"How surprising. I didn't expect to run into you here."
After the initial shock of recognition, Sebas quickly regained his usual composed gentlemanly demeanor. Perhaps due to his profession, this house steward from the Great Tomb of Nazarick continued to play his butler role, even when outside of his home.
Beside him stood his subordinate, a blonde-haired young woman, one of the members of his combat maid squad—Solution Epsilon.
EeDeChi fell silent, pondering her next move. There were only two options in front of her: to fight, or not to fight. If she didn't fight, would Sebas simply pretend he hadn't seen her and let them both pass each other by?
Setting aside whether Sebas would even allow that, even if they parted on friendly terms, Sebas would surely contact the Great Tomb of Nazarick immediately, summoning a horde of level-100 warriors to trap and surround her.
This was still within the territory of the Sorcerer Kingdom, and EeDeChi, relying only on her two legs, couldn't instantly teleport to a place outside of the Sorcerer Kingdom's reach. That would lead to another world-shattering battle, and EeDeChi wasn't sure she'd be able to escape using something as unpredictable as a "spatial rift."
She couldn't let Sebas leave; from his position, he would definitely try to delay her and wait for reinforcements from the Great Tomb of Nazarick.
The two locked eyes, the atmosphere thickening, as if sparks were about to fly from their gaze.
"Looks like we have no choice but to fight." Sebas said slowly. "Last time, the duel at the Great Tomb of Nazarick didn't quite satisfy me. Now, let's continue that unfinished contest."
EeDeChi placed one fist in the palm of her other hand, her voice was as cold as an iceberg. "I'll see it through to the end!"
Sebas shifted his stance slightly, and a chilling aura erupted from him, sweeping like a tidal wave, pushing toward every corner of the tavern.
He wasn't trying to intimidate EeDeChi. The goal was to force the tavern's patrons to flee, minimizing the number of innocent casualties. As the only level-100 powerhouse in the Great Tomb of Nazarick with a Justice Value of 300, Sebas was one of the few who still held compassion for ordinary people.
Once, it was this very aura that had caused Golden Princess's bodyguard, Climb, to stagger in fear, and shattered the will of the Re-Estize's strongest swordsman, Brain.
Sebas intentionally softened the intensity of his presence, but the terrifying fear surged within the hearts of everyone in the tavern. It didn't take long for them to understand the danger and flee for their lives. Like ants daring to watch a tiger fight, the likely result for them would be to be accidentally crushed under its paw.
In an instant, the tavern's guests and servers fled in panic, leaving the place eerily quiet. Fallen chairs and spilled glasses rolled across the floor, leaving only two distinct teams standing in the room.
"Looks like your companion has made some significant progress as well." Sebas's gaze swept over EeDeChi's shoulder, where he spotted Barrett standing firmly amidst the raging aura, unwavering. Cheeko was hiding behind Barrett's legs, with one pointy cat ear poking out.
Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.
Sebas gave a subtle look toward the blonde woman at the bar, Solution, who immediately understood.
With his powerful backup, Sebas wasn't foolish enough to engage EeDeChi in a one-on-one battle. His plan was simple: stall EeDeChi, and let Solution send a message to the Great Tomb of Nazarick.
The old gentleman unbuttoned his black tailcoat and let it fall to the floor, revealing his muscular chest under a white dress shirt. In his hand, a metal plate with axe-like marks suddenly materialized.
The metal plate expanded rapidly, tearing open a dark red doorway in the air. The corners of the door spread, cracking the floor beneath it, and the tavern's ceiling splintered apart, wooden debris swirling like yellow moths in the autumn air.
Howling winds erupted from the doorway, the intense pressure pushing wooden shards, beer bottles, tables, and chairs toward the opening. Beyond the door was an endless barren plain, with blood-red mountains stretching as far as the eye could see—likely a hidden space of some kind.
"After you!" Sebas gestured toward the door. He must have created this space specifically for their duel, likely to avoid any collateral damage to innocent bystanders.
EeDeChi frowned. She was about to try to make sense of what lay beyond the door, but before she could, the dark red door suddenly expanded wide, like the jaws of a beast, swallowing both her and Sebas whole…
The dark red door twisted and spun, rapidly transforming into a roaring tornado. Purple lightning flickered like snakes within the dark red storm. Both EeDeChi and Sebas found themselves momentarily trapped inside the door.
Disguised as a blonde woman, Solution extended her leg from beneath her fur coat and pushed her black handbag closer to her feet. Gripping the bag's handle with one hand, she prepared to rise and leave. But before she could, a strong grip seized her other hand.
"Leaving a date without a word? Not very ladylike," Franco sneered, licking his lips. His left hand seemed welded to Solution's delicate wrist, and no matter how much she struggled, she couldn't break free.
"Disgusting human!" Solution felt as if her hand had landed on a cockroach. She quickly realized this man was no innocent bystander. Without hesitation, she dropped the black handbag and threw a small copper scroll into the air.
It was a message scroll from the Great Tomb of Nazarick. As soon as the scroll unfurled, the people of Nazarick would immediately know they were facing the most urgent and critical situation.
A cold malice filled Solution's eyes. Once Ainz-sama and the level-100 guardians arrived, none of you would escape!
In mid-air, the message scroll unfurled, and the magic ripples spread out like a gentle wave—before abruptly bouncing back, as if it had hit a transparent space barrier. The copper scroll clattered to the ground, and Solution stared at it in disbelief.
Franco grinned smugly, lifting his right hand from under the table. The tip of his wand flickered with sparks.
"You... cast a blocking spell!" Solution exclaimed, both angry and anxious. The magic required to block a message scroll had to be at least 9th-tier, and she was no match for Franco.
Suddenly, the hand Franco was gripping softened like mud, slipping away from his grasp. Franco found himself holding nothing but air.
Solution grabbed her handbag, and her fur coat slipped off, revealing her black-and-white, armored battle maid outfit. She quickly stood up and bolted toward the door, only to slam directly into Barrett's swift longsword.
Solution's body split in two, narrowly avoiding the sword's edge before recombining into her full form. Her long legs stepped on tables and chairs, propelling her toward the tavern's exit.
"So it's amorphous slime, like a slime monster?" Franco flicked his wand, casting a 9th-tier magic specifically designed to deal with amorphous slimes.
"Wave of Dissolution!"
Solution was struck directly. Her form froze, her body softened and collapsed into a pile, no longer resembling a human. But she still squirmed, trying to crawl toward the exit.
Franco cast another spell, and an octagonal containment magic trapped Solution on the ground. Watching the amorphous slime writhing inside the transparent box, Franco let out a relieved sigh. "Good thing she didn't trick me into bed."
"Now we just wait for the captain to come out of the 'door.'" Barrett stood with both hands propped on his sword, watching the half-destroyed tavern, where the roaring tornado of lightning and thunder still raged.
"EeDeChi won't be coming out," Solution's voice came from the floor, her laughter sharp and venomous like the point of a needle. "In the Knife and Chopping Board, she'll be at Lord Tian's mercy!"