In the morning, the sunlight was unusually bright. The northern clock tower had already struck ten times, its resonant chimes echoing through the royal palace. The appointed invitation time was drawing near.
Barrett, with his sturdy build, raised his head with a face full of sorrow. He looked like an eggplant hit by frost for the first time, wearing a deeply troubled expression as he asked, "Captain, even though we know this invitation might be a trap, are we still going?"
"Of course we're going!" EeDeChi declared loudly. "No risk, no reward! I'm going to rescue Arche, the elder sister of the twin girl, out of Great Tomb of Nazarick. Now that Ainz has actively handed me this opportunity, how could I possibly refuse?"
"He handed it to you? Are you sure it's not us handing ourselves to him?" Barrett pursed his lips, looking at EeDeChi, beginning to suspect that there might be something wrong with the brain of this dark-haired girl.
Sean and Stella stood nearby as well. However, they weren't loyal enough to accompany Barrett into the den of the Demon King; they had only come to bid farewell.
EeDeChi's expression turned serious. Stella cautiously approached the captain, her eyes filled with unease.
She whispered softly, "Captain, if Arche is already... I mean, if she's gone, can I take care of the twin sisters from now on? After all, it's been so long since she disappeared, Arche might... not have had good luck."
It was clear that the kind-hearted cleric girl truly cared for the twin sisters. Throughout the journey from Baharuth to the capital of the kingdom, Stella had meticulously cared for Ureirika and Kuuderika, treating the twin sisters as if they were her own siblings.
The twin sisters also adored their cleric sister very much. Since their emotional trauma had been healed, their bond with her had grown even stronger.
"Don't worry, even if Arche has fallen into hell, I will drag her out and reunite Ureirika and Kuuderika with their elder sister!" EeDeChi gazed at Stella with unwavering determination.
"Uh-huh..." Stella nodded obediently, "That would be best."
EeDeChi tightened the giant sword on her back and led the disheartened Barrett towards the designated location in the invitation.
"Captain, be careful on the way!" Sean shouted from behind her. It was the only thing he could do for the captain.
Seeing her teammates' morale a bit low, EeDeChi tried to say something encouraging. "Don't worry about me and Barrett. When we come back from the Great Tomb of Nazarick, we'll go together to 'Konot' Tavern south of the capital. Princess Renner said they have grilled hippogriff meat there, and the wild mushroom tender beefsteak with foie gras sauce is to die for!"
"Captain! You can't say such things!" Barrett, following behind EeDeChi, looked alarmed. "Like 'I'll get married after this battle' or 'I'll quit being an adventurer after this mission'... Adventurers hate that kind of talk!"
"Tsk!" EeDeChi scoffed at this. "Superstition."
Barrett shook his head, sighing constantly as the two of them walked towards the place agreed upon with Ainz.
The designated location in the invitation was at the gate of the royal palace castle. Surprisingly, they encountered no one along the way. This was the royal palace of the kingdom's capital, usually bustling with nobles and officials, and fully armed royal guards stationed everywhere.
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EeDeChi and Barrett turned around the main gate and finally felt a wave of deathly aura coming. They finally understood why there were so few people in the palace.
Under the white marble castle of the palace, two teams of gigantic skeletal knights clad in black iron armor stood face to face, each wielding steel giant swords. They left enough space between them for four people to walk side by side, covered by a long deep red velvet carpet.
At the end of the luxurious deep red carpet was a golden door larger than the skeletal knights. The door stood without walls around it, suspended in mid-air. Within the door glowed a magical light of sky blue and blood red swirling together, casting mysterious and grand shadows, as if the door led to another world.
At the forefront of the towering skeletal knight formation, atop the deep red velvet carpet, stood an exquisitely beautiful woman in a pure white gown, her golden eyes holding a gentle smile.
EeDeChi and Barrett walked towards the woman in white. As they stepped onto the short stretch of red carpet, under the clear blue sky, a sudden thunderclap echoed, startling Barrett who was following cautiously behind EeDeChi.
Dark clouds rolled in, turbulent like waves, with a chilling gust of wind that seemed ready to unleash a torrential downpour. But in an instant, the clouds dispersed, the cold wind subsided, and brilliant sunlight once again bathed the land.
Barrett, accustomed to strange phenomena, was fearful of the sudden weather change. EeDeChi, unaffected, chuckled, "Quite the show." With determined steps, she walked up the deep red carpet and shook hands once again with the woman in white—Albedo.
image [https://images.alphacoders.com/952/thumb-1920-952659.png]
"Welcome, EeDeChi," Albedo greeted with pride, her demeanor reserved. "Follow me. You are about to enter the Great Tomb of Nazarick. Show some respect."
The three walked on the red velvet carpet, with skeletal knights standing tall on either side, each as tall as two Barretts. Barrett stole a glance at their burning soulfire-filled eyes, confirming these motionless undead knights were no mere decoration. His worry intensified, his hand instinctively resting on his sword hilt.
Albedo noticed Barrett's gesture, her gaze disdainful. She then strode into the golden door at the end of the carpet, her tall, pure white figure disappearing into the swirling magical light of sky blue and blood red.
"What is this thing?" Barrett looked up at the gate, which seemed to lead both to heaven and hell, wavering in his resolve.
"From what I sense, it's just a teleportation gate. The other side of the door should lead straight into the Great Tomb of Nazarick," EeDeChi said casually, stepping through the gate.
Barrett glanced back at the skeletal knights on either side of the deep red velvet carpet, gritting his teeth. He drew his sword an inch, ready for combat at any moment, and plunged into the swirling magical light of the gate.
...
Albedo led them through the teleportation gate into a grand hall, then through a tall, deep corridor, continuing forward.
At some point, two black wings sprouted from her back, and two white horns with slight twists grew from her forehead. Although her face remained exquisitely beautiful, captivating, she now resembled a fallen angel from hell or a seductive succubus.
At the end of the corridor was another magnificent hall. To EeDeChi and Barrett's surprise, a familiar figure stood within.
image [https://www.nautiljon.com/images/perso/00/66/sebas_tian_14066.webp]
It was a handsome old gentleman with perfectly groomed white hair and a meticulously neat appearance. His face bore few wrinkles, his high nose sharp, and his lion-like eyes sharp and profound. Tall and elegant in a well-fitted black tailcoat, he exuded a refined and suave demeanor, a truly exceptional handsome elder.
He was the task commissionaire of "The Last Defender of the Way" adventurer team!
EeDeChi remembered vividly. In a city on the Baharuth Empire's border, this old gentleman had contacted them and issued the mission at Peyton Manor. It was during this mission that EeDeChi encountered the first formidable enemy in the isekai—a memorable gothic lolita in a black dress.
"Respected Lady EeDeChi, as I once said, we would meet again," the old gentleman's magnetic voice was steady and gentle, devoid of Albedo's arrogance.
He reached out to shake hands with EeDeChi, his manner polite and courteous.
"SO... IT’S YOU," EeDeChi, who had been composed since entering the Great Tomb of Nazarick, for the first time showed an expression of disbelief in her eyes. She recalled everything that happened at Peyton Manor, her eyes widening.
"YOU'RE AINZ OOAL GOWN!" she exclaimed.
"Uh..." The old gentleman's outstretched hand froze in mid-air.
"My name is Sebas Tian, not the great Lord Ainz Ooal Gown. I am just the steward of the Great Tomb of Nazarick. If you're eager to meet Lord Ainz, please come with me."