Companions?

The day had turned dark with goblins sitting around the bonfire, enjoying dinner with laughter echoing towards the carts. The two wooden carts they brought were not far from there, but not too close either. There was a distance of about three meters and they were all busy with the ongoing match between Glok and the troops. They wanted to prove who was the strongest and held an arm wrestling match.

However, despite their bodies not being smaller than Glok's, he still managed to defeat his opponent. Among every goblin in the village, it was a well-known secret that the strongest person after the village head was his son, Glok. They could still remember how the village head slammed Glok aside in the arm wrestling match, and since then, no one dared to challenge him.

After the match ended, which was won by Glok, he walked towards the cart, leaving the troops holding their aching arms. Glok thought to take out the iron Construct from there and feed it. However, he remembered that only his right eye was visible, while the rest of his face remained covered.

"What are you doing?" Teena asked, puzzled.

"I wanted to feed him, but I just remembered that his face is still covered and only that menacing right eye is visible," he explained. Audibly concerned, Glok felt worried about the person, making Teena smile softly as this side of him was what made her fall in love with him.

"Don't worry, as long as he's given mana, there shouldn't be a problem."

That's true, mana could be used as a substitute for food in emergencies. Although it couldn't completely eliminate hunger, the body would still have energy and strength thanks to it.

"But, I still feel like he should be fed or at least taken out from there, rather than being buried alone in the cart. I still remember clearly father's words to put me in his position, and if I were in that Construct, I would surely want to be near the bonfire to get warmth," Glok explained to Teena while trying to find the figure of the Construct under the pile of provisions.

"Then why not take him there?" Teena asked again.

"Because we're all eating. Watching others eat when you can't taste it yourself, it's torture. We're not the kind of people who would torture others. I can't bear to see him just watching, unable to move or speak. He must be suffering greatly inside there."

Teena thought for a moment, trying to find a way to ease her lover's worries, and came up with an idea. "Why not just open it? I'm sure he'd be glad to get out of there too."

Glok recalled how he could withstand the claws and sharp teeth of lizards, then sighed heavily while shaking his head. "It's no use. His armor is much stronger than iron. My father and I did say he's an iron Construct, but his armor is far stronger than ordinary iron. I don't know what he's made of, but whatever we try, we'll never be able to scratch that armor even a bit."

Teena fell silent, unable to imagine what her lover had witnessed when they escaped. She had heard stories from the troops, even from the Commander. But she was still skeptical if the iron Construct was really that strong because if it was true, then what the Commander said about him being stronger than the heroes would be true. It was hard to imagine something stronger than them.

The heroes were already a symbol of the kingdom. They were called heroes because they were the last line of defense, someone who would only act when the situation was beyond the control of the elite forces. Imagining if there was something out there, other than the iron Construct, stronger than them, filled her heart with fear. If they couldn't stop it, then who else could?

"Is he really that strong?" Teena asked, seeking reassurance.

Glok moved the provisions. "You were one of the spectators watching my match against one of the heroes. I know how strong they are, and let me tell you, Teena. This iron Construct—no. More precisely, whoever is inside, is stronger than them."

Teena remained silent, deciding to help Glok move the provisions to avoid dwelling on it. However, instead of being distracted, she became more worried about what would happen if the heroes were truly defeated by something. If that were to happen, what could ordinary people like them do? Surrender and accept death?

Glok also understood why Teena asked that. He himself feared the same thing. He had felt the strength of the heroes. However, if they were to face the lizards, they might win one-on-one. But two at once? Glok was sure they would also be severely injured if not dead.

After moving the provisions, assisted by the warriors who quickly moved when they saw their young master doing so, they together moved the iron Construct towards the bonfire so that the person inside could feel the warmth.

Ailord remained silent there, not understanding why the goblins were now placing him near the bonfire. Inside the Construct, he was already sweating. However, although not very effective, he could feel a bit of warmth from his right eye.

A faint smile formed inside, a thin smile he rarely showed to others.

'These goblins, not bad after all.'

Their night began with Ailord just staring as Glok struggled to explain what would happen in the land of the elves, accompanied by strange expressions and movements, as if Ailord were a baby. The troops laughed at their young master's efforts, joining in shortly after, and eventually, the group looked more like a street performance troupe than elite goblin forces.

Teena couldn't stop laughing, Rako also tried to help, while Tuko just sat quietly watching them, occasionally chuckling. Something Ailord had never imagined would happen when he was brought to the goblin village.

He understood they were trying to explain something, but all he could do was try to hold back his laughter so as not to lose control or they would hear him. Not because he felt worried or scared, but Ailord rarely laughed in front of strangers. It took him a little time even to smile.

Besides realizing that the goblins weren't so bad, he also noticed something else. Something he had realized when he was in the room with the big goblin before and was still not so sure. Now, he was truly convinced, hoping that nothing bad would happen during their journey. Although, Ailord's feelings said otherwise.

When it was time to sleep, the goblins entered three large tents while two knights stood guard. One sat in front of the bonfire, while the other walked ahead, checking for any lurking danger. However, they were still elite forces despite the previous performance making that impression fade. It could be seen from their movements, they were always watching their surroundings even though they seemed relaxed.

Ailord thanked himself for creating Walker instead of something more unsafe to use. He could have created a firearm, but bullets might not be effective against monsters or other living creatures, considering they had mana and magic. And that was evident in the fight with the two lizards. Ordinary iron was ineffective against them and lead? Yeah, no hope. Even if Ailord created a weapon like a laser, his body would still be unprotected and certainly couldn't withstand creatures that were basically super-powered. Also the energy consumption will be big, meanwhile Walker still doesn't have that big energy storage yet, not to mention the cost. 

Using something big like a vehicle would also immediately attract attention. He still didn't know the situation in this world and what its inhabitants were like. He was lucky to meet the kind-hearted goblins. What if he met other races that turned out to be cruel? He could be skinned alive now or crushed along with Walker.

The safest option was to use a robot that was not only small but also had strong defense and attack capabilities. At the same time, it served as transportation due to its speed.

"Without Blandar, I might have died on the first day," he murmured softly as he observed the sky full of the beautiful shimmer of stars. "If only the night sky on Earth were as beautiful as this. I might go out of my room more often."

The warrior who had been by the bonfire came closer, carrying a leather pouch filled with snacks. "Sorry to disturb you. I feel it's much better to talk than to sit quietly and get sleepy. You're not ready to sleep yet, are you? I keep hearing you muttering."

Ailord smiled in response. "It's up to you."

"Alright."

At that moment, they were both surprised, not expecting Ailord to understand their language and use it as if it were his own.