Overlord

Journey

Part 1

There were two routes leading northeast to Carne Village from E-Rantel.

One headed north, and then east along the outskirts of the forest. The other went eastwards, then north.

This time, they went by the first route.

Travelling along the edge of the forest meant that there would be a higher chance of encountering monsters. It was the wrong choice, from a bodyguard's perspective.

That said, everyone still wanted to go by that route. This was because Ainz wanted to fulfill the job Peter and friends first offered them, that of monster hunting. Although it seemed like they were taking a great risk — in the same way that a hunter chasing two hares would catch neither — the presence of the mighty Momon and Nabe meant that they could take that route with peace of mind. Another reason was that Nabe had demonstrated the spell 「Lightning」 outside the city, in order to prove that she could cast third tier spells.

In addition, they would not be entering the forest, just travelling along the edges. Thus, any monsters that appeared would not be too strong, and could be taken down by everyone working together. It was also a good chance for each adventurer team to observe the other's strength. They had taken these points into consideration before making their decision.

After leaving E-Rantel, the sun was at its zenith, and the travellers could see a vast stretch of dense and primeval dark green forest in the distance. The thick tree trunks stood tall, while their leafy branches spread wide. Because light could not penetrate into the depths of the forest, there was a feeling that they would be swallowed by the blackness. The gaps between the trees looked like a gaping maw waiting for prey to throw themselves into it, which contributed to the sense of unease that they felt.

♦ ♦ ♦

Visibility was good, so everyone was not too tense. However, Peter's voice contained its first hint of severity as he spoke:

"Momon-san, this stretch is a dangerous area. Although we should be able to handle any monsters that appear, please be careful all the same."

"Understood."

As Ainz nodded, he suddenly thought of something.

If he was in a game, he could tell what sort of monsters would spawn in a given location, but in reality, that would be impossible. Only the gods knew if a troublesome enemy would show up.

After the Battle of Carne Village several days ago and after interrogating the prisoners of the Sunlight Scripture, Ainz was quite confident in his strength. Of course, that was in his capacity as a magic caster. Now that Ainz was wearing a suit of magically created plate armor, there were very few spells that he could cast.

Could he serve as an effective frontliner with all his strengths sealed off? In addition, as a bodyguard, his victory condition was not defeating the enemy, but protecting Nfirea from any harm. Ainz felt uneasy as he thought about that.

If the situation warranted it, he would remove his armor and use magic. But if he did that, he would have to kill his companions or alter their memories, and Ainz did not want that at all.

It's a pain in the a.s.s.

The two of them had already discussed their plans for emergencies. Narberal would cast magic of the fifth tier if things came to that. And if that did not work either, Ainz would shed his armor and take the situation a little seriously.

As he saw the two of them make eye contact — although Ainz was still wearing his full helm — It would seem that Lukrut was under some sort of misconception. He addressed Narberal in an airy, light hearted tone:

"It'll be fine, don't worry. Things won't be too troublesome as long as we don't get ambushed. And nothing will escape my eyes and ears when I'm in charge. I'm great, aren't I, Nabe-san?"

In response to Lukrut's earnest demeanor, Narberal merely sneered:

"Momon-san, may I have permission to pulverize this… inferior lifeform (Aedes mosquito)?"

"Ah, Nabe-san graced me with her cold words!"

Everyone smiled bitterly as Lukrut raised his thumb, but they did not seem to mind Narberal's harsh retorts. They did not think that Narberal really thought of humans in general as inferior lifeforms, just certain individuals (Lukrut) in particular.

Ainz denied Narberal's heartfelt request, feeling a cramping pain in his nonexistent gut. If only she could hide her inner thoughts while travelling around humans…

Nfirea seemed to have misunderstood something, and he interrupted from the side:

"It'll be fine. In truth, the region from here to Carne Village is the territory of the "Wise King of the Forest." Therefore, we shouldn't meet any monsters unless our luck is very bad."

"The 'Wise King of the Forest?'"

Ainz recalled what he had learned in Carne Village.

The Wise King of the Forest was a monster that could use magic, and it was frighteningly powerful. Because its lair was in the depths of the forest, there were virtually no eye-witness reports about it, although its existence had been a topic of discussion since very long ago. Some people called it a four-legged silver beast with a snake for a tail, which had lived for hundreds of years.

Ah, I'd like to see it. He did not know if the stories were true or false, but if it really had lived all these years, it should possess a surprising intellect. After all, it was called the Wise King of the Forest. If he could capture it… he should be able to strengthen Nazarick.

Ainz pieced together a hazy image of what he thought the monster looked like in his mind.

With a name like "Wise King of the Forest," it might be an animal previously thought extinct… like a monkey perhaps… ah, an orangutan? That name means "man of the forest…" or was that "sage?" And it has a snake for a tail… does a monster like that exist?

Ainz felt that YGGDRASIL might have a monster like that. After racking his brains, he found an answer:

A Nue! …That creature has a monkey's head, a raccoon's body, the limbs of a tiger, and a snake's tail… although I'm not sure if it really is an YGGDRASIL monster. It might have been summoned, just like those angels.

Just as Ainz thought of YGGDRASIL's Nue, Lukrut called out to Narberal again in a flighty tone:

"Well then, if we complete this mission perfectly, I wonder if my lovely Nabe-chan's affection towards me will go up a little more?"

Narberal clicked her tongue, her disgust welling up from the bottom of her heart.

Lukrut put on an exaggerated look of shock, but nobody spoke up for him. Everyone seemed to treat them as a comedy duo.

In this way, everyone chatted as they progressed forward, under the blazing sun that tanned the skin. Their boots were covered in the juices of trampled grass and smelled of plants.

As he watched everyone wiping their sweat, Ainz was extremely grateful for his undead body. The strong sunlight did not fatigue him, and even wearing this clumsy, heavy armor did not tire him out.

Only Lukrut remained energetic and cheerful, talking and laughing with the others, who were marching in silence:

"It's okay guys, you don't have to be so alert. After all, nothing escapes my eyes and ears. Even Nabe-chan trusts me, look how relaxed she is."

"It's not because of you. It's because we have Momon-san."

Narberal frowned. Sensing that something drastic might happen, Ainz put his hand on Narberal's shoulder and her face immediately softened.

Seeing their interaction, Lukrut tossed out a question:

"Huh, so it looks like you and Momon-san really are lovers?"

"His, his lover! What are you saying!? That should be Albedo-sama!"

"You!" Ainz shouted despite himself. "What are you saying, Nabe!?"

"Ah!"

Narberal's eyes went wide and she covered her mouth. Ainz coughed, and then coldly said:

"…Lukrut-san, could you not make baseless speculations?"

"…Ah — sorry about that. It was just a joke. But ah — does that mean you have a significant other already, Momon-san?"

The bowing Lukrut did not look remorseful at all, but Ainz was not as angry as he was just now. It would seem picking Narberal for this expedition was a foolish decision.

Still, despite his poor choice, Ainz had no alternatives in the matter. After all, he had nobody else to draw upon besides her. Almost all the NPCs made by the guild of heteromorphic beings, Ainz Ooal Gown, were heteromorphic beings themselves. There were very few among them who could be brought into a human city. As for Narberal, at least she had a human appearance, even if it was a disguise. Thus, she was one of the few people he could use… though he had not factored her personality into the equation when he made his choice.

Given the present circ.u.mstances, perhaps another battle maid, Lupusregina Beta, might have been a better choice, but it was too late to regret his decision at this point.

Narberal's face was ashen white from her gaffe. Ainz patted her on the back several times to put her at ease. A good boss had to forgive the first mistake his subordinates made. The scolding would come when they repeated their mistakes. It would be bad if she fell into despair or withdrew from them, thus affecting their movements.

The important thing was that she had only mentioned Albedo's name. There was no need to alter their memories… probably.

"Lukrut, don't talk nonsense and stay alert."

"Got it."

"Momon-san, I'm very sorry for my colleague's rudeness. We know that prying into other people's private lives is taboo."

"No, no. I'm willing to let it be water under the bridge as long as you can be more careful in the future."

The two of them looked at Lukrut's back in unison, and they heard something along the lines of "Ah — Nabe-chan hates me now. Uuu, her affection value must be a negative number," as Lukrut rounded his shoulders in defeat.

"That idiot…! I'll scold him after this. I pray you will pay no heed to what he just said."

"Well, about that… Hm. I'll leave that task to you, then. Since Lukrut's on lookout duty, we can leave that to him, and I'll talk a bit about myself."

"It's fine, it's fine. We'll make him work hard for the trouble he's caused you."

After Peter smiled to him, Ainz advanced to Dyne and Ninya. Dyne — switching places with Ainz — fell back to walk alongside Narberal.

"I have some things to ask you about magic."

After seeing Ninya nod his head, Ainz began with his questions. Nfirea seemed interested in their conversation and looked over.

"People who have been charmed or dominated by magic might reveal the information they carry. Is there a magical countermeasure that causes people to die after being questioned several times?"

"I've never heard of a spell like that."

Ainz turned, and his helmet faced Nfirea.

"Me neither. There are ways to modify a spell so it activates at a certain time, but I don't think they're as elaborate as what you describe."

"…I see."

Ainz was slightly disappointed when he did not get the answer he was looking for.

If that was the case, he would have to worry about how to deal with the surviving members of the Sunlight Scripture later.

Since there were so few survivors left, it would be a waste to expend them to no effect. In order to discover why they vanished after death, he had vivisected them with magical medical techniques, but it had ended up as a bust. If they died from that, should he continue prying information from them? After all, losing one man meant losing the chance to ask three questions.

Even more regrettable was the case of Nigun, who had been the first to die. They had lost Nigun, who knew the most, for the sake of a few simple questions.

Still, that loss let Ainz know that he could not take on this world with his knowledge of YGGDRASIL alone, so that could be counted as a lesson learned. At the very least, they had learned how to proceed from that failure.

As Ainz thought distractedly about that, Ninya continued speaking:

"That said, I only know a little bit about magic. Perhaps countries which trained magic casters on a national level could create spells like that. The Slaine Theocracy has academies for clerics — divine magic casters — while the Empire has institutes which produce their arcaners, sorcerers, wizards, and other arcane magic casters. Then there's places like the Agrand Republic, which uses something like the spells born of the wisdom of the dragons."

"I see. In other words, spells like that could be created with the assistance of an entire country."

According to the information obtained earlier, the Agrand Republic was a nation of demihumans, ruled by a council. It was in opposition to the Slaine Theocracy, which championed the concept of human supremacy. The most interesting thing about them were five of their councillors, who were dragons said to possess awesome power.

Ainz was interested in that country, but he had not found his feet in this world yet, and did not have the excess energy to spread his tentacles to that nation at the moment. Just keeping his current schemes running required a considerable amount of Nazarick's manpower.

"Then, may I ask about something else?"

Ainz continued questioning Ninya as he walked, until he was satisfied.

He asked Ninya and Peter so many things that the other Swords of Darkness looked at him with eyes that said, "Are they still talking?" The topics he touched on were quite diverse, including magic, martial arts, adventurers, the politics of the region, among other things.

Although he had to ask his questions carefully, the answers were still very helpful. Ainz was certain that this had greatly increased his knowledge about this world.

Yet, he did not feel that was enough. Learning about one thing made him curious about other things, especially when it came to the topic of magic. It was quite surprising what a world would become if it was based on magic.

The greatest influence of that could be seen in the technological level of this world. It looked like it was in the Middle Ages, but in truth it was closer to the Modern Age. The reason for these advances in technology was magic.

After knowing this, Ainz gave up on trying to understand the technology of this world. As a person born in a world advanced through the power of science, there was no way for him to draw parallels between what he knew and a world that had developed with the aid of magic. For instance, there were spells that produced salt, sugar, and spices, as well as spells which restored nutrients to the soil, removing the need for a fallow period in agriculture.

Then, there was the fact that the sea was apparently not salty. All these facts about the world were vastly removed from what Ainz had expected from his knowledge.

Ainz lost track of time in the process of carefully satisfying his curiosity.

"Movement," Lukrut suddenly said, in a voice which held a hint of tension. It was completely different from the flighty attitude he had taken while flirting with Nabe. In his place was a professional, seasoned adventurer.

Everyone turned to the direction where Lukrut was looking, and readied their weapons.

"Where?"

"There. Over there," Lukrut said in response to Peter's question. He pointed at a corner of the forest, but nobody could see anything through the clutter of the forest. Even so, none of them doubted him.

"What should we do?"

"We shouldn't force our way in. If they don't leave the forest, we'll leave them alone."

"Then, the smartest thing to do is follow the plan and have Nfirea-shi fall back!"

As they discussed their next move, there were movements in the forest, and then monsters slowly revealed themselves.

There were fifteen creatures that were the size of children, surrounding six huge creatures.

The first group were the demihumans called Goblins.

Their twisted faces had flattened noses, while two fangs thrust forth from their ravening maws. Their skin was a bright brown, while their filthy, matted black hair looked like it had been styled by wax.

They wore tattered clothes, which were a burnt sienna, though it was unknown whether it was dyed that color or stained that way by dirt. On top of that, they had fashioned tanned animal hides into a crude form of armor. Each held a wooden club in one hand and a small shield in the other.

They were evil-looking monsters, born of the mating of human and apes.

The less numerous creatures were huge, roughly two hundred fifty to three hundred centimeters in height.

Their lower jaws jutted out, and they looked retarded.

Their heavily muscled arms looked like tree trunks. Their hands nearly dragged on the ground due to their hunchbacked stance. They used logs as clubs, and wore animal skins around their waists. They reeked so much that the adventurers could smell them over the long distance separating them.

Their tanned brown skin was covered in warts, while their muscular c.h.e.s.ts and bellies looked quite striking. At a glance, they looked to be very strong, and they resembled shaven, distorted chimpanzees.

They were demihumans known as Ogres.

Almost all of them seemed to carry tattered bags, as though for a long journey.

The monsters watched the adventurers warily as they advanced onto the grassy plains. They might have been some distance away, but there was an unmistakable hostility on their ugly faces.

"…There's quite a number of them. Looks like we can't avoid a fight."

"Mm, that's right. Goblins and Ogres are the kind who'll attack once they outnumber their opponents. Or rather, I should say that intelligent beings would probably not judge their opponents' strength simply by their numbers."

Ainz could understand and accept this, but the fact that it was completely different from how it was in the game left him somewhat confused.

Be it in height or skin color, the Ogres and Goblins before him all differed from each other. In other words, they were not identical individuals. It felt like he was faced with twenty one unknown monsters.

"Reality's different from the game, huh."

He felt like he was fighting unknown monsters in an unexplored region, without the benefit of a walkthrough site. As he recalled the feeling of that battle in Carne, Ainz began muttering to himself.

"Then, Momon-san."

"…Oh, is something the matter?"

"Earlier, we agreed to divide them in half, but how shall we assign them now?"

"Can't we split into two teams and dispatch the enemy as they come to us?"

"It would be troublesome if they all went to one side. Nabe-san, can you use 「Fireball」 to eliminate all the Goblins in one go?"

"I cannot use 「Fireball」. The strongest spell I can use is 「Lightning」."

Ainz thought about the restrictions he had given her earlier.

"「Lightning」 is a spell that pierces in a straight line, right?"

"Then, what if we got the enemies to form up into a line, and then take them all out in one shot from the side?"

"In that case, we'd need a defensive line that can take the enemy's charge…"

"Let me handle that. Can I trust you gentlemen with protecting Nfirea-san on the wagon?"

"Momon-san…"

"If a few Ogres could give me a hard time, then I'd be all talk. Everyone, please watch how I slaughter those Ogres."

As they heard Ainz's confident voice, understanding dawned on the faces of the Swords of Darkness. Their hearts filled with the peace of mind which came from knowing that they could leave that task to him without having to worry.

"Understood. However, we can't just watch the enemy attack, so we'll support you from the side as much as possible."

"Do you need any support magic?"

"Ah, not for us. Friends from Swords of Darkness, please focus on supporting your comrades."

"Please permit us to refuse. If we begin the engagement so close to the forest, there's a chance the enemy might slip past."

"If that's the case, shall we do the usual and lure them out first?"

"An excellent idea! Momon-shi will block the enemy's charge, but how will we deal with any fish which slip the net?"

"I'll hold down the Ogres with the martial art 「Fortress」. Dyne, you'll handle the Goblins. Ninya will cast a defensive spell on me, and while it may not be necessary, you should also watch out for Nabe-san's safety and use attack spells whenever possible. Lukrut, go take care of the Goblins, and if any Ogres make it past the defensive line, you'll have to block them too. If that happens, change your priority to wiping out the Goblins, Ninya."

Everyone looked to each other and nodded, showing that they understood Peter's instructions. Their combat strategy was smoothly decided, and their silent teamwork was flawless.

Ainz, who was thoroughly impressed by this display, made a noise of quiet approval.

He recalled YGGDRASIL once more. Back then, Ainz and his comrades hunted monsters with the same repeated movements; baiting, luring, blocking, and then attacking. They could fight well as a group because they were thoroughly familiar with each others' strengths.

Perhaps he was being biased, but Ainz earnestly believed that their coordination was not an easy thing to replicate. The Swords of Darkness could not possibly compare to them, though he could see something like his own teamwork in their movements.

"Momon-san, do you need any assistance other than magic?"

"No, there's no need. The two of us will be enough."

"That's… pretty confident."

There was some unease in Peter's words. If the person responsible for holding the line fell easily, it might lead to a domino-like reaction that would end in the team breaking apart. He should have felt uneasy about that.

After all, this was not a game, but a battle on which they were betting their lives.

"You'll see once it begins," Ainz said, terminating the conversation with a curt reply.

"Peter-san, we'll start once your preparations are finished."

♦ ♦ ♦

Lukrut drew the string of his composite longbow to its limits, until its limbs began creaking. With a whoosh, the bowstring sliced through the air, launching an arrow in a straight line. It struck the ground about ten meters away from the Goblins on the plain.

The sudden attack made the Goblins sneer at Lukrut from behind their shields.

The object of their mockery was the missed arrow. Of course, the Goblins could not hit a target that was over one hundred twenty meters distant either, but they seemed to have forgotten that.

The vast disparity between the attack they had received and their numbers made the Goblins' violent instincts swell. They shouted in unison, and charged at Lukrut with wild abandon. The somewhat slower Ogres followed from behind them as well.

Driven into a frenzy by their bloodl.u.s.t, they did not form up into ranks, nor did they protect themselves with their shields. Their minds were a sea of white.

As he verified that fact, Lukrut smiled thinly.

"Loose!"

He sent another arrow downrange when the enemy was ninety meters distant. This time, the arrow did not fall short, but pierced a Goblin's cranium. The Goblin at the end of the formation took a few wobbly steps before collapsing to the ground, where he died.

The distance between them shrank, but there was no worry in Lukrut's hand, which was holding his bow. This was because he was confident that someone would protect him, even if the enemy reached him.

"「Reinforce Armor」."

Ninya cast a spell from behind Lukrut, hearing his colleague's voice, Lukrut nocked another arrow to his bowstring.

Fifty meters out, an arrow went through the head of another Goblin, who collapsed and did not get back up. Dyne decided to make his move as well.

Although Goblins were agile, the Ogres had large strides, and so their speeds were roughly the same. That said, over a charge of nearly one hundred meters across a grassy plain, the Ogres with their stronger legs ended up in front while the Goblins lagged behind. The two groups drew away from each other and Dyne could not get too many of them in the area of his spell's effect.

Still, that was enough. After, Dyne's first objective was to pin down one Ogre.

"「Twine Plant」."

Dyne cast his spell, and vegetation moved under the feet of one of the Ogres, turning into vines that tangled around its feet. Immobilized by the abnormally resilient plant life, the Ogre roared in frustration.

At the same time, Ainz — followed by Narberal — strolled leisurely forward.

They walked like they were taking a stroll, not standing fast against charging monsters.

As the Ogres running at the head of the mob approached him, Ainz reached his hands behind his back to grasp the hilts of his swords. Narberal too reached under her cloak and brought forth her sheathed sword.

Momon brandished his greatswords, tracing two great arcs in the air.

The dazzling light reflecting off the blades made the Swords of Darkness gasp in surprise.

The swords that Ainz wielded — each over one hundred fifty centimeters long — looked exceptionally ornate. They resembled works of art more than tools of war.

A pair of intertwined serpents were carved into the blades. Their tips were rounded and wider across than the rest of the sword, like a pair of opened fans. The edges radiated a cold, sharp radiance.

They were the weapons of a hero.

Ainz was holding a pair of hero's swords.

As they beheld his majestic figure, Swords of Darkness drew a breath in unison. If what they had seen before made them gasp, what they saw now was a scene that struck them dumb.

Swords got heavier the longer they were. Long swords like the ones Ainz was holding could not be wielded easily, even with weight-reducing magic. Granted, they already knew that Ainz possessed preternatural arm strength from their short time with him, but even so, they could not believe anyone could swing those greatswords with such ease.

However…

Ainz casually whipped them through the air like a pair of sticks. Truly, it was an awe-inspiring sight.

"Momon-san… what kind of a man are you…" Peter breathed, as though speaking for everyone else.

As a warrior himself, he immediately knew just how strong one's arms would have to be to pull off a stunt like that. His shock was because he had no idea how long Momon had trained to reach that level of ability. Although he had always felt that Momon was on a different level from himself, being confronted with the truth made his legs tremble uncontrollably.

Even the unintelligent Goblins were terrified by the sight of Ainz, their legs slowing from their mad dash as they went around him to go for Peter and the others.

Only the Ogres, who were too stupid to be afraid and who were supremely confident in their brawn, continued heading toward Ainz.

As they closed in on him, the Ogres raised their clubs.

Ainz's greatswords might have been be huge, but the Ogres, with their massive greatclubs, had a longer reach than him. But just as the Ogres were about to make their move, Ainz stepped forward.

His movements were as swift as the wind. And then, faster than that, he swung the greatsword in his right hand. The flashing blade left a silvery afterimage in its wake as it cleaved through the air.

The stroke was an astounding one — it raised goosebumps on the onlookers' skin. Even though the blade was not aimed at them, they could not help but feel that death stood by their side.

It was over in a single blow.

Ainz turned his gaze from the Ogre in front of him, seeking another target. As though waiting for Ainz to look away, the upper body of the Ogre slid off and fell wetly to the ground, leaving its motionless lower body still standing. Yet, the spray of blood and organs and the vile stench that hung in the air proved that this was not an illusion.

The Ogre had been cut diagonally in half.

The battle was still on, but both sides were motionless. They were staring at this awesome sight.

It was slain in a single blow. Not even an Ogre's mighty physique could save it from the fate of being cut in two.

"…Amazing."

Someone muttered those words, which carried clearly across the silent battlefield.

"…Absolutely incredible. This is beyond mithril or orichalc.u.m… no, could he be adamantite?"

Cleaving a foe into two parts.

This was not an impossible feat of arms. A rare few exponents of swordsmanship — or those bearing powerful magic weapons — might be able to do it. However, it was common sense that one could not use one's full strength when wielding a two-handed greatsword with one hand. After all, two-handed weapons were, as the name implied, intended to be wielded with both hands, using the weight of the weapon and the leverage of its length to do damage. They were not intended to be wielded by arm-strength alone.

Therefore, from Ainz's movements, the possibility existed that his sword might be enchanted with magic beyond the ken of normal magic items, or that Ainz with one hand was stronger than a regular warrior with both arms, or both.

In the face of this jaw-dropping sight, the Ogres unconsciously stopped moving, and began backing off with looks of fear on their faces. Ainz strode forth, shrinking the distance between himself and the Ogres.

"What's wrong? Not coming?'

His casual, relaxed words resounded through the battlefield.

These simple words filled the ogres with fear. After all, they had seen with their own eyes the vast disparity between their own power and Ainz's.

On his part, Ainz closed the gap to the Ogres with startling speed. His movements were swift, with a speed that someone wearing a suit of full plate armor should not have possessed.

"Uooooh—!"

With a cry that sounded like a cross between a wail of despair and a shout, the Ogre before him raised his great club to smite the oncoming Ainz. However, everyone here knew in their guts that the Ogre was far, far too slow.

As Ainz closed in, he swung the greatsword in his left hand horizontally.

The Ogre's upper body spun through the air, landing some distance away from the rest of its body.

This time, it had been transversely bisected.

"Momon-shi… are you a monster…?"

As yet another breathtaking scene unfolded before their eyes, none of them could bring themselves to refute Dyne's words.

"…Then, as for the rest of you…:"

Ainz stepped forward. The ugly faces of the ogres froze, and they retreated even faster.

The Goblins circled around the Ogres and Ainz's defensive line to attack Peter and the others. Swords of Darkness, stunned by the sights they had just seen, managed to react to the assault and began moving.

Peter raised his broadsword and large shield, prepared to take on the ten or so Goblins headed toward him. He slashed forward, sending a Goblin's head flying into the air, and then Peter evaded the arterial spray before entering melee with the other Goblins.

"Take this!"

The yellow toothed Goblins responded with a garbled cry that was hard on the ears.

Peter adroitly blocked the Goblin's club with his shield, while his magically reinforced armor took the rest of the hits with a low-pitched sound.

"「Magic Arrow」."

Two magical missiles struck the Goblin trying to attack Peter from behind. It collapsed like its strings had been cut.

Half of the Goblins surrounding Peter rushed the other three adventurers, but none of the Goblins dared attack Narberal, who stood beside the storm of death called Ainz.

Lukrut put down his composite longbow and drew a short sword from his waist. Together with Dyne, who wielded a mace, the two of them ran to Ninya and placed their backs against his.

Lukrut and Dyne were matched against five Goblins, and the odds seemed roughly even. Although the Goblins were being eliminated one by one, it was still very time consuming, under the present circ.u.mstances. Lukrut's face was a mask of pain as he endured the pain from his arm — it had been struck by a Goblin's club — as he thrust his shortsword into the gaps of his opponent's leather armor. Dyne had taken several hits as well, and as a result his movements slowed down, but he was not in any mortal danger.

Ninya surveyed the battlefield anxiously, with an eye toward conserving his spells. Although some of the ogres were immobilized by magic, he might have to deal with them if the situation changed.

As for Peter, he was engaged in a fierce battle with six Goblins, and the struggle went back and forth several times.

The reason why they had not been overwhelmed by eleven Goblins was because the Goblins' charge had been blunted. After seeing Ainz's preternatural ability to kill Ogres in one blow, the Goblins' morale plummeted, and they could not make up their mind whether to flee or fight.

Then, Ainz swung his sword in a grand, sweeping arc, as though announcing his intent to utterly demoralize the Goblins.

As the sound of the displaced air swept into everyone's ears, they could hear the sound of a heavy weight hitting the ground. It was soon followed by two more such sounds.

Just as everyone had expected, the number of Ogre corpses steadily increased. There were two more Ogres struggling to hold on to life. One of them was pinned down by the grass, while the other was quaking in fear before Ainz.

Ainz's helmet turned to face the last Ogre who was still opposing him. The Ogre seemed to sense Ainz's expression through the slits of his closed helm, because it made a strange cry before turning to flee, discarding its greatclub as it ran for the forest. It was moving faster than when it charged, but there was no escape for it.

"Nabe, do it."

As the merciless order rang through the air, Narberal — who had been standing by behind Ainz — nodded slightly.

"「Lightning」."