Chapter 407: I will not participate in 385.
Nasalik Underground Tomb, just above the surface graveyard.
"Swoosh!"
With a blur of light and shadow, Reiger appeared here, having left the Nasalik Underground Tomb.
He glanced at the ragged surface part of the tomb below, looked at the increasingly severe crystallization phenomenon in the meteorite pit, then he turned around and left without a trace of sentimentality.
A gentle breeze wafted by, brushing Reiger’s body, allowing him, who was immersed in nearly two months of intense fighting, to finally have the spare energy to pay attention to other things.
For instance... his body seemed chilly due to the ragged clothes that barely covered him.
"... If someone saw me like this, they would definitely be scared away, wouldn’t they?"
Sniffing the faint odor coming from his body, Reiger grimaced with a bitter smile, starting to feel uncomfortable.
Therefore, Reiger used magic.
"[Deodorize]."
A faint magical light passed over his body, instantly eliminating the strange smell on him.
"[Cleanse]."
A second kind of magical light flickered, sweeping over Reiger’s entire body, erasing all the dirt and dust on him.
These were two types of magic that didn’t exist in "YGGDRASIL," created by the natives of this world as original low-tier magic, both lowest-tier spells. However, for someone who was constantly adventuring, such life magic was quite convenient, hence Reiger also took the opportunity to learn these spells from his comrades at the adventurer guild.
Thanks to these spells, the odd smell and dirt on Reiger vanished, the blood was completely cleaned off, and his skin became clean again.
Then, Reiger dissolved his ragged clothes with a disintegrating spell and, within a tenth of a second, cast a new spell.
"[High-tier Item Creation]."
In an instant, a set of clothes made by magic appeared on Reiger’s body, fully equipped in the blink of an eye.
Only then did Reiger completely regain his usual mysterious and handsome youthful appearance.
"Lord Brilliant...!"
"Your Excellency Brilliant...!"
As Reiger restored his image, several voices from the ground reached the high sky and entered Reiger’s ears.
Reiger focused his gaze and discovered several fully armed people standing at the edge of a large forest on the vast grasslands, excitedly waving at him.
There, indeed, stood the women of "Crimson Rose" and Brian.
"They really didn’t leave, still lingering nearby, huh?"
Reiger was somewhat surprised but not shocked, and flew toward the people below.
"Lord (Your Excellency) Brilliant!"
As the people saw Reiger descending, they all rushed towards him, visibly overwhelmed with excitement.
Brian appeared exceptionally exuberant, as if Reiger’s safe return greatly encouraged and comforted him, causing his whole body to tremble.
"I knew it, Lord Brilliant would definitely make it out of that monster’s lair...!"
Even Ivey expressed a mix of emotion and astonishment after closely examining Reiger for a while.
"You, you are all right, Your Excellency Brilliant?"
Even Lakyus unusually appeared flustered, showing shades of shame and guilt.
As for Gegran, Tia, and Tina, they sighed a great sigh of relief, as if a significant weight had been lifted from their chests, not only relieved but also showing their peace of mind.
Seeing this, Reiger scratched his cheek and spoke to the crowd.
"It seems I’ve made you worry, I apologize," Reiger said. "But as you can see, I am fully intact."
Well, at least now he was.
As for how many injuries Reiger had sustained in the fierce battles on the eighth floor of the Nasalik Underground Tomb, and how many times he had been maimed, that was only for him to know.
The women of "Crimson Rose" and Brian then showered Reiger with care, not stopping until they were fully assured he was unharmed and in normal condition, only then did they truly relax.
Lakyus stepped forward and bowed deeply to Reiger, paying him respects.
"We truly owe you this time," Lakyus said solemnly and with deep respect. "Had you not intervened, we might have faced the worst possible outcome. Please allow me, on behalf of all the members of ’Crimson Rose,’ to express our thanks to you."
As she spoke, Lakyus bowed again, prompting all the members of "Crimson Rose" standing behind her to also bow deeply.
Even Ivey seemed thoroughly convinced by Reiger, showing a level of respect she had not shown before, deeply bowing to Reiger.
"Really, if it wasn’t for Lord Brilliant, I would have definitely been doomed this time."
Brian also gave a bitter smile as he thanked Reiger.
"It was just a small effort," Reiger shook his head and said, "I didn’t come solely to rescue you. Even without your issue, I would have eventually come here."
He was not being modest or evasive; Reiger genuinely had planned so.
Although Lakyus and the others did not catch that implication, even if they had, it would not have changed their minds.
"Regardless, we were saved because of Lord Brilliant, so please let us offer our thanks."
Lakyus smiled broadly for a moment before quickly collecting her expression.
"Had it not been for this encounter, we might have never known until our dying days that such terrifying monsters had appeared in this world."
Lakyus’s words made everyone’s hearts grow heavy.
Because of this encounter, they were now fully aware of the existence of Nasalik Underground Tomb and also of the presence of monsters with extraordinary powers like Ainz, which made them feel particularly somber.
Thinking of monsters like Shalltear Bloodfallen gathering in groups in such a desolate grassland, organizing and forming forces, not only Lakyus and her team but also Iveyer felt a chill in the heart.
As a vampire lord who had been dubbed the "Destroyer of Nations" and an undead who had lived for more than two hundred years, Iveyer could very confidently say this.
"Those are enemies far more terrifying than a demon god. If they were to become active, not to mention a resurgence of the chaos caused by demon gods two hundred years ago, it could even bring about a repeat of the grand war from five hundred years ago between the King of Desire and the races of the continent."
Iveyer’s words made everybody feel a heavy weight in their hearts, almost feeling as if they were facing the apocalypse.
Even Lakyus, at this moment, seemed to turn back into an ordinary 19-year-old girl, appearing exceedingly fragile and powerless, her face filled with confusion.
Seeing Lakyus and the others like this, Reiger also silently mourned for them in his heart.
There was no helping it; for the natives of this world, facing a large group of monsters like the Nasalik Underground Tomb was indeed a disaster.
However...
"You don’t need to worry too much," Reiger said, "Although I can’t guarantee complete safety, I have reached an agreement with the leaders of those monsters. They shouldn’t start any major aggressions against humans again soon."
These words made everyone’s heart tremble unexpectedly.
"Agreement?" Lakyus couldn’t help but speak, "Has Lord Brilliant reached such an agreement with those terrifying xenotypes?"
"Yes." Reiger nodded and said calmly, "Don’t imagine them too dreadful. They also have things they want to protect and are unwilling to suffer unbearable damage; hence, as long as you can truly pose a threat to them, it’s still possible to engage them in a bit of a contest."
Hearing Reiger’s words, everyone exchanged glances in doubt.
"...I think that perhaps only Lord Brilliant could achieve such a thing,"
Brian gave another bitter smile.
Everyone nodded in unanimity, sending Reiger a look filled with respect and admiration.
"If that is the case, then the situation really isn’t as bad as it could have been," Lakyus encouraged herself and asked, "Lord Brilliant, what do you think we should do next?"
"You’re asking me?" Reiger raised an eyebrow and said, "To be honest, that’s not a good idea."
Reiger’s stance was rather ambiguous; while he would help innocent civilians out of a common humanity, he hadn’t fully sided with humans and was somewhat an outsider.
Ainz was right when he said Reiger wasn’t some paragon of moral virtue who hated evil.
He didn’t believe all humans were worth saving and didn’t plan to act the hero for any faction; unless it was something he couldn’t overlook happening before his eyes, he tended to just watch the actions of Nasalik Underground Tomb with detachment.
If it were like in Demon Slayer World where humans united against the malice of demons, Reiger wouldn’t mind lending a hand.
But looking at the humans of this world, what were they?
The Slian Theocracy was a typical example of human supremacists, willing to sacrifice anything for the survival of the human race, not voluntarily but forcibly. They would not hesitate to commit fratricide to achieve their goals, and the ruthless slaughters in villages near Kain Village and the fortress city of Y·Rantel were proof.
They also regarded all non-human species and xenotypes as enemies, even considering them filthy monsters obstructing humanity. While the kingdom had abolished slavery, the Slian Theocracy still treated sub-humans and even forest elves as slaves subject to abuse, illustrating their extreme arrogance.
Re·Yestijie Kingdom needed no further mention, with an inactive royal family and nobles corrupt beyond redemption. The upper echelon disregarded national security for selfish gain, relentlessly infighting and oppressing commoners. Thus, the suffering fell on innocent civilians, while the royalty and nobles focused only on their internal strife, with only a few considering the commoners’ safety.
With such a scenario, just a glance was enough for Reiger to dismiss any thoughts of helping them resist the threat of Nasalik Underground Tomb.
Therefore, unless it was like the incident in the capital where disaster struck right before his eyes and innocent civilians suffered before him, Reiger generally wouldn’t concern himself with the lives or deaths of the kingdom and the theocracy.
Given this background, Lakyus seeking Reiger’s opinion was indeed a misstep.
Not to mention, Reiger’s time in this world was running short.
Therefore...
"Such matters, you should discuss amongst yourselves."
Reiger stated bluntly.
"I won’t be getting involved."