“Wu? Guruah.” (Huh? It’s Boss.)

“Gurua, kuaan” (Boss, welcome back)

“Wafuh!?” (Eh!?)

“Kyu?” (Hah!?)

The entourage that had come out to greet me as I returned to the settlement with the little ones, froze at the sight of the red-haired mage that accompanied us. It could not be helped since most of the humans we had met in the forest and the outer grasslands, especially the ones dressed as adventurers, would attack us without question. 

Well, I was so happy that I met a human that I could get along with and talk to, so I had accepted Muriel, but… Was it too soon to bring her here?

“Umm, am I… being a bother?”

She apologetically asked.

It could not be helped. I did not want to do it, but it seems I would have to use my own powers and exert my influence. 

“Guao wauoan, gauruaau guruuaaouh!!” (She’s just going to stay with us for a night, but if anyone has something to say about it, then step forward!!)”

I went to the settlement’s central square and yelled loudly.

To state it plainly, the only ones within the settlement who could take me on in a fight one-on-one are Buster or Ax. Blazer is not to be underestimated either, but if he could not take you by surprise, then he is not much of a threat.

Either way, I was certain that neither my relatives nor my friends would object, but… I did not expect Buster to step forward in the middle of the quiet square.

Eh, for real!?

(No, I am sure Buster only came forward because he wanted a fight…)

I could not help but look at his black, muscular furry arms. I have not gone head-to-head with Buster in his current form yet, but would I be okay?

I was feeling a bit fidgety inside, but then he suddenly blurted out something outrageous.

“…Guruo, guao guruaku!” (… Everyone, this is the Chief’s woman!)”

Wh, HEY!?

“Garuoofuh!!” (You’re wrong!!)

While everyone in the village was visibly upset, the red-haired girl, who had yet to understand what had just happened, tilted her head cutely.

……………

………

…

I silenced Buster who acted rashly with my fists to keep up appearances in front of everyone, and after accompanying the fire-wielding Muriel to a dwelling just outside the settlement, I quietly made my way back to the village to eat and returned to my private den.

The settlement was located in a plain with a mortar-shaped depression at the center, while the low slopes in the surrounding area housed plenty of dug-out dens.

This is also one of them, and before I turned two years old, there had been a fight over the lair as it had become vacant due to the recent loss of its owner. There are still others like my sister who still live with their parents, but I’m almost at that age where I would be driven out so I thought it best to secure my own den and move out.  

It should be noted that the permissible number of Kobolds in a settlement is reasonably limited, so when our number increases beyond a certain extent, some are driven out of their overcrowded lairs and have to leave. Those guys will go deeper into the forest or at the edge of the grasslands in search of new living spaces, or they would give up on having children and continue living within the pack without a den to return to. In this place, a den was regarded as a sort of status symbol.

“Excuse me for barging in. Huh, it’s dark after all…”, saying so Muriel suddenly popped in.

She took a type of magic stone that lights up when magic passes through it, and when the warm, phosphorescent light lit up my den, she curiously examined her surroundings.

“Hnnn, it’s practically bare.”

Well, there was only a bed of dried hay for me to sleep on after all…

As I watched the red-haired mage, who was trying to find something new around her surroundings, I took out my obsidian knife and wrote on the ground while the magic stone still illuminated the room.

“Tomorrow, we will accompany you up to a place near Viel Village.”

It was a situation where I could not turn back now, so I’ll look after her till the end. That, and it also meant grasping the location of the nearby village.

“Thanks, Archer.”

“After this, please don’t tell anybody about our settlement; I hope Muriel isn’t the type to return evil for good.” 

“Sure, you can count on me. I would’ve died in the forest if you hadn’t helped me anyway.”

She nodded her head to reassure me repeatedly.

“Since I can’t tell others about the settlement, and assuming that I can get strong enough to return here…is it alright if I come to visit again?”

She’s not likely to come to such a Kobold settlement often, but it would still be troubling. There is an advantage in having contact with the human side through her, but it also carries risks. However, even if I refuse her request, there would still be adventurers and hunters who would come upon our settlement, so those are also natural risks not related to her.

After thinking about it a lot, I gave her a vague answer in the end.

“If you became a silver adventurer, then I wouldn’t have to worry about you dying on the road leading here.”

“Yeah, it’s been my goal to raise my rank from the start, so I’ll do my best!”

Will this red-haired mage continue to be an adventurer when she reaches “silver” rank? Or would we still be in the settlement when such a time comes?

It was all too uncertain in hindsight, but I still found myself making promises with such poor prospects. Well, at the very least, as someone who had been reborn as a Kobold, maybe I still wanted to be connected to humans in some way.  

The next morning, the five of us, Buster, Ax, Blazer, Lancer, and I left with Muriel and headed to Viel Village, following the grassland’s animal trail while scouting the area.