Next, Over There

“It’s not a village with much profit, but it’ll be our first territory.”

At my words as I looked back over the village, Lynferia beside me nodded, a faintly pleased air about her.

“As expected of Fels-sama. To bring a village under another nation’s rule to submission without even crossing spears… Truly, even if you hide your status, Fels-sama’s majesty cannot be concealed.”

Lynferia said that with a beaming face, but… no, that wasn’t majesty or charisma…

That was basically a threat, wasn’t it?

Still, I didn’t expect the magic-power collection device to become that big of an issue.

Even if Eisha hadn’t blown those guys away, conflict with the local power would’ve been unavoidable.

There was no way we would remove it, and from their side it was probably, “We can’t allow some unknown device to be placed in our domain.”

I glanced at the knights being dragged along unconscious.

“Cougar. Is it really fine to leave transporting them to you?”

“No problem, boss. There’re other guys up ahead too. Like you ordered, I’ll take ’em straight to the castle and squeeze the info outta ’em.”

This underling-talking guy was Cougar. He was Ururu’s subordinate and a “diplomat.” His specialties were drugging and assassination…

Yeah, I would never want to invite that kind of diplomat into my own country.

“Good. I’m counting on you. And pass a message to Kirik too. By tomorrow, we can dispatch troops to this village, right?”

“Yessir! No problem!”

“Good. Go.”

“Yes!”

At my words, Cougar sprinted off, dragging three knights behind him…

They wouldn’t die, right?

Well, I told him to get information out of them properly, so it should be fine.

For now, I’d instructed Cougar to prioritize learning about the knight order heading to this village. And I had him tell Kirik to summon and dispatch troops numbering about three times the enemy.

Normally, you couldn’t “just send a verbal order” and mobilize an army… but to make Kirik understand this was my direct command, I entrusted Cougar with my Overlord Sword.

If he showed that, Cougar’s words would be proof that it was my order.

If Cougar betrayed me, it would be disastrous, but… I didn’t think I needed to worry.

When I handed him the sword… Cougar shook like a newborn fawn, couldn’t stand up for a while with the receiving posture, and when he finally did stand, he stared around like a beast protecting its cub, clutching the sword to his chest.

If that was acting, I’d never be able to trust anyone again.

“Now then, Lynferia.”

I tore my gaze from the fleeing Cougar and addressed Lynferia beside me.

“Yes!”

“I’m leaving this village to you. Protect Otonoha and the others, of course—and now that they’ve become our people, protect the villagers as well.”

“Yes! Even at the cost of my life!”

No… I wanted her to protect Otonoha and the others with everything she had, but if it was the villagers, I’d rather she prioritize herself…

I couldn’t exactly say that.

“…Don’t overdo it. We can’t afford to lose you now. By tomorrow, a unit will be dispatched from the castle, so leave village defense to them. Once the magic-power collection device is installed, return by teleport with Otonoha’s group.”

“Yes! Understood! …Ururu. Eisha. Protect Fels-sama in my stead.”

“Yes. Even at the cost of my life.”

“……”

Too much life-betting.

I felt a chill watching Eisha declare that with a deadly serious face, and Ururu nod just as seriously.

This time, only those two were accompanying me, so their resolve was different…

For the record: Otonoha’s team would install a village version of the device with teleport and communications; Lynferia would guard them. Meanwhile, I, Ururu, and Eisha were going to rendezvous with the goblins currently on the move.

Considering the magic stone yield, the goblins were more important than this village.

It wasn’t that I didn’t trust the subordinates escorting them… but I’d still worry unless I saw it with my own eyes.

That mindset… probably wasn’t ideal for someone in charge…

But I’d like to be forgiven, since I was still Overlord Level 1.

“Let’s go. Ururu, guide us.”

“Yes…”

We sprinted after Ururu, with Eisha and I following.

And every time I saw it, it still felt surreal that tiny Eisha could keep pace like it was nothing.

After running at that absurd speed for a while, we spotted the goblin group moving ahead at a cautious crawl.

“They haven’t made as much distance as I expected.”

“…I’m sorry.”

“No, I’m not dissatisfied. I just recognized they can’t move at our speed.”

Watching the goblins moving at an entirely normal pace—slow, but not quite a crawl—I felt oddly relieved.

We slowed down so as not to provoke them and approached the group. One person separated from the crowd and came toward us.

“Fels-sama. I’m deeply honored that you would trouble yourself to come personally.”

The person who said that… Kamila knelt and bowed her head.

“Kamila. Good work escorting the goblins.”

“You flatter me. Besides, the goblins are obedient, so it hasn’t been much trouble at all.”

“Any problems?”

“There was just one monster attack before we left the forest.”

Kamila spoke lightly, tapping her chin as she stood—but her outfit was a robe worn loosely, and when she knelt right in front of me…

Well. Certain things were… ahem…

Dangerous.

But the Overlord did not show internal turmoil on his face.

“So there were no casualties?”

“Yes. Jōsen got all fired up and beat it on his own. I’m jealous… being able to fight without magic…”

Kamila puffed her cheeks, and on a voluptuous beauty like her, it was an unexpectedly cute expression.

“Sorry, Kamila. I can’t let you use magic freely.”

When I apologized, Kamila hurriedly bowed.

“I-I didn’t mean it like that…”

“Don’t worry. It’s true that we’ve restricted you.”

“Y-yes!”

Perhaps because she’d become overly reserved, I spoke in a half-joking tone.

“Kamila. I like you better when you’re your usual self, rather than acting so stiff.”

“Pyu!”

“…Pyu?”

What kind of reaction was pyu?

“I-I mean! It’s nothinggg!”

“Ha…”

Watching Kamila blush and strike a coquettish pose, I chuckled a little.

Partly because of her antics, but also because I realized:

Wait… haven’t I said the same line to everyone?

I laughed at my own lack of vocabulary.

“M-mean. Laughing is cruel…”

“…Sorry. By the way, where’s Jōsen?”

At my question, Kamila’s face immediately returned from red to normal, and she answered in her usual manner.

“Jōsen is at the back of the group. He said something like, ‘Guarding the rear is a warrior’s pride,’ I think?”

“I see. He’s not a warrior—he’s a Sword Saint—but… fine.”

I looked toward the rear, but couldn’t make him out.

Jōsen—if Kamila was the strongest magic user, then Jōsen was the strongest physical fighter.

Not that he cost as much to strengthen as “all-magic” Kamila. True to the title Sword Saint, he excelled with a sword, but I’d also made him reasonably capable with spear, axe, and bow.

He was basically a mainstay in RPG mode, and even in war mode, while he wasn’t much of a mage, he was absurdly strong—especially in duels, since his martial power was maxed.

Well… his name was taken from the “Sword Saint” archetype, after all.

I wanted a character who could handle both martial arts and warfare.

Though in certain strategy games, swordmaster types tend to have disappointing stats, which is a bit sad…

“Fels-sama… call Jōsen…?”

Ururu suggested, pulling my attention back from wandering off into the void.

“No, he’s working. The rear guard is important, and there’s no need to call him. But I should probably see Bangagonga. Do you know where he is?”

“The goblin chief is at the front,” Kamila said.

“Good. Then let’s go.”

“…You intend to go in person?”

Eisha reacted to my words.

Was that an Overlord-style mistake?

But they were already moving as a group—if I called Bangagonga over, wouldn’t the whole procession stop?

Well, he wasn’t exactly a guide, so maybe it wouldn’t…

“I’m sorry to you two, but… right now I want efficiency. More than authority or dignity.”

With that, I started walking in the goblins’ direction of travel.

Eisha and the others followed silently behind.

Would that explanation satisfy them?

All my subordinates treated me with maximum respect. Sometimes it felt excessive…

But I felt I needed to repay that respect through my actions.

At the same time, I also wanted to simplify things and move more casually.

I needed to strike the right balance…

What kind of “Overlord Fels” image did they have in their heads, anyway?

At this point, maybe I should finally confirm it.

As I walked, I stole glances at Eisha and the others, but they didn’t look dissatisfied.

With my heart pounding in secret, I reached the front of the group. A giant who didn’t look like a goblin no matter how you saw him noticed me and spoke.

“Fels… no, Fels-sama. Thank you truly for accepting we goblins.”

“…What’s wrong, Bangagonga? You can speak the way you did before.”

“No… Lady Kamila told me you are a king. And a king of the human race. If you accept goblins, there will surely be friction with other nations. And yet you promised to protect us…”

Bangagonga’s face became solemn.

Wait—was protecting goblins that serious?

I probably needed to clarify this.

“Bangagonga. I said before that we’ve been traveling, didn’t I? We came from far away… so we don’t know this region’s situation well. What do you mean, accepting goblins creates friction with other nations? I understand humans don’t think well of you—given they were sending a knight order—but…”

“It was centuries ago… but goblins built a great kingdom in this region. That kingdom and the human kingdoms fought for a long time… and in the end, the goblin kingdom was destroyed. Since then, humans have called us monsters and continued to exclude us thoroughly. Now that our numbers have dwindled, goblins can barely survive by hiding so humans do not find us.”

So it was like losing interspecies competition…

But they could communicate…

Sure, they looked different, and even the goblin women didn’t look cute…

But they were worth five times the magic stones, so… no problem.

“Just because you were defeated centuries ago? That’s not a problem. That kind of distant history has nothing to do with me. If today’s humans had family killed by goblins, I could understand hatred—but that’s not the case, is it?”

When I snorted as if it were foolish, Bangagonga’s eyes widened—and then he broke into a smile and bowed deeply.

“Hatred that depends only on the difference of species… is like brainwashing. To outsiders like us, it’s nothing but something to laugh off. Of course, if you bare your fangs at us, I will harvest you without hesitation.”

“That will never happen. Everyone understands your godlike strength. And more than that, your mercy in saving us from the fate of ruin… Though we know our power cannot even be of help to you… please allow us to offer loyalty sufficient to repay your grace.”

Hearing Bangagonga kneel and speak…

I felt a twinge of guilt.

The Overlord who’d been cheering “Seventeen thousand magic stones!!” was about to be crushed by conscience.

“I promised to protect you. That means welcoming you as my people. There is no superiority or inferiority of species there. And not only those of your settlement—if there are other goblins in hiding who seek protection, I will welcome them too. No, not only goblins. Humans, fairies… I will not reject any race.”

“……”

Bangagonga lifted his face while still kneeling… looking even more blank than before.

Today, my speech habit was working at full power again.

“And Bangagonga—stop belittling yourself. Becoming my people is, by itself, helping me. Anyone who would look down on my people… whoever they are, I will not forgive.”

When I said that with a smile, Bangagonga prostrated himself again…

No, he headbutted the ground.

At this point… it was hard to tell him to speak casually like before.

“Bangagonga, raise your head. If we stop here, the ones behind can’t move.”

At my words, Bangagonga stood, apologized to me and the goblins behind him in a humbled tone, and started walking again.

“Ururu. At this pace, when will we reach the castle?”

“Accounting for rest… tomorrow around noon…”

“That long… We’ll camp outdoors tonight… Once we reach the castle town, we need to have everything ready so they can rest immediately. Ururu—later, send a messenger to Kirik.”

“…Understood.”

We don’t have tents…

Can we even camp outdoors…?