In the reception room, Princess Lana was smiling as she watched the adventurers in front of her.
"You have truly worked hard this time. Eight Fingers has been uprooted and thoroughly destroyed, which allows the Kingdom to be at peace."
"This is all thanks to Your Royal Highness."
The captain of Blue Rose, Radis, bowed her head.
"However, forgive me for saying, the situation might not be so simple. In fact, during the process, we discovered another mysterious force hiding behind Eight Fingers."
"Oh?"
Upon hearing this, Princess Lana immediately sat up, staring at Radis.
"There’s such a thing?"
"Yes."
At this moment, a masked girl stepped forward.
"When Gregran and I attacked one of the leaders of Eight Fingers, Silma, we encountered a very powerful creature. Not only that, we also encountered a High-Rank Demon!"
"A High-Rank Demon?"
"Yes! He claimed to be Adabao, a very terrifying and powerful demon."
Saying this, seemingly recalling the battle, the masked girl couldn’t help but shiver.
"To be honest, even I was not his match."
"A match even you, Ibiriuai, couldn’t defeat? Is the opponent that strong?"
"Yes, but fortunately, we had an equally powerful, if not stronger, ally... Do you remember the incident two days ago when Eight Fingers’ stronghold was completely wiped out?"
"Of course."
Upon hearing this, Princess Lana nodded. To be honest, although that incident disrupted their plan, it also significantly weakened Eight Fingers, which was why Princess Lana was determined to take this opportunity for an all-out attack on Eight Fingers.
"I remember you mentioned that the other party might be a newly advanced Black Obsidian adventurer squad?"
"It’s no longer just possible, it was indeed them."
This time, the masked girl gave a definite answer.
"They arrived there after us, and that High-Rank Demon was easily slain by the knight among these adventurers."
"But the opponent was someone you, Ibiriuai, couldn’t defeat."
Upon hearing this, Princess Lana raised her doubts. Blue Rose is the top adventurer squad in the Kingdom, ranked at the Golden Grade. This is already the second strongest beneath Platinum Level. However, Lana knew very well that Blue Rose’s strength mainly lay with the masked girl in front of her and the captain, Radis. The strength of the others was not particularly outstanding.
That is to say, in the Blue Rose Squad, only Ibiriuai and Radis had reached the Golden Grade, and to be able to easily defeat a High-Rank Demon that even surpassed that level, that means they were up against a terrifying being beyond Golden Grade, yet such a powerful adversary was effortlessly slain by an unknown knight? Then, what level was that knight?
Above Golden, there’s only Platinum... but is there such a person among Platinum level powerhouses?
"Who is he?"
"He calls himself Fang Zheng, a Knight of the Abyssal Watchers, from Farron Undead Legion."
"Farron Undead Legion? Abyssal Watchers?"
Upon hearing this, the doubt on Princess Lana’s face deepened, as she had never heard of such an organization or group.
"I’ve never heard of such an organization or a Platinum level adventurer..."
"He is not an adventurer; although he is a member of the squad with the other three girls, he hasn’t registered with the Adventurers’ Guild."
"Why?"
"I’m not quite sure either..."
At this point, the masked girl was also puzzled. Generally speaking, even super strong individuals, unless holding a high position, would typically register with the Adventurers’ Guild. After all, strong individuals don’t just fall from the sky. Even the Sword Saintess was once a newbie at the Adventurers’ Guild.
However, this knight is indeed different. At least the masked girl couldn’t understand why he refused to register with the Adventurers’ Guild—after all, if he registered, his achievements in slaying vampires and the High-Rank Demon alone would be enough to elevate him to Golden Grade.
"Then, about the force hidden behind Eight Fingers..."
Although she was somewhat curious about the knight, Princess Lana quickly pulled her thoughts back to the matter at hand. Upon hearing Princess Lana speak, the masked girl realized her distraction and coughed apologetically.
"Here’s the thing, Your Highness, have you heard of the name Ainz?"
"Ainz...? Never heard of it... Who is he?"
"We don’t know either."
At this point, the masked girl’s tone became serious again.
"However, before that High-Rank Demon died, he mentioned that name, and the knight also said that the vampire he had previously slain mentioned the same name."
"So, what you’re saying is..."
"I discussed it with the captain."
The masked girl and Radis exchanged a glance, and then Radis spoke.
"Your Highness, we suspect that this person named Ainz might truly be the one secretly controlling Eight Fingers."
"Oh? Why do you say that?"
"Because up until now, we still haven’t found any trace of Eight Fingers’ leader. After the investigation of the stronghold, it’s been discovered that most of Silma’s subordinates were killed, and she herself was missing. I suspect that it’s very likely someone named Ainz sent his subordinates to silence them. After all, with the strength of that High-Rank Demon, if the knight hadn’t suddenly appeared, we at Blue Rose would never have been able to best them. At that time, they might have created the illusion that we fought a desperate battle with the stronghold’s guards, both sides suffering, to cover things up. Moreover, on the very day we attacked the stronghold, that High-Rank Demon and his creatures appeared, which doesn’t seem like a coincidence no matter how you look at it."
"And then there was the previous vampire incident."
At this time, the masked girl quickly added.
"The incident occurred near the King’s City at that time. Of course, if it was just an isolated incident, then perhaps there wouldn’t be a big problem. But if there is a single person behind these events... Whether or not he is the mastermind behind the Eight Fingers, at least it indicates one thing: a group of dangerous individuals is active near the Royal Capital. Judging by their strength, whether it’s the rumored Vampire or the Creature and High-Rank Demon we encountered during the attack on the stronghold, they are terrifying enemies. If they still have creatures as formidable as High-Rank Demons and Vampires under their command..."
"Then the Royal Capital is in danger."
Upon hearing this, Princess Lana’s expression also grew serious. She’s no fool and naturally understood the implications of Radis’s words. The other party has lost two strong subordinates in a row, and if they seek revenge against the Kingdom, it could spell disaster for the Kingdom.
"I understand. I’ll immediately send people to investigate the surrounding areas and notify you immediately if we find any suspicious information."
"Yes, Your Royal Highness!"
While the Kingdom was discussing their next steps, Fang Zheng had his own plans.
"Huh? What did you say?"
Looking at Meiyin’s surprised little face on the screen, Fang Zheng chuckled.
"What I mean is, I plan to buy an estate nearby as a base. Are you interested in coming to stay and perhaps help look after it?"
"This..."
"Don’t worry, even though it’s an estate, the facilities are fully modernized. It can serve as a transition for your family, like a rehearsal before entering modern society. How about it?"
"But... just the four of us..."
"Of course, there will be more than just you. I’ll also send some maids over."
The maids Fang Zheng mentioned were none other than the girls he had rescued from the underground organization of the Eight Fingers. They, like Kiare, had suffered abuse from the organization’s members. With nowhere else to go, Fang Zheng decided to employ them as maids and send them to his estate.
After all, this place is a coordinate point that requires a base for maintenance. However, considering the chaotic pollution nature of this place, Fang Zheng dared not send people like he did with other coordinate points. The only solution was to use the locals—though Fang Zheng wasn’t worried they would cause him any harm, as this was simply a base for observation, gathering information, and resting.
"........."
Hearing this, Meiyin lowered her head, and after a moment, she softly asked,
"Why are you being so kind to us? Even if we’re all transmigrators, but..."
"Indeed, it might seem overly complicated to you."
Fang Zheng obviously understood Meiyin’s thoughts, but he had his reasons.
"But, being fellow wanderers here, if I can lend a hand, I naturally will. And perhaps for you, these things cost a lot of money, but for me, it’s no big deal... My influence far exceeds your imagination, not only in this world but in others too. Even a King’s authority doesn’t compare to mine. So there’s no need to worry. For me, this doesn’t even equate to a drop in the ocean, understand? I own countless planets, hundreds of Star Domains; money for me is just a number. You see, it’s that simple."
"Ha..."
Upon hearing Fang Zheng’s response, Meiyin’s expression became unusually complicated.
"I just can’t understand why there’s such a big gap between us..."
"I’ve been in this world for many years, while you’re just starting. Given some time, perhaps you could become a renowned Great Mage or something."
"With my five-year-old body?"
Meiyin looked down at her nominally five-year-old body, which in reality looked more like a three-year-old, and pouted helplessly.
"Honestly, before meeting you, just staying alive was already a struggle. You have no idea how frail this body is. A short walk could result in illness and fever. There were several times when I thought I was done for..."
"It is said that when heaven is about to place a great responsibility on someone, it must first distress their mind and fatigue their muscles. As a transmigrator, you should chant such things for reassurance, whether they help or not."
"Well, that’s true..."
"Anyway, that’s that. Once everything is settled, I’ll send someone to pick you up. Until then, think about how to convince your parents."
"...How am I supposed to convince them?"
"That’s your problem to solve. As a transmigrator, you should handle such minor issues yourself."
Jokingly teasing Meiyin a few times, Fang Zheng ended the communication.
As for buying the estate, Fang Zheng didn’t need to worry. Although there was no FBI in this world, due to Fang Zheng’s achievements in eliminating the Vampire and High-Rank Demon, the Kingdom had rewarded him with a substantial sum of money. This money was enough to purchase and refurbish an estate suitable for living in.
As for repairs, Magic Attendants could handle that. Isn’t learning magic what a Mage does?
"Then, I’ll leave everything to you."
Saying this, Fang Zheng handed a bag of gold coins to the Priestess of the Goddess.
"After you return, remember to find an estate as I mentioned—perhaps the Guild can help introduce one—then temporarily settle these girls there and fetch the girl named Meiyin and her family. I’ve already spoken to her. That’s about it for now. Any questions?"
"Yes, Sir Knight."
Accepting the money bag, the Priestess of the Goddess seemed a bit uneasy.
"Uh... Won’t you be coming with us?"
"I need to deal with matters here before returning. Besides, for safety’s sake, I’ve posted a notice at the Adventurers’ Guild. We’re likely to recruit an adventuring party to accompany you."
"We’re adventurers ourselves, why do we need to recruit others?"
Hearing this, Megumin complained.
"Because there are quite a few of you, and if something happens, the three of you alone might not be able to protect everyone."
"Ugh..."
Hearing this, Megumin had no retort. Accompanying them as maids, including Kiare, were ten-plus girls, necessitating three carriages. It was understandable why she, the Priestess of the Goddess, and Ais were somewhat concerned about managing on their own.
"Alright, I hope it’s a capable adventuring party. Otherwise, I won’t want them!"
"Shouldn’t be a problem... I think they’ll be here soon."
As he spoke, Fang Zheng looked towards the entrance. Soon, there was a knock at the door, followed by a voice.
"Um... Apologies for the disturbance, we’re the Red Pledge Squad..."

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