Around us the elites and "Wings of the Goddess" were happily disposing of the waves of cursed bronze statues.

Normal adventurers below S rank would have been hard-pressed to do anything, but the people around me were all close to not being human anymore.

A rusty sword flew past me and destroyed the head of an attacking bronze statue - since practicing at the manor, Katiana's accuracy certainly had improved and she only missed every fifth or sixth throw, although it was still a bit off-putting to see swords flying past me.

"Dear husband, would it not be better to save the magic stones inside the statues, instead of smashing them? Bet we could sell them for a nice piece of ka-ching!" [Katiana]

I swung diagonally upwards at the bronze statue that had approached me, bisecting it from right hip up to its left shoulder.

"Normally yes..."

As the upper half of the body fell past me, I sliced the statue's head to destroy its core.

"... but Lichs tend to hide nefarious curses in anything they touch, including any magic stones."

Katiana threw a sword with each hand simultaneously - two more statues lost their heads and thus their magic stones.

"Oh, so Lichs are sort of like evil magic polluters, huh? Well we can't have innocent people get hurt, so I'll do my best to clean up here!" [Katiana]

It took our combined efforts to finish off the just over a hundred bronze statues in twenty minutes - the orange runes no longer glowed, showing that all magic had now been extinguished.

There was a similar set of double doors at this far end of the corridor.

"Hey, we are still on the right path, right?" [Katiana]

I pulled out my mother's "compass" - the arrow pointed through the doors and a bit to the right.

"Yes - looks as if we are."

Without another word Katiana opened both doors - a domed area the size of a small village opened up in front of us.

The "Wings of the Goddess" swarmed around my wife.

"Eh! My Lady, that could have been dangerous - please let us guard you properly!" [Gina, sub-leader of 'Wings of the Goddess']

"Opps, sorry, I got curious!" [Katiana]

Shaking my head, I stepped out past them into the domed area.

"My Lord... it REALLY stinks of undead here... look, there are about twenty tunnels exiting all around us. Bet that is where they will be coming from." [Quania]

"Hm... the 'compass' is pointing across to that tunnel. We will continue, but keep watch everyone."

I walked ahead of the group towards our goal.

"Elites, turtle formation around the maids and our Lady, arms at hand. Quania and those that can, stick to the center, and be ready with undead purification magic." [Leandera of the Ice Blade]

"Bella, check for traps." [Gina la Rose]

"Aye... pardon me!" [Bella]

Bella moved away from the center of the "turtle" and appeared next to me.

"Careful my Lord - even if you are nigh indestructible, the rest of us are not." [Bella]

See? This is indeed a cheeky one!

Bella crouched down and put a hand onto the floor - I could sense her magic spreading in all directions in a sort of spider web.

"And? Anything?"

"Nope, all clear my Lord!" [Bella]

I nodded and proceeded towards the center of the domed cavern - this was definitely constructed, too - the walls were large stone blocks, while the dome far above was red brick.

"Undead - they are pouring out of the tunnels!" [Quania]

And indeed even I could now smell the stench of un-living corpses shambling into the cavern from all sides.

Zombies, mummies, skeletons, and even some things that could only be described as moving muck.

I sensed magic flow around us as various barriers were deployed by the elites.

"My Lady!" [Lucinda]

A scream from the middle of the turtle made my head snap around.

Several floors above where Katiana had been standing a complex magic disc snapped and sparkled in active mana - thick purple squid-like tentacles hung from the orange pulsing disc and having grasped Katiana around the waist was in the process of pulling her up.

The combat maid Lucinda was hanging onto one of Katiana's legs - other maids tried to reach Lucinda but she was already too high.

My body reacted before my brain - I was already running towards the commotion - when I reached the group I jumped and ran across the elites and maids shoulders.

I will have to apologize for any bruising later.

Katiana had already been pulled into the magic circle and vanished - Lucinda's legs were just about to disappear, too.

Just under Lucinda I leapt up and managed to grab one of Lucinda's ankles - my weight was not enough to pull her out and before I knew it, I, too, was pulled up into the summoning circle.

My whole body felt as if it was being twisted inside out - I almost threw up as the vertigo hit me.

Then... darkness.

---

When I finally regained consciousness, I was kneeling on a cold marbled floor.

The next thing I noticed were the various clamps around my neck, arms, and even waist - sturdy chains glowing with orange runes attached to the clamps reached down to the floor all around me.

Ah, no clamps on my legs, well, that was a mistake of whoever tied me up.

I pulled myself up.

Or, rather, tried to.

Huh?

The chains were withstanding me?

And I noticed immediately that my magic was somehow bound.

"Ah, I see you are awake now, little Duke. Had a good sleep?" [Lich]

I was just able to tilt my head a bit up - in front of me down a long hall about eight horse lengths away was a throne.

On it sat a figure in ancient heavily embroidered robes, its voice sounded raspy and thin, and sort of far away as if being transported through a tunnel.

The face was dried and gaunt with pieces of flesh missing - it was no longer obvious if they had been a man or woman.

Countless tubes of various thickness emerged from the figure and vanished into the darkness behind the throne.

"Hm, you are the local Lich."

I pulled on one of the chains attached to my right arm - it made a slight groaning noise, so there was a chance that with time, I could break at least one of its links.

"Yes, I am that now - by the way, those chains are made of a very rare material that is even stronger than star-metal, so don't waste your energy. And it took me several centuries to dip each link in demon blood, so forget about magic, kekekek."

What the Lich didn't think about - chain links are generally made by bending small metal rods - and even if the rod ends are welded together, the original gap is their weak point.

And my test just now proved that I could - eventually - break free.

"And what is it that this Lich wants?"

"Wants? Revenge of course! One of your ancestors forced me to become a Lich - do you think that is fun, being an undead?" [Lich]

If my fingers could reach at least one link of chain, I could force it open - but, no, whoever tied me down considered that option,  huh.

"Which ancestor? I don't recall anyone mentioning a Lich."

"Hah, I wasn't a Lich at that time - and I want revenge on the first Duchess, of course!" [Lich]

Hm, my legs are still free, and the chains were anchored into marble, so a second weak point - if I could kick the closest anchors, I could loosen or even remove them.

"How did you annoy my great-great-etc grandmother? Were you the one who always sung off-key?"

"Tch! No! I was a great singer!" [Lich]

The Lich almost screamed - a very thin and reedy scream.

"So who were you?"

"I am the Lord of all the continent!" [Lich]

I wiggled my left leg a bit - hm, this was going to take a bit of time as my own weight and the pull from the chains anchored into the floor was putting quite the pressure on my knees.

"Was."

"What???" [Lich]

"The continent is split up into many countries, and there are a lot of powerful people out there."

Wiggle wiggle wiggle... ok, got my foot out - almost.

"Tch. Temporary - just a temporary setback! I will retrieve what is mine!" [Lich]

"Well, no-one even remembers your name - I mean, I don't. How are you thinking to get re-elected?"

My foot was clear - now if I could just twist my knee out a bit...

"Fool! There is no space for weak democracy! I and I alone reign supreme with the right of might!" [Lich]

"And... what are your plans for me? You can't kill me, you know."

"Hmph... I noticed, darn it. Neither fire, nor ice, nor drowning, nor blades harm you... very troublesome. But I can keep you chained down for eternity, and now that my demon-blood chains have proven to be effective against you, I can chain all the fools who dare stand against me, mauhauaha... cough cough cough..." [Lich]

There - one more yank, and yes, my knee was up, my left foot flat on the ground - I could now leverage my strength and heave myself up!

"Oh no you don't! You two, keep him down!" [Lich]

From behind me, two massive flesh golems the size of elephants dropped themselves on me - ugh, ok, this will be a bit more difficult now.

"You think I will let you free yourself? Think aga... what???" [Lich]

Just in front and to the left of me a pitch black oval appeared, a bit larger than a typical doorway - I immediately felt a familiar ancient aura, and out stepped a very welcome night-silk robed figure, followed by the strong smell of black liquorice.

The Demon of Blades turned a bit to look down at me as the black oval vanished.

Its right hand jerked up at the elbow - that well known "Thumbs Up!".

"Haha! I suspected you might appear, Demon, if I steal one of your beloved toys!" [Lich]

The air sizzled around the Demon of Blades - hundreds of swords manifested around it - no, from the magic I sensed these were not actual swords, but pure nothingness simply shaped as swords.

With a tiny flick of the Demon's other hand the blades flew towards the far end of the hall, severing many of the tubes attached to the Lich - vicious shiny liquid poured from the cuts spilling onto the floor.

A bathtub full of slime-juice dropped over me, and the weight of the two flesh golems lessened - my chains - and most of my clothes - fell off, melted by the acid.

I stretched and looked behind me - almost reaching the ceiling a slime with hundreds - no maybe thousands of eyes - was slowly stuffing the parts of the flesh golems and the now leftover acid-melted chains that had held me into itself. 

The slime's body absorbed light - the same as Nozomi's skin did.

For some reason at that moment while watching the slime seemingly enjoying its disgusting "snack",  I remembered the chapter on slime reproduction from my great-aunt's book - an older slime with many eyes could split one of its eyes off with some slime material to create a new slime with its own ego, and even some of the skills of its "parent".

It was very probable that Nozomi was the child of this humongous ancient slime behind me - after all my wife was an acquaintance of the Demon of Blades, so this seemed reasonable.

Meanwhile as I was contemplating on these not quite philosophical matters regarding slimes, the Demon of Blades was mercilessly bombarding the Lich with barrage after barrage of non-swords - the Lich was surprisingly holding out quite well.

"Fool Demon! I have enough magic reserves to regenerate thousands of times over! And even now my undead legion is approaching!" [Lich]

I pointed with a thumb behind me at Nozomi's parent.

"You might as well surrender, Lich - we've got a slime that melts undead here with us."

"Even that slime can only eat that many of my army! Some will get through!" [Lich]

I strode forward ignoring the non-swords that hit me from behind every so often, dissolving the last remnants of my slime-dissolved clothing - the Demon's hit and miss aim reminded me of someone's.

When I reached the Lich I stuck my face into its face and stared into its red glowing eyes - there was not much flesh left after being hit by so many of the Demon of Blades'... blades.

"Listen, corpse, I know Lich's are almost the most stubborn of creatures, but are you also the dumbest? Your army won't come - either the slime already got them, or..."

At the other end of the Lich's hall were a pair of massive bronze doors - they were now shaking as something enraged was hammering on them.

And some rather inventive albeit muffled swearing wafted in, each time the doors bucked a bit more.

"Ah, you hear that voice, that is Leandera and she is, shall I say, quite upset at you. I bet it was my elites and the 'Wings of the Goddess' who ended up purging all your undead, actually."

"Fine. I give up, this time! But I won't surrender! This is not my true form! I will still get my revenge!" [Lich]

As evil smoke started pouring out of the corpse's body, I jumped back and shut my eyes before being covered in small pieces of exploding undead.

When I opened my eyes again the bronze doors gave up and crashed inwards - in streamed my elites and the combat maids, surrounded by dust.

The Demon of Blades and the ancient slime were nowhere to be seen - but an unexpected figure stepped out of the shadows next to me and looked me up and down with a grin that turned into a grimace.

"Oy Dukey! Are you still alive - ugh what is that smell?" [Shadow]

Before the elites and maids got closer Shadow handed me a spare cloak, which I threw around myself.

"Lich salad, I think... thanks."

"Um, you can keep that cloak - in fact, once you get clean, just burn it, please." [Shadow]

"Wise decision - Lich gunk is impossible to remove from cloth."

"My Lord! Have you found the Duchess yet?" [Bella]

"And where is Lucinda?" [Gina la Rose]

---