A flash of light enveloped Kael moments after he chanted the [Greater Teleportation] spell, moving him to a distant location in an instant. Without wasting time, he immediately activated [Self-Temporal Acceleration], propelling himself forward swiftly. Yet, his gaze swept the surroundings, searching for the figure who had just fled—but he still failed to find any trace of his target.
"Should I say she deserved it? In a scene like this, I couldn't even catch her shadow!"
The effects of the temporal magic began to fade, leaving Kael with a returning sensation of normality. He shrugged helplessly, a faint smile gracing his lips. There was a hint of admiration in his emotion, acknowledging his opponent's superiority.
If his guess wasn't wrong, the figure who had been lurking was surely one of the two twin dark elves from the Great Tomb of Nazarick, Aura Bella Fiora. Known as an unrivaled beast tamer and guerrilla warrior, her abilities in a forest environment like this were truly superior.
Aura's combat abilities themselves might not be as strong as Nazarick's other main Floor Guardians, but in this forest, her mobility certainly far surpassed Kael's, a magic caster who relied more on pure power. If coupled with the aid of her beloved Magical Beasts, Kael would genuinely struggle even to merely touch his opponent's shadow. A battle on her home ground would be a significant disadvantage.
Since there was no chance at all to pursue and capture her—or even just bother her—Kael felt too lazy to waste his energy. He let the seventy-six-year-old dark elf escape, a pragmatic decision born from an understanding of the situation's limitations.
However, in his mind, Aura's appearance in the Great Tob Forest and her sudden attack on Megan and his followers was clearly not without purpose. This was an anomaly.
"Are they planning to build a fake base in the forest?" Kael murmured, his brow slightly furrowed.
From the knowledge he possessed from the original story, Ainz Ooal Gown and his comrades did indeed build a fake base in the Great Tob Forest to prevent the location of the Great Tomb of Nazarick from being exposed. Disturbances from other creatures in the forest, such as the Giant of the East and the Serpent of the West (two of the three forest rulers), had once prompted their cooperation to gather forest monsters and prepare to attack the fake base, which they later dubbed the "Building of Destruction."
That fake base could facilitate the movements of Ainz and the others to a certain extent, so it wasn't strange for Aura to appear in the forest. It all felt... too coincidental.
"First and foremost, we must capture that Wise King of the Forest," Kael decided, after clearing his thoughts. "Only then will we find out if there's such a building in the forest."
Kael returned to the place where his followers had fought earlier. He had killed most of the monsters, greatly reducing the pressure on Witt and the others. So, when he arrived, the battle had completely ended.
"God!"
Witt and the others stepped forward, immediately saluting with expressions of profound relief and respect. Kael's presence always brought an unshakable sense of security.
Kael raised his hand, signaling them to stand. His voice was calm, yet full of authority. "You reported that you found traces of the Wise King of the Forest. Where is that monster? Lead me there."
"Yes!"
Without further ado, Witt and the other followers immediately led the way, following the monster's footprints left on the ground towards the entrance of a cave. Witt briefly wanted to volunteer to go inside and lure out the Wise King of the Forest, but Kael had already stepped in arrogantly, without hesitation. There was no doubt, no fear, just absolute calm.
Approximately ten seconds later, they arrived at the deepest part of the cave. All they found were some scattered bones and a bit of shed hair, remnants of 'magic rats' that had likely become prey.
As for the Wise King of the Forest itself, not even its shadow was seen.
"This... Oh God, perhaps the Wise King of the Forest is out hunting. Should we wait here?" Witt tentatively guessed the possibility, turning to Kael, seeking his opinion. There was a hint of nervousness in his voice, worried he might have disappointed their God.
Kael smiled faintly and shook his head. "No need," he said, his tone calm and assured. "I think the Wise King of the Forest might have already been taken away."
Although the monster that originally lived here held cool titles like "Wise King of the Forest" and "Great Beast of the South," its true form was actually a lazy, relaxed female giant mutant hamster. It likely spent most of its time sleeping. It was possible they had simply chanced upon the Wise King of the Forest while it was out hunting.
However, combined with Aura's earlier appearance in the forest, as well as her obstruction of Witt and his followers who were searching for the Wise King of the Forest, it was hard not to suspect that Ainz and his comrades had already packed up that giant hamster and taken it back to Nazarick.
In other words, Kael might be returning empty-handed this time. However, since it was only a monster no higher than LV40, he felt no disappointment at all. It was merely a minor inconvenience, which he accepted as it was. For him, there were more important matters.
"Witt, there's something else I want to tell you."
"Please tell me," Witt replied, ready and eager.
"Later, I'll have Enri send another team. One of your teams will investigate whether there are any large buildings or the like in this forest, while the other team will go to the large wetlands north of the forest to monitor the movements of the Lizardmen tribe. Remember, don't act rashly if something happens, just report it to Enri."
"Yes!" Witt and his followers saluted, determination burning in their eyes.
Kael entrusted the task to Witt and the others, giving them some low-tier items to conceal their traces—a small detail that showed his attention to operational details. Then, with a flash of Sixth Tier magic [Greater Teleportation], he returned to E-Rantel.
Strategic Discussion in Nazarick's Throne Room
In the depths of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, an aura of majesty filled the Throne Room. Ainz Ooal Gown had summoned all the Floor Guardians to attend a crucial meeting here, except for Sebas Tian and Shalltear Bloodfallen who were on a mission to the capital of the Re-Estize Kingdom to investigate the situation there.
After Aura finished explaining their journey to the forest, with her story delivered straightforwardly yet with enthusiasm, Ainz brought up the main topic of the meeting. His voice resonated in the magnificent room, exuding a quiet authority.
"Everyone knows the current situation. That human suddenly interfered in the Great Tob Forest. I want to hear your opinions on this matter."
The plan to occupy the Great Tob Forest and expand Nazarick's influence had been formulated long ago. Now, with the change in situation, adjustments had to be made. The Floor Guardians were not surprised by Ainz's question, they had anticipated this.
As the one specifically tasked with executing the forest plan, Cocytus was the first to speak. His hoarse voice, resembling the rustle of an ice storm, broke the silence. "Ainz-sama, it seems that the only humans they sent to the forest are adventurers. This means that they are likely still in the exploration phase."
Cocytus processed the information with his sharp military logic. "I think as long as we accelerate our progress, we can take over the forest before the enemy advances. After achieving this goal, the forest will become our den. Even if the opponent is unwilling to surrender, we can still utilize the terrain, so there's no need to worry too much."
"Ah, very good." Ainz nodded, a faint smile etched beneath his skull mask. He casually praised Cocytus, gesturing for the Insect Guardian to return to his place.
Upon realizing his turn had come, Demiurge, with an elegant gesture, adjusted his glasses. He stood, a cunning yet respectful smile radiating from his face. "Ainz-sama, Cocytus's opinion has merit, but I believe he has overlooked one crucial thing."
Demiurge paused for a moment, building suspense. "Aura mentioned earlier that the magical beast known as the Wise King of the Forest is not particularly strong. If such a monster can rule the forest, then the value of the forest itself might be much lower than we initially thought."
He continued, his tone calculating. "Our purpose in occupying the forest is to strengthen Nazarick. Now we are in conflict with the enemy over the forest... Although we are not afraid of war, if the losses caused by the battle exceed the gains obtained, it is still not worthwhile."
"Hmm..." Ainz, or more precisely Momonga behind his mask, thought deeply after listening to Demiurge's analysis. His inhuman brain worked at high speed, weighing every word. After a moment, he asked, "Do you mean to surrender the forest?" There was a slight surprise in Ainz's tone, an indication that the idea had never crossed his mind.
"That's not the issue!"
Demiurge shook his head firmly, explaining. "What I mean is, we can temporarily postpone the forest conquest plan and see if the other side will send large forces there before making a decision. In the meantime, we can do something else first."
A secretive smile bloomed on Demiurge's lips. "After all, I have just found a place that, like the Great Tob Forest, might be worth conquering." His tone implied a grand plan that had just formed, an idea that promised greater benefits for Nazarick.