CH 11: The Beast of the South (1)

A short dark-elf then jumped beside her. She just came from the south of the forest while riding her high-level magical beast that has the resemblance of a gigantic and monstrous black wolf. A four-legged beast with red eyes and a dark green pelt that flows majestically when sprinting. Its body length was about at least 20 meters.

"Oh, you're back Aura."

"Momonga-sama tasked me to find and locate that beast in the South of this forest and report it to him. It's weak though, but I like Its hide, it would make a great pelt."

"Haah~ Momonga-sama, why haven't you tasked me to go to your chambers yet," Shalltear muttered as she exaggeratedly sighed.

"Jeez, you know that I could hear you right?" Aura will surely hear her because Aura has one of the keenest ears compared to her other fellow Floor Guardians.

"Tch! Shut up shorty." Shalltear said to Aura.

Both of them had been assigned somewhere in the Central Forest of Tob, they are overseeing the construction of a dummy Nazarick base.

Their master must have known that they are the best for the task that is why he had assigned them here and that in itself makes their heart jump in joy.

But something still irked Shalltear.

'That gorilla—' She thought annoyingly.

'—she's having the advantage since her work is being beside the glorious Supreme one.'

Albedo's position is enviable, not only she leads the Floor guardians, but she is also allowed to stay beside their master.

'But I'm thankful that Momonga-sama is not in Nazarick with that gorilla!' She thought smugly.

But then, Aura spoke again.

"And what are you going to do in Momonga-sama's bedroom? Sleep? You have your bed, right?" Aura said while giving her a weird look disrupting Shalltear's train of thoughts in the process and making her more annoyed.

Aura Bella Fiora, she's the creation of the older sister of her creator while they are designed to have siblings' quarrel; Something deep inside Shalltear makes her annoyed by this short elf for some reasons unknown as if It's natural.

"Haah? What's with your little brain shorty even though we have explained it to you already. Oh! That's it — It's because you're just a c-h-i-l-d."

"At least I'm a child now while you are going to be a child forever."

"What do you mean by that?" Shalltear asked genuinely confused.

'What's wrong being young forever?' She thought confusingly, that's every woman's dream!

"Exactly... Fake boobs." Realization struck Shalltear.

Aura already made her distance away from her.

"GRRR— YOU!!"

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(Carne Village)

"AAAAM!" A mumbled sound could be heard in Enri's home or to be more accurate Enri's parents' home.

The mumbled sound came from Enri as she screamed on her pillow.

'Momon-sama s-said it tastes good!!' She thought as screamed again on her pillow. She is being like this because her crush likes the food she cooked.

This is the first she had become like this. Enri doesn't have crushes and that. She's a diligent girl, a good girl if you will.

But now even Enri herself doesn't know why she's being like this, because of a man that maybe she will only meet once or twice her entire life.

She also forced the village chief to be the guide of Momon's team in finding the herbs but the chief declined.

She thinks that even the chief himself must have been weirded out by her.

As she cringed by that fact. She heard knocking sounds coming from the main door, and she hurriedly composed herself before heading there.

"Eh? Village Chief?" Enri opened the door and saw the chief.

The chief sighed and opened his mouth "Enri-chan... I knew your parents well—"

"—to be honest, I will refuse for you to be the guide but you see, the goblins convinced me..." The chief said as he looked behind worriedly to the troop of goblins macho posing at the back.

He sighed again. "Okay Enri, you will be the guide, and here's the map where the herbs grow... I only wished the best of you two sisters."

"...I hope you the best Enri. Good luck and be safe."

"Yes! Village chief! Thank you very much!" Enri replied as she bowed, but inside she's jumping in joy.

"Don't worry Village chief! We're going to protect Enri!" Jugem said and the other goblins shouted in agreement.

"Fine. Fine. Momon-dono and his team are also there, I'm sure you are all going to be fine, as long you lot stayed in the outskirts of the forest and didn't step in the Wise king of the forest's domain."

"Yes, village chief!"

"Now, now, head to the gate, Momon-dono, and his team is already there."

'I'm going to guide Momon-sama!' Enri happily thought.

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The village chief is preparing for the guide of their saviors earlier when Enri volunteered to be the guide. He refused because It's kinda dangerous and Enri is the daughter of a friend.

But the goblins 'convinced' him to let Enri be the guide. They also said Enri is lovestruck by Momon and said if he wants the best for Enri, then he should let her be the guide.

'A village girl and a knight falling in love? I wished you the best Enri.' The village chief thought.

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Enri went to the gate and she saw the three adventurers with gold-plates in their necks.

"Nabe-sama, Gina-sama, and M-Momon-sama, I am Enri Emmot, and I am going to be your guide." She introduced herself to the three.

'I stuttered!' Enri panicked inside.

"Oh, Enri-dono then. Oh, you brought some bodyguards. Yeah, probably you're the most suitable guide. Let's go then Enri-dono."

"Yes!" Enri replied with a light blushed.

Five goblins accompanied her. It's Jugem the goblin leader, three goblin warriors, and one goblin archer.

They started the journey after that.

They strolled in the outskirts of the forest. Started going to the marked places picking the rare herbs.

Enri is also picking the herbs and pointing where is it.

Enri realized that Momon and his companions cannot discern herbs and find the herbs like the goblins summoned from the horn so she became the core of the group in picking the rare herbs.

'Do all strong adventurers can't identify herbs too?'

Enri then guided the group to every spot where the herbs grow according to the map given to her by the chief.

Every time they strolled, Enri always ended up gazing behind the majestic back of Momon and cannot help but be happy that she's very useful on this quest.

She felt safe when he's around.

Unfortunately, they didn't get the right amount of herbs. Enri said that the village still has some stocks of the herb but Momon refused.

They already got all the herbs that are outside the forest — outside the domain of the Wise King — which are safe to get.

And then Momon said—

"Let's head inside the forest Enri-dono."

"Eh?!—" Not only Enri had exclaimed, the goblins too.

"Ani-san that's dangerous, that's the territory of the Wise King of the forest." One of the goblins informed.

It's dangerous indeed. Enri heard myths about the Wise King of the forest, the villagers like Enri herself respect "him" because "he" is the reason that no beast and monsters got to the frontier village of Carne for almost 100 years.

Ironically, humans are the ones to almost destroy the village.

Anyway, the goblins somehow started calling Momon "Ani-san". Enri is thinking about how did they get close, she also wants to be close with Momon.

Momon then replied to Jugem: "I know." Enri could attest that that's the coolest reply she had ever heard. 'Momon-sama is so fearless!'

"But ani-san. We knew your strong but... For the sake of Ane-sa—"

"It's fine Jugem."

"Eh?" The goblins are shocked, but also Enri herself is shocked. For her to say such an irrational thing.

The answer that came from Enri's mouth also confused the hell out of her. To think he trusting Momon too much that she'll say: "Yeah let's go to the Wise king's domain that might have the power to kill us in one shot."

"It's fine. Let's just be fast. If the beast came. We'll hold them and you'll run with Enri-dono okay if the beast is strong. Apologies, we need Enri-dono after all to identify the herbs." Momon added.

'M-Momon-sama cares for me!'

Enri then saw the calm expressions of Gina and Nabe. Nabe is even muttering things like "Momon-sama would not lose to a mere beast." and so on.

"I-I see. Ane-san also wanted to. Ha~ then that's the deal Ani-san." The Goblin leader reluctantly said in defeat.

"Rest assured Jugem-san, we are strong. I am confident that we can at least hold the beast..."

"Rest-assured~su goblin-sans. We're strong~su." Gina chimed in.

"So Enri-dono, If Jugem-san decided to retreat. Please go with him okay?" Momon said to her.

"Y-Yes!" Enri replied with a flushed face. The only thing occupying her head is that Momon cares for her.

And with Momon in the front. They stepped inside the Wise King's territory.

Everyone is on full-alert as they walked cautiously inside the forest.

Large trees are everywhere, there is only a little bit of sunlight that could peek inside the forest. The dense forest is unbelievably calm with no animals present but distant sounds of birdsong could be heard.

"There." Enri pointed at one place as she identified a herb they are looking for from a distance. Momon nods to them and everyone got into their positions.

Momon and his companions and the goblins circled Enri.

"Ane-san, we'll guard you."

Enri replied affirmative and started picking the herbs with three goblins helping her.

After getting the rare herbs they started moving again.

Going deeper and deeper into the forest.

They found herbs. Pick it up. And move again.

They repeated this cycle two more times and they finally collected the right amount.

Enri sighed in relief because finally, they will come back now. Enri said: "Let's go back now, Momon-sama." On which the black knight nodded.

They start heading back now with the same caution and alertness as they entered. They make their pace quicker but not enough to alert anyone.

But then—

"Has our guest arrived?" Nabe suddenly said, but she seemed to be not looking for an answer. Enri herself doesn't know what Nabe's words meant but...

There seemed to be a disturbance in the forest.

They felt that something is coming. It's a big one but also very fast.

"Something's incoming," Momon said and everyone tensed up.

*Clang!* A loud metal noise reverberated in the area that Enri instinctively closed her eyes, hoping that she can open her eyes one more time, alive.

She slowly opened her eyes to see Momon blocking a long serpentine tail with green scales with his sword.

And then the weird green thing slowly retreated behind a tree.

A voice then echoed in the place:

"How spectacular; to think thou could endure the blow of this one. Perhaps this is the first time this one hath encountered a foe possessed of such prowess."

The voice 'full of power and wisdom' entered the ears of Enri. Then it continued.

"—Then, oh trespasser upon mine demesne. Shouldst thou decides to quit, this one shall not pursue thy bunch in honor of thy magnificent defense."

'As expected! Momon-sama is strong!'

"Show me your face beast! Are you so insecure about your appearance that you have to hide behind a tree?"

'E-EH?! Why Momon-sama is antagonizing the Wise King of the Forest?!' Enri is confused.

"What a wild tongue thou hast, oh trespasser! Now behold this one's mighty form! Stare with eyes wide and tongue-tied, and tremble in dread and awe!"

The Wise King of the Forest slowly emerged from the trees, revealing its body.

"T-That's the Wise King of the Forest," Enri is scared but the reason she hasn't fainted right now is that she felt safe around Momon.

'Just like the stories, his voice is full of power and wisdom!' Enri thought about the Wise King.

As you might expect, people of the New World are a bit off. Enri doesn't see this giant hamster as cute in any way right now — except for Momonga — Well, the fact it could wipe the whole village of Carne, this might be the right approach.

Suddenly the goblin troop moved to action and carried Enri with the intent to retreat as fast as possible.

"W-What are you doing?!"

"We're so sorry Ane-san but we had to do this." One of the goblins replied.

"B-But..." Enri is still trying to process the fact she's being evacuated.

'I-Is Momon-sama antagonizing the beast to buy us time?' Enri's felt her heart, ache. And the thought that—

This might be the last time he'll see him. As much as she wants to believe in Momon, the 200 years' worth of knowledge about the Wise King is no joke.

Sadness seeped inside Enri, and tears welled up in her eyes. She just froze.

"Ani-san! We're going now!" Jugem shouted as he guards the rear of the retreating goblins carrying Enri.

Momon then turned his head in their direction and said as she was being carried away: "Don't worry..."

The only thing she could do is wept as she saw Momon and his companions' figures become tiny and tinier as the goblins carried her away.

But then— 'I will let him know!' She thought as she wiped her tears.

Enri then forced herself and managed to shout: "I like you Momon-sama! P-Please come back safely!"