“Sh-she’s strong?! I mean, I know there are supposedly all levels of humans, but… Yer a girl, right? And the one hiding his face with his hair is a boy?”
Enri blinked. What, do I look like I’m not a girl? But if the goblin wasn’t sure Nfirea was a boy, maybe he had trouble telling them apart.
Next to her, Nfirea whispered something logical. “Enri, this kid probably hasn’t seen humans before. He probably doesn’t know anything about us besides what other goblins told him. Maybe for goblins it’s just harder to tell human sexes apart?”
“But even our clothes are different…”
“But he doesn’t know about that kind of stuff! Maybe men and women goblins wear the same clothes. I mean, some goblins have advanced culture and built countries, but he’s probably not from a group like that.”
I see, thought Enri, and she realized she hadn’t answered Arg’s question.
“Yes, I’m a girl.”
“So yer a caster?”
“No, why?”
Arg looked very confused.
“I’m the caster. I’m an arcane caster.”
“…Are ya guys married? Is that why?”
“Huh?” They both reacted with yelps.
“Well, I just feel like I heard about some tribes where the wife wields the husband’s authority…but yer not like that?”
“N-no! We’re not!”
The goblins looked like they wanted to say something in response to Enri’s forceful rejection, but she saw them shrug out of the corner of her eye.
“Then…why is a girl in charge?”
“If ya don’t know, that’s why yer a kid. Our boss lady is strong in ways ya can’t see with yer eyes.”
Enri was about to deny that, but she was overpowered by Arg’s intent, saucer-eyed stare and couldn’t find the words to explain. While she was at a loss, Kaijari asked the child a question.
“Okay, now we’ll be asking the questions. Why was that thing chasing ya? What happened?”
“Well—”
“Hey, shouldn’t we discuss those things in the safety of the village?”
The one who answered Enri’s question was—
“Yeah. That seems like a better plan.”
—a woman who hadn’t even been there until now.
Everyone gasped in shock and turned in the direction of the voice.
An eye-catchingly beautiful woman was standing there.
She had her hair in braids, and her skin was brown. She wore, according to her, a maid uniform. Some kind of strange weapon-like thing was strapped to her back.
She was an extremely shady character but also a familiar face.
Lupusregina β.
The maid worked for the village’s savior Ainz Ooal Gown. She delivered alchemy supplies to the Baleare house and was also the one who had brought the stone golems to the village and gave them their orders. The villagers took a shine to her right away due to her bright personality and cheerful way of talking.
But she was unfathomable in some ways, like how she would suddenly appear out of nowhere. The villagers figured that she must have magic abilities, since she was that great caster’s maid, which was how Enri understood it as well. Even so, when the maid suddenly appeared like this, her heart would leap into her throat.
“Lupu, where’d you come from…?”
“Psh! C’mon, En, I’ve been behind you the whole time! Wait a minute. Don’t tell me you didn’t notice! I thought you were ignorin’ me.”
“What? Huh?”
It sounded like a joke, but her voice was dead serious. Enri looked around at everyone else for help.
“Uh, Lady Lupu, that’s enough joking around.”
“Wow! You think I’m jokin’! I’d really like you to remember… Just kidding! I was playin’ around.”
Everyone became silent, then someone sighed, exasperated.
“Well, enough about that. Anyhow, who’s this goblin kid? He—he can’t be…?”
Enri felt Lupusregina’s eyes flitting between her and the goblins and had a bad feeling.
“Pft—pft! Nfi! Guess the goblins got to her first, ’ey? Pffffft!”
Everyone blinked nonstop as her laughter continued.
“How awful! A purehearted lad’s dream—trampled! How hilarious! Wa-ha! …But seriously, who the heck is this?”
Arg twitched as if he’d seen something alien.
But Enri understood how he felt. Lupusregina was cheerful, but her expressions changed so rapidly she seemed manic. The gap between a smile and a sudden straight face could produce a mysterious fear.
“I won’t snatch you up and eat ya. No worries. I just want a chill explanation about who you are.”
“Lady Lupu, didn’t you agree that we would talk about those things later?”
“Oh! Yeah, I do seem to remember randomly saying something like that.”
“…”
“Oh! Miss Beta, there’s a potion I’d like you to take to Sir Gown. It’s newly developed, and we have proof it works.”
“Oh? You finally got something, ’ey, Nfi?”
“That’s right. Unfortunately, it’s not completely red yet, but we’re getting close.”
“Splendid. I’m sure Lord Ainz will be pleased.” Not only her words but her entire vibe changed. She seemed like a whole other person, not the silly, cheery woman from before. But that expression lasted only a moment. The next second she was back to her normal self. “Well, that’s something to look forward to! Man, comin’ today was the right idea! And you don’t have to call me Beta! I’ll make a mega-exception and say you can call me Lupusregina.”
She warmly mingled with the party as they walked to the gates.
The villagers didn’t say anything upon seeing the unfamiliar goblin child. It was possible they were overly relaxed, but it also showed how much they trusted Enri and her friends. Or maybe they had assumed he was a relative of the goblins who protected them.
The group cut across the village and passed Enri’s house. They were headed for the goblin residence.
“Sorry, one sec. I’d like Brita to hear this boy’s story, too.”
“Yeah, maybe that’s a good idea, boss man. She’s an apprentice ranger, so she goes in the woods as well. We should share the info… What do ya think, boss lady?”
“Huh? Me?” She hadn’t expected to be consulted, so she hurriedly considered her answer. Seeing no reason to disagree, she nodded. “Yeah, I don’t mind. Or rather, I’d like her to listen, too. Thanks, Nfi.”
Nfirea was off and running with a “Got it.”
“I don’t mind waiting here, but maybe we should go on ahead and pour some drinks.”
“Sounds good. Ya guys must be thirsty.”
“Lady Lupu, yer a maid, right? So do ya know how to make some tasty drinks?”
“I’m Lord Ainz’s and the other Supreme Beings’ maid. I don’t wanna work for anybody else! All I wanna do is laze around, so no way am I workin’.”
“I see… That’s too bad.”
The conversation between Unrai and Lupusregina was totally normal—nothing strange about it at all—but Enri felt a chill go up her spine.
Just as she was about to chime in, they reached the goblins’ home.
It was a huge place with a yard big enough to let the wolves run freely, spacious enough for about twenty people to live, and with spaces to maintain weapons as well as train.
The goblins who opened the door led Enri, Arg, and Lupusregina inside.
“Wow, so this is what it’s like in here!”
“Huh? You’ve never been inside, Lupu?”
“Nah, I haven’t. Can’t go in without being invited! Oh, I should mention that it’s because of manners—physically, I’d have no trouble! Miss Man Chest is the one with that kind of weird setting.”
“Miss Man Chest?”
“Right, En. That’s what I call Miss Unfortunate Baby Doll. Well, it’s not like she can’t actually enter any room she wants, either. It’s a my
th, folklore. Anyhow, enough of that. That goblin looks like he’s got somethin’ to say.”
“Oh yes. About drinks… Uhh, would you like herbal water or fruit water? We have blackweed tea or water with hyueli in it…”
Arg and Lupusregina didn’t seem to understand Unrai’s question, so Enri explained. “Hyueli is a citrus fruit. Water with cut-up hyueli in it is refreshing. Blackweed tea is a bitter tea.”
“Then I want hyueli.”
“I’m good with that, too.”
“Got it. How about boss lady?”
“Hmm, then I’ll have hyueli as well, please. Also…could we wash our hands? Even though I’m used to the smell, it’s sort of…”
“Sure, go ahead. Hey, kid— Arg, this way. We gotta clean ya up a bit. And brother, can ya put away these dirty weapons?”
“Are you sure?”
“Should be fine. We can’t wash them all now anyhow, and we’ll be done with this in a bit.”
“If ya say so.”
Kaijari took the three goblins’ weapons and left the room.
“Arg, would ya come along already?”
“Why do I have to wash? I’m clean!”
Enri could see his hands were filthy. They weren’t clean by any definition of the word.
“We’re not asking for yer opinion. The master of the house just told ya to go wash up. Or are ya such a big shot ya can object to what the master of the house says?”
Arg pouted and walked next to Enri.
She drew some water from a pot and poured it into a bucket. Once she had enough for four people, she plunged her hands into the shockingly cold water and scrubbed. She made sure the green under her fingernails came off. Once they looked clean enough, she lifted them out of the water and brought them to her nose. Nope, no smell.
Satisfied, she turned to look at the scene next to her. Unrai and Gokou were washing their hands like she had been, and the water was turning the red of the barghest’s blood.
Next, she checked on Arg and was immediately irritated.
Even a toddler wouldn’t wash up so poorly. He splashed a little water on his hands, squished them together a couple of times, and that was it. He didn’t rub or anything.
Now that she’d gotten the green stink off her own hands, she noticed that Arg still smelled like crushed herbs. Perhaps for goblins who lived in the woods where magical beasts with excellent senses of smell lived, stinking like this was self-protection. Maybe that was why he didn’t have a habit of bathing.
Still…
“This is how you do it.”
Arg made a face when Enri taught him but—perhaps he remembered what the other goblins had said about his position—reluctantly imitated her.
“Nice job.”
“Hey, now wipe yer body with this. Ya gotta get all that blood off.”
With a grumpy look on his face, he took the damp hand towel and used it to wipe down.
“Can we toss the dirty water outside?”
“Oh, right, please go ahead and sit down, boss lady. We’ll handle the rest.”
Taking them up on their kindness, Enri headed for the table. There were a lot of goblins living in the house, which meant there were a lot of chairs. When she chose one and sat down, it finally hit her how exhausted she was. Her arms and legs were stiff as rods, and her head felt heavy.
Gathering herbs was exhausting, but it seemed like the battle with the barghest had especially tired her out. Even though all I did was watch… Nfirea and the goblins were actually fighting, but they’re going about their tasks like normal… I’ll never get used to battle… Wow, Nfirea was as strong as anyone… She knew he could use magic, but she didn’t realize how strong he was. He’s amazing…
Her old friend seemed like someone else entirely, and a feeling she couldn’t put a finger on welled up inside her. It felt a little like surprise but also completely different and mysterious.
After hearing what turned out to be a ceramic cup being placed in front of her, Enri came back to her senses. The cup was filled to the brim with a clear liquid that gave off a citrus scent. She picked it up and took a sip.
A refreshing sweetness and citrus flavor spread throughout her body; she practically felt filled with vitality. At some point, Arg had sat beside her. He gulped his drink down in one go and asked for seconds.
Lupusregina didn’t touch her drink.
Come to think of it, she never eats or drinks.
“Hmm? What’s up? You’re starin’ awfully hard. Don’t tell me ya got a thing for me! Oh, man! But, En, I can’t believe you’re a lesbian! We gotta tell everybody!”
“What? No! I’m not!”
“Wa-ha-ha-ha-ha! Just kidding. You like guys, right?”
Enri wasn’t sure what to say and pursed her lips.
“Where are they anyway? …Oh, here they come.”
Enri looked toward the door without thinking but didn’t sense anyone coming.
“Really? I can’t hear a thing.” Arg cupped his hands behind his ears. “Hey, are humans a race with really good hearing?”
“Uh, er, I guess I can’t hear anything. But Lupusregina sometimes…fibs like that? To tease people, I guess?”
Arg looked at Lupusregina with a face that seemed to say, What? You were lyin’? But then his eyes widened. “No, I hear it! They are coming. Wow, yer amazing!”
“Hmm? Oh, nahh. Compared to the boss lady over there, I’m no big deal.”
Arg took her seriously and gaped at Enri.
No, that’s not true. Plus, Lupusregina is grinning like she just told a huge lie. But before Enri could figure out how to clear up the misunderstanding, someone knocked on the door.
It was Nfirea and a woman in leather armor.
The ex-adventurer Brita was the next person to move to the village after Nfirea. Apparently, she had been an adventurer in E-Rantel but retired after some things happened. She still had to eat, though, so she answered Carne’s call and moved in.
She was training as a ranger, and Enri heard she showed promise. She wasn’t as strong as Jugemu, but she was still top class among those in the village, so she was the leader of the self-defense unit (not that it was really grand enough to deserve the name).
She had been called to the meeting because she was the leader of that group but also because she was an apprentice ranger and as such had occasion to enter the forest.
“Oh, there really is a new goblin… Er, yeah, I can’t help looking at them from an adventurer’s point of view, but I guess I shouldn’t think of them as enemies.” Brita winced.
Enri could understand how she felt. As far as she had heard, goblins were enemies of humans, and it wasn’t considered wrong to kill them on sight. But this village was different. In fact, it almost felt like in this place, humans were the greatest enemies.
“Okay, everyone’s here, so let’s hear what he has to say. Now then, Arg. Please tell us why ya were all beat up and on the run.”
“Simply put, I got attacked, so I ran away.”
“That’s too simple…! What kind of monster attacked ya?”
“One of the Giant of the East’s underlings.”
“The Giant of the East? Who’s that?”
“…What do ya guys call him?”
“No, before we worry about the name—I’ve never heard of him. Do you know anything about him, Brita?”
Nfirea knew the most of any person present, but Brita had the upper hand when it came to knowledge of the surrounding woods. Still, even she shook her head. “Sorry, I haven’t heard of this Giant of the East. And I don’t think Master Racchimon knows, either. We don’t go that deep into the forest, so we don’t know as many details as someone who lives there.”
“Then, Arg, explain from the basics.”
“The basics? What’s basic?”
Enri understood Arg’s confusion very well. Asking specific things one by one made it easier to answer.
“Then will you tell us about the strong monsters living in the woods?”
“From my perspective, ogres and barghests are strong, but…if you mean ones that are equal to the Giant of the East, there used to be these superstrong ones called the Three Big Ones. First was the one that used to be around here, the Great Magical Beast of the South. That one was amazing. People said anyone who went in its territory would die. I dunno what happened to it. Next is the Giant of the East. It’s building up its power out past the deadwood forest. Last is the Magical Serpent of the West. People say it’s a gross snake that can use magic.”
“Wait, what about the north?”
“Supposedly, there’s a lake up north, where lots of different races live, and like, someone is gathering them all together… I don’t really know. But I heard there are twin witches in the marsh. Anyhow, when the Great Magical Beast of the South disappeared, things started getting weird in the forest. I don’t know much about it, but I guess some really horrifying guy showed up, changing the power balance, so we were chased off, and…”
“And then the Structure of Ruin?”
“The ruler of the Structure of Ruin is a little shadow that lurks in the darkness and can command undead. That’s what someone who survived going to the place said.”
Everyone—besides Lupusregina—looked at one another, worried.
First, the Great Magical Beast of the South. Considering that its territory had been in this area, it had to be the magical beast that belonged to the adventurers Nfirea had accompanied, specifically the one clad in raven-black armor. Certainly, with its convincingly powerful appearance, it was worthy of the title Great Magical Beast, and there was no other beast who fit that description.
“The Great Magical Beast…is the Wise King of the Forest, Hamusuke, right?”
“Ah! Well, she is a great magical beast…,” Brita shouted upon hearing Nfirea’s observation, although she shouldn’t have had the chance to see Hamusuke since coming to the village.
When they asked, it seemed she had seen the Wise King from a distance in E-Rantel.
There were two other beings equal to that one. Every single person present felt shock and fear.
“So how did ya end up on the run?”
“Up until now, those three were in a deadlock. The Great Magical Beast of the South never left its territory, but no one could guarantee it would stay that way. There was a chance that if East and West clashed, it might sweep in from the side the moment one of them won, so no one ever fought in the first place.”
The Two Leaders Page 6
