OVERLORD:The Prince Of Nazarick

The Heroes Return

Shoxe approached Alf, who sported a distinctively polished look, an unusual departure from his regular attire. Alf's hair was meticulously styled, and his posture exuded a newfound confidence. A perpetual grin adorned his face.

"Alf-sama, it seems your journey was quite satisfactory!" Shoxe greeted him with a subdued smile, offering a respectful bow.

"Oh, but of course, my dear Shoxé! One can never complain when basking in the presence of Ainz-sama, the supreme overlord of all!" Alf's voice carried a vibrant energy, each word articulated with meticulous care.

Melerith observed Alf from the doorway, her gaze frozen, not a bead of sweat in motion.

"You're not... Red, you're not supposed to be..."

Alf, who hadn't paid her much attention until then, turned his focus toward Melerith.

"Now, what did I tell you about calling me Red? Be a good girl, Melly, and bring the rat here." His words were delivered at a slower pace, disinterest evident in his gaze.

Without a moment's hesitation, Melerith complied, carrying Erlik's body to him and dropping it to the ground.

"Right, Erlik, guilty of leaking information to a third party and sentenced to die because of it. I've met him twice before," Alf Red recounted the situation.

Melerith's gaze broke off from Alf; it fixated on the ground. Her usual resistance to authority seemed like a past memory in her current demeanour.

"He must've resisted his arrest, hence the bandages and the removed hands. Right, Shoxé?"

"It is as you describe, Alf-sama. We've dealt with him only recently. Had I known you'd be back this soon we would've waited for you to..."

"No need for such things, Shoxé. I ordered you, and you complied. I couldn't have known how long Ainz-sama's task would take. But since I'm here now, I can at least deal with the finalé, dont'cha think?"

As Alf, Shoxe, and Melerith stood above Erlik's unconscious body, they began to hear noises from outside.

Sounds of people, horses and clanking of the garrisons armours, yet they hadn't called for Alf. Well perhaps they had, but they could not find him.

"What on earth could be going on at this hour?" Alf Red spoke up, his hands placed on his hips.

"Shall we go see what it's all about, Alf-sama?"

"We should, but it'd be problematic if The Sleeping Beauty woke up and ran into the sunset. Melly, could you wait here until we learn what the commotion is about?" Alf had a heart-warming smile on his face. Had Shoxe not known what kind of man he is, he would've thought it to be genuine. Alf had to be acting.

As Shoxe and Alf Red approached the city's entrance, they encountered a flurry of activity surrounding the arrival of Polymith Redgrass, marked by his distinguished convoy. The scene hinted at an impending shift in power dynamics, with the city poised between internal strife and external authority. At this moment, Dranox stood at the precipice of change, its fate hanging in the balance as the night watched on, a silent witness to the unfolding events.

In a calculated move, Alf had been strategically avoiding the royal advisor to the queen as part of his intricate power play within the realm.

Under his breath, he whispered words only audible to Shoxe, "And arrives, the long-awaited antagonist of this play." A subtle smile graced Alf's face as he observed Polymith's emergence from his carriage, the red glow of his eyes piercing through the darkness illuminated by surrounding torches. The stage was set, and the characters were aligning for the next act in this unfolding drama.