Considerations

Hades was worried about being surrounded by Momonga and his companions, who were notorious within the game, so he did not immediately go to the village to assess the situation. However, even if he were surrounded, it was not as if he couldn't survive; it would just come at a high price.

He could use one of the World Items—World Will. If he were still in the game, he would have used it without hesitation, but now, he did not intend to use it unless absolutely necessary.

After all, it was a one-time-use item that would disappear and reappear randomly anywhere in the world after being used. If Nazarick happened to obtain it, he would truly be like an old man hanging himself—tired of living.

Facing Hades's question, Nigun's expression froze. His brain raced as he tried to guess the intent behind the inquiry, but no matter how he looked at it, since the man had asked, he likely did not want anything to happen to this village.

Otherwise, why would someone with such immense power care about an unremarkable village for no reason?

Of course, it was also possible that this person was just asking casually and didn't have any deeper thoughts.

Yet, Nigun understood that he was currently at a crossroads in his life; if he made the wrong choice, his life would likely end right here.

"I... I don't know. We are here to hunt down a traitor. We received intelligence that he was here, and the Theocracy sent us," Nigun stammered.

He chose the former, assuming the man did not want the village harmed. The soldiers who had slaughtered the villagers were from the Theocracy, and although they were disguised as Imperial soldiers, he had to distance himself from the act as much as possible.

Hades nodded. From his observations in the sky, this was indeed the case. After the muscular man led his people out, the soldiers who had previously surrounded the village gathered together and lifted the encirclement. This seemed to align with his explanation; they apparently had no designs on the village.

However, just to be safe, he decided to ask a bit more.

Hades continued, "What is your name?"

"I am Nigun. May I ask how to address you, my lord?" Nigun's eyes lit up, and he felt a sense of relief.

"Slane Theocracy, Nigun. What is your rank?" Hades asked next.

"This... I am afraid I cannot answer that." A look of embarrassment appeared on Nigun's face; the Sunlight Scripture was considered a secret unit within the Theocracy.

"Hmm, understood." Hades nodded again. For a military unit, secrecy was indeed necessary. He stared at Nigun from beneath his helmet and said, "Although I do not wish to interfere with your mission, the companions of that Magic Caster will likely arrive here before long. I suggest you leave."

"Uh..." Nigun paused and asked, "I do not wish to pry into your grievances with him, but I am very grateful for your intervention. I wonder if you could do us a favor? I will pay you for your services."

"Do you think I am particularly easy to talk to?" Hades's tone suddenly shifted.

"No, no, no, I didn't think that at all." Nigun waved his hands frantically.

"Then get out of here immediately! I don't have the patience to waste time with you." Hades snapped.

This man was truly dawdling. Momonga's companions could arrive to search the area at any moment, and he did not want to clash directly with the members of Ainz Ooal Gown.

But if he left, the soldiers who had just been fighting Momonga would likely meet a miserable end, and yet this man was still dragging his feet, trying to hire him to run errands.

With the situation in this world still unclear, Hades did not want to be dragged into the disputes of the natives. Although, strictly speaking, he was already involved, he could not afford to get any deeper.

"Right, right, we are leaving now."

Ultimately unable to withstand the threat to his life, Nigun saw that the communication with the stranger had gone well. He suddenly thought of his mission to kill Gazef Stronoff and felt a surge of excitement, wanting to hire the man.

Dealing with one Gazef Stronoff would be a trivial matter for such a powerhouse. Even if the Magic Caster's companions arrived, he and his subordinates would have already left, and besides, he would have this powerhouse here to hold them off.

But Hades's impatient attitude shattered his fantasies, pouring a bucket of cold water over his heart. This was the man who had killed that terrifying Magic Caster; if he were to get angry and attack, they would all die here.

The priority now was to report the mission intelligence to the Theocracy, not to be greedy for merit.

Nigun ordered his men to collect the bodies of their fallen comrades, while Hades stood by, listening to Hanzo's reports to determine his next move.

Because this area had been completely sealed off by magic, if the people from Nazarick wanted to know what had happened here, they would have to come in person.

The area was vast enough to allow Hanzo time to report the enemy's movements and escape, though there was a high probability that Hanzo would be killed by them—but that was unavoidable.

You have to spend money to make money. He needed to figure out the situation regarding Ainz Ooal Gown and determine if any other members besides Momonga had arrived.

This was crucial. Players were not comparable to NPCs; this was a recognized fact in YGGDRASIL. While the NPCs here had gained life, based on the recent battle, Hades still believed they were inferior to players.

At the very least, their equipment was several tiers lower. Even though the NPCs of Nazarick possessed divine-tier items, both he and Hanzo had easily used Time Stop to isolate Albedo and the Elf Twins.

Time resistance was not easily obtained. Based on this alone, NPCs could not compare to players. If another player had been by Momonga's side during this assassination attempt, his strategy would never have succeeded.

Determining how many members of Nazarick had arrived was also for the sake of future planning.

Watching Nigun, who had finished collecting the bodies and was about to leave, Hades suddenly remembered something and called out to him, "Hey, wait a moment."

"My... my lord, is there anything else?" Nigun asked, turning back stiffly. He felt uneasy, wondering if the previous request had offended the man and if he was now coming to settle the score. Some powerhouses had their own pride, like that person from the Theocracy.

How foolish, he thought, regretting his greed for merit.

"I wanted to ask, is there a city nearby? Uh... a city, you understand? A place with a large population," Hades asked.

To avoid implicating the villagers, Hades did not intend to return. Based on his assessment, Momonga might be furious and eager to find out what had happened.

If he entered the village and the villagers saw him, Hades could not guarantee what Momonga might do. Logically, in YGGDRASIL, the goal of Ainz Ooal Gown members in killing was to obtain equipment, and these villagers clearly had no value.

Momonga should have no reason to trouble them. As long as he didn't let the villagers see him, Momonga wouldn't be able to obtain useful information and likely wouldn't do anything to them. This was both to protect the villagers and himself.

He wanted to wait until some time had passed and the situation had cooled down, and after he had learned more about this world, he would return to the village to ask what had happened that day.

After all, that meal had been an act of kindness toward him. If he had been present when disaster struck the village, he would not have stood idly by, but since he hadn't been there, he could only repay them afterward.