Roaring Heroes Battle the Overlord (Ainz)

Chapter 30: The Battle at the Manor

Peyton Manor sprawled wide but felt eerily empty, not a soul in sight.

Past the rusty manor gates stood a small marble castle, its back flanked by a birch grove, leaves nearly gone. Bare branches cradled a few quirky wooden cabins nestled among them.

Late autumn's dry, chilly wind whistled through. The castle's windows were all shut tight, its broad balcony deserted, save for a few black birds perched on the red-tiled roof, croaking hoarsely now and then—a bleak, desolate scene.

This four-story castle, the manor's centerpiece, clearly wasn't built for fending off invaders anymore but served as a cozy retreat for the empire's nobles.

The evil creatures they were tasked to hunt down were, without a doubt, most likely lurking inside.

EeDechi led the way, with Barrett close behind, gripping a small round shield. Stella, clutching her staff, followed, and Sean brought up the rear. The four of them cautiously pushed open a half-ajar oak door and stepped into the castle.

Beyond the door stretched a long corridor, lined with ornate iron doors leading to various rooms. At its end, a spiral stone staircase coiled upward. The place was dead silent, as if no one had ever lived there.

Stella softly chanted a spell, her short magic staff glimmering with interwoven blue and gold light. A faint ripple of magic spread out, enveloping them in a 2nd Tier Divine Magic aura called "Saint's Blessing." This glowing halo dulled the fear humans felt facing undead creatures and boosted their damage against those unholy beasts.

Following EeDechi's orders, she was clad head to toe in chainmail, her soft chestnut hair tied back into a sleek ponytail.

Despite this, the silver orchid hairpin pinned at the end of her hair under the helmet showed her determined effort to maintain her sense of beauty.

Sean gripped a short sword in one hand and a hardwood crossbow in the other, eyes darting around, ready for any sudden trouble. He stuck close to Stella, his stance screaming he'd do whatever it took to keep her safe.

Barrett, shield in his left hand, nudged open a room's door with the short sword in his right, using his small round steel shield for cover as he peered inside.

His usual mid-sized tower shield and giant sword were stashed in his spatial ring. Every seasoned adventurer knew to switch up their gear for the situation. In tight quarters like these, short weapons were the smarter call for whatever might come.

"BANG! "

The three spun around, startled, as their captain, EeDechi, kicked open another door nearby and strode in like she owned the place.

Barrett let out a breath, feeling his attempt at stealth was a wasted effort. He led Sean and Stella into the room to scope it out.

The room was dim, empty, with only a waist-high cabinet against one wall. Its closed doors bore a few dark red bloodstains.

Barrett sniffed lightly. The air carried a faint whiff of blood, laced with a strange rotten stench. He was tempted to crack open the cabinet, curious if some noble's valuables were stashed inside, but in the end, he kept his hands to himself.

Barrett stepped out of the room, glancing at the others. "Looks like nothing's wrong here..."

Before he could finish, all hell broke loose!

With a crack, the cabinet door splintered, wood chips flying as a withered hand shot out. A fanged, ashen-faced figure lunged forward—a vampire! Barrett ducked low, slamming his round shield into the vampire's outstretched hand. Its razor-sharp nails screeched across the steel, sparking wildly.