"Ainz-sama, what are your plans for dealing with the organization calling itself the Dark Alliance?" Demiurge asked from the stairs below the grand throne.
Ainz Ooal Gown's thoughts were drawn back by the question, and he began to ponder his answer. Emotionally, Ainz was, of course, furious that members of the Dark Alliance dared to use a World Item to control Shalltear, then ordered her to return and destroy the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick. This incident not only tainted the good name of Peroroncino-san's "daughter" but also trampled the reputation of all of Ainz Ooal Gown.
However, according to Solution Epsilon's description, the opponent's strength was not weak, and the World Item in their hands was also very complex—not to mention how much assistance they might have behind them. Therefore, Ainz was unwilling to start a war recklessly. He hoped to first learn the opponent's background, then exact revenge when he was sufficiently confident.
But... if I say this, will Shalltear and the others be disappointed? Ainz hesitated, so he didn't answer Demiurge's question directly. He said, "Demiurge, since you asked this question, I'm sure you already have an idea in mind. Tell me what you think."
This was a dirty trick Ainz had learned from his previous corporate bosses in his old world. When his subordinates brought up problems he couldn't solve, he would ask everyone to provide solutions to the problem. This way, even if no one eventually had a strategy, he wouldn't appear too embarrassed. On the other hand, if someone came up with an excellent solution, he could praise that person with a few words, add some minor optimization details, and ultimately take credit for the good idea.
His approach worked.
Demiurge bowed respectfully, then said, "Ainz-sama, I believe we need to set up several defensive lines around the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick, and organize an attack on that lair as soon as possible."
"Hm? Why?" Ainz tried his best to make his tone sound calm, as if saying, 'I know what you're thinking, and I'm asking this so you can elaborate.' The guardians took this as natural and didn't doubt that he didn't understand why Demiurge would propose such a suggestion, but Demiurge himself took this as a test from the Supreme Being and analyzed it one by one.
"Yes, Ainz-sama. I found some loopholes in the enemy's actions." Demiurge continued, his voice steady. "Since the other party already had Shalltear under control, it should have been easy for them to kill Solution Epsilon, but they didn't. Not only that, they didn't even interrogate Shalltear for information about Nazarick. Instead, they let Shalltear return to destroy it. This is undoubtedly a form of surrendering Shalltear."
Hearing this, the guardians showed slight expressions of displeasure and anger on their faces. This possibility didn't require deep thought; it could be inferred simply from the attitude the other party displayed when communicating with Shalltear.
"The second possibility is that the other party is trying to intimidate us and delay our progress so they can successfully complete a certain objective," Demiurge mentioned a second possibility that surprised everyone. "Regardless of the possibility, it is not a good thing for us. Because both indicate that the other party knows us very well, and the location of the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick may have been exposed."
How is this possible!? Ainz and the Guardians were shocked. Because the time between receiving Solution Epsilon's message and Shalltear's attack on Nazarick was too short, and they also searched around while fighting Shalltear but found no trace of other enemies, no one had considered this possibility. But now, after hearing what Demiurge said, everyone couldn't help but feel nervous.
If the location of the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick were exposed, it would very likely lead to investigations by forces from the Re-Estize Kingdom, especially from E-Rantel, the nearest city. Currently, Nazarick's understanding of New World intelligence was very limited, and it was impossible to predict what kind of enemies they would face, let alone make preparations beforehand.
"Therefore, what we need to do now is to strengthen Nazarick's security and find out as soon as possible whether the opposing organization is truly that strong," Demiurge concluded. "However, given the certain risks involved in doing so, it's best that our people do not directly participate in any exploratory actions. We need to let other forces do it for us."
After listening to Demiurge's proposal, Ainz felt a little relieved, then nodded in agreement, "You are right, Demiurge. In that case, I will entrust the affairs of these two matters to you. All personnel must fully cooperate with you, including myself."
"Ainz-sama!?" Demiurge was surprised by Ainz Ooal Gown's words. How dared he do such a thing, riding the Supreme Being? No... that's not right! The Supreme Being wants to test my ability to do things. Thinking this, Demiurge felt his shoulders droop and he solemnly accepted the command given by Ainz Ooal Gown, "Rest assured, Ainz-sama! I will do my best to give you a perfect answer!"
Outside the E-Rantel Tomb
Outside the entrance gate to the E-Rantel Cemetery. There was a large iron gate in the middle of a four-meter-high wall, and stairs on both sides allowed people to climb the wall for defensive operations.
At that moment, four cemetery guards stood on the wall. They held ordinary iron-tipped spears in their hands and nervously peered into the depths of the cemetery. If humans didn't use magic, they had no night vision capabilities. It was natural that they couldn't see anything in the pitch blackness. However, the continuous sounds emanating from the depths of the cemetery pounded against the hearts of the four guards like an unending war drum.
With sounds this loud, I bet half the city must have heard it, right? When will people from the guard post and city hall arrive? Will people from the Adventurer's Guild and the Magic Caster's Guild also come to support? If something goes wrong, we're finished! The feeling of anxiety and restlessness intensified. The guards didn't flee because of their duty, but fear was unavoidable.
A black shadow shot out swiftly from the depths of the cemetery, and before the guards could react, it landed on the wall about a hundred meters from the iron entrance gate. This action was like flipping a switch.
A large magic circle suddenly formed less than ten meters from the wall. The next second, a fist formed by terrifying dark energy extended from the magic circle.
[Impact]!
Targeting the fleeing black shadow, the fearsome demonic fist violently struck the city wall, causing a deafening explosion and a violent gust of wind. The four guards were thrown helplessly by the strong wind. Seeing the devastating power of the attack, they were scared stiff, their legs turning to jelly.
The towering wall was directly shattered for almost two hundred meters, and a deep circular pit was left in the ground, with black gas continuously emanating from it.
While the four were still in shock, another dark shadow streaked over their heads. It was a middle-aged man wearing a black magic robe. While flying, he continuously released magic to pursue the target in front of him. A trail of destruction formed a straight line, leading directly out of the city.
About five minutes later, a large sacred energy barrier appeared outside the city's western gate, and even more violent explosions and tremors continued to echo from within it.
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