Chapter 23 The Four Knights of the Empire

A young man with luxurious attire and handsome features, Emperor Jircniv Rune Farlord El Nix of the Baharuth Empire, strolled leisurely down the corridor. Reports had already been received of intruders breaching the palace, but Emperor Jircniv paid no attention to it.

In this world, the only people who could pose a threat to the heavily guarded imperial palace were the strong individuals from the Sorcerer Kingdom. If someone from the Sorcerer Kingdom were to come, he wouldn't need to resist at all; he would simply submit to their power.

The nightmare-like day still vividly replayed in his mind. Twin dark elves descended from the sky on a dragon, unleashing high-tier earth magic to annihilate the fully armed knights within the palace, revealing for the first time the terrifying power of the Sorcerer Kingdom, also known as the Great Tomb of Nazarick.

After that day, events spiraled uncontrollably into the darkest abyss.

The royal family was invited by Ainz Ooal Gown to visit the Great Tomb of Nazarick.

The Empire's most trusted court mage, Fluder Paradyne, defected from the Empire and joined the Sorcerer Kingdom.

Ainz Ooal Gown used an unheard-of super-tier magic to obliterate tens of thousands of troops from the Re-Estize Kingdom.

Ainz Ooal Gown fought the Martial King and warned the Emperor not to act rashly.

The Baharuth Empire officially declared itself a vassal state of the Sorcerer Kingdom.

Jircniv leaned on the white stone railing of the palace, gazing at the majestic castle, a bitter smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. When he first ascended the throne of the Baharuth Empire, he was full of ambition, wanting to accomplish a great legacy that would be remembered for eternity.

For this, he ruthlessly eliminated many nobles who were blood-related to him to consolidate the power of the royal family. After that, he intended to use the empire's iron cavalry to completely crush the capital of the Empire's archenemy, the Re-Estize Kingdom, then march southward, occupy the lofty Slane Theocracy.

Afterward, he would pacify the surrounding unruly demi-human tribes, expand the territory, and make the Baharuth Empire the most powerful human empire in the world.

But the sudden appearance of the Great Tomb of Nazarick rendered all his plans completely ineffective. Ambition, aspirations, strategies, and lofty ambitions—all became fragile and laughable in the face of absolute power, like sandcastles built by children on the beach.

He longed to end the century-long war with the Re-Estize Kingdom using the knights and magic of the empire, but seeing the main soldiers of the Re-Estize Kingdom fall like harvested straw under the terrifying magic of the Great Demon King Ainz Ooal Gown, he felt no joy, only endless fear.

Since Ainz Ooal Gown could mercilessly extinguish the lives of tens of thousands of people from the Re-Estize Kingdom, he could easily destroy the entire Baharuth Empire.

Information from the intelligence department also mentioned that in the Azerlisia Mountains, seventy thousand Quagoas were slaughtered by Ainz Ooal Gown's subordinates.

Facing such a ruthless demon king, Emperor Jircniv now only wanted to do his best to save the lives of the people of the Baharuth Empire and his own life, and dared not hope for the great accomplishment of expanding the territory. He even lost interest in attacking the severely weakened Re-Estize Kingdom.

The Baharuth Empire and the Re-Estize Kingdom, which had been at war for nearly a hundred years, were nothing more than two trembling little rabbits in the icy winter under the supreme deterrent of Ainz Ooal Gown. If one died, the hunter's arrows would soon point to the other.

Jircniv sighed and stopped thinking about it. Recently, he had become decadent. He used to diligently handle state affairs and avoid women, but now he had begun to indulge in wine and women. When he discovered that all his efforts were in vain, what meaning did his life have besides pleasure?

He pushed open the doors of the main hall of the palace and walked in. Usually, he met ministers and generals here to discuss national affairs and handle government affairs, but now this magnificent palace was empty. Some of the senior ministers had been frightened by Ainz and resigned and returned home. Some probably couldn't stand the emperor's decadence and chose to leave.

No, there was someone in the palace.

Jircniv raised his head and saw a girl in black clothes and black hair, carrying a giant sword on her back, leaning against a pillar, squinting her eyes, nodding off.

Who is this guy? Jircniv frowned. How did the guards let her in? He adjusted his gorgeous headdress and belt, stepped lightly to the girl, and coughed.

The young girl, not very old, was awakened, her eyes blurred as she looked at Emperor Jircniv: "You are..."

Interesting!

A smile played at the corner of Jircniv's mouth. He was a head taller than the girl in front of him, so he looked down at her, smirked, and said:

"What a pure and unpretentious girl. You are the first ordinary girl to see the emperor without kneeling in respect. You really have personality, I like it very much."

The black-haired girl looked a little confused. She tilted her head and thought for a moment, stood up straight, and suddenly reached out and grabbed the exquisite robe collar of the blond man in front of her, lifting him up!

"So," EeDeChi's dark eyes flashed with vigor, devoid of drowsiness, "you're Emperor Jircniv, huh?"

She lifted the struggling handsome man with one hand and threw him onto the magnificent throne in the center of the palace, adorned with pearls and jewels.

"Jircniv Rune Farlord El Nix." Jircniv adjusted his crumpled collar, striving to maintain the dignity of the empire's highest ruler, and said sternly, "I am the emperor of the empire. What do you want? You've committed a... death..."

With a sound of breaking air, EeDeChi drew the long sword she carried behind her back. In an instant, the broad blade crossed beside Emperor Jircniv's ear, and the wild wind of the sword blew his blond hair into disarray, leaving him speechless.

"Your name is too long, I can't remember it. I thought the emperor was an old man? I didn't expect a young hottie, and he's quite fair-skinned too." EeDeChi nodded, patting the emperor's cheek with the broad blade, and said, "Young people are good, young people should listen to advice."

"Your Majesty! The female bandit! Release His Majesty!" Several shouts erupted behind them, and the palace doors were slammed open. EeDeChi turned around to see three knights in finely crafted full-body magic armor, wielding long and heavy swords, charging in.

Two men and one woman, the leader was a burly figure with a golden stubble and heavy armor. They stood in various positions in the spacious palace, blocking EeDeChi's escape route.

Behind them, a team after team of fully armed knights with enchanted full-body armor rushed in, swords, steel spears, and Adamantite tower shields at the ready, forming a fan-shaped encirclement around EeDeChi and the emperor.

EeDeChi's peripheral vision caught sight of Emperor Jircniv heaving a sigh of relief and lying back on the throne's backrest as the three knights charged in.

These three warriors were the most highly regarded by the emperor, the famous Four Knights of the empire! However, one of them had already died, leaving only three now.

"Lightning Bolt" Baziwood Peshmel!

"Fierce Gale" Nimble Arc Dale Anoch!

"Heavy Explosion" Leinas Rockbruise!

Baziwood gripped a giant sword with a wide blade, staring at EeDeChi with a dark expression, "A wanted criminal of the empire, daring to infiltrate the palace! No wonder we couldn't find you. You've already made your way in here."

Nimble, clad in a black cloak, looked somewhat anxious, "This girl has some skills. She's already injured dozens of guards and grand mages in the palace. Just to be safe, let's go together later."

"Calm down, don't act rashly! His Majesty is still in her hands!"

EeDeChi smiled, withdrew the sword from Jircniv's side, and walked towards the tightly guarded encirclement as if taking a leisurely stroll.

Although they didn't know why the female bandit had voluntarily given up the heavyweight hostage of the emperor, the imperial knights still breathed a sigh of relief. The biggest constraint on their combat effectiveness had been voluntarily abandoned by the enemy.

When EeDeChi was at a considerable distance from the emperor, Baziwood shouted, "Attack!"

The three knights unleashed their pre-prepared Martial Arts, like three sharp black streams of light tearing through the air, slashing towards EeDeChi from all directions!