Chapter 8

If the Goblin King appeared in this forest, it would make sense that goblins would gather in groups to attack humans.

In such a case, it would be reasonable to consider it dangerous. A group of goblins, organized under the command of the Goblin King, is not something to be taken lightly.

The fairy village, a natural fortress, has nothing to worry about, but human villages might be completely wiped out.

Of course, that wasn’t Roo’s concern. Whatever happened to the human villages, Roo didn’t particularly care.

What Roo was curious about was why she was trapped in a glass bottle and ended up in this place.

And most importantly,

“Where is my sister?”

She was concerned about Ariel’s whereabouts.

But this didn’t seem like a problem that could be solved by just thinking about it. In the end, she had no choice but to take action.

Roo decided to follow the goblins’ footprints first.

She had no interest in the humans who were attacked, but perhaps Ariel might have been taken by the goblin group.

Of course, it didn’t seem like Ariel would be defeated by mere goblins… but there was always a possibility.

Ariel was still a young elf.

It wouldn’t be strange if she fell into a trap. If she fell into a trap, even Ariel could be in danger.

Worried about Ariel, Roo quickly began to fly.

“Sister, wait for me! Roo is coming!”

The direction was where the goblin footprints led.

*

“It really wasn’t a good idea to leave the village…”

Tom muttered pitifully.

The adults in the village always said that outside the palisade was full of dangers.

Jack dismissed it as nonsense, but in the end, the adults were right.

Outside the palisade was dangerous. That’s why they ended up in this situation.

Jack’s gang, who were kidnapping an elf and a fairy to take to the city, were ambushed by goblins in the forest.

If it were just one or two, it would be fine, but the goblins that attacked numbered in the dozens.

Jack, who usually boasted that even dozens of goblins, such trivial monsters, wouldn’t faze him, found himself unable to do anything when the situation actually arose.

Covered in blood, he was pinned down by the goblins, screaming horribly.

Susan tried to run away crying but was caught, and Tom just sat in the carriage, holding the sleeping Ariel.

The goblin group didn’t kill Jack’s gang. Instead, they dragged them to their cave and locked them in a prison.

The goblin prison seemed to be made of sturdy wood, but it was by no means crude.

It was so elaborate and sturdy that it was hard to believe goblins made it.

“Ugh…”

Tom curled his large body and sniffled. He was still holding the sleeping Ariel in his arms.

“We’re being punished for kidnapping an elf and a fairy…”

Normally, Susan would have snapped at him to shut up. But Susan didn’t have the energy for that now.

Earlier, while trying to escape from the carriage, she was slashed across the cheek by a goblin’s dagger.

The goblin’s dagger was dull and rusted, so the wound was already festering.

Even if it healed, it would leave a big scar.

A scar on a woman’s face. Just the thought was horrifying.

There’s no way she could seduce a nobleman with a scarred face. Susan was worrying about such things even in this situation.

In fact, it was Susan’s own fault.

If she had stayed quietly in the carriage like Tom, she wouldn’t have been hurt.

Her selfish desire to abandon Jack and Tom and save herself brought this upon her.

In fact, the goblin group didn’t attack Tom. Because Tom showed no intention of attacking or escaping.

“Ugh, ugh…”

Jack, lying in the corner of the prison, groaned.

Earlier, when he was pinned down by the goblin group, his body was torn apart. Now, he was barely conscious, just clinging to life.

He had lost so much blood that he might not make it through the night.

“Idiot.”

Susan glared at Jack. She wanted to beat him up thoroughly.

“Why did you stop the carriage? You could have just ignored them and kept going.”

No matter how many goblins there were, they couldn’t stop a moving carriage.

If Jack had just kept driving the carriage to the city, they might not have ended up in this situation.

The problem was that he underestimated the goblins, thinking there was only one. Well, it’s pointless to argue about it now.

“Kerruk.”

Two goblins entered the prison.

Tom flinched and hugged Ariel tightly, while Susan pressed herself against the wall. Jack just lay there.

The two goblins, holding sharp blades, approached Susan with heavy steps.

“Don’t come, don’t come!”

Susan shouted, trembling. The two goblins tried to drag her out.

“Ahhh! Don’t touch me! If you touch me, the people from our village won’t let you go! They’ll kill all of you!”

Susan struggled and shouted, but there was no way the goblins could understand human language.

Even if they did, they wouldn’t be scared.

Instead, the goblins pressed the blade against Susan’s neck.

“Eek!”

Susan’s eyes widened, and she froze. If she moved even a little, the blade would pierce her neck.

“Kerruk.”

Satisfied with Susan’s compliance, the goblins nodded and dragged her out.

Now, only Tom, Jack, and Ariel remained in the prison.

“Ugh…”

Tom cried and curled up. No matter how he thought about it, leaving the village was a mistake.

They shouldn’t have kidnapped the elf and the fairy. They were being punished now.

“Sorry… I’m really sorry…”

Tom apologized to the sleeping Ariel.

Ariel wouldn’t be able to escape safely from here either. She was sacrificed because of their greed.

As Tom sniffled, a shiny object flew into the prison with a whoosh.

“What is it, you fat human!”

The flying object was none other than Roo.

“How dare you touch my sister! Take your dirty hands off her now!”

Roo used the momentum of her flight to kick Tom in the face.

Tom wasn’t hurt, but he was shocked. He just sat there, dumbfounded, unable to say anything.

Roo quickly scanned the prison.

Jack, covered in blood, lying in the corner. Tom, crying with tears streaming down his face.

And Ariel, sleeping peacefully in Tom’s arms.

Roo spoke to Tom in a serious tone.

“Explain, human.”

*

Tom explained to Roo.

Their plan to kidnap Ariel and Roo, how they drugged Ariel with a sleeping potion, how they were attacked by goblins while fleeing in the carriage.

He confessed everything honestly.

After hearing Tom’s explanation, Roo clicked her tongue and shook her head.

“Tsk tsk. This is why I hate humans. They’re selfish and greedy to the core. We saved Patricia, and this is how you repay us?”

“I’m really sorry…”

Tom bowed his head to Roo. His apology was sincere.

If possible, he wanted to turn back time. If he could, he would have stopped Jack’s plan.

“Well, there’s no helping it.”

Roo said that and flew over to Jack, who was lying in the corner.

Although Jack’s gang was despicable, Roo wasn’t heartless enough to leave a dying human to his fate.

Roo sprinkled healing powder on Jack. It didn’t seem like enough, so she also fed some to him.

Healing powder is good when sprinkled on the body, but eating it is much more effective. It’s comparable to a priest’s healing magic.

Jack’s body began to glow. The bleeding stopped, and his wounds started to heal.

Now, Jack would soon regain consciousness and wake up.

“That’s done…”

Roo looked exhausted.

Before sprinkling the healing powder on Jack, she had sprinkled sleeping powder on the goblins guarding the prison when she entered.

If she hadn’t, she might not have been able to enter the prison. The goblins would have made a fuss upon seeing the shiny fairy.

Anyway, Roo didn’t have the strength to sprinkle any more powder.

“Now, let’s wake up my sister.”

Roo fluttered over to Ariel. Ariel’s hands and feet were tightly bound with rope.

Seeing that made Roo angry, but she quickly untied the ropes.

“She won’t wake up…”

Tom muttered.

“She took a lot of sleeping potion… Susan said she wouldn’t wake up until tomorrow morning.”

“Sleeping potion?”

Roo chuckled.

Ariel had been drenched in Patricia’s deadly poison and was still fine.

A mere sleeping potion wouldn’t work on Ariel.

In fact, Ariel was just sleeping because she was tired. It had nothing to do with the sleeping potion.

“Sister~ It’s time to wake up~”

Roo said in a sweet tone, tapping Ariel’s cheek, and Ariel slowly opened her eyes.

“That’s right~ Did you sleep well~?”

Ariel blinked a few times with an expressionless face, stretched, and then sat up.

She looked around and tilted her head in confusion.

She clearly fell asleep after eating cream bread and milk in the inn’s dining room, but when she opened her eyes, she was in a completely unfamiliar place.

As Ariel looked around in confusion, Roo explained the situation.

It was exactly what Tom had told her.

And just as Roo’s explanation was almost over, a sharp scream was heard from outside the prison.

“Ahhh!”

It was Susan’s scream as she was dragged away by the goblins.