Overlord: Welcome the Birth of the King-Chapter 68 - : An Interesting Discovery and Disguise

Inside the house where he was staying for the night, Lyle sat cross-legged on the wooden bed, his eyes half-closed as he pondered his next course of action.

Beneath the bed, little Barghest lay sprawled out, gnawing on a goblin's leg bone. A faint crunching sound filled the quiet room as its teeth ground against the hardened bone, as if sharpening them.

The goblin's corpse had long been devoured by the Barghest, leaving behind only this single leg bone.

Suddenly, the Barghest froze mid-bite, its ears twitching. It lifted its head and gazed toward the door. Then, as if sensing something, it turned to look at Lyle, who had already opened his eyes.

Footsteps.

They weren't heavy, but to someone like Lyle, they were noticeable. His gaze flickered as he glanced at the bone in the Barghest's mouth.

Crack!

With a forceful bite, the Barghest crushed the sturdy goblin leg bone with ease, chewing twice before swallowing the fragments whole.

"Odorless."

Lyle waved his hand lightly, and within seconds, the faint metallic tang of blood lingering in the air dissipated completely, leaving the room smelling clean and neutral.

Knock, knock.

A gentle rapping came from the door.

Lyle got up and, with a faint click, unlatched the door.

Standing outside was Enri, holding a wooden tray with both hands. She lowered her head slightly and spoke in a soft voice, "My mother asked me to bring this food over. Thank you for your help today, sir."

"I've already eaten," Lyle replied casually after a glance at the food.

Enri hesitated, momentarily at a loss for words.

Seeing her tense expression, Lyle opened the door wider and stepped aside. "Come in, then."

A trace of relief appeared on Enri's face as she entered the room, carefully setting the wooden tray down on the old wooden table.

Once she was done, she stole a glance at the Barghest under the bed. The beast, in turn, was watching her intently.

Her body stiffened instinctively. She knew it wouldn't attack, but fear was a natural reaction—after all, it was a dangerous creature.

Lyle, instead of closing the door, nudged it open even further before walking over to the table and pulling out a chair.

"If you're not in a hurry, I have a few things I'd like to ask," he said, his tone calm and approachable.

He hadn't expected Enri to bring him food, but since she was here, it was a good chance to confirm some details about the adventurers he had heard about earlier.

In a small village like this, secrets didn't last long.

And the village chief's words needed further verification.

"Ah, yes, of course!" Enri nodded quickly and took a seat as well.

Lyle glanced at the food on the table.

A bowl of thick, creamy soup with chunks of meat floating in it. A rather curious combination.

"I appreciate the gesture," he said, picking up a nut from the side and cracking it between his fingers before tossing it into his mouth. "Not bad."

At his words, Enri unconsciously straightened her back, and her eyes brightened slightly.

She knew very well that these were precious foods—whether it was the hearty meat soup or the rare nuts gathered from the dangerous forest, her family normally wouldn't even think of eating them.

She had worried that a noble-looking man like him might find the meal too simple, perhaps even unworthy of his attention. But regardless of the outcome, she felt it was only proper to extend the gesture.

It was a simple but deep-rooted belief—just like how the villagers always helped one another, big or small. If someone did you a favor, you had to return it.

To Enri, this was just common sense.

Lyle, on the other hand, hadn't thought too deeply about it. He simply tried the nut out of curiosity before shifting the conversation to the adventurers.

Enri hadn't specifically looked into them, but she repeated the bits and pieces she had overheard from other villagers. It was more or less the same as what the village chief had said.

Lyle nodded slightly.

Then, out of nowhere, Enri hesitated before asking, "Sir, you're... not an adventurer, are you?"

"Oh? What made you think that?" Lyle asked with mild amusement.

Seeing that he wasn't dismissing her question, Enri, who was naturally curious about the outside world, couldn't help but explain. She shyly recounted the part of the village chief's conversation she had overheard while delivering the food.

"I see."

"You're right. I'm not an adventurer." Lyle chuckled softly.

After a brief chat, Enri, now visibly pleased, picked up the untouched soup and remaining nuts before leaving the room.

Click.

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Lyle shut the door behind her, a flicker of intrigue flashing across his eyes.

He had just noticed something he hadn't paid attention to before.

Enri's hair color was noticeably different from the rest of the villagers.

Most people in Carne Village had shades of brown or dark chestnut hair—her parents and younger sister, Nemu, included.

But Enri's hair was a shimmering golden brown, much lighter and more striking than the rest.

Of course, this was a minor detail.

Lyle walked back to the bed and casually patted the Barghest on the head. "You've served your purpose well."

"Woof?"

The Barghest tilted its head, clearly confused by his words.

Lyle, of course, didn't bother explaining.

Taking in the Barghest had served more than one purpose. Aside from having it dispose of the numerous goblin and ogre corpses from his loot, it was also part of his disguise.

Or rather, part of a calculated revelation.

When one was weak, minimizing attention was the safest strategy.

But moving forward, he would be spending more time in human society. Keeping a low profile wouldn't be as necessary anymore.

In this world, no matter how careful one was, traces would always be left behind.

Just like before—when he had unexpectedly caught the attention of "Eight Fingers." Some troubles couldn't be avoided simply by hiding.

This world, despite its outward stability, was filled with chaos both within and beyond its borders. Eventually, someone foolish enough would come knocking.

If he kept lowering his presence only to one day create a big commotion, that would be even more suspicious.

The presence of the Barghest was a deterrent—just enough to establish his strength without drawing too much fear.

Lyle had taken inspiration from the Overlord's strategy.

But his goal was different.

The Overlord had formed the guild to quickly gain fame and integrate into human society, all for the sake of gathering intelligence.

But Lyle had more than just humans to deal with—there was also the inevitable arrival of the Great Tomb of Nazarick.

The information war had already begun.

His greatest strength was his melee combat abilities, and unless he obtained the job class "Valkyrie," that was unlikely to change.

So, he had decided—he would disguise himself as a magic caster.

The only question was, which kind?

Should he pose as an arcane magic caster, or a divine caster?

So far, aside from "Minor Healing," all the spells he had shown were arcane-based. But he had also deliberately revealed his ability to heal.

It was a tricky choice.

Of course, he could always claim to be a dual-classed caster. This world had its fair share of those, after all.

"...What a shame."

Thinking of Enri, Lyle sighed lightly.

He had noticed her exceptional talent for command-based classes.

If circumstances allowed, he would have recruited her.

But for her to grow in such a class, she would need an actual unit to lead and train—a proper command structure.

And right now, he simply didn't have that.

"Too many things to consider." Lyle rubbed his temples in mild frustration.

"Woof." The Barghest nudged his leg, looking up at him with innocent eyes.