Were those them?
Each clad in full magical gear, emanating an aura of power far surpassing ordinary professionals. They were the unfamiliar figures Gazef had seen before, somewhere, faint shadows of an incident that disturbed his mind. Gazef Stronoff's gaze briefly swept towards the Black Scripture members, but he didn't linger before stepping firmly into the room.
"Hello, Captain Stronoff."
"Lady Enri, how are you?" Gazef responded politely to the hostess's greeting. He observed the girl—Enri Emmot, the village girl who had suddenly found herself in a vortex of unimaginable power. There was a hint of nervousness and a shy demeanor typical of ordinary people in the kingdom when meeting a noble figure like him. An understandable reaction, considering Enri was just a border villager not long ago.
"Please, have a seat."
"Thank you." After taking his designated seat, Gazef immediately stated the purpose of his visit. "Lady Enri, I came here to convey my gratitude to him. I also wish to request his assistance. Could you convey this to him?"
Enri didn't seem surprised at all, but she didn't convey the audience request to the actual target as Gazef expected. Her expression hardened slightly, radiating absolute obedience. "I am deeply sorry, Captain Warrior Stronoff, but Lord God does not wish to see you."
Gazef's brows furrowed. He frowned, but wasn't ready to give up. He asked again, "May I ask why?"
"Because Lord God seems to have anticipated your arrival and knows why you have come to Him, He has asked me to answer your questions and handle all matters related to him." Enri's words were very subtle, soft, yet everyone present was not foolish. The hidden meaning was clearly heard: the "Lord God" simply didn't care to address them directly.
If anyone else had said that, even the arrogant Emperor of the Baharuth Empire, everyone would have felt disrespected. However, when Kael did it... it felt, strangely, reasonable. Powerful individuals had the same privileges, especially those who had reached a divine level of strength.
But it doesn't matter, as long as the problem can be solved, Gazef thought inwardly, suppressing his personal curiosity. While thinking, his eyes swept over the Black Scripture members again. I am the Captain of the Royal Warriors, here to seek help for the city's safety. So what are these people doing here? If he were just an ordinary professional, after experiencing something like this, he would surely know that E-Rantel is now a dangerous place and should be left immediately.
At this moment, the Black Scripture captain stepped forward, turning to Enri. "In that case, please help us solve this enigma, Lady Enri." He then added, with an intonation that was subtle yet weighty, "Oh, by the way, allow me to introduce myself. I am an official of The Slane Theocracy. My name is Ivan."
The Slane Theocracy? Gazef, who had been standing tall, narrowed his eyes slightly. A flash of anger crossed his face. Previously, the Church's Six Scriptures' talents had launched an assassination attempt against him. Although they eventually ended up in a stalemate and all were captured, it didn't mean he held no grudge about it. However, the assassination was supported by the kingdom's nobles. Even if he revealed the truth of the matter, it would most likely be suppressed by the nobles under another pretext, and it would be impossible to hold them accountable.
As he thought about this, the look he gave the Black Scripture members slowly turned unfriendly, cold and sharp. Although some members of the Black Scripture Team noticed the change in Gazef's expression, no one paid him any mind. If they didn't intend to provoke conflict between the Kingdom and the Empire and accelerate the Kingdom's annexation by the Empire, it would have been very easy for them to kill Gazef right there and then.
The captain continued to ask Enri, "After the Church's high officials learned of the Undead's existence, they were very concerned, so they sent me here to consult. I wonder if the esteemed lord knows anything about that Undead?"
"This is also one of the reasons why I came here this time," Gazef interjected, his voice slightly louder, asserting the relevance of his presence. This was indeed an important matter for him.
Upon hearing the objectives of both parties, Enri couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. She then introduced to everyone what Kael had told her, every word spoken with unwavering conviction: "Regarding Ainz Ooal Gown, what Lord God knows differs from what we have seen."
"Lord God said that the Ainz Ooal Gown he knows is not an ordinary human, but a terrorist organization entirely composed of alien races..."
The girl explained in a soft yet serious tone about the existence of Ainz Ooal Gown and the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick. After hearing that the alien organization allegedly had forty members comparable to the Undead they had seen before, Gazef and the Black Scripture team's faces became very grim. A shadow of horror crossed their faces.
They didn't expect that the information Kael provided was meant to intimidate them. The first reason was that Kael's own power was already terrifying enough, so it would be very easy for him to do anything to them, and there would be no need for such trickery. The second, when they left the battlefield that day, the surviving members of Gazef's warrior group saw many aliens come to support the Undead, indicating that the other party was not alone and indeed had a force backing them, an unexpected and terrifying force.
"Lady Enri, since that terrorist organization has sent that Undead into the city, perhaps they are preparing to take action against this city. We cannot defeat them with our current strength, so can we ask for that man's help?" After learning the information he wanted to know, Gazef felt bothered by a sudden sense of crisis and stated his second objective anxiously, his voice containing an unspoken plea.
Hearing that, Enri showed a strange expression on her face. She said, "Um... Captain Warrior Stronoff, I understand your feelings, but I'm afraid Lord God will not accept your request for help."
"Why!?" Gazef suddenly rose from his seat, his voice rising uncontrollably. However, he immediately realized his impropriety. After taking a few deep breaths, he bowed deeply to Enri and said, "I apologize, I was impolite. Could you please tell me why that man won't help us?"
Enri nodded, her eyes showing understanding, then explained, "You must have understood yesterday that even though Lord God is capable of suppressing the unknown Undead, he might not be able to do so if he faces many enemies of that caliber."
"Lord God said that only we, the faithful, are whom He cares about in this city. As for the others, well..."
Gazef was silent for a moment, the words piercing.
Yes, God is not the caretaker of all humanity, and no one can ask another to risk their lives for irrelevant people. When facing a formidable enemy, if that enemy is willing to protect his followers, then he is already a capable god.
Sighing inwardly, Gazef tried again, as if searching for a small opening. "How about asking the lord to lend a hand and help you loyal followers? If this city is in danger, Lady Enri, you followers will also be in danger, won't you?"
"Well..." Enri looked a little embarrassed, with a hint of apology in her eyes. Her lips formed a faint smile. "Captain Warrior Stronoff, you might not understand that we who believe in the Church of Fate have the blessings of the gods, so we will not be completely killed."
"As long as Lord God exists, no matter what kind of death we experience, we can be resurrected." Enri's voice was filled with absolute conviction.