Six Great Gods coincide with the traces of YGGDRASIL players? If You provide me with even fragmented data, I shall perfectly dissect it, categorize it, reconstruct it as a new power for Nazarick, and present it to You as the optimal solution."
I made my hundreds of pupils shine brilliantly, swearing an oath to the King.
"My Supreme Master. If You are to become the sword that gathers the laws of the outside world, I shall be the Brain in this abyss that chews them up and unravels the world."
Report, communicate, and propose.
Accurately conveying the negative facts of the current situation, while simultaneously pitching a positive operational plan that maximizes one's abilities.
When my words ended, Ainz was once again enveloped in deep silence.
I could tell that Ra and Apep, waiting behind me, slightly rippled their magic power at my borderline audacious proposal to our Supreme Master.
However, they did not interject. The only one to make the final judgment was the King standing before me.
Eventually.
The light in the eye sockets of Ainz Ooal Gown shone with an unprecedentedly powerful, jubilant brilliance.
"...Heh, fuhahahaha!"
The King's laughter echoed through the vast space of the Vault of Wisdom.
It wasn't merely the theatrical laughter of a ruler. It was a laugh of pure admiration and deep relief from being freed of a heavy burden.
"Magnificent...! Splendidly done, Tawil Balah! A perfect answer that far exceeds my expectations!"
Ainz raised the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown high into the air.
"Exactly right. If it does not exist, we need only create it anew. Just as you say, precisely because you thoroughly know the absolute laws of YGGDRASIL, you can see through the discrepancies with unknown laws more accurately than anyone else. There is nothing more reassuring than this!"
From every fragment of Ainz's words seeped the unhideable joy of a "Head of an Organization" who possessed highly competent subordinates.
A department where, even if you just threw information at them, they would independently analyze it and submit a perfect report. Moreover, their motivation was at its absolute peak.
To him, there could be no better news than this.
"Tawil Balah. In the name of I, Ainz Ooal Gown, I issue you a special order."
Ainz's majestic voice vibrated the very air of the vault.
"For the time being, you are to remain on this 8th Floor and continue your duties as the linchpin of our defense. At the same time, any unknown information, items, or fragments of prisoners' memories that I - or the respective Floor Guardians - bring back from the outside world shall be centralized with you. You are to analyze them, and fill the blank pages of this 『Vault of Wisdom』 with the logic of the New World."
"Yes, My Lord! As You command."
I sank my body of black fog deeply, accepting the order with the highest degree of respect.
"I shall pave the floor beneath Your throne, Lord Ainz, with a carpet of omniscience that has unraveled every unknown."
"I am counting on you, Keeper of Nazarick's Knowledge."
Ainz nodded in satisfaction and deployed a teleportation gate behind himself.
"Ra, Apep. I ask that you both continue to guard this floor alongside Tawil. I will not permit anyone to ravage my vault."
"Haha! If it is the order of Your Supreme Self, I swear it upon the flames of this sun!"
"Slither... I shall show You how I melt any fool who steps into the darkness with my venomous fangs."
The two giant gods shouted their loyalty in their respective ways.
Ainz cast one last glance at us before disappearing into the Gate, his pitch-black robes fluttering behind him.
The King departed, and the absolute pressure that had dominated the space dispersed.
However, the heat ignited within me did not cool down; instead, it burned even more fiercely.
"...You've been given a highly rewarding task, Tawil."
Ra folded his golden wings, speaking with a hint of envy.
"Fighting is not our only duty. Your thirst for knowledge may very well become the key that opens the path to Lord Ainz's supremacy."
"Slither, you monster of omniscience. If any literature comes in that describes the taste of the New World's flesh, let me read it too."
Apep raised his sickle neck, exhaling a breath of poison as if to tease me.
"Yeah. Leave it to me. I'll build the ultimate database so you guys never get bored."
I narrowed my hundreds of eyes and chuckled.
The special order to analyze and integrate the New World, given directly by Ainz Ooal Gown.
I am no longer a mere NPC, nor am I a human meant to be used up and thrown away as a corporate slave.
Right now, I am the [Brain] of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, capable of being of use to my Master with my own will and pride.
The blank pages revolving around me trembled with a thirst for the unknown information that was about to be carved into them, continuing to draw beautiful orbits while emitting a bluish-purple light.