Ainz Ooal Gown: Noble Knight.

The air in the forest was as still as a stagnant pool.

Ainz stood at the edge of the clearing, his gaze slowly sweeping over the ground beneath his feet. His movements were slow, and Igfargi and his group behind him were already exchanging impatient glances.

But they didn't speak.

From the moment they stepped into this open space, an indescribable sense of oppression enveloped everyone. The swirling soil, the broken trees, and the spiderweb-like cracks on the ground silently testified to the intensity of the battle that had taken place here.

Ainz crouched down and reached out a finger to touch a deep furrow in the ground.

The edges of the ravine had a glassy texture, and the soil had been burned into hard, grayish-green lumps by the high temperature. His finger bones traced the bottom of the ravine, feeling a lingering, almost vanished, magical power.

Divine attribute.

A dark red light flickered in Ainz's eye sockets.

In the center of the open space is a distinct depression, irregularly circular in shape, with a diameter of about three meters.

This was caused by the energy that spilled out after some force collided with the Cleanse Throwing Gun.

Ainz made his decision in his mind.

Shalltear's Cleanse Throwing Gun is a special skill that allows you to consume MP to achieve absolute accuracy. The thrown light gun has a strong holy attribute and is deadly to the undead.

The fact that Shalltear was forced to use this move indicates that the battle had reached a very intense level.

"Mr. Feifei?"

An adventurer's voice came from behind, cautious and tentative.

"Did you find anything?"

Ainz did not turn around.

"No." His voice was calm, almost cold. "Nothing at all."

Ainz didn't discover much, nor could he reveal it.

Ainz straightened up and took one last look around the messy clearing.

Dusk was beginning to creep in from the edge of the forest, the light was dimming, and the swirling earth and broken trees looked even more menacing in the shadows.

"Go back," he said.

"Go back? Go back like this?" Igfargi's voice came from behind, clearly unwilling.

Ainz turned around and looked at the warrior whose face was full of resentment.

"Otherwise what?" Ainz asked calmly. "Wait here? Or do you think you can find any clues from these traces?"

Igfargi's face turned bright red, and his lips moved a few times, but he couldn't say a word.

Ainz is right, there's nothing here.

On the way back, the group was eerily silent.

Ainz walked at the front, his pace much slower than when he arrived. He could see the road clearly in the dark without needing a light, but the adventurers behind him could not.

The adventurers lit torches, and the orange-red flames danced among the shadows of the trees, casting long and short shadows on each person.

The traces of battle told him a few things.

First, Shalltear did indeed fight here; the clear marks from the throwing spears don't lie.

Secondly, the opponent was very strong, forcing Shalltear to use the Cleanse Throwing Gun, indicating that the intensity of the battle was very high.

Third, and most importantly, Shalltear did not betray us willingly.

A dark red light flashed briefly in Ainz's eye sockets before fading away.

If it were a deliberate betrayal, Shalltear wouldn't be fighting here; she encountered some unexpected situation during her mission.

"Naberal".

"exist."

Her voice came from behind him, very close. Ainz could feel her gaze on his back, with her usual focused and expectant look.

"After I get back, I need to go back to Nazarick." Ainz's voice wasn't loud, only reaching Narberal's ears. "You stay in Ye Rantil and continue your activities as an adventurer."

"Yes, sir." Nabella paused, "And these people..."

Her gaze swept over Igfargi and his entourage behind her.

"Ignore them," Ainz said indifferently. "They can't affect Nazarick."

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The Great Tomb of Nazarick, the Throne Room.

Ainz sat on the throne, while Albedo stood below, the hem of her pure white gown cascading across the black stone slabs. Her hands were clasped in front of her, her posture dignified and humble.

"Shalltear isn't in that cave," Ainz said, his voice echoing in the empty hall, "but she did fight there."

"With whom?" Albedo asked.

"I don't know." Ainz's tone was tinged with frustration. "And the Adventurers' Guild doesn't know where she is either."

Albedo lowered her head.

"I've already had Nicole continue the search, but..."

Ainz picked up where she left off, "I know."

Silence spread through the empty throne room.

"So, let's try a different approach," Ainz said.

Albedo looked up.

"Send out low-ranking subordinates," Ainz decided after careful consideration. "The more the better. Use that area marked by the battle as a center and expand outwards for a thorough search."

"Low-rank familiars?" Albedo frowned slightly, a hint of doubt flashing in her golden, vertical pupils. "But Lord Ainz, low-rank familiars have limited intelligence. They can only execute the simplest commands; what if unexpected situations arise..."

"They don't need to think," Ainz interrupted her, the red light in his eye sockets flickering. "They just need to explore. Report any anomalies, anything that doesn't fit the surrounding environment, immediately."

Albedo paused for a moment, then nodded.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Summon another batch of high-ranking mercenaries," Ainz said. "The lower-ranking mercenaries will be responsible for the search, and the high-ranking mercenaries will be responsible for dealing with emergencies."

Ainz's tone became more serious.

"If they can defeat and control Shalltear, then our enemy may be stronger than we think. We cannot be careless."

This enemy is stronger than Shalltear and has the ability to control her, so the other Guardians are not safe either.

"Recall all external guardians," Ainz's voice rang out again. "Except for Sebas. Intelligence gathering on his end needs to continue, but tell him to be on high alert and retreat immediately if anything unusual is detected."

"Yes, ma'am," Albedo said, her voice even softer than before. "I'll take care of it right away."

The throne room fell silent once more.

Ainz sat alone on the throne, his gaze fixed on a certain point in the void.

The dark red light in his eye sockets flickered uncertainly, like two stars about to burn out, making their last struggle in the darkness.

Shalltear.

Ainz silently repeated the name in his mind.

Where are you?

No one answered him.

In the empty hall, there was only one elderly man silently hoping that his "child" would come home.