The two agreed-upon duels were finished, and EeDechi and Barrett returned to the reception hall.
Ainz was indeed a trustworthy ruler. Both sides exchanged some compliments and mutual flattery, then Ainz took out an ancient copper can adorned with golden patterns.
Under the rippling magic, the copper can slowly twisted like a column of water, golden light spilling from its textures. The light gradually swelled, turning into an orb that engulfed the distorted copper can.
Then the orb dropped to the ground, stretching out in all directions into a human shape. The glow thinned out, fading away bit by bit, revealing human limbs and a head. Finally, a blonde girl's body lay curled up on the cold floor.
This was Arche, the one EeDechi had sworn up and down to save. She'd been killed by Shalltear a few years ago, but now, she was resurrected.
Arche had been pretty well-known in Baharuth's adventurer circles a few years back, and Barrett had heard a bit about her too.
She had an Innate Talent that let her see the highest tier of magic someone could use, and she could cast 3rd-tier spells herself. Among humans, that made her a powerful mage.
Just from her looks, Arche was clearly the older sister of the twin girls—her face was almost identical to Kuuderika's and Ureirika's, like a grown-up version of the blonde twins.
Seeing the girl she'd pulled out all the stops to rescue now revived right in front of her, EeDechi's face showed no joy at all. Instead, veins popped on her forehead, and her glare turned even fiercer. From her expression alone, you'd think a demon lord had come back to life.
The reason? The newly resurrected Arche was buck naked, her skin as soft and pale as a newborn's, not a stitch on her. Her full, curvy figure was on total display, exposed to everyone's eyes without a single bit of cover.
Barrett knew what his captain was like—she couldn't stand women baring their bodies. So he quickly pulled a robe from his spatial ring and draped it over the nude Arche, blocking his own view of the goods for the time being.
Ainz stroked his bony chin and nodded lightly, thinking that killing Arche back then had been a real waste of something fine.
Suddenly, he sensed magic energy building in Albedo's palm. He glanced over and saw her staring at Arche with eyes full of extreme jealousy.
So sensitive? Ainz startled. He cleared his throat lightly and shifted his gaze from Arche to Barrett.
Albedo realized she'd lost her composure, her face turning red as she dispersed the energy in her palm.
Under the robe, Arche's eyelashes trembled gently. She finally opened her tired eyes slowly, her body like it had just thawed from an ancient freeze, gradually waking from a timeless deep slumber.
She sat up, her dazed and sleepy eyes blinking over and over, turning her head to survey her surroundings.
Soon, she spotted the skeletal undead right in front of her—Ainz Ooal Gown, and the silver-haired girl in the black dress beside him, Shalltear.
Horror, fear, futility, despair—watching her close companions die gruesomely before her eyes, day in and day out, and finally dying herself in bitter reluctance. The bloody memories burst through like a flood smashing open the gates, instantly pouring into Arche's mind and filling her freshly resurrected, empty heart.
"MONSTERS! MONSTERS!"
Arche screamed hoarsely, her voice sounding off because she'd just come back to life. Her once blank eyes bulged wide, her two pale legs thrashing wildly on the ground, her naked body jerking back hard, her face twisted in total terror and dread.
She'd died in a nightmare, but for some reason, she'd woken up again—yet she was still trapped in that same nightmare. Her killer was still right there, up close. She tried to scramble up and bolt backward, as if running away would let her escape the horrifying death god staring her down.
A steady, strong hand pressed down on Arche's shoulder, the palm solid and warm, sending her waves of courage and strength.
Arche turned her head, looking up at EeDechi holding her shoulder. EeDechi cracked a grin, flashing a kind and caring smile.
"AH!" Arche's pupils went wide. Just one glance at EeDechi, and her guts twisted in spasms—she puked out a stream of yellow bile, her eyes rolled back, and she passed out cold.
"What's this about?" EeDechi's smiling face turned dark.
"Uh..." Barrett was at a loss for words too.
He mulled it over and explained, "I heard before that Arche has an Innate Talent that lets her see the highest tier of magic someone can cast.
"It's a blessing from the gods for the lucky few, but it's also a curse. Like a water mage who could still drown in a raging tsunami, she probably used her Innate Talent on you, saw your magic power, got hit with too big a mental shock, and blacked out."
"Oh, I see." After hearing the explanation, EeDechi's face was still as dark as summer storm clouds about to unleash a downpour.
Barrett was used to it by now. He pulled out some strips of cloth and wrapped up the unconscious Arche under the robe like a mummy. Along the way, he copped a feel here and there, intentionally or not, then scooped her up in his arms.
EeDechi and Barrett said goodbye to the folks from the Great Tomb of Nazarick. Both sides exchanged pleasantries like "Come visit again when you have time" and "The black tea was delicious." Ainz opened a portal to the Re-Estize's capital, and EeDechi along with Barrett holding Arche stepped through and left.
Watching the two adventurers and the resurrected Arche vanish into the magical shimmer behind the portal, Ainz was lost in thought.
He called a meeting, and had Demiurge, who was on a mission far away, join via projection as a remote participant.
After some discussion and analyzing EeDechi's fights, Ainz asked Sebas and Cocytus beside him, "What do you think of EeDechi's strength?"
Sebas, who had gone all out against EeDechi, had the most say. He was back in his human form, dressed once more in his dignified, fitted black tuxedo.
He bowed his head and said, "I believe EeDechi's combat power is on par with mine, perhaps even superior. If she hadn't chosen to abandon her sword and fight me, I might have been at a disadvantage."
Ainz remembered how Sebas in his dragonman form had chased EeDechi around the arena, hacking at her, but hearing this now made his heart sink.
"So, Cocytus? What's your view?" Ainz turned to the tall silver figure on the other side.
Cocytus was holding a large katana, examining it closely. There was a tiny nick on the blade, barely visible to the human eye.
After a moment of silence, Cocytus sheathed the katana and replied, "Reporting to Lord Ainz, I believe the giant sword in EeDechi's hands is of a quality comparable to a World Item."
"It seems this adventurer is a troublesome one," Ainz said.
"Lord Ainz, I think EeDechi isn't a bad person, but she seems not too bright. That might be her weakness," Sebas said.
"No, Sebas, you're wrong." The projected Demiurge shot back. "This is just EeDechi's act. She had the guts to bring an ordinary human right into our headquarters, which means she's got some serious backup. But to hide her real power, she's playing dumb on purpose to get us to drop our guard! Lord Ainz, don't underestimate her! EeDechi's a cunning person!"
Sebas wasn't buying it. "Demiurge, maybe you're reading too much into it. I get the vibe that EeDechi's just a simple girl."
"Heh, you forgot about last time? EeDechi clearly figured out that the gift you gave her was a tracking gadget, but she didn't call you out on it, and she didn't act hostile toward our little test—she just tossed it away. She's got layers of cunning; don't let her surface act fool you," Demiurge sneered.
The underlings were bickering now, and Ainz felt totally stuck in the middle.
To make matters worse, Cocytus butted in: "Stop squabbling. Let Lord Ainz, with his unmatched wisdom, decide this."
Demiurge and Sebas clamped up, bowed their heads in respect, and waited for Ainz's verdict.
Truth be told, Ainz also thought EeDechi came off as not the sharpest tool in the shed, but Demiurge's breakdown sounded way more intricate and solid. Plus, Ainz figured his own smarts didn't hold a candle to Demiurge's—the guy was the brainiest of the bunch.
"I'm leaning toward Demiurge's take. Either way, playing it safe never hurts; don't take any foe lightly," Ainz said.
"My thoughts have finally synced up with Lord Ainz's!" Demiurge's eyes got misty, sparkling with tears.
"EeDechi hasn't shown much ill will toward the Great Tomb of Nazarick so far, so no need to jump the gun on handling her," Ainz shifted gears.
He added, "The ancient dragons are starting to show their tracks bit by bit. This race that ruled the world back in the old days could very well be our biggest threat. And the Wild Magic they've got a hold on—that's the real thing we need to sweat. We shouldn't go picking too many fights right now; just keep an eye on EeDechi for the time being."
Ainz's eye sockets flickered with red light as he temporarily set the tone for how the Great Tomb of Nazarick would operate going forward.
Ainz was just about to tell the guardians that the meeting was over and everyone could go do their own thing when a soft, alluring female voice wrapped around his ears.
"Lord Ainz~," Albedo wriggled her body and sidled up to him. "When you were looking at Arche's naked body earlier, your gaze was a little off, huh? Sure enough, you still prefer them stripped down bare!"
One of Albedo's arms, soft as if boneless, hooked around Ainz's shoulder, while her other hand started yanking down the neckline of her pure white gown, her pair of full, tempting breasts on the verge of popping out.
"Hey, hey! Mind the setting! There are still people around!" Ainz grabbed Albedo's arm, inwardly groaning in misery.
Facing Arche's curvy, exquisite figure earlier had indeed stirred a ripple in his heart, but it was only for a split second—how had Albedo still picked up on it?
Sebas and Cocytus, hearing this, very "tacitly" turned and left right away. The nearby maids scurried off in a hurry too, leaving only the girl-sized Shalltear angrily tugging at Albedo's skirt, trying to yank her away from Ainz.
Albedo turned a deaf ear to Ainz's words and had already started pulling down her bra straps, her golden eyes brimming with endless affection, her demeanor flirty and full of longing. Shalltear's yanks only sped up the rate at which her clothes were coming off.
"Quick, quick—pull Albedo away." Ainz gave the order to Shalltear, the only one with her head screwed on straight.
But seeing Albedo already making her move, Shalltear instead started stripping off her own clothes too, pouncing on Ainz like an octopus.
Amid the warm scents and soft flesh, Ainz tumbled to the ground, stretching out his bony palms: "HELP..."
...
Under the warm sunlight of early winter, EeDechi and Barrett stepped across the withered yellow grass. Finally out of the demon king's massive underground den and back on the surface, the two breathed in the fresh air, both feeling a weight lift from their minds and bodies.
Barrett still had the mummy-wrapped Arche cradled in his arms. He squinted up at the sun hanging in the sky and sighed:
"That big bad Ainz sure is swimming in romantic luck, huh? His maids, and those girls around him—they're all top-tier stunners. Bet even the legendary Eight Greed Kings didn't have it better."
EeDechi, off to the side, let out a cold laugh and said:
"It's a pity the cock can't crow."