“So the Kobold race was originally from outside the Great Forest.”
“Yes. About five hundred years ago, the Lavanya Empire hunted us to the brink, and we fled into this Great Forest.”
The following morning.
All of us were riding on a Demeter-type, heading toward the Kobold settlement.
Since we’d already been getting expedition preparations together, we could set out right away.
On the way there, riding on its swaying back, we talked again with Popol and the others.
“Hunted out and had to flee……but how did you manage in the Great Forest after that? I don’t mean any offense, but you’re not exactly the strongest race around.”
“No, we’re not. But we’re very good at hiding. We’ve managed to slip away from monster threats and the power struggles in the forest. And once we found the Great Serpent, it protected our village.”
“I see. So you’d been doing well up until now, but once the Great Serpent went wrong, the Goblin King took notice.”
“Yes. The village warriors were also lost trying to suppress the Great Serpent after it lost its mind……”
Popol’s shoulders drooped.
A textbook case of misfortune piling on misfortune.
No Great Serpent to protect the village, and the warriors gone on top of it.
No wonder the Goblins saw it as their moment.
“Hey Popol, are we almost there? I’m starting to feel a little sick……”
“Just a bit further, about ten minutes!”
“Ten whole minutes!?”
“Lady Misha, some water.”
“Wait, it’s rocking too much, I can’t drink!”
Makina held out a water flask to Misha, but the swaying instantly sent the contents flying everywhere.
……Everything’s a disaster!
So everyone got soaked, and just then, through the trees, a large rocky mountain came into view.
Was that the mountain where the Great Serpent lived?
Far more imposing than I’d imagined — it had to be around two hundred meters high.
“Our village is at the foot of that mountain.”
“I had no idea there was a mountain like that so close to base.”
“It’s almost strange we didn’t notice it until now.”
“The demon frontier’s trees grow that densely, I suppose.”
A few dozen more minutes of travel.
At the foot of the rocky mountain, a small fenced village came into view.
About one size larger than our village, in terms of scale.
The buildings visible beyond the fence were surprisingly civilized — wooden pillars and solid stone-laid walls were the distinctive feature.
You could tell us it was a human village and it would fit perfectly.
“There it is — that’s our village!”
“It’s small, but the buildings are surprisingly well-made.”
“Barely any different from a human village.”
“Though if you look closely, there are no fields.”
When I pointed that out, Popol’s face took on a slightly awkward look.
He shrugged and said:
“Until now, we got most of our food through hunting and foraging. But with the Great Serpent going out of its mind, we lost many of our warriors. Lately we haven’t been able to hunt much.”
“Oh right — you mentioned you hadn’t had much meat to eat.”
“Yes……”
Popol and Lopul both looked miserable.
Judging by the pile of fruit they’d brought to our village, foraging was still going fine — but as a species that leaned toward carnivorous habits, not having meat must be a serious problem for them.
I’d have to bring some from our food storage after all this.
At this rate they’d be beaten before the Goblins even showed up.
I was still mulling things over as we gradually drew closer to the village.
The Kobolds standing guard at the gate spotted us and erupted into a panic.
“Wh-what are you! G-go away!!”
“It’s a monster we’ve never seen before!!”
……Right, of course — Demeter would look like nothing but a new species of monster to them.
We exchanged looks — oh no — and Popol and his brother quickly jumped down from Demeter’s back.
“It’s alright! These people are on our side!”
“Popol! And Lopul too! You made it back!”
“Are these the humans you mentioned — from the new village?”
They were probably not used to seeing humans.
The guards looked us over from head to toe with a thorough, unsparing gaze.
Under that relentless scrutiny, Alicia’s expression went slightly sour.
Sensing it, Popol stepped in.
“I’ll explain everything later. More importantly, could you bring the village chief?”
“……Understood, I’ll fetch them right away.”
The guard hurried off into the village at a quick pace.
A few minutes later, a single Kobold came walking slowly toward us, leaning on a cane.
This must be the village chief.
With a dog face it was somewhat harder to judge, but he was obviously elderly.
His clothes were also a step above the other Kobolds, and he wore a pendant with a jeweled stone around his neck.
“Chief! Popol, Lopul — we’ve returned!”
“Good, you’ve made it back. And these — these are the people from the new village I’ve been hearing about?”
“Yes. When we explained the situation, they offered to help.”
“Ohhhh……! My word……!!”
Tears welled up in the chief’s eyes.
He collapsed down to his knees right there on the ground and looked up at the sky.
“Great god above……! You had not abandoned us after all……! I am Mumul, the village chief — I am in your hands, I beg of you……!!”
The chief bowed his head deeply to the ground.
Watching him press his forehead nearly into the dirt, we all felt too uncomfortable standing there and immediately climbed down from Demeter.
“Please don’t bow your head like that.”
“Not at all — with you coming to save our village, this much is only proper……! You there, why aren’t you bowing your heads too!”
The chief turned and told the surrounding Kobolds to bow as well.
Immediately, every Kobold in the area looked at us and lowered their heads.
……Somehow this feels like being a king.
Even upper nobility at the earl’s level don’t get this treatment anymore.
That’s how desperately the Kobolds were reaching out for salvation.
“……I am Viktor Stein. I’ve come to pioneer this forest. The Goblin Lord marching on this village — we will drive them back, without fail!”
To put the Kobolds at ease even a little, I made a bold declaration that was frankly unlike me.
At which point, Makina dropped to one knee before me with a deep bow.
“Everything as Master commands.”
Her bearing was exactly like a knight pledging loyalty.
Alicia and the others fell to one knee behind her in turn.
Applause erupted immediately, and the Kobolds’ cheers rang out.
And so we began preparing for battle, together with the Kobolds——.