Ainz Ooal Gown: Noble Knight.

The man lit the lantern at his waist, and the special oil emitted a green flame, illuminating the surroundings with an eerie light.

Stepping outside, a wave of heat hit him. The man looked annoyed, but it was hot this time of year anyway. Even though the sun had set, the kingdom remained unbearably sweltering.

"Ugh, it's so hot today."

"Yeah, I heard it's cooler towards the North Sea."

The man complained, and his partner chimed in.

"I wish it would rain."

He looked up at the sky; the night sky was clear, without a single cloud.

"Alright, let's get to work."

To call them ordinary villagers would be a stretch. With long swords at their waists and leather armor, their bodies and faces exuded an aura of violence, making them far from being peasants.

The two men walked silently through the village. The village, shrouded in darkness, was eerily silent, as if everything was dying out, yet they calmly continued their patrol.

The village is surrounded by high walls, with six watchtowers visible to the naked eye, a structure rarely seen even in border villages. This place is more of a strategic outpost than a village.

What's truly troubling, however, is that the fields are enclosed within walls. Walls are usually built only around residential areas, but this village is protecting its green grass as if it were gold.

The man sensed the gaze from the lookout tower; his companions were there, ready to provide support if needed by raising a lantern and waving it.

Despite knowing he'd get a scolding when he changed shifts, he decided to flash the light immediately if anything seemed amiss. He didn't want to risk his life for something trivial.

But he didn't think anything would go wrong. The same patrols had been going on for months, and presumably would continue indefinitely.

Halfway through the journey, a snake-like object suddenly covered the man's mouth. No, it was an octopus's leg.

My chin was suddenly lifted, and a burning pain shot through my throat. It all happened in less than a second.

The sound of him swallowing liquid was the last sound he would ever hear in his life.

He released his hand from his mouth, and only after confirming that the "vampire blade" that had pierced his throat had drained all the blood did he pull it out.

The person standing there, holding the man, was dressed in black. Except for her eyes, all her body was covered by cloth, and the metal plate on her chest was clearly bulging; she was a woman.

Behind the other man were others dressed similarly. The former looked at the latter and nodded slightly.

After confirming the assassination was successful, she surveyed her surroundings. There were lanterns providing illumination, but they were pressed so tightly together with the man that they were difficult for the people on the balcony to detect.

She ignored the blood-sucking dagger and braced herself as she nearly collapsed. From the lookout, the patrolman had merely stopped, but falling would surely arouse suspicion. However, that wasn't her job.

Suddenly, he felt a sensation in his palm, like the man's body striking a pillar. The next moment, the dead man began to move stiffly.

She released her grip and activated the ninja skill "Shadow Step," merging into the shadows. It was impossible for the naked eye to detect her.

The men continued to move, as if unlocking a door, their pace sluggish and clumsy. The red lines on their throats no longer gushed blood, for the blood had long since drained. They were nothing more than zombies, obeying the creator's commands.

"Everything is ready here."

"Perfect."

The conversation was conducted in hushed tones, and the responses were equally quiet.

"Hmm, I need to head to the next location. I'll need to capture someone of high status."

This is also a woman's voice, rather high-pitched and with a touch of childishness.

"We're starting the attack too. Where are the other two?"

"Stay near the village and be fully prepared. I'm going to the first priority area; you all proceed as planned."

The stealthy companions floated lightly in the air, using "flight" to move towards the building that had to be captured first, in order to catch the liaison officer inside.

The two ninjas began to run, from one shadow to another, so fast that even a high-level adventurer would have difficulty spotting them.

The companions running side by side moved their fingers nimbly. This was assassin sign language, used at a speed comparable to everyday conversation.

—Luckily, there were no dogs.

—Agreed. Much easier.

—I went to reserve the building.

--learn.

Their companions went their separate ways.

She walked briskly alone, glancing sideways at the fields. What was being cultivated were not grains and vegetables, but the raw materials for "black powder," the most rampant illegal drug in the kingdom.

Black powder, also known as "Lyra powder," is a black powder that is mixed with water for consumption. Due to its low price, easy availability, and ability to easily produce euphoria, it has become the kingdom's most notorious drug.

Black powder made from wild plants is highly toxic, while artificially cultivated black powder is less effective but still highly toxic.

Most users resume taking the medication after stopping it, before the toxicity has been completely eliminated.

The most troublesome aspect is that the symptoms of addiction are not obvious, so the kingdom's high command ignores its danger, and the empire even protests against the kingdom's tacit approval of the anti-fan industry.

As an assassin who had used this drug before, she was not opposed to it, but this commission was made by her friend who was the team leader, and it was not through the Adventurers' Guild, so it was inevitably somewhat dangerous.

She arrived at the building codenamed "Number Two." Her mission was to gather intelligence, and then set fire to the fields. The toxic smoke could endanger the villagers, but there was no time to evacuate them.

She disregarded the safety of the villagers. Trained from childhood to be an assassin, death had little effect on her.

The only thing I didn't like was the expression on the team leader's face. But I had already obtained the team leader's consent.

After the attack, she would have to teleport to other villages to continue setting fires. The cultivation sites weren't limited to this village; there were at least ten large-scale production areas throughout the kingdom, and there were likely more yet to be discovered.

Written instructions would be ideal, but that seems unlikely. The only hope is that the village leaders have some information.

Even if the team leader only has some clues about the organization, he will be happy.

The criminal group is called "Eight Fingers," named after the god of thieves who has only eight fingers.

It is divided into eight departments: slave trade, assassination, smuggling, theft, drugs, bodyguarding, finance, and gambling. It is the head of the kingdom's underworld.

The blatant cultivation of illegal plants before our eyes clearly demonstrates their sphere of influence. The nobles who own this land must be accomplices, but even if reported, they will only claim ignorance.

With limited legal avenues for impeachment, they had no other recourse but to resort to violent means such as setting fire to the fields.

Frankly, burning these drugs wouldn't be the right solution. The influence of illicit organizations eroding the kingdom has permeated politics.

------------

The capital of the Kingdom of Ri Yesteje.

The carriage set off through the morning mist. Rune lifted a corner of the curtain and watched as the outline of the capital gradually became clear in the thin haze.

Rune had not yet received a reply from Sebastian when he boarded the carriage bound for Lorenz.

Lorenz is located at the deepest part of the capital, with an outer perimeter of 1,400 meters. Twenty huge cylindrical towers form a defensive network, and the city walls surround the vast land.

Princess Lana invited him and Lajus to come and discuss matters concerning the "Eight Fingers".

Rune didn't want to get involved with this twisted, monster princess. But now that Lana didn't even have Clem by her side, he worried that Lana would become even more extreme than before, so he had no choice but to make this trip.

He had tried to prevent Lajus from meeting Lana, but they met without his knowledge.

During that period, Rune once suspected that some worldlines might be immutable.

He was only truly at ease when Shalltear was successfully captured by the Theocracy.