6 Meeting the Graybeard

Without further delay, the two women tail our shadow and place their trust in the three of us goblins. I can understand their feelings of anxiety and will have doubted the same thing if our situations have turned in reverse. Let alone goblins that are deciding to carry their lives.

However, as we step out at the entrance, a pair of footsteps awakes our sanity. Frighten, the two ladies hide behind our backs as we face what was coming out from the open.

"You there," A familiar voice bawls for our recognition. "You cannot leave the slaves."

I trail the hobgoblin's line of sight and lead me to the pair of ladies shivering from behind.

"Funny guy." The monster utters and prepares to swing her axe. "I hate funny guys."

Following his sentence with a growl, the giant sprite charges and finally uses her weapon and might to her dominance.

"I hate serious punks too," I quip while leaning towards my right, dodging the initial strike of the hobgoblins. The monster focuses on my figure and does not want me to escape from its grasps. But the only thing that I need to do is create a space so my friends can back my attacks.

After regaining my balance, I twirl my body over and hit one trap and activate it directly to our advantage.

Soon, nails from multiple surfaces rain at the hobgoblin's body, piercing in different parts of her vitals. Fortunately, this event let Grer, Izz, and the two humans flee with ease.

"If we encounter a hobgoblin, I need you both to escape together with the prisoners," I told Grer before this could even happen, which would make our plan more effective and smooth. Although Izz wanted to decline the offer, it was the only option that we have in order to survive.

The hogoblin shifts her leer to the group running off from a distance, away from the battlefield. She attempts to chase them down, but my sharpened stick will not let her through.

"What? Are you about to run just like that?" I taunt her with my words, knowing that I cannot inflict any vital damage to this monstrosity. Buying enough time for everyone to escape is the only thing that I can do to assure seeing the sun for tomorrow.

The hobgoblin grits her teeth and stampedes towards my direction. Luckily, before we could even clash our fist, I caught a glimpse about her status and knew her movements were sluggish. To compensate for her stagnant speed, the titan sprite's strength is close to thirty, making her the sub-leader of their pack.

I dash to the resting traps at the side and activate each of them in an instant. Various arrows and spikes fly over to our direction, hitting everything on sight. I, who already used up my points in intelligence, strategise the angle of the flying objects and evade them before it could hit me.

The hobgoblin was unlucky, albeit her rough epidermis and scrap of armour enveloped on her body. The moment I looked at her figure, she was already lying on the ground, cold and unmoving.

"I killed her," my thought escapes through my lips as I continue processing the image in front of me. I can never expect to murder such a creature who was also after my life. All I could think about this situation is that I need to survive and meet with my friends at the ingress of the cave.

"I have no choice," I spout an apology to the deceased creature before resuming to the hall. "May you rest in peace."

My feet sprint to the sight of the bloody night and through the twinkling stars in the sky. But, instead of the calm forest breeze, clanking of metals and shouts of human soldiers welcomes my figure.

I instinctively raise my hands and look over to my side and find the two women and the rest of my comrades. They stationed the four of them at the corner and arrived not too long before.

"Move an inch, and we will kill you!" One of the scraggy but armed guards exclaims while pointing his bastard sword straight at my throat.

I simply kneel to the ground whilst my hands over my head as if I was a criminal caught in the scene's act.

Mimicking my movements, Grer and Izz do the same and quietly watch the sequence of the conflict. The tension arises in the site as the seven guards circle beside us, watching at every motion of our body.

They immediately released the two women and watched them ran towards the presence of the aged man. Undoubtedly, the three of them picture the replica of a complete family.

A smile gradually forms on my tired face, hinting my loneliness for my family that I lost along the way. If only I can witness my parents hopefully, I can live a more fulfilling life than today.

The same old man covered in silver and enormous plate armour disrupted my train of thoughts. The colour of his sword changes as he carefully approaches my direction, studying me with both pity and worry.

"Father," The young lady retorts and frees herself from the clutches of one of the observing servicemen.

The guard in charge for her safety abruptly jolts from his post and pursues the running lady. But his efforts immediately get halted by the man in front of me. With a single raise of the captain's hand, he silences everyone and listens to what his daughter was about to say.

"These three goblins saved us from the hobgoblins, father," The lady, whom I suppose we protected, explains our side and defends our lives.

The father standing before me stares into my eye, scrutinising whether her daughter's claims are factual for him to believe. I straightforwardly return his stare and see no means to utter such foolishness to the king. All I have are facts, and the three of us did nothing wrong to harm his precious family.

I notice a photograph dangling on the side of his pockets, nearly falling off with just a sudden move.

"We save your family," I said, still gazing at his baffled optics and hearing the claims that I would say.

"And?" He quickly responds, showing no interest in my reasons. He must have thought that we goblins are greedy creatures and will demand any sort of reward, especially in front of a noble.

However, I am different from the lowly creatures, for I am a reincarnation, and my soul is still humane.

"We would like to ask you to grant us our safety and continue to live in these woods," I said in a formal tone that I can think of. "That is our humble request, your highness."

I do not know what rank this man holds upon the society. But playing safe and acting as if he is prominent person should be our safest bet that can guarantee our escape.

"You impudent beast!" One guard raises his weapon and hastily runs towards us, intending to kill. Moments later, when the tip of the blade would reach for my head, a glimmering mirror repels the attack and protects my life.

"You dare oppose the decision of the King, soldier?" The man who ambushed me stood still, frozen and scared, after hearing such maddening words coming from the old joe.

"No, sire." He replied while laying his entire body on the ground, grovelling for forgiveness from the act he had done.

Paying his actions with no mind, he orders his troops to lower down the rest of their weapons and allow us three goblins to respect the freedom we wanted.

"However," He said, motioning us to come and follow his rear. "It is still necessary to bring you with us for interrogations. Worry not, and I assure you of the privilege that you need."

He said as he walked past the guards aligned at the centre. The old man's shadow wanes from our sight, and our feet follow his trail.

"What do you think would happen to us?" Grer croaks while cutting his dirty fingernails, showing his mountain of worry oozing from his body. I can also discern his head profusely sweating from this eyes marking us among the shadows.

"It will be alright," I assert to both Grer and Izz and finally sense their feelings slowly calming down after hearing my positivity.

"Did you find him?" I added, hoping that we achieve our secondary aim about locating our kidnapped friend by the same foes of the hobgoblins.

"We didn't, brother." Izz murmurs to herself, wishing we have heard her voice. 'He's no longer with us."

Lost in thought, I allow the quietness to envelop the atmosphere, unable to utter anything at this moment. Grer does the same as he looks on the horizon, deep in his thoughts, and prays for the soul of our dear goblin friend.

As I looked back from the broken tunnel, I saw the leader of the hobgoblin tribe lying on the moist soil. Examining his body from afar, I perceive no visible cuts coming from any weapons other than impaling stones, metals, and arrows struck on every part of his body.

"Did the soldiers kill the leader?" I randomly asked, expecting much out of the well-armed servicemen.

"We killed him." Grer retaliates while flashing me a sincere smile.

______________________________________________

[Congratulations! You are now level 5!]

Name]: {Nameless} [Titles]: {Slightly Weak} {Loyal Leader-Friend}

[Species]: {Goblin} [Occupation]: {none}

[Age]: {0.03 year old} [Class]: {none}

[Level 5] {Next Level-> 213/10,000 Experience}

[Stat points]-{12+8 (for killing the hobgoblin)}

[STR]- 2 [VIT]- 2 [MEN]- 1

[DEX]- 1 [INT]- 11 [LCK]-1

-Unlocked Skill!

[Unrivaled]- Passive Skill. You and your party are immune to negative effects regardless of tier of magic.

[Name: Grer]

[Goblin {Male} lvl 7] [Title: Loyal Friend to {Nameless:?? (Blake Heathens)}]

[Class]: {Trickster}

[Stat points]-{0}

[STR]- 20 [VIT]- 10 [MEN]- 9

[DEX]- 33 [INT]- 11 [LCK]-10

[Name: Izz]

[Goblin {Female} lvl 5] [Title: Loyal Friend to {Nameless:?? (Blake Heathens)}]

[Class]: {Brawler}

[Stat points]-{0}

[STR]- 33 [VIT]- 30 [MEN]- 8

[DEX]- 5 [INT]- 14 [LCK]10