Story 1 | Enri’s Hectic, Eventful Life

 

1

Enri Emmott’s day began early. She had to start preparing breakfast before the sun was even up. That was partly because she wasn’t quite as used to the work as her deceased mother, so she took longer. The other part of it was that she had to make a huge amount of food.

Cooking for Nemu, herself, and the nineteen goblins who had sworn allegiance to Enri—twenty-one people, plus two more for a total of twenty-three—meant she was beyond busy; her situation was more aptly described as a battle. Enri could still hardly believe that the mountain of ingredients towering before her would vanish after a single meal.

“Well, it is six times larger than before, after all.”

Taking a deep breath, she rolled up her sleeves, ready to begin.

She quietly chopped the vegetables, then switched knives and sliced the meat. The order of what needed to be handled when was already decided.

Enri had never been a very good cook, so her efficient preparation of so much in such a short time was a perfect illustration of what humans were capable of under pressure.

The sound of Enri’s cooking woke up her little sister, who wandered into the kitchen, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

“Morning, Enri. I’ll help.”

“Morning, Nemu. I’m fine here, so please do what I asked for yesterday.”

Nemu made a pouty face for a moment but ended up obeying with no complaints, offering a single “okayyy” before shuffling away.

Enri stopped for a moment.

Pain shot through her heart.

Her ten-year-old sister used to be a lively girl who had no qualms about trying to get her way, but ever since the attack, her childlike innocence had faded, and she did exactly what Enri told her without so much as a peep. She’d become such a good girl it was depressing.

Their parents’ warm smiles flickered across Enri’s mind. It had been several months since the attack, but the emotional scars hadn’t completely healed.

If it had been some sort of illness that claimed their lives, then at least she would have had time to prepare herself. Maybe the pain wouldn’t have lingered so long had it been a freak accident or natural disaster that was nobody’s fault, but the deaths of her parents were different. There was plenty of blame to lay.

Enri squeezed her eyes shut. In front of the others, she did her best not to let any weakness show, but when there was no one around, her loneliness gouged at the scars in her heart.

“Yeah…”

Behind her eyelids, she saw their kind parents. Even when she opened her eyes, they were still there. Touching memories filled her mind.

Spurred by the dark spiral of emotions inside her—hatred for the people who killed their parents—she swung the carving knife with a mighty heave. Its momentum carved a clean slice through the meat.

She furrowed her brow at the dent she’d inadvertently made in the cutting board. I should know better. If the knife gets chipped, it’ll be hard to fix. Sorry, Mom.

This was the knife she had mournfully inherited from her mother. She apologized for treating it carelessly and put a lid on the hole in her heart.

As she was running her finger along the edge of the blade to make sure it wasn’t chipped, the door next to her opened.

The one who entered wasn’t human, as evidenced by his small stature. It was a type of subhuman known as a goblin.

“Good morning, boss lady. It’s my turn today… Is something wrong?” The goblin bowed politely and looked at Enri’s hands with concern.

The goblin conducted himself as a subordinate, even though she was just a village girl, because she was the one who had summoned him.

After the attack, when the villagers had been discussing how they should probably have lookouts, Enri suddenly remembered the item she had received, and when she used it, those goblins appeared. The villagers were shocked and frightened of the monsters, but when she explained that they were summoned with an item the village’s savior, Sir Ainz Ooal Gown, had given her, they seemed to relax a little. It went without saying that the villagers trusted Ainz Ooal Gown. They were incredibly grateful to him, after all. The work the goblins had accomplished since then completely dispelled the villagers’ remaining doubts.

“Good morning, Kaijari. I was being a little too aggressive with the knife…”

Kaijari was one of the goblins who had been summoned. His worried face, furrowed brow and all, seemed like it would be more appropriate on a man-eating bear whose hibernation had been interrupted. “That won’t do. Please be more careful. There’s nobody with blacksmithing skills in this village, ya know. We can’t repair our gear, either.”

“Oh, that’s right…”

Kaijari tried to be more cheerful, saying, “Well, we’ll figure something out eventually,” and set about helping to cook breakfast.

He took smoldering embers out of a pot he’d brought and lit the oven with a practiced hand. His skill was clear from the way the tiny flame rapidly grew into a roaring fire.

But he can’t cook… I wonder why.

The goblins couldn’t make even simple dishes themselves. At first, she thought it was because their diet consisted of raw meat and vegetables, but it turned out they preferred cooked food. Of course, they would still eat something whether it was prepared or not, but…

Maybe summoned creatures can’t cook? Well, I’m just a village girl, so how am I supposed to know? Having reached that conclusion, she concentrated on her work. Luckily, the knife hadn’t chipped.

Before long, the two were done cooking.

There was a lot more food on the table compared to when her mother had been cooking for the family.

For one thing, there was meat. Of course back then, her family had received a share of meat the rangers sometimes brought back, but it wasn’t nearly as much as they had now. The increase was due to the village operating across a larger swathe of territory these days.

The surrounding Tove Woodlands provided them with the bounties of the forest: firewood, edible fruits and vegetables, animal meat and skins, as well as all sorts of herbs.

One could call it a mountain of riches, but monsters lived in the forest as well. Since the villagers didn’t want to risk leading them back to their homes, they hadn’t really been able to lay a hand on any of the resources up until now. Back in those days, the best they managed had been sending in specialists with experience and confidence in their hunting skills to steal some of the riches outside the Wise King of the Forest’s territory. But now, after the appearance of the goblins and the absence of the Wise King of the Forest, the situation had changed quite a lot.

The villagers were now able to enter the forest and freely harvest the bounties of nature. The efforts of their new, powerful friends were magnificent, giving them access to meat that had been so difficult to obtain before. Fresh fruits and vegetables also showed up with more regularity on their tables. The village’s diet improved dramatically.

And since the goblins were understood to be serving under Enri, her house had the first pick of any game they hunted.

A ranger who had joined the village recently also contributed to the improvement of their food situation.

She used to be an adventurer in E-Rantel. Ever since she moved to the village, she had been working with the rangers and improving as a hunter. Since she used to be a warrior, she was great with a bow and could take down large prey. That also increased the frequency that meat was available.

The better nutrition naturally affected Enri’s body.

She flexed her arm for a moment.

It made quite a respectable bulge.

Ngh, I feel like I’m getting bigger and bigger lately…

The goblins probably meant to praise her by saying things like, “Yer putting on muscle lately,” “Let’s power up some more,” “Yer getting some good definition there,” “Aim for that six-pack,” “Lookin’ sharp,” but as a woman it was a bit—or perhaps quite—complicated.

I haven’t bulked up as much as the goblins hope I will but…I’d really rather not…

Envisioning the ultimate form of herself that the goblins were hoping for, she quickly chased the image out of her mind as she began plating food on the table. This was another pain.

There wouldn’t be a fuss over slightly unequal portions, but whether there was meat in someone’s soup or not could turn into a huge problem. She confirmed that every bowl contained the same amount and ratio of ingredients as she went along.

Soon, right about the time the sweat started rolling down her forehead, she was finished preparing breakfast.

“Okay, we have to get the other goblins and Nfi.”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“I’ll go call them!”

When she turned around, Nemu was standing there, eyes sparkling.

“Did you finish everything I asked you to do?” Enri nodded when she saw her sister nod. “You did? Then go get Nfi and—”

“No, I’ll go get the goblins!”

Nemu interrupted her older sister with a sudden shout, but Enri didn’t have any objections. When Kaijari bobbed his head at her, it must have been in thanks.

“Okay, thanks. Then I guess I’ll go get Nfi.”

“That’s a good idea! I’ll go with ya, boss lady.”

No one would be left in the house, but that wasn’t an issue. Enri had never heard of any burglaries in the village.

Enri took Kaijari with her and set out after Nemu.

A breeze carrying the scents of the meadow blew over her as she walked in the morning sunlight. As she deeply breathed in the fresh air, she saw Kaijari was doing the same. She smiled in spite of herself, and when Kaijari noticed, his face twisted into an evil sneer. There was a time when Enri might have been terrified, but after living together as long as they had, she knew for sure that this was a happy expression.

Enri enjoyed the pleasant weather as she headed for the house next door.

One of the houses that ended up empty after the recent tragedy was currently occupied by the Baleare family, formerly apothecaries in E-Rantel.

There were two in their household: the master apothecary Lizzy Baleare and her grandson, Enri’s friend Nfirea Baleare. Both of them were holed up in their home steeping herbs and creating medicines.

Not participating in communal village life was considered poor behavior that meant being kept at an arm’s length—or in the worst case, completely ostracized—but the Baleares were different.

The work of an apothecary—making medicines in case someone became sick or injured—was indispensable in a small village like this one. As long as they made medicines, no one would ask any more of them.

The need for an apothecary was felt especially keenly in a village like Carne, where there was no resident priest who could use healing magic.

Incidentally, in slightly larger settlements, priests often served as local apothecaries as well.

When priests used healing magic, they asked for the appropriate fee in return. In fact, they had to. But in the event villagers weren’t able to pay, they were compensated with labor. The priests would use herbs to make medicines for people who still couldn’t pay. Treatments done with herbal remedies cost less than magic healing.

There was a cleric among the goblins who could close up small cuts in an instant, but the villagers all agreed that they should save his power to deal with serious injuries. Still, there were limits; the few spells the cleric knew didn’t include any that could cure sickness or poison.

For that reason, everyone was thankful the Baleare family stayed inside their house and devoted themselves to making medicines.

Despite the fact that they did such important work, almost no one in the village went anywhere near them.

The reason for that became clear upon approaching the house.

Enri scrunched up her nose. Kaijari did the same thing—only in a more menacing fashion. A nasty, pungent smell hung in the air all around the Baleare house. It practically seemed toxic. Herbs sometimes gave off sharp odors when crushed, but there was at least something fresh and natural to them; they didn’t produce dangerous smells like this one.

Exhaling through her mouth, Enri knocked on the door.

After knocking a few times, she began to think that they might be out. At that very moment, she sensed someone moving on the other side. An instant later, the lock clicked and the door opened.

Urk!

She wanted to keep a straight face and not say anything, but she couldn’t handle the air that wafted out.

It hurt.

The powerful stench assaulted her eyes, nose, and mouth. It smelled so bad it made the air outside feel like a mild side effect.

“Morning, Enri!”

The eyes peeking through a gap in Nfirea’s long bangs were open but terribly bloodshot. He must have stayed up all night working on his alchemy again.

She didn’t want to open her mouth with that stink in the air, but it would be rude not to return his greeting.

“M-morning, Nfi.”

Her throat felt scratchy for a moment.

“Good morning, boss man.”

“Good morning, uh, Kai…Kaijari. I guess it’s morning, huh? I was concentrating so hard I didn’t notice, but since the sun’s already so… Time sure flies… I was doing experiments all night, so I’m kinda tired…” He yawned audibly.

“Seems like you were really focused on your work—”

Breakfast is ready, so call your grandmother and come with me, she wanted to say, but Nfirea interrupted her. Well, probably not on purpose. He was just so excited.

“It’s amazing, Enri!”

He leaned in. The horrible odor permeated his work clothes, and she wanted to keep some distance, but she was his friend so she suppressed the urge to back away.

“Wh-what is, Nfirea?”

“Listen! We’ve finally succeeded in producing a potion using a new process! This is totally groundbreaking! We’re mixing the solution we were given with herbs, and the potion we get turns out purple!”

All she could do was sigh.

She had no idea what part of that was amazing. Is it like if you put purple cabbage in some water?

“And it really does close up wounds! The healing speed is on par with potions made with alchemical items alone!”

Nfirea rolled up his sleeve to show off the lack of cuts on his slim arm. While Enri thought, His arm might be skinnier than mine, he continued talking.

“And so—!”

“Okay, okay, please leave it at that.” Kaijari stepped abruptly forward. “Yer on a high from lack of sleep, ya know? Boss lady, you can leave this to me, so why don’t ya head back first?”

“Are you sure?”

“Not a problem! I’ll throw some water in his face and whatnot to calm him down, then we’ll be right over. If yer late getting back, everyone’ll worry, right? What about Grandma, by the way?”

“She’s still focused on her experiments… I have the feeling she won’t eat breakfast. Sorry, I know you worked hard to make it…”

“Oh, that’s fine. I sort of figured Lizzy might not eat.”

This had happened several times before, so it was no surprise.

“All right, boss lady, please head on back.”

If he was going to put it like that, she had no choice but to obey.

“Okay, thanks, then.”

With one eye on Enri’s receding figure, Kaijari gave Nfirea a cold look. “What do ya think yer doing? Don’t ya know women only pay attention to men talking about their hobbies when they like them? If a man talks about his hobbies with a woman who’s not in love with him, it drives her away!”

“…Sorry. It’s just that this amazing thing happened, so… I mean, it’s so amazing! Groundbreaking!”

Nfirea clearly hadn’t learned his lesson, and Kaijari interrupted with a sigh and a wave of his hand. “Are ya sure yer okay there? Yer in love with the boss lady, right?”

Nfirea gulped and nodded an emphatic yes.

“Then prioritize her over yer medicines!”

“…Okay. I’ll try.”

“Trying’s not good enough! Ya have to do it! Ya have to get her to fall for ya. We’re with ya all the way. Not only that, but her little sister promised to cooperate, too. Ya need to get it together!”

“Yeah…”

“If ya wait for her to say she likes ya, she’ll probably be carried off by some other guy first! Ya need the courage to speak up!”

Nfirea felt like a sharp knife had plunged into his chest.

“Well, I’m kinda slammin’ ya, but I know yer doing ya best, boss man. Before, ya could hardly even squeeze out a word, and now ya havin’ conversations on the regular!”

“Back then, I didn’t get to see her very often. It was only when I came here to gather herbs… I’ve definitely spent more time with her since moving here than all the previous times combined.”

“That’s the spirit, that’s the spirit. Just keep forging ahead! First, we need to call attention to yer strength. I asked a lady in the village, and sure enough, women fall for strong guys. She was forty-nine, but…”

“I’m not too confident when it comes to muscles. Should I help out in the fields more?”

“No, ya have one of these.” Kaijari poked his head to drive the point home. “Fight with that. I was thinking magic might be good, too. But look, when me or one of the others thinks ya have a chance to sell yerself, we’ll pose like this. When we do that, say or do something that’ll make her fall for ya.” Kaijari struck a pose that showed off his bulging biceps. “This, got it? Then if we think ya should keep pushing, we’ll pose like this.” Next, he showed off his chest. The goblin was small but had the sturdy body of a warrior.

Why the poses? Nfirea thought, but he could see they meant well, so he couldn’t bring himself to wonder aloud. He did have to ask one thing, though. “So hey, why are you guys doing this for me? I know you’re devoted to Enri, but I can’t figure out your motive for helping me.”

“What a basic question,” Kaijari answered in exasperation and continued in a clear, slow manner that others might use to explain something to a small child. “We want the boss lady to be happy! From that point of view, yer the goal. So ya guys need to get married as soon as possible!”

“We don’t have to rush, though! We could just gradually grow closer…you know?”

“…That’ll be too late. It takes time from when a human gets pregnant till when they have the baby, right?”

When the conversation reached what was arguably the ultimate form of heterosexual relations, Nfirea blinked a few times, and his face reddened slightly. “Yeah. I guess it takes about nine months.”

“So then ya won’t have enough time to have fourteen—I mean, ten.”

“Ten?! I think that’s a bit much!”

The average number of children for a farmer was five. In rough environments where it was expected that some wouldn’t make it to adulthood, the average rose a little, while in places where priests could heal the sick or in the city where contraceptives were available, it decreased slightly.

For one woman to have ten children was a bit much.

“What’re ya talking about? For a goblin, that’s normal!”

“We’re not goblins!”

“Well, there might be some difference between races, but ya want her to have lots of babies and be happy, right?”

“…I can’t say for sure that having lots of babies wouldn’t make her happy, but something feels off…”

“Hmm.”

Kaijari had cocked his head, but Nfirea didn’t feel like responding. Overall, he was grateful for their support.

“Okay, let’s go. For now, I’d like ya to make some kind of move, at least. If ya end up too much like family, it’ll be hard to take things to the next level… But, well, that might be the slow route.”

“Where do you guys come up with all this?” Nfirea shook his head. “Hey, Grandma, I’m going to Enri’s for breakfast. Are you coming?”

A declining voice answered his call into the house.

She would probably be experimenting the whole time. Stopping to eat would be a waste.

He understood her feelings to a painful degree.

The various alchemical items and instruments in this house were all highly advanced—the correct way to use most of them completely eluded the pair. A maid serving the caster Ainz Ooal Gown had delivered the tools, saying he and his grandma should use them to make new potions and alchemical items. She also brought other things, like a legendary herb purported to heal any and all ailments.

When they asked how to use the solutions, other materials, and unfamiliar instruments, the maid only said, “Think for yourselves!” so they were left with no clue how to proceed.

That’s why they had been working without anything that even bore a passing resemblance to a break, conducting every kind of experiment they could think of—they were sure they were making progress, even if each step forward was slow, and even if they sometimes encountered major setbacks.

It had probably been the most intense two months of Nfirea’s life, naturally, but also Lizzy’s.

The final fruit of that labor was a purple potion on the table, which completely absorbed Lizzy’s attention and caused Nfirea to lose himself in the excitement.

“I’ll go get some for you, then, Grandma.” Having said that, Nfirea closed the door and turned to Kaijari. “Shall we go?”

Even if they wanted to wait until everyone arrived to start eating, Enri’s house wasn’t big enough to hold them all. For that reason, if the weather was cooperative, they took their meals outdoors. Doing it this way meant that a bit of a ruckus was tolerable, too. If everyone had been inside, Enri’s patience would have dried up sooner. Still, it was too loud.

“So this is what I’m saying—boss lady’s gonna be my wife!”

“Hey, did ya forget our agreement that ya wouldn’t aim for her?!”

“Yeah! If yer gonna make a move, then so am I!”

“What?! I’m first!”

Several goblins kicked aside their chairs and stood up. A few others jumped onto the table.

Enri held her anger back and called out to them kindly. “Please calm down, everyone!”

But the fire in the goblins’ eyes wouldn’t be extinguished.

“Strugglin’ is futile, brothers! This game’s already been decided. Behold this gleaming meat!”

Enshrined on the spoon one of the goblins, Kuuneru, held aloft was a piece of chicken that at first glance resembled a bean. It was so small that Enri couldn’t be blamed for missing it or not recognizing it as meat while she was trying to serve equal portions.

“I ate my meat already, but I found more at the bottom of my bowl! Did you guys have any extra meat in yer bowls? You didn’t, did you? In other words, this is love!”

“Gimme a break! She just mistook it for a bit of vegetable!”

“Or maybe you’re just imagining things? What you ate before was actually a potato, and the only meat you got was that puny nub. Careful, you might creep her out. Remember, our god says: Thou shalt make Enri happy.”

“Your god is probably an evil one, Konaa!”

Half the goblins got up, and the rest cheered and heckled them on from their seats. Nemu was one of the hecklers. A few people remained outside these groups and focused on the table. Nfirea was a prime example.

“Ruby powder…magic feathers…a pestle made in Tonelico…a mortar…a mo…a mor…?” He was mumbling something vacantly while working his spoon, so as soon as he put soup in his mouth, it returned to his plate. His hair covered his eyes, but his gaze was likely flitting between the real world and a fantasy.

“Nfi, are you okay?”

If she didn’t do something about the goblins, she wasn’t sure how heated their argument would get, but Nfirea was acting strange, so she couldn’t leave him alone, either. He probably hadn’t slept in a long time. The moment he had sat down, his focus fractured even more, scattering in every direction. By the time they started eating, he was missing so much vitality and intelligence it was like an undead had joined the table.

“Yes…kay… Enri…soup…”

“Whoa, Nfi. Wake up!”

“Weren’t you the one who was saying, ‘Nemu for life’?!”

“Things are different now. Nemu is ten and about as tall as us, so I thought she was a young lady… Then I learned that humans apparently aren’t considered adults until they’re fifteen!”

“Eh?! Are you serious…? So boss lady and the others aren’t hobhumans or something?”

The goblins’ boisterous conversation moved along quickly. Enri was about to ask what a hobhuman was, but they grew tired of teasing and happened upon a new argument.

“Ah! You stole my bread!”

“My wolf is hungry! Don’t be stingy!”

“Everyone!” Enri raised her voice only to be drowned out by the clamor.

Spoons and plates flew even as shouts and jeers raged. They were throwing empty dishes, so no food went to waste, but it still wasn’t behavior that she could let slide.

Enri finally steeled her resolve, furrowed her eyebrows, and inhaled.

“Pretty sure wolves’re carnivorous! Ya might be higher level, but don’t kid yerself about how you’d fare in a real melee battle!”

“Very interesting! How about I remind ya what ya had for dinner last night?!”

The moment Enri leaped to her feet, they all returned to their seats in a single wave of motion and began eating politely.

“Would you please quiet down?!”

Her shout reverberated around the silent table.

“Oh…”

She looked about blankly. They all wore faces that said, We were just quietly eating breakfast. Something wrong? and You’re disturbing us with your sudden outburst. After a moment of stillness, Enri blushed and sat down heavily.

“Pft! Ha-ha-ha!”

The first one to break the silence was Nemu. Then Enri cracked up, holding her stomach, and the goblins practically fell out of their chairs laughing.

Their timing had been amazing. They had probably planned it all out in detail at a meeting beforehand, maybe even rehearsed. It was hilarious that they would put so much earnest effort into something so silly.

“Ahh, it’s too funny. Were you all aiming for that from the beginning?” She’d laughed so hard that she was still wiping tears out of the corners of her eyes while she asked, pretending to be annoyed.

“Of course, boss lady. We’d never make such a big fuss about things like that.”

“What he said, ma’am!”

“Quite right, quite right!”

They bragged and frustrated her line of questioning with their usual jokey grins, not a hint of guilt on their faces. But Enri narrowed her focus to Kaijari and stared at him. He seemed to grow uncomfortable and averted his eyes before mumbling an evasive answer. “Well, I guess, like, ya seemed kind of down this morning, boss lady.”

“You guys…”

“After all, we’re yer bodyguards.”

“That’s right!”

“Yeah, we’re yer bodyguards!”

“We even came up with a pose for when we appear on the scene.”

“Oh yeah, so we put you and Nemu in the middle like this—”

“What?! Me too?”

“Of course! Then you raise your arms majestically…like this!”

Even describing it in the kindest way possible, he seemed like a frog tipped over on its back.

“Uh, I’ll pass, I think. I don’t really know what you mean by ‘bodyguards’ in the first place… Nfi, don’t you think it’s a little…?” She turned to her old friend for help, but no one was there.

On a hunch, she lowered her eyes and found him sprawled on the table facedown in his soup.

“Nfi!” Her face went pale as she shouted and picked him up.

Konaa rushed over at once and pried the exhausted Nfirea’s eyes open with his fingers. “He’s only sleeping… If we let him sleep till around noon, meh, he’ll be fine.”

“Nfi… What’ll we do with you?”

She piggybacked him and set off for a bedroom in her house where she would let him sleep. She could hear voices behind her.

“Huh? Isn’t it normally the other way around?”

“Let’s not say anything, Nemu.”

“Boss man…”

Once the village harvested the wheat, the tax collector would come to the village.

Enri wondered how she would explain the goblins.

Should I just say we summoned them? Maybe I can call them my underlings? Or…

Enri thought about how they were always being considerate of her.

They didn’t merely protect her but also understood her feelings. She wondered what she could do for them.

The goblins were pretty noisy, but they were reliable, too. They were her new family—there had to be something she could do for them…

Enri wiped the sweat dripping down the nape of her neck with the clean back of her hand as she gathered up the weeds she had pulled out. There were quite a lot, and the crushed grass gave off a green smell.

After hours out in the field, her sweat-soaked clothes clung to her. She felt gross and tired.

She stretched her back to refresh her mood.

Spreading out before her was a field.

The heads of the wheat plants she’d sown were filling out. As the harvesting season drew closer and closer, the wheat would turn gold. It was quite a sight when the entire field turned completely golden, but before that, she had to perform the chore of weeding. If she didn’t take care of the weeds before then, the color wouldn’t be as fine.

Now was the time for that suffering.

Stretching her back helped relieve some tension and stiffness. Her body was warm from working the field, and the breeze blowing past felt great.

The gust brought something else to her—noise from the village.

She could hear something being hammered, as well as chants to help teams of laborers focus—all things she had never heard in the village before.

They were currently working on a variety of different projects.

The most important was the building of a wall. And a watchtower. It went without saying that this was to further fortify the village.

Carne was near the Tove Woodlands. The forest was a threatening place where monsters dwelled. It was impossible to live safely near an area like that without sturdy fortifications.

But their village, with houses lined up on level ground and a square in the middle, didn’t have anything that could be called defenses; anyone could walk right in. Their arrangements had worked fine for a while—because although they were near the woodlands, no monsters came near them.

That was thanks to the Wise King of the Forest’s territory in the forest. No monsters would traverse its domain, so the villagers were as safe as if they had been protected by an iron wall.

But that safeguard was undone by human hands.

Imperial knights had attacked the settlement, killing their loved ones. No one thought they would be safe any longer as they were.

That was why the goblin leader Jugemu’s proposal to fortify the village—he mentioned they might not be able to protect everyone if they came under attack again—was adopted unanimously. They were still tormented by unforgettable nightmares.

First, they broke down houses no one was living in anymore and appropriated the wood for the wall. Obviously, that wasn’t enough, so they needed to cut down some trees from the woodlands. If they went deep into the woods, they ran the risk of entering the Wise King of the Forest’s territory, so they skirted along the edge.

The goblins, naturally, served as their escorts.

Through all this cooperation, the villagers’ wariness of the goblins virtually disappeared. Perhaps the knights being fellow humans who killed the villagers was a contributing factor. Their own kind had robbed them of their lives and loved ones. In contrast, the goblins, despite being a different race, worked under Enri to help the village. In other words, it wasn’t right to place trust in others based on whether they were from the same race or not.

Most of all, the goblins were powerful. Goblin warriors posted as lookouts, and even if they got hurt, the goblin cleric Konaa would heal them.

It was hard to dislike them when they were so nice.

Thus, in a few short days, the goblins put down roots in the village and became an irreplaceable presence there. One glance at their house was enough to understand. Despite belonging to a different race, they were living in a big new house built for them right near Enri’s.

The villagers and the goblins worked together on the defense plan, but unfortunately they were short on hands, so at first they’d been able to build only a simple fence.

It was at precisely that point that the Wise King of the Forest, who had been acting as a breakwater for the village, abandoned its territory to follow a masterful warrior in black armor. Everyone had worked so hard to finish the fence and then had to lament that it would never be enough to keep them safe.

But now they were protected by a great wall.

Things had taken a turn for the better when a peerless beauty, who said she was one of the village’s savior Ainz Ooal Gown’s maids, brought some stone golems to their homes.

Golems were strangers to exhaustion that silently followed orders—and possessed far more power than humans. Since they were a little clumsy, the golems couldn’t be trusted with detailed work, but their help shortened building times by an unbelievable degree. With golems working without sleep or rest, the construction of the wall advanced rapidly.

It would have been impossible for the villagers and the goblins to perform such a vast amount of labor on their own, but the golems finished it—felling a huge number of trees, digging the gigantic hole to properly sink the foundation—and the wall that would normally take several years to complete was built in a few days. Moreover, it was longer, taller, and sturdier than originally planned.

They made progress on not only the wall but the lookout towers as well. Thanks to that, the village had towers in both the east and west.

“Boss lady, I’m done over here, too.”

Enri’s thoughts were interrupted when Paipo, the goblin who was weeding with her, called out.

“Oh! Thank you.”

“No, no need.”

Paipo waved her off while his hands were still filthy with dirt and plant juices, but she didn’t feel like she could ever thank him enough.

It was hard for her to maintain her house’s fields after losing her mother and father. Normally someone from the village would help, but with the dearth of workers, everyone had their hands full with their own fields. But when the goblins started helping her, the problem was solved. And Enri wasn’t the only one getting assistance.

Enri heard someone calling for her and turned around to find a plump woman standing there. Next to her was a goblin.

“Enri, dear. Ohh, thanks so much. I finished up my field with the help of Mr. Goblin.”

“That’s great. Everyone volunteered to cooperate. Please thank them directly.”

“Ohh, I thanked Mr. Goblin already. He said they’re just underlings and wanted me to thank their boss lady!”

Enri’s face twinged at the mention of “boss lady,” but she turned it into a grin.

The goblins had offered to help out households who’d lost workers in the attack. The woman before her was from one such family.

Who could begrudge such considerate goblins? They were better neighbors than some of the humans in Carne. Naturally, those sorts of stories got around and had resulted in everyone’s current high opinion of the little monsters.

“By the way, where are the other goblins? I thought I’d treat them to a meal as a thank-you.”

“The others are either working security or helping out the new arrivals, but I’ll let them know.”

“Oh. Well then, please pass the message along, Enri, dear. I’ll make something special. I suppose I’ll treat this one now.”

“Really? Then I humbly accept yer offer. Sorry, boss lady, but I’ll be over at Mrs. Molger’s.”

When Enri nodded, the woman and the goblin next to her set off walking back toward the village.

“I just hope all the people who agreed to move here will understand that you’re not evil…”

“They looked pretty spooked when we first laid eyes on one another. It seems like they’d counted us among their enemies,” replied Paipo.

“I guess in other frontier villages, it’s normal to consider subhumans enemies…”

“That’s why we’re offering to help out so much. It’s tricky, though.”

“B-but they’re coming around, aren’t they? A little while ago I saw someone say hello like normal.”

“Well, the transplants have memories just like the people here do of being attacked and having their families killed. No, maybe their burdens are even heavier.”

Carne’s fate was brutal, but even so, about half the villagers survived. Some villages had almost their entire populations killed by the knights.

The people who had responded to Carne’s call for new settlers were survivors from those villages.

A silence fell upon the pair.

Enri gave her back another good stretch and looked up at the sky. The noon bell hadn’t rung yet, but it was almost time, and she was at a good stopping point in her field work.

“Okay, should we have lunch?”

She was familiar enough with Paipo’s squashed-looking face to see that he’d put on a cheerful smile.

“That’s exactly what I wanted to hear! Yer cooking is delicious, boss lady.”

“No, it’s not.” She laughed, blushing.

“No, no, really! Competition for the job of helping ya in the field is fierce—’cause we all want to eat yer tasty food.”

“Ah-ha-ha! Then why don’t I just make food for everyone? Like we do at breakfast.”

Cooking for two was the same as cooking for twenty…or not. Cutting up the ingredients for that many portions was a job in and of itself. One or two pots would never be enough. It would take quite a lot of work. But when she considered how much she owed the goblins, it didn’t feel like any trouble at all.

“No, no, that’s okay. Eating yer food is a perk for the one who beats out the competition.”

Enri smiled at the little grinning subhuman, not sure what to do. She knew the goblins had been playing rock-paper-scissors to decide who got to help her, but she wasn’t sure her cooking was worthy of such a fuss.

“Okay, shall we head back and eat?”

“Sounds good…”

Having said that much, Paipo suddenly shut his mouth and looked into the distance with his keen eyes. Enri gasped at the stark shift from funny little subhuman to seasoned warrior and followed his gaze.

There was a goblin riding a black wolf, seemingly gliding across the meadow toward the village.

“It’s Kyuumei.”

The goblin troop Enri had summoned comprised twelve 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 nineteen.

Kaijari, who she had seen that morning, and Paipo, who had been helping her in the field, were level-8 goblins, while a level-10 goblin rider, Kyuumei, was coming toward them now in furry leather armor mounted on a pitch-black wolf.

The goblin riders were tasked with riding around the meadow and acting as an early warning system. It was common to see them return to the village for regular reports.

“…Yeah.”

But Paipo’s voice was tense. Something wasn’t sitting right with him. That was the feeling she got.

“What’s wrong?”

“…It’s a little early. He was supposed to be on watch out toward the woodlands… Did something happen?”

Hearing Paipo’s explanation, Enri felt worry well up inside her—fear that another bloody attack was nearing.

As the pair watched in silence, the large wolf carrying Kyuumei raced toward them.

The wolf’s ragged breaths spoke volumes about how hard they must have rushed over.

“What is it?”

In response to Paipo’s question, Kyuumei, still on his wolf, bobbed his head to Enri and answered, “Something seems to have happened out near the woodlands.”

“…Something?”

“I don’t really know. It’s not like before when a big bunch of guys were heading north—”

“Do you mean knights?” Enri interrupted without thinking. Even though she knew she couldn’t be of any use in this situation, she had to ask. She couldn’t shake the fear from the day the village was attacked.

The other group the goblins mentioned had numbered in the thousands, leaving tracks behind as they headed north. The footprints were human size, but since they had apparently been barefoot, the goblins concluded they weren’t human.

“I’m not sure, but I don’t think it’s knights. It seems more like something’s happened deep in the woods.”

“Oh.” She sighed in relief without really meaning to.

“…Well, for now I’ll report in to our leader.”

“All right. Nice work.”

“Thank you.”

They waved, and Kyuumei ran off astride his wolf. They watched him go until they saw him slip through the slowly opened village gate.

“Well, shall we go back?”

“Yeah.”

After washing up at the well, Enri and Paipo arrived home and a young girl’s voice called out to them.

“Welcome back, Enri!”

Along with the greeting, they heard the scraping noise of two rocks grinding together. When they looked, it was Nemu using the stone mill in the shade of the house.

The pungent smell that prickled Enri’s nose was wafting from the mill. It resembled the aroma that had been clinging to her hands earlier but was twice as strong—enough to pick up even from a distance.

Nemu was already used to it, so it must not have been a problem for her, but when it hit Enri, tears sprang into the corners of her eyes. Nothing in particular happened to Paipo’s expression behind her, although it wasn’t clear if a racial trait had spared him or whether he simply thought it would be rude to make a strange face in front of his master’s younger sister.

“We’re back. How’d it go? Did you get them crushed properly?”

“Yep, perfect. Look!” Nemu eyed her results with a satisfied smile. Of the mound of herbs that had been there when Enri went out, only a tiny few were left. “Amazing, right? I’m practically done!”

Nemu had been turning the herbs into a paste and stuffing them into a jar the way Enri had requested. Most herbs were stored by either drying or grinding them up, depending on the type.

“Wow, you worked hard, Nemu!”

In response to Enri’s unreserved praise, Nemu looked a bit proud but also blushed. At some point, she had either been trained by Nfirea, or perhaps she had simply decided she wanted to help her sister out, but her work had improved, becoming both thorough and swift.

Herbs were an important source of revenue for Carne. It took a lot of work to live in a frontier village, and this was arguably their home’s only specialty product.

It was an indispensable way of acquiring money, so the villagers knew where to find abundant clusters of all different sorts of herbs.

Enri thought to herself quietly. This herb boasted one of the best profits out of all the various types that the villagers foraged. But because the plants developed medicinal properties only right before they flowered, they could be relied on for only supplemental income. The villagers had already picked clean all the clusters they knew about, but it was possible that if they pushed a little farther into the forest, there were still untouched clusters.

But of course, monsters stalked the woodlands. Enri couldn’t just stroll in as if she was going on a picnic. But now she had the goblins alongside her, plus Nfirea, who had a wealth of experience gathering herbs. If she asked for their help, they would probably be able to earn a nice bit of money.

After hesitating for a moment, Enri broached the topic with Paipo. “I’d like to go gather herbs in a new spot. Would you come with me?”

Really, there was no reason Enri herself needed to go; she could have theoretically sent the more confident goblins of their ranks into the dangerous woodlands on their own, if only the goblins she summoned hadn’t come with a peculiar shortcoming.

They were bad at looking for herbs and butchering animals they had hunted.

It was similar to how none of them could cook. Enri could show them an herb, but they couldn’t find another of the same variety even if it was right in front of their noses. It puzzled her, but they simply lacked those abilities. Moreover, there was no sign that they had the ability to learn or acquire those skills. It was almost as if they were erased from their memories.

As a result, when it came to gathering herbs, someone had to go with the goblins.

“I don’t mind going, but it might be a little tricky to have ya come along.”

“What? Really?”

“Yeah, wasn’t Kyuumei just talking about how something might have happened deep in the forest? During times like that, the woods get agitated.”

Enri looked confused, so Paipo explained in detail. “Cautious monsters will sometimes shift their territory. When that happens, neighboring territories get jumbled up temporarily, and it causes all sorts of confusion. To put it simply, yer more likely to run into a monster, and the forest becomes more dangerous. If yer unlucky, ya might even come across monsters outside the woods. No matter how daring ya are, there’s no need to leap directly into danger, is there?”

“I see…” Enri wondered if she was actually “daring,” but she chalked it up as more of the goblins’ usual flattery and let it go. “It seemed like there was a big migration before, too. Something must be going on, huh?”

“I don’t know. I really don’t. I’d like to send some guys into the woods to do a detailed investigation…but if we leave, there won’t be as many people to protect the village… Oh! How about sending adventurers?”

“That would be tough.” Enri frowned. “Nfi told me it costs a lot of money to hire adventurers. Supposedly, the lord in E-Rantel would cover part of the cost, but it’d be hard for us to cover even just our share.”

“Ah…”

“Maybe if we were able to forage and sell a lot of herbs, it would work out, but our only other option would be to sell that item Sir Gown gave us…”

Ainz Ooal Gown had given her two horns. She had used one, but the other she still had hidden in her house.

“Don’t do that, boss lady. If it came to that, it’d be better to blow it.”

“No, of course I won’t sell it.”

She didn’t want to be the low sort of person who would pawn off a generous gift. Even if it reached the point where they were in trouble if she didn’t sell it, she would still be against it. She especially didn’t want to do anything so ungrateful when Ainz Ooal Gown continued to be so concerned for the village that he had sent over a maid with golems.

“But what a dilemma. We can only gather these herbs during this time, so even if it’s a bit dangerous, I’d really like to go if possible…”

Enri smiled at Nemu, who seemed nervous. She wanted to avoid doing anything that would upset her last remaining family member, but she would hate missing out on a chance to earn some precious cash. Maybe her priorities were a little out of order, but she needed to pay her debt to the people who put their lives on the line for the village—the ones who considered her their master.

I need to make a pile of money and see what I can do to buy the goblins new gear. Full plate or whatever seemed like it had good defense. That black-armor person…what was her name again?

She had no idea how much weapons and armor cost, but it had to be quite a hefty sum. That was precisely why Paipo held out a steadying hand when she looked so determined to rush ahead.

“Well, it’s just my opinion. I’ll ask our leader about it, so don’t make any hasty decisions. I don’t want to get scolded for claiming some half-baked idea, and I bet the boss man would also like to get his hands on all sorts of herbs.”

Just as Enri was wondering what to do, she heard a cute little rumbling noise. When she looked up, Nemu was shooting her a dissatisfied look.

“I’m hungry, Enri. Let’s eat!”

“Yeah, sorry. Clean this up and wash your hands. I’ll make lunch.”

“Okay!”

With a cheerful reply, Nemu took apart the mill and used a spatula to transfer the green goop inside to a little pot. Enri headed for the entrance to the house, thinking, I wonder what I should make…

2

Enri stood just outside the Tove Woodlands. Of course, she wasn’t alone. She was surrounded by all the members of her loyal goblin troop.

The goblins had donned mail shirts and round shields, while thick machetes hung at their hips. On the other side were slung pochettes to carry small items. They also wore brown shorts and sturdy shoes fashioned from furry animal pelts. They weren’t missing anything in terms of gear.

The fully outfitted goblins were going over their kit one final time. They checked that their waterskins were full and their machetes sharp.

The reason they were so well equipped but packed lightly was that they planned to finish their business quickly rather than spend hours exploring the forest.

They weren’t all there as escorts for Enri. Their main objective was to do a detailed investigation on the news the rider had brought. They wanted to find out what had occurred in the woodlands. Still, all they needed to do was protect the village, so they decided to explore more broadly in the settlement’s vicinity rather than plunge into the forest depths.

Only three goblins would go gathering with Enri.

Nfirea was also with her. He was all ready to go, wearing clothes suitable for picking herbs in the forest. With him along, they would certainly be able to collect what they needed.

He must have sensed her gaze. He cocked his head as if to ask, What? She waved her hands to show that she had nothing particular in mind, but he still must have been worried, because he walked over accompanied by a large goblin.

The goblin had such a hulking physique that it was hard to believe he was the same race. He wore a heavy-duty, roughly fashioned breastplate and carried a well-used great sword on his back.

This was Jugemu, the goblin leader whom Enri had named after the goblin hero Jugemu Juugemu. Incidentally, all the knights who fought alongside that hero had special names, and she had given those names to the rest of the goblins.

“You don’t seem…worried, but is something wrong?”

“No, I’m fine, really! I just happened to look at you.”

“That’s all right, then, but remember that even a little thing can get you killed in the woods. If anything seems off, let me know.”

“He’s right, boss lady. Like I said before, we’re gonna be checking out the forest, so we won’t be able to come to yer rescue so quick… Will ya be all right?” Jugemu twisted his craggy face into a worried look and peered at Enri.

In response, Enri smiled. “I’ll be fine. I’m not going that far in, and these guys will protect me.”

“If ya say so…” He eyed each of the goblins she was looking at in turn. Then he raised his voice. “Well, ya guys probably already know this, but don’t let the boss lady get so much as a scrape!”

“Aye!” The three goblins going with her—Gokou, Kaijari, and Unrai—gave a lively reply.

“And boss man, I’m counting on ya, too.”

Enri noticed Kaijari was doing a front double biceps pose for some reason.

“So now’s a good time to do something? Ahem! Of course! I’ll protect Enri!”

Enri hallucinated a sparkle in Nfirea’s teeth as he laughed, brimming with confidence. It was so unlike his usual personality that it kind of creeped her out. He must be tense because we’re headed into the forest.

How childish. She thought it was sweet and felt like his big sister. “Thanks, Nfi. Glad I can count on you.”

Huh? Now he’s doing a side chest pose… What’s that about?

“What? But we’re not even… Uh, I brought a bunch of alchemical items, so yeah, you can leave it to me!”

Hit with another sparkle, Enri felt his sweetness level drop by about half.

“Uh, sure…thanks.”

“Yeah, thanks… Still, I’m not sure we really need to be doing something this dangerous…”

Jugemu turned around to look at Enri with a sober face. She couldn’t believe he was rehashing the same conversation they had had multiple times in the village, but she knew he was saying it out of concern for her safety, so she couldn’t ignore him.

“But if we don’t gather the herbs, we can’t make that money…”

“Couldn’t we use animal skins instead? Those we can get well enough on our own.”

“They aren’t bad, but those herbs fetch the best price.”

The values of skins and herbs were completely different—night and day. Of course, an extremely rare animal might be worth a lot, but those were few and far between.

“Maybe you could have the boss man bring them back to you…”

“The Baleare household and mine have separate accounts. We’ll work together and split the profits. I can’t just take advantage of everyone all the time.”

Helping one another out was the village way of life. That was precisely why becoming ostracized left people without options. But relying on everyone else all the time was proof that a household couldn’t make it on their own, and there was no way mooching would be tolerated. Self-sufficiency meant hard work.

Behind them, Nfirea was saying, “Kaijari, can you read the atmosphere a bit and knock off the poses for now…?” and the pair averted their eyes.

“Ah, that’s true… Yeah… But that means if you got together, you’d have a single account… Anyway, you won’t cancel the trip, right?”

Jugemu’s voice was gradually losing energy. He must have realized that she wasn’t going to give up on the plan.

Enri knew Jugemu was worried about her and she didn’t want to cause him trouble, but her resolve was unshakable.

The reason she was heading into the forest despite knowing about the dangers was due to that remark Kaijari had made about being unable to repair their gear.

She might have been able to sharpen a knife, but mending iron gear would require a true blacksmith. In other words, the goblins were having a latent crisis. As their gear degraded, it put them that much more at risk. It was essential to have backup equipment.

If they put their lives on the line and worshipped her as their master, what could Enri do in return? She couldn’t just hole up in a safe place enjoying the fruits of their devotion. She concluded that she needed to do everything in her power to let them fight to their full potential at a moment’s notice.

The goblins were Enri’s bodyguards, but they also protected Carne. Following that logic, she could probably tax the villagers to buy weapons for them, but she rejected that idea the moment it came into her head.

She wanted to pay back her debt to the goblins personally. This foraging trip was, in a way, an expression of her sincerity and pride.

“We would’ve liked to have scouted the area before ya go…”

The goblin mage Daino chimed in from behind. She wore the skull of some humanlike creature. In her hand, she held a twisted staff that looked shabby but still taller than she was. Her body was heavily accessorized with peculiar tribal ornaments, and her chest had a slight swell to it. Looking at her face, Enri could distinguish a slight softness compared to the men. Enri was used to it but could still only barely make out the difference; an average human wouldn’t be able to tell at all.

“But you have no idea what it’s like, right?”

“Yeah, unfortunately we don’t know if it’s safe or not. Even if we did go first, all we would be able to find out is whether the forest had calmed down or not, but that would still take time. If we wanted to know the new layout of territories within the forest, it would take longer.”

By then, the herbs they wanted to collect would be out of season. Hearing Daino’s comments, Enri’s strong will shone in her eyes. “It’s all right. I won’t go in too deep,” she said decisively.

After repeating the same argument several times, Jugemu understood that Enri wasn’t going to change her mind. He gave up and turned to the three goblins who would be accompanying her. As expected, he said the same thing as before. “We can’t guard her, so ya guys gotta protect her as our representatives. You too, boss man!”

“Aye!”

“Really, it would be safest for everyone to go together. Dividing our force is awfully foolish,” grumbled Daino.

“But that would take too long otherwise, right?”

“Yeah. If we don’t shoo away the monsters heading toward the village and the creatures trying to establish territory nearby, there’ll be trouble. Once they’ve built a nest, they won’t leave, and even if they do leave temporarily, it’s very likely they’d come back.”

With the changes in how the spheres of influence mapped across the woodlands, it was essential that they perform a search, especially in the areas near the village.

They were readying for round one of this reconnaissance. As the first, it was the most dangerous. That’s why they could spare only three goblins to escort Enri.

“Okay, then. Let’s go! We gotta get this search over with and meet up with our boss lady!” Jugemu barked orders, and the goblin troop responded with a ferocious roar.

Inside the woodlands…

About a hundred and fifty yards in, the temperature had dropped more than a couple of degrees simply because the sun’s rays didn’t reach the forest floor. That said, it wasn’t completely dark; even Enri could see their surroundings fine. Wading through the crisp air as they went, the party of five advanced into the forest.

For now, silence reigned over the woodlands. There were almost no sounds besides the swaying of the treetops and the occasional echoing call of a bird or beast. Enri and her companions’ footsteps felt loud in that quiet. The other party, headed by Jugemu, must have gone far ahead, because they couldn’t hear them anymore.

Enri’s group advanced in a wedge formation with Enri and Nfirea in the center.

It was difficult to stay spread out in the forest, so a single-file line would have been standard, but they insisted on the formation in order to protect the two humans. That slowed down their group, but they decided there was nothing they could do about that.

When they got farther in and began heading north, Nfirea started glancing around.

He was searching for treasures sleeping among the trees—herbs.

Enri was no amateur when it came to herbs, either. She knew quite a lot for a girl her age—which ones could be simply ingested orally, which ones were more suited for topical application, and which ones could be made into potions. But she didn’t even come close to Nfirea. He had a profound knowledge of not only medicinal herbs but also the ones that could be used for alchemy.

“Did you find a rare herb?”

When Enri asked, all the goblins started posing as if on cue.

More double biceps poses… It must be the hip thing to do… Enri cocked her head. She didn’t notice Nfirea’s fed-up expression.

“Why didn’t I tell them those signals were a bad idea…? Being a chicken is the worst. Uh, so do you see that brownish moss over there?”

Sure enough, there was moss in the direction he was pointing.

“That’s bebeyamoku moss. If you mix a bit of that into a potion, it makes the effects a little stronger.”

“Wow, really? Looks like normal moss to me. Even now that you’ve pointed it out, I probably won’t be able to spot it. You’re amazing, Nfi!”

“Ya really are something, boss man. Is that a valuable herb?”

“It’s worth a fair amount, but… Ah, wait. We don’t need to get that one. The herb Enri and I are after is worth a lot more. If we don’t find much, we can always pick this one on the way back.”

“Aha. Gotcha. Wow, but for someone like you, this mountain is a pile of treasure. It’d be easy for you to make a fortune with it. Anyone who chooses to be with ya would be able to rest easy.”

“I dunno about—”

The goblins changed poses.

“Uhh, er, maybe you’re right. I’m pretty confident that I won’t let my partner have a hard time in life.”

“Yeah. You seem capable of that much, Nfi.”

The atmosphere of the quiet forest grew awkward.

“Uh, is that all, boss lady?”

“Huh? What do you mean, Kaijari?”

“Huh? Nah, I mean, nothing… Oh… I meant to ask you earlier: What herb are ya looking for?”

“Oh, we didn’t tell you? It’s called enkaishi. Nemu crushed up the rest of our supply.”

“I see, I see. Gotcha—not that us goblins can help spot it, though. All right, let’s keep moving.”

With each step, they wandered deeper into the woods where the heady scent of the forest tickled their noses.

Once they were fully enveloped in this world devoid of people, a place where the humans realized how small and fragile they were, Nfirea spoke. “Let’s try looking around here. There’s lots of shade, and the air is damp… There might be water nearby as well. This is where that type of herb normally grows. This spot doesn’t seem to have been trampled by monsters, either, so it’s exactly what we’re looking for.”

“Gotcha, boss man.”

Nfirea was an apothecary with lots of herb-gathering experience, so anything he said was probably correct. Both Enri and the goblins agreed.

Everyone put down their packs to lighten their load.

“Oh, boss lady, would ya give boss man a hand?”

“Oh yeah. He’s carrying a lot for one person.”

She went over to Nfirea and capably assisted him as he set down his bags.

“Thanks, Enri.”

“No worries, Nfi. But wow, as a specialist, you sure have a lot of stuff to carry. You need so many things.”

She noticed the goblins nodding in satisfaction out of the corner of her eye. She didn’t know what they were so happy about, but she decided to ignore it for the time being.

“Okay, let’s start searching!”

With a slightly subdued “Yeah!” the goblins set about guarding the area, and Enri and Nfirea began combing the area for herbs.

Enri hadn’t expected things to go very smoothly, but it was almost disappointingly easy to find enkaishi. The herb grew so densely between the trees that it practically jumped out at them.

“Over there. I can’t believe we found a bunch on our first try. It was definitely the right choice to have you come along.”

“Nah, it had nothing to do with me. We’re just lucky we found a spot that wasn’t all messed up. It can be awful after a monster passes through.”

The large amount of herbs growing there wasn’t exactly worth a fortune, but it would still net them a considerable sum. Enri frantically suppressed the greed flaring up inside her. They were in a dangerous place, so they needed to finish their work quickly without overreaching.

She crouched down and picked the plants carefully at the base.

The parts of the enkaishi herb that had medicinal properties were near the roots, but that didn’t mean Enri could simply pull up the entire plant. This herb had a lot of life energy, so if she left the roots alone, it would grow back over time. It took a little longer to pick the herbs carefully, but it would have been a shame to gather every last bit and ruin the cluster they’d only just located.

The pungent smell that drifted up each time they plucked a plant didn’t bother them once they got used to it. It was heaven compared to Nfirea’s house.

They foraged each herb one at a time and carefully packed them in the bags on their hips in a way that kept them from being crushed. It would have gone faster with the goblins’ help, but they were keeping a vigilant watch. Enri wasn’t foolish enough to ask them to pick herbs.

Next to her, the motions of Nfirea’s hands were superb. He moved so quickly but still picked the plants in a way that perfectly preserved the medicinal components. It was clear he had skills only a specialized professional could have.

Enri watched him from the side in silence as he concentrated. He almost looked like someone else.

He’s really grown up…

“Is something wrong?” Nfirea suddenly looked up. He must have sensed something was off because her hands had stopped moving.

Enri looked down bashfully for no particular reason. “Nah, I just was thinking how amazing you are.”

“…Oh? I don’t think I’m all that. I’m barely an apothecary. Pretty sure this is normal.”

“……I wonder.”

“I’m pretty sure.”

The conversation broke off there, and the herbs in their bags gradually piled up as time slowly passed.

Their bags were a little more than half full when the goblins abruptly crouched down around the two of them as if to hide.

Enri was startled, but Kaijari gestured to her to be quiet. It’s some kind of emergency. Once she realized the situation, she finally stopped moving and strained her ears. From very far away, she could hear the sound of something moving through the undergrowth.

“What is it?”

“Something’s coming this way. It could be aiming for us…but most likely, it just happens to be headed in this direction. First, let’s pull back a little from this place.”

“…Would an item that could make a loud noise work as a decoy?”

“Hmm. No, boss man, I think we’d better not. Seems like it could backfire. Okay, let’s go.”

The five of them moved away from the noise into the shadow of a nearby tree. The reason they didn’t go farther was to avoid making too much noise tramping through the plants. If the incoming creature only happened to be traveling in their direction, they didn’t need to risk being discovered.

It wasn’t a huge tree, so they weren’t completely hidden, but they could at least flatten themselves against its roots so they didn’t stick out too much.

The five of them lay there waiting, holding their breath and praying that the creature would go in a different direction. Unfortunately, their wish didn’t come true, and the creature appeared in the party’s line of sight.

“…Huh?!” Enri let a small yelp of surprise slip.

It was a little beat-up goblin.

There were small, bloody wounds all over its body. It was breathing heavily, covered in sweat and blood.

Goblins were smaller than humans to begin with, but even taking that into account, this one was tiny. Her insights from living with goblins in her daily life told her she was looking at a child.

The goblin child threw a fearful glance over its shoulder back in the direction it had run from. Without even straining her ears, she could hear something else coming through the brush. If the goblin she saw was being hunted, the other had to be the hunter.

The goblin frantically worked its cramping legs to hide in the shade of a different tree from Enri and her companions.

“Wha—?”

“Please be quiet.”

Gokou interrupted her, but his eyes never moved. He was keeping close watch on the direction the goblin child had fled from.

Less than a minute later, the hunter appeared.

It was a magical beast that resembled a huge black wolf. They could tell it was a magical beast because of the chains wrapped around it. The boa constrictor–like chains didn’t inhibit the beast at all; they practically seemed like an illusion. The creature also had two horns jutting out of its head.

Nfirea whispered the beast’s name. “It’s a barghest…”

There was no way it was answering, but it snorted just like a dog would—and then sneered. The expression was sinister—impossible for a normal animal to make. The beast’s eyes slowly scanned the area until they were looking in the direction of the tree where the goblin child had hidden.

If the barghest had a good nose to match its canine appearance, there was no way it would miss the scent of that much blood.

It didn’t seem like the goblin child had made it this far because of any ability to fend off the pursuer. The beast was either sadistic or hunting purely for sport.

Suddenly the barghest stopped, scrunched up its face in suspicion, then stared at the place where the herbs were growing thickly.

Ah…

Enri shrank back. The others did the same.

Behind the tree, Enri opened her hands. Her skin was flecked with green. Nfirea was next to her looking at his hands, too.

The sap from when we were picking herbs…

Yes, the same intense odor as when Nemu had been crushing them. They had gotten used to it, so their noses didn’t notice it anymore, but the intense smell must have been hanging in the air. Her racing heartbeat felt noisy.

“It’s on the move… Looks like it’s heading away from here. I guess it didn’t notice him because of the stink.”

Listening with an ear against the tree, Unrai seemed to have a question mark over his head. “…I guess it couldn’t pinpoint him because of the smell?”

“What do you mean, boss man? I’m pretty sure magical beasts have good noses…”

“That’s the point…,” said Nfirea, explaining his idea.

Basically, because of the beast’s keen sense of smell, it hadn’t been able to pinpoint where the pungent smell was coming from. The scent on Enri’s and Nfirea’s hands and bags had mixed with the general smell of the location they had been picking in. And as a lucky bonus, their body odors must have also been covered up.

It might have even viewed the crushed herbs as a last-ditch effort by the goblin child to hide.

They had a lot to thank the powerful smell for, but it wasn’t hard to imagine that if they ran, the smell might follow them and lure the barghest.

“If that kid ends up being a sacrifice, then problem solved. As long as we don’t know how strong that thing is, it’s too risky to interfere.”

At those coolheaded words, Enri looked over at Gokou in spite of herself.

But it was a natural thing for him to say. The goblins’ number one priority was Enri’s safety. Of course, they would want to avoid combat with that magical beast—even if they needed to sacrifice someone of their own race.

There was nothing strange about his statement whatsoever, according to his beliefs.

But Enri hated it. Isn’t it wrong, as a human, to not save someone if you can? Even someone from a different race?

Maybe it was just the foolish idea of a village girl who had never been attacked by goblins and lacked a sense of crisis.

She looked at all the other goblins. They must have understood her feelings, but they kept their mouths shut. Next, she looked at Nfirea.

“Nfi…”

He sighed. “Let’s save him. He might be a good source of information. If we don’t find out why he ran all this way, the village might find itself in a tough spot later.”

The goblins furrowed their brows.

“We might not be able to beat it, ya know!”

“That’s true. But barghests come in all different strengths. I heard barghest leaders are pretty powerful. From that one’s chains and horns, though, it doesn’t seem like it’s too strong. I’m sure we could beat a normal barghest.”

“Hold yer horses. The boss lady’s here! We should avoid any danger.”

Enri swallowed. These were foolish words spoken for her own satisfaction that would put not only her own but other lives at risk. Still, she had to speak. “Abandoning someone you might be able to save…is like allying with the attacker. I don’t want to be the kind of person who picks on the weak. Please!”

About the time Kaijari looked at Enri’s serious face and sighed in defeat, the magical beast made a strange noise. It was a bark that was clearly sneering. Next, they heard the goblin child scream.

They no longer had time to hesitate or confer among themselves.

“Guess we got no choice. Let’s go!”

The goblins leaped out first. Nfirea followed.

Watching the warriors go to battle to make her wish come true, Enri felt a tearing pain in her chest.

I can’t do anything but watch from back here.

The least she could do was watch so intently that she didn’t even blink.

The four who had charged out immediately caught sight of the barghest, which had tackled the goblin child. The reason the young goblin had new wounds but wasn’t dead had to be due to the barghest’s wicked desire to play with its prey.

The barghest stopped moving and looked between the new group and the goblin child. It probably thought it had just been led into a trap.

“Hey there, puppy dog!” Unrai jerked a thumb at himself and said, “If ya wanna play, I’ll play with ya! C’mon!”

“Grrrrarr,” the barghest growled with open hostility.

Out in front, Kaijari drew his machete from his hip in one smooth, natural motion. The other goblins followed suit.

“Don’t hold back! I’ll teach ya some tricks—like ‘Down.’”

“Agyahhh!” In response to the provocation, the goblin child pinned under the barghest screamed.

The beast didn’t talk, but its actions spoke loudly: If you move, I’ll kill him. But—

“Okay! Let’s slay this sucker!”

The three goblins ignored the beast’s threat and charged.

The barghest’s eyes wavered in confusion at the unexpected turn of events.

The barghest didn’t know this, but the goblins hadn’t really turned up to save the child. They had simply heard Enri’s request and were invested on only the “it’d be great if we could save him” level.

If they didn’t kill the barghest now that they’d faced it head-on, it was possible Enri, who was actually most important, could end up hurt as well. That’s why they had to slay the beast once and for all. So actually, if it wanted to mess with the goblin child some more, that would mean it was taking pointless actions, which would help them out.

Seeing the gleam of the three machetes, the barghest stopped moving again, realizing the child wouldn’t work as a hostage. It wondered whether or not it should finish off the small goblin.

Ending his life would be extremely easy. It could kill the child in one bite. But while doing that, its enemies’ weapons would definitely come slashing.

The danger to the barghest’s life forced it to do one thing.

Ignoring the child, it leaped to meet the goblins’ attack.

The barghest was heavier than the goblin warriors. The plan was to take advantage of that to tackle them before ripping out their throats.

But that immediately went awry.

The goblin the barghest aimed for nimbly dodged, and the other two sliced at it with their machetes from either side.

The chains wrapped around its body blocked one of the attacks, but the other bit into flesh, spraying blood.

At the same time, an open bottle came flying at its snout.

“Rarrrr!” The barghest screamed at the awful stench that pierced its eyes and nose.

The moment the beast stumbled to a halt, more pain assaulted it.

The barghest could tell from the blood flowing freely from open wounds that the fight was going poorly. With tears in its eyes and a wavering field of vision, the magical creature charged. It aimed at the one who’d thrown the bottle—a human.

But the charge lasted only a few steps. The bottoms of its paws adhered to the ground and stayed there.

Below, a bizarre slime was spread across the earth. The strange liquid didn’t soak into the dirt at all.

“This doesn’t have enough adhesive power to hold a strong magical beast! Let’s attack it all at once!”

Following the human’s urging, the goblins shouted a battle cry and leaped to attack. The human launched powerful magic as well.

“Raaaorrrr!” The monster mustered all its strength and ripped its feet away from the ground. They came up with the adhesive and the dirt stuck to them, so the monster was slowed down a little but could still fight.

Seeing the goblins surrounding it again, the barghest, which was far more intelligent than regular animals, acknowledged that these goblins were formidable.

It was convinced they were different from ordinary goblins—the risk of dying was very real.

This barghest had three basic attacks. It could gouge with its horns, it could bite, and it could tackle and then scratch with its forelegs. That was it. Unlike a stronger barghest, its repertoire had no special attacks. But actually, there was one last-resort ability.

It was an attack that completely abandoned defense, so that would be the end if it didn’t connect. At the same time, there was no reason to hold back any longer. The barghest was merely waiting for the right time to use it.

After checking the goblins surrounding it, the monster howled madly.

“Reinforce Armor!”

The human’s spell made the goblins’ armor glow. The barghest panicked, guessing it must have been some kind of strengthening spell, but the goblins seemed calm.

The warriors charged together in what could be considered a reckless attack that relied heavily on their boosted armor. It wasn’t a stupid plan, though. Some might even call it a brave step forward to avoid needless injuries in a protracted battle.

That would have been true—if the barghest hadn’t been lying in wait for them.

If it had been able to make major changes to its expression like a human, the monster would have showed them a satisfied smile.

The chains wrapped around its body made slithering noises like a snake. They began to move as if they had come alive.

The thick chains swung at a tremendous speed.

Even if the special ability Great Chain Whirlwind didn’t kill the goblins, it would still deal serious damage.

The barghest was desperate. This was a major skill that it could use only once per day. And during the approximately ten seconds it took for the chains to wind back up, the monster couldn’t protect itself with them. This was a very risky move indeed.

The unexpected attack caught the goblins off guard, and their evasive maneuvers came too late. It was a fatal error. But—

“Duck!”

—a determined order sliced through the air faster than the chains could.

The barghest had bet everything on that one attack. Its eyes widened at the shout from another human.

It should have been too late for the goblins to dodge, but they agilely ducked down as if energized by the voice.

The barghest strained its slightly blurred vision, peering at the commander standing behind the caster.

Machetes cut into both of its forelegs and one of its hind legs. The monster shrieked at the pain. It managed to wind up the chains and bare its teeth in a menacing way, but the goblins didn’t seem the least bit scared.

“Boss man. We won’t need any more support magic. Please just keep an eye on our surroundings.”

Realizing the battle had been decided, the barghest tried to run.

But its normally agile body was unusually heavy. Of course it was. Three of its four legs were now useless. Still, it struggled to escape, but the goblins wouldn’t allow it.

Sticky blood spread across the grass, dyeing it red, and the smell of iron completely overpowered the odor of the herbs. The barghest’s spilled innards were still so warm they were practically steaming. The goblins shifted their gazes from the dead beast to the child.

The little goblin was so heavily wounded he had completely lost the energy to run, but he had enough mental fortitude to sit up and lean against a tree.

“Wh-who are ya? What tribe are ya from?” he asked, half–on guard, half-terrified.

Enri’s goblins looked at one another. They were exchanging glances to decide what sort of attitude would benefit them the most and how much information they could give away, but Enri felt there was something else that needed attention first.

“More importantly, shouldn’t we do something about those wounds? What can we do, Nfi?”

The goblin child’s injuries seemed deep, and they were still bleeding. Left like this, he would surely die. Enri didn’t have any way to save the child, but her hope that her friend would be able to do something was immediately answered.

“All normal herbs can do is stop the bleeding. They can’t put the lost blood back in, so he’ll still be in danger, but…” Nfirea rummaged in his bag. “I have the potion we made with the new method. I should probably give it to Sir Gown, but…can I see the wounds?”

Nfirea moved swiftly to the front and took out the potion.

“Wh-what’s that freaky-lookin’ juice? It’s not poison, is it?”

When he saw the purple potion, the goblin child became hostile, though he was still scared. To Enri, and maybe to Nfirea as well, it was a perfectly normal reaction. Being wary of something that looked toxic was only natural. But to the goblins, it was apparently unforgivable, and they immediately launched into a tirade.

“Hey, kid! This is our boss lady, who decided to rescue ya, and the boss man. Ya owe yer life to these people, so ya better watch yer mouth. They’re trying to help ya!”

The goblin child’s eyes flitted to the bare machete blades. He may have been a child, but even he could tell the goblins were in a foul mood. He quickly withered.

Enri felt the threats probably weren’t necessary for a child, but she was aware that goblins probably had their own way of doing things. Butting in with human common sense was no good in a variety of ways.

“I-I’m sorry.”

“Ah, nah, it’s fine. Don’t worry about it.” Nfirea sprinkled the potion on the child as he spoke. The cuts all closed right up.

“Whoa! What the heck? It’s a gross color, but it works amazing!” Then he seemed to catch sight of the goblins looking at him and trembled. “Er, I mean, th-thank y-you.”

“That’s right, kid, gratitude is important.”

“Great. Now we can tell Sir Gown that the experiment was a success.”

Enri and the goblins understood why he was going out of his way to seek their agreement, and they nodded.

Nfirea was conducting research in potion making with ingredients he received from Ainz Ooal Gown, the greatest caster of all time and the village’s savior. It wasn’t as if he was being paid, but all the materials were being provided by someone else. It should have been clear who the results belonged to.

There were major issues with Nfirea using a potion without permission, but a clinical trial was a fine excuse.

I bet if we told him what happened, Sir Gown would forgive us, but…maybe there is some kind of rule for apothecaries.

“Y-ya experimented on me?!”

Enri and Nfirea winced as the child interpreted things differently. But, of course, someone who didn’t know the backstory couldn’t help but think that.

For those two, it ended with a wince, but there were others who weren’t so composed. The goblins seemed to be getting pretty riled up—to the point where one of them muttered, “Stupid brat,” while he sucked his teeth.

Enri gestured for them to calm down. “Okay, that’s enough.” For someone who didn’t know the situation, it was a natural reaction, and they were talking to a kid, so it was no wonder he couldn’t grasp the big picture.

“If ya say so, boss lady… Shall we get moving? Something else might smell the blood and come over here.”

“We won this time, but boss lady, give us a break, okay? Our mission is to protect ya.”

“Seriously. I was surprised when ya shouted out, too!”

“I think that saved us, though, so we can’t really— Hey, punk, don’t be running away! We’ve got a mountain of questions for ya. If ya don’t want me to cut yer legs off, come quietly.”

“Unrai…”

“It’s for the sake of the village, boss lady… C’mon, kid.”

The goblin child trudged forward. His wounds were completely healed, so he didn’t have any trouble moving. It was his rebellious spirit slowing him down.

Gokou, holding his bloody machete, spat on the ground.

Enri looked to Nfirea for help, but he silently shook his head. Next, she looked at the other goblins, but she was met with steely gazes that said they supported their comrade’s actions.

“Boss lady, don’t worry, I won’t kill him. I just want to ask him what happened. Besides, do ya think he’ll make it if we leave him alone here?”

The question was clearly aimed more at the child than Enri. He seemed to understand, and the resistance in his eyes vanished.

“I get it… I won’t run away…”

“Okay. Then let’s move quickly. Do ya know for sure if there was only one barghest, kid?”

“No. There should have been a few ogres, too. I don’t know if they came after me or not… And don’t call me ‘kid.’ I’m Arg, fourth son of chief of the Geeg tribe, Ar.”

“Arg, got it.”

“‘Kid’ seems good enough to me, but…”

“We can talk later. And we don’t need to fight. If he wants us to call him Arg, then wouldn’t doing that help us build some mutual trust?”

“Yer so mature, boss man. All right, let’s grab our bags and go.”

The party followed Kaijari’s instructions. Keeping their guard up, they walked in silence.

Enri wanted to lighten the mood with some conversation, but the forest wasn’t a world that belonged to humans. She couldn’t do something so careless when there might have been other monsters coming after them.

The group emerged from the dim forest, with its patches of deep darkness here and there. Bathing in full sunlight banished the tension that had been reigning over Enri’s body. She felt relaxed, like there was room to breathe again. For a moment, she keenly sensed that she was back in the human world.

Nfirea, walking next to her, seemed to feel the same way and let out a deep breath that could have been taken as a sigh or a yawn.

The goblins’ bristling tension had also faded. Arg was the only one whose expression was still strained. He looked confused by all the sunlight and wide-open space, probably because he had been brought up in the forest, where there were plenty of places to hide.

“Uh, the village is that way.”

Looking in the direction she pointed, Arg frowned. “What’s that wall? It looks like…the Structure of Ruin.”

“The Structure of Ruin?”

“Yeah. It’s a horrible place that just got built in the woodlands. No one who goes near it comes back alive. I heard there are undead lurking around it.”

“You seem to know quite a lot, considering no one ever comes back alive.”

“When the Structure of Ruin was still small, a brave warrior from our tribe saw bone monsters building it.”

“Have you ever heard of this place?”

“No, sorry, boss man, but I haven’t. If we go too far into the woodlands, we might run into a monster even our boss can’t beat, so we can’t go in very deep.”

“…Hey, so what tribe are ya three from? Yer stronger than any goblins I’ve ever seen. How…?” Arg glanced at Enri. Then he said in a tiny whisper, “I think it’s a human, but…” Then he asked, “So ya work for this human?”

“Is that weird? Pretty sure it makes sense to ally with someone strong.”

“Sh-she’s strong?! I mean, I know there are supposedly all levels of humans, but… Yer a girl, right? And the one hiding his face with his hair is a boy?”

Enri blinked. What, do I look like I’m not a girl? But if the goblin wasn’t sure Nfirea was a boy, maybe he had trouble telling them apart.

Next to her, Nfirea whispered something logical. “Enri, this kid probably hasn’t seen humans before. He probably doesn’t know anything about us besides what other goblins told him. Maybe for goblins it’s just harder to tell human sexes apart?”

“But even our clothes are different…”

“But he doesn’t know about that kind of stuff! Maybe men and women goblins wear the same clothes. I mean, some goblins have advanced culture and built countries, but he’s probably not from a group like that.”

I see, thought Enri, and she realized she hadn’t answered Arg’s question.

“Yes, I’m a girl.”

“So yer a caster?”

“No, why?”

Arg looked very confused.

“I’m the caster. I’m an arcane caster.”

“…Are ya guys married? Is that why?”

“Huh?” They both reacted with yelps.

“Well, I just feel like I heard about some tribes where the wife wields the husband’s authority…but yer not like that?”

“N-no! We’re not!”

The goblins looked like they wanted to say something in response to Enri’s forceful rejection, but she saw them shrug out of the corner of her eye.

“Then…why is a girl in charge?”

“If ya don’t know, that’s why yer a kid. Our boss lady is strong in ways ya can’t see with yer eyes.”

Enri was about to deny that, but she was overpowered by Arg’s intent, saucer-eyed stare and couldn’t find the words to explain. While she was at a loss, Kaijari asked the child a question.

“Okay, now we’ll be asking the questions. Why was that thing chasing ya? What happened?”

“Well—”

“Hey, shouldn’t we discuss those things in the safety of the village?”

The one who answered Enri’s question was—

“Yeah. That seems like a better plan.”

—a woman who hadn’t even been there until now.

Everyone gasped in shock and turned in the direction of the voice.

An eye-catchingly beautiful woman was standing there.

She had her hair in braids, and her skin was brown. She wore, according to her, a maid uniform. Some kind of strange weapon-like thing was strapped to her back.

She was an extremely shady character but also a familiar face.

Lupusregina β.

The maid worked for the village’s savior Ainz Ooal Gown. She delivered alchemy supplies to the Baleare house and was also the one who had brought the stone golems to the village and gave them their orders. The villagers took a shine to her right away due to her bright personality and cheerful way of talking.

But she was unfathomable in some ways, like how she would suddenly appear out of nowhere. The villagers figured that she must have magic abilities, since she was that great caster’s maid, which was how Enri understood it as well. Even so, when the maid suddenly appeared like this, her heart would leap into her throat.

“Lupu, where’d you come from…?”

“Psh! C’mon, En, I’ve been behind you the whole time! Wait a minute. Don’t tell me you didn’t notice! I thought you were ignorin’ me.”

“What? Huh?”

It sounded like a joke, but her voice was dead serious. Enri looked around at everyone else for help.

“Uh, Lady Lupu, that’s enough joking around.”

“Wow! You think I’m jokin’! I’d really like you to remember… Just kidding! I was playin’ around.”

Everyone became silent, then someone sighed, exasperated.

“Well, enough about that. Anyhow, who’s this goblin kid? He—he can’t be…?”

Enri felt Lupusregina’s eyes flitting between her and the goblins and had a bad feeling.

“Pft—pft! Nfi! Guess the goblins got to her first, ’ey? Pffffft!”

Everyone blinked nonstop as her laughter continued.

“How awful! A purehearted lad’s dream—trampled! How hilarious! Wa-ha! …But seriously, who the heck is this?”

Arg twitched as if he’d seen something alien.

But Enri understood how he felt. Lupusregina was cheerful, but her expressions changed so rapidly she seemed manic. The gap between a smile and a sudden straight face could produce a mysterious fear.

“I won’t snatch you up and eat ya. No worries. I just want a chill explanation about who you are.”

“Lady Lupu, didn’t you agree that we would talk about those things later?”

“Oh! Yeah, I do seem to remember randomly saying something like that.”

“…”

“Oh! Miss Beta, there’s a potion I’d like you to take to Sir Gown. It’s newly developed, and we have proof it works.”

“Oh? You finally got something, ’ey, Nfi?”

“That’s right. Unfortunately, it’s not completely red yet, but we’re getting close.”

“Splendid. I’m sure Lord Ainz will be pleased.” Not only her words but her entire vibe changed. She seemed like a whole other person, not the silly, cheery woman from before. But that expression lasted only a moment. The next second she was back to her normal self. “Well, that’s something to look forward to! Man, comin’ today was the right idea! And you don’t have to call me Beta! I’ll make a mega-exception and say you can call me Lupusregina.”

She warmly mingled with the party as they walked to the gates.

The villagers didn’t say anything upon seeing the unfamiliar goblin child. It was possible they were overly relaxed, but it also showed how much they trusted Enri and her friends. Or maybe they had assumed he was a relative of the goblins who protected them.

The group cut across the village and passed Enri’s house. They were headed for the goblin residence.

“Sorry, one sec. I’d like Brita to hear this boy’s story, too.”

“Yeah, maybe that’s a good idea, boss man. She’s an apprentice ranger, so she goes in the woods as well. We should share the info… What do ya think, boss lady?”

“Huh? Me?” She hadn’t expected to be consulted, so she hurriedly considered her answer. Seeing no reason to disagree, she nodded. “Yeah, I don’t mind. Or rather, I’d like her to listen, too. Thanks, Nfi.”

Nfirea was off and running with a “Got it.”

“I don’t mind waiting here, but maybe we should go on ahead and pour some drinks.”

“Sounds good. Ya guys must be thirsty.”

“Lady Lupu, yer a maid, right? So do ya know how to make some tasty drinks?”

“I’m Lord Ainz’s and the other Supreme Beings’ maid. I don’t wanna work for anybody else! All I wanna do is laze around, so no way am I workin’.”

“I see… That’s too bad.”

The conversation between Unrai and Lupusregina was totally normal—nothing strange about it at all—but Enri felt a chill go up her spine.

Just as she was about to chime in, they reached the goblins’ home.

It was a huge place with a yard big enough to let the wolves run freely, spacious enough for about twenty people to live, and with spaces to maintain weapons as well as train.

The goblins who opened the door led Enri, Arg, and Lupusregina inside.

“Wow, so this is what it’s like in here!”

“Huh? You’ve never been inside, Lupu?”

“Nah, I haven’t. Can’t go in without being invited! Oh, I should mention that it’s because of manners—physically, I’d have no trouble! Miss Man Chest is the one with that kind of weird setting.”

“Miss Man Chest?”

“Right, En. That’s what I call Miss Unfortunate Baby Doll. Well, it’s not like she can’t actually enter any room she wants, either. It’s a myth, folklore. Anyhow, enough of that. That goblin looks like he’s got somethin’ to say.”

“Oh yes. About drinks… Uhh, would you like herbal water or fruit water? We have blackweed tea or water with hyueli in it…”

Arg and Lupusregina didn’t seem to understand Unrai’s question, so Enri explained. “Hyueli is a citrus fruit. Water with cut-up hyueli in it is refreshing. Blackweed tea is a bitter tea.”

“Then I want hyueli.”

“I’m good with that, too.”

“Got it. How about boss lady?”

“Hmm, then I’ll have hyueli as well, please. Also…could we wash our hands? Even though I’m used to the smell, it’s sort of…”

“Sure, go ahead. Hey, kid— Arg, this way. We gotta clean ya up a bit. And brother, can ya put away these dirty weapons?”

“Are you sure?”

“Should be fine. We can’t wash them all now anyhow, and we’ll be done with this in a bit.”

“If ya say so.”

Kaijari took the three goblins’ weapons and left the room.

“Arg, would ya come along already?”

“Why do I have to wash? I’m clean!”

Enri could see his hands were filthy. They weren’t clean by any definition of the word.

“We’re not asking for yer opinion. The master of the house just told ya to go wash up. Or are ya such a big shot ya can object to what the master of the house says?”

Arg pouted and walked next to Enri.

She drew some water from a pot and poured it into a bucket. Once she had enough for four people, she plunged her hands into the shockingly cold water and scrubbed. She made sure the green under her fingernails came off. Once they looked clean enough, she lifted them out of the water and brought them to her nose. Nope, no smell.

Satisfied, she turned to look at the scene next to her. Unrai and Gokou were washing their hands like she had been, and the water was turning the red of the barghest’s blood.

Next, she checked on Arg and was immediately irritated.

Even a toddler wouldn’t wash up so poorly. He splashed a little water on his hands, squished them together a couple of times, and that was it. He didn’t rub or anything.

Now that she’d gotten the green stink off her own hands, she noticed that Arg still smelled like crushed herbs. Perhaps for goblins who lived in the woods where magical beasts with excellent senses of smell lived, stinking like this was self-protection. Maybe that was why he didn’t have a habit of bathing.

Still…

“This is how you do it.”

Arg made a face when Enri taught him but—perhaps he remembered what the other goblins had said about his position—reluctantly imitated her.

“Nice job.”

“Hey, now wipe yer body with this. Ya gotta get all that blood off.”

With a grumpy look on his face, he took the damp hand towel and used it to wipe down.

“Can we toss the dirty water outside?”

“Oh, right, please go ahead and sit down, boss lady. We’ll handle the rest.”

Taking them up on their kindness, Enri headed for the table. There were a lot of goblins living in the house, which meant there were a lot of chairs. When she chose one and sat down, it finally hit her how exhausted she was. Her arms and legs were stiff as rods, and her head felt heavy.

Gathering herbs was exhausting, but it seemed like the battle with the barghest had especially tired her out. Even though all I did was watch… Nfirea and the goblins were actually fighting, but they’re going about their tasks like normal… I’ll never get used to battle… Wow, Nfirea was as strong as anyone… She knew he could use magic, but she didn’t realize how strong he was. He’s amazing…

Her old friend seemed like someone else entirely, and a feeling she couldn’t put a finger on welled up inside her. It felt a little like surprise but also completely different and mysterious.

After hearing what turned out to be a ceramic cup being placed in front of her, Enri came back to her senses. The cup was filled to the brim with a clear liquid that gave off a citrus scent. She picked it up and took a sip.

A refreshing sweetness and citrus flavor spread throughout her body; she practically felt filled with vitality. At some point, Arg had sat beside her. He gulped his drink down in one go and asked for seconds.

Lupusregina didn’t touch her drink.

Come to think of it, she never eats or drinks.

“Hmm? What’s up? You’re starin’ awfully hard. Don’t tell me ya got a thing for me! Oh, man! But, En, I can’t believe you’re a lesbian! We gotta tell everybody!”

“What? No! I’m not!”

“Wa-ha-ha-ha-ha! Just kidding. You like guys, right?”

Enri wasn’t sure what to say and pursed her lips.

“Where are they anyway? …Oh, here they come.”

Enri looked toward the door without thinking but didn’t sense anyone coming.

“Really? I can’t hear a thing.” Arg cupped his hands behind his ears. “Hey, are humans a race with really good hearing?”

“Uh, er, I guess I can’t hear anything. But Lupusregina sometimes…fibs like that? To tease people, I guess?”

Arg looked at Lupusregina with a face that seemed to say, What? You were lyin’? But then his eyes widened. “No, I hear it! They are coming. Wow, yer amazing!”

“Hmm? Oh, nahh. Compared to the boss lady over there, I’m no big deal.”

Arg took her seriously and gaped at Enri.

No, that’s not true. Plus, Lupusregina is grinning like she just told a huge lie. But before Enri could figure out how to clear up the misunderstanding, someone knocked on the door.

It was Nfirea and a woman in leather armor.

The ex-adventurer Brita was the next person to move to the village after Nfirea. Apparently, she had been an adventurer in E-Rantel but retired after some things happened. She still had to eat, though, so she answered Carne’s call and moved in.

She was training as a ranger, and Enri heard she showed promise. She wasn’t as strong as Jugemu, but she was still top class among those in the village, so she was the leader of the self-defense unit (not that it was really grand enough to deserve the name).

She had been called to the meeting because she was the leader of that group but also because she was an apprentice ranger and as such had occasion to enter the forest.

“Oh, there really is a new goblin… Er, yeah, I can’t help looking at them from an adventurer’s point of view, but I guess I shouldn’t think of them as enemies.” Brita winced.

Enri could understand how she felt. As far as she had heard, goblins were enemies of humans, and it wasn’t considered wrong to kill them on sight. But this village was different. In fact, it almost felt like in this place, humans were the greatest enemies.

“Okay, everyone’s here, so let’s hear what he has to say. Now then, Arg. Please tell us why ya were all beat up and on the run.”

“Simply put, I got attacked, so I ran away.”

“That’s too simple…! What kind of monster attacked ya?”

“One of the Giant of the East’s underlings.”

“The Giant of the East? Who’s that?”

“…What do ya guys call him?”

“No, before we worry about the name—I’ve never heard of him. Do you know anything about him, Brita?”

Nfirea knew the most of any person present, but Brita had the upper hand when it came to knowledge of the surrounding woods. Still, even she shook her head. “Sorry, I haven’t heard of this Giant of the East. And I don’t think Master Racchimon knows, either. We don’t go that deep into the forest, so we don’t know as many details as someone who lives there.”

“Then, Arg, explain from the basics.”

“The basics? What’s basic?”

Enri understood Arg’s confusion very well. Asking specific things one by one made it easier to answer.

“Then will you tell us about the strong monsters living in the woods?”

“From my perspective, ogres and barghests are strong, but…if you mean ones that are equal to the Giant of the East, there used to be these superstrong ones called the Three Big Ones. First was the one that used to be around here, the Great Magical Beast of the South. That one was amazing. People said anyone who went in its territory would die. I dunno what happened to it. Next is the Giant of the East. It’s building up its power out past the deadwood forest. Last is the Magical Serpent of the West. People say it’s a gross snake that can use magic.”

“Wait, what about the north?”

“Supposedly, there’s a lake up north, where lots of different races live, and like, someone is gathering them all together… I don’t really know. But I heard there are twin witches in the marsh. Anyhow, when the Great Magical Beast of the South disappeared, things started getting weird in the forest. I don’t know much about it, but I guess some really horrifying guy showed up, changing the power balance, so we were chased off, and…”

“And then the Structure of Ruin?”

“The ruler of the Structure of Ruin is a little shadow that lurks in the darkness and can command undead. That’s what someone who survived going to the place said.”

Everyone—besides Lupusregina—looked at one another, worried.

First, the Great Magical Beast of the South. Considering that its territory had been in this area, it had to be the magical beast that belonged to the adventurers Nfirea had accompanied, specifically the one clad in raven-black armor. Certainly, with its convincingly powerful appearance, it was worthy of the title Great Magical Beast, and there was no other beast who fit that description.

“The Great Magical Beast…is the Wise King of the Forest, Hamusuke, right?”

“Ah! Well, she is a great magical beast…,” Brita shouted upon hearing Nfirea’s observation, although she shouldn’t have had the chance to see Hamusuke since coming to the village.

When they asked, it seemed she had seen the Wise King from a distance in E-Rantel.

There were two other beings equal to that one. Every single person present felt shock and fear.

“So how did ya end up on the run?”

“Up until now, those three were in a deadlock. The Great Magical Beast of the South never left its territory, but no one could guarantee it would stay that way. There was a chance that if East and West clashed, it might sweep in from the side the moment one of them won, so no one ever fought in the first place.”

“That makes sense. East and West could team up against South… Oh, but South never leaves its territory, so they probably never thought to team up and defeat it. No point in awkward meddling…”

“We don’t know what they were thinking. But up until now they each had personal territories and were building their respective kingdoms. But because of the Structure of—because of the master of that place, the territories have shifted. The two kings decided to fight the King of Ruin. So then the two kings started gathering disposable soldiers,” Arg explained bitterly. “They tried to force us into fighting on their side. But even if we allied with them, they wouldn’t care at all about goblin lives. We would’ve been throwaways—at worst, emergency rations—so we decided to run for it, but…”

“Seems like it was impossible.”

“Yeah. We got attacked by the barghest and the ogres. We had no choice but to scatter. I got this far with a bunch of others. We thought if we could reach the Great Magical Beast of the South’s territory, then the hunters wouldn’t follow us anymore.”

Arg said he had come this far with some companions, but there was no sign of them.

When a sorrowful expression came over Enri’s face, Gokou spoke. “Another team’s conducting an investigation in the forest. If there are any survivors, as long as they don’t resist, they’ll probably be brought back here.”

“I’m sure. The wolves will smell them. So the issue is what else we’re up against besides the barghest and if there’s anything else coming. If we’re unlucky, they’ll chase you all the way to the village. Arg, what other types of monsters were there?”

“Barghests, ogres, boggarts, bugbears…and wolves, I guess.”

“So your run-of-the-mill monsters, then. I guess I’d rather hear more detailed descriptions of the Giant of the East and the Magical Serpent of the West—what they look like, what powers they have… Do you know anything?”

Arg shook his head back and forth. “I dunno details. All I know is that they say the Giant of the East has a big sword and the Magical Serpent of the West has a head like you guys and can use magic.”

All eyes gathered on Nfirea, but he shook his head. It was too little to go on.

“The issue is what to do. If a monster equal to that amazing magical beast shows up, honestly, there’s nothing we can do. All the self-defense squad is capable of is escorting the womenfolk and making a run for it.”

“Hmm. Would fortifying our defenses be enough, or should we be thinking of taking some other action? If the commotion stays confined to the forest, then we’re fine.”

Everyone became absorbed in thought.

The best thing for people living outside the forest was for these issues to come to a resolution inside the forest. It would be problematic if these events led to a situation where the villagers were completely unable to go into the woods, but in the worst case, they would do what necessity demanded.

“But if the enemy can mow down tribes living in the woods, they must have gathered a crazy amount of combat power.”

“No! My tribe used to be stronger, too. But way before this, we started thinking about looking for a new place to live, and we sent some adult goblin troops to the ogres. If it weren’t for that, we would have been able to put up more resistance!”

“Those grown-up goblins never came back?”

At Brita’s question, Nfirea cocked his head and seemed to be pondering something.

“So I’m going to totally change the subject, but I just remembered something, so I wanted to ask: Do you talk normally for a goblin?”

“What do ya mean?”

“Ah, sorry, maybe that didn’t make sense. I met some goblins once before, and they sounded—this isn’t a nice way to put it but—not very bright. But since coming here, I see that Jugemu and the others talk normally, and you sound normal—fluent. So I wondered if maybe the goblins I met just happened to be that way, like they were a primitive tribe or something.”

“No, I’m especially smart. Normal goblins don’t use much grammar when they talk… Sometimes I have trouble understanding people in my tribe. It’s gotten to the point where I even worry maybe I was kidnapped from a different tribe. Hey, I’m only asking just in case, but ya don’t think I might have originally been from around this village, do ya? Ya never heard of me before?”

“Nah, I don’t know about that, but…it’s possible yer…well, boss lady, boss man, can I have a word?”

Enri followed Kaijari to the corner of the room with Nfirea.

“That Arg kid, I wonder if he’s a hobgoblin and not a goblin.”

Hobgoblins were a subspecies of goblin and more advanced than goblins in a variety of ways. Goblins were the size of human children even as adults, but hobgoblins eventually grew to be the size of human adults.

They were on par with humans not only physically but mentally as well. Since they could crossbreed with goblins, they often lived in goblin tribes, but there were never as many of them as there were goblins, which often led them to taking up the position of tribal leader or special guardian-type roles.

“But if his mom or dad was a hobgoblin, he would have realized his identity, wouldn’t he?”

“Maybe his parents were goblins, and he’s the only one who’s a hobgoblin?”

“Huh? Is this like one of those intense dramas you find in stories?!”

“…I’ve never seen that look on your face before, Enri… Unfortunately, I don’t think that’s the case. It could be that there are changelings among goblins just like there are among humans.”

“Something like that could be possible. Not sure that there is anything to do about it, in that case, but…”

When the three of them returned to the table, Lupusregina, who had been silent up until now, spoke. “So do we have a decision? If you want, I can ask Lord Ainz, tell him you’d like the problem solved.”

That was just what they wanted to hear.

Surely the hero who saved the village would be able to take on a great magical beast–class monster and win. But—

“We can’t depend on him so much.”

When Enri made that unexpected remark, the goblins agreed. Only Brita and Arg, who had never met Ainz, looked confused. For some reason, Nfirea’s expression seemed to indicate he had mixed feelings.

“This village is our village. We need to do as much as we can ourselves. I’m sure these are nothing more than the thoughts of a girl who’s useless in a fight and has never spilled blood, but…”

“No, I agree with ya. This is the boss lady’s village—” Kaijari cocked his head with a “Hmm?” before restating. “‘Boss lady and our village’ doesn’t sound quite right, either…”

“You mean the village belongs to everyone who lives here?”

“Yeah, that’s it, boss man. Figures that you would understand! Anyhow, that’s why asking Sir Caster for help should be our very last resort.”

“But what if everyone dies ’cause of that?! Getting chopped up hurts, ya know!”

“Hah! We wouldn’t let that happen, Miss Lupusregina. If it comes down to that, we’ll be everyone’s shield and at least buy them enough time to escape!”

Lupusregina seemed to feel awkward. “Oh, huh. Then do your best.”

“So as far as what action the village should take, I think we should contact—or make a report to—the Adventurers Guild in E-Rantel. When the guild takes a request, they send out a survey team first before doing any follow-up, so there’ll be trouble if we wait until an emergency to make a request.”

As an ex-adventurer, Brita added her thoughts to Nfirea’s proposal. “Yeah. The guild looks out for adventurers, so they don’t die fighting an unexpected monster. People who are nuts, like workers, make fun of the practice, saying the guild coddles adventurers, but that’s just a garbage accusation made by a greedy bunch. It’s only natural for a guild to want to protect its members.”

“Brita, I don’t mean to imply anything bad about adventurers, but why during emergencies do rates jump or some requests get refused?”

“Adventurers don’t want to die any more than other people. Plus, the guild doesn’t want to send adventurers to their deaths, either. So for very sudden jobs, even if it might not require an extremely skilled adventurer, the guild offers greater compensation to attract higher-ranking folks for the job.”

Enri, the village girl who was neither an adventurer nor anything else, meekly listened to everything the experienced Brita had to say. Certainly, from the point of view of someone in a spot who needed help, it was emotionally hard to swallow her explanation, but from an adventurer’s perspective, it made sense.

“Well, even when the guild does investigate, there are still plenty of people who die from an unlucky encounter…” Brita bit her lip. “I start shaking even now when I remember being attacked by that vampire. For a while, I couldn’t sleep without medication…”

“A vampire? What are ya talking about?”

Brita smiled bitterly in response to Arg’s less-than-tactful question.

“It’s a secret. But seriously, don’t make me remember it. I’ll pee my pants.”

“But I told ya my story…”

“That was in exchange for us saving your life…”

“So I guess our plan for the time being will be to report to the guild and maybe make a request depending on how things go? I’m sure the fee is no laughing matter, but we need to get an estimate. We also need to relay this info to Jugemu and the headman. That sounds good, right, Enri?”

“I’ll let the self-defense squad know. I have the feeling what we discussed here will end up being what we do.”

Enri nodded at Nfirea’s and Brita’s comments.

“Okay, then I’ll hang around the village a little longer before headin’ back. Are ya sure ya don’t need Lord Ainz’s help?”

“Yes. We’d like to do as much as we can on our own. Feel free to let him know what’s going on, though.”

“Gotcha.”

Arg was still having a hard time understanding as he watched Enri and Nfirea stand up and start working on their plan.

“What’s so great about that woman?”

“What’s that?”

Arg trembled at the grown-up goblin’s threatening voice.

This grown-up goblin seemed stronger than any of the ones in his own tribe. Getting a hostile reaction from someone like that gave him goose bumps all over.

Still, he couldn’t suppress the curiosity that children naturally had.

“Are girls always in charge in Carne?”

Enri didn’t look so strong to Arg. She seemed to have a bit of muscle on her arms and legs but not anywhere near enough. He wouldn’t say she needed as much muscle as an ogre, but a leader needed more than she had.

He would have understood if she was a caster. In goblin tribes, too, girls could become leaders if they could use those mysterious powers he didn’t understand. But this one wasn’t a caster anyway.

He honestly couldn’t understand why she was in charge.

“No, that’s not it.”

“…Isn’t that newer ranger lady stronger?”

“Well, Miss Brita is pretty strong, but we’re stronger.”

Arg’s impression of the grown-up goblin before him improved a notch. He sensed there was a reason behind the confidence that allowed him to make such a claim despite the difference in height.

“And the lady who appeared behind us, is she not that strong, either? I mean, I was surprised when she showed up out of nowhere, but…”

The grown-up goblin suddenly went silent and stared at Arg.

Arg sensed something he couldn’t understand and asked nervously, “Wh-what? Is there something wrong with her?’

“The lady who appears suddenly…her name is Lupusregina… She’s dangerous. I imagine you’ll be in the village for a while, but don’t talk to her. Stay away. I’m saying this for yer own good.”

“Uh, oh…okay.”

“And I’ll say another thing. It should be obvious, but if ya do anything to any of the humans here, ya won’t get off with just a beating. Be ready to pay with yer life.”

“G-got it. You’re just telling me to accept being treated like a member of a defeated tribe, right? I promise. I won’t harm anyone from the Carne tribe.”

“All right, then… And don’t go anywhere near Lupusregina!”

Realizing how wary and frightened the grown-up goblin was of her, Arg took the warning to heart. Then he realized he hadn’t gotten an answer to his original question, so he asked again, “So why is Miss Enri in charge?” Even Arg could learn. Rather, he was the smartest one in his tribe; he even had trouble meshing with the other members. For him, learning was simple.

The grown-up goblin sighed. “The boss lady…is actually reeeally strong.”

“Huh?!”

“You’re just weak so you don’t understand. When she gets serious, she can wring a barghest’s neck with one hand, pour its blood into a cup, and drink it.”

“Really?!”

“Seriously. It’s true.”

Arg recalled Enri’s appearance. When he took a moment to think about it, he remembered her giving orders with a determination that resonated in the pit of his stomach. So that was just a glimpse of her true character?

“Our boss lady’s just pretending to be weak. If ya go around asking weird questions, she’ll get pissed and wring yer neck with one hand! That’s a lot of work to clean up. The blood sprays everywhere.”

“O-oh… Why is she pretending to be weak? I can’t imagine she’d have much to worry about if she’s really that strong…”

“When yer strong, some idiot always wants to test themselves against ya! It’s more troublesome than ya’d expect!”

I thought being strong meant ya could do anything, but maybe that’s not the case? Arg got caught in a maze of thoughts.

He didn’t notice the look on the grown-up goblin’s face that said he was only joking.

In the middle of the night, Enri suddenly woke up. She scanned the room and made sure nothing was off. The world around her was mostly pitch-black. The only source of light was the moon coming in through the cracks in the shutters. The lighting was poor, but she didn’t detect anything amiss.

She strained her ears.

Horses neighing, the sounds of knights running around in armor, people screaming—she didn’t hear anything like that. It was an ordinary night.

She exhaled quietly and closed her eyes. Perhaps because she’d been sleeping so deeply up until now, she didn’t feel the urge to go right back to bed.

So much had happened that day. After the meeting, they’d gone to talk to the headman and then returned to explain to Jugemu. I wonder if they’re okay…

Jugemu and his team had gone back into the woods that evening to confirm the new information they’d received. Walking deep into the forest at night was too dangerous. Unlike humans, goblins could operate fine at night with even a little light, but many monsters like magical beasts were nocturnal and grew active once the sun set.

The danger jumped dramatically compared to the daytime.

If there hadn’t been urgent needs, such as making sure no other monsters were coming after Arg, even Jugemu and his team wouldn’t have gone out right away.

The goblins were strong, but that was only in comparison to Enri and the other villagers; there were monsters in the forest—like the great magical beast—more powerful than them.

Enri was so scared at the thought of losing them that she flinched, and perhaps in response, her little sister snuggled up to her, murmuring, “N-ngh…”

Enri opened her eyes slightly to look at Nemu.

It didn’t seem like she had woken her up. She could hear her even breathing.

Hee-hee…

She suppressed a laugh just as she heard a soft knock at the door. It wasn’t the wind, and she wasn’t imagining things.

She furrowed her brow. What could it be this late at night? But precisely because it was so late, it had to be something important.

She dexterously shifted the blanket covering her sister and her, then slowly got out of bed. She moved carefully so as not to wake Nemu. Her heart pounded a little at the thought that the creaking of the floor might wake her at any second.

Ever since the incident, Nemu always slept with Enri. Her emotional wounds were severe.

Enri didn’t feel like trying to persuade her to do otherwise—because it comforted her just as much when she slept with her sister.

But she knew that even when they went to bed together, there were times Nemu jerked awake from a nightmare, so when her sister was sleeping soundly, Enri wanted to let her rest.

Quietly and slowly, she moved toward the entryway where the knocking showed no signs of stopping.

When she nervously peered through the peephole, she saw Jugemu illuminated in the moonlight. She sighed with relief.

In a low voice so as not to wake her sister, she called outside, “So you’re back safe, Jugemu.”

“Yes, boss lady. We made it somehow. Sorry to wake ya. I thought I should inform ya right away.”

Enri opened the door slightly and slipped outside through the crack. She was worried the moonlight shining in would wake Nemu.

Perhaps sensing her concern, Jugemu spoke quietly. “I want ya to come with me.”

“Now?” She smiled. “I don’t mind.”

“I’m really sorry.”

Enri told him he didn’t need to apologize and set off walking after him. She wondered if maybe it would have been better to wake her sister after all but decided it was better to let her sleep.

“Allow me to give ya a brief explanation while we walk.”

Normally, Jugemu spoke in a more relaxed tone, but when he felt like something was official—for work—he spoke more formally.

Enri was only a village girl, so she thought he could be more familiar with her, but he hadn’t changed in all the time they’d been together, so she had resigned herself to his just being that way.

“First, we discovered several members of Arg’s tribe.”

“Oh! That’s good!”

“…But they’re mentally exhausted, so they’ll need a few days’ rest. The boss man should be able to help us out with his abilities.”

Enri must have looked confused. He provided additional explanation. “When we found the survivors, they were being held prisoner by some ogres—underlings of the Giant of the East—and getting eaten. Konaa healed their physical wounds with magic, but their psychological issues remain. The boss man has some medicines that can be used as sedatives, so we’re going to treat them with those. Now here’s the problem—there’s one tricky bit.”

Jugemu paused to check her expression before continuing. “When we saved Arg’s tribesmen, we also took five ogres prisoner. We did it to get information out of them, but… Ogres as a species have a habit of living with goblins. They build a mutually beneficial relationship where ogres do the fighting and the goblins provide food. The ones we took prisoner are saying they don’t mind fighting for our tribe. When I asked Arg, he said it wasn’t such a rare thing, but…what should we do?”

“Umm, can we trust them?”

“According to Arg, we can. Ogres have the strange tendency of only fighting for either their own tribe or a goblin tribe, so it could be that they’re so ready to betray the Giant of the East because he’s not from a goblin tribe.”

“Mmm, I’m kind of scared of man-eating ogres…”

“It seems they’ve accepted the humans of this village as members of the tribe, so as long as we feed them there shouldn’t be an issue. And we can provide enough food, no problem. Luckily they’re omnivores.”

Frankly, it was a difficult decision for a mere village girl to make.

“Should we kill them?” His tone was even. “To be blunt, I don’t mind killing them, since we’d be avoiding any future issues. I don’t want any trouble. They seem fine with betraying their master, so they might rebel the moment we’re at a disadvantage. Arg says they won’t, but it’s hard to accept what a kid says at face value…”

“What do you think, Jugemu?”

“There’s nothing better than having more fighting power. We don’t know what kind of monster could be displaced from the forest. You can never have too many shields.”

“May I ask you one more thing? They won’t eat people?”

“…Enri, I know they have a reputation for eating people, but at the end of the day, they’re just carnivorous monsters. They attack humans because it’s easier to capture them than wild animals.”

It must have been far easier for an ogre to chase down a human than a rabbit. Designating a creature that was easier to hunt as the main source of food was natural providence, so to speak.

“Anyhow, that’s all to say that if we give them food, they won’t go after the villagers. They only attack to eat. We can catch animals better than they can, so we can guarantee they won’t go hungry. Of course, we’ll keep an eye on them for a while. We definitely won’t let them harm anyone from the village.”

“Then I guess it’s better to believe them for now and have them serve us. That’ll help us out in the future.”

“I’m glad ya understand. The only thing is that—and ya might think this contradicts what we were just saying, but—if they fail the next step, we’ll kill them. We’re thinking about convincing them that yer the leader.”

“Huh?!” Enri emitted a high-pitched shriek in spite of herself. The conversation had taken too big of a leap. Why do I have to lead the group, including the ogres?! I’m just a village girl! Jugemu should be the boss!

“I’m doing this with an eye toward the future. We don’t want them to realize that yer a normal human. We follow yer orders, but if the ogres won’t listen unless it comes through me or one of the other goblins, things could get extremely dangerous. I’m the commander on the front lines, so there’s no telling what might happen to me. We need to have someone in the rear, where it’s safe, who can give orders to the ogres, too.”

Enri worked her village-girl brain furiously. “So we need two people who can give orders?”

Jugemu nodded.

“Then why not Nfi?”

“Because depending on the situation, he might be helping on the front lines.”

“I see…”

That made sense to Enri. So she agreed. If she was going to stay in a safe place, she should make herself useful however she could. She had been hoping for a way to do that. But—

“Can I really dominate the ogres?”

“We’re going to right now, boss lady. Can ya do some acting for me?”

There were two village gates, one at the front and one at the back. Enri was led to the latter. It was wide open, and five ogres had prostrated themselves on the ground. They were the source of the intensely foul smell that reached Enri and Jugemu on the breeze.

Surrounding them was the goblin troop. No one was missing and no one looked injured.

Usually there would have been someone, human or goblin, up in the watchtower next to the gate, but today there didn’t seem to be anyone—perhaps the goblins wanted to give the couple some space.

Nfirea was there and Arg, too, a little removed from the others.

“Hey, Enri. I wonder if I’m allowed to call this a nice night.”

“Sure, Nfi. The moon is pretty.”

“Yeah, it looks so big.”

“Sorry to interrupt yer conversation. I don’t mean to rush, but I’d like to get started here.” After whispering to Enri, Jugemu raised his voice. “Hey, ya guys! Our boss lady is here! She’s the one who decides if ya live or die!”

The five huge ogres all raised their heads to look at Enri. She felt like an invisible force was pushing on her, but she managed to keep her feet from retreating. If she took one step back, the plan would be a failure, and the goblins would have to exterminate the ogres to nip any issues in the bud.

The goblins surrounding them had their weapons firmly in hand. Nfirea had casually taken out a medicine bottle as well.

Some tense time passed.

Enri took the ogres’ gazes head-on and returned them. She couldn’t waver or look away.

She imagined the ogres were the knights from that fateful day.

Clenching her fists, she remembered the time she’d punched one of their helmeted faces.

Don’t underestimate me! Everyone is protecting this village. I’m protecting this village, too!

After an intense period of time—it might have been just a moment, but to Enri it felt like hours—the ogres’ eyes wavered.

They looked at one another and then at Jugemu.

“I told ya, didn’t I? Our boss lady is strong!”

“Bow your heads!” Enri accompanied Jugemu’s words with a shout from the pit of her stomach.

Even she was surprised how determined her voice sounded, and she saw Arg flinch out of the corner of her eye. That didn’t matter, though. What was important to her was that all the ogres lowered their heads.

It seemed, at least for the time being, that they all acknowledged her as their superior.

“All right, if ya got something to say to the chief of the tribe containing this village and us goblins, say it now!”

With their heads still bowed, the ogres strung some words together with their gravelly voices.

“Tiny fright master. We sorry.”

“We attack your tribe. Forgive us.”

The “your tribe” they meant was Arg’s. For the sake of simplicity, they had said that Arg and company were members of the Carne village tribe. If they hadn’t, the ogres’ brains would have short-circuited.

“We work for you.”

“That’s fine! Work for my tribe!” she commanded, using up the last of her fight. She’d said only a few words, but she was exhausted. She was as tired as when they had explored the forest.

Just as she thought she wouldn’t be able to maintain her boss attitude any longer, Jugemu stepped in to help.

“Good for ya! The boss lady just said she’ll spare yer lives!”

The ogres visibly relaxed. It was entirely possible they would have been killed, so it was only natural.

The group of them turned to focus intently on Enri. “Chief, what we do now?”

She didn’t even have to think about it. If she didn’t know, she could leave it to someone else. “Jugemu, please look after them. Use them how you like.”

“Understood, boss lady.” The goblin leader bowed once and then turned to the ogres. “Okay, for now we’ll set up a tent for y’all outside the village. Stay there. Hey, you guys, get the tent up.”

After hearing their orders, the goblins and ogres set off in one cluster.

“Having them in a tent outside the village could become problematic, so if possible I’d like to make a house for them inside—after they’ve been trained not to attack the villagers, of course.”

“We have to go around and convince everyone to accept them.”

“Hmm, I don’t think it will be any trouble if you’re the one telling them, Enri. Also, about tomorrow…” Nfirea and Enri were supposed to take a couple of goblins as an escort and head to E-Rantel. “Sorry, but I have to treat the survivors from Arg’s tribe, so it doesn’t seem like I’ll be able to go.”

Those goblins were going to live in the same village as the ogres who had been eating them. They needed both treatment for their injuries and care for their minds, but knowing Lizzy’s personality, she would probably have the opposite effect and terrify them. Nfirea was the only man for the job.

“Really? That’s a bit nerve-racking…” Enri had never been to a big city like E-Rantel, and when she thought of what she had to do there, it weighed heavily on her.

“Then what about asking the village headman to go with you?”

“I doubt he can…”

The headman needed to pay attention to village systems and maintenance, as well as help new villagers, so he probably couldn’t go too far.

“…Nnngh, honestly, there aren’t enough people in this village. It was like that before, too, but now it’s even worse…”

Carne had always been barely getting by. After the decrease in population, it was functioning markedly worse. That’s why they had suppressed opposing voices and put out a call for new settlers.

“We need to go to the shrines in E-Rantel and see if there are any people who will move here… Ahh, this is too much for a village girl to do…”

“Do yer best, Chief.”

Enri puffed out her cheeks in frustration. She didn’t want to hear that from Jugemu. One of the reasons she was running around like a chicken with her head cut off was to take care of the goblins serving her.

“I really want to go with you, but…” Nfirea moaned, seeming extremely disappointed. But then he deliberately brightened the mood by saying, “Oh, but you don’t need to worry about a thing. I’ll keep an eye on Nemu, so you can just focus on doing your work and getting back.”

“…Agh, it’s like I’m the only person in the world—getting worshipped all of a sudden and having to pretend I’m all-important, forced to go to someplace I’ve never been and do all sorts of work I’ve never done…”

“Don’t be so down, Enri. If you look, I’m sure there’s at least one more person.”

Jugemu and Nfirea chuckled at Enri as she slumped her shoulders.

Last of all, a little ways removed from the others, Arg whispered in a voice no one else could hear.

“So she really is ruling those goblins by her strength… Boss lady Enri, chief of Carne…”

3

Fortress City E-Rantel, true to its name, was surrounded by three walls. The gates in the outer wall loomed largest and sturdiest, brimming with rugged dignity.

These gates were supposed to be able to repel any attack from the neighboring empire. Anyone passing through the city had seen travelers gaping before their imposing presence at least once. Surely, they had all made that face at one time or another.

Next to the gate was a checkpoint; several soldiers were lounging inside, seeking shelter from the sun.

They may have seemed slack for soldiers in a city that was liable to be the front line in a war, but their duty at the checkpoint was to inspect travelers. It was their job to spot spies from other countries or people transporting illegal contraband, so if no one was entering the city, it was only natural there would be no work.

Though these rank-and-file soldiers with nothing to do had not gone so far as to play cards to kill time, they didn’t bother hiding their yawns, either.

They seemed bored at the moment, but when they had work, they always had a lot of it. Especially early in the morning, right when the gates opened for the day, things were hectic beyond description.

When the sun reached the highest point in the sky, they started to see a scattering of travelers on the road. It was normal for people to travel in groups in a world where monsters were liable to appear.

When they come, they always come in clusters. Things are about to get busy. Thinking along those lines, a soldier looked out the frame-only window and set eyes on another wagon coming down the road separate from that group.

There was a single woman in the box seat. There didn’t seem to be any people-like figures on the uncovered cargo bed. She was a lone traveler.

The woman didn’t appear to be armed. From that, he guessed that—

She must be a girl from some village.

But the thought made him cock his head.

It wasn’t so rare for villagers in the region to visit the city. But a single woman unaccompanied? That was a different story.

It was impossible to claim with any certainty that there were no monsters or bandits out there, despite it being the outskirts of E-Rantel. It was true that nearly all the dangerous monsters and outlaws had disappeared thanks to the efforts of the legendary adventurer team Raven Black, but that didn’t mean there were none, and normal threats like wolves were still present.

This was common sense not only for the E-Rantel region but also for any city—it was simply reality. So why would anyone let a girl travel on her own?

It was possible her party had been attacked by bandits and she had run for her life, but she didn’t look troubled. She seemed incredibly composed, like she was traveling with the knowledge that she was perfectly safe.

Who is this person?

With the question still on his mind, the soldier shifted his eyes to her horse—and was thrown into confusion again.

It was a magnificent steed, not at all the sort of animal a village girl would possess. Its physique and coat brought to mind a warhorse.

Warhorses fetched extremely high prices. Even if someone managed to get the cash together, they weren’t simply sold to ordinary people. They were the best mounts available outside of monsters like wyverns and griffins.

If a regular person got ahold of a warhorse, they likely had some kind of connections, but there was no way a village girl had friends in those kinds of places.

There was a possibility she robbed its original owner, but when something so valuable got stolen, retaliatory measures were definitely taken—to the point where even career thieves avoided targeting someone riding a warhorse.

He concluded that there was a very good chance she was no mere village girl. But then who is this woman dressed like a villager?

The hint was that she was traveling alone. In other words, she was confident in her abilities, and they weren’t hindered by her plain appearance—she didn’t need gear. Therefore, she had to be someone whose equipment didn’t correlate closely with her combat ability, like a caster.

That answer made sense to him. If she was an adventurer like many casters, she would have plenty of cash and connections and thus a far better chance of acquiring a warhorse than the average person.

“Huh, is that a caster or something?”

A fellow soldier came up next to him and voiced the same guess.

“Could be,” the first soldier answered, furrowing his brow slightly.

Casters were a pain to inspect.

First of all, their weapon—magic—was inside them, so it was invisible. Put another way, there was no method to gauge how powerful their attacks might be.

Second, it was possible that they were using magic to smuggle something dangerous into the city, and uncovering that was difficult.

Third, they carried a lot of specialist paraphernalia and therefore required annoying processing. Those were some of the main issues.

To be frank, he hated inspecting casters the most. That’s why they borrowed personnel from the Wizards Guild—and paid them handsomely for their services, of course…

“Should we call him? Ugh…”

“I guess we have no choice. If we let her through and she causes a problem, we’ll be in trouble.”

“If only casters would just dress so you knew at a glance that’s what they were.”

“In a shady-looking robe carrying a shady-looking staff?”

“Yeah. If you saw that, you’d know they were a caster. Also, it would be good if we could force them all to join the Wizards Guild and require them to carry a sign like the members of the Adventurers Guild do.”

They looked at each other and laughed, and the first soldier, who had been sitting the whole time, stood up. He was going to go meet the potential caster girl.

As the soldiers watched, the wagon approached the gate and stopped in front.

The girl got out of the driver’s seat. The sweat beading on her forehead showed at a glance that she’d been traveling out under the sun. Probably to cover herself from the rays, she wore long sleeves and long pants. Neither garment was very well tailored. She seemed like a normal village girl who could be found anywhere.

But she could have been something else on the inside, possibly hiding something. He’d learned since starting his job that things weren’t always what they seemed.

He cautiously approached her.

“We’ve got a couple of questions for you, so do you mind coming with me to the guardhouse?” He addressed her with a mild expression and a tone that was on the familiar side, as if to say, We don’t suspect anything of you at all, so go ahead and let your guard down.

“Sure, that’s fine.”

The soldier brought her over.

On the alert for Charm or other mind-control spells, two soldiers followed at a distance of several yards. The others casually observed as she went by to ensure she didn’t make any suspicious moves.

“…Is something wrong?”

“Oh, uh, no, nothing.”

If she can detect subtle shifts in the atmosphere, she’s no mere village girl, thought the soldier as he led her to the gate’s guardhouse.

“Okay, can you take that seat, there?”

“Sure.” She lightheartedly sat in one of the chairs in the office.

“First, give me your name and please name your point of departure.”

“Okay. My name is Enri Emmott. I come from Carne near the Tove Woodlands.”

The soldiers exchanged glances, and one of them left the room. He went to go check if she was listed in the ledger.

The kingdom kept records on its residents. That said, it was fairly sloppy. Many birth and death updates were late, and some people were missing—to the point where some estimated there were tens of thousands of errors. For that reason, it wasn’t good to rely on the ledgers too much, but they could still be useful.

Despite how unreliable the records were, there was still a massive amount of information stored within. It would take quite a while for the other soldier to finish checking. Knowing that, the soldier decided to proceed with other matters. “Can I see your pass, then?”

Usually, anyone entering a city had to pay a toll, which was also called a “foot tax”. But making people from that city’s domain pay would slow everything down, so it was common to provide a pass to each village. The toll was waived for people who held a pass. Of course, the system varied depending on which noble controlled the land.

“Uh, it should be here somewhere…” Enri started to rummage in her bag, but the soldier stopped her.

“No, let me look. Can you hand it to me as it is?”

She obediently gave him the bag, and he made a careful inspection of its contents and found the parchment.

He unrolled it on the desk and skimmed it from top to bottom. The literacy rate in the kingdom was low, but checkpoint soldiers obviously had to know how to read and write. Actually, it’s more accurate to say they were assigned to their posts because they had these abilities.

“I see. There’s no mistake. I confirm that this is the pass given to Carne Village.” He rolled up the parchment, put it away, and handed the bag back to Enri. “Now tell me why you’ve come to E-Rantel.”

“My first order of business is to sell the herbs I picked.”

The soldier flicked his eyes out the window to her wagon, where an inspection of her pots was under way.

“Can you tell me the names of the herbs and the number of pots?”

“Of course. There are four pots of nyukuri, four pots of ajiina, and six pots of enkaishi.”

“Six of enkaishi?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Enri smiled with pride. The soldier figured that was only natural.

Since the soldier worked at the checkpoint, he had some degree of familiarity with herbs.

Enkaishi was one that could be picked for only a very short time right around the season they were currently in, and it was often used to make healing potions. High demand for enkaishi meant it fetched a good price. It depended on the size of the pots, but six would probably make her some decent money.

“So where are you planning to take them?”

“I used to do business with the Baleare family.”

“Baleare? You mean the apothecary Lizzy Baleare?”

Apparently, she wasn’t around anymore, but up until recently Lizzy Baleare had been the top apothecary in E-Rantel and was quite famous. If this girl had been doing business with her, she was probably exceedingly trustworthy.

The soldier concluded that he didn’t have to dig any deeper.

Their job at the checkpoint was to keep dangerous people or items from entering the city. Once something was inside, it was out of their jurisdiction.

He nodded with a grunt of approval and looked away from Enri.

There was nothing suspicious about her story. Nothing in her face said she was lying, either.

Once the examination of her cargo was complete, his work would be done for the moment.

Just then, the soldier who had gone out returned and nodded.

That meant a woman named Enri was in the ledger.

Still, all that proved was that a woman named Enri had been born in Carne. It didn’t guarantee that the woman sitting before them was actually her, and it said nothing about the sort of life this Enri woman had lived. She could be someone who had traveled, gained great magical power, and returned to her hometown, or Enri could have died on the road, and this person could be a criminal who assumed her name.

That’s why there was one more thing to check.

“Got it. Can you please call him?”

The soldier nodded and left the room again.

“Now I’m going to perform a body search. Is that all right?”

“Huh?”

Enri looked at him with suspicion.

The soldier hurried to add, “Oh, it’s not like there’s an issue. Sorry, but this is standard procedure. We barely do anything, so I hope you’ll be at ease.”

“…If that’s all, then I understand.”

The soldier breathed a mental sigh of relief. He didn’t want to anger someone who might be a caster.

The soldier who went out came back with another man following him.

This newcomer was a caster.

His pale face had a hooked nose and hollow cheeks. He was sweating profusely, probably due in part to the oppressively warm-looking black robe he wore. In his hands, he grasped a gnarled staff with fingers that looked like chicken bones.

The soldier’s personal opinion was that if the caster was so hot he should simply take off the robe, but perhaps because he was attached to the style, he stubbornly insisted on that attire. Maybe that’s why it felt like the temperature in the room rose a few degrees when he entered.

“This is the girl?”

The caster’s voice always made the soldier feel weird.

Going by appearance alone, the soldier guessed him to be in his late twenties, but his voice was awfully hoarse; from just his speech, it was impossible to tell how old he was. Did he only seem young, or was his voice just throaty?

“Umm…” Surprised, Enri looked between the caster and the soldier.

The soldier figured it was only natural that she be surprised; he was surprised the first time he heard the caster’s voice, too.

“This is a caster from the Wizards Guild. He’s going to do a simple inspection, so please wait a moment.” He gestured that she could remain seated and then bobbed his head to the caster. “Go ahead.”

“All right.” The caster took a step forward and faced Enri head-on. Then he cast a spell, Detect Magic.

His eyes narrowed like a beast eyeing its prey. The gaze that made even the solider feel threatened seemed to not affect Enri.

I knew it, he thought.

Anyone who could remain unfazed under such an intense scrutiny couldn’t be a mere village girl. Without experience confronting a monster or someone trying to take one’s life, it was impossible to face those eyes bravely. Given her lack of reaction, the soldier felt his assessment was justified.

“My eyes won’t be fooled. You’re secretly carrying a magic item. On your hip.”

Now Enri seemed surprised and looked down at her waist.

The soldier braced himself slightly. If it was a weapon, like a sword, he could understand, but he didn’t know anything about magic items.

“You mean this?” The item Enri produced from under her shirt was a shabby horn small enough to hide in two hands. It was the sort of thing the soldier would have let pass at a glance.

“…That’s a magic item?”

“Indeed. You mustn’t be fooled by its appearance. That thing contains great magical power.”

The soldier was astounded. That item contains enough power that this caster calls it “great”? How much power could it really have?

The soldier started to get the feeling this girl had dressed shabbily on purpose. He felt a chill as if a blade were pointed at him.

“Oh, it—”

“No explanations necessary. My spells detect all.” The caster shut Enri up and cast another spell. “Appraise Magic Item—mmgh!!”

For a few seconds, the caster’s face cycled through emotions—first shock, then awe, terror, and finally confusion.

“Wh-what is this? The power contained here is no normal power; it is far beyond ‘great.’ It cannot be! What in the world is thiiis?!” Spittle flew as he shouted and his face grew red. “Who are you?! We won’t be fooled by your clothes!”

Alarmed by the sudden change in the caster, the soldier also widened his eyes at Enri.

“I-I’m a normal person. I’m just a villager. Really!”

“A village girl? Why do you lie, wench?! If that’s true, then how did you get this item? It makes plenty of sense if you’re not a mere villager!”

“Huh? Umm, Sir Ainz Ooal Gown gave it to me when he saved my village.”

“Another lie, hmm? You’re saying a priest from the Theocracy gave it to you?”

“Huh? Is he from the Theocracy?”

“Gather your men! This girl is too strange!”

The soldier had no idea how things were going in that direction, but this caster had never reacted in such a weird way before. He figured he should treat it as an emergency and put his own thoughts to the side.

“All troops assemble! All troops assemble!”

In response to the soldier’s shout, his colleagues checking the cargo raced over, obviously tense.

“You expect me to believe this person simply handed over such a powerful item?! Where did you get it?! There’s no way you’re just a village girl!”

“No, Sir Gown really did give it to me! Please believe me!”

The soldier looked between the two of them. Certainly, since he and the caster were colleagues, and the caster had responded to the checkpoint’s request for help, the soldier was inclined to believe him. But Enri seemed like only a village girl frightened by the dramatic shift in attitude.

“Di-did something happen? Please tell me what made you suspicious of her!”

“Hmph! First of all, that horn has the power to summon a goblin mob. I don’t know how many, but that’s the power it contains.”

The soldier frowned. That could cause quite a bit of trouble if it was used in the city. But was that the only issue? There were plenty of people, like adventurers, who carried magic items. This horn wasn’t so strange among all the other magic items, considering that.

“The way she keeps claiming to be a village girl is also fishy. Would you give a magic item worth several thousand gold to a nobody?”

“Several thousand?!”

“Several thousand?!”

It was such an unbelievable sum that both the soldier and Enri yelped.

A normal person would never see several thousand gold in their lifetime. This shabby horn is that valuable?

“Yes. You wouldn’t give something like that away without a reason—especially not to a peasant! Of course, it would make sense for a first-rate adventurer or caster to possess such an item. But this girl keeps saying she’s just a village girl! Isn’t that strange?”

That explanation made sense to the soldier as well. People with superior ability attracted objects with superior powers. The many historical figures with superhuman abilities possessed immensely powerful items, without exception. It was fate as well as necessity.

“No, I really am just a village girl…”

“In the first place, I’ve never heard of this Ainz Ooal Gown character. At least, he’s not a caster from this city. Probably not an adventurer, either.”

“The captain of the Royal Select knows Sir Gown!”

“You mean Sir Gazef Stronoff? Your story is outrageous. Why would you know something like that if you’re just a village girl?”

“Because he came to my village! It’s true! If you ask him, you’ll see.”

There was no way they were going to contact the captain in the capital. And besides, if she really was just a village girl, she probably hadn’t made a very big impression on him, so it would be nearly impossible for him to confirm her identity.

“What should we do?”

“For now, we should probably take her into custody and do a thorough investigation. If she’s carrying around an item like this horn when she could have cleverly hidden it—well, I don’t necessarily think she’s a spy or terrorist, but we don’t have enough to make a judgment call here.”

Enri darted her eyes around in a panic.

She looked just like a normal village girl. If she was acting, then it was entirely too convincing.

Suddenly the soldiers in the area watching events unfold shouted in surprise, and a new voice sounded. “We’d like to enter the city already… What are you doing?”

When the soldier turned around, he saw a figure in raven-black armor standing there.

“Ahhh!”

Both the soldier and the caster yelped in surprise. There was no one in E-Rantel who didn’t know the man wearing that armor. The adamantite plate around his neck proved there was no mistake. He was a living legend, a man for whom nothing was impossible, the strongest warrior.

It was Momon of Raven Black.

“I-if it isn’t Sir Momon! Do excuse us!”

“What in the world are you—huh? That girl…”

“Yes! There was a suspicious girl here, so it took some time to investigate her. We apologize for inconveniencing y—”

“Enri, that’s right. Enri Emmott, right?”

Everything froze. Why did this legendary adventurer know this village girl’s name?

“Uhh, umm, who might you be? …Oh, wait. Y-you came that one time with Nfirea, right? I don’t remember speaking to you, but…perhaps you heard my name from Nfi?”

Momon put his hand to his mouth and seemed to be pondering something. After that, he waved over the caster, and the two of them left the guardhouse. The soldier wanted to go, too, but he couldn’t leave Enri alone.

Eventually the caster, who had regained composure, returned on his own. “Let her go. The adamantite adventurer Momon will vouch for her. I don’t think keeping her here any longer will do us any good.”

“That’s a natural enough conclusion…but are you sure it’s all right?”

“You would doubt the word of that great man?”

“No, not at all! Understood. I’ll let her in immediately. Enri Emmott of Carne, you have permission to enter E-Rantel! You may go!”

“Uh, okay. Thank you.”

Enri bobbed her head and left.

Watching her go, the soldier asked the caster, “And Sir Momon?”

“He went on ahead.”

“So what’s the relationship between the great hero and that villager?”

“How should I know? All he said to me was what I told you, that we should release her and that he would vouch for her.”

“Then I have another question. That Emmott girl, do you really think she’s just a villager?”

“Definitely not. She can’t be. Otherwise, why would a great hero like him step in to help her? And it can’t be a coincidence that she has such a powerful item… Do you think she could be connected to the Theocracy?”

“She said Ainz-something-something, right? If she’s someone with friends in the Theocracy, maybe we should report her to the higher-ups?”

“Honestly, I don’t know. Reporting someone Sir Momon vouched for to your superiors as dangerous is…probably following protocol, but might it offend Sir Momon?”

The soldier grimaced.

Anytime soldiers got together, they discussed the feats he performed at the E-Rantel Public Cemetery.

No one could remain unmoved by the heroic tale of how he broke through an undead mob thousands—or perhaps tens of thousands—strong. His awe-inspiring appearance and heroic bearing were clearly visible even from afar. The dominant way he had his immensely powerful magical beast prostrate itself so he could mount it drove the soldiers wild.

Like women who become infatuated with a strong man, many men had fallen for the great hero Momon, and it wasn’t an exaggeration to say that most of the soldiers, fellow warriors, were his fans.

This soldier was one of them.

He deeply admired Momon, to the point where if Momon were to pat him on the back, he’d tell anyone who would listen. He didn’t want to invite the displeasure of one he looked up to so much.

“Yeah. If Momon vouches for her, then she’s probably fine.”

“I agree. We wouldn’t want to cause disadvantage to a personal acquaintance of Sir Momon’s. If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em. A big tree is better for shelter. I don’t want any trouble… Anyhow, I’ll be on standby.”

“Okay. I’ll get back to work, too.”

As Enri drove her wagon through the gate of E-Rantel, she cocked her head, wondering what in the world had happened. It seemed like her salvation had come in the form of the adventurer in the raven-black armor—if she remembered correctly, he had come to the village once with Nfirea to gather herbs.

Normally, she would want to meet him and express her thanks right away, but unfortunately when she passed through the gate and looked around, he was nowhere to be found.

Hopefully, he’ll understand if I thank him the next time I see him…?

She considered taking a little time and searching the area immediately, but there was a reason she had to veto that idea. It was a worry reigning over her mind, the thing she was gripping through her shirt, the item that if she didn’t directly confirm its continued existence, she couldn’t relax—the goblin-whatever-horn.

This is worth…several thousand…gold? That can’t be true, right? Tell me that’s a lie…

She broke out in a cold sweat. He’d given it to her so casually she didn’t think it was worth much at all. Well, no, Nfirea said it was valuable, but this was far beyond what she had imagined.

Wait, I used an item worth a fortune? Is that okay?

If on the off chance he asked for it back, what would she do?

How many pots of herbs would that take…? I guess I’d just have to pick herbs my entire life…

And she still had one of the items worth several thousand gold in her hand.

Is Sir Gown in a position where he can just freely hand out such expensive items?! Or did he not know how much it was worth…? No, he would definitely know… But what if on the off chance he didn’t…

Her stomach started to hurt.

She glanced at her surroundings. There were only a few people in the area, but it still felt like many times the number of people in Carne. She had the horrible thought that someone might come after her for the horn.

I shouldn’t have brought this. There is lots of crime in the city, right? What’ll I do if it gets stolen…? Wait, if someone blows it and the goblins that get summoned go on a rampage, would I be the criminal responsible…?

Just as she had doubled the amount of cold sweat she was producing, someone sat on the box seat next to her. They moved as if gravity didn’t exist for them—definitely by the power of magic.

Who—?

When she turned to face her company, she was overcome with surprise.

It was a peerlessly beautiful woman with raven-black hair, the one who had been with the adventurer in the raven-black armor before. Her cold obsidian eyes were focused on Enri.

“Horsefly, Mr. Momon has something he’d like to ask y—”

“You’re so pretty…”

“That sort of flattery won’t—”

“About as pretty as Lupusregina…”

Noticing the confusion in the woman’s wavering eyes, Enri realized she had said something stupid and immediately regretted it. How would this lady know who Lupusregina was? But she couldn’t think of anyone else as beautiful as the adventurer before her eyes.

What should I do? I can tell she’s confused… Of course she is. I have to somehow…

“Uh, so you see, Lupusregina is this really pretty lady who comes to my vill—”

“—Thank you.”

“Wuh?!”

Her gaze was still stony, and there was nothing gentle about her tone—her brow was even furrowed—but her gratitude was real. She sighed. “I came because Lo— Mr. Momon has something he wants to ask you. Answer me. What are you doing here?”

It wasn’t as if Enri was obliged to answer, but this was the partner of the person who had just helped her out of a difficult spot. If she wanted to know, Enri figured she should answer.

“Uh, before that, can I say something? Mr. Momon helped me out just a short while ago. Please tell him thank you for me.”

“I’ll tell him. So?”

“R-right. I’m here to— W-well, I have a lot of things to do, but, er, one is to sell herbs.”

The woman gestured with her jaw that Enri should continue.

“Then I’m going to the shrine to see if there are any people who want to move to my village. And I’m also planning to inquire about something at the Adventurers Guild. Besides that, I need to stock up on a bunch of things we can’t get in the village, particularly weapons. That’s about it…”

“I see. I understand what you’ve said and will tell Mr. Momon.”

With an airy movement, as if she had been freed from gravity’s pull, the woman jumped off the wagon. She walked away without giving Enri any further attention.

A cutting, icy wind—that was Enri’s impression of her.

“What an amazing lady… Like Brita’s power times ten…”

She wasn’t the sort of woman one could meet in the village. Is she an adventurer because she has that personality type? Or did she end up with that personality after becoming an adventurer? Enri started to feel nervous about going to the guild.

“Oh, shoot!”

She didn’t think of it until after the woman was already gone, but she must also be a strong adventurer, too. After all, she was partnered with the guy who tamed the Wise King of the Forest. It was possible she knew something about the situation in the woods.

“I should’ve asked her if she knew anything about the Giant of the East, the Magical Serpent of the West, or the Structure of Ruin… Ahh, I’m so stupid. Why didn’t I think of it?”

Enri trundled along the road on her wagon, chiding herself for not being more on top of things, and passed through the next gate.

E-Rantel was broadly split into three areas. The middle section was for the various people who lived there—the normal city area, so to speak.

The Adventurers Guild was also located there.

Usually it would be safer to do herb business with the Apothecaries Guild, but that required a lot of annoying formalities, so she decided to head for the Adventurers Guild, who would do the negotiations for her. At first, she thought maybe she could rely on her connection with Lizzy, but on second thought, although they were close, she realized using the name of her friend’s grandmother was pretty shameless.

The one who had respected her intentions and suggested going to the Adventurers Guild was Nfirea.

If he had come, they could have bought and sold herbs without relying on the guild, no problem, but Enri was only a village girl; she was nervous about dealing with the savvy Apothecaries Guild members. That’s why she had decided to have the Adventurers Guild act as the middleman, even if she had to pay a fee.

She proceeded through the city according to the directions Brita and Nfirea had given her.

The goblins had traveled with her up until the outskirts of the village, but now they were waiting outside for her to be done with her errands. She was hit with the realization that she was alone for the first time since leaving the village, and she clenched the horse’s reins. The tension made her shoulders stiff and sore. She was about to stretch her neck when she caught sight of the building her friends had described to her up ahead.

“I made it!” she quietly exclaimed. There was no chance of her getting lost now.

After leaving her wagon with the doorman, she went inside.

There were warriors clad in plate armor, hunters with bows and arrows, priests and wizards, plus a few people who generally looked like casters, all coming and going. They exchanged information about monsters in the area, seriously examined the sheets of parchment stuck on the board, or confirmed the quality of items they’d purchased with an ease that came only with practice.

It was a world full of vigilant eyes, tense heat, and an intense clamor—the world of adventurers.

Enri’s jaw dropped at this scene she would never be able to see in her village, and she hurriedly closed it.

True, she was a country bumpkin, and she wasn’t afraid to be amazed by the atmosphere in the city, but she was embarrassed as a girl of marrying age to be seen with her mouth hanging wide open.

She walked straight ahead, careful not to move unnaturally. She didn’t want to get laughed at. She did wonder if it was all right for a village girl to walk among the brave adventurers. She felt out of place.

When she reached the counter, she was met with a friendly smile.

“Welcome.”

“Yes, here I am.”

Enri met the receptionist lady’s eyes, and they both grinned awkwardly in spite of themselves. Enri felt the tension go out of her shoulders for perhaps the first time since she had entered E-Rantel.

“What can the Adventurers Guild do for you today?”

“Well, uh, first, I was hoping you could sell some herbs for me.”

“Very well. And where are the herbs right now?”

When Enri explained that the herbs were on her wagon outside, the receptionist lady spoke to the woman next to her.

“The appraiser will go there now, so do you mind waiting inside the building for a short while?”

“That’s fine. There’s one more thing I wanted to talk to you about… I don’t have an immediate request, but I might make one in the future…”

She gave an outline of the situation to the smiling receptionist, and her smile gradually morphed into a more serious expression.

“I see… I’m a receptionist, so I don’t determine request difficulty levels, but if it’s about the Magical Serpent of the West or the Wise King of the Forest, the adamantite-rank adventurer Sir Momon is probably the only one who can take the job. In which case, it would cost quite a lot.”

Enri felt the receptionist’s attitude shift. It was like she had lost motivation, thinking, It’s a pain to explain this, since you can’t afford it anyway.

Through living with the goblins, Enri had gotten better at reading people’s emotions. This growth could be attributed to her efforts to understand the goblins, which seemed like only hideous creatures with borderline unintelligible expressions to most humans.

She probably thinks we don’t have that kind of money in the village… Well, it seemed like the first thing she looked at was my clothes, so I guess that’s what she would think… And she’s wearing nice things.

Enri mentally compared her clothes with the receptionist’s and acknowledged that she lost by a landslide.

But wearing clothes like that to do village work would be a waste; plus, they’d get in the way.

As a woman, Enri judged this match a draw.

“Uh, I heard the city offered money, a subsidy…”

“It does, but the subsidy is only for a portion of the cost. The rest you must cover. Adamantite-rank adventurers are extremely expensive, so even after deducting the subsidy, you would owe quite a large sum. Of course, you can put in a request at a lower price, but we don’t encourage it. Jobs paying less than the going rate are lower priority, so you would have to be prepared for the possibility that it will be difficult finding someone.”

The receptionist probably spoke so fluently, so fluidly, because she was regurgitating rules she had perfectly memorized. It was likely she was already thinking that Enri was just a bother.

I guess that’s only natural. A customer who can’t pay is no customer at all…

The receptionist lady’s words matched exactly what Nfirea had told her. That’s why she didn’t feel too down. It was simply reality that there weren’t many people who would lend a hand to the weak for little to no reward.

That’s exactly why Sir Ainz Ooal Gown is our savior. He even gave this treasure to a village girl like it was nothing!

If she said she would pay with the horn, what sort of attitude would the receptionist take? She imagined how gratifying it would be but did nothing of the sort. That great caster had given her this item out of kindness and told her to protect herself. It wasn’t something she could sell just because it would be good for the village. She couldn’t let his benevolence be in vain.

So Enri nodded.

“I understand. Please at least tell me how much. I’ll take the information home and consult with the rest of the village.”

“Oh? Then please do that. If you come when the broker’s appraisal is done, I’ll have the fee all calculated for you.”

Enri thanked the receptionist, moved away from the counter, sat on a sofa across the lobby, and thought she would kill time until the broker assessment was done by staring absentmindedly at the ceiling.

I’m tired…

Ever since she had passed through the gates, it had been a parade of new experiences. No, nothing had been this bewildering since she’d lost her parents in the attack.

Everything was always the same. I thought that way of life would go on forever…

Remembering what she had lost, she sighed quietly.

Remembering what she had gained—the goblins, her old friend—she shook her head back and forth.

I wish they would hurry up…

When she was moving, she didn’t have time to get depressed. She could empty her head and work hard.

“Miss Emmott, your assessment is done.”

At the call of the person who must have been in charge of sales, Enri stood and walked over.

“Th-thank you!”

“Er, the amount is—”

At that moment, she heard someone’s quick steps—no, someone running about as fast as they could—coming toward her. Enri turned her head to find the receptionist lady standing there, panting.

“Miss—no, Lady Enri Emmott of Carne. Might I ask you for a little more detail about what we were discussing earlier?”

It was definitely the same receptionist from before. But she was desperate. Her eyes were bloodshot.

“U-umm, excuse me, I’m about to give her the results of her assessmen—”

“I’m talking right now. All I need is a minute, so you can shut up.”

The broker’s face twitched.

“If you like, we could talk in the sitting room over a drink.”

Her lips were pleasantly curled, but her eyes held no mirth at all. She was bizarrely desperate.

What did she sense from Enri’s hesitation? With wet eyes, she entwined her fingers as if to pray. “Please! I want to hear what you have to say! I’m screwed unless you tell me!”

Enri had no idea what this frantic plea was about, but she would have felt bad to reject her. When she glanced back, the broker seemed to understand what she was thinking and nodded.

“I—I see. Then will you take me there?”

That moment, the receptionist’s body visibly relaxed.

“Thank you! Thank you so much! Right this way—follow me!”

Bathed in curious stares, Enri followed. The receptionist had a viselike grip on her right hand. She was definitely not letting her get away.

Maybe I was too hasty…

Though seized by a mild anxiety, she entered the sitting room.

She looked around silently. The empty room had an extremely refined interior furnished so magnificently she hesitated to sit on the sofa.

“Now then, go ahead, take a seat.”

A voice in a corner of her mind said, I won’t be taken prisoner the moment I sit down?

But nothing happened even when she sat on the sofa. That is to say, the comfortable sofa merely supported her body.

“What would you like to drink? I can offer you quality alcoholic beverages! Would you like to eat? Perhaps it’s too early? I suppose it is! Then fruit…or perhaps cake?”

“Oh, you don’t have to go to all that trouble.”

The abrupt change in the receptionist scared Enri just a little bit. It wasn’t like she was particularly cold toward Enri when she first arrived at the guildhall. She thought the receptionist’s reaction utterly natural and didn’t feel like she’d endured any malice or derision. At least, the lady had been more normal than she was now.

What caused this transformation? Is it because I’m carrying the horn again?

“Now, now, don’t be shy. You can have anything you like. We have snacks that go great with our drinks.”

“No, really… Uh, I don’t have much time, so shall we start talking?”

“Right! Just as you say. Let’s get talking!”

The receptionist took out a thin piece of white paper. The only paper Enri had ever seen was thick with muddled colors. This paper she was just given had to be a luxury item. Does this mean she has no issues if I use it?

Enri started talking. Earlier she’d kept it brief, but this time she went into so much detail she bored herself.

A short time later, about when she was starting to get thirsty, her story reached its end.

“Thank you! I’ll bring you something to drink, so please enjoy the refreshment before you go. You can leave the glass here. Thank you very much for everything today!”

The receptionist popped out of her chair and exited the room as if compelled.

“Really… What the heck is going on?”

There was no one around to answer Enri’s murmur.

In the end, Enri returned to Carne without staying over in E-Rantel.

She had to spend the night in the meadow, but she wasn’t worried. On the contrary, she slept quite well—thanks to her friends guarding the wagon now packed with new cargo.

“Ahh, you can finally see it.”

Carne’s wall came into view ahead of them. The sturdy logs lined up in a row were a grand sight, but having just seen E-Rantel’s walls, she couldn’t help but think Carne’s seemed inferior in comparison.

“There’s so much I need to hurry and report to the headman,” Enri answered the goblin in the cargo bed. Five goblins plus Konaa the goblin cleric were the members of the goblin troop who had accompanied her all the way to E-Rantel. Chousuke the goblin rider was also with them, but he was keeping watch at a short distance.

“Ya got done half of what ya needed, but the thing the headman asked for didn’t go so well—was that it, boss lady?”

“Yes. I asked the priest in the city, but no one said they would move to our village.”

“That’s weird. Some people have already moved to the village! Why aren’t there more? Could the priest or whoever be lying?”

“No.” She winced. “Frontier villages are dangerous, so people tend to avoid them. I was hoping for third sons or whatnot who ran off to the city after not inheriting any land…but I guess there just aren’t many people who want to come out to a place like this if they’re not under orders. Also, the folks who have moved to our village so far are people who already spent time in other frontier villages, so their situations are a little different.”

“So that’s just how it is?”

“That’s just how it is, but personally I’m a bit relieved.”

Building friendly relationships with goblins and living together alongside them in a village was probably difficult for the average person to accept. She knew people from the city would be against it for sure, and she wanted to avoid trouble.

Honestly, if Enri were asked to choose whether to accept new settlers from the city or the goblins, she’d choose the goblins.

Just then the wagon jolted, and there was some clinking and clanking from the cargo bed.

“Ah, sorry. Is everyone all right?” Enri looked over her shoulder.

The goblins were riding in the cargo bed, but in one corner was a bag, and every time the wagon bumped, it made metallic noises.

“Yeah, we’re fine, boss lady. Don’t worry about us. But hey, with this many arrowheads, we’ll be able to hunt up a storm.”

The goblin’s expression as he looked at the bag was cheerful. Seeing that, Enri forgot to answer and simply smiled.

They passed through the wheat fields and entered through the one open side of the gate.

Greeting the villagers along the way, Enri headed first to the meeting hall. She wanted to unload her cargo.

When she pulled up next to it, a goblin came out, perhaps in response to the noise.

“Ohh! Welcome back, boss lady! Glad to see yer all right.”

Enri grinned. The goblins had become family to her, to the point where she didn’t truly feel she had returned home until they greeted her.

“I’m home!”

“And is that yer cargo? We’ll put it in here if so.”

“That’s right, brother. Sorry, but give us a hand.”

“Aye-aye!”

The goblins all sprang into action and began efficiently unloading the wagon. The fact that the goblins were cleaning up perfectly without Enri providing any instruction made it clear that they had completely adapted to life in the village.

“Oh, boss lady, we’ll do the rest, so why don’t ya go see the boss man? He might be busy over with Arg healing the goblins…”

“Thank you, but first I have to go report to the headman.”

“Oh? Ah, sorry, guys. I’ll go with her just in case. There are the ogres and whatnot, after all.”

With that, Gokou hopped into the box seat next to Enri. The goblins who had been with her from E-Rantel eyed him jealously, but no one objected—probably because what he said was right.

“Okay, boss lady, let’s go!”

Enri smiled awkwardly. “Thanks! And I appreciate your help!” She thanked the goblins and pulled the wagon away.

“So did anything happen while I was gone?”

“Not much. We put up a building so the ogres can live inside the village. We had the stone golems carry the lumber. It’s not fancy, but we made a cabin for them. I wonder if we can do anything about how much they smell? Their stench instantly permeated all the blankets we gave them!”

“Hmm… But wow, you did all that so fast.”

“It was thanks to the stone golems! We’ll have to thank the great caster.”

“And Lupusregina, too.”

“…Somehow, I just don’t want to thank Lupusregina, or rather, I don’t like her…”

Enri thought she misheard. She’d never heard Gokou gossip behind someone’s back before.

“How do I put it…? She’s scary. She’s always watching us, like a magical beast who could attack at any time… It seems like ya don’t feel that way, but…”

“Well, supposedly she’s a maid of Ainz Ooal Gown’s, so I don’t think she could be such a bad person.”

“…Well, that’s not very nice.”

Enri and Gokou both flinched. It was the voice of the woman they had just been talking about.

When they whirled around, there was the maid sitting very matter-of-factly in the cargo bed like she had been the other day.

“What’re we gonna do with this guy, En?”

“Uh, what do you mean?”

“B-before that, I want you to tell me how ya keep appearing like that.”

“Hmm? It’s simple. I come out of the sky, that’s all.”

“I don’t think so. We would notice even if ya were coming from above.”

“But I got lots of tricks I can use like turning invisible… I’m just doing my best to go unnoticed. How thoughtful of me!”

The goblin faced forward again, seemingly exasperated.

“B-but hey, it’s rare that you would visit two days in a row. What happened?”

Lupusregina squinted at Enri. Even that face is cute when such a pretty lady makes it, she thought without really meaning to.

“Well, whatever. I was just wonderin’ how things went. Like how’s the mini-goblin?”

“…He’s good. I think he’s probably at the headman’s house at the moment,” said Gokou.

“Why at the headman’s?”

“We saved a bunch of the goblins from his tribe, right? He should be there talking about finding a place for them to live.”

“Oh, right, he’s the chief’s son, huh? He must have some responsibility when it comes to the survivors. Well, I gotta hand it to him—and he’s just a kid!” She guffawed in a goofy way, but the accompanying smile was charming on a woman as beautiful as her. Enri gazed admiringly at her despite the fact that they were both girls.

“Oops, better keep an eye on the road!”

“O-oh, you’re right!”

Enri turned back around, blushing to her ears.

She stopped outside the headman’s house, and she and Gokou got off the wagon.

“Okay, I’ll take the horse back to the stable for ya. Don’t wanna get in your way. Hope you’ll tell me what ya guys talk about later, though!”

“Understood. I’m sorry to burden you, but thanks for taking the horse.”

Lupusregina responded to Enri’s bow with a “’Kay, ’kay” and drove the wagon away.

They knocked, announced their arrival to the voice inside, and opened the door.

Arg and the headman were sitting immediately inside, facing each other at a table.

“Oh, welcome back. Take a seat right there. How was the city?”

Enri sat next to Arg as instructed. He seemed to tense up for a moment, but she must have been imagining things.

“Uh, I’ll be going now. Thanks for all your help, Chief.”

For a moment, they didn’t know who he was talking to. Enri, Gokou, and the headman were in the room, so he should have been talking to the headman.

But Arg was looking straight at Enri. She peered intently into his eyes but couldn’t find any hint of a joke in his sincere look.

“Wait… What?!”

Why did he say that to me?

Arg bowed and left the headman’s house before Enri could figure it out.

“What?!? Wait—!”

“So, Enri, will you tell me what happened?”

“Huh? No, I mean…but…uh, yes. Okay.”

It bothered her, but she could get her question answered later. Her report was more important.

Having decided that, she gave a concise account to the headman of what had transpired in the city. The most critical item was probably that there hadn’t been anyone wanting to move there, but it was almost as if the headman had expected that. He didn’t look disappointed at all.

“I see. Well, that makes sense. Not many people want to move to a frontier settlement where monsters are likely to appear.” He gave voice to exactly what Enri had been thinking. Surely everyone in the village thought the same thing.

“Thanks for going.”

In response to his bow, she said, “It was no problem.” There had been various issues, but on the whole, it was a good experience.

“And then…” He looked at the goblin for a split second. “…There’s something I’d like to ask of you, Enri Emmott.”

“O-okay. What might that be? You’re being so formal, sir…”

“…I want you to take over my job.”

Her expression warped in such a way she seemed to be pulling a face.

“Ehhhhhhh?! What does that even mean? Huh? Is that what Arg meant…? What?!”

“I understand you’re confused…”

“I’m a bit more than confused! Are you going senile, sir? Why would you say that?”

“Senile? Now that’s just cruel. You seem a bit bewildered…and I understand that, but I want you to calm down and listen to me.”

“Calm down? How am I supposed to calm down?! Why would you want a village girl like me to take on such a huge responsibility?! Besides, what’s this ‘chief’ thing about?”

“Would you just relax?!”

He probably meant to sound commanding, but to Enri it only sounded loud. Still, she managed to regain some composure. Perhaps a corner of her mind had whispered to her that she wouldn’t understand what he was saying if she didn’t listen.

“I know you’re not following. But please listen calmly to what I have to say. Who is the central figure in the village right now?”

“That’s you, isn’t it? You’re the headman.”

“No. I think it’s safe to say that you are the center of the village at the moment. The goblins and the new ogres all acknowledge you as their leader as well, right?”

“That’s right. We think of the boss lady as the central figure.”

“And the goblins you saved, including Arg, all think of you as their chief, too.”

Enri curled her mouth into a frown. It’s true that was what the goblins thought. But what about the villagers who had been here since long before that? There was no way they would accept this.

“I pretty much know what you’re thinking. You think the villagers would be against it, right? I already checked with everyone. Last night I held a meeting with just the villagers to hear their opinion. The result was that everyone agrees to recognize you as the new headwoman.”

“But…why?!”

“…That’s what a huge shock the attack was, Enri. Everyone wants a strong leader.”

“What’s so strong about me?! I’m just a village girl!”

She had the feeling she’d put a little muscle on her arms, but she was still nothing but a peasant who couldn’t wield a weapon to save her life. If they wanted someone strong, one of the self-defense squad members like Brita would have been better.

“Strong doesn’t necessarily mean that individual is courageous. Being able to command goblins—isn’t that another kind of strength? The Baleare family also thinks you’re fit for the job.”

“Nfi!” Enri squawked like a chicken getting its neck wrung.

“Besides, I’m getting on in years. It wouldn’t be so strange for me to hand over the reins sometime soon.”

“What do you mean ‘getting on in years’? You’re not that old! I thought you were acting bizarrely grandfatherly—is this what that was about?”

It seemed a bit too early to declare someone in their midforties a senior citizen. Some would even call it the prime of their lives.

“Setting aside whether I seem grandfatherly or not, the village is changing. Now that the Wise King of the Forest is gone, there’s a higher likelihood that monsters will come out of the woods. At times like that, my making decisions based on our experience when times were safer won’t cut it.”

“Sir, I realize this is a rude thing to ask, but aren’t you just running away?”

“…I’ll be honest. I can’t deny that.”

The eyes that met Enri’s gaze were those of a man baring his heart.

“I still think about that horrific day, when villagers who were like family to me were killed… I knew your parents well. If we hadn’t been living idly but had built a sturdy wall like we have now, if we had been more on guard, maybe things wouldn’t have ended so badly… Maybe we could have bought the time until Sir Gown arrived to save us.”

Enri felt it would have still been difficult. Survivors who moved to Carne originally came from other villages that the knights had razed. It was possible the walls surrounding their homes hadn’t been as solid as the one protecting Carne now, but regardless, they had still been attacked and slaughtered. Even so, she did agree that if they could have bought even a little bit of time, they could have saved more lives.

“The old way of thinking is no good. We need to create a new system and keep this village safe with our own hands. The only ones who can do that are…the open-minded young people. And of them, it has to be someone with power.”

The headman finished saying his piece. He gazed at Enri with a gentle expression.

Enri mulled over his words and gave it serious thought. The reason she refused at first was because the responsibility was so great. She couldn’t be responsible for the villagers’ lives if they were attacked again. But isn’t that just running away, like what I accused him of doing earlier?

“I don’t know if I can do such a big job.”

“That’s only natural. You’ll have me to assist with administrative duties and the goblins supporting you for security issues, but it’s still terrifying to be the one making the final decision.”

“What about a system of representation where all the villagers participate?”

“I did consider that, but opinions tend to diverge more sharply the more important an issue is. We’d end up getting nowhere. I really do think that if we don’t have someone leading the way, we won’t even be able to come to a consensus on things we already agree on.”

“What if we had one system for peaceful times and one system for emergencies?”

“That won’t work. We can’t cultivate leaders that way. It’s precisely because you show leadership during times of peace that you can put people to work efficiently during emergencies—they acknowledge your authority.” The headman’s conviction was strong, and his argument was sound.

With a distressed look on her face, Enri asked the only question she had left. “…When should I let you know by?”

“I won’t say you have to tell me now. Take your time and think it over.”

“Yes, sir.”

With that, Enri stood from her seat.

As they left the headman’s house, Enri turned around to look at Gokou. “Hey, I want to think things over for a bit, so do you mind giving me some time to myself?”

“Ya got it, boss lady. Take yer time. We’re on yer side, ya know. Please tell us if ya ever need anything.”

“Yes, I will. Thanks.”

After watching Gokou go, she headed for her own house.

Can I do the headman’s job?

Personally, she felt it was out of the question.

It was possible a time would come when she would have to give unimaginable orders, like sacrificing a minority to save the majority.

I wouldn’t be able to do that…

The villagers all think too highly of me. For starters, everyone valued her for the goblins, but it wasn’t as if she had negotiated to get them on the village’s side. They just came out of the horn given to her by the great caster Ainz Ooal Gown.

And the item came only after the good fortune of being saved…

Wait. I did get saved first, right? Sir Gown was wearing a mask and he…hmm? He was wearing a mask, right?

She suddenly felt like her memory of those events was fuzzy, but it was probably because the whole situation was so extreme and chaotic.

She shook her head and cleared her mind of those doubts.

Anyhow…

If someone else had received the horn, the proposal of being the next head of the village would have gone to that person, not her. In other words, it had nothing to do with Enri’s ability; the wheel of fortune simply spun in her favor.

I should talk to someone…

The first person she thought of was Nfirea. She had the feeling that since he used to live in the big city and had met lots of different kinds of people, he would be able to tell if she was right for the position or not. Plus, he knew a lot of things. She could probably get a precise answer from him.

But the headman had told her that the Baleare family—which included Nfirea—was in favor. So there was a good chance that if she asked him, he would simply tell her she should be headwoman.

This is no good… I can’t ask anyone from the village. That would mean Arg or the ogres, but Arg was calling me chief so he’s out, and the ogres don’t seem too smart…

As Enri was furrowing her brow, a bright voice called out to her. “Yo. Looks like you’re done talkin’. Hmm? What a serious face. Something botherin’ ya?”

The voice hit her like a bolt of lightning. Right. Someone from outside the village. Here was a neutral third party who could calmly assess the situation.

Enri ran over to Lupusregina at full speed. “Lupusregina!” She clutched the surprised woman’s shoulders.

“What? What? What’s wrong?! I got butterflies in my stomach, but spare me the confession. I’m not into girls! Ahh, stop! Don’t rape me!”

“Wh-whoa, hold on!” Enri released her shoulders and tried to cover her mouth.

Lupusregina nimbly dodged her and grinned. “Nah, sorry. Anyhow, it seems you’re a little riled up, so maybe just calm down a bit. I was only jokin’.”

“That’s a horrible joke…”

Enri’s shoulders slumped. But she recovered immediately. Lupusregina usually disappeared as suddenly as she appeared, so if Enri didn’t ask her now, the maid might be gone before another chance came. “Please listen and tell me what I should do!”

“I dunno what this is about, but it’d be great if you could tell me while we walk. I don’t want the villagers givin’ us weird looks.”

Enri blushed. Lupusregina had a point. But… “Then don’t scream about rape…”

“Tee-hee!” Lupusregina made a cute face with her tongue sticking out.

“Arrrgh, Lupusregina!”

“Okay, okay, let’s go. Let’s go!”

Without waiting for a reply, Lupusregina set off, and Enri followed her.

“Now, now, tell big sister Lupusregina what’s on your mind. I can teach ya everything from sex tips to how to trick boys!”

“Really? You’re so mature…”

To Enri, who had no experience in such matters, Lupusregina seemed extremely experienced. Although nothing had changed, the maid suddenly appeared more grown-up.

“Eh-heh! I may not look it, but I’ve been around, ya know.”

“Huh?”

Been around? As she wondered what that could mean, Lupusregina gestured at her to bring on the questions. For the time being, she set aside the ones that didn’t matter and told her about what happened at the headman’s house.

“So what should I do?”

“Huh? Like I know!”

That was all she said.

“What? But, Lupusregina, you said I could talk to you.”

“Sure, but that didn’t mean I would give ya a proper reply… Well, listen. First, if you only take the job because someone is pushin’ ya, you’ll regret it, so definitely don’t do that. You should keep thinking till ya have an answer that makes sense.”

Lupusregina’s usual innocence had faded, giving way to alluring beauty. Normally her eyes were round, but now they tapered thin. Her faint smile gave Enri shivers.

“That’s just my opinion—I won’t tell ya what to do. Break it down in your own head. One thing we can say is that no matter who becomes headman, they’ll make a lot of mistakes. As far as I know, there’s only about forty-one people who can do everything perfectly. So it’s stupid to worry about failure. And if ya take a step back and really think about it, no one in this village is more fit for the job than you.”

“Why do you think that?”

“Go ask the goblins what they’ll do if a monster they deem unbeatable attacks the village—both if you’re the headwoman and if you’re not.”

Lupusregina quietly changed back to her normal cheerful expression.

“Well, that was no fun! Agh, I’m not into this scenario. Mannn. It’d be more fun if instead of you bein’ headwoman, the village got hit by a big, fat tragedy!”

“What?”

“Heh-heh.” Lupusregina patted Enri on the shoulder. “I think you should be headwoman. As for everything else…you should ask the boy over there…” As she took her hand off Enri’s shoulder, she twirled around once. It was a light movement, as if friction didn’t affect her. “Later, then!”

Lupusregina walked away while waving. Nfirea and Nemu were standing in that direction holding hands. She patted Nfirea on the shoulder. As if that had poured energy into them, the pair started to move.

“Welcome back, Enri!” Nemu must have been incredibly anxious, because she raced toward her at full speed.

For a moment, Enri worried she would be bowled over, but she managed to avoid it by bringing out all the strength in her leg muscles.

“You’re back sooner than I expected, Enri. You didn’t stay the night?”

“Hi to both of you. No, I didn’t. I camped on the way back.”

“Hmm… I’m glad you didn’t get attacked by monsters. I can’t really support that choice, though. The goblins may be strong, but there are stronger monsters out there. We live on the plains, so you don’t get too many out here, but still.”

“Enri, don’t do anything dangerous!” Nemu grabbed her shirt as if to say she would never let her go again.

Enri was the only living family her little sister had left. My life doesn’t belong to only me. It seemed like she had briefly forgotten that.

“Yeah, you’re right. I’m sorry.”

Enri gently petted Nemu’s head.

“Okay! I forgive you!” Nemu looked up at her and smiled.

“Thanks. Were you a good girl while I was gone? You didn’t make too much trouble for Nfi, did you?”

“Aw, c’mon, sis! I’m not a baby anymore! Right, Nfi?”

“Ah-ha-ha. I had to take care of the members of Arg’s tribe, so I couldn’t watch her the whole time, but I think she was good!”

“Agh, you’re treating me like a kid, too, Nfi? Anyway, more importantly, Enri, Nfi stinks!”

“Nemu! It’s the smell of herbs, isn’t it? Didn’t you say your hands smelled after you crushed them?”

“Is the smell that makes your eyes sting from the herbs?”

“…Well, there are other things, too, like alchemical items I use as an apothecary. But, Nemu, don’t make it sound like I smell bad…”

“But you do!”

His face froze.

“Well, it’s just that the odor clings to your clothes. I think you’d be fine if you changed out of your work clothes…” Enri hurried to explain what Nemu meant, and Nfirea’s face softened a bit.

“I don’t really have other clothes… In E-Rantel, I pretty much just wore this.”

“Then should I make you some?”

“Huh? You can make clothes?”

“What do you take me for, Nfi? Of course I can make simple clothes.”

“Oh. I’ve always bought mine so it seems amazing that you can just make your own.”

“Well, thanks, but anyone in the village… Nemu, we should start practicing.”

“Okayyy!”

“All right. Will you go on home ahead of me? I want to talk to Nfi about something.”

Nemu put a hand to her mouth, and her eyes sparkled. “Okay! Got it! I’ll go home now! Good luck, Nfi!” She dashed excitedly toward the house with a wave.

“She sure listened well. I wonder if she’s hiding something,” Enri murmured as she watched Nemu go.

“Nah, I doubt it… More importantly! What did you want to talk about? Of course, I have an idea, since I participated in the village meeting yesterday…”

“Then this will be quick.” Enri skipped needless explanation and told him what had happened at the headman’s house.

But not only that. She told him about her worries and what Lupusregina had said—everything.

After listening to the end, Nfirea looked her square in the eye and said, “You should do what you think is best; I’ll support you either way…is the kind of canned reply I don’t want to give. I want you to do it.”

“Why? I’m—”

“You’re not just a village girl. You’re Enri Emmott, leader of the goblins. You’re thinking that the goblins aren’t your power. But in the end, they are. I’ll answer the question Lupusregina told you to ask the goblins. In an emergency, if you’re not the headwoman, they’ll carry you off and escape before their fighting power is too depleted.”

“They wouldn’t do that!”

“…They’ll say that while you’re safe, but if the time came, they would. They told me so.”

“No way…”

Enri stared at Nfirea in disbelief. She thought he had to be lying, but she couldn’t detect so much as a hint of exaggeration.

“The most important thing to them isn’t the village but you. But if you’re the headwoman, then the village belongs to you, so they’ll stay here and fight as long as they can. That’s the only thing that changes, but it does make a difference. By the way, they told me to take your sister and follow them in case that did happen. Enri…you can confirm with them if you want, but don’t tell them you heard anything from me.”

“I’m not going to ask them,” she declared.

Nfirea parted his bangs and looked at her with wide eyes. “Are you sure? There’s always the possibility that I’m ly—”

“No, there isn’t. You wouldn’t lie to me. I believe you. But I guess that’s just how important a summoner is, huh?”

“I think it must be partly because it’s you. You buy weapons for them and stuff, right? Seems only natural that they would place the highest importance on such a kind master. This isn’t the nicest way to put it, but the villagers never gave the goblins anything—they think of them as monsters you summoned. It’s only natural to pick the person who sees them as individuals over the people who don’t, right?”

Of course, the villagers didn’t necessarily think of them that way, but when she thought back, she had never seen any of them showing their gratitude in a concrete way.

“…But sometimes the villagers treat them to lunch.”

“That’s a thank-you to you. They’re just saying, ‘We’ll handle the lunch cost and prep time.’ Have you ever seen any of the villagers call a goblin by their name?”

She hadn’t. She thought it was because they just couldn’t tell them apart, but maybe they never even felt like trying.

When she thought that, an indescribable loneliness came over her.

“Oh…”

But the forlorn feeling wasn’t the only thing in her voice. There was a determined gleam in her eyes, like she had made up her mind.

“Yeah… Personally, I think you’d be a great headwoman. And if you become headwoman, the goblins’ situation will change pretty quickly.”

“…You’ll all help me, right?”

“Of course. It’s more like there’s no one who wouldn’t help you!”

“Okay. Then I’m going to pay the headman a visit. When you’ve made up your mind, it’s better to act right away!”

Nfirea laughed at her declaration. It was a soft, bubbly laugh that showed he understood that she wanted encouragement.

“Okay! Get going, Enri!”

She turned on her heel with an “Mm-hmm” and took a step down the path to being the new head of Carne.

Watching the village intently from the sky, Lupusregina saw people clustering in the square. Enri went out in front of everyone and said something, but it was nearly impossible at this distance to pick up her voice.

Perhaps she had finished talking—the villagers began to clap.

“Ha-haaa. So that’s how it turned out. She did it. This is great. Ee-hee-hee-hee-hee-hee!”

“—What are you having so much fun with?”

Lupusregina turned just her head to face the voice behind her. “Oh, if it isn’t Yuri. Are you flying with a magic item?”

“Yes, by the power of a magic item Lord Ainz lent me. What’s so…? This is Carne. You got scolded over it, right?”

“That’s right. But things just got really interestin’.”

“What things?”

“There’s a new leader in the village now… For the humans here, that means new history, a potential for new beginnings. But imagine the looks on their faces if, just at their grandest moment, the village got attacked and everything burned up!”

A crack appeared in her beauty, and anyone who saw it would have said that something evil or horrible was flowing from it.

“I thought you were getting along with the villagers…”

“Yeah, we get along. I just get so excited when I think about all my human pals getting crushed like bugs.”

“So you’re a total sadist, hmm? Right up there with Solution. Why are you all like that? Shizu is the only saving grace—honestly. Although Entoma isn’t so bad, either…”

Lupusregina laughed at her leader’s complaints and said, “Oh, village, won’t you fall for me?”

4

“Urrrgh, I’m so tired.”

Enri tossed the little chalkboard she was holding onto the table and flopped over. Hearing some quiet laughter, she turned just her head to see her teacher, Nfirea, smiling at her as she had guessed.

“Nice work, Enri.”

“I did work—so hard! I’m not good at using my head…”

“But you have to be able to do simple reading, writing, and arithmetic.”

Enri groaned.

She’d been told there were minimum education requirements for becoming headwoman, so she was getting private lessons from Nfirea, but her head felt like it was going to burst.

“Why are there so many letters? Someone came up with this system just to torture meeee…”

“Don’t say that. You can write your name now, right? And Nemu’s?”

“Yeah, I’m a little happy about that… I don’t suppose that much is good enough, is it?”

“Sorry! Unfortunately, you’re still at the most basic of basics. I mean, it’s only been five days since you started studying, so we haven’t gotten to any of the important stuff yet.”

Enri looked like someone who couldn’t believe what she had just heard.

“Ohh, don’t make that face. Once you get the simple stuff down, it’s just application. So this actually is pretty important, yeah.”

“…Wahh.”

“You do seem tired, though. Shall we call it quits for today?”

Enri stood as if she’d been waiting for the word. “Yes! Got an early day tomorrow! Good thinking, Nfi!”

With a wry grin, Nfirea erased the squiggly worm letters off the chalkboard. “Okay, have a nice rest. We’ll start studying at the same time tomorrow.”

“I’m really happy that you’re willing to take time away from experimenting to help me, but I can’t do anything to thank you…”

“Yes, yes. That’s how it goes. Someone once told me that the teachers hated by their students are better than the ones who get thanked.”

“That’s a lie! That’s definitely a lie!”

“Ah-ha-ha-ha! Okay, I need to get going. Good night, Enri.”

“Okay, good night, Nfi. You should go home and sleep, not experiment.”

Acknowledging her remark with a smile, he left through the front door. After watching his magic light recede for a little while, she went back inside, and the dark house suddenly felt terribly lonely.

“Ahh, I’m tired.”

She sluggishly took off her clothes and got into bed. They had been pretty noisy, but next to her, her sister was making adorable snoozing noises. Enri closed her eyes in peace.

She was sure she would fall asleep right away because she had worked her brain so hard, and she was right. Perhaps only a few seconds after she closed her eyes, she was out.

How long had it been since she had fallen asleep? Some far-off noise awakened her from her light sleep.

Three knocks. Then a little while later, another three knocks.

When she realized what that pattern meant, her eyes popped open in the darkness. Her extraordinarily lucid brain recognized that she was in her own house, and she jumped up. Her sister jumped up at the same time.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah.”

She sounded scared but not to the point where she couldn’t function.

“Get ready now!”

“Okay!”

Turning on the light would be a waste of time, so they simply started preparing to run.

As the ringing of the bell came to them on the wind, they got their things together in an extremely short amount of time—the result of practicing over and over, as well as a product of the fear that had stuck with them from the previous attack. Probably Arg’s story planted the possibility in their minds, too.

“Nemu! You run straight to the meeting hall! I’ll be there as soon as I finish my duties!”

Without waiting for a reply, she grabbed her sister’s hand and flew out the door of their house.

The bell still making a racket signaled an emergency. It meant that attackers had been spotted.

She couldn’t completely abandon the hope that this was just another drill, but the agitation in the air denied it. It was the same atmosphere as when the knights had attacked.

When they neared the meeting hall, Enri gave Nemu a push. “Now go!”

Nemu made a small reply without turning around and ran as fast as she could.

Enri felt the urge to go after her, to at least see that she made it into the hall safely.

But at the meeting several days ago, she had become headwoman, so she had to act with the entire village in mind now.

She wished this would have happened before she’d assumed the position or long after…

“It’s almost like some evil god is watching us.” Her inner thoughts spilled out. This really was the worst timing.

“Boss lady!” A goblin ran toward her.

“What is it? What happened?”

“We spotted some monsters on the edge of the forest. They might attack the village.”

“Understood. I’ll follow you!”

Led by the goblin, Enri raced toward the main gate. Just behind it was the fence they set up only at night, and Enri saw that the goblins were all present. Equipped with the new weapons and gear she’d bought for them, they looked stalwart—like true veteran warriors.

As they approached, Enri could tell by the stench on the wind that the ogres were there, too. They had their brand-new, brutal-looking clubs firmly in hand.

At about the same time Enri arrived, the self-defense squad members, along with Brita and Nfirea, all gathered from around the village. Arg and two of the goblins from his village who had managed to make a psychological recovery came, too.

“Is this everyone? How about Lizzy? Is she coming later?”

Nfirea’s grandmother Lizzy was a fairly powerful caster. It wouldn’t have been at all strange to have her help defend the main gate.

“No, she’s not coming. I had her go to the meeting hall. That place is important, too.”

The villagers nodded with conviction. Their families were gathered in the meeting hall. They needed to fortify those defenses, as well.

“I had members who aren’t great with bows go there. If you have any available hands, I’d like some of you to go as well, just to be safe, but what do you think?”

“That’s not happening.” Jugemu shot down Brita’s request with zero hesitation.

The villagers who lived with the goblins knew there was no malice in his reply. Enri swallowed tensely and the goblin leader continued.

“There are a lot of monsters. Not only ogres, but lots of different kinds. It’s too dangerous to split up the force.”

“We don’t have an accurate count?”

“Brita, they’re in the woods, so we don’t have an accurate count. Keeping that in mind…our current count is at seven ogres, a few giant snakes, a couple wargs, creatures that resemble barghests, and something huge at the rear…”

“Wargs, snakes, and ogres working together? Is there a druid behind them?”

A warg was a magical beast that for all appearances looked like an upsize wolf. They were smarter than wolves, and encountering one in the woods meant a bad time.

“There’s a good chance. If they have a caster, this’ll get tricky—they’ll have a ranged attack method, too. Should we commit our full force? If so, I’ll go call Grandma.”

“I’m…not sure that’s a good idea, boss man. The meeting hall is the sturdiest building in the village. It was made that way so people could hole up in there if it came to it—it’s the village’s citadel, so to speak. It’s far better if we have someone there to protect it.”

“…So we might have to retreat? Where should I position myself?”

“Lead the self-defense squad, Brita. I want ya to explain my orders to them in an easy-to-understand way and take other actions as appropriate.”

“So we’ll be the second line of defense against the invaders? First will be the archers, and then we’ll be behind the barricade not really aiming but just thrusting our spears?”

“Yeah, do that. But wargs and barghests are quick. If we leave them be, they’ll cause a lot of damage, so aim for them first. And if there’s a druid, can ya all pull back?”

“I have no objections, but will you have enough manpower if the self-defense squad withdraws?”

“…If we’re lucky, it’ll work out somehow.”

“I see… I’ll make sure everyone is ready. Can you prioritize taking out the druids or whatever has a ranged attack so we don’t get hit in the rear? Man, I used to be an adventurer, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen villagers this brave… Well, I’ve been thinking that ever since I came here and saw them doing archery drills…”

“It’s because they were attacked once… They hated how powerless they were.” Enri had been listening in silence, but now she chimed in to speak for all the members of the self-defense squad.

And in reality, no one ran away, even if they were pale in the face. They had to make a stand. They had to defend their village. Most importantly, their loved ones were behind them.

“By the way, do we think that, since there are so many of them, it might be some creature who can muster a force, like the Giant of the East or the Magical Serpent of the West?”

“We can’t say for sure that it’s not.” Jugemu answered Brita’s question in a low voice.

If that was the case, then it was possible that it was Arg and his tribe who drew in the monsters. Maybe that’s why he had answered so quietly—so the self-defense squad didn’t get upset at Arg and his tribe.

They had already told the villagers that the Giant of the East and the Magical Serpent of the West existed and that those two were each as strong as the Wise King of the Forest.

They only saw it once the Dark Warrior had captured it, but the immensely powerful magical beast made quite an impression on the villagers. If they thought they might have to confront a monster equally strong, against which they had no chance of winning, they might get frightened.

“The Magical Serpent of the West uses some kind of magic, right? That could be hairy,” Brita grumbled and Nfirea agreed with her.

“Monsters have less than ten kinds of magic they can use racially, but it can get tricky when you’re dealing with the type that can acquire spells, because of how diverse their repertoire gets. There might be something they can use to get over the wall…”

“I’m glad you and the goblins can use magic, but when the enemy can, it feels like they’re cheating,” Enri whined and the villagers winced.

“…Don’t tell Sir Gown I said that.”

At that, many of the villagers cracked a smile.

Maybe they’re a little calmer now, thought Enri. Too relaxed was no good, but being too nervous would prevent them from fighting with their usual strength. The current atmosphere seemed just right.

“Don’t worry, guys. All ya have to do is shoot yer bows from the rear. We’ll be the front line.”

The goblins had trained the self-defense squad with that purpose in mind, so that was the most appropriate position for them.

It was extremely difficult for such a small village to procure enough swords and shields for everyone, so they didn’t have enough gear to properly equip the self-defense squad for fighting on the front line. In the first place, they may have been called the self-defense squad, but they were still just volunteers from the village. Their members had some degree of muscle from their habitual use of hoes and spades, but that didn’t make them skilled with a weapon. Only people with ludicrous potential could become strong enough to defeat monsters while training only during their spare time between farming tasks.

Having concluded for the above reasons that they couldn’t train the villagers up to the level necessary to fight on the front line, the goblins taught them how to use bows and arrows so they could act as the rear guard.

Although their skills had improved and they could hit a target with decent accuracy, they didn’t have the strength to draw powerful bows that conveyed superior penetrating ability, so they probably wouldn’t be able to deal damage to monsters with thick hides. Still, if they were lucky, an arrow from a volley might strike a weak point.

“All right, line up so that ya can aim for the area right on the other side of the gate, just like we practiced. Arg, yer guys’ job starts after the gate gets broken down. We’ll have ya line up with the self-defense squad members and use spears. Consider anything Brita says an order from the boss lady herself and obey!”

“Okay! Leave it to me!”

“That’s the spirit. No running away, ya hear me? Fight for yer life!”

“Of course! I owe her my life! I don’t even mind taking the farthest position out front with the ogres!”

“Stupid kid! If we left it all to ya, the enemy would break through right away! Save the heroics for when yer stronger!”

Getting snapped at by Jugemu seemed to frustrate Arg, but the self-defense squad comforted him.

Enri was relieved—first, that the villagers didn’t think Arg drew the monsters, and second, that they seemed to be accepting him and the others in his tribe.

They were the most recent outsiders to come to the village. They weren’t treated cruelly or avoided, but neither had the wall between them completely disappeared. But seeing them like this, it seemed like in the near future—perhaps once they got through this battle together—there would be no chasm between them. Ironically, combat was the best way to strengthen their bonds.

It was precisely because Arg felt that wall directly that his passion to fight was so strong. He was aiming to improve his group’s standing by contributing to the village. Even in human society, the ones who took initiative and shed blood were respected. Considering that the position in that society of all their tribe mates hinged on their performance in this battle, the determination of Arg and his comrades was understandable.

“Nfi, I have a favor to ask you.” Enri moved next to him and whispered in his ear.

“Ooh—er, could you back up a bit for a second? Mm-hmm, okay. Got it. In that case… There’s something I want your group to do, Arg. I’m going to give you these alchemical items, so I want you to put them to good use.”

Nfirea opened his bag and showed them a bunch of bottles and paper packages.

“Throw them at the enemy. You won’t be able to hit them from too far away, so it’ll only be useful in medium-range combat, but… Can you do that?”

“Leave it to us! We got this!”

As if he had been waiting for Arg to take the bag, the voice of a goblin in the watchtower sounded. “Those guys out there are on the move! No doubt about it. They’re headed for the village!”

If they strained their ears, they could hear the savage growls of various monsters on the wind.

“Okay, self-defense squad, get ready! Be careful, boss lady! You, too, boss man!”

“Yep! Got it. Please don’t let anyone die!”

“You can count on me! Let’s go, Enri.”

Enri ran off with Nfirea as an escort. They were going to make a round of all the houses to make sure there were no villagers who hadn’t been warned about the situation.

After seeing off Enri, the goblins transitioned into battle mode.

“First, self-defense squad members, ple— Get into position. Make sure the enemy is in range!”

Naturally, they couldn’t aim directly through the wall at the monsters on the other side. To hit a target they couldn’t see would require an indirect shot, but these novices couldn’t manage something so complicated. It would have taken too long to train them to that level, so the goblin instructors decided to have them specialize in one thing—mastering a sense for how to land arrows right on the other side of the gate. In other words, the goblins had the volunteers practice figuring out how much strength to use at a specific angle to draw their bows in a way that would drop arrows in the correct spot. It was an exercise that wouldn’t be useful anywhere but that one location, but it was probably fairly efficient training, since it allowed them to conduct one-sided attacks if they could expect enemies to come to break down the gate.

The cries of the monsters drew nearer, and a booming shock echoed through the gate. The adjacent walls vibrated.

“Okay! Targets are in range! Suppress them!”

“Loose!”

In response to Jugemu’s shout, two goblin archers up in the watchtower—Shuuringan and Guurindai—began loosing their shots. As long as they had a clear shot, the goblins with “archer” in their name wouldn’t miss. Screams of pain went up from the other side of the gate.

The self-defense squad, engulfed in the virtually rumbling combat atmosphere, trembled in fear and anxiety.

Then Jugemu shouted, “Self-defense squad members shouldn’t be loosing their arrows yet! Bows down till I give the order!”

The reason they weren’t attacking even though enemies were in the range they had practiced for could be understood by anyone who saw the watchtower in the next instant.

Someone was lobbing rocks at it from over the wall. Each one was larger than a human head.

Most of them missed, but bad luck had it that one did hit, and the whole tower swayed.

“We’ve got stone lobbers! They seem to have more shots!”

“Each one has about three stones, so we can expect around twenty-one— Whoa!”

Another stone connected and broke a plank in the upper part of the watchtower.

If the self-defense squad attacked, the stones would probably go flying at them, too. Granted, the chance of receiving a direct hit was extremely slim, since they were in a position that shielded them from the enemy’s line of sight. But if they were unlucky, one impact would definitely be enough to kill any one of them. Even a stone retaining its momentum and rolling through their lines could cause serious injuries.

The battle looked like it would be a long one. Choosing not to have the self-defense squad fight was the safe, conservative strategy, but it was also a sign of Jugemu’s determination to not let anyone die.

“You thought if you threw stones we’d get scared and stop shooting? You thought wrong!” Guurindai shouted and bravely aimed his bow again amid the flying stones. All the self-defense squad members’ eyes were pinned on him as he fearlessly retaliated despite the serious risk of injury he faced.

But Jugemu wasn’t watching that. He scanned the battlefield and spotted a new enemy. “Kyuumei! Get the snake that’s climbin’ up the left-hand wall! You can take him on yer own, right?”

“No problem, Leader. Leave it to me!”

Kyuumei, who had been on standby in the rear, raced on his wolf over to where the snake was now visible coming over the wall.

“Fifteen! Sixteen! Hang in there a little longer, you two!” shouted Jugemu.

They didn’t even need to be told. The prowess of the pair of archers standing in the now-leaning watchtower remained as sharp as ever. If they had abandoned the tower, the position would have crumbled sooner, but their hard work drew the lobbed stones in its direction, rendering them pointless. When Jugemu looked left, Kyuumei was prevailing in his fight with the snake.

Once the half-destroyed watchtower began leaning so badly that Shuuringan and Guurindai couldn’t hold out any longer, they jumped down. The pair didn’t stop on impact but rolled across the ground.

“Self-defense squad, prepare to loose!”

The squad raised their bows.

“Deep breaths! In! Out! In! Draw!”

The same shouts as usual gave the self-defense squad the illusion, for just a moment, that this was a drill. They could forget the screaming creaks of the wood and move almost identically to the way they did during practice.

“Loose!”

Fourteen arrows flew neatly through the air, curving in identical arcs. They disappeared over the wall, and the screams of monsters could be heard.

Arg whispered an impressed “Amazing,” but Jugemu didn’t have time to pay attention to him.

“Prepare yer second shot! Don’t rush! Deep breaths! In! Out! In! Draw!”

Shuuringan and Guurindai, who had received healing magic, lined up alongside the self-defense squad.

“Loose!”

Another fourteen arrows flew. And two more a beat later. A howl of rage went up again, and the shrieking of the gate grew even louder. It seemed the enemies’ anger and pain were being converted into power.

“Fall back! Change gear!”

All at once the self-defense squad moved behind the fence located inside the main gate. The sturdy barrier would block the path of anyone who penetrated the first defense. It was set up in an L shape, and it funneled the enemies straight toward the waiting ogres and the goblins under Jugemu. For the invaders, it was after they broke through the gate that things would become truly deadly.

“Any casters should get out of the direct line of fire!”

“Leader!”

“What is it, Arg?”

“In the items from boss man, there’s an adhesive. Where should I spread it?”

“Won’t it get sucked up by the dirt?!”

“He said it will but that ya can just assume it’ll last for a short amount of time!”

“I see. Then find an opening to throw it at the base of the blocked gate!”

Arg took his tribe mates and moved out with a curt “Understood.” As they prepared, the rider returned from defeating the snake. The cleric rushed over and healed his wounds.

With a ker-blam, one side of the gate burst open. The first to surge in were the enemy ogres.

“Heh-heh, ya brainless morons.” Jugemu sneered. Ya made a big mistake.

The way that only one door broke was actually part of the village’s plan. If one side broke, the enemy would probably just charge in rather than try to break the other side, especially if they were being shot at. But the opening was narrow, so they couldn’t all enter at once, leaving quite a few stuck with nowhere to go. Meanwhile the village had soldiers stationed along the L fence and could attack all at once.

“Stay hi to our deadly battle formation!”

The ally ogres had an advantage in their fistfights with the enemy ogres due to their slightly better gear, and the self-defense squad supported them with spears. Volleys from the archers and the mage, as well as alchemical items from Arg, flew toward the ogres who were trying to break down the inner fence. Other beasts were looking for gaps to jump into the fray, but the goblins held them at bay.

The villagers had a definite advantage. The riders were on reserve in the rear. If the enemy didn’t have any casters, victory was certain. But then—

“What’s that?!” There was dread in Jugemu’s stifled shout. “Is that a troll?”

A giant, clearly different from an ogre but just as big, was approaching with peculiar, awkward movements. In its hands it clutched a huge sword with a strange aura about it.

Did the slimy liquid running from the groove down the center of the blade to its edge have magical power?

“Is this their boss…? Could it be…the Giant of the East?”

Once it crossed his mind, it made sense. Its tough flesh was trained like steel, and while it resembled trolls Jugemu had seen, it also looked like something completely different. He could understand how it would be on par with the magical beast he’d once seen.

Even one troll was formidable enough that they would have to throw everyone they had at it. How hard of a fight would they have against a monster that seemed even stronger?

“Then…”

Jugemu wondered what to do.

They had no chance of winning. The best move would be to protect Enri and run. She would be completely opposed to it, but they would have to use force if it came down to that.

“…No, that’s not our best move. It’s our worst move and our last resort,” he spat. “…Men, we’re going to die. Abandon any comfy ideas like falling back. We’re going to sear our bravery into the eyes of everyone here!”

A battle cry full of the goblins’ fighting spirit went up, and for a moment, the enemies in the area seemed overwhelmed and froze.

“Let’s go! Show them yer power as one of boss lady Enri’s followers!”

Enri breathed a sigh of relief; she and Nfirea had been around the village once but found no one. Just then she could make out the sound of something breaking from the direction of the main gate. Then she heard a chorus of screams and a heavy bass sound that made her guts vibrate.

The monsters must have broken down the gate. The battle must have started. Enri swallowed the bile that threatened to come up. A bitter taste spread from her throat through her mouth, but she ignored it and looked at Nfirea.

“Nfi. We should be at the gate, too.”

“I understand, but don’t you think it would be better for you to go reassure the people in the meeting hall?” His words contained the nuance so you won’t be in the way.

Enri had trained with a bow, but at the point the gate was broken down, they should have already transitioned to fighting with spears. Even if she went now, there honestly wasn’t much she could do.

“I can’t do that. I was chosen as headwoman because I can command the goblins, because I’m powerful. It’s probably the right move to withdraw, but at least this time, I just can’t.”

She had to show them, at least once, that she could fight out in front.

Perhaps acknowledging the strength in her eyes, Nfirea parted his bangs to reveal a serious expression and agreed. “Yeah, you’re right. Got it. I’ll protect you.”

At the sight of the brave, earnest look on his face, not at all characteristic of her longtime friend, Enri felt her heart do something unfamiliar.

“Hmm? What is it, Enri? I may not be as magnificent as Sir Gown, but I won’t die before you.”

“…Don’t say ‘die.’”

“Oh, sorry… Umm…umm…”

Recognizing his usual inability to come up with something to say, Enri smiled.

“Let’s go, Nfi!”

“Oh, uh, yeah! Let’s. We don’t have time to stand around talking.”

The two of them took off running for the main gate. They had come all the way to the back gate, so even if they sprinted at full speed, it would still take some time to get there. If they arrived out of breath, they wouldn’t be able to fight right away and would only be in the way in a clash, so they moved at a pace that saved a bit of energy.

But they ended up running for only a few seconds.

An awful noise froze them in their tracks.

When they turned around, something was partially visible at the top of the back gate.

The shapes were huge, and strange, and so unlike what a human’s looked like that, for a moment, Enri and Nfirea couldn’t figure out what they were staring at, but they were fingers. A hand had grabbed the top of the thirteen-foot gate.

Shocked like they’d been punched in the head, the pair scrambled into the shadow of a house.

“What is that thing? A giant?”

“I don’t know! B—” Without finishing, Nfirea gasped, mouth agape.

Enri quickly looked to the back gate and made exactly the same expression.

Something was slowly climbing over, and there was no way it was human.

“That’s not a troll, is it?”

At Nfirea’s breathless question, Enri took a hard look at the monster.

“That?”

“It’s the first time I’m seeing one, but it looks just like the stories I’ve heard. If it’s really a troll, we’re in trouble… Adventurers have to be at least gold rank to fight them. Honestly, it might be tough for Jugemu and the goblins.”

So it was stronger than the strongest person in the village. Enri felt all the blood drain out of her face.

The troll began looking around the area, snorting.

Enri was pulled farther into the shadows. Then a hand went over her mouth, and she heard a low voice whispering in her ear.

“Enri, trolls have good noses. Right now, we’re downwind, so I think we’re fine, but it’s too soon to relax. We should try to get away from here…and meet up with the goblins.”

Enri replied into Nfirea’s ear. “No, Nfi! If this thing goes to the front gate now, they’ll be pincered and everyone will die!”

“Ah, you might be right. But what can we—?”

“We’re the only ones here, so we have to stop it.”

From a gap in Nfirea’s bangs, his eyes said he thought she was crazy. And Enri knew what she was saying sounded outrageous, but there was no other way.

“We don’t have to defeat or kill it. We just have to buy some time. Nfi, help me out.”

“How are we going to buy time? You mean we try to keep it here? I could fight it, but…I doubt I would survive even a single hit.” There was a quiet resolve in his voice.

In response, Enri told him her plan to trick the troll. “I have an idea. First, let’s make an ogre.”

The troll looked at the wooden houses for a little while and then began to move.

Every dwelling had the mellow scent of humans, but he knew it was only lingering traces. Confirming there were no other nearby smells, he started walking in the direction of the fighting clamor. The sounds of his brother’s battle made saliva pool in his mouth—because they made him think about the humans who were surely there.

Nice, tender humans were a rare feast.

Even among trolls, he was a bit of a gourmand, and he loved the meaty arms and legs while preferring to pass on the bitter bellies. As a result, it was hard for him to eat his fill without enough prey, but it seemed like there was plenty here.

His stride lengthened as he began to drool.

But then he stopped and looked around—more precisely, he eyed the shadows of the houses.

Ogres.

He smelled ogres.

The troll frowned. There were ogres among his brethren, but these smelled a little bit different; he didn’t recognize them. The scent surrounded him from the shadows of the houses.

Of course, the reason he could distinguish the odor to that degree was not that he had the keen nose of a dog but that since he had ogre comrades, he had learned the scent of their race. So he wasn’t able to figure out how many there were.

And something puzzled him. There was a mysterious scent in the air as well. It was like the green smell of trampled herbs but much stronger.

Are the ogres slathered in mashed-up herbs? With the question still on his mind, he wondered what to do. The smell was so pungent it seemed like his eyes were going to tear up. The ogres must have stuffy noses if they can stand this.

He could take them head-on. Trolls were stronger than ogres. But that didn’t mean he would get through it unscathed, and it didn’t mean it would be a short fight.

Since the troll possessed a racial regeneration ability, his wounds would gradually heal, but it was bad to lose time. His ogre friends would eat up all the humans.

Surely his opponents were spread out so they could all jump him at once if he went straight for a fight.

Satisfied that he had seen through their scheme, the troll started going around them.

His goal was to annihilate them as quickly as possible. So perhaps now, while they were scattered, was his chance. He could just start with one on the edge and pick them off individually.

As he was moving slowly so as not to make any noise, a tiny shadow suddenly darted out from one of the houses.

It wasn’t a goblin or some other creature like that but his favorite food—a human.

As he was frozen in shock, the caped human came and splashed him with something.

“Oograhhhhh!” The sharp stench made him scream. The green liquid he’d been hit with gave off such a violent stink he all but wanted to rip off his nose. It was several times stronger than the herb smell hanging around the ogres.

He may have had regenerative powers, but this wasn’t an injury. With tears in his eyes from the intolerable smell, he tried to kick the human, but it had already raced into a house.

The reason that he, with his keen sense of smell, had let it sneak up on him was that the stench of the herbs had overpowered the human scent.

Though angered, the troll returned to his original target. First, he’d kill the ogres, then he’d have the human for dessert.

The furious troll searched around the houses but couldn’t find any ogres. There was no one; it was as if they had all disappeared.

“Grrrr, where are they?”

Ogres were smaller than him, but they were still huge, yet he scanned the area and saw nothing. If anything that large moved, he should have caught it in his peripheral vision. Are the ogres invisible like my master? Confused by this incomprehensible turn of events, the troll snorted.

Still, the intense herb smell on his body got in his way, so he had no idea where the ogre smell was coming from.

“Grrrrr.” With a groan, the troll used a hand to wipe at the liquid, but that only made his hand smell.

Just then he discovered a piece of cloth on the ground. Figuring he could clean up with that, he grabbed it and brought it to his nose out of curiosity. His nose wasn’t working so well, but up close he could somewhat detect the smell.

It smelled like an ogre. At that point, even the troll could figure out what was going on. I must have thought there was an ogre here because of this fabric covered in ogre scent.

That couldn’t be a coincidence.

“Human!” the troll roared and scanned the area. No humans to be found. So it had to be in the house still.

Clenching his fist with rage, he smashed it into the building. After pounding a few times, the roof caved in.

I’m going to tear it to pieces, thought the troll as he chased the human that flew out of the house in a panic.

The troll chasing her meant the plan was working, so she could only be thankful, but she still wanted to cry. This can’t be good for my heart. What village girl wouldn’t be on the verge of tears if she had to play tag with a huge man-eating monster, where being caught meant ending up in its stomach?

The other thing that made her want to cry was that she didn’t know when this game of tag would end. When she thought about how long she would have to keep at it, the will to continue running to the very end welled up inside her, but every time she worried about when the battle at the front gate would be over and whether everyone knew they were being chased around, her spirit flagged.

Enri regretted taking so long to prep that neither she nor Nfirea had been able to report to the front gate.

She dove desperately into the house where Nfirea was waiting. Then her friend, wearing a matching hooded cape, ran out the back door. As she waited with bated breath to see if their opponent would get caught in her trap, the troll chased after Nfirea without seeming to realize he was a different person.

Panting, Enri happily clasped her hands together.

There was a clear gap between trolls’ and humans’ stamina, stride, and strength, meaning a single person being chased would definitely get caught; her idea was to even up the battle of attrition by trading places and taking turns resting without their opponent realizing. One objective was to buy time, but they also didn’t want to let the troll reach the meeting hall where all the villagers were gathered.

The issue was how to make it seem like there was only one person. How did trolls tell humans apart? If a troll spent a lot of time observing humans, surely they would learn to discern some differences, but what if that wasn’t the case? What she relied on was disguising their appearances, focusing especially on their clothes. That’s why they both wore the same rain cape.

Then they employed herb juice to neutralize the troll’s sensitive nose.

Enri had set two traps for the monster’s sense of smell—stopping the troll in its tracks with the lingering odor of the ogres and then covering up their human scent with the herbs.

Having finally caught her breath, she began moving stealthily toward the next house.

Once she entered the dark interior, she quietly checked on the situation outside. As the heavy thudding approached, Nfirea, looking frantic, dove into the house. At the right timing, Enri leaped out the back door she had just come in.

She set off running but quickly realized the troll wasn’t coming after her.

It was looking between her and the house, snorting. Its ugly face warped further. She could sort of tell it seemed full of suspicion.

Icy sweat ran down her neck. She absentmindedly wiped it away with the back of her hand, but at the wet sensation, it hit her. “…Its nose adapted?”

The troll seemed to have gotten used to the herbs, noticed something off about the sweat it was smelling, and came to the conclusion that there were actually two humans.

It raised its fist and smashed the roof of the house. Nfirea came tumbling out, but he stopped and didn’t seem like he was going to run. “Enri! You escape! I’ll buy you time!”

“You idiot! We should go together!”

“It’ll definitely catch up to us! Using a house as a shield won’t matter!”

Enri’s eyes widened and Nfirea laughed.

“I’m the stronger one, so if I act as the bait, we have a better chance of surviving!” He cast a spell, and a glow enveloped his body.

What he said made sense, so Enri was at a loss for words. Nfirea seemed to laugh.

“Let me protect the lady I love!”

Nfirea turned to the savagely grimacing monster and pointed at himself with a thumb. “If you wanna play, then play with me! C’mon! Acid Arrow!” A green arrow flew at the troll after he shouted some uncharacteristic taunts. The moment it connected, steam rose as the sound of sizzling filled the air. Of course, the troll’s roar of pain was multiple times louder.

The troll fixed its wild eyes on Nfirea. It didn’t seem to be paying any attention to Enri anymore.

“Hurry up and go! Get help!”

It was even more foolish to stand around doing nothing.

“Stay safe!” With those parting words, Enri set off running.

The troll didn’t seem to be coming after her.

Honestly, there was no chance of him surviving. There was an insurmountable gap in their stats. Nfirea didn’t stand a chance against a monster only gold-rank adventurers could fight.

Lasting even a minute would be praiseworthy—that’s how hopeless the battle was.

“Yeah, I’m definitely gonna die.”

Nfirea smiled wryly at the troll, which was cautiously on the move.

Regeneration didn’t work on wounds from acid or fire. Nfirea had trumped the troll’s greatest ability, so that’s probably why it was on guard, but its worry was misplaced. If the troll just leaped at him like normal, it would surely win, so all Nfirea could do was laugh.

“Well, it works in my favor. Hypnotism!”

There was no change in the troll’s hostile attitude. It seemed to be resistant to the spell.

When it realized its opponent was casting magic, it charged.

The sight of the hulking figure drawing nearer as Nfirea watched was nightmarish.

“I would have been able to last a little longer if it had worked… Am I that unlucky? Too bad…”

Nfirea felt discouraged. He had no chance of winning; he knew he’d gone beyond brave to reckless, but still—

I have to buy more time for Enri.

—that thought moved him.

When he saw the troll before him raise its left arm, he dashed forward and to the left. Inspired to escape his impossible situation, he dove for the safety at the end of the most dangerous path. He felt the whoosh of the fist striking down behind him blow through his hair and a wall-like leg coming at him.

His field of vision spun. From inside his body, he heard noises like snapping branches.

He crashed into the ground and tumbled across it like a piece of trash.

Pain coursed through his body. Rather than an acute pain, it was more pain than he had ever felt in his entire life.

“B-but it’s amazing that I’m alive. I’m so awesome…” It was thanks to the defensive magic he had cast, plus the fact that the troll had kicked at him from an unstable posture. Stabbing pains assailed him when he coughed, but he stood and cast a spell. “Acid Arrow.”

The troll was about to follow up with another attack but stopped in its tracks. It was wary of the acid scorch on the ground at its feet.

Yes, exactly what I wanted.

His objective was to buy time. If his opponent hesitated to attack out of wariness, he would be happy for it to stay wary forever.

Besides, the next attack would surely kill him.

“…It hurts. I don’t wanna die…” He whimpered in spite of himself.

That’s life.

No one wanted to admit it, but there came a time for everyone when they had no other choice. For Nfirea, that time was now.

I’m going to die here. I am, without a doubt, going to die right now.

He wanted to run away. If he ran with all his might, maybe he could get away. But if he did that, how horrible of a tragedy would ensue?

He thought of Enri.

It was because he had her that he could fight like this.

“Well, I told her, so I guess it’s… No. I don’t want to die without hearing her answer…”

He figured he couldn’t get the troll closing in to understand the heart of a boy in love.

Buying time was now impossible.

For some reason, he was able to read exactly what the troll was thinking from its hideous expression. The monster was prepared to sustain damage in order to kill him. In that case—

“Acid Arrow!”

The most he could do was leave it a little worse for wear for whoever came to fight it after him.

The troll’s face twisted up with the burning pain, and it raised a fist. Already in so much pain he could barely stand, Nfirea had no idea how to block it.

“Please hurry!”

Three goblins led by Enri rushed to Nfirea’s aid.

The reason they’d met up wasn’t that Enri had reached the front gate. Since Nfirea and Enri hadn’t come back, and mysterious screaming could be heard from the rear, their leader had split his already meager force and dispatched three troops.

If I had sat tight a little longer, they would have arrived regardless. The thought filled her to bursting with guilt.

They had just a little bad luck.

If it weren’t for that—

“Over there!” Enri was pointing at Nfirea. Before him, the troll was raising its fist.

They wouldn’t reach him. The distance was too great.

He would get hit with the troll’s pounding fist, a blow strong enough to break a house. His death was certain.

In the darkness of her closed eyes, Enri heard the goblins gasp. It was an indication of their shock.

The reaction struck her as out of place, so she cautiously opened her eyes and—

“Yeesh, your health bar’s in the red there. Are you okay?”

—saw a beautiful woman holding a huge weapon.

Lupusregina had thrust her huge sigil-shaped weapon out from the side and blocked the troll’s fist. Considering how thick and huge the arm was, it seemed impossible, but it was neither a dream nor an illusion.

“Hokay, I’ll take this guy. You’re hurt pretty badly, huh, Nfi? Heal!”

The troll took a step back as if it couldn’t comprehend what it was seeing. Well, it was only natural, since a mysterious person had appeared out of nowhere and blocked its full-powered blow. Maybe it thought she was some sort of magic being.

With a dazed expression, Nfirea turned his back to the troll and began walking. He was utterly unguarded, but the troll didn’t attack. No, it couldn’t, because that would entail ignoring the one standing in its way.

“Nfi!” Enri squeezed him.

“Ohh, it’s you.”

His hazy response, spoken as if from a dream, alerted her to how critical his condition was. They had managed to snatch him from the jaws of death, but his psychological shock was surely critical.

“I’m glad you’re okay!”

“You too.”

Enri felt something warm returning to her heart, replacing the cold she’d felt when she thought Nfirea would die.

“I’m really glad you’re okay!” She hugged him hard.

“You too.”

His hands went around her, hugging her back. It was a tight embrace but comfortable.

Her tears overflowed and ran down her cheeks.

“What’s wrong?”

“Idiot!”

“Sorry to bug ya while you’re flirtin’, but…”

They both let go simultaneously. Though a little sad about that, she turned to Lupusregina. “Lupusregina! The troll—” Shifting her gaze, she saw something that defied description.

“Oh yeah. He’s that raw-hamburger-lookin’ thing over there. Just gotta grill him up, and he’s done.”

In the direction her bloody holy staff was pointing, there was a gory lump of meat on the ground. There was nothing to show that it had once been a troll. The sight of it trying to regenerate was beyond horrifying and made Enri feel sick.

“Ahh, I’m glad you’re both all right. Seems like the other guys did okay, too.”

Enri heard the voices of the other goblins coming their way. It sounded like the fight by the front gate had ended in victory.

“Hup.”

A red column like fire raining out of the sky enveloped the troll, and the stink of burning flesh filled the air.

“That’s it for the troll. Anyhow, my work here is done, so I’m gonna head back. Nfi, Lord Ainz highly praises your work on the purple potion and would like to invite ya to his house, so ya better prepare yourself! Er, I mean, look forward to it!”

As if she’d said everything she wanted to say, she turned on her heel and headed for the back gate.

“Thank you!”

The eccentric maid neither turned around nor stopped at Enri’s shout but just waved a hand.

“Boss lady, boss man. We’ll lead everyone over here. Please rest.”

The goblins ran off without listening for a reply. Enri thought they could have left at least one behind, but she was more worried about Nfirea, so she lent him a shoulder as they walked.

“Phew…” Their sighs overlapped coincidentally. Then they both looked up at the stars at almost exactly the same time.

“She saved us.”

“Yeah.”

“We were lucky.”

“Yeah.”

“I never want to do anything like this ever again.”

“Yeah.”

Silence fell between them. Then Enri suddenly remembered something. “I don’t know if I love you or not, but I don’t want you to go away anywhere.”

“…Mm-hmm… Yeah.”

“Does that mean I love you?”

“…I dunno. But if it does, I’m glad.”

Enri and Nfirea waited for the goblins shoulder to shoulder while quietly gazing up at the night sky…

Epilogue

“Boss lady, looks like yer ready.” That was Jugemu’s remark to Enri when he came into her house and saw her.

“Yeah, but…you don’t think I look weird?” Enri asked, staring at the figure she cut in her best clothes, the ones she wore only for the harvest festival and other celebrations.

“Nothing weird about ya at all, right, boss man?”

“Yeah, you look pretty, Enri.”

“Agh!” Enri blushed and saw Jugemu and Nemu grinning out of the corner of her eye. Their smiles were more wicked than warm.

She was of a mind to say a word or two to them about those expressions, which had been appearing more frequently as her relationship with Nfirea progressed. At the same time, she wisely knew that her face would only become redder if she tried, so she kept her mouth shut.

Still, leaving them like that was dangerous. Especially Nemu.

Sometimes her sister asked her questions she had a hard time answering.

I feel like she’s developed an awful lot mentally over the past few days… I should let Nfirea rescue me here…

Catching her pleading glance for assistance, her boyfriend chimed in.

“Uh, ahem! By the way, how’s it going with the magic sword? Last time I asked it sounded like you were having trouble because it was different from other swords you had used.”

The greatsword Jugemu carried was a magical blade he had acquired in the attack a few days ago.

“I finally got used to the weight and center of gravity, so I can use it as well as my other swords now. As ya might expect of a magic weapon, it’s sharper and whatnot. However, it’s a bit lame that the poison running down the groove only lowers yer opponent’s strength.”

“Really? It sounds like an amazing effect.”

“It’s not very strong poison. At our level, we can mostly resist it. If it only affects weaker enemies, it’s not very…” Jugemu looked a bit gloomy all of a sudden.

“What’s wrong?”

“Well…” Jugemu looked up at the ceiling and then reluctantly spoke. “The troll that had this sword… It just seemed strange.”

“When I saw the corpse, it did seem different from a normal troll, like maybe a subspecies.”

“No, I don’t mean like that, boss man… The way it moved, the dysfunctional regeneration ability, the feel of cutting into it… It was strange… Yeah, I got this eerie feeling it was already dead but still moving around.”

“A moving corpse? You’re saying it was a zombie?”

“I don’t know. That sort of troll could exis—”

“Heyyy, sorry I’m late!”

The door burst open.

Lupusregina walked right into Enri’s house, sun at her back. As if to speak for everyone who had been caught off guard, a light smack sounded from her head.

“Ah, ow!”

“You dolt. Is that any way to behave? Please excuse us, everyone.”

Yanking Lupusregina, who was pressing a hand to her head, behind her, the woman who had been in the rear stepped in front of the door and bowed.

“I am Lord Ainz’s maid, Yuri Alpha. I’ve come to collect Master Nfirea, Miss Enri, and Miss Nemu. May I come in?”

“Oh yes, please do. Uh, you too, Lupusregina.”

The woman thanking them as she entered with Lupusregina was another heavenly beauty.

“Now then, if you’re ready, I’ll make the preparations to teleport us.”

“T-teleport? You can teleport?!” Nfirea shouted.

Enri had no idea why he was shouting, but she figured teleporting must be a big deal.

I guess it was amazing that time the captain of the Royal Select and his men teleported, too.

“Oh no. It’s not my own power but that of a magic item Lord Ainz lent to me.”

“…The horn and the potions… It’s all so amazing. It’s just so incredible that I can’t really take it all in.” Nfirea’s shoulders slumped.

Enri realized she had the chance to ask something she’d wanted to know for a while and said, “Umm, is it really okay for me to go? And my sister?”

Today Nfirea was invited to the house of the village’s savior, Ainz Ooal Gown, but she’d been anxious ever since she heard it was probably fine for her to go along. Sir Gown was an immensely powerful caster, essentially from a different world than the one she lived in. Her stomach threatened to cramp whenever she wondered if she would accidentally do something rude.

“It’s totally cool. This is to celebrate the potion Nfi made, so Lord Ainz said it’s fine for you to come along, since you’re his girl. You don’t gotta fret over manners or etiquette.”

“…Lupu, please do something about that mouth of yours.”

“Aw, Yuri, s’fine, isn’t it? They’re my friends, right, En?”

“Huh? Y-yeah. Yes. You’re right, mm-hmm.”

The maid named Yuri sighed and walked over to the wall. Suddenly a big wooden frame appeared as if she had pulled it out of thin air. It was like an ornately carved picture frame large enough for people to pass through.

“Is that…Pocket Space? No, I don’t think you can put such big items in that, so it must be some more advanced magic…”

“Okay, please enter. Lupu, can I leave guarding this place up to you?”

“Yep!”

On the other side of the frame should have been the familiar wall, but instead it opened onto an unknown world.

Yuri led the way through to the other side.

Nfirea went next. Enri followed a moment later, and then Nemu, who was holding her hand.

There was no resistance as they crossed over, and they found themselves in a magnificent hallway lined on both sides with statues that seemed liable to start moving at any moment.

“Wowww.” Sighing in admiration, Nemu’s mouth gaped, and she craned her neck back to look up at the ceiling.

Supporting her so she wouldn’t fall, Enri looked up, too. “Fantastic…”

The hallway’s marble floor was polished to perfection and covered with a gorgeous rug. A bit astounded, Enri thought this must be what it was like inside the royal palace.

“This way.”

Yuri’s voice brought her to her senses, and she ran to catch up with the other two, but running seemed so out of place that she slowed to a trot.

After they walked a short distance, they came upon another frame in the wall. It was like the one from before except for two things. First, it was many times larger than the other one—several people could walk abreast and pass through without a problem. Second, they couldn’t see through to the other side; there was something covering the frame, like a thin film, radiating the colors of a rainbow.

“Please proceed through this one just like the last one.”

Enri and Nfirea exchanged glances.

“Okay, want to go together?”

They held hands. Lined up—Nemu, Enri, Nfirea, from left to right—they stepped into the frame.

For just an instant, Enri thought she saw a woman wearing red on the bottom and white on top standing among falling pink blossoms—

“Welcome.”

A chorus of perfectly synchronized voices greeted them.

This was a hallway even more gorgeous than the last. Beautiful maids had lined up along either side. In the very back stood a figure wearing a strange mask and a robe such a deep raven black that it seemed to suck in the light. It was the caster who had saved their village, Ainz Ooal Gown.

Enri stood there blankly with her mouth hanging open.

A glittering chandelier hung from the ceiling, and there was not so much as a speck of dust on the white floor.

The lovely women lining the splendid hall seemed to have come from a fantasy world.

As she was standing, dazed, in this dream world, Enri felt Nemu suddenly let go of her hand. It registered hazily in a corner of her mind, but in the next instant she was jerked back to reality.

Nemu had taken off running.

“Wow! Wow! Awesome!” she shouted, racing around at top speed. She sprinted past the maids and over to where Ainz was.

The sight must have been too much for her to handle, so she couldn’t contain herself as she went on a giddy rampage.

“Wooooow! Amazing!”

“Nemu! Get back here!”

Enri ran after her a moment later. Her sister’s incredibly rude behavior turned her entire body into a fountain of sweat.

But this place, lined with beautiful maids, was like a holy sanctuary. Enri didn’t feel as though a village girl like herself should be racing around. Her legs expressed her contradictory thoughts directly and ended up moving with a gait like a dying frog.

While Enri was herking and jerking, Nemu had no trouble reaching the village’s savior.

“…Is it really that amazing?”

“Yeah! It’s way too amazing!”

“I see. So it’s amazing, huh…? Well, yes, I suppose it is…” Ainz slowly reached his hand out and gently caressed Nemu’s head.

“This is where I live. It’s great, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, really great! Did you build it, Sir Gown?”

“Ha-ha-ha-ha. Yes, that’s right. I built it with my friends.”

“Wow! Your friends are great, too!”

“Hah! Ha-ha-ha-ha!”

Cheerful laughter echoed throughout the corridor.

Then Enri and Nfirea finally, nervously reached them. Enri grabbed Nemu’s hand with a squeeze and the nuance that she wouldn’t let her go again.

“We are humbled and honored by your invitation! Thank you very much!”

“Oh, you don’t need to be so formal. We’re here to celebrate the creation of your new potion. I do hope you can relax.”

“My humble apologies, Sir Gown, for my little sister Nemu’s rudeness.”

“It’s really nothing to worry about. She was moved by the sight of my home, right? In that case, it’s my fault, isn’t it?” Ainz replied in good humor. “Let’s see… The plan was to hear from Nfirea, but… Nemu. What do you think? Would you like to take a tour of the house that I—no, my friends and I—built?”

“Yeah! I wanna see! Please show me your awesome mansion!”

“Ha-ha-ha. Okay, okay. I’ll show you all sorts of things.”

Ainz seemed to be in such a good mood that Enri couldn’t say a word.

Ainz told Enri he wanted her to wait in the sitting room while he showed Nemu around, so she sat lightly on the sofa.

Like a little animal that had been kidnapped from its nest, she glanced around nervously at her surroundings. Sitting next to her—though there was plenty of room, they sat huddled together—was Nfirea, who was so on edge that he also seemed like a frightened animal.

Enri had already known that the savior of the village, the great caster Ainz Ooal Gown, was an amazing person, but her imagination hadn’t gone far enough.

She felt like she’d wandered into a storybook world where a princess would appear; everything was so glittering and dreamlike.

Above the fireplace on the left and right hung glass birds that seemed liable to fly away at any second. If I broke one of these I’d probably never be able to pay him back even if I worked my whole life…

The sofa she was sitting on was pristine, and she worried the dirt from her clothes would get on it.

The light shining down from the first chandelier Enri had ever seen in her life was neither torchlight nor candlelight but magic. She seemed to remember there being a chandelier at the Adventurers Guild in E-Rantel, but it hadn’t been lit, and it wasn’t as grand as this one.

All the furnishings were tasteful and of excellent quality, especially the impressively solid ebony lacquered table sitting in front of her. Even if she didn’t know the prices of these sorts of things, she could tell they were extraordinarily expensive.

The painting on the wall was so detailed it was as if the artist had taken a beautiful live woman and covered her in paint.

She wondered if it was really all right for them to walk in their shoes on the carpet. It was so soft she wondered if she should lift up her feet as she sat on the couch and try to minimize their contact.

Enri was so nervous she thought she might collapse.

“Maybe we should have gone with them.”

Ainz had opposed it, but now Enri’s stomach was doing somersaults worrying about Nemu being on her own.

“I hope she’s not causing trouble for him…”

“I’m sure she’s fine. Sir Ainz is a very understanding man. I don’t think he’ll be bothered just because a little kid does something rude.”

“Mm, but you know, I heard making a noble angry can get you killed…”

“I’ve heard those stories, but I’ve never seen it happen. E-Rantel is directly under the king’s jurisdiction, so no nobles have flown off the handle there that I can remember… Is Sir Gown a noble?”

“You don’t think so? I’m pretty sure only a noble would be powerful enough to have such splendid rooms and collect such pretty maids.”

“Hmm… I wonder. I don’t think even nobles can get maids that pretty…”

Enri’s eyebrows stealthily tilted to a dangerous angle.

Although she’d called the maids pretty, too, it was uncomfortable to hear it from Nfirea. Just as she rolled her eyes to glare at him, they heard a knock.

“Eep!”

She jumped, and since Nfirea was so close they were touching, it spread to him, and his whole body shuddered.

The knock sounded again. As Enri thought frantically about what she was being asked to do, Nfirea spoke. “Uh, umm, please come in.”

“Excuse my intrusion.”

As Enri was falling in love with Nfirea all over again for the coolheadedness that had led him to the correct answer, a maid came in pushing a silver service cart. It was a pretty woman wearing an immaculate maid uniform that even an amateur could tell was well tailored. On her face was a gentle smile, but Enri’s mind was seized by the worry that the moment she looked at them, she would suddenly scowl furiously and say, Wh-what have you done?!

“I’ve brought you something to drink.”

“Th-that’s okay!”

The maid was momentarily caught off guard by Enri’s hasty reply. She shifted her eyes to Nfirea and then looked back at Enri. “…Oh, are you sure?”

“Y-yes.”

Enri’s stiff nervousness and Nfirea’s timidity must have conveyed their feelings to her. With a genuinely kind smile, she sat next to Enri, who was paralyzed with nerves. She put a friendly hand on her shoulder.

“Lady Emmott, please don’t be so nervous. You and Master Baleare are our guests. All you need to do is relax while you wait.”

“B-but…I just think what would happen if I accidentally broke something…”

“Not to worry. You could break any of the things here, and Lord Ainz wouldn’t be upset.”

“Wh-what? Any of these things?”

Enri got a headache just thinking of the prices of the things in this room. Is she saying these things aren’t important to him at all?

“Yes. Lord Ainz is exceedingly wealthy.”

“Th-that I know.” Because he’d given her that amazing magic horn like it was nothing.

“So you can relax. As long as you don’t destroy something on purpose, I’m sure he would smile and forgive you. And I think he would be able to repair the item with magic.”

“Still…I just…”

“I understand. Then how about a drink? Perhaps it will put you more at ease.”

“But…”

She ran her eyes over the cups on the silver cart. They were white porcelain and exquisite. The lips were gold. The sides had something painted on them—she couldn’t tell if it was a picture or a pattern—in a deep brilliant blue. They were so dainty Enri thought just her holding one would be enough to break it.

“Enri, let’s have something. It would be rude to refuse.”

“Oh, then, uh, yes, please.”

“Understood… Hmm. Preferences diverge when it comes to the fragrance and flavor of herbal tea, so would normal black tea be all right?”

“Wh-whatever you recommend.”

The smiling maid prepared their tea with fluid motions. After performing the incomprehensible act of throwing away boiled water she had poured, she eventually presented the pair with tea. Then she set down two little jars.

“Everyone has their own taste, so I’ve provided milk and sugar separately. Please help yourself.”

When Enri opened the sugar jar, cubes of snow-white powder peeked out. The village girl mechanically dropped several of them into her tea and then stirred until they melted.

Afterward, she poured in plenty of milk. Then she took a sip. Her face was pure bliss. “It’s so sweet!”

“Yeah, I imagine so, if you put that much sugar in. Well, we don’t get many sweets in the village. We don’t keep bees, after all… I guess syrups are about it? If I learned the magic to create spices, things would be different, but…”

Enri forgot where they were and shouted to Nfirea without meaning to. “Do your best to learn it!!”

“Oh, uh, okay,” she heard him reply as she drank another cup of tea. The flavor brought a smile to her face.

“It really is so sweet and good.”

That was when they heard several knocks at the door. The maid promptly went into action and opened it with an airy motion.

“Lord Ainz and your sister have returned.”

The door opened and Nemu came bounding into the room with a huge grin on her face. Ainz followed behind her.

“Enri, it was so amazing! Everything’s so shiny and pretty and awesome!” Nemu jumped into Enri’s arms.

Taking care not to let her sister’s feet get the sofa dirty, Enri stood and bowed to Ainz. “Sir Gown! I hope my sister didn’t do anything rude?”

“No. Actually, I’m sorry for taking her for so long.”

“No, it’s fine. Thank you.”

“Don’t worry about it.” He waved her worries away.

“Why don’t you guys have something to eat before I discuss future plans with Nfirea?”

“Oh, but we weren’t intending to take advantage of your hospitality,” Nfirea blurted out, but Ainz calmed him down.

“I want to butter you up so I get a better deal.”

“Deal?”

“…Shall I give a brief explanation before you eat?” Ainz sat on the sofa opposite them. “First of all, I don’t intend to tell any outsiders about the potion you made. My understanding is that you can’t make a purple healing potion without the materials I gave you—is that correct?”

“Yes. I was only able to do it once you gave me those materials. I don’t know what power is at work. There are still a lot of unknowns.”

“I think there would only be trouble if word got out about it. If someone asked where you got the materials, that wouldn’t be a problem…but there could be some people who would come and try to take them by force. I heard from Lupusregina that your village was recently attacked by monsters. It’s possible that they were driven out of their homes and were looking for a safe place with sturdy walls to stay, but… Did you capture any to interrogate them about why they attacked?”

We couldn’t, Enri replied silently. With the howls of a monster at their backs—the troll that Enri and Nfirea had encountered—the goblins didn’t have the leeway to capture any enemies. When they devoted all their energy to ending the battle, the result was no survivors on the enemy side.

And it seemed like the one with the magic sword was pretty strong…

“I see. That’s too bad… I’m thinking that’s the reason your village was attacked. Your defenses had improved, but that ended up causing trouble. It’s only logical that valuables get targeted, right? If word about the potion got out, the same thing might happen…”

“…We should keep it a secret, I guess.”

“Thanks for understanding, Nfirea. If you succeed in creating a red potion like the ones I have, using just ingredients you can find around the village, the reasons to keep it secret might dramatically decrease, but… Anyhow, those are the sorts of things I’d like to discuss after you eat, keeping information confidential, defense, and so on… Okay, the food should be ready. Shall we go?”

“N-no, we’re fine. This place is so fantastic, we…” Enri shook her head back and forth.

“…Well, I won’t force you, but…the main course is dragon steak.”

“Dragon?”

Dragons—Enri had heard all sorts of stories where they’d appeared as villains or allies of justice. But in all the stories they possessed immense power. Can you really cook it?

That can’t be true. He’s just teasing us.

That’s what she would have thought if it wasn’t Ainz saying it.

But when it was the great caster standing before them talking, the possibility that it was the truth seemed more likely.

“There are sweets, too. Have you ever had ice cream? They have it in E-Rantel, but…it looks like you’ve never had it before, huh? It’s cold and sweet… It melts in your mouth. It’s like sweet ice or snow.”

Enri and Nemu both gulped in spite of themselves.

“It’s a high-class luxury item. Three meals’ worth of money, poof.

“Seems like you’ve had it before, Nfirea. So I’ll make sure to give you ice cream that is tastier by far. That and—what else is on the menu?”

The maid acknowledged his question and reeled off the courses. “We’re planning on a first hors d’oeuvre of piercing lobster and Nóatún seafood in a velouté sauce. For the second hors d’oeuvre we’ve prepared a poêlé of Víðófnir foie gras. The soup is cream of Alfheim sweet potato and chestnut. We’ve chosen to serve meat for the main dish. As Lord Ainz mentioned a moment ago, it’s nicely marbled Jotunheim frost dragon steak. Then for dessert, intelligent apple compote over yogurt. And ice cream, so a side of golden tea ice cream. For an after-dinner beverage, we thought coffee might not be to your taste, so we’ve prepared fresh peach water. That’s all. If you require any changes, we’ll make them right away…”

She’s casting a spell! Enri couldn’t understand a word she was saying, so she was sure that’s what she was doing.

“…Not everyone likes foie gras, right? I doubt kids would. And it seems like a lot of rich dishes. Is there anything a little lighter?”

“In that case, we could offer an hors d’oeuvre salad of scallops with plum star confit.”

“Yeah…doesn’t that seem better than the other one?”

“Huh?! You’re asking me?!” Enri panicked, finding the question directed at her. She didn’t even know what they were talking about, so she had no idea how to answer. “U-uh, I think…I’ll just leave it to you.”

Squeezing those words out was all she could manage. Ainz went on discussing their meal with the maid.

Nemu gazed at him admiringly, and Enri heard her whisper, “Wow…” Enri felt the same. Their worlds were just so different from each other’s.

People who could spend money on luxury items were wealthy. Only a few could spend lavishly on food, which disappeared once it was eaten.

Money, knowledge, power—he was a caster who had them all.

A mere peasant like Enri wasn’t proper company for him. He was probably fit for associating with kings or other lofty breeds. That’s how amazing this masked caster seemed.

“Okay, shall we go? Although I won’t be joining you. Eat, just the three of you—yes, as a family—without worrying about manners. When you’re done, we can talk business. Oh, I have to tell Lupusregina there will be one more person.”

“Huh? What did you say, Sir Gown?”

“Nothing, Nemu.”

When Ainz stood, Nemu followed suit, smiling ear to ear with sparkling eyes.

Being called a “family” made Enri’s face hot. She thought something seemed strange about Nfirea as he sluggishly got to his feet.

His lips were shut in a straight line and there was no sign of them opening. But Enri knew how to cut through that knot—stare at him.

Through a gap in his bangs, his eyes were clearly darting around before he finally spilled what was on his mind.

“I just thought, I can’t beat him. I mean, there’s no way I could. We’re just not in the same league, as men.”

“But I like you!”

Does the league you’re in really matter that much? As she was thinking she still had a lot to learn, as a woman, Nfirea blushed. Then he grasped her hand.

“Shall we go?”

There was no gloominess in his voice anymore.

Enri didn’t really understand the change in her boyfriend’s emotions, but she was genuinely happy that he had cheered up. They linked hands and followed Ainz and her sister.