Overlord: The Undead Oh! Chapter 22

Six Clever Pleiades (6人の賢いプレアデス) is the twenty-second chapter of the Overlord: The Undead Oh! series.

Summary
In the 9th Floor Court, Ainz Ooal Gown sits at the pontiff, acting as the judge in a case where Éclair Éklair Éklare, was injured in the back of the head with a vase in Nazarick. According to witnesses there was only one person at the scene of the crime, Tuareninya Veyron, and thus she is the number one suspect. Having announced the case, he directs the jury, the Pleiades, to make a fair decision for the case. And with that the Overlord calls for a temporary recess until a verdict is made.

While the jury relocates to discuss the case, Ainz observes them through the Mirror of Remote Viewing with Demiurge and Sebas Tian. Ainz is worried that the maids might be biased toward Tuare as she is a human, but Demiurge assures his master that the scenario would play out as he intended. Even though the maids are unaware it is a mock-trial, Demiurge believes the maids would come to a fair decision after collecting the facts. To prepare for the eventual increased contact from those outside Nazarick, the demon believes that this case would be an excellent exercise to help the maids develop a friendly attitude towards humans. Sebas Tian is worried that a few of the maids with some of the bad personalities will let their distaste or taste for humans cloud their judgement. However, Solution Epsilon, Entoma Vasilissa Zeta, Narberal Gamma, and Lupusregina Beta all vote guilty. Sebas Tian realizes that his worst fears have probably come true, though Ainz says that he shouldn't give up hope for Tuare's trial as there are still Yuri Alpha and CZ2128 Delta to consider.

In the jury room, Yuri and Shizu vote that there is still not enough evidence to convict Tuare for the crime. Yuri especially doesn't want Tuare to be punished, which earns her praise from the watching eyes of Sebas Tian and Ainz thanking her for her high Karma levels. Entoma still holds that Demiurge prosecution was more effective than Sebas Tian's defense for the human. As it turns out Demiurge used mental magic to make Tuare confess that she did it until Sebas Tian objected to its use in court. Demiurge is pleased that his act was bought by the maids and they are proceeding with their debate as planned.

Yuri goes over what they know. Éclair was the injured party in the crime, though he did not suffer any grievous injury the blow to his head has rendered him unconscious and thus he is unable to give a statement. According to the Manservant that was with Éclair, he had just stepped away from the assistant butler, leaving him by a table with a big vase. When he returned to pick up the penguin fifteen minutes later he found Tuare crouching over a knocked out Éclair. From Tuare's point of view, after finishing training with Sebas Tian, she was heading towards the servants' quarters. According to her she was about to turn a corner when she heard a conversation on the other side. She recognized one of the voices to be Éclair but the other was unknown to her. In her testimony at court she told the jury that she didn't quite hear the conversation but knows that Éclair said "If I become the ruler of Nazarick, I'll ask for a warrior." and the other voice said "Oh! In that case, leave it to me!" Sebas Tian suspected that it was Pandora's Actor and requested Ainz to bring the Area Guardian to the stand after Tuare's testimony which is permitted. Tuare did not wish to disturb the conversation so she waited at the corner until the two finished. But when the other voice finished she heard a crack, causing her to immediately turn the corner but she saw no one there.

Entoma still thinks she's guilty as she forgot to do her duties in cleaning up the scene and broken vase, but Yuri states that the care of Éclair came first which Tuare did. Solution admits that there doesn't seem to be any contradictions in testimonies. As for the last witness, Pandora's Actor, he was nearly thrown out of court for his unsightly disrespect of the court. Sebas Tian though managed to keep Pandora's Actor long enough for him to give his witness account. The Area Guardian admits that he took a walk through the 9th Floor, coming across Éclair to speak with him. Sebas Tian inquires what the Area Guardian did after the conversation, which Pandora's Actor states that he returned to the Treasury. The maids consider the three testimonies while Ainz and his two advisors watch the scene. Demiurge muses that the scenario was brought on by Pandora's Actor exaggerated actions, knocking the vase from the table causing it to fall on Éclairs head. However, due to Pandora's Actor's personality he probably won't be suspected to which Ainz states that they would need to give the maids hints. Sebas Tian hopes that the scenario would lead to Tuare coming to appreciate the maids and maybe become closer to them.

Using a phantom image created by Entoma, Yuri confesses that there are no contradictions in all three accounts. Yuri comes to the only conclusion: there is a case of perjury. The Pleiades are shocked at the accusation that someone would lie in front of Ainz and think that it's a worse crime than injuring Éclair. Yuri surmises some reasons as to why a suspect might do this. One is that they still do not understand the power structure in Nazarick though in that case the prime suspect is Tuare. The second is that the person has a clear relationship with Ainz, and thus shamelessly acts as he is which points to Pandora's Actor. A motive is needed for the crime, to which the maids all recall Demiurge's session with Tuare, having heard that Éclair wanted to take over Nazarick and having possibly attacked him to prevent it and to show her loyalty to Nazarick. The same could be said for Pandora's Actor motivations to attack Éclair to take care of the threat to Ainz's rule. But why would he lie then? This causes Yuri to think that Pandora's Actor is conspiring his own rebellion. The three watching from the Mirror of Remote Viewing are perturbed on the maids' conclusions. The more the maids deliberations continue, the more strongly they believe that Pandora's Actor intentionally attacked Éclair with a vase from above.

Later at court Yuri renders the jury's verdict and declares Tuare not guilty. Ainz already expecting this hurries to close the case, but not before Yuri accuses Pandora's Actor of perjury. Having been informed of the jury's reasoning by Ainz, Pandora's Actor uses his acting skills to give a convincing admission of guilt and is taken away by Sebas Tian and Dmeiurge. Thus came an end to a sad incident which the Pleiades soak in serving justice, that is until Pandora's Actor spoiled the news of the mock-trial properly.

Character Appearance

 * Solution Epsilon
 * Lupusregina Beta
 * CZ2128 Delta
 * Narberal Gamma
 * Entoma Vasilissa Zeta
 * Yuri Alpha
 * Ainz Ooal Gown
 * Éclair Éklair Éklare
 * Tuareninya Veyron
 * Sebas Tian
 * Demiurge
 * Ulbert Alain Odle (Cameo)
 * Touch Me (Cameo)
 * Pandora's Actor

Known Locations

 * Great Tomb of Nazarick

Chapter Notes

 * This chapter first appears in the Monthly Comp Ace January 2019 Issue.