Obsession: Albedo’s Desire

The next day at noon, the Emmot household hosted a lively lunch gathering. Enri and Nemu were there, joined by a guest from E-Rantel, Nfirea Bareare, and, unexpectedly, a group of goblins and ogres.

As promised, the E-Rantel guest visited the Bareare family, bonding over alchemy. When noon approached, Nfirea invited the guest to lunch, but the guest declined, citing an invitation from the Emmot family.

Nfirea was shaken. He'd long admired Enri, and now she'd invited this charming man. Fearing she'd grown close to him, Nfirea blurted, "I'll come too!"

The guest, unsure, hesitated, but Jugem, the goblin leader accompanying them, rushed to the Emmot household, declared a lunch party, and had ogres—giant subhumans treated as underlings—build a large barbecue pit. Goblin rangers provided fresh meat from the forest.

Jugem had a plan. He wanted Enri, their "general," to see Nfirea's reliability during the barbecue, hoping to outshine the city guest, who might faint at the sight of raw meat being prepared.

But the plan backfired. Nfirea paled while the guest skillfully butchered meat with a dagger from Cocytus, a sharp but unenchanted Nazerick blade, unfazed by blood or fat. Enri gently scolded him for trying to eat it raw.

Though Jugem's scheme failed, everyone ate heartily. While goblins cleaned up, Nfirea saw Enri quietly lead the guest away. Curious and anxious, he followed, too overwhelmed to consider right or wrong.

Behind the Emmot house, Nfirea watched them talk closely, despairing. He'd always loved Enri, yet she seemed drawn to this new man. Comparing himself, Nfirea felt inferior, clinging to his magic as a small edge, but it felt hollow. Unable to hear their conversation, he saw Enri's sad smile—a look he'd never seen.

His vision blurred, and he retreated to wipe his eyes, missing someone approaching. A tap on his shoulder made him yelp.

It was the guest. "Enri's calling you," he said.

Nfirea, grateful his bangs hid his teary eyes, followed.

"Are you okay, Nfi?" Enri asked, concerned, peering up at him.

"I'm fine," Nfirea insisted, stepping back. "What's up?"

"You sure?" she pressed.

"Yes. What is it?"

Enri, unconvinced but relenting, said, "Let's get married."

Nfirea froze. "…What?"

"Not sudden. I've thought about it for a while," she said.

"Before… him?" Nfirea stammered.

"What? You don't want to?" Enri frowned. "I thought you felt the same."

"No, it's just… sudden. He's great, but…"

"Great?" Enri laughed. "You're calling yourself great, Mr. Genius Alchemist?"

"I'm not… Wait, you mean me?" Nfirea gasped. "You and me?"

"Why so shocked? And why do I have to propose? Shouldn't the guy do it?" Enri huffed.

Nfirea's face flushed as her words sank in. She glared, adorable yet fierce, hinting at their future dynamic.

"I'm marrying Nfi," Enri told the guest.

"Congratulations," he replied warmly, though Enri felt a pang of loneliness.

"I've thought about it for a while. I might not marry otherwise, and Nfi's a good guy I've known forever," she said.

In the kingdom's villages, marrying at Enri's age wasn't early. Having kids by twenty was common.

"Nfi's a renowned alchemist with a kind personality. A great match," the guest agreed.

"But I won't be tied down or owned," Enri declared, echoing the guest's views on marriage.

"I respect your choice. Nfi wouldn't dare control you," he said.

"General or not, I'm marrying him. So I'm ready for kids anytime," she added.

"That's natural in marriage," he nodded.

"Even after yesterday," she hinted.

"…Hm?"

"You'll visit Carne Village again, right?" she asked.

"Of course, many times. This was an introduction," he said.

"I'll be waiting," she said. "Kids or not, I'm ready."

He nodded, understanding. Men and women view intimacy differently—men lack certainty about their children, while women know. Enri's words were grounded in reality.

The guest decided to research vitality-boosting remedies in E-Rantel for Nfirea, hoping he'd keep Enri happy.

Nemu grabbed him next, whispering, "When I'm bigger, you'll do that with me, right?"

He gently corrected her, advising her to talk to trusted women instead. Though he deflected her insistence, he left it open if she still felt that way when older.

Back at the lodge, Yuri returned from Nazerick, helping prepare for departure. Enri, Nemu, a beaming Nfirea, and Jugem saw them off. Yuri scolded the guest as he waved from the coach, the carriage soon vanishing down the forest road.

The journey continued, but Yuri's gaze was sharper today. "If you hit anything, I'll drag you inside!" she warned.

"Understood," he replied, admiring a meter-long katana from Cocytus. Its curved blade, ideal for slicing, gleamed. Yuri eyed it nervously, ready to intervene if he swung it.

Men are drawn to violence, the guest included, envisioning how to wield the blade. Yuri sighed.

The Nazerick carriage, pulled by tireless undead horses, would reach E-Rantel by sunset, despite the rough road. After an hour, the guest sheathed the katana, satisfied, and gazed at the scenery.

Yuri, bored, held the reins loosely—the horses needed no guidance. "What did you read at the ancient library?" she asked.

"Books Shizu and Cocytus recommended, mostly fables," he said.

"Fables?" Yuri raised an eyebrow.

"They're surprisingly deep. Multiple interpretations, more rewarding than rigid texts," he explained, citing the Tortoise and Hare as an example, sparking Yuri's interest as a future orphanage teacher.

As they talked, the carriage stopped abruptly. Yuri spotted small, green figures ahead—wild goblins, unlike Carne Village's well-dressed, intelligent ones. These wore filthy loincloths, their grins wild and unintelligent.

"Move aside! We're from Nazerick!" Yuri warned.

They didn't budge, brandishing crude weapons. "I'll handle this," Yuri said, leaping down. As a Pleiades, she was formidable. She didn't want to dirty the carriage by running them over.

Her punch shattered a goblin's head, bloodlessly. The guest winced—messy, but effective. The goblins retreated but didn't flee, their behavior odd, as if luring Yuri.

Then, a massive ogre emerged from the trees, unnoticed until now. Yuri, surprised, knew she had to protect the guest. The Nazerick carriage was unbreakable, and the undead horses stronger than the ogre. If the guest stayed calm, he'd be safe.

But he grabbed the katana and leapt off, striking a dramatic pose. "Do you know me as Desk Dragnio? Tonight, my Tigelhatch hungers for blood! Face my secret Round Moon Killing Tech and turn to ash!" he declared.

Yuri stumbled, glasses slipping. Aura, watching from hiding, fell over in shock.

The ogre roared, swinging a massive club. "Moon Slash!" the guest shouted, his swing feeble.

He'd contracted chuunibyou, a "disease" Ainz once suffered, its aftereffects lingering.