Epilogue
"Ane-san, looks like you're ready."
Jugem commented on Enri's appearance as he entered her home.
"Yes, that's right… is it odd?"
Enri asked Jugem while looking down at the dress she was wearing, one of the best she had, which she usually reserved for the harvest festival.
"Not at all, don't you think, Ani-san?"
"Mm. You're very pretty, Enri."
"Ahhh, really now!"
With a red face, Enri stared at Jugem and a smiling Nemu. Or rather, at Nemu's mischievous grin. Ever since Enri and Nfirea's relationship had taken a step forward, she wanted to call out Nemu's transient facial expressions as they came, but Enri knew that would just embarrass herself more and wisely kept her mouth shut.
However, leaving it alone was dangerous too. Especially for Nemu. Sometimes, her little sister would ask questions that she couldn't answer.
I keep thinking that over the past few days, I've matured mentally… maybe I should ask Enfi for help for this…
Seeing the plea in Enri's eyes, her lover spoke.
"Umm, ahem! Speaking of which, Jugem-san, can you use that magic sword well? I heard it's not like normal swords, and using it is tiring."
The greatsword Jugem was holding had been obtained in the raid several days ago.
"I've gotten used to the sword's weight and center of gravity, so I can use it as well as my old sword. As expected of a magic weapon, its sharpness and so on are much better than the other one. However… the poison in here, it weakens its opponent's strength, but it's a bit strange…"
"It is? Is it a powerful effect?"
"Well, it's not a particularly strong poison. Someone like me can resist it easily. However, against weaker opponents…"
Jugem's face took on a dark expression.
"What's wrong?"
"Ah―" Jugem said as he looked to the ceiling, speaking in an irritated voice. "I was thinking about the troll I got this sword from, he seemed like an odd fellow."
"The corpse doesn't seem any different from a normal troll. Maybe it was a subrace?"
"No, no, I didn't mean that, Ani-san. From its movements, its lack of regeneration, the way it felt when I cut into it… it felt weird… that's right, like a body that was already dead. Something bizarre and foreboding like that."
"A moving corpse? Like a zombie?"
"I don't know. There might be a species of troll like that―"
"―Thanks for waiting!"
The door opened in time with that fresh and bright proclamation.
With the sun at her back, Lupusregina strolled boldly into Enri's house. As Enri and friends watched in stunned silence, a pang sound came from the top of Lupusregina's head.
"Owie!"
"You idiot. How could you be so rude? Everyone, I apologize on her behalf."
After pulling Lupusregina back, the woman in the back bowed to them.
"I am Ainz-sama's maid, Yuri Alpha. I am here to receive Nfirea-sama, Enri-sama and Nemu-sama. Will you permit us entry?"
"Ah, yes. Please come in, Lupusregina too."
The woman who had entered with Lupusregina had an otherworldly beauty, just like Lupusregina. But unlike her, she had a polite demeanour.
"Then, once you're ready, we can begin the teleportation straight away."
"Te-teleportation? You can teleport?!"
Nfirea was practically shouting. Although Enri didn't know why Nfirea was so surprised, she could guess that it was a big deal.
"Ah, no. This is not my power, but the power of a magic item Ainz-sama gave me."
"…The horn, the potions too. He's amazing. Why is he so amazing?"
Nfirea's shoulder sagged. Sensing an opportunity, Enri decided to ask a question.
"Then, is it really all right for me to go? And my little sister too?"
Today was the day that the village's savior, Ainz Ooal Gown, had invited them to his home. However, she felt unease when she heard that even a mere village girl like herself could go along. In the end she agreed only because Ureirika and Kuuderika had already been there, so Nemu who had heard their fantastic descriptions wanted to visit Nazarick in turn.
And no way Enri would let her go without being there to stop her little sister from being rude.
Their host was a powerful magic caster, and they were people who lived in completely different worlds. The idea that Nemu might accidentally do something improper made her stomach hurt.
"It's cool, since we're celebrating Enfi-chan's new invention, his whole family can come along, no problem. Ainz-sama said so too, yanno. Formality's not such a big deal."
"… Lupus, mind your tone."
"Yuri-nee, what's wrong with that? We're friends, right En-chan?"
"Eh? Ah, yes, yes. Just like that. Mm."
Yuri sighed with a "Haaa…", then walked to the front of a nearby wall. Suddenly, as though erupting from some form of space, a gigantic wooden closet appeared. It was big enough for people to pass through with ease, and its exterior was intricately carved, so it looked like a decorative closet.
"…Could this be a 'pocket space'? No, this is too big, it should be a higher tiered spell," mumbled Nfirea.
"Come, please, step inside. Lupus, can I trust the safety of this place to you?"
"Understood-su."
The wooden cabinet should have been backed up against a wall, but when one looked inside, its interior seemed to stretch into another world.
Yuri took the first step and walked through to the other side of the closet.
She was followed by Nfirea, and a little bit later, by Enri holding onto Nemu's hand.
They passed through the wall ahead of them without resistance, and found themselves inside a vast, grand pathway, flanked by statues on both sides that were so life-like it seemed like they might even move.
"Uwah!"
Nemu exclaimed softly as she looked around the ceiling, her mouth as wide as her eyes. In order to keep her from falling, Enri looked forward as well.
"Amazing…"
The floor was made of polished rock, on which a colorful carpet had been laid to show the way forward.
Enri was struck dumb with admiration; she imagined that this must be what palaces looked like.
"Please, walk this way."
Yuri's voice snapped her out of her daze, and she thought of running a little to catch up with the two people ahead of them. But since that would be entirely unbefitting of a place like this, Enri merely quickened her footsteps to advance swiftly.
After walking for a distance, a wall appeared with a closet door upon it, similar to the one they had used to enter. However, there were two key differences. The first was that this door was several times larger than the first, big enough for several people to enter at the same time. The second was because an image of the other side was projected onto the door, and a multicolored film of magic opened up inside it.
"Then, please enter like you did previously."
Enri and Nfirea looked at each other.
"We'll go in together."
Enri and Nfirea linked their hands. From left to right stood Nemu, Enri and Nfirea, and together they walked into the door.
A harmonious chorus of voices greeted them with a "Welcome!"
Looking around, they had arrived in an even more luxurious hallway, with two rows of astoundingly beautiful maids flanking them on both sides. At the end of a passage stood a man in a black robe that seemed to suck in all light from around him, wearing a bizarre mask. He was the savior of the village, Ainz Ooal Gown.
A panicked Enri froze where she stood.
The chandeliers on the ceiling sparkled, and the white marble floor was spotless.
A magnificent passage and pretty maids all in two rows. It was like walking into a fantasy world.
Lost in this ephemeral, dream-like world, Enri accidentally lost her grip on Nemu's hand. The part of her mind that wasn't completely overwhelmed by her surrounding recognized this, and in the next moment, Enri snapped back to reality.
Nemu ran ahead.
"Amazing! It's all so amazing!"
Nemu shouted at the top of her voice as she ran. She ran down the two lines of maids and towards Ainz.
Faced with a world that overwhelmed her senses and heart, she abandoned her restraint and let herself run wild.
"It's super duper amazing!"
"Nemu! Come back!"
Enri started running a fraction of a second later. Nemu's disgraceful behavior was making sweat form all over Enri's body.
But is it really all right for a mere village girl like herself to run in a divine realm like this, flanked by beautiful maids? Enri hesitated and her feet betrayed the conflicting emotions in her. In the end, she ended up moving like a half-dead frog, starting and stopping, her mind running through all the worst-case scenarios that could result.
While Enri was still limping along, Nemu had already reached the side of the village's savior without resistance.
"Is it that impressive?"
"Yup! It's really amazing!"
"Is that so… well, perhaps that's true."
Ainz reached out a hand, and calmly patted Nemu on the head.
"Is the place where I live truly that wonderful?"
"Yeah, it's really wonderful! Did you make this, Gown-sama?"
"Hahaha, yes, that's right. My friends and I did."
"That's amazing! Gown-sama and Gown-sama's friends are all amazing!"
"Hah! Hahahaha!"
The clear and bright laughter reverberated through the hallway.
By this time, Nfirea and Enri had hesitantly reached the two of them. Enri tightly gripped Nemu's hand, infused with a will that would never let go.
"We thank you for your kind invitation from the bottom of our hearts!"
"There is no need for such formality, Nfirea. We are here to celebrate the production of your new potion. Be at ease."
"Gown-sama, I am truly sorry. My sister Nemu has been rude to you."
"Really, think nothing of it. She was moved by the sight of my residence, was she not? Then that is no insult to me."
Ainz seemed to be in a good mood.
"Then… next up, I intended to speak to Nfirea-kun, but… Nemu, how about it? Do you want to see more of the home that I, no, that we created together?"
"Yes! I wanna see! I want to see the amazing house Gown-sama and his friends made!" Nemu said before Enri could refuse.
"Hahaha. Very well, very well! I have such sights to show you…"
Enri was unable to speak against it, once she saw the high spirits Ainz was in.
Enri stopped pacing around and settled down onto a recliner, remembering that she had been asked to wait in the receiving room while Nemu was shown around.
Rather than say she was invited here, it would be more accurate to say that she was like a small animal that had been taken from its nest. She sat uneasily, and looked around herself. Beside her ― regardless of the size of this place, the two of them stuck closely to each other ― her lover Nfirea was also unable to keep still, much like a small animal himself.
Enri could understand that her village's savior, the magic caster known as Ainz Ooal Gown, was a mighty being, but what she had seen today went beyond her wildest imaginings.
It was as though she had stepped into a shining dreamscape, or a story where princesses and other great figures took center stage.
The fireplace was decorated with glass birds that had been carved to life-like perfection. If she broke one, she could work her entire life and still be unable to pay for it.
The sofa was exquisite, and Enri wondered if she was dirtying it with her clothes.
The chandelier, the first she had seen in her short life, was not lit by torches, lanterns, or candles, but by magic instead. She had seen magic lights before in E-Rantel, but they couldn't compare in brightness or style.
The furniture was tasteful and luxurious. Of particular interest was the weightiness of the ebony table before her. Even though Enri had no idea how valuable these kinds of things were, she was still able to tell that this was a very valuable piece.
A lifelike portrait of a beautiful woman hung on the wall, painted in intricate detail.
She then noticed the carpet on the floor. It was so soft that while sitting on the sofa, she gently raised her feet, thinking that it would be better not to dirty it.
Enri was so nervous that she was about to faint.
"I knew we should have gone with her. I just hope she doesn't trouble Gown-sama…"
"It'll be fine, don't worry. Gown-sama is very accommodating. I think he'll overlook any minor rudeness from a young girl."
"Mm, but, you see, if you anger a noble, you'll be executed…"
"I've heard that too, but to be honest, I'd never imagine Gown-sama doing such a thing. Is he even a noble?"
"How couldn't he? Anyone with such a luxurious manor and so many pretty maids would have to be a noble, right? There's no way they could gather all these things otherwise."
"Mmm? Is that so? To be honest, I don't think even a noble could assemble so many beautiful maids like these."
Enri's eyebrows shot up at a dangerous angle.
It was fine if she said the maids were pretty, but when Nfirea said it, it made her feel uneasy. Just as she turned a sharp gaze on Nfirea he was saved by a knocking on the door.
"Eee!"
Enri's shoulders twitched violently, and because the two of them were pressed against each other, the twitch was transmitted to Nfirea, who shuddered as well.
The knocking came again. Enri frantically thought about what the knocking meant, and in the meantime Nfirea opened his mouth.
"Please come in."
The way Nfirea had given the right answer with such calm mystified Enri, and what entered was a maid pushing a silver cart. She was a pretty young woman, dressed in sparkling clean and spotless clothes which even an amateur could recognize as a high-class maid outfit. A gentle, warm smile adorned her face. However, Enri was worried that at any moment it would twist into an angry expression as she exclaimed, "What are you two doing? You don't belong here!"
"The beverages are ready."
"N-no need!"
The maid's face displayed stunned confusion for a moment as she parsed Enri's lightning-fast answer. Then she turned her gaze to Nfirea, and then back to Enri.
"…Ah, is everything all right?"
"Ah, yes."
Perhaps she sensed how Enri was so tense that her body had frozen up, or Nfirea's innate nervousness, but the maid smiled, genuine and unforced. She said a simple "My apologies", and sat herself down beside Enri. Then she gently placed a hand on the petrified Enri's shoulder.
"Emmot-sama, please do not be so tense. Emmot-sama and Bareare-sama are guests, all you need to do is be at ease and relax."
"But, but… w-what if we break something in here…"
She chuckled a bit. "Do not worry. Ainz-sama will not be bothered even if the objects in here are damaged."
"But, but how? All the things in here are…"
Even thinking about the cost of the things she could see in a quick glance around the room made her head hurt. And to think, these items weren't a big deal?
"Yes, Ainz-sama is extremely wealthy."
"Tha-that I know."
After all, he was the kind of man who would freely give out valuable and potent items such as those horns.
"Which is why, please be at ease. Deliberate damage aside, Ainz-sama will smile and forgive you for any accidents. And even if anything is damaged, I've been told it can be repaired with magic."
"Even if you say that, that…"
"I understand. Then, please have a drink. That way, you'll be able to relax."
"But…"
Enri glanced at the tea service on the silver pushcart. They were made of exquisite porcelain, edged in gold, and the reverse side was a deep blue, patterned with intricate designs. And they looked fragile enough that Enri was worried that they would break the moment she touched them.
"Enri, have a drink. It would be rude to refuse further."
"Ah, then, that one, thank you."
"Understood… hm, I see. The fragrance and taste of herbal tea is an acquired taste. Would you rather have traditional black tea instead?"
"Yes, please, thank you."
The smiling maid prepared the tea for them with flowing, elegant movements. After the cups were rinsed with hot water, in a mysterious and inexplicable way, she made the tea before the two of them. In addition, two different small sized cups were placed in front of them.
"Please add the desired amounts of milk and sugar to your tastes."
Enri opened the sugar pot. What she saw for the first time in her life were white solids that resembled nothing so much as powdered snow. The village girl mechanically deposited several sugar cubes into her cup, stirring them until they dissolved. After that, she added milk. Then, Enri took a sip, and felt like her face was going to melt.
"S-sweet!"
Enri took another mouthful of the red tea, and the taste let her heart calm down.
"Really, it's sweet and delicious."
At this moment, several knocks resounded from the door. The maid moved quietly over and opened it.
"Ainz-sama and your little sister have returned."
As the door opened, Nemu rushed in, all smiles. Ainz followed behind her.
"Nee-san! It's amazing! It's shiny and pretty and really amazing!"
As Nemu hugged her sister around the waist, Enri rose to bow to Ainz, all the while taking care to not let her little sister's feet dirty the floor.
"Gown-sama! I apologize for my little sister's rudeness!"
"Certainly not. Rather, I should apologize for keeping her for so long."
"There's no such thing. We're very grateful."
Ainz waved his hand to indicate that it wasn't a problem.
"Then before we discuss matters, let us eat."
"Eh? We're imposing too much…"
Facing the panicking Nfirea, Ainz replied with a calming gesture.
"Absolutely not. For starters, this is to make sure the transaction with Nfirea-kun is profitable."
"What do you mean by transaction?"
"…I'll explain before we eat."
Ainz sat on the other side of the sofa.
"To begin with, I have no intention to openly market the potion you make. Or rather, without the ingredients I provide, you can't manufacture the purple potion. Do you agree?"
"That's right. It's been difficult to get this far, even when we're using the material provided by Gown-sama. There's still a lot of unknown factors, like how potent it is and what other effects it has."
"Therefore, a public offer would only cause problems. Although simply asking about the source should be fine… we can't be sure that there isn't anyone who'll come at this operation with violence, right? … And from what Lupusregina's told me, your village has suffered a monster attack. There is the possibility that these monsters, seeking the protection of strong walls, attacked your village in search of safety. Do you know why they did this, and did you take any prisoners?"
There were none, Enri answered.
"Is that so. Well, that's a shame… I considered the reasons why your village might have been attacked, which was what I just told you. As the village's defenses become stronger, it will in turn create more problems. When an object is more valuable, it will be desired by more people, right? Similarly, if news of the potion leaked out…"
"…We should keep it a secret."
"I'm glad you understand, Nfirea-kun. If we could make the red potion using just the ingredients from around the village, there would be no reason to keep it a secret… that is to say, everything we discuss after dinner will need to be kept strictly confidential. It concerns a duty to keep a secret.
Then, preparations for the meal should be finished soon. Shall we?"
"Ah, no, there's no need for food, how could we possibly partake of such amazing…"
"Enri hurriedly shook her head.
"…Well, although I won't force you… but we should properly celebrate Nfirea's accomplishment and the village's successful resistance. Isn't it rare to have dragon steak as a main course?"
"D-dragon?"
Dragons. In most of the stories Enri had heard, they were mankind's enemy, but some of those who existed nowadays were rulers and friends of justice. However, no matter what stories they appeared in, they were always powerful beings. Could such beings become food?
Impossible. He must just have been teasing them.
At least, if Ainz hadn't been the one saying it, she would have thought so.
However, since it was the great magic caster in front of her telling her this, that meant there was a high chance it was true.
"We also have desserts. Have you ever had ice cream? It's ice-cold, and sweet… and it melts in your mouth. Something like sweet ice or snow."
Enri and Nemu couldn't help swallowing a mouthful of saliva while Nfirea licked his lips as he said:
"That's a high-class luxury food in E-Rantel and it's delicious! Thank you, Ainz-sama!"
"It seems Nfirea-kun has tried something like that before. Then I shall produce more delicious ice cream for you than you can possibly imagine. Following that — what was the menu?"
In response, the maid recited a long string of words.
"For today's lunch menu, we will be serving two hors d'oeuvres. The first will be a dish of Piercing Lobster, which is a form of Noatun seafood, in a velouté sauce. The second will be a dish of Poiret's foie gras of Víðópnir. The soup will be an Alfheim-style cream of sweet potato and chestnut soup. We have selected meat for the main course, which would be the marbled steak made from Jotunheim's ancient frost dragons that Ainz-sama mentioned earlier. After that comes dessert, which would be Golden Apple compote, served in white wine and topped with yogurt. In addition, we have black tea-flavoured ice cream coated in gold leaf. For the after-meal beverages, we have considered that coffee may not suit everyone's taste, so we also have fresh peach juice. That is all. If any part of the menu requires amendment, please inform us and we will do so immediately."
Is this a spell incantation?!
Enri, who had no clue about what had just been recited, was sure of that.
"Does everyone like foie gras? I think children will not. How about something light?"
"Yes. Then, we shall add scallop salad and star plum confit as hors d'oeuvres."
"Hmm, there is that… is this better?"
"Eh?! You're asking me?!"
Enri, who had been suddenly put on the spot, answered frantically. It would be very confusing if she had to keep talking about this stuff she knew nothing about.
"Ah, that. No. Uh. I'll leave it to you."
It had taken all her effort to get a single sentence out. Ainz instructed the maid to prepare the meal as suggested.
Nemu looked at Ainz with worshipful eyes, muttering "so amazing" to herself. Enri felt the same way. This was too far removed from the world she usually lived in.
Wealthy people could spend money on luxuries. And being able to eat, not just to fill one's stomach, but for nothing more than pleasure, was part of that.
Wealth, knowledge and power. A magic caster who had all of these.
He was a being that Enri as a simple farmer had no hope of reaching, a person better referred to as a king who stood above the tops of the clouds. This masked magic caster was such a formidable individual.
"Then, let's go. The three of you — that's right, this family of yours should enjoy this meal together with me. After that, we will discuss business."
"Eh? Ah, thank you, Gown-sama!"
Ainz stood up, and the sparkly-eyed Nemu stood up too.
Enri's face had turned slightly hot from being referred to as a family, but she noticed something odd about Nfirea, who was rising slowly.
His mouth was flattened into a straight line, with no intention of opening it. However, Enri knew the secret to loosening him up.
That was to stare at him. Through the gap in his hair, Nfirea's eyes flickered back and forth, until at last, as though giving up, he sighed.
"I was thinking that I can't beat him. No, I know I can't beat him. He's far better than me as a man."
"But you do know that I like Enfi just the way he is, right?"
Nfirea's face turned bright red, then he took Enri's hand.
"Let's go."
There was no longer any darkness in his voice.
Although she didn't know why her lover's feelings had changed, cheering up should mean that he was happy. Hand in hand, Enri, Nemu and Nfirea chased after Ainz.
The meal was the best those three had ever had in their entire lives. And not only was it delicious, but also enhancing: after consuming it, although they had no idea, their cap level had increased.
While Nemu quickly fell into a slumber after the lavish meal, Nfirea and Enri listened to Ainz's words.
"First of all, I've been told by Lupusregina about Carne's heroic resistance from the assault by those creatures in the forest. I'm glad you guys were able to repel the enemy without suffering any losses, but I will not allow this to happen again. I have already sent some servants of mine into the forest and clear the place of any dangerous monster once and for all."
"You truly are too generous, Ainz-sama. Thank you for protecting the village, had it not been for the goblins, the people of 'Foresight' and especially Lupusregina-san, we would not have been able to survive. Thank you so much for everything!"
"Umu. I'm glad you feel that way, but it is my duty. I promised I would protect Carne, so there's no need to thank me for it. Besides, this is just the beginning. I have great plans for the village which is why I'm glad to be talking to its new chief. You have my congratulations for becoming the leader, Enri."
"Huh? A-ah, it's a great honour for me, Ainz-sama. And I'll do everything I can to guide the people of the village, but… I have a lot to learn about how to do it."
"One never stops learning, even I learn something new every day. To guide others is a great responsibility, but seeing the people you care for living good lives thanks to your guidance is an even greater reward. I've been told that everyone in the village wanted you to be the chief without you asking for it and that means they already see you like a great person and guide."
"T-thank you, Ainz-sama…"
He waved it off.
"Of course, you don't have to worry about doing everything all by yourself. You can always contact me through Lupusregina. But I want you to know that I really care about you guys and the village. I will make sure it will prosper, I have great plans for it."
"I— we're so grateful, Lord Ainz. We will work hard to pay you back for your incredible goodwill and support!"
Enri truly found his benevolence as great as his power. While the King and E-Rantel had never done anything for them like providing protection, they came to demand taxes and levies. Now that she felt how good it was being under the influence of Ainz Ooal Gown, she couldn't help but notice how terrible it used to be in Re-Estize.
Which is why she mustered all her courage to ask a question.
"Ainz-sama, now that we're under your protection, and we're extremely grateful for that… what about the Kingdom? It has never done anything for us but take away our resources…"
A true smile appeared on Ainz's fake human face.
"You just made a good point. Re-Estize is nothing but a joke these days, its King is old and weak, the nobles care little or nothing about the commoners. I have come to change that. Carne is only the first place that I will protect. Which is why I will make an official announcement to the whole world soon. I shall reveal to everyone the extent of my power and start a new age!"