"Hmm... What are you planning to do with these two little girls? Are you really going to the Great Tomb of Nazarick to find their sister, that adventurer named Arche? Are you so sure Arche is still alive?" Barrett asked.
"Of course I'm sure." EeDechi's tone left no room for doubt. "Arche must have been captured by Ainz to join his harem!"
Barrett thought about how Ainz Ooal Gown had once used an unprecedented super-powerful spell to wipe out over a hundred thousand troops from the Re-Estize Kingdom, and suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. He said, "But that undead named Ainz Ooal Gown is really strong. We might not be able to beat him."
"What are you afraid of!" EeDechi's voice was strong and resolute, her eyes unwavering. "Evil can never defeat justice!"
"I'm not sure if evil can defeat justice, but I am absolutely sure that Ainz can defeat me, and Sean, and Stella. I'm afraid that after being an adventurer for twenty years and living safely until now, I'll end up biting the dust in this 'justice defeating evil' crap."
"If you're scared, you can quit my adventurer team right away. I don't take people whose revolutionary spirit isn't rock-solid!" EeDechi waved her hand.
Barrett opened his mouth, about to say, if I quit, who will manage the team's supplies and equipment? You'd get ripped off even buying a jujube!
But he thought about it again, swallowed his words, and instead advised, "If you want to go up against this big bad demon king, that's fine, but be careful and play it safe. I heard there are envoys from the Sorcerer Kingdom in the royal capital. There might be their spies around here, so you have to watch your step."
"Got it, got it, stop being such a nag." EeDechi said impatiently. "Right now, the enemy's out in the open, and we're in the shadows! Ainz knows zilch about us, but I can keep gathering intel on them. To take them down, we should lie low first and play the long game."
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, the afternoon was gone.
EeDechi had finished the dinner cooked up by Barrett and Stella together. Sticking to the old saying "take a hundred steps after dinner and you'll live to ninety-nine," she was just about to head out for a stroll around town.
A palace servant stepped into the courtyard where they were staying, delivering a message: Princess Renner was inviting EeDechi to a banquet at the southern manor in the royal capital, where plenty of nobles and bigwigs would be showing up.
Faced with an invite from her employer—especially one she saw as a kind-hearted soul like Princess Renner—EeDechi didn't turn it down. She mumbled stuff like "roaming the wine world for decades" and "I drink baijiu like it's water," weird talk that left Barrett and the others totally baffled, then hopped into the waiting carriage and headed off to the party.
(Note: baijiu is a liquor typically ranging between 35% and 60% alcohol by volume (ABV))
The adventurer captain stepped out of the carriage and arrived at the sprawling southern manor, where a servant in black robes with white sleeves led her to a luxurious hall on the second floor.
The opulent hall was buzzing with people. Under the elegant magical "Everlight" crystal chandeliers studded with diamonds, nobles and officials in fancy clothes and refined airs held their wine glasses, nodding politely to each other and chatting with class. Pretty female servers carried delicate trays, flashing sweet smiles as they fluttered around the guests like butterflies.
EeDechi activated her Innate Talent, scanning the Justice Values hovering over the heads of these polite, impeccably dressed nobles. She couldn't help but let out a cold sneer before striding into the hall.
She was wearing her usual loose black clothes. Compared to these nobles in their fancy outfits, decked out in gold and silver, her plain attire made her stand out like an ugly duckling in a flock of beautiful peacocks. Every now and then, someone shot her a scornful look and chatted with those nearby about how she even got in.
EeDechi was totally oblivious to it all—or rather, she couldn't care less. She casually snatched up a glass of some pricey red wine she didn't recognize, threw her head back, and chugged it in one go, then started scanning the crowd for any sign of Princess Renner.
Up ahead, two tall young nobles were holding wine glasses, standing between a couple of drink tables, chatting face-to-face and blocking EeDechi's path right in the middle.
EeDechi reached out and patted one of them on the shoulder, her face blank. "Excuse me, move aside."
The two nobles gave EeDechi a disdainful glance, ignored her, and kept on with their conversation. Seeing their smug, holier-than-thou expressions, EeDechi frowned and barreled straight between them.
CRASH! The two nobles got knocked flat onto the white porcelain floor, their wine glasses shattered, and light red wine splashed everywhere.
"Don't ..." The young noble's shoulder throbbed with pain from the hit—he felt like his shoulder blade was about to shatter—but he gritted his teeth and stood up anyway, barking, "Don't you watch where you're going?"
EeDechi glanced at the Justice Values hovering over their heads and was just about to snap, when an elegant, melodic female voice rang out from behind them.
"Could you two lowly creatures who roll around in the mud hurry up and get out of here? Please don't block my path, okay?"
The woman's tone was so graceful and enchanting, yet her words dripped with arrogance and ice-cold disdain.
The two nobles clutched their shoulders, turned to look, and hurriedly bowed. "Terribly sorry, Your Excellency Ambassador, we'll leave right now." With that, the pair practically sprinted away.
EeDechi followed the direction of the female voice and saw a stunning woman in a pure white evening gown standing by the drink table. Her hair, black in stark contrast to the gown's color, was glossy and hung down to her waist. Her golden eyes were fixed on EeDechi, a faint smile playing on her lips.
EeDechi's gaze shifted to the number representing the Justice Value above her head, and instantly her dark eyebrows furrowed deeply along with her smooth forehead.
Princess Renner had somehow arrived at EeDechi's side. She reached out, wanting to introduce the two: "EeDechi, this is the ambassador from the Sorcerer Kingdom—Albedo. You two..."
The beauty in the evening gown took light, graceful steps toward EeDechi, while EeDechi strode boldly toward the woman in the pure white gown, leaving Princess Renner hanging. The two locked eyes directly, sparks practically flying where their gazes met.
"Hello." Albedo faced EeDechi and extended her slender hand gloved in white silk.
"Hello," EeDechi smiled and shook her hand. "You know what? You're the second person I've met with a Justice Value of -500, the lowest in the room. I can't stand the sight of you."
Albedo flashed a toothy smile, captivating and soul-stirring: "You're the second woman who's caught Lord Ainz's attention like this, so I can't stand the sight of you either."
EeDechi's pupils suddenly contracted: "Ainz cares about me? What does that mean?"
Albedo let out an unladylike snort from her nose: "It means Lord Ainz has been watching you for a long time."
"Anyway," Albedo withdrew her right hand from EeDechi's grip, utterly arrogant, "On behalf of the supreme and great Supreme Overlord Ainz Ooal Gown, and all members of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, I present this invitation."
As her words fell, blue light surged in her palm, and out of thin air appeared an exquisitely crafted invitation with intricate, delicate crimson and gold embossing, which she handed to EeDechi.
EeDechi's temple vein throbbed as she accepted the invitation.