35 Prince and goblins (1/2)

Boy Omiros

In the forest, lit by the moon. As much as possible, we walk together in a place that is not in the shadows.

'I'm sorry ...... I'm sorry ...... Omiros. If I hadn't said I wanted to go get flowers ....... Such ....... This kind of .......

Rigena cries out.

A flower that grows in the foothills of the Acheron Mountains has the power to cure diseases.

Regena finds out about it and asks me to go get it for her sick mother, and we follow her home.

We're lost in the woods. The sun has already set, and it's getting dark.

It's good, Regina. I'm not going to be able to say that it's a good idea. I'm sure it's nothing more than that.

I comfort Regina with that.

I'm also afraid of the dark streets at night. But I didn't want to show the uncool part in front of Regena.

”It's okay. I'm sure everyone will come looking for you. I'm sure we'll be able to get back!

Regina nodded as she said this.

'Yes, if Omiros says so: ......'

We start walking again.

That's when I felt something following me from behind.

'Omiros...... something seems to be following us from behind. ......

Lizena says anxiously, wondering if she felt it too.

'Yeah, I feel like that too ......'

We are supposed to be walking with the Acheron Mountains at our backs. Our own country, Argoa, is the country closest to Nargol. There is no place for humans to live in the middle of the Acheron Mountains and the Kingdom of Argoa, which is the boundary between the two. I don't think it was a human who was following me. It could be a goblin.

I've heard a lot about goblins from my mother. They are very frightening demons.

I don't know what will happen if they are caught.

'Maybe it's a goblin: ”Maybe it's a goblin.” ......

Regena says what I'm thinking right now.

'Li, Regena!　Let's sing!　Goblins aren't supposed to be good at singing!

I've heard that from my mother. Goblins are not supposed to be good at beautiful singing. I don't know why, but I've heard that human singing is very unpleasant for goblins.

Do you sing ...... songs?

'Yes, yes!　Let's sing a song!　Rigena has a beautiful voice, and I'm sure the goblins won't be able to get close to her!

I had heard Regina sing before. I remember it was so beautiful.

Yes. 'All right, Omiros. But what song do you sing?

'You sang in front of me once, didn't you? I like that song.

I said and Regina nodded.

'Okay, I'll sing: .......

In the Katasumi, deep in the forest.

Black birds looking for love.

Over the mountains in search of love

I'm flying in blue skies.

In the middle of a green forest.

I saw a white bird.

The Black Bird sings.

The white bird doesn't sing.

The black bird was crying.

Flying into the red sunset.

Regena sings even as she walks.

Her beautiful voice echoes in the forest at night.

I fall in love with the song. The trembling in my clasped hands is a little less. Singing seems to make me a little less scared.

There's no longer any sign of him approaching from behind.

I thought it looked like I could go home without a hitch.

'You have a beautiful voice, you ......'

They call out to me from the darkness.

I look into the darkness with Regina, who has stopped singing. There's someone there.

'Who was it?'

He steps forward to protect Ligeena.

Someone comes out of the darkness.

'Goblins......'

It was a goblin that came out in the moonlight.

They came out even though Ligeena was singing. Are some of the goblins not bad at singing?

I'm not a goblin. I'm a human being.

The goblin says grimly.

'You're lying!　I've seen goblins before. Your face is a goblin!

Indeed, the goblin in front of me was closer to a human than the goblin I saw before. However, its face was the same as that of a goblin. So maybe I should call it a goblin human.

''Ouch! You don't believe that? But oh well.

The goblin-man then looks at Regina.

”The female here was singing, and her boys ran off. I had no choice but to leave.

Escape from the song? I knew it was a goblin!

But the goblin humans shake their heads.

'My minions are goblins, but I am a human.

The word surprises me. Goblins are supposed to be demons that attack humans. At least that's what I was taught.

Can we make those goblins our servants?

If you're really human, help us!

When I say this, the goblin human looks at me in surprise.

”Why would I help you?　I don't want a male.

The goblin human's eyes turned on Regena.

Its eyes appeared to glow suspiciously.

'Let's run, Regena!

Yeah!

Sensing danger from this goblin human, I take Regena's hand and try to run.

''Don't let him!　Paralyze!

But when the goblin human screams, his body goes dull and numb.

Regena also kneels down as her body seems to have gone numb.

''Regena!

Sorry ...... Omiros ......

Regena apologizes. I can manage to move myself, but it looks like Regena can't.

'Hm, you survived my magic.

With that, the goblin human approaches.

'Stay away from Regena!

I'll stand up to the goblin-man.

”Hmph!

But since it's dark and I can't see my feet, the goblin human's foot sweeping knocks me to the side.

''Whoa!

I collapse with a scream of my own.

'Omiros!'

Rigena lets out a shrill cry and tries to get up.

However, her body is numb and she almost falls down.

''Oops!!!''

The goblin human grabs Regena's arm before Regena falls over.

'No ...... let me go, let me go ......'

Ligena's tearful voice.

'Let go of Regena!

He gets up and tries to challenge her, but this time she kicks him in the leg and knocks him down again.

'Guh!!!'

The goblin human stomps on his own back with his foot as it is. The goblin human's hand remains on Regena's arm.

''Be quiet!

When the goblin human says that, he puts his foot to work.

'Ugh. ......'

I just let out a pitiful moan.

'Let's just stomp this out!

The goblin-man is straining his legs. I can't breathe.

'Stop, don't do something terrible to Omiros: ......

Rigena says, crying.

'Well. 'Well, if you say so, I will,'

The goblin humans have stopped putting pressure on their legs. It makes it less painful. But put your feet on your back.

I couldn't move my body as it was enclosed.

'Hee......'

Ligena's frightened voice. I manage to turn my face to the side and look up to see the goblin human holding Regena in his arms.

'You're a human female, aren't you?'

As the goblin human said this, he touched Regena's face and smelled her.

'It's softer and smells better than a goblin female,'

The goblin human's voice sounded excited. It was frustrating to watch and not be able to do anything about it.

Rigena's face was frightened.

'Li, je ...... hana ......'

I can't speak well, probably because my feet are on my back. I'm on the verge of tears.

'I've decided!　I'm going to make you my b*tc*!

As he says this, the goblin human licks Ligena's face.

''Hi......hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii.''

Rigena let out an unvoiced scream.

'I spit on you. You're mine now. My name is Goz!　It's your male!

The goblin human who called himself Goz laughs.

'I'll come for you when I'm older. Wait for me until then!

As I say this, Goz disappears into the forest.

He is left behind by a sobbing Regina and me, numb and unable to move.

Omiros, Prince of Argoa.

I wake up in the morning light.

It's a bad dream I had as a child. I see it every day these days.

It's a bittersweet memory of not being able to protect Ljena.

After that, we were rescued by a group of adults who came looking for us.

Ever since that day. I've been working harder to become stronger.

I wanted to protect Regina from all the other things that controlled Argoa.

That's why I had left Argoa for a year to go on a warrior's journey.

But when I came back, Regena was gone. I don't know what I was striving to be strong for.

I got out of bed and changed and left the room.

'Good morning, Prince Omiros.

As I left the room, I was approached. I turn around and see a girl there.

'Please don't be a prince, Liette: ......'

I don't really like being called a prince. I don't want to be called by the title I earned for dropping Ligeena into the goblin den.

”What should I call you then?

Can't we just call it that: ......

Okay. Good morning, Brother Omiros.

Liette is the younger sister of Macusis. Because her father was busy, she was raised by her parents, Macusis and Liette, who were five years younger than her, and she and her own brother, Macusis, grew up as brother and sister. Perhaps that's why she calls him her brother.

'Are you going to the mountains again?'

Her eyes are a little cold.

Macusis and Riette's father and mother were killed by King Cupius. So she doesn't seem to feel too good about going to find Regena.

'I can't go today ....... I'll be getting ready to attend a ball in the kingdom of Velos .......

Myself and Parsis are supposed to attend a ball in the kingdom of Velos in five days, on behalf of my father, who has become king. I have to make preparations for that today.

Will you go except today?

......

There was no answer to that question from Riette.

'I'm already dead. ......'

Riette!

I exclaim.

'Brother Omiros says he's alive. How do you know that ......? If you're not a warrior and you go into a goblin den, you're not going to make it out alive: ......

Originally, Riette was probably right.

But then I remembered Goz. The goblin-like person who had that goblin under his command and said he was going to pick up Regina. How did he start having those dreams so often? That's because he thinks there's a chance that Regena is being held captive by Goz.

That possibility is why they are going to the goblin den to find her.

I haven't told anyone about that possibility. When I was a kid, most of the adults didn't believe me when I told them about Goz.

Maybe Regena would have believed me if I told them about Goz, too, but Regena didn't say anything about it, not wanting to be reminded of it. Of course, I don't blame Regena for that. It was Regena who was the one who felt the most scared.

The only person who believed me was Regena's mother. She was also kind to herself, the child of a clan with whom she was in conflict.

She had given Regena a magical amulet of her own treasure, a magical amulet, to protect her in case of Goz's arrival.

That Regena's mother died two years later, the year she met Goz.

She was probably the only one who believed in Goz's existence now.

But Riette and everyone else doesn't believe in Goz. From her point of view, what she's doing is very foolish.

'So if brother Omiros goes to the goblin den too many times, he'll die eventually. ...... I don't like it anymore, I don't want someone to die .......

Riette says with a dark look on her face.

'I'm sorry, Liette: ......'

Nodding Riette's head.

She is kind and she is concerned for her own safety. And yet that didn't stop me from looking for her.