Compared to their first meeting the day before yesterday, the armored knight had removed the metal helmet that covered his entire face.
However, he still wore a half-face mask, and his short black hair swayed gently in the breeze, exuding a cool and aloof aura.
"Hello, Boss of Barren!" Orland greeted the other party warmly, a bright smile on his face.
Lock, riding the low-level rare mount he had summoned with an item, slowly approached, not surprised by the man's arrival.
Seeing that Lock had no intention of responding, Orland didn't mind and continued, "The Bicorn is back. By the way, what kind of strange horse is this of yours? Is it a carnivore or a herbivore?"
Whoosh ~
Hearing Orland's words, the Dragon Blood Bicorn snorted, its hooves gently rising and falling, looking quite angry.
"Good boy, don't get agitated." Lock gently stroked the Bicorn's neck, soothing its displeasure, then warned Orland, "Orland, if you don't want to be trampled into meat paste, you'd best not comment on it casually. It's a high-blooded magical beast, not an ordinary horse."
"I see," Orland nodded in realization. The higher the bloodline, the stronger the magical beast. "No wonder I was so badly beaten by it before."
The Bicorn immediately raised its head, looking down on this weak human. It had just eaten its fill; otherwise, it would definitely teach this fellow a lesson!
Lock dismounted, and Barren stepped forward, taking the Bicorn's reins from his hand and leading it away to settle it.
"Oh, right. Regarding my request to see the Holy Queen, have you received any response after reporting it? When will the people from above arrive?" Lock asked casually.
It had been two days since he arrived at this fortress. He believed the message had already reached the Holy Kingdom's higher-ups, but he didn't know their subsequent reaction.
Ultimately, his current identity was merely that of a somewhat impolite foreign visitor, and it was uncertain whether the Holy Queen would grant him an audience.
Although he could establish contact with the Holy Kingdom through other means, Lock ultimately chose this approach.
For no other reason than to emphasize 'mystery.'
This was not only for the Holy Kingdom to see, but also for the Great Tomb of Nazarick and others who might already be eyeing the Holy Kingdom.
The Kingdom already had a Lock Kote Albert, which caused them to withdraw their tentacles from the Kingdom.
When Zesshi Zetsumei and the others return to the Theocracy after their training in the Sanctuary, the Theocracy will also possess top-tier combat power capable of confronting the Great Tomb.
As for Fluder of the Bahaus Empire, he was already catching up with Catherine's assistance. Even if he couldn't reach that level temporarily, her covert intervention could create the illusion of a level 100 'player' in the Great Tomb.
At that time, with 'players' involved in the three human nations surrounding Nazarick, Ainz and the others would surely become even more apprehensive.
Now, if all of Demiurge's arrangements in the Holy Kingdom were destroyed, the Great Tomb would have no room for further activity.
Moreover, because the Demi-human Tribes had threatened the Holy Kingdom for many years, almost all of its citizens had received military training. If it could be taken, Lock would gain a high-quality source of soldiers.
To avoid revealing his true intentions, he chose to hide his identity when coming to the Holy Kingdom. This was also to establish the reputation of the 'Sanctuary,' because the Holy Kingdom was about to face a nationwide war, which would be the perfect stage for a display.
"...I asked Boss Pavel before, and he said it seems like someone from above has already been sent. You don't need to be too anxious." Orland hesitated for a moment, but ultimately relayed the information to Lock.
It wasn't that he had developed a fondness for Lock's group and considered them friends due to their sparring over the past two days.
Rather, Orland was a little afraid that if they didn't receive news and caused trouble in this fortress, it would result in many soldier casualties and even damage to this stronghold, giving the Demi-human Tribes outside the Great Wall an opportunity.
Ultimately, he was one of the nine colors of the Holy Kingdom. Wasn't it natural for him to consider the Holy Kingdom's interests?
"I hope they hurry up," Lock said indifferently.
Previously, defeating Orland and his companion was merely to give the Holy Queen and her two wings a heads-up so that they wouldn't ignore his existence.
If he spent too much time and still couldn't meet the key figures, he wouldn't be blamed for causing a ruckus.
"Let's not talk about this," Orland seemed to sense the atmosphere was a little tense and immediately changed the subject, "Do you have time now? Can you give me a few pointers?"
Lock glanced at him. Orland's aptitude as a warrior was quite good; what he lacked was his own basic attributes, an inherent weakness in humans.
However, under the current circumstances, Lock did not intend to hastily recruit him, as he was currently a soldier of the Holy Kingdom. Regardless of his own wishes, the timing was not quite right.
Everything would have to wait until after he met the Holy Queen.
"The gap between you and me is too great; a fight would be meaningless." Lock shook his head, refusing. If he were to fight Orland, even without magic, he would need to hold back his strength. He was afraid of accidentally killing him with too much force, so he simply wasn't interested.
Orland smiled helplessly and shrugged. He wasn't surprised by Lock's repeated refusal, as he couldn't destroy a city tower with a single sword strike.
Since the other party was stronger than him, it wasn't an insult.
To find a warrior in the Holy Kingdom comparable to Lock, the only one would likely be the Knight Order Captain. Orland felt that if it were that woman, using the Holy Sword Safalicia, she should also be able to destroy a city tower.
"Orland, your innate ability isn't weak; it just needs a certain external force to unleash it fully." Lock thought for a moment and suggested, "Perhaps you should find a weapon that allows you to utilize your ability fully."
"I know that, but it's not that easy!" Orland said with a wry smile. Although he was given the title of 'nine colors,' he was fundamentally a low-ranking soldier. He didn't have much wealth to hire high-level craftsmen to forge powerful weapons, let alone weapons that could withstand his ability.
Orland could sacrifice his own weapon to unleash a powerful attack with several times the attack power, which is why he often carried multiple weapons.
He had tried using high-level weapons before, but even an enchanted longsword could only last a little longer and would still quickly be destroyed after he activated his ability.
Lock patted his shoulder, a slight smile on his lips, "Don't worry, you'll find it eventually."
Once you become my subordinate, let alone a Divine-grade weapon, even a Holy Relic-grade longsword will be enough for you for a very long time!
Orland, of course, didn't know Lock's inner thoughts and only took it as comfort. "Then I'll take your auspicious words. If I could truly have such a weapon, perhaps I could also defeat the 'Tyrant King' of the Abelion Hills."
Orland had once fought this demihuman race but was ultimately defeated when his weapon was destroyed. Not only did his ability severely wear down weapons, but the opponent was also a master at destroying weapons, and his eight spare weapons were completely insufficient!
If he could solve this problem, perhaps he could redeem himself.
Lock smiled noncommittally. The young man's ideals were still too small.
The Abelion Hills, located in the eastern part of the Holy Kingdom, are almost as large as the entire northern Holy Kingdom and are home to many races, primarily demi-humans.
Because there are so many races, they fight each other for survival. Except for the form of 'one as a slave, one as a master,' it is basically impossible for two races to merge.
Among them, powerful races occupy certain areas as territories, dividing the entire Hills into independent territories and making unification essentially impossible.
Of course, perhaps that was only because there wasn't enough powerful strength.
The southwestern part of the Hills, near the plains, was the territory of the demi-human race—the Goatman.
Goatmen look somewhat like upright walking goats, but they are not docile herbivores; they are ferocious carnivorous creatures.
Due to their racial advantages, they possess excellent rock-climbing abilities like goats and long, tough body hair that provides a certain defensive effect against enemy weapons and easily entangles them, reducing their sharpness.
Therefore, in past wars against the Holy Kingdom, Goatmen had repeatedly breached the defenses of city walls and fortresses, making them one of the demi-human races the Kingdom's people least wanted to see.
The leader of this generation of Goatmen was one of the Ten Heroes of the Demi-humans of the Abelion Hills—the Tyrant King Basel.
Most of the Ten Heroes of the Demi-humans were tribal leaders, and all had reached the heroic realm. It could be said that they almost represented all the demi-human races in the entire Abelion Hills.
With such powerful leaders, the Goatmen were also a very powerful race in the Hills, almost unchallenged.
And today, the crude encampment built with various woods, the gathering place of the Goatmen, welcomed a terrifying presence.
"Who are you!?"
A burly Goatman with silver fur looked at the man in front of him with a hint of fear. He held a greatsword in one hand and a shield in the other, and wore many magical items, but this still didn't give him a shred of security.
He was the King of the Goatmen, the Tyrant King Basel!
Standing before him was a man wearing a comical mask and a red suit. If Basel ignored the constantly wagging metal tail behind him, he would almost mistake him for a human.
"Nice to meet you. I am Demon Emperor Jaldabaoth." The man introduced himself to Basel like an elegant gentleman, his gentle tone like a spring breeze, but Basel felt an extreme chill.
At the man's feet lay many of Basel's subordinates, all cut into fragmented pieces. Under that terrifying attack, the Goatmen's proud fur had failed to provide them with any protection.
"Then, I'll get straight to the point. Goatmen, I have come to rule you!"
---
A/N: 40+ Advance Chapter Has Been Uploaded.
Support: patreon.com/Narrator_San