Chapter 15 : Escape (1)

Once I was freed from the restraints, I began searching for the person in charge of this place.

Since we were inside a cave, the path was winding, and the only light source was torches, making it quite dark.

But I calmly made my way, breaking the limbs of goblins one by one as I found my way.

“Do you have a moment? I think we need to have a conversation.”

Finally, I was able to reach the place where the leader of this place was.

“So, you didn’t recognize us and brought us here tied up?”

“I apologize.”

“And because we were tied up like that, we almost faced something terrible?”

“I apologize.”

“I almost got violated, you know that?”

“I’m really sorry! Our guys haven’t learned much yet, that’s why.”

In front of me, the goblin leader was answering with his head pressed to the ground.

I shot back at him in a tone that was still sharp.

“What would have happened if you hadn’t recognized the princess? Do you think the goblins would have left her alone?”

“I’m truly sorry! I have committed a grave sin for which I have no excuse. Please spare my life!”

The goblin leader slammed his head to the ground again.

The sound of the goblin’s head hitting the floor echoed loudly.

It had already been about 30 minutes of me blaming him, and the goblin shouting apologies and banging his head on the ground.

As I watched the goblin leader hit his head on the ground once more, I thought.

By now, maybe it’s time to hear him out?

The ones who had malicious intent towards me already had their limbs and precious parts broken, and this goblin leader’s head had hit the ground about 20 times by now.

Besides, it wasn’t even this guy who did anything, right?

He probably didn’t know his goblin buddies would do such a thing either. 

And it’s not like he ever expected to meet us in a place like this.

Of course, as the strong one, there’s no reason I should be considerate of his situation.

But still, after punishing him for 30 minutes, it’s more important to find out why they’re here than to keep punishing him.

Alright, it’s time to listen to his story now.

After all, he wasn’t the one who tried to violate me, and he’s showing enough remorse.

My anger had sufficiently subsided, and I’d say the punishment for the leader was sufficient at this point.

I sighed and spoke.

“At least I didn’t kill them.”

“Pardon?”

The goblin leader looked at me as if he didn’t understand.

What, why.

“I said I didn’t kill the goblins.”

“Ah… th… thank you.”

Yeah, that’s how it should be.

In the past, I would’ve already chopped their heads off, so letting them off with broken limbs is pretty lenient.

At first, I did think about cutting off their heads… but maybe because they pretended to be nuns or something? 

I started to wonder if I really needed to kill them, and it seems my heart softened.

So now, the punishment time is over… let’s get to the main point.

“So why are you here?”

I crossed my legs and asked.

“Pardon? What do you mean?”

“Not just you, but why are so many goblins here? This place isn’t suitable for you to settle down in long-term, so what’s the reason?”

The reason I’m asking is because this place isn’t suitable for goblins to live in.

The reason is that there’s a significant difference between the land where humans live and the land where demons live. 

For one, the plants and animals in demon territory are much larger and grow much faster than those in human territory.

Why does that matter to the goblins, you ask? 

Well, goblins are famous for being insatiable eaters, as it’s written in books. 

They are known for their voracious appetites.

So for them, demon territory is a better place to live than human territory. 

There’s plenty of food, and it grows back quickly even after they’ve eaten it all.

Because of this, it’s rare to see goblins in human territory, where everything grows slower than in demon territory.

That’s why it’s strange. 

Why are they here, leaving behind the plentiful demon lands?

I’ve heard of mindless creatures being found in human lands occasionally…

But these goblins have enough intelligence to set traps like the Demon King’s army. And yet, they’re here doing this? It doesn’t make sense.

“That’s because…”

The goblin leader paused, as if he was thinking about something.

It didn’t seem like they were here for a good reason. His expression twisted as he recalled why they came.

The goblin leader, with an unpleasant look on his face, slowly opened his mouth.

“The reason we are here is… because our homeland was taken from us by outsiders.”

“Your homeland was taken? Tell me more.”

“Originally, we lived in one of the small mountains in the territory of the vanguard, Lord Balian.”

The goblin leader smiled as if reminiscing about the good old days and continued speaking.

“Everything there was great. Although the mountain was small, there was plenty to eat, and no matter how much we ate, the food quickly grew back.” 

“Thanks to this environment, we lived without any worries about food.”

“And recently, the young men of our village, led by me, distinguished ourselves as scouts on the battlefield, and we were living truly happy days.”

The goblin leader paused to catch his breath before continuing.

But recently, outsiders came to visit our homeland. And that was the beginning of everything.

That person made a single demand of us. 

He said that if we wanted to continue living there, we must obey his command without question.

His demand was simple. He wanted us to believe in his god.

A god? A religion? So they have religious evangelists here too.

I thought about the church ladies from my previous world as I listened to his story.

But for us, who already believe in the goblin god, his demand was absurd, and after much discussion, we decided to drive him out.

However, he protested, saying he wouldn’t leave until we changed our minds. 

In the end, we had to take up weapons and drive him out.

But we didn’t know. We didn’t know what would happen after that.

The day after we refused to convert… they came back armed. 

And they made the same demand again. We refused again, and when they heard our answer, they…

The goblin leader’s voice began to tremble with frustration.

“They mercilessly slaughtered my brothers and sisters.”

“We resisted fiercely.”

“I used magic, and the young men of the village took up weapons and fought back.” 

“But our small, weak bodies were no match for their great power and weapons.” 

“All we could do was abandon our home and flee from them.”

“No matter where we ran or hid within the territory, they somehow always found us.”

“As we kept fleeing, we eventually ended up here.”

The goblin leader continued speaking in a voice that seemed to choke back his anger.

“This place isn’t as good as where we used to live, but it’s the best we’ve found so far among the places we’ve passed through.

So, we’ve been here, waiting for the day when we can take revenge, increasing our numbers.”

The goblin leader’s eyes blazed with determination as he spoke.

But… religion, huh… I can’t even begin to guess who these people are.

“Do you know what religion they follow?”

“They call themselves the followers of the Church of the End.”

The Church of the End? 

What the heck is that… I’ve never heard of it. 

Even in all the books I read during my time as a nun, I’ve never come across that name. It must not be a very well-known religion.

“The Church of the End…? Do you know anything else? Like the name of the god they worship?”

“I don’t know either.”

The goblin leader shook his head as he answered.

Ah… well, that’s not surprising. If even the biggest human religion, the Church of Origin, doesn’t mention it, how would a goblin even know about it?

I sighed and opened my mouth.

“Sigh. Anyway, I understand your situation now. It must’ve been tough for you.”

Did my words provide him some comfort? It looked like tears were about to come out of the goblin’s eyes.

Seeing his trembling hands and eyes filled with emotion, I continued speaking.

“But I think I need to tell you something that might be a bit harsh.”

I paused for a moment before speaking slowly and clearly, making sure the goblin leader could hear.

“You have to leave this place.”

“What?”

“You need to leave this place.”

“What do you mean?”

The goblin leader looked at me with wide, shocked eyes. 

His confused expression made it clear what was going through his mind. I repeated myself.

“You all need to leave here. No, to be exact, you have no choice but to leave.”

“Why…?”

“The hero has come here.”

I heard the goblin leader take a sharp breath.

“What…? Did I hear that wrong?”

His eyes grew even wider.

As I stared into his bewildered eyes, I began to lay out the truth for him.

“The hero has come here and is looking for you.”

“Why…?”

“Didn’t your people capture the priests sent by the human village?”

“Yes.”

“Why did you capture so many of them? That was far too careless.

With not just one, but several priests disappearing, the humans sensed something was wrong. So, they recruited a strong person to deal with the problem.

Even so, it’s unusual for the hero to take on this task… but somehow, by chance, the hero ended up handling it.”

From what I’ve heard, I can see how much hardship they went through to settle here, but… all of that will be destroyed once the hero arrives, so it’s unavoidable.

They should have known to capture fewer people… Tsk, tsk…

I let out a small sigh and spoke to him.

“You can imagine what will happen if the hero finds you, right? Leave this place quickly.”

“But…”

“But what? Do you have a reason why you can’t leave?”

“But… we have nowhere else to go.”

“Why not? Can’t you go to the territory of Redros?”

At my question, the goblin leader lowered his head and answered weakly.

“Many demons already live in his territory. While it might be okay to stay for a short time… there probably isn’t enough space for us to stay long-term. And the residents there wouldn’t welcome us.”

It’s true… I’ve heard that Redros’s territory is quite a good place to live.

“Hmm… what about Lilia’s territory?”

“She hates goblins like us. The moment we step foot in her land, we’d be slaughtered.”

Ugh, that idiot. Discriminating based on appearance!

Well… what about the other dukes’ territories?

I began to think about the lands of the other dukes.

“Then… The Howling Claw… no, it’s too cold there… Shine won’t work either… and Gawain’s place isn’t suitable either… hmm… then…”

That leaves me? Damn it?

I started thinking about my own territory.

My land, Helia.

What do I have there? Let’s think.

Well, there are a few castles where vampires live, a city full of witches, and… many empty mountains created after the witches randomly captured monsters.

Huh? They could live in my territory?

I’ve confirmed that it meets the conditions, so now the only thing left is for me, as the ruler, to grant them permission…

I began to recall the events that had happened since I came here.

What happened here… I was mocked while tied up… almost forced to eat bugs… and almost… violated… damn it?

The more I think about it, nothing good has happened.

I stared at the goblin leader, who was still bowing his head weakly, and continued thinking.

Do I really need to spare these guys?

Honestly, I don’t want to save the goblins. After everything they did to me…

However, because of the story the goblin leader told earlier, I can’t help but feel the urge to help him.

I lowered my gaze slightly and looked at the goblin leader’s face.

His rough skin and the numerous scars that seemed to be from all the hardships he endured made it seem like the goblins had gone through a lot to make it this far.

Seeing the goblin leader, who had such a tough face, shedding tears as if his world had collapsed… it made me feel a bit sorry for him.

It felt like he was not only the leader of the goblin village but also a father figure. 

Seeing someone like that cry—it felt like watching a father shed tears.

As I looked at him, scenes from the goblin leader’s life seemed to flash through my mind like a panorama.

The goblin leader, furious with the grief of losing his family, the goblin leader, shedding tears as he abandoned his homeland… 

I hadn’t seen it, but I could imagine it so vividly. 

If I don’t help him, the sad ending to this story will likely be him getting his head chopped off by the hero.

Ah, that’s just too sad.

Once again, my heart is softening. This world doesn’t allow for weak hearts…

Sigh… I wasn’t like this before. It’s all because of that damn nun life. Being a nun ruined me!

After making up my mind, I spoke to the goblin leader.

“If you really have nowhere else to go, head to Helia. There are still many empty mountains there.”

“R-Really?”

The goblin, who had been bowing his head, lifted it and looked at me.

“Of course.”

“But… what if those guys have already gone to Lady Hela’s territory… and…”

“That’s impossible. There are vampires and witches there.”

“Couldn’t they have suffered the same damage as us? Or maybe they’ve already been swayed into believing in that religion…”

The goblin spoke with a worried expression.

I cut him off and laughed loudly.

“Hahaha! What are you talking about? Them? Believing in a religion?”

“Vampires and witches believing in a god?” 

That’s like saying a vampire enjoys eating garlic.

They are extremely self-centered creatures. 

They think they’re the best and only care about themselves. 

Do you think those types would believe in a god? 

If anything, they’d hate the gods worshiped by priests, who are their natural enemies.”

I continued with a playful tone.

“Did you say that cult could have harmed them? There’s no way that happened. My people aren’t that weak.”

“And if, by some chance, when I return to my territory, they’ve started believing in some strange religion, or if those cultists have taken over my land… I’ll personally cut off all their heads that very day.”

I smiled and looked at the goblin.

“Now, does that answer your question?”

“Yes, but Lady Hela, as grateful as I am for your offer… there’s one problem.”

“Oh? What’s that?”

“The distance from here to Helia is too far. I’m not sure if my people can endure the journey.”

“Then what else can you do? If that’s the only place to go, you still have to try.”

“But… I can’t guarantee the survival of my people if we go.”

“Ugh, in this situation, do you really have time to worry about that? If you want to survive, you’ll have to accept some sacrifices. And at a time like this, worrying about—”

“Ch-Chief!!! There’s a strange man in the forest!!!”

At that moment, a goblin burst into the room, shouting, cutting me off.

“Gorke was killed without even putting up a fight! There were more than ten of us, but we couldn’t defeat him! That man is too strong! Chief, you have to run!!! He’s coming this way!”

The man the goblin was talking about—there’s no doubt it’s the hero.

So, the hero finally found us, huh?

I looked back at the goblin leader and spoke.

“See? Time’s really running out now. Even as we speak, the hero is getting closer.

Make a decision now. 

Will you take a risk, make some sacrifices, and survive? 

Or will you all just die here like fools? 

The choice is obvious, isn’t it?”

A brief silence followed. After much deliberation, the goblin leader finally spoke.

“We will go to Helia.”

It seemed he had chosen to take the risk. I smiled and said.

“Good choice. If there’s a way to survive, you should at least try it, right?”

As I spoke, I stood up and picked up a rock that was lying nearby.

Holding the rock, I began chanting a magic spell.

“[Destruction]

[Reconstruction]

[Magic Enchantment: Invisibility]”

The rock in my hand turned to dust, then reformed into a thick plate shaped like an eye.

I handed the finished token to the goblin and spoke.

“Take this with you. When you meet the vampires or witches, show it to them.”

“What is this…?”

“It’s like a token. Just show it to them, and they’ll welcome you.

And I’ve enchanted it with invisibility magic. You’re a mage, so you should be able to activate it by channeling your magic. Use it wisely.

Oh, and don’t worry about the spell being broken. The only ones who can detect my invisibility magic are the dukes.”

“T-Thank you so much for giving me something like this…!”

The goblin looked at me with an expression of deep gratitude.

“If you’re thankful, then when you meet the vampires or witches, tell them they’ll be dead if they let any strange people take over my land.

And before you go, let me know where the priests you captured are.”

The goblin leader informed me of the locations where the priests and Bliss were being held.

After learning where they were, I patted the goblin leader on the back and spoke.

“Alright. Now go. Leave before the hero arrives.”

“Lady Hela! We owe you an enormous debt. We, the goblins, will remember this grace forever and repay it with our lives!”

The goblin leader bowed his head deeply in gratitude.

“Got it. But you’ll have to survive first if you want to repay me. So make sure you stay alive.”

“Yes! We will!”

The goblin leader replied with determined eyes.

He immediately ran out of the room and began giving instructions to the other goblins.

Following his orders, the goblins started preparing to move, and the cave became chaotic.

“Lui, is it over now?”

Reina, who had been sitting quietly beside me during my conversation with the goblin leader, approached me.

“Yes.”

“So, now we’re going to find your sister?”

“Yes, it’s time to go find her.”

I stood up and answered her.

“Hehe, let’s go quickly.”

Reina smiled and tugged gently at my sleeve. As I walked alongside her, I thought to myself.

Now, the only thing left is to rescue the heroine in distress, huh?

The problem is, that heroine is a crazy lunatic…

And the bigger problem is, I’m currently a woman too.

Hahaha!

Damn it.