14 Wise King?

Nfirea: So that's what happened.

He sighed deeply and mumbled to himself. Nfirea had been close to Enri's parents. They were great parents, and the way they loved their daughters was quite enviable. Nfirea had lost his parents at a young age and only had murky impressions of them. Therefore, when he thought of an outstanding father and mother, Nfirea immediately thought of Enri's parents.

He was filled with rage when he heard that her parents had been killed by the Imperial knight and all he could think when he learned that they had been slaughtered in turn was serves them right. He was also somewhat angry at the higher-ups in E-Rantel, who refused to send soldiers over. However, he felt something was wrong about him displaying this anger when Enri, for whom that anger was far more justified, had set those feelings aside.

He looked at Enri, her eyes brimming with tears. As he wondered whether he should try to comfort her, Enri wiped her tears away and smiled:

Enri: I still have a little sister. I can't lose myself in sadness forever.

Nfirea was halfway off his chair, and now he sat down again. Having lost the chance to console her, he felt like he had wasted an opportunity and was ashamed of his own uselessness. Even so, his desire to protect her had not changed. After a brief pause, Nfirea made up his mind. He would not let anyone other than himself sit beside Enri, even if that person was a powerful being who could protect her. He felt a little anxious, but while he was riding on this surge of emotion, Nfirea decided that he would share the feelings he had had ever since he came to this village for the first time as a child.

Nfirea: Then

His throat seemed to have clamped shut. Although he desperately wanted to speak, the words stuck in his throat, and refused to leave. Both Enri and Nfirea were at an age where it would not be unusual for them to be married. In addition, due to his income as a herbalist, Nfirea had enough money to support Enri and her little sister. The image of the family he wanted to make appeared in his mind but he immediately waved away his runaway imagination. The knowledge that Enri was looking at him in surprise made him even more nervous.

His mouth opened and then closed.

I like you.

I love you.

But the words refused to leave his lips because he was afraid of hearing her reject him. Then, what else could he say to shorten the distance between them?

The city's safer, do you want to live with me? I'll take care of you and your little sister. If you want to work, you can help in Granny's shop.

If you feel uneasy about the city, I'll do my best to help you.

He should say that. The chances of those words being rejected would be a lot lower than a confession of love.

Nfirea: Enri!

Enri: Wh-What happened, Nfirea?

Enri jumped as Nfirea loudly called her name. He began to speak:

Nfirea: If, if, if you've got any problems, let me know. I'll do whatever I can to help you!

Enri: Thank you, You're such a good friend that it's almost wasted on me, Nfirea!

Like that, the words cut through the air and sliced Nfirea's heart. He could feel himself break slightly, this isn't what he wanted, he wants more than friends. He cursed himself for his uselessness, but at the same time he fondly reflected on how cute Enri was, and of the times he had spent talking with her. Pushing his own feeling aside, Nfirea asked a question:

Nfirea: I wanted to ask, what's up with those Goblins and that guy in the coat?

Those Goblins called Enri their "Ane-san." In addition, those Goblins differed greatly from the ones they had encountered on the road to Carne; they had the air of veteran warriors. Along, with that man in the coat, two personalities that are like water and fire. Sounded like something out of a book. Even more surprising the mysterious arrow, and the minotaur.

When and where had these Goblins encountered a simple village girl like Enri, and what sort of relationship did she have with them?

Enri: They appeared after I used a magic item given to us by our village's savior, Ainz Ooal Gown. They follow my orders. While Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Arash, and Mr. Asterios all came from Ainz Ooal Gown's right-hand man, Mr. Shiro.

Nfirea: I see

Enri's eyes were like twin sparkling stars as she said those names. It made Nfirea feel bitter inside.

Ainz Ooal Gown and Shiro

Enri had already mentioned these names several times since they started talking. When Carne Village was attacked by mysterious men dressed as Imperial knights, a magic caster and his right hand who were passing by saved the village with their tremendous might, Shiro cut through foes like butter, while Ainz Ooal Gown dealt with the other attacker, thus returning peace to the village.

He was Enri's savior and someone that Nfirea should thank. However, the look on Enri's face made it difficult for him to thank him in earnest. He could understand how Enri felt when she mentioned her saviors, but at the same time, jealousy welled up at the bottom of his heart. He was filled with his one-sided love for Enri, and by his competitive spirit as a man. Influenced by these emotions, his emotions turned ugly.

Nfirea pushed these feelings aside and turned his thoughts to the magic item of which Enri had spoken. It was a magic item that summoned Goblins, called the {Horn of the Goblin Whatever}. The magic caster who had saved her village had explained what sort of horn it was, but because her mind was too confused back then, her memory was hazy. Nfirea felt it was a little strange. He had no idea what sort of magic item it was, but she should not have forgotten about it. Nobody should have forgotten the details of a magic item with special abilities once they were told about them.

Still, many magic items could summon creatures, just as there were many summoning spells in magic. Any monsters summoned with those spells would vanish after a while. Summoned monsters were not creatures that could stay for a long time. If that item could do that, it might well overturn all of magical history and theory to date. How valuable was a magic item which could accomplish such a feat? Enri did not seem to have realized its value, but if she sold it, she could probably live comfortably for the rest of her life.

Enri had used this rare and precious item because she did not want blood to flow in the village once more. Nfirea felt that this line of thinking was very much her style. Thus, the Goblins she had summoned called her Ane-san, followed her orders, and in addition to protecting the village, they even helped in the fields.

The other extremely weird thing was the beast, the freak, and the arrow. Asterios the minotaur, was extremely hard to believe. Minotaurs resemble half-man and half-bull, Asterios only had horns and a giant form, not only that a minotaur is following a human. Something they all see as mere food? Nfirea questioned why would a minotaur follow its cattle, but not only that agree to follow Enri.

The next one was Jekyll, a man with a split personality. This wasn't that hard to believe, but the strength increase and the difference in looks? That was hard to believe, to Nifrea both Jeykll and Hyde were just too different to come from the same mind. One a bloodthirsty psycho, the other a calm scholar. Nfirea didn't know much about Arash, aside from his the best archer around here.

Nfirea: So, he was called Ainz Ooal Gown? and his right hand, Shiro. What sort of man is either of them. I'd like to thank both of them myself.

Enri: Is that so, I was thinking you would know him, Nfirea

Enri's reply made Nfirea's heart pound violently, and sweatdrops bloomed uncomfortably on his back. Looks aside, he'd be a hit just going by his strength alone. The words from last night appeared in Nfirea's mind, and he began to pant and breathe heavily. Forcing down the uneasiness in his heart, Nfirea asked:

Nfirea: En-Enri, what, what will you do when you see Gown and Shiro?

Enri: For, Ainz Ooal Gown, I'd like to thank him properly. The village came together with the idea of building a little copper statue for him because he saved us, and I need to show my gratitude too.

After sensing that the answer did not contain any hints of affection which frightened him, Nfirea breathed a sigh of relief, and let his tensed shoulders relax.

Enri: But, Shiro I would like to ask him a question.

The feeling returned just as quick as it left, his heart started to beat harder and harder, it felt like a pit in his stomach. His imagination ran, his mind ran to marriage. His mind was filled with pictures of Enri and this Shiro. Nfirea forced this to go away and proclaimed himself to start training and win Enri's heart like a fuckin simp.

Nfirea: Wha-what would that question be?

Enri: Well, I guess, Why did he get so angry?

Nfirea: Huh?

Nfirea was dumbfounded, he didn't expect such a question. He felt a wave of relaxation and realization punch him in the face, he knew he was overthinking things. But he was also confused by the question she wanted to ask.

Enri: Well, when I was bleeding, Shiro stared for a minute. He then murders both the knights and quickly left for the village. Ainz Ooal Gown talked with a wolf and an armored woman, telling them to be careful because Shiro was angry. Why would someone be angry enough to harm his subordinates?

Nfirea: I see, I'm curious too, now. What kind of magic did they use?

Enri: Ainz Ooal Gown gave me a red potion, while Shiro castes a protection spell on me. I never got to see nor hear what he said.

Nfirea: What?! A red potion did it hurt you??!!

He shouted in a panic, worried for her. He had never heard of a red potion, and more than likely it's a harmful one. The machine at home only makes blue ones, this red potion could be a new type.

Enri: Eh?! N-no, it healed me fully.

?????: Of course, it wouldn't harm her

Both jumped at the new voice, a deeper one than the goblins, and sounded nothing like Nfirea's companions. Looking around for the owner of the voice, they found him, sitting in the window as the wind blew in his face. Nfirea was confused and a bit fearful of this new person as he had no idea who he was but before he could act Enri shouted.

Enri: Mr. Shiro!

Nfirea: Eh? That's Shiro.

Enri walked to the window to talk to him, Nfirea's was still taken back by his sudden appearance. Nfirea dreaded the look on Enri's face, she looked happy. No "Happy" understatement, his jaw tightened in slight fear. He didn't even see the man's face, with the strength and possible good looks, Enri might go for him and not Nfirea.

Enri: What are you doing here Mr. Shiro

Shiro: I came to check on you, I heard more people came to the village. He one of them

As he spoke he padded the head of Enri, something that confused her and made Nfirea even more jealous. He begged his face not to show it, he couldn't feel these negative emotions right now. This person is her savior, if he was here then Enri would be...

Enri: Yeah, this is my friend, Nfirea.

Shiro: I see, well nice to meet you Nfirea

Shir put his hand out for a handshake, Nfirea didn't move for a moment. But he 'woke' up and quickly shook this man's hand. The grip was firm, and hard, the hands of a warrior. It was something Lakyus talked about, a warrior's hand, and how you can tell a lot about a person with their handshake. A bureaucrat would have a soft but confident handshake, while a military person would have a callous-filled hand, a farmer would have a stronger grip, and so would welders.

Enri: Oh you have to meet the villagers, their be excited that your here.

Shiro: Sure, but I can't take too long.

Outside, Lakyus, her team, and Lupa sat in a circle talking with each other. Out of everyone Lupa was the friendliest, while Fafnir was semi-friendliest but he only talked when asked or spoken to, this was because he really does talk a lot even back in IRL. He only talked to those he was close to like the Guild, or family. Nabe stood near him, as she hated the humans.

Fafnir and Nabe stood off the to side just standing there or leaning on a nearby fence. he saw several villagers lined up in a row. There were men, women, and children of all ages. He could see a motherly-looking forty-year-old woman as well as a teenager. The one thing they had in common was the stern look on their faces, which might even be mistaken for hostility. It was a clear sign that nobody here was in the mood to play around.

A Goblin with a bow addressed the villagers. After a while, the line of villagers slowly raised their bows. They were simple, shabby short bows that looked warped and were probably self-made. After drawing their bows all the way back, they took aim at the strawmen some distance away. The Goblin must have given order because the villagers loosed as one. The bows looked crude, but the arrows they launched flew in beautiful trajectories. All of them struck the straw men, without a single miss.

"Not bad"

Nabe: Are they really that good?

In all likelihood, Nabe could not understand why their skills were praiseworthy. After all, they were like children at play compared to the archers of the Great Tomb of Nazarick. As he realized what she was thinking, a bitter smile bloomed on Ainz's illusionary face under his helmet.

"Their technique is hardly something to get excited over. However, for a human to start training to fight and progress this quickly when barely ten days ago they weren't able to prevent their spouses, children, and parents from being slain."

What was truly praiseworthy was the depths of the villagers' hate, which had brought them this far.

Nabe: My, my deepest apologies. I had not thought that far.

"It's fine. Don't worry about it so much, Nabe. It's true that their skills aren't really that impressive, it's just more of their mentality"

Fafnir watched as more arrows sailed through the air and penetrated the strawmen. An idea suddenly came to mind.

'How strong could they become? How strong could I become? I don't even know if the level cap still exists here'

The maximum level in YGGDRASIL: level one hundred. When he came to the world, his excess XP bar was around 99 percent full. It was just a hunch, but since his other abilities were intact, the concept of levels should exist in this world as well. The question now was whether he could obtain that remaining 1 percent of the experience bar and reach level one hundred and one.

If there were no limits on the inhabitants of this world, if they could surpass the maximum level of one hundred in YGGDRASIL, then Ainz Ooal Gown might be in some trouble. However, the guild still has their Trump card, but one of these trump cards is more of the wild card of the deck.

If the Six Gods were still hiding in the Slaine Theocracy, and if they had begun grinding with others, with the abilities of powerful players in order to gain experience faster than normal from six hundred years ago, it might well be possible that there were people in excess of level one hundred. They could possibly that not even all of their trump cards could help them win.

If that were the case, the reason why the Theocracy had not yet taken over the world might be because there were other beings of the same caliber lying in wait. It might even be the case that being level one hundred meant nothing. If the Six Gods really were players, then he had to try and get on their good side while he lacked information about this world. According to the members of the Sunlight Scripture, the Imperial knights attacking this village were imposters from the Theocracy, which meant that saving this village was making an enemy of them.

Seeing Nfirea and Enri come out, and followed by a familiar-looking outfit, his eyes widened. His eyes darted around looking for Jekyll or Arash for an answer, soon he found Jekyll staring at him. Fafnir's eyes harden and demanded answers.

Fafnir questioned why would Pandora's Actor a doppelgänger and an Area Guardian of the Treasury be here. Why didn't Ainz message him, why did he do this behind Fafnir's back? Clearly troubled, Nabe asked Fafnir:

Nabe: Something wrong My Lord.

Fafnir: It's nothing but why is Pandora's Actor here and why wasn't I told about this.

Nabe: Pandora's Actor? isn't he the treasury's area guardian?

Just as Fafnir was pondering these matters, he noticed a teenager running over to him. The hair which normally obscured his eyes swayed from side to side, and he could see a pair of eyes fixed intently on himself.

"What is it"

Fafnir snapped at Nfirea unintentionally sending Nfirea back. Seeing the way he reacted, he knew he just snapped at Nfirea who was innocent.

Nfirea: Uh-uh W-we leaving soon for the herbs, and I wanted to ask do you know a man named Shiro

'Of course I know him, he's me' "*Sigh* No, iv never heard of someone with that name"

Just as he said that Shiro walked up, Fafnir could clearly see him sweating bullets. Fafnir gave a mischievous smile and put his hand out. Shiro seeing this didn't back down and grabbed Fafnir's hand.

"Nice to met you, Shiro"

Shiro: Niiiiice to mmmmmet you too

Fafnir had squeezed Shiro's hand with a lot of force, near breaking his hand.

{Time-Skip: Phantom Blood}

There was a large clearing in the dense forest about a hundred meters from the village. Although that clearing had been made by the villagers cutting down trees, under the protection of the Goblins and Asterios in order to make logs, it still looked like the gaping maw of some gigantic beast. Fafnir and the others made their final checks, and then the young man who had hired them spoke up:

Nfirea: We'll be entering the forest after this, so I'll be counting on you to protect me. That said, the area just inside the forest is part of the Wise King's sphere of control, so under normal circumstances, the chances of meeting other monsters are very low. The problem is that the Ogres we met yesterday came from a place near the Wise King's territory, so something must have happened in the woods. Although it's hardly something that I need to warn you guys about

Fafnir: If The Wise King of the Forest appears, let us hold it back. You should escape first.

Lakyus: He's right, If there's a need to run, leave without delay.No one knows how truly strong the Wise King is, we may need to go all out.

Nfirea seemed to be wavering between speech and silence. In the end, he made up his mind and said:

Nfirea: Could you not kill the Wise King of the Forest, but instead chase it away?

"Why is that?"

Nfirea: Mm, Carne Village has not been attacked by monsters because the Wise King of the Forest's territory is nearby. If anyone defeats the Wise King of the Forest.

"I see, I understand"

Lakyus: I as well. Who knows it may be peaceful.

As he looked toward the young man, Fafnir laughed in his heart.

Nfirea hoped that monsters would not attack Carne Village. That being the case, all Fafnir needed to do was to have other monsters replace the Wise King of the Forest in enforcing its area of influence. That way he could still fulfill Nfirea's wish. Even if he ended up killing the Wise King of the Forest, all he had to do was dispatch vassals from Nazarick to replace him, the best choice being: Hessian Lobo or Xiang Yu.

"Lupa, Stay with Nfirea as you usually do, Since Nabe can cast something like the {Alarm} spell we used when pitching camp, we temporarily split off when we reach the destination"

Nfirea: That's fine with me, What about you Lakyus?

Lakyus: Then, Fafnir and Nabe will leave us for a while, and we'll pick the herbs after they return.

After the discussion and other matters were concluded, Nfirea called for them to move out. The group shouldered their baggage and entered the forest. There were trees felled by the villagers nearby. The earth was already dried out. It looked like an easily walkable stretch of forest, but the scenery before their eyes slowly transformed into something like a green labyrinth.

There were no landmarks in the forest, and it was impossible to tell in which direction one was moving. A sense of unease filled everyone, as though they had been swallowed up. The sky-scraping trees further intensified that uneasiness, and most people would have been frightened by this scene. In YGGDRASIL's forest and other natural zones, he considered these things to be live art.

'I see why Blue Planet liked nature so much, there's nothing like this at home. Even for the rich people'

He looked around as he surveyed the forest, but it was peaceful, and he saw no traces of any animals. Aside from the distant sound of birdsong, there was no sign of life here at all. But in actuality, there's someone hiding behind them.

Finally, they reached a clearing that was roughly fifty meters across.

Nfirea: We've arrived at our destination. We'll spread out from here and pick herbs.

Everyone began setting their gear down after they heard Nfirea unburdening himself of his baggage. However, they did not relax. Instead, they carefully observed their surroundings, ready to deal with any sudden developments. This was because they were no longer in the world of men but the world of beasts.

"Then, we'll move as we planned earlier."

Fafnir tied a rope to a nearby tree, then picked the other end up and headed into the forest. The rope he was holding was not thick, but it was very strong. It would not snap just by being dragged along the ground. While holding the rope, Fafnir could move in a straight line into the forest. Normally speaking, it was almost impossible to move in a straight line, since the trees would get in one's way. However, the rope they were holding showed the path, and so the two of them could proceed despite their inexperience with the forest.

They moved about fifty meters into the forest, stopping when the rope had almost run out. Trees and vegetation blocked the way behind them, so they did not worry about being spotted. There was someone nearby who could immediately deal with anybody who was following them, so there was no need to fret about that either.

"Here should be fine."

Nabe: Yes.

"Then, let's discuss how to improve my reputation here."

Nabe: May I ask how you plan to do that? Does it involve finding a lot of the herbs they want?

"I plan to fight the Wise King of the Forest."

Nabe seemed to have a question mark over her head, so Fafnir explained further:

"My aim is to impress my might upon them in an easily understandable way."

Nabe: Was the battle with the Ogres not enough to convince them of your power?

"You're not wrong to say that, but Goblins and Ogres are not enough. When they discuss my accomplishments back in town, there's a world of difference between saying I slew an Ogre in one blow and saying I defeated the Wise King of the Forest. One of them will spread much faster and further than the other. This is why I need to put on a good show."

Nabe: I see! As I thought, your plans take everything into consideration, Fafnir-sama! Still, how will we find that Wise King of the Forest?

"I've already planned for that."

Just as Narberal was about to ask, a third speaker cut in.

????: Yup~ that's why I'm here.

Nabe jerked her head over toward the source of the sudden voice. She even thrust her right hand out, preparing to aim and cast a spell. However, her face changed immediately upon seeing who the speaker was.

Nabe: Aura-sama! Please don't scare me like that.

Aura: Sorry~

A dark elf girl popped out from behind a nearby tree, with a beaming smile that seemed to say 'ehehe' on her face.

Nabe: May I ask when you arrived?

Aura: Hmm? I've been following behind you and Artorias-sama ever since you entered the forest.

Aura was a beast tamer-ranger, so tracking people in the forest was child's play to her.

Aura: So, my job here is to find the monster called the Wise King of the Forest, then urge it to attack Artorias-sama.

"That's right. According to our previous intelligence, the Wise King of the Forest is a four-legged beast with silver fur and a snake-like tail or a four-legged deer-like being"

Aura: Hm, it's fine. It should be that guy

"If that's the case, do you want me to tame it directly?"

Aura: That is also an alternative, but let's not."

Aura the beast tamer should be able to easily subdue the Wise King of the Forest. However, Fafnir wanted to test his strength and find out how much should he hold back.

"By the way, Aura, how's the progress on that matter Ainz asked you to handle?"

Aura: The order Ainz-sama gave me to 'investigate and control the interior of the forest, verify if there are any lifeforms willing to obey Nazarick, and set up a resource storehouse,' is going well, Artorias-sama

Before heading to E-Rantel, Ainz had handed down different orders to each Guardian. The reason he ordered Aura and Mare to scout the Great Forest was in order to ensure the safety of Nazarick and collect information.

As for the resource storehouse, it might be better to describe it as more of a shelter. The reason he ordered her to build it there was to provide a hiding place in case there was an emergency and he could not return to Nazarick. In addition, it would be best to have an alternate base of operations to avoid Nazarick's location being revealed. And of course, it could be used to store all manner of supplies and resources. While Fafnir filled smaller parts with abyss watchers, ready to fight at a moment's notice.

Ainz had ordered her to find creatures that would obey Nazarick because he wanted to see if he or Fafnir could power level them. In addition, he wanted to learn about how one went about gaining levels in this world. Because of this string of tasks, Aura, Mare, the vassals designated for construction, and other powerful entities had invaded the forest and disrupted the balance of power within it. This was why the Ogres and other monsters had chosen to flee, even at the risk of treading within the domain of the Wise King of the Forest.

Aura: Still, the construction of the storehouse will take a long time to complete.

"Alright, that's fine. Then, Aura, I'll leave the matter of the Wise King of the Forest to you."

Aura: Yes!

{With Lakyus}

There was a disturbance in the forest

Lakyus pricked up her ears as she sensed the change in the air. She surveyed her surroundings with a grim expression on her face and wariness in her heart. She nodded her head to Tina and Tia to go look and see what's happening. Nfirea looks at Lakyus with a questioned face, so she answered.

Lakyus: Something's coming.

Nfirea: Is it the Wise King of the Forest?

Nobody answered Nfirea's uneasy question as he stuffed the herbs into his bags. Everyone merely watched the depths of the forest in silence.

Nfirea: This is bad.

Lakyus: Something massive is coming. I don't know why it's moving in a serpentine pattern, but from the sound of trampled grass, it should be here soon. However, can't be sure if it's the Wise King of the Forest or not.

Nfirea: Let's fall back, it doesn't matter if it's the Wise King of the Forest or not, staying here is very dangerous. Even if it's not the Wise King of the Forest, we've entered its territory, so the chances of it giving chase are very hi-

Nfirea's was cut off as he saw something, his gaze was far afield, looking at the mighty shadow that emerged from the distant trees. There was no way to make its shape out because it was hiding behind the trees, and without the sun to light it, there was no way to tell if its body was, in fact, silver.

Fafnir heard something that sounded like hooves, suddenly the shadow charged at Nabe. Fafnir being the close, pulls her back and pushes himself in front of her. He didn't have time to draw his sword and caught its horns in his hand, holding it back. The shadow's white fur shined in the light, and the brown horns shaped like daggers. Its eyes were an ocean blue filled with rage, as it looked at Fafnir.

As Fafnir's grip was on its horns, the deer-like beast pushed with all its might. The ground cracked from the force of both of them, Fafnir was started to get pushed back.

Fafnir: Nabe!

Nabe: Right, {Reinforcment} {Steel Skin}

A silver hue swallowed Fafnir and strengthened him, he was able to hold his ground against the Deer. However, something unexpected happened, the horn stretch and quickly stabbed Fafnir in his side. Gritting his teeth from the pain, he let go of the horn and grabbed with an under hook to the neck. Using his strength his lifted the deer in the air and slammed him in a german suplex.

Getting up Fafnir drew his sword but before anything.

Deer?: Craven! This one yields to thee!

'Wait what, that's it. The whole fight, what absolute BULLSHIT'

The Wise Kings move set was interesting, able to manipulate its own body, manly its bones to stab Fafnir. In addition to tremendous strength, and possibly other abilities. Fafnir walked over to the Wise King of the Forest, observing its vulnerable belly, and then considered what he should do next.

"How bout becoming one of my companions? Fou could use the company"

Deer: The life of the Wise King of the Forest shall be an offering to the great warrior who has defeated thee.

Nfirea: D-did he just tames the Wise King.

Lakyus: I think he did.

________________________________________________________________________________

What are some names for our new Wise King?