Roaring Heroes Battle the Overlord (Ainz)

A large, ancient parchment map lay spread out on the table. EeDeChi was leaning over it, her upper body bent as she studied it intently.

The map was a pale yellow, its edges torn and worn, as if chewed by rats. The surface was etched with a network of lines, showing rudimentary mountain ranges and terrain. Names of places and borders were labeled in both the common tongue and the Elvish script.

Though magic in this world was boundless in its mysteries, reliable cartography was still a distant dream. In regions rarely touched by human civilization, the terrain on the map was often vague and unclear.

The more detailed the map, the more inaccuracies it contained. As for what the actual landscapes looked like, that could only be discovered by the feet of travelers.

Barrett saw her studying the map and asked, "What are you planning?"

"It's time to leave," EeDeChi sighed softly.

"Where to?"

"To the Slane Theocracy, to find a powerful person named 'Antilene.'" EeDeChi's finger traced the inked calligraphy on the map.

Rigrit had told them that the young woman, 'Antilene,' was one of the most powerful humans in this world, with an innate talent so extraordinary it ranked among the top ten in the world. However, due to certain reasons, the Slane Theocracy had chosen to hide 'Antilene' deep within the heart of the nation, keeping her existence secret from the outside world.

The Slane Theocracy followed a strict human supremacist ideology, despising other races and undead beings. As a result, their stance was in direct opposition to that of the Sorcerer Kingdom. Though the Slane Theocracy had expressed deference to the Sorcerer Kingdom, the control they were under was minimal.

It's worth mentioning that unlike other human nations, which worship the four elemental gods of Earth, Water, Fire, and Wind, the Slane Theocracy follows a unique faith—the Six Great Gods.

According to the legends of the Slane Theocracy, over six hundred years ago, humans—who were neither physically strong nor particularly gifted in magic—struggled to survive in the world, often falling prey to the other races who used them as food.

That was until one day, the Six Great Gods descended from the heavens. With their unparalleled divine power, they cleaved the chaotic world in two, creating the Slane Theocracy as a sanctuary for humankind.

Afterward, five of the Six Great Gods ascended to the void, leaving behind the final deity—the God of Death, Surshana—to guard the Theocracy.

During the war when the evil gods, the Eight Greed Kings, sought to conquer the world, Surshana fought alone to protect humanity. In the end, outnumbered and overwhelmed, Surshana's soul was shattered. The Eight Greed Kings, impressed by Surshana's bravery, promised to preserve the Slane Theocracy as a vassal state, sparing it from destruction and massacre.

EeDeChi understood clearly in her heart that behind the "gods," both the Six Great Gods and the Eight Greed Kings were all travelers from another world. However, what was rare was that, apart from their egos and desire to rule the world, the Six Great Gods actually took it upon themselves to protect humanity—making them one of the few genuinely good beings.

Barrett suggested, "If you're not going to be the Warrior Captain, you'll need to resign from your military position and terminate the contract with Princess Renner and us. By the way, casually ask Princess Renner if the contract old Tony signed with her, regarding the adventurer medical fund, is still valid."

EeDeChi snapped her thoughts back from the Slane Theocracy and nodded in agreement. She left the house and headed toward the royal palace in the capital.

Winter had long since arrived, bringing with it freezing cold. Snowflakes were falling from the sky, light and scattered, coating the world in a thin layer of white.

EeDeChi looked up at the frosty sky, feeling the faint chill of snowflakes landing on her skin.

She suddenly thought of a metaphor: the snowflakes were like someone scratching dandruff in the sky. EeDeChi had never felt cold before, but this time she shivered, instinctively quickening her pace.

Their residence was not far from the palace. Along the way, several noblewomen dressed in luxurious attire curtsied to EeDeChi, addressing her as "Honorable the Warrior Captain." The royal knights and guards also bowed and bent their waists as she passed by.

EeDeChi didn't know any of them and was unfamiliar with royal etiquette. She could only awkwardly wave her hand, trying to remain polite, and greeted them, "Hello, comrades!"

The guards responded in unison, "Hello, the Warrior Captain."

"Comrades, you've worked hard." EeDeChi said to them.

"Serve the royal family!" the guards replied earnestly.

—---------

Author's Note: It is a foolish thing for an author to explain the joke in a novel, but I have to do it this time. This is because I noticed that some readers mistakenly think EeDeChi is a communist.

There are too many idiots in this world, especially in China, who, despite knowing nothing about communism, think they are ultra-cool communists just because they shout a few anti-capitalist slogans. EeDeChi is clearly not one of them.

In fact, this is a political meme. In the People's Republic of China, during the grand National Day military parade, when the President stands on top of a convertible car passing by the rows of soldiers, the President will wave and say, "Hello, comrades!"

The soldiers will reply, "Hello, Commander!" or "Hello, Mr. President!"

Then the President continues, "Comrades, you've worked hard!"

The soldiers will respond, "Serve the people!"

—----------

EeDeChi quickly arrived at the palace and announced her request to meet. Soon, Princess Renner, wearing a fur coat made of otter skin, hurried over to greet her and ushered her into a side hall.

Princess Renner was petite and delicate, wrapped in a loose light brown otter fur coat. A snow-white cashmere hat covered her soft golden hair, making her appear even smaller and cuter.

She smiled brightly and asked, "Our Warrior Captain, what brings you here today?"

EeDeChi took a moment to gather her thoughts before asking, "If I resign from the position of Warrior Captain, who will take over?"

Princess Renner was momentarily stunned, but quickly understood. She replied, "Because the national martial arts tournament is both costly and resource-intensive, traditionally, when such a situation occurs, the second-place warrior steps up. That means Brain Unglaus will take over. Are you leaving?"

"Yes," EeDeChi said. "I need to continue searching for ways to fight against Ainz Ooal Gown. Also, the capital's Adventurer's Guild guildmaster, Tony Ulea, once signed a contract with you regarding the adventurer medical fund. Tony passed away a few days ago—does the contract still stand?"

Princess Renner nodded. "It's still valid. Tony Ulea was my ally. Even though he's gone, I'll still honor my commitment to him."

She sighed, her face filled with regret. "I know... he was murdered. I sent someone to offer my condolences at his funeral. This is all my fault. I dragged him into the whirlpool of power struggles. If I hadn't asked him to sign that contract for the medical fund, he would probably still be alive."

EeDeChi tried to comfort her. "Don't blame yourself too much. It was other nobles who had him killed—it has nothing to do with you. Establishing the adventurer medical fund was Tony Ulea's lifelong dream. By fulfilling his contract, you're keeping your word, which is something."

She activated her Innate Talent and checked Princess Renner's Justice Value. The number above her head was 294, indicating that she was genuinely grieving for old Tony's death.

Princess Renner asked, "Are you planning to leave the kingdom and embark on the path to fight the Demon God Ainz Ooal Gown?"

She wasn't surprised by this. EeDeChi had already told her that she intended to deal with the ruler of the Great Tomb of Nazarick—Ainz Ooal Gown.

"Yes," EeDeChi nodded. "There's still a long way to go."

"Can I make a suggestion?" Princess Renner asked cautiously. "You should disband your adventurer team."

"Why?" EeDeChi's expression hardened.

Princess Renner spoke sincerely, "Your three teammates are all ordinary people. You're making an enemy of the Sorcerer Kingdom, and that's a battle of gods. They shouldn't be involved. It's like the power struggles between our royal family and the nobles; it should never have involved Tony Ulea, that adventurer."

EeDeChi frowned. "My team is my business, not yours."

"There might be sacrifices," Princess Renner said quietly.

"No sacrifice, no dawn!" EeDeChi often spouted grand statements, and this one slipped out without her thinking. As the words left her mouth, she suddenly realized how cold and heartless they sounded.

"Well… okay," Princess Renner turned her eyes to the side. "If you're leaving the kingdom, our contract is terminated as well. Wait here for a moment, I'll calculate your wages for this period."

The Last Defender of the Way adventurer team was hired by Princess Renner to protect her during her travels. Each member earned three gold coins per day.

Princess Renner straightened up from her seat, turned, and walked toward the door of the side hall. Her long, golden hair swirled like satin.

EeDeChi watched Princess Renner leave. She stared at her retreating figure, and suddenly, a vein in her forehead throbbed.

Because EeDeChi saw the number representing Princess Renner's Justice Value, hovering above her head, plummeting at an astonishing speed. It dropped rapidly from 294, like a waterfall falling from the sky, plummeting at breakneck speed.

245

161

37

-91

...

It kept dropping until it reached -334!

EeDeChi had never seen a Justice Value change so quickly in such a short period of time! The drop was so drastic! She stood frozen for a few seconds, wanting to call out to Princess Renner, but the princess had already stepped into the snowstorm outside, her figure growing more distant …