21 Chapter 20: The Crown
▯A Day Prior | Day 9 | Former Orcs Mine, Unnamed Settlement
"So you have all received some form of god's protection, no? Am I understanding this correctly?"
A young man who looked to be in his late teens muttered quietly.
He lay comfortably curled up on the ground, staring at a wall opposite him. His skin was of a light gray color. He possessed a muscular build despite being slender, and his eyes were sharp; a bloody bright red.
"That is correct, Sir."
A girl with pale white skin answered.
Seven others stood at her side.
Rain poured down incessantly. The sound filled the inside of the cave.
The young man, Ezra, lifted a hand and pointed at one of the girls.
A girl with short black hair and radiant orange eyes—Kanami.
"The Demi-god of Archery."
"Huh...?"
"You have the Divine Protection of the Demi-god of Archery, is that not so?"
"Ah…..Yes…..!"
He then pointed to another. A girl with long black hair and pink eyes—Mei.
"Demi-god of Insight."
"Y-yes..."
A girl with long black hair and purple eyes—Fuuka.
"Demi-god of Madness."
"Yes, Nii-sama."
A girl with brown hair and brown eyes—Haru.
"Demi-god of Harvest."
"Yes….."
A girl with green and white hair—Rai.
"Demi-god of wood"
".....Yes."
A petite girl with pure white hair—Sui.
"Demi-god of Compassion."
"Ah, y-y-y-yes...!"
A girl with brown skin, white hair, and ruby red eyes—Eri.
"Demi-god of Earth and Demi-god of Mining."
"Ahem. Yes!"
And finally.
His hand rested lazily, pointing at the pale girl with blond hair and icy blue eyes—Rin.
"Demi-god of Victory and Demi-god of Warfare."
"Correct."
"That's fascinating. Really....."
"...Have you not received Divine Protection as well, Sir?"
"....Next question."
"Then may I ask what the purpose was in confirming this? Might you have something planned for us?"
"Hmmmm. Well, yes. I do in fact have something planned. It's grander than you might think. I'm deciding on suitable positions for each of you to take up once we return."
"Oh...? We will be returning to that cave? If I may be so blunt, our current location seems more than fitting to become our new home. All nine of us are capable of building a settlement that is worthy of it being so. Please correct me if I'm wrong, Sir, but wouldn't returning be unwise?"
"Aha~ That's a very reasonable assertion, Rin-tan. You and that fucking mouth of yours—Oops. My apologies, that was a terribly rude thing to say."
"....No offense taken, Sir."
"Yes! You forgive me, I'm so glad! Ah, now what was I saying again?"
"Returning to the cave—"
"Right, right, right. Ngh, what I was getting at was....."
He grunted softly, lifting himself off the ground.
Walking over to the cave entrance, he gazed at the falling raindrops.
"Should we not help our comrades in their time of need? Should we not assist them when their heads are as low as dirt? You must see it. All of you must see it."
The others looked around at each other in confusion.
Rin spoke up, giving voice to such confusion.
"Sir. If I'm not mistaken, all of our 'comrades' are already here. Standing in this cave, listening to the rain. Those who stare at Sir in confusion. We, at this moment, have already gathered."
A smile formed on the girls' faces as they nodded in agreement.
Ezra chuckled. In response to her words, he giggled heartily.
It made sense that she'd say something like that. After all, there was a hardened, clear comradery between them. No one could deny it, nor could they get in the way of it.
They were family.
—A droplet of water splashed in the middle of his palm.
"I cannot fault you for that interpretation. Rather, your reasoning is sound, honestly. But still.....the world is much greater than nine bodies. The world is vast. The universe is expansive. As the microorganisms we are, should we not stake claim to what is free? Those who rest securely in all parts of the land, it is not theirs."
—Drip. Drip.
"The sky, the land, the waters, everything. I wish to hold it. I wish to become large enough to embrace all things. You see, I am quite the charitable fellow. A chance is what I am willing to give. An opportunity for the lowly to rise. Tell me. Is that not wonderful?"
—Water trickled down his arm.
"....Then do you mean to become king, Sir?"
He turned around.
His lips twisted into a smile.
"Yes....I mean to become King."
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▯Present Day | Day 10 | Goblins Den
The day was ordinary.
Ordinary as any other for the young and older goblins.
Some had gone out to forage for food, while others had stayed inside to mill about.
It was inevitable that some would be hungrier than others, and that was especially true for the girls.
Although quite a few of the males had tried to help, the majority of their efforts amounted to nothing.
With what little equipment and ability they had, there wasn't much they could do on their own.
Well, perhaps there were indeed exceptions among them.
Those cunning and resourceful enough would live out their lives in moderate comfort, and two goblins present fit into that category with ease.
Even within that group, they were a pair that couldn't help but stand out.
Goburou and Gobukichi.
While not many knew them specifically by name, with how much prey they brought back each time, the younger generation had no choice but to notice.
Their level of strength and skill had exceeded all expectations.
Thus, a plot silently began to brew.
A plot that the crafty young goblin girls had convinced their younger male kin to follow.
It would only take place within a couple days, so they bided their time well.
However, on this day in particular, something unexpected occurred.
It was early noon. The sun shone past the trees and lit up a small portion of the cave.
That brief bit of light allowed those inside to gauge the time of day, yet a group of shadows were suddenly cast over them.
Every goblin present instinctively turned toward the entrance. Bewilderment clouded their expressions, but in the next moment, their confusion immediately turned into an alert anxiety.
Standing within their line of sight were nine figures in total. One male and eight females. Presumably not of the ordinary goblin species.
As the tall male creature who possessed light gray skin and red eyes stepped inside, their anxiety soon turned into fear.
A smile split the creature's face as he gazed silently at them, his female entourage behind him doing the same.
There was nothing anyone could do. For the aura he exuded was dominating enough that the thought of defending themselves didn't even come to mind.
Submit. Something in their bodies were urging them to submit.
While the younger generation, with the exception of a few, had absolutely no will to fight, the older goblins could at least manage themselves well enough to move.
Then, at this moment, the red eyed creature opened his mouth.
"Haaaa~ It hasn't been long. No, not long at all. But comrades, we have returned. Oh, so valiantly, we have finally returned home. Friends, where are your smiles? Have you forgotten your laughter? This is a joyous day, and I must share it with all of you...…..!"
His grin grew wider.
However, a second later—
—Thud.
Something dropped to the ground.
A corpse.
Not any corpse familiar to them, but the large corpse of an Orc.
"Ah..."
A soft gasp resounded.
—Thud. Thud. Thud.
Then, more bodies came pouring out from nowhere.
While everyone present had no idea where these corpses were coming from, they could at least recognize that this was the doing of 'that' creature.
And soon enough, the ground became filled with bloody corpses.
The eyes of all goblins were as round as saucers, and their mouths hung agape.
They looked back and forth between the dead Orcs and the red eyed creature. Their gazes gradually grew feverish.
They couldn't have ever imagined it. They could hardly process it.
It was a miracle.
"Comrades."
The creature spoke.
"Comrades, this is a feast. You have never once seen a bountiful harvest. You have never dreamt of it. In what lifetime have your bellies been full? What can God offer you that I can't? Hear me. You aren't required to understand but do hear me. I am your lord and savior. I have come to guide you as a father would their son—As a mother would their daughter. I offer you protection. The wind and rain cannot harm you without my say so. The claws and fangs of feral beasts will have to think twice before wounding your flesh. Friends...…..I ask that you follow me. Let us drink the blood of our enemies and dine on their remains. Together, for as long as I still breathe, I will lead you into prosperity."
He was radiant.
The sun shone behind him, giving him a halo of light.
No matter who it was, they couldn't help but be captivated by his figure.
It was almost divine.
Standing above a pile of large corpses, this creature, no, this greater being had come bearing love.
A sincerity that had touched the hearts of all who listened.
Well, all except one.
Although the feeble goblins could hardly comprehend the full extent of his words, they understood the fact that this greater being was offering his protection.
And in return for that protection, the majority had no qualms with submitting.
The chief, the king, the ruler, or whatever they desired to call him at this moment had come.
He had come.
And that, too, with the promise of endless blessings.
