◆Dark Knight, Kuroki

  We’re flying above Akeron mountain range on Glorious. There’s a huge cave in the place where the mountains become slightly rugged.

  Inside this cave is a den of goblins. Though not nocturnal, goblins inhabit in darkness. For this reason, many of them choose to live in a cave where light does not enter.

  I’ll be leaving Glorious at the entrance of this goblin den.

  Descending right after me is Kuna who was behind me on Glorious.

  「Kuroki, is this Karon kingdom?」


  Kuna is saying so while looking at the cave. I nod at her.

  「Yeah, no doubt about it, but… This is also the first time I have come to this place」


  Karon kingdom is located in the northern part of Akeron mountain range. In short, this goblin kingdom is just right before Nargol.

  Thus, the goblin kingdom is also under Modes’s governance. This den of goblins is otherwise known as Karon kingdom. I don’t know how many goblins reside in this kingdom, but it seems their number is the largest among the goblin tribes in Nargol.

  We approach the five goblins who are standing at the entrance.

  My eyes are drawn to the goblin that is standing in the middle of their formation. An adult goblin’s height isn’t that much different from the height of a 10~12 years old kid human. But, the goblin in the middle is at least one size larger than the other goblins.

  「Gob has been waiting for you, your Excellency Diehart. Gob’s name is Keneo」


  The goblin in the middle is bowing to me.

  「Gob?」


  Though most words of this goblin called Keneo were hard to understand, I heard it loud and clear. However, the strange title I heard just now was just my imagination, right?

  After that big goblin bowed to me, it then glanced at my side. Naturally, it’s looking at Kuna.

  「Welgob to your Excellency’s honored wife, too」


  It then bowed to Kuna. It seems that strange punctuation wasn’t just my imagination.

  「Wife… Quite sharp eyes you have there」


  Kuna muttered so. I wonder why. However, Kuna seems to be happy.

  「Gob way please, our queen has been waiting for you」


  Keneo told us to follow him.

  He is guiding us into the den of goblins. Inside the dark nest of the goblins, the only source of light is just the lantern with light bugs inside. [TL: Not firefly but, light bug] Though I’m fine in the darkness due to my night vision, that lantern might be of great help for Kuna.

  We were passing by many different goblins along the way.

  Though they’re in similar size to that of 10~12-year-old human kids, their power rivals that of a human adult. Their head is as tough as a stone blade, so your usual weapon can’t crack those tough nuts. If one were to fight a goblin, one needs to aim for another place. But a good song is the best way to avoid a fight with them. They simply can’t stand a beautiful singing voice.

  Normal goblins fundamentally live in a forest or a cave. The level of civilization is similar to the primitive man in the textbook.

  That is the ecology of goblins taught by Ruugas. In fact, the goblins that I saw until now are textbook examples of that lesson.

  But, it seems the goblins of this Karon kingdom are different from normal goblins. Their standard of living is higher, even the clothes they are wearing isn’t inferior to the ones I saw in Rox kingdom. The walls of the cave were also not just crudely dug; they had flattened the surface and maintained it well.

  The pieces of equipment on Keneo, walking in front of me, aren’t inferior to a human knight’s.

  Soon, we arrived at a wide space. This room is bright since it’s illuminated with several lanterns of light bug all over the place.

  A gigantic goblin is sitting in the inner part of that room. Its size is around the same as me, but it might have a hard time to move due to its heavy weight. In contrast to the other bald goblins, this goblin has long hair. And then, I can feel a tremendous surge of magical power from this goblin. This magical power rivals the demon tribe’s magical power.

  「Huge….」


  Kuna is muttering so. I don’t know if it’s okay to say such things to this goblin, but this must be the queen of Karon kingdom, isn’t she?

  「Gob excellency, over there is our queen, Datie-sama」


  Keneo said as he points at the gigantic goblin. Yup, she really is their queen. To be honest, she doesn’t look like a goblin nor a woman, but I won’t say that out loud.

  「Welcome to Karon kingdom, your excellency Diehart」


  Datie is bowing at me.

  I remove my helmet and then place it under my armpit. Though I’m more or less on a higher standing than her, it’s impolite to talk to someone with your helmet on.

  「I’m Diehart. I heard that there’s some sort of a problem, but what happened really? 」


  But, Datie is looking at me without saying anything. For some reason, chills run down my spine when I’m exposed to that gaze.

  「Even though Kuroki is asking you a question, why are you not answering him? Kuna absolutely won’t forgive a silly reason!!」


  Waves of magical power were being released from Kuna’s body.

  「WHAT THE! Kuna!!」


  I got flustered.

  The goblins in this room including Keneo and Datie are frightened by Kuna’s threat.

  It seems she wasn’t even considering Datie’s status at all.

  「My apologies, your excellency」


  Datie is apologizing to me.

  「I-It doesn’t matter. Calm down, Kuna. So, what had actually happened?」


  After soothing Kuna, I asked the same question to Datie.

  「Yes, the truth is… Some humans have been trying to invade Akeron mountain these days」


  「EH….」


  I let out a dumbfounded voice after Datie’s answer. That is a big deal.

  「C… Could it be Reiji-tachi, but…」


  Just in case, I put Nut to spy on Reiji’s movements. I heard that he’s going toward the western side of the continent right now. When did he come here?

  「You’re wrong, your Excellency. The one who came isn’t the hero. Though their arrival is, in fact, insignificant and not worthy of reporting it to you… I just want to make sure of some things….」


  So that means you called us since you can’t make a decision about it.

  If Reiji-tachi is coming to attack, this Karon kingdom will be their first opponent. It seems that they had passed through this kingdom without notable resistance last time.

  The Nargol of that time had no communication network, so it had taken a while for them to notice Reiji-tachi’s invasion.

  Due to this experience, the Nargol side decided to install magical warning devices. Even if it’s not an urgent matter, any abnormalities will be known on time.

  And then, the warning device wasn’t used this time. It might be an urgent matter, but this is definitely not an emergency situation.

  「It began with a few tribes who were dwelling in the southern side, but they started crossing the ridge and came to Karon. At first, I thought they came here due to an internal dispute between the clans, but… According to the messenger I sent to the south, it was a completely different scenario」


  「Thus, you became aware that the humans are coming to attack you?」


  Datie is nodding at my words.

  「They’re still crossing the ridge and won’t arrive in a while, but it seems the southern side has been raided by them so many times already. I neither know what they want nor their goals…. They’re really scary, your excellency」


  Datie arms are wriggling around and her body is trembling in fear. Such a weird scene.

  It is possible for those humans to have some sort of a goal. Or is it just a goblin subjugation?

  「You said it before that they’re not Reiji and his group, but do you know about their origin?」


  Though I don’t know whether goblins can differentiate the women, let’s ask her just in case.

  「I’ll recognize them at once if they’re a hottie like the hero of light, your Excellency. And if the heroes ever came again, this time I’ll even use my body so that they can’t set their foot on Nargol….」


  Upon hearing Datie’s remark, my thought is “Uwaaa”. I forgot that the humanoid races of this world, for some mysterious reason, have similar aesthetic senses as humans.

  Poor Reiji.

  「According to our information, the one who came to attack is a man called Parish, the hero of Algore. I made someone skilled in painting to draw his picture. He is definitely not the hero of light. Even if Parish is a hottie, he’s not at the level of the hero of light」


  Datie said so while wriggling her eerie body.

  Ever since I heard Datie spoke a while ago, there’s a noun that I can’t ignore.

  「Algore… That was Regena’s home」


  I remember Kuna’s words.

  「Yes, it was Regena’s home」


  Algore kingdom should be the country that was ruled by Regena’s father.

  I forgot about that since Regena never talked about herself before she came to Nargol.

  But then, since it’s about that hero of Algore, what was the reason for the hero of Algore to attack the goblins at the southern mountain range?

  I might be able to know the reason if I asked Regena, but I didn’t ask her in the end. Regena’s family was also murdered by the people who took over Algore right now. I don’t wish to ask something that will make her remember about those painful memories.

  Moreover, there’s also the possibility for the hero to have conspired with the current government to exile Regena’s family. There’s still more to ask.

  Does Regena want to exact her revenge against those people? Since Regena had never said anything, I don’t know of it since I never asked her about that, too.

  Though she never told me whether she possessed any grudges against them, I never had any intention to help her in that matter, either.

  I don’t know which way is the best for her. I don’t think it’s a good thing for her, a female human, to spend a long time living in Nargol, the Kingdom of Demons. She has no choice but to look for a nice country somewhere to settle herself.

  I’m also pondering about that matter.

  Suddenly, I feel a certain gaze toward me. When I raise my face, Datie is looking at my direction.

  「What’s the matter?」


  「It’s nothing, I just feel that your excellency is a hottie on the same level as the hero of light. GUFUFUFU」


  Datie is laughing while smacking her lips. It’s as if her gaze won’t leave my body.

  Suddenly, I feel chills running across my spine, again.

  「Stop looking at Kuroki with those murky eyes of yours! Queen of goblins! Kuroki is MINE! 」


  Kuna got angry when she realized that Datie’s gaze won’t leave me anytime.

  「AH! It’s okay, Kuna. I know your feeling. Please leave the matter about this hero of Algore to us! Let’s go, Kuna!」


  After soothing Kuna’s anger, I quickly leave this place.

  I ignore Datie who was trying to keep me there.

  This place will be in danger if I do not leave immediately.

  I left Karon kingdom in a hurry.

  … … …


  ◆Prince of Algore, Omiros

  「FLASH!!」


  「GUGYAAA!」


  「GUAAAA!」


  The flash magic fired by Parish exploded.

  The goblins exposed to that flash of light are wailing as they squint their eyes. Goblin, a creature who lives in the darkness is weak to light. They won’t be able to see anything for a while.