(Attendance… plz…)
….
Everyone was inside the village now. Just as they had suspected after meeting the gate guards, the Goblins of Carne Village were vastly different from the feral ones they had encountered on the road.
Not only did they speak the human tongue fluently, but they were actively protecting the village. According to the Goblin captain, they were under the direct orders of the girl Nfirea had called out to, Enri.
These very same Goblins had helped the villagers construct the sturdy wooden palisade that surrounded Carne. They had set it up specifically to guard against wandering monsters, or any other threats, like the "Imperial Knights" that Nfirea had mentioned earlier.
After passing through the gates, the group was guided to an open area near the village square to rest. It was a bizarre but peaceful scene: human villagers and Goblins sitting near each other, sharing space without fear.
Nfirea had immediately rushed off with Enri. They had been talking privately in one of the nearby houses for quite some time now.
The adventurers were provided with fresh, cool water to drink after their long journey. Reinhard and Felt found a spot under the shadow of a large, leafy tree to rest their legs.
Momon approached them, his heavy boots thudding softly against the dirt.
"It seems they are talking as of now," Momon said, gesturing toward the house Nfirea had entered. "And it will be some time before we head into the forest to collect herbs. So, I was thinking that Nabe and I would look around the village for the time being, and perhaps scout near the forest edge to ensure there aren't any monsters lurking nearby. If there is any problem, just shout, and we will come running."
While Ainz had technically been here before, as the savior Ainz Ooal Gown, not the adventurer Momon, he hadn't thoroughly surveyed the surrounding geography. Demiurge had provided a report on the area, but Ainz hadn't read the detailed, geographical breakdown; he had only listened to a simplified summary.
So, while they were here, he wanted to personally scout the area. He also needed to investigate the lack of any mention of a monster known as the "Wise King of the Forest" in Demiurge's reports or maybe there was…
He could have used a [Message] spell to request some invisible reconnaissance support from Nazarick, but having a potential Player of unknown identity (Reinhard/Felt) nearby was a major risk. He couldn't afford for Nazarick's forces to be discovered here under any circumstances. If Reinhard could see through high-tier invisibility, sending a Shadow Demon might expose everything.
So, he had to do the scouting himself with Nabe.
Felt looked up at him as she leaned back against the tree trunk, resting leisurely. "No problem. Either way, we are just resting here, so you can loiter around in the meantime. Don't worry, we will call you when we go to the forest if you're not back by that time."
Momon looked at Felt, then at Reinhard, and nodded. "Please do so."
After that, Momon and Nabe turned and walked away toward the village perimeter.
Reinhard watched their backs as they left. He then looked down at Felt. She had spoken relatively politely just now, without shouting or acting overly abrasive. He felt the need to ask.
"Lady Felt, are you okay?"
Felt turned her head and looked at him like he had grown a second head. She checked her arms and legs as if searching for an injury. "What is that supposed to mean? Why would I not be okay?"
Reinhard scratched his cheek with a finger, offering a sheepish smile. "It's nothing. Just that you spoke relatively calmly for your usual self, so I was just wondering if you were feeling unwell."
Felt's eyes narrowed into slits. "Are you picking a fight right now?"
Reinhard shook his head, his smile unwavering. "No. How could I dare? I was genuinely worried. And to think My Lady would accuse me of such a thing... I too get hurt, you know."
"Stop it, you're creeping me out," Felt scoffed, crossing her arms. "I'm not a brat that just shouts all the time, you know. I just don't trust others immediately. Unlike my supposed knight, who is supposed to protect me but trusts everyone he meets. So, I have to be the careful one here between the two of us."
Reinhard looked a little hurt. Was his master calling him naive and incompetent? A knight doesn't get hurt easily by physical blows, but hearing those words from his liege, even if it was just an emotional sting, hurt him ever so slightly or maybe more.
Felt noticed his drooping expression and sighed, her tough exterior cracking. "I'm not angry at you. Why are you making that face?"
"What face?" Reinhard asked innocently.
"Nothing," Felt grumbled. "Look, I'm not calling you dumb or incompetent because you trust people easily. Even if I told you not to do that, it would just mean I'm forcing you to not be yourself. I'm just saying... don't trust others here in this unknown place so easily."
She leaned closer, lowering her voice. "We don't know how we got here or what brought us here. If something or someone was able to drag even you here forcefully... whatever that someone or something is, it is anything but normal."
Reinhard nodded, his expression turning serious, though he still looked somewhat dejected. "I see that My Lady has been thinking of everything without me knowing. I apologize for not being of any help in that regard, and for worrying you so much... though if it is to protect you, I will gladly give my life if necessary for th…"
Before he could finish the vow, Felt interrupted him sharply.
"Stop that. I know you will. But I won't give you any permission to die or give your life for me... so if you do that, just know that you are going against me and my direct orders."
Reinhard smiled warmly, his blue eyes softening. "I understand. I won't disobey you, My Lady."
Satisfied, Felt leaned back against the tree and changed the topic. "Do you think there are others here too? Like Subaru, Emilia, Crusch, and the others?"
Reinhard thought for a moment before answering. "I cannot deny the possibility. Though I wouldn't worry about the others too much, especially Subaru. He has a knack for surviving. If they too are here, we will eventually be able to meet and figure out what happened."
Felt knew this was true. If anything, she knew Subaru had a habit of doing the impossible and somehow coming out alive against any odds.
Felt pondered for a moment, then voiced a lingering suspicion. "Do you think it has something to do with... that stupid Dragon? The one whose prophecy tablet and insignia chose the Royal Candidates?"
Reinhard stiffened slightly. "Lady Felt, I think it is discourteous to address Lord Volcanica like that, and calling him stupid."
Felt flared up somewhat angrily. "Why shouldn't I?! He chose me without my permission and dragged me into that stupid Royal Selection contest! I think I've earned the right to call him whatever I want. And now that I think about it, that stupid Dragon could be the very reason we're here. I mean, in the Kingdom, everyone thinks of him as a deity or a god, so it's not impossible that he's powerful enough to do something like this."
While Reinhard thought it could be a possibility, he didn't know how. He hadn't sensed any massive surge of mana or anything abnormal; he just somehow found himself in this world without any reason.
"I do not know about this," Reinhard said carefully. "But if Lord Volcanica is involved or somehow directly related to this displacement, I think there must be a very big reason for that, and for us being here."
Felt stood up and dusted the dirt off her clothes. "Yeah, yeah... whatever. I think that is just a possibility, and that's all. But well, let's talk about that later. Our client is coming."
Nfirea was running toward them. He had been talking with Enri for about thirty minutes, but now, running out of the house, he seemed highly agitated, like someone was chasing him to kill him.
He ran as fast as he could toward Reinhard and Felt, sliding to a halt in front of them and panting heavily.
Felt looked at him with an amused smirk. "Hmm. I think you need to exercise a little, don't you think? You are breathing like you just ran across a whole kingdom or something."
Nfirea mentally acknowledged that fact. He spent so much time indoors brewing potions that his stamina wasn't nearly as great as an adventurer's. But there was no time for that now.
"Haaa... ahhh... I will... haaa... keep that in mind," Nfirea gasped out between heavy breaths. "Do you know where Momon is? I looked around where he was resting before, but he isn't there now. Do you know?"
"He told us that he was walking around the village, and then heading to the area near the forest to check something," Reinhard answered calmly. "He wanted to see if there were any monsters lurking there, so he should be around that perimeter now. He just left a few minutes ago. If he isn't in the village, he must have gone toward the outside of the forest area."
Nfirea took a deep, shuddering breath to steady himself. "I see... thank you. And about the herb gathering... we will do that in an hour. You guys should rest here until then. Or you can look around the village if you want. Well, I'm somewhat in a hurry. I will see you later!"
And with that, he took off running again, still breathing heavily, heading toward the village gates.
"Feels like he could just drop like a fly on the ground in a few more minutes," Felt commented dryly.
Shortly after Nfirea left, someone else approached them. But unlike Nfirea, this girl wasn't exhausted or panicked.
It was Enri.
"Sorry for my late introduction," Enri said, bowing slightly. "You can call me Enri. I'm somewhat of a leader for this village right now. I heard you are the adventurers that Nfirea hired."
Felt stepped forward and introduced herself, and then Reinhard. "I'm Felt, you can just call me Felt. He is Reinhard. You can call just him Reinhard. And yes, we are the adventurers."
Enri's eyes widened slightly as she looked at Felt. "Wow... you must be very strong. Even though you look younger than me."
"Haha, does age even matter?" Felt grinned proudly. "We are gonna be the highest ranking in the Adventurer Guild soon."
Enri smiled at Felt's boundless confidence. "High ranking, huh? That's quite the goal."
Felt crossed her arms. "Of course it is. No point in aiming low."
Reinhard chimed in, praising his lady with a bright smile. "I believe Lady Felt can achieve anything she sets her mind to."
Felt punched him lightly in the side. "Can you quit saying such embarrassing things already?"
Enri quickly caught onto the "Lady Felt" part. Even though she didn't know much about the world outside the village, her parents and Nfirea had taught her a few things. Only nobles used honorifics like "Lady" when addressing someone, not commoners like her.
"Are you... nobles?" Enri asked hesitantly.
"No," Felt said immediately, her face souring. "On the contrary, I hate them."
Felt then glanced at Reinhard. "Well, not you."
She turned back to Enri. "Don't mind him too much, he just likes saying that to me. So, is there something you want from us?"
Enri quickly composed herself. It seemed these adventurers weren't what she had expected. "Nothing, actually. I just saw you guys resting... I was wondering if you would like a tour of the village, or if you wanted to look around? If yes, I can show you around."
….
A/N: ahem ahem it seems our favourite red hair team gonna get another team member and that too a fluffy one. It seems reinhard positions will be somewhat threatened with that… or would he gain another blessing for that too.
To find out don't forget to read the next chapter soon…
And don't forget to comment, and add this to your library and send power stones for support.
All questions are welcome here:
&
you can join my discord server: https://discord.gg/5Y7uZ2kN2Y