第１２２８堀：ゴブリンの村 (Part1)
Chapter 1228: The Goblin Village
Goblin Village
Side: Yuki
It has already been two days since we left the town of Aoku.
Despite that, we have only covered about twenty kilometers.
Man, traveling through the forest is truly a grueling task.
I felt a genuine pang of regret for not taking Jessica up on her suggestion to simply fly; the journey had been nothing but tedious.
While people like Agil spent the time foraging for rare specimens along the way, I had no such interest, leaving me to do nothing but sway endlessly atop my horse.
Moreover, since I was in the saddle, I couldn't exactly read a book or play a game, making the trip quite a trial.
I’ve firmly resolved that I’m flying on the way back.
And yet, it seems this mind-numbingly boring journey is finally coming to an end.
Beyond the trees, there stood something simple, yet undeniably artificial.
Yes, a gate. Where the forest broke, a gate stood waiting.
"That is the village where the Goblins reside," announced the quiet priest who had come as our guide from the Haire Church in Aoku.
He was an old acquaintance of Enola’s, and upon hearing of our visit, he had volunteered to act as both our guide and intermediary.
True to Enola’s recommendation, he was a pleasant man with a character that made it easy to trust him completely.
He wasn't just a man of high moral standing, either; I heard he had once firmly kicked out a group of fanatics who had tried to cause trouble.
Incidentally, Codriss-san was currently discussing future matters with the Viscount of Aoku.
As a diplomat to the Zufia Kingdom, she was making proper use of the travel time to get work done.
That said, the Goblin village was completely outside her jurisdiction, which is why she left it to the Haire Church representative.
Man, dealing with multiple countries is truly a headache.
Ah, perhaps I should establish a "Student Exchange Program" in Weed to raise awareness across nations; it would make things much easier in the long run.
Following the incident with Fiora, I had already taken the princesses who sought personal audiences with me on the Rogari Continent and trained them as a magical depletion research team, which helped a bit—but only a bit.
A student exchange program would be even better.
This is something I should seriously consider.
Being able to easily visit places with such rare sources of information, like this Goblin village, aligns perfectly with our objectives.
While I was lost in such thoughts, we arrived at the gate of the Goblin village.
A single goblin stood before the gate alongside the knight who had gone ahead as a scout.
His build and features were unmistakably those of a goblin, but like Steve, he was properly dressed.
I checked his status, and he was undoubtedly a goblin.
He was also somewhat stronger than the wild goblins of the Rogari Continent.
While I was gathering information on the goblin, he approached us with the scout knight.
"This is Inosen-dono, the son of the Goblin village chief."
"N-nice to meet you. My name is Inosen."
The goblin who introduced himself as Inosen bowed his head politely, looking quite nervous.
Hmm, this Inosen fellow has good manners.
"Nice to meet you. I am Yuki, the consort of Weed and husband to the Queen. Thank you for accommodating us despite our sudden visit."
Courtesy demands courtesy. I returned the greeting with equal politeness.
"Not at all. It is a village with nothing to offer, and there may be inconveniences or slights, but I ask for your understanding."
"It’s quite alright. I am well aware of cultural differences. However, if there are things you would prefer we not do, or any taboos, please do let us know."
"Ah, yes. Um, what is forbidden..."
Inosen tilted his head, beginning to ponder my question.
"Oh, you don't have to think too hard about it. We might commit various slights ourselves, so if that happens, please feel free to point them out, and we will correct ourselves or offer apologies. Since we have come from a land very far away, we don't know what is considered unacceptable here, even if it might be common sense to us."
"I see. I understand. I will do so if the time comes. Now, please, this way."
With that, Inosen led the way, and we passed through the open gate into the village.
Inside, there was a gathering of goblins—a large number for a village of this size, though still fewer than a hundred.
Every one of them was properly clothed; not a single one resembled the wild, savage goblins we were familiar with.
Most surprising of all were the several goblins with clearly feminine builds, leading young goblin children by the hand.
However, I couldn't just stand there and stare, so we continued walking deeper into the village.
"Agil."
"I know. Recording is the top priority for now. I hope we have time to enjoy the village later."
As expected, she was already capturing the footage without me needing to ask, taking precautions so that even if negotiations fell through, we would still have the data.
"Kirika."
"Yes. I am conducting perimeter surveillance. Drones are also monitoring from the sky, so there are no issues."
So, the perimeter and the skies were clear.
I could consider everything except the interiors and the underground to be fully exposed.
And if anything were to happen, Kirika’s unit would handle it.
"However, if I may say so, there are more new buildings here than the gate would suggest."
"Yes. We manage to get by thanks to the support from the Zufia Kingdom and the Haire Church. We also plan to renovate the gates and defensive walls gradually."
"I see. So you receive that kind of support."
I said this, casting a glance at Enola beside me.
"Of course. They recognize the goblins as part of our kin. But since they cannot crossbreed with other races, they remain gathered together in village units like this."
That was one of the reasons for the presence of the female goblins.
The goblins on this continent cannot crossbreed with other races.
It was a possibility Agil had mentioned, but Enola had confirmed it as fact without hesitation.
It made sense why they were gathered in a protected village.
If they were scattered and isolated, the goblin race could easily go extinct.
But on this continent, where they are cherished as a lineage of the Spirit Priestess, such a thing cannot be allowed.
That must be why they have been so carefully protected.
It’s the preservation of a rare species.
"So, Inosen-san, what is the population dynamic of this village?"
"Well, thanks to everyone at the Haire Church, we managed to have children born this year as well, and our numbers are gradually increasing."
"That is good to hear."
It seems the Haire Church is indeed working hard to maintain the population of the Goblin village.
Well, that’s only natural.
After all, they are on the verge of extinction.
As we talked, a large mansion—a building that seemed out of place compared to the other structures in the village—came into view.
"That is the guesthouse where the village chief and I reside."
"A guesthouse?"
"Yes. It is a place to welcome guests such as the people from the Haire Church, the Zufia Kingdom, and now, people like you, Yuki-sama. We are in charge of managing it."
As we drew closer, someone was waiting by the door...
"My kin and I have been waiting for you."