On the table lay an ancient, massive parchment map, with EeDechi's upper body sprawled over it as she studied it with full focus.
The map was a faded yellow, its edges tattered as if gnawed by rats. The surface was crisscrossed with lines, sketched with rough mountain terrains, and labels in both Common and Elvish marking various place names and borders.
In this era, though magic held endless wonders, it still lacked reliable surveying tools. On the map, any regions where human activity was scarce had vague and unclear terrain details.
The more detailed the map, the more mistakes it held. As for what the real landscape looked like, it could only be measured by a traveler's own two feet.
Barrett saw her studying the map and asked, "What are you planning?"
"It's time to leave," EeDechi sighed softly.
"Where to?"
"To the Slane Theocracy, to find a powerhouse named Antilene." EeDechi's fingers traced the inked cursive letters on the map.
Rigrit had told them that the girl "Antilene" was the strongest human in this world, with an ultra-powerful Innate Talent that ranked in the top ten worldwide. But for certain reasons, the Slane Theocracy had chosen to stash "Antilene" away in the deepest depths of their nation, hidden from outsiders.
The Slane Theocracy preached human supremacy, hating other races and undead beings. So, in terms of stance, the Theocracy and the Sorcerer Kingdom were like oil and water. Though the Slane Theocracy had shown submission to the Sorcerer Kingdom, the control over them was the lightest.
Worth noting was that, unlike the gods worshiped in other human nations, the Slane Theocracy held a unique faith—the Six Great Gods.
According to the legends of the Slane Theocracy, over six hundred years ago, humans—whose physical strength and magical gifts were nothing to write home about—eked out a tough existence in the world, even ending up as chow for other races.
Until one day, the Six Great Gods came down from the skies, using their unbeatable supreme might to hack through the messed-up chaos of the world and set up the Slane Theocracy to shield humanity.
After that, five of the Six Great Gods returned to heaven one by one, leaving the last one—the God of Death Surshana—to watch over the Theocracy.
In the war where the evil gods known as the Eight Greed Kings conquered the world, Surshana stepped up alone to fight them off and protect humanity. In the end, he was overwhelmed and his divine soul scattered to the winds. The Eight Greed Kings, out of respect for Surshana, promised to keep the Slane Theocracy whole as a vassal state, without any purges or slaughters.
EeDechi knew deep down that if you peeled back the "god" label, the Six Great Gods and the Eight Greed Kings were all just outsiders from another world. But what made them stand out was that the Six Great Gods, aside from flexing and ruling the world, actually made it their mission to protect humanity—they were rare decent folks.
Barrett suggested, "If you're quitting as the Warrior Captain, you'll need to resign from your military role first, and also end the employment deal with Princess Renner and us. Oh, and while you're at it, ask Princess Renner if that contract Old Tony signed with her back then, about the adventurer medical fund, is still in effect."
EeDechi snapped her thoughts back from the Slane Theocracy, nodded in agreement, and headed out toward the royal palace in the capital.
Winter had already set in, with bone-chilling cold gripping the land. The sky was sprinkling light snow, tiny flakes drifting everywhere, blanketing the whole world in a thin layer of white.
EeDechi gazed up at the frost and snow filling the horizon, feeling the faint chill as wisps of snowflakes landed on her skin.
She suddenly recalled a quirky comparison: snowflakes were like dandruff being scratched from someone's scalp up in the heavens. EeDechi had never felt the cold before, but right then, she shivered and couldn't help but pick up her pace.
Their home wasn't far from the palace. Along the way, plenty of elegantly dressed noblewomen curtsied to EeDechi, calling her "Honorable Warrior Captain." The palace knights and guards bowed low as she passed by.
EeDechi didn't know a single one of them and had no clue about royal manners, so she just waved awkwardly but politely, "Hello, comrades!"
The guards responded in unison, "Hello, the Warrior Captain."
"Comrades, you've worked hard." EeDechi said to them.
"Serve the royal family!" the guards replied earnestly.
—----------------------
Author's Note: It is a foolish thing for an author to explain the joke in a novel, but I have to do it this time. This is because I noticed that some readers mistakenly think EeDechi is a communist.
There are too many idiots in this world who, despite knowing nothing about communism, think they are ultra-cool communists just because they shout a few anti-capitalist slogans. EeDechi is clearly not one of them.
In fact, this is a political meme. In the People's Republic of China, during the grand National Day military parade, when the President stands on top of a convertible car passing by the rows of soldiers, the President will wave and say, "Hello, comrades!"
The soldiers will reply, "Hello, Commander!" or "Hello, Mr. President!"
Then the President continues, "Comrades, you've worked hard!"
The soldiers will respond, "Serve the people!"
—----------------------
She soon reached the palace and stated her request for an audience. Before long, Renner hurried over in her otter fur coat and ushered EeDechi into a side hall.
Princess Renner had a slim build, bundled up in a loose light-brown otter pelt, with a snow-white cashmere hat holding down her silky golden hair, making her look even more dainty and charming.
She asked with a radiant smile, "Our Warrior Captain, what's the matter?"
EeDechi paused to gather her words, then asked, "If I step down from the Warrior Captain position, who takes over?"
Princess Renner looked stunned for a split second but quickly caught on. She replied, "The national martial tournament is a drain on gold and manpower, so by tradition, in cases like this, the runner-up steps in. That means Brain Unglaus would take the role. Are you leaving?"
"Yes," EeDechi said, "I need to keep searching for ways to fight Ainz Ooal Gown. Also, the adventurer's guildmaster, Tony Ulea, once signed a contract with you about the adventurer medical fund. Tony passed away a few days ago—is the contract still valid?"
Princess Renner nodded, "It's still valid. Tony Ulea was my ally, and even though my ally is gone, I'll still honor my agreement with him."
She sighed. "I know he was murdered. I sent someone to offer condolences at his funeral. This is all my fault; I dragged him into the whirlpool of power struggles. If I hadn't approached him to sign the contract about the medical fund, he'd probably still be alive and well."
EeDechi comforted her. "Don't blame yourself too much. It was other nobles who plotted his murder; it has nothing to do with you. Implementing the adventurer medical fund system in Re-Estize was Tony Ulea's lifelong wish. By fulfilling the contract for him, you're living up to his trust."
She activated her Innate Talent and glanced at Renner's Justice Value. The number above Renner's head was 294, so it seemed she was truly grieving Old Tony's death.
Renner asked, "Are you leaving Re-Estize to set out on the path against the demon god Ainz Ooal Gown?"
She wasn't surprised; EeDechi had told her before that she planned to take out the ruler of the Great Tomb of Nazarick—Ainz Ooal Gown.
"Yes," EeDechi nodded, "There's still a long way to go."
"Can I offer a suggestion?" Princess Renner said cautiously, "You should disband your adventurer team."
"Why?" EeDechi's expression turned cold.
Renner spoke earnestly, "Your three teammates are all ordinary folks. You going against the Sorcerer Kingdom is a war between gods; you shouldn't drag them into it. Just like the power struggles between our royal family and the nobles—it shouldn't have involved Tony Ulea, that adventurer."
EeDechi frowned. "What happens with my team is none of your business."
"Someone might get sacrificed," Renner said very quietly.
"No sacrifice, no dawn!" EeDechi was used to spouting big ideals; the words popped out of her mouth without going through her brain. As soon as they landed, EeDechi realized her tone sounded a bit heartless.
"Um... alright then." Renner turned her eyes away. "If you're leaving Re-Estize, our employment contract will be terminated too. Wait here a moment; I'll tally up your wages for this period and give them to you."
The Last Defender of the Way adventurer team was employed by Princess Renner, tasked with protecting her safety during her outings, with each member earning three gold coins per day.
Renner stood up straight from her seat, turned, and walked toward the side hall's door, her beautiful golden hair swirling like silk.
EeDechi watched Renner leave. Staring at her back, a vein suddenly throbbed on EeDechi's forehead.
Because EeDechi saw that above Princess Renner's head, the number representing her Justice Value suddenly plummeted rapidly, from 294, like a waterfall crashing from the sky, dropping swiftly.
245
161
37
-91
...
All the way down to -334!
EeDechi had never seen a Justice Value change so quickly in such a short time! Such a huge drop! She stood stunned for several seconds, wanting to get up and call out to Princess Renner, but the princess had already stepped into the wind and snow outside the door, her figure fading into the distance.