The Strongest Eriri in History

Clem and Brain stood awkwardly on the side, watching Lakyus and the others feast with abandon. Their mouths watered uncontrollably.

With half the seats at the table taken up by children or petite figures, Lakyus and Renner had barely managed to squeeze in. But that was the limit. Clem and Brain, however, were not permitted to join the same table as Eriri.

Eventually, Renner, indulgent toward her loyal "dog," had Clem fetch a smaller, spare table and place it nearby. She filled a few plates with food and set them on the small table for Clem. The arrangement resembled someone feeding a dog.

Clem, however, didn't see it that way. For him, eating food personally served by the princess he admired was a heavenly blessing, filling him with inexpressible joy.

Being the straightforward man he was, Clem invited Brain to share in the rare treat. Soon, the two sat at their own little table, savoring the extraordinary delicacies.

Meanwhile, Eriri and the others paid them no attention. Their discussion naturally drifted toward recent major events.

"Two nights ago, a massive, unknown attack struck the plains near E-Rantel. It completely obliterated several kilometers of land, creating an unimaginably huge crater," Lakyus said, her voice tinged with lingering fear. Then, she turned to Eriri and Arche. "Have you two heard anything about this?"

The destruction Arche had wrought on Nazarick during its annihilation had been apocalyptic. The impact had rippled across the region, startling everyone from the citizens of Carne Village to the adventurers of E-Rantel.

News of the devastation spread quickly. Only the Baharuth Empire, due to internal secrecy, knew the details. Other nations, including the powerful Dragon Lords, remained oblivious to the specifics.

Even the Slane Theocracy had dispatched most of its "Black Scripture" members to investigate the Nazarick ruins, led by their trump card: Certain Death—Antilene Heran Fouche—the extra-seated member of the Black Scripture. Known as humanity's strongest guardian, she could contend with Dragon Lords and defeat some of them while wielding Six Great Gods' artifacts.

The Theocracy's decision to deploy their ultimate weapon underscored how seriously they regarded the incident.

"We know all about it"

"Of course, we know. In fact, no one understands the event better than us," Eriri answered nonchalantly, her tone betraying no urgency.

Arche's actions weren't a closely guarded secret, merely something the Empire had chosen to downplay. There was no harm in revealing the truth to Lakyus and the others.

Eriri had casually demonstrated the ability to annihilate a planet earlier. Compared to that, destroying Nazarick was a trivial matter.

"Really? Do you know who caused it?" Lakyus asked, intrigued and slightly wary.

Meanwhile, Evileye and the rest of Blue Rose—Gagaran, Tia, and Tina—exchanged knowing looks.

"Eriri, was it you?" Gagaran asked bluntly.

Before Eriri could respond, Lakyus chimed in, her eyes wide with curiosity. "Wait, does this mean Eriri is incredibly strong?"

Eriri caught a subtle glint in Renner's golden eyes. Though Renner's outward reaction mimicked Lakyus's surprise, Eriri, with her ability to read minds, saw through the mask. The real Renner—the twisted and scheming "Golden Princess"—was fully exposed to her.

The destruction of Nazarick had severely disrupted Renner's plans. Much of her carefully laid schemes depended on using Nazarick to overthrow the kingdom and escape with her loyal Clem. But with Nazarick's fall, her efforts had been reset to square one.

Eriri found Renner's turmoil amusing. However, she had no intention of exposing the princess's true nature or assisting her. Instead, she was curious to see what Renner would do next, now that her grand plans were in ruins.

"Strong? That's an understatement," Gagaran said with a hint of lingering fear. "Eriri's strength is terrifying."

"Is it really that impressive?" Lakyus asked, her curiosity piqued even further.

This time, Renner tilted her head slightly, addressing Eriri directly. "So, was it truly your doing, Eriri?"

Before Eriri could answer, Arche spoke up casually. "No, it wasn't Eriri. I was the one who did it."

Arche's matter-of-fact tone implied her feat was no more significant than swatting a fly. Indeed, for Arche, obliterating Nazarick had been as simple as casting a casual spell.

Arche's confession left Lakyus and the others stunned.

"Wait, you destroyed that massive area by yourself?" Lakyus asked, wide-eyed.

"Yes," Arche replied with a faint smile. "It wasn't particularly difficult."

Hearing this, Tia and Tina exchanged uneasy glances. Gagaran audibly gulped. For years, they had thought of Arche as an exceptional adventurer—possibly close to their level. Now, the reality of her overwhelming strength shattered their perception.

Meanwhile, Renner's golden eyes betrayed a flicker of calculation as she processed the revelation. For someone like her, whose mind constantly churned through schemes, knowing that a seemingly ordinary woman like Arche held such devastating power was both an opportunity and a threat.

"I see…" Renner murmured. Her calm facade betrayed no emotion, but Eriri could sense the storm of thoughts swirling in her mind.

Eriri chuckled softly, amused by the undercurrents at the table.

"I see… Miss Arche, you truly are incredibly powerful," Renner said after a moment of silence, her expression shifting into one of admiration. Then, her tone grew serious. "Miss Arche, as the Third Princess of Re-Estize Kingdom, I formally extend an invitation for you to join our kingdom. What say you?"

"Apologies, Princess Renner," Arche said, shaking her head.

"I see. I understand." Renner nodded and smiled radiantly. "It's alright. Even if you don't join our kingdom, we're still friends, aren't we?"

Arche simply nodded in response, offering no further explanation. She already knew Renner's true nature through both memory fragments and Eriri's descriptions. However, per Eriri's instructions, she refrained from interfering in Renner's affairs unless necessary.

"Arche, so this is the true extent of your strength? I thought you were only on par with Rigrit," Lakyus said, visibly shaken. She didn't need to witness the event firsthand—the reports from other adventurers painted a vivid enough picture of the scene's sheer magnitude.

She hesitated before continuing. "But… why would you cause such devastation near E-Rantel? Were you testing a new spell?"

This was a question not just on Lakyus's mind but on those of all Blue Rose members present.

"Let me explain," Eriri interjected with a gentle smile, smoothly taking over the conversation. "Lakyus, do you remember that two-person adamantite-ranked adventurer team from E-Rantel?"

"You mean 'Darkness'? The team that stood out during the demon invasion of the capital? That warrior Momon was truly something—defeating demons with just the two of them was extraordinary. It's a pity I never got to meet them. I would've loved to make their acquaintance."

Lakyus's face lit up with admiration at the mention of 'Darkness,' and the other Blue Rose members shared her sentiment.

"What about them? Are you saying 'Darkness' is involved in all this?" Lakyus asked curiously.

"To tell you the truth," Eriri said casually, "the area Arche destroyed two nights ago was the location of a massive underground tomb. Inside were creatures capable of bringing ruin to this world."

"And what does that have to do with 'Darkness'?" Lakyus asked, her confusion evident.

"Oh, everything," Eriri replied with a sly grin. "That warrior you all admire, Momon? He was none other than the ruler of that underground tomb, the Great Tomb of Nazarick. The 'maid' accompanying him was one of his servants. Neither of them was human. And, by the way, the demons that invaded the capital? Those were Momon's subordinates. The entire event was nothing but a self-staged spectacle."

"What?!" Lakyus and the others were visibly stunned. The information Eriri casually divulged was so shocking they struggled to process it.

The hero revered by the capital's people as their savior had been the mastermind behind their suffering?

"And because of various… reasons, Arche ended up clashing with them. Long story short, they're gone now. That's all there is to it," Eriri finished with a dismissive wave.

"Well… that's…" Lakyus's expression twisted into one of helpless disbelief.

Over at the small table behind Renner, Clem's voice trembled as he spoke. "No way… That hero, Lord Momon, was actually behind everything?"

For Clem, this revelation shook the foundation of his beliefs. He had admired Momon greatly for saving the capital, and now learning that it was all a façade was something he struggled to accept.

"Clem, as hard as this is to believe, I think it's true," Brain said with a heavy sigh, patting Clem on the shoulder. "I remember encountering a vampire called Shalltear Bloodfallen during the demon invasion. Back then, I overheard her mention 'that lord.' I'm almost certain she was referring to Momon."

Brain's thoughts wandered to an incident in E-Rantel's outskirts, where Momon had supposedly slain a vampire. That event had occurred near where he himself encountered Shalltear. Reflecting on it now, Brain speculated that the vampire hunt was also staged, another ruse to elevate Momon's reputation.

It took several minutes for Lakyus and the others to recover from their shock. Finally, she broke the silence.

"Eriri, Arche, don't worry—we won't breathe a word of this to anyone. Thank you for trusting us," Lakyus said solemnly, placing a hand over her heart.

"Same here," Gagaran added, nodding vigorously. Tia, Tina, and even Renner followed suit.

If word of this got out, it would undoubtedly attract unwanted attention to Arche. To protect her, Lakyus and the others resolved to keep the truth buried.

"Thank you," Arche said, her tone warm. While she didn't particularly care if the news spread, she appreciated their gesture of goodwill.

After finishing their meal, Renner departed from the adventurer's inn, taking Clem and Brain with her.

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