"Speaking of which, the people at the Great Tomb haven't made a move recently. Hmm... Could it be that they've given up and plan to hide forever?" Kael stroked his chin, pondering, but quickly dismissed the idea. No matter how silly Ainz and the others were, they must know that hiding in Nazarick was tantamount to waiting for execution. They were definitely preparing their defenses. Their silence might mean that they haven't been exposed, or they haven't finished their plan yet.
Time continued to pass, and night fell once again. A beautiful crescent moon illuminated the dark earth, but a thin cloud passing in front of it swallowed most of the light.
"There are really ruins in this cursed place?"
A team stood on the side, staring at the hills in the distance. A young man in a priest's robe, holding a staff, searched for a long time before complaining to his companions. On his neck, an Adamantite quality metal plate hung on a thin rope, signifying his profession—an Adventurer. Not just him, his four companions also had the same mark.
They were the famous Adamantite adventurer team from the Re-Estize Kingdom, [Beast Fangs]. They were here because of an extremely tempting offer to explore a new ruin.
The team captain, Sreine, an experienced warrior known for his composure, was now frowning. To be honest, he was not very confident about accepting this mission. Exploring unknown ruins was an Adventurer's job, but the first team always faced the greatest danger. Furthermore, investigating without reporting it to the Adventurer's Guild was a violation of the rules.
However... Sreine glanced at the treasured sword at his waist. It was one of the advance payments from the commissioner, an extremely powerful magical weapon. With that sword, Sreine felt his strength had increased by at least fifty percent, and he might even be able to rival the Re-Estize Kingdom's strongest warrior, Gazef Stronoff.
No Adventurer could refuse the temptation of power. It was the source of their wealth and survival.
"Boss, I'm back."
A voice suddenly appeared in front of them. The figure of a black-haired young man in simple leather armor and a mask on his face emerged from behind a cover. He was Jones, the team's rogue. He had just returned from a reconnaissance mission to confirm the existence of the mysterious ruin.
"What's the situation?"
"It's as the client described. In the middle of those hills is a tomb surrounded by a wall. The reason it wasn't visible from the outside is that it's hidden by a special illusion," Jones confirmed. "Inside the tomb, besides some tombstones and old trees, there are five mausoleums in total—one large and four small. There are no signs of owners or active monsters."
Sreine thought for a moment. Since the ruin existed and didn't seem dangerous, it was now time for them to begin the exploration mission. "Alright, everyone, let's go."
"Oh!"
After applying an alchemical potion that hid their scent and having the priest cast [Invisibility], the [Beast Fangs] team moved towards the hidden hills that were the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick.
They broke through the illusion, like divers surfacing, and saw the secluded graveyard Jones had described. Sreine didn't hesitate. He immediately sprinted towards the nearest small mausoleum. Although the effect of the [Invisibility] spell made them unable to see each other, Sreine left faint footprints. The other team members, who had been friends for years, quickly followed his tracks.
Finally, before the effects of the magic and potion wore off, the team successfully entered the interior of the small mausoleum safely.
The space inside wasn't very large. On the wall opposite the main door, a woven emblem banner of precious metals hung, guarded by a knight statue on each side. In the middle of the mausoleum was a tightly sealed stone coffin.
"Captain?"
"Be careful," Sreine warned. Exploring a tomb, opening a coffin was a crucial step. Together with another warrior, they pushed open the lid of the stone coffin.
Wow!
As the coffin lid opened, everyone was shocked. Instead of a corpse or bones, a huge pile of gold coins appeared, mixed with gems and a few weapons.
"Captain! This is way more than the client's payment!" The team's skirmisher swallowed hard, his voice trembling. Sreine was no better, his eyes glued to the coffin. The green irises in his eyes had almost turned to gold. "Yes, we're rich!"
If they could get more, why should they hand these gold coins and gems over to the commissioner? Since the commission wasn't through the Adventurer's Guild, breaking this agreement was quite reasonable, right?
"Hmph! These greedy thieves!"
"They must not be allowed to leave Nazarick alive."
"Of course. But they also must not die easily."
In the Tenth Floor of the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick, Ainz sat on the [Throne of Kings]. In front of him, a light screen displayed a recording, showing the expressions of the [Beast Fangs] team. The Guardians, who were gathered below the throne, seethed in anger. The Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick had been defiled by filthy thieves. Ainz was just as furious, and a black aura of despair continued to radiate from him.
"Demiurge, capture them all, don't miss a single one. I want to know all the information about them."
Ainz said in a cold voice.
"Yes!" Demiurge accepted the order with a serious expression. Without looking back, he exited the Throne Hall and hurried to the surface.
Meanwhile, the [Beast Fangs] team had stuffed the treasures from the coffin into their bags and clothes. Their faces were filled with excitement.
"What a haul!"
"Yeah!"