In the grand hall, the flickering red candlelight illuminated a towering figure like a mountain.

Standing on the marble floor, his rugged adamantite armor did nothing to conceal his bulging, powerful muscles. From just his back, one could feel the crushing pressure of a mountain collapsing. If one were to move to his front, they would be completely overwhelmed by his fierce, brutal expression.

He was a pure warrior, a brutal fighter. And now, his eyes, frozen with anger, seemed ready to burst into flames, his enormous fists clenched tightly, knuckles cracking as if he were about to crush something to bits.

In front of him lay a cold, twisted corpse, its hair disheveled, sprawled on the equally cold stone floor.

The corpse's face looked as if it had been struck by a titan's paw, with a crooked mouth and eyes, a shattered nose, and lips slightly parted, revealing an eyeball protruding unnaturally, evoking the image of a head smashed like a piece of rubber clay.

The grotesque injuries on the corpse's face overshadowed the gaping sword wound in its chest. The wound pierced from the front, through the heart, and out the back, with blood coagulated and staining the shirt and leather armor a deep red.

Facing this corpse, the mountain-like warrior suddenly knelt, the weight of his body and Adamantite armor crashing down onto the floor. As he knelt, his knees shattered the stone surface, sending dust flying and revealing two shallow pits.

He gazed at the twisted face of the corpse, and his anger turned into endless sorrow. He extended his calloused hand, as massive as a battle axe, and gently stroked the corpse's face, murmuring, "Brother…"

After a long while, he stood up, his grief entirely transformed into a raging fury. His eyes, red and bloodshot, seemed to flow with molten lava. They were no longer purely human eyes but resembled those of a vengeful tiger or a hungry wild wolf.

A few armored soldiers with swords in the hall averted their eyes, each one unwilling to meet his gaze.

A short, balding man in a black tuxedo carefully approached him, trembling as he said, "Lord Slam, please calm down. We all understand your pain, but…"

Before the balding man could finish, Slam, the warrior, ignored him entirely and threw a punch sideways. The man in the black tuxedo was sent flying into the corner of the fireplace, his face a bloody mess, and he fell silent.

Slam, a towering figure like a mountain, stepped over the corpse on the floor and drew a massive giant sword from its place on the wall. The cold blade was etched with a blood-red pine needle pattern, resembling a glacier soaked in blood.

As he drew the sword, he roared, his voice like a thunderclap!

"EEDECHI! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"

Slam gripped the blood-marked giant sword with one hand and strode out of the hall. He smashed the wooden threshold with a single step, and none of the surrounding guards dared to stop him.

A frail, aging voice called out from behind him, "Slam, stop. Don't make things worse. That adventurer could die at any moment, but before that, we have more important matters to attend to."

The voice was weak, like that of a bedridden old man, devoid of any emotional fluctuation or magical power.

But Slam Daguerre hesitated. He stopped just outside the hall, breathing heavily, his chest rising and falling as if trying to calm the raging storm inside him.

After a long moment, he replied softly, "Yes, General Odys." He then turned and walked back into the hall.

…

"Let's go, we're heading out! Sean, Stella, you two hurry up."

On a broad avenue, EeDeChi called to her three teammates trailing behind her.

Walking beside her was Barrett, clad in Gorgon leather armor, while a few steps behind were Sean and Stella, moving with small, anxious steps and looking a bit fearful.

In front of their adventuring party was a squad of mounted knights, fully armored and riding high horses, surrounding an exquisitely crafted royal carriage. Inside the carriage sat none other than the kingdom's third princess—the Golden Princess, Princess Renner—and her ever-present personal guard, Klein.

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"Hurry up, hurry up! Why are you dragging your feet? Didn't you have enough to eat this morning?" EeDeChi cast an impatient glance at Sean and Stella, who were trailing behind her.

The adventuring party had been hired by Princess Renner of the kingdom, and they were currently on a mission to protect her. Princess Renner was heading to a city near the capital to provide aid to the poor, so the adventuring party of four was accompanying her.

Sean and Stella were feeling frustrated but could say nothing. They were adventurers from Baharuth, and somehow, under the bizarre leadership of their captain, they had ended up as bodyguards for the Re-Estize princess.

It was important to remember that Baharuth and Re-Estize had been at war for nearly a century, bitter enemies with an enmity that seemed impossible to bridge. Recently, the large-scale wars had ceased under the supreme deterrence of the Sorcerer Kingdom's King, Ainz Ooal Gown, but the animosity between the peoples and governments of the two countries remained as deep as ever.

While adventuring was a cross-border profession not bound by the regulations of any one nation, it was still wise to keep one's head down and avoid unnecessary trouble in such circumstances.

Now, here were two adventurers from Baharuth, inexplicably employed as bodyguards for Re-Estize's third princess…

Given that the squad of elite knights surrounding the princess's carriage was on high alert, the moment they discovered Sean and Stella's nationality, they would undoubtedly charge over, shouting, "ASSASSINS! PROTECT THE PRINCESS!" and then slice them into minced meat with their gleaming swords and long spears.

Seeing EeDeChi urging them to hurry up again, Sean and Stella had no choice but to quicken their pace slightly and barely keep up at the end of the line. They sighed inwardly, lamenting that following a scatterbrained adventurer captain was a perilous endeavor where their lives felt constantly at risk.

Since the last time EeDeChi caused a commotion at the brothel in the capital, Barrett had been on edge, always ready to end up on the wanted list with EeDeChi and make a quick escape.

But strangely, days had passed, and nothing happened as if they had never been to the brothel. Yet the pile of gold coins Barrett had taken from the patrons reminded him that the farce was no joke.

Later, Barrett, having disguised himself, went out to gather information. In a tavern, he overheard that Princess Renner had received a tip-off about a high-end brothel where a dark sorcerer was researching dark magic. After a covert investigation, she found the evidence to be irrefutable, so she sent hired adventurers to destroy the brothel.

Now Barrett understood—it was Princess Renner who had shielded them.

However, Princess Renner's methods were truly cunning. Barrett had been to that brothel twice before and had never sensed any trace of dark magic, but Princess Renner had still pinned the blame of dark magic on it.

After trekking for half a day along the dusty road, the princess and her entourage arrived at a small town and stopped to rest.

The local nobles and lords, having heard of their arrival, had already gathered from nearby cities to welcome Princess Renner and offer their hospitality. The princess and her party were lodged in the town mayor's home, while the mayor's family was kindly relocated to an inn by the "warm-hearted" nobles.

It was already noon. After taking a few steps in the courtyard, Princess Renner dismissed the surrounding nobles and knights, saying she needed to speak with the captain of the Last Defender of the Way adventurer team about some matters.

"Your Highness, I think it would be better if you minimized contact with those adventurers. They... seem suspicious," said Grand Knight Wade Bolton, the leader of the royal knight squad, blocking the princess's path.

The princess looked at the loyal knight in front of her and smiled, "Don't worry, I believe they are not bad people."

The princess's personal guard, Climb, also stood tall and resolute, adding, "Rest assured, Grand Knight, I will protect Her Highness with my life."

Wade patted Climb's silver-plated armor, trying to keep his tone relaxed. "I believe you'll protect Her Highness, but some enemies are beyond even the reach of life itself. Please, be extremely careful!"

Princess Renner nodded at him and, along with Climb, headed to a side room to find EeDeChi.

Grand Knight Wade watched the backs of Renner and Climb as they walked side by side, a wave of concern washing over him. Although Princess Renner treated everyone with kindness and did not look down on common folk due to her noble status—a rare and commendable trait—her interactions with adventurers were fraught with danger.

Adventurers had no strong nationalistic sentiments. They always carried weapons like swords, bows, and magic wands, and their bags were filled with all sorts of peculiar gear. With just Climb alone, the princess's safety might not be adequately guaranteed. But since Princess Renner was determined to go, he couldn't go against her wishes.

By noon, the local noble's cooks had started preparing meals. Plates of dishes, fruit wines, and loaves of bread were brought to the dining table.

Because Princess Renner maintained a down-to-earth style, her entourage had also shed class distinctions. Knights, the three adventurers, clerks, attendants, and servants all sat together in the same dining hall around various tables.

EeDeChi was still talking with the princess and hadn't come over. In the dining hall, Barrett sat alone, nibbling on a large piece of bread and savoring it with hot lamb stew. No one around him seemed interested in talking, and he couldn't care less about anyone else.

Sean and Stella huddled in a corner of the dining room, sitting face to face at a small wooden table, eating carefully. Even when the waiter brought the dishes, they kept heads down, afraid someone might notice them and reveal their Baharuth origins.

Suddenly, a plate of bread, a serving of roast beef, and a set of silver cutlery were placed on the empty space next to their table, and then a tall figure sat down.

Sean and Stella turned their heads in surprise and were stunned to see that it was Grand Knight Wade Bolton!

The rough-faced Grand Knight gave a faint smile, his expression filled with inscrutable mystery. "This seat isn't taken, is it?"

It's true that the more you fear something, the more it seems to come your way!