After all the commotion in Carne Village, it took quite a while before Swords of Darkness and their employer finally learned from the villagers—and from a pretty young villager named Enri Emett—about the changes to the village and the cause of the horrifying traces of battle outside it.
They learned about the Slane Theocracy's attack and the slaughter of villagers, how the Warrior Captain of the Re-Estize Kingdom had nearly been ambushed and murdered, and the story of a powerful man named Ainz Ooal Gown and a wicked little girl who could cast spells. But they were people of little influence, and their abilities were nowhere near enough to do anything more. After asking around and taking a brief rest, they hurried into the dense forest not far from Carne Village, following the marks left along the way. They planned to meet up with their three companions who had entered the forest ahead of them and gather some unusual medicinal herbs that only grew at this time of year.
However...
Swords of Darkness and their employer, Nfirea Bareare, had only been making their way through the forest for a short while before they had to stop again. They looked at the last mark, carved into the trunk of a large tree, and began to fret over what to do.
"Honestly!"
"Where did Mr. Momon and Nabe go, along with that little Annie? Why do the marks stop here?"
"Do you think..."
"Maybe they got into another fight?"
"!!"
"I don't think so. Little Annie kept picking on Momon and Miss Nabe along the way, but she didn't seem to bear them any real ill will. Momon was also doing his best to keep his temper in check, and they promised they wouldn't fight. Besides, we haven't seen any signs of