Inn Overlord: Reincarnated with Enhancement Magic, Now Worshipped as a Divine Messenger! - Chapter 32

(Seraph’s POV)

Crack! A wooden spoon broke with a loud snap. “Huh?” Hazan tilted his head in confusion.

—How many times is this now?

I found it strange. Hazan shouted loudly,

“Hey, lately, I’ve been feeling super healthy! Working in the fields is way easier than usual! Maybe it’s all thanks to Marie-chan!? Dahahaha!!”

As he said that, Hazan started chatting up my mom. Then the carpenter, Toryo, said to Hazan,

“Actually, me too. I’ve been fixing the floor here and building the walls all day, but I’m not tired at all!”

Toryo and Hazan only used to be casual acquaintances, but after they chased off those nasty adventurers yesterday, it seems they really hit it off.

And it’s not just the two of them who aren’t getting tired. David, Laura, Mom, and even Abigail are feeling the same way.

Now I really have to accept it.

The likely reason is the food I’ve been making. It’s not like I’m consciously casting enchantment magic while cooking. But it’s clear my food is having some kind of effect on them. I’m not sure if it’s because of the cooking process itself, or because they’re eating ingredients with enchantments for preservation, or maybe it’s both.

—Abby might’ve caught that cold because my food caused her to have a magic surge…

Today’s business was as busy as ever, with adventurers coming to investigate the Forest of Magic. But unlike yesterday, there was no trouble, and we closed without any incidents. I wonder if that’s thanks to Hazan and Toryo being around?

The guests left, the overnight lodgers went to their rooms on the second floor, and we finished closing up before going to sleep.

Tonight, I get to sleep in my bed, and Jeanne takes the floor.

[Jeanne’s POV]

It’s been a few days since Seraph-sama turned me into a human. I’m getting used to working at this inn. I’ve been learning reading and math from Lady Laura, and the job itself from Lady Marie and Lady Abigail. Lady Abigail especially told me to learn how to use my strength from Seraph-sama, and now I think I can behave more like a human woman.

Cleaning the rooms and the tavern on the first floor. Once that’s done, I get to guard and accompany Seraph-sama. That’s the happiest time of all.

Back when I was a griffon, I was a failure. No matter what I did, it never worked out. I couldn’t hunt or use wind magic properly like everyone else, and they all looked down on me.

A monster that can’t prove its worth in the group has no choice but to leave. The only reason I stayed in the group this long was thanks to my mother, the boss. But the new griffon boss killed her.

It wasn’t a fair one-on-one fight, either. It was a cowardly many-on-one ambush. I fought with my mother, but I was useless. I got injured right away by the enemy’s wind magic. Then, my mother was killed right in front of me. But with the last of her strength, she used wind magic to send me flying far away to escape.

She saved my life, even though I was such a failure. Her magic carried me from the depths of the Forest of Magic to the middle area. But I was hurt, and nearby, Lydia Kreil took control of my mind.

I resisted as best as I could, but the injury, the exhaustion, and the sleepiness wore me down. I fought it for about a whole day. That’s when the Army Ants came. I was about to give up, but then Luka and Seraph-sama saved me.

They didn’t just heal me—they gave me power. With this strength, I’ll never lose to that griffon who killed my mother. But Mother didn’t want revenge. She sent me away with wind magic not to get revenge—but so I would live.

—Mother… I’m living a very happy life now.

I still get nervous when guarding Seraph-sama, but he always shows concern for me. When he said I was part of the family, I felt a joy I’d never experienced before.

And Lord David, Lady Laura, Lady Marie, Lady Abigail, Luka, and Orma—they’re all so kind. They accepted me without question. I was deeply moved to find a place that felt so comfortable.

If anyone ever tries to bring harm to this inn, to Seraph-sama and this family, I will never forgive them.

—If adventurers like the ones before show up again, I should deal with them somewhere Seraph-sama won’t see…

The tavern’s business ended, Seraph-sama went to bed, and I lay down on the floor.

The village—everyone—was fast asleep. I’d never experienced such quiet in the Forest of Magic. Back then, I always had to stay alert. I could hear the movements of nocturnal monsters, other griffons, or even distant fights—sounds I didn’t want to hear. I lived in fear, not knowing when I’d be attacked.

Because of that, I unconsciously learned to use wind magic to sense distant sounds and magical reactions.

That’s when my nerves picked up a certain sound—and a wave of magical hostility.

From far away, many people were heading toward us. They were moving fast, probably on horseback. I quickly got up and looked at Seraph-sama.

Zzzzz… He was peacefully snoring in his sleep.

—So adorable…

I looked at his angelic sleeping face, then quietly opened the door and left the room. Most of the guests were asleep. I stepped outside without making a sound.

Outside, Orma seemed to have sensed something too. He got up and met my eyes. Then Luka came out of Lady Abigail’s room and joined us.

“Jeanne-chan, you sense something too?”

I answered,

“Yes. Around 60 people are approaching this village from the north.”

“Whoa! You can tell that well!?”

“Woof!”

—I never thought someone would praise this cowardly detection ability of mine…

Being praised by Luka and Orma made me happy. I blushed and scratched the back of my head, but then I sensed a similar number of people and horses coming from the south. Even without me saying it, Luka and Orma looked south.

“They’re coming from this way too…”

“Yes. About 50 are approaching from the south.”

—If I remember right, the south is part of the Empire’s territory…

“What do we do? What do we do?”

Luka began stomping nervously with his club. I sensed the northern group splitting into two teams. Thirty continued from the north, while another thirty moved west. Meanwhile, the group from the Empire’s direction also split—twenty stayed south, while thirty moved east.

I said,

“They’re planning to surround us. But the groups in the south and east are weaker… no, wait… beyond the 20 left in the south, I sense a much larger group hiding further back… I see what’s going on.”

“What? What is it?”

I answered Luka’s question.

“The goal is to surround the village and crush the villagers’ morale… The main forces are coming from the north and west, while the south and east are just distractions. But hiding more troops in the south means the plan is very well thought out…”

“Huh?”

“Woof?”

Luka and Orma tilted their heads.

“No matter. We just have to crush them all. Luka, take the north. I’ll take the west and watch the south. Orma, please handle the group coming from the south.”

“Got it!”

“Woof!”

After replying, Luka asked me,

“Wait? What about the east?”

“There’s no need to worry about the east.”

We each headed to our assigned directions. I ran to the village’s west side and stopped at a safe distance.

Luka and Orma also took their positions, ready to greet the fools coming to harm this village.

The 30 fools who appeared before me were led by adventurers who had visited the ‘Black Piglet Inn’ before.

—The leader’s name was… Albert, wasn’t it…? So that’s what this is…

Albert said,

“Well, well, if it ain’t the waitress from that inn!?”