The central market of Tepno buzzed with life, horse-drawn carts clattering through the throng of shouting voices. Dust swirled across the grimy ground as old farmers hefted their loads, weaving through the streets. Vendors of every kind hollered themselves hoarse, hawking their wares. Stalls lined the streets from end to end, their colorful goods dazzling the eye.
A peculiar band of adventurers threaded through the market, pausing now and then to browse the stalls. Leading the pack was a short-haired girl in black, her face stern and somber, a massive giant sword strapped to her back, looking wildly out of place on her slight frame. Beside her strode a tall, burly middle-aged man, a longsword at his hip, his sharp eyes and steady gait marking him as a seasoned adventurer.
Trailing them was a young man with a bow slung over his shoulder, his cheerful demeanor lighting up the group. He tossed out witty quips now and then, stealing glances at the cleric girl beside him. The pretty cleric, dressed in a striking white cleric's uniform, held the hands of two adorable blonde girls—twins so identical they could've been carved from the same mold.
"What's this job the princess slipped us under the table?" Barrett tilted his head toward EeDechi, his voice low.
"Someone's plotting to assassinate her, so she wants to hire us for protection," EeDechi replied, strolling through the market with a casual air.
"And you just said yes?"
"Of course I did."
"For gods' sake, could you maybe ask us first?" Barrett rubbed his forehead. "Forget me—did you even check with Sean and Stella? They're from Baharuth. They might not be thrilled about this."
"It's not like it's a bad thing," EeDechi shot Barrett a glance. "Besides, if someone's trying to take out Princess Renner, that sweet girl, I'm not about to stand by and do nothing!"
A horse-drawn cart blocked their path, forcing Barrett to stop. He shook his head. "Sure, Renner's kind-hearted, no question, but she's clearly trying to rope you in to do her bidding. I was at the Adventurer's Guild tavern last night, knocking back a few, and word is the old king's getting on in years. Ever since the crown prince got butchered on the battlefield a few years back, it hit him hard. He's been sick as a dog, barely clinging on. Give it two or three years, and he'll probably kick the bucket.
"The second prince is next in line, no doubt, but Princess Renner's got her fingers in everything. She's got serious sway with the people, and that's a real thorn in the second prince's side. You forgetting already? Just two days ago, some suicide assassin tried to take her out. I'm telling you, this is a mess we don't want to wade into."
The market roared with life, people bustling in every direction. EeDechi glanced around, puzzled. "You're mouthing off about the kingdom's politics, and no knights have dragged you off yet?"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Barrett scratched his head, thrown off. "Adventurers are supposed to steer clear of mainstream conflicts, especially noble power struggles. That's the unwritten rule. Some trouble, once you're in, you can't just walk away from. We should pass on this job."
"I've already sealed the deal with Princess Renner," EeDechi said, waving a hand to shut down the conversation.
"But," Barrett pressed, "we're adventurers who fight monsters, not—"
"She's paying each of us three gold coins a day."
"Well, shit, that's not bad, right? We do the job for a hundred days and bounce. Three months, tops." Barrett shot EeDechi a pleading, almost puppy-dog look.
EeDechi threw a sharp glare at the guy who'd sell his soul for a shiny coin, then turned away, ignoring him. She took a few long strides forward, stopping at a stall piled high with bright red apples, and started picking through them.
Barrett hustled to catch up, switching topics. "So, what'd you talk about with that genius swordsman, Brain? When you two came out of that room, he looked like a ghost—eyes empty, totally shaken, like he'd been strung up and tortured but barely got out alive."
After the last banquet, Brain had been itching to bolt, but EeDechi had stopped him and pulled him aside for a private chat.
EeDechi shook her head lightly. "Brain's a decent guy, just too full of himself. I knocked him down a peg, and he couldn't handle it. He actually thought I was gonna kill him—legs wobbling like jelly. Probably carrying some baggage in that head of his. All I did was ask where he got that fancy blade of his."
The adventurer captain tossed a smooth apple in her hand, her expression unusually serious. In this world, whispers of the "Eight Greed Kings" floated around—a legend half-true, half-myth.
In the tales spun by wandering bards and tavern drunks, the Eight Greed Kings were eight ruthless, godlike fiends who appeared out of nowhere in this world, wielding unmatched power. They rose through fire and blood, conquering every corner of the land and forging a mighty empire that spanned the entire continent.
Vicious and driven by their own selfish desires, they enforced a reign of terror so brutal it left every race trembling at their feet. Countless heroes and warriors rose up to defy the Eight Greed Kings, only to fall one after another, their deaths weaving epic, heart-wrenching sagas.
Undefeated, the Eight Greed Kings found no equal in the world. Yet, legend has it, they turned on each other in a bloody civil war, tearing their empire apart and killing one another off.
In their final act of horror, the Eight Greed Kings unleashed a devastating spell that turned the vast southern forests into a barren desert overnight. It's said their last city lies buried there, along with the wealth they plundered from the world and the power that let them rule it.
But the ruins of the Eight Greed Kings' city are a hellish place, warped by strange, restless magic. Few dare to set foot in that desert.
Brain told EeDechi that the treasured blade he carried was found when he was a young wanderer, training in the martial arts. He'd stumbled across it at a ruin on the desert's edge, a place that looked like an ancient battlefield.
Besides the blade, the ground back then was littered with all sorts of bizarre, oddly shaped items, most of them broken beyond use. Brain had only managed to salvage that one razor-sharp, indestructible katana, which he'd been wielding ever since.
No question about it, the katana didn't belong to this world.
Piecing together the half-true legends and scraps of history, EeDechi could figure out one thing for sure: the Eight Greed Kings weren't born of this world. Just like Ainz Ooal Gown and his Great Tomb of Nazarick, they were players who'd crossed over from some game.
At that thought, EeDechi's already grim expression grew even heavier. She grabbed the apple in her hand, took a big bite, her white teeth sinking into the sweet, juicy flesh, the fresh juice bursting across her tongue.
"Hey! You didn't pay for that!" The bearded apple vendor glared, eyeing the adventurer who'd just chomped into his fruit without a word.
"Oh." EeDechi, still chewing, shot Barrett a blank look.
Barrett sighed, shaking his head, and fished four copper coins from his pocket, handing them to the vendor.
…
Far in the northern reaches, thick, gray clouds loomed heavy. Massive dragon wings unfurled, blotting out the sky. A deep, commanding voice thundered through the air: "Dark elf, you dare enslave my kin!"
Beneath those black wings, a slender figure stood atop a mountain peak, gazing up at the colossal creature above. Her red and blue mismatched eyes gleamed brightly. "It's my loyal buddy, not some slave. How about you? Wanna join my crew? Supreme Overlord Ainz would lose his mind over a real wild dragon!"
The dark elf's tone was light and chipper, not a hint of fear.
Behind her, a massive, docile figure crouched on the mountain's rocky outcrop.
"Pathetic! The might of dragonkind will not be mocked!" The black shape in the sky roared, its maw gaping wide, unleashing a torrent of dragon's breath. The green-scaled beast on the mountaintop spread its wings, its scarlet slit-pupils blazing like lanterns, answering with a wild, defiant roar of its own.
Flames engulfed the sky, a sea of fire scorching the land, the sound of apocalypse echoing endlessly, whispers of destruction tearing the earth apart…