Bright sunlight poured over the city. A new day had arrived, which meant many things needed to be done. For example, Nabe was currently considering how to pry off the Princess of Nazarick, who was clinging to her like an octopus.
"Liliana, it's time to wake up."
Already awake, Ainz once more used magic to form a suit of armor around himself. Looking at Chu Lian, who still had her eyes closed and was nestled in Nabe's arms, he had no choice but to personally call her up.
"Mm, I've been awake for a while. I just don't want to get up."
To his surprise, the girl—who had only removed her shoes and socks before sleeping and was still wearing her princess dress—released Nabe, rolled over, and opened her wide eyes to look at him, exhaling softly as she spoke.
"But have you considered Nabe's feelings?"
Ainz truly felt defeated by Chu Lian. Was it really appropriate to take advantage of the maid so openly?
"I'm sure Nabe doesn't mind."
Since Chu Lian had promised Ayase she would not provoke other girls, she would keep that promise. The reason she treated Nabe so specially was merely for future preparations. Of course, she would never say such things out loud.
"There is no trouble. Sharing a bed with Lady Deloris is this subordinate's honor."
A rare blush appeared on Nabe's icy, beautiful face, leaving Ainz completely speechless.
"Hurry up. We have things to attend to."
Unable to deal with this situation any longer, Ainz could only urge her again.
"Big brother is so mean, not even letting me rest a little longer."
That single sentence directly struck Ainz down. His jaw nearly dislocated as grief surged in his heart.
It's over. My little sister hates me. This feeling is awful...
Though she did not particularly want to get up, Chu Lian understood the importance of their tasks. After a brief bout of willfulness, she put on her shoes and socks and rose from bed.
There was no need for them to worry about hygiene. At their level of strength, unless circumstances made it impossible, dirt rarely clung to them. Especially Chu Lian—she was as spotless as the purest crystal, immaculate and unstained.
Even so, they still used magic to condense some water and freshen up. They might not be able to change clothes or bathe conveniently, but that did not mean they had to neglect themselves.
After finishing, Ainz opened the door and stepped out first. Chu Lian waved her hand, storing away her bed. Then she pressed her lips together lightly, and a gentle smile instantly blossomed on her face. Taking Nabe's small hand, she followed after him.
After the display Chu Lian had put on the previous night, none of the patrons downstairs dared turn their gaze toward them. Even the owner wore a beaming smile, no trace of his former disdain remaining.
As for the deep crater she had blasted into the floor with a single punch, he had people repair it overnight. Though it still looked somewhat out of place, at least it would not affect business.
The incident served as a lesson to the owner: never, ever, ever underestimate anyone—especially those who looked formidable. Even if they wore the lowest-ranking copper plate, that did not mean they were people to be bullied.
This time he had been lucky. Their tempers had been relatively mild. Had he encountered someone truly hot-headed, it would not have stopped at a single punch—the entire tavern might have been torn apart.
As he was thinking this, the white-dressed girl who had just passed him suddenly turned her head and gave him a captivating smile.
In an instant, the tavern owner felt his soul flip upside down, as though countless beauties were beckoning to him.
He watched them leave, his gaze gradually growing hazy. Then he turned and walked toward the back, where the staff were located...
What exactly happened afterward was unknown to Chu Lian and the others. However, a certain rumor began circulating within the tavern.
It was said that the owner of the tavern actually favored burly men—whether passive or active, he was said to be first-rate in every regard.
No one had known of his preference before. But one day, when the owner finally could not restrain himself and made a move on one of his employees, the matter spread.
Not long after the rumor gained traction, the place became famous throughout the surrounding region—and even the entire kingdom—as a tavern catering to that particular crowd.
Its patrons included broad-shouldered, swaggering brutes with flamboyant walks, as well as slender, handsome young men.
In short, it became a rather peculiar establishment, perhaps even bringing a new kind of vitality to E-Rantel... in its own way.
So really, of all the people to provoke, why pick a fox spirit who looked pure white on the outside but was black to the core?
Standing before the [Adventurer's Guild] of E-Rantel, Chu Lian and the other two looked at the white walls and brown double-roofed structure with curiosity.
"It looks rather small."
"As expected. Adventurer may sound impressive, but in the end, it's not a particularly ideal profession."
Ainz shook his head, yet still pushed open the door and entered.
Their arrival created an atmosphere much like the tavern the night before. The difference was that quite a few people here already knew of their strength, and upon seeing them, quickly averted their eyes.
Of course, some knew—and some did not.
As the three stood before the quest board, examining the posted tasks, murmurs from other adventurers rose behind them.
"What flashy full-body armor." The tone carried faint mockery.
"How much did that cost?" It sounded greedy, but was mostly ridicule.
"Just a copper plate." In their view, someone like that had no real ability.
"Must be some noble brat." The disdain in their voices barely concealed their jealousy.
"A gift from Daddy, maybe? Hahaha."
By this point, Nabe had reached her limit. Yet the one who moved faster than her was, as always, the girl in pure white.
"Shut up, you filthy swine!"
Turning around, Chu Lian's gaze turned icy as she threw a punch through the air. The force of it immediately blasted them all off their feet, sending them hurtling toward the wall behind.
However, she had no intention of damaging the building. In the next instant, something astonishing occurred—just before the airborne adventurers could crash into the wall, they were kicked back, piling together in a heap.
Swaying her long skirt, Chu Lian walked lightly past them, her voice filled with disdain.
"Take a look at yourselves before you speak. With that level of strength, you still dare open your mouths? If Nabe and big brother made a move, there wouldn't even be scraps left of you."
Her mockery was utterly naked. Yet they had no way to retaliate. Not only was her strength overwhelming, but those two merciless strikes had already left them with broken limbs, writhing in agony. How could they possibly have the breath to argue?
"Little Lian'er, the White Valkyrie persona you've crafted is quite good. Usually you wear a gentle smile, but the moment someone dares anger you, you strike without hesitation, regardless of their strength. Among adventurers, that kind of temperament is both extremely popular and extremely rejected. With the right team, you'd be an incredibly powerful ally. With a terrible one, they'd probably die by your hand before any monster could kill them."
Ayase, who had been observing events from the outside and had remained silent for several days, finally spoke again.
She understood Chu Lian's intentions. It was nothing more than shaping an image completely different from that of the "Princess of Nazarick, Lady Deloris," further confusing outsiders.
She had discussed this plan with Ainz as well. After receiving a response that was neither clearly supportive nor opposed, she carried it out without hesitation. And thus, a Liliana who gave Ainz endless headaches was born.
After Chu Lian created such a display in less than a second, even those who had not known what happened the night before obediently shut their mouths upon witnessing it.
While inwardly rejoicing that they had not spoken out of turn, they also mocked the group that had always loved to flap their gums. If those fools had not refused to change their bad habits, how could they have ended up being taught such a lesson?
"Big brother, I think this quest will do."
Seeing that Ainz was still hesitating, Chu Lian naturally understood he was troubled by his inability to read the world's written language.
While spoken language could be solved with items, written text was another matter. Without serious study, it was impossible to recognize everything quickly.
But for Chu Lian, who possessed the true cheat-level Goddess Development Plan system, she only needed to spend 5,000 Culture Points to learn the language of this world.
Moreover, because she had discovered a new language, the system triggered a "Language and Text Archive Completion" mechanism, rewarding her with 100,000 Culture Points.
Was this what it meant for a loli to have EX-rank luck since ancient times?
Of course, she could not let them know she understood the language. So she casually pulled down a quest sheet and spoke.
"Ahem. Since Liliana has chosen this one, then we'll take this quest."
Seeing that Deloris had made a selection, Ainz stopped hesitating. Taking the sheet, he walked to the counter, placed it before the receptionist, and declared, "We'll take this quest!"
Seated behind the counter was a receptionist wearing a deep red dress, with a beauty mark beneath her left eye. After witnessing what had just occurred and knowing full well that their strength exceeded their displayed rank, she still could not alter the Adventurer's Guild's ranking system simply because of their power.
She offered a polite smile. "I'm terribly sorry. This commission is intended for [Mithril]-rank adventurers."
"I know. That's precisely why I want to take it. You've seen my companion's strength. And our overall strength is certainly not inferior to hers. We are fully capable of completing this quest."
Ainz leaned forward slightly, looking directly at the receptionist.
"But the guild has regulations..."
Indeed, their strength was clearly beyond their current rank.
With a powerhouse who had effortlessly single-handedly overwhelmed a group just moments ago, even if the others were not quite as strong, completing this quest would hardly pose a problem.
However, regulations were regulations. She had no authority to change them.
"Pointless rules."
Ainz did his best to appear inscrutable as he spoke disdainfully.
"I truly don't have the authority to alter them. If you wish to accept this quest, you'll need to speak with the guild master."
Her reply made Ainz slowly straighten up.
"So even after witnessing my companion's strength, the regulations cannot be adjusted?"
"I'm very sorry. The rules are the rules. They cannot be violated."
The receptionist felt helpless. She did not wish to offend a powerful individual, so she maintained the most respectful tone she could.
"Is that so? Then it can't be helped. I apologize for making such unreasonable demands. In that case, please assign us the most difficult commission among the [Copper Plate] quests."
This had been Ainz's real objective all along.
Had they received a suitable [Copper Plate] quest earlier, there would have been no need for this exchange. But even after requesting a task beyond their rank, he had successfully maneuvered his way toward securing an appropriate mission.
Seeing that he was no longer pressing the matter and had chosen to compromise, the receptionist visibly relaxed.
"Very well. I understand."
Phew. Successful guidance.
Ainz exhaled inwardly.
At that moment, a voice called out from nearby.
"In that case, would you be interested in helping with our quest?"
Turning his head, he saw a group of four clearly forming a team.
Chu Lian heard them as well. She turned her head, looking at them with interest—and then spoke a sentence that left them utterly stunned...