Following the LN and even the anime, it appears that's AOG has been in the NW for a while now, at least a year or more, given all the events happening...now my pet peeve is our dear Momonga...I get it, I really do, that he's after all 'just' a salaryman in real life, but hasn't he had enough experience over all this time as a real overlord with the kind of power and responsibilities that comes with it? Why is he still having moments of indecisiveness and general anxiety whenever it comes to making hard (or sometimes not even that) decisions? Especially later on in Volumes 12-13, he keeps going back to that pathetic, indecisive imbecile mindset about what he's doing (or supposed to be doing) but then it really dawned onto me...Momoga is supposed to be the 'great' guild leader, who also is supposedly someone that is highly strategic and cunning and all that jazz. Whatever happened to that? Why still so clueless after all this time? Why still questioning himself time and time again? It's just getting annoying no? Let's discuss!
I'll be honest I did start finding it a bit annoying. Especially after he was doing so well in the volumes leading up to 12. To see him start fumbling again was painful to read. While not entirely his fault, what with Demiurge's half written script, it did make me wonder why he hasn't made much progress. Though now a days I find myself in a more understanding, and honestly impressed, position.
Ainz has been in the New World or about 2 years now and has devoted much of his free time to studying how to be a ruler. But, how long does it take to be a good successful boss? It would take several years.
Most business owners, prior to owning their business, get some combination of lots of work experience in that field or specialized advanced education(college or university). Both are needed to succeed, both Ainz doesn't have. Ainz is a Highschool(I think...I'm not to familiar with the Japanese school system) dropout whose only experienced field is a video game and sales. Ainz may be studying and practicing, but only in his free time and always by himself. He has no teacher to question and no workplace mentor to study. All he has is the few books he could sneak away from Ashurbanipal. These problems can be over come with time, if Ainz's problems were that simple.
Ainz position however is elevated beyond company boss though. He now stands as an all powerful king, no, a king above kings. Princes and noblemen were groomed and mentored their entire lives for the day they take the throne, and even then they could be royal screw-ups. Even modern day politicians spend a decade studying and working in the field before they even attempt to take office. There is no way Ainz could make decision and plan on the level expected of him. It's a good thing he doesn't need to.
While I said that Ainz was studying how be a ruler, his practice has been working towards a more important goal; how to look like a ruler. It isn't important for Ainz to be a good ruler, Demiurge and Albedo are more than capable of seeing to the affairs of state themselves. All Ainz has to do is maintain the image of a perfect ruler and decide what path he wants to take. He has also done a fantastic job keeping up these appearances.
While Ainz may be a long ways of being even a competent ruler, let alone a perfect one, I can safely say 'He's good enough for now.'
Actually, when you put it that way, yea, I may have been a little too harsh (just a little). It's difficult sometimes for me to empathize as I myself run my own company, with little to no proper experience and education prior. And yes, I fumbled and blundered my way, but I did find myself learning a lot over the years. It was from that perspective that I was thinking about with regards to Ainz, not for his lack of expertise, but for the time that he's had his hands on experiences but still saddled with his near fatal (pun unintended) self-doubts and anxiety ridden indecisiveness. But I guess we must put his lack of education and exposure into perspective as well. Yet...I feel like it's about time he's learned that he is good enough, which I think is the main issue concerning Ainz, he simply keeps putting himself down, forever thinking he's not good enough (to lead, to guide, to make decisions etc.). At so many points in the later volumes I wish I could just slap some confidence into literally, the most powerful person in the world, the irony.
The dude has low self esteem. Give the dude a rest
Here's the thing though literally everyone (not including the NPCs) in the world respects ainz for his ability to rule but himself and not just because of his acting he's certainly extremely Charismatic he has made people abandon their loyalty to their race or country by one conversation (darws-neia-guildmaster etc) and its not like he's fumbling through things without long term plans the ideas of owning the adventures and monopolizing potion and runecraft was very smart and as far as not being a good politician he's certainly got the loyalty of his subjects and he knows who is better than him at what things and he puts them incharge of those things like any good leader should do so I think hes more than competent as a ruler he just has a lot of self doubt and that can lead to indecision at times . And far as he made continues progress at teaching his subordinates making them grow like cocytos and shaltear and literally every problem that occurs in nazarick he takes full responsibility and makes sure that would never happen again like mind control shaltear and luprasanga in carne village.
And lastly I think if you put albedo or dem incharge they would've conquered the world by fear and force alone and that's not good strategy long term ainz in other hand is obsessed with the image his kingdom has to outsiders cause he wants to advertise his kingdom and make other countries join him without a fight and all this isn't because the good of his heart but a long term strategy that if anyone strong would appear he would become loyal to ainz .
I think the reason people think hes an idiot is because he thinks hes an idiot and we mostly follow him in the books.
What do you think?