"Mr. Momo, ahead of us is the dangerous zone. We should be more cautious," Peter's voice sounded by Ainz's ear as he kept watch.
Ainz nodded. "Understood. I'll be more attentive." Yet inwardly he sighed. This is bad. Wearing this armor, most of my magic can't be used. So what exactly is my level as a front-line guard like this?
As he thought this, he glanced back at Chu Lian and Nabe. Deloris is both a warrior and a magic caster, and the destructive power of either side is astonishing. But her abilities are too strong. If she displays them all, it'll arouse suspicion. If something unexpected happens, I'll have Nabe prepare a fifth-tier spell in advance. If that solves the problem, all the better. If not, I'll reveal a bit of my own strength. In any case, we must not exceed Hero-class power.
Besides, I have a feeling the rest of this journey won't be smooth. Better to stay cautious. If even Chu Lian could sense something amiss, how could a powerhouse like Ainz have no intuition at all?
It was just that compared to Chu Lian—whose perception, due to various reasons, was almost prophetic—Ainz's premonition was far weaker. He could only vaguely sense that danger might await them.
"Nabe, if there's a battle later, just stay behind us and cast your spells. Leave charging to the front to me, the warrior," Chu Lian said as she sat atop a large rock, swinging her legs lightly while looking at Nabe.
"Liliana, you and Mr. Momo must be careful. If something happens, I…" She wanted to say more, but when her eyes met Chu Lian's gentle gaze, the rest of her words died in her throat. As expected, she should not mention anything related to identity—otherwise, she would object again.
"You don't need to worry. With me, the Ranger, here, I can detect any movement in the surroundings. Just leave everything to me. So? Pretty impressive, right?" Lukrut, apparently still unwilling to give up, cut into their conversation.
Seeing his self-satisfied expression, Nabe said coldly, "This mosquito…"
"Nabe…" Ainz called out, but the maid continued.
"Please allow me to swat it to death, Mr. Momo."
"I think it would be better to bind his limbs and toss him into the river. If he dies, it won't have anything to do with us," Chu Lian added lightly.
Cold sweat instantly broke out on Lukrut's back. "I was just joking! Please don't take it so seriously, Liliana-chan, Nabe-chan!"
"It's Lady Liliana. If you get it wrong again, I wouldn't mind turning you into a human windmill toy," Chu Lian replied with a sweet smile.
That shut him up immediately. He could only scratch the back of his head and laugh awkwardly.
Their exchange drew embarrassed chuckles from the others. Then Ninya glanced around and said, "If I remember correctly, this area is within the territory of the Wise King of the Forest, right?"
"The Wise King of the Forest?" Ainz turned toward her.
Nfirea answered on her behalf. "A powerful magical beast said to have lived for hundreds of years. It has a serpent's tail and a silver four-legged body. It possesses extraordinary intelligence and can even use magic."
"I see… I'd quite like to meet it," Ainz murmured, already calculating how strong this so-called Wise King of the Forest might be—and whether it would be of any use to Nazarick.
"The Wise King of the Forest, huh? I'd like to see how strong it really is. I wonder if it could withstand a single punch from me," Chu Lian said softly from the side.
The others' gazes immediately fell upon her.
Ainz and Nabe, knowing her true capabilities, recalled how she had demolished the sixth-floor coliseum with one punch. They silently offered a moment of sympathy to the Wise King of the Forest.
As for the others, even though they knew Chu Lian was strong, none believed she could surpass a being that had built its reputation over centuries. Still, they could not refute her. She was clearly stronger than any of them. If she had the confidence to say so, they had no grounds to argue.
"Liliana, we're not here to cause trouble. It's better not to do unnecessary things. Let's complete the mission first," Ainz said. In truth, he regarded the Wise King of the Forest with indifference. But before meeting it, it was best not to make rash decisions.
"All right, all right, I know." Chu Lian always gave her nominal big brother plenty of face in front of outsiders. Since he had spoken, she would not contradict him. Instead, she hopped down from the rock, gathered her long hair over her shoulders with both hands, and flicked it back.
Her waist-length hair danced in the air as she shook her head. Then she took two golden wing-shaped hairpins from her bosom and handed them to Nabe.
"Nabe, help me tie my hair."
The maid accepted the hairpins and stepped behind her, gently gathering two sections of her hair and fastening them in place. The coldness on her face faded, replaced by the most tender smile—a smile she had only just learned how to show others.
"They really are a pair…," Lukrut muttered from a nearby rock. Watching the two girls interact, he felt the scene was so beautiful it was almost intoxicating.
Is Nabe-chan being conquered too? Deloris's aura is terrifying… Ainz stood to the side, turning his head to look at them while inwardly beating his chest in exaggerated despair. What a frightening charm aura.
This brief rest passed quietly amid the warm interaction between Chu Lian and Nabe.
When everyone felt sufficiently rested and rose to their feet, Chu Lian slowly opened her eyes—she had kept them closed the entire time. She adjusted the tied sections of her hair with one hand and offered the group a graceful bow with a radiant smile.
"All right, we can depart now."
If Chu Lian with her hair loose carried a trace of tranquil laziness, then with the two golden wing-shaped hairpins securing it, she seemed to possess an added ethereal aura. It was as though she had transcended the mundane world—like an orchid blooming alone on a quiet cliff, swaying in the wind.
Though they knew she preferred to speak with strength, such an exquisitely delicate girl left their eyes filled with astonishment.
"Miss Liliana… you're truly beautiful…" Nfirea murmured softly, as if afraid that raising his voice might startle her.
"What? Aren't we moving forward?" Her brows knit slightly as she looked at them in confusion.
"Cough… no, we're setting off now." Ainz was the first to recover, clearing his throat to rouse the others. In a low voice, he said, "Time to move."
"Oh… right…" Snapped out of their daze, the others quickly averted their gazes from Chu Lian. They turned away to tidy up their belongings, checked that nothing had been left behind, and then resumed their journey.
Whew. The passive effect of Orchid in the Valley is really incredible. My charm enhancement has practically reached the maximum 20%. Combined with my own inexplicable natural allure, it's seriously powerful.
Chu Lian's earlier actions had been deliberate. She had wanted to test what kind of effect her charm—usually suppressed with great effort—would produce if fully unleashed.
Judging from their reactions, the result had far exceeded her expectations.
She had once fully released her charm during the school festival. That time, the effect had been extremely successful—but she had been facing ordinary people, so the impact had naturally been strong.
This time, however, she was facing individuals with special abilities—people considered quite formidable among normal humans. Yet even with such opponents, her fully unleashed charm had left them stunned. Even someone as powerful as Ainz, a Heaven-rank expert, had been unable to completely resist it.
Perhaps I can use this charm for something, she thought, committing the scene to memory. After more than half a month, she had finally remembered that her charm could actually serve a purpose.
As they continued onward, the others still glanced at Chu Lian from time to time, but at least they no longer stared so openly as before.
Midway through their travel, the group halted briefly to rest. Ninya ran to the back of the carriage and began fiddling with something. Ainz observed from the side, discovering yet another difference between magic in this world and magic in the game—production.
"So magic can be used this way as well," Momonga remarked after watching the busy girl for a moment.
Ninya replied, "Yes. This is production magic. It can create salt and sugar. There are also spells that sound alarms when danger approaches, and so on."
"Then I have another question," Ainz said. He never missed an opportunity to learn more about this world. Whenever he found the chance, he would ask.
As the girl lifted her head to meet his gaze, Ainz thought to himself, The more I learn, the more questions arise. I originally assumed this world's civilization was only at a medieval level, but because of magic, its development has taken an entirely different path.
However, before he could voice his question, he was interrupted.
"You all seem pretty relaxed. Is it because you trust my keen senses?" Lukrut, who had supposedly decided not to disturb them anymore, once again shamelessly approached with a grin.
"It's not because of you. It's because Liliana is here," Nabe snapped. She had initially intended to ignore him, but he was too irritating, and she could not help responding with irritation.
"Ah, so it really is because of your fiancée," Lukrut said, his smile still in place, though a faint bitterness flickered in his eyes.
"The one closest to Liliana is clearly—"
Before she could finish, a small figure wrapped its arms around her waist. Standing on tiptoe, Chu Lian leaned close and breathed softly by her ear. "My little Nabe, don't argue with him."
Nabe's face flushed instantly. Under Chu Lian's gentle persuasion, she obediently murmured, "Mm…" Lowering her head, she relaxed her hands and did not continue the dispute.
"Lukrut, if you dare disturb us again, you'd better be prepared for my fist," Chu Lian said, casting him a glance. Her expression turned abruptly cold, and for that brief instant, the Ranger felt as though he had plunged into a bottomless abyss.
Though it lasted only a moment, it was enough to completely extinguish his thoughts. He understood that perhaps he truly had to give up on the girl he had fallen for at first sight.
"Liliana, I apologize. My companion has been too rude. It's inappropriate to pry into others' private matters," Peter stepped forward and addressed her.
"I just hope this won't happen again," Chu Lian replied. With that, she took Nabe's hand and moved to stand behind Ainz.
"Lukrut, you should pay more attention as well," Peter added, turning to lecture him.
The Ranger had only just recovered from that bone-chilling moment when he suddenly sensed something. His expression sharpened as he said cautiously, "There's movement…"
At the same time, Chu Lian thought to herself, Finally. The plot has diverged from the original storyline. So many enemies are coming…
The surrounding forest rustled loudly. Strange figures began to emerge one after another.
Their numbers were impossible to estimate…"