Текст книги "Overlord Volume - The Two Leaders"

Автор книги: Maruyama Kugane

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“Unlai-san…”

“―Ane-san, this is for the village’s sake too… get over here, kid.”

The kid got up, slowly and painstakingly. His wounds were healed, so they shouldn’t impede his movement, but his stubborn resistance made his movements slow.

Gokoh, whose machete was dyed red with blood, spat on the ground.

Enri turned to Nfirea for help. However, he silently shook his head. As she turned to look at the goblins, she saw that there was steel in their eyes, and with it, silent approval of their colleague’s actions.

“…Ane-san, don’t worry, I won’t kill him. I just want to ask him some questions about what’s going on. Besides, don’t you think he’ll die if we left him here?”

It seemed as though the question was aimed more at the goblin child than Enri herself. He seemed to get it, and the resistance in his heart faded away.

“I got it… I won’t run off…”

“That’s good. Then we’d better get moving. Kid, can you confirm that there’s only one of those barghests?”

“…I can’t. Apart from them, there’s several ogres too. I don’t know if any of them chased after me. And I’m not a kid, I’m Agu, the fourth son of Ah, the chieftain of the Gigu tribe.”

“Agu-kun, hm.”

“I thought that ‘Kid’ was enough for him…”

“We’ll discuss that later. It’s not like it’s important enough to argue about it now. Since Agu wants us to use his name, maybe we should, in order to build trust between us?”

“Ani-san’s really mature. Then let’s gather our things and go.”

In accordance with Kaijali’s words, the group set off in silence while watching their surroundings warily. The heavy atmosphere that hung around them was almost visible to the naked eye.

Although Enri wanted to lighten the mood with conversation, the forest was not a place for humanity. She could not act lightly here, especially considering that there might be further pursuers after them.

♦ ♦ ♦

The tension that had filled their bodies seemed to melt off as they stepped out of the dark, shadowy forest, and was replaced by a gentle, idle feeling. In that moment, they felt that they had finally returned to the world they were used to.

Nfirea, walking beside Enri, sighed in relief with an “Uwah~”. ·

The goblins’ movements had lost their tense edge, but Agu’s expression still looked stiff. He seemed confused by the sunlight and the wide spaces, and it showed on his face. He was a long way from the shadows of the forests where he had grown up.

“There, the village is there.”

Agu’s face scrunched up as he followed Enri’s finger to the distance.

“What? That wall? It feels… feels kind of like that Monument of Destruction.”

“Monument of Destruction?”

“That’s right. It’s a scary new place in the Great Forest. Anyone who goes near it will perish. They say there’s undead there too.”

“You say everyone who goes near it will die, but you sure know a lot about it.”

“…while the Monument of Destruction was still under construction, the brave ones from our tribe went there and saw skeleton monsters building it.”

“Did you know about this?”

“No, I’m sorry, but this is new to us too. If we go too deep into the forest we might meet enemies even our boss can’t defeat. So we try not to go too far.”

“…Hey, which tribe are you three from? You’re stronger than any goblins I’ve ever seen before, so where―”

Agu sneaked a glance at Enri, and then mumbled something about ‘Usually humans are…’ to himself.

“Do you serve the humans?”

“Is that weird? Isn’t it normal to work for someone who’s strong?”

“But strong people… no, I mean, I’ve heard that humans as a race have strong members and weak members… but you’re a woman, right? And the one with his hair covering his face is a man, right?”

Enri got an answer she could accept from Nfirea, who was muttering beside her.

“Enri, I think this child has never seen humans before. At most, he knows what his fellow goblins told him. Also… is it really so hard for goblins to tell us humans apart?”

“Well, our clothes… are different….”

“Like I said, he doesn’t know things like that. Don’t all goblins wear the same thing? Of course, sometimes there’s civilized goblins with a country of their own, but he’s not one of them.”

Enri understood, but as she thought about it, she realised she hadn’t answered Agu’s question yet.

“That’s right, I’m a girl.”

“So are you a magic caster?”

“No, what’s wrong?”

A profoundly disturbed expression appeared on Agu’s face.

“I’m the magic caster. An arcane magic caster.”

“…You two are husband and wife, right?”

“Ehhhh?!”

The two of them exclaimed in perfect harmony.

“No, I mean, in some races, the wives can use their husband’s power and authority… is it not like that?”

“No, no, it’s not like that at all!”

The surrounding goblins seemed to want to say something in response to Enri’s adamant refusal, but all that anyone saw them doing was sagging their shoulders in silence.

“Then… what’s going on? How come that woman’s the strongest?”

“We call you a kid because you don’t understand why. Ane-san’s strength isn’t something that can be seen with the eyes.”

Enri wanted to deny that, but Agu’s earnest eyes looking at her exerted a pressure that left her unable to speak. While Enri was confused, Kaijali asked a question.

“Then, another question for you. Why were you being chased by those guys? What happened?”

“This―”

“…Say, can this wait until we get back to the village?”

And the one who answered Enri’s suggestion with a, “That’s right~ That would be a better idea, -su.”

― A woman who hadn’t been with them all this while.

Everyone exclaimed in surprise, and looked to the source of the sound.

What they saw was a stunning beauty. She was a woman with twin braids and brown skin. She was dressed in what she called her maid wear, and she carried a strange-looking weapon on her back.

She was a suspicious-looking individual, and at the same time a familiar one.

Lupusregina Beta.

She was a maid serving under Ainz Ooal Gown, the savior of Carne Village, and she had been responsible for delivering the alchemical items and apparatuses to the Bareares as well as commanding the stone golems. Her cheerful and carefree attitude made her very popular with the villagers.

However, she had a habit of appearing out of nowhere like she had just now. The villagers believed that it was only natural that a maid in service to a great magic caster should know magic of her own, and Enri had shared that opinion too. Even so, appearing like that all of a sudden was still frightening.

“Lupu-san, w-where did you…?”

“Really now, En-chan, I’ve been following behind you guys from the beginning~su. Strange, didn’t you guys notice? I thought everyone was ignoring me because I had no presence~su”

“Eh? Ehhhh?”

Although she sounded like she was kidding, her tone was very serious. Enri looked around for help from the others.

“Then ― Lupu-nee, could you stop playing around?”

“Uwaaaa~ people think I’m just a joker~su. Guys, please remember me~ ahh, I was just kidding anyway~su. Don’t mind, don’t mind~su.”

Silence resumed, until someone sighed tiredly with a “Haaaa.”

“Well, not like there’s anything wrong with that. So who’s this little goblin? …Could, could it be!”

Enri felt the goblins between her and Lupusregina swapping annoyed looks.

“Fufu – Enfi-chan, you got cucked by a goblin? Fufufu.”

While everyone’s eyes went glassy and lifeless, Lupusregina was laughing it up.

“What’s all of this then~su. A pure, innocent boy’s love, trampled just like that~ su. Ah, what a riot~su! Fuha! … All right, enough kidding around, what really happened?”

Agu’s body trembled fiercely, as though he had seen some kind of monster.

Although, Enri could understand why. Lupusregina’s cheerful expression changed ceaselessly, like a high-strung person under stress. As the smile changed, it revealed the true face of Lupusregina beneath, which was horrifying in how far it differed from the her initial expression.

“Aw, don’t worry, I won’t eat you~su. It’s okay-su. C’mon, tell onee-chan all about it~su”

“Lupu-nee. We should talk about this later. Didn’t you agree on that?”

“Oya? Hm, I definitely recall saying something like that~su”

“…”

“…Ah! I hope Beta-san can hand this potion to Gown-sama. It’s newly developed, but its effects have been tested and proven.”

“…Oh? Enfi-chan finally made it?”

“That’s right. Unfortunately, it’s not completely red, but I think we’ve made significant progress.”

“― Well, that’s great. I’m sure Ainz-sama will be very happy to hear it.”

With that, Lupusregina’s attitude seemed to have become that of a normal person, and not the flighty, carefree girl from before. However, that expression only lasted a moment. In the next, she was back to her old self.

“Ahhhh, how exciting– Really, I picked a great day to visit~su. Also, no need to call me Beta. Lupusregina will do -su. Just for you~”

With the (apparently) high-spirited Lupusregina in tow, they entered the village gates.

The villagers didn’t say anything when they saw the unfamiliar goblin child. One could say that they weren’t nervous, but it could also be said that they trusted Enri. She might have become something like family to the goblins who protected the village.

They went through the village and past Enri’s home. Their destination was the goblin’s house.

“Excuse me for a bit. I’m going to call Brita-san over to listen to what Agu has to say.”

“Sounds like a plan, Ani-san. She’s entered the forest while training to be a ranger, so it might be better if she were there to listen to the kid. …So what should we do, Ane-san?”

“Eh? Me?”

Enri panicked briefly, not having expected her name to come up during the conversation. With no particular reason to oppose it, she simply nodded her head.

“Mm. Well, it’s not so much that it’s might be better, but that I hope she hears what he has to say. See you, Enfi.”

With an ‘Understood’, Nfirea left the group behind.

“Although waiting here’s fine… maybe I should make drinks.”

“Great idea~su! I’m thirsty~”

“…Lupu-nee, aren’t you a maid? That means you know how to make delicious drinks, right?”

“Welp, I’m the maid of Ainz-sama, and the other Supreme Beings, soooo... I don’t want to work for anyone else ~su. I just want to laze around su~. Let’s not talk about work and all that other stuff.”

“Is that so… well, that’s a shame.”

Although Unlai and Lupusregina’s conversation seemed quite normal, Enri could still feel a chill run through her.

As they walked and talked, they reached the goblins’ house.

This was a place with a wide courtyard where you could raise and let wolves run around, capable of housing almost twenty people. It was a large building where they could train with and maintain their weapons.

The goblins opened the door, and led the way for Enri and Lupusregina.

“Fueeee– I didn’t know there was a place like this~”

“Hmmm? Lupusregina-san, you’re not coming in?”

“Yup yup~ Can’t go in without an invitation. Well, it’s just a matter of etiquette, it’s not like I can’t really go in. I guess the only other one with such a weird legend is flatchest-san~”

“Flatchest-san…?”

“That’s right, En-chan. It’s the name of a tragic beauty. Well, it wasn’t as though that person couldn’t really go in. Legends, myths folklore —Weeeeeeell, let’s not talk about that any more~ We’re here to listen to what this goblin has to say, right?”

“Ah, yes. Then, drinks… ehm, how about herbal juice and fruit juice? There’s black grass tea and Hyueri water…”

Agu and Lupusregina looked completely baffled by Unlai’s question, so Enri helped explain for them.

“Hyueri are citrus fruits, you cut them open and infuse them into water and it tastes clear and good. Black grass tea is a little bitter.”

“I’ll have a Hyueri water, then.”

“Hyueri juice for me too~”

“Got it. How about Ane-san?”

“I think I’ll have the Hyueri water too. And… how about washing hands? Even if our noses are used to it…”

“Ah, that should be all right. Oi, kid– I mean, Agu, you come over here too. Gotta clean yourself up. And bro, sorry about this, but you mind putting away our dirty weapons?”

“Is it alright?”

“Of course it is. Not like he can do anything. Our rules here are very simple.”

“If that’s the case… let’s go.”

Kaijali left the room with three sets of weapons.

“Agu, come over here quickly.”

“Why do I have to wash? Will it make me pretty?”

Enri noticed that Agu’s hands were very dirty; there weren’t clean by any definition of the word.

“Your opinion is irrelevant. This is the owner of the house telling you to wash up. Or are you saying you’re going to defy the owner in his own house?”

Agu puffed up his cheeks, and plodded over slowly to Enri’s side.

Enri poured the water from the large tank into the pails. After preparing four sets, she stuck her hands into the unexpectedly cold water and started to wash up. The green on her hands melted away like snow in the sun. By the time she was done, she brought her hands in front of her face. The stench was gone.

Enri looked around herself. Gokoh and Unlai were washing their hands too, and the water was dyed red by the barghest’s blood.

Next, she looked to Agu, but what she saw left her dumbfounded.

Even a child would know better than to wash up like this. He stuck his arms into the water, waggled them around a little, and that was that. He didn’t even dry himself off.

Although Enri had already washed off the plant-scent on her hands, Agu still reeked of torn leaves. For forest goblins, a scent like this was a form of self-defense against magical beasts with keen sense of smell. As such, they might have never developed the habit of washing themselves thoroughly.

Even so—

“You do it like this.”

Agu made an annoyed face as Enri tried to teach him. However, he thought of his own position and what the other goblins had said earlier and grudgingly, he started to thoroughly clean himself.

“That’s right, you’re doing great…”

“Hey, after this, use this to wipe your body. Make sure you get all the blood off.”

Agu didn’t look happy about it, but he still cleaned himself with the damp towel.

“So we just dump the dirty water outside?”

“Yeah, just like that. Ane-san, go have a seat. We’ll take care of the rest.”

With that, Enri headed to the nearby table. It was surrounded by chairs since so many goblins lived here. As she chose a place to sit, she suddenly realized how tired she was. Her arms and legs were like logs, and her head was heavy.

Although part of the reason had been gathering herbs, what had really worn her out was the battle against the barghest.

All I did was watch… Enfi and the goblins were fighting, but they can still be this active… looks like I’m never going to be a warrior… or rather, Enfi’s gotten really strong…

Even though she knew that her childhood friend could use magic, she hadn’t expected that magic to be so powerful.

He’s amazing…

As she thought of her suddenly-different childhood friend, Enri’s heart swelled with an emotion she couldn’t put into words. It seemed to be surprise, but then again it seemed like something else entirely.

A clear sound brought Enri back to her senses, and her eyes fell on the ceramic cups on the table. They were filled with a transparent fluid that gave off a citrus smell, and Enri decided to help herself to a cup.

The cool, sweet and sour taste washed over her entire body, and she felt like she was filled with energy. Agu had sat down beside her at some point, and he gulped his down in one shot and immediately asked for another.

Yet, Lupusregina didn’t touch hers.

Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Lupusregina-san eat or drink.

“…Hm? Something wrong? You’ve been sneaking glances my way recently. Are you in love with me? Ahhhhh, how troubling~ my, how shocking, to think that En-chan is a lesbian~su. Looks like I need to let everyone know~su”

“What– no! No! It’s not like that!”

“Wahahahaha~ Just kidding. I know En-chan likes men.”

While thinking about how to reply, Enri’s eyes narrowed into a straight line.

“Although, it’s kind of slow… hm? Looks like they’ve arrived.”

Enri turned to the door, but she had the feeling there was nobody outside.

“Really? But I don’t hear anything at all.”

Agu cupped his ear forward with his hand.

“Hey, are humans a race with good hearing?”

“That, that, I don’t know about that, but I don’t think Lupusregina-san would lie about this sort of thing… though she might… prank people a little.”

Then is she lying? Agu thought as he stared wide-eyed at Lupusregina.

“No, really, I heard them. They’re coming for sure. You’re pretty amazing.”

“Hm? Ah, that’s not the case at all. Compared to Enri-san over there, I’m nothing much.”

Agu seemed to swallow it up, and looked back at Enri with a surprised expression.

No, that’s not how it is. That smile on Lupusregina-san’s face is so damn fake! Enri wondered how she should tell Agu the truth, but before that, a knock came from the door.

Shortly after, Nfirea and a woman in leather armor entered the room.

Brita, the former adventurer, had moved into the village after Nfirea. Originally, she had been an adventurer in E-Rantel, but had retired after certain events. Even so, she still needed to earn a living, and so she responded to the village’s solicitations and moved here.

She was studying to be a ranger, and she had potential. Even though she was weaker than Jugem, she was still one of the strongest people in the village and the leader of the village’s self-defense force (even though it still wasn’t at a level where it could be described as such).

She’d been called along because she was the defense force’s leader, and because she had entered the forest while practicing her fieldcraft.

“Ah– it really is a new goblin… no, hm, I keep thinking from an adventurer’s point of view… he’s not an enemy.”

Brita smiled bitterly. It wasn’t as though Enri didn’t understand where she came from. Going by the stories, goblins were the enemies of mankind. Killing them when you saw them was fine, but this village was different. The hard truth was that humans seemed to be the real enemies in this case.

“Then, since everyone’s here, let’s listen to what he has to say. Agu, can you tell us why you were running while covered in all those wounds?”

“The simple answer is that I was attacked.”

“That’s too simple… what kind of monster attacked you?”

“The minions of the Giant of the East.”

“The Giant of the East? Who’s that?”

“…How do you normally address him?”

“We-we don’t, in the first place, we didn’t even know he existed… Brita-san, do you know?”

The most widely-read person in this place was Nfirea, but when it came to the forest, Brita still knew more than him. Even so, all she could do was shake her head.

“I’m sorry. I haven’t heard anything concerning this Giant of the East. And I don’t think Master Latimon knows either. We’ve never ventured into the depths of the Forest and don’t know much about its residents.”

“Then, Agu, tell us the basics about him.”

“When you say the basics, you mean…”

Enri understood Agu’s confusion. In situations like these, it was better to ask questions one by one, so it would be easier for him to answer.

“Then, can you tell us about the powerful monsters in the Forest?”

“Well, to me the barghests and the ogres are all strong… but if you want to talk about things on the level of the Giant of the East, then in the forest, there are the powerful ones called the Three Monsters. The first is the Beast of the South. They say he’s an incredible guy who will slaughter everyone who sets foot in his domain. I don’t know what happened to him. Then there’s the Giant of the East. His base is in the withered forest. Finally is the Serpent of the West. I heard it’s a disgusting snake that can use magic.”

“Strange… how about the north?”

“There seems to be a lake in the north with all kinds of races. As for who rules them… I don’t know. But there seem to be twin witches in the swamp. And when the Beast of the South vanished, the forest became weird. I’m not too sure what exactly happened, apparently some really scary guy showed up, and then the balance of power shifted…”

“Is that the Monument of Destruction?”

“That’s right. I also heard that the master of the Monument of Destruction can command the undead, little black shadows that can move through darkness. That’s what the survivors told us.”

Everyone ― with the exception of Lupusregina ― looked uneasily at each other.

The first thing was the Beast of the South. Since its territory was supposed to be nearby, then it must surely be the magical beast tamed by the adventurers who had escorted Nfirea here – or more specifically, the one who wore jet-black plate armor. It certainly had the look of power and strength about it, and so the description fit it perfectly.

“The Beast… the Wise King of the Forest, Hamsuke-san.”

“That’s it! Ahh, yes, that’s the Beast…”

As he heard Nfirea, Brita, who had not moved to the village at that time, made a sound.

According to her, she had seen it in E-Rantel, from far away.

And there were two more monstrous creatures out there who could equal it. Nobody could not feel shock and fear at that realisation.

“Then, how did you escape?”

“Until recently, the three of them held each other in check. The Beast of the South didn’t leave its territory, but nobody could guarantee that would always be the case. If the East and West fought, no matter who won, there was always the chance that in their moment of victory, they would be finished off by the Beast in their weakened state. As such, none of the three powers actually engaged in battle.”

“All right, I can accept that. However, if the East and West cooperated and… no, the Beast of the South wouldn’t leave his domain, so there’s no need to ally to defeat it. And of course, they can’t make provocative moves…”

“I don’t know what those guys are thinking. They just have their own territory and turned it into their own kingdoms. However, the owner of the Monument of Destruction messed up the power distribution. Because of that, the East and West decided to make war on that king of destruction, and they went on the warpath.”

Agu just kept talking and talking, without a pause.

“He forced us to be his comrades in battle. Though that’s a bad joke. We goblins were worthless to them. They used us up and threw us away, and if we messed up, we suffered. Because of that, we ran away. However…”

“It was useless, right?”

“Yes, that’s right. The barghests and ogres came after us. We couldn’t fight them, so we scattered. I fled in this direction with a few people into the Beast of the South’s territory, but we didn’t expect them to come in after us without hesitation.”

He said there had been a few people, but there had been no sign of anyone other than Agu.

A pained expression drew across Enri’s face, and Gokoh spoke.

“…We have people scouting out the Forest, if anyone’s still alive, we can bring them back here as long as they don’t resist.”

“Yes, there’s that. Wolves’ noses are very sensitive. Then… the question is, besides the barghest, what else is out there? Did they have friends that came over too? If it goes badly, the pursuers might end up coming all the way here. Oi, Agu, what other monsters are there?”

“There’s barghests, ogres, boggarts, bugbears, and some kind of wolf thing…”

“They’re fairly common monsters. I’d like to hear more about the Giant of the East and the Serpent of the West, specifically, their looks, their abilities, that sort of thing. Do you know anything?”

Agu shook his head.

“I don’t know details. Only that the Giant of the East carries a big sword, and the Serpent of the West has a head like you, but what kind of magic he uses, I don’t know.”

Nfirea, the center of everyone’s attention, shook his head. There was simply too little information to work with.”

“The question now is what are we going to do? If something that can fight evenly with the Beast shows up, frankly speaking, we’re done for. The most the self-defence force can do is take the women and children to safety.”

“Indeed. If all we needed was a sturdy defense then it would be fine, or maybe we should think about some other methods. If the disturbance in the forest blew over by itself, it would be great.”

To the people who lived outside the forest, if the matters in the forest settled themselves, they wouldn’t need to move. However, if they were completely unable to enter the forest, that would cause a lot of problems in its own right. In the worst case, they would have to make painful sacrifices to keep going.

“…However, if the enemy can easily take out a forest tribe, that means they must have gathered a lot of fighting power.”

“Wrong! …Originally, our tribe was a lot stronger. However, when we went in search of new places to live, our tribe dispatched mixed teams of ogres and adult goblins. If they’re still alive, we can still fight back!”

“Then those adult goblins still haven’t come back yet?”

As Brita spoke, Nfirea tilted his head, as though thinking about something.

“About that… although this is a completely different topic, could I ask you about something that’s bothering me? Do you speak the same way that other goblins do?”

“What do you mean?”

“Ah, you don’t know? In the past, I’ve met goblins myself, and don’t take it the wrong way, but they spoke like morons. In the village though, Jugem-san and the others speak normally. The same goes for you – as in you both speak fluently. Because of that, I was wondering if the ones I saw were savage goblin tribes or something.”

“No, it’s just that I’m particularly smart for a goblin. Most goblins speak in single syllables. That made conversation in the tribe really troublesome, I can tell you that. I was seriously wondering if I was from another tribe instead. Now, just to be safe, let me ask you this, was I born in a tribe from around here? Have you heard anything about me?”

“No, we don’t know… You kid…Could it be… Ane-san, Ani-san, could you come over here for a bit?”

Nfirea and Enri followed Kaijali to the corner of the room.

“That Agu brat, could it be he’s not a goblin, but a hobgoblin?

Hobgoblins were offshoots of the goblin race, and they were superior to goblins in every way. Goblins were about as big as human children when they were adults, but hobgoblins could reach the height of an adult human.

They were similar to humans in terms of physical abilities and intellect. In order to mate with other goblins, many tribes tended to live in the same region. However, in order not to let the population increase too much, many were left behind as bodyguards or team leaders within the tribe.

“But if my father or mother was a hobgoblin, wouldn’t they know themselves?”

“Both his parents were goblins and he was a hobgoblin.”

“Eh? Isn’t that the kind of weird plot that shows up in dramas?”

“…This is the first time I’ve seen Enri make that kind of expression… but unfortunately, I don’t think that’s the answer. Just as humans adopt children, I think the goblins might have done something similar.”

“That’s certainly possible. Well, in that case, we don’t have to worry too much about it.”

The three of them returned to the table, and as they did, the hitherto silent Lupusregina opened her mouth to speak.

“Welp, made a decision? If anything happens, you can always ask Ainz-sama for help. Ask him to help solve the problem and all that.”

That would be a godsend.

If the hero who saved the village decided to make a move, not even the greatest monsters could hope to stand against him. However—

“That’s too naive.”

Enri mumbled to herself, and the goblins agreed. Only Brita and Agu, who didn’t know of Ainz, were baffled. Nfirea had a complex expression on his face.

“This village is our village. That means we should do as much as we can by ourselves. Although some people will think that I shouldn’t be babbling pretty words since I can’t fight and have no battle experience…”

“No, I agree with Ane-san’s opinion. This village is Ane-san’s—”

“Kaijali?”

“Hm?”

He tilted his head to correct himself.

“Ane-san and us… no, that’s not right either.”

“You’re trying to say that the village belongs to everyone who lives here, right?”

“That’s right, Ani-san. You’re getting it! Well, even so, I think borrowing the power of that magic caster-sama should wait until we’re completely out of options.”

“But if we do that, everyone might die~su… Getting hacked up hurts, you know~su”

“Ha! Lupusregina-san, we won’t let that happen. We’ll sacrifice ourselves so everyone has time to run first.”

A disappointed look appeared on Lupusregina’s face.

“Is that so? You’d better work hard, then~su.”

“And I also want to communicate our village’s intentions to the Adventurer’s Guild in E-Rantel – or maybe “report” would be a better word to use. If the guild accepts our request, they’ll send a member to come and assess the current situation. It would be troublesome if we put in a request after it becomes an emergency.”

Brita followed on after Nfirea’s suggestion.

“That’s true. The Adventurer’s Guild doesn’t want to be surprised by unexpected monsters. Although workers and their ilk might say otherwise, the words of people blinded by greed aren’t worth mentioning. It’s only natural that an organization would want to protect their own members.”

“Brita-san, although I don’t want to speak ill of adventurers, but during emergencies, the request payments will go through the roof, what happens if they refuse even then?”

“Adventurers don’t want to die, and the Guild won’t let them either. Because of that, when it comes to emergency requests, the prices will go up, which means that the Guild will tend to assign higher-ranked adventurers to deal with them, even if the situation technically doesn’t warrant them. “

All Enri could do when hearing the former adventurer’s words was to accept them. It was quite hard to have to accept this when they were being pushed into a corner. However, when she looked at it from the adventurers’ point of view, it made sense.

“Well, even if the Guild checks it out, people might still die anyway, that sort of thing happens a lot…”

Brita bit her lip.

“― When I think of that vampire attack, I can’t help but shiver… used to be I couldn’t even sleep without medicine for it…”