Chapter Ninety One

A week had passed since Rigrit had parted ways with her friend, leaving him to confront the formidable enemy. With each passing day, she couldn't help but wonder about the outcome of that fateful encounter. The once-ambitious hopes of success had crumbled to dust as Nazarick's overwhelming power had obliterated their carefully laid plans.

During this week, Rigrit had journeyed through treacherous and hostile landscapes, driven by the urgent need to distance herself from her relentless pursuers. Her escape had become a desperate race against time and powerful adversaries, her every step fraught with danger.

After an arduous journey through the unforgiving Aetruxeoterra Desert, Rigrit had, at last, arrived in the flourishing nation of the Kreatopia Sultanate. This land was a treasure trove of riches and teemed with diverse humanoid races, prominently featuring the feline cat people and the wily jackal people.

Kreatopia was renowned for its awe-inspiring monuments that adorned its landscape, and its grand capital city was dominated by an enormous pyramid that soared towards the heavens. The bustling ports of this prosperous nation bustled with merchants from far and wide, perpetually engaged in the ebb and flow of commerce. Rigrit, however, had no time for sightseeing or alerting the inhabitants to the imminent threat posed by the encroaching undead presence.

As she reached a port on the western edge of the Sultanate, it was evident that her human appearance didn't raise many eyebrows among the locals, accustomed as they were to the myriad races and visitors frequenting their land for trade and business.

Fortuitously, the port was less crowded than usual due to an ongoing elvish war in the eastern region. Rigrit dismounted her horse and approached a jackal man who stood beside one of the ships.

"Good day, sir. Could you kindly assist me in finding passage on a ship bound for the Xara Republic?" Rigrit inquired respectfully.

The jackal man returned her greeting, albeit with some uncertainty. "Greetings to you as well… human female, I presume? In any case, this ship is scheduled to set sail for the Xara Republic in an hour, but the fare will be double today due to the decreased number of travelers, owing to the ongoing conflict between the Vodarkar Kingdom and the Azaerian Empire."

Rigrit nodded in understanding. "That's acceptable, sir." She handed over a pouch of gold, which the jackal man received with evident satisfaction.

As the hour passed, the ship set sail into the open waters, its course charted for the Xara Republic. Rigrit found herself in a moment of reflection, pondering the path that lay ahead. She was now free from the weighty duty of uniting nations for a cause, and yet, this newfound freedom was tinged with regret. She couldn't help but think of the many nations that had vanished due to her and the Platinum Dragon Lord's actions.

Rigrit couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by the immense power of Ainz Ooal Gown. The root of all the turmoil in her homeland was this insatiable undead king. She pondered the injustice of it all, muttering to herself in her thoughts, "Too strong... Way too strong... Ainz Ooal Gown."

Her voice was filled with despair as she continued, "Just what did we do to deserve such a fate? It's not fair!" It was clear that the overwhelming strength of this undead ruler had taken a heavy toll on her.

In this world, where malevolent monsters could appear out of nowhere and wreak havoc every century, the situation was grim. Rigrit remembered the era of the Demon Gods when heroes had managed to defeat the enemy with the assistance of Tsa and the two outsiders. It was a somber reflection on the past and the current dire circumstances.

Rigrit contemplated the immense power of Ainz Ooal Gown and expressed her desperate hope for a way to defeat him. She mused aloud. "There must be a way to defeat him. But only the future will tell... I myself have to try and survive until that day comes."

Lost in her thoughts, Rigrit suddenly sensed the presence of someone behind her. A chill ran down her spine as she realized she was no longer alone on the deck. Swiftly, she drew her sword, ready to confront the intruder. However, her attempt to strike was met with a powerful counterattack. Her sword was knocked out of her hand and sent flying into the sea.

Panicking, Rigrit turned to find herself surrounded by four dark knights, each concealed beneath a hood. There was no escape, except to leap into the unforgiving waters below.

"You've been following me all this time?" Rigrit quipped, her attempt at humor masking her fear. "At least you could have apprehended me before the wretched desert."

The Nazgul in the middle looked at her with perplexity. Rigrit realized that her casual remark revealed her misunderstanding of the dire situation.

"Arrest?" the Nazgul echoed with confusion.

It was only then that Rigrit grasped the grim truth – her fate had taken a darker turn. Attempting one last defense, she cast a spell, conjuring a bolt of lightning. However, before it could strike, one of the Nazgul moved at inhuman speed, seizing her arms and immobilizing her. They pushed her to the deck, facing the endless expanse of the sea.

"Arrest you?" the lead Nazgul spoke, a sinister glint in his eye. "No, woman. We're not here to arrest you. We're here to execute you."

In that horrifying moment, the once-bold adventurer was now gripped by an overwhelming fear of death.

"Wait!" Rigrit's mind raced for any way to escape her impending doom. "Does Keno know about this crime? She won't be happy if I get murdered…"

But it was too late. The executioner's blade fell, ending her life. Her head, etched with the terror she had felt in her final moments, plummeted into the unforgiving sea. The Nazgul didn't spare her body, casting it into the depths as well. Rigrit, the hero of an age long past, had met her ignoble end, becoming fodder for the creatures of the deep.

"We've completed the task, my Lord," the Nazgul reported back to their master.

Two of the Nazgul entered the ship and approached the room where the jackal captain and his crew awaited, dread filling their hearts.

"Did... Did you kill that human?" the jackal captain ventured to ask, curiosity overcoming his fear.

The Nazgul's response was ominous and foreboding. He carelessly tossed three heavy sacks filled with gleaming gold onto the floor, sending shivers down the spines of the captain and his crew.

"That's none of your concern," the Nazgul replied coldly. The crew's eyes widened as they took in the sight of the mountain of gold before them, leaving them to wonder about the heinous crime that had been committed, and why these mysterious and wealthy monsters had pursued and slain the woman.

"Remember, you've seen nothing. If any of you breathe a word about the woman or us, know that the fate she met will befall all of you," the Nazgul declared.

The jackal captain, drenched in sweat, nodded vehemently, fully aware that there was no room for heroism or defiance in the presence of such terrifying entities.

The two Nazgûls vanished like phantoms, leaving the jackal and his crew to grapple with the terror of that haunting encounter.

"Boss... Did we just witness a murder?" a cat girl among the crew inquired.

"Shut up! We know nothing!" the jackal captain hissed, recalling the stern warning of the mysterious monster.

"Yes, boss!" The crew members nervously agreed, deciding it was in their best interest to remain silent.

At that moment, the jackal captain realized that this vast fortune of gold would make him one of the richest jackal men in the entire Sultanate, but the price for this wealth was a nightmarish encounter with enigmatic and deadly beings.