My family runs an adventurer's guild.

"...Well, in short, we came to this small mountain village for a heroic and exciting adventure."

And our village, Kahn, has a high chance of becoming the trigger point for a perfect adventure.

Of course, this doesn't mean we're going to ambush and massacre the villagers here. Such an act is neither honorable nor morally sound, and it's not worthy of praise or celebration. My master, Lulutia, and I brought everyone here primarily for the following three reasons.

First of all, this village is the closest civilized settlement to our starting village, the Great Tomb of Nazarick, so it's worth getting to know it.

Secondly, according to the intelligence gathered through magical reconnaissance, this area is being ravaged by a band of robbers who have already massacred and burned many villages. They are likely to attack Carne Village, where we are currently staying. If the robbers come to attack the village, we can take this opportunity to show our skills.

Third, if the bandits don't bother Kahn Village, then we'll continue our journey into the Duwu Great Forest. In this forest dwells a colossal magical beast known as the "Forest Wise King," as well as imposing giants and war trees—all worthy targets for our warriors to hunt…”

The other three teammates, unaware of the truth, agreed with Phil's account without much question. However, Phil was unknowing that with the arrival of these unexpected factors, the storyline of *OVERLORD* had already begun to subtly shift.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

A cavalry unit of about twenty or thirty men was galloping across the vast grassland.

Everyone in the team was muscular and burly, but one man in particular stood out.

No adjective could be more fitting for this man than "robust"; even in his breastplate, his muscles were clearly visible. He appeared to be in his thirties, his sun-darkened face showing prominent wrinkles. His short black hair was neatly trimmed, and his black eyes shone with a sharp, piercing gaze.

Amidst the swirling dust, the man asked the rider beside him, "...Are you sure this is the direction?"

"...Yes, that's right, Captain. According to the survivors from the previous village, the enemy is heading that way!"

"...That direction...it seems to be the Angelia Mountains!"

The strongest warrior that the Kingdom of Ri. Yestege was proud of, Captain Gedev Storonov, raised his head and squinted at the northern horizon, but could not see any trace of the enemy, which made him even more worried and doubtful.

—Since being ordered to leave the capital and come to the southeastern region of the Kingdom of Riyestej to subdue the Bahars Empire knights who were said to be harassing the border villages, he and his men have been wandering aimlessly.

But all they saw were the ruins of villages long since reduced to ashes, a few survivors huddled among the rubble, and a few burnt roof remnants standing like tombstones. They could not catch the enemy's tail, nor could they save many people from the enemy's slaughter.

This constant situation of following in the enemy's footsteps made Gerdov and his men increasingly anxious.

Forcibly suppressing his eagerness, Gerdav spurred his mount to maintain a certain speed.

Although the marching speed was maintained at a level that wouldn't tire the horses too much, the fatigue was gradually seeping into Gergiev's body after a rapid march from the capital. The journey must have been just as tiring for the horses, so it wasn't advisable to burden them further.

Compared to physical exhaustion, what left Gerdrey feeling even more mentally drained was the completely unpredictable and unknown dangers.

In fact, from the very beginning, this expedition was shrouded in various shady dealings. On the one hand, the nobles in the capital were eager to exert various pressures, forcing the king to send the warrior captain Gazef to the border as quickly as possible to "punish the invading enemy." On the other hand, they used various excuses to prevent Gazef from wearing several magical weapons that were considered national treasures and to limit the size of the troops that Gazef could bring.

Faced with this unusual situation, even Sergeant Gazev, who was not particularly politically astute, vaguely sensed that the future was uncertain.

However, as a simple warrior, aside from being indignant that the dead nobles wanted to use the lives of the people as a tool in the power struggle, and obeying the king's order to drive out the foreign enemy and to complete this mission as carefully as possible, Gerdev didn't know what else to do.

After all, he wasn't some cunning politician, nor a schemer steeped in power politics. Even though he vaguely sensed that the trip was going badly, Gerdav had no choice but to grit his teeth and continue: he couldn't just turn around and run away without even seeing the enemy, could he?

Nevertheless, he was at least certain that if there was any conspiracy involved in this mission, then the target could only be himself.

So, just in case, he handed over half of his trusted subordinates to his deputy captain, instructing these brothers to escort the refugees they found in the various destroyed villages along the way to the fortress city of Ye Lantier for resettlement, and also to escape this perilous mission.

In this way, even if he were to face a life-or-death crisis, his long-time subordinates would not be wiped out.

"...The southern foothills of the Angelia Mountains...should be the Tobu Great Forest, right?"

After a moment's thought, Soldier Captain Gerdev understood the enemy's location as his subordinate had described.

"...Exactly!"

"...So, are there any villages in that area?" Captain Gazef continued to ask.

"...There is a village called Kahn!"

"...Kahn...Village? I don't remember it. Was it established by a national organization?"

Seemingly stumped, Gerdov muttered with a furrowed brow.

"...No, Kahn Village was probably formed spontaneously by people from the border. It's very small, barely worthy of being called a village. The royal capital only sends tax officials there once a year to inspect it, to see if the village is still there and if it has been destroyed by monsters..."

"...Hmm...I see...Then let's go take a look!"

"I hope nothing has happened there yet," Gerdoff sighed, a hint of unease in his voice.

—Or rather, hopefully the enemy trail ahead isn't a trap.

Gazef thought to himself, but even if it was a trap, given the current situation, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and jump in. Otherwise, once he was branded a coward, he would never be able to wash away the stigma, and he would also be ashamed to face His Majesty the King who had once defied public opinion to promote him.

For Gazeta, such a situation would be a disgrace more unbearable than death.

So, despite his worries and confusion, Gerdov led his men on the road to Kahn village.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Shortly after Gerdav and his party sped away, many other figures appeared on the grassland, which was dyed red by the setting sun.

Judging from their attire, it's clear that this group of people are not ordinary mercenaries, travelers, or adventurers.

This is because they not only wore uniform clothing, but their equipment was also extremely sophisticated. Each person's armor was woven from rare and special metals, combining mobility and defense, and was also enhanced with various magical effects, making its defensive effect even better than full plate armor.

Each person had several bottles of expensive magic potions strapped to their waist, and their weapons and cloaks also exuded magical aura.

Only a nation-level financial strength can support the formation of such a formidable armed force and the maintenance of its long-term operation.

"...We were too late again, and the target escaped!"

One of them sighed in a flat voice, with a hint of disappointment in his tone.

"...There's nothing we can do about it. Our Sunshine Scripture has never had any experience with long-distance tracking missions!"

Another person replied somewhat dejectedly, "...This should be the job of the Wind and Flower Ceremony, shouldn't it?"

—This armed group, which was tailing the Kingdom's warrior captain Gazef, was one of the elite special forces of the Slane Theocracy, the "Six Colors Holy Scripture." Specializing in assault and siege warfare, the "Sunlight Holy Scripture" had long fought on the front lines against alien races, their brutality so extreme it was said to be enough to stop a child from crying at night.

However, the Sunlight Codex's combat missions and training programs have always focused on frontal assaults and fortress sieges. Now, they've been assigned to hunt down Gazef, specifically a small, highly mobile cavalry unit. Naturally, this has resulted in repeated failures, and they've already lost track of him four times.

"...Don't be discouraged, everyone. If we lost, we lost! We'll have plenty of other opportunities!"

Seeing his men looking dejected, Commander Negan Gurid-Luin of the [Sunlight Scripture] had to step forward and encourage them, "...The terrain here isn't particularly advantageous; it's too open on all sides, making it easy for the target to break through! Don't forget, the target of this mission is only Gazef; killing more of the other grunts is pointless! To ensure absolute success, we must have enough patience..."

—In fact, as the commander of the Sunlight Codex, Negan was also feeling somewhat uncomfortable with this unfamiliar type of mission.

This was unavoidable. The two forces within the country, more adept at assassination and pursuit missions, were either engaged in a campaign against the supposedly resurrected Dragon King of Destruction and had no spare capacity to assist their allies, or they were already on a campaign to hunt down the traitor who had stolen the "Priestess Princess's" divine crown and could not possibly come to help with a secondary mission like "hunting down Gazef."

Therefore, even though he was completely unskilled in covert operations and wilderness tracking, Negan had no choice but to grit his teeth and persevere.

"...Has the messenger who contacted the decoy unit at the front returned? Where exactly is Belius's decoy unit now?"

After giving his men some words of encouragement, Negan turned to his adjutant and asked him a question.

"...He's back, sir. But he couldn't make contact with the decoy unit because he made an incredible discovery on the way!"

The adjutant replied with a grave expression, “…Lord Negan! Not far to the northeast, on the grasslands we just passed through not long ago, a palace filled with an evil aura suddenly appeared! We camped there ten days ago, and there was nothing there then!”

“…What?” Negan’s eyes widened. “…Call him here and tell me in detail what happened?”

—With the premature revelation of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, the Battle of Karn Village quickly veered off course completely from the original story…

Chapter 123, The First Battle of a Closed Beta Player

As dawn broke, the first rooster crowed in the quiet village, and then the sounds echoed from one village to another.

The village of Kahn, nestled at the foot of the snow-capped Angelia Mountains, welcomes a new day.

As usual, the first thing 16-year-old village girl Anri Emmert did after getting up was to fetch water from the nearby well.

Like other rural areas, fetching water for each household has always been a daily task for the women or children in that family. Every morning, after Anli and her sister carry buckets back and forth to fill the large water vat, their mother usually has already prepared a simple but heartwarming breakfast, and then the family of four happily gathers around the table to enjoy it together.

However, the situation is slightly different today.

After skillfully drawing up a full bucket of well water, Anli did not turn around and go home, but instead carried the bucket towards the village chief's house.

Because, at this moment, a group of distinguished guests who had just traveled a long way from afar last night and were very generous were staying there.

Although the group of visitors from out of town consisted of strange-looking alien races or "demi-humans" apart from the leading "human female mage (actually a silver dragon)," the villagers, who were ignorant and out of touch with the world, couldn't help but feel a sense of fear from the bottom of their hearts.

However, seeing that the leading female mage was generously paying for the lodging with gold coins, and that the other aliens who came with her were also very friendly, the villagers put aside their hostility and vigilance towards them, regarding them as ordinary guests who could be communicated with and interacted with.

After all, although the villagers had vaguely heard legends about the brutality of the orcs, they had never seen them with their own eyes, let alone experienced them firsthand.

As for the idea of ​​robbing these out-of-town travelers to make a fortune?

Please, there's a mage among them, and that tall orc doesn't look like someone to mess with. Who would dare to be so reckless?

Kahn Village isn't some bandit village; there aren't that many fierce and warlike people there!

These ordinary country folk were already grateful to have parted ways with these tough guys on good terms and even managed to make a little extra money.

In short, according to the village chief, since these guests have paid so much money, Kahn Village should naturally treat them well. In addition to providing them with lodging and food, it is also their duty to send people to fetch water for them to wash up and clean their rooms in the morning.

So, Anli was assigned the task of fetching water for the guests.

However, she was not annoyed by it; on the contrary, she felt a vague excitement and anticipation.

Like most teenagers living in secluded rural areas, Anli was also full of curiosity about the world outside the village.

Having lived here since birth, the monotonous, unchanging rural life, with only the same few people to see and talk to every day, can become tiresome after a while. This is especially true for teenagers whose minds are burgeoning with curiosity.

Therefore, being able to get up close and observe these unfamiliar strangers, and see their clothes and appearances that are so different from the villagers, especially the orcs and magicians that she had only heard of in stories... was a novel experience for Anri, a girl from Kahn Village.

Compared to that, the hardship of fetching a few more buckets of well water and walking a few more steps is really nothing.

—In the late 1990s, there were people in rural China who would travel for a day and a night, crossing mountains and valleys, just to see a movie!

(Even more terrifying is that a young Tibetan man, in order to get some novel little gifts for his sweetheart, actually trekked alone across the Himalayas to Nepal to buy things—since he didn't have foreign currency, he had to work locally to earn money, and finally brought back an Indian statue...)

Besides, seeing how generously the beautiful silver-haired female magician had given the village chief gold coins last night, these outsiders must be quite wealthy. If I behaved more obediently and sweetly later, would I also receive a reward from her?

Hmm, I can forget about gold coins. If I could get a silver coin, no, a few copper coins as a reward, I would be very happy!

Even without a reward, it seems quite nice to hear them tell stories about the outside world!

I wonder what the kingdom where the beastmen live is like? Do they also have villages and cities, nobles and kings like humans?

As the young girl Anli pondered these thoughts, she carried the full bucket of water and walked steadily toward the village chief's house.

Although the wooden bucket filled with well water was heavy, it was nothing to Anli, who was used to housework and farm work.

Her arms, honed from years of farm work, looked very slender, but were actually quite strong, far more muscular than those of city girls.

However, just as Anli was carrying the heavy bucket of water and was about to reach the village chief's house, she heard a strange sound behind her.

She turned her head in confusion, and then in the next instant, her eyes widened in shock.

The bucket she was carrying fell to the ground with a "thud," spilling clear water all over the floor.

Almost in the blink of an eye, dozens of unfamiliar foreign cavalrymen appeared behind the mound outside the village and charged into Kahn village with lightning speed. The village's defenses were so poor that it lacked not only walls and fortresses, but even trenches.

So these cavalrymen charged straight into the center of the village, and before the villagers could react, they kicked open doors and started hacking and slashing everywhere.

Then, the neighing of horses, the wails of people, the clanging of metal, and all sorts of shouts shattered the tranquility of the rural morning.

Some villagers were hacked to death in their sleep, while others struggled to rush out of their houses only to be stabbed to death by other soldiers outside the door.

Everything happened so fast that the villagers of Kahn didn't even have time to resist or escape.

Seeing the bloody tragedy unfold before her eyes, Anli seemed terrified. Her mind couldn't handle the shock, and she stood there dumbfounded outside the village chief's house, trembling violently with fear, completely at a loss for what to do.

Having finally regained her mobility, she instinctively wanted to run home, but suddenly stopped, hesitatingly turning back to look at the village chief's door. It wasn't until she saw a cavalryman raising a short sword, charging menacingly towards her, that Anri snapped out of her daze and made a decision. She turned and rushed to the village chief's door, banging on it loudly, "...My lord mage! Help! A bad guy has broken in and is killing people!"

The next moment, a whoosh of wind whistled past her ears, and the girl Anli stared in disbelief as the tall, burly orc smashed through the window, unarmed and shirtless, leaping straight out of the house and charging headlong towards the armored knight on horseback, shouting, "...Aaaaaah! You sinners, you've come at the perfect time! Taste the invincible iron fist of old Kunka!"

Upon seeing that there were orcs in the village, the cavalrymen opposite seemed to be startled. However, when they saw that the orc was not only unarmed but also naked, they relaxed, revealed a mocking smile, and raised their swords to stab him.

However, Old Kunka, who was using the tiger-man template, simply sidestepped and dodged the blade. Then, he swung his fist, which was as big as a casserole dish, and smashed it hard into the chest of the warhorse. The knight and his horse were sent flying backward, knocking several soldiers on the road behind them to the ground.

Seeing the situation reverse in an instant, the girl Anli was stunned and didn't know what to say.

Immediately afterward, the beautiful silver-haired female mage calmly walked out of the house and asked the still dazed girl, Anli, in a flat tone, "...Little girl, were these armored villains the ones who stormed into your village and killed people?"

"...Ah, yes, it's these bastards! My lord mage, please save us!" Anri pleaded hastily.

"...Don't worry, I'll beat these bad guys up! You should find a safe place to hide first!"

As the silver dragon Lulutia gently comforted him, she casually flicked her finger, and two enormous fireballs rained down from the sky, burning the unfortunate cavalryman who had just been punched away by Kunka, along with several soldiers trapped underneath, to ashes...

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

"...Ah! A monster! There's a monster!"

"...This orc is incredibly strong!"

"...Archers! Where are the archers? Fire the arrows—BOOM!!"

"...Damn it, there's a mage on the other side! Where did these adventurers come from?"

"...Help! My leg! My leg... Ah—"