Chapter V

The party set out as the sun was coming up and proceeded along the road hidden in the grass.

"Carne is just a bit farther."

Nfirea was the only one in the group who had been to Carne before (well, also Momon and Oshiku had, but they were hiding it), so everyone nodded at this piece of information which interrupted the vivid chattering.

After hearing the story about those two's past, their travelling companions had become even more respectful to the Dark Warrior and the Bard Samurai, who laughed and accepted the nickname Ninya had come up with.

"So, I was thinking… It's been such a nice morning and all… Maybe we didn't need to form ranks…" Lukrut spoke as they were now close to civilisation.

But the dark forest was still on their side, also, never dropping one's guard was one of the fundamentals of escort duty, so they were right to be in ranks.

"It's important to stay on guard! Let's keep formation… and hurry on to the village," Peter said.

"Exactly! It's crucial to keep a constant watch so we don't get caught off guard," Dyne said, but his expression made it clear he didn't think that was true. With those two around, we needn't worry about anything…

The naive Ninya tossed out, "A dragon might fly over from super far away and suddenly attack us."

Lukrut bit right away. "Where'd that stupid idea come from? Use your brain, Ninya! could that really happen?!"

Her face got a little red.

"Yeah, that would never happen. The last time a dragon was nearby E-Rantel it was a long time ago, but it was just some made-up folktale; it said there was a dragonlord who could control natural disasters. But There have been no dragon sightings in the last years...

Oh, wait, there is that one about a bunch of frost dragons living in the Azerlisia Mountains. Pretty far up north, though, I think."

Momon was quite surprised.

So there are dragons outside of the Argland Council State? That's bad, I heard from the Sunlight Scripture captives that dragons are the strongest race on the continent…

Dragons could also be counted among the most powerful races in Yggdrasil. They had high physical attack and defense and seemingly inexhaustible health, plus countless special abilities and spells. They were very nearly overpowered.

Among Yggdrasil's monsters, named monsters, area bosses, and so on were the superpowerful World Enemies. These were balance-breaking monsters that were hard for even a legion (six teams of up to six players each) to beat.

One was the final boss of the so-so official story, Devourer of the Nine Worlds. It was the single most powerful being in Yggdrasil, at least until the day before the game's end Oshiku had unleashed his ultimate weapon which tore apart the black dragon as if it had been made out of chocolate. Then there were the Eight Dragons, the Seven Sin Lords, the Ten Angels of the Sephirot, and then with the big update Fall of Valkyria, the Celestial Lord of the Sixth Heaven and the Five Transcendent Ones were added for a total of thirty-two.

Even Oshiku was not happy.

If dragons roam freely around the world, then we should be careful, they might spot us. In Yggdrasil, dragons' lives had no end… Even just one could have more power than we can even imagine with this wild magic they possess…

"Hmm, would you happen to know the name of that dragon that could control natural disasters?" asked Momon.

"My apologies, but no! Shall I look it up once we get back to town?!"

Uh, you don't have to get so excited about it… And if you don't know, you can just say so… I was just making conversation. But he couldn't say those things. After Oshiku's totally made up story, the other adventurers were awed by the two hero-like figures walking with them and seemed ready to walk through the fires of hell for them. Well, at least that tale worked well.

"Ah, thank you, Ninya."

"Okay, Momon!"

"Now, we're just about—" Nfirea spoke in a cheerful voice but abruptly closed his mouth.

Everyone's eyes looked at the village up ahead. It was a simple village right next to the forest. They didn't sense anything that would have caused Nfirea to clam up, and nothing about the scene bothered them.

"What is it, Nfirea? Something wrong?"

"Ah, no... It's just there was not such a sturdy fence over there…"

"Oh yeah? Well, it doesn't seem so tough. Compared to the fences around the border villages, it's pretty shabby, actually. Wouldn't you think they'd have something stronger to protect against monsters with the forest so close?!"

"Well, maybe, but…they have the Wise King of the Forest, so they didn't even have this one before…"

Everyone looked at the village. The fence was made of thick logs and, as far as they could tell, it surrounded the entire village.

"That's so weird… Did something happen…?"

Even hearing the concern in the boy's voice, Momon and Oshiku said nothing, of course. The ones who came here before were members of Ainz Ooal Gown, this time they were simple adventurers.

Ninya spoke up with a sober look on his face. "Maybe I'm being paranoid, but I'm from a village, so I remember the lifestyle well, and two things stick out to me. First, at this time of day there should be people out in the fields, but there are none. And secondly, I can see some wheat has already been harvested." Looking in the direction Ninya's finger pointed, the group noted that part of one of the wheat fields was indeed harvested.

"Oh yeah. You're right… I wonder if something happened…"

Momon addressed the group as they exchanged worried looks. "Let us handle this, everyone. Oshiku, please go invisible and fly over the village to see what's going on."

"Aye, boss!" He disappeared, but his speed was such everyone could feel the air moved by the fast samurai. Everyone waited right there in the middle of the road, and it wasn't long before he returned. Not that he really had to look, that was just to put the others at ease. Still he reported:

"The villagers are walking around normally inside. It doesn't seem like they're acting weird, plus there are people working the fields on the other side of the village."

"Oh! I guess I was just worrying too much."

"There doesn't seem to be any problem for the moment, then. Can we…can we continue on to the village?" Peter asked Nfirea, and he nodded.

The road narrowed, so the party walked toward the entrance to the village in a single file. The fields on either side were green with wheat that waved gently in the occasional breeze. From far away it would have looked almost like the party was waist-deep in a green sea.

"Hmm?" As the cart clattered along, Lukrut, walking second in line, made an odd noise and peered into the field.

It wasn't even harvest season, but the wheat stalks were already more than two feet tall. Of course, just like the sea, it was impossible to see inside.

"What is it?" Ninya, walking behind him, asked nervously.

"Huh? Oh, maybe just my imagination…" Lukrut cocked his head for a moment and then sped up to close the gap with Peter.

Ninya looked in the same direction and then, having confirmed nothing was moving, hurried along to catch up with the other two.

The road was even partially covered in wheat as if the green sea was eroding it. They almost wanted to hack at the plants that stuck out to make more space to walk, but it would have been more trouble than it was worth.

"They should really take better care of the fields. This is such a waste." Peter was taking long strides out in front, and when the heads of the wheat collided with his leg armor, berries fell to the ground. Just as he was lamenting this, he was seized by the feeling that something was amiss.

The intuition forged by the life-or-death situations he'd encountered so far was telling him: Would green berries really fall off so easily?

Following his gut, he looked into the field and saw a pair of eyes staring back at him. There was a little creature there that had wrapped its body in wheat to blend in. Its face was mostly covered, so he couldn't tell what it was, only that it wasn't human.

"Whoa!" He yelped, so surprised that before he could properly alert his friends, the creature spoke.

"Do yuh mind disarming?" The little monster had already drawn a blade and could probably stab Peter faster than he could do anything, no matter how quickly he moved.

Another little voice came from somewhere else.

"Drop yer weapons. And would yuh tell the people behind yuh, too? I wouldn't want to have to shoot them with my bow here." When he turned to look, he found another subhuman waist-deep in a hole it had ingeniously dug in the field. It was also wrapped in wheat.

Peter hesitated; from the way they were talking, he felt like there was still room to negotiate. "…Can you guarantee our lives?"

"Of course. If yuh surrender, that is."

Peter wasn't sure what to do. He had to block the line of fire to the cart where Nfirea was and get a handle on how many enemies there were and their positions. And it was also important to find out what they wanted. Under the current circumstances, he couldn't submit to them or refuse to listen.

They must have noticed his confusion as with a rustling noise, the two little creatures in the field stood up.

"Goblins…," Ninya murmured.

The race of the subhumans matched the one of the monsters they had fought the previous day. They had nocked arrows and were aiming with keen eyes.

Shall we? Ninya, Lukrut, and Dyne tried to read one another's thoughts from their eyes.

Goblins were inferior to humans when it came to physical ability based on height, weight, or muscle mass. They did have Darkvision, so attacking them at night was tricky, but in broad daylight the veteran Swords of Darkness didn't think it would be a terribly difficult fight.

And Oshiku was with them. He could probably slaughter them faster than the goblins could strike Peter.

There was one reason they hadn't made up their minds yet: they could tell the goblins in the field were somehow different from the ones they had fought earlier. In a nutshell, these goblins had the air of trained fighters about them. And they were in good physical condition; the ones from yesterday lacked muscle tone, but these were covered head to toe in muscles.

That wasn't all. The posture of the goblin with the bow was perfect. If the other goblins had been children swinging clubs, this was an experienced warrior.

Last but not least, their gear was of decent quality. In fact, it might have been on par with what the Swords of Darkness were using, and everything had been polished meticulously.

Just as humans could train to get stronger, so could monsters. Even for some subhumans like goblins, it was only natural. In other words, it was likely these two goblins were far stronger than the ones they had fought before.

Suddenly a rustling came from the field that was different from the wind blowing through it. Lukrut whipped around to look at their rear.

"Eh-heh, yuh found me, 'ey?" A goblin poked its head out of the field and stuck out its tongue. Apparently it had been trying to sneak up behind them, but its skills weren't enough to fool a good ranger like Lukrut. Still, discovering them didn't mean the adventurers had gained the advantage.

Calmly looking out over the wheat fields, Lukrut could see movements indicating goblins lurking here and there. They were moving in to surround them, with the cart at the center.

The Swords of Darkness were at a complete disadvantage, and none of them could think of a way out.

Momon calmly observed the goblins and confirmed that Oshiku's hunch over a [Message] had been right: these were summons of the Goblin General's Horns. Since these monsters were working for the girls he'd given the horns to, he did want to avoid acting in a way that could be perceived as hostile.

A goblin noticed the two men looking around nonchalantly and called out to them, "Oy, full plate guy and coat guy. If yuh could just not move, that'd be great. We'd like to avoid combat if we can." It was the hard voice of someone taking strict precautions.

"Don't worry. As long as you don't attack us, we don't plan on moving."

"That's a big help. Those guys might be strong, but we're not scared of them. But you two are different. I'm getting some unfriendly vibes, like, if we got on yer bad side, who knows what would happen."

Momon just shrugged in reply, while Oshiku smiled like a predator would.

"If yuh could just wait right there till our lady arrives…"

"Who's your lady? Are you occupying Carne?!"

Dubious looks appeared on the goblins' faces in reply to Nfirea's threatening attitude.

"Nfirea, calm down. I don't even need to tell you who has the upper hand here. And if you think about what Oshiku has said after he gave a look at the village, there are still some things we can't explain. Let's avoid starting a fight before we know what's going on," said Ninya, but Nfirea wasn't able to hide his anger. Still, the expression that said he might pounce any minute softened into some frustration and a bit of the tension went out of his balled fists.

Seeing such a violent change in Nfirea surprised and even confused all of the adventurers. Of course, they'd only been traveling together for a short while, so they wouldn't know his personality inside out, but nobody expected him to be like this. It seemed like this village meant something more to him than just a place to stay while he's out gathering herbs.

While many looked at Nfirea with these questions in mind, the goblins were glancing at one another—it seemed like they'd been thrown off by the boy's rage.

"Hmm, something's not quite right here…"

"We're just guarding our lady's village because it was recently attacked by guys dressed like imperial knights."

"The village got attacked?! Is she okay?!" As if in response to Nfirea's shouting, a girl appeared at the entrance to the village escorted by a goblin. At the sight of her, his eyes widened, and he called out her name. "Enri!"

In response, the girl shouted back, "Nfirea!" It was the voice of someone calling a close friend, overflowing with kindness.

Then Momon recalled something he'd heard before. "Oh, so the apothecary friend was not a girl but…a boy?"

"That sounds awful…" Nfirea sighed heavily. He had known Enri's parents well. They were such wonderful parents that he was jealous of their two well-loved daughters. Nfirea had only hazy memories of the parents he'd lost when he was small, so whenever he pictured great parents, Enri's were the first to come to mind. He was full of rage for the "whole bunch of guys dressed like imperial knights" who had killed them, and all he could think when he heard that those knights were mercilessly slaughtered was That's what you get! He was also upset at the higher-ups in E-Rantel and in the capital who hadn't deployed any soldiers to guard Carne. But he felt it would be wrong to express those feelings instead of paying attention to Enri, who had the most right to be angry and sad. As he was trying to decide whether he should go over and comfort her or not, she wiped the tears out of her eyes and smiled. "But I have my sister! I can't stay sad forever!"

Nfirea had just started to get up but sat back down. He loathed himself for thinking even for a second that missing the chance to comfort her was unfortunate, but the feeling that he wanted to protect her remained. He wavered but then made up his mind. I don't want anyone at Enri's side but me, even if that guy who showed up is strong enough to protect her.

He was scared, but the feeling that he didn't want to lose her overpowered his anxiety, so he decided to tell her what he'd been feeling since the first time he came to the village as a child. "So…" His speech clogged up as if it had gotten stuck in his throat. Say it! Just say it! he thought frantically, but his throat seemed to have a death grip on the words.

Enri and Nfirea were at an age where it wouldn't be strange to get married. And with the money Nfirea made as an apothecary, he'd be able to provide for Enri's sister as well. Even if we had a baby… He imagined the household he would create but shook his head to clear the fantasy before it got too out of control.

She was right there giving him a puzzled look, and that only made him more anxious. He opened his mouth… and closed it. I like you! I love you! But he couldn't say either of those things because he didn't want to hear her say, Sorry, but…

Then, how about something else that would close the space between us? Wanna come live with me? It's safe in the city. I'll take care of your little sister, too. If you want to work, you can work at Grandma's shop. If you're nervous in the city, I'll be there to help you.

That's what I should to say. She's less likely to reject that than a declaration of love.

"Enri!"

"Wh-what, Nfirea?" She almost jumped at the sudden loudness of his voice.

Nfirea blurted out, "If you ever need anything, let me know. I'll help out as much as I can!"

"Thanks! …You're a much better friend than I deserve."

"Ah, uh, okay—I mean, it's okay. We've been friends forever 'n all…"

He couldn't say anything in response to the smile that spread across Enri's face and cursed at himself for being so pathetic. At the same time, he admired how cute she was as he listened to her reminiscence about when they were kids.

When the topic seemed exhausted for the time being, he asked her a question.

"What are all these goblins?"

The goblins that called Enri "our lady" were vastly different from the ones they had met on the road; they had the air of veteran fighters. He had been even more surprised to find one inside the village who could use some magic. What connection these goblins had to his friend and how it happened, Nfirea couldn't fathom.

Enri gave a simple answer. "Ainz Ooal Gown, the great man who has saved the village, gave me an item, and when I used it, they came out. They listen to what I say and do all sorts of things for me!"

"Huh…" He acknowledged what she'd said, but her starry-eyed look left him feeling bitter.

Ainz Ooal Gown. The name had come up several times during her story. He was a mysterious caster who just happened to be passing by, and with his immense power, he saved Carne from the group dressed as imperial knights. He was a hero who had saved Enri, and Nfirea should have been grateful to him. But that was hard to do, due to the look on Enri's face when she spoke about him.

He knew it was natural for someone who had been saved to react that way, but jealousy welled up in his heart. He didn't want to lose her, and he resented the fact that Enri didn't get that look on her face for him. Those sentiments mixed into an ugly cocktail of emotions.

He felt pathetic but tried to clear that away by considering the item Enri had told him about. It summoned goblins and was called a Goblin something-or-other Horn. Enri's rescuer had told her the name, but after all the confusion, she couldn't remember it well.

Nfirea had a strange feeling. He'd never heard of such an item before. And he couldn't imagine forgetting the name. This item was too special, anyone would remember the name after hearing it just once.

There were all kinds of summoning items and there was a tree of summoning magic, but all summoned monsters he knew of would disappear without a trace after a set amount of time. They certainly didn't stick around long enough to do odd jobs. If that were possible, it would rewrite magic history.

And then, how much would such an item be worth? Enri didn't seem to have realized its monetary value, but had she sold it, it would probably have fetched enough to allow her to live the rest of her days in leisure. The reason she had used this rare item was to stop any more blood from being shed in the village.

The goblins summoned by Enri's wish (a wish Nfirea approved of as befitting her) protected the village; they also looked up to Enri as their one true master and followed all her orders, they'd even started tending the fields. Apparently they were teaching the villagers about how to defend themselves with bows and arrows, plus using other weapons as well. Given all that, they were now accepted as a strange sort of new villager.

Perhaps the fact that they had been attacked by fellow humans was behind their welcoming the goblins. A slight distrust of humans might have made it easier to embrace the goblins who had helped them out in a pinch. And it probably also helped that the one who had granted them the items was their savior, the mysterious caster.

"So this Ainz Ooal Gown—that was his name, right?—what kind of person is he? If I can meet him, I'd like to thank him personally."

Nfirea had never heard of anyone called Ainz Ooal Gown. Well, Enri hadn't seen under his mask, so even if that man was someone he was familiar with, Nfirea wouldn't have a way of knowing. But this was the kind of guy who could give away an extraordinarily valuable item to his beloved: if Nfirea had met him, he wouldn't be likely to forget.

When he told her that honestly, Enri was visibly disappointed. "Oh. I thought maybe you would've known him…"

Her reaction caused Nfirea's heart to leap into his throat for a moment, and his back oozed an unpleasant sweat. His breath grew ragged without him realizing it. Desperately fighting back his terror, he asked her: "Enri, what's this about? You want to meet this Gown guy a-and then what?"

"Huh? I mean, I'd like to say a proper thank-you. There's talk of building a little "bronze statue so we never forget our debt to him, but I should probably thank him personally, too…"

Sensing none of the emotion he had feared in her reply, Nfirea heaved a sigh and his shoulders relaxed. "Oh. Oh! Okay. Yeah, of course you would want to thank him. If you can think of anything that would distinguish him from other people, maybe I can remember someone…and it would help narrow it down… Oh, hey, do you know what kind of magic he used?"

"Oh, magic. I-it was amazing! This bolt of electricity went zap! and the knight was killed in one hit."

"Electricity… He didn't happen to say, [Lightning], did he?"

Enri looked into space for a few moments and then nodded emphatically. "Yeah! …I'm pretty sure he did say some something like that." She added that she thought it was something longer, so Nfirea figured he must have used a spell that was probably an increased version of [Lightning].

"I see… So he used at least tier-three spell, then."

"Is tier three… that amazing?"

"Well, if I had to pick between amazing and not, I'd have to say it's amazing! I can only use up to tier two. Tier three is the highest level attainable by normal human beings. Anything higher than that is the realm of people with talents et cetera."

"I knew it! Mr. Gown is amazing!" Enri nodded, impressed, but Nfirea had the feeling this caster was capable of more than tier three. And he could give away that magic item like it was nothing! He might even be able to use heroic fourth or fifth-tier spells. What was a guy like that doing in a village like this?

As he puzzled over that, Enri dropped a bomb that blew all of his questions away. "And that's not all! He had a friend who gave me this bright red potion…"

Nfirea was so startled he practically forgot everything else they had talked about. He recalled a conversation…

"I'll pay, so will you get me some details about the guy who gave you this potion?"

Lizzy's question had caused the warrior Brita to furrow her brow. "So you get some details and then what?"

"Get connected, of course. If we get to know each other, maybe he'll tell me where he got that potion! Who knows? He might even just mention it in the course of a conversation. If he's an adventurer, I'd like to make a request. What do you think, Nfirea?"

That was how Nfirea ended up requesting Oshiku by name. He was supposed to make friends with him and get him to talk about the potion and/or see if he let any information slip while they were out gathering herbs. So far, he only knew he was from a faraway country, the man had never mentioned potions. But what about this friend of Ainz Ooal Gown who probably had the very same potion?

Maintaining a level tone of voice so as not to let his inner agitation show, Nfirea asked her, "Uh, what kind of potion was it?"

"Huh?"

"Oh, you know, I work with potions, so…"

Enri told him everything about the potion she was given. Countless facts were suddenly tied up, it was as if a whole pile of veils had been removed at once to reveal what was beneath.

There was a very high chance that the potion in E-Rantel and the potion Enri drank were the same kind.

And in both cases, a pair of travelers was involved. So he had to ask:

"Do you remember the other guy's name and appearance?"

"He was covered head to toe in the darkest armour ever…"

That's got to be Momon! He thought, but the next words proved him wrong.

"And he said his name was Oshiku."

Confused, he stood there silently while the wheels in his head rolled faster and faster. Either Oshiku was wearing Momon's armour or it was Momon who for some reason pretended to be Oshiku … but no way Ainz Ooal Gown could be one of those two, Momon has no clue about magic and is too strong a warrior, while Oshiku can't even cast [Lightning]. Probably Ainz Ooal Gown is someone those two have been travelling together with.

Anyway, he now knew Oshiku had cured his loved one's injury.

Nfirea couldn't keep his breath steady, even though he knew Enri was staring at him. He also had mixed emotions. When he thought of the man who had saved Enri by giving her a potion, he hated himself, who was trying to learn bit by bit how to make them. He felt like dirt. Enri would probably fall for the other guy. Thinking that made him want to throw up.

"A-are you okay? You're really pale all of a sudden."

"Y-yeah, I'm fine. Just…"

If I could save countless lives by learning how to make that potion, it might erase my guilt.

"What's wrong? You're acting kind of weird."

"Ahh, nah. It's nothing."

He smiled, fighting the nausea, but he wasn't sure if it was convincing, and from the look on Enri's face, it was not. "…What should I do? You don't like guys who do bad things in secret, right?"

"I believe there are things that should stay with a person until they're called to be with the gods—especially if it's something that could hurt someone else. But it's different if you hide something and someone else gets hurt. Nfirea, I won't hate you, so if you committed a crime you should turn yourself in!"

"What?… No, I didn't commit any crime!"

"Oh! …Yeah! Of course—I didn't think you did! You would never do something like that!"

Watching her force a laugh, he felt his shoulders relax. "Thanks, Enri. I know it sounds weird, but I feel better..." For now, I'll just work toward getting on an equal footing, so I can hold my head high in front of you. So I can tell you that I like you, that I love you.

Enrireacted with a smile and Nfirea reciprocated, then he said: "Sorry, but I gotta go now".

And he ran off.

"Huh…" Oshiku looked at one part of the village and made a noise that might have indicated he was impressed. Several villagers had formed a line. It was a truly diverse mix of ages and sexes. There was a plump mother in her forties but also a boy who was just entering his teens. The thing they had in common was the earnest, even hostile, look on their faces. Nobody was there to play around.

A goblin holding a bow was speaking to them. Despite his superior sense of hearing, he couldn't make out what was being said at such a distance.

After a little while, each villager slowly nocked an arrow. The bows were plain, short ones. They looked shabby and awkward, like the villagers had cobbled them together themselves.

They drew their bowstrings all the way back. Their targets were bundles of straw made to look like humans set up a little ways away. The goblin must have given an order—everyone loosed at once.

Despite how sad the bows looked, the arrows flew admirably and burrowed into the bundles of straw. Not a single one missed.

"Not bad!" Oshiku found himself uttering modest praise.

"Do you mean that?" Momon's questioning voice came from behind him.

She probably doesn't understand why these achievements are worth praising. These villagers are like children playing with toys compared to Aura or I or the other archers of the Great Tomb of Nazarick. Realizing how his friend's felt, the samurai smiled wryly. "As you point out, nothing about their technique is particularly amazing. But these people never used a bow until ten days ago. They aren't out here because their spouses, children, and parents were killed, and they don't want to let another attack like that happen—they want to bare their fangs and fight when it does! That's worth praising, isn't it?" What was praiseworthy was the hatred that drove the villagers to do this, that was all.

"Umu. I didn't think that far…"

"Bah, it's not something that important. And truly, there is nothing whatsoever worth praising about their technique."

Watching another wave of arrows slice through the air and sink into the bundles of straw, ne suddenly had a thought. How strong will these people be able to get? And how strong will I and Oshiku be able to get? We have come to this world at the Yggdrasil level cap of 100, with surplus experience points maxed out. He wasn't sure, but he figured that since their abilities had carried over, that XP would, too. The question was whether it was possible to get level 101 or not.

He had the feeling he was approaching the answer. I can't get any stronger than this. This is my peak power. Ainz's and Oshikuru's power was one that could not grow, whereas the villagers' weakness represented unfathomable possibilities. If by some chance, some beings in this world like the immortal dragons had no cap and could advance past a level comparable to Yggdrasil's 100, there might be a chance they could be defeated unless resorting to World Items and to Oshikuru's so-called Otherworld Item. After seeing the effect of the upgraded 8 Swords of Greater Evil, even the pessimistic Ainz was sure that thing was the definition of unlimited power as it had erased Yggdrasil's most powerful World Energy from existence in less than a minute.

Still, we really need to make gathering intelligence the highest priority.

As he was absentmindedly thinking about those things, he noticed a boy was running towards them. The eyes normally hidden behind his hair could be seen each time his bangs bounced, and he noticed that boy was looking squarely at Oshiku who also noticed that.

Something about Nfirea gave him a bad feeling.

"What's with the rush? Another emergency? I swear, this village…," Momon grumbled as Nfirea came to a halt in front of them.

Breathing heavily, his forehead slick with sweat, Nfirea pushed his damp hair out of his eyes and now turned his serious expression to both men. As if he couldn't decide what to do or whether he wanted to talk to Momon or Oshiku, he repeatedly opened and closed his mouth. Finally, he seemed to make up his mind and addressed Oshiku while bowing his head.

"Oshiku, thank you for healing my friend, and please let Ainz Ooal Gown know how grateful I am for him rescuing Carne village!"

The shock left Oshiku speechless. Of course, he had to deny everything, but he had no idea how Nfirea had found out.

So he hesitated. In response to that hesitation, Nfirea seemed to understand as he said:

"I know you must have some reason for hiding your presence here. Even so, I wanted to thank you and Ainz Ooal Gown for saving the village and rescuing Enri. Thank you so much for saving the woman I love."

Nfirea bowed again, deeper this time, and Oshiku said nothing while Momon seemed to stare at him with killing intent. But Oshiku was more interested by Nfirea's declaration.

So you're in love, huh? Live it up while you're young!

But there was something more important on his mind.

"Aw, geez. C'mon, raise your head.

Well, I did give a potion to Enri… while I shouldn't have told her my name. Shit! Ainz-san'll scold me… but he said he'd erase the girl's memories, so why does she remember about that… could she have told my name to everyone? Argh! I need to get this guy to talk… but how do you know about this? Also, who else does?"

"Well, you told your name to Enri and she said it to me. But when you entered the village today you looked completely different and didn't reveal your name to anyone in here, so only she and I know about it… but I promise both of us will keep it a secret, after all we both owe you big time…

Also, Mr. Oshiku, there's something I've been hiding as well."

He lowered his gaze as if ashamed.

Forcing a smile on his face, he put a hand on his friend hoping it'd be enough to calm him down, then Oshiku faced the boy.

"Won't you tell me, then?"

"Actually…" Nfirea swallowed hard. Then, he continued with new determination on his face. "That potion you gave that lady at the inn, you can't make it using the usual methods, Mr. Oshiku… it's very rare! I wanted to know what kind of person would have such a potion and how to make it, and that's why I've really made the request to you. I'm sorry."

"Ah, I see."

What a screwup. He had given out two healing potions he thought were normal and which he did not need, but it seemed like even the smallest item from the Nine Worlds of Yggdrasil was a treasure for the New World's inhabitants.

Maybe I should get that potion back. I wish I asked that ginger girl her name… Well, regretting it now won't change anything.

Oshiku felt he had made the best move he could have both in Carne and in E-Rantel. Enri needed immediate medical attention and he provided it, while back at the inn, when that adventurer had mentioned his golden earrings were like a status-symbol, he had been forced to pay her back and he had no money, so the only choice was to give her a similar potion. Had he refused, there was the possibility she'd start rumors about him being a jerk, tainting the reputation he was working hard to make. Once people start talking behind someone's back, it doesn't ever stop, and lots of people love to pick at an open sore.

He and Ainz had come to the city to become renowned as adventurers, so he had to avoid doing anything that could lead to disrepute.

Anyway, it wasn't a fatal error; he just had to bounce back.

Still, he didn't know why Nfirea was apologizing. "Well, it's not like you've done anything wrong."

"Huh?"

"It sounds bad if you say you were keeping secrets to bring harm to me, but if it was just a request for networking purposes, what's wrong with that?" He was genuinely puzzled.

"You're very understanding…" Nfirea seemed impressed.

Ainz was cocking his head in his mind, though. Even if networking was one of the basics of being a working adult and there was nothing wrong with making connections, part of him did understand.

He probably feels like he was trying to get close to me to steal some industry secrets. "If I told you how to make the potion, how would you use that information?"

Nfirea yelped in surprise and then thought a moment before answering.

"I didn't think that far ahead. I just have this thirst for knowledge, you know? I think my grandma is the same way…"

"I see. Then that's fine. If you had some kind of sinister plan, it'd be different, but otherwise there's nothing wrong with it."

"Wow. I can see why… people… admire you… you're not just strong, you're so kind too" The sweat had dried, and the mumbling boy's hair had fallen over his face again, but behind it his eyes gleamed in adoration, like the way a kid who loves baseball would gaze at a pro player.

Perhaps the boy's reaction reminded him of the awe he had felt when he had seen the members of Ainz Ooal Gown friendly helping one another, but Oshiku composed himself and got down to business.

Having gotten that far, he realized he had no idea what he could say to Nfirea to persuade him besides the gratefulness and adoration now displayed by the young man so he took the chance to make his request point-blank.

"For now, this is the first time I've ever been here. I'd like it if you and Enri could remember that for me."

"Sure. I kind of figured. I know I've probably made things awkward for you, but I still wanted to express my gratitude. Thank you again for saving Enri and the village with Ainz Ooal Gown…" Nfirea thanked him with all his heart, eyes earnest.

"Okay, that's enough. I just happened to be there. It was Ainz Ooal Gown who did everything…"

He came up with a quick story.

"… We had met him during our travels. He's a very kind person and a powerful magic caster, but he went off on his own, I have no idea where he's gone now… while Momon and I will always stick together. Anyway, go tell your girlfriend to keep secret my presence here last time."

"I'll fo that right now. Anyway, if you ever find him again, tell Ainz Ooal Gown I deeply thank him for saving Enri and the village. And thank you again."

He didn't say anything else, just nodded quietly and Momon, who had been so silent all the time, nodded as well while keeping on biting his nonexistent lip.

Before Nfirea turned to walk away, he mentioned, as a client, that they would be heading into the forest in an hour.

As soon as Nfirea's figure was far enough, he turned to face his friend. "I'm sorry, I should not have thrown away the potions as if they were worthless, and I should have chosen a different name… still, I thought you had erased the girl's memories and didn't worry about it then…"

After a long look, and a longer sigh, Momon mumbled: "Yeah, it was a bit of a screwup, but let's not worry too much…"

Huh? since when do you not get worried about every little thing?

"The plan to go undercover as Momon and Oshiku the adventurer hasn't failed yet, so we just have to be more careful from now on. Of course, it might be necessary to do away with the boy and the girl, but I'd rather not. Also, I think they'll keep their mouth shut, they owe us everything…"

"Agreed. What about the potion stuff, though? It's not just about the boy…"

Nfirea's grandmother was a famous apothecary in E-Rantel. Momon and Oshiku had no intention of incurring her wrath.

"We'll play it by ear." Or rather he just couldn't think of anything else to say.

Then, Momon proceeded to joke about Oshiku's slip up for a while and both of them enjoyed that moment of friendly banter.

A couple of friends rejoined. Well, maybe friends was a bit of a stretch. Clementine returned to Khajit's hideout, the ancient shrine beneath E-Rantel's graveyard, and her irritation was practically spewing forth as flames. Her gait was erratic, her brow knit an her mouth twisted into a frown that warped her shapely face so much she looked ugly.

Of course, her true nature was far uglier.

Khajit whispered in his head and sent the latest zombie off to the undead holding pen.

"Ohhh? A new zombie? We already have more than a hundred and fifty! the Jewel of Death's power sure is amazing!"

The number of undead a caster could create and control with the tier-three spell Create Undead depended on the caster's ability. Making more powerful undead meant being able to control fewer, but if they were bottom-of-the-barrel zombies, someone like Khajit, who specialized in controlling undead, could handle far more than normal, more than a hundred. And the reason Khajit was able to rule even more than that was the power of an item he possessed, the Jewel of Death.

"It's because you've been playing around, killing whoever you bump into!"

"Sorryyy!" She gave a quick bow without seeming the least bit apologetic. "But why'd ya make all these guys who die so easily? You could try a little harder…"

"Maybe if you hit them they die easily…"

"Most adventurers won't go down without a fight, y'know."

"I'm not worried about adventurers. Regular people will die just fine… Is it a hobby of yours to go on and on about trivial things I already know?"

"Okay, okay, okayyyy. I'm sorry! I won't say any more, so please forgive me!"

Khajit clicked his tongue. "I can't trust you, but for now, don't kidnap any more humans. I mean it, any more and I won't be able to control them all."

"Okayyy!"

Khajit wrinkled his brow at her lighthearted reply. He gave up on saying anything else because he knew it was futile, but he frowned as furiously as he could to convey his feelings. Of course, it went ignored.

"But I'm just so bored, ya know? I mean, where'd he go, anyway?"

"He hasn't returned yet?"

"Nope! Man! Maybe I should just kidnap the old lady after all?"

"Don't. She's useless to my plan, and her being taken won't make her nephew come home sooner from wherever he went. Besides, that old lady has a prominent reputation in the city, there'd sure be trouble if we meddle with her.""Huh? But—"

Khajit thrust a hand into his robe and clutched a black stone. "Clementine…I've spent years preparing to turn this town into a city of death. I will not have your stupid games ruining my plan! If you make any more trouble… I'll kill you!"

Ignoring the menace she wondered: "…Spiral of Death, was it?"

"Yes. Our leader performed it."

There was a trend for stronger undead to be created in a place where there were many undead gathered. And when stronger undead were gathered, it was possible to create even stronger ones. The Spiral of Death was a ritual that took advantage of that principle to build a series of stronger and stronger undead.

It was a sinister ritual that had once turned a whole city into a place where the undead went unchecked. Khajit's objective was to turn E-Rantel into a second city of death and, by harnessing all the power of death concentrated in there, turn himself immortal by becoming a lich. And he'd been preparing for a long time. He wasn't about to have it all go up in smoke because of that girl who'd showed up a few days earlier bringing more trouble than help, so far.

"Are we clear?"

Khajit caught the streak of brutality flashing across her cute, puffy-cheeked, pouting face. A split second later she'd become a murderous storm's wind and she was charging toward him.

There had been plenty of distance between them, but she closed it in the space of one breath and her arm stretched out so fast it blurred. Held in hand like an extension of that arm was a sharp blade, the gleam of which went straight for Khajit's throat.

The weapon she thrust at him was a sword made for stabbing called a stiletto. As a stabbing weapon, it didn't have very many attack patterns, which made it rather hard to use. But Clementine, who loved the stiletto above all else, had trained her muscles, selected her gear, and acquired arts all so she would be able to deal a single critical hit where it counted.

Before she knew it, having used the power she'd amassed to survive battles against both humans and monsters alike, Clementine reached a level of skill where normal people could no longer block her attacks. For someone who had enough inherent ability to deviate from the realm of normal humans in the first place, and then spent her entire life honing her skills, that was surely a matter of course.

But the man on the receiving end wasn't a normal human, either. Khajit, one of the twelve leading disciples of Zurrernorn, would not be killed so easily.

Something like a white wall came bursting out of the ground to receive the unblockable blade. It was a sort of giant hand made of human bones, though it was also reminiscent of reptilian claws. It wriggled, and the earth around it started to split. The huge thing was obeying Khajit's will, trying to jump out of the ground.

Satisfied by the powerful undead presence he could feel under his feet, he glared at Clementine.

"Don't be stupid. Thanks to you, my control over the other undead weakened for a moment."

"Oops! Sorryyy. But I didn't mean it, I promise! I was gonna stop right before I stabbed ya!"

"Don't lie to me, Clementine. That's not the kind of person you are."

"Ooh! Busted, huh? Yeah, if ya hadn't blocked it, I probably woulda stabbed right through your shoulder. But I wasn't gonna kill ya… promise!"

Khajit twisted his face into an angry frown because he saw an unpleasant smile spread across the face of the woman in front of him.

"But I can beat that thing, y'know. A caster might not have a chance, but I'm a warrior, so it shouldn't be too hard. I'm not so great at using battering weapons, but…"

"You're strong against living things with your deadly strikes, but I wonder how you'd do against the undead, none of their physiological systems are working in the first place. Also, do you really think this is the final ace up my sleeve?"

"Hmm… Well…" Clementine eyed one of the passages, probably sensing the presence of the undead under Khajit's control that were lurking there. "I think I could win…although if it turned into an endurance contest, I'd lose, ugh. Heh-heh! Sorry, Khaj!"

Clementine pulled the hand with the sword back under her cape. At the very same time, the ground stopped shaking. "Ahh, I guess you didn't specialize in controlling undead for nothing, huh? Quite nice!" Saying only that, she turned her back and started walking.

"Oh yeah, I won't lay a hand on that old hag and everyone else. That's fine, then, right?"

"…Yes…" He didn't unclench his hand until she left, not until she disappeared into the depths of the underground shrine.

"Psychopath!" he spat. I have my issues, too, but not like Clementine. "She's so skilled, you'd think… No, perhaps it's exactly because she's so powerful that her personality is so warped."

Clementine was strong. Even among the twelve leaders in the secret society, there were only three who could defeat her. Unfortunately, Khajit was not among them. Even if he used the power of the item he had clutched, he only had about a 30% chance.

"So this is the former ninth seat of the Black Scripture… Socially dysfunctional people with hero-level power are quite bothersome…"