Minori sat cross-legged on the rough wooden bed, eyes closed in quiet contemplation, carefully planning his next moves.
Click... Squeak...
From under the bed came a faint grinding sound.
The small evil hound lay curled beneath him, gnawing on a goblin's leg bone. Its sharp teeth rasped rhythmically against the brittle bone, the noise almost soothing in the otherwise still room.
The goblin corpse from earlier had already been mostly consumed, leaving only this last fragment.
Suddenly—
The evil hound froze.
Its ears twitched.It raised its head sharply and stared at the door.Then it glanced toward the bed, where Minori had already opened his eyes.
The approaching footsteps were light, barely audible.
Without a word, Minori lowered his gaze toward the bone clutched between the hound's jaws.
Crack!
Obediently, the little beast crushed the goblin's leg bone with a snap and swallowed it in two quick bites.
"No lingering scent."
Minori raised his hand and lazily waved it through the air.
A faint gust of magical wind stirred, instantly dispersing the subtle scent of blood that had clung to the room.
Ding, ding.
A soft knock echoed at the door.
Minori rose from the bed. With a light touch, the door creaked open.
Standing outside was Enri, holding a wooden tray carefully in both hands.
At the sight of him, she bowed her head slightly and spoke in a small voice:
"My mother asked me to deliver this food... to thank you for your help today."
"I've already eaten," Minori said calmly after a brief glance at the tray.
Hearing this, Enri fidgeted awkwardly, unsure what to do next.
Seeing her hesitation, Minori stepped aside and gestured.
"Come in."
Relief flashed across Enri's face. She entered quickly and set the tray down on the old wooden table.
Enri's eyes wandered nervously.
The evil hound beneath the bed stared at her silently. Even though she knew it was tamed, an instinctive fear rose in her chest—the creature was still a monster, after all.
Minori, meanwhile, did not bother to close the door, instead pushing it open a bit wider to allow more air inside.
"If you're not in a hurry, there are a few things I'd like to ask you," Minori said, pulling out a chair and sitting at the table.
Since she was here, he might as well confirm the information regarding the adventurers.A small village like this couldn't hide secrets for long.It was also necessary to verify the village chief's earlier statements.
"Ah... yes, of course!"
Enri hastily sat across from him, hands folded nervously in her lap.
Minori glanced over the food.It was a simple meal: a thick, creamy soup with chunks of diced meat, and a handful of wild nuts.
He picked up a nut, cracked it lightly between his fingers, and tossed it into his mouth.
"The nuts are good."
Hearing this unexpected praise, Enri visibly brightened, her back straightening unconsciously.
To her, such simple offerings—normally considered humble even by village standards—were surely beneath a foreigner like Minori.
Still, traditions were important.One always repaid kindness, no matter how small the offering.
Minori paid little mind to her nervousness.
After casually sampling the food, he began to ask about the adventurers rumored to have passed through.
Enri's information was patchy—secondhand tales gathered from other villagers—but largely consistent with what the village chief had told him.
Minori nodded slightly.
It was about what he expected.
"Um, sir... are you an adventurer?" Enri asked timidly.
"Oh? What makes you think so?" Minori replied, a faint smile playing at his lips.
Encouraged by his mild tone, Enri revealed that she had overheard parts of the conversation between the village chief and the other villagers.
Minori chuckled quietly.
"I see."
"No, I am not an adventurer."
He didn't elaborate further.
Soon after, Enri stood up, collecting the still-warm soup and uneaten nuts. She bowed once again and left the room.
Snap.
Minori closed the door behind her, a flicker of amusement crossing his face.
Only then did he notice something he had overlooked before:
Enri's hair.
Unlike most villagers—whose hair ranged from brown to dark brown—Enri's was a striking chestnut gold, gleaming subtly even in the dim light.
Her parents and younger sister had dark brown hair.
Only Enri was different.
Still, Minori dismissed the thought.
A minor curiosity. No more.
He returned to the bed, reached down, and patted the evil hound's head.
"You've played your part."
The little hound let out a soft, confused whimper, nuzzling his leg affectionately.
Of course, Minori didn't bother explaining.
The truth was simple:
He had acquired the beast not just to dispose of goblin and ogre corpses in his storage, but to act as a subtle deterrent.
By displaying a tamed monster openly, Minori projected an image: dangerous, but not overwhelmingly so.
A form of calculated exposure.
If one's strength was too low, hiding was wise.But Minori understood that constant hiding was also dangerous.
In this chaotic world, even passive individuals could be targeted without warning—as had happened when the "Eight Fingers" criminal syndicate had marked him before.
Simply put:
No plan survives first contact with reality.
Even without seeking trouble, trouble would come.
Thus, rather than attempting to erase his presence entirely, Minori opted for controlled visibility.
Small traces of strength, small hints of mystery—enough to discourage casual threats, without attracting the attention of true monsters.
This strategy was subtle but effective.
Bone Lord (Ainz Ooal Gown) had used a different approach:
Forming the Black Scripture adventurer team to rapidly build reputation and gather intelligence.
That had suited his goals.
Minori, however, faced a far more complex threat:
Not just humans, but eventually—the arrival of Nazarick itself.
A colossal power against which no simple deception would suffice.
In this great unseen war of information, every choice mattered.
Minori leaned back against the wall, mind whirling with calculations.
At present, his strongest capabilities lay in melee combat.Until he secured the special profession of Valkyrie, this would remain his primary weapon.
Yet—
He planned to disguise himself publicly as a magic caster.
Which raised an important question:
Should he appear as a mana-type caster or a faith-type?
At the moment, all of Minori's offensive spells were mana-based.However, he had previously demonstrated healing magic, a trait associated with divine magic.
There were many magic users in this world who blended disciplines—dual-element magic casters were not unheard of.
Still, Minori needed to decide carefully.
"What a pity..."
Minori thought briefly of Enri.
Given her budding commander class potential, he would have recruited her under different circumstances.
But without a unit to train under her, her talent would remain dormant.
He lacked the resources to cultivate her properly.
"Too early."
Too many considerations. Too many constraints.
Minori sighed and rubbed his temples.
The little evil hound sensed his frustration and crawled up to nudge his leg affectionately.
Minori chuckled softly.