Chapter 173: The Secret of the Pond

"Cheeko!" EeDechi stared anxiously at the pond, poised on the bank, ready to dive in. "We've got to jump in and save it!"

"Easy there," Barrett said, rubbing his chin. "Cheeko's not some brainless alley cat. Something must've caught its eye. Let's hold off a sec."

On a small boat in the center of Moonstone pond, two villagers dumping yellow sand into the water suddenly freaked out, shouting, "What the hell is that?" and "Some huge-ass fish is chomping on the moonstone!"

The boat crew didn't hesitate—they splashed into the pond, kicking up a spray of glittering water. Taking deep breaths, they dove toward the depths.

Near the shore, a soggy, round head popped up from the water. It cautiously glanced at the boat in the pond's center, then paddled toward the bank with all four limbs.

EeDechi let out a relieved breath. Cheeko was back. The cat hauled itself onto the shore, shaking its head and plump belly to fling off water droplets.

It looked up, catching EeDechi's worried expression, and let out a cheerful "meow" to say it was fine.

"What did you see in the pond?" EeDechi asked, ruffling its head and scratching its still-dripping chin.

Cheeko grabbed a branch from the roadside, clamped it lightly in its teeth, and started scratching words into the sand, one stroke at a time: 

{There's a crystal in the pond, massive and round. I wanted to gobble it up so bad, I dove in and took a bite. That crystal's got some serious mojo—it can turn sand into water.}

A crystal that can turn sand into water. EeDechi nodded slowly, piecing together why the villagers were dumping filthy yellow sand into the pond.

The crystal at the bottom sucked up the grit and oozed out water droplets. This entire Moonstone pond had been formed by that one crystal over the past month.

"How much did you chomp off that crystal?" Barrett asked, eyeing the pissed-off villagers still "fishing" in the pond. Lucky for them, they hadn't clocked that the culprit was a cat, or EeDechi's crew would probably be run out of Moonstone Hollow.

{Just a nibble.} Cheeko scribbled in the sand, squirming like it knew it screwed up.

Barrett erased Cheeko's words with a swipe of his boot and cleared his throat. "Let's just let this slide. Act like nothing happened."

The group headed into Moonstone Hollow. To their surprise, there was an inn there, but it wasn't cheap. In this desolate stretch of desert, Moonstone pond was the only oasis with water, and Moonstone Hollow had built a steady business hosting passing merchant caravans.

Sand churned underfoot, the wind howled, and dust coated the rugged trail. Two adventurers, riding tall on their sturdy horses, approached Moonstone Hollow.

Leading the way was a towering warrior clad in black-and-gold masked helm and pitch-black full plate armor, two massive greatswords strapped to his back. Trailing close behind was a stunning black-haired woman.

Her bangs framed her forehead, and a luxurious crimson cloak draped over her shoulders. Her face was striking, with delicate features that drew hungry stares from men along the road. Women, meanwhile, gawked with envy or jealousy at her beauty.

Her dark eyes were cold as ice, her haughty expression barely concealed. To her, these humans were nothing more than lowly creatures, no different from pebbles kicked aside by her horse's hooves.

Only when speaking to the towering warrior did she drop the arrogance, her face softening into a look of adoration and obedience, bowing to his every command.

Onlookers shifted their envious glances to the warrior in black armor. What kind of powerful, noble man could bring such an icy beauty to her knees?

Riding white steeds, the pair approached Moonstone Hollow with an air of bold confidence, their strength and superiority on full display.

EeDechi stood by Moonstone pond, waiting for Barrett to fill three leather waterskins.

The clatter of heavy hooves echoed as the towering warrior in black armor rounded the corner of a village hut. His red cape billowed, and his gaze, sharp and regal beneath the masked helm, swept the surroundings like a king surveying his domain.

Suddenly, he spotted EeDechi standing bored out of her mind by the pond.

"WELL, HOLY SHIT!"

The imposing warrior staggered, toppling off his horse in a flash. The two massive greatswords strapped to his back crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

"Lord Momon!" The black-haired beauty leapt from her horse, rushing to help the adventurer Momon to his feet.

Her eyes blazed with fury as she glared at the dark figure by the pond. "Who the hell…"

EeDechi tilted her head, giving her a curious look. The black-haired woman felt her heart skip a beat, nearly stopping altogether.

"Lord Momon… Lord Momon… Lord Momon…" Her eyes widened, words slurring as she muttered her master's name under her breath, lost in a daze.

"Nabe, chill! You've got to stay cool!"

Adamantite-level adventurer Momon—or rather, Ainz Ooal Gown—was freaking out. He propped himself up with his sword, scrambling to his feet, and quickly checked his helmet's mask. Confirming it hadn't slipped off, he let out a long sigh of relief.

EeDechi coldly studied the strange pair. They'd been visibly shocked upon seeing her—especially the armored warrior, who was so stunned he'd fallen off his horse.

Activating her Innate Talent, EeDechi glimpsed the Justice Values hovering above their heads. Her brows furrowed deeply, and she barked sharply:

"Hey, you two! Your Justice Values are -500 and -400—pure evil! Just who the hell are you?!"

The three stood locked in a standoff, wind whipping sand across the barren ground. The air crackled with tension, silence hanging heavy as a string of trembling text floated across the sky: 

ゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴ

"We're adventurers. Same as you." Behind his steel mask, Ainz racked his brain before finally spitting out the words. He pulled a gleaming Adamantite badge from his spatial ring, flashing it at EeDechi. 

Nabe hurriedly followed suit, pinning her own Adamantite badge to her chest.

"How do you know I'm an adventurer?" EeDechi snapped, her voice sharp with suspicion.

Ainz forced himself to stay calm. He hadn't expected to run into EeDechi here, of all places.

Bored out of his skull and dodging Albedo's relentless affection, he'd slipped back into his heavy armor, taken up the alias Momon, and resumed playing the adventurer game to boost his rep as Momon. 

Nabe, his loyal sidekick, was none other than the battle maid Narberal in disguise.

The Sorcerer Kingdom's intel had hinted at world-shattering secrets buried in the Eight Greed Kings' desert, so Ainz figured he'd swing by for some adventuring and a bit of swagger. Everything had been smooth sailing—until he stumbled into EeDechi in this backwater village.

Ainz tightened his grip on his sword, his mind racing. EeDechi was supposed to be hiding out in Re-Estize, dodging his carefully laid traps. How the hell did she slip through his net and cross half the world to end up in the Eight Greed Kings' desert?