Emperor Gilknifer had no choice but to yield. The girl before him was a monster in human guise.
If she had wished to strike them down on the spot, he knew with absolute certainty that not a single person in his court could stop her. And yet, such terrifying strength belonged only to a subordinate of Ainz Ul Gown. The thought of how powerful Ainz himself must be was enough to send a shiver of despair down anyone's spine.
Ourelle departed without hesitation. Gilknifer had tried, briefly, to hold her back, hoping to glean more information about Ainz Ul Gown from her lips. But she left decisively, making it clear that any delay would only irritate the Supreme One. The message was unmistakable: Gilknifer must apologize to the Great Tomb of Nazarick as soon as possible.
In the imperial council hall, Gilknifer summoned all his core retainers: the court's chief spellcaster, Furuda, the secretary, and the three surviving Imperial Four Knights. Also present were the current captain and vice-captain of the Imperial Knights, along with Ren Kuroda and Yuri Alpha.
Fudou, one of the Imperial Knights, had been cleaved in two by Ourelle's blade. Furuda had attempted to use resurrection magic, but it was futile. As a shrine maiden, Ourelle purified the souls of those she struck down—no ordinary resurrection spell could bring them back.
Witnessing even a fragment of Nazarick's might firsthand, Gilknifer could only order Fudou to be given a respectful burial. Then he turned his gaze to the others, announcing his decision: he would personally journey to the Great Tomb of Nazarick.
The remaining three Imperial Knights protested. The sheer terror they had witnessed earlier was still fresh in their minds.
For the emperor himself to risk his life meeting such a creature—was that any different from walking to his death willingly?
And if the emperor went, they would be obliged to accompany him. None of them wanted to face such monster-level opponents again. The ruins they were about to explore could easily contain more than one such being.
In short, this mission was far too dangerous—even the normally proud Imperial Four Knights were cowed.
"The envoy from Ainz Ul Gown made his intent clear," Gilknifer said firmly. "I must go personally. If we allow them to gloat, they might use it as an excuse to attack the Empire directly."
"You are free not to join me," he added, "but you've seen their strength and they've memorized your faces. Even if you tried to flee, there's no guarantee they'd let you go."
Gilknifer's words left no room for argument. With just a few sentences, he had secured obedience and immediately began planning the expedition for the next day.
If they were venturing into unknown territory, sufficient combat strength was essential. This would both demonstrate the Empire's power and signal the seriousness with which they regarded Nazarick.
Thus, for this journey, Gilknifer brought the remaining Imperial Four Knights, Furuda the chief spellcaster, and Ren Kuroda and Yuri Alpha. In effect, the Empire's top-tier forces were assembled.
During the journey, Gilknifer glanced at Ren Kuroda, who rested with his eyes closed, and asked cautiously, "Ren Kuroda, if you were to face that girl we encountered earlier, what would you estimate your chances of victory to be?"
It went without saying that the girl in question was Ourelle—the nightmare who had already shattered their expectations.
Ren Kuroda was stronger than the Imperial Four Knights, arguably the Empire's pinnacle of combat power, so Gilknifer sought to gauge the gap between their forces and Ainz Ul Gown's.
"If she unleashed her full power within the palace," Ren Kuroda said without opening his eyes, "I'd have roughly a thirty percent chance of winning. If I fought without holding back… perhaps fifty percent."
The group in the carriage fell silent, stunned. Even Gilknifer's face showed a mix of astonishment and relief. He had not expected Ren Kuroda's strength to be so formidable.
After witnessing Ourelle's terrifying slash, they had already abandoned any hope of resistance. And yet, Ren Kuroda claimed he could hold a fifty percent chance against her—an astonishing prospect.
"Very well," Gilknifer said, a faint tension easing from his shoulders. "It seems we won't be completely passive on this journey. Monsters like that girl, even under Ainz Ul Gown's command, are probably rare. Perhaps only one. Her visit to the Empire is likely a demonstration, nothing more."
Ren Kuroda's power exceeded all expectations, allowing Gilknifer to feel somewhat reassured. Though this mission was ostensibly diplomatic, the imbalance in strength had weighed heavily on him.
Facing a superior force inevitably forced a weaker party into concessions—even the possibility of the Empire becoming subordinate could not be ruled out.
But with Ren Kuroda and Yuri Alpha present, Gilknifer could be confident that the Empire would not be underestimated. He could negotiate with a stronger hand.
After all, no matter how powerful Ainz Ul Gown and his subordinates were, they were still a collection of non-human entities. On the Empire's side, there was Ren Kuroda, Yuri Alpha, and tens of thousands of elite troops—a force capable of confronting the opposition on equal terms.
"Once we reach Ainz Ul Gown's location, you are free to act as you see fit," Gilknifer instructed. "Display your strength, but do not provoke them unnecessarily."
Ren Kuroda paused briefly, then smiled knowingly. "I see. The emperor intends to demonstrate the Empire's power—let them see we are not pushovers."
"Exactly," Gilknifer replied. "The envoy Ainz sent to the palace was the same—simply a show of force. We must also demonstrate our capabilities, or we risk losing leverage in any subsequent negotiations."
After a swift journey, the imperial delegation arrived at the entrance to the Great Tomb of Nazarick.
They were met by two ranks of towering Death Knights, along with Hishi and Soryuka, maids of the Anshu Star Cluster.
The two lines of Death Knights alone were enough to terrify the Imperial entourage. Soryuka's effortless use of the seventh-tier spell, 'Celestial Manipulation,' further overwhelmed Furuda, who muttered derisively at Gilknifer for overestimating his own abilities.
The imperial delegation was utterly at the mercy of their hosts, and Gilknifer's expression darkened.
Then, from behind, a voice like celestial music echoed:
"Although sunlight feels pleasant, I still prefer cloudy days."
Ren Kuroda clapped his hands, casting the same 'Celestial Manipulation' spell. The bright sun was instantly veiled by clouds once more, transforming the day from sunny to overcast.