It was late at night, and silence reigned all around. In a remote courtyard within the palace, the light in a small hut still burned.
The hut's window was suddenly pushed open, and a black figure poked its head out, peering around suspiciously. Then, with a whoosh, it leaped out like a black cat, crouching low as it searched through the courtyard overgrown with weeds and trees.
Once the search was done, the shadow jumped back onto the roof, standing carefully on the tiled eaves to scan all directions. Its movements were shady as hell—anyone who didn't know better might think a thief had snuck into the palace.
After confirming there were no threatening people nearby or in the distance around the courtyard, the sneaky EeDechi jumped down from the roof and darted back inside.
In the room, Barrett, Sean, and Stella sat around a wood square table, their eyes all fixed on a crimson invitation embossed with gold on the tabletop. Beside it, an bronze oil lamp flickered with a dim glow.
"It's confirmed—no one's watching us outside. Let's get this meeting started. Stella, do you know any alarm spells?" EeDechi locked the window behind her and asked in a low voice.
"I... I only know a 1st-level alarm spell with a magic cord." Stella rubbed her hands uneasily, her face full of worry.
"Forget it then."
EeDechi pulled out the last wooden chair by the table and sat down. She knew damn well that Ainz Ooal Gown was the demon god who'd once wiped out over a hundred thousand soldiers with an unprecedented uber-powerful spell—1st-tier magic was about as threatening to him as a kid's toy bow and arrow.
The fancy invitation on the table listed every single quest EeDechi had taken from the Adventurer's Guild, down to the details: quest descriptions, rewards, employer names, not a word out of place.
You gotta understand, in this era where getting info around is a pain in the ass, a loose outfit like the Adventurer's Guild couldn't possibly collect all the adventurer data from every corner into one central spot.
The way the invitation laid out all that detailed info was basically screaming, "I've got the power and the connections to know everything about you."
"Captain, didn't you say before that 'the enemy's out in the open, and we're in the shadows'? But that big bad demon king pretty much knows our situation inside and out." Barrett looked all worried and down in the dumps.
"..."
For once, EeDechi didn't snap back at Barrett's words. She picked up the crimson invitation from the table, frowned as she scanned the contents again, before letting out a long exhale. "Why fear? Even if it's the Red Wedding, I dare to attend!"
"What it's that?" Sean asked curiously. Facing this sudden invitation from the demon king, the young archer was scared shitless inside, but to put on a manly front in front of Stella, he forced himself to stay calm.
"Captain, you're not seriously gonna go to this feast, are you? If you ask me, we should hightail it out of here." Barrett suggested.
"Why wimp out? Once you wimp out, you've already lost the mental battle. As long as you don't let your resolve slip, there'll always be more ways out than problems!" EeDechi slammed her hand on the table with a loud BANG, startling the already cowering Stella big time.
"The invitation says tomorrow at noon, right? We're supposed to wait at the palace castle's main gate entrance, and someone will come pick us up. You guys wanna go? Anyone willing to come with me?" EeDechi glanced around at the three adventurers at the table, her tone sharp.
"I just remembered, in the spices Barrett asked me to buy today, I forgot the purple cardamom! And Stella needs to bring her twin sisters along—tomorrow I gotta hit the streets and get that stuff!" Sean clapped his hands, his eyes darting over EeDechi's head, looking like he'd had a sudden epiphany.
"You don't even know what purple cardamom looks like! And you're from the Baharuth—those shady merchants will totally rip you off! Tomorrow I've gotta go with you!" Barrett looked at Sean, his gaze steady.
"I..." Stella mumbled, opening her mouth like she wanted to say something, but she couldn't find the right words. Her hands fiddled with the Gaia idol as she hung her head.
Seeing her team act like this, EeDechi's anger boiled up. She cleared her throat, opened her mouth, and started yelling at them:
"At this moment, some adventurers encounter difficulties and choose to take detours, fearing mishaps and shirking responsibility. How can they do their job well? Our adventurers, in times of difficulty, must see the light, uphold justice, and enhance our courage. The people of this world are suffering, and we have a responsibility to rescue them. We must strive and fight hard! Having a strong sense of mission and responsibility is the prerequisite for fulfilling any role or task. Comrades who engage in combat with monsters face complex tasks, harsh conditions, and poor treatment, thus requiring an even stronger sense of mission and responsibility! A strong sense of mission propels entrepreneurial drive. Only with a strong sense of mission can one overcome various difficulties and relentlessly pursue defined goals. Responsibility is the minimum requirement for adventurers; occupying a position necessitates strategizing for the employer who has paid in coins. To establish a strong sense of mission and responsibility, we must overcome and correct tendencies such as some adventurers' fear of battling the Demon King. They avoid becoming heroes and try every means to evade and escape. This 'gilded consciousness' is evident in their temporary viewpoints. The more difficult the situation, the more it tests the strength of heroes and the crucial moments of adventurers' courage. There is a psychological term called 'ostrich mentality,' a behavior of escaping reality, shifting blame, and deceiving oneself, which is also avoiding facing difficulties and solving problems. Like an ostrich burying its head in the sand, it blinds itself to feel safe. In our adventurer team, there are also some 'ostrich-style' adventurers: some abandon tasks when faced with sudden problems, saying 'it's not my responsibility,' attempting to draw clear boundaries and evade responsibility; some comrades treat the Demon King as a 'ferocious beast,' afraid to accept combat demands, fearing injury, and even deliberately concealing their adventurer identity. Difficulties are like springs; they weaken if you are strong and strengthen if you are weak. The Demon King is not frightening; what is frightening is the 'ostrich mentality' when facing the Demon King. The existence of 'ostrich adventurers' is partly due to selfishness—ignoring matters that do not concern them, closing their eyes to crises, deceiving themselves, pretending not to see; and partly due to insufficient abilities—lacking the capability to handle sudden events, resulting in being at a loss and behaving like a 'head-buried ostrich.' Whether due to selfishness or lack of ability, these are manifestations of adventurers' reluctance to face difficulties, unwillingness to take responsibility! Combatting the Demon King is certainly not smooth sailing; we will inevitably encounter hardships. However, for the benefit of the people, for the liberation of the human race, we must not fear difficulties. In times of difficulty we must not lose sight of our achievements, must see the bright future and must pluck up our courage. All men must die, but death can vary in its significance. 'Though death befalls all men alike, it may be weightier than Mount Tai or lighter than a feather.' To die for the people is weightier than Mount Tai, but to work for the Demon King and die for the exploiters and oppressors is lighter than a feather. The people are suffering; it is our duty to save them and we must exert ourselves in struggle. Wherever there is struggle there is sacrifice, and death is a common occurrence. But we have the interests of the people and the sufferings of the great majority at heart, and when we die for the people it is a worthy death. All the Demon Kings are paper tigers! I believe in one thing only, the power of human will!"
Barrett, Sean, and Stella exchanged bewildered looks, EeDechi's rapid-fire barrage of words blasting them until their ears were ringing.
"Um..." Barrett wanted to say something, to show support or opposition.
EeDechi's hand slammed down on the table with a THUD, leaving a palm print on the linden wood surface. She pointed right at Barrett's nose and said, "The organization have already decided—this glorious mission is yours. Tomorrow, you and I are heading to the Great Tomb of Nazarick as guests, to meet Ainz Ooal Gown face to face!"
"Hey! Why me?" Barrett waved his hands in a panic.
"You're the one who usually handles talking to employers for me, so naturally, it's up to you to shoulder this big responsibility now."
EeDechi snatched up the crimson invitation from the table and waved it grandly.
"Meeting adjourned!"
...
EeDechi blew out the oil lamp and flopped face-down on the bed with her eyes closed. Barrett was totally bummed out, and Sean and Stella were in a mixed-up mood too. Each lost in their own thoughts, the three headed back to their rooms and hit the sack.
What they didn't know was that their captain, who seemed full of confidence, actually tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep, only managing to drift off when the sky started to glow with the pale light of dawn.