Roaring Heroes Battle the Overlord (Ainz)

"The Great Tomb of Nazarick?" Barrett paused for a moment. "Isn't that the incident from back then?"

"What incident?" EeDeChi asked, clearly curious.

Sean, Stella, and Barrett exchanged strange looks at EeDeChi, puzzled as to how their orichalcum-level elite adventurer leader was unaware of this matter.

With a composed expression from EeDeChi, Barrett began to recount the event that had sent shockwaves through the entire adventurer community.

It was several years ago when a tantalizing rumor spread among adventurers: 

Between the Baharuth Empire, the Re-Estize Kingdom, and the Slane Theocracy, there was an undiscovered ancient tomb. From the scant information about the tomb's exterior, it was clear that it was vast and possibly filled with immense treasures and precious artifacts buried within. The potential rewards for exploring it were enormous.

Of course, such a massive tomb would undoubtedly be guarded by undead creatures enhanced by necromancy, and possibly protected by various arcane defenses. Entering it recklessly would almost certainly lead to unknown dangers.

However, the allure of riches and magical items was irresistible to adventurers and nobles alike. Soon, a noble with significant influence organized several adventurer teams, including some renowned squads. They all ventured into the Great Tomb at once.

The result of this expedition was that none of the adventurers who entered the Great Tomb ever came back out.

Dozens of well-equipped and experienced senior adventurers vanished overnight. After that, a new nation called the Sorcerer Kingdom emerged near the Great Tomb, overrun by powerful undead creatures. No one dared to probe into the tomb's secrets anymore.

Barrett spoke of the matter with a sense of nostalgia. At the time, he had been invited to explore the Great Tomb, but he had declined due to the distance. If he had gone, he wouldn't be here now, recounting the story as if it were a tale.

"The Great Tomb, the Great Tomb of Nazarick... Sorcerer Kingdom... Ainz Ooal Gown..." EeDeChi furrowed her brow as these fragmented names collided in her mind, gradually coming together like pearls on a necklace.

She suddenly understood, exclaiming, "I get it! I know where her sister is!"

"You know where Arche Eeb Rile Furt is?" Barrett, Sean, and Stella looked at EeDeChi in surprise.

"Hmph, Arche must have been taken by Ainz Ooal Gown to join his harem!" EeDeChi declared confidently.

"'Join his harem'? What does that mean?" Sean, Stella, and Barrett exchanged puzzled looks.

EeDeChi then explained in detail that "joining a harem" meant adding one beautiful girl after another to one's collection.

In her view, Arche's sister, the adorable golden-haired twin, must have inherited her sister's beauty. Therefore, Ainz would have taken a liking to her and added her to his harem. This meant the twin's sister was still alive, and EeDeChi only needed to rescue her.

"But..." Barrett, well-versed in such matters, raised a counterpoint, "It's said that the king of the Sorcerer Kingdom is an undead, a skeleton. It seems unlikely he would have such capabilities... Are you sure about your judgment, Captain?"

EeDeChi snorted coldly, "I've seen it all in my time. I've consumed more salt than you've eaten rice, crossed more bridges than you've traveled roads, and read more pages of books than you've used toilet paper. As for an isekai protagonist like Ainz Ooal Gown, I could guess his personality with my eyes closed. I'll go talk to him and demand he hand over Arche. If he refuses, I'll smash his damn skull to pieces!"

"Isekai? Protagonist?" Sean, Stella, and Barrett exchanged bewildered looks at EeDeChi's rant, unsure what their captain was talking about.

As night deepened, after Stella had managed to get the anxious twin girls to sleep, EeDeChi also put aside her plan to "share life wisdom" with Emperor Jircniv. The "Last Defender of the Way" adventurer team retired to their rooms and fell into a deep sleep.

The heavy night gradually faded as the moon dimmed, and the morning sun peeked over the horizon, casting its gentle light on the world. It was dawn.

The four of them packed their belongings and prepared to head to the Adventurer's Guild to see what tasks were available. Barrett stopped EeDeChi from heading outside the inn and instructed Sean to scout the capital city for information while the other three waited in their rooms.

About half an hour later, Sean burst through the door of their inn room, panting and holding two rolled-up parchments. "Uncle, you were right! You and the captain are wanted!"

"What?!" EeDeChi slammed the table and stood up. "How dare they put a bounty on me?"

Barrett ignored EeDeChi's outburst and quickly closed the door. He unrolled the parchment to examine the wanted notices. One side of the parchment was smeared with some white-gray wall dust, indicating that Sean had just torn it off a wall.

As expected, one of the parchments had a clear depiction of EeDeChi's appearance and attire, rendered with oil paints. The portrait was almost identical to EeDeChi, with black clothing, black hair, and a giant sword, though the eyes were a bit menacing.

Barrett wasn't surprised by this. The Empire had specialized Magic Casters capable of reading living people's memories. The mage made the memories of witnesses manifest, and then artists could create highly realistic portrayals of criminals.

Below the image were EeDeChi's crimes listed:

- Attacking "Julina's Forbidden Paradise," killing 5 people and injuring 31;

- Arson at "Julina's Forbidden Paradise";

- Murder of a Marquis.

Bounty: 700 gold coins.

Barrett gasped. Killing an Imperial Marquis was serious trouble. According to Imperial law, even three EeDeChis hanging from the gallows wouldn't be enough to calm the fury of the nobles and the royal family.

At the bottom of the parchment, it was noted: The female outlaw is extremely dangerous, mastering 3rd Tier Arcane Magic. Ordinary citizens should not engage if they spot her; instead, they should notify the Imperial Knights.

The other parchment only detailed Barrett's attire and equipment, with a less clear depiction of his face.

Thanks to Barrett's experience, he had covered his face with a black veil while scavenging from the guards. According to the parchment, Barrett was a cohort of EeDeChi, with a bounty of 100 gold coins.

Just 100 gold coins? Barrett shook his head. It's really unfair. Wait, what am I thinking? This is a bounty on my head, not an adventurer's pay!

"What now?" Barrett glanced sideways at his captain, clearly thinking, "You didn't listen to me earlier, and now you've really gotten us into trouble."

EeDeChi impatiently snatched the parchment and frowned. Sean and Stella leaned in to take a look as well.

"The drawing is quite accurate, though it lacks a bit of liveliness," EeDeChi commented, stroking the non-existent beard on her chin.

Sean stared at the wanted poster and then glanced at EeDeChi, swallowing nervously.

EeDeChi shot him a look. "What's wrong? Hungry?"

Sean scratched his head and laughed awkwardly. "It's nothing. I've just never seen 700 gold coins before."

EeDeChi: "…"

"Well, you can't entirely blame the captain," Stella said, glancing back at the twin girls sleeping soundly on the bed. Her eyes were gentle as she spoke. "If I had the captain's strength, I'd probably do the same."

Sean, having just swallowed, immediately agreed. "I agree with the captain's actions. Her intentions are definitely good! Those nobles are all just a bunch of useless idiots. Hardly any of them are good people!"

Barrett shrugged. He had been just as reckless as EeDeChi when he was younger. This wasn't his first time being wanted. Escaping the capital city was familiar territory for him. But now, with all the routes likely blocked, it was time to come up with a strategy.

The root of the problem, EeDeChi, put down the parchment and gazed out the window, seemingly deep in thought.

They were on the second floor of the inn. Looking out the window, the sky was an exceptionally clear blue, with bright sunshine and wispy clouds drifting gently in the breeze. In the distance, the tall, clean, white spire of the royal palace could be seen.

Thanks to its protective magical aura, this tallest building in the capital palace had always remained clean and bright since its construction.

The adventurer captain with a bounty of 700 gold coins seemed to have come to a decision. She tightened her grip on the giant sword strapped to her back and said to the other three:

"It looks like, besides taking down the big bad guy Ainz Ooal Gown, I need to do something else. You all should leave. I can't help you anymore. Since I'm already wanted, I'll go teach Emperor Jircniv a lesson and impart some wisdom to him before leaving this country."

With that, she jumped onto the table by the window, placed her left foot on the windowsill, and with a powerful push, leaped out the window. She flew through the air like a black bird, leaping from rooftop to rooftop with agility surpassing that of a cat. After a few bounds, she crossed several streets and disappeared behind the closely packed buildings.

"Don't worry," Barrett said. "With the captain's strength, only the Four Imperial Knights of the Baharuth might be able to stop her."