Princess Renner paused for a moment, her face an inscrutable mask, showing no sign of emotion.

"No," she replied.

"Really?" Albedo asked casually. She seemed a bit skeptical but didn't seem to care much about Renner's answer.

image [https://images.alphacoders.com/952/thumb-1920-952659.png]

Stretching her mature and graceful figure, she smoothly changed the subject. "Can the Brain you have win the position of Warrior Captain? If he loses, I'll lose a bet with someone else too."

Who would be qualified to bet against you? Princess Renner felt a twinge of nervousness but answered truthfully: "A strong competitor has emerged, named Schroeve Dahlsen. He's hired by the Waverly family and works under Odys Malcon Waverly. They… seem to have received help from a big shot in the Sorcerer Kingdom."

What puzzled Renner was why Albedo, the representative of the Sorcerer Kingdom who stood by her side, would still allow the Sorcerer Kingdom to make a deal with her opponent.

"My colleague is just bored, and that Waverly family is offering quite a convincing price," Albedo shrugged. "If you can offer a high enough price, you could exchange for anything you want from us."

She continued, "But the Sorcerer Kingdom lacks for nothing. You might as well keep your wealth and power for yourself. Don't worry; you're someone I believe in."

Saying this, she handed Princess Renner a small onyx vial, the liquid inside glowing a deep crimson.

"This potion can temporarily enhance Brain's abilities, so he just needs to take it right before the final match. There might be some side effects for you humans, but just hang in there; it'll pass."

"Thank you for the gift from the Sorcerer Kingdom," Princess Renner said as she accepted the onyx vial.

In Re-Estize, she had the closest relationship with Albedo, or rather, the arrogant Albedo only held her in regard.

Albedo had given her many potions and equipment from the Great Tomb of Nazarick. When presented to the court's alchemists and blacksmiths for appraisal, they declared these to be rare treasures that even dwarves and elves could not produce.

All these items were given to Brain to help him win the position of Warrior Captain.

"Let me think," Albedo's golden eyes lingered on Princess Renner for a moment. "That's all; you may leave."

"Understood." Princess Renner said, holding the potion tightly as she exited.

Once Renner left, Albedo remained half-reclined in her armchair.

She extended her fair fingers and lightly tapped, causing the flames in the magical fireplace to suddenly extinguish, and the glowing magic crystals dimmed. A powerful command siphoned their magic away.

The light in the parlor dimmed slightly, and a tall, slender figure emerged from the darkness. He had been standing there all along, unseen by Princess Renner.

This new figure, like Albedo, exuded an otherworldly aura. He was tall and slim, dressed in a sharply pressed reddish-brown striped suit, with hair slicked back so dark it was nearly black. The tips of his ears, sharper than an elf's, were adorned with two small gold hoops.

image [https://64.media.tumblr.com/2e8de5dc842e5f68785bd0deb86e528c/c0f99efb31ded900-f8/s1280x1920/d615352e9285419f2230b11f00af74b111582123.png]

A pair of round-frame glasses rested on his nose, giving him a competent gentlemanly appearance. Yet, even in such attire, an air of malice lingered about him. Behind him was a tail wrapped in silver metal plates, tipped with six sharp spikes, surrounded by flickering dark flames.

Demiurge, the highest-tier demon, Justice Value -500, epitome of evil.

The demon adjusted his glasses and spoke in a low voice, "I feel that Renner wasn't being truthful."

"She's a clever one, and knows when to speak the truth," Albedo said, glancing at Demiurge. "Is it fun for you to trip up the people I trust?"

Her words felt like an accusation, but her tone was calm, lacking any hint of blame.

"A suspenseful game is what makes it interesting, isn't it?" Demiurge smirked. "From my observations, there's a human pastime called 'dog fighting.'

"The game involves making many dogs fight each other, and the winner is the dog that kills all its opponents. The winner gets a big chunk of meat from its owner for dinner. Don't you think we're watching a dog fight ourselves?"

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

"Now that you mention it, it does seem that way," Albedo remarked, impressed by his clever metaphor.

"Humans make dog fights more entertaining by fitting dogs with metal teeth or feeding them stimulants. The Waverly family wags their tails, pouring their entire fortune to please us, and in the name of the supreme Ainz, I'll give their dog sharper teeth."

"It seems my gifting Princess with equipment and potions is fundamentally no different from your actions," Albedo laughed. "How much wealth did the Waverly family offer us?"

"Fifty tons of gold," Demiurge replied casually.

"So much!" Albedo exclaimed. "But what do we even need gold for? There's nothing in this world we want to buy."

"We could use the gold to build a mansion for Ainz," Demiurge smiled.

"Wow!" Albedo's eyes sparkled. "It could be our love nest when I marry Ainz!" She blushed, twisting her body, her usual proud demeanor completely vanishing.

"Ahem," Demiurge redirected the conversation. "Watching humans strain themselves over the benefits we could easily claim is truly amusing. There's also a betting system among them on which dog will win in the end. I bet on the Waverly family."

"Like I said before," Albedo replied, "I bet on Princess Renner."

"I'm heading to the sheepfold in the Roble Holy Kingdom now. There are a few wild goats that need to be taught a lesson; otherwise, they'll impact the parchment yield." Demiurge turned to leave. "Let me know who wins the position of Warrior Captain."

…

In a courtyard on the outskirts of Re-Estize, few knew that the Waverly family, which dominated the northern part of the kingdom, owned property near this impoverished area.

Brain, unaware that he was seen as a fighting dog, sat in a leather chair, facing another fighter, Odys Malcon Waverly. Between them was a simple wooden table adorned with a cold, extinguished candlestick.

Odys fiddled with a finely crafted short sword in his hand and said, "As a swordsman under Princess Renner, you've come to meet with me for the second time. Does Princess Renner know about your actions?"

"It was you who invited me," Brain replied, eyeing the older man warily. His right hand rested on the hilt of his sword, and his legs were positioned for a quick rise, like a taut bow ready to unleash its arrow.

"But you could have chosen not to accept the invitation," Odys remarked lightly. "As a trusted aide, it's taboo to privately meet with your master's sworn enemy. Yet here you are because I've given you hope—the hope of bringing Gazef Stronoff back to life."

"Hmph." Brain scoffed. "You're overthinking it. I'm just not used to declining invitations."

Odys lifted his gaze, his vulture-like eyes locking onto Brain's. He smiled, "That's a pretty poor excuse."

Brain remained defiant, but the slight tremble in his hand beneath the table betrayed his true feelings. He knew deep down that when it came to reading human intentions, he was no match for this old vulture.

A few days ago, Odys had invited him to meet, promising that if Brain withdrew from the Warrior Captain selection, he would use the power of the Great Tomb of Nazarick to revive Gazef Stronoff.

At that time, Odys had sworn that he could accomplish what the royal palace's Divine Magic mages could not. He even presented the corpse of "Lord of Despair" Clovis to demonstrate his resurrection magic.

Brain had to admit that his reason for meeting Odys again today was fueled by that faint glimmer of hope—that his fallen friend could be brought back to life.

This hope was indeed given by Odys, and the old vulture had captured his heart.

Silently, Brain waited for Odys to speak, not wanting to appear too eager and risk losing the upper hand in the negotiation.

"You are the strongest swordsman in the kingdom. I've heard your sword comes from the Desert of the Eight Greed Kings. Is that true?" Odys threw out an off-topic question.

"Yes." Brain studied Odys, suspecting that the old vulture was circling around in the negotiation.

"Supreme Ainz granted me an unmatched sword," Odys said, admiring a beautifully decorated short sword in his hand.

The hilt was adorned with intricate gold patterns, and the sheath was inlaid with precious ivory and diamonds, forming the emblem of the Sorcerer Kingdom.

He slowly drew the short sword, its cold gleam pouring out like a stream of water, instantly lowering the temperature of the room.

Odys lightly swung the short sword, its edge slicing through the brass candlestick on the table. The candlestick was cut cleanly in half, the surface as smooth as a mirror.

Odys sheathed the short sword with satisfaction and said, "May I borrow your sword for a moment? Let's see if Supreme Ainz's sword is sharper, or if the weapons from the Desert of the Eight Greed Kings are truly indestructible."

Brain glanced at the broken brass candlestick on the table and shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I can't lend it to you. A swordsman should cherish his sword and not engage in pointless contests. Besides, you're not a swordsman. How about we discuss something more serious?"

Odys's wrinkled face broke into a smile, as if he were certain of his victory. "No rush; let's have some tea first."

He shook a small silver bell in his hand. "Tea service."

A servant quickly approached and set a tea set in front of Brain.

When Brain looked up and accidentally caught sight of the servant's face, he froze in shock.

The servant was none other than Clovis, the "Lord of Despair," who had been a cold corpse just days ago!

Clovis's once-twisted face appeared as if someone had forcibly straightened it; his bulging eyes and crooked nose were now aligned. If one looked closely, there were still signs of abnormality, but overall, he seemed just like anyone else.

Notably, there was a round emblem of the Sorcerer Kingdom on his forehead, resembling a dark golden tattoo.

After placing the tea set down, Clovis smiled gently at Brain. It seemed that Brain's intense gaze made him feel slightly offended.

Brain kicked the chair behind him away and suddenly stood up.

He grasped the hilt of his sword at his waist and slashed at Clovis with two swift strikes. Clovis moved smoothly, dodging the sudden attack with ease.

"Do you suspect that Clovis is a necromantic puppet made from a corpse?" Odys chuckled. "Young people are more suspicious than old folks."

Clovis gave a slight bow to Brain and stepped back behind Odys.

Brain returned to his seat, his expression shifting between anger and uncertainty. He indeed suspected that the Clovis before him was a necromantic puppet created by dark magic.

Necromantic puppets follow their master's commands, lacking will and advanced intelligence, moving clumsily like marionettes. But never had he seen a puppet move so fluidly, easily avoiding his surprise attacks.

Could it be that Clovis had truly come back to life from being a corpse?

"I'll give you a few more days to think it over. For the sake of your dear friend, and for the Re-Estize, I hope you make a choice you won't regret for the rest of your life."

With that, Odys stood up, leading Clovis away.