"But Miss Liliana is still weakened right now. If the three of you go alone, it's very likely you'll run into danger." After a brief pause, Peter slammed his hand on the table and stood up, looking at Ainz as he raised his voice.
"Oh? Even if Liliana hasn't fully recovered from today's battle, her strength still isn't something you can compare to. If we don't bring her, should we bring you instead? And..." Ainz let out a cold laugh. "Do you perhaps think I'm weaker than my little sister? The only reason I haven't displayed my strength is because I don't want to steal the spotlight from her. It's not because I'm inferior to her."
As he spoke, an incomparably powerful pressure suddenly surged from his body, forcing everyone except Chu Lian and Nabe to bow low under its weight. He paid no attention to their current state and continued speaking as if nothing had happened. "You're very fortunate. The ones you encountered are the strongest adventurer team in this city. Otherwise, no one would be able to help you resolve this matter."
The four members of Swords of Darkness felt the pressure radiating from him. Comparing it to the pressure Chu Lian had released yesterday, they realized the two were evenly matched. The only difference was that Chu Lian's pressure stirred up fighting spirit, while Ainz's felt like that of a demon from the abyss, filling them with fear.
"I take back what I said earlier. If this opportunity feels too easily obtained to you, that would be a disrespect to me as well. This time, the mission will be treated as a new commission. So, Lizzie Bareare, formally entrust this task to me."
Even though he did not know exactly what Chu Lian was planning, that did not prevent him from instantly grasping the key point and immediately cooperating with her plan.
It wasn't that Peter's words had displeased him. Rather, he had realized something—when something is given too easily, it often fails to receive the reward it deserves. Only through sacrifice does one understand the value of what is gained. He was no saint. He had already made a mistake just now. Fortunately, Peter's interruption gave him a chance to correct it.
Because only if this became a formal commission would its completion—regardless of what happened next—be an opportunity to raise their reputation and adventurer rank. He did not intend to waste it.
"Other than you, who else can I rely on now?" Lizzie Bareare knew that the people before her were the final hope for saving her grandson. She did not want to give up. "I entrust you with rescuing my grandson."
"You should understand that hiring us comes at a very high price. Have you prepared yourself for the amount of compensation required?" Chu Lian withdrew her slightly distant gaze and, upon hearing Lizzie Bareare's words, asked calmly.
"How much will satisfy you?" Lizzie Bareare wanted to know exactly what price she would have to pay to obtain the result she desired.
"Everything."
This time, it was Ainz who answered. The siblings' coordination was flawless, as if they had planned it from the very beginning. Their words flowed seamlessly, revealing no trace of discord.
"Everything. Offer up all that you have." Ainz's tone was exceptionally serious. Not only did it cause Lizzie Bareare to step back in surprise, but it also made the members of Swords of Darkness uneasy.
Peter, in particular, felt a heavy weight in his chest. His careless remark had changed Ainz's attitude. He now understood that Liliana was the one taboo they must never touch, yet he had foolishly chosen to question that very point—forcing Lizzie Bareare to pay such a steep price.
But this time, he could not interrupt. Even someone as slow as he was could sense that the atmosphere had become delicate. If he spoke again, who knew what consequences it might bring.
"They say demons grant any wish in exchange for a soul. Could it be that you're demons?" Even knowing how powerful Ainz was, Lizzie Bareare still clenched her teeth and forced out those words.
"Even if we were demons, what would be the problem? You want to save your grandson, don't you?" Chu Lian replied indifferently from the side, causing Lizzie Bareare to freeze for a moment.
Ignoring her reaction, she continued, "Right now, this is your only option. Lizzie Bareare, if you cannot pay the compensation we demand, then we will not accept this commission."
"I will hire you. I will offer all of my assets. Please, I beg you—save my grandson." At this point, what choice did Lizzie Bareare have? Compared to her only grandson, even giving up her entire fortune would be worth it.
"Then please prepare a private room for us. I need to discuss our next steps with everyone." Ainz waved his hand, dismissing the members of Swords of Darkness, and addressed Lizzie Bareare.
"Yes, yes. The payment will be delivered immediately after Nfirea returns. Please ensure my grandson's safety." Lizzie Bareare understood that Ainz wanted privacy and did not wish his secrets exposed. She did not argue further and left with the somewhat dejected members of Swords of Darkness.
After confirming through his perception that they were no longer nearby and that no one was eavesdropping, Chu Lian—who had just moments ago appeared calm and composed—immediately slumped onto the table and said lazily, "Acting is exhausting. I'm never putting on a show like that in front of weaklings again. It felt so fake just now~"
Her words drew a laugh from Ainz. "Oh? Deloris, what exactly did you do?"
Stretching languidly, Chu Lian called out first to Nabe, "Nabe, my dear fiancée, come massage my shoulders."
After a brief hesitation, Nabe walked over and stood behind her, placing her slender hands gently on Chu Lian's shoulders and kneading them tenderly.
"Ah~" She let out a comfortable moan before answering Ainz, "Nothing much. Earlier today I was strong enough to slice a dragon into pieces with a single strike. Yet just now, breaking a third-tier Bone Prison spell took me five cuts. Honestly... I only considered the force I should use and forgot about the results I'd already shown before. That was my mistake."
"They didn't suspect anything?" Ainz pulled out a chair and sat opposite her, asking curiously.
"Lukrut is suspicious. Even after my explanation, his doubts haven't completely disappeared. It might cause some trouble in the future, but it shouldn't be a major issue." Chu Lian nodded. She had indeed gone a bit too far just now. Two strikes would have sufficed, not five.
"Just be more careful next time. As for Lukrut, if he dares to talk carelessly..."
Ainz did not finish the sentence, but the implication was obvious. Someone who knew too much and failed to guard his tongue would only bring disaster upon himself.
From the side, Nabe added coldly, "If that mosquito dares to run his mouth, we'll hang his corpse from the city gates."
From beginning to end, Nabe had never shown any goodwill toward humans, and she held particular disdain for Lukrut, who had once tried to ingratiate himself with her.
"All right, we can discuss that later. For now, Deloris, do you have any plans?" Ainz had begun cooperating with Chu Lian not because he knew her scheme, but because he understood that she must have her own intentions. That was why he had spoken as he did.
"Nothing much. At first, I wanted to test the members of Swords of Darkness. Unfortunately, I later realized that aside from Ninya, the other three don't meet the standard..." Chu Lian shook her head and explained, "Dyne is already too old. He has almost no room left for growth. As for Peter, his personality is too straightforward. He doesn't understand flexibility—steel that is too rigid snaps easily. Lukrut, while observant and somewhat clever, is too frivolous. He can't be entrusted with important responsibilities."
"Were you thinking of taking them in as subordinates?" Hearing this, that was the only conclusion Ainz could draw.
"I did consider it. After all, they know quite a bit about us. Some secrets can only be kept by the dead—or by ensuring that those who know them are our own people." As Chu Lian spoke, a strange smile curved at the corner of her lips. She had completely entered her role. "Of course, we've spent some time together. I have a fairly clear understanding of their character. They probably won't say anything they shouldn't, so there's no real need to worry about that."
"Heh, do as you like. Just remember not to lose control of the game." Ainz understood that Chu Lian's way of thinking was the normal one. After all, he had once been human, and even he had gradually grown indifferent to killing and human life after becoming undead—let alone Deloris, who had never been human to begin with. The faint goodwill she had shown toward humans in Carne Village did not mean she would never act against them.
In the end, intelligent beings of different races rarely regard one another as equals. Humans seek to exterminate all non-human humanoid races—those with largely human appearances, such as elves—and demi-human races, such as goblins. Other intelligent beings, in turn, despise human frailty and slaughter them like livestock.
This is the law of the jungle—survival of the fittest. When it comes to the selection of intelligent life, there is no right or wrong. There is only survival or death.
Pulling his wandering thoughts back, Ainz asked the final question, "Then why did you let them take Nfirea? Aren't you worried something might go wrong?"
Hearing that, Chu Lian felt an inward jolt of exasperation. My dear big brother, could you not raise a flag before anything has even started? Once a flag is raised, it's bound to come true, you know.
Despite her internal complaints, she still explained her reasoning. "Because I want to know what they're planning..."
She first repeated what the woman who had abducted Nfirea had said. Then she continued, "Their goal isn't to harm Nfirea. They want him to use a certain item and cast the seventh-tier necromancy spell [Undead Army], summoning a legion of the dead. I suspect their intention is to guide that undead army to attack E-Rantel and turn this place into a city of the dead."
"If that's all, wouldn't it be simpler to stop them directly? Why let them leave?" Ainz frowned, unable to grasp the connection even after thinking it over for a while.
"Big brother is an idiot. Weren't you already doing exactly that just now? What achievement or reputation could possibly surpass that of a hero who saves an entire city from an undead invasion?" Chu Lian pressed a hand to her forehead in exaggerated helplessness and spoke in a muffled tone.
"Pfft..." Nabe, who had been listening from behind, couldn't help but let out a quiet laugh. But remembering the identities of the two before her, she quickly stifled it.
"Ahem. Then this achievement—does it go to me or to you?" Realizing he had made a foolish mistake, Ainz hastily changed the subject to avoid embarrassment.
"What do you think?" Chu Lian widened her eyes at him, making him increasingly suspect that his intelligence had been declining whenever he was around Deloris.
"Then where do we find them?" Ainz decisively abandoned the previous topic and moved on again.
"The largest cemetery in the area. Only there would have enough corpses for them to summon an undead army..." Chu Lian stood up slowly and extended a finger, pointing at a location on the city map.