Brita was an iron-ranked adventurer, and she also happened to be acquainted with Enfrea Bareare—the grandson of the finest alchemist in E-Rantel, Lizzie Bareare.
A few days earlier, when Blue Rose and the "War Oni" had returned to the city after exploring the ruins, both Lizzie and Enfrea had been utterly astonished by the YGGDRASIL healing potions.
Not only were the effects of those potions extraordinary, but the ruins of the Thirteen Heroes were, at the very least, over a hundred years old. And yet, the potions had shown no signs of deterioration whatsoever.
At first, Enfrea and the others had hoped to purchase some of those rare healing potions for research.
But thanks to Blue Rose's intervention, not a single one had ended up in E-Rantel's hands.
And now, Brita—an adventurer who used to frequent their shop—had brought them startling news: the crimson healing potions from the Thirteen Heroes' ruins had appeared once again.
What's more, the ones in possession of them weren't the adamantite-ranked Blue Rose, nor the recently famous "War Oni," but two novice copper-ranked adventurers.
If such potions existed, then there had to be a method of creating them.
Of course, it wasn't impossible that the two had simply found them in some ruin.
Even so, Enfrea's grandmother, Lizzie, suggested that they should try making contact with these adventurers.
—
Meanwhile, on the other side, Yuto and Yuri were carrying out a commission of their own.
Thanks to their successful exploration of the ruins with Blue Rose, the two had officially advanced to mithril-ranked adventurers, just as they had hoped.
In fact, due to a bit of "special consideration" from the E-Rantel Adventurers' Guild's administrator, they were even allowed to accept requests above the mithril rank.
This time, the job they had taken was to investigate a graveyard on the outskirts of E-Rantel.
The reason? According to reports, sentries stationed nearby had spotted undead activity within the cemetery grounds—and not just a few, either.
In this world, anything involving undead was practically synonymous with evil.
It was almost an unspoken law: anyone who was undead—or who controlled undead—was bad news.
Given the potential threat and the risks involved, the guild had ultimately assigned the investigation to Yuto and Yuri.
Walking through the eerie, oppressive graveyard, the atmosphere was thick with unease.
And yet, the expressions on Yuto and Yuri's faces were strangely relaxed.
If anything… this kind of environment felt almost familiar to them.
"Yuto-sama, there are indeed traces of undead activity in the vicinity. However, their level appears to be relatively low."
Using a "Gather Information" scroll, Yuri quickly uncovered numerous clues scattered throughout the graveyard.
"These undead do not seem to have formed naturally. They were most likely summoned by someone using a necromantic ability."
But just as she was finishing her report, Yuri—who had been analyzing the surroundings with her eyes closed—suddenly opened them.
Her gaze sharpened as she looked toward Yuto.
"Yuto-sama, someone is using an 'Item Tracking' scroll to search this area. However, thanks to the 'Tracking Awareness' scroll you instructed me to use earlier, they are likely unaware that we've already detected them."
Adjusting her glasses, Yuri delivered her report with composed precision, awaiting further orders.
"Use a 'Reverse Tracking' scroll and pinpoint their location," Yuto replied calmly. "If they've already started searching this area, then they must know we're here."
He narrowed his eyes slightly.
"There's a high chance they're the one controlling the undead. Once we find them and take them out, this mission should be complete."
—
Inside the storage room of an alchemy shop in E-Rantel, Naberal stood before a pile of scrolls, reporting to Momonga.
"Ainz-sama, I have located the target's position using 'Item Tracking.' However, the individuals in that area appear to have noticed our presence and are attempting to trace us in return."
"Due to the effects of 'Anti-Detection' and 'False Information,' they should not be able to pinpoint our location immediately. However…"
Naberal's tone grew more serious.
"They have now employed a higher-tier scroll—'All-Seeing Search.' It is only a matter of time before they find us."
Momonga froze for a moment upon hearing this.
Recalling the warnings of his former companions, he had already taken multiple precautions when instructing Naberal to use "Item Tracking."
And yet, the opponent had proven to be just as cautious.
What truly shocked him, however, was the use of the "All-Seeing Search" scroll.
If he remembered correctly, that item was also a premium, cash-shop item in YGGDRASIL—something typically reserved for guild wars.
Its function was terrifying: it could bypass all forms of false information and concealment, conducting a complete scan of a designated area.
Not only could it reveal the exact location of the target, but it could even provide partial insight into their strength.
If Naberal hadn't used an "Anti-Detection" scroll beforehand, they might never have even realized such a rare item had been used against them.
After learning that Momonga possessed YGGDRASIL healing potions, Enfrea had indeed made contact with him—and had even submitted a request.
During their journey to Carne Village, Momonga and his party had also subdued a powerful magical beast known as the "Wise King of the Forest."
However, after returning to E-Rantel, Enfrea—the very client who had hired them—was abducted.
Even worse, the four mithril-ranked adventurers of the party "Dark Swords," who had accompanied them earlier, had all been brutally attacked.
Lizzie, who had employed Momonga and later agreed to pledge her loyalty to him, now sought his help in rescuing her grandson.
And so, Momonga had decided to intervene.
Yet just moments ago, while Naberal had been using residual traces at the scene to perform "Item Tracking," it had become clear that their enemy was anything but ordinary.
"If they've already detected our presence, then there's no point in hiding any longer," Momonga said at last.
"We were planning to rescue the hostage anyway."
"Naberal, you've confirmed their location, correct? Contact the Great Tomb of Nazarick and have them prepare for any contingencies. We'll head there immediately."
An opponent capable of using an item like "All-Seeing Search" could not be taken lightly.
They still knew far too little about this world.
Carelessness was not an option.
—
"Yuto-sama, the enemy has already detected our presence and appears to be moving toward us."
Yuri opened her eyes once more, calmly delivering her report.
"Based on the capabilities of the information-gathering scrolls they are using, as well as the limited data returned by 'All-Seeing Search,' it appears that there are two individuals—and both possess considerable strength."
She paused briefly before asking,
"Should we request reinforcements from the Great Tomb of Nazarick?"
"Yuri Alpha," Yuto said, his voice steady, "prepare for battle."
"If the situation turns dangerous, I order you to return to Nazarick immediately. I've already given you a teleportation ring."
"As for me—there's no need to worry."
A faint, confident smile touched his lips.
"No matter how strong the enemy is, even if I can't win… I'll still have enough strength left to escape."
He glanced toward the distant darkness of the graveyard.
"As for Nazarick, don't alert them just yet. We'll first assess the enemy's true strength."
"Only then will we decide whether reinforcements are necessary."