Barrett wanted to steer the conversation away from unpleasant memories, so he casually inquired about the current status of the Magical Gorgon squad's captain, curious if he was still adventuring.

"How's the captain doing? I assume he's not adventuring anymore?"

"The captain…" Hank straightened up and took a deep sip of red wine. "The captain indeed stopped being an adventurer. He joined the kingdom's army and became a cavalry lieutenant. Later, during that war against the Sorcerer Kingdom, he was killed in action. You must have heard of it—the Sorcerer Kingdom's king slaughtered over a hundred thousand soldiers from Re-Estize in that massacre."

A heavy weight settled in Barrett's heart, and he clenched the handle of his oak mug tightly. With no relatives in the world and only a vague awareness of Ainz Ooal Gown's atrocities, he had always been indifferent. He felt that even if the Demon King ruled the world, it had nothing to do with him. But now, it seemed otherwise.

"The captain took off his gorgon-hide armor and donned the kingdom's standard issue armor. Naturally, luck ran out. The king of the Sorcerer Kingdom summoned several giant black monsters, and the soldiers were trampled into mush. Blood, flesh, broken bones, and dirt mixed together, making it impossible to distinguish anything. My old friend and I tried to collect the captain's remains, but we couldn't even manage that."

Hank looked up at a brass candelabrum on the ceiling, reminiscing about the hellish scene on the battlefield, seemingly losing his appetite for more drinking.

Barrett raised his oak mug high, tilted his head back, and downed the wine in one go.

Hank glanced at Barrett's nearly empty mug and waved his hand. "Let's not talk about these depressing things. It's rare for us to meet; this is my tavern, and it's on me!"

He turned to the counter and called out, "Honey, an old friend of mine is here. Do me a favor and bring a bottle of wine."

A middle-aged woman's voice complained from the counter, "Drinking, drinking—always hanging out with these lowlife friends for drinks. Black rye beer is good enough; now you want wine too?"

Despite the complaints that grew louder as they approached, a bottle of pale red wine suddenly appeared in front of Barrett and Hank.

Hank smiled with a face full of gruffness at the middle-aged woman who brought the wine. "Thanks, dear!"

After the woman had left, Hank leaned in and whispered to Barrett, "Ah, women, they don't understand much. If it weren't for me frequently buying drinks for those wheat merchants and building good relationships, how could we have managed to acquire such cheap malt for brewing?"

He removed the bottle cap and poured the wine into Barrett's large oak mug, then glanced at Barrett's equipment and sword, asking, "You're still adventuring, right?"

Barrett nodded and recounted his adventures over the years. He talked about his exploration in Mistwood, his first encounter with EeDeChi, and his current employment by Princess Renner of the kingdom, where he was tasked with her protection. Naturally, Barrett omitted many details, leaving some things unsaid.

"You're working under the Golden Princess?" Hank was surprised.

"What's wrong? The pay isn't bad. She gives three gold coins a day," Barrett noticed Hank's furrowed brow and sudden serious expression. This was unusual for the typically easygoing "wine connoisseur."

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"If I'm not mistaken, Princess Renner must be interested in your captain. If your story is true and not exaggerated, then your current captain must be quite a formidable person!"

Barrett nodded in agreement. EeDeChi was indeed formidable, even more so than everyone from the Magical Gorgon adventuring team combined, but that didn't mean this eccentric girl could smoothly navigate the world.

Hank poured some wine into his own mug, and the remaining wine in the oak mug mingled with the red wine, creating a blend that looked like diluted blood.

"I must warn you to be careful with Princess Renner. Make sure to tell your current captain to stay wary of Her Highness," Hank set down the whiskey bottle, his expression unusually serious.

"Why do you say that?" Barrett asked in surprise. "Isn't Princess Renner known as the 'Golden Princess'? Everyone says she is kind, beautiful, and wise."

Hank shook his head slightly. "I've been running this tavern for three or four years. I have a wide network and hear a lot of things. Don't be fooled by her good reputation. In reality, she has many dark tactics up her sleeve. Think about it—if she were truly a pure snowdrop, how could she still stand strong after all this time fighting against the Second Prince?"

Precious jewels can be assessed, but a friend's advice is invaluable. Barrett fell silent. He had a good impression of Princess Renner, and his captain EeDeChi held her in even higher regard.

But as his old friend said, how could a royal girl at a disadvantage both traditionally and legally manage to hold her own against her brother in the power struggle?

Relying solely on virtuous beauty? That's laughable. As a saying goes, only newborn babies among the nobility have clean hands.

...

With a bottle of dry red wine in hand, Barrett walked back to the residence arranged for them by Princess Renner in the kingdom's capital. He entered the courtyard, pushed open the door, and stepped inside.

The room was sparsely furnished, with only a few wooden cabinets, a square table, and some ornate leather chairs. The floor was covered with a thick gray wool carpet. Though the furnishings were simple, there was an underlying sense of regal luxury.

Sean and Stella were out somewhere, leaving EeDeChi alone in the room, pacing back and forth with visible agitation.

Barrett, not wanting to disturb the seemingly contemplative captain, placed the bottle of red wine on the table and then sat down in one of the leather chairs. EeDeChi glanced at him as he entered but didn't acknowledge him, continuing to pace with a furrowed brow and an anxious expression.

Barrett watched as the captain paced back and forth in front of him, back and forth, back and forth, making his eyes ache from the constant motion.

After a few minutes, Barrett couldn't hold back any longer and said, "Captain, stop pacing. If you have a problem, let's discuss it. You won't become a great thinker just by wearing out the carpet."

EeDeChi finally stopped her restless movement and plopped down into the leather chair in front of Barrett, sighing. "Barrett, our adventure might not be as straightforward as we expected."

Isn't that obvious? The life of an adventurer has always been a treacherous path. It's never been easy. Barrett grumbled internally but asked in a serious tone, "What's the problem?"

"I've been thinking for a long time and realized that dealing with Ainz Ooal Gown is harder than I imagined."

Hearing the confident captain admit this for the first time, Barrett was surprised. He asked, "Aren't you very strong…?"

"Let me put it this way so you can understand better," EeDeChi sighed. "Imagine I'm a cheater in a video game."

"Cheater in a video game?" Barrett scratched his head, confused. This analogy didn't clear things up; it only made him more puzzled.

EeDeChi didn't explain further and continued, "I'm a cheater, and Ainz Ooal Gown is also a cheater. I'm about on par with him. If I put in the effort, I could still defeat him. But since going to the Great Tomb of Nazarick, I've found out that Ainz isn't just a cheater; he has several cheater subordinates!

"Sebas, Shalltear, Cocytus, and possibly others who haven't shown themselves, they're all cheaters," EeDeChi added, making sure Barrett understood, but Barrett still didn't grasp the full meaning.

"This is a problem. My own strength alone isn't enough. It seems I'll need to rely on others to deal with Ainz Ooal Gown. Let me think—perhaps there are other cheaters in this world…"

As Barrett pondered EeDeChi's words, he was about to say something when a series of calm, rhythmic knocks on the door interrupted his thoughts.