Inside the dimly lit house where he had spent the night, Sakeer sat cross-legged on the wooden bed, his eyes half-closed in deep thought, contemplating his next course of action.
Crunch. Squeak.
Beneath the bed, the little Barghest gnawed on a goblin's leg bone, its sharp teeth grinding against the hard surface, producing a faint, repetitive creaking sound.
The corpse from earlier had been devoured entirely, leaving behind only that single bone.
Suddenly, the little hound paused, its ears twitching as it lifted its head toward the door. A moment later, it turned its gaze to the bed, noticing that Sakeer had already opened his eyes.
Footsteps.
Light, measured—someone was approaching.
Sakeer's gaze flickered as he looked down at the bone clamped between the hound's jaws, his expression unreadable.
With a decisive crack, the small beast bit down hard, effortlessly splintering the goblin's leg bone before swallowing the fragments in a couple of gulps.
A faint metallic scent still lingered in the air.
Sakeer raised his hand and gave a casual wave.
The smell of blood instantly dissipated.
Knock. Knock.
A soft rapping sounded against the door.
Sakeer rose from the bed and, with a quiet click, pulled the door open.
Standing outside was Enri, both hands carefully supporting a wooden tray. She lowered her head slightly as she spoke in a gentle, almost hesitant voice.
"My mother asked me to bring you this. It's to thank you for your help today."
Sakeer glanced at the food on the tray, his face calm.
"I've already eaten."
At his response, Enri faltered, unsure how to reply.
Seeing her growing nervousness, Sakeer stepped aside and pulled the door open wider.
"Come in first."
Enri let out a small breath of relief and quickly stepped inside, placing the tray on the worn wooden table near the center of the room.
Once she had set the food down, she hesitated—her gaze drifting toward the small Barghest lurking beneath the bed, its glowing eyes locked onto her.
Her body stiffened instinctively.
Logically, she knew it wouldn't attack, yet fear still gripped her. After all, the creature before her was an incredibly dangerous monster.
Sakeer, meanwhile, did not close the door. Instead, he nudged it open a little wider before walking into the room himself.
"Um… my lord," Enri said, her hands clasped nervously in front of her. "I've delivered the food, so I'll just—"
Before she could finish, Sakeer pulled out a chair and sat down at the table. His voice was calm but firm.
"If you're not in a hurry, there are a few things I'd like to ask."
He hadn't expected her to bring him food, but since she was already here, he decided it was the perfect opportunity to confirm something about the previous adventurers.
In a small village like this, secrets were hard to keep.
And he still needed to verify the village chief's words.
Enri blinked in surprise before nodding hesitantly. "O-Okay."
She sat down across from him, her posture slightly tense.
Sakeer cast another glance at the food on the table.
A milky-white soup with diced meat—an unusual combination.
"I'll accept the gesture."
He casually picked up one of the nuts beside the soup, cracked it between his fingers, and tossed it into his mouth.
"These are pretty good."
Hearing that, Enri straightened her back ever so slightly, her eyes brightening with an almost visible sense of relief.
In truth, the thick bean soup with diced meat and the forest-picked nuts were considered luxuries to her family—food they were normally reluctant to eat themselves.
She had assumed that someone like him would find such a meal too simple, perhaps even unworthy of consideration.
But even so, etiquette dictated that gratitude must be shown.
That was the way of the village.
Whether the favor was big or small, kindness must always be repaid.
This was a simple truth Enri had grown up with.
Sakeer, however, had no such thoughts. He had merely sampled the nut out of curiosity.
And now, with the formality of receiving the food out of the way, it was time to ask about the adventurers.
Enri didn't fully understand the details herself. Most of what she knew came from hearsay—snippets of conversation from other villagers. And much of it aligned with what the village chief had just said.
Sakeer gave a small nod, taking it all in.
"My lord… you're not an adventurer, are you?" Enri suddenly asked in a hushed tone.
Sakeer raised a brow, his expression calm. "Oh? What makes you think that?"
Seeing that he didn't dismiss her question outright, Enri hesitated only briefly before answering. Curiosity about the outside world had always tugged at her, and while delivering food earlier, she had overheard part of the village chief's conversation with Uncle Latimon. Now, she couldn't help but voice her thoughts.
"I see."
Sakeer let out a soft chuckle. "That right, I'm not an adventurer."
A moment of silence followed.
Then, with a relieved smile, Enri carefully picked up the untouched bean soup and the remaining nuts, cradling them in her arms before leaving the room.
Click.
Sakeer closed the door behind her, an amused glint flashing in his eyes.
That was when he noticed something he had previously overlooked.
Enri's hair color—it was different.
In Carne Village, most people had brown or dark brown hair, including her parents and her little sister, Nemu. Yet, Enri's chestnut-blonde locks shone under the dim light, standing out subtly but noticeably.
Of course, this was just a small detail.
Shrugging the thought away, Sakeer turned and walked back to the wooden bed. As he sat down, he reached out and gave the Barghest a firm pat on the head.
"You've served your purpose."
"Whew?"
The little hound tilted its head, blinking in confusion. It clearly didn't understand what Sakeer meant.
But Sakeer had no intention of explaining.
He had taken in the Barghest not only to help dispose of the goblin and ogre corpses stored in his inventory but also to serve as a disguise—a carefully controlled reveal of information.
Sometimes, hiding too much invites suspicion.
When one is weak, it is best to stay unnoticed. But for Sakeer, who would soon be operating within human society, maintaining absolute secrecy was no longer necessary.
Activity inevitably leaves traces.
Just as he had been targeted before by the "Eight Fingers", some conflicts were unavoidable, no matter how much he tried to avoid them.
This world—on the surface stable, yet constantly teetering on the edge of chaos—was bound to erupt with clashes. Keeping too low of a profile only made a sudden emergence more suspicious.
The presence of the Barghest was enough to act as a deterrent, though not a particularly strong one.
Sakeer considered the Bone King's strategy—a method worth studying, but with a different objective in mind.
The Bone King had established the Darkness Team, gaining rapid fame among humans to infiltrate their society and gather intelligence.
But Sakeer's enemies weren't just humans.
The Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick would inevitably descend upon this world.
As he had said before—this intelligence war had already begun.
At present, his strongest skill set lay in close-quarters combat. Until he obtained the special class "Valkyrie," this would likely remain his greatest strength.
So…
He would disguise himself as a Magic Caster—at least for now.
But what kind?
Would he pretend to be a traditional Magic Caster, or one who wielded divine magic?
At the moment, all the spells he had mastered, aside from "Minor Healing," were arcane-based. However, he had already deliberately revealed his ability to use healing magic.
That complicated things.
Perhaps he could pose as a dual-lineage magic user—a Magic Caster who had mastered both arcane and divine magic. After all, such hybrid spellcasters weren't uncommon in this world.
"Still… it's a shame."
Sakeer's mind drifted back to Enri, and he let out a small sigh.
He had noticed her natural talent for leadership—a rare and valuable trait. The thought of recruiting her had crossed his mind.
But without an army, there was nothing for her to command, no way for her to develop her abilities.
For now, the opportunity simply didn't exist.
"There's still a lot to think about."
Sakeer exhaled and rubbed his temples, feeling the beginnings of a headache.
"Awo."
The Barghest nudged its head against Sakeer's leg, gazing up at him with quiet loyalty.
Sakeer said nothing.
But his mind was already spinning with plans for the future.
(End of Chapter)