“Lupu-nee. We should talk about this later. Didn’t you agree on that?”
“Oya? Hm, I definitely recall saying something like that~su”
“…”
“…Ah! I hope Beta-san can hand this potion to Gown-sama. It’s newly developed, but its effects have been tested and proven.”
“…Oh? Enfi-chan finally made it?”
“That’s right. Unfortunately, it’s not completely red, but I think we’ve made significant progress.”
“― Well, that’s great. I’m sure Ainz-sama will be very happy to hear it.”
With that, Lupusregina’s attitude seemed to have become that of a normal person, and not the flighty, carefree girl from before. However, that expression only lasted a moment. In the next, she was back to her old self.
“Ahhhh, how exciting— Really, I picked a great day to visit~su. Also, no need to call me Beta. Lupusregina will do -su. Just for you~”
With the (apparently) high-spirited Lupusregina in tow, they entered the village gates.
The villagers didn’t say anything when they saw the unfamiliar goblin child. One could say that they weren’t nervous, but it could also be said that they trusted Enri. She might have become something like family to the goblins who protected the village.
They went through the village and past Enri’s home. Their destination was the goblin’s house.
“Excuse me for a bit. I’m going to call Brita-san over to listen to what Agu has to say.”
“Sounds like a plan, Ani-san. She’s entered the forest while training to be a ranger, so it might be better if she were there to listen to the kid. …So what should we do, Ane-san?”
“Eh? Me?”
Enri panicked briefly, not having expected her name to come up during the conversation. With no particular reason to oppose it, she simply nodded her head.
“Mm. Well, it’s not so much that it’s might be better, but that I hope she hears what he has to say. See you, Enfi.”
With an ‘Understood’, Nfirea left the group behind.
“Although waiting here’s fine… maybe I should make drinks.”
“Great idea~su! I’m thirsty~”
“…Lupu-nee, aren’t you a maid? That means you know how to make delicious drinks, right?”
“Welp, I’m the maid of Ainz-sama, and the other Supreme Beings, soooo... I don’t want to work for anyone else ~su. I just want to laze around su~. Let’s not talk about work and all that other stuff.”
“Is that so… well, that’s a shame.”
Although Unlai and Lupusregina’s conversation seemed quite normal, Enri could still feel a chill run through her.
As they walked and talked, they reached the goblins’ house.
This was a place with a wide courtyard where you could raise and let wolves run around, capable of housing almost twenty people. It was a large building where they could train with and maintain their weapons.
The goblins opened the door, and led the way for Enri and Lupusregina.
“Fueeee- I didn’t know there was a place like this~”
“Hmmm? Lupusregina-san, you’re not coming in?”
“Yup yup~ Can’t go in without an invitation. Well, it’s just a matter of etiquette, it’s not like I can’t really go in. I guess the only other one with such a weird legend is flatchest-san~”
“Flatchest-san…?”
“That’s right, En-chan. It’s the name of a tragic beauty. Well, it wasn’t as though that person couldn’t really go in. Legends, myths folklore —Weeeeeeell, let’s not talk about that any more~ We’re here to listen to what this goblin has to say, right?”
“Ah, yes. Then, drinks… ehm, how about herbal juice and fruit juice? There’s black grass tea and Hyueri water…”
Agu and Lupusregina looked completely baffled by Unlai’s question, so Enri helped explain for them.
“Hyueri are citrus fruits, you cut them open and infuse them into water and it tastes clear and good. Black grass tea is a little bitter.”
“I’ll have a Hyueri water, then.”
“Hyueri juice for me too~”
“Got it. How about Ane-san?”
“I think I’ll have the Hyueri water too. And… how about washing hands? Even if our noses are used to it…”
“Ah, that should be all right. Oi, kid— I mean, Agu, you come over here too. Gotta clean yourself up. And bro, sorry about this, but you mind putting away our dirty weapons?”
“Is it alright?”
“Of course it is. Not like he can do anything. Our rules here are very simple.”
“If that’s the case… let’s go.”
Kaijali left the room with three sets of weapons.
“Agu, come over here quickly.”
“Why do I have to wash? Will it make me pretty?”
Enri noticed that Agu’s hands were very dirty; there weren’t clean by any definition of the word.
“Your opinion is irrelevant. This is the owner of the house telling you to wash up. Or are you saying you’re going to defy the owner in his own house?”
Agu puffed up his cheeks, and plodded over slowly to Enri’s side.
Enri poured the water from the large tank into the pails. After preparing four sets, she stuck her hands into the unexpectedly cold water and started to wash up. The green on her hands melted away like snow in the sun. By the time she was done, she brought her hands in front of her face. The stench was gone.
Enri looked around herself. Gokoh and Unlai were washing their hands too, and the water was dyed red by the barghest’s blood.
Next, she looked to Agu, but what she saw left her dumbfounded.
Even a child would know better than to wash up like this. He stuck his arms into the water, waggled them around a little, and that was that. He didn’t even dry himself off.
Although Enri had already washed off the plant-scent on her hands, Agu still reeked of torn leaves. For forest goblins, a scent like this was a form of self-defense against magical beasts with keen sense of smell. As such, they might have never developed the habit of washing themselves thoroughly.
Even so—
“You do it like this.”
Agu made an annoyed face as Enri tried to teach him. However, he thought of his own position and what the other goblins had said earlier and grudgingly, he started to thoroughly clean himself.