Chapter 11
After accepting the quest, I returned home—and was greeted by a wonderful aroma the moment I opened the door.
Following the scent to its source, I saw Qifeng walking out of the kitchen carrying a pot of freshly stewed soup.
“Wash your hands before you eat, okay?” Qifeng instructed as she passed by me, her golden ponytail swinging back and forth behind her head.
The sight of her wearing an apron caught my attention. We’ve been childhood friends for so many years, but I never realized she was this wife-like?
“No wonder I didn’t see you at the Church. You came home to prepare dinner?” I said, staring at the four dishes and one soup on the table. It looked like she even made a special trip to the market.
“This is such a feast. You must have put a lot of thought into it, right?” Lian Qi couldn’t help but say.
“I just wanted Fei’er to eat a little better,” Qifeng said with a smile. “Go on, try it. I can guarantee the flavor is good.”
I took a bite of Qifeng’s cooking. It was a mouthful of warmth, just like the image of Qifeng herself wearing an apron.
”Seeing how good both you and Qifeng are at cooking, I’m feeling a lot of pressure…” Lian Qi muttered, taking a bite.
I smiled and asked her, “When are you going to show off your skills for me?”
“…When… it’s your birthday again, I guess,” Lian Qi said, then silently went back to drinking her soup.
Wait a minute—did she just agree? I couldn’t help but look forward to my next birthday. But… isn’t that a really long time from now? I couldn’t help but ask with a laugh, “Are you planning to start learning now? You should be pretty decent after a year.”
“What! That’s not what I meant at all.”
Seeing Lian Qi deny it so quickly, I couldn’t figure out if she actually knew how to cook or not.
“Lian Qi, what dishes can you make?”
Qifeng asked the question I wanted to ask.
“Instant noodles,” Lian Qi said, her head buried in her soup bowl.
“Instant noodles?” Qifeng and I looked at each other, nonplussed.
“You guys don’t have instant noodles in this world, do you? No wonder.” She chuckled.
“Is that a dish from your original world? You know, you could cook some dishes that don’t exist in our world. That would count as a kind of cultural exchange, right?”
“Instant noodles, forget it… You’re interested? If I’d known I was going to transmigrate, I would have brought a pack with me. Though, it wouldn’t have lasted until I met you; I would have eaten it myself long before that.”
I remember when I first met Lian Qi. She spent two days wandering Fontainebleau Manor looking for the kitchen but couldn’t find it, surviving on grapes from the vineyard until I arrived. When I found out she was starving, my sympathy overflowed. Looking back on it now, Lian Qi actually had such an airheaded side to her?
“You can carry it with you?”
“Yeah, why else would they be called convenient noodles? I think they’d be really handy to bring on outdoor adventures. With so many adventurers in your world, I feel like you could get rich by inventing them.”
Speaking of adventures, I remembered something. I turned to Qifeng and said, “Oh right, Qifeng, you should pack your things later, too. We’re all going out on a quest together tomorrow.”
“A que…?” Qifeng stared at us blankly, until Lian Qi pulled out the adventurer’s bronze plaque hanging around her neck and dangled it at her. Qifeng’s expression immediately turned to one of surprise.
“Eh? Isn’t that an adventurer’s emblem? Lian Qi, you became an adventurer?”
“Yup.” Lian Qi tucked the bronze plaque back into her clothes.
Wha… She seems to love that bronze plaque, like it’s some new toy. Is she planning to wear it all the time?
“What kind of quest did you accept? A draconic beast? A dragonkin?” Qifeng covered her mouth and gasped in shock. “It’s not… slaying a dragon, is it?”
“No, killing goblins.”
Uwaah… Even Qifeng went silent after hearing what kind of quest it was!
“Could it be… does the Adventurers Guild require new recruits to only take simple quests like goblin subjugation? Really, how dare they do that when the Saintess is involved?”
“No, Lian Qi and I both agreed to go subjugate goblins.”
Qifeng looked at Lian Qi, her face full of astonishment.
“Don’t tell me… Lian Qi also enjoys sitting on a husky-pulled sled, waving a machete, and chasing goblins? I heard that’s a form of entertainment for the nobility.”
“Eek, your world has ‘erha’1 too?”
“What a sick hobby…”
I whispered. “Qifeng, how did you know about that?”
“I’m an Inspector for the Holy Light Church, you know. What kind of weird things haven’t I heard about? Goblins are too weak and they’re not edible, so in some people’s eyes, they’re only good for amusement.”
Goblins aren’t edible? Wait—Qifeng actually mentioned that? Her recently awakened “chef” attribute might be taking too deep a hold…
“Is it because creatures like goblins are abused that organizations like the ‘Animal Protection Side’ emerge?” Lian Qi asked.
“But goblins hurt people. Even if most humans can use magic, they still find ways to attack. It’s very dangerous for someone with a low magic level to be swarmed by dozens or hundreds of goblins. Besides, the way they treat humans is really cruel, you know? Grabbing girls to use as… as incubators for breeding…”
As she spoke, Qifeng turned her gaze to me. “So, Fei’er, don’t you think that’s terrifying? Don’t you think goblins are despicable?”
“Yes… it is pretty terrifying,” I said weakly. Though, even if I were captured by goblins, they wouldn’t be able to do anything to me since I’m a boy, right?
“If goblins are so despicable and so weak, why haven’t humans exterminated them all?” Lian Qi asked, confused.
Qifeng pressed a fingertip to her chin, lost in thought. “…Maybe it’s because goblins reproduce very quickly? And also… when the permafrost thaws, new goblins are released. Did you take a goblin subjugation quest because they’re running rampant in some area?”
“Actually, it’s like this: members of the ‘Animal Protection Side’ have been hunting adventurers in the wild. So, Lian Qi decided to join the adventurers to try and lure them out. As for choosing the goblin quest… we considered the travel distance, since we have to attend Tristina’s banquet in a few days.”
“Eh!? A banquet!? Fei’er, are you planning to wear high heels to the banquet?”
“Why is that the first thing both you and Lian Qi think of??”
I can’t stand it, I can’t stand it, I can’t stand it!
“So I twisted my ankle because I wasn’t used to wearing them the first time, so what? Do you two… really enjoy teasing me about wearing high heels that much?”
“You’re the one who seems to have a thing for high heels… We can both tell,” Lian Qi said.
“That’s because… I like the feeling of being a girl?” I stammered, hesitating. “Don’t you… don’t you think they look nice?”
I wasn’t sure about Lian Qi, but as for Qifeng—I turned my gaze to her, and she gave me a shy smile.
“They do look nice, but… I feel like if I wore high heels, the height difference between me and Fei’er would be even more obvious, so… I’ve never worn them.”
I was speechless. That’s right… Qifeng is already a few centimeters taller than me. If she wore high heels, wouldn’t I look even more petite next to her?
Chapter 12
After dinner, Qifeng and I each curled up on the sofa clutching a throw pillow. Lian Qi, however, didn’t share this habit.
“What should we wear when we go out tomorrow?” Qifeng asked, looking at me.
“Fei’er, you probably shouldn’t wear your nun’s habit. It’s better to hide your identity. You’re good at that, anyway, aren’t you?” Lian Qi gave me a knowing smile.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
I could smell the lingering resentment from her finding out I’d hidden my identity as the Saintess.
In reality, my heart was still overflowing with guilt…
Because there was still one more thing I was hiding, not just from her, but from everyone.
“Fei’er, you look like a panda hugging a bamboo stalk.”
“What are you talking about?”
I had a feeling that wasn’t a compliment. I managed to resist the urge to throw my “bamboo-freak” pillow at her…
“If I don’t wear the nun’s habit, then what do you want me to wear?”
“Wear the Magic Academy uniform, just like me.”
“Me too! Let’s all three wear them~” Qifeng raised her hand, eager to join in.
Oh, gods.
I’m clearly going out to subjugate goblins, yet it feels like we’re planning a field trip. We’re actually discussing what to wear tomorrow…
Although I complained about it feeling like a field trip, when the next day came, I still obediently changed into the Magic Academy uniform. I hadn’t worn it in so long. I’m actually quite nostalgic for this student style~
The only thing bothering me was that the skirt was relatively short. It would be easy to have an accidental exposure incident1 while fighting. To deal with this, I wore safety shorts underneath. Ahem, Lian Qi had no right to comment, though. Didn’t she wear them too?
As for Qifeng… her main function is support, so she doesn’t need to worry about accidental exposure~
After breakfast, we officially set off on our journey to Creekwood Village!
The first problem right in front of us was—where is Creekwood Village?
“…Don’t tell me all three of us are directionally challenged?” Lian Qi said worriedly as I studied the map I’d specifically bought.
“Don’t be ridiculous. I have an excellent sense of direction, okay? I only had to go to Fontainebleau Manor once to remember the way.”
I pointed to the map to show them. “Look, Creekwood Village is southwest of the Royal Capital, near Versailles City. It should take about two hours. Qifeng, go to the Church and requisition a carriage~ And don’t forget a driver… none of us knows how to drive a carriage.”
“Yes, ma’am~” Qifeng gave me a very serious salute.
And so, just over two hours later, we successfully arrived at Creekwood Village.
To find out exactly where the goblins we needed to subjugate were, we went directly to the village chief’s house and explained our purpose.
“You’re students from the Magic Academy? You’re out taking quests before you’ve even graduated?” The ancient-looking village chief leaned on his cane, sizing up the uniforms we were wearing.
“…Just earning a little pocket money,” Qifeng, who was surprisingly quick-witted in front of strangers, explained with a smile.
“Do you lack confidence in our abilities?” Lian Qi asked.
“No, no, no—everyone who gets into the Magic Academy is very promising. I’m just surprised that you’d be interested in a low-level challenge like subjugating goblins.”
“Oh, so that’s how it is…” Lian Qi said quietly.
“Has the number of goblins grown so large that you can’t handle them anymore?” I asked.
“Mere goblins? How could we not be able to handle them?” The village chief chuckled. “Me and a few of the young lads from the village, armed with pitchforks, can kill as many as show up.”
I gave a weak laugh. “…You can still kill goblins?”
“Don’t underestimate me just because I’m old. My magic is at the Third-Rank, Crystal Red.”
“…Huh? Even a countryside village chief has Third-Rank magic? Goblins really aren’t a threat to humans at all,” Lian Qi said.
“Then why did you issue a quest to the Adventurers Guild to subjugate the goblins?”
“It’s because… there are rumors of a goblin that can use magic.”
I was shocked!
“A goblin using magic? That’s impossible!”
“Fei’er, did the goblins start believing in the Holy Light?” Lian Qi glanced at me, a smirk playing on her lips.
“I just said that’s impossible…”
“How could the Holy Light possibly be believed in by goblins? Eww, how disgusting.” Qifeng hugged herself and shivered.
I felt the exact same way! No, I must investigate this thoroughly!
“I’m already old, and I worry the young folk in the village aren’t reliable enough, so it’s better to hire professional adventurers.”
“That’s true. May I ask where the goblin nest is?”
“How can you kill goblins?!”
A hysterical voice from behind us interrupted our conversation with the village chief.
I turned to look. A young girl was standing in the doorway with her hands on her hips, fuming, as if our subjugation of goblins was some heinous crime.
“What’s wrong with killing goblins?” The three of us looked at each other.
“She’s my grandd…” The village chief turned to the girl. “Stop fooling around! Can’t you see I’m discussing important matters with the adventurers?”
“I’m not fooling around!”
The girl, filled with resentment, advanced a few steps toward me.
“I don’t know what state of mind you’re in, killing goblins. Is it just to satisfy your desire to bully the weak?”
Before I could speak, Qifeng said indignantly, “It’s clearly the goblins who are harming human homes, isn’t it?”
“It’s humans who seized their living space! Goblins are already on the verge of extinction!”
Lian Qi smiled. “Wouldn’t that be even better?”
“Hmph, your rhetoric is identical to the Animal Protection Side. That organization is secretly manipulated by the Demon King. I advise you not to be led astray,” Qifeng said, staring at the girl.
“That’s not true! That’s just the Church slapping labels on people! There’s not a single good person in the Church!”
“How can you say that?!?”
As the Saintess of the Holy Light Church, I suddenly felt so wronged hearing such words.
“You are simply irreverent!” The village chief rushed over with his cane and gave the girl a shove. “Get back to your room and reflect on what you’ve done!”
The village chief shooed his granddaughter away and quickly turned back to us with an apologetic smile.
“She’s just a child, don’t listen to her nonsense. I haven’t been strict enough in her upbringing. Please don’t take it to heart.”
In truth, did he and his granddaughter even know that the Saintess and a Church Inspector were standing right in front of them?
“You seem very afraid that we’ll report this, don’t you? However, the Holy Light Church enforces the law impartially. Your granddaughter is still a child; at most, she’ll just be persuaded and educated. Still, your granddaughter certainly has a lot of… sympathy, doesn’t she?”
I could tell that Qifeng’s use of “sympathy” was tinged with sarcasm.
“This is my fault. She’s watched me kill the goblins that invade the village time and time again since she was little. That’s why she developed this… sympathy for them. But she really has no connection to that group of animal protectors… Please don’t misunderstand!”
Do humans who sympathize with goblins really exist? A sense of foreboding suddenly washed over me.
Chibi Saintess #fix Drawn by a beloved reader~ They are also the author of The Unbelievable Story of How I Started by Turning Into a Girl. Isn’t it cute?
Chapter 13
Because humans can use magic, humans dominate the world. After getting used to being the strong ones, have some people’s sympathy for the weak—like goblins, for example—started to overflow?
This ominous premonition continued to envelop me.
As we walked out of the village chief’s house, Lian Qi ruffled my hair. I didn’t dodge.
“To be honest, before I transmigrated, I also thought all churches were villains. That view changed after I met you. After all, a church with you as its Saintess can’t be all that bad.”
“Thank you… for believing in me,” I said, stammering. Suddenly! Qifeng pulled me and Lian Qi behind a wall. We saw the village chief’s granddaughter look around warily before leaving the village.
“Fei’er, based on my intuition as an Inspector, she’s very suspicious,” Qifeng said in a low voice.
“You mean… the village chief’s granddaughter is a member of the ‘Animal Protection Side’?”
“Mhm. You heard what she said back at the chief’s house. Plus, the sneaky way she’s leaving the village now… she’s most likely going to tip off her ‘Animal Protection Side’ accomplices.”
“Tip them off… that we’re here?”
“Mhm, so they can set up in advance and ambush us while we’re attacking the goblins.”
“Let’s go. If we follow her, we might run into her accomplices,” Lian Qi said.
And so, we quietly followed the village chief’s granddaughter far from the village.
In the end… she led us to the mouth of a cave. Afraid of being discovered, we hid far away behind a tree.
At first, I was surprised. Her accomplices were hiding in a cave? That is, until I saw two goblins standing at the cave entrance.
We watched as the girl walked toward the goblins—what was she doing?
Because we were so far away, we could only faintly hear her say, “Some adventurers… want to kill you…! You have to escape…!”
The two goblins looked at each other, picked up rocks, knocked her unconscious, and dragged her back into the cave.
Lian Qi reacted before I did. She muttered, “Tsk, what the hell is she doing?” The moment the words left her mouth, she leaped out from behind the tree.
By the time we rushed over, the village chief’s granddaughter and the goblins had already disappeared into the dark cave entrance.
“She was… tipping off the goblins?” I was utterly incredulous. I felt like my worldview had been overturned.
“Fei’er, what do we do now? Should we save her?” Qifeng asked me.
“Of course we have to! We can’t just watch… Sigh!” I let out a helpless sigh.
“The three of us girls… are going to barge into a goblin nest…?” Qifeng hugged my arm, terrified.
I glanced at the cave entrance. Even though it was noon, the sunlight couldn’t penetrate the depths of the cave. More than goblins, I was afraid of the dark.
“If we couldn’t use magic, rushing in would definitely be suicide.”
As soon as Lian Qi finished speaking, a layer of blue magic enveloped her entire body.
This was the most basic of all magician fundamentals—「Mana-Wreathe」,1 used for protection.
“But since we can use magic, it’s a different story. Stick close to me, okay?”
Immediately after, Qifeng also used 「Mana-Wreathe」. She and Lian Qi flanked me, one covering the rear and one taking the lead, sandwiching me in the middle.
Just like that, we boldly stormed into the cave. Because the magic wreathed around Lian Qi and Qifeng was glowing like blue light bulbs, we didn’t need torches or anything for illumination.
Wait… in the dark, won’t this make us obvious targets? In that case, I should just summon the Holy Light and light up the whole cave!
Just as I was about to do so, I suddenly heard a soft thwack. My worry became reality—something seemed to have hit Lian Qi.
“Huh, a goblin shot an arrow at me.”
Lian Qi’s tone held some surprise, but seeing the arrow easily deflected by the magic wreathed around her, I felt relieved.
Alright, looks like my worrying was unnecessary. Being exposed by the light of our magic was unavoidable. Or rather—maybe it didn’t even matter if we became targets.
At the same time, I summoned the Holy Light. The entire cave was instantly illuminated, revealing several goblins lurking in the darkness.
I inadvertently glanced at the arrow deflected by Lian Qi’s magic. The arrowhead was extremely sharp, as if specially made to pierce human magic.
However, against Lian Qi, a Fourth-Rank Enchanter, it was useless.
“Two, three… eight? That’s quite a few.”
Lian Qi raised her fist. Was she preparing to use explosion magic? I hurriedly stopped her. “Wait! What if the cave collapses? We’ll be caught in it!”
“Eh, having my hands tied like this is such a pain.”
Lian Qi had no choice but to lower her fist. Facing the arrows aimed at her, she strode toward the goblins.
The goblins shrieked and chattered, firing arrows at Lian Qi.
But Lian Qi, as if she were invulnerable, advanced through the volley of arrows, walked right up to the goblins, and kicked them against the wall one by one, like kicking soccer balls.
Perhaps because the enemies were goblins and not humans, Lian Qi didn’t hold back—no, it was because the goblins couldn’t use magic to defend themselves, so they all looked miserable after slamming into the wall.
My gaze followed her, sweeping over the arrows deflected by her magic, now scattered all over the floor.
I suddenly understood why some people pitied goblins. Faced with humans who could use magic, they were utterly helpless.
Just then, I heard the sound of rolling rocks. Qifeng and I looked back—goblins had broken through a hidden passage in the stone wall and were flanking us from behind.
Facing the dagger-wielding goblins, Qifeng spread her arms to shield me.
Then, Qifeng looked down and couldn’t help but laugh. “Fei’er, look.”
A goblin was flailing its arms and legs like a bratty child, stabbing its dagger desperately at Qifeng’s thigh, only to be blocked by her magic.
“What am I supposed to be looking at?”
“Doesn’t it get tired?”
“…But you can’t just stand there and let a goblin wail on you, can you?”
You must understand, Qifeng is a Transmutation/Illusion-type magician. The defensive power of her 「Mana-Wreathe」 was far weaker than that of Lian Qi, the Enchanter. Even so, the goblin was still unable to harm her in the slightest.
And Lian Qi and Qifeng were Fourth-Rank magicians. If it were a Third-Rank, Second-Rank, or even First-Rank magician, the goblins’ situation wouldn’t be much better.
In short, I felt… that creatures like goblins could be easily defeated even without magic.
“Hey, what are you two doing? Stop dawdling. I’ve already taken care of the goblins up front.”
Lian Qi looked back at Qifeng, hands on her hips, a look of exasperation on her face.
“What’s wrong with you? Just standing there letting a goblin hit you? Your M-side acting up?”
“I just thought it was funny how it kept trying to cut me but couldn’t… I’m sorry.”
Qifeng apologized to the goblin, then kicked it away.
With that, all the goblins in the central part of the cave had been annihilated.
Lian Qi clapped the dust off her hands and said, “Let’s go. Who knows what’s waiting for us deeper in the cave.”
Wait… she didn’t even use her hands. Where did that dust come from?
Chapter 14
Here in the depths of the cave, where even sunlight couldn’t reach—
“It’s too dark, I’m really not used to this.”
I casually stuck a ball of Holy Light onto the uneven stone wall.
I’d been doing nothing else the whole way. Like turning on one light bulb after another, I gradually lit up the dark cave.
This was a goblin nest, after all. Lian Qi was in front, clearing the path, kicking goblins around like soccer balls.
“There’s quite a lot of them,” Lian Qi said quietly.
“Is it hard work?”
“What’s so hard about kicking ball-pit balls?”
“I wonder if the village chief’s granddaughter will be okay…”
I was very worried.
“Who knows. We’ve been fighting our way in, but we haven’t seen any sign of her. She must have been dragged deeper into the cave.” Lian Qi then muttered under her breath, “I’ve never seen someone ask for death so clearly.”
“She… really… is… asking for… it…” I whispered.
“Why didn’t she use magic to protect herself? Even if her magic is only First-Rank, taking one hit wouldn’t have made her lose the ability to resist, right?” Qifeng said.
“Maybe she hasn’t awakened her magic yet? Or maybe she just didn’t react in time?”
“I think… she probably didn’t believe the goblins would attack her.”
She sympathized with the goblins so much, even risking danger to tip them off. Why did she think the goblins would definitely appreciate it? In other words, can humans and goblins even communicate? I couldn’t understand it at all.
As we walked, the cave ahead of us was no longer narrow. It seemed to open up into a very spacious area.
I casually pressed a ball of Holy Light onto the stone wall. In an instant, the largest cavern in this cave system was lit up. To be honest, it felt like walking into a dark room and flipping on the light. Blinded by the sudden light, the goblins in the cavern let out miserable cries.
“It’s the village chief’s grandd—” I spotted her immediately!
She was lying on the ground, motionless.
And ahead, sitting on a throne built of stones, was a bizarre-looking goblin. It wore a tattered black robe and a strange totem mask.
Is that the goblin leader? Did the goblins drag her here to be… enjoyed… by the leader first? I felt a wave of fear. If we hadn’t followed her here, her fate would have been tragic…
No time to think about that. We rushed toward the girl. / At the same time, the goblin leader on the throne shrieked a command in the goblin language. A huge behemoth kicked its smaller brethren aside.
It was the first time I’d ever seen a goblin that big.
“Get her to safety first.”
Lian Qi said, her back to me.
She looked up at the giant goblin. It swung a fist at her!
DONG! The sound of impact echoed through the cavern. Despite the huge size difference, Lian Qi caught its fist with her slender, mana-wreathed arm.
“Gah!?”
The goblin let out a strange cry of surprise.
Lian Qi scoffed, grabbed the goblin’s fist, and brutally slammed the creature, several times her size, onto the ground.
Then she grabbed its fist again, swung it, and sent it flying, crashing hard against the stone wall.
This was the difference between a human who could use magic and a goblin who couldn’t. I had nothing to worry about for her.
Qifeng covered me as I dragged the village chief’s daughter away from the center of the fight. The goblins that lunged at us were all sent flying by her.
“Eh—?” Lian Qi suddenly put a hand to her neck.
“Wh-What’s wrong?”
“There’s an invisible force trying to wring my neck.”
Hearing Lian Qi say that, I instinctively looked at the goblin leader on the throne. It was pointing a wooden stick at Lian Qi, and blue magic was radiating menacingly from its body!
“Is that… the rumored goblin that can use magic…?”
I was completely stunned. Even seeing it with my own eyes, I still couldn’t believe a goblin could use magic.
The essence of magic is adulterated Holy Light. How could a goblin, which has no faith, possibly use magic?
Could that stick in its hand be a wand with special magic power? Can anyone use magic just by holding it? No, it looks like an ordinary wooden stick. And the magic was clearly emanating from its body.
“That goblin is a—Manipulation-type! Be careful, it can control objects from a distance!”
Qifeng had the sharpest eyes, identifying its type immediately.
An invisible force seemed to be trying to push Lian Qi away. Lian Qi was also using her magic to resist it, causing her to spin in place a few times.
“Interesting. This is the first time I’ve seen Manipulation-type magic.”
Lian Qi pushed against the control, her steps heavy as if walking through a swamp, as she approached the goblin leader on the throne.
Seeing that it couldn’t control Lian Qi, the goblin leader suddenly waved its wooden stick! All the goblins we had just knocked down stood up—no, they were floating!? They gathered on either side of its shoulders, forming a shape… like a pair of wings.
Wings made of goblins. How disgusting…
Immediately after, the “wings” broke apart. The goblins swirled and flew through the air, smashing into Lian Qi one after another.
“…What the hell is this?”
Lian Qi used the magic wreathed around her to block, sending the goblins crashing into her flying off, one after another.
“Hmph. Since it’s so spacious in here, using one explosion magic spell should be fine, right?”
At the same time, the controlled goblins flew at Lian Qi from all directions. This formation… were they trying to swarm and envelop her?
“So gross.”
Lian Qi focused her magic into her fist and punched.
Space itself shattered. The cracks spread to every goblin lunging at her. In the next second, explosions blossomed within the goblin swarm. The fiery shockwave blasted them away, sending them crashing heavily to the ground.
“Now, it’s your turn.”
Lian Qi said coldly, rubbing her neck. The goblin leader was still trying to twist her neck from afar with magic? It really didn’t know when to quit.
She closed in on the throne and threw a punch empowered with explosion magic. However, under the forced interference of the goblin leader’s Manipulation magic, her fist veered off target—it missed.
Lian Qi “tsked,” spun around, and landed a beautiful roundhouse kick, knocking it off the throne!
The goblin leader hit the ground hard and rolled twice. Lian Qi walked over, grabbed its black robe, and was about to punch it in the mask—
“Wai—Wait—”
The goblin… actually spoke human language?
“I’m a human! A human!”
Lian Qi, her fist still raised, said disdainfully, “You think I’ll fall for a trick like that?”
“I really am a human! Really! Have mercy!”
As soon as it said that, the goblin leader, desperate to live, hurriedly tore off its totem mask, revealing… a face that, upon closer inspection, had human features.
We were all stunned.
So the goblin leader was actually a scrawny old man in disguise?
“Who the hell are you? Why are you disguised as a goblin?” Lian Qi asked coldly.
Chapter 15
“Who the hell are you? Why are you disguised as a goblin?” Lian Qi coldly demanded, holding the “goblin” leader up by its black robe.
Qifeng also leaned in. “Is he really human? He’s not just a goblin that happens to speak human language, trying to trick us?”
I bent over, hands on my knees, and studied this fake goblin. Although he had deliberately made himself look neither human nor ghost, he was definitely a human.
“I knew goblins couldn’t possibly use magic. So it was just a human in disguise?”
I couldn’t help but sigh in relief. Thank goodness. If goblins could truly use magic, I would have felt that the Holy Light had been defiled.
“I am—a member of the Druids. I’ve been… studying goblin habits!” he answered, trembling with fear.
“Studying goblin habits?”
Lian Qi continued to press him, gripping his robe even tighter.
“In order to protect the goblin population, I disguised myself as a goblin and led them in their fight… for survival.”
“Fight? Fight against humans?”
“I only do this… out of my love for nature and peace—”
“Speak! How long have you been disguised as a goblin?”
“Pr… Probably… half… half a year?”
“Have you harmed any humans?”
“No, no—”
“No? Hmph! Then what’s the deal with this girl who was dragged into the cave by your goblins?”
“That’s… that’s just goblin habit! It’s their nature!”
“Then why was she dragged in front of you?”
“Because I’m the leader of this goblin pack, I get… prior—”
“Priority what?”
“After you ‘enjoy’ her, it’s the other goblins’ turn, is that it?!!” Lian Qi was furious, grabbing him by the neck and brutally slamming him against the stone wall.
“Speak! How many girls have you harmed?”
“Ten?… Ele… eleven?”
“Eleven…” Lian Qi stared at him coldly. “And you just stood by and watched the goblins violate those girls?”
“But—that’s the goblins’ habit! We should respect the goblins’ habits. Besides, I’m playing the role of a goblin, how could I stop them?”
Lian Qi was probably choking him too hard, because he started screaming hysterically. “Goblins capturing girls is just for reproduction!”
“So, in your eyes, that’s a perfectly natural and justified thing?”
Magic gathered in Lian Qi’s hands.
“I—I—I’m just doing it for the peace… of nature! Peace!” The space around him began to crack. Seeing the fissures spread to his black robe and his oiled limbs, he panicked and screamed, “Don’t! Don’t do it! I’m a human!”
“Human? Aren’t you a goblin?”
BOOM—!
Explosion magic followed, blossoming on the goblin leader’s body.
Lian Qi looked at him as if he were trash, snorted coldly, and turned around. “This guy is a member of the Animal Protection Side. Take him back to the Church for interrogation.”
“Okay… no problem.”
Qifeng summoned her golden magic chains, preparing to bind him tightly.
Lian Qi and I looked at each other. I could see her anger hadn’t faded yet.
“He’s completely lost his mind.”
“Yeah, he really has,” I said weakly.
“I’ve heard stories about people living with wolf packs and eventually becoming the alpha wolf. I always thought it was just a joke. I didn’t expect someone to actually do it, just swapping wolves for goblins.”
“…He kept insisting it’s ‘goblin habits’ and telling us to ‘respect goblin habits’… These Animal Protection Side members can no longer be understood with normal human logic.”
“They label themselves as guardians of nature. They’re no longer standing on the side of humanity.”
“Yeah. The Environmental Protection Side, led by Einstein, is trying to limit human use of magic; they’re not on humanity’s side either. And that ‘Mist Trec’ who hasn’t been brought to justice yet… his plan is to turn all of humanity into morons. Speaking… is there some connection between them and the Animal Protection Side?”
Just as I said that, I heard a groan from behind me.
Lian Qi and I exchanged a glance.
“She’s awake.”
The first thing the village chief’s granddaughter did upon waking up was rub the back of her head where the goblin had hit her.
“Are you okay? Can you stand?” I bent down, hands on my knees, and looked at her.
“It’s you adventurers…? Where… where am I?” The girl looked around.
“This is the goblin nest. You were knocked out and dragged in here. Hmph, you almost became number twelve,” Lian Qi said, one hand on her hip, her eyes flashing with annoyance.
“Number twelve? What number twelve?” The girl looked like she didn’t understand.
“The twelfth breeding tool.”
“No—Impossible! I… I came here specifically to… specifically…” The girl looked at us, unable to continue.
“Specifically to warn them that adventurers were coming, right? Tipping off goblins, you’re really something else, aren’t you? This is a perfect example of the farmer and the snake.”
“I hope you’ll learn your lesson this time and stop associating with goblins,” I advised kindly.
“But… the goblins I remember weren’t like this. I remember one time, a goblin was starving and came to the farm to steal food. I saw how skinny it was, just skin and bones, and I felt so sorry for it… I even gave it bread…”
Listening to this, I mentally facepalmed. How helpless.
“You think you were doing a good deed? You weren’t. The bread you gave fed who-knows-how-many goblins, giving them the strength—”
“Hmph, even that Animal Protection Side member knew it was ‘goblin habits,’ yet you’re still living in a dream world?” Lian Qi said, clearly annoyed.
Just then, Qifeng walked over, dragging the tightly-bound goblin leader with her chains.
“When the goblins attacked you, why didn’t you use magic to protect yourself? Is it because you haven’t awakened your magic? Or—”
(Qifeng was also wondering about this just now.)
“Because… they’re afraid. If I used magic, they would think I was being aggressive, and I’d scare them away,” the girl said naively.
Lian Qi sighed. “…Do you really think goblins are little animals?”
“So, by not using magic at the cave entrance, wasn’t I proving that I had no ill intent?”
“You had no ill intent, but the goblins did,” I said helplessly.
“I think… while magic protects us, it’s also a spiritual barrier that separates people from nature’s creatures.”
Lian Qi was so surprised she froze for a second.
“Fei’er, don’t bother trying to persuade her anymore.”
“You… you killed all the goblins in the cave…?” The girl looked at us in disbelief, a deeply hurt expression on her face.
Lian Qi said coldly.
“Humans and goblins were never meant to coexist.”
And with that, the goblin subjugation quest came to an end. We returned to the Royal Capital that same day.
The final truth we uncovered—the “goblin who could use magic” was just a human in disguise.
And this short “trip,” whether it was the village chief’s granddaughter or the druid disguised as a goblin, completely shattered my worldview.
Does a “spiritual barrier separating people from nature’s creatures” truly exist? Or is it that, without magic, humans would probably just die even more…
Chapter 16
The next morning, Qifeng left for the Church early. Aside from her slightly M personality and her newly awakened chef attribute, my childhood friend is also very diligent about her work.
I finished washing the dishes and walked out of the kitchen, only to be suddenly kabedon-ed against the wall by Lian Qi… I gasped in surprise, the sound catching in my throat. My hands, which had been behind my back preparing to untie my apron, instinctively went to the wall for support.
“Hey.”
“Hey? Wh-What… what do you think you’re doing, now that you’re fed?”
She always teases me like this when Qifeng isn’t home. She’s completely lawless.
“Did you forget something?”
“Forgot what? Let me think… Did I not say good morning to you?”
I was so exhausted from running around subjugating goblins all day yesterday that I was practically sleepwalking when I got up this morning. I just rubbed my sleepy eyes and went straight to the bathroom to brush my teeth.
Lian Qi shook her head. What is she thinking? Pinning me to the wall like this and forcing me to say what I forgot… isn’t this way too domineering?
As I racked my brain and couldn’t think of anything, I suddenly sucked in a breath of cold air. “…Don’t tell me… you’re talking about… not… kissing… yet today…?”
Was Lian Qi really referring to “forgetting to kiss”? My heart started pounding like a frantic deer. The last time we kissed… seemed so long ago.
I froze for a moment.
“Me… I… kiss you?”
My face felt a little hot. I couldn’t help it… I blushed.
“You’re always complaining that I’m force-kissing you. So, why don’t you take the initiative?”
“Th-This… this…”
I… I only took the initiative to “touch” her lips with mine during my first kiss, right?
Back then, that action became a “signal that you can kiss me” for Lian Qi. It was like she’d unleashed an inner beast. I was immediately force-kissed by her…
Since then, she’s stolen my fourth (my third went to Qifeng), fifth, sixth kisses… it’s gotten completely out of hand.
Ah, I accidentally used the term “force-kiss” again. It’s because… I’m just always so passive when I’m being kissed!
My heart pounded with anxiety as I stared at Lian Qi’s rosy pink lips.
As a boy, always being the passive one feels… like my gender is all mixed up. Shouldn’t I… “correct” this? Be on the offensive with Lian Qi, like how I am with Qifeng?
Alright, I’ll just go for it…
It’s not like it’s my first or second time, anyway.
I leaned in, closed my eyes, and touched Lian Qi’s lips with mine, as lightly as a dragonfly landing on water. Then, I returned to my previous position, back against the wall, my heart thumping wildly.
Don’t judge me.
I really don’t know any kissing techniques.
Don’t say any more.
I can cooperate, but if you want me to take the initiative, I really don’t know what to do.
I shyly observed Lian Qi’s reaction. Why did she have such a surprised look on her face? She then touched the spot I had kissed and gave me a smile.
“You actually took the initiative?”
I replied bashfully, “So what?”
I was too embarrassed to say the words, “I can be both the ‘top’ or the ‘bottom.‘”1
“Not a bad performance. But that’s not what you forgot.”
My face turned red as she spoke.
“Ehhh????”
Doesn’t that mean… I just kissed her for nothing!?
“You’re cheating!”
“You’re the one whose mind went there.” Her expression held a mischievous smile the entire time, making me feel thoroughly bullied.
“Fine, I was just overthinking it!”
I couldn’t face her. I tried to break out of her kabedon, but she just wrapped an arm around me.
“The thing I was referring to… was our date.”
“A d-date?”
“You promised me the day before yesterday. You said you owed me one. There’s no time like the present. Let’s make it today, okay?”
“Today!?”
My back was against the wall, with no room to retreat.
“But I… I haven’t had time to plan an itinerary for the date yet.”
“It’s fine. We can just figure it out as we go.”
“As we go…”
“Let’s go. Aren’t you going to change? Don’t forget, you promised to wear that Lolita dress on our date.”
Without waiting for an answer, she started untying my apron. She’s so impatient…!
“Th-That was… you deciding that for me,” I protested weakly, as she pushed me forward and up the spiral staircase.
“Don’t you want to wear it out?”
“I… I do kind of want to wear it, but… it’s really embarrassing to wear in public, you know?”
Even a girl would feel awkward if she was suddenly asked to wear a Lolita dress on the street, let alone…
“You didn’t seem embarrassed walking down the street in a maid uniform, did you?”
“That’s because I was getting into the role of a maid! That’s how I adapted.”
Ugh, if I wear a Lolita dress, what role am I supposed to get into? A loli?
“Relax, you’ll have me with you. For our date, I’ll change into a different outfit, too.”
She said this as she pushed me into my “maiden” boudoir.
I looked back at her, confused. “What are you going to wear?”
“You’ll see, after you’ve changed into your Lolita dress.”
After she said that, she shut the door with a bang, locking me in the room.
What on earth is Lian Qi planning to wear?
Filled with curiosity, I opened my wardrobe. The khaki-colored Lolita dress came into view.
Lian Qi just doesn’t get it.
For a boy like me… wearing a Lolita dress on the street requires much more mental fortitude than it does for a girl, okay…
Still, this birthday present from Tristina really is very pretty.
I took it out of the wardrobe and held it up to myself in the full-length mirror. Even trying it on for the second time, it still felt so… “childish.”
Whatever, no point in just holding it up. I have to wear it anyway. There’s no escaping.
Hmph! I thought to myself as I started changing. If Lian Qi isn’t even bothered about being seen on the street with me wearing something so “childish,” then what do I have to be afraid of? Even if I get stared at, I’ll just… have to accept my fate.
Right… is the door locked?
I ran over, half-dressed, and jiggled the doorknob. Every time I get changed, I feel like a thief…
After taking some time to change, I cautiously opened the door. Lian Qi changed faster than me and was already waiting outside. But I kept my head down, too embarrassed to look at her. What do I do?
Right now, I was wearing a warm, khaki-colored Lolita dress, which looked especially pure against my long white hair. I had also paired it with white stockings and white round-toed shoes, maximizing the “loli” aura…
I’m discovering that as soon as I put on a Lolita dress, I feel completely girly, like I’ve fully transformed into a girl. It wouldn’t be surprising if I even forgot I was a boy.
“S-So… what do you think? Does it… look good?”
The date hasn’t even started, but my heart is already pounding.
I looked up at Lian Qi, and was instantly shocked!
“…Why did you decide to wear that??”