“Eh~ Sorry about that~ but I didn’t even use my full power. You had to use all your strength to block that blow, right?”
“Don’t talk nonsense Clementine. You are not someone who will hold back.”
“Wah~ you saw right through me? Yeah, if you didn’t block it, your shoulder would had been stabbed. But I wasn’t planning to kill you~ Honestly.”
Seeing the woman before him smiling, Kajit frowned.
“And I can still defeat that thing~ It might have a chance against Magic Casters, but as a warrior I should be more than enough, right? It’s just that I’m no good with blunt weapons~”
“… You might be strong against living beings with your one hit kill technique, but how would you fare against undead that don’t have vitals? Do you really think this is my final trump card?”
“Hmmm~… You are right~”
Clementine gazed towards the passageway, apparently sensing the undead controlled by Kajit who were waiting inside.
“I should be able to deal with a few of them… But under these circumstances it will turn into a war of attrition and I’ll probably lose~ Sorry Kaji-chan.”
Clementine moved the weapon she was holding in her hand back under her cloak and the earth stopped trembling.
“But~ As expected of enhanced undead control~ that was impressive!”
Clementine turned and walked away after saying that:
“Oh yah. I won’t touch the granny until the very end. I won’t nab anymore people, that should do, right?”
“… Yes.”
Kajit would never relax the power in his hands before Clementine was gone. Even when her figure disappeared down the exit of the underground shrine.
“Madwoman.”
With these words, Kajit finished their conversation.
He was flawed as well, but not to Clementine’s extent.
“What an incredible strength… no, it’s because of her incredible strength that her personality became so twisted”
Clementine was strong, even among the twelve highest-ranking members of their secret organization, only three were able to defeat her. Regrettably, Kajit wasn’t counted among them. Even if he used his special item, he would only have a 30 % chance of winning.
“The former ninth seat of the Black Scripture, huh… A psychopath with the strength of a hero is not to be trifled with.”
“So something like that happened.”
Nfirea sighed deeply and muttered.
Nfirea knew Enri’s parents well. They were ideal parents. He envied the two daughters they doted on.
Nfirea was orphaned from a young age and only had vague memories of his parents. Whenever wonderful parents were mentioned, Nfirea would think of Enri’s parents.
He felt anger against the ‘imperial knight imposters’ who took the lives of Enri’s parents. He thought they deserved it when he heard they were killed. He was angry at the higher ups of Re-Lantier for their unwillingness to dispatch soldiers.
But the one who should be the most angry and sad, Enri, put her own feelings aside, which felt a bit strange.
He watched as Enri recalled the past, uncertain if he should console her or not, she wiped away the tears in her eyes and smiled:
“I still have my little sister, so I can’t stay depressed like this.”
Nfirea, who had been about to get up, sat down again. He thought it was regrettable having lost his chance to console her, but he also thought himself to be really useless.
But— His feelings of wanting to protect her remained the same. After hesitating, Nfirea made up his mind. Other than himself, he wouldn’t let anyone else sit beside Enri. Even if that person was strong enough to protect Enri.
It was a bit rash, but Nfirea didn’t want to lose Enri, so he decided to express the feelings he had harboured since the first time he ever came to the village as a child.
“Well then—”
He couldn’t speak, his throat seemed to be glued shut. Say it, say it. He wanted to say it, but the words seemed to be jammed in his throat and wouldn’t come out.
Both Enri and Nfirea were at a marriageable age, and the money Nfirea made as a pharmacist was enough to take care of Enri and her sister.
It would be fine even if they had a child…
The scenery of building his own family appeared in his mind— but he stopped his imagination that was going out of control. Noticing that Enri was looking at him with a puzzled expression, Nfirea became even more anxious.
His mouth opened and shut.
I like you.
I love you.
But he couldn’t say these two sentences. Because he was scared of hearing her rejection.
He should say something that will shorten the distance between them.
The city is safer, want to live together? I will take care of your sister too. If you want to work, you can help out in grandma’s shop.
If you feel uneasy in the city, I will do all I can do to help you.
Just saying these would be enough. The chance of being rejected would be lower than expressing his love.
“Enri!”
“Wha-what is it? Nfirea.”
Enri was surprised by his sudden shout and Nfirea started his confession:
“—If… if you have any troubles please tell me. I will do all I can to help you!”
“Thank you!.. Nfirea is a great friend, better than what I deserved!”
“Ah, ah, ermm… No, don’t mention it, we’ve known each other for so long.”
Unable to say anything else to the smiling Enri, Nfirea lamented his own uselessness. At the same time, he felt that Enri was really cute and chatted about their childhood for a moment.
When the topic reached its end, Nfirea asked:
“By the way, what’s with those Goblins?”
Those goblins addressed Enri as ‘anego’. And unlike the normal goblins he saw on the road, each of them looked like a veteran warrior. Not only that, seeing the traces of a Magic Caster in the village was even more shocking. He wondered how Enri, who was just a village girl, got to know that group of goblins and what the nature of their relationship was.
Enri answered simply:
“I used the item left by the saviour of the village, Ainz Ooal Gown, and they appeared. They will obey my command.”
“I see…”
Enri’s eyes sparkled like the stars, which made Nfirea miserable as he replied casually.
Ainz Ooal Gown.
Enri had mentioned this names several times already.
When Carne village was attacked by people disguised as Knights of the Empire, a mysterious Magic Caster who happened to pass by, saved the village with his amazing powers and brought peace to the village. He was a hero who saved Enri, someone Nfirea should give thanks to.
But Enri’s expression made it hard for him to express his gratitude.
This was the natural reaction when Enri mentioned her saviour, but the feelings of jealousy still sprang from his heart. The nature of a man is competitive, so he felt jealous because Enri didn’t show that for himself. He was caught in these murky feelings and ugly thoughts.
As he was feeling miserable, Nfirea tried to push these emotions out of his mind and thought about the item Enri mentioned.
It was used to summon goblins, known as [Horn of the Goblin General].
The great Magic Caster who saved the village obviously told Enri something about this horn, but since her mind was confused back then, she wasn’t able to remember everything clearly.