The Strongest Eriri in History

After learning the contents of Jircniv Rune Farlord El-Nix's overactive imagination, Arche found it amusing but chose not to explain or clarify anything.

Once her discussion with Jircniv concluded, Fluder Paradyne, who had been outwardly composed but inwardly brimming with excitement, suddenly stepped forward. His gaze locked onto Arche, his eyes burning with an insatiable thirst for knowledge.

"Arche, could you tell me how you became so powerful?" Fluder asked, his voice trembling slightly.

Fluder's special ability allowed him to discern the true strength of others. However, it had its limits; when faced with someone vastly more powerful, his ability would fail entirely.

This was the case with Arche. No matter how much he tried, Fluder couldn't perceive the extent of her magical energy—it was as though he were staring at an ordinary human. Yet, every attempt left him with an inexplicable chill, warning him against probing further.

"Teacher Fluder, I understand you're eager to advance your own magical strength through my example. But you'll be disappointed. Even if I were to tell you, it's impossible for you to achieve the same level of power," Arche replied calmly.

Arche had no particular fondness for her former teacher, but neither did she hold any grudge against him.

Fluder often took in magically talented individuals to groom them as court mages for the Empire. Arche had once been one of these students, singled out for her extraordinary potential and her innate ability, which mirrored Fluder's own. However, their relationship went no deeper than that.

When Arche's parents were stripped of their noble status by Jircniv, Fluder promptly severed their teacher-student bond. This made it clear that no matter how gifted she was, she was never indispensable to him.

"Why not?" Fluder's voice rose, his expression twisting into one of frustration and desperation.

To pursue the depths of magic, he would betray the Empire without hesitation. He had even knelt before an undead being like Ainz with no regard for his dignity.

"Please… I beg of you. If you can show me the abyss of magic, I'll give you anything—wealth, fame, my position—everything I have!" Fluder dropped to his knees before Arche, just as he had once done before Ainz. He seemed entirely unbothered by the fact that she had once been his disciple.

"Old man…" Jircniv sighed, massaging his temples as he observed Fluder's embarrassing display. While he was aware of Fluder's obsession with advancing his magical prowess, this behavior was undeniably disgraceful.

"Lord Fluder?" The Empire's Four Knights were equally shocked. Fluder had always been a figure they revered, a man with strength rivaling the fabled Thirteen Heroes.

Yet now, seeing him in such a desperate state, they were at a loss.

"Teacher Fluder, please don't act like this. I wasn't lying when I said it's impossible for you to gain what I have. Your very gender prevents you from acquiring the kind of opportunity I encountered," Arche replied without a hint of emotion.

She was entirely unfazed by Fluder's actions. After all, she had already seen a similar display of his desperation in Ainz's memory fragment. His current behavior was hardly surprising.

Without sparing him another glance, Arche waved her hand dismissively toward Jircniv and the others. "Alright, since we've finished our discussion, you may leave now."

She turned and walked toward where Eriri was sitting, her expression softening into a radiant smile as she took a seat beside her. The contrast between her demeanor toward Jircniv and her attitude around Eriri couldn't have been more stark.

The sight prompted Jircniv to give Eriri a deep, contemplative look. His instincts told him that Eriri was far from ordinary, but he dared not speak further on the matter.

"In that case, we'll take our leave." Jircniv gave a respectful nod to Arche. He then motioned for two of the Four Knights to help the dazed and kneeling Fluder to his feet. Together, they began to make their way out.

However, just as they reached the door, one of the Four Knights, Lenessia Rockbruise, suddenly stepped forward, breaking away from the group. She walked back to Arche and knelt before her.

"What do you want?" Arche asked, glancing at her.

"Lady Furt, please help me lift the curse that afflicts me," Lenessia pleaded, her voice steady but filled with desperation.

She lifted her golden hair, revealing the right side of her face—a grotesquely rotted visage, scarred and oozing. The sight was ghastly, and it was fortunate that Arche's younger sisters weren't present, as it might have frightened them.

"Years ago, during a campaign against a magical beast, I was cursed. This curse has made me neither human nor monster. I beg of you—please, save me!" Lenessia's tone was sincere and imploring.

Ever since she was cursed, Lenessia had tried every possible method to lift it, to no avail. Seeing Arche's overwhelming power, she clung to the hope that Arche might be her salvation.

Jircniv and the others, noticing the situation, paused and turned back to watch. They, too, wanted to see if Arche could resolve Lenessia's curse.

"Eriri…" Arche turned to Eriri with a questioning look.

Although she was fully capable of removing the curse, she instinctively sought Eriri's opinion.

"I've told you before, haven't I? I'm just here to watch the show. The decision is yours to make. If you want to help her, go ahead. If not, just send her away," Eriri replied with a smile, ruffling Arche's golden, shoulder-length hair.

"Alright, I understand."

Arche quickly came to a decision.

"I can lift your curse, but what will you offer in return?" she asked.

Lenessia's face lit up with joy. Without hesitation, she declared, "Lady Furt, if you can remove my curse, I will give you everything I have. I will devote my life to serving you!"

Lenessia's obsession with lifting her curse rivaled Fluder's pursuit of magical enlightenment. If Fluder was willing to sacrifice everything for the sake of magic, Lenessia was just as prepared to pay any price to be rid of her curse.

Jircniv Rune Farlord El-Nix's face darkened upon hearing Lenessia openly pledge her loyalty to another right in front of him. Still, he wasn't entirely surprised.

He had always known that Lenessia held little loyalty toward him as Emperor. Her curse had consumed her so deeply that she would likely even attack him if it meant breaking free of it.

Arche pondered for a moment and decided it was a good arrangement. With her upcoming plans for a world tour, having Lenessia as both a guard and a servant, provided her loyalty was ensured, could be advantageous. When Arche accompanied Imina and the others on missions, Lenessia could stay behind and protect Kuuderika and Ureirika in her absence.

"Alright, remember your words," Arche said, nodding. She extended her palm toward Lenessia's face, channeling a powerful holy light spell.

A dazzling white light enveloped Lenessia's face, obscuring her features from view. As the radiant light filled the room, Fluder Paradyne, who had been slumped in defeat and supported by Baziwood and Nimble, suddenly became animated.

"Amazing! This is incredible! What tier of holy magic is this? Tenth-tier? No, it's even beyond that!" Fluder exclaimed with fervent enthusiasm, his eyes wide as he gazed at Arche.

Fluder broke free from the knights supporting him and attempted to rush toward Lenessia to observe the magic more closely. His outburst, however, irritated Eriri, who shot him an icy glance. Fluder immediately fainted, collapsing to the ground in a heap.

"Old man, what happened to you?" Jircniv quickly knelt beside Fluder to check on him. After ensuring that Fluder's body was unharmed, he sighed in relief but couldn't find any way to wake him.

The holy light lingered for several seconds before gradually dissipating. When the light faded, Lenessia's face was revealed to be as smooth and radiant as polished jade, her once-rotted wounds entirely healed.

"Lenessia, congratulations. The curse has been lifted," Arche said with a gentle smile, clearly satisfied with her work.

Lenessia opened her eyes and immediately touched her right cheek. The familiar sensation of decay and rot was gone, replaced by smooth, healthy skin. Overwhelmed with joy, she clasped her face and cried out, "Thank you, thank you, Lady Furt! I can't believe I've finally escaped that cursed, monstrous existence. I've dreamed of this day for so long!"

Still kneeling, Lenessia straightened her back and declared loudly, "I, Lenessia Rockbruise, swear from this moment onward to serve Lady Arche Eeb Rile Furt loyally and become her blade!"

Her unwavering tone left no doubt in anyone's mind that she was utterly sincere. The display, however, left Jircniv feeling a twinge of frustration.

Despite elevating Lenessia to her current position, he had never managed to secure her genuine loyalty. Yet Arche, whom Lenessia had just met, had won her allegiance with little effort. Still, Jircniv couldn't complain—he had been unable to lift her curse, and that made all the difference.

"It's truly done…" Baziwood murmured as he stared at Lenessia's now unblemished face. "That's incredible—she managed to resolve a curse that left the entire Empire powerless to act."

He turned to Jircniv with a teasing grin. "Looks like Your Majesty just lost one of your strongest assets. Time to start looking for another warrior to round out the Four Imperial Knights?"

Lenessia had promised to serve Arche for life in exchange for breaking her curse. Now that the curse was gone, it was clear she would no longer remain one of the Four Knights. Instead, she was now solely Arche's subordinate.

The Bloody Emperor, Jircniv, departed with his retinue, including the now three-member Imperial Knights and an unconscious Fluder.

As for Lenessia, she briefly returned to her own home. Despite her position as a warrior, she was also the daughter of a noble family.

Arche did not ask Lenessia to stay at her residence. Instead, she instructed her to return in two days. For Arche, her top priority now was to ensure Eriri enjoyed her time exploring this world.

Among the figures in the Overlord world, Eriri held interest in a select few. These included Evileye of Blue Rose, the third princess of the Re-Estize Kingdom, Renner Theiere Chardelon Ryle Vaiself—known as the Golden Princess—and Zesshi Zetsumei, the extra seat of the Black Scripture in the Slane Theocracy.

Eriri was particularly curious about Renner's reaction to the fall of Nazarick. By this time, Renner had already established ties with the tomb, and all her efforts and plans had now been rendered worthless. Eriri was keen to witness how Renner handled this devastating setback.

Thus, Eriri, accompanied by Ophis, Scarlet, Kohina, and the Arche sisters, made her way to the Re-Estize Kingdom's royal capital.

Though the capital was less prosperous than the Empire's, its layout bore many similarities. The towering royal castle stood at the city's center, surrounded by a dense ring of tall trees that separated it from the residential areas.

Most buildings in the capital were two or three stories tall, packed closely together. A network of roads and pathways wove through the city, creating a well-connected grid.

Thanks to Arche's connections with the Blue Rose adventurer team, Eriri didn't need to introduce herself as a stranger. Upon sensing the team's current location, she led the group through the capital at a leisurely pace, taking in the sights and drawing the curious stares of onlookers.

About thirty minutes later, they arrived at a luxurious inn. Renowned as the most opulent lodging in the capital, the inn featured not only accommodation but also stables and a spacious courtyard for sword practice. The exterior was tastefully decorated, and the interior was equally splendid—befitting its reputation as the finest inn in the royal capital.

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