Chapter 552: The Crimson Rose Heading to Nazarick

Three of the Four Knights, the human strongest magic caster, plus ten members from two Steel-rank adventurer teams.

Honestly, this lineup could almost challenge a demon god.

Gilknifer staged such a grand display partly for his own safety.

Partly also to make the tomb’s owner understand that although he was at fault, he was still the Emperor of the Empire.

If he wished, he could assemble a force capable of rivaling a demon god.

“I never expected Your Majesty would hire two Steel-rank teams, ‘Silver Thread Bird’ and ‘Crimson Rose,’ for this meeting.”

“Your Majesty must have wanted to give the tomb’s owner a warning, right?”

“After all, the envoy broke into the Wang Gong directly, and right before Your Majesty’s eyes, killed so many Imperial Knights.”

Reiguan—Bajude, who understood Gilknifer better than anyone and was the most loyal of the Four Knights, sat in the carriage and spoke to the Blood Emperor across from him.

“Well, that thought did cross my mind, but the enemy’s strength truly cannot be underestimated.”

“The Empire’s top operatives—‘Dragon Hunter,’ ‘Four Strategists,’ ‘Heavenly Warrior,’ ‘Heavy Crusher’—many among them are already nearly as strong as you.”

“And the ‘Heavenly Warrior,’ they say, possesses strength comparable to the Kingdom’s War Marshal, correct?”

And since the tomb’s owner has the power to sever contact with all of them, he is clearly an opponent worthy of our utmost caution.

“But Your Majesty, I can accept hiring ‘Silver Thread Bird,’ but is hiring ‘Crimson Rose’ truly safe?”

This meeting is essentially a matter of state for the Empire, isn’t it? Though adventurers generally avoid interfering in conflicts between kingdoms…”

“But the leader of ‘Crimson Rose’ isn’t just a noble of the Kingdom—she’s even the betrothed of the Kingdom’s Prince, isn’t she?”

In response to Nipul, the Storm of the Four Knights, Gilknifer wore an expression of complete control.

“Indeed, if we had a choice, the Kingdom’s other two Steel-rank teams—‘Jet Black’ and ‘Shameful Rose’—would be better hires.”

Leaving aside ‘Jet Black,’ who refused my recruitment last time, I’ve long wished to meet ‘Shameful Rose.’

But due to special circumstances, neither of these two Steel-rank teams can accompany us to meet the tomb’s master.”

“Moreover, after further thought, I believe bringing ‘Crimson Rose’ to the tomb may not be a bad thing.”

“Do you really think a being who dwells in a tomb or ruin is human?”

“Think back to the dragon and dark elf who came to demand answers—do you truly believe the tomb’s master is human?”

At Gilknifer’s counter-question, the Secretary-General beside him suddenly looked enlightened.

“I understand. The tomb’s location lies at the border between the Kingdom and the Empire.”

“And if the tomb’s master truly is a powerful non-human race, then the ones worried and troubled by this aren’t just our Bahas Empire.”

After the Secretary-General’s words, everyone present in the Empire suddenly saw clearly, their gazes toward Gilknifer filled with admiration.

Could it really be any surprise he’s our Emperor? Even in an unfavorable situation, he still remembers dragging the Kingdom into the same quagmire.

Correct—the principle of not allowing others to sleep peacefully beside one’s bed.

If the Empire feels uneasy about a powerful ruin power, the Kingdom next door will feel the same.

By hiring ‘Crimson Rose,’ we not only gain safe escort, but also our Empire’s best messenger.

If our own Empire’s words were the only account, the Kingdom’s new monarch might not believe them—after all, the two nations are openly hostile.

But if a Steel-rank adventurer from the Kingdom witnesses what happens here and reports back, the situation changes entirely.

Moreover, Lahuqis of ‘Crimson Rose’ isn’t just any adventurer—she’s the betrothed of the Kingdom’s Third Prince.

In other words, Lahuqis holds status and position within the Kingdom; her testimony carries far more weight than others’.

At first, the group heading to Nazarick Mausoleum were relaxed, believing their lineup posed zero risk for this mission.

But when the Empire’s party arrived before Nazarick Mausoleum and saw Yuli and Lupsalena, along with an entire squad of Death Knights, everyone from the Empire and the adventurers froze in shock.

Especially when Yuli, under the excuse of bad weather, immediately demonstrated a Seventh-Rank magic—Weather Control.

Seventh-Rank magic is an absolute barrier humans cannot cross—even Fuluoda, hailed as the human strongest magic caster, cannot achieve it.

Yet the maid who came to greet them used such a magic effortlessly, one humans could never wield.

Doesn’t that mean even a random maid from this ruin possesses strength surpassing the human strongest magic caster?

“Though I don’t know their exact race, one thing is certain—they are not human.”

Ibiru’ai, the vampire, needed only one glance to see that Yuli and Lupsalena, though appearing human, carried no human blood aura.

“Your Majesty, even if all four of us Knights combined, we probably couldn’t defeat even one of these giants…”

When they saw the massed Death Knights, Reiguan and the others, who had been so confident moments before, instantly lost their composure.

Watching the panicked crowd around him, Gilknifer could only grimace: “Looks like they’ve already given us our first warning?”

The Four Knights, the human strongest magic caster, plus two Steel-rank adventurer teams—Gilknifer had been supremely confident in their combat strength.

But before even meeting the main party, the mere glimpse of their power had already crushed the morale of his entire group.

Undead capable of rivaling the strongest human Hero-tier beings are merely foot soldiers here?

And more ironically, the Empire’s elite he so generously promoted—the Four Knights combined—probably couldn’t defeat even one of these foot soldiers!

“Death Knights… your so-called Supreme Being—is it Ainz Ooal Gown?”

At Lahuqis’s blurted-out name, both Yuli and the others greeting them, as well as Gilknifer who came to apologize, showed expressions of surprise.

(End of Chapter)