[Part 3]
As the name implied, the Fortress City E-Rantel was surrounded by three concentric rings of fortified walls. Of the gates set into those walls, those on the outermost walls were the thickest and most solid of them all, and they radiated an air of strength and weightiness.
It was a common sight to see travellers on the street staring open-mouthed at the gates of the city that was said to be able to repulse any invasion the Empire made. And the people on the streets had surely made similar expressions in the past.
Besides these gates were customs inspection posts, manned by several soldiers who were relaxing just out of the direct sunlight.
Although some people might have asked if it was all right for the soldiers of a city near the frontline to be so relaxed, the truth was that the troops at the inspection posts were there to vet travellers. Their job was to uncover contraband and spies from other countries, so they had nothing to do when nobody was entering the city.
As a result, the currently idle soldiers ― though they maintained discipline instead of passing their time by playing cards ― could not resist the urge to yawn.
Though they looked slack for the moment, but when they were busy, they were very busy. In particular, the sheer amount of work they had to do in the morning, just after the gates opened, practically defied description.
With the sun at its highest point in the sky, the travellers began appearing on the streets in small groups, scattered sparsely among the other pedestrians. It was only natural that people would travel in numbers, given that this was a world inhabited by monsters.
When they show up, they show up in force; we're going to be busy soon, thought the guard who was idly contemplating the streets from his window. His eyes rested on a wagon about to enter the street, waiting for some pedestrians to pass.
A woman sat on the driver's seat. He could not see anyone else on the uncovered wagon bed. She was travelling alone.
She was unarmed and unarmored. From that, the guard's concluded that–
She's just a village girl.
–Even as he thought that, the soldier tilted his head as he promptly second-guessed himself.
People from the nearby villages were hardly a rare sight here. However, a woman travelling by herself was a different matter entirely. Even the area surrounding E-Rantel was not completely free of bandits and monsters. Thanks to the efforts of the legendary adventurer team "Darkness", most of the dangerous monsters and bandits had been wiped out. But "most" did not mean "all", and there were still mundane beasts like wolves and the like to look out for.
This situation was not unique to E-Rantel; it applied to all of the other cities as well. And come to think of it, could girls travel by themselves?
Perhaps she had outrun a bandit encounter, but he did not sense any tension or nervousness from her at all. She looked to be at ease, as though she knew her journey would be a safe one.
What kind of girl was she?
The soldier shifted his now-suspicious gaze to her horse, and that was when his confusion deepened.
The horse was exceptional, not something a mere village girl would have. Its condition and coat reminded him of a warhorse.
Warhorses were extremely valuable. Even if one could actually raise the money to buy one, a normal person would not be able to acquire one easily. Leaving aside monstrous mounts like Wyverns and Griffins, warhorses were the pinnacle of steeds.
A normal person would need money and connections to obtain such a warhorse, and a simple village girl would not have either.
It was also possible that she had stolen the horse from its original owner, but anyone who stole such a valuable item would be hotly pursued and targeted for retribution. This was why bandits did not dare attack people mounted on warhorses.
In short, after considering all the visible evidence, the chances that she really was a simple village girl were very low. So who was this person posing as a village girl?
The fact that she was travelling alone hinted at her true identity. In other words, she was very confident in her abilities, and those abilities were not limited by the fact that she chose to dress as a village girl — by her gear, or lack thereof. With that in mind, it was likely that she was a magic caster, since their equipment and power rarely matched their appearance.
That was an answer he could accept. If pressed for the reason, it was because magic casters, or adventurers in general, were wealthy and connected, so obtaining a warhorse would be easy.
"Is that a magic caster?"
His partner beside him had gone through the same thought process.
"Might be," the soldier furrowed his brow and answered.
Magic casters were very irritating people to inspect.
To begin with, their primary weapon, magic, was an internal thing which was invisible to the naked eye. In other words, the guards could not tell what weapons magic casters were armed with.
Secondly, they might be smuggling dangerous items with their magic and finding those was hard.
Thirdly, they usually had a lot of specialist baggage, so checking them all was troublesome.
Honestly speaking, he hated dealing with them. Because of that, theyhad a man on loan from from the Magician's Guild — after paying a suitable fee, of course — to help them out. However...
"Do we have to bring that guy out? I don't want to."
"It can't be helped. If we clear her through and anything happens, it'll be troublesome."
"It would be nice if she'd just dressed like a magic caster to begin with."
"Carrying a weird staff, wearing a weird robe?"
"Yup. At least you'd know someone was a magic caster. Either that, or we force everyone in the Magician's Guild to carry some proof of membership, like adventurers.."
The two soldiers got up as one, laughing to each other. This was to welcome the girl who might be a magic caster.
Under the watchful eyes of the soldiers, the wagon rolled up to the door and stopped.
The girl disembarked. Her forehead was slick with sweat, but she seemed used to travelling under the sun. Her sleeves and slacks were long to ward off sunburn. Her clothes did not seem expensive or well-tailored. No matter how you looked at her, she was a simple village girl.
However, one could not judge a book by its cover. She could be hiding something. Their job was to find out what that was.
The soldiers carefully approached the girl.
"We'd like to ask you a few questions. Could you come with us to the checkpoint?"
They spoke with gentle tones and expressions. They were trying to send the message that they were not wary of her, so she could lower her guard.
"Sure, I don't mind."
The soldiers escorted the girl to the checkpoint.
In order to protect against the use of [Charm] spells and other forms of mental manipulation, two more soldiers followed at a distance of several meters. The others watched her carefully, wary of any suspicious movements.
The girl tilted her head several times, as though sensing the tension in the air.
"...What's wrong?"
"Eh? Ah, no, nothing's wrong."
Someone who could notice the minute changes in the air could not possibly be an ordinary person. The guards brought her into the checkpoint with that in mind.
"Then, could you sit down there?"
"Yes."
The girl sat in one of the chairs provided in the small blockhouse.
"Let's start with your name and place of birth."
"Yes. My name is Enri Emmot. I come from Carne Village, near the Great Forest of Tob."
The soldiers exchanged looks, and one of them stepped out of the blockhouse. He was going to check the register for any matching records.
In order to manage its residents, the Kingdom kept records of them in the form of registers. That being said, the registers were crude affairs, and the relevant details of birth and death were updated very slowly, if at all. Someone had once estimated that there were tens of thousands of mistakes in them. As a result, relying too heavily on the registers would be a bad idea, but even so, they had their uses.
This register was muddled, but it had a lot of entries, so searching it would take a long time. The soldiers understood this, and decided to try and take care of something else in the meantime.
"Then, in place of the toll, could I see your permit?"
Normally speaking, everyone who entered a city had to pay a toll ― something like a walking tax. However, charging residents this money would cause trade to grind to a halt, and as a result every village was issued travel permits with which they could enter the city free of charge. Of course, as there were different nobles in each region, there were different rules for each region too.
"Hmmm, let me see... here it is."
The soldier stopped Enri from fishing through her bag.
"Ah, we'll do that. Could you give us your bag?"
Enri handed it over without protest. The soldiers carefully searched the insides, and found a parchment.
They unrolled it on the table so everyone could see. Although the literacy rate amongst Kingdom citizens was very low, it was a given that every soldier stationed at a checkpoint could read and write. Or rather, they were here precisely because they were literate.
"I see. Well, it looks all right. This is definitely the permit issued to Carne Village. I have confirmed this."
The soldier rolled the parchment back up and returned it to the bag.
"Next, state the reason why you came to E-Rantel."
"Yes. Firstly, I'm here to sell the medicinal herbs that we've picked."
The soldiers looked outside at the wagon, whose urns were currently being searched.
"Could you tell us the names and the amounts of the herbs you're selling?"
"Four urns of Nyukuri, four urns of Ajina and six urns of Enkaishi."
"Six urns of Enkaishi, you say?"
"That's right."
A look of pride spread over Enri's face. The solder understood why.
After all, when manning a checkpoint, one eventually picked up a working knowledge of medicinal herbs.
Enkaishi was a herb that could only be gathered during a very short timeframe, but it was a major ingredient in healing potions. The demand was very high, and thus the price was always good. If she had six urns like she said, that meant that she would have a lot of money when she sold them off.
"Then, where do you plan to sell them?"
"I was planning to sell them at the former residence of Madam Bareare."
"Bareare? You mean the herbalist Lizzie Bareare?"
Although she did not live there anymore, Lizzie had been the most important person in E-Rantel's pharmaceutical business until recently. If she had a business relationship with the Bareares, that meant Lizzie trusted her very much.
Then, there's no need to pry deeper, the soldiers thought.
The truth was that although their job was to stop dangerous things from entering the city, investigating these things once they entered the city was no longer their problem.
The soldier nodded with a grunt, then glanced at Enri's face.
She had spoken quite normally until now, and they did not sense that she was lying.
Once the cargo inspection was complete, their job would be over.
At this moment, the soldier who had just returned nodded his head.
That was to say, a girl called Enri was recorded in the register.
However, that record simply said that there was a girl called Enri born in Carne Village. Without any guarantee that the person in front of them was the real Enri, there was also no proof of the kind of life Enri had led. Perhaps during her travels, she had acquired some powerful magic, or she had died in her journey and some criminal was using her name.
Because of that, they needed to perform one final check.
"Understood. Then, call him over."
The soldier nodded, and left the blockhouse.
"After this, we will be examining your body. Is that alright?"
"Eh?"
A surprised expression dawned on Enri's face. The soldier hurried to qualify his words.
"Oh, it's not because there were other problems. I'm sorry, but these are the rules. And we won't do anything weird to you, so don't worry."
"...If that's how it is, then I understand."
Seeing that Enri was okay with it, the soldier sighed with relief. He did not want to be the one to anger a possible magic caster.
The soldier who left returned once more, this time with a man trailing behind him.
This man was a magic caster.
His nose protruded like an eagle's beak, while his thin face was sallow and pale. His body was wrapped in a black robe that looked very hot. His sweat flowed freely, and his claw-like hands tightly clutched his gnarled staff.
Personally, the soldier felt that he should have shed the robe if it was so hot, but the magic caster liked that style, and stubbornly refused to change his clothes. Perhaps that was why the room's temperature seemed to rise by a few degrees when the magic caster entered.
"So it's this girl, then?"
The magic caster spoke calmly, which his soldier escort found strange, as usual.
Although he seemed to be a man in his late twenties, his extremely hoarse voice made it impossible to determine how old he was by sound alone. Was it that his appearance was abnormally young, or that his voice was abnormally hoarse?
"Ah..."
Enri turned a surprised look at the magic caster who had replaced the soldier. In his heart, the soldier thought that her surprise could not be helped. After all, he too had been frightened the first time he saw the man.
"This is a magic caster from the Magician's Guild. He's going to perform a simple check, so please wait."
The soldier gestured to Enri to remain seated, and then nodded to the magic caster.
"I'll leave this to you, then?"
"Of course."
The magic caster took a step toward Enri, and then he cast his spell.
"[Detect Magic]."
After that, the magic caster squinted his eyes. He looked like a beast sizing up its prey. Yet,Enri remained calm despite being subjected to a gaze that rattled even the soldiers, who were used to this sort of thing.
As they saw this, all the soldiers could think was No wonder.
Someone who could remain calm under such a mighty gaze could not be a simple village girl. At the very least, she must have had experience in life-or-death struggles against monsters or people who wanted to take her life. The sight before them only cemented the impression in the soldiers' hearts.
"You can't deceive my eyes. You're hiding a magic item. It's on your waist."
Enri heard it, and looked to her waist in surprise.
The soldiers immediately went on alert. They understood weapons like swords, but their knowledge did not cover magic items.
"You mean this?"
Enri produced a small horn from underneath her clothing, small enough that it could fit into both her palms. The soldiers might not have understood its significance even if they had seen it.
"...Is that a magic item?"
"That's right. You've been deceived by her appearance. That thing is imbued with powerful magic."
The soldiers were speechless. If this was an item the magic caster considered powerful, then how mighty was it?
As they began to think that the girl was dressed plainly for a reason, they felt as though a blade was peircing their chests.
"Ah, this is―"
"No need to speak. My magic will see through it."
In order to shut Enri up, he cast another spell.
"[Appraise Magic Item] ― uoooooooh!"
The magic caster's face went through several expressions in a few seconds. Initially it was shock, then fright, then terror, and then — confusion.
"What, what, what is this? Even the word powerful fails to do it justice... Impossible! What on earth is this?!"
The magic caster's face was red, and flecks of spittle flew from the sides of his mouth.
"What the devil are you! Don't try to trick me!"
The magic caster's sudden change in attitude took the soldiers by surprise, and Enri was no exception as her eyes widened.
"No, I'm just, I'm just a normal person! A simple village girl! Really!"
"A village girl? You, why, are you lying? Then, how could you have obtained a magic item like this? If you really are a simple village girl, how could you have gotten something like that?!"
"Eh? This, this is a gift from the one who saved our village, Ainz Ooal Gown-sama―"
"Lies again! A priest from the Theocracy must have given it to you!"
"Eh? What's that about the Theocracy?"
"Everyone! Fall in! There's something very wrong about this girl!"
Although the soldiers did not understand what was going on, up till today, they had never seen the magic caster react like this before. So if this were an emergency, they should drop whatever they were doing and respond to the summons.
"Fall in! Fall in!"
In response to the soldier's shouts, several of their comrades stopped their cargo inspections and entered the room.
"You said someone else gave you this item? Nonsense! How did you get it? You can't possibly be a simple village girl!"
"No, this really was given to me by Gown-sama! Please, you have to believe me!"
The soldiers looked between the two of them. The magic caster was a colleague of theirs, whom they had hired, and they wanted to believe him. However, given Enri's nervous reaction to the sudden change in the situation, they could not help but think she was a normal girl.
"What, what else is there? Tell me why you think she's suspicious!"
"Hnh! To begin with, this horn can summon a group of Goblins — although I'm not sure how many it can call up, but it can do such a thing."
The soldiers frowned. It would be troublesome if something like that was used on the streets. However, was that really a problem? Certain people, such as adventurers, possessed a plethora of magic items. It would not be strange for them to possess an item like this among their panoplies.
"And this so-called village girl's testimony is riddled with inconsistencies. That item is worth several thousand gold coins; why would anyone just give it to a mere village girl?"
"Several thousand?!"
"Several thousand?!"
This unbelievable sum drew cries of disbelief from the soldiers, and Enri herself.
Several thousand gold coins was a sum no normal person could earn in their entire life. It was hard to believe such a simple-looking horn could be worth so much.
"That's right. Nobody would hand out such an item without a good reason, let alone to a mundane girl! I could accept it if she were a top-class adventurer or magic caster. But she says she's just a village girl! It's far too suspicious!"
That much the soldiers understood. Exceptional people would tend to gather exceptional items to themselves. In the past, both the great men of good and evil persuasions were known for their acquisition of powerful equipment. It was their destiny, and it was inevitable.
"No, really, I'm just a simple village girl..."
"Besides, I've never heard of any Ainz Ooal Gown fellow. At least, he's not part of our Guild, nor have I ever heard of an adventurer by that name."
"The Warrior-Captain knows Gown-sama!"
"The Kingdom's Warrior-Captain, Gazef Stronoff-dono? ...You must be uttering nonsense. How would a simple village girl know of such things?"
"Because he came to our village! It's true! Go ask him and you'll know!"
It would be impossible to communicate with the Warrior-Captain, who resided in the Royal Capital, from E-Rantel. More to the point, if she really was a simple village girl, it was unlikely that she would stay in the Warrior-Captain's memory, so proving her identity would be hard.
"So what do we do?"
"Detain her for now, then investigate her further. Given that she didn't conceal that horn, and was planning to take it into the city openly, she might not be a spy or a terrorist, but that is no guarantee."
Enri looked around in a panic.
She looked just like a normal village girl. If this was an act, she must have been a very good actor.
Suddenly, one of the soldiers watching the perimeter exclaimed in surprise. At the same moment, a familiar voice rang out.
"We wish to enter the city, but... what's going on?"
As they turned towards the voice, they saw a man wearing jet-black plate armor.
"Uooh!"
The soldiers and magic caster all exclaimed in surprise. Everyone in E-Rantel knew the man who wore that armor. The adamantite plate which swayed over his chest was the conclusive proof of his identity. He was a living legend, a man who made the impossible possible, the ultimate warrior.
He was Momon the Black.
"This, this is! Momon-sama! My sincerest apologies!"
"Now, what's going on here... hm? This girl is..."
"Yes! There was a suspicious girl, so checking her out took some time. We sincerely apologize for inconveniencing you, Momon-sama–"
"―Enri, is it? Enri Emmot?"
The air in the room seemed to freeze over. Why would a legendary adventurer know a village girl's name?
"Er, ah, who're you... er, no, I am. Ah, you were the one who came with Nfirea that time, right? I don't remember speaking to you...
Momon put his hand on his chin, as though he was thinking. Afterward, he gestured to the magic caster and they exited the blockhouse. Although the soldiers wanted to follow, they could not leave Enri alone.
Eventually, the magic caster returned alone to the room, having calmed down.
"Let her go. That great man, Momon the Black, has vouched for her with his status as an adamantite-ranked adventurer. In that case, think there's no point in keeping her here. What do you think?"
"That's an obvious decision... but, is it really all right?"
"Is it really all right to doubt him, of all people?"
"O-Of course not! I get it. We'll grant her passage. Enri Emmot of Carne Village, you are allowed to enter the city. You may go."
"Ah, yes. Thank you very much."
After bowing quickly to them, Enri left the blockhouse. As her back receded into the distance, the soldier turned to the magic caster.
"What about Momon-sama?"
"He left first."
"Then... what connection would that hero have with that village girl?"
"Hell if I know. Momon-dono told me what I told you, he vouched for her and asked that we let her go."
"Then, another question. That Emmot girl. Do you really think she's just a village girl?"
"Certainly not. There's no way she could be a simple village girl, otherwise why would a great hero like him help her? And it wasn't a coincidence she was carrying that item... Could it have something to do with the Theocracy?"
"That Ainz Somethingorother fellow. If he's from the Theocracy, shouldn't we let the brass know?"
"Frankly speaking, I don't know. After all, Momon-dono already vouched for her. If we let the people on top know that someone he vouched for was dangerous... well, you'd be just doing your job, but do you really want to upset Momon-dono?"
The soldier's face twisted.
The heroic exploits of Momon in the graveyards of E-Rantel were a common conversation topic when the soldiers gathered.
The saga of how he hacked his way through a horde of tens of thousands of undead set the hearts of all who heard it ablaze. In addition, one could clearly see his heroic poise and actions even from afar. He had subdued a powerful magical beast with his incredible power, and his majestic riding style drove the soldiers mad for him.
Just as women were attracted to strong men, many warriors admired Momon the Dark Hero, and it could be said that most of the armed forces of E-Rantel were his fans.
This soldier was one of them.
As a fan of Momon, just being patted on the shoulder by his idol was enough for him to boast about it to everyone he met. As such, he had no intention of upsetting the man he worshipped.
"There is that. Well, since Momon-sama vouched for her, I guess it'll be fine."
"I think so too. If we treat a friend of Momon-dono poorly, I don't think it'll turn out well. I guess all we can do is avoid rocking the boat. Anyway, let me know if anything else comes up."
"Ayup. I'm heading back to my work too."
-x-X-x-
Enri drove the wagon with her back to the gate of E-Rantel's city gate, wondering what on earth had just happened. It would seem that man in the jet-black armor ― she remembered that he was one of the adventurers who had come to Carne Village with Nfirea to pick herbs ― had helped her out of a tight spot.
By right, she should have immediately gone to thank him, but unfortunately she had lost sight of him once she entered the city.
If I thank him the next time we meet... will he forgive me?
Although she was thinking that she should immediately start searching for him once she had the time, there were reasons why she could not. Those reasons currently troubled her. The only thing that put her heart at ease was feeling something through the barrier of her clothes.
–The Horn of the Goblin Whowhatsit.
This... this is worth several thousand gold coins? No way. Please tell me that's not true...
She suddenly broke out in a cold sweat. She had not expected the horns she had been given so casually to be so valuable. No, Nfirea had said it was a high-end magic item... but the amount was beyond her imagination.
Is it alright for me to use this item? Will it be okay?
If she was asked to return the other one she had already used, what should she do?
I'll need several thousand urns of herbs... I might not be able to afford it in a lifetime of picking herbs...
In addition, she had another item worth thousands of gold coins.
Is Gown-sama a man who can give out such items so easily?! Or maybe, he didn't know its value... no way, there's no way someone like him wouldn't know... but, if he didn't know...
Enri's stomach grumbled and ached.
She looked around her surroundings in suspicion. There were not many people around, but it was still several times more than in Carne Village. Distasteful thoughts like is anyone planning to steal this horn rose up in her mind.
If only I hadn't brought it out. There's a lot of crime here, right? What if the horn got stolen... Hang on... if the horn was blown and Goblins showed up to make trouble, wouldn't that make me the criminal?
Just as the cold sweat was pooling around Enri, a person descended upon the seat next to hers. The way she landed like a feather in defiance of gravity must have been magic.
Who—
As the surprise of seeing the newcomer faded, an even bigger surprise was awaiting her.
She was a raven-haired beauty whose face could launch a thousand ships. She was the one who had come with the black-armored adventurer to her village. Her ice-cold eyes resembled onyxes as they turned to Enri.
"Inferior creature (gadfly). Momon-san wanted me to ask you a few questions―"
"So pretty..."
"Flattery will get―"
"As pretty as Lupusregina..."
As she saw the consternation in the eyes which were looking at her, Enri immediately regretted the stupid things she had said. She probably did not even know about Lupusregina. However, there was nobody else who could even come close to the beautiful adventurer before her eyes.
What should I do, I've upset her... well, that much is clear, but...
"A-ah, Lupusregina is a very pretty person in my village―"
"―Thank you."
"Eh?!"
Her eyes were hard, and so was her voice, and even her eyebrows were strained. But the thanks she had given was genuine.
"...Haaaah. Momon-sa―n has some things to ask you, which is why I came. Answer me. Why are you here?"
Enri had no obligation to answer. However, this was the partner of someone who had helped her. If he wanted to know, then she should answer.
"Ah, well, before that, can I ask a favor of you? Momon-san helped me earlier, and I'm very, very grateful. Please tell him that."
"I will do so. So why are you here?"
"Ah, yes, I, I'm here, because there's a lot of things that need to be done, for instance, selling the herbs."
The woman gestured with her chin, indicating that Enri should continue speaking.
"Then, I'll go to the temple, to see if there's anyone who wants to move to our village to live. And then I need to go to the Adventurer's Guild to talk about some things. And I need to buy some things we can't get in the village, like weapons. Something like that..."
"I see. I understand what you've said. I will relay it to Momon-san."
With ethereally graceful movements which seemed independent of gravity, the woman alighted from the wagon, and left without looking back.
Enri's impression of her was that of a frozen hurricane which tore people apart.
"She's an amazing woman... she feels dozens of times more powerful than Brita-san..."
There were no girls in the village like her. Had she become an adventurer because her personality was like that, or had being an adventurer made her personality that way? She suddenly did not feel too keen about visiting the Adventurer's Guild.
"Ahhhh, oh no!"
Nabe was a powerful adventurer, but Enri had only noticed after she had vanished. In addition, she was the partner of the man who had subdued the Wise King of the Forest. She might have been able to tell Enri about what was going on in the forest.
"The Giant of the East and the Serpent of the West, and whatever that Monument of Destruction is... if only I had asked her about all of those. Ah~ I'm such a dummy, why didn't I think of that earlier?"
Enri drove her wagon through a gate while scolding herself for her carelessness.
-x-X-x-
E-Rantel could be roughly divided into three zones, separated by the walls of the city. The middle zone was where people lived.
It was also where the Adventurer's Guild could be found.
Ideally, it would have been safest to sell the herbs at the Herbalist's Guild. However, that would have involved a lot of troublesome paperwork, so she had chosen to go to the Adventurer's Guild instead to use them as a go-between. She had considered drawing on Lizzie's help for this, but Enri had decided that using her best friend's grandmother's name would be too shameless, and reconsidered.
After taking Enri's wishes into consideration, Nfirea had suggested going to the Adventurer's Guild.
If Nfirea had come in person, they would not have needed to use the Guild and he have sold everything directly. However, Enri was not confident about dealing with the sharks in the Herbalist's Guild, so she had decided not to begrudge the service charge and use the Adventurers' Guild as a go-between.
Enri headed down the road Nfirea and Brita had told her about.
Although she had been travelling with the Goblins on the way to the city, they were currently waiting outside the city for Enri to finish her business. She realized that this was the first time she was alone ever since she had set out from the village, and her hands gripped the reins even more tightly.
The tension stiffened Enri's shoulders. Finally, unable to stand it any longer, she looked around in all directions and her destination was in front of her.
"I did it!"
Enri squeaked in joy. Now that she had gotten all the way here, she probably would not get lost.
She handed the reins of her wagon to the sentry standing at the door of the Adventurer's Guild, and pushed open the door.
Inside, warriors in full plate armor, hunters with bows on their backs, and magic casters both arcane and divine were walking around. Some were enthusiastically swapping information about the monsters nearby, others were looking closely at the parchments on the nearby noticeboard, and a few were getting a feel for their newly-purchased gear.
The place was filled with a heat and activity that made Enri unsteady on her feet, a world of unrelenting scrutiny and tension. This was the world of adventurers.
Enri's mouth dropped open as she beheld a sight she would never see in her village, then hurriedly shut it back up.
It was true that she hailed from the boondocks, and it was hardly shameful for her to be startled by the mood of the big city. Still, a girl of her age staring dumbly with her mouth open was just embarrassing.
Enri set out, her back ramrod straight, consciously checking her movements so that she did not move the arms and legs on the same side of her or do anything which would invite laughter. However, Enri started to have her doubts about whether it was all right for an obviously out-of-place village girl to be strolling so boldly among these muscular adventurers.
At the counter, she was welcomed by the receptionist's smile.
"Welcome."
"Y-yes, I've been welcomed."
Enri locked eyes with the receptionist. Following which, the two of them smiled bitterly. Enri felt her shoulders relax, for what might have been the first time since she came to E-Rantel.
"Then, may I ask what business you have with the Adventurer's Guild?"
"Mm. Ah, first, I'd like to ask for some help with the sale of herbs."
"Understood. Where are the herbs now?"
Enri told her they were on the wagon outside, and the receptionist turned to speak to a woman beside her.
"The appraiser is going to check it now, please wait within the Guild until he's done."
"Understood. Then, another thing... although we won't be putting out a request right away, we might do so in the future."
Enri explained the situation to the smiling receptionist. The other woman's smile became stiff as she heard Enri's story.
"Is that so... I'm just a receptionist, and I don't decide the difficulty of requests, but if it involves the Wise King of the Forest, it might be a task that only the adamantite-ranked Momon-san can handle. In that case, the fees would be very expensive."
There seemed to have been a shift in the receptionist's mood. She seemed entirely unmotivated, as though she had decided "It was pointless even after sitting through all that, what a pain".
While living with the Goblins, Enri had become adept at reading the emotions of others. Goblins were ugly and looked very different from humans, but she had worked hard to recognize and deduce the changes in their feelings. In this way, Enri had grown.
She must be thinking the village doesn't have that much money, huh... well, given my clothes, it's a reasonable conclusion to make... and she is pretty well-dressed, after all.
Enri briefly compared her clothes to those of the receptionist, and concluded that fashion-wise, she was completely outclassed.
But clothes like those are wasted on working in the village, and they're far too cumbersome to work in besides.
Thus, according to Enri the woman, this battle was a draw.
"Ah, I heard the city would provide a subsidy..."
"That's correct. However, the subsidy is only a portion of the fee, and you'll have to pay the rest yourself. Adamantite-ranked adventurers are very expensive, and even after the subsidy they'll still cost a lot of money to hire. Of course, you could offer less money for a request, but the Adventurer's Guild might not allow it. If you offer less money than the stipulated amount, your request will be a low priority, so there may be no takers. Please take that into consideration"
She must have memorized the regulations, given the way she had fluently rattled all that off with her eyes glazed over. It would seem the receptionist was treating Enri like a customer who was not buying anything.
That's only natural. A customer who doesn't spend money isn't a customer at all.
Everything the receptionist had said was turning out like how Nfirea predicted, so she did not feel too upset. It was a reality that nobody would help the weak.
That's why Ainz Ooal Gown-sama is our savior. He even gave a simple village girl like me a valuable treasure like that.
She wondered how the receptionist would react if she used this horn as payment. It would be great to see the look on her face, but Enri knew she could not do such a thing. This item had been given to her by that great magic caster with the instruction to "use it to protect yourself". She could not sell it off, not even for the village's sake. She could not be that ungrateful.
And so, Enri nodded.
"I understand. Then, please tell me how much the fees will be. That way I can go back to the village to discuss things."
"I see... then how about this? Please come back after the inspection for the herb sales are done. W should have finished calculating the request fees by then."
After thanking the receptionist, Enri left the counter and sat on a sofa in the lounge, staring at the ceiling to while away the time while the inspection dragged on.
So tired...
Every moment since she'd entered the city gates had been a grand adventure. Or rather, when she thought about it, ever since the day her parents had died, every day had set her eyes spinning.
All I wanted was to lead a simple, unchanging life in the village...
As she thought about the things she had lost, Enri sighed.
She thought about what had happened after that — the Goblins, her childhood friend, and then she shook her head.
Can't they go any faster...
If she had something to do, she would not have the free time to think about such depressing things. She would rather empty her mind and focus on work than think about things that made her sad.
"Emmot-san, the appraisal is complete."
Enri rose and headed for the sound of the merchant's voice.
"Thank, thank you very much!"
"The fee is—"
At this moment, Enri heard the sound of someone striding, no, practically sprinting over to her. As she turned, she saw the receptionist from earlier in front of her.
"Haaa— haaa— Enri-san of Carne Village. No, I mean, Enri-sama. Could I have a bit to discuss the matter from just now with you?"
This was the same receptionist from just now, but her attitude was completely different. Even her eyes were bloodshot.
"Ah, I'm sorry, but I was just about to tell her about the results of the appraisal—"
"You shut up, I'm talking here."
The receptionist's reply made the merchant's face twitch.
"If it's alright with you, would you like to discuss this over a drink in the receiving room?"
She was smiling, but the smile did not reach her eyes. There was a strange, desperate look in them.
Perhaps she had sensed something from the confused Enri. The receptionist's eyes were moist, and her hands were clasped together as though in prayer.
"Please, I'm begging you, you have to let me hear you out! If not, I'll be done for!"
After hearing that desperate, almost pathetic plea, Enri had no idea what was going on, but not to giving her a chance would be too cruel. She glanced back to the merchant, who seemed to pick up on her intentions, because he nodded slightly to her.
"Got, got it. Then, could you show me the way?"
In that moment, the receptionist's body visibly relaxed.
"Thank you very much! Really, thank you very much! Come, come, let me show you the way."
Enri followed after her, bathed in the curious stares of everyone around. The receptionist was tightly gripping her right hand, as though she did not want Enri to escape.
Was I too rash?
She entered the waiting room, traces of unease in her heart.
Enri silently looked around the inside of the room. There was nobody in there besides herself, and it was intricately decorated, to the point where she had doubts about even sitting on the sofa.
"Come, come, please, have a seat."
The moment she sat down, a voice from the corner of her mind wondered if she would be imprisoned or meet some other, similar fate.
However, nothing happened when she sat on the sofa. All she felt was the comfortable furniture taking her body weight.
"Would you like something to drink? We have some excellent liquor! How about food? Too early? Yes, kind of... how about fruits... no, sweets and desserts, maybe?"
"Ah, there's no need to go to that extent..."
The dramatic change in the receptionist's attitude was starting to scare Enri. In the first place, she had not considered the receptionist's treatment of her to have been particularly cold. It had been a reasonable reaction enough reaction, and not really negative. At the very least, it seemed much more normal than she did now.
But why had this leopard changed its spots? Was it because of the horn again?
"No, no, what are you saying? Anything is possible for you. We can provide liquor, brandy, and the snacks to go with them too."
"No, there's really no need... and besides, I'm running out of time. Can we start discussing the matter?"
"Certainly! You're absolutely right! Then please, by all means, do continue!"
The receptionist whipped out a sheet of thin, white paper. All the paper she had seen before had been much thicker and had other colors mixed in. This must be some high-class stuff here. Was it really all right to use it?
Enri began speaking. She had only given a brief outline just now, so she had to patiently explain the details this time round.
Eventually, just as Enri's throat was starting to dry out, the conversation finally came to an end.
"Thank you for your help! There's some drinks here, please help yourself before you leave! It's fine to leave the cups here, but thank you for coming to us today!"
The receptionist suddenly stood up, and left the room as though she had been chased from it.
"Really... what happened?"
Of course, there was nobody here to answer her muttered question.
-x-X-x-
In the end, Enri did not spend the night in E-Rantel, but headed back to Carne Village.
She would be sleeping on the plains, but she did not feel uneasy. On the contrary, she had a very good night's sleep. That was because unlike her journey to the city, she had a group of passengers riding with her this time round.
"Ahh~ I see it at last."
Before her stood the wall of Carne Village. Although the neatly-arranged logs looked impressive in their own right, Enri could not help but think they looked shabby compared to E-Rantel's fortifications.
"That's right. I need to report all this to the chief quickly."
Enri was replying to one of the Goblins in the bed of the wagon. Five Goblins had escorted Enri to E-Rantel, including the Goblin Proest (Cona), and there was a Goblin Rider (Chosuke) maintaining a vigil some distance away from her wagon.
"Well, half the problems have been dealt with, but apparently the chief's request of you didn't go too well, did it, Ane-san?"
"Yes, about that... according to the priest-san, almost nobody wants to move to the village."
"That's strange. I mean, there's already other immigrants from other villages here. Why aren't there more people? Was the priest lying?"
"No, a priest would never lie," Enri smiled bitterly. "To be honest, frontier villages are pretty dangerous, so they're keeping their distance. We were hoping for a bunch of third sons who'd come here for the promise of land... but not many people will come here if they aren't ordered to. And the people who moved here in the beginning had lived in frontier villages like us. Their situations are different."
"Is that so..."
"That's how it is. But actually, that kind of relieves me."
It would probably be very difficult for normal people to form a good relationship with Goblins and live with them in the same village. Any immigrants from the city would probably blanch at the sight and do their best to stay away.
And frankly speaking, if Enri were forced to choose between the city-dwellers and the Goblins, she would choose the Goblins without hesitation.
At this moment, the wagon shook, and the sound of something metallic hitting the wagon bed rang out from behind her.
"Ah, sorry. Are you alright?"
Enri turned her head to look behind.
Although the Goblins were seated on the floor of the wagon, there were some sacks there, one of which made the metallic noise when the wagon shook.
"Ah, we're fine, Ane-san. No need to worry. Speaking of which, with this many arrows, we'll be able to hunt to our hearts' content."
The Goblins looked so happy when they looked at the bag that Enri forgot to reply to them, simply smiling instead.
They crossed the wheat fields, and entered a half-opened gate.
After greeting everyone, Enri drove the wagon to their original meeting point, in order to unload the cargo.
As she stopped the wagon at the meeting point, the Goblins within, having heard the wagon, streamed out to greet her.
"Oh! Welcome back, Ane-san. I'm glad nothing happened."
Enri smiled. Their welcome was what made Enri feel that she had really returned to the village, because to her, the Goblins were part of her family.
"I'm home!"
"That's a lot of stuff. Are you bringing it inside?"
"That's right, bro. Do me a favor and lend me a hand."
"Coming!"
The Goblins moved as one, deftly unloading the cargo. No matter how Enri directed them, they tucked everything without making a mistake until everything was squared away. This was the proof of how much the Goblins had integrated themselves into village life.
"Ah, Ane-san, let us handle the rest. Why don't you go meet your sister and Ani-san? Although I don't know if Ani-san's still helping with Agu's people."
"Thank you, but I still need to report to the chief first."
"Really? Got it. Then, just to be safe, I'll come with you. After all, there's still the matter of the Ogres."
Gokou spoke to some of his comrades after leaving the meeting place, and then he hopped up onto the wagon beside Enri, who was driving. The other Goblins who had been guarding Enri on the road to E-Rantel looked at him with jealousy in their eyes, but none of them actually voiced any opposition. It was probably because they agreed he was doing the right thing.
"Then, Ane-san, let's go!"
Enri smiled faintly and said, "I'm counting on you guys! And thank you very much!"
After thanking the Goblins, she spurred her horse into motion.
"So, what happened in the village since I left?"
"Nothing special. The big thing was that we built a place where the Ogres could stay inside the village. Of course, the Stone Golems did most of the work, and it was pretty crudely made out of wood, but in the end, it ended up being a pretty nice place. However, we can't do anything about their smell. Even the towels we give them end up stinking."
"I see... Still, that was really fast!"
"Like I said, the Stone Golems did most of the work. If you want to thank someone, thank the magic caster who gave them to us."
"And Lupusregina-san, right?"
"...Let's not talk about that Lupusregina person for now. I don't want to thank her or anything. Something about her just pisses me off."
Enri found it hard to believe her ears. This was the first time Gokou had ever spoken ill of someone.
"How should I put it... she's very scary, like a monster watching us... I don't think Ane-san's sensed it yet..."
"But she's the maid of the one who saved our village, Ainz Ooal Gown, so she can't be that bad."
"...Ah, what a pain ~su"
Enri and Gokou's shoulders twitched. That was the voice of the woman they had just been discussing.
Enri looked back frantically, and just like the day before, the maid was sitting on the wagon bed like she belonged there.
"Really, you're such a pain, En-chan."
"Ah, what do you mean?"
"Maybe, maybe before that, you should tell us how you appear out of nowhere."
"Mm? It's simple ~su. I fell out of the sky ~su."
"That's not going to fly. There's quite a few times you've come from above now, but we couldn't sense you."
"I can make myself invisible ~su. ...I'm trying to be subtle ~su. See how nice I am~"
Gokou turned his face to the front once more. There was irritation written all over it.
"But, ah, yes. It's kind of rare that we get to see you two days in a row, Lupusregina-san. Did something happen?"
Lupusregina glared at Enri. Enri could not help but think, a beautiful person is pretty even when she makes a face like that.
"Well, kind of. Buuuut anyway, I was just wondering what was going on ~su. Speaking of which, what happened to that miniature gobbo of yours?"
"...He's fine. I think he should be in the Chief's house."
"Why the Chief's house?"
"Ah, because we rescued a few more Goblins from his tribe? They're staying there while we build a place for the Goblins to stay in the village."
"Ah— yeah, it kind of makes sense, Agu's the son of his tribe's chief. He must feel like he has a duty to protect them or something. Really, he's just a kid but he's so mature~"
Although Lupusregina was just smiling lightly, anyone who saw her looks would be captivated by the charm radiating from her. Even Enri found herself looking at her in admiration despite the fact that they were both women.
"Oops, shouldn't you be watching your front instead?"
"That, that's right!"
Enri hastily looked to her front once more, the tips of her ears bright red.
After stopping in front of the chief's house, Enri and Gokou got off the wagon.
"Then, I'll bring the horse back to the stables ~su. Don't feel like disturbing you guys. Let me know what you guys talked about afterwards~"
"I understand. Then, I'm sorry for imposing, but I'll leave this you."
Enri bowed to Lupusregina, who replied with a "hoi hoi" and a smile before driving the wagon off.
Enri knocked on the door, announced herself loudly enough for everyone inside to hear, and opened the door.
The Chief and Agu were facing each other across a table.
"Oh, welcome back. Please, have a seat. How were things in the city?"
As the Chief spoke, Enri sat herself beside Agu. For a moment Agu's body seemed to go stiff, but she must have just been imagining things.
"Ah, then, that's it for me. In that case, Chief, please take care of us."
Enri had no idea who those words were meant for. Since the only others present were Enri, Gokou and the Chief, it seemed obvious that they had been intended for the village chief.
However, Agu had been looking at her, with a stiff back and pursed lips. Enri looked into Agu's eyes, and in his steadfast, unblinking gaze, she realised that he was not kidding or playing a trick.
"Eh...eh?!"
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Why did it have to be her?
Amidst Enri's confusion, Agu excused himself and left the Chief's home.
"Hey! Wait—"
"Then, Enri, can you tell me about it?"
"Eh? No, that... this... ah, yes. I get it."
It weighed heavily on her mind, but she could clear up her doubts later. The report was more important for now.
After deciding that, Enri clearly and concisely related the events that had occurred in the city. The most important part was that nobody wanted to move to Carne Village. However, the chief seemed to have anticipated this, because there was no regret on his face, only calm acceptance.
"So that's how it is. Well, it can't be helped. We're a frontier village and monsters appear frequently around these parts, so it makes sense that hardly anyone would want to come here."
The village chief said what Enri had been thinking. It might have well been what everyone in the village had already accepted.
"You've done a lot for us. Thank you."
The chief lowered his head, and Enri said, "It's all right," in return. It had been confusing at times, but it had also been a good experience.
"Then―" the chief's line of sight flickered to Gokou for a second. "There is one thing I would like to entrust to you, Enri Emmot."
"Ah, yes. What is it? You're being so serious, Chief..."
"...I hope you will carry on in my position as village chief."
The sheer variety of expressions that flashed across Enri's face was like a piece of performance art.
"Haaaaaaaa?! What, what is this? Hey! Don't tell me Agu was saying those... ehhhh?!"
"You getting flustered won't help..."
"Don't interrupt me when I'm flustered! Chief, are you retarded? Why are you saying this?!"
"...Maybe retarded is a bit much. I understand you're excited and nervous about this — I know that much, but I'm hoping you can calm down and listen to me."
"Calm down, how can I calm down? I'm just a simple village girl, why do I have to deal with this village chief crap?!"
"Get a hold of yourself!"
The voice was full of power, but to Enri it was just a little loud. Even so, it helped her regain a bit of her composure. No, if she didn't listen to the chief, she'd never make sense of things, or at least that was what part of her was thinking.
"I understand that you're very confused. However, I hope you can sit down and consider things with a calmly. For starters, who is the heart of the village?"
"Isn't that you, Chief-san?"
"That would be incorrect. I feel that you are the heart of the village. The Goblins and the newly-arrived Ogres all acknowledge you as their leader, right?"
"That's correct. Everything we do revolves around Ane-san."
"Then, there's the Goblins you helped. From what Agu's told me, they also see you as the boss."
Enri's mouth turned into the shape of a 'Λ'. It might be true that the Goblins were that way, but what would the villagers think? They would never accept this.
"I can guess at what you're thinking. The villagers will object, is that it? I've already spoken with everyone and gotten their approval. Last night, we had a meeting of the villagers and got their opinions. And it was unanimous — they all wanted you to be the new chief."
"What? Why?!"
"...That attack was a huge shock for all of us, Enri. Everybody is hoping for a strong leader."
"How am I strong? I'm just a simple village girl!"
Although there was some muscle on her arms, she was still a village girl who could barely use a weapon. If they wanted strength, surely they should have picked from among the members of the security force, no?
"Strength is not measured by one's courage alone. Don't you think being able to order the Goblins around is a form of strength too? The Bareares both think you're suitable as village chief too."
"Enfi!"
Enri sounded like a chicken being strangled to death.
"That, and I'm getting on in years. I need to find a successor soon."
"What do you mean, 'getting on in years'? You aren't anywhere near old, Chief. Is that why you've been talking like an old man?"
The chief was around his mid-forties, so it was still a bit early to be calling him old. After all, he was still at an age where he could work.
"Leaving aside the matter of talking like an old man, you should have noticed by now, but the forest around the village is undergoing a number of changes. Since the Wise King of the Forest is gone, there's a higher chance of monsters coming out of the forest to attack. All I can do is use my experiences of when the village was safe to lead us, but that won't do."
"Chief, this may be rude, but I need to ask. You're just trying to run away from this, aren't you?"
"...Let me be frank. I cannot say that you're wrong.."
What Enri saw was the eyes of a man who was honestly speaking his mind.
"I still remember that day even now. That horrible day when my friends in the village were killed. I knew the Emmots well. If we hadn't lived idly, if we had built a wall, if we had been on guard, maybe we wouldn't have suffered so much... maybe we could have held out until Gown-sama came to help us."
That would be tough, Enri thought. This village also had a lot of immigrants who were survivors from the other destroyed villages. Their villages had sturdy walls ― though not as strong as Carne Village's were now ― but they had still been attacked and slaughtered. But those walls could have delayed the attackers by just a little bit and allowed more people to be saved. Enri agreed on that part.
"The old way of thinking I had isn't going to work anymore. We need to reorganize and protect the village's safety with our own hands. The only ones who can do this... are the flexible and the young. Ans those people need strength as well."
The chief had said his piece. He looked calmly at Enri.
Enri listened to the chief's words, and seriously considered them. At first, she wanted to refuse because the burden was too heavy. If they were attacked just like that time, she was not sure that she could bear responsibility for the lives of her fellow villagers. However, like she had told the chief just now, was that not just running away from the problem?
"I don't know if I can handle this big responsibility."
"That's a natural reaction. I can help with the administration of the village, and the Goblins will support you on the security issues. Even so, making the final decision is still scary."
"What about a council formed from the villagers?"
"To be frank, I'd thought of that myself. However, the bigger the problem, the more likely something will come up that will split up the group and leave them paralyzed by indecision. In the end, without one person calling the shots, we won't be able to solve problems effectively."
"What if we had two systems, one for dealing with things in normal situations and the other for emergencies?"
"That won't work. It won't nurture our leaders. The people will follow their leaders in emergencies and work together because they know those leaders are also capable in peacetime."
The chief's will was firm and he had explained his reasons. With a sour expression, Enri asked her final question.
"...When do you need my answer?"
"I won't rush you for it. Take your time and consider it."
"I understand."
After Enri said that, she stood and left.
-x-X-x-
As she left the Chief's house, Gokou followed behind Enri.
"Say, I want to think about this. Could you let me be alone for a bit?"
"Got it, Ane-san. Then, take your time and think about it. The rest of us will back you up, Ane-san. If you need anything at all, just let us know."
"Yeah, I'll be counting on you then."
After watching Gokou leave, Enri returned to her own home.
Can I be a good chief?
Enri did not think so.
Who knew, when the time came, she might have to give an order she did not like — sacrificing the few for the greater good.
I can't do that at all...
Everyone in the village thinks too highly of me. For starters, there's the Goblins that everyone says are my strength. They aren't even allies I made with my own charisma and connections. In the end, they were merely summoned from the horn given to me by the great magic caster Ainz Ooal Gown.
That item was the first bit of good fortune the village received—
Strange, was I the first person he helped? I do remember Gown-sama in a mask... Hm? Was he wearing a mask?
Suddenly, the sequence of events seemed muddled up to her, but that was only to be expected given the chaos of the situation.
Enri shook her head to clear out her doubts.
In any case...
If the horn had been given to anyone else, that person would have been the next chief, not herself. Which meant that the problem was not a matter of Enri's own competence, but simply that destiny had decided to drop this burden on her lap.
I should talk to someone about this...
The first person who came to Enri's mind was Nfirea. He had lived in the big city before, seen a lot of people, and Enri felt that he would know if she could be the next chief. And he was widely read, so he would definitely be able to give her an answer.
However, the chief had said that Nfirea — or rather, the Bareares — had approved of her succession. That meant that even if she talked with Nfirea, it was very likely that he would recommend she take the position..
He won't do... and neither will any of the villagers. That leaves Agu and the Ogres, but Agu already thinks of me as the chief, and the Ogres are just plain dumb.
At this moment, someone called out to the frowning Enri with a cheerful voice.
"Yo~ Seems like you're done talking... Oyan~? What's wrong ~su, you've got a strange look on your face? Problem, Enri?"
That voice made Enri jerk up, as though electricity were coursing through her skin. That's right. She was an outsider to the village, a neutral third party who could calmly and logically assess the situation.
Enri ran toward Lupusregina with all her strength.
"Lupusregina-san!"
She tightly clutched the surprised maid's shoulders.
"What what what what's this? Oh no~ My heart's beating so fast. But please don't confess to me. I'm not a lesbian, I like the opposite sex. Noooooo~ Let me go~ I'm going to be raped su~"
"Wait! Please, wait a bit!"
Enri's hands left her shoulders, because she was planning to cover Lupusregina's mouth. But Lupusregina nimbly slipped out of Enri's grasp and smiled to her.
"Ahhhh, sorry, sorry, but you seemed so excited, I thought I needed to cool you down a bit. It was just a joke su~"
"It's a really bad joke..."
Enri sagged her shoulders. However, she immediately recovered again. Lupusregina was a person who came and went as she pleased and if she did not take this opportunity to pin her down she would vanish again.
"Please hear me out. I need an idea on what to do next!"
"I dunno what you're talking about, but we can talk while we walk, right? I don't want the villagers to look at me strangely~"
Enri's face turned bright red. Lupusregina had a point there. However—
"Then don't scream about being raped or anything..."
"Tehe~"
Lupusregina stuck her tongue out at Enri in an adorable way.
"Really — really, Lupusregina-san!"
"Come, come, let's go, let's go."
Without waiting for an answer, Lupusregina set off, and Enri followed.
"Well, come lay your problems onto Lupusregina-oneesan — I can teach you all sorts of things from ecchi things to seducing men~"
"Ah, is that right? Lupusregina-san, you must be really mature..."
To Enri, who knew nothing about such matters, she certainly seemed adult enough. There was no obvious change, but for some reason Lupusregina seemed to look more mature now.
"Hehe, that's because I'm a mimidoshima, after all."
(TL Note: Mimidoshima – young woman with a lot of superficial knowledge about sex, etc)
"...huh?"
What does "mimidoshima" mean? As Enri pondered the strange term, Lupusregina beckoned her over with a "come hither" gesture, indicating that she should ask her questions. Enri began telling her about what had happened in the chief's house.
"So, what should I do?"
"Hm? Beats me."
That was all.
"Hey — didn't you say I could lay my problems on you?"
"I never said I'd answer them, did I... hm, well, whatevs. To begin with, if you're being pushed into this position and you know you're going to regret it, then you'd better not take it on to begin with. Think about what kind of things you can and can't handle."
The usual carefree girl was gone, and in her place was a haunting, bewitching beauty. The usually wide-open eyes were narrowed, and her thin smile sent a chill down her spine.
"This is just my opinion anyways, I'm not telling you what to do or anything. You should sit down and think carefully on this. Let me be frank, it doesn't matter if you or someone else is the chief, whoever does it is going to mess up sooner or later. There's only forty-one people I know who'll never make a mistake. So, there's no point worrying about what happens when you fail. But when you think about it calmly, nobody's better suited to the job than you."
"What do you mean?"
"Ask the gobs. When the village is attacked by scary monsters and they know they can't win, what happens? Imagine the situation with yourself as the chief and yourself not being the chief."
Lupusregina's expression changed again, and she was back to her cheerful self.
"Ahhhh, this is boring. Haaa, this doesn't suit my tastes at all. Ah~ it would be more fun if you didn't become the chief and a great tragedy befell the village, En-chan~."
"—Eh?"
"Hehe~"
Lupusregina smirked as she patted Enri's shoulder.
"Personally, I think you'd make a great chief, En-chan~ Also... why don't you ask that boy over there?"
After taking her hand off Enri's shoulder, Lupusregina twirled in place. It was a movement that seemed estranged from any concept of the word "friction".
"See ya then~"
Lupusregina strode off, her hands fluttering through the air. In front of her stood Nfirea with Nemu's hand in his. Lupusregina patted Nfirea on the shoulder, and as though she had flipped a switch, the two came to life.
"You're home, onee-chan!"
Nemu must have been very worried, because she tackle hugged Enri while running at full speed. For a moment, Enri thought she might be knocked down, but her sturdy leg muscles absorbed the impact.
"Welcome home, Enri. You're earlier than expected. Didn't spend the night?"
"I'm back, you two. And yes, I camped out last night."
"Is that so... I'm glad you weren't attacked by monsters. Still, I can't approve of that sort of thing. The Goblins are strong. but there's still monsters who are stronger than them. Granted, I haven't seen any of those near the plains..."
"Nee-san, don't do dangerous things!"
Nemu said this while clinging tightly to Enri's clothes. Enri was the sole surviving family member her little sister had. Her life was no longer solely hers. It would seem she had forgotten that little detail.
"You're right. I'm sorry."
Enri smiled and gently ruffled Nemu's hair.
"Mm! I forgive you!"
Nemu looked up and smiled.
"Thank you. Speaking of which, have you been a good girl, Nemu? You didn't give Enfi trouble, did you?"
"Really~ oneechan! I'm not a little girl anymore! Right, Enfi-kun?"
"Ahaha... well, I've been treating Agu's tribespeople, so I didn't look too closely, but I trust Nemu behaved herself."
"Really, you too, Enfi-kun? Say, did you know, nee-chan? Enfi-kun stinks!"
"Nemu-chan! That's the smell of herbs! When you grind them up, didn't you say your hands stank as well?"
"That colorful stuff is from herbs?"
"...No, it's different. That's from making alchemical items, so don't make it sound like I stink or anything..."
"But you do stink, don't you, Enfi-kun?"
Nfirea's face froze.
"Mm, It's all over your work clothes, Enfi. So maybe you should take them off when you're not working?"
Enri frantically tried to explain her little sister's actual meaning, and Nfirea's face softened as he heard it.
"I don't have any other clothes, though... in E-Rantel I pretty much wore those all the time."
"Then, what if I made a set for you afterwards?"
"Eh? You can do that?"
"Enfi, who do you think I am? I can still make simple clothes on my own."
"Is that it? I bought all my clothes, so being able to make your own sounds awesome."
"Well, thanks for that. But everyone in the village can... Nemu, you'd better start learning."
"Kay~"
"Then, Nemu, do you mind heading back first? I need to discuss something with Enfi."
Nemu covered her mouth with her hands, but the smile was already making her eyes sparkle.
"Mm! Got it! Then, I'll be going first. Do your best, Enfi-kun!"
Nemu waved to them, then headed back home with a spring in her step.
Enri watched her back as she left, mumbling to herself.
"Why is she so obedient? Are you hiding anything from me?"
"No, I don't think... there's more important things than that! Were you going to tell me something? Although I can roughly guess, since I was at the village meeting yesterday."
That being the case, they could skip a lot of pointless exposition. Enri told Nfirea what she and the chief had discussed.
That was not all She also told him all about her uneasiness and her discussion with Lupusregina. After she finished, Nfirea looked Enri straight in the eye. and spoke.
"I think you should do what you think is right, Enri. No matter what your answer is, I'll always support you... ugh, that line is so cheesy. I hope you'll become the new chief."
"Why? I'm just—"
"No. You're not just a simple village girl. You're the leader of the Goblins, Enri Emmot. You probably want to say that the Goblins aren't your strength, right? But in the end, the Goblins really are your strength. Lupusregina asked you to ask the Goblins, but I'll explain. If you're not the chief, and if the village is in danger, the Goblins will evacuate you and only you if they still have the strength to fight."
"No way! They would never do such a thing!"
"...They might say that in peacetime. However, during a crisis they'll do just that. I heard it from them myself."
"No way..."
Enri looked incredulously at Nfirea. She felt he must be lying. Yet, she could not sense any falseness from around him.
"The most important thing to them isn't the village, it's you. But if you become the chief, then the village becomes your property, and the Goblins will stay and fight for the village to the bitter end. It may not seem like a big difference, but it's enough of a difference. As an aside, they've told me that if an emergency like that happens, they're hoping I can take Nemu and flee behind you. Enri... if you want to check with them, it's fine. But I hope that if you do, you'll keep the fact that I told you about it a secret."
"I won't ask them."
Nfirea lifted his hair up as he heard the straight, direct reply, revealing his wide eyes.
"Is that okay? I might be ly—"
"—Impossible. You would never lie to me, Nfirea. I trust you. Still, they really do place a lot of important on their master, huh."
"Well, isn't that because you're their master, Enri? You bought weapons for the Goblins, right? Don't you think they'd make you their top priority because of that? ...This may sound bad, but the Goblins have never gotten anything from the villagers, who treat them as nothing more than your summoned monsters. One side doesn't treat them like individuals, while the other side does. Doesn't it make sense for them to favor the latter?"
Of course, none of the villagers would actually say that sort of thing out loud. However, it was true that she could not recall any of the villagers thanking them in any concrete way.
"...But, the villagers occasionally make lunch for the Goblins."
"That's a sign of their gratitude to you. It's like saying they'll pay food costs, or save you the trouble of preparing a meal.. Have you ever seen anyone in the village call the Goblins by name?"
She had not. At first she thought it was simply because they could not tell them apart, but perhaps they had never intended to tell them apart from the beginning.
The thought of that filled Enri's heart with an indescribable loneliness.
"Is that so."
Yet, in her voice was not simply dejection, but her eyes shone with the light of resolve
"That's right. ...That's why I, personally, feel that you'll be a good chief. If nothing else, when you're chief, things will change for the Goblins too."
"...Everyone's going to help me, right?"
"Of course. You might as well say nobody won't help you."
"I understand. Then, I'll head over to the chief's place. I'd better do it before I change my mind!"
Nfirea smiled as he heard Enri's declaration.
His smile was gentle, yet stern. It was as though he understood that she was hoping for one last push in the back.
"All right! Good luck, Enri!"
She nodded in reply, and then without looking back, set foot on the path to becoming the new chief of Carne Village.
-x-X-x-
From the sky, Lupusregina could see that almost everyone in the village was gathered in the village square. Enri walked to their head and addressed them, but she could not hear what Enri was saying.
Enri appeared to have finished, and the villagers applauded.
"Ha... so it turned out like this after all. Ahhhh, this is fun, uhihihi~"
"—What's so amusing?"
The voice from behind made Lupusregina turn around to face it.
"Oya~ if it isn't Yuri-nee. Are you flying because of a magic item?"
"That's right. Ainz-sama bestowed it upon me himself. This would be... Carne Village, right? That would be why you were scolded."
"That's right ~su. Ahhh, now the real fun's about to begin~"
"What do you mean?"
"A new leader has just arisen within the village. To the villagers, they're about to turn to a new page in their history, to a new world of possibilities. However, I wonder what would happen if, right at this glorious moment, the village was attacked and everything was lost in a great blaze. I wonder what kind of faces those villagers would make?"
Her cheery and beautiful face cracked open, and something flowed out from within that could only be described as evil.
"And I thought you got along with these people. Is this coming from the bottom of your heart?"
"That's right, Yuri-nee~ I mean every word of it. I gives me a thrill every time I think of the people I get along with being brutally trampled like bugs."
"You're a complete sadist. You're as bad as Solution. Why are my little sisters like this? My only salvation is Shizu, honestly... although I suppose Entoma isn't a bad girl."
Lupusregina laughed as her older sister grumbled and knit her brows.
"Ah~ will the village be destroyed after all?"
-x-X-x-