The Two Leaders

The soldier’s face twisted.

The exploits of Momon the Dark Hero in the graveyards of E-Rantel were a common conversation topic when the soldiers gathered.

There was nobody whose blood wouldn’t be boiling after hearing the legend of how a hero destroyed a horde of tens of thousands of undead. Even those who simply watched from afar could feel the overwhelming pressure of his heroic swordplay. The man who could make a mighty magical beast kneel before him and offer to serve as his mount set the soldiers’ hearts ablaze.

Just as women would have a crush on strong men, many men were admirers of Momon the Dark Hero, and it could be said that most of the armed forces of E-Rantel were his fans.

This soldier was one of them.

As a fan of Momon, just being patted on the shoulder by his idol was enough for him to boast about it to everyone he met. As such, he had no intention of upsetting the man he worshiped.

“There is that. Well, since Momon-sama vouched for her, I guess it’ll be fine.”

“I think so too. If we treat a friend of Momon-dono poorly, I don’t think it’ll turn out well. I guess all we can do is avoid rocking the boat. Now then… I guess I’ll go back to standing by.”

“Ayup. I’m heading back to my post too.”

♦ ♦ ♦

Enri drove the wagon with her back to the gate of E-Rantel’s city gate, wondering what on earth had just happened. That man in the jet-black armor ― the adventurer who had come with Nfirea to Carne Village to pick herbs ― he had helped her out of a tight spot.

By right, she should have immediately gone to thank him, but unfortunately she’d lost sight of him once she entered the city.

If I thank him the next time we meet… will he forgive me? Although she was thinking that she should immediately start searching for him once she had the time, there were reasons why she couldn’t.

Those reasons were what she was currently worried about. She clutched a portion of her clothes, feeling for the horn inside it to banish her uneasiness.

The goblin-something horn.

This… this is worth several thousand gold coins? No way. Please tell me that’s not true…

Enri’s sweat flowed like a river. The horns had been given to her so casually that she hadn’t expected it to be that valuable. No, Nfirea had said it was a high-end magic item… but the amount was beyond her imagination.

Is it alright for me to use this item? Will it be okay? If she was told to return the other one she had already used, what should she do?

I’ll need several thousand urns of herbs… I might not be able to afford it in a lifetime of pickingherbs… In addition, she had another item worth thousands of gold coins.

Is Gown-sama a man who can give out such items so easily?! Or maybe, he didn’t know its value…

no way, there’s no way someone like him wouldn’t know… but, if he didn’t know…

Enri’s stomach grumbled and ached.

She looked around her surroundings in suspicion. There weren’t many people around, but it was still several times more than Carne Village. Was there anyone who would want to steal the horn? Other such distasteful ideas surfaced in Enri’s heart.

If only I hadn’t brought it out. There’s a lot of crime here, right? What if the horn got stolen… if thehorn was blown and goblins showed up to make trouble, wouldn’t that make me the criminal?

Just as the cold sweat was pooling around Enri, a person descended on the seat next to her in the driver’s cab. The way she landed like a feather in defiance of gravity must have been magic.

Who—

As the surprise of seeing the newcomer faded, an even bigger surprise was awaiting her.

She was a raven-haired beauty whose face could launch a thousand ships. She was the one who had come with the black-armored adventurer to her village. Her ice-cold eyes resembled nothing so much as onyxes as they turned to Enri.

“Inferior creature (gadfly). Momon-san wanted me to ask you a few questions―”

“So pretty…”

“Flattery will get―”

“As pretty as Lupusregina…”

As she saw the consternation in the eyes looking at her, Enri immediately regretted the stupid things she’d said. She probably didn’t even know about Lupusregina. However, there was nobody else who could even come close to the vision in front of her.

What should I do, I’ve upset her… well, that much is clear, but…

“About that, Lupusregina is a very pretty person in my village―”