There were two routes from Re-Lantier to Carne Village if you travel by horse-drawn carriage.
After going north, keep right by hugging the edge of the forest. Or go east then turn north.
This time the former route was chosen.
Since there was a higher chance of encountering monsters along the edge of the forest, taking this path was the wrong choice from a bodyguard’s perspective
Even so, everyone still chose this route. This was done in order for Ainz to fulfill his promise to Peter and hunt monsters. Although there was a lot more to lose than to gain, they were still able to choose this path without worries because Momon and Nabel were there. In addition, Narberal demonstrating her ability to cast tier 3 magic ‘Lightning’ when they left the city was a big factor
And technically they were not entering the forest. Rather, they were traveling along the border between the forest and the plains, so the monsters they might encounter wouldn't be too strong. With the ability of the group, they should be able to manage. In addition, by taking this route, the monster encounters would allow the members to verify each other’s combat prowess. With these points in mind, they decided on this route.
The sun reached its zenith after they left Re-Lantier; they could see a dense, primitive forest in the distance. The giant trees’ luscious branches and leaves were dense to the extent that sunlight could not penetrate the forest. This reduced visibility produced the illusion of being swallowed by darkness. The gaps between the trees looked like gaping maws, waiting for prey to enter; the eeriness made the party uneasy.
The group adopted a formation that surrounded the carriage as they advanced. The driver is of course Enfrea, the ranger Lukeluther was in front of the carriage, the warrior Peter on the left, the druid Darwin and Magic Chanter Ninya on the right, while Ainz and Narberal were at the back.
Because the field of vision was wide, no one was on guard. However, Peter became more serious at this point:
“Momon-san, from here on will be dangerous grounds. We won’t encounter monsters we can’t handle, but to be safe, we need to careful.”
"Understood."
Ainz nodded and thought of something.
If this was a game, what monster that we will encounter is dependent on the place, but reality is different. God knows what kind of difficult enemy might pop up.
Based on the battle of Carne from a few days prior, and according to the intelligence revealed by the interrogated Sunlight Scripture prisoners, Ainz was confident that he was strong. But that was his power as a Magic Chanter; Ainz was currently wearing armor forged by magic, and thus was unable to chant most of his spells.
With his suppressed strength, could he still play the role of a competent vanguard? Not only that, but an escort’s victory condition was not to defeat the enemy; rather, his job was to thoroughly protect his charge, in this case, Enfrea. Pondering this, Ainz felt uneasy.
He planned to dispel his armor if a crisis arose, but in doing so, he would have to kill his traveling companions or alter their memories. Ainz didn't wish to do such a thing.
That's too much of a hassle.
Ainz turned his head and looked at Narberal, who nodded upon sensing his gaze.
They had discussed beforehand and Narberal was to use higher tier magic in a pinch, up to tier 5 and hope to resolve the problem. If this weren't enough, Ainz would dispel his armor and fight seriously.
Seeing the duo exchange gazes——with Ainz still wearing a close helmet——Lukeluther misunderstood something and flirtingly joked with Narberal:
"It’ll be fine, don't worry. As long as there's no surprise attack, it won't be too hard. And with me scouting, no enemies will sneak by. So Nabel-chan, I am strong right?"
Narberal ignored Lukeluther and his serious expression:
“Momon-san, may I crush this... lower life form (Mosquito)?"
"Cold words from Nabel-san get!"
Everyone smiled awkwardly at Lukeluther, who gave a thumbs up and didn't react to Narberal's cruel response. They assumed that Narberal didn’t consider all humans as lower life forms, only specific people.
Ainz rejected Narberal's sincere request and felt his nonexistent stomach hurting. They were journeying with humans now, so he wished that she would keep such thoughts to herself.
Enfrea seemed to have misunderstood something and interjected:
"It will be fine. From here to Carne Village, we are in the territory of the 'Virtuous King of the Forest', a powerful monster. Unless we are extremely unlucky, we won't encounter any monsters."