Sirius had faced death before, both his own and the violent memories of the previous Undead Lord whose body he now occupied. But the moment he sensed the approaching scouts, a cold certainty settled into his bones.
He could not reveal himself.
Not yet. Not to these people and most certainly not to the kingdom that had felled the previous Lich.
And absolutely not to the villagers of Ainz who barely survived their last encounter with that same kingdom.
His power was too raw, too unstable, too terrifying.
If word spread, if even rumors formed... If anyone so much as whispered that the Undying Ruler had returned, it would not be him who paid the price.
It would be them.
The people who summoned him. The people who believed in him. The people who would be blamed for harboring a threat. The villagers of Ainz.
So Sirius made the only choice that protected everyone.
He chose to hide.
"Here," Mira whispered urgently as the three of them raced through the forest, leaves whipping past their faces. "Wear this."
She flung a black robe into his arms.
Sirius touched it and felt nothing.
Literally nothing.
No mana threads and .no enchantment patterns. There was no warmth. Neither was there life.
Just emptiness.
Aria stared at it nervously. "That's… his robe. The previous Sirius. The Undead Lord's ultimate cloak."
Sirius examined the fabric. "What does it do?"
Mira answered as she pulled him deeper into the shadows of the woods.
"It nullifies all external sensing. Magical, spiritual, elemental, and physical. No one can find you. Not even the kingdom's best trackers."
Aria added breathlessly, "It's how the old Lord Sirius stayed hidden for so long. Until… well… until he didn't."
Sirius hesitated only a second before pulling it over his skeletal frame.
The world dimmed.
His presence vanished.
And for the first time, he felt truly invisible.
"Stay behind us," Mira whispered. "Let us handle this."
Sirius nodded. "Be careful. Do not fight unless necessary."
"We won't," Aria said grimly. "We know who they are."
The three slipped back into Ainz, Mira and Aria leading the way while Sirius walked among the shadows like a silent echo of death.
Villagers peeked from their doorways in confusion as Mira shouted.
"Everyone inside! Now! Scouting party incoming!"
Doors slammed shut across the village. Curtains were pulled tight. Mothers dragged children indoors. Chickens scrambled into coops.
Within minutes, only Mira, Aria, and a handful of nervous elders remained in the open square.
Sirius hid behind a collapsed hut, invisible beneath the robe.
Silence.
Then came the sound they'd heard in the woods.
Hoofbeats.
Armor clanking and voices barking orders.
The scouting party arrived.
The Scouting Party of the Kingdom of Velnor
Six riders, clad in steel armor worn from battle, bearing the symbol of the wolf with broken fangs—the insignia of the very kingdom that once hunted the previous Lich.
Their leader, a tall man with a scar running down his cheek, strode forward with cold authority.
"Village Ainz," he announced. "We detected powerful mana surges in this region. Explain."
A villager elder stepped forward, trembling. "S-sir, we do not know of any surges—"
"Lies." The man raised his voice. "A shockwave was felt in three different patrol sectors. Speak."
Aria stepped forward, wearing her bravest scowl.
"It wasn't us."
The man sneered. "And who might you be, girl?"
"A concerned citizen. One who doesn't appreciate being accused of things we didn't do."
Mira gently nudged her, whispering sharply, "Aria, please, don't provoke..."
But Aria's glare only hardened.
She had always carried a streak of defiance.
Sirius stayed perfectly still, though he could feel tension rising among the scouts.
The scarred commander exhaled sharply. "This village… Ainz. Your people have a history of hiding unlawful magic."
Mira stepped between Aria and the commander. "That history is long gone. No one here practices any forbidden arts. Not since you murdered our ruler."
The commander narrowed his eyes.
"Is that so?"
He walked past Mira and Aria, past the elders, sniffing the air like a predator searching for prey.
Sirius held his invisible breath.
The commander stopped.
Turned.
And stared directly at where Sirius was hiding but saw nothing.
Just shadows and silence. He saw emptiness.
"…Hmph. Perhaps I misjudged," he muttered, stepping back.
Sirius remained perfectly still.
The commander's men spread out, examining houses, barns, and the perimeter of the village.
After several long minutes, the scouts returned and shook their heads.
"No magic traces anywhere," one reported.
"No signs of spellcasters," another echoed.
The commander scowled.
He faced Mira again. "Very well. If you claim ignorance, I cannot prosecute you."
Aria released a breath of relief.
But the commander raised one finger.
"One more matter."
The villagers stiffened.
Sirius sensed Mira's mana spike with fear.
And then he heard it. "We will come again in three months."
Aria froze.
Mira's knees weakened.
Even Sirius felt something inside him go silent.
"For the children," the commander finished casually. "The kingdom's contribution tax."
A dozen villagers gasped. Elders sobbed in despair. Children clung to their parents.
Aria's voice cracked, "You can't—!"
"Silence," the commander ordered. "Spare me your tears. Every village under Velnor jurisdiction must provide children for service. It is the law."
Mira whispered, voice breaking, "You call it service… but we all know what happens to them."
The commander smirked.
"Not my concern."
He mounted his horse.
"Three months," he repeated. "Prepare your tribute. If you fail to comply, your village will burn."
The scouts rode off.
Leaving behind terror and despair.
Leaving behind a village that hadn't even begun to recover from its last tragedy.
When the Scouts Depart
The moment they were out of sight, villagers poured out of their homes, collapsing into tears and frantic chatter.
"Not again…"
"They'll take my son!"
"They can't do this!"
"It's happening all over!"
"We are cursed—absolutely cursed—"
Mira ran to Sirius's hiding place.
"Lord Sirius, did you hear?"
He stepped from the shadows and removed the cloak, revealing himself silently.
"Yes."
Aria's expression hardened into anger. "We should fight them."
"We cannot," Sirius said immediately.
"Why not?"
"Because the kingdom sent a scouting party. Not soldiers. If we strike now, they will return with an army and raze the village."
Aria looked like she wanted to argue but she couldn't.
Mira swallowed hard. "Then… then what do we do? In three months… children…"
Sirius raised his gaze toward the sky.
Three months.
Not long enough to rebuild a village.
But long enough to build himself.
He closed his skeletal hands slowly.
"We train," he said. "Day and night. You, me, and Aria. Along with every capable villager."
He turned toward the now-empty road.
"And when the kingdom returns…"
His voice grew cold, sharp, merciless.
"…we will have a welcome prepared for them."