Volume 5, Chapter 35 – The Consequences of One’s Actions

The next morning, we were rescued by the soldiers who had come looking for us.

Although the General had abandoned us to camp out and returned to the base alone, he had at least sent people to come pick us up.

According to the General, he “judged that there would be no issue regarding combat strength even if we were left alone,” but… is that really okay?

Incidentally, when we reunited, the General looked awkward the entire time because Yihua-san kept glaring at him.

So, I decided to take that as the reason.

Furthermore, by the General’s decision, we were to withdraw.

It seems he judged that there was no need for him to personally intervene, based on three reasons: we had suppressed the cave believed to be the lair of the Undying Beasts, most of the Undying Beasts around the base and along the roads connecting it to Chi Tien had been eradicated, and a method to defeat them had been found even without the weapons I had enchanted with Purification Magic.

Well, I agree that the judgment was reasonable.

Chunlin-chan and Duyinxi-kun were to be escorted to Chi Tien, where they would be placed under protection.

Apparently, they would receive a reward for discovering the Undying Beasts’ lair during this operation, so they shouldn’t have any trouble with their living expenses for a while.

Moreover, since Lu Diu-san would become their guardian, it seems they won’t end up on the streets.

And before departing, as a final offering, I received some seeds from Riche and planted them near the center of the former Fu Yie Village.

May seeds that purify miasma and poison sprout in this land, and may human life return here once more.

Leaving that prayer behind, we departed from the base where we had spent the last few days.

◇ ◇ ◇

Five days after leaving the base established at the site of Fu Yie Village, we returned to Chi Tien as scheduled.

“General Lu Fei, welcome back! And Saint-sama as well!”

“Governor Yan Lu, thank you for coming out to meet us.”

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“Yes! Also, General Lu Fei, there is a matter of great urgency!”

“A matter of urgency?”

“Yes. In the southern forest, Goblins are showing signs of a Monster Stampede. It appears the settlements within the forest have been completely wiped out.”

Ugh, those things where if you see one, there are thirty of them?

“The numbers?”

“Unknown, but we estimate there are likely several thousand.”

“Hmph. In that case, there is a possibility that a Lord has been born.”

“Yes. Because we allocated many soldiers to the sweep of the northern forest, we have no reserves to send south. We humbly ask for General Lu Fei’s assistance.”

“Hmph. Very well. First, go find out if there is a Lord.”

“Hah! Scouts have already been dispatched; I believe we will know by tomorrow morning.”

“Good. We shall speak after that.”

“Saint-sama, I am terribly sorry, but given the current situation, please remain here in Chi Tien for a while. It is extremely dangerous to move right now.”

“Haa… I understand.”

I don’t quite get it, but apparently, things are dangerous right now.

“Governor, I can at least be of help with healing, you know?”

“No, no. With General Lu Fei here, a thousand or two thousand Goblins are nothing.”

“Ah, I see.”

And so, we were shown back to the room we had stayed in during our previous visit.

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◇ ◇ ◇

“Chris-san, what is a ‘stumpede’?”

As soon as we entered the room, I asked Chris-san. I felt like I had heard that word somewhere, but I couldn’t remember.

“Yes. A Monster Stampede refers to a phenomenon where a massive number of monsters move together from their original habitats toward human settlements. For reasons unknown, during a Stampede, the monsters always head for human villages. Therefore, once a Stampede occurs, damage will continue to mount unless the horde is completely annihilated.”

I see. He did say several thousand; if that many Goblins attack a village together, it sounds like it would be a disaster.

“Most likely, not a single human living in the southern forest settlements survived.”

“Is that so? Shouldn’t we help too?”

“Yes. However, if there is no Lord, there is no problem. In that case, we can leave it to General Lu Fei and everything will be fine.”

“Lord? What is a Lord?”

“A Lord refers to a Goblin Lord. Among Goblins, there are various subspecies called Higher Species. A Goblin Lord possesses a physique larger than even General Lu Fei, superior intelligence, and the ability to command Goblins; they are extremely troublesome monsters who can wield both weapons and magic. Other well-known Higher Species include Hobgoblins, who are the size of adult men and excel in power and speed, Goblin Archers, who are skilled with bows, and Goblin Mages, who use magic.”

I see. So the reason a Lord is troublesome is that Goblins can act in an organized manner under one, meaning even General Lu Fei cannot be careless.

“They are currently investigating with scouts, but considering the scale of several thousand, there is a ninety percent chance a Lord exists.”

“Why is that? Is it because the high probability that a large group of Goblins acting together is being led by a Lord?”

“No, it is not that. Rather, there is a tendency for Higher Species to appear more easily as the numbers increase. It is said that in a pack of about a hundred, Hobgoblins, Archers, or Mages appear, and in a pack exceeding a thousand, a Lord almost always appears. With several thousand, it is nearly certain.”

“I see. Then it really does seem like we should help. Well, I can’t even imagine the General losing to Goblins, though.”

“Indeed. It wouldn’t be surprising if General Lu Fei charged in alone and slew the Lord.”

Chris-san said this with a complex expression.

As expected, even if she has gotten over it, there are still some lingering feelings of frustration.

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“By the way, why do Monster Stampedes happen? It’s not like that many Goblins are suddenly born, right? I feel like if people noticed and thinned the numbers early on, it wouldn’t come to this…”

“First, it is not known why Stampedes occur. As for omens, it is only to the extent that the number of the monsters in question is slightly higher than usual, and then one day, a massive amount of monsters suddenly appear and attack towns and villages.”

“…Hmm, I wonder why?”

Is it really possible for a massive amount of monsters to appear suddenly?

Whether it’s Goblins, wolves, scorpions, or frogs, don’t they have babies or lay eggs and raise them?

“Onee-sama, I heard from my father, who was killed, that monsters like Goblins increase at a terrifying pace once their numbers reach a certain point.”

Lu-chan, who should have been petting Mashiro-chan with an entranced expression, cut into the conversation.

“What do you mean?”

“In the forest where my family lived, the only monsters were Goblins, Forest Wolves, and Big Boars, but he said that once they exceeded about 200, it was already too late. That’s why we used to hunt them whenever we saw them, to make sure that didn’t happen. Besides, Goblins strip the forest of all its food…”

Lu-chan spoke with a hint of pain. She must be remembering her killed father and her missing sister.

“Come to think of it, how do monsters increase? Goblins have babies, right?”

“Huh? Now that you mention it, I’ve heard Goblins have strong reproductive abilities, but I’ve never seen a baby.”

“Fiene-sama, when I was in the knights’ order, I crushed Goblin nests many times, but I have never seen a baby, nor a child, nor even a female Goblin.”

Hmm? What does that mean? Ah, could it be…

“Um, well, Chris-san. Could it be that, um, Goblins make human women, uh, you know, have babies…?”

“No? I have never heard a story of a human woman giving birth to a Goblin’s child. I hear that young women are violated, but I am told that is not for reproduction, but simply for pleasure. And once the Goblins are satisfied with the act, the victim is simply eaten.”

“Ugh.”

I feel like it’s a relief that the stories I’ve heard aren’t true, but being violated and then eaten is beyond imagination.

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“I also do not know how monsters increase, but if Lumia-dono’s story is correct, it means that when the number of people thinning the forest monsters decreases, Monster Stampedes become more likely to occur.”

Shizuku-san said something that sounded correct, but I didn’t quite understand what she was trying to say.

“Hmm? Shizuku-san, what do you mean?”

“The General has saved people from Monster Stampedes in this country many times in the past, but the fact that Stampedes occur in this country in the first place is, in a sense, a result of their own making.”

“Eh? What do you mean?”

“Did you not hear it at Shiltsa Village? The humans of this country once conducted Elf hunts to make Elves their slaves. As a result, the Elves, who should have been thinning the monsters in the deep forests, ended up secluded in Shiltsa Village. Thus, in the forests where the beings who should have thinned the monsters vanished, the monsters increased, and in the end, the humans are the ones being attacked.”

“That… is true. That is exactly right.”

Chris-san had a slightly regretful expression.

Humans buy and sell beautiful Elf women as literal objects for staggering prices. Because there are buyers, there are sellers, and for that reason, there are humans who hunt Elves.

Because of that, both the Silver Village and Shiltsa Village created clear Elf territories and lived in hiding, ensuring humans could never enter.

It was unavoidable for the sake of self-defense, and the Elves of Shiltsa Village closed themselves off precisely because they had suffered so terribly in the past.

Because of that, the presence that thinned the monsters in the deep forest vanished, and now it has come back to haunt the humans.

“The karma of the previous generation—no, the ancestors—is visited upon the descendants… how sinful.”

I murmured this without thinking, but Chris-san seemed to take it quite seriously. She stared at me with an expression as if she feared something.

Perhaps Chris-san felt she was being condemned.

“Chris-san, why are you making that face? What your ancestors did is what your ancestors did. There’s no way we need to take responsibility for that. I would absolutely hate to clean up the mess of ancestors I don’t even know.”

When I smiled at her and said that, Chris-san looked relieved, but at the same time, she wore a slightly disappointed expression and gave a stiff smile. “I suppose so.”