Overlord (LN)

The villagers were initially surprised and afraid of the Goblins since they had suddenly appeared out of nowhere, but they calmed down when Enri told them that she had summoned the Goblins with an item from their savior, Ainz Ooal Gown. Needless to say, this was because of the gratitude and trust they felt towards Ainz. Thereafter, the work the Goblins had done was enough for the villagers to put aside their suspicions and welcome them from the depths of their hearts.

“Good morning, Kaijali-san, I just used a bit too much force with the cleaver...”

Kaijali was one of Enri’s summoned Goblins. He furrowed his brows — looking like a man-eating bear awakened from his winter hibernation — and put a concerned expression on his face before looking at Enri.

“That’s no good, you need to take care of that cleaver. The village doesn’t have a blacksmith, so we can’t repair our equipment either.”

“Is that so...”

“Well, it’s alright. We’ll think of a solution when the time comes.”

Kaijali spoke in an earnest, yet cheerful voice while he helped make the breakfast. He drew a smoldering wick from the pot he was holding, and with a practiced manoeuvre, lit the stove. The deft ease with which he turned a faint ember into a roaring blaze was evidence of his skill.

But they can’t cook... Why is that?

Goblins could not prepare even the simplest meals. Since they ate raw meat and vegetables without a complaint, she thought they might like raw food more, but it became clear that they preferred cooked meals ― although they could still stomach raw food without trouble.

Is it because summoned beings don’t know how to cook?

A mere village girl like herself had no answer to this question, and with that she threw herself into her work once more. Fortunately, the cleaver’s edge was still intact.

Eventually, breakfast was ready.

There were a wider variety of dishes on the table compared to the days when her mother was cooking.

For example, there was meat. Although the local rangers often shared their kills in the past, the amount they could bring back was nothing compared to now. The reason why they had so much more meat now was because the villagers had expanded their area of activity.

The Great Forest of Tob provided its bounty to them in the form of firewood, food in the form of fruits and wild vegetables, animals for meat and fur, and even medicinal herbs.

Although the forest was rightfully regarded as a treasure trove, it was also home to wild beasts and monsters, which could make their way back to the village. As a result, the forest was not a place where the villagers could casually enter. Even the experts like professional hunters were forced to skulk like thieves seeking treasure on the edges of the Wise King of the Forest’s territory. However, with the disappearance of the Wise King of the Forest and appearance of the Goblins, the situation had changed radically.

The greatest change was that the villagers could now easily enter the forest and harvest its resources. The work of the Goblins, who were strong beings, were a key factor in this; meat, which had previously been hard to obtain, could now be easily acquired, and their tables were decked with fresh fruits and vegetables. As a result, the food situation in the village had dramatically improved.

In addition, since the Goblins were Enri’s subordinates, they delivered the lion’s share of their kills to her home.

In addition, one of the newest additions to the village was a ranger who had made contributions to the provisions.

She was a woman who used to be an adventurer in E-Rantel. For various reasons, she moved to this village, and was learning the ways of the hunter from the ranger who was living in the village. As she had been a warrior during her adventuring days, her skills with the bow were excellent, and she could bring down even the biggest game with a few arrows. It was partly because of her efforts that the distribution of meat in the village had improved.

The improved standard of living brought changes, which were reflected in the villagers’ bodies.

Enri curled her biceps, flexing her muscles.

Her gains were quite impressive.

Mm, I feel so pumped~ they’re getting even bigger...

The Goblins praised Enri at every opportunity with phrases like “Ane-san’s totally ripped!” “Yeah, pump it up again!” “She’s too swole to control!” “Aim for a six-pack!” “Look at how cut she is!”. They most likely meant well, but as a girl, it was difficult to accept such compliments.