Meanwhile, in the sky above the Great Tomb of Nazarick.
*Swish!*
With a flash of blurred light and shadow, Riezel's figure appeared as he left the Great Tomb of Nazarick.
He glanced at the destroyed surface of the Great Tomb of Nazarick below, noticing that the crystalline phenomenon caused by Fallen Down had become more severe.
After a moment of silence, he turned and left without a shred of hesitation.
As a light breeze swept by and brushed past Riezel's body, it strangely brought peace to his heart. Immersed in nearly two months of intense battles, he finally had a moment to pay attention to other matters.
For example, how his entire body was now a mess, barely covered by a few tattered strips of cloth that struggled to maintain his modesty, leaving him feeling rather chilly.
'If anyone saw me like this right now, they'd definitely be scared off...'
Catching a faint whiff of an unpleasant odor coming from himself, Riezel gave a bitter smile, feeling increasingly uncomfortable.
In the end, Riezel used some magic on himself.
"Oderless."
A faint glow of magical energy flashed over Riezel's body, instantly eliminating the smell emanating from him.
"Clean."
A second glow of magical energy followed, sweeping over Riezel's entire body, wiping away all the dirt, dried blood, and dust clinging to him.
What he used were magic spells that didn't exist in YGGDRASIL but were original magic created by the natives of this world. Both of them were low-tier, 1st-Tier Magic, but for someone who frequently traveled, such life-oriented magic was incredibly convenient.
As for how he learned them, it was because he had taken the opportunity to learn them from some colleagues in the Adventurer's Guild.
Thanks to these two magic spells, the stench and grime on his body disappeared, the bloodstains were cleared, and his skin became clean once more.
Next, he used Decomposition Magic to disintegrate the tattered strips of cloth on his body before using another magic spell.
"Create Greater Item."
In an instant, a set of clothes conjured through magic appeared on Riezel's body, equipping him in the blink of an eye.
Only now did he fully look like a proper person again, restoring his original appearance as a mysterious and handsome young man.
"Lord Brynhart!"
"Sir Brynhart!"
Just as Riezel finished restoring his appearance, a few voices called out to him from the ground below, reaching his ears.
He focused his gaze and saw a group of people, fully armed, standing at the edge of a vast forest on the grassland, waving at him enthusiastically—they were none other than the members of Blue Roses and Brain.
'They didn't leave? Have they been hanging around nearby this entire time?'
Riezel thought in surprise as he saw the group below before flying toward them the next moment.
"Lord Brynhart!"
"Sir Brynhart!"
As Riezel descended, Brain, Lakyus, and the other members of Blue Roses immediately rushed toward him with overwhelming excitement—especially Brain, who looked extremely overjoyed.
"I knew it, Lord Brynhart would surely make it out of those monsters' lair!"
Brain sounded exceptionally excited, as if Riezel's safe return gave him immense encouragement and comfort, causing his entire body to tremble slightly.
"It's amazing you managed to get out of a place like that..."
Even Evileye, after carefully observing Riezel for a moment, let out a voice that seemed to carry both amazement and admiration.
"Y-You're okay, right, Sir Brynhart?"
Lakyus, who was rarely flustered, looked visibly shaken as she asked Riezel—there was a mix of shame and guilt in her expression.
As for Gagaran, Tia, and Tina, the three let out a collective sigh of relief as if a heavy burden pressing on their hearts had finally been lifted—they not only seemed excited but also wore expressions of reassurance.
Seeing them like this, Riezel scratched his cheek before speaking up.
"Looks like I made you all worry, huh? My bad. Well, as you can see, I'm in one piece."
At least now, he was indeed okay.
As for the injuries he had sustained during the fierce battle on the 8th Floor of the Great Tomb of Nazarick and how many times he had lost limbs or come close to death, only Riezel himself knew the full story.
Brain, along with the members of Blue Roses, checked on Riezel's condition with great concern one after another, and only after confirming that he was indeed in good health and entirely unharmed did they finally put their minds at ease.
In the next moment, Lakyus stepped forward, giving Riezel a deep bow.
"Sir Brynhart, this time, we owe you everything." Lakyus said solemnly, her tone filled with both sincerity and respect. "If not for your intervention, we might have faced the worst possible outcome. On behalf of Blue Roses, I extend our deepest gratitude to you."
Seeing this, the other members of Blue Roses standing behind her also bowed to Riezel.
Even Evileye, who usually carried an air of aloofness, seemed genuinely convinced of Riezel's strength this time, as proven by her current attitude, which was more respectful than ever, giving him a deep bow like her companions.
"Seriously, if it weren't for Lord Brynhart, I surely wouldn't have made it out alive." Brain added with a wry smile, expressing his gratitude as well.
"It was no big deal." Riezel replied casually, shaking his head. "Anyway, I didn't come here just to save you. Even if you hadn't been involved, I would've ended up here eventually."
Naturally, this wasn't a false display of humility or an attempt to downplay his role, but simply the truth. Lakyus and the others didn't catch this underlying meaning, but even if they had, it wouldn't have changed their feelings.
"No matter what, it's thanks to Sir Brynhart that we were saved. Please, allow us to express our gratitude."
Lakyus spoke with a warm smile before quickly suppressing it and taking on a more serious expression.
"If it hadn't been for this encounter, we might never have known, until our deaths, that such a group of terrifying monsters existed in this world."
Her words cast a heavy shadow over the atmosphere, leaving everyone present with a sense of dread.
Because of this experience, they now fully understood the existence of the Great Tomb of Nazarick and, even more terrifying, the overwhelming power of beings like Ainz and the Guardians, which made their mood turn grim.
Just the thought of creatures like Shalltear gathering in groups on this vast, desolate grassland, forming an organization, sent chills down their spines.
Not to mention Brain, Lakyus, and the others—even Evileye couldn't help but feel a shiver run through her.
As someone who was once known as the legendary vampire Landfall, an undead who had lived for over two centuries, Evileye was certain of one thing—things were far worse than they had imagined.
"They're certainly enemies far more terrifying than even the Demon Gods. If they become active, not only could they bring back the same chaos caused by the Demon Gods two hundred years ago, but they could also reignite the same world war from five hundred years ago—the one between the Eight Greed Kings and the continent's various races."
Evileye's words made everyone feel a heavy weight in their hearts, almost as if they were facing the end of the world.
Even Lakyus seemed to revert to a simple, ordinary nineteen-year-old girl at this moment, looking especially fragile, powerless, her face full of confusion.
Seeing Lakyus and the others like this, Riezel silently mourned for them for a moment.
It couldn't be helped.
For the natives of this world, encountering a monstrous group like the Great Tomb of Nazarick was truly a disaster.
However—
"You don't need to worry too much." Riezel chimed in, calming everyone down. "While I can't guarantee everything will be fine, I've already made an agreement with the leader of those monsters. Moving forward, they shouldn't target humans too aggressively."
As soon as everyone heard this, their hearts stirred.
"An agreement?" Lakyus couldn't help but ask. "Those terrifying monsters made such an agreement?"
"Yeah..." Riezel nodded calmly. "Don't think of them as invincible, terrifying monsters. They've also got things they want to protect and don't want to suffer irreparable damage, so as long as we can pose enough threat to them, we should be able to negotiate a bit."
Upon hearing this, everyone exchanged glances.
"I feel like the one who could pull something like that off is probably only Lord Brynhart..." Brain said bitterly.
Everyone nodded in unison, casting respectful and admiring looks at Riezel.
"If that's the case, then it shouldn't get too bad..." Lakyus said, feeling a little more hopeful. "Sir Brynhart, what do you think we should do next?"
"Hmm? Why are you asking me?" Riezel raised an eyebrow and asked back.
Needless to say, his current stance was quite ambiguous.
Even though he had helped innocent people for the sake of the human race, he, in fact, hadn't fully sided with them and was more like a half-outsider.
Given this, what Ainz had said before was actually quite true.
Riezel wasn't some saint who hated evil with all his heart, nor was he someone who thought all humans were worth saving, nor did he intend to become some hero of his race. Unless something truly unbearable was happening in front of him, he actually preferred to watch the actions of the Great Tomb of Nazarick from a distance.
If this world were like the world of Demon Slayer, where all the humans united against the atrocities of demons, Riezel wouldn't mind stepping in to help.
However, just look at the humans in this world—what were they like?
For example, the Slane Theocracy was a typical human supremacist country that would sacrifice everything for the survival of the human race, not just voluntarily but forcefully. As long as their goal was achieved, they wouldn't hesitate to slaughter their own kind, as proven by the merciless massacres in Carne Village.
They also treated all non-human races as enemies, even seeing them as dirty monsters that hindered the human race. While the Re-Estize Kingdom had already abolished slavery, the Slane Theocracy still enslaved demi-humans like elves, freely abusing them.
From these signs alone, one could tell how highly they held themselves.
As for the Re-Estize Kingdom, there was even less to be said.
Not only was the royal family practically useless, but the nobles were so corrupt it was unbearable, treating the safety of their own kingdom like it was nothing as they focused only on their internal struggles and mercilessly exploited their own people.
Understanding this situation, Riezel was immediately put off from helping them resist the Great Tomb of Nazarick.
Of course, unless it was like that time in the royal capital, where disaster struck right in front of him and innocent people were suffering before his eyes, Riezel would basically not care about the survival of the Re-Estize Kingdom or the Slane Theocracy.
All things considered, asking Riezel for his opinion on this was a mistake.
Not to mention, Riezel didn't have much time left in this world.
As a result—
"You guys should figure this out yourselves."
With a nonchalant expression, Riezel spoke straightforwardly.
"I'm not getting involved."