Night fell, and the Milky Way hung across the tranquil sky. A group of people sat around the campfire, chatting about the battle that had taken place earlier that day.
"I never imagined Miss Liliana would be this powerful. What we saw before was only a tiny fraction of her strength. And Mr. Momon and Miss Nabe as well—you both displayed strength far beyond ordinary humans. You've probably entered the Hero tier, right?" Peter said softly, holding a wooden bowl and looking at the food inside.
"It's nothing special. Our strength is just average. I'm sure you'll surpass me easily in the future," Ainz replied, holding his bowl and unsure how to take a bite.
"Surpass…? After seeing that slash from Miss Liliana, my mind is filled with nothing but that strike. I don't even know if I'll ever be able to swing a blade with that kind of power," Peter shook his head. He did not hide his admiration for the way Chu Lian had delivered that attack.
"Miss Liliana's strength has probably surpassed ordinary Hero tier. She might already rival the legendary Thirteen Heroes," Lukrut Volve said as he stirred the contents of his bowl and looked toward Chu Lian and the others.
"The Thirteen Heroes?" Ainz asked curiously. It was the first time he had heard that title.
"Mr. Momon doesn't know?" Peter responded in surprise, then explained, "The Thirteen Heroes were superhuman champions who defeated the Demon Gods that ravaged the world over two hundred years ago. Speaking of which, our team name is related to them."
"Oh? Does the Swords of Darkness refer to a weapon once wielded by one of those heroes?" Ainz continued.
"Yes. The Swords of Darkness was one of the four weapons carried by the Black Knight among the Thirteen Heroes. Ninya came up with the name. Finding those weapons is our primary goal."
Peter's words made Ninya lower her head shyly. "That was a long time ago. The Thirteen Heroes are beyond the reach of people like us." As she spoke, she secretly glanced at the smiling Chu Lian, only to find that Chu Lian was not looking at her at all. A trace of disappointment flickered across her face.
"Legends are indeed worth looking forward to. I hope you find what they left behind someday. That would be a fine goal to pursue," Chu Lian said.
How could she have failed to notice the girl's hopeful gaze? However, she had no intention of accepting her as a disciple just yet. She would give her a few trials first. After all, Chu Lian herself still had many things to digest, and this was not the right place. For now, she could not spare the attention.
"To be honest, I think Miss Liliana might become even more legendary than the Thirteen Heroes. I've never heard of a legend where someone split a giant dragon in two with a single strike. Even if a Demon God appeared, Miss Liliana would probably cut it down with ease," Peter said. After witnessing her performance that day, he had already made that slash his lifelong aspiration.
"Demon Gods? What are those?" Nabe asked as well, following up on Chu Lian's earlier inquiry.
"We're not entirely sure. They seem to have been immensely powerful beings who slaughtered various races, and only then were they called Demon Gods. Their strength was so overwhelming that very few could kill them. Each appearance brought disaster," Peter and the others exchanged glances and shook their heads with wry smiles.
They truly did not know the origins of the Demon Gods. Historical records contained very little information. Being asked so directly left them at a loss.
"The highest-tier angel summoned by Nigun once used Holy Smite to kill a Demon God. That means they can't be that strong," Ainz said, recalling the battle in Carne Village against Nigun and his forces. He quickly formed his own conclusion. "They're not invincible. Probably no more than level 50."
"By the way, Miss Liliana, what kind of magic was that ability you used today—the one that turned those corpses into items?" Lukrut suddenly asked when he noticed Chu Lian sitting there absentmindedly.
As soon as he spoke, everyone fell silent and turned to look at him.
It wasn't that they weren't curious. It was simply that such matters were absolute personal secrets. If they angered Liliana, they would be in serious trouble.
Chu Lian, however, stretched lazily and broke the awkward silence herself.
"That's my innate ability—Item Forging. I can convert the corpses of creatures into corresponding items. It saves time, but it's actually quite wasteful."
"Take those four dragons, each over a dozen meters long. I only produced that little bit of equipment from them. If they were handed to professional craftsmen and equipment makers, the yield would probably be more than ten times what I got. Aside from being faster and saving trouble, it's actually a loss."
"But I don't need other people touching my things. With that time, I'd rather go wander around and have fun. And I don't trust them to do a good job anyway. Giving it to them would feel like a real waste. Of course, that's just my personal opinion. I simply don't like others handling my belongings."
Lowering her hands, the girl lightly shook her head. The small bell at her neck chimed brightly and pleasantly.
If they had not witnessed her overwhelming display earlier that day, they might have thought the pure white girl before them was incredibly cute.
But after seeing her unleash that heaven-shaking power, those scenes lingered in their minds, refusing to fade. They could no longer associate her with the word "cute."
"Oh, Liliana, what do you plan to do with those centaurs?" Ainz asked quickly, noticing that the atmosphere had not returned to normal. He deliberately changed the subject.
"Them? That's easy. You'll find out when the time comes. It's not the right moment yet. Anyway, I'll make proper arrangements for them," Chu Lian replied, half-narrowing her eyes at Ainz, making him feel slightly unsettled.
"Mm. Nabe, did you notice anyone watching us during the battle?" Chu Lian continued, ignoring him and looking past Ainz toward the quiet maid.
Hearing her question, Nabe thought for a moment and shook her head. "I didn't notice anyone. If someone was there, they must have hidden themselves well."
"I think there probably was someone. That was a main road, after all. Even if there wasn't much traffic at the time, we can't rule out the possibility that someone saw what happened from a distance. But it doesn't matter. I'm out here for training anyway. When I get tired of playing, I'll just go home. There's no need to worry about them."
Chu Lian did not bring up the topic casually.
She was laying the groundwork for her eventual disappearance and giving herself a reasonable explanation for her actions. That way, she could ease the tension in the hearts of the Swords of Darkness and Nfirea.
"So Miss Liliana is out training. Your family must be very prestigious, then?" Nfirea could not help but ask after hearing her words.
"My family isn't prestigious. It's simply located very far away—so far that ordinary people can't reach it. Without at least half of my strength, you wouldn't even make it there. In our family, women are rarely allowed to leave home. Even when we do, we must be accompanied by a male elder. That's precisely why I cherish every moment I have outside. I don't want to burden myself with unnecessary concerns."
Although her words contained more than a few loopholes, once they considered her strength, no one questioned her. They could only sigh in wonder—what kind of family would confine such a beautiful girl at home?
"Oh, and actually, in our family, most women marry other women. Very few choose to marry men. Because women must maintain lifelong chastity to obtain such powerful strength."
With a faint, gentle smile, Chu Lian took Nabe's hand—her face already tinged pink—and pulled her to sit beside her.
"I see…"
The blond boy's voice grew slightly dim. Such a strange and powerful family—he had never heard of anything like it. And such a beautiful girl… destined to marry another woman and remain chaste for life in order to gain power.
"Then Mr. Momon isn't restricted when traveling?" Peter asked curiously. Although Momon seemed to lead the team, many decisions were clearly made by Liliana. He wanted to understand why.
"That's right. Because big brother is the next head of the family, he isn't restricted. He was supposed to stay home and learn how to manage family affairs. But since I insisted on going out, he accompanied me. This time, I even brought my fiancée along so we could properly cultivate our feelings."
She knew exactly what they wanted to ask and what they wished to know. She did not state the reasons directly. Instead, she concealed every explanation within her words.
"So Mr. Momon didn't want to dampen Miss Liliana's mood, which is why he didn't restrict her. After all, this might be the only time she gets to leave home. Who knows if there will be another chance? It's only natural to show such indulgence. What a gentle brother," Peter said with emotion. Chu Lian's meaning was hardly subtle. Everyone understood immediately and began praising the siblings' bond.
"Mr. Momon, aren't you going to eat?" Uncle Dyne asked when he noticed Momon had been stirring his soup with a spoon without taking a single bite.
"Due to certain family rules, after taking lives, we are not allowed to dine in groups larger than four. My apologies."
There was no way Momon could eat. If he did, the food would fall straight through his skeletal body. He could create an appearance, but not actual flesh.
Fortunately, Momon was just as skilled at serious nonsense as Chu Lian. He immediately found a reasonable excuse and smoothed the matter over flawlessly.
"I see… So that's your family rule. I was wondering why none of you were eating. We should be the ones apologizing," Uncle Dyne said awkwardly, scratching his head. He had busied himself without asking about any taboos first. That was rather embarrassing.
"It's nothing. We only need to get through tonight. A little hunger won't affect us," Ainz waved it off. It had been fabricated in the first place. There was no need to treat it too seriously.
"Dyne, don't worry about it. I'm sure Mr. Momon and Miss Liliana don't mind," Lukrut said, leaning forward to clap Dyne on the shoulder.
"Yes, yes. Dyne only asked because he didn't know," Ninya added from the side.
"Haha, I just think next time we should consider our companions' taboos so we don't accidentally cross any lines," Dyne replied with an honest smile.
"Mr. Momon and the others are really easy to get along with," Peter laughed.
"By the way, are all adventurer teams as harmonious as yours?" Nfirea asked. He had barely been able to join the conversation earlier, so he quickly seized the opportunity.
"Yes. Since we risk our lives together, without mutual trust, it's impossible to move forward as a team," Peter answered with a smile.
"More or less. If you can't trust your teammates or get along, that's disastrous. A team that can't communicate properly won't survive long," Lukrut said, glancing at Ninya before speaking.
"And besides, we share a clear and common goal. As long as we move toward that goal, we won't give up halfway," Ninya said. Her smile was slightly forced. She had noticed Lukrut's glance and understood its meaning clearly, but she still voiced her feelings.
"Indeed. Whether a team is truly united makes a tremendous difference," Ainz summarized after listening to them.
"Well, you men can keep chatting. Nabe and I are going to sleep. It's late, and staying up isn't good for your health," Chu Lian said with a yawn. She stood up decisively and pulled the slightly hesitant maid toward a darker corner.
Taking a bed out of her spatial storage, she removed her shoes and socks and lay down without any concern for the others.
There was no light here. The moon had yet to rise. Nothing could be seen clearly.
As for suddenly producing a bed—after everything she had displayed that day, one more miracle hardly mattered. She had no intention of inconveniencing herself.
Nabe, on the other hand, felt somewhat embarrassed. But under Chu Lian's tug, she removed her cloak and lay down beside her.
To her surprise, despite the intense battle earlier, there was no unpleasant scent clinging to Chu Lian's body. The faint, elegant fragrance remained—if anything, it was even more subtle and alluring than the day before.
"I'm curious, Nabe. Why have you never denied being my fiancée?" Chu Lian asked softly, leaning closer and gazing into the maid's eyes.
"Because it was Lady Dolores' will. Lord Ainz did not object. From now on, Nabe is Your Highness' fiancée. There is no need to deny it."
The maid had not wanted to answer at first, but under that unwavering gaze, she found herself unable to remain silent.
So she really took it seriously… As expected, the title of Supreme Being is absolute in Nazarick. Every word spoken is the highest decree—meant to be obeyed, never resisted.
Chu Lian finally understood where the problem lay. She had underestimated the weight of a future Supreme Being's words within the Great Tomb of Nazarick.
"Go to sleep."
Since it had already become reality, she would not try to change it.
She slipped gently into the maid's embrace, wrapping her arms around her slender waist, and slowly drifted off.
Looking at the girl resting against her chest, a rare trace of tenderness appeared in Nabe's eyes. She smiled softly… and soon followed her into sleep.