第１２２８堀：ゴブリンの村 (Part2)
An elderly goblin, leaning upon a magnificent staff, delivered a formal address. At his words, the other goblins chanted in unison, "We have been awaiting your arrival," before dropping to their knees.
As I pondered how to handle this scene, Inosen stepped forward.
"Yuki-sama, allow me to introduce him. This is Nogosh, the village chief."
"Chief Nogosh, and everyone else, please rise. We are all equals here."
At my words, the chief stood up slowly, and only after he cast a glance at the others did the rest of the villagers follow suit.
"Thank you. As Inosen introduced me, I am Nogosh, the village chief."
Seeing him stand so straight despite the staff, it was clear his posture wasn't due to any infirmity of the legs. In fact, his status was significantly higher than Inosen’s—on par with a high-ranking Goblin Lord. I had assumed he was a mage because of that impressive staff, but I was mistaken.
"We will be in your care for a few days. We are unfamiliar with the local customs, so I ask for your patience, and please do not hesitate to point out any discourtesies on our part."
"Certainly. We welcome you with all our hearts."
We bowed deeply to one another once more. Afterward, we were guided into the reception hall. Once we had been shown to our respective rooms, we were led to a large dining hall to hold our formal talks. We discussed our names, our nation, and the purpose of our visit. Upon hearing our intent, Chief Nogosh readily agreed to cooperate.
"I see. An investigation into our own origins? If it is merely to observe our daily lives and engage in conversation, there is no problem at all."
"Is that so? Thank you."
"Not at all. Truth be told, we have often wondered what exactly we are ourselves. Above all, we have been unable to mingle with humans as the priests or Bishop Enora have, forced to live in seclusion. If there is even the slightest possibility that this might improve, we are happy to assist."
I see. So, there is a desire to venture out into the world after all. I suppose it must be difficult for many of them to be bound to this village forever. While I was lost in these thoughts, the chief turned his gaze toward a certain individual with keen interest.
"Is that Steve-dono the goblin who resides with you, Yuki-sama?"
Ah, I suppose that would be a point of curiosity. Steve had introduced himself earlier, and though he had drawn many eyes then, we hadn't gone into detail.
"Yes. In Weed, he serves as a General."
"That’s right. I’m serving as a General," Steve chimed in.
"Ho. A General—may I assume that is a position of considerable status?"
"Indeed. He is the head of one of our nation's armies. He leads a force of roughly ten thousand."
Well, I’m not entirely sure if it’s appropriate to count monsters in that tally, and the number of active personnel is actually quite a bit lower. Still, in times of emergency, I can increase their numbers as much as my DP allows.
"So, Steve-dono is able to live and work alongside humans in this 'Weed' of yours. Tell me, what of his wife?"
"Wife? Ah, you mean my missus..."
"..."
This was going to be interesting. Judging by the flow of the conversation, it sounded like the chief was about to suggest a marriage arrangement for Steve. Would he accept it? The eyes of everyone, including his wives, were fixed on him.
"Nah, I’m lucky enough to have a woman who’s eccentric enough to say she’s fine with a guy like me. We’re getting along just fine."
Good. I had his admission on the record. He had referred to Alfin as his 'wife'! I exchanged a look with Stasia and Samantha, and they nodded. The recording was perfect. With this, Steve would finally have to settle down. I mean, it’s essentially a common-law marriage anyway; it’s high time he filed the proper paperwork.
"Hmm, I see. Do you have any children?"
"Ah, yeah, we do."
Oh, he’s calling Grado his child? Well, it’s not technically incorrect, but he was clearly saying it to deflect the chief’s line of questioning. Still, it would be troublesome to have a wife forced upon him here, so I decided to lend a hand.
"Chief Nogosh, you seem quite interested in Steve. Might I ask why?"
"Hm, well, to be honest, I am curious about how goblins elsewhere live. Unlike us, they are living among humans, after all."
"Ah, I see."
It was only natural that the chief would be curious about how the goblins in Weed lived, just as we were curious about the goblins in this village. There might be hidden issues, so I decided to proceed with the conversation carefully.