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Overlord (LN) - Volume 8 - Chapter SS1




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Chapter Sidestory 1

Overlord Volume 8 Side 1 (1/2)

Enri’s Tumultuous and Hectic Days

Retranslated by Nigel
Edited/Proofed by Deus Ex Machina

 

Part 1

 

Enri Emmot rose before the sun came up to make breakfast. She was not as good a cook as her deceased mother, and there was a lot of food to prepare.

 

Counting Nemu, Enri herself and the nineteen Goblins loyal to her, she had to make breakfast for twenty-one people. Cooking for two more on top of those would make twenty-three in total. Preparing that much food was a lot of work, and could be considered a battle in its own right. Enri trembled while looking at the vast quantity of food in front of her and realised that it would all be gone in one meal.

 

“This is nearly six times as much as before…”

 

After taking a deep breath, she rolled up her sleeves, psyched herself up and got to work.

 

She silently sliced up the vegetables, and then the meat. The process was engraved into Enri's mind by now.

 

Although Enri was not especially talented at cooking, the fact that she had learned to cope with such an enormous task in such a short time was a textbook example of how diamonds were made under pressure.

 

Her little sister woke from the sound of Enri making breakfast and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

 

“Morning, onee-chan. Let me help too!”

 

“Morning, Nemu. I'm good over here, but there's still that thing I asked you to help me take care of yesterday…”

 

Unhappiness flashed over Nemu's face for a moment, but in the end, she did not complain, although she did droop her head and reply “...‘Kay” as she obeyed Enri.

 

Enri’s hands stopped.

 

Her heart ached.

 

Nemu was ten years old now, and she had been a lively and spirited girl once. After that incident, the formerly naive and carefree Nemu was now slavishly obedient to her sister, without any of the playfulness or tantrums of children her age. She was a good girl now — so good that it hurt.

 

The smiling faces of her parents appeared in Enri's mind. Although several months had passed, the wounds from that incident had not yet healed.

 

If they had died because of illness, she could have prepared herself for it. If they had died from an accident or a natural disaster, she would not have hated anyone else for it, and maybe she would not have been scarred either. But her parents had been murdered in front of her eyes, and her heart was now filled with resentment. There was no way she could feel otherwise.

 

Enri squeezed her eyes shut. If there was someone nearby, then she could work hard so they would not see her weakness. But when she was by herself, the loneliness reopened the wounds in her heart.

 

“―Isn’t that right?”

 

She still saw her parents' kind smiles floating in the darkness behind her eyes. Even when she opened them, their forms did not fade from her vision. She replayed the tender moments of the past in her mind, over and over again.

 

After that came the maelstrom of black emotions in her heart -- her hatred for the people who had murdered her parents. Driven by them, Enri slammed her cleaver into the meat with all her might, splitting it in half.

 

However, since she used too much force, she also chopped a divot out of the block, which made her furrow her brow in frustration.

 

If the blade gets chipped, it’s going to be hard to fix...… I'm sorry, okaa-san.

 

Enri covered up the hole as she apologized for damaging the cleaver that was her only link to her deceased mother.

 

She gently ran a finger along the edge to make sure it was fine, and at that moment, the door beside her, which led to the living room, opened up.

 

The person who entered was not human, but someone shorter — one of the demihumans commonly known as Goblins.

 

“Morning, Ane-san. Today's my turn to… what's wrong?”

 

The Goblin paused in the middle of a perfect bow to turn concerned eyes to Enri's hands.

 

Enri was a mere village girl, but the Goblins served her without hesitation because she was their summoner.

 

After that incident, when the villagers had wondered if they needed to take shifts standing guard, Enri remembered the horn she had been given and used it to summon the Goblins.

 

The villagers were initially surprised and afraid of the Goblins since they had suddenly appeared out of nowhere, but they calmed down when Enri told them that she had summoned the Goblins with an item from their savior, Ainz Ooal Gown. Needless to say, this was because of the gratitude and trust they felt towards Ainz. Thereafter, the work the Goblins had done was enough for the villagers to put aside their suspicions and welcome them from the depths of their hearts.

 

“Good morning, Kaijali-san, I just used a bit too much force with the cleaver…”

 

Kaijali was one of Enri’s summoned Goblins. He furrowed his brows -- looking like a man-eating bear awakened from his winter hibernation -- and put a concerned expression on his face before looking at Enri.

 

“That's no good, you need to take care of that cleaver. The village doesn't have a blacksmith, so we can't repair our equipment either.”

 

“Is that so…”

 

“Well, it's alright. We'll think of a solution when the time comes.”

 

Kaijali spoke in an earnest, yet cheerful voice while he helped make the breakfast. He drew a smoldering wick from the pot he was holding, and with a practiced manoeuvre, lit the stove. The deft ease with which he turned a faint ember into a roaring blaze was evidence of his skill.

 

But they can't cook… Why is that?

 

Goblins could not prepare even the simplest meals. Since they ate raw meat and vegetables without a complaint, she thought they might like raw food more, but it became clear that they preferred cooked meals ― although they could still stomach raw food without trouble.

 

Is it because summoned beings don’t know how to cook?

 

A mere village girl like herself had no answer to this question, and with that she threw herself into her work once more. Fortunately, the cleaver's edge was still intact.

 

Eventually, breakfast was ready.

 

There were a wider variety of dishes on the table compared to the days when her mother was cooking.

 

For example, there was meat. Although the local rangers often shared their kills in the past, the amount they could bring back was nothing compared to now. The reason why they had so much more meat now was because the villagers had expanded their area of activity.

 

The Great Forest of Tob provided its bounty to them in the form of firewood, food in the form of fruits and wild vegetables, animals for meat and fur, and even medicinal herbs.

 

Although the forest was rightfully regarded as a treasure trove, it was also home to wild beasts and monsters, which could make their way back to the village. As a result, the forest was not a place where the villagers could casually enter. Even the experts like professional hunters were forced to skulk like thieves seeking treasure on the edges of the Wise King of the Forest's territory. However, with the disappearance of the Wise King of the Forest and appearance of the Goblins, the situation had changed radically.

 

The greatest change was that the villagers could now easily enter the forest and harvest its resources. The work of the Goblins, who were strong beings, were a key factor in this; meat, which had previously been hard to obtain, could now be easily acquired, and their tables were decked with fresh fruits and vegetables. As a result, the food situation in the village had dramatically improved.

 

In addition, since the Goblins were Enri's subordinates, they delivered the lion's share of their kills to her home.

 

In addition, one of the newest additions to the village was a ranger who had made contributions to the provisions.

 

She was a woman who used to be an adventurer in E-Rantel. For various reasons, she moved to this village, and was learning the ways of the hunter from the ranger who was living in the village. As she had been a warrior during her adventuring days, her skills with the bow were excellent, and she could bring down even the biggest game with a few arrows. It was partly because of her efforts that the distribution of meat in the village had improved.

 

The improved standard of living brought changes, which were reflected in the villagers' bodies.

 

Enri curled her biceps, flexing her muscles.

 

Her gains were quite impressive.

 

Mm, I feel so pumped~ they’re getting even bigger…

 

The Goblins praised Enri at every opportunity with phrases like “Ane-san's totally ripped!” “Yeah, pump it up again!” “She's too swole to control!” “Aim for a  six-pack!” “Look at how cut she is!”. They most likely meant well, but as a girl, it was difficult to accept such compliments.

 

If I ended up like how the Goblins described, it wouldn't be good…

 

Enri swept the Goblin's idealized final form of herself from her mind, and began serving breakfast.

 

That too was a tedious task. While the Goblins would not quibble over a small difference in portion size, the amount of meat in their soup was a huge issue. Enri ensured that everyone's dishes and bowls had a similar amount  of meat before moving onto the next task.

 

Eventually, breakfast was ready, and sweat dripped from her forehead.

 

“Then, let's call everyone (the Goblins) and Nfirea over~”

 

“Hm, yes~”

 

“I’ll go! Let me do it! I want to do it~”

 

As Enri turned around, she saw Nemu standing behind her with eyes alight.

 

“Have you done your chores?” Her sister nodded by way of reply, and so did Enri. “Really? Then go get Nfi―”

 

“--No! I want to call the Goblins!”

 

Enri had no idea how to answer her little sister's sudden outburst. Kaijali nodded gently to Nemu, presumably indicating that he would entrust her with that task.

 

“I'll leave that to you, then. I'll go get Nfirea.”

 

“That's more like it! A capital idea! Ane-san, let me go with you.”

 

Although this would leave the house empty, it did not bother Enri. After all, there had never been any issues with thieves breaking in before.

 

Together with Kaijali, Enri left the house just after Nemu did.

 

The wind blew on Enri’s face, carrying the scent of grass and warmed by the gentle light of the morning sun. Enri took a deep breath, and when she turned to look at Kaijali, he was breathing in the scent as well. Enri could not help smiling at the sight, and Kaijali scowled, trying to regain his lost dignity with a fierce expression. Perhaps the Enri of the past would have been afraid, but Enri was used to living with the Goblins now, and she knew this was just how he smiled.

 

On this refreshing, cool and clear day, Enri proceeded to the house next to hers.

 

It had been left ownerless from the tragedy that had befallen their village recently, and had become the home of the alchemists from E-Rantel, the Bareares.

 

The house was occupied by two people. One of them was an old woman, the grizzled, experienced herbalist Lizzie Bareare. THe other was her grandson and Enri’s friend, Nfirea Bareare. The two of them spent their days cooped up in the house, processing herbs to make potions and other medicines.

 

Not working closely with other villagers was a good reason to be isolated, and in the worst case scenario, to be kicked out of the village. But it was different for those two.

 

In every village, an apothecary ― someone who could prepare medicines in case of disease or injury ― was indispensable. They could be said to be important enough that the villagers would plead, “you don’t need to do anything except make medicine for us”.

 

This went double for a place like Carne Village, which had no access to priests who could use healing magic.

 

Incidentally, priests would double as the village apothecary in larger villages.

 

Priests would charge an appropriate fee for their healing magic. Or rather, it might be better to say that they would need to charge the fee. If the villagers could not afford to pay, then they would offer up their labour instead. For those who lacked the ability to even do that, the priests would use medicines compounded from herbs, since herbal cures were less expensive than magical healing.

 

One of the Goblins in the village was a cleric, and he could heal minor wounds with ease, but the villagers had come together with the opinion that he should save up his power for an emergency, unless someone was very badly hurt. Not to mention, the cleric’s healing spells were very limited and lacked the ability to heal diseases or neutralize poisons.

 

Therefore, everyone was grateful to the Bareares for the work they did.

 

Even so, the villagers did not dare approach them despite the vital job they performed.

 

The reason for this was abundantly clear as one approached the Bareares’ residence.

 

Enri scrunched up her nose, as did Kaijali -- although the expression looked more evil on his face.

 

An acrid stench wreathed the house which they were approaching. The odor was not actually that awful, though it still made them feel ill. The smell released from crushing up herbs might be off-putting, but ultimately it was only the scent of plants, and was not dangerous in itself.

 

Breathing through her mouth, Enri knocked on the door.

 

She knocked quite a few times, but nobody answered the door. Just when she thought nobody was home, the sound of someone approaching came from the other side. She heard someone hastily fumblong with the lock on the other side, and then the door opened.

 

ー!?

 

She did not want to react with her expression or words, but the smell coming from inside the house was truly unbearable.

 

It was painful.

 

A harsh, stinging pain seared her eyes, nose and mouth. Worse still, the vile stench from inside the house suggested that the miasma around the house was nothing more than what had leaked out from inside.

 

“Good morning, Enri!”

 

Nfirea’s eyes, which were visible from between the gaps in his long hair, were wide open and blood-shot. He must have stayed up all night for alchemical experiments again.

 

She did not want to open her mouth to speak when she was enveloped by the eye-watering odour, but it would be rude not to return a greeting.

 

“G-good morning, Enfi.”

 

She felt her throat dry out as she said that.

 

“Morning, Ani-san.”

 

“Ah, good morning, Kai… Kaijali-san… Huh, it’s morning already? I was working so hard I didn’t notice. Seeing the sun makes me realize how the time just flew by… ahhh, I’ve been doing so many experiments recently, I need to get out of the house.”

 

Nfirea stretched like a cat and yawned.

 

“Looks like you’ve been burning the midnight oil, huh―”

 

Enri was about to add “breakfast’s ready, come over with obaa-sama”, but Nfirea interrupted. Or rather, instead of saying he interrupted her, it might be better to say that she was overwhelmed by his boyish enthusiasm.

 

“It’s amazing, Enri!”

 

Nfirea rushed up to her. His work clothes reeked of that same stinging odor which filled the rest of the house. Although Enri wanted very much to back away from him, she forced herself to endure it, because Nfirea was her dear friend.

 

“What, what happened, Enfi?”

 

“You’ve got to hear this! We finally managed to perfect the procedure for brewing a new type of potion. This is going to change the world! Even though all we did was to mix the herbs that we gathered into the solution, we managed to produce a purple potion!”

 

The only reply he received was a “Huh?”

 

Enri had no idea how this was amazing. Was the potion purple because they infused purple cabbage into it?

 

“And it can cure wounds! The healing speed’s on par with alchemically-refined potions!”

 

Enri raised his hands, showing off his delicate, slender arms that were unmarred by injury. Enri thought, “I have bigger biceps than he does”, but Nfirea didn’t stop there.

 

“Which is to say...!”

 

“Yes, yes, that’s wonderful, tell us about it later.”

 

Kaijali spoke as he took a step forward.

 

“Ani-san here looks like he’s been sleeping too little and partying too hard. Maybe he’s high or something? Ane-san, let me take care of this. Why don’t you go back first?”

 

“Will it be all right?”

 

“Sure it will. I’ll splash some cold water on his face and when he calms down, I’ll bring him over. If you take too long, others will get worried. Say, what about Baa-san?”

 

“Obaa-chan’s still got her head buried in her research… I don’t think she’ll be coming for breakfast. I’m sorry, you went through all this trouble to prepare breakfast for us…”

 

“Ah, don’t worry about it. I was thinking that Lizzie-sama would probably be doing that.”

 

Situations like these had come up quite a few times already, so it was hardly a surprise.

 

“Then, Ane-san, you should head back first.”

 

With that said, there was nothing to do but leave.

 

“Then, I’ll leave him to you.”

 

***

 

As he watched Enri leave, Kaijali turned a cold stare on Nfirea.

 

“The hell were you doing back there? The only time a girl listens to a man talking about what he likes is if she likes the person. If she doesn’t like that person, then that blabbering’s only going to turn her off!”

 

“…I’m sorry, I just thought that since we made that amazing discovery… but it was really amazing! Revolutionary, even!”

 

Kaijali interrupted the motor-mouthed rant with a chopping motion. Clearly, Nfirea had not gotten the message he was trying to convey.

 

“Look, Ani-san. Are you alright with this? You’re in love with Ane-san, aren’t you?”

 

Nfirea replied with an “Mm,” and nodded his head vigorously.

 

“Then you have to make her the most important person in your heart. More important than your potions.”

 

“…I get it. I’ll try.”

 

“Do, or do not. There is no try. You need to win her heart. Me and the rest of the lads will do our best to back you up. Plus, it’s not just us, even imouto-san agreed to help you out. I hope you get yourself together and do your part, Ani-san.”

 

“Mmm…”

 

“If you’re just waiting for her to say “I like you” first, then more likely than not, someone else is going to snatch her away, you know? You’ve got to work up the courage to tell her how you really feel.”

 

That line pierced Nfirea’s heart like a dagger between the ribs.

 

“Still, despite everything I said, looks like you’ve been doing pretty well on that front yourself, Ani-san. Used to be you couldn’t even say a word in front of her. Now you can carry on a normal conversation, right?”

 

“That was because I didn’t have much chance to talk with Enri unless I came around to gather herbs… Now that I’ve moved into the village, I’m around her a lot more.”

 

“That’s it, that’s the spirit. All that’s left is to gather your courage and step up to the plate. Maybe you should show off your strength first. According to the villagers, strong men are still the most attractive. Well, for the forty-nine year old women in the village, anyways.”

 

“I’m not too confident in my arm strength. Maybe I should do more farm work or something?”

 

“Nah, what you should be using is this, Enfi-niisan,” Kaijali spoke while gently tapping his head.

 

“Settle things with this. And then work your magic. If me or one of the lads think you’ve got a chance to score points with her, we’ll pose like this. That’s your cue to say something or act in a way to make her fall in love with you.”

 

Kaijali flexed his arms in a front double bicep curl. They bulged mightily under his skin.

 

“Kinda like that. And if you need a more impressive demonstration…”

 

Next, Kaijali flexed his pectorals with a side chest spread. Although he was quite short, his athletic, muscular body attested to the fact that he was a born warrior.

 

Nfirea wondered Why these poses? However, he could sense Kaijali’s goodwill, so he did not actually ask that question.. Still, there was one question he wanted to ask.

 

“I… I’m curious, why are you guys doing this? I mean, I know you’re Enri’s subordinates and you’re loyal to her, but I don’t understand why you’re helping me.”

 

“Well, that’s simple,” Kaijali replied with an inscrutable expression on his face. In a tone better suited to coaxing little kids to behave, he replied, “That’s because we all want Ane-san to be happy. And from where we’re looking, you fit the bill. So the faster you two get married, the better.”

 

“N-no need for such a rush! T-the two of us can slowly reduce the distance between us, right?”

 

“…That would be too slow. I mean, don’t humans take a long time between getting pregnant and having kids?”

 

Nfirea’s eyes went wide and his face turned pink as the conversation suddenly jumped to pregnancy, the final form of male-female relationships.

 

“T-that would be about nine months?”

 

“Hm, then it would take a really long time for about ten pups ― I mean, ten kids, right?”

 

“Ten?! Isn’t that a bit much?!”

 

Five children were the average for a farming village family. In tough times when it was hard to survive to adulthood, this number would go up. In the city, this number was usually less, with the help of priests to cure diseases or the use of contraceptives.

 

So, a woman giving birth to ten children was not a bit much, it was way too much.

 

“What’re you on about? It’s pretty normal for us Goblins.”

 

“We’re not Goblins!”

 

“Alright, point taken, our races have our differences… but still, you gotta have lots of kids to make Ane-san happy.”

 

“…All right, I can’t deny that she might be happy with a house full of children… but it still seems kind of wrong…”

 

“Really?”

 

Nfirea was at a loss for words as he saw Kaijali looking at him with his head tilted at an angle. But on the whole, he was still grateful for their assistance.

 

“Then, let’s head out, Ani-san. I hope you make a move soon. Although keeping her waiting for too long might cause problems… well, I think a steady, tactical advance on the main objective is a strategy worth pursuing.”

 

“Where did you learn all of this?” Nfirea shook his head. “Oi, Obaa-chan, I’m going to Enri’s for breakfast, what about you?”

 

The reply that came from the house was a refusal to Nfirea’s question.

 

Most likely, she was in the middle of repeating an experiment, and had no time to bother with trivial things such as eating.

 

Nfirea could relate to that feeling.

 

The alchemical tools and other paraphernalia in the house were of an extremely high grade, and they did not know how to use most of them. The maid in the service of the great magic caster Ainz Ooal Gown had brought them over. The two of them had been ordered to use these materials to produce new potions and alchemical items. Oh, and the maid had even brought some sort of legendary herb said to cure all illnesses.

 

When he asked her about the solvents and the proper usage of the instruments, all he got in return was a “figure it out yourself su~”, which did not help things.

 

So, the two of them had foregone food and sleep in their ceaseless quest to learn how to use these devices for experiments. It was a slow process, but they had finally made some progress. Of course, they had made mistakes as well.

 

The past two months had been very busy for Lizzie, of course, but Nfirea was no exception either.

 

The fruits of their labor stood on the table, that bottle of purple potion, which Lizzie examined endlessly and filled Nfirea with excited joy.

 

“I’ll bring back some food, then,” Nfirea spoke as he closed the door behind him. Then, he turned to Kaijali,

 

“Let’s go.”

 

♦ ♦ ♦

 

Although everyone was supposed to eat together, Enri’s house was nowhere near big enough to accommodate them all. As such, they usually ate outside when the weather was good.

 

Because they were outdoors, a certain amount of rowdiness was expected and tolerated. Had they been inside, it might have been unbearable, but even under the present circumstances, the situation had quickly turned aggravating.

 

“That’s why I’m saying, Enri Ane-san is going to be my wife!”

 

“Hey, punk, are you forgetting the agreement we all made not to touch Ane-san?!”

 

“That’s right, if you try and pull a fast one on us then I’ll make my move too!”

 

“You what mate? I was first!”

 

Several Goblins kicked over their chairs as they suddenly stood up, and some even jumped onto the table. Enri swallowed her anger and spoke kindly to them.

 

“Everyone, please settle down.”

 

However, the anger in the Goblins’ eyes had not faded in the slightest.

 

“Just give it up, lads. The victor has already been decided. Behold, this hunk of marvelous, radiant meat!”

 

One of the Goblins, Kuunel, raised up his spoon to prove his point, displaying a piece of meat that onlookers might well have mistaken for a pea. It was nothing more than a tiny bit extra that Enri had missed while portioning out the food to everyone.

 

“I finished my meat, yet there was more at the bottom of the soup! Do you have anything like that? I didn’t think so! This is nothing less than the proof of love!”

 

“You must be kidding me! That’s nothing more than a piece of meat Ane-san mistook for a chunk of vegetable!”

 

“Maybe that’s just wishful thinking on your part? Maybe the “meat” you ate was just potatoes or something, and the actual meat you got was that miniature thing. You’d better watch out, it’s proof that Ane-san doesn’t like you. Plus, my god clearly told me, “You must make Enri happy.”

 

“Isn’t the god you believe in an evil one, Cona?!”

 

Half the Goblins were standing, and the other half were seated and squabbling, fanning the flames of conflict. Even Nemu had somehow joined the agitators. Only a few people were not participating in this battle royale. Those people had their heads lowered to the table, and the most prominent one of them was Nfirea.

 

“…Powdered ruby… arcane feathers… ashwood pestle… mor… mortar… tar… tatas?”

 

Nfirea was muttering to himself as he spooned the food into his mouth, but the food in the spoon did not even reached his mouth before it went back to the bowl. His eyes were hidden by his long hair, but in all likelihood he was walking on the thin line between dreams and reality.

 

“Enfi, are you alright?”

 

The Goblins were still arguing, and although it probably was not safe to leave them alone for too long lest the conflict spiral out of control, Nfirea was really out of it, and she could not ignore him. He was most likely suffering from sleep deprivation, judging by the way he had begun wobbling the moment he sat down, as though he was about to fall over to his side at any moment. When he actually started on breakfast, he looked like one of the undead, completely bereft of life or intelligence.

 

“Ah… don’t… worry… about… me… Enri…hu…”

 

“Hey, Enfi, get it together!”

 

“Besides, weren’t you the one who said ‘Nemu was mai waifu’ and all that earlier?”

 

“That was then, this is now. I only just realised it recently. I used to think since Nemu-san was ten and was about the same height as us, that she was of a marriageable age. But humans… they only consider them adults at fifteen!”

 

“Eh? Is that true….? Ane-san isn’t a species like hob-human??”

 

The Goblins leapt from topic to topic with incomparable speed. Enri wanted to ask them what a ‘hob-human’ was, but before she could open her mouth, the Goblins had already gotten tired of the discussion and started a whole new argument for everyone to participate in.

 

“Ah! You stole my bread!”

 

“My Wolf’s still hungry, don’t be such a tightwad!”

 

“Everyone!”

 

Enri was shouting at this point, but her voice still could not carry over the racket the Goblins were generating. Spoons and plates were flying, while shouts and angry roars rose and fell like waves in a storm-tossed bay. Of course, everything being thrown was empty, because none of the Goblins would even dream of wasting the food Enri made for them. Still, it was utterly inexcusable.

 

Steeling herself, Enri furrowed her brows and took a deep breath.

 

“Don’t Wolves eat meat? Just because you’re higher level than me, don’t go thinking I can’t whup you fist to fist!”

 

“Fist to fist, you say? Since you’re so hungry, how about a knuckle sandwich?”

 

And just as Enri stood up, everyone immediately returned to their seats and calmly resumed their meal as though nothing was wrong.

 

“THAT”S ENOUGH, ALL OF YOU! QUIET DOWN!”

 

Enri’s furious bellow echoed across the silent air above the breakfast table.

 

“Ah…”

 

Surprised, Enri looked all around, but the only thing she could see were the Goblins looking at her with expressions on their faces which said, “We were all quietly having breakfast, is that a problem”, or “being suddenly shouted at for no reason at is really vexing”. After standing silently for a while, she plopped back into her seat, red-faced.

 

“Pfhahahahaha!”

 

The first to break the silence was Nemu. Then, unable to contain herself, Enri followed suit, clutching her stomach as she laughed and then the Goblins joined in as well.

 

That flawless coordination and timing could not have taken place without careful discussion and preparation. It was quite amazing how seriously they had prepared for a prank like this.

 

“Ah, that was just weird. Were you all planning to make fun of me from the start?”

 

Even though she was tearing up because she was laughing too hard, Enri made a show of being angry as she asked them.

 

“Of course, Ane-san. We wouldn’t argue about things like this for real.”

 

“That’s right, Ane-san.”

 

“Yup, yup!”

 

The Goblins bragged without the slightest hint of shame, deflecting Enri’s questions with jovial expressions on their faces. In response, Enri targeted Kaijali, turning a fierce stare on him. Under her stern gaze, Kaijali wilted, averting his eyes as he responded in a small voice that abdicated all responsibility.

 

“You see, how do I say this… we thought you looked a little down,  Ane-san.”

 

Several nearby Goblins shrank away, their heads lowered as they looked around uncomfortably without saying a word.

 

“Everyone―”

 

“That’s because… we’re all your bodyguards,  Ane-san.”

 

“That’s right!”

 

“Yep! Bodyguards!”

 

“We put a lot of thought into our bodyguard entrance pose too.”

 

“That’s right, that’s right. Now, Ane-san and Nemu-san, stand here, in the middle, like this…”

 

“Eh? Me too?”

 

“Of course you do, now, the two of you, raise both your arms like this, that’s right, in a totally cool and awesome way… yes, that’s it!”

 

Even if she gave them the benefit of the doubt, this pose made them look like frogs stretching their arms out to the sky.

 

“Look, I understand your good intentions, and to begin with, you don’t need to be my bodyguards… right, Enfi?”

 

Enri turned her head to her childhood friend sitting beside her for aid, but found that there was nobody there.

 

She had a bad feeling about this, but still shifted her line of sight down just a little bit… and found that Nfirea’s head was resting face down in his bowl of soup.

 

“Enfi!”

 

Enri immediately scooped up the toppled Enfi, crying out as her face turned pale. Cona quickly rushed over, and peeled Nfirea’s eyes open with his fingers.

 

“…He’s just asleep. If you leave him like this until noon, he should be all right.”

 

“Enfi… what am I going to do with you?”

 

Enri was thinking that she should return Nfirea to his own bed. So she hefted him onto her back, and began heading out, leaving behind such conversational gems as “Shouldn’t their positions be reversed normally?” “Nemu-san, you can’t say these things… “ “Ani-san, you…”

 

After the wheat was harvested, the tax collectors would come around the village.

 

Enri was obviously worried about how she was going to explain the presence of the Goblins in the village.

 

Should she say they were summoned beasts, or that they were her henchmen, or maybe she should say…

 

Enri had the feeling that they were always concerned about her.

 

They did not simply concern themselves with protecting her life, they thought about her feelings too. What could she do for these Goblins?

 

What could she do for these rowdy and reliable new members of her family…

 

♦ ♦ ♦

 

Enri bundled up the weeds she had just finished cutting and used the still-clean back of her hand to wipe away the sweat trickling down her neck. The large pile of shredded plant matter gave off the scent of freshly-cut grass.

 

Her body was tired from working long hours in the field and the way her sweat-slicked clothes clung to her body made Enri uncomfortable.

 

To lift her mood, Enri stretched herself out.

 

As she did, her eyes swept across the sprawling fields.

 

The wheat they had planted had grown slowly but steadily, and as the harvest season approached, the wheat would slowly turn golden. Although a wheat field painted gold was a beautiful sight, the weeding work before that was both essential and annoying. If it was not done, the gold color would be very sparsely distributed.

 

Her labour now was entirely for the sake of the harvest to come.

 

She straightened her body to loosen up her stiff muscles, and to let her tightly-wound body relax. The wind felt refreshingly cool on her skin that had been overheated from long hours of field work.

 

The wind also brought the sound of a commotion from the village to her ears.

 

It sounded like something banging on something, and shouts for getting people to combine their strength as one. These were sounds that had never been heard before in the village. At this moment, the village was working to turn all manner of plans and ideas into reality.

 

Of these plans, the ones with the highest priority were the wall surrounding the village, and the construction of the watchtowers. It went without saying that all these projects were intended to turn the village into a fortress.

 

***

 

Carne Village stood at the edge of the Great Forest of Tob, and the forest was the home of many wild beasts; in other words, it was dangerous territory. It would be impossible to live in peace there without the protection of sturdy walls.

 

However, Carne Village was laid out in neat rows of houses radiating from a central square in all directions. Without anything like a wall in place, anyone could easily enter the village. Until recently, the village had been peaceful and the monsters had not entered, even though it was right next to the forest.

 

That was because the mighty creature known as the Wise King of the Forest had continually expanded its territory, and as such, no beast dared move around in the forest near the village. Thus, the village defenses were nigh-impregnable.

 

And then, all this had changed due to human intervention.

 

The knights of the Empire had attacked the village and killed her parents. As a result, nobody in the village held onto the hope that things would go back to the way they used to be.

 

To that end, the leader of the Goblin Troop -- Jugemu -- had proposed the fortification of the village as a countermeasure against such a scenario. Once he mentioned that the Goblins would be unable to protect the village if it was attacked again due to their lack of numbers, the motion immediately received unanimous approval from all parties concerned. This was because even now, many of the villagers still could not forget the nightmare that had taken place.

 

The first step was to dismantle the unoccupied houses and use them to build a wall. Of course, those materials were insufficient on their own, so they would have to enter the forest to cut down trees for lumber. Since entering the forest’s depths might mean trespassing in the Wise King of the Forest’s territory, they had to travel a long way, along the outskirts of the forest.

 

Naturally, the Goblins were the ones who provided security for the wood-cutting villagers.

 

As a result of them taking on that task, the villagers’ wariness of the Goblins had almost completely disappeared. Part of that was because the knights who had attacked them were human, just like themselves. They had tried to kill the villagers despite being members of the same species. In contrast, the Goblins might have been of a different species, but they worked hard for the village under Enri. The decision of which side to trust was no longer one which could be easily settled by deciding along racial lines.

 

And the most important reason was that the Goblins were stronger than anyone else. As warriors they could conduct patrols, and when people were hurt, the Goblin cleric Cona could heal them.

 

It was difficult to despise Goblins like these.

 

In this way, the Goblins managed to establish themselves in the village in just a few short days and quickly became an indispensable part of village life. This could be seen from the house the Goblins lived in; no consideration had been made of the fact that they were from another race, and a large house had been built close to Enri’s own home in the middle of the village.

 

Although the villagers and the Goblins had worked together on the village defense plan, there simply were not enough hands to make the work go quickly. As such, in the beginning they had only built simple fences.

 

As fate would have it, the Wise King of the Forest, who had kept the monsters at bay from the village, became a follower of an amazingly skilled black-armored warrior and abandoned its territory. Although they had managed to complete the fences with great effort, the villagers could not take joy in their accomplishment, but instead sighed about their rotten luck.

 

However, a sturdy wall now defended the village.

 

All this was thanks to the Stone Golems which the beautiful maid who served the village’s savior ― Ainz Ooal Gown ― had brought with her.

 

Golems were inexhaustible constructs; when given an order they would silently execute it, and their strength far outstripped that of a human being. Although their lack of dexterity meant that they could not perform certain tasks which required precision, their participation in the work had enabled it to proceed with an unbelievable speed. With the effort of the unsleeping and untiring stone golems, the construction of the wall practically flew along.

 

They could accomplish the tasks which the villagers and Goblins could not, such as chopping down trees and transporting them in large quantities, digging pits, or laying the foundations for the walls. What should have taken years to accomplish in theory had instead been finished in a matter of days, and the constructed wall was even bigger and sturdier than expected.

 

They had not just aided in building the walls either; even the construction of the watchtowers had been sped up. Their current task was to complete the watchtowers on the eastern and western flanks of the village.

 

“Ane-san, I’m done here.”

 

Enri’s thoughts were interrupted by the Goblin assisting her in the weeding, a Goblin called Paipo.

 

“Ah, thank you.”

 

“No, no, it’s nothing you should thank me for, Ane-san.”

 

Although Paipo waved his dirt and grass-stained hands to ward off Enri’s thanks, Enri still felt that she owed the Goblins a debt that could never be repaid.

 

After losing her parents, Enri was in a dire situation, where tending her family’s plot by herself would be impossible. She wanted to ask the other villagers for help, but given the overall lack of manpower in the village, it was already hard enough for every household to take care of their own crops. With the help of the Goblins, that problem was easily resolved. In addition, she was hardly the only one the Goblins had helped.

 

Turning to the direction from which her name was called, Enri saw a plump woman standing by a field. Beside her was a Goblin.

 

“Thank you so much, Enri-chan. Because of Goblin-san’s help, the field work’s almost done.”

 

“Really? That’s wonderful. It was their idea to help out with the village chores, so if you want to thank someone, you should thank them directly.”

 

“Ah, I’ve already thanked Goblin-san. He said that he was only your subordinate, so he hoped that I would thank Ane-san as well.”

 

Hearing the word “Ane-san” made Enri furrow her brows, which she quickly covered up with a bitter smile.

 

The Goblins themselves had suggested that they should help the households who had lost farmhands in the attack, and the woman before her was one of those people.

 

There was no way the villagers would shun the contributions of the Goblins. Carne Village thought so well of the Goblins that it was quite common to hear people say that Goblins were better neighbors than humans,

 

“Speaking of which, are the other Goblin-sans around? I wanted to treat everyone to a meal as thanks.”

 

“The others should be patrolling the village or helping the people who just moved into the village. But I’ll pass the message on to them, obaa-san.”

 

“Then I’ll leave that to you, Enri-chan. When the time comes, I’ll make sure everyone gets to enjoy a feast made with all my skill. In the meantime, I think I’ll make lunch for this Goblin-san first.”

 

“Really? Then, since I’ve been invited, it would be rude to refuse. Ane-san, sorry I can’t join you, but I’ll be having lunch at Morga-san’s place.”

 

Enri nodded, and the woman headed back to the village with the Goblin in tow.

 

“It would be nice if the newly-arrived people realised that you guys aren’t bad sorts.”

 

“Well, a lot of them didn’t look happy to see us. After all, in their hearts we should be the enemy.”

 

“Most pioneer villages other than ours would treat Goblins as the enemy, right…”

 

“That’s why we sent so many people to help the villagers with their work. It’s not easy.”

 

“But, but we’ve cleared up a fair bit of their suspicions. I just saw how they can greet you normally.”

 

“Well, quite a few of these people remember how their family members were attacked and killed. Or no, the memories they bear might be even heavier than that.”

 

Although Carne Village had been devastated by the attack, about half of the villagers managed to survive. On the other hand, the other villages which had been attacked by knights had lost most of their people.

 

When Carne Village began taking in immigrants, many of the ones who came were survivors of those villages.

 

The two of them fell silent.

 

Enri stretched her back once more and looked to the sky. Although the lunch bell had not rung yet, it seemed like it was about time. They had worked enough of the field to take a break as well.

 

“Then, shall we have lunch?”

 

Despite his smashed-looking face, Paipo managed what was instantly recognizable as a smile.

 

“That would be great, your meals are always delicious, Ane-san.”

 

“Oh, they’re not that great,” Enri replied, slightly embarrassed.

 

“No, no, I’m serious. Helping you in the fields is one of the most hotly contested positions among ourselves. That’s because we get to eat your delicious lunches, Ane-san.”

 

“Ahaha, then should I make lunch for everyone as well? Like how we handle breakfast?”

 

There were quite a few reasons why it would be hard to do so. For instance, there was a difference between lunch for three and lunch for twenty. Just slicing the vegetables would be a chore in itself. In addition, she had to make sure everyone had sufficient portions, which would be a tiring task. That said, in comparison to the amount of hard work the Goblins had put in and the praise they had received in turn, it was nothing at all.

 

“Oh, no, we couldn’t impose on you like that. Plus, enjoying your handmade lunch is something like a bonus for the one who wins the right to help you, Ane-san.”

 

Enri could only return a troubled smile to the diminutive demihuman’s beaming face. Although she knew the Goblins decided who would take the job via rock-scissors-paper, Enri did not know if she was cooking something that actually deserved all that praise.

 

“Then, shall we go back and eat?”

 

“Sounds great…”

 

Paipo’s words cut off halfway as he looked to the distance with his keen eyes. With a deep breath, the formerly relaxed and cheerful little demihuman became a veteran warrior in an instant. Enri followed Paipo’s eyesight into the distance.

 

They saw a Goblin riding a black wolf. They seemed to glide across the plain as they approached the village at high speed.

 

“It’s Kyumei-san…”

 

Among the Goblin Troop that Enri had summoned, there were 12 level 8 Goblins, two level 10 Goblin Archers, one level 10 Goblin Mage, one level 10 Goblin Cleric, two level 10 Goblin Riders and one level 12 Goblin Leader, for a total of 19 Goblins.

 

Kaijali from this morning and Paipo who had helped with the chores were level 8, while Kyumei, who was moutned on a black Wolf, wearing leather armor and carrying a lance, was a level 10 Goblin Rider.

 

The Goblin Riders’ job was to patrol the plains and act as scouts. The riders periodically returning to the village to deliver reports was a common sight.

 

”…Looks like it.”

 

However, Paipo’s tone was very somber. It made her think that something bad had happened.

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

“…He’s back a little early. He should have been prowling the forest today… did something happen?”

 

After hearing Paipo’s explanation, a surge of unease rose in Enri’s heart, and she feared that some bloody disaster awaited them.

 

While the two of them waited in silence, the large Wolf which  rode on arrived in front of Enri. From its rapid breathing, she could guess how much of a hurry he had been to get back here.

 

“What’s the matter?”

 

Hearing Paipo’s question, Kyumei bowed to Enri from on top of his wolf while replying, “Something’s happened in the forest.”

 

“…what?”

 

“I’m not too sure, but I think it’s like before. A whole bunch of unknown guys are moving towards the north.”

 

“Are they knights?”

 

Enri unwittingly interrupted the two of them. Even though she was powerless to change anything, she still could not ignore the conversation. She still could not forget her fear when the village had been attacked.

 

The “whole lot of unknown guys heading north” they talked about referred to the tracks they had found of thousands of people marching to the north. Although the prints were similar in size to those of humans, they were made by bare feet, so in the end they had concluded that those people were not humans.

 

“I don’t have any hard proof, but I think it’s different from that time. I sense something’s happening deep inside the forest.”

 

“Is that so.”

 

Hearing that, Enri couldn’t help but sigh in relief.

 

“…Then, I’d better go report to Leader.”

 

“All right. Good job.”

 

“Thank you for your hard work.”

 

After waving to the two of them, Kyumei spurred his Wolf on and departed. Enri and Paipo watched him enter the slowly-opening village doors.

“Then, shall we go back, too?”

 

“Yes, let’s.”

 

***

 

After washing their hands beside the well, Enri and Paipo had just reached home when they heard a young girl’s voice.

 

“Welcome back, onee-chan.”

 

The voice was accompanied by the sound of rock grinding against rock. Following the sound to its source, Enri saw Nemu turning a millstone behind the house.

 

A pungent smell came from the millstone. Although it was similar to the smell that had clung to Enri’s hands just before, it was several times more intense, enough that one could smell it from some distance away.

 

Nemu was used to the smell, which was all well and good, but Enri’s eyes almost teared up as the odor assaulted her. Paipo, standing behind her, seemed unaffected in comparison . It remained to be seen whether that was because the smell only had an effect on certain species, or because it would be terribly rude to make a face like that to his mistress’ little sister.

 

“I’m home. How’s things? Have you ground them all up yet?”

 

“Mm, I did. Have a look.”

 

Enri looked along Nemu’s line of sight, and saw that the herbs that she had piled up before leaving the house had been reduced to a small handful.

 

“Aren’t I great? There’s not much more left.”

 

Before she had left the house, Enri had asked Nemu to help her grind the herbs into a paste. That was because some herbs had to be dried to be preserved, but others needed to be shredded to be preserved.

 

“Uwah, you worked really hard, Nemu!”

 

Enri opened her arms to praise Nemu, and a look of pride blossomed on Nemu’s face. Perhaps she had been influenced by Nfirea, or perhaps she wanted to help her sister out in some way, but Nemu had diligently and quickly accomplished her tasks.

 

Herbs made up a major portion of Carne Village’s income. It could be said to be the one specialty export that did not require much manpower for a frontier village to produce.

 

Given that it was a crucial method for them to obtain valuable currency, all of Carne Village’s residents knew at least a little about herbs and where they grew.

 

Enri silently considered the situation. The herbs from Carne Village were incredibly profitable. However, they could only be gathered within an extremely short window of time before the flowers bloomed, and could only be treated as a temporary income at best. However, all the places they knew about had been fully harvested, so they would need to delve into the forest to find clumps of herbs which had not yet been touched.

 

Of course, those woods were where monsters lurked, and they were hardly a place where people like Enri could just stroll into for a picnic. However, now they had the Goblins and the experienced herbalist Nfirea. If only she could get their help, they should be able to make a great deal of money.

 

After some hesitation, Enri spoke of her plan to Paipo.

 

“I want to go to a new place to pick herbs, could you come with me?”

 

Logically speaking, there was no need for Enri to go herself. All she needed to do was to ask the Goblins, who could take care of themselves, to go into the dangerous Great Forest on her behalf. However, the Goblins she had summoned had a strange weakness.

 

That was to say, they had no aptitude at all for herb-picking, butchering animals, and that sort of work.

 

Just like how they handled cooking, even if one handed Goblins a sample of a herb, they would not be able to match it up with identical herb in front of them. The surprising thing was, it was as though they were born unable to do that sort of thing, or even learn it, as if someone had removed the capacity to do so from them.

 

Therefore, if they were assigned to pick herbs, the Goblins needed to have a non-Goblin with them.

 

“It should be all right, but it might be a little difficult for you to come with us, Ane-san.”

 

“Hm? Why’s that?”

 

“Well, like Kyumei said, there’s some kind of change in the depths of the forest. If that’s the case, the insides of the forest will be a mess now.”

 

Seeing the surprised expression on Enri’s face, Paipo patiently explained himself.

 

“Even the cautious ones are going to want to expand their territory. If that’s the case, then for a while, their territory is going to overlap with the others, and that’s going to cause all sorts of confusion. Simply put, the chances of meeting a monster’s going to increase, and so will the danger. And if you’re unlucky, you might even run into something outside the forest. We know you’re brave and cool, but there’s no need to walk into danger, Ane-san.”

 

“Is that so…”

 

I’m not too sure about the brave and cool part, but that’s probably just the Goblins being polite, Enri thought.

 

“There was also that big movement earlier. What happened there?”

 

“I don’t know. Originally, we should have sent someone familiar with the Great Forest’s conditions to investigate. …but if we go, the village’s defenses will be weakened…. ah, got it! Why not hire adventurers to check it out?”

 

“That could be difficult,” Enri said, knitting her eyebrows. “According to Enfi, the cost of hiring an adventuring party is very high. Although the lords of E-Rantel will subsidize some of those costs, it’ll be very hard for a village like us to pay for adventurers out of our own pocket.”

 

“I see…”

 

“Collecting lots of herbs and selling them afterwards should help with one part of that problem… otherwise, all we can do is sell off the items we got from Gown-sama.”

 

She had received two horns from Ainz Ooal Gown. Although one of them had disappeared after she used it, the other was safely hidden in Enri’s home.

 

“Forget about that, Ane-san. We’d rather you just blow the horn instead.”

 

“Of course, there’s no way I’d sell it.”

 

Enri did not want to become the sort of despicable person who would sell off a gift given out of goodwill. There also existed the possibility that it might not even be possible to sell it off, so she decided not to do so. Even now they were still benefiting from the generosity of the maid who had brought the Golems to the village. She would never commit such an ungrateful deed.

 

“But that’s going to be problematic. The herbs can only be gathered in this season, so although it’s a bit dangerous, I still have to…”

 

Enri smiled to Nemu, who had a worried expression on her face. She did not want to sadden the last surviving member of her family, nor did she want to pass up this chance to make lots of money. Although, when she considered her priorities, that was clearly a mistake. Rather, she should bet her life for the good of the entire village and repay the Goblins who considered her their mistress.

 

I need to earn more money and see what kind of gear I can buy for the Goblins. Full plate armor looks like it could protect very well. Speaking of full body armor, there’s that gentleman in the black-colored armor… what was his name again?

 

Although she did not know how much armor and weapons cost, she was fairly certain that it was not a small sum. At this moment, Paipo held out his hand in front of Enri, indicating that she should wait a bit.

 

“Erm… although this is just my personal opinion, how about discussing the matter with Leader? You don’t need to make the decision so early, Ane-san. I don’t want to be scolded by the boss because I opened my mouth without thinking. Plus, I think Ani-san would like to get his hands on all sorts of herbs too.”

 

Just as Enri’s troubles were filling her head, an adorable gurgling sound came from beside her. Turning to look, she saw Nemu looking at her with a frown on her face.

 

“Onee-chan, I’m hungry. Can we eat yet?”.

“Mm, sorry. Then, wash your hands after we pack up. I’ll go get things ready.”

 

“Kay~”

 

Nemu’s response was full of energy. After taking apart the millstone, she scraped the accumulated green paste into a small urn. Enri returned to the house, wondering what she should make for lunch.

 

Part 2

 

Enri stood before the Great Forest of Tob. Of course, she was not alone. Beside her were the loyal  members of the Goblin Troop.

 

The Goblins were equipped with chain shirts, round shields and sturdy machetes, which hung from their belts. They wore brown-colored tunics under their armor and furred leather boots on their feet. On their belts were bags for small items. One could not say they were under-geared.

 

The fully-armed Goblins made their final checks of their personal equipment. They topped up their waterskins and made sure their machetes were sharpened.

 

Everyone was well-geared, but they carried little baggage. That was because the plan was to swiftly complete their work, and not to mount a long expedition in the forest.

 

Not everyone in the troop was assigned to Enri’s protection. Their objective was to thoroughly scout the surrounding area and further verify the information the Goblin Riders had collected. That is to say, they were to carefully observe the current situation within the Great Forest. In order to protect the village, the Goblins had decided to scout its surroundings and the hinterlands.

 

Only three Goblins would accompany Enri.

 

There was also one more person: Nfirea. He had made his preparations too, dressed in suitable clothing for collecting herbs in a forest. With Nfirea around, the herb harvesting trip would definitely be a success.

 

Perhaps he had sensed Enri looking at him, and turned around, asking “What’s the matter?” Although Enri had waved her hands as though to say “nothing, nothing,” one of the surrounding Goblins took notice and drew closer to Enri’s side.

 

He was a Goblin whose body was so muscular and athletic that it would be hard for bystanders to think that he was a Goblin. His torso was protected by a crude, but practical breastplate, and the greatsword he used was sheathed on his back.

 

This was Jugemu, the leader of the Goblins, named by Enri after a Goblin hero called “Jugemu Jugemu”. As an aside, there were other named knights who did battle alongside the Goblin hero, and she had used their names for the other Goblins.

 

“There shouldn’t be anything wrong… what’s the matter?”

 

“No, really, it’s fine! I was just looking at him.”

 

“That’s great, after all, once you’re in the forest, you can lose your life over even a tiny slip. If anything happens, let me know.”

 

“That’s right, Ane-san. Just like we agreed before, we’re all scouting the forest, so if anything happens and we can’t get there in time… it’ll be okay, right?”

 

Jugemu’s brutish face contorted with what looked like an expression of worry, and he glanced at Enri’s face. Seeing that, Enri smiled and replied to him.

 

“It’ll be fine. We won’t go too deep, and they’ll protect me.”

 

“That’s good to hear…”

 

Jugemu followed Enri’s line of sight to the three Goblins ahead of them. Then he shouted:

 

“Oi! You punks! You’d better not let Ane-san take so much as a single scratch, got it?!”

 

“Got it!”

 

The three Goblins, Gokou, Kaijali and Unrai, responded with a hearty shout.

 

“And Ani-san, you’ll be taking care of Ane-san too, right?”

 

Enri suddenly noticed that Kaijali, for no apparent reason, was flexing his muscles in a front double biceps pose.

 

“You mean I should take over from here?… koff! Of course! You can count on me to protect Enri!”

 

For a moment, Enri imagined Nfirea showing his shiny teeth as he radiated self-confidence through his smile. His attitude now was very different from his usual one, and to be honest, it felt kind of gross. However, that was probably just his excitement about trekking into the forest.

 

Just like a little boy, Enri smiled, feeling like she was his big sister.

 

“Thank you, Enfi. I’ll be in your care.”

 

Strange, is he doing a side chest pose now…? What’s with that?

 

“Ahhh, that again… oh, about that, I prepared a bunch of alchemical items that I made myself, so leave it to me!”

 

After seeing Nfirea’s second sparkly smile, the smile fell off Enri’s face.

 

“Uh… mm. You go do that.”

 

“Ah, well, it’s been settled… although. Honestly speaking, even if we weren’t doing this dangerous job, this…”

 

Jugemu turned to look at Enri, a sour look on his face. Enri was starting to get a little annoyed after hearing this question again after answering it so many times in the village, but he was only asking out of concern for her, so she could not just ignore it.

 

“That might be true, but the fact remains that without the herbs, we can’t bring in any money…”

 

“How about animal skins? We can get those.”

 

“That’s not a bad idea, but herbs are the most valuable.”

 

Animal pelts and medicinal herbs were in completely different price categories. The difference was comparable to that between the heavens and the earth. Granted, some especially rare animals had skins that were worth a fortune, but those were few and far between.

 

“If Ani-san could share his…”

 

“We’re not touching the Bareare’s money. We need to help together and split the benefits. We can’t just take advantage of them.”

 

Helping each other in difficult situations was a keystone of village life — therefore, a family could not survive if they were ostracized from others. However that was not an excuse to take advantage of others, because that would imply that a person could not support themselves, and the village could not take care of people to that extent. Self-sufficiency was a strict requirement.

 

The two of them started looking away from Nfirea, who was quietly saying, “Kaijali-san, please read the mood and stop making those weird poses…”

 

“If that’s the case, then it’s definitely… and like that too… well, if you lived with Ani-san, you could certainly pool the wealth… but… looks like nothing’s stopping that…”

 

Jugemu’s words gradually lost their force. He knew that he could not stop Enri from entering the Great Forest.

 

Although Enri did not want to make things difficult for Jugemu and the others who cared for her, she would not be swayed from her course.

 

After all, she had decided to venture into the forest despite knowing its dangers because she had heard Jugemu say, “We can’t repair our gear”.

 

The kitchen knife was one thing, but the Goblins required the services of a professional blacksmith to maintain their arms and armor. Which meant that a subtle danger threatened all the Goblins. If their equipment deteriorated, it would mean their lives would be in danger. The maintenance of their battle gear was essential.

 

What could she do for them, who had pledged their lives to protect hers? How could she hide in safety and enjoy the fruits of their labour? Just as they had given their all for her, she too had to do everything she could for them. That was Enri’s decision.

 

The Goblins were not just Enri’s bodyguards, they were also the village’s protectors. If she decided to press that point, she could probably squeeze the money needed to equip the Goblins from the villagers. However, Enri decided to give up on that idea.

 

No matter what, Enri was simply trying to repay the Goblins’ service through her own efforts. This expedition was the proof of that.

 

“Normally, the safest thing to do would be to confirm the area was free of danger before you went in…"

 

Interrupting from behind was the Goblin mage, Dyno.

 

Dyno was an arcane magic caster who wore a humanoid skull for a helmet.

 

She carried a gnarled staff that looked shabby, but was even taller than herself. She was adorned in strange tribal ornaments all over her body, and her bust swelled up slightly. Her face seemed softer than those of the male Goblins. Enri could recognize this because she was their mistress, but normal people probably would not be able to pick up on those details.

 

“However, you can’t confirm it’s safe, can you?”

 

“Mm, that’s right. Sadly, we can’t do that. The most we can do is confirm that the forest seems peaceful, but even that needs time. And if we want to find out when tensions are going to run high again, that’ll take even more time.

 

If they did that, they would miss the opportunity to gather the desired herbs. After hearing Dyno’s words, a firm conviction gathered in her eyes and she made her reply.

 

“It’ll be fine, we won’t go too deep.”

 

After hearing her repeat that answer several times, Jugemu finally realized that he could not change Enri’s mind. Instead, he looked to the three Goblins who would travel with her. What he told them was the same as what he had said to them before.

 

“We won’t be able to protect Ane-san, so you guys are going to have to do it for us. You’d better guard her with your lives! And Ani-san too!”

 

“Got it!”

 

“It would be safest if we’d all stuck together as usual. Splitting up our fighting strength is just asking for trouble,” Dyno muttered under her breath.

 

“If we did that, then we’d be forced into reacting to the enemy, right?”

 

“That’s right. If any of the monsters coming to the village decide to settle down in the forest, getting rid of them for good would be extremely troublesome. Once they build a nest, they’ll never leave. Even if we chased them away, they’d come right back after a while.”

 

Since the balance of power in the forest had changed, reconnoitering the Great Forest ― especially the area surrounding the village ― was critical.

 

This was the first pass. The first pass implied that the danger was the greatest. As such, they could only arrange for three people to be Enri’s escorts.

 

“Good. Well then, let’s move! We’ll finish up quick and meet up with Ane-san!”

 

In response to Jugemu’s call, the Goblin troop thundered their assent.

 

♦ ♦ ♦

 

This was the interior of the Great Forest.

 

Although they had only travelled about 150 meters in, the temperature had fallen by several degrees. This was simply because no sunlight shone in here. That said, the interior was not completely pitch-dark, and Enri could still see what was happening around her. Enri and the other four members of her party advanced into the forest, surrounded by cool air.

 

At the moment, the forest was dominated by silence. Apart from the gentle sounds of the tree branches swaying and the occasional cries of birds or beasts, there was nothing else. The footsteps of Enri and her companions echoed loudly. The other team led by Jugemu had already gone deeper in, and they could no longer be heard.

 

Enri and company formed a roughly triangular formation as they advanced into the forest. In the center of the formation were Enri and Nfirea.

 

It was very difficult to maintain a wide formation in the forest. Normally, they would have gone single file, but in order to protect the two of them the Goblins had insisted on doing things that way. They lost speed as a result, but that could not be helped.

 

As they moved deeper inwards, Nfirea began looking up and towards the north.

 

He sought the treasure sleeping in the dense forest — medicinal herbs.

 

Enri was not a novice to herb-gathering. A girl her age would know all about herbs that could be taken orally or smeared on an affected area, or the ordinary herbs used as ingredients for potions. However, in this field she was completely outmatched by Nfirea. Not only was he thoroughly familiar with medicinal herbs, he even knew which ones were useful as bases for alchemical compounds.

 

“Found any rare herbs?”

 

Of all the questions Enri had asked, this seemed like the one he had been waiting for. The surrounding Goblins began posing in unison.

 

A double bicep flex again… is that the latest trend or what?

 

The tilt-headed Enri did not notice the faint expression of annoyance on Nfirea’s face.

 

“Why didn’t I tell them to stop posing… it sucks to have no courage. Say, is that a brown moss over there?”

 

As it turned out, there was brown moss growing where Nfirea was pointing.

 

“That’s Bebeyamokugoke. Mix some with a healing potion and it’ll slightly improve its effects.“

 

“Oh, really? I thought it was just a simple patch of moss and missed it. Without Enfi, I probably would have ignored it completely. That’s Enfi for you.”

 

“Uwah, you’re pretty amazing now, Ani-san. Is it worth a lot?”

 

“It’s worth quite a bit of money… ah, wait. Don’t pick it. What Enri and I are aiming for is worth even more. If we can’t find it, then we’ll pick this on the way back.”

 

“I see. Yeah, we got it. Speaking of which, to Ani-san, this forest must be like a treasure trove, since it’s so easy to make wealth. Ah~ I feel much more at ease with you around, Ani-san .”

 

“This sort of thing—”

 

The surrounding Goblins’ poses changed.

 

“Yes, hm, well, it might actually be like that. One thing’s for sure, people travelling with me won’t have a hard time. I’m pretty confident of that.”

 

“Mmm. I’m sure you can do it, Enfi.”

 

An awkward mood filled the quiet forest.

 

“Then, Ane-san, is that all?”

 

“Hm? Kaijali-san, what do you mean?”

 

“Hm? No, I actually, nothing… ah… come to think of it, there’s a question I forgot to ask. What sort of herbs are you looking for?”

 

“We didn’t tell you? It’s a herb called Enkaishi. Afterwards we’ll let Nemu grind it up.”

 

“I see, I see. Got it. Although, even if you describe it to us, we won’t be able to tell the difference. Then, let’s move on.”

 

Step by step, they ventured further into the forest. As they went on, their noses started itching from the thick scent of the forest’s fragrance.

 

There was no sign of human activity here at all. Immersed in this place, Nfirea felt like this was a world where humans were weak and tiny. Then, he opened his mouth to speak.

 

“Let’s start looking around here. We’re looking for places with lots of shade and humidity… are there any water sources nearby? That herb grows near them. There’s no sign of monster activity around here, what a stroke of luck.”

 

“Got it, Ani-san.

 

With his vast experience as a herbalist, it was unlikely for Nfirea to make a mistake.. The Goblins and Enri replied in approval.

 

The group put their things down, which lightened their load.

 

“Ahhh… Ane-san, could you go give Ani-san a hand?”

 

“Ah, yes, that’s right. Enfi must have his hands full by himself.”

 

Enri walked over to where Nfirea had put down his luggage and assisted him in his labors.

 

“Thanks, Enri.”

 

“No problem, Enfi. Although, now that I think of it, all this specialist equipment is amazing. You need so many things…”

 

Out of the corner of her eyes, Enri could see the Goblins nodding as though to say “very good, very good”. Although she was surprised by why they were so happy, she eventually decided that her first priority was getting the job done.

 

“Then, let’s start the search!”

 

With a subdued “Oh!” to keep the noise down, they began. The Goblins watched the perimeter, while Enri and Nfirea began searching

 

Although Enri had been prepared for the work to be difficult, they were fortunate and soon found dense growths on the herbs in the cracks of tree trunks.

 

“It’s over there. We found where they grew right away. As I thought, it’s best when I’m with Enfi.”

 

“No, it’s nothing like that. We’re lucky we found it in a deserted area. If there were monster tracks, it would be pretty nasty.”

 

To the two humans, the large quantity of herbs, while not exactly a treasure in its own right, was akin to a mountain of coins. Enri desperately fought the desire burning in her heart. This place was dangerous; it was better that she put her greed aside and worked to steadily complete the job.

 

However, Enri knelt down, and began to pluck, minding the roots of the herbs.

 

Enkaishi’s medicinal value resided in its roots. But they could not just pull the roots out like that. Grasses like these were incredibly hardy, and they would grow again as long as the roots remained. It seemed a shame, but depleting this patch of herbs (which had been quite a challenge to find in the first place) by overharvesting it would be like killing the goose which laid the golden egg.

 

A strong odor seared her nose as she did the picking, but she was used to that sort of thing, so the smell did not impede her work. Compared to Nfirea’s house, this smell was like heaven.

 

She plucked the herbs stalk by stalk, holding ir carefully to avoid crushing it by accident, and then carefully placed it into the bag under her armpits. If the Goblins came to help, they could probably have finished faster, but they were too busy watching their surroundings. Enri was not stupid enough to take them off their sentry duty to help her pick herbs

 

In comparison, Nfirea’s harvesting methods were like poetry in motion. He swiftly pulled them out of the ground without pause, in a way that did not damage their potency as medicine. Only a professional like himself was capable of such a feat.

 

Enri silently watched Nfirea, who was staring at the herbs with a diligent expression on his face. The face that had become so familiar looked like someone else’s before her.

 

…He’s a man now.

 

“…What’s wrong?”

 

Nfirea suddenly looked up. He must have sensed that Enri had stopped work.

 

Enri had done nothing wrong, but she still looked down in embarrassment.

 

“Ah, well, I just thought you were amazing, Enfi…”

 

“Really? I didn’t think it was that fantastic. I’m only a dabbler when it comes to herbalism. This level is about par for the course.”

 

“…Is that so.”

 

“I guess.”

 

The conversation ended, and their bags slowly filled with herbs. After they were just over half full, the Goblins, the Goblins suddenly hunkered down and crouched next to the two of them, as though looking for somewhere to hide.

 

Kaijali gestured at Enri to keep quiet.  This was an emergency. Enri, who understood, pricked up her ears. From far off in the distance, she could hear the sound of plants being trampled.

 

“This is…”

 

“Something’s coming. It’s coming for us… or rather, it’s advancing and most likely it’s going to end up here, so we need to get away from here for a bit.”

 

“…Then, we won’t need the noisemaker decoys?”

 

“That’s right, Ani-san. It’s better if we don’t have to use those, it feels like things will go bad if we do. Come, let’s move.”

 

The five of them began moving away from the direction of the sound, hiding in the shadow of a nearby tree. They did not go further because they did not want to risk making noise on the nearby vegetation. If the other party was just advancing forward, there was no need to risk being discovered.

 

Since the tree was not very big, it could not hide all of them. The most they could do was crouch at its roots and hope they weren’t too obvious.

 

In this way, the five of them quieted their breathing and prayed that the source of the sound would turn in another direction. But unfortunately, this did not happen, and the figure making the noise finally came into Enri’s field of view.

 

“Eh?!”

 

A tiny gasp of surprise escaped from Enri’s mouth.

 

It was a ragged-looking little Goblin.

 

His body was covered in tiny wounds which bled profusely. His breathing was rapid and uneven, and the smell of his blood and sweat spread throughout the area.

 

Even though Goblins were already smaller than humans, this Goblin was small even for another Goblin. Enri and the Goblins concurred that this Goblin was a “child”.

 

The Goblin child looked fearfully to his rear, in the direction where he had come from. There was no need to listen up for the sound of trampling plant life that followed from behind him. From the looks of things, they were hunter and prey.

 

He frantically moved his spasming feet, taking cover in a patch of shade different from Enri’s own.

 

“That―”

 

“―Please be quiet.”

 

Gokou had not even looked at Enri as he interrupted her. Those unrelenting eyes were fixed on the direction from which the kid had come.

 

Just over ten seconds later, the pursuer revealed itself.

 

It was a huge magical beast that resembled a black Wolf. The reason why they could instantly tell it was no ordinary Wolf was because of the chain wrapped around its body. The serpentine chain did not hinder its movements at all, as though it were merely an illusion. Two horns sprang from its head.

 

Nfirea muttered the name of the beast to himself.

 

“Barghest…”

 

Although it could not possibly have heard him, the Barghest sniffed around like a dog, and then  its face twisted. It was an evil grin that no mere beast could ever make. It slowly looked around its surroundings and its eyes settled on the tree where the Goblin child had hidden.

 

Just like the beast it resembled, the Barghest had a bloodhound’s scenting ability. There was no way it could not sniff out the Goblin child who had bled so much on the way here.

 

From the look of things, the reason why the Goblin had managed to get here was not because he had been able to evade the Barghest. Rather, it was because the Barghest was a sadistic creature; or maybe it was because it was hunting for sport.

 

Suddenly, the Barghest stopped moving, surprise knotting its face, and it stared at the place where they had gathered the herbs.

 

Ah—

 

Enri pulled her face back. The others quickly followed suit.

 

Behind the tree trunk, Enri opened her hands. Her skin was green and speckled with stray bits of plant matter. Beside her, Nfirea did the same thing.

 

The sap and juices from the herbs we picked…

 

This was the same sort of thing that Nemu was soaked in when she ground up the herbs. Although it did not affect those with numbed noses (like themselves), the powerful stench still hung in the air. She found the sudden pounding of her heart noisy.

 

“It’s started moving. …It’s moving away? Could it be it didn’t smell us?”

 

Unrai had his ear to a tree, and a question mark appeared above his head.

 

“…Maybe it can’t pinpoint where the scent’s coming from?”

 

“What do you mean, Ani-san? Don’t monsters have very sensitive noses…?”

 

“That’s the reason why,” Nfirea quietly explained.

 

The key point was that because it had an extremely sensitive sense of smell, the stench floating in this area was particularly effective against it. The Barghest had confused the scent of Enri’s hands and bag with that of the already-harvested areas. Even better, the smell had covered up their original scent.

 

It was also possible that the Barghest had torn up the herbs to smoke the Goblin child out.

 

Although the powerful stench was everywhere, if they fled in haste, the displaced air from where they were fleeing might catch the Barghest’s attention.

 

“Then, let’s use the kid as a sacrifice and be done with it. We don’t know how strong this Barghest is, and engaging it without prior knowledge would be too risky.”

 

That cold-blooded reply made Enri look at Gokou’s face.

 

However, these words were logical ones. The Goblins put Enri’s personal safety as their top priority. With that in mind, avoiding combat with that magical beast was only to be expected. They would even sacrifice one of their own kind for that without a second thought.

 

He was probably correct, given the conviction with which he had spoken those words.

 

However, Enri disliked it. Even if they were of different species, not helping someone you could help would disgrace herself as a human being.

 

Who knew, if she had not been a silly village girl who had never known a Goblin attack and lacked a sense of danger, she might not have thought that way.

 

Enri looked around to the others. The Goblins knew Enri’s wish. They simply did not want to speak it. After that, Enri looked to Nfirea.

 

“Enfi…”

 

“Haa… I’ll help. Who knows, that Goblin child might become a valuable source of information. If we don’t find out why he fled here, it might end up causing danger to the village.”

 

The Goblins knitted their brows.

 

“Is there a chance you might lose?”

 

“Certainly. But if that’s a Barghest, we’re in luck. Barghest Leaders are pretty strong. But from the look of that guy’s chains and the size of his horns, I don’t think he’s of that type. If it’s just a Barghest, we’re sure to win.”

 

“Wait a minute. Ane-san’s here too. We should avoid danger.”

 

Enri swallowed. She knew what she was saying was only to satisfy her ego, and her foolish words would endanger not just herself but the others around her. But even so, Enri still opened her mouth to speak.

 

“…If we abandon someone we could have helped, it would be as bad as tormenting him ourselves. I don’t want to be like those people who harm the weak. Please!”

 

Kaijali, who had been watching Enri’s earnest expression, sighed in defeat. At the same time, the monster’s strange bark rang out. They could clearly hear the sound of mocking laughter within it. In response came the Goblin child’s pitiful wail.

 

There was no more time for confusion or debate.

 

“It can’t be helped. Get him, lads!”

 

The Goblins took the lead in jumping out, followed by Nfirea.

 

Enri felt a terrible, wrenching pain in her heart as she watched the warriors who went into battle to fulfil her wishes.

 

All she could do was watch them from behind.

 

Then, Enri thought, at the very least I should stay here and watch them seriously, without blinking even once.

 

***

 

The four who had leapt out saw the Barghest pressing the Goblin child down beneath it. The Goblin child sported new wounds but was not dead yet, because the Barghest had the bad habit of toying with its prey.

 

The Barghest’s movements stopped, and it stared at the group of people who had jumped out and then at the Goblin child. Perhaps it was afraid that its prey had led it into a trap.

 

“Hey hey, come on boy,” Unrai said, pointing to himself with his thumb. “Want to play? I’ll play with you. Come on.”

 

The Barghest growled, full of menace.

 

In a natural, flowing motion, Kaijali drew the machete at his waist. The other Goblins followed suit.

 

“No need to think so much. I’ll teach an old dog like you new tricks. How about we start with ‘play dead’?”

 

“Agyaaaa!”

 

In response to the Goblins’ taunts, the Barghest squeezed the Goblin child it was stepping on, who wailed in pain

 

Although it could not speak, its actions made its intentions clear. Make a move and I kill the brat. However―

 

***

 

“Very good! Go ahead and kill him!”

 

The three Goblins ignored the Barghest’s taunt, and charged in with shouts of their own.

 

This unexpected response brought confusion to the eyes of the Barghest.

 

The Barghest could not have known that the Goblins had not shown up with the intention of saving the Goblin child. They were only here because of Enri’s wish, and their attitude was “as long as we tried to save him, it’s good enough”.

 

Since they had shown themselves for a confrontation, their precious Enri might get hurt if they did not bring down the Barghest. As a result, they had to make sure they killed the Barghest. So if the Goblin child was murdered, if that wasted their opponent’s first action and let them seize the initiative, then the Goblins would gladly let the kid die.

 

Seeing itself reflected in the blades of three machetes, the Barghest understood that it could not use its hostage against them and stopped moving. It was confused as to whether or not it should finish off the boy it was pinning down.

 

Taking his life would be easy. It would be gone in one bite. However, if it did that, there was no question that it would be hacked to pieces by its enemies’ weapons.

 

The threat to its life led the Barghest to its decision.

 

Ignoring the Goblin child, the Barghest leapt at the Goblins to meet their attack.

 

A Barghest was heavier than a Goblin. The Barghest was hoping to pin its foes under itself and finish them off by ripping their throats out with its fangs.

 

However, this was a poor choice.

 

The targeted Goblin easily twisted out of the way of the attempted attack, and at the same time the other two Goblins on the left and right slashed at the Barghest with their machetes.

 

One blade was deflected by the Barghest’s chains, but the other ripped into its body, sending blood everywhere.

 

At the same time, a small hurled vial shattered after hitting the tip of the Barghest’s nose.

 

“Gyaaaaah!”

 

The vile miasma which now clogged its eyes and nose drew an agonized howl from the Barghest.

 

And at that moment, three more jolts of pain ran through its body.

 

It could sense that it was in trouble from the outflow of blood alone. The Barghest wept, its vision shaky and blurred, and made its move. Its target was the one who had thrown the vial ― a human.

 

However, the Barghest had only taken a few steps when its feet stuck to something below and could not move.

 

Looking down, it saw that the ground was covered in a strangely-colored slime. The bizarre liquid was not absorbed by the earth.

 

“The glue won’t be able to resist a magical beast’s strength for long! Take it down in one shot!”

 

In response to the human’s voice, the Goblins shouted their battle cries and charged. In addition, the human cast a powerful spell at it direction.

 

“SHAAAAAAAA!!!”

 

The Barghest used all its strength to wrench its feet from the ground. Although its movements were slowed because its feet were still coated with adhesive and dirt, it was still able to fight.

 

Watching the Goblins close in for the kill again, the Barghest used its superior intellect (compared to a regular beast) and acknowledged the fact that “these Goblins were mighty foes”.

 

It acknowledged that these were different from regular Goblins in one crucial way ― they were enemies who could kill it.

 

This Barghest knew three methods of attack. It could gore, piercing its foe with its horns. It could bite. It could knock its foe down and rake it with its claws. Unlike stronger Barghests, it did not have any special abilities. But in truth, it had an ace in the hole.

 

This tactic completely abandoned defense, and if the Barghest failed, it would be doomed. But now was not the time to worry about holding back. It had to make full use of what could be the last few seconds of its life.

 

The Barghest howled wildly, checking the advance of the enveloping Goblins.

 

“[Reinforce Armor]!”

 

The spell from behind, cast by the human, made the Goblins’ armor glow brightly. The Barghest panicked, predicting that it was some sort of enhancement spell, but the Goblins in front of it simply grinned.

 

Maybe it made them reckless, but with their armor reinforced, the Goblins advanced as one. Perhaps it might be called a foolish move, but then one could also say it was a brave step forward to quickly end what could be a long battle.

 

Indeed, it was — if the Barghest had not expected them to do this.

 

If a Barghest could change its facial features as easily as a human, it would have smiled to itself.

 

The chains on its body rattled like a snake. Then, the chains binding the Barghest suddenly came to life.

The thick chains began swinging with tremendous force.

 

The special ability [Chain Cyclone] would severely wound the Goblins, if not kill them outright.

 

The Barghest was giving this its all. This was a big move that could only be used once a day, and after the chains were used it would be unable to use them as armor for at least ten seconds. The risk was high.

 

The unexpected attack threw off the Goblins’ dodge by a second. This was a fatal mistake. However―

 

“Get down!”

 

―A thunderous order cut through the air before the chains could.

 

The Barghest that had bet everything on this attack stared at the other human who had shouted, and its eyes widened.

 

The Goblins who should have been too late to evade it had nimbly dropped to the ground, as though the voice had injected them with a fresh dose of vitality.

 

The Barghest stared at the commander who stood behind the magic caster.

 

And then, the Barghest’s forelegs and one rear leg were severed from its body as it took machete blows. It howled in pain. It tried to recover its chains, bare its fangs, threaten them, but the Goblins were having none of that.

 

“Ani-san, no need for the magic support. For safety’s sake, just put up an alarm around this place.

 

The Barghest, which knew it had already lost, was desperately trying to get away.

 

Its normally limber body was now cumbersome and slow. That was only natural considering that three of its four legs were now stumps. Even so, the Barghest wanted to flee with all its might.

 

But the Goblins would not allow it.

 

***

 

Sticky blood coated the grass all around and the stench of iron drowned out the odor of the plants.

 

The Barghest lay dead, the viscera spilling out of its corpse still warm from its body heat. The Goblins turned away from the Barghest, their bloodstained machetes in hand, and turned to look at the Goblin kid.

 

The kid had been hurt badly and had lost the strength to flee, but he still forced his body upright against a tree.

 

“Hey, who are you guys? Which tribe are you from?”

 

The Goblins looked at each other, wondering how to respond to the questions of a kid who was half frightened and half suspicious.

 

In each other's’ eyes, they wordlessly discussed the strategy for what kind of attitude would yield the most benefits and what kind of information they should reveal, but Enri felt that there were more pressing matters than that.

 

“We need to take care of his wounds first. What can we do, Enfi?”

 

The kid was hurt very badly and he had already lost a lot of blood. Left alone, he would definitely die. Although Enri had no idea how to help him, she was hoping that her childhood friend would know what to do.

 

“The most normal herbs can do is stop the bleeding, it won’t help against blood loss. However…”

 

Nfirea began rummaging through his pouch.

 

“There’s the newly-created healing potion. I wanted to hand it to Gown-sama, but… could you show me your wounds?”

 

Nfirea walked forward, withdrawing the potion vial from his robe.

 

“W-wait, what’s this dangerous-looking liquid? Is it poison?”

 

Hostility flashed across the kid’s frightened face as he saw the purple potion. From Enri’s point of view — perhaps even Nfirea’s point of view — this was a natural reaction. The potion looked too much like poison for him to not be on his guard. However, the Goblins were very upset by the child’s words, and they immediately stalked over to him.

 

“―Oi, punk. Ane-san’s the one who decided to save you, along with Ani-san. You’d better watch your words to the people who saved your life... That’s for your own good too, got it?”

 

The kid turned to look at the blades brandished before him. Although he was only a child, he still knew that the Goblins before him were very angry. He shrank before their eyes.

 

Enri felt that it would be better if they did not have to intimidate the kid, but she knew the Goblins had their own rules which they followed. It would not be a good idea for her to butt in with her human sensibilities.

 

“I-I’m very sorry.”

 

“Ah, it’s all right. Don’t worry.”

 

As he answered, Nfirea poured the potion on the kid’s body. The wounds were visibly closing up.

 

“Uuuoooh! What’s this? The color’s so gross but it’s so amazing!”

 

The kid felt the stares of the surrounding Goblins on him and trembled.

 

“Ah… no, I, ah, th-thank y-you very m-much...”

 

“Oh, looks like the punk has some manners after all.”

 

“Very good. This way, I can tell Gown-san that the experiment was completed without a hitch.”

 

Nfirea looked around, seeking approval. Enri and the Goblins, who got what he meant, nodded to him.

 

The potion Nfirea created was made from the materials provided by the great magic caster Ainz Ooal Gown, who was the savior of Carne Village. Not only was there no need to spend money on research fees, but he had even provided all the necessary ingredients. With that in mind, the meaning and value of the potion that he had created was plainly obvious.

 

The fact that Nfirea had decided to use it on his own was a major problem, but perhaps he could pass it off as a practical evaluation of the potion’s effects.

 

If he explains it to Gown-san after the fact, he’ll probably allow it… herbalists have their own rules too, I guess.

 

“You, you used me as a guinea pig!”

 

Unable to read between the lines, the kid gasped in shock, while Enri and Nfirea smiled bitterly in response. A reaction like this was only natural from someone who did not know the full details of the situation.

 

Although the two of them had at least managed to smile at the reaction, there were others present who did not possess their forbearance. The Goblins were clearly furious; they clicked their tongues and someone went, “that little bastard!”

 

Enri held out her hands to try and calm them down. He did not know any better, so it was only to be expected that he would react that way. Besides, he was just a kid, so there was no need to think too much about it.

 

“Well, if you say so, Ane-san… anyway, we should get moving. Who knows what other monsters will be drawn by the scent of blood.”

 

“And, although we won… Ane-san. Please don’t do this sort of thing again, okay? Our job is protecting you.”

 

“Exactly. Still, hearing Enri shout like that really scared me.”

 

“…Well, it’s because of that voice that we’re fine ― oi, brat, you’d better not run off. We have a lot of questions to ask you and if you don’t want to go home in pieces you’d better answer up truthfully.”

 

“Unrai-san…”

 

“―Ane-san, this is for the village’s sake too… get over here, kid.”

 

The kid got up, slowly and painstakingly. His wounds were healed, so they should not have hampered his mobility, but his stubborn resistance made his movements slow.

 

Gokou, whose machete was dyed red with blood, spat on the ground.

 

Enri turned to Nfirea for help. However, he silently shook his head. As she turned to look at the Goblins, she saw that there was steel in their eyes, and with it, silent approval of their colleague’s actions.

 

“…Ane-san, don’t worry, I won’t kill him. I just want to ask him some questions about what’s going on. Besides, don’t you think he’ll die if we left him here?”

 

It seemed as though the question was aimed more at the Goblin child than Enri herself. He seemed to get it, and the resistance in his eyes faded away.

 

“I got it… I won’t run off…”

 

“That’s good. Then the sooner we move, the better. Can you be sure that there’s only one of those Barghests, kid?”

 

“…I can’t. Apart from them, there’s several Ogres too. I don’t know if any of them chased after me. And I’m not a kid, I’m Agu, the fourth son of Ah, the chieftain of the Kigu tribe.”

 

“Agu-kun, hm.”

 

“I think ‘kid’ will do for him…”

 

“We’ll talk about that later. It’s not like it’s important enough to argue about it now. Since Agu wants us to use his name, maybe we should, in order to build trust between us?”

 

“Ani-san, you’re really mature. Then let’s gather our things and go.”

 

In accordance with Kaijali’s words, the group set off in silence while watching their surroundings warily. The heavy atmosphere that hung around them was almost visible to the naked eye.

 

Although Enri wanted to lighten the mood with conversation, the forest was not a place for humanity. She could not act lightly here, especially considering that there might be further pursuers after them.

 

♦ ♦ ♦

 

They left the dark and gloomy forest, and after bathing in the sunlight, the tension which filled their bodies melted away, replaced by the flexibility and relaxation that had returned to them. In that moment, they felt like they had returned to the world of mankind once more.

 

Nfirea was walking beside Enri, and a loud “fuwaah~” escaped him, sounding like both a sigh and a yawn.

 

The Goblins’ movements had lost their tense edge, but Agu’s expression still looked stiff. He seemed distressed by the sunlight and the wide spaces, and it showed on his face. That was probably because he had grown up in the shadowed forest.

 

“There, the village is there.”

 

Agu’s face scrunched up as he followed Enri’s finger to the distance.

 

“What? That wall? It feels… feels kind of like that Monument of Destruction.”

 

“Monument of Destruction?”

 

“That’s right. It’s a scary new place in the Great Forest. Anyone who goes near it will perish. They say there’s undead there too.”

 

“You say everyone who goes near it will die, but you sure know a lot about it.”

 

“…while the Monument of Destruction was still under construction, the brave ones from our tribe went there and saw monsters of bone building it.”

 

“Did you know about this?”

 

“No, I’m sorry, but this is new to us too, Ani-san. If we go too deep into the forest we might meet enemies even our boss can’t defeat. So we try not to go too far.”

 

“…Hey, which tribe are you three from? You’re stronger than any Goblins I’ve ever seen before, so where―”

 

Agu sneaked a peek at Enri, and then mumbled something about ‘Usually humans are…’ to himself.

 

“Do you serve the humans?”

 

“Is that weird? Isn’t it normal to work for someone who’s strong?”

 

“But strong people… no, I mean, I’ve heard that humans as a race have strong members and weak members… but you’re a woman, right? And the one with his hair covering his face is a man, right?”

 

Enri’s eyes went wide. If she were not a woman, then what was she? No, it was just that he could not tell if Nfirea was male. Could it be that Goblins could not tell the sex of humans?

 

“Enri, I think this boy hasn’t seen humans before. At most, he knows what his fellow Goblins told him. Also… is it really so hard for Goblins to tell us humans apart?”

 

“Well, our clothes… are different….”

 

“Like I said, he doesn’t know things like that. Don’t all Goblins wear the same thing regardless of whether they’re male or female? Of course, sometimes there’s civilized Goblins with a country of their own, but he’s not one of them.”

 

I see, Enri suddenly realised, and then she realised she had not answered Agu’s question yet.

 

“That’s right, I’m a girl.”

 

“So are you a magic caster?”

 

“No, is something wrong?”

 

A profoundly disturbed expression appeared on Agu’s face.

 

“I’m the magic caster. An arcane magic caster.”

 

“…You two are husband and wife, right?”

 

“Ehhhh?!” The two of them exclaimed in perfect harmony.

 

“No, I mean, for some races, the wives can use their husband’s power and authority… is it not like that?”

 

“No, no, it’s not like that at all!”

 

The surrounding Goblins seemed to want to say something in response to Enri’s adamant refusal, but all that anyone saw them doing was sagging their shoulders in silence.

 

“Then… what’s going on? How come that woman’s number one?”

 

“We call you a kid because you don’t understand why. Ane-san’s strength isn’t something that can be seen with the eyes.”

 

Enri wanted to deny that, but Agu’s earnest eyes looking at her exerted a pressure that left her unable to speak. While Enri was confused, Kaijali asked a question.

 

“Then, another question for you. Why were you being chased by those guys? What happened?”

 

“That―”

 

“…Say, can this wait until we get back to the village?”

 

And the one who answered Enri’s suggestion was―

 

“That’s right ~su. It would be better that way ~su.”

 

―A woman who had not been with them until now.

 

Everyone exclaimed in surprise, and looked to the source of the sound.

 

What they saw was a stunning beauty. She was a woman with twin braids and brown skin. She was dressed in what she called her maid wear, and she carried a strange-looking weapon on her back.

 

She was a suspicious-looking individual, and at the same time a familiar one.

 

Lupusregina Beta.

 

She was a maid serving under Ainz Ooal Gown, the savior of Carne Village, and she had been responsible for delivering the alchemical items and apparatuses to the Bareares as well as commanding the Stone Golems. Her cheerful and carefree attitude made her very popular with the villagers.

 

However, she had a habit of appearing out of nowhere, just like she had sone just now. The villagers believed that it was only natural that a maid in service to a great magic caster should know magic of her own, and Enri had shared that opinion too. Even so, appearing like that all of a sudden was still frightening.

 

“Lupu-san, w-where did you…?”

 

“Really now, En-chan, I’ve been following behind you guys from the beginning~su. Huh? Don’t tell me you guys didn’t notice me ~su? I thought everyone was ignoring me because I had no presence ~su”

 

“Eh? Ehhhh?”

 

Although she sounded like she was kidding, her tone was very serious. Enri looked around for help from the others.

 

“Then ― Lupu-neesan, could you stop joking around?”

 

“Uwah~ people think I’m just a joker~su. I’d like you guys to remember me ~su... Nah, I was just kidding anyway~su. Just a joke~su..”

 

Silence resumed, until someone sighed tiredly with a “Haaaa.”

 

“Well, not like there’s anything wrong with that. So who’s this little Goblin? …Could ― could it be!”

 

Enri felt the Goblins between her and Lupusregina swapping annoyed looks.

 

“Fufu — Enfi-chan, you got cucked by a Goblin? Fufufu.”

 

As everyone rolled their eyes, Lupusregina was still laughing.

 

“What’s all of this then~su. A pure, innocent boy’s love, trampled just like that~ su. Ah, what a riot~su! Fugya! … All right, enough kidding around, what really happened?”

 

Agu’s body trembled fiercely, as though he had seen some kind of monster.

 

Although, Enri could understand why. Lupusregina’s cheerful expression changed ceaselessly, like a high-strung person under stress. The way she could go from laughing to dead serious all of a sudden was frightening in its own way.

 

“Aw, don’t worry, I won’t eat you~su. It’s okay-su. C’mon, tell onee-chan all about it~su”

 

“Lupu-neesan. We should talk about this later. Didn’t you agree on that?”

 

“Oya? Hm, I definitely recall saying something like that~su”

 

“…”

“…Ah! I hope you can hand this potion to Gown-sama, Beta-san. It’s newly developed, but its effects have been tested and proven.”

“…Oh? Enfi-chan, you finally made it?”

 

“That’s right. Unfortunately, it’s not completely red, but I think we’ve made significant progress.”

 

“― Well, that’s great. I’m sure Ainz-sama will be very happy to hear it.”

 

With that, Lupusregina’s attitude seemed to have become that of a normal person, and not the flighty, carefree girl from before. However, that expression only lasted a moment. In the next, she was back to her old self.

 

“Ahhhh, how exciting— Really, I picked a great day to visit~su. Also, no need to call me Beta. Lupusregina will do ~su. Special exception just for you~”

 

With the (apparently) high-spirited Lupusregina in tow, they entered the village gates.

 

The villagers said nothing when they saw the unfamiliar Goblin child. One could say that they were not nervous, but it could also be said that they trusted Enri very much. Perhaps they had assumed that the Goblin child was a relative of one of the other Goblins.

 

They went through the village and past Enri’s home. Their destination was the Goblin’s house.

 

“Excuse me for a bit. I’m going to call Brita-san over to listen to what Agu has to say.”

 

“Sounds like a plan, Ani-san. She’s training to be a ranger, so she’ll be entering the forest, which means it would be good to share this information with her. …So what should we do, Ane-san?”

 

“Eh? Me?”

 

Enri panicked briefly, not having expected her name to come up during the conversation. With no particular reason to oppose it, she simply nodded her head.

 

“Mm. Well, it’s not like I’m opposed to it or anything. Rather, I hope she hears what Agu has to say. I’m counting on you, Enfi.”

 

With an “Understood”, Nfirea left the group behind.

 

“While I don’t mind just waiting here… maybe I should make drinks.”

 

“Great idea~su! I’m thirsty ~su”

 

“…Lupu-neesan, aren’t you a maid? That means you know how to make delicious drinks, right?”

 

“Welp, I’m the maid of Ainz-sama, and the other Supreme Beings, soooo... I don’t want to work for anyone else ~su. I just want to laze around su~. Not interested in working at all ~su.”

 

“Is that so… well, that’s a shame.”

 

Although Unrai and Lupusregina’s conversation seemed quite normal, Enri could still feel a chill run through her.

 

As they walked and talked, they reached the Goblins’ house.

 

This was a huge building, with a wide courtyard where one could raise and let wolves run around, capable of housing almost twenty people. There was ample space to train with and prepare their weapons.

 

The Goblins opened the door, and led the way for Enri, Agu and Lupusregina.

 

“Fueeee- I didn’t know there was a place like this ~su”

 

“Hmmm? Lupusregina-san, you’re not coming in?”

 

“Yup yup  ~su Can’t just barge in without an invitation  ~su. Well, it’s just a matter of etiquette, it’s not like I can’t really go in  ~su. I guess the only one with such a weird legend surrounding them is flatchest-san  ~su”

 

“Flatchest-san…?”

 

“That’s right, En-chan  ~su It’s the name of a tragic beauty  ~su Well, it wasn’t as though that person couldn’t really go in  ~su. It’s all legends, myths and folklore. Weeeeeeell, let’s not talk about that any more. We’re here to listen to what Goblin over there has to say, right  ~su?”

 

“Ah, yes. Then, drinks… ehm, how about herbal water and fruit water? There’s black grass tea and Hyueri-infused water…”

 

Agu and Lupusregina looked completely baffled by Unrai’s question, so Enri helped explain for them.

 

“Hyueri are citrus fruits, you cut them open and infuse them into water and it tastes clear and good. Black grass tea is a little bitter.”

 

“I’ll like a Hyueri water.”

 

“Same for me  ~su”

 

“Got it. How about Ane-san?”

 

“I think I’ll have the Hyueri water too. And… how about washing our hands? Even if our noses are used to it…”

 

“Ah, that should be all right. Oi, kid— I mean, Agu, you come over here too. Gotta clean yourself up. And bro, sorry about this, but you mind taking care of our dirty weapons?”

 

“Is it alright?”

 

“Of course it is. Not like he can do anything. Our rules here are very simple.”


“If that’s the case… let’s go.”

 

Kaijali left the room with three sets of weapons.

 

“Agu, come over here quickly.”

 

“Why do I have to wash? I’m clean, aren’t I?”

 

Enri saw that Agu’s hands were very dirty; there were not clean by any definition of the word.

 

“Your opinion is irrelevant. This is the owner of the house telling you to wash up. Or are you saying you’re going to defy the owner in his own house?”

 

Agu puffed up his cheeks, and plodded over slowly to Enri’s side.

 

Enri poured the water from the large tank into the pails. After preparing four sets, she stuck her hands into the unexpectedly cold water and started to wash up. The green stuck in the gaps of her nails melted away. After she was sure it was all gone, she brought her hands in front of her face. The stench was gone.

 

Satisfied, she then looked around herself. Gokou and Unrai were washing their hands too, and the water was dyed red by the Barghest’s blood.

 

Next, she looked to Agu, but what she saw left her dumbfounded.

 

Even a child would know better than to wash up like this. He stuck his arms into the water, waggled them around a little, and that was that. He did not even dry himself off.

 

It was only after Enri had washed off the plant-scent on her hands, Agu still reeked of torn leaves. For Goblins who lived in the forest, a scent like this was a form of self-defense against magical beasts who had keen senses of smell. As such, they might have never developed the habit of bathing.

 

Even so—

 

“You do it like this.”

 

Agu made an annoyed face as Enri tried to teach him. However, he thought of his own position and what the other Goblins had said earlier and grudgingly, he started to thoroughly clean himself.

 

“That’s right, you’re doing great…”

 

“Hey, after this, use this to wipe your body. Make sure you get all the blood off.”

 

Agu looked unhappy, but he still took the towel with damp hands and used it to wipe himself off.

 

“So we just dump the dirty water outside?”

 

“Yeah, just like that. Ane-san, go have a seat. We’ll take care of the rest.”

 

Enri took advantage of those words and headed to the nearby table. It was surrounded by chairs since so many Goblins lived here. As she chose a place to sit, she suddenly realized how tired she was. Her arms and legs were like logs, and her head was heavy.

 

Although part of the reason had been gathering herbs, what had really worn her out was the battle against the Barghest.

 

All I did was watch… Enfi and the Goblins were fighting, but they’re still moving around after all that… looks like I’m never going to be a warrior… or rather, Enfi’s gotten stronger…

 

Even though she knew that her childhood friend could use magic, she hadn’t expected that magic to be so powerful.

 

He’s amazing…

 

As she thought of her suddenly-different childhood friend, Enri’s heart swelled with an emotion she could not put into words. It was a mysterious feeling that seemed to be surprise, but then again it seemed like something else entirely.

 

A clear sound brought Enri back to her senses, and her eyes fell on the ceramic cups on the table. They were filled with a transparent fluid that gave off a citrus smell, and Enri decided to help herself to a cup.

 

The refreshing, sweet and sour taste washed over her entire body, and she felt like she was filled with energy. Agu had sat down beside her at some point, and he gulped his down in one shot and immediately asked for another.

 

Lupusregina did not touch hers.

 

Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Lupusregina-san eat or drink.

 

“…Hm? Something wrong? You’ve been sneaking glances my way recently. Are you in love with me? Ahhhhh, how troubling~ my, how shocking, to think that En-chan is a lesbian~su. Looks like I need to let everyone know~su”

 

“What— no! No! It’s not like that!”

 

“Wahahahaha~ Just kidding. I know En-chan likes men.”

 

Enri did not know how to reply, and her mouth narrowed into a straight line.

 

“Still, they’re pretty slow… hm? Looks like they’ve arrived.”

 

Enri turned to the door, but she could not sense anyone outside.

 

“Really? But I don’t hear anything at all.”

 

Agu cupped his ear forward with his hand.

 

“Hey, are humans a race with good hearing?”

 

“That, that, I don’t know about that, but I don’t think Lupusregina-san would lie about this sort of thing… though she might… prank people a little.”

 

Then, was she lying?

 

Agu’s eyes suddenly went wide as he stared at Lupusregina.

 

“No, really, I heard them. They’re coming for sure. You’re amazing.”

 

“Hm? Not at all ~su. Compared to Enri-san over there, I’m nothing much  ~su.”

 

Agu seemed to swallow it up, and looked back at Enri with a surprised expression.

 

No, that’s not how it is. That smile on Lupusregina-san’s face is so damn fake! Enri wondered how she should tell Agu the truth, but before that, a knock came from the door.

 

Shortly after, Nfirea and a woman in leather armor entered the room.

 

Brita, the former adventurer, had moved into the village after Nfirea did. Originally, she had been an adventurer in E-Rantel, but had retired after certain events. Even so, she still needed to earn a living, and so she responded to the village’s solicitations and moved here.

 

She was studying to be a ranger, and she had potential. Even though she was weaker than Jugemu, she was still one of the strongest people in the village and the leader of the village’s self-defense force, even though it could hardly be called that.

 

They had brought her along because she led the defense force, and ebcause she entered the forest while practicing her ranger fieldcraft.

 

“Ah— it really is a new Goblin… no, hm, I keep thinking from an adventurer’s point of view… I shouldn’t treat him as an enemy.”

 

Brita smiled bitterly. It was not as though Enri did not understand where she came from. In stories, Goblins were the enemies of mankind. Killing them on sight was the right thing to do. However. this village was different. Frankly speaking, the villagers felt that humans seemed to be the real enemies in this case.

 

“Then, since everyone’s here, let’s listen to what he has to say. Agu, can you tell us why you were running while covered in all those wounds?”

 

“Simply put, I was fleeing from an attack.”

 

“That’s too simple… what kind of monster attacked you?”

 

“The minions of the Giant of the East.”

 

“The Giant of the East? Who’s that?”

 

“…What do you call him?”

 

“No, it’s not a matter of what we call him, we didn’t even know he existed until just now. Brita-san, do you know anything about this?”

 

The most widely-read person in this place was Nfirea, but when it came to the forest, Brita still knew more than him. Even so, all she could do was shake her head.

 

“I’m sorry. I haven’t heard anything concerning this Giant of the East. And I don’t think Master Latimon knows either. We’ve never ventured into the depths of the Forest and so don’t know much about its residents.”

 

“Then, Agu, tell us the basics about him.”

 

“When you say the basics, you mean…”

 

Enri understood Agu’s confusion. In situations like these, it was better to ask discrete questions one by one, so it would be easier for him to answer.

 

“Then, can you tell us about the powerful monsters in the Forest?”

 

“Well, to me the Barghests and the Ogres are all strong… but if you want to talk about things on the level of the Giant of the East, then in the forest, there are the powerful ones called the Three Monsters. The first is the Beast of the South. They say it’s amazingly strong and slaughters everyone who enters its domain. However, we haven’t heard anything about it recently, and apparently they did not see it even when they entered its territory, so I don’t know what happened to it. Then there’s the Giant of the East. He’s built an army beyond the withered forest. Finally is the Serpent of the West. I heard it’s a disgusting snake that can use magic.”

 

“Strange… how about the north?”

 

“There seems to be a lake in the north with all kinds of races. As for who rules them… I don’t know. But there seem to be twin witches in the swamp. And when the Beast of the South vanished, the forest became weird. I’m not too sure what exactly happened, apparently some really scary guy showed up, and then the balance of power shifted…”

 

“Is that the Monument of Destruction?”

 

“That’s right. I also heard that the master of the Monument of Destruction can command the undead, little black shadows that can move through darkness. That’s what the survivors told us.”

 

Everyone ― with the exception of Lupusregina ― looked uneasily at each other.

 

The first thing was the Beast of the South. Since its territory was supposed to be nearby, then when one thought about it, the creature must surely be the magical beast tamed by the adventurers who had escorted Nfirea here — or more specifically, the one who wore jet-black plate armor. It certainly had the look of power and strength about it, and so the description fit it perfectly.

 

“The Beast… the Wise King of the Forest, Hamsuke-san.”

 

“That’s it! Ahh, yes, that’s certainly qualifies as a Beast…” Brita said as she heard Nfirea. She had not been in the village at that time.

 

Apparently, she had seen it in E-Rantel, from far away.

 

And there were two more monstrous creatures out there who could equal it. Nobody could not feel shock and fear at that realisation.

 

“Then, how did you escape?”

 

“Until recently, the three of them held each other in check. The Beast of the South didn’t leave its territory, but nobody could guarantee that would always be the case. If the East and West fought, no matter who won, there was always the chance that in their moment of victory, they would be finished off by the Beast in their weakened state. As such, none of the three powers actually engaged in battle.”

 

“All right, I can accept that. However, if the East and West cooperated and… no, the Beast of the South wouldn’t leave his domain, so there’s no need to ally to defeat it. No need to provoke it...”

 

“I don’t know what those guys are thinking. They just claimed their own territory and turned it into their own kingdoms. However, the owner of the Monument of Destruction messed up the power distribution. Because of that, the East and West decided to make war on that King of Destruction, and they went around gathering disposable troops for their forces.”

 

Agu just kept talking and talking, without a pause.

 

“They forced us to ally with them. Although, we were hardly allies. I’s more like we Goblins were worthless to them. They used us up and threw us away, and if we messed up, we suffered. Because of that, we ran away. However…”

 

“It didn’t work, right?”

 

“Yes, that’s right. The Barghests and Ogres came after us. We couldn’t fight them, so we scattered. I fled in this direction with a few people into the Beast of the South’s territory, but we didn’t expect them to come in after us without hesitation.”

 

He said there had been a few people, but there had been no sign of anyone other than Agu.

 

A pained expression drew across Enri’s face, and Gokou spoke.

 

“…We have people scouting out the Forest, if anyone’s still alive, we can bring them back here as long as they don’t resist.”

 

“Yes, there’s that. Wolves’ noses are very sensitive. Then… the question is, besides the Barghest, what else is out there? Did they have friends that came over too? If it goes badly, the pursuers might end up coming all the way here. Oi, Agu, what other monsters are there?”

 

“There’s Barghests, Ogres, Boggarts, Bugbears, and some kind of wolf thing…”

 

“They’re fairly common monsters. I’d like to hear more about the Giant of the East and the Serpent of the West, specifically, their looks, their abilities, that sort of thing. Do you know anything?”

 

Agu shook his head.

 

“I don’t know the details. I know that the Giant of the East carries a big sword, and that the Serpent of the West has a head like you, but what kind of magic he uses, I don’t know.”

 

Everyone’s attention went to Nfirea, who shook his head. There was simply too little information to work with.

 

“The question now is what are we going to do? If something that can fight evenly with the Beast shows up, frankly speaking, we’re done for. The most the self-defence force can do is take the women and children to safety.”

 

“Indeed. If all we needed was a sturdy defense then it would be fine, or maybe we should think about some other methods. If the disturbance in the forest blew over by itself, it would be great.”

 

Everyone began thinking.

 

For them, as people who lived outside the forest, it would be best if matters within the forest settled themselves. However, that would mean they would be unable to enter the forest at all, which would be problematic. Still, they might have no choice but to do so if the worst came to pass.

 

“…However, if the enemy can easily take out a forest tribe, that means they must have gathered a lot of fighting power.”

 

“Wrong! …Originally, our tribe was a lot stronger. However, when we went in search of new places to live, our tribe dispatched mixed teams of Ogres and adult Goblins. If they’re still alive, we can still fight back!”

 

“Then those adult Goblins still haven’t come back yet?”

 

As Brita spoke, Nfirea tilted his head, as though thinking about something.

 

“About that… although this is a completely different topic, could I ask you about something that’s bothering me? Do you speak the same way that other Goblins do?”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Ah, that might be a little hard to undestand. In the past, I’ve met Goblins myself, and don’t take it the wrong way, but they spoke like morons. In the village though, Jugemu-san and the others speak normally. The same goes for you — as in you both speak fluently. Because of that, I was wondering if the ones I saw were savage Goblin tribes or something.”

 

“No, it’s just that I’m particularly smart for a Goblin. Most Goblins speak in single syllables. That made conversation in the tribe really troublesome, I can tell you that. I was seriously wondering if I was from another tribe instead. Now, just to be safe, let me ask you this, was I born in a tribe from around here? Have you heard anything about me?”

 

“No, we don’t know… You… Could it be… Ane-san, Ani-san, could you come over here for a bit?”

 

Nfirea and Enri followed Kaijali to the corner of the room.

 

“Could it be that Agu kid’s not a Goblin, but a Hobgoblin?”

 

Hobgoblins were offshoots of the Goblin race, and they were superior to Goblins in many ways. Goblins were about as big as human children when they were adults, but Hobgoblins could reach the height of an adult human.

 

They were similar to humans not just in physical abilities, but in mental attributes. Since they could breed with Goblins, they typically formed mixed communities with them. However, Hobgoblins were not as fecund as Goblins, and so they tended to be leaders or elite guards within a tribe.

 

“But if my father or mother was a Hobgoblin, wouldn’t they know themselves?”

 

“Both his parents were Goblins and he was a Hobgoblin?”

 

“Eh? Isn’t that the kind of weird plot that shows up in stories?!”

 

“…This is the first time I’ve seen Enri make a face like that… but unfortunately, I don’t think that’s the answer. Just as humans adopt children, I think the Goblins might have done something similar.”

 

“That’s certainly possible. Well, in that case, we don’t have to worry too much about it.”

 

The three of them returned to the table, and as they did, the hitherto silent Lupusregina opened her mouth to speak.

 

“Welp, made a decision ~su? If anything happens, you can always ask Ainz-sama for help ~su. Ask him to help solve the problem and all that ~su.”

 

That would be everything they wished for.

 

If the hero who saved the village decided to make a move, not even the Three Monsters could hope to stand against him. However—

 

“We’d be counting too much on him.”

 

Enri mumbled to herself, and the Goblins agreed. Only Brita and Agu, who did not know of Ainz, were baffled. Nfirea had a complex expression on his face.

 

“This village is our village. That means we should do as much as we can by ourselves. Although, some people might think that I shouldn’t put on airs because I haven’t bled or led anyone, I still...

 

“No, I agree with Ane-san’s opinion. This village is Ane-san’s—”

 

Kaijali went “Hm?” and then tilted his head as he corrected himself.

 

“Ane-san and our… no, that’s not right either.”

 

“You’re trying to say that the village belongs to everyone who lives here, right?”

 

“That’s right, Ani-san. You got it, just like I expected! Well, even so, I think borrowing the power of that magic caster-sama should wait until we’re completely out of options.”

 

“But if we do that, everyone might die~su… Getting hacked up hurts, you know~su”

 

“Ha! Lupusregina-san, we won’t let that happen. We’ll sacrifice ourselves so everyone has time to run first.”

 

Lupusregina seemed disappointed.

 

“Is that so ~su? You’d better work hard, then ~su.”

 

“And I also want to contact the Adventurer’s Guild in E-Rantel — or maybe reporting to them would be a better word to use. The Guild will send someone over to look after they accept our request. It would be troublesome if we put in a request after it became an emergency.”

 

Brita followed on after Nfirea’s suggestion.

 

“That’s true. The Adventurer’s Guild doesn’t want to lose their people to unexpected monsters. Of course, Workers and other madmen will all scoff and say that the Guild protects adventurers too much, but they’re just greedy pigs looking to pick a fight. It’s only natural that an organization would want to protect their own members.”

 

“Brita-san, although I don’t want to speak ill of adventurers, but during emergencies, the hiring cost might go through the roof, or they might even reject it. Why is that?”

 

“Adventurers don’t want to die, and the Guild doesn’t want them to die either. Therefore, the Guild jacks up the prices to attract higher-ranking adventurers to deal with a problem, even if the situation ultimately doesn’t warrant them. That’s it, really.“

 

As a clueless village girl, Enri found the words of this former adventurer easy to swallow. It was quite hard to have to accept this when they were being pushed into a corner. However, when she looked at it from the adventurers’ point of view, it made sense too.

 

“Well, even if the Guild checks it out, people might still die anyway, that sort of thing happens a lot…”

 

Brita bit her lower lip.

 

“― When I think of that Vampire attack, I can’t help but shiver… used to be I couldn’t even sleep without taking medicine for it…”

 

“Vampire? What’s that?”

 

Agu asked without any reservation, and Brita smiled bitterly.

 

“It’s a secret. Or rather, don’t make me think about it. I’ll piss myself.”

 

“But I was the one who was aski―”

 

“You’re not in a position to ask questions, brat.”

 

“So the plan for now is to report it to the Guild, and if the situation permits we’ll make a request. It’ll probably be frighteningly expensive, but we should at least get a quote from the Guild. Also, we’ll have to tell Jugemu-san and the chief about it later. Can you do that, Enri?”

 

“l’ll take care of the self-defence force. Frankly speaking, I’d have done the same thing too.”

 

Nfirea nodded as Brita spoke.

 

“Then, I guess I’ll go walkabout the village for a bit before going back ~su You really won’t ask Ainz-sama for help  ~su?”

 

“Yes. We’d like to do as much as possible by ourselves. If possible, we’d like you to tell Gown-sama that much.”

 

“Got it  ~su”

 

As Agu looked at Enri and Nfirea, who were moving off, a hard-to-describe feeling welled up within him.

 

“Just what’s so great about that woman?”

 

“Hah?!”

 

The threatening tone in the adult Goblin’s voice made Agu’s body tremble.

 

Agu felt that the adult Goblins were stronger than anyone else in his village. It was only natural for him to break out in goosebumps when threatened by them.

 

Yet, this still could not overcome his childish curiosity.

 

 

 

“Are women really that great in this Carne tribe?”

 

 

From Agu’s point of view, Enri did not seem particularly strong. Although she had some muscle on her arms and legs, it was nowhere near enough. She did not need to be as muscular as an Ogre, but as a leader, she needed way more than what she had now.

 

If she were a magic caster he could still understand it. The female who became leaders in Goblin tribes often used that mysterious power. However, that woman did not look like a magic caster.

 

Frankly speaking, Agu did not understand why Enri was superior to the Goblins.

 

“It’s not like that.”

 

“...That hunter woman who came later was stronger than her, right?”

 

“Well, Brita’s not bad in her own way. But we’re better.”

 

Agu’s opinion of the grown Goblin in front of him went up another notch. He was shorter than that woman, yet he had spoke with unyielding conviction. Surely there must have been a reason for his self-confidence.

 

“And then, that woman who appeared from behind you, she’s not that strong either, is she? Though the way she showed up out of nowhere scared me to death.”

 

The adult Goblin suddenly clammed up, and stared at Agu.

 

Sensing a strange pressure all over him, Agu nervously asked:

 

“W-what? What’s with that woman?”

 

“That woman who suddenly appeared… her name is Lupusregina, and she… she’s very dangerous. Since you’ll be staying with us for a while, do not ever go near her or speak to her. It’s for your own good.”

 

“Ah. Ahhhh. I get it.”

 

“And I have to say this up front. Although it should be blindingly obvious, if you do anything to the people in the village… let’s be honest here, you won’t just get away with a scolding, you’d better be prepared to die.”

 

“I, I got it. So I’m basically like someone from a defeated tribe, right? I promise that I will not harm anyone from Carne Tribe.”

 

“All right, that’s good… stay away from Lupusregina, okay?”

 

Agu understood the mix of caution and dread in the adult Goblin’s heart, and he engraved the warning into his heart. With that done, he realised his first question had not been answered, and so he asked again.

 

“Why is Enri-san so great?”

 

Even Agu could learn. Or rather, it was easy for him to learn, since he was the smartest in the tribe and could not talk much with other Goblins, so he picked up on things like that quickly.

 

“Ha. …Enri… the truth is... she’s very strong.”

 

“Eh?!”

 

“It’s because you’re too weak that you can’t tell. If Ane-san got serious, she could crush a Barghest or whatnot to death with just one hand, and squeeze the blood out into a cup to drink, you know?”

 

“Really?!”

 

“Oh yes, yes, of course it’s true.”

 

Agu thought of Enri. When he thought about it calmly, it was true that she had been able to give powerful orders that shook the soul. Maybe that was just the tip of the iceberg?

“Ane-san just pretends to be weak. If you ask too much and get her mad, she’ll crush you to death with one hand. After that, cleanup will be a pain. There’ll be blood everywhere.”

 

“Is, is that so… then why, why does she have to pretend to be weak? If she were strong, wouldn’t there be fewer problems?”

“If you show off your strength,you’ll get people coming from all over to challenge you. That’s pretty troublesome too, you know?”

 

Agu had thought that strength was the solution to all problems, but that was not the case.

 

Locked in a labyrinth of self-reflection, he did not realise that the adult Goblin in front of him had a joking expression on his face.

 

♦ ♦ ♦

 

In the middle of the night, Enri suddenly woke from her slumber. Though there did not seem to be anything strange nearby, Enri remained still while she moved her eyes to check around her. The world before her was pitch black, lit only by a slim ray of moonlight from between the window shutters. She could not see anything strange in this weak light.

 

But Enri’s ears could hear just fine.

 

There were no sounds of horses neighing, armored knights clanking, or people screaming. She could not hear anything like that It was just a normal night.

 

Enri sighed softly, and closed her eyes. She had been sleeping soundly until just now, so she was still groggy and could not get up right away.

 

A lot had happened today. After the talk with Agu, she had gone to explain things to the village chief and Jugemu, who had returned from his scouting.

 

It’ll be all right, right?

 

In order to confirm the new information, Jugemu had decided to enter the forest again and they had left at night. Moving at night in the forest was just too dangerous. Goblins were different from humans; they could see with small amounts of light, so they could move freely. However, there were many nocturnal magical beasts and monsters, and they would become active after the sun set.

 

It was much more dangerous than in the day.

 

If there had been no need to urgently confirm that there were no more monsters chasing Agu, Jugemu would never have set out.

 

It was true that the Goblins were strong, but that was only in comparison to Enri. There were many creatures in the forest who were stronger than the Goblins, such as the Three Monsters.

 

A sense of dread and loss fell over Enri, making her twitch, and because of that, her little sister moaned in her sleep, scooting closer to Enri’s body.

 

Enri half-opened her eyes, and peeked at her little sister.

 

It would seem that had not woken her up. She could even hear her gentle snoring.

 

Hehe…

 

Just as Enri chuckled in her throat, the sound of soft knocking resounded on the door. This was definitely not a trick of the wind.

 

Enri frowned. What could there be so late at night? Then again, it was precisely because it was so late at night that meant it had to be important.

 

She gingerly separated herself from Nemu and the blanket and slowly got off the bed, moving carefully so as not to wake her little sister.

 

The boards creaked as she got out of bed, making Enri’s heart beat faster as she worried about waking up Nemu.

 

After that incident, Nemu had to sleep with Enri at night. She had suffered very severe trauma.

 

Enri had no intention of scolding her for it. That was because because Enri felt safer when she slept with her sister.

 

But she knew, even when the two of them were together, Nemu would sometimes be awoken by her nightmares. Because of that, Enri insisted on being with Nemu even when she was sound asleep.

 

Quietly, and therefore slowly, she inched toward the threshold, but the knocking did not stop.

 

Enri nervously peeked out the window, and the moonlight illuminated Jugemu’s silhouette. She sighed in relief.

 

In order not to wake Nemu, Enri quietly spoke outside the window.

 

“Jugemu-san, you’re safe.”

 

“Yeah, Ane-san. In the end, it was all right. Sorry to wake you up, but I think you ought to know this as soon as possible.”

 

Enri opened the door slightly, and squeezed her body out through the gap. She was worried that the moonlight coming in would wake Nemu. Understanding from her movements, Jugemu lowered his voice and spoke.

 

“There’s something we need you for, Ane-san.”

 

“Right now?” Enri smiled playfully. ”Of course, I don’t mind.”

 

“I’m really sorry about this.”

 

Enri followed in Jugemu’s footsteps while telling him not to apologize. It might have been better for Nemu to be awake for this, and she had considered that, but Jugemu had come for her knowing that everyone else was asleep. There had to be a reason for it.

 

“I’ll explain as we walk.”

 

He usually spoke more lightly, but when it came to work -- or what Jugemu judged to be work -- his tone was stiffer.

 

Although Enri felt that it was okay to be more casual with a simple village girl like herself, Jugemu had refused to change that part of him, so Enri gave up on that idea.

 

“Firstly, we found some members of Agu’s tribe.”

 

“That’s wonderful!”

 

“…but they’re emotionally fragile, and I think they’ll need to rest for a few days. We had to borrow Ani-san’s strength for this.”

 

Sensing Enri’s surprised expression, Jugemu followed up with an explanation.

 

“When we found the survivors of Agu’s tribe, they were being held by the Giant of the East’s Ogres as prisoners, and used as food. Although Cona healed their physical wounds, their minds are still scarred. Ani-san has some medicine to calm them down, and we want him to help treat them. After that, there’s a somewhat more troublesome matter.”

 

Jugemu watched Enri’s expression before continuing.

 

“When we rescued them, we captured five Ogres. Although we only did it to question them… it seems Ogres normally coexist with Goblins, and while the Ogres fight, the Goblins provide food, shelter, and so on, in a mutually beneficial relationship. Because of that, they said they’re willing to fight for our tribe. According to Agu, this isn’t uncommon… so, what should we do?”

 

“Can we trust them?”

 

“Agu says we can. The Ogres have a strange habit; they won’t fight for anyone apart from the Goblins of their tribe, and they betrayed the Giant of the East because he wasn’t of their tribe. It’s something like that.”

 

“Mm. But, man-eating Ogres sound kind of scary…”

 

“Once they accept the people in the village as part of their tribe, all you need to do is feed them and it’ll be fine. You can give them just about any kind of food too. Fortunately, they’re omnivorous.”

 

Honestly speaking, this decision was very difficult for a simple village girl to make.

 

“How about killing them?”

 

This was delivered in a casual tone.

 

“Frankly speaking, I have no problems with killing them outright. It would save us a big stack of problems. In the first place, people like them who betray others might turn on us if things start to go bad. Agu says they won’t, but blindly believing everything a kid says is a little…”

 

“And what do you think, Jugemu-san?”

 

“If they could fight for us, it would be great. We don’t know how many pursuers might come from the forest, so a few extra meat shields would help a lot.”

 

“Then, one more question, will they eat people?”

 

“…Ane-san. Although Ogres have a reputation for eating humans, they’re just monsters who eat meat. The only thing is that it’s easier to catch humans to eat than wild animals.”

 

For Ogres, it was better to catch humans than say, rabbits. It was only natural when one considered that humans were easier to capture and gave more meat too.

 

“Well, if you give them something to eat, they won’t attack the villagers. In the first place, they only attack people to fill their stomachs. You have my word that we’ll hunt enough animals to fill their bellies. Of course, they’ll still need to be supervised and we’ll have to see how things go. I promise we won’t let anyone in the village be hurt.”

 

“…In that case, it would be good if we could trust them enough to make them subordinates. Not just for now, but for the future as well.”

 

“I’m glad you understand. Only thing is, there’s a small contradiction with what I said just now. If what happens next goes poorly, we’ll have to kill them all. Truthfully speaking, I’ve been thinking of how to impress on those Ogres that you’re their boss, Ane-san.”

 

“Eh?!”

 

Enri let out a noise that sounded like she’d been flipped upside down. This was too much of a leap for her. Why did a simple village girl like herself have to become the leader of a band of Ogres? Would it not be enough for Jugemu to be their boss?

 

“This is planning for the future. It’ll be troublesome if the Ogres think of you as just another human being, Ane-san. Although we listen to you, a situation where orders have to be relayed through us Goblins is potentially very dangerous. As a frontline commander, anything could happen to me at any time, so I feel that we need someone safe in the rear who can command the Ogres.”

 

Enri considered the problem with her village girl sensibilities.

 

“Which means you need two people who can command them?”

 

Jugemu nodded.

 

“In that case, Enfi could—”

 

“Ani-san might end up being on the frontline too.”

 

“I see…”

 

Enri suddenly understood, and nodded. Someone in a safe place like herself ought to be useful too. That was also what Enri wanted as well. However―

 

“But can I really control the Ogres?”

 

“That’s what we’re about to find out, Ane-san. How good are you at acting?”

 

♦ ♦ ♦

 

Both the front and the rear gates of the village led outside, and Jugemu led her to the rear gate. Beyond it were five Ogres kneeling on the ground. They were also the source of the stench that had been hanging in the air.

 

Surrounding them were the Goblin Troop, all of whom were present and unhurt.

 

On one side of the door was an observation platform, which would normally have been manned by villagers or Goblins, but not now. The Goblins had temporarily left it.

 

Nfirea was there too, along with Agu, who was some distance away.

 

“Yo, Enri. Nice night?”

 

“Yeah, Enfi. The moon’s really pretty.”

 

“Indeed. It’s so big and clear.”

 

“Sorry to interrupt your conversation, but let’s get this show on the road,” Jugemu whispered to Enri before shouting: “Oi! You lot! Our Ane-san is here! She holds your lives in her hands!”

 

When the five Ogres heard this, they raised their heads to look at Enri. It felt like there was a palpable pressure crushing her, but Enri forced herself not to take a step backward. If she gave in, the plan would fail, and the Goblins would nip potential problems in the bud by killing the Ogres on the spot.

 

Enri could already see the Goblins’ hands going to their weapons. Enfi was calmly taking out a potion bottle himself.

 

An eternity seemed to pass under the withering pressure.

 

Enri endured the stares of the Ogres and returned it with one of her own. Her gaze was steady and unyielding.

 

In her eyes, the Ogres overlapped with the image of the knights from back then.

 

Enri clenched her fists, recalling how she had felt back then, when she had punched the helmeted knight straight in the face.

 

Don’t look down on me. Everyone else is protecting the village, so I have to protect it too!

 

After a tense second ― a second which seemed to stretch out forever to Enri ― the Ogres wavered.

 

They peeked at each other, and then at Jugemu.

 

“Told you, didn’t I. Our boss, our Ane-san, is the strongest.”

 

“Faces down, all of you!”

 

Enri shouted out just as Jugemu finished.

 

The forcefulness of Enri’s voice surprised even herself, and Agu at the edge of her vision twitched violently, but that was fine. What was important was that the Ogres had bowed their heads to her.

 

For the time being, the Ogres had acknowledged Enri’s superiority.

 

“Well then, what do you have to say to our boss, the chief of Carne Village, our Ane-san?”

 

With their heads still lowered, what emerged from the Ogres was a torrent of confused voices.

 

“So, so scary, little boss. Forgive.”

 

“Sorry, we attacked your tribe. Please forgive.”

 

By “your tribe”, the Ogres probably meant Agu’s tribe. Though the reality was somewhat different, it was easier for them to understand the situation as Agu’s people being part of Carne Tribe, in order to avoid overloading the Ogres’ brains.

 

“We will, work for you.”

 

“That’s right! Work for me and my tribe!”

 

That last statement was made with the dregs of her spirit she could muster. She had only said two or three sentences, Enri was already very tired. It was as bad as the encounter with the Barghest.

 

Just as Enri was about to drop out of Boss Mode from fatigue, Jugemu helped her out just in time.

 

“Wonderful! Looks like Ane-san saved your lives!”

 

The strength had visibly ebbed from the Ogres’ bodies. Given that they could be killed at any moment, that was a natural reaction.

 

One Ogre looked at Enri and spoke.

 

“Chief, we, what do?”

She had not considered that yet. Still, if she did not know, she could entrust it to someone else.

 

“Jugemu-san, I’ll let you take care of them. Use them as you see fit.”

 

“Got it, Ane-san.”

 

The Goblin leader bowed to Enri, then turned back to the Ogres.

 

“Well then. First of all, we’re going to pitch tents outside the village. You lot will be shacking up there. And you too, help them with the tents.”

 

The Ogres left, accompanied by the Goblins.

 

“Pitching tents outside the village might cause all sorts of problems; we’ll need to make a place for them to live in the village. Even so, we need to train them not to attack the villagers first.”

 

“I’ll need to go around to talk with a lot of people to make them accept it.”

 

“Yup. Although, I think it’ll be fine if you do it, Enri. And, about tomorrow…”

 

According to the plan, Enri and Nfirea would be setting out to E-Rantel, with several Goblins as guards.

 

“I’m sorry. I still need to help treat the survivors from Agu’s tribe, so I can’t go.”

 

After all, they would be living in the same village as the same Ogres who wanted to eat them. The mental trauma had to be treated along with their physical wounds, and Lizzie’s personality would only frighten them and have the opposite effect. In the end, there was nobody better for this than Nfirea.

 

“Ehhh? I feel a little uneasy about this…”

 

Enri didn’t have any experience with visiting a big city like E-Rantel, so from her point of view the burden seemed quite weighty.

 

“Then, how about getting the village chief to go with you?”

 

“I think that could be difficult…”

 

The village chief had to maintain order in the village, perform repairs, and keep an eye on their new residents. It would be very difficult for him to travel too far.

 

“…How about the chief’s wife?”

 

“Mm. Well, frankly speaking, there’s not enough hands in the village. It used to be that way and now it’s even more so.”

 

Carne Village was a village with a very small population. As a result, when their numbers decreased, their ability to do anything decreased with it. This was why the villagers had suppressed their opposition to inviting more residents to stay with them.

 

“When I go to E-Rantel, I need to go to the temples and see if there’s anyone who wants to move to the village… Really, this is too much for a village girl to be doing…”

 

“All the best, Chief.”

 

Enri pouted as she heard Jugemu’s words. Part of her was thinking, “The nerve of you”. After all, they were one of the reasons why Enri was so busy.

 

“I really wanted to come along…”

 

Nfirea mumbled in a depressed tone, and then covered it up in a flustered flurry of desperate handwaving.

 

“I-it’ll be fine, I’ll take care of Nemu-chan. So you can go without worries.”

 

“…All right, I get it, am I the only one in the world who has to go through this? One moment people worship me and make me out to be someone great, the next I have to go somewhere I’ve never been to before and do things I’ve never done before…”

 

“Don’t be so pessimistic, Enri. There’s got to be someone out there who can relate to you.”

 

Jugemu and Nfirea chuckled quietly as they saw her shoulders droop in fatigue. Agu watched from the distance, muttering to himself.

“So she really did take control of the Goblins by force… the Chief of Carne Village, Enri-anesan…”

Part 3

As the name implied, the Fortress City E-Rantel was surrounded by three concentric rings of fortified walls. Of the gates set into those walls, those on the outermost walls were the thickest and most solid of them all, and they radiated an air of strength and weightiness.

 

It was a common sight to see travellers on the street staring open-mouthed at the gates of the city that was said to be able to repulse any invasion the Empire made. And the people on the streets had surely made similar expressions in the past.

 

Besides these gates were customs inspection posts, manned by several soldiers who were relaxing just out of the direct sunlight.

 

Although some people might have asked if it was all right for the soldiers of a city near the frontline to be so relaxed, the truth was that the troops at the inspection posts were there to vet travellers. Their job was to uncover contraband and spies from other countries, so they had nothing to do when nobody was entering the city.

 

As a result, the currently idle soldiers ― though they maintained discipline instead of passing their time by playing cards ― could not resist the urge to yawn.

 

Though they looked slack for the moment, but when they were busy, they were very busy. In particular, the sheer amount of work they had to do in the morning, just after the gates opened, practically defied description.

 

With the sun at its highest point in the sky, the travellers began appearing on the streets in small groups, scattered sparsely among the other pedestrians. It was only natural that people would travel in numbers, given that this was a world inhabited by monsters.

 

When they show up, they show up in force; we’re going to be busy soon, thought the guard who was idly contemplating the streets from his window. His eyes rested on a wagon about to enter the street, waiting for some pedestrians to pass.

 

A woman sat on the driver’s seat. He could not see anyone else on the uncovered wagon bed. She was travelling alone.

 

She was unarmed and unarmored. From that, the guard’s concluded that--

 

She’s just a village girl.

 

--Even as he thought that, the soldier tilted his head as he promptly second-guessed himself.

 

People from the nearby villages were hardly a rare sight here. However, a woman travelling by herself was a different matter entirely. Even the area surrounding E-Rantel was not completely free of bandits and monsters. Thanks to the efforts of the legendary adventurer team “Darkness”, most of the dangerous monsters and bandits had been wiped out. But “most” did not mean “all”, and there were still mundane beasts like wolves and the like to look out for.

 

This situation was not unique to E-Rantel; it applied to all of the other cities as well. And come to think of it, could girls travel by themselves?

 

Perhaps she had outrun a bandit encounter, but he did not sense any tension or nervousness from her at all. She looked to be at ease, as though she knew her journey would be a safe one.

 

What kind of girl was she?

 

The soldier shifted his now-suspicious gaze to her horse, and that was when his confusion deepened.

 

The horse was exceptional, not something a mere village girl would have. Its condition and coat reminded him of a warhorse.

 

Warhorses were extremely valuable. Even if one could actually raise the money to buy one, a normal person would not be able to acquire one easily. Leaving aside monstrous mounts like Wyverns and Griffins, warhorses were the pinnacle of steeds.

 

A normal person would need money and connections to obtain such a warhorse, and a simple village girl would not have either.

 

It was also possible that she had stolen the horse from its original owner, but anyone who stole such a valuable item would be hotly pursued and targeted for retribution. This was why bandits did not dare attack people mounted on warhorses.

 

In short, after considering all the visible evidence, the chances that she really was a simple village girl were very low. So who was this person posing as a village girl?

 

The fact that she was travelling alone hinted at her true identity. In other words, she was very confident in her abilities, and those abilities were not limited by the fact that she chose to dress as a village girl -- by her gear, or lack thereof. With that in mind, it was likely that she was a magic caster, since their equipment and power rarely matched their appearance.

 

That was an answer he could accept. If pressed for the reason, it was because magic casters, or adventurers in general, were wealthy and connected, so obtaining a warhorse would be easy.

 

“Is that a magic caster?”

 

His partner beside him had gone through the same thought process.

 

“Might be,” the soldier furrowed his brow and answered.

 

Magic casters were very irritating people to inspect.

 

To begin with, their primary weapon, magic, was an internal thing which was invisible to the naked eye. In other words, the guards could not tell what weapons magic casters were armed with.

 

Secondly, they might be smuggling dangerous items with their magic and finding those was hard.

 

Thirdly, they usually had a lot of specialist baggage, so checking them all was troublesome.

 

Honestly speaking, he hated dealing with them. Because of that, theyhad a man on loan from from the Magician’s Guild — after paying a suitable fee, of course — to help them out. However…

 

“Do we have to bring that guy out? I don’t want to.”

 

“It can’t be helped. If we clear her through and anything happens, it’ll be troublesome.”

 

“It would be nice if she’d just dressed like a magic caster to begin with.”

 

“Carrying a weird staff, wearing a weird robe?”

 

“Yup. At least you’d know someone was a magic caster. Either that, or we force everyone in the Magician’s Guild to carry some proof of membership, like adventurers..”

 

The two soldiers got up as one, laughing to each other. This was to welcome the girl who might be a magic caster.

 

Under the watchful eyes of the soldiers, the wagon rolled up to the door and stopped.

 

The girl disembarked. Her forehead was slick with sweat, but she seemed used to travelling under the sun. Her sleeves and slacks were long to ward off sunburn. Her clothes did not seem expensive or well-tailored. No matter how you looked at her, she was a simple village girl.

 

However, one could not judge a book by its cover. She could be hiding something. Their job was to find out what that was.

 

The soldiers carefully approached the girl.

 

“We’d like to ask you a few questions. Could you come with us to the checkpoint?”

 

They spoke with gentle tones and expressions. They were trying to send the message that they were not wary of her, so she could lower her guard.

 

“Sure, I don’t mind.”

 

The soldiers escorted the girl to the checkpoint.

 

In order to protect against the use of [Charm] spells and other forms of mental manipulation, two more soldiers followed at a distance of several meters. The others watched her carefully, wary of any suspicious movements.

 

The girl tilted her head several times, as though sensing the tension in the air.

 

“…What’s wrong?”

 

“Eh? Ah, no, nothing’s wrong.”

 

Someone who could notice the minute changes in the air could not possibly be an ordinary person. The guards brought her into the checkpoint with that in mind.

 

“Then, could you sit down there?”

 

“Yes.”

 

The girl sat in one of the chairs provided in the small blockhouse.

 

“Let’s start with your name and place of birth.”

 

“Yes. My name is Enri Emmot. I come from Carne Village, near the Great Forest of Tob.”

 

The soldiers exchanged looks, and one of them stepped out of the blockhouse. He was going to check the register for any matching records.

 

In order to manage its residents, the Kingdom kept records of them in the form of registers. That being said, the registers were crude affairs, and the relevant details of birth and death were updated very slowly, if at all. Someone had once estimated that there were tens of thousands of mistakes in them. As a result, relying too heavily on the registers would be a bad idea, but even so, they had their uses.

 

This register was muddled, but it had a lot of entries, so searching it would take a long time. The soldiers understood this, and decided to try and take care of something else in the meantime.

 

“Then, in place of the toll, could I see your permit?”

 

Normally speaking, everyone who entered a city had to pay a toll ― something like a walking tax. However, charging residents this money would cause trade to grind to a halt, and as a result every village was issued travel permits with which they could enter the city free of charge. Of course, as there were different nobles in each region, there were different rules for each region too.

 

“Hmmm, let me see… here it is.”

 

The soldier stopped Enri from fishing through her bag.

 

“Ah, we’ll do that. Could you give us your bag?”

 

Enri handed it over without protest. The soldiers carefully searched the insides, and found a parchment.

 

They unrolled it on the table so everyone could see. Although the literacy rate amongst Kingdom citizens was very low, it was a given that every soldier stationed at a checkpoint could read and write. Or rather, they were here precisely because they were literate.

 

“I see. Well, it looks all right. This is definitely the permit issued to Carne Village. I have confirmed this.”

 

The soldier rolled the parchment back up and returned it to the bag.


“Next, state the reason why you came to E-Rantel.”

“Yes. Firstly, I’m here to sell the medicinal herbs that we’ve picked.”

 

The soldiers looked outside at the wagon, whose urns were currently being searched.

 

“Could you tell us the names and the amounts of the herbs you’re selling?”

 

“Four urns of Nyukuri, four urns of Ajina and six urns of Enkaishi.”

 

“Six urns of Enkaishi, you say?”

 

“That’s right.”

 

A look of pride spread over Enri’s face. The solder understood why.

 

After all, when manning a checkpoint, one eventually picked up a working knowledge of medicinal herbs.

 

Enkaishi was a herb that could only be gathered during a very short timeframe, but it was a major ingredient in healing potions. The demand was very high, and thus the price was always good. If she had six urns like she said, that meant that she would have a lot of money when she sold them off.

 

“Then, where do you plan to sell them?”

 

“I was planning to sell them at the former residence of Madam Bareare.”

 

“Bareare? You mean the herbalist Lizzie Bareare?”

 

Although she did not live there anymore, Lizzie had been the most important person in E-Rantel’s pharmaceutical business until recently. If she had a business relationship with the Bareares, that meant Lizzie trusted her very much.

 

Then, there’s no need to pry deeper, the soldiers thought.

 

The truth was that although their job was to stop dangerous things from entering the city, investigating these things once they entered the city was no longer their problem.

 

The soldier nodded with a grunt, then glanced at Enri’s face.

 

She had spoken quite normally until now, and they did not sense that she was lying.

 

Once the cargo inspection was complete, their job would be over.

 

At this moment, the soldier who had just returned nodded his head.

 

That was to say, a girl called Enri was recorded in the register.

 

However, that record simply said that there was a girl called Enri born in Carne Village. Without any guarantee that the person in front of them was the real Enri, there was also no proof of the kind of life Enri had led. Perhaps during her travels, she had acquired some powerful magic, or she had died in her journey and some criminal was using her name.

 

Because of that, they needed to perform one final check.

 

“Understood. Then, call him over.”

 

The soldier nodded, and left the blockhouse.

 

“After this, we will be examining your body. Is that alright?”

 

“Eh?”

 

A surprised expression dawned on Enri’s face. The soldier hurried to qualify his words.

 

“Oh, it’s not because there were other problems. I’m sorry, but these are the rules. And we won’t do anything weird to you, so don’t worry.”

 

“…If that’s how it is, then I understand.”

 

Seeing that Enri was okay with it, the soldier sighed with relief. He did not want to be the one to anger a possible magic caster.

 

The soldier who left returned once more, this time with a man trailing behind him.

 

This man was a magic caster.

 

His nose protruded like an eagle’s beak, while his thin face was sallow and pale. His body was wrapped in a black robe that looked very hot. His sweat flowed freely, and his claw-like hands tightly clutched his gnarled staff.

 

Personally, the soldier felt that he should have shed the robe if it was so hot, but the magic caster liked that style, and stubbornly refused to change his clothes. Perhaps that was why the room’s temperature seemed to rise by a few degrees when the magic caster entered.

 

“So it’s this girl, then?”

 

The magic caster spoke calmly, which his soldier escort found strange, as usual.

 

Although he seemed to be a man in his late twenties, his extremely hoarse voice made it impossible to determine how old he was by sound alone. Was it that his appearance was abnormally young, or that his voice was abnormally hoarse?

 

“Ah…”

Enri turned a surprised look at the magic caster who had replaced the soldier. In his heart, the soldier thought that her surprise could not be helped. After all, he too had been frightened the first time he saw the man.

 

“This is a magic caster from the Magician’s Guild. He’s going to perform a simple check, so please wait.”

 

The soldier gestured to Enri to remain seated, and then nodded to the magic caster.

 

“I’ll leave this to you, then?”

 

“Of course.”

 

The magic caster took a step toward Enri, and then he cast his spell.

 

“[Detect Magic].”

 

After that, the magic caster squinted his eyes. He looked like a beast sizing up its prey. Yet,Enri remained calm despite being subjected to a gaze that rattled even the soldiers, who were used to this sort of thing.

 

As they saw this, all the soldiers could think was No wonder.

 

Someone who could remain calm under such a mighty gaze could not be a simple village girl. At the very least, she must have had experience in life-or-death struggles against monsters or people who wanted to take her life. The sight before them only cemented the impression in the soldiers’ hearts.

 

“You can’t deceive my eyes. You’re hiding a magic item. It’s on your waist.”

 

Enri heard it, and looked to her waist in surprise.

 

The soldiers immediately went on alert. They understood weapons like swords, but their knowledge did not cover magic items.

 

“You mean this?”

 

Enri produced a small horn from underneath her clothing, small enough that it could fit into both her palms. The soldiers might not have understood its significance even if they had seen it.

 

“…Is that a magic item?”

 

“That’s right. You’ve been deceived by her appearance. That thing is imbued with powerful magic.”

 

The soldiers were speechless. If this was an item the magic caster considered powerful, then how mighty was it?

 

As they began to think that the girl was dressed plainly for a reason, they felt as though a blade was peircing their chests.

 

“Ah, this is―”

“No need to speak. My magic will see through it.”

 

In order to shut Enri up, he cast another spell.

 

“[Appraise Magic Item] ― uoooooooh!”

 

The magic caster’s face went through several expressions in a few seconds. Initially it was shock, then fright, then terror, and then -- confusion.

 

“What, what, what is this? Even the word powerful fails to do it justice… Impossible! What on earth is this?!”

 

The magic caster’s face was red, and flecks of spittle flew from the sides of his mouth.

 

“What the devil are you! Don’t try to trick me!”

 

The magic caster’s sudden change in attitude took the soldiers by surprise, and Enri was no exception as her eyes widened.

 

“No, I’m just, I’m just a normal person! A simple village girl! Really!”

 

“A village girl? You, why, are you lying? Then, how could you have obtained a magic item like this? If you really are a simple village girl, how could you have gotten something like that?!”

 

“Eh? This, this is a gift from the one who saved our village, Ainz Ooal Gown-sama―”

 

“Lies again! A priest from the Theocracy must have given it to you!”

 

“Eh? What’s that about the Theocracy?”

 

“Everyone! Fall in! There’s something very wrong about this girl!”

 

Although the soldiers did not understand what was going on, up till today, they had never seen the magic caster react like this before. So if this were an emergency, they should drop whatever they were doing and respond to the summons.

 

“Fall in! Fall in!”

 

In response to the soldier’s shouts, several of their comrades stopped their cargo inspections and entered the room.

 

“You said someone else gave you this item? Nonsense! How did you get it? You can’t possibly be a simple village girl!”

 

“No, this really was given to me by Gown-sama! Please, you have to believe me!”

 

The soldiers looked between the two of them. The magic caster was a colleague of theirs, whom they had hired, and they wanted to believe him. However, given Enri’s nervous reaction to the sudden change in the situation, they could not help but think she was a normal girl.

 

“What, what else is there? Tell me why you think she’s suspicious!”

 

“Hnh! To begin with, this horn can summon a group of Goblins — although I’m not sure how many it can call up, but it can do such a thing.”

 

The soldiers frowned. It would be troublesome if something like that was used on the streets. However, was that really a problem? Certain people, such as adventurers, possessed a plethora of magic items. It would not be strange for them to possess an item like this among their panoplies.

 

“And this so-called village girl’s testimony is riddled with inconsistencies. That item is worth several thousand gold coins; why would anyone just give it to a mere village girl?”

 

“Several thousand?!”

 

“Several thousand?!”

 

This unbelievable sum drew cries of disbelief from the soldiers, and Enri herself.

 

Several thousand gold coins was a sum no normal person could earn in their entire life. It was hard to believe such a simple-looking horn could be worth so much.

 

“That’s right. Nobody would hand out such an item without a good reason, let alone to a mundane girl! I could accept it if she were a top-class adventurer or magic caster. But she says she’s just a village girl! It’s far too suspicious!”

 

That much the soldiers understood. Exceptional people would tend to gather exceptional items to themselves. In the past, both the great men of good and evil persuasions were known for their acquisition of powerful equipment. It was their destiny, and it was inevitable.

 

“No, really, I’m just a simple village girl…”

 

“Besides, I’ve never heard of any Ainz Ooal Gown fellow. At least, he’s not part of our Guild, nor have I ever heard of an adventurer by that name.”

 

“The Warrior-Captain knows Gown-sama!”

 

“The Kingdom’s Warrior-Captain, Gazef Stronoff-dono? …You must be uttering nonsense. How would a simple village girl know of such things?”

 

“Because he came to our village! It’s true! Go ask him and you’ll know!”

 

It would be impossible to communicate with the Warrior-Captain, who resided in the Royal Capital, from E-Rantel. More to the point, if she really was a simple village girl, it was unlikely that she would stay in the Warrior-Captain’s memory, so proving her identity would be hard.

 

“So what do we do?”

 

“Detain her for now, then investigate her further. Given that she didn’t conceal that horn, and was planning to take it into the city openly, she might not be a spy or a terrorist, but that is no guarantee.”

 

Enri looked around in a panic.

 

She looked just like a normal village girl. If this was an act, she must have been a very good actor.

 

Suddenly, one of the soldiers watching the perimeter exclaimed in surprise. At the same moment, a familiar voice rang out.

 

“We wish to enter the city, but… what’s going on?”

 

As they turned towards the voice, they saw a man wearing jet-black plate armor.

 

“Uooh!”

 

The soldiers and magic caster all exclaimed in surprise. Everyone in E-Rantel knew the man who wore that armor. The adamantite plate which swayed over his chest was the conclusive proof of his identity. He was a living legend, a man who made the impossible possible, the ultimate warrior.

 

He was Momon the Black.

 

“This, this is! Momon-sama! My sincerest apologies!”

 

“Now, what’s going on here… hm? This girl is…”

 

“Yes! There was a suspicious girl, so checking her out took some time. We sincerely apologize for inconveniencing you, Momon-sama--”

 

“―Enri, is it? Enri Emmot?”

 

The air in the room seemed to freeze over. Why would a legendary adventurer know a village girl’s name?

 

“Er, ah, who’re you… er, no, I am. Ah, you were the one who came with Nfirea that time, right? I don’t remember speaking to you…

 

Momon put his hand on his chin, as though he was thinking. Afterward, he gestured to the magic caster and they exited the blockhouse. Although the soldiers wanted to follow, they could not leave Enri alone.

 

Eventually, the magic caster returned alone to the room, having calmed down.

 

“Let her go. That great man, Momon the Black, has vouched for her with his status as an adamantite-ranked adventurer. In that case, think there’s no point in keeping her here. What do you think?”

 

“That’s an obvious decision… but, is it really all right?”

 

“Is it really all right to doubt him, of all people?”

 

“O-Of course not! I get it. We’ll grant her passage. Enri Emmot of Carne Village, you are allowed to enter the city. You may go.”

 

“Ah, yes. Thank you very much.”

 

After bowing quickly to them, Enri left the blockhouse. As her back receded into the distance, the soldier turned to the magic caster.

 

“What about Momon-sama?”

 

“He left first.”

 

“Then… what connection would that hero have with that village girl?”

 

“Hell if I know. Momon-dono told me what I told you, he vouched for her and asked that we let her go.”

 

“Then, another question. That Emmot girl. Do you really think she’s just a village girl?”

 

“Certainly not. There’s no way she could be a simple village girl, otherwise why would a great hero like him help her? And it wasn’t a coincidence she was carrying that item… Could it have something to do with the Theocracy?”

 

“That Ainz Somethingorother fellow. If he’s from the Theocracy, shouldn’t we let the brass know?”

 

“Frankly speaking, I don’t know. After all, Momon-dono already vouched for her. If we let the people on top know that someone he vouched for was dangerous… well, you’d be just doing your job, but do you really want to upset Momon-dono?”

 

The soldier’s face twisted.

 

The heroic exploits of Momon in the graveyards of E-Rantel were a common conversation topic when the soldiers gathered.

 

The saga of how he hacked his way through a horde of tens of thousands of undead set the hearts of all who heard it ablaze. In addition, one could clearly see his heroic poise and actions even from afar. He had subdued a powerful magical beast with his incredible power, and his majestic riding style drove the soldiers mad for him.

 

Just as women were attracted to strong men, many warriors admired Momon the Dark Hero, and it could be said that most of the armed forces of E-Rantel were his fans.

 

This soldier was one of them.

 

As a fan of Momon, just being patted on the shoulder by his idol was enough for him to boast about it to everyone he met. As such, he had no intention of upsetting the man he worshipped.

 

“There is that. Well, since Momon-sama vouched for her, I guess it’ll be fine.”

 

“I think so too. If we treat a friend of Momon-dono poorly, I don’t think it’ll turn out well. I guess all we can do is avoid rocking the boat. Anyway, let me know if anything else comes up.”

 

“Ayup. I’m heading back to my work too.”

 

♦ ♦ ♦

 

Enri drove the wagon with her back to the gate of E-Rantel’s city gate, wondering what on earth had just happened. It would seem that man in the jet-black armor ― she remembered that he was one of the adventurers who had come to Carne Village with Nfirea to pick herbs ― had helped her out of a tight spot.

 

By right, she should have immediately gone to thank him, but unfortunately she had lost sight of him once she entered the city.

 

If I thank him the next time we meet… will he forgive me?

 

Although she was thinking that she should immediately start searching for him once she had the time, there were reasons why she could not. Those reasons currently troubled her. The only thing that put her heart at ease was feeling something through the barrier of her clothes.

 

--The Horn of the Goblin Whowhatsit.

 

This… this is worth several thousand gold coins? No way. Please tell me that’s not true…

 

She suddenly broke out in a cold sweat. She had not expected the horns she had been given so casually to be so valuable. No, Nfirea had said it was a high-end magic item… but the amount was beyond her imagination.

 

Is it alright for me to use this item? Will it be okay?

 

If she was asked to return the other one she had already used, what should she do?

 

I’ll need several thousand urns of herbs… I might not be able to afford it in a lifetime of picking herbs…

 

In addition, she had another item worth thousands of gold coins.

 

Is Gown-sama a man who can give out such items so easily?! Or maybe, he didn’t know its value… no way, there’s no way someone like him wouldn’t know… but, if he didn’t know…

 

Enri’s stomach grumbled and ached.

 

She looked around her surroundings in suspicion. There were not many people around, but it was still several times more than in Carne Village. Distasteful thoughts like is anyone planning to steal this horn rose up in her mind.

 

If only I hadn’t brought it out. There’s a lot of crime here, right? What if the horn got stolen… Hang on… if the horn was blown and Goblins showed up to make trouble, wouldn’t that make me the criminal?

 

Just as the cold sweat was pooling around Enri, a person descended upon the seat next to hers. The way she landed like a feather in defiance of gravity must have been magic.

 

Who—

 

As the surprise of seeing the newcomer faded, an even bigger surprise was awaiting her.

 

She was a raven-haired beauty whose face could launch a thousand ships. She was the one who had come with the black-armored adventurer to her village. Her ice-cold eyes resembled onyxes as they turned to Enri.

 

“Inferior creature (gadfly). Momon-san wanted me to ask you a few questions―”

 

“So pretty…”

 

“Flattery will get―”

 

“As pretty as Lupusregina…”

 

As she saw the consternation in the eyes which were looking at her, Enri immediately regretted the stupid things she had said. She probably did not even know about Lupusregina. However, there was nobody else who could even come close to the beautiful adventurer before her eyes.

 

What should I do, I’ve upset her… well, that much is clear, but…

 

“A-ah, Lupusregina is a very pretty person in my village―”

 

“―Thank you.”

 

“Eh?!”

 

Her eyes were hard, and so was her voice, and even her eyebrows were strained. But the thanks she had given was genuine.

 

“…Haaaah. Momon-sa―n has some things to ask you, which is why I came. Answer me. Why are you here?”

 

Enri had no obligation to answer. However, this was the partner of someone who had helped her. If he wanted to know, then she should answer.

 

“Ah, well, before that, can I ask a favor of you? Momon-san helped me earlier, and I’m very, very grateful. Please tell him that.”

 

“I will do so. So why are you here?”

 

“Ah, yes, I, I’m here, because there’s a lot of things that need to be done, for instance, selling the herbs.”

 

The woman gestured with her chin, indicating that Enri should continue speaking.

 

“Then, I’ll go to the temple, to see if there’s anyone who wants to move to our village to live. And then I need to go to the Adventurer’s Guild to talk about some things. And I need to buy some things we can’t get in the village, like weapons. Something like that…”

 

“I see. I understand what you’ve said. I will relay it to Momon-san.”

 

With ethereally graceful movements which seemed independent of gravity, the woman alighted from the wagon, and left without looking back.

 

Enri’s impression of her was that of a frozen hurricane which tore people apart.

 

“She’s an amazing woman… she feels dozens of times more powerful than Brita-san…”

 

There were no girls in the village like her. Had she become an adventurer because her personality was like that, or had being an adventurer made her personality that way? She suddenly did not feel too keen about visiting the Adventurer’s Guild.

 

“Ahhhh, oh no!”

 

Nabe was a powerful adventurer, but Enri had only noticed after she had vanished. In addition, she was the partner of the man who had subdued the Wise King of the Forest. She might have been able to tell Enri about what was going on in the forest.

 

“The Giant of the East and the Serpent of the West, and whatever that Monument of Destruction is… if only I had asked her about all of those. Ah~ I’m such a dummy, why didn’t I think of that earlier?”

 

Enri drove her wagon through a gate while scolding herself for her carelessness.

 

♦ ♦ ♦

 

E-Rantel could be roughly divided into three zones, separated by the walls of the city. The middle zone was where people lived.

 

It was also where the Adventurer’s Guild could be found.

 

Ideally, it would have been safest to sell the herbs at the Herbalist’s Guild. However, that would have involved a lot of troublesome paperwork, so she had chosen to go to the Adventurer’s Guild instead to use them as a go-between. She had considered drawing on Lizzie’s help for this, but Enri had decided that using her best friend’s grandmother’s name would be too shameless, and reconsidered.

 

After taking Enri’s wishes into consideration, Nfirea had suggested going to the Adventurer’s Guild.

 

If Nfirea had come in person, they would not have needed to use the Guild and he have sold everything directly. However, Enri was not confident about dealing with the sharks in the Herbalist’s Guild, so she had decided not to begrudge the service charge and use the Adventurers’ Guild as a go-between.

 

Enri headed down the road Nfirea and Brita had told her about.

 

Although she had been travelling with the Goblins on the way to the city, they were currently waiting outside the city for Enri to finish her business. She realized that this was the first time she was alone ever since she had set out from the village, and her hands gripped the reins even more tightly.

 

The tension stiffened Enri’s shoulders. Finally, unable to stand it any longer, she looked around in all directions and her destination was in front of her.

 

“I did it!”

 

Enri squeaked in joy. Now that she had gotten all the way here, she probably would not get lost.

 

She handed the reins of her wagon to the sentry standing at the door of the Adventurer’s Guild, and pushed open the door.

 

Inside, warriors in full plate armor, hunters with bows on their backs, and magic casters both arcane and divine were walking around. Some were enthusiastically swapping information about the monsters nearby, others were looking closely at the parchments on the nearby noticeboard, and a few were getting a feel for their newly-purchased gear.

 

The place was filled with a heat and activity that made Enri unsteady on her feet, a world of unrelenting scrutiny and tension. This was the world of adventurers.

 

Enri’s mouth dropped open as she beheld a sight she would never see in her village, then hurriedly shut it back up.

 

It was true that she hailed from the boondocks, and it was hardly shameful for her to be startled by the mood of the big city. Still, a girl of her age staring dumbly with her mouth open was just embarrassing.

 

Enri set out, her back ramrod straight, consciously checking her movements so that she did not move the arms and legs on the same side of her or do anything which would invite laughter. However, Enri started to have her doubts about whether it was all right for an obviously out-of-place village girl to be strolling so boldly among these muscular adventurers.

 

At the counter, she was welcomed by the receptionist’s smile.

 

“Welcome.”

 

“Y-yes, I’ve been welcomed.”

 

Enri locked eyes with the receptionist. Following which, the two of them smiled bitterly. Enri felt her shoulders relax, for what might have been the first time since she came to E-Rantel.

 

“Then, may I ask what business you have with the Adventurer’s Guild?”

 

“Mm. Ah, first, I’d like to ask for some help with the sale of herbs.”

 

“Understood. Where are the herbs now?”

 

Enri told her they were on the wagon outside, and the receptionist turned to speak to a woman beside her.

 

“The appraiser is going to check it now, please wait within the Guild until he’s done.”

 

“Understood. Then, another thing… although we won’t be putting out a request right away, we might do so in the future.”

 

Enri explained the situation to the smiling receptionist. The other woman’s smile became stiff as she heard Enri’s story.

 

“Is that so… I’m just a receptionist, and I don’t decide the difficulty of requests, but if it involves the Wise King of the Forest, it might be a task that only the adamantite-ranked Momon-san can handle. In that case, the fees would be very expensive.”

 

There seemed to have been a shift in the receptionist’s mood. She seemed entirely unmotivated, as though she had decided “It was pointless even after sitting through all that, what a pain”.

 

While living with the Goblins, Enri had become adept at reading the emotions of others. Goblins were ugly and looked very different from humans, but she had worked hard to recognize and deduce the changes in their feelings. In this way, Enri had grown.

 

She must be thinking the village doesn’t have that much money, huh… well, given my clothes, it’s a reasonable conclusion to make… and she is pretty well-dressed, after all.

 

Enri briefly compared her clothes to those of the receptionist, and concluded that fashion-wise, she was completely outclassed.

 

But clothes like those are wasted on working in the village, and they’re far too cumbersome to work in besides.

 

Thus, according to Enri the woman, this battle was a draw.

 

“Ah, I heard the city would provide a subsidy…”

“That’s correct. However, the subsidy is only a portion of the fee, and you’ll have to pay the rest yourself. Adamantite-ranked adventurers are very expensive, and even after the subsidy they’ll still cost a lot of money to hire. Of course, you could offer less money for a request, but the Adventurer’s Guild might not allow it. If you offer less money than the stipulated amount, your request will be a low priority, so there may be no takers. Please take that into consideration”

 

She must have memorized the regulations, given the way she had fluently rattled all that off with her eyes glazed over. It would seem the receptionist was treating Enri like a customer who was not buying anything.

 

That’s only natural. A customer who doesn’t spend money isn’t a customer at all.

 

Everything the receptionist had said was turning out like how Nfirea predicted, so she did not feel too upset. It was a reality that nobody would help the weak.

 

That’s why Ainz Ooal Gown-sama is our savior. He even gave a simple village girl like me a valuable treasure like that.

 

She wondered how the receptionist would react if she used this horn as payment. It would be great to see the look on her face, but Enri knew she could not do such a thing. This item had been given to her by that great magic caster with the instruction to “use it to protect yourself”. She could not sell it off, not even for the village’s sake. She could not be that ungrateful.

 

And so, Enri nodded.

 

“I understand. Then, please tell me how much the fees will be. That way I can go back to the village to discuss things.”

 

“I see… then how about this? Please come back after the inspection for the herb sales are done. W should have finished calculating the request fees by then.”

 

After thanking the receptionist, Enri left the counter and sat on a sofa in the lounge, staring at the ceiling to while away the time while the inspection dragged on.

 

So tired…

 

Every moment since she’d entered the city gates had been a grand adventure. Or rather, when she thought about it, ever since the day her parents had died, every day had set her eyes spinning.

 

All I wanted was to lead a simple, unchanging life in the village…

 

As she thought about the things she had lost, Enri sighed.

 

She thought about what had happened after that — the Goblins, her childhood friend, and then she shook her head.

 

Can’t they go any faster…

 

If she had something to do, she would not have the free time to think about such depressing things. She would rather empty her mind and focus on work than think about things that made her sad.

 

“Emmot-san, the appraisal is complete.”

 

Enri rose and headed for the sound of the merchant’s voice.

 

“Thank, thank you very much!”

 

“The fee is—”

 

At this moment, Enri heard the sound of someone striding, no, practically sprinting over to her. As she turned, she saw the receptionist from earlier in front of her.

 

“Haaa— haaa— Enri-san of Carne Village. No, I mean, Enri-sama. Could I have a bit to discuss the matter from just now with you?”

 

This was the same receptionist from just now, but her attitude was completely different. Even her eyes were bloodshot.

 

“Ah, I’m sorry, but I was just about to tell her about the results of the appraisal—”

 

“You shut up, I’m talking here.”

 

The receptionist’s reply made the merchant’s face twitch.

 

“If it’s alright with you, would you like to discuss this over a drink in the receiving room?”

 

She was smiling, but the smile did not reach her eyes. There was a strange, desperate look in them.

 

Perhaps she had sensed something from the confused Enri. The receptionist’s eyes were moist, and her hands were clasped together as though in prayer.

 

 

 

“Please, I’m begging you, you have to let me hear you out! If not, I’ll be done for!”

 

 

 

After hearing that desperate, almost pathetic plea, Enri had no idea what was going on, but not to giving her a chance would be too cruel. She glanced back to the merchant, who seemed to pick up on her intentions, because he nodded slightly to her.

 

“Got, got it. Then, could you show me the way?”

 

In that moment, the receptionist’s body visibly relaxed.

 

“Thank you very much! Really, thank you very much! Come, come, let me show you the way.”

 

Enri followed after her, bathed in the curious stares of everyone around. The receptionist was tightly gripping her right hand, as though she did not want Enri to escape.

 

Was I too rash?

 

She entered the waiting room, traces of unease in her heart.

 

Enri silently looked around the inside of the room. There was nobody in there besides herself, and it was intricately decorated, to the point where she had doubts about even sitting on the sofa.

 

“Come, come, please, have a seat.”

 

The moment she sat down, a voice from the corner of her mind wondered if she would be imprisoned or meet some other, similar fate.

 

However, nothing happened when she sat on the sofa. All she felt was the comfortable furniture taking her body weight.

 

“Would you like something to drink? We have some excellent liquor! How about food? Too early? Yes, kind of… how about fruits… no, sweets and desserts, maybe?”

 

“Ah, there’s no need to go to that extent…”

 

The dramatic change in the receptionist’s attitude was starting to scare Enri. In the first place, she had not considered the receptionist’s treatment of her to have been particularly cold. It had been a reasonable reaction enough reaction, and not really negative. At the very least, it seemed much more normal than she did now.

 

But why had this leopard changed its spots? Was it because of the horn again?

 

“No, no, what are you saying? Anything is possible for you. We can provide liquor, brandy, and the snacks to go with them too.”

 

“No, there’s really no need… and besides, I’m running out of time. Can we start discussing the matter?”

 

“Certainly! You’re absolutely right! Then please, by all means, do continue!”

 

The receptionist whipped out a sheet of thin, white paper. All the paper she had seen before had been much thicker and had other colors mixed in. This must be some high-class stuff here. Was it really all right to use it?

 

Enri began speaking. She had only given a brief outline just now, so she had to patiently explain the details this time round.

 

Eventually, just as Enri’s throat was starting to dry out, the conversation finally came to an end.

 

“Thank you for your help! There’s some drinks here, please help yourself before you leave! It’s fine to leave the cups here, but thank you for coming to us today!”

 

The receptionist suddenly stood up, and left the room as though she had been chased from it.

 

“Really… what happened?”

 

Of course, there was nobody here to answer her muttered question.

 

♦ ♦ ♦

 

In the end, Enri did not spend the night in E-Rantel, but headed back to Carne Village.

 

She would be sleeping on the plains, but she did not feel uneasy. On the contrary, she had a very good night’s sleep. That was because unlike her journey to the city, she had a group of passengers riding with her this time round.

 

“Ahh~ I see it at last.”

 

Before her stood the wall of Carne Village. Although the neatly-arranged logs looked impressive in their own right, Enri could not help but think they looked shabby compared to E-Rantel’s fortifications.

 

“That’s right. I need to report all this to the chief quickly.”

 

Enri was replying to one of the Goblins in the bed of the wagon. Five Goblins had escorted Enri to E-Rantel, including the Goblin Proest (Cona), and there was a Goblin Rider (Chosuke) maintaining a vigil some distance away from her wagon.

 

“Well, half the problems have been dealt with, but apparently the chief’s request of you didn’t go too well, did it, Ane-san?”

 

“Yes, about that… according to the priest-san, almost nobody wants to move to the village.”

 

“That’s strange. I mean, there’s already other immigrants from other villages here. Why aren’t there more people? Was the priest lying?”

 

“No, a priest would never lie,” Enri smiled bitterly. “To be honest, frontier villages are pretty dangerous, so they’re keeping their distance. We were hoping for a bunch of third sons who’d come here for the promise of land… but not many people will come here if they aren’t ordered to. And the people who moved here in the beginning had lived in frontier villages like us. Their situations are different.”

 

“Is that so…”

 

“That’s how it is. But actually, that kind of relieves me.”

 

It would probably be very difficult for normal people to form a good relationship with Goblins and live with them in the same village. Any immigrants from the city would probably blanch at the sight and do their best to stay away.

 

And frankly speaking, if Enri were forced to choose between the city-dwellers and the Goblins, she would choose the Goblins without hesitation.

 

At this moment, the wagon shook, and the sound of something metallic hitting the wagon bed rang out from behind her.

 

“Ah, sorry. Are you alright?”

 

Enri turned her head to look behind.

 

Although the Goblins were seated on the floor of the wagon, there were some sacks there, one of which made the metallic noise when the wagon shook.

 

“Ah, we’re fine, Ane-san. No need to worry. Speaking of which, with this many arrows, we’ll be able to hunt to our hearts’ content.”

 

The Goblins looked so happy when they looked at the bag that Enri forgot to reply to them, simply smiling instead.

 

They crossed the wheat fields, and entered a half-opened gate.

 

After greeting everyone, Enri drove the wagon to their original meeting point, in order to unload the cargo.

 

As she stopped the wagon at the meeting point, the Goblins within, having heard the wagon, streamed out to greet her.

 

“Oh! Welcome back, Ane-san. I’m glad nothing happened.”

 

Enri smiled. Their welcome was what made Enri feel that she had really returned to the village, because to her, the Goblins were part of her family.

 

“I’m home!”

 

“That’s a lot of stuff. Are you bringing it inside?”

 

“That’s right, bro. Do me a favor and lend me a hand.”

 

“Coming!”

 

The Goblins moved as one, deftly unloading the cargo. No matter how Enri directed them, they tucked everything without making a mistake until everything was squared away. This was the proof of how much the Goblins had integrated themselves into village life.

 

“Ah, Ane-san, let us handle the rest. Why don’t you go meet your sister and Ani-san? Although I don’t know if Ani-san’s still helping with Agu’s people.”

 

“Thank you, but I still need to report to the chief first.”

 

“Really? Got it. Then, just to be safe, I’ll come with you. After all, there’s still the matter of the Ogres.”

 

Gokou spoke to some of his comrades after leaving the meeting place, and then he hopped up onto the wagon beside Enri, who was driving. The other Goblins who had been guarding Enri on the road to E-Rantel looked at him with jealousy in their eyes, but none of them actually voiced any opposition. It was probably because they agreed he was doing the right thing.

 

“Then, Ane-san, let’s go!”

 

Enri smiled faintly and said, “I'm counting on you guys! And thank you very much!”

 

After thanking the Goblins, she spurred her horse into motion.

 

“So, what happened in the village since I left?”

 

“Nothing special. The big thing was that we built a place where the Ogres could stay inside the village. Of course, the Stone Golems did most of the work, and it was pretty crudely made out of wood, but in the end, it ended up being a pretty nice place. However, we can’t do anything about their smell. Even the towels we give them end up stinking.”

 

“I see… Still, that was really fast!”

 

“Like I said, the Stone Golems did most of the work. If you want to thank someone, thank the magic caster who gave them to us.”

 

“And Lupusregina-san, right?”

 

“…Let’s not talk about that Lupusregina person for now. I don’t want to thank her or anything. Something about her just pisses me off.”

 

Enri found it hard to believe her ears. This was the first time Gokou had ever spoken ill of someone.

 

“How should I put it… she’s very scary, like a monster watching us… I don’t think Ane-san’s sensed it yet…”

 

“But she’s the maid of the one who saved our village, Ainz Ooal Gown, so she can’t be that bad.”

 

“…Ah, what a pain ~su”

 

Enri and Gokou’s shoulders twitched. That was the voice of the woman they had just been discussing.

 

Enri looked back frantically, and just like the day before, the maid was sitting on the wagon bed like she belonged there.

 

“Really, you’re such a pain, En-chan.”

 

“Ah, what do you mean?”

 

“Maybe, maybe before that, you should tell us how you appear out of nowhere.”

 

“Mm? It’s simple ~su. I fell out of the sky ~su.”

 

“That’s not going to fly. There’s quite a few times you’ve come from above now, but we couldn’t sense you.”

 

“I can make myself invisible ~su. ...I’m trying to be subtle ~su. See how nice I am~”

 

Gokou turned his face to the front once more. There was irritation written all over it.

 

“But, ah, yes. It’s kind of rare that we get to see you two days in a row, Lupusregina-san. Did something happen?”

 

Lupusregina glared at Enri. Enri could not help but think, a beautiful person is pretty even when she makes a face like that.

 

“Well, kind of. Buuuut anyway, I was just wondering what was going on ~su. Speaking of which, what happened to that miniature gobbo of yours?”

 

“…He’s fine. I think he should be in the Chief’s house.”

 

“Why the Chief’s house?”

 

“Ah, because we rescued a few more Goblins from his tribe? They’re staying there while we build a place for the Goblins to stay in the village.”

 

“Ah— yeah, it kind of makes sense, Agu’s the son of his tribe’s chief. He must feel like he has a duty to protect them or something. Really, he’s just a kid but he’s so mature~”

 

Although Lupusregina was just smiling lightly, anyone who saw her looks would be captivated by the charm radiating from her. Even Enri found herself looking at her in admiration despite the fact that they were both women.

 

“Oops, shouldn’t you be watching your front instead?”

 

“That, that’s right!”

 

Enri hastily looked to her front once more, the tips of her ears bright red.

 

After stopping in front of the chief’s house, Enri and Gokou got off the wagon.

 

“Then, I’ll bring the horse back to the stables ~su. Don’t feel like disturbing you guys. Let me know what you guys talked about afterwards~”

 

“I understand. Then, I’m sorry for imposing, but I’ll leave this you.”

 

Enri bowed to Lupusregina, who replied with a “hoi hoi” and a smile before driving the wagon off.

 

Enri knocked on the door, announced herself loudly enough for everyone inside to hear, and opened the door.

 

The Chief and Agu were facing each other across a table.

 

“Oh, welcome back. Please, have a seat. How were things in the city?”

 

As the Chief spoke, Enri sat herself beside Agu. For a moment Agu’s body seemed to go stiff, but she must have just been imagining things.

 

“Ah, then, that’s it for me. In that case, Chief, please take care of us.”

 

Enri had no idea who those words were meant for. Since the only others present were Enri, Gokou and the Chief, it seemed obvious that they had been intended for the village chief.

 

However, Agu had been looking at her, with a stiff back and pursed lips. Enri looked into Agu’s eyes, and in his steadfast, unblinking gaze, she realised that he was not kidding or playing a trick.

 

“Eh…eh?!”

 

Why did it have to be her?

 

Amidst Enri’s confusion, Agu excused himself and left the Chief’s home.

 

“Hey! Wait—”

 

“Then, Enri, can you tell me about it?”

 

“Eh? No, that… this… ah, yes. I get it.”

 

It weighed heavily on her mind, but she could clear up her doubts later. The report was more important for now.

 

After deciding that, Enri clearly and concisely related the events that had occurred in the city. The most important part was that nobody wanted to move to Carne Village. However, the chief seemed to have anticipated this, because there was no regret on his face, only calm acceptance.

 

“So that’s how it is. Well, it can’t be helped. We’re a frontier village and monsters appear frequently around these parts, so it makes sense that hardly anyone would want to come here.”

 

The village chief said what Enri had been thinking. It might have well been what everyone in the village had already accepted.

 

“You’ve done a lot for us. Thank you.”

 

The chief lowered his head, and Enri said, “It’s all right,” in return. It had been confusing at times, but it had also been a good experience.

 

“Then―” the chief’s line of sight flickered to Gokou for a second. “There is one thing I would like to entrust to you, Enri Emmot.”

 

“Ah, yes. What is it? You’re being so serious, Chief…”

 

“…I hope you will carry on in my position as village chief.”

 

The sheer variety of expressions that flashed across Enri’s face was like a piece of performance art.

 

“Haaaaaaaa?! What, what is this? Hey! Don’t tell me Agu was saying those… ehhhh?!”

 

“You getting flustered won’t help…”

 

“Don’t interrupt me when I’m flustered! Chief, are you retarded? Why are you saying this?!”

 

“…Maybe retarded is a bit much. I understand you’re excited and nervous about this — I know that much, but I’m hoping you can calm down and listen to me.”

 

“Calm down, how can I calm down? I’m just a simple village girl, why do I have to deal with this village chief crap?!”

 

“Get a hold of yourself!”

 

The voice was full of power, but to Enri it was just a little loud. Even so, it helped her regain a bit of her composure. No, if she didn’t listen to the chief, she’d never make sense of things, or at least that was what part of her was thinking.

 

“I understand that you’re very confused. However, I hope you can sit down and consider things with a calmly. For starters, who is the heart of the village?”

 

“Isn’t that you, Chief-san?”

 

“That would be incorrect. I feel that you are the heart of the village. The Goblins and the newly-arrived Ogres all acknowledge you as their leader, right?”

 

“That’s correct. Everything we do revolves around Ane-san.”

 

“Then, there’s the Goblins you helped. From what Agu’s told me, they also see you as the boss.”

 

Enri’s mouth turned into the shape of a ‘Λ’. It might be true that the Goblins were that way, but what would the villagers think? They would never accept this.

 

“I can guess at what you’re thinking. The villagers will object, is that it? I’ve already spoken with everyone and gotten their approval. Last night, we had a meeting of the villagers and got their opinions. And it was unanimous — they all wanted you to be the new chief.”

 

“What? Why?!”

 

“…That attack was a huge shock for all of us, Enri. Everybody is hoping for a strong leader.”

 

“How am I strong? I’m just a simple village girl!”

 

Although there was some muscle on her arms, she was still a village girl who could barely use a weapon. If they wanted strength, surely they should have picked from among the members of the security force, no?

 

“Strength is not measured by one’s courage alone. Don’t you think being able to order the Goblins around is a form of strength too? The Bareares both think you’re suitable as village chief too.”

 

“Enfi!”

 

Enri sounded like a chicken being strangled to death.

 

“That, and I’m getting on in years. I need to find a successor soon.”

 

“What do you mean, ‘getting on in years’? You aren’t anywhere near old, Chief. Is that why you’ve been talking like an old man?”

 

The chief was around his mid-forties, so it was still a bit early to be calling him old. After all, he was still at an age where he could work.

 

“Leaving aside the matter of talking like an old man, you should have noticed by now, but the forest around the village is undergoing a number of changes. Since the Wise King of the Forest is gone, there’s a higher chance of monsters coming out of the forest to attack. All I can do is use my experiences of when the village was safe to lead us, but that won’t do.”

 

“Chief, this may be rude, but I need to ask. You’re just trying to run away from this, aren’t you?”

 

“…Let me be frank. I cannot say that you’re wrong..”

 

What Enri saw was the eyes of a man who was honestly speaking his mind.

 

“I still remember that day even now. That horrible day when my friends in the village were killed. I knew the Emmots well. If we hadn’t lived idly, if we had built a wall, if we had been on guard, maybe we wouldn’t have suffered so much… maybe we could have held out until Gown-sama came to help us.”

 

That would be tough, Enri thought. This village also had a lot of immigrants who were survivors from the other destroyed villages. Their villages had sturdy walls ― though not as strong as Carne Village’s were now ― but they had still been attacked and slaughtered. But those walls could have delayed the attackers by just a little bit and allowed more people to be saved. Enri agreed on that part.

 

“The old way of thinking I had isn’t going to work anymore. We need to reorganize and protect the village’s safety with our own hands. The only ones who can do this… are the flexible and the young. Ans those people need strength as well.”

 

The chief had said his piece. He looked calmly at Enri.

 

Enri listened to the chief’s words, and seriously considered them. At first, she wanted to refuse because the burden was too heavy. If they were attacked just like that time, she was not sure that she could bear responsibility for the lives of her fellow villagers. However, like she had told the chief just now, was that not just running away from the problem?

 

“I don’t know if I can handle this big responsibility.”

 

“That’s a natural reaction. I can help with the administration of the village, and the Goblins will support you on the security issues. Even so, making the final decision is still scary.”

 

“What about a council formed from the villagers?”

 

“To be frank, I’d thought of that myself. However, the bigger the problem, the more likely something will come up that will split up the group and leave them paralyzed by indecision. In the end, without one person calling the shots, we won’t be able to solve problems effectively.”

 

“What if we had two systems, one for dealing with things in normal situations and the other for emergencies?”

 

“That won’t work. It won’t nurture our leaders. The people will follow their leaders in emergencies and work together because they know those leaders are also capable in peacetime.”

 

The chief’s will was firm and he had explained his reasons. With a sour expression, Enri asked her final question.

 

“…When do you need my answer?”

 

“I won’t rush you for it. Take your time and consider it.”

 

“I understand.”

 

After Enri said that, she stood and left.

 

♦ ♦ ♦

 

As she left the Chief’s house, Gokou followed behind Enri.

 

“Say, I want to think about this. Could you let me be alone for a bit?”

 

“Got it, Ane-san. Then, take your time and think about it. The rest of us will back you up, Ane-san. If you need anything at all, just let us know.”

 

“Yeah, I’ll be counting on you then.”

 

After watching Gokou leave, Enri returned to her own home.

 

Can I be a good chief?

 

Enri did not think so.

 

Who knew, when the time came, she might have to give an order she did not like — sacrificing the few for the greater good.

 

I can’t do that at all…

 

Everyone in the village thinks too highly of me. For starters, there’s the Goblins that everyone says are my strength. They aren’t even allies I made with my own charisma and connections. In the end, they were merely summoned from the horn given to me by the great magic caster Ainz Ooal Gown.

 

That item was the first bit of good fortune the village received—

 

Strange, was I the first person he helped? I do remember Gown-sama in a mask… Hm? Was he wearing a mask?

 

Suddenly, the sequence of events seemed muddled up to her, but that was only to be expected given the chaos of the situation.

 

Enri shook her head to clear out her doubts.

 

In any case…

 

If the horn had been given to anyone else, that person would have been the next chief, not herself. Which meant that the problem was not a matter of Enri’s own competence, but simply that destiny had decided to drop this burden on her lap.

 

I should talk to someone about this…

 

The first person who came to Enri’s mind was Nfirea. He had lived in the big city before, seen a lot of people, and Enri felt that he would know if she could be the next chief. And he was widely read, so he would definitely be able to give her an answer.

 

However, the chief had said that Nfirea — or rather, the Bareares — had approved of her succession. That meant that even if she talked with Nfirea, it was very likely that he would recommend she take the position..

 

He won’t do… and neither will any of the villagers. That leaves Agu and the Ogres, but Agu already thinks of me as the chief, and the Ogres are just plain dumb.

 

At this moment, someone called out to the frowning Enri with a cheerful voice.

 

“Yo~ Seems like you’re done talking… Oyan~? What’s wrong ~su, you’ve got a strange look on your face? Problem, Enri?”

 

That voice made Enri jerk up, as though electricity were coursing through her skin. That’s right. She was an outsider to the village, a neutral third party who could calmly and logically assess the situation.

 

Enri ran toward Lupusregina with all her strength.

 

“Lupusregina-san!”

 

She tightly clutched the surprised maid’s shoulders.

 

“What what what what’s this? Oh no~ My heart’s beating so fast. But please don’t confess to me. I’m not a lesbian, I like the opposite sex. Noooooo~ Let me go~ I’m going to be raped su~”

 

“Wait! Please, wait a bit!”

 

Enri’s hands left her shoulders, because she was planning to cover Lupusregina’s mouth. But Lupusregina nimbly slipped out of Enri’s grasp and smiled to her.

 

“Ahhhh, sorry, sorry, but you seemed so excited, I thought I needed to cool you down a bit. It was just a joke su~”

 

“It’s a really bad joke…”

 

Enri sagged her shoulders. However, she immediately recovered again. Lupusregina was a person who came and went as she pleased and if she did not take this opportunity to pin her down she would vanish again.

 

“Please hear me out. I need an idea on what to do next!”

 

“I dunno what you’re talking about, but we can talk while we walk, right? I don’t want the villagers to look at me strangely~”

 

Enri’s face turned bright red. Lupusregina had a point there. However—

 

“Then don’t scream about being raped or anything...”

 

“Tehe~”

 

Lupusregina stuck her tongue out at Enri in an adorable way.

 

“Really — really, Lupusregina-san!”

 

“Come, come, let’s go, let’s go.”

 

Without waiting for an answer, Lupusregina set off, and Enri followed.

 

“Well, come lay your problems onto Lupusregina-oneesan — I can teach you all sorts of things from ecchi things to seducing men~”

 

“Ah, is that right? Lupusregina-san, you must be really mature…”

 

To Enri, who knew nothing about such matters, she certainly seemed adult enough. There was no obvious change, but for some reason Lupusregina seemed to look more mature now.

 

“Hehe, that’s because I’m a mimidoshima, after all.”

(TL Note: 耳年増 - young woman with a lot of superficial knowledge about sex, etc)

 

“…huh?”

 

What does “mimidoshima” mean? As Enri pondered the strange term, Lupusregina beckoned her over with a “come hither” gesture, indicating that she should ask her questions. Enri began telling her about what had happened in the chief’s house.

 

“So, what should I do?”

 

“Hm? Beats me.”

 

That was all.

 

“Hey — didn’t you say I could lay my problems on you?”

 

“I never said I’d answer them, did I… hm, well, whatevs. To begin with, if you’re being pushed into this position and you know you’re going to regret it, then you’d better not take it on to begin with. Think about what kind of things you can and can’t handle.”

 

The usual carefree girl was gone, and in her place was a haunting, bewitching beauty. The usually wide-open eyes were narrowed, and her thin smile sent a chill down her spine.

 

“This is just my opinion anyways, I’m not telling you what to do or anything. You should sit down and think carefully on this. Let me be frank, it doesn’t matter if you or someone else is the chief, whoever does it is going to mess up sooner or later. There’s only forty-one people I know who’ll never make a mistake. So, there’s no point worrying about what happens when you fail. But when you think about it calmly, nobody’s better suited to the job than you.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Ask the gobs. When the village is attacked by scary monsters and they know they can’t win, what happens? Imagine the situation with yourself as the chief and yourself not being the chief.”

 

Lupusregina’s expression changed again, and she was back to her cheerful self.

 

“Ahhhh, this is boring. Haaa, this doesn’t suit my tastes at all. Ah~ it would be more fun if you didn’t become the chief and a great tragedy befell the village, En-chan~.”

 

“—Eh?”

 

“Hehe~”

 

Lupusregina smirked as she patted Enri’s shoulder.

 

“Personally, I think you’d make a great chief, En-chan~ Also… why don’t you ask that boy over there?”

 

After taking her hand off Enri’s shoulder, Lupusregina twirled in place. It was a movement that seemed estranged from any concept of the word “friction”.

 

“See ya then~”

 

Lupusregina strode off, her hands fluttering through the air. In front of her stood Nfirea with Nemu’s hand in his. Lupusregina patted Nfirea on the shoulder, and as though she had flipped a switch, the two came to life.

 

“You’re home, onee-chan!”

 

Nemu must have been very worried, because she tackle hugged Enri while running at full speed. For a moment, Enri thought she might be knocked down, but her sturdy leg muscles absorbed the impact.

 

“Welcome home, Enri. You’re earlier than expected. Didn’t spend the night?”

 

“I’m back, you two. And yes, I camped out last night.”

 

“Is that so… I’m glad you weren’t attacked by monsters. Still, I can’t approve of that sort of thing. The Goblins are strong. but there’s still monsters who are stronger than them. Granted, I haven’t seen any of those near the plains…”

 

“Nee-san, don’t do dangerous things!”

 

Nemu said this while clinging tightly to Enri’s clothes. Enri was the sole surviving family member her little sister had. Her life was no longer solely hers. It would seem she had forgotten that little detail.

 

“You’re right. I’m sorry.”

 

Enri smiled and gently ruffled Nemu’s hair.

 

“Mm! I forgive you!”

 

Nemu looked up and smiled.

 

“Thank you. Speaking of which, have you been a good girl, Nemu? You didn’t give Enfi trouble, did you?”

 

“Really~ oneechan! I’m not a little girl anymore! Right, Enfi-kun?”

 

“Ahaha… well, I’ve been treating Agu’s tribespeople, so I didn’t look too closely, but I trust Nemu behaved herself.”

 

“Really, you too, Enfi-kun? Say, did you know, nee-chan? Enfi-kun stinks!”

 

“Nemu-chan! That’s the smell of herbs! When you grind them up, didn’t you say your hands stank as well?”

 

“That colorful stuff is from herbs?”

 

“…No, it’s different. That’s from making alchemical items, so don’t make it sound like I stink or anything…”

 

“But you do stink, don’t you, Enfi-kun?”

 

Nfirea’s face froze.

 

“Mm, It’s all over your work clothes, Enfi. So maybe you should take them off when you’re not working?”

 

Enri frantically tried to explain her little sister’s actual meaning, and Nfirea’s face softened as he heard it.

 

“I don’t have any other clothes, though… in E-Rantel I pretty much wore those all the time.”

 

“Then, what if I made a set for you afterwards?”

 

“Eh? You can do that?”

 

“Enfi, who do you think I am? I can still make simple clothes on my own.”

 

“Is that it? I bought all my clothes, so being able to make your own sounds awesome.”

 

“Well, thanks for that. But everyone in the village can… Nemu, you’d better start learning.”

 

“Kay~”

 

“Then, Nemu, do you mind heading back first? I need to discuss something with Enfi.”

 

Nemu covered her mouth with her hands, but the smile was already making her eyes sparkle.

 

“Mm! Got it! Then, I’ll be going first. Do your best, Enfi-kun!”

 

Nemu waved to them, then headed back home with a spring in her step.

 

Enri watched her back as she left, mumbling to herself.

 

“Why is she so obedient? Are you hiding anything from me?”

 

“No, I don’t think… there’s more important things than that! Were you going to tell me something? Although I can roughly guess, since I was at the village meeting yesterday.”

 

That being the case, they could skip a lot of pointless exposition. Enri told Nfirea what she and the chief had discussed.

 

That was not all She also told him all about her uneasiness and her discussion with Lupusregina. After she finished, Nfirea looked Enri straight in the eye. and spoke.

 

“I think you should do what you think is right, Enri. No matter what your answer is, I’ll always support you… ugh, that line is so cheesy. I hope you’ll become the new chief.”

 

“Why? I’m just—”

 

“No. You’re not just a simple village girl. You’re the leader of the Goblins, Enri Emmot. You probably want to say that the Goblins aren’t your strength, right? But in the end, the Goblins really are your strength. Lupusregina asked you to ask the Goblins, but I’ll explain. If you’re not the chief, and if the village is in danger, the Goblins will evacuate you and only you if they still have the strength to fight.”

 

“No way! They would never do such a thing!”

 

“...They might say that in peacetime. However, during a crisis they’ll do just that. I heard it from them myself.”

 

“No way…”

 

Enri looked incredulously at Nfirea. She felt he must be lying. Yet, she could not sense any falseness from around him.

 

“The most important thing to them isn’t the village, it’s you. But if you become the chief, then the village becomes your property, and the Goblins will stay and fight for the village to the bitter end. It may not seem like a big difference, but it’s enough of a difference. As an aside, they’ve told me that if an emergency like that happens, they’re hoping I can take Nemu and flee behind you. Enri… if you want to check with them, it’s fine. But I hope that if you do, you’ll keep the fact that I told you about it a secret.”

 

“I won’t ask them.”

 

Nfirea lifted his hair up as he heard the straight, direct reply, revealing his wide eyes.

 

“Is that okay? I might be ly—”

 

“—Impossible. You would never lie to me, Nfirea. I trust you. Still, they really do place a lot of important on their master, huh.”

 

“Well, isn’t that because you’re their master, Enri? You bought weapons for the Goblins, right? Don’t you think they’d make you their top priority because of that? ...This may sound bad, but the Goblins have never gotten anything from the villagers, who treat them as nothing more than your summoned monsters. One side doesn’t treat them like individuals, while the other side does. Doesn’t it make sense for them to favor the latter?”

 

Of course, none of the villagers would actually say that sort of thing out loud. However, it was true that she could not recall any of the villagers thanking them in any concrete way.

 

“…But, the villagers occasionally make lunch for the Goblins.”

 

“That’s a sign of their gratitude to you. It’s like saying they’ll pay food costs, or save you the trouble of preparing a meal.. Have you ever seen anyone in the village call the Goblins by name?”

 

She had not. At first she thought it was simply because they could not tell them apart, but perhaps they had never intended to tell them apart from the beginning.

 

The thought of that filled Enri’s heart with an indescribable loneliness.

 

“Is that so.”

 

Yet, in her voice was not simply dejection, but her eyes shone with the light of resolve

 

“That’s right. ...That’s why I, personally, feel that you’ll be a good chief. If nothing else, when you’re chief, things will change for the Goblins too.”

 

“…Everyone’s going to help me, right?”

 

“Of course. You might as well say nobody won’t help you.”

 

“I understand. Then, I’ll head over to the chief’s place. I’d better do it before I change my mind!”

 

Nfirea smiled as he heard Enri’s declaration.

 

His smile was gentle, yet stern. It was as though he understood that she was hoping for one last push in the back.

 

“All right! Good luck, Enri!”

 

She nodded in reply, and then without looking back, set foot on the path to becoming the new chief of Carne Village.

 

♦ ♦ ♦

 

From the sky, Lupusregina could see that almost everyone in the village was gathered in the village square. Enri walked to their head and addressed them, but she could not hear what Enri was saying.

 

Enri appeared to have finished, and the villagers applauded.

 

“Ha… so it turned out like this after all. Ahhhh, this is fun, uhihihi~”

 

“—What’s so amusing?”

 

The voice from behind made Lupusregina turn around to face it.

 

“Oya~ if it isn’t Yuri-nee. Are you flying because of a magic item?”

 

“That’s right. Ainz-sama bestowed it upon me himself. This would be… Carne Village, right? That would be why you were scolded.”

 

“That’s right ~su. Ahhh, now the real fun’s about to begin~”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“A new leader has just arisen within the village. To the villagers, they’re about to turn to a new page in their history, to a new world of possibilities. However, I wonder what would happen if, right at this glorious moment, the village was attacked and everything was lost in a great blaze. I wonder what kind of faces those villagers would make?”

 

Her cheery and beautiful face cracked open, and something flowed out from within that could only be described as evil.

 

“And I thought you got along with these people. Is this coming from the bottom of your heart?”

 

“That’s right, Yuri-nee~ I mean every word of it. I gives me a thrill every time I think of the people I get along with being brutally trampled like bugs.”

 

“You’re a complete sadist. You’re as bad as Solution. Why are my little sisters like this? My only salvation is Shizu, honestly… although I suppose Entoma isn't a bad girl.”

 

Lupusregina laughed as her older sister grumbled and knit her brows.

 

“Ah~ will the village be destroyed after all?”

 

Part 4

 

“Ah, I’m so tired.”

 

Enri dumped the small slate she was holding on the table and flopped down, devoid of energy. She heard quiet laughter, and when she turned to look at its source, she saw her teacher (Nfirea) there with a smile on his face.

 

“You’ve worked hard, Enri.”

 

“It’s soooo haaaaard~ I’m not good at using my head…”

 

“You need to learn how to read and write, you know.”

 

Enri’s reply was a mournful whine.

 

She needed a basic level of education as the village chief, which was why Nfirea was personally instructing her, but Enri’s head felt like it was splitting apart.

 

“These stupid words, they were made up just to give me trouble…”

 

“Don’t say that. You’ve already learned how to write your own name, haven’t you? And Nemu-chan’s as well.”

 

“Mm… well, that is a good thing… can’t I get by with just that much?”

 

“Alas! These are merely the basics. Look at it this way, you’ve only started learning for five days, we haven’t even reached the important parts yet.”

 

A look which said “are you kidding me” appeared on Enri’s face.

 

“Ahhh, don’t make a face like that. Once you learn the basics, all that’s left is applying them. That’s why they’re so important.”

 

“...Uuu~”

 

“You look really tired. Then, we’ll stop here for today.”

 

Enri sprang up from her seat as though she had been waiting for him to say just that.

 

“That’s wonderful! Let’s end early tomorrow too! Thank you, Enfi!”

 

Nfirea smiled thinly before wiping the chicken scratch-like letters off the slate.

 

“Then you’d best get a good rest. Tomorrow we’ll start again at the same time.”

 

“I’m really happy that you’re using your experiment time to teach me all this. But I don’t feel grateful at all…”

 

“Mm. Well, that’s how it is. They say it’s better for a teacher to be hated by their students than to be thanked by them.”

 

“That’s a lie! It’s a total lie!”

 

“Ahahaha. Ah, I’m out of time. Goodnight, Enri.”

 

“Mm. Goodnight. Don’t work too hard when you get back and sleep early.”

 

Nfirea smiled to show he understood, and then he left through the front door. After watching the floating mote of his magical light recede into the distance, Enri returned to her house. In the darkness, it felt especially lonely.

 

“Ah― I’m so tired…”

 

Enri lazily stripped off her clothing and burrowed under the covers. She had been so noisy when learning just now, but now all she could hear were the cute sounds of her little sister sleeping. Enri quietly closed her eyes.

 

Having worked her brains so hard earlier, Enri was certain she would fall asleep right away. Just as she expected, she passed out within seconds of closing her eyes.

 

She did not know how long she had slept, but a distant sound woke her from her slumber.

 

Three knocks. A pause, and then three more knocks.

 

Enri realized what that rhythm meant, and so she forced her eyes open in the darkness. Her mind woke with abnormal speed and realized she was still at home, and so she practically leapt out of bed. In the same moment, her sister bolted awake too.

 

“Are you alright?”

 

“Mm.”

 

Her voice had an undertone of fear in it, but it sounded like she could still move.

 

“Get ready now!”

 

“Mm!”

 

Lighting a lamp would waste too much time, so Enri prepared herself to flee in the dark.

 

As the sound of the bells carried over the wind, Enri and Nemu readied themselves swiftly. Theirs was a speed born not just of repeated evacuation drills, but of the old terror that remained from when their village had been attacked in the past. And after hearing Agu’s words, she had an idea of what was coming.

 

“Nemu! Get to the rendezvous point! I’ll take care of my end!”

 

Without waiting for her sister’s answer, Enri grabbed Nemu’s hand and ran out the door.

 

The bell was still ringing loudly, which meant there was an emergency situation. In addition, it signalled that they were definitely under attack.

 

A corner of her heart still hoped that this was just one of many training exercises, but the chill in the air denied that. It was the same chill she had felt when the soldiers attacked the village.

 

As they neared the rendezvous point, Enri pushed Nemu forward.

 

“All right, go!”

 

Nemu nodded very slightly in reply, and then dashed toward the meeting place without looking back.

 

After doing that, Enri was briefly filled with the impulse to follow her, to make sure she at least got into the shelter before leaving.

 

However, as a days-old village chief, Enri had to consider how she would move the whole village.

 

If I hadn’t been appointed, or if I’d been appointed for a long time… those feelings now flowed out uncontrollably from her heart.

 

“It’s as though some evil god wants to see us suffer.”

 

Without thinking, Enri let the words slip out of her mouth. This was the worst possible timing for something like this to happen..

 

“Ane-san!”

 

A Goblin ran up to Enri.

 

“What happened? What’s going on?”

 

“We found monsters in the forest. High chance they’ll be attacking us.”

 

“Understood, now let’s go!”

 

With the Goblin leading the way, Enri soon came to the main gate. She saw that the night-time barricades were set up and the Goblins had gathered here. They looked like seasoned veterans in the weapons and armor Enri had bought for them.

 

As she drew close she could scent a stink in the air, which clued Enri in to the fact that there were Ogres present. The Ogres clutched their new clubs, which looked spiky and menacing.

 

Enr and the goblin reached the main gate at the same time as a panting Nfirea and the members of the self-defence force led by Brita.In addition Agu and some of his fellow Goblins, the ones whose minds recovered enough from their ordeal to fight, stood with them as well.

 

“Is that everyone? How about Lizzie-san? Did something keep her?”

 

Nfirea’s grandmother Lizzie was a skill magic caster in her own right. By rights, she should have taken part in defending the main gate.

 

“No, Obaa-chan’s not coming here. She’s at the rendezvous point. That place is important too.”

 

The villagers nodded as they heard Nfirea’s words. Since their family members had fled to the rendezvous point, they had to keep it secure too.

 

“We’ve sent our guys who aren’t good with bows over there. Since you guys are strong, can you spare someone to go over and keep their spirits up?”

 

“We can’t do that.”

 

Jugemu flatly refused Brita’s request.

 

Jugemu and the others had not done this out of malice toward the villagers whom he had lived and worked with. As the surging tension made Enri gulp, Jugemu explained his position.

 

“There’s a lot of monsters. And there are many other species, in addition to Ogres. Splitting up would be very dangerous.”

 

“Do you have a clear picture of their numbers?”

 

“Brita-san, the enemy was lurking in the forest. There’s no way to accurately judge their numbers. However, we did manage to get an estimate… seven Ogres, several Giant Snakes, several Wargs, several Barghest-like shapes and something huge following behind them.”

 

“Wargs travelling Giant Snakes and Ogres? Is there a druid behind them?”

 

Wargs were magical beasts that looked like wolves, but bigger. They were smarter than wolves and bad news if you encountered them in the forest.

 

“It’s very likely. Things will be really bad if they have a magic caster on their side. We can probably assume that they also have ranged attackers. So it would be better to marshal all our fighting power here, right? Should I call Obaa-chan over?”

 

“That… is hard to say, Ani-san. The rendezvous point is one of the most solid buildings in the village. If anything happens, it’ll be the final defensive line or in other words, the village’s keep. We can’t let anyone protecting that place leave.”

 

“…So we’ll be falling back as we fight, then? Where should I be fighting?”

 

“Brita-san, you’ll be directing the defense force. I hope you can clearly relay my orders to them, and do as the situation requires.”

 

“So we’ll use anti-invader strategy No. 2, then? After filling them with arrows, we’ll use barricades to keep them at bay while we stab them through the gaps with spears. They won’t need to aim at people, just keep stabbing.”

 

“That’s right, I’ll leave that to you, then. However, Wargs and Barghests are very agile. If allowed to roam freely, they’ll cause a lot of damage. Target them first. Also, when their druid shows up, would you mind falling back?”

 

“I’m not opposed to that, but will you have enough people on the front if the defense force retreats?”

 

“…If we’re lucky, we’ll be enough.”

 

“I see… as I thought, I’d better tell everyone here to be ready to die. At least, if we’re in the back we won’t be attacked, so we can concentrate ranged fire on the druid. You know, I’ve been an adventurer, but this is the first time I’ve seen such brave villagers… at least, I thought that much when I watched them train with bows.”

 

“That’s because the village was attacked in the past… and we hated how powerless we were.”

 

Enri, who had been silent up till now, chimed in with the sentiments of every member of the defense forces.

 

The truth was, despite their pale faces, nobody here wanted to flee. They had to stand and fight, had to protect their village. After all, their friends and loved ones were behind them.

 

“Speaking of which, such a large force must have been gathered by a powerful being. Does this mean they’ve been sent by the Giant of the East or the Serpent of the West?”

 

“That’s not impossible.”

 

Jugemu softly confirmed Brita’s suspicions.

 

If that was the case, it would mean Agu had drawn the monsters here. That was why Jugemu had lowered his voice, so the defense force would not pick up on it and direct their aggression at Agu.

 

They had already told the villagers about the Giant of the East and the Serpent of the West, as well as the fact that their power rivalled that of the Wise King of the Forest.

 

Although the Beast had been tamed by the Dark Hero, the mighty monster’s form and presence had been etched indelibly on the villagers’ hearts. Fear was the appropriate response to the thought of fighting something on the same level as that, foes which they had no chance of beating.

 

“So the Serpent of the West uses weird magic? Damn, what a pain.”

 

Nfirea nodded at Brita’s mumbling.

 

“Usually, monsters with racial spells won’t have more than ten of them, but if they’re the type which can practice and learn magic, they’ll have access to many more, which makes them troublesome. If they know magic that allows them to cross the walls…”

 

“I’m glad that Enfi and the Goblins can use it, but letting the enemy use mahgic is cheating.”

 

Enri said so in an unhappy tone, which drew grim smiles from the villagers.

 

“…But don’t tell Gown-sama I said that, okay?”

 

That follow-up made the villagers smile.

 

That should lighten things up a little, Enri thought. Although it would be bad if they were too relaxed, being too tense would also keep them from fighting effectively. The mood now seemed just right.

 

Jugemu looked gratefully at Enri. It would seem he understood that point as well.

 

“Defense force, don’t worry. Just stay far away and shoot. We’ll handle the frontline.”

 

The Goblins had trained the defense force for precisely this role, so this was the best way to deploy them.

 

Gathering enough swords and armor to equip everyone in the defense force was very difficult in a small village. And in the end, they were still villagers. They might have strong arms from using hoes and shovels, but that did not translate into sword skills. Only a genius could train himself into a warrior of a level that could defeat monsters in his free time between chores.

 

With those points in mind, the Goblins realized that they could not train the defense force to a level where they could handle frontliner duty. Instead, they decided to teach them archery to let them fight from the back line.

 

Although their technique had improved and they could hit their targets, they could not pull the strong bows which had good penetrating power, making it difficult to inflict damage on thick-skinned monsters. However, if they were lucky and fired in unison, there was a chance they might hit a vulnerable spot.

 

“Alright, just like we trained, line up and take aim at the other side of the door! Agu, you come in after the main door gets broken down. Stand with the defense force and stab the enemy with spears. Treat Brita-san’s commands as though they came from Ane-san and listen to her.”

 

“Ohhh! Leave it to me!”

 

“That’s the spirit. Now, listen up. I forbid you to run. Fight like mad until you die.”

 

“Of course! I’ll definitely repay the kindness you showed by saving me! In fact, why not put me at the frontline with the Ogres?”

 

“You stupid kid! If I let you do that, you’d just end up dying in a few seconds. You can say that once you get stronger!”

 

After being scolded by the leader, Agu’s face was filled with regret and some of the defence force members went to comfort him.

 

Enri sighed in relief as she saw this. For one, it meant that the villagers did not see him as the reason for bringing the monsters in. For another, it was proof that Agu was accepted by the villagers.

 

They were the last outsiders to arrive in the village. Although they had not been shunned or treated badly, there was still a distance between them. However, from the look of things, that gap would vanish if they won today. It was ironic that the battlefield was the best place to build the bonds of camaraderie.

 

And it was because he felt that divide that Agu fought so fiercely. His objective was to contribute to the village and raise the standing of himself and his people. It was the same in human society, which respected those who shed blood for them. Considering his people’s status depended heavily on how Agu and his two friends performed, it was only natural that he was so passionate about it.

 

“Enfi, I have something to ask of you.”

 

Enri stood beside Nfirea, and whispered into his ear.

 

“Oh, no, further a little — ah. Mm. Got it. Then — Agu, I have something to entrust to you and your friends, is that alright? I’m going to give you my alchemical items, so I hope you’ll use them well.”

 

Nfirea opened his satchel. Inside were many bottles and paper sachets.

 

“Use these and throw them at the enemy. You’ll miss if you’re too far away, so try to use them at medium range… are you ready for this?”

 

“Leave it to me! I’ll accomplish this task perfectly!”

 

Agu accepted the satchel, and as they were waiting, one of the Goblins shouted down to them.

 

“They’re on the move! No doubt about it, they’re heading this way!”

 

If one were to listen, they could hear the sounds of many monsters rending the night.

 

“Alright, defense force to your positions! Ane-san, watch out! Ani-san, you too!”

 

“Yes! I got it! Don’t any of you die, please!”

 

“Leave it to us! Now then, let’s go, Enri!”

 

Nfirea ran up to Enri as her escort. Their job was to inspect each house to see if anyone had not noticed the emergency.

 

***

 

As they watched Enri leave, the Goblins went to battle stations.

 

“Self-defense force, to your places. Wait for the enemy to enter the target area.”

 

There was no direct line of fire to the monsters outside the wall. They would need to shoot in an arc to do so, but amateurs could not do that, and they did not have the time to train them to that level. Therefore, the Goblins responsible for training the defence force decided to specialize them in one task.

 

They trained the defence force to land arrows on the other side of the wall. That meant learning how much force to use, and practicing the right angle to shoot at in order to accurately hit a specific area. It was training that was completely useless outside of very specific circumstances. However, since the enemy’s aim was to break down the gate and they were massed in front of it to single-mindedly attack the gate, the training was very effective.

 

The monsters’ cries drew closer, and the main gate shuddered under a series of impacts which could be felt in the nearby walls as well.

 

“Very good! Enemies are at the target area! Suppressive fire ― begin!”

 

“Here we go!”

 

In response to Jugemu’s shout, the Goblin Archers on the watchtowers ― Shuringan and Gurindai ― began shooting. As long as their target was within their line of fire, the marksmen of the Goblins could not miss. Screams of agony rose up from the other side of the door.

 

The awful din of the battlefield filled the air, making the members of the defense force tremble in fear and nervousness. Amidst all this, Jugemu shouted once more.

 

“Defence force ― hold! Do not raise your bows until ordered!”

 

They were told not to shoot when the enemy had reached the place they had spent countless hours learning to shoot. However, in the next instant, everyone who looked at the towers understood the reason for that.

 

Rocks hurtled over from the other side of the wall. Each one was about the size of a human head.

 

Although many went astray, even a lucky hit on the watchtowers made them shake visibly.

 

“Rock throwers confirmed! Enemy rock throwers have multiple rocks remaining!”

 

“Each one has about 3 rocks, and roughly 21 rocks in total ― whoa!”

 

Another thrown rock struck a watchtower and the wood splintered.

 

If they began shooting, the defense force would become targets too.

 

It was true that the defense force was out of sight of the enemy, and their accuracy would be low. However, if they were unlucky, a single hit could kill people. Even a weakly-thrown rock could severely injure someone.

 

One could say that Jugemu had ordered them not to attack for safety’s sake. It also showed that Jugemu did not want anyone to die before the extended battle could commence.

 

“Don’t think we can’t hit you just because you’re throwing rocks at us!”

 

Gurindai shouted angrily, and began shooting again while weaving through the hail of flung rocks. The defence force could not tear their eyes away from him, watching the way he fearlessly returned fire, knowing that he would be severely hurt if he was hit. However, Jugemu was not watching him. He quickly surveyed the battlefield and found new enemies in an instant.

 

“Kyumei! Climbing Snakes on the left flank! Can you handle the, by yourself?”

 

“No problems, Leader! Leave it to me!”

 

Kyumei, who had been standing by in the rear, spurred his Wolf forward. Ahead of him were the Giant Snakes climbing the wall.

 

“Fifteen, sixteen! You two hang on a bit more!”

 

There was no need for Jugemu’s words. Not a hint of fear could be seen in the shooting stances of the two archers atop the listing watchtower. Though the tower would collapse under them even without further attacks, they continued targeting the monsters and baiting rock attacks. On the left flank, Kyumei seemed to be doing well against the snakes.

 

Finally, the watchtower bent and broke under the barrage of thrown rocks. Shuringan and Gurindai jumped down to the ground, rolling several times to disperse the impact of their fall.

 

“Defense force archers ready!”

 

In response to the call, the archers prepared their bows.

 

“Breathe deep! In ― out! In ― Pull!”

 

This voice was just like their training, and for a moment, the defense force archers forgot they were on the battlefield. They ignored the sound of the timbers creaking and performed the same movements like they had learned during practice.

 

“Loose!”

 

Fourteen arrows traced beautiful arcs through the sky and vanished behind the wall, drawing more screams of pain from the monsters.

 

“Amazing,” Agu muttered to himself, but Jugemu did not have the time to bother with him.

 

“Second wave ready! ― Don’t panic! ― Breathe deep! In ― out! In ― Pull!”

 

By this time, Shuringan and Gurindai had been healed and took their places by the defence force.

 

“Loose!”

Once again, fourteen arrows flew forth, followed slightly later by two more. The door creaked louder as the cries from the enemy intensified. The arrows must have gotten them mad — and made them hit harder.

 

“Back up! Change weapons!”

 

The defence force moved as a group behind the barricades positioned behind the main gate. Anyone charging in would be stuck on the sturdy bars and spikes of the obstacle. The arrangement was in an L-shape, leading the attackers to where Jugemu and the Ogres were waiting for them. For the intruders, breaking through the gate would be like jumping from the frying pan into the fire.

 

 

 

 

 

“If you see any magic casters, get out of their line of fire!”

 

“Leader!”

 

“What’s the matter, Agu?”

 

“Ani-san gave me some alchemical items and there’s glue in there, where do you want it?”

 

“Will it be absorbed by the mud?”

 

“Yes, but he said it would only shorten its effective duration.”

 

“If so, then wait for a good opportunity and jam up the entrance.”

 

After showing they understood, Agu and his tribesmen moved off as one. Kyumei returned after defeating the Snakes and immediately headed off to the Goblin Cleric to receive healing.

 

There was the sound of wood splintering, and one side of the main gate was down. Enemy Ogres surged through the breach.

 

“Kuku, a bunch of brainless fools.”

 

Jugemu mocked the incoming enemies. They had made a fatal mistake.

 

The monsters had only broken down one side of the doors. Once that side was down, they gave up on breaking down the other side and forced their way in, especially since they were afraid of being hit by arrows if they remained outside. However, with only one side of the door down, they could only come in one at a time, which meant a lot of enemies were stuck squeezing through the entrance. In addition, they were caught in the angle of an L-shaped ambush, where all the defenders could focus their attacks on a small number of attackers at a time.

 

“Welcome to the kill zone. Time to die.”

 

The armed Ogres on the village’s side had an advantage in a slugging match against their wild counterparts, and the defence force had their spears to assist. Any Ogres who tried to break down the barricades would be taken down by the Goblin Archers, the Goblin Sorcerer and Agu’s alchemical items. The Goblins would handle any beasts who broke through amidst the chaos.

 

The situation was overwhelmingly favourable to them and there were still the Goblin Riders standing by in reserve. If the enemy had no magic casters, their victory would be assured. However—

 

“—What’s that?!” Panic crept into Jugemu’s voice. “Is that a Troll out there?”

 

It looked different from an Ogre, but it was about the same size. It lurched stiffly toward the defenders, emitting an oppressive presence as it came. In its hand, it held a greatsword with an unnatural air about it.

 

A moist substance flowed from the middle of the blade to its edges. That must be some form of magic.

 

“The boss took the field? …Could that be… the Giant of the East?”

 

It certainly looked that way. Its strong body looked like it had been trained until it was as hard as steel and it was completely unlike any of the Trolls that Jugemu knew. At a glance, he could see how it could be on par with the Beast of the South.

 

Just one Troll would require all of the Goblins to handle. It was an enemy that was tougher than any they had ever faced.

 

“If that’s the case…”

Jugemu thought about what to do.

 

It seemed hopeless. The best way would be to cover Enri’s escape. If she did not want to, then even if they had to force her―

 

“…No, that’s not the best way. That’s the worst way, and our last resort.”

 

Having given up on that course of action, Jugemu spoke to his Goblin troops.

 

“…Oi, you lot. Afterwards, every single one of us is going to die. Don’t even think about childish things like falling back. Make sure you brand your heroic forms into everyone’s eyes!”

 

The Goblins answered with a roar full of fighting spirit. In an instant, enemies and allies alike seemed to freeze.

 

“Here we go, lads! Let’s show them the power of Ane-san’s boys!”

 

♦ ♦ ♦

 

After a circuit of the village and confirming that nobody had been left behind, Enri breathed a sigh of relief. Just then, the sound of something breaking came from the front. It was followed by battle cries from both sides, and the thunderous bass sounds churned her guts.

 

That was probably the sound of the gate breaking and the Goblins joining battle. She swallowed the bile that had flowed up her throat from stress. The bitter taste remained in her mouth, but she ignored it to look at Nfirea.

 

“Enfi. We should be heading to the gate.”

 

“Understood. But you need to go to the rendezvous point and reassure everyone, okay?”

 

Enfi’s words had the subtext of don’t get in everyone else’s way.

 

Enri had also been trained in the use of a bow, but now that the gate had been broken, the battle would have moved into close quarters with a spear. To be honest, even if Enri went there now, there was little she could do.

 

“I can’t do that. I chose to lead the Goblins and the villagers, and as long as I’m able, I need to do that. Although falling back is the correct thing to do, I can’t do it.”

 

She had to stand on the frontlines and see how the battle was fought. After seeing the conviction in Enri’s eyes, Nfirea swept his hair aside to reveal his hardened features.

 

“That’s true. I understand. I’ll protect you.”

 

The serious expression on her childhood friend’s usually placid face made Enri’s heart beat in strange and wondrous ways.

 

“Mm? What’s wrong, Enri? I know, I’m not as cool as Gown-san, but I won’t let you die.”

 

“…Don’t say die.”

 

“Ah, I’m sorry. That… that…”

 

As she saw her childhood friend struggle for the words to use, like he always did, Enri smiled.

 

“Let’s go, Enfi!”

 

“Ah, yes! That’s right, we don’t have time to waste on talking!”

 

The two of them ran to the front gate. Because they had started running from the rear gate, which was furthest away, it would take them a while to get there even if they ran at top speed. And if they got there gasping for breath, they would only get in the way if the fighting was underway. In order not to let haste make waste, they proceeded at a moderate speed.

 

However, they only ran for a few seconds.

 

The two of them heard a stomach-churning sound and halted in their tracks.

 

Looking back, they saw something revealing itself from behind the wall.

 

It was massive and bizarre. It was much bigger than its human equivalent, and for a moment they could not figure out what it was. In truth, it was a finger. Something clutched the top of the back gate, which was four meters tall, with its hand.

 

“―That, what’s that? A giant?”

 

“I don’t know! Ah—”

 

Nfirea’s words cut off halfway, and his mouth hung open. Enri frantically turned to look at what had stunned him and ended up making the same expression.

 

Something was slowly climbing the wall.

 

Something which could not possibly be a human being.

 

“Could that be a Troll?”

 

As she heard Nfirea breathing those words, Enri stared at the emerging monster.

 

“What’s that?”

 

“Although it’s the first time I’ve seen one, it’s exactly like how I’ve heard it would be. If that’s really a Troll, we’ll be in trouble… Trolls are opponents that even gold-ranked adventurers would have trouble beating. Honestly speaking, even Jugemu and the others would probably have a hard time.”

 

Enri felt the blood drain downwards as she heard about something that was stronger than the mightiest being in the village.

 

The Troll that was revealing its massive silhouette snorted, and it slowly looked around its surroundings.

 

Nfirea grabbed Enri by the hand dragged her into the shadows of a nearby house. HE covered her mouth and then whispered into her ear.

 

“Enri, Trolls have very sensitive noses. It’s okay for now since we’re downwind, but it’s too soon to rest easy. You need to get out of here… then meet up with the Goblins.”

 

Enri drew closer to Nfirea and whispered back into his ear.

 

“I can’t, Enfi. If we let that guy go to the main gate, everyone will die in the pincer attack.”

 

“That might be the case, but right now, we can’t―”

 

“―We’re the only ones here. That means it’s up to us to stop it.”

 

Between the gap in his hair, Nfirea’s eyes looked at Enri like she had gone mad. Granted, Enri did realize she had just asked for the two of them to do the impossible, but there was no other way.

 

“We don’t need to win or defeat it. We just need to delay it. Enfi, please lend me your strength.”

 

“―How are we going to delay it? Lure that guy away from here? I suppose I could fight it directly… but I doubt I could take even a single hit from him.”

 

Nfirea’s quiet words revealed a calm determination inside him. In response, Enri laid out her plan.

 

“I’ve got a plan. For starters, let’s make some Ogres.”

 

♦ ♦ ♦

 

The Troll stared briefly at a wooden, human-made house and began to move.

 

All the houses smelled of soft, delicious humans, but it knew that was just leftover scent. After verifying there were no other scents in the area, it began striding toward the direction where the sound of battle was coming from. The sound of humans fighting its brethren made it drool, and it imagined the humans that would be there.

 

A soft, lovely feast of human flesh.

 

As a gourmet among Trolls, it loved the meaty limbs and disliked the bitter innards. Therefore, it was rare that it could eat its fill, but now it looked like it would get the chance to do just that.

 

Its strides grew longer as it drooled in anticipation.

 

However, the Troll halted and looked carefully around its surroundings. Or rather, it looked into the shadows of a nearby house.

 

There were Ogres.

 

The smell of Ogres was wafting out from there.

 

It frowned. Although Ogres were its allies, there was a slight difference in the scent it was picking up. It was one of which he had no prior memory. And now it was coming from behind the house, surrounding him.

 

Of course it had not come to this conclusion because its nose was as sensitive as a bloodhound’s, but because it had remembered the unique odor of its Ogre allies. As such, it did not know how many Ogres there were.

 

And that brought up a question. There was a mysterious smell here as well, like the smell of crushed grass, but far stronger.

 

Had those Ogres smeared themselves with the juices of shredded grass?

 

It pondered this question and was confused The strong herbal odor stung its nose, and its tears were about to flow. If the Ogres could endure this stench, it must have been because they had a bad sense of smell.

 

It could take them on face to face. As a Troll, it was much stronger than any Ogre. However, that did not mean it could escape unscathed, and it would take time to deal with them.

 

Because Trolls had the racial ability of regeneration, their wounds would recover over time. However, regenerating its injuries would still take a while, which was troublesome. Who knew, its fellow Ogres might have eaten all the humans by the time it got there.

 

Since the opposition had dispersed, they must be planning to attack all at once when it moved to attack.

 

It felt a glimmer of pride at seeing through its opponents’ plan and slowly began moving again, intending to circle around the house.

 

Its aim was to destroy them all quickly. Thus, the fact that its opponents had split up was a golden opportunity. All it needed to do was slay the Ogres one by one, starting with the one at the edge of the group.

 

It moved slowly, taking care not to make noise, but suddenly, a small shadow dashed out of a nearby house.

 

It was not a Goblin, but one of its favorite prey, humans.

 

In contrast to the Troll who had been surprised into inaction, the caped human splashed something upon it.

 

“Uguooooaaaahhh!”

 

The Troll screamed from the overpowering stench. The green stuff emitted a powerful stink which burrowed into its nose and sinuses. This reek was several times stronger than that of the grass-stained Ogres.

 

Even though it could regenerate, this was not a wound it could heal. It simply could not endure the smell. Its eyes watered and it took a step toward the human, but it had already run back into the house.

 

The reason why the human had managed to get so close despite the Troll’s keen sense of smell was because the human’s scent had been masked by the scent of the crushed grass.

 

Angered by the loss of its target, the Troll returned to its earlier target — the Ogres. First, it would kill the Ogres and then find that tantalizing food (humans), the Troll thought.

 

The Troll circled the house angrily, but did not find any signs of the Ogres. It was as though they had vanished into thin air.

 

“Guuuuu, where?”

 

It looked around. Ogres were large, despite being smaller than itself, but it could not find any Ogres. Once they moved their massive bodies, the troll should have spotted them eventually. Could those puny Ogres go invisible, like their master? The Troll was confused by another situation it could not figure out, and snorted.

 

However, the strong stink of herbs rising from its own body interfered with its sense of smell, and it could not follow the Ogres’ scent trail.

 

“Guuuuuuuuuu…”

 

The moaning Troll scraped experimentally at the fluid on its body. This time, its fingers stank. Glancing around, the Troll found a fallen piece of cloth on the ground.

 

The Troll considered that it might be good to wipe itself off with the cloth and picked it up with a curious expression on its face. It brought the cloth to its nose and sniffed. Its nose might ahve been disabled, but it could still pick up a bit of scent.

 

The Troll smelled Ogre on the cloth, and suddenly, it understood.

 

It had mistaken this cloth that reeked of Ogre-stink for an Ogre itself.

 

This was not a coincidence.

 

“Hyuu-mans!”

 

Roaring angrily, the Troll started looking around its surroundings. No humans. Then they should still be in their homes.

 

The Troll’s fist pounded angrily at a nearby house and after hammering at it several times, it reached up to tear the roof off, intent on destroying the interior.

 

A human rushed out in a panic as it was demolishing the house. Eager to tear the human apart as well, it gave chase.

 

♦ ♦ ♦

 

The target (the troll) was chasing her. That meant the plan was working. Though she was grateful for that, her heart was on the verge of seizing up and she wanted to cry. A gigantic, man-eating monster was pressing in from behind, and this high-stakes game of tag — if she lost, she would disappear down that monster’s throat — was something which would drive an ordinary village girl to tears.

 

The fact that she did not know how long she would have to play this game made her want to cry that much more.

 

If she knew when it would be over, she might have been able to will herself to keep fleeing until the very end. However, she did not know when the battle at the gate would end or if anyone had noticed this deadly game of cat and mouse, and whenever she thought about these discomforting things, she felt her strength ebb away.

 

Enri regretted not sending someone over to the main gate to make a report, but the preparations had taken too long.

 

She ran with all her strength, rushing into the house where Nfirea was waiting. In turn, Nfirea rushed out of the back door, wearing the same hooded cape that she was. Enri held her breath, gulping and hoping that the enemy had not seen through their scheme. The Troll continued chasing Nfirea, not having noticed the switch.

 

Enri calmed her ragged breathing and clasped her hands in delight.

 

Trolls were far superior to humans in stamina, stride length and physical ability, therefore a single person running away would definitely be caught. In order to recover stamina and move for extended periods, they decided to switch with each other without letting the enemy notice. This was intended to both buy time and to keep it from going to the rendezvous point where the people were.

 

The question, then, was how to deceive it.

 

How could Trolls tell humans apart? Maybe if they lived together long enough they would have a few ways, but this was not nearly long enough. Practically speaking, it would be by appearance, especially clothing. As such, Nfirea and Enri had worn the same rain capes and ponchos.

 

Next, they had to keep it from differentiating between the two of them via its sense of smell, and the herbal juice was meant to take care of its keen nose.

 

Enri had prepared two traps based on scent — one was to use the Ogre-stink to halt it in its tracks, and the other was using the stench of the herbs to disorient it.

 

After she got her breathing under control. Enri began stealthily moving to the next house.

 

She crept into the darkened interior of the house, peeking at the situation outside. With a ‘dong’ sound, Nfirea ran inside at top speed. At this moment, Enri ran out again from the back door by which she had entered.

 

But then Enri realised that the Troll was not following her, even though she had run out of the house.

 

The Troll snorted, then looked between Enri and the house. Its ugly face contorted even further. She guessed that the look on its face might be surprise.

 

Cold sweat beaded on Enri’s throat. She touched herself unconsciously, and her hand came away, cool and wet.

 

“…Its nose is used to it?”

 

The Troll had gotten used to the smell of the herbs, and now it was suspicious of the smell of her sweat. It seemed to have realised that there were two humans.

 

The Troll raised its hand and brought it down onto the house. Nfirea ran out again. However, his footsteps stopped, and he did not look like he was going to flee.

 

“Enri! Run away! I’ll buy you some time!”

 

“―Idiot! Run with me!”

 

“It’ll definitely catch up with us! Even if we use the houses as shields!”

 

Enri’s eyes went wide, and Nfirea smiled to her.

 

“I’m stronger, so there’s a higher chance I’ll survive if you use me as a distraction!”

 

Nfirea cast a spell, and his body was enveloped in a bubble of soft, gentle light.

 

What he said made a lot of sense, and she could not refute him. Seeing this, Nfirea smiled again.

 

“And besides ― I want to protect the woman I love.”

 

Nfirea turned toward the ferocious monster, raising his fist and pointing his thumb to himself.

 

“Come on, big guy, I’ll play with you! Come have a go if you’re hard enough! [Acid Arrow]!”

 

As Nfirea taunted the troll in a decidedly out-of-character way, he fired a green arrow of acid at it. As it hit, steam rose with the sound of hissing and bubbling, making the Troll scream in agony, twice as loud as he had.

 

The Troll fixed its rage-maddened eyes on Nfirea. It paid no more attention to Enri.

 

“Go! Go and get help!”

 

It would be foolish to waste time here.

 

“―You’d better stay safe!”

 

Saying that, Enri ran off.

 

The Troll did not look like it wanted to follow.

 

***

 

Frankly speaking, his chances of survival were zero. There was an overwhelming difference in their respective physical capabilities. And there was no way he could triumph over a foe that needed gold-ranked adventurers to beat.

 

It was a battle so hopeless that being able to hold on for even a minute was worthy of praise.

 

“Yup, I’m going to die.”

 

Nfirea smiled bitterly as he watched the Troll, who was approaching him warily.

 

It could not regenerate damage caused by acid and fire. Because of this, the Troll was especially careful around Nfirea, who could defeat its greatest ability. It could have won straight away if it had just charged over, and under the circumstances, Nfirea could not help but laugh.

 

“Well, that works for me. [Hypnotism]!”

 

The Troll’s hostility seemed unchanged. It seemed to have resisted the spell.

 

Realizing that it had been targeted by a spell, the Troll charged.

 

The gigantic body approaching him was like a scene out of a nightmare.

 

“If it worked, I could have held on a bit longer… no such luck. Ahhh, what a shame.”

 

Nfirea seemed to have given up. This was because it was a completely unwinnable battle, which had crossed the line from bravery to recklessness. But even so―

 

―He had to buy time for Enri.

 

That thought was what drove Nfirea to move.

 

Making note of the Troll’s upraised left arm, he ran forward and to the left. Seeking life in death, he plunged head-first into danger to reach the safety beyond it. The Troll’s fist followed him, and the wind of its passing ruffled his hair. And in front of Nfirea, a mighty foot kicked out at him like a moving wall.

 

Nfirea’s vision spun wildly as he flew through the air, his body making cracking sounds like shattered tree branches.

 

He hit the ground hard and rolled several times, like a piece of discarded rubbish.

 

Pain coursed through Nfirea’s body, which was still rolling over the ground. This was the most pain he had experienced in his life.

 

“But, but I somehow managed to survive. That’s amazing. I’m amazing…”

 

He had hung on to life was because of the effects of his defensive spell and the fact that the Troll’s footing had been poor when it had kicked him. Ignoring the pain that shot through him with every breath he took, Nfirea stood, and loosed another spell.

 

“[Acid Arrow]!”

 

The pursuing Troll stopped in its tracks, wary of the pool of scorching acid at its feet.

 

Mmm, just as planned.

 

Nfirea’s aim was to buy time. If the enemy stopped attacking and went on guard, he hoped it would continue to stay that way.

 

“…Damn, this hurts. I don’t want to die…”

 

Nfirea gave voice to his despair.

 

In the end, this was all his life had amounted to.

 

There were times when one did not want to face the facts, but the situation forced one to do so. This was such a situation,

 

He would die here. There was no doubt that he would die.

 

He wanted to run. Maybe if he ran with all his strength, he might be able to escape. But if that happened, what manner of tragedies would occur?

 

Nfirea thought of Enri.

 

He was able to fight because Enri was there.

 

“Well, I’ve already told Enri… no. I don’t want to die before I hear her answer.”

 

The ever-approaching Troll could not understand the heart of a young man in love.

 

He could not delay it any longer.

 

He did not know how he had done it, but Nfirea managed to read his opponent’s thoughts through its ugly face. It was determined to kill him, even if it got hurt. If that was the case―

 

“[--Acid Arrow]!”

 

All Nfirea could do was wound the Troll, in order to make things easier for his allies who would face the Troll after him.

 

The Troll raised its fist, face twisted from the pain of being burnt by the acid. Nfirea -- who was wracked with pain, for whom even standing up took everything he had -- had no way of resisting the next hit.

 

♦ ♦ ♦

 

“Please hurry!”

 

Led by Enri, the three Goblins ran to save Nfirea.

 

The reason they had met up was not because Enri had reached the main gate, but because Enri and Nfirea had not returned, and the howls coming from the rear had worried Jugemu enough that he had sent three Goblins out to investigate.

 

If only they could have held on, the Goblins would have saved her and Nfirea. As Enri thought that, her heart was shredded by guilt.

 

This was really a stroke of bad luck.

 

If it hadn’t been like this―

 

“There!”

 

Enri pointed to Nfirea, in front of them. And towering over him, the Troll was raising its fist.

 

They could not reach him to help. The distance was just too far.

 

The Troll’s hand fell like a thunderbolt. It could destroy a house in a single blow. Nfirea was dead beyond all reasonable doubt.

 

Enri closed her eyes, and in the darkness she heard the Goblins gulp in surprise.

 

Their out-of-place response led Enri to fearfully open her eyes―

 

“Wow~ your HP’s in the red~ You okay?”

 

―And she saw a beautiful woman holding a gigantic weapon.

 

Lupusregina was carrying a huge weapon that looked like some sort of oversized religious symbol, holding it lengthways and using it like a shield to block the Troll’s fist. The weapon’s size and the maid’s slender arm seemed completely mismatched to the point of surreality, but this was no dream or  illusion.

 

“Then, I’ll take care of this guy. …Oh wait, you’re hurt, Enfi-chan. [Heal].”

 

The Troll stepped back from the incomprehensible scene before it. The blow which it had put its full strength into had been blocked by a human, so its reaction was only to be expected. No, perhaps it thought there was some kind of magic at work here.

 

Nfirea had a stunned look on his face as turned his back on the troll and limped away. It was a thoroughly unguarded posture, but the Troll did not press the attack. No, it could not just ignore the newcomer who had stepped in to take Nfirea’s place before it.

 

“Enfi!”

 

Enri hugged Nfirea tightly.

 

“Ah, it’s you, Enri.”

 

His weak reply, as though he were dreaming, told Enri that he was at his limit. Although he was out of danger, he had still suffered great mental damage.

 

 

 

“I’m glad you’re alright.”

 

“―Y-you too.”

 

Enri felt the warmth return to her heart replacing the cold that had filled her in the moment when she thought Nfirea had died.

 

“I’m really glad you’re fine!”

 

Enri hugged Nfirea tightly, with all her strength.

 

“So am I.”

 

Nfirea reached out his arms to hug Enri in return. Although they were embracing each other tightly, it felt very comfortable.

 

Enri’s tears welled up and spilled out, streaming down her face.

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

“…Idiot.”

 

“Ahhhh~ Sorry to interrupt you two while you’re making out.”

 

“Lupusregina-san!

Enri let the strength flow from her arms, and at the same time Nfirea loosened his grip. Feeling slightly disappointed, they both turned to Lupusregina.

 

“The Troll―”

 

Shifting her line of sight, Enri saw something which was hard to describe.

 

“Ah, this ~su? Kinda looks like an uncooked hamburger patty, doesn’t it? All it needs is a good charbroiling.”

 

A ball of blood-spattered meat shifted and twitched under the bloodied head of Lupus’ crozier. There was nothing about the pile of broken flesh that suggested that it had once been a Troll. However, what made it disgusting was the fact that it was slowly regenerating, and still breathing.

 

“Ahhh well~ it’s good that the two of you are fine ~su. Then I guess I can clean things up  on my end ~su.”

 

Enri heard the voices of the Goblins approaching. It seemed like the battle for the main gate had been won.

 

“There you go~”

 

It looked as though fire had descended from the heavens as a pillar of red flame engulfed the Troll, producing the stench of cooked meat.

 

“That takes care of the Troll. Since my job’s done, I’ll be taking off. Ah, Enfi-chan, Ainz-sama wants to reward you for developing the purple potion, so he invited you to his house. Hope your affairs are in order ~su. Or should I say, any last words?”

 

After saying so, Lupusregina walked off towards the rear gate.

 

“Thank you very much!”

 

Lupusregina did not stop or turn back in response to Enri’s shouted gratitude, only waved her hand.

 

“…Ane-san, Ani-san, we’ll take over the task of guiding the others. You two should go have some rest over there.”

 

The Goblins walked off without waiting for a reply. Shouldn’t they have left someone with us, Enri thought, but her concern for Nfirea overruled that, so she lent him her shoulder to lean on.

 

After leaving the corpse of the Troll behind, the two of them sat down.

 

“Haaaa.”

 

The two of them sighed as one. Then, the two of them looked up almost simultaneously to the night sky.

 

“You were saved.”

 

“Mmm.”

 

“It was just good luck.”

 

“Mmm.”

 

“Don’t do that again.”

 

“Mmm.”

 

Silence flowed between the two of them. Enri suddenly spoke the words in her heart.

 

“I don’t know whether or not this is love, but I don’t want you to go anywhere, Enfi.”

 

“…Mmm. …Mmm.”

 

“Is this love?”

 

“…I don’t know. But if it is, I’d be very happy.”

 

Enri and Nfirea said no more, leaning shoulder to shoulder and watching the stars until the Goblins arrived—

 

Epilogue

 

“Ane-san, looks like you’re ready,” Jugemu commented on Enri’s appearance as he entered her home.

 

“Yes, that’s right… is it odd?”

 

As she asked Jugemu her question, Enri looked down at the dress she was wearing ― one of the best she had, which she usually reserved for the harvest festival.

 

“Not at all, don’t you think, Ani-san?”

 

“Mm. You’re very pretty, Enri.”

 

“Really!”

 

With a red face, Enri looked at Jugemu and Nemu as they smiled. Or rather, Nemu’s grin was not just mischievous, it was downright evil.

 

Ever since Enri and Nfirea’s relationship had taken a step forward, they had been looking at them like that more and more often. However, she realised that saying anything about it would only embarrass her further, so she had wisely chosen to keep her mouth shut.

 

However, leaving it alone was dangerous too. Especially for Nemu.

 

Sometimes, her little sister would ask questions that she could not answer.

 

It just feels like she’s suddenly matured mentally over the past few days… maybe I should ask Enfi for help about this…

 

Seeing the plea in Enri’s eyes, her lover (Nfirea) spoke.

 

“Umm, ahem! Speaking of which, Jugemu-san, can you use that magic sword well? I heard it’s not like normal swords, and using it is tiring.”

 

The greatsword which Jugemu was holding had been obtained in the raid several days ago.

 

“I’ve gotten used to the sword’s weight and center of gravity, so I can use it as well as my old sword. Its sharpness and so on are much better than the other one, but that’s a magic weapon for you. However… the poison in here, it weakens the people it cuts, but it’s a bit strange…”

 

“It is? Is it a powerful effect?”

 

“Well, it’s not a particularly strong poison. Someone on my level can resist it easily. However, against weaker opponents…”

 

Jugemu’s face took on a dark expression.

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

“Ah―” Jugemu said as he looked to the ceiling, speaking in an irritated voice. “I was thinking about the Troll I got this sword from. There was something weird about it.”

 

“The corpse doesn’t seem any different from a normal Troll. Maybe it was a mutant Troll?”

 

“No, no, I didn’t mean that, Ani-san. From its movements, its lack of regeneration, the way it felt when I cut into it… it felt weird… that’s right, like a body that was already dead. Something bizarre and foreboding like that.”

 

“A moving corpse? Like a Zombie?”

 

“I don’t know. There might be a species of Troll like that―”

 

“―Thanks for waiting!”

 

The door opened in time with that fresh and bright proclamation.

 

With the sun at her back, Lupusregina strolled boldly into Enri’s house. As Enri and the others watched in stunned silence, a spang sound came from the top of Lupusregina’s head.

 

“Owie~”

 

“You idiot. How could you be so rude? Everyone, I apologize on her behalf.”

 

After pulling Lupusregina back, the woman in the back bowed to them.

 

“I am Ainz-sama’s maid, Yuri Alpha. I am here to receive Nfirea-sama, Enri-sama and Nemu-sama. I apologize for the intrusion?”

 

“Ah, yes. Please come in, Lupusregina too.”

 

The woman who had entered with Lupusregina had an otherworldly beauty, just like Lupusregina.

 

“Then, once you’re ready, we can begin the teleportation straight away.”

 

“Te-teleportation? You can teleport?!”

 

Nfirea was practically shouting. Although Enri did not know why Nfirea was so surprised, she could guess that it was a big deal.

 

Was teleporting the Warrior-Chief and the others a big deal too?

 

“Ah, no. This is not my power, but that of a magic item Ainz-sama gave me.”

 

“…The horn, the potions too. He’s amazing. He’s so amazing I have no idea what’s going on.”

 

Nfirea’s shoulders sagged. Sensing an opportunity, Enri decided to ask a question.

 

“Then, is it really all right for me to go? And my little sister too!”

 

Today was the day that the village’s savior, Ainz Ooal Gown, had invited Nfirea to his home. However, she felt uneasy when she heard that even a mere village girl like herself could accompany him. Their host was a powerful magic caster, and they were people who lived in completely different worlds. The idea that she might accidentally do something rude made her stomach hurt.

 

“It’s alright ~su. Since we’re celebrating Enfi-chan’s new invention, his girlfriend En-chan can come along, no problem. Ainz-sama said so too, yanno. Formality’s not such a big deal.”

 

“…Lupus, mind your tone.”

 

“Yuri-nee, what’s wrong with that? We’re friends, right? En-chan~”

 

“Eh? Ah, yes. Yes. That’s right. Mm.”

 

Yuri sighed with a ‘Haaa…’, then walked to the front of a nearby wall. Suddenly, a gigantic wooden closet appeared, as though from thin air. It was big enough for people to pass through with ease, and its exterior was intricately carved, so it looked like a decorative closet.

 

“…Is that [Pocket Space]? No, this is too big, it should be a higher-tiered spell.”

 

“Now then, please, enter. Lupus, can I trust the safety of this place to you?”

 

“Understood ~su”

 

The wooden cabinet should have been backed up against a wall, but when one looked inside, its interior seemed to stretch into another world.

 

Yuri took the first step and walked through to the other side of the closet.

 

She was followed by Nfirea, and a little bit later, by Enri, holding tightly to Nemu’s hand.

 

There was no resistance as they passed through the wall ahead of them, and they found themselves inside a vast, grand pathway, flanked by statues on both sides that were so life-like it seemed like they might even move.

 

“Uwah~”

 

Nemu exclaimed softly as she looked up to the ceiling, her mouth as wide as her eyes. Enri held her to keep her from falling, and she looked up as well.

 

“Amazing…”

 

It was a dignified-looking passage whose floor was made of polished rock, upon which a colorful carpet had been laid to show the way forward. Enri was struck dumb with admiration; she imagined that this must be what palaces looked like.

 

“Please, walk this way.”

 

Yuri’s voice snapped her out of her daze, and she thought of running a little to catch up with the two people ahead of them. But since that would be entirely unbefitting of a place like this, Enri merely quickened her footsteps to advance swiftly.

 

After walking for a short distance, a wall appeared with a closet door upon it, similar to the one they had used to enter. However, there were two key differences. The first was that this door was several times larger than the first, big enough for several people to enter at the same time. The second was because they could not see what was inside it, only a thin, sparkling multicolored film.

 

“Then, please enter like you did previously.”

 

Enri and Nfirea looked at each other.

 

“In that case, we’ll go in together.”

 

Enri and Nfirea linked their hands. From left to right were Nemu, Enri and Nfirea, and together they walked into the door.

 

In an instant, amidst a shower of pink petals, there was a vision of a woman in clothes which were red on top and white below―

 

“Welcome~”

 

A harmonious chorus of voices greeted them.

 

Looking around, they had arrived in an even more luxurious hallway, with two rows of astoundingly beautiful maids flanking them on both sides. At the end of a passage stood a man in a black robe that seemed to suck in all light from around him, wearing a bizarre mask. He was the savior of the village, Ainz Ooal Gown.

 

Enri froze in place, her mouth open.

 

The chandeliers on the ceiling sparkled, and the white marble floor was spotless.

 

A magnificent passage and pretty maids all in two rows. It was like walking into a fantasy world.

 

Lost in this ephemeral, dream-like world, Enri accidentally lost her grip on Nemu’s hand. The part of her mind that was not completely overwhelmed by her surrounding recognized this, and in the next moment, Enri snapped back to reality.

 

Nemu ran ahead.

 

“Amazing! It’s so amazing!” Nemu shouted at the top of her voice as she ran. She ran down the two lines of maids, and towards Ainz.

 

Faced with a world that overwhelmed her emotional capacity, she could no longer control herself and let herself run wild.

 

“It’s super duper amazing!”

 

“Nemu! Come back!”

 

Enri started running a fraction of a second later. She broke out in a sweat from Nemu’s disgraceful behavior.

 

However, this was a divine realm, where she was flanked by beautiful maids. The sound of her village girl’s footsteps made her hesitate. Enri’s self-contradictiory footsteps betrayed how she felt, and in the end she limped along like a dying frog.

 

While Enri was still limping along, Nemu had already reached the side of the village’s savior.

 

“Is it really that impressive?”

 

“Yup! It’s really amazing!”

 

“Is that so? Amazing… no, perhaps that’s true.”

 

Ainz reached out a hand, and quietly patted Nemu on the head.

 

“Is the place where I live truly that wonderful?”

 

“Yeah, it’s really wonderful! Did you make this, Gown-sama?”

 

“Hahahaha, yes, that’s right. My friends and I did.”

 

“That’s amazing! Gown-sama and Gown-sama’s friends are all amazing!”

 

“Hah! Hahahaha!”

 

Clear and bright laughter reverberated through the hallway.

 

By this time, Nfirea and Enri had nervously reached the two of them. Enri tightly gripped Nemu’s hand, determined never to let go.

 

“We thank you for your kind invitation from the bottom of our hearts!”

 

“There is no need for such formality. We are here to celebrate the production of your new potion. Be at ease.”

 

“Gown-sama, I am truly sorry. My sister Nemu has been rude to you.”

 

“Really, think nothing of it. She was moved by the sight of my residence, was she not? Then that is no insult to me,” Ainz replied in a cheerful mood. “Now then… while I had intended to speak to Nfirea-kun after this… Nemu, how about it? Do you want to see the home that I, no, that we created together?”

 

“Yes! I wanna see! I want to see the amazing house Gown-sama and his friends made!”

 

Nemu spoke before Enri could refuse.

 

“Hahaha. Very well, very well! I have such sights to show you…”

 

Enri was unable to speak once she saw the good mood Ainz was in.

 

♦ ♦ ♦

 

She settled down onto a recliner, remembering that she had been asked to wait in the receiving room while Nemu was shown around.

 

Rather than say she was invited here, it would be more accurate to say that she was like a small animal that had been taken from its nest. She sat uneasily, and looked around herself. Beside her ― despite the size of this place, the two of them stuck closely to each other ― her lover Nfirea was also unable to keep still, much like a small animal himself.

 

Enri could understand that her village’s savior, the magic caster known as Ainz Ooal Gown, was a mighty being, but what she had seen today went beyond her wildest imaginings.

 

It was as though she had stepped into a shining dreamscape, or a story where princesses and other great figures took center stage.

 

The fireplace was decorated with glass birds that had been carved to life-like perfection. If she broke one, she could work her entire life and still be unable to pay for it.

 

The sofa which she sat upon was exquisite, and Enri wondered if she was dirtying it with her clothes.

 

The chandelier, the first she had seen in her short life, was not lit by torches, lanterns, or candles, but by magic instead. She had seen magic lights before in E-Rantel’s Adventurer’s Guild, but they could not compare in brightness or style.

 

The furniture was tasteful and luxurious. Of particular interest was the weightiness of the ebony table before her. Even though Enri had no idea how valuable these kinds of things were, she was still able to tell that this was a very valuable piece.

 

A lifelike portrait of a beautiful woman hung on the wall, painted in intricate detail.

 

Even the carpet on the floor made Enri hesitate to step on it with her shoes. It was so soft that as she sat on the sofa, she wondered if she ought to raise her feet so they would not touch the floor.

 

Enri was so nervous that she was about to faint.

 

“I knew we should have gone with her.”

 

Although she could not refuse Ainz, the idea of Nemu going by herself made her stomach boil in anxiety.

 

“I just hope she doesn’t trouble Gown-sama…”

 

“It’ll be fine, don’t worry. Gown-sama is very generous. I think he’ll overlook any minor rudeness from a young girl.”

 

“Mm, but, you see, if you anger a noble, you’ll be executed…”

 

“I’ve heard that too, but to be honest, I’ve never seen it before. E-Rantel and its surrounding territory are administered by the king himself, so I don’t think the nobles would dare to make a fuss… Is Gown-sama a noble?”

 

“Isn’t he? Anyone with such a luxurious manor and so many pretty maids would have to be a powerful noble, right? There’s no way they could gather all these things otherwise.”

 

“Mmm? Is that so? To be honest, I don’t think even a noble could assemble beautiful maids like these.”

 

Enri’s eyebrows shot up at a dangerous angle.

 

She had been the first to say that the maids were pretty, but when Nfirea said it, it made her feel unhappy. Just as she was abot tto glare at Nfirea ― there was a knocking on the door.

 

“Aiiiee!”

 

Enri’s shoulders twitched violently, and because the two of them were pressed against each other, the twitch was transmitted to Nfirea, who shuddered as well.

 

The knocking came again. Enri frantically thought about what the knocking meant, and in the meantime Nfirea opened his mouth.

 

“Ah, er, please come in.”

 

“My apologies.”

 

The way Nfirea had given the right answer with such calm mystified Enri, and what entered was a maid pushing a silver serving cart. She was a beautiful woman, dressed in sparkling clean and spotless clothes which even an amateur could recognize as a high-class maid outfit. A gentle, warm smile adorned her face. However, Enri was worried that at any moment it would twist into an angry expression as she exclaimed, “What are you two doing!”

 

“―The beverages are ready.”

 

“N-no thanks!”

The maid’s face displayed stunned confusion for a moment as she parsed Enri’s lightning-fast answer. Then she turned her gaze to Nfirea, and then back to Enri.

 

“…Ah, is that so?”

 

“Ah, yes.”

 

Perhaps she sensed how Enri was so tense that her body had frozen up, or Nfirea’s innate nervousness, but the maid smiled, genuine and gently. She said a simple “My apologies”, and sat herself down beside Enri. Then she gently placed a hand on the petrified Enri’s shoulder.

 

“Emmot-sama, please do not be so tense. Both Emmot-sama and Bareare-sama are guests here, so all you need to do is be at ease and relax.”

 

“But, but… w-what if we break something in here…”

 

“Please be at ease. Ainz-sama will not be bothered even if the objects in here are damaged.”

 

“But, but how? All the things in here are…”

 

Even thinking about the cost of the things she could see in a quick glance around the room made her head hurt. And to think, these items were not a big deal?

 

“Yes, Ainz-sama is extremely wealthy.”

 

“Tha-that I know.”

 

After all, he was the kind of man who could freely give out valuable and potent items such as those horns.

 

“Which is why I would like you to be at ease. Deliberate damage aside, Ainz-sama will smile and forgive you for any accidents. And even if anything is damaged, it can be repaired with magic.”

 

“Even if you say that, that…”

 

“I understand. Then, please have a drink. That way, you’ll be able to relax.”

 

“But…”

 

Enri glanced at the tea service on the silver pushcart. They were exquisitely made of porcelain, edged in gold, and the reverse side was a vibrant deep blue, patterned with intricate designs. They looked delicate enough that Enri was worried that they would break the moment she touched them.

 

“Enri, have a drink. It would be rude to refuse further.”

 

“Ah, then, ah, thank you.”

 

“Understood… hm, I see. The fragrance and taste of herbal tea is an acquired taste. Would you rather have traditional black tea instead?”

 

“Yes, please, thank you.”

 

The smiling maid prepared the tea for them with flowing, elegant movements. After rinsing the cups with hot water, she served the tea. In addition, she placed two more small containers before them.

 

“Please add the desired amounts of milk and sugar to taste.”

 

Enri opened the sugar pot. What she saw were white solids that resembled nothing so much as powdered snow. The village girl mechanically deposited several sugar cubes into her cup, stirring them until they dissolved. After that, she added milk. Then, Enri took a sip, and felt like her face was going to melt.

 

“S-sweet!”

 

“Mm, I guess adding the sugar would do that. It’s not often that you get to taste sweet things in the village, and you don’t raise bees… if I’m not wrong, you only have something like syrup? I remember there was spice-making magic but that’s something else entirely…”

 

Enri forgot where she was, and exclaimed loudly.

 

“Try your hardest to recall it.”

 

After hearing him go “Ah, um, yes” and makeother noises,  Enri took another mouthful of the red tea, and the sweet taste let her heart calm down.

 

“Really, it’s sweet and delicious.”

 

Just then, several knocks came from the door. The maid moved quietly over and opened it.

 

“Ainz-sama and your little sister have returned.”

 

As the door opened, Nemu rushed in, all smiles. Ainz followed behind her.

 

“Nee-san! It’s amazing! It’s shiny and pretty and really amazing!”

 

As Nemu hugged her sister around the waist, Enri rose to bow to Ainz, all the while taking care to not let her little sister’s feet dirty the sofa.

 

“Gown-sama! I apologize for any rudeness my little sister has showed you!”

 

“Certainly not. Rather, I should apologize for keeping her for so long.”

 

“There’s no such thing. We’re very grateful.”

 

Ainz waved his hand to indicate that it wasn’t a problem.

 

“Then before I discuss matters with Nfirea-kun, let us eat.”

 

“Eh? We’re imposing too much―”

 

Facing the panicking Nfirea, Ainz replied with a calming gesture.

 

“This is to ensure my deal with Nfirea-kun later will be favorable to me.”

 

“What do you mean by deal?”

 

“…I’ll explain before we eat.”

 

Ainz sat on the other side of the sofa.

 

“To begin with, I have no intention to openly market the potion you make. Or rather, without the ingredients I provide, you can’t manufacture the purple potion. Do you agree?”

 

“That’s right. It’s been difficult to get this far, even when we’re using the material provided by Gown-sama. There’s still a lot of unknown factors, like how potent it is and what other effects it has.”

 

“Therefore, offering it publicly would only cause problems. Although simply asking about the ingredients should be fine… we can’t be sure that people won’t try to take it by force, no? …And from what Lupusregina’s told me, your village has suffered a monster attack. There is the possibility that these monsters, seeking the protection of strong walls, attacked your village in search of safety. Do you know why they did this, and did you take any prisoners?”

 

There were none, Enri answered in her heart. When they heard the monstrous roar from behind ― made by the Troll Enri and Nfirea had encountered ― the Goblins simply did not have the time or the ability to take anyone captive, and just finishing the fight had taken enough from them that there were no enemy survivors.

 

And that guy with the magic sword was very strong…

 

“Is that so. Well, that’s a shame… I considered the reasons why your village might have been attacked, which was what I just told you. As the village’s defenses become stronger, it will in turn create more problems. When an object is more valuable, it will be desired by more people, right? Similarly, if news of the potion leaked out…”

 

“…We should keep it a secret.”

 

“I’m glad you understand, Nfirea-kun. If we could make the red potion using just the ingredients from around the village, there would be no reason to keep it a secret… that is to say, everything we discuss after dinner will need to be kept strictly confidential. It concerns a duty to keep a secret. Then, preparations for the meal should be finished soon. Shall we?”

 

“Ah, no, there’s no need for food, how could we possibly partake of such amazing…”

 

Enri hurriedly shook her head.

 

“…Well, although I won’t force you… you do know that we prepared dDagon steak for a main course, don’t you?”

 

“Dragon?”

 

Dragons. In all the stories Enri had heard, they were mankind’s enemy, but some of them were friends of justice. However, no matter what stories they appeared in, they were always powerful beings. Could such beings become food?

 

Impossible. He must just have been teasing them.

 

If Ainz had not been the one saying it, she would have thought so.

 

However, since it was the great magic caster in front of her telling her this, that meant there was a high chance it was true.

 

“We also have desserts. Have you ever had ice cream? Although E-Rantel had some… don’t think I’ve tried them before. They’re ice-cold, and sweet… and they melt in your mouth. Something like sweet ice or snow.”

 

Enri and Nemu could not help gulping.

 

“That’s a high-class luxury. Just one of those would cost more than a day’s worth of food.”

 

“It seems you have tried something like that before, Nfirea-kun. Then I shall produce more delicious ice cream for you than you can possibly imagine. Following that — where’s the menu?”

 

In response, the maid recited a long string of words.

 

“For today’s lunch menu, we will be serving two hors d’oeuvres. The first will be a dish of Piercing Lobster, which is a form of Noatun seafood, in a velouté sauce. The second will be a dish of Poiret’s foie gras of Víðópnir. The soup will be an Alfheim-style cream of sweet potato and chestnut soup. We have selected meat for the main course, which would be the marbled steak made from Jotunheim’s ancient Frost Dragons that Ainz-sama mentioned earlier. After that comes dessert, which would be Golden Apple compote, served in white wine and topped with yogurt. In addition, we have black tea-flavoured ice cream coated in gold leaf. For the after-meal beverages, we have considered that coffee may not suit everyone's taste, so we also have fresh peach juice. That is all. If any part of the menu requires amendment, please inform us and we will do so immediately.”

 

Is this a spell incantation?!

 

Enri, who had no clue about what had just been recited, was sure of that.

 

“Doesn’t everyone like foie gras? I think children will. Please add it to the menu for me. How about something light?”

 

“Yes. Then, we shall add scallop salad and star plum confit as hors d’oeuvres.”

 

“Hmm, there is that… is this menu better than the previous one?”

 

“Eh?! You’re asking me?!”

 

Enri, who had been suddenly put on the spot, answered frantically. It would be very bad if she had to keep talking about this stuff she knew nothing about.

 

“Ah, er. No. Uh. I’ll leave it to you.”

 

It had taken all her effort to get a single sentence out. Ainz instructed the maid to prepare the meal as suggested.

 

Nemu looked at Ainz with worshipful eyes, muttering “so amazing” to herself. Enri felt the same way. This was too far removed from the world she usually lived in.

 

Wealthy people could spend money on luxuries. And being able to eat, not just to fill one’s stomach, but for nothing more than pleasure, was part of that.

 

Wealth, knowledge and power. A magic caster who had all of these.

 

He was a being that Enri as a simple farmer had no hope of reaching, a person better referred to as a king who stood above the tops of the clouds. This masked magic caster was such a formidable individual.

 

“Then, let’s go. Although, I don’t intend to join you. The three of you — that’s right, this family of yours should enjoy the meal with no reservations. After that, we will discuss business. Ah, I need to tell Lupusregina that I’m adding one more person to the list.”

 

“Eh? What’s that, Gown-sama?”

 

“No, it’s nothing, Nemu.”

 

Ainz stood up, and the sparkly-eyed Nemu stood up too.

 

Enri’s face had turned slightly hot from being referred to as a family, but she noticed something odd about Nfirea, who was rising slowly.

 

His mouth was flattened into a straight line, with no intention of opening it. However, Enri knew the secret to loosening him up.

 

That was to stare at him. Through the gap in his hair, Nfirea’s eyes flickered back and forth, until at last, as though giving up, he sighed.

 

“I was thinking that I can’t beat him. No, I know I can’t beat him. He’s far better than me as a man.”

 

“But you do know that I like you the way you are now, don’t you, Enfi?”

 

Was the difference in their levels as men such an important thing? As a woman, she could not understand how significant it was.

Nfirea’s face turned bright red, then he took Enri’s hand.

“Let’s go.”

There was no longer any darkness in those words.

Although she did not know why her lover’s feelings had changed, cheering up should mean that he was happy. Hand in hand, Enri and Nfirea chased after Ainz and Nemu.



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