Under the villagers' watchful eyes, three figures emerged from it together, and a magnetic voice reached their ears.
"Saving you was merely incidental. If you want to thank someone, thank Enri."
Naiyuan stepped out of the Gate, glanced at the bowing villagers, and spoke softly.
He meant it sincerely. If they had not seen Enri protecting her little sister, Momonga, Herohero, and he would never have intervened.
Their original plan had simply been to observe from the shadows, capture a few people, and return to Nazarick.
The moment the villagers saw their saviors, they froze in place.
A Dragonoid with horns and scales, holding an enormous blade.
An Undead with a skeletal appearance, dressed in a Magic Robe and holding a Dragon-headed Staff.
And a Human Form creature with neither facial features nor a face, something unknown that nevertheless filled them with dread.
The overwhelming visual impact left them at a loss. Some even subconsciously took a step back, their faces filled with fear and panic.
"My apologies, Three Lords. Everyone was just... just..."
Seeing everyone's reaction, Enri hurriedly looked at Naiyuan, wanting to explain.
But she did not know what to say. It was only natural for the villagers to be afraid. If they had not saved her, she probably would have reacted just like everyone else.
"It's fine. We understand."
Naiyuan glanced at Momonga and Herohero, then nodded to Enri, indicating that they had expected this.
They were not surprised by the villagers' expressions. Ordinary people not immediately fleeing at the sight of them was already impressive enough.
After all, the three of them really did not look like good people.
"Three Lords, I apologize for the disrespect shown by the others."
After his brief shock, the village chief stepped forward and spoke cautiously to the three of them.
"No wonder you became village chief. You look much better than the others."
Herohero looked at the old man before him, then at the villagers, and spoke approvingly.
Sure enough, anyone who could successfully become village chief in a world with magic had some real ability.
"You flatter me. I only know that you saved us. Why would this old man fear his own saviors?"
The village chief lowered his head and spoke respectfully. He was not merely saying it for them to hear, but also for the villagers.
Hearing this, the frightened villagers remembered that point as well. They had saved them, so why should they fear them? Just because of their appearance?
They had found the courage to resist the soldiers slaughtering them, yet they were afraid of their own saviors. As they realized this, the fear in their eyes vanished, replaced by waves of guilt as they lowered their heads.
"Rest assured, we will protect this village."
"As long as Enri is here, I guarantee in Nazarick's name that no one will be able to harm you."
Naiyuan smiled at Enri as he spoke, making her face immediately flush red.
Momonga and Herohero, standing nearby, nodded in agreement. From the information Herohero had absorbed from that soldier, they already had a general understanding of this world. By their judgment, sheltering a single village would be no problem at all.
The only question was whether there were any hidden powerhouses. After all, they did not think an ordinary soldier possessed any valuable information, which was why they planned to capture someone of higher status next.
"This old man is endlessly grateful."
Hearing this, the village chief excitedly dropped to his knees and kowtowed to the three of them in thanks.
Though they had said it was because of Enri, he was still thrilled. He knew that as long as Enri remained alive, their village would no longer face any threats.
They had effortlessly subdued every soldier. He trusted their words without reservation.
The other villagers hurriedly knelt as well. They knew they were safe now, and everyone secretly looked toward Enri with intense gratitude in their eyes.
All of them had survived because of her.
"Mm. Then go rebuild your village."
"We'll deal with the final trouble."
"Enri, I hope you'll have improved by the next time we meet."
Naiyuan gave a few instructions, looked at Enri once more, and said goodbye.
He gave her a bracelet that granted double experience and accelerated leveling. Its limit was level thirty, roughly equivalent to a Warrior Captain.
Momonga gave her a book instead. It was a Class Book that would allow her to change classes at level twenty and become a summoner.
Wanting to test whether people from the New World could change into classes from the game, Momonga gave it to her, hoping she would bring him a pleasant surprise.
Seeing that the other two had given her something, Herohero felt embarrassed to give her nothing. He gave her a ring that could activate a Protective Barrier once per day, capable of blocking one fourth-tier spell. It was equipment he had discarded long ago.
"I'll definitely work hard, Naiyuan. And Momonga, Herohero, thank you."
With Herohero's ring and Naiyuan's bracelet on her hand, and Momonga's book held in her arms, Enri spoke with tears in her eyes.
Momonga and Herohero nodded kindly in response.
The three of them then activated Teleportation Magic once again and vanished from the spot. They had only stopped here to give Enri a ride along the way.
Now, they needed to check on their target. After being trapped for half an hour, he should have started getting anxious by now.
Not long after the three left, another Gate appeared in the same place.
The villagers and Enri, who had been preparing to leave, stopped and watched in confusion. Hadn't they just left?
Why had they returned so quickly?
But what frightened them was that those emerging from the opening were not the previous Three Lords, but someone else.
Three figures stepped out from the black hole. It was clear that they consisted of one man and two women.
The man wore pale blue armor and held a spear, with strands of electricity flowing around its tip. Dark golden dragon eyes within his helmet observed the surrounding area.
Albedo, dressed in black armor, and Shalltear, clad in red armor, were doing the same, both surveying their surroundings.
They each held their weapons: a pitch-black great axe and a Spuit Lance.
At the same time, an overwhelming pressure descended upon the villagers, forcing them flat onto the ground. They could not move at all, becoming lambs awaiting slaughter just like the soldiers before them.
"Father's aura is still here. He should have left only recently."
Sephis sensed the faint Dragon Aura and spoke to Albedo and Shalltear.
"Then let's hurry after them. Sephis, can you determine which direction they went?"
Albedo urgently asked. All she wanted now was to reach Momonga's side immediately.
"No problem. They should have gone south. There are spatial fluctuations in that direction. They should have been left by Father and the others."
Sephis sensed the area for a moment before pointing south, where he could feel the ripples in space.
"Now that we've found them, how should we deal with these humans?"
Shalltear's blood red eyes fixed teasingly on the humans they had ignored earlier.
"Filthy humans like these should be killed."
"Make it quick, Shalltear. Don't waste time."
Albedo glanced at them and spoke expressionlessly. She had no favorable impression of humans; in her eyes, they were nothing more than insects.
The moment she saw Shalltear's eyes and fangs, she understood her condition, so she reminded her to hurry and not waste time.
"Fine, then I won't hold back."
Shalltear said with a smile, then charged forward at a speed too fast for the naked eye to see.
Her Spuit Lance thrust directly toward a blonde girl.
Enri watched it all. She wanted to resist, but she could not move at all. Like the soldiers before her, she could only close her eyes and wait in terror for death to arrive.
Naiyuan, Momonga, and Herohero... it looks like I won't be able to keep my promise.
Before you continue