Overlord: The Wandering Sorcerer Chapter 7 — The Woman in the Forest
For several seconds, nobody moved.
The woman stood only a few steps away.
Golden hair.
A beautiful face.
A relaxed smile.
And eyes that contained absolutely no fear.
Momonga stared at her.
He had seen her before.
Not in person.
In the memories he carried from YGGDRASIL and from the information he had gathered since arriving in the New World.
Clementine.
A former member of the Black Scripture.
An extremely dangerous warrior.
A criminal.
And, according to the rumors Momonga had heard in E-Rantel, someone who had disappeared from the Slane Theocracy.
She was not supposed to be here.
At least, not according to the information he had.
Momonga’s thoughts accelerated.
Why is she here?
Why was she following us?
Why did she call me interesting?
And most importantly—
How strong is she?
Nabe had already moved half a step forward.
Momonga raised his hand.
She stopped.
Clementine smiled.
“Oh?”
She tilted her head.
“So you really are the one giving the orders.”
Momonga remained silent.
Clementine’s smile widened.
“I was wondering.”
She took a few steps closer.
“I heard about you.”
Momonga’s eyes narrowed.
“From whom?”
“People.”
“Which people?”
“People who talk too much.”
She laughed.
Momonga didn’t.
Clementine’s eyes moved over him.
“You’ve only been in the city for a short time, but people are already talking about you.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re strange.”
“I’ve heard that before.”
“I bet.”
Her gaze shifted toward Nabe.
“And your little maid is even stranger.”
Nabe’s expression became colder.
Momonga could almost feel the killing intent coming from her.
Clementine noticed it too.
“Oh?”
Her eyes brightened.
“You really don’t like me.”
“No.”
Nabe’s answer was immediate.
Clementine laughed.
“I like her.”
Momonga sighed.
“Of course you do.”
Clementine looked at him.
“You don’t seem surprised.”
“I’ve met people like you before.”
“People like me?”
“People who enjoy fighting.”
Clementine’s smile became almost childish.
“Then you understand.”
“No.”
Momonga’s voice was calm.
“I understand that people who enjoy fighting are often very dangerous.”
“Same thing.”
“No.”
He shook his head.
“It’s not.”
Clementine’s expression changed slightly.
For the first time, she looked genuinely interested.
“You’re different from what I expected.”
“What did you expect?”
“A mindless undead.”
She pointed toward him.
“Something powerful, but stupid.”
Momonga laughed.
“That’s disappointing.”
“Very.”
Clementine took another step.
“Then show me.”
Nabe moved.
Momonga stopped her again.
“Not yet.”
Nabe turned toward him.
“She intends to fight.”
“I know.”
“Then why are you waiting?”
Momonga looked at Clementine.
“Because I want to know why.”
Clementine laughed.
“You’re curious.”
“Very.”
“That’s dangerous.”
“So I’ve been told.”
Enri stood several meters behind them.
She was pale.
Momonga looked over his shoulder.
“Enri.”
“Yes?”
“Take the path back to the village.”
Her eyes widened.
“What?”
“Go.”
“But—”
“Now.”
Enri looked at Clementine.
Then at Nabe.
Then back at Momonga.
She hesitated.
Momonga’s voice softened.
“We’ll be fine.”
Enri nodded reluctantly.
She turned and ran.
Clementine watched her disappear.
“You let her go.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because she doesn’t belong in this fight.”
Clementine shrugged.
“Fair enough.”
She drew her weapons.
Two curved blades appeared in her hands.
Momonga recognized the stance.
Assassin.
Fast.
Extremely fast.
Potentially lethal against ordinary adventurers.
Clementine grinned.
“Let’s see what you’ve got.”
Momonga raised one hand.
“Nabe.”
“Yes?”
“Stay back.”
Nabe’s eyes widened.
“Mommon.”
“I want to test something.”
“You are not certain of her strength.”
“Exactly.”
Clementine laughed.
“You want to fight me yourself?”
Momonga nodded.
“Yes.”
“You’re an undead caster.”
“I am.”
“Then you’re probably not very good with a sword.”
“Probably not.”
Clementine’s grin widened.
“Excellent.”
She disappeared.
Momonga barely saw her move.
He tilted his head.
The sword passed through empty air.
Clementine landed behind him.
Momonga turned.
“Fast.”
She attacked again.
This time she aimed for his chest.
Momonga raised his arm.
The blade struck.
Clang.
Clementine’s expression changed.
Her sword had barely scratched his robe.
Momonga looked down.
Then back at her.
“That’s impressive.”
She stared.
“What?”
“You hit me.”
Clementine blinked.
Then laughed.
“You’re joking.”
“No.”
She attacked again.
And again.
And again.
Momonga did not move.
He simply watched.
Every strike.
Every change in direction.
Every feint.
Every attempt to find a weakness.
Clementine became faster.
She attacked from different angles.
She tried to force him backward.
She struck at joints.
She attacked his skull.
Nothing worked.
Momonga finally understood.
She was strong.
Much stronger than the average adventurer.
Possibly stronger than most adamantite adventurers.
But compared to him?
There was an enormous gap.
Still…
She was fascinating.
Clementine suddenly jumped backward.
She stared at him.
“What are you?”
Momonga smiled.
“An adventurer.”
“Don’t lie.”
“I’m not.”
“You’re not copper-ranked.”
“I am.”
“Impossible.”
Momonga shrugged.
“Apparently the guild disagrees with you.”
Clementine’s expression became serious.
Then she smiled again.
“You’re really funny.”
“Thank you.”
“I wasn’t complimenting you.”
“I’ll take it anyway.”
Nabe stepped forward.
“Enough.”
Clementine glanced at her.
“Your turn?”
“No.”
Nabe’s voice was cold.
“I am telling you to stop.”
Clementine laughed.
“You think you can order me around?”
“No.”
Nabe’s golden eyes narrowed.
“I know I can.”
The atmosphere changed.
Momonga immediately felt the difference.
Clementine felt it too.
Her smile disappeared.
For the first time, she looked uncertain.
Nabe’s killing intent was overwhelming.
Even Momonga felt it.
Clementine slowly raised her weapons.
“You…”
She stared.
“You’re not normal.”
Nabe didn’t answer.
Momonga stepped between them.
“That’s enough.”
Nabe stopped.
Clementine looked surprised.
Momonga turned toward her.
“I have a question.”
“You’re still asking questions?”
“Yes.”
“You’re weird.”
“I know.”
Momonga pointed toward the dead adventurers.
“Did you kill them?”
Clementine looked at the bodies.
“No.”
“Are you responsible for them being here?”
“No.”
“Then why are you here?”
She hesitated.
Then smiled.
“Because I was looking for someone.”
“Who?”
“Someone interesting.”
Momonga’s expression became serious.
“Me?”
Clementine nodded.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I heard rumors.”
“About what?”
“An undead adventurer.”
Momonga said nothing.
Clementine continued.
“An undead who entered E-Rantel.”
“Yes.”
“An undead who defeated monsters without using much effort.”
Momonga remained silent.
“An undead who doesn’t behave like an undead.”
She pointed at him.
“That interested me.”
Momonga looked at Nabe.
Then back at Clementine.
“So you followed us.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I wanted to know whether the rumors were true.”
“And?”
Clementine smiled.
“They were.”
Momonga considered killing her.
The thought came naturally.
She was dangerous.
She had attacked him.
She had killed before.
She had been involved with the Slane Theocracy.
She might become a problem later.
It would be easy.
One spell.
One command to Nabe.
The problem would disappear.
But Momonga remembered something.
The bandits.
He had spared them.
Not because they deserved it.
Because he wanted to understand.
He looked at Clementine.
“You’re free to go.”
Nabe turned sharply.
“Mommon.”
Clementine looked genuinely surprised.
“You’re letting me leave?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because you didn’t kill these people.”
Clementine looked at him.
Momonga’s voice became cold.
“Then we’d have a different conversation.”
For several seconds, Clementine studied him.
Then she laughed.
“You’re interesting.”
She sheathed her weapons.
“I think I’ll keep an eye on you.”
Momonga sighed.
“Please don’t.”
“No promises.”
She turned.
Then stopped.
“Oh.”
She looked over her shoulder.
“One more thing.”
“What?”
“There’s something strange happening around E-Rantel.”
Momonga’s expression sharpened.
“What kind of strange?”
Clementine’s smile returned.
“The kind that makes people disappear.”
Momonga glanced toward the bodies.
“Like these adventurers?”
“Maybe.”
“Do you know who’s responsible?”
“No.”
“Then why tell me?”
“Because I want to see what you do.”
Momonga stared.
Clementine laughed.
“See you around, Mommon.”
Then she disappeared into the darkness.
Nabe watched her go.
“I do not like her.”
“Neither do I.”
“Then why did you let her live?”
Momonga looked at the forest.
“Because I think she’s hiding something.”
“That is not a reason to spare her.”
“No.”
He looked at Nabe.
“It’s a reason to watch her.”
Nabe nodded.
“Understood.”
They returned to the village before dawn.
Enri was waiting.
The moment she saw them, she ran toward them.
“You’re alive!”
Momonga smiled.
“Yes.”
“What happened?”
“We met someone.”
“Who?”
Momonga hesitated.
“Someone dangerous.”
Enri looked frightened.
“Did you defeat her?”
Momonga shook his head.
“She left.”
Enri looked confused.
“You let her go?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Momonga smiled.
“Because sometimes it’s better to know where the danger is.”
Enri thought about that.
Then nodded.
The villagers buried the six adventurers later that morning.
Momonga attended.
He didn’t know them.
He had never spoken to them.
And yet he felt strangely responsible.
They had been adventurers.
Like him.
They had accepted a quest.
Like him.
They had gone into the forest expecting to return.
Like him.
But they hadn’t.
Momonga stood silently while the graves were filled.
Nabe stood beside him.
Enri stood on his other side.
Afterward, Enri approached.
“Thank you.”
Momonga looked at her.
“For what?”
“You found them.”
“We didn’t save them.”
“But you brought them home.”
Momonga was silent.
Then nodded.
“You’re welcome.”
Enri smiled.
“Are you going back to E-Rantel?”
“Yes.”
“Will you return?”
Momonga looked at the village.
Then at her.
“Probably.”
Enri’s expression brightened.
“I’d like that.”
Momonga smiled.
“So would I.”
They left Carne Village before noon.
The road toward E-Rantel was quiet.
Nabe walked beside him.
After an hour, she finally spoke.
“You are thinking about Clementine.”
“Yes.”
“Do you believe she will attack again?”
“Probably.”
“Then we should kill her before she does.”
Momonga considered it.
“No.”
Nabe looked at him.
“Why?”
“Because I want to understand what’s happening.”
He looked toward E-Rantel.
“Something is going on.”
“The missing adventurers.”
“Yes.”
“The strange symbol.”
“Yes.”
“Clementine.”
“Yes.”
Momonga stopped.
“And the fact that she knew about me.”
Nabe’s expression became serious.
“That is concerning.”
“Very.”
He looked toward the city.
“Someone is watching us.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know.”
Momonga smiled.
“But we’ll find out.”
They continued walking.
Neither noticed the figure standing on a distant hill.
A young woman.
Blue hair.
Golden eyes.
She watched them from afar.
Beside her stood a small creature.
The woman narrowed her eyes.
“That undead…”
The creature looked up at her.
The woman remained silent for a moment.
Then she smiled faintly.
“I’ve never seen anything like him.”
The creature made a soft sound.
The woman turned away.
“Let’s go.”
And the two disappeared into the forest.
Momonga continued toward E-Rantel.
Completely unaware that another powerful being had just noticed him.
A being who, in another version of this story, would have become one of his greatest enemies.
But in this world…
Their first meeting had yet to happen.