Overlord: I’ve Been Recruiting Followers in Another World

"Lakyus, is that wrong? Or, what hidden secret is there in this matter?"

Not only was King Ramposa III shocked to hear that Princess Renner was involved with Ainz Ooal Gown, but even Gazef Stronoff, who accompanied him, was not entirely convinced.

Ainz Ooal Gown and his organization were evil monsters, while Princess Renner had always been widely known. The two could be said to be black and white, a contrast impossible to reconcile.

Lakyus's face was equally grave, but when faced with Gazef's question, all she could do was shake her head.

"I don't know what truly happened to Renner, but I once heard Ainz Ooal Gown and his subordinates talk about Renner surrendering to them."

"If you want to know the truth, you might have to ask Renner directly."

King Ramposa III and Gazef fell silent.

Lakyus and Princess Renner were close friends, and the accusation was too serious. If it were a lie, it would likely implicate her family, the Alvein Dale Aindra family, so both believed that she wouldn't speak nonsense.

As a father, King Ramposa III naturally refused to accept that his gentle, kind, and intelligent daughter would collude with an inter-racial terrorist organization like the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick.

But now the situation was indeed as Lakyus had said, and Princess Renner had to be found to ascertain the truth.

And there was another matter he had to understand.

After King Ramposa III rested for a moment, he asked Lakyus, "Lakyus, I wonder why that Excellency is paying attention to this matter, and what is his attitude towards Renner?"

"...The cause of the incident must have something to do with me." Lakyus paused for a moment and said, "To attack the Eight Fingers' stronghold, I requested the gods' help. Among the dead in that operation were members of the Church of Destiny."

"Then I learned about that night's battle from Enri. Because I was ambushed by Ainz Ooal Gown, the church lost many guardians. Even... Even the gods suffered losses."

"Perhaps, he is angry about this. As for his attitude towards Renner..."

When it came to that, Lakyus fell silent immediately, seemingly unwilling to release the answer.

"Is that..."

King Ramposa III saw Lakyus's reaction and understood everything. He closed his eyes with difficulty, as if bearing a heavy burden.

After a long wait, the old man opened his eyes again, and a trace of determination flashed in his clouded eyes, as if he had made some important resolution.

His gaze fixed on Lakyus and he said, "Lakyus, please go back and inform His Excellency, I will come to visit you once I am ready."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Lakyus nodded, then turned and walked out of the room.

After she had completely left, King Ramposa III turned to look at Gazef beside him and said, "My Warrior Captain, this meeting might be a bit dangerous. If anything goes wrong, I hope you prioritize your self-preservation and do not act rashly, okay?"

"Your Majesty!? What do you mean by that?"

Gazef suddenly felt that something was wrong with the old king, and said anxiously, "As your guard, my mission is to protect your safety with a shield. Please forgive me for being unable to do this kind of thing that violates the code!"

King Ramposa III couldn't help but feel a sense of relief as he looked at the determined Gazef.

It was truly fortunate that there were some people in the world as loyal, brave, and steadfast as Gazef, and who could earn his own loyalty.

Therefore, I must say this, "My Warrior Captain, if that Excellency truly wishes to take my life, do you possess the ability to protect me?"

"This..."

Gazef's expression froze, and then he slowly fell silent.

Confronted with the King, to whom he was loyal, he couldn't boast that he could do that, for it would be irresponsible.

He couldn't even say something like, "I can't guarantee to keep you safe, but I will certainly die before you."

Because he knew that if it were the person under His Excellency, it would be highly possible for them to manipulate him to kill His Majesty the King.

King Ramposa III also knew that the question he asked was too heavy for Gazef, so he rose from the throne and patted his shoulder.

"My Warrior Captain, I trust your loyalty to me, but since hard work will only make things worse, why not make a trade-off?"

"If something truly happens to me, do not think of avenging me. I hope you can serve the next king well and lead the kingdom towards a better tomorrow. Promise me this request, my Warrior Captain."

Hearing the old king's sincere words and seeing the benevolent smile on his face, Gazef only felt a slight dryness in his throat.

However, in the end, he failed to nod and said, "Your Majesty. You don't need to worry so much. Perhaps this matter is just a misunderstanding. Besides, His Excellency doesn't always blame you, there's truly no need for us to be too pessimistic."

"..."

The old king looked at Gazef in silence, and after a long while, closed his eyes with a gentle smile on his face, "You are right, we haven't had a formal talk yet, it's still too early to say that."

"Go, let's go and meet His Excellency."

As he spoke, the old king walked towards the gate with his own special staff.

Gazef quickly followed.

Looking at his king's back, he silently apologized in his heart.

Even if it was His Majesty's order, when such a dangerous situation occurred, he truly had no way to make his own self-preservation his primary goal, and he would definitely draw his sword towards the enemy as soon as possible.

A few minutes later, the royal carriage sped from the guesthouse towards the luxurious residential area. When King Ramposa III and Gazef arrived at the Church of Destiny's residence, they saw Lakyus already waiting there.

The three of them were in a rather heavy mood, and after nodding to each other in greeting, they went together to the church's underground royal palace meeting hall.

Once again seeing Kael seated on the throne, King Ramposa III bowed politely alongside Gazef and paid his respects.

"Your Excellency, I believe Lakyus has already informed you of the reason why I invited you here, right?"

With a faint smile on his face, Kael asked King Ramposa III in a calm tone.

King Ramposa III nodded, "Under Your Excellency, I already know about that little girl, but I still can't believe she would do such a thing."

"I pity the hearts of old men all over the world."

Kael was not surprised by the old king's words, only a little emotional.

In the original work, King Ramposa III deeply loved his children and also performed such an act: "deliberately transferring his eldest son away from a dangerous battlefield and not wanting him to take risks."

Yet ironically, it was such a father who was eventually killed by his own daughter.

And the one who killed him turned out to be Princess Renner, the Golden Princess of the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick.