Overlord: The Undead Oh! Chapter 73

Fake Momon Appears (偽モモン現る) is the seventy-third chapter of the Overlord: The Undead Oh! series

Summary
In Ainz Ooal Gown's, Pandora's Actor gives a report of recently defeating a rare monster while as Momon, thus forewarning his master on the worthy mention if any of his followers talk about it when he resumes the adventurer mantle.

Ainz notes it's a lot of work to maintain the adventurer identity. Pandora's Actor also mentions that Ainz should appear in public soon as it's expected since his absence has got some people worried. Ainz thinks that the worry is over the enemy who brainwashed Shalltear. However to his surprise Pandora's Actor is talking about a "Fake Momon". The Area Guardian is concerned that is rumors of Momon's abscence will spread, then it may give idea for an imposter to come and assume Momon's identity. Such a scenario is deemed impossible by Ainz, for several reasons.

For one his full body armor and two great swords that his adventurer identity uses makes it hard for people to imitate save for those who have financial power and influence, which is small number. Plus if someone is strong enough to be on the same level as his adventurer persona, they'd be better off making a name for themselves than stealing Momon's identity. Not only that they would have to go through the trouble of getting a female partner to fit Nabe's description of "Beautiful Princess". Though finding some for Nabe would be easier, compared to finding something to fit the role of Momon's mount, Hamsuke. So a Fake Momon could never happen.

Pandora's Actor though wants his creator to think of the plot to impersonate Momon as a more romantic story, where a villain pretends to be the Jet Black Warrior and commits evil deeds to slander the real Momon. He thinks such a situation is worthy of a heroic episode. To Ainz it more sounds like a one-shot gag episode sandwiched in the story.

The Area Guardian argues that impersonation is not impossible, especially with high level illusion skills. All they would need is to change their clothes and voice and make others believe that they are Momon, taking advance payment for a request and run away. With illusion skills even Nabe could be impersonated.

He then offers a theoretical, in which the person who has a natural ability specializing in illusions, a child who was forced by a criminal organization to commit the identity fraud. But when he witnesses the kindness of the real Momon, the lad then changes his mind and decides to leave the organization. But the organization finds about the escape and plans to eliminate the child. Only for Momon to dashingly appear, citing it to be pure emotional an not a gag episode.

Ainz tells his creation to give up such nonsense. However while as Momon in the streets, Ainz cannot get his head away from the idea of the possibility of a Fake Momon out and about. And muses to himself that Pandora's Actor's story seem more like something a bard would do. Any coincidence, Momon spots a bard nearby who thanks him for "that" time. This causes the undead to become worried as he has no recollection of ever meeting the bard, and grows concern if it was someone else. The bard happily tells Momon that they had a lot of fun singing together which helped his lyrics and was even impressed such a man had amazing singing talents.

Back in Nazarick. Ainz rushes back to Nazraick, accusing Pandora's Actor of this whilst the NPC is examining a gargoyle statue. Ainz gives the NPC the rundown that people in town are saying that Momon is an excellent singer. This leaves only one possible reason for what is happening, the Fake Momon that Pandora's Actor postulating is coming true. The Area Guardian admits that he did interact with the bard in the past, causing Ainz to tell the doppelgänger not to interact with with bards in the future just because they sing about Momon. In Pandora's Actor's defense he only got involved with the bard because there were a lot of mistakes in the lyrics as like describing Momon a d a five sword user.

Anyway Ainz wants the NPC to sing for him and show him so he can do it properly himself as people will begin to ask him to sing when he assume the Momon identity. This comes as a surprise to Pandora's Actor as since he assumed Momon's identity which is basically just Ainz, then the latter should be able to sing as well. Now it is Ainz turn to be surprised as he never though that if the conditions are the same then that could mean he could actually sing himself. When Pandora's Actor shapeshifts into Ainz, and begins singing, this leaves the Overlord shocked at what he is hearing. It's actually pretty good singing, but even if its his form, Ainz doesn't believe he has the same skill. Moreover when Pandora's Actor claims that he projected as strong vibrato, Ainz has no idea what jargon he is using. This causes him to wonder that even though he and Pandora's Actor currently have the same body, the latte's musical skill maybe is due to a difference in knowledge. In addition, maybe Pandora's Actor skill could be his flair for theatrics, meaning he had such a singing ability in the beginning which sets him apart from his creator.

After Pandora's Actor changes back, he eagerly states that he wishes to hear Ainz's own falsetto, which the word falls deaf to Ainz. Ainz then tells Pandora's Actor to stay as Momon, as Ainz cannot sing. Pandora's Actor understands Ainz wish to withdraw from the scene as Momon, as in his words "the talented hawk hides its claws", which means that one should hide one's abilities until the time is right to show. Of course this is what all NPCs think as according to Ainz, as just because they can do thing in mere minutes they all assume he can do so as well, even though that is not the case. This extremely worries as this means there are other talented skills that Momon supposedly showed off to the world thanks to Pandora's Actor. He then begins questioning Pandora's Actor on what other special skills he displayed while as an adventurer.

Pandora's Actor says he was once asked to name a foal a cool name which he did so by giving it the German name of "Winkelmesser". Though the name it was given was associated to the experience of Pandora's Actor helping give birth to the foal. In fact he saw a child was lost in how to help his horse in labor so Pandora's Actor gave him some tips. This stuns Ainz how yet another skill Pandora's Actor has that he does not. This tires Ainz as there are too many things that Pandora's Actor can do, which the doppelgänger takes for granted and doesn't regard them as anything special. Thus the undead decides he needs a third party perspective and summons Narberal Gamma and asks her if Pandora's Actor ever display any outstanding abilities besides battle. Though she is unhelpful as she praises that it's "like child like parent".

However Narberal does comment that stands out is Pandora's Actor's artistic signature. For log books at inns its required for people to sign their names in the language of the New World. Ainz thinks that the shapeshift should have the same handwriting as him. But to his shock Narberal describes it as the letters being fluid. Upon looking at Pandora's Actor's signature for Momon, he can't discern how it resembles Momon. It seems that Pandora's Actor wrote it in a flashy way as he thinks its suiting for a celebrity. Though he only was able to show off his signature a few times. Ainz then remembers that a person once asked for his signature as Momon though after doing so and the person taking a look at it, only left with a disappointed face, and wonders if the man was expecting a more flashy one by Pandora's Actor. Narberal then brings up how Pandora's Actor was able to read and write in the language of the New World without a magic item. To which Pandora's Actor admits he is fluent in the language now so much so he even impresses the locals.

Another trait Pandora's Actor does as Momon is his skill in fruit carving. One time both he and Narberal were at a client's house where an assortment of fruits were given to them to eat. Since Pandora's Actor couldn't eat in Ainz's body as an undead, he decided to show off Momon's heroism by carving the fruit artistically. After Pandora's Actor carved an apple, the client took one look at it and asked Momon not to eat as he wanted to save it to make it into a heirloom.

Seeing how much trouble he caused for Ainz, Pandora's Actor apologizes to his master promising to be more considerate. While Ainz was initially mad, he admits that the doppelgänger did not really do anything wrong, but merely did good deeds and made Momon more popular. Thus he decides to avoid the deviations and ask focus on how Pandora's Actor made Momon so much more noble so he will tolerate it. He then asks Ainz if he has any comments on his performance on Momon being the strongest warrior as any reference would be helpful to improve. This brings to mind of Touch Me and while Pandora's Actor agrees that he would be an excellent example and asks a nearby Sebas Tian who setting up a tablecloth on a table.

Later Ainz Ooal Gown, Momon and Nabe are seen walking in the streets of E=Rantel, thus assuring the citizens that the adventurer is not dead and has a cooperative relationship with the Sorcerer King. Ainz is of course as his true self, and hear whispers among the people that the person underneath the armor is not Momon, but an undead, which ironicially is what Ainz is since he is the real Momon. Once the group arrive at the former mayor's mansion, Ainz decides to take over as Momon while Pandora's Actor assumes his Ainz Ooal Gown role. Before going out in the streets and serve as coordinator between the Sorcerer King and the people, Pandora's Actor asks Ainz to meet up with some children he promised to teach in skipping stones on water at least twenty times. According to Nabe Pandora's Actor made Momon's record of skipping a stone at sixty times. And Ainz concedes that he can't achieve that feat and admits that he has become the Fake Momon while his creation has become the real Momon. Pandora's Actor seeing he injured Ainz's ego tries to comfort his creator stating that he was really the fake as he used Momon as a stepping stone. Nabe misunderstanding that there is a Fake Momon out on the loose, then vows to hunt the individual, much to the disconcertion of Ainz and Pandora's Actor.

In Order of Appearance

 * Ainz Ooal Gown
 * Nishikienrai
 * Pandora's Actor
 * Narberal Gamma
 * Touch Me (Flashback)
 * Sebas Tian

Locations

 * Great Tomb of Nazarick
 * Treasury
 * Sorcerer Kingdom
 * E-Rantel

Chapter Notes

 * This chapter first appears in Monthly Comp Ace December 2023 Issue.
 * The chapter also announces the upcoming release of Overlord: The Undead Oh! Volume 12 in December 2023.
 * The cover art portrays Narberal Gamma, a magical maid, who gains her powers from a talking cat.