“… We’re here, Your Highness.”

Prime Minister Delphys who was leading the way stops and turns around to look at Aristia.

“?… But nobody’s here… where are the Conservatives and Sir Theodore?”

She had learned that Theodore, a White Elf who had the most radical ideas within the group of Conservatives, was leading the retaliatory assault against the Reformers this time.

“No, Sir Theodore was making a lot of noise about taking revenge on the Reformers, but I have already stopped them. After all, there’s no point in shedding more blood on useless things.”

“Eh, then why…!?”

“…”

The four Knights who were her escorts silently pointed their swords at Aristia as she was about to ask the Prime Minister the reason. Seeing that what she had feared before had come sooner than expected, she let out a heavy sigh…

“… You’re bearing a grudge over what happened to Fors, aren’t you?”

Fors was the son of Prime Minister Delphys, who was killed in the attack on the Central Assembly previously. He was one of the first victims who appealed to the Reformers… for the meaninglessness of the freedom and equality that they were trying to win through violence. Even though he was a moderate Conservative and advocate of the gradual democratization of the Government.

“…I would be lying if I told you I wasn’t.”

She was the one who introduced the bill to give the Bronze and Black Elves a right to vote in the Legislative Assembly and was partly responsible for the violent outburst of some of the radical Reformists who were aiming to reverse the rejection of the bill.

“But that’s not all… The situation in which Your Majesty is also encouraging these Reformers is one of the problems. Freedom and equality are wonderful, yes… But radical change creates distortions, and it divides the country!” 

“…”

She couldn’t say anything back. The attack on the Legislative assembly had left a lot of casualties in its wake, so the situation between the Conservatives and the Reformists have been critical ever since.

“If both you and I had kept the Reformists and the Conservatives in check, then we could have gradually turned towards democratization!… but this has already gotten to the point where there’s no turning back now.”

“Then you could have remonstrated with me…”

Delphys shook his head at Aristia’s words.

“I have already asked you many times… but your eyes which have been blinded with ideals could not see anything else. As one of the people who supported your ascension to the throne, so shall I end it with my own hands.”

stab

“Ahh, uughh…”

As his rapier stabbed the middle of Aristia’s chest, she gradually collapsed as the strength and the blood gushed out of her body.

“Return to ashes, Blue Flame!”

Delphys thrust out a flame-clad arm towards the Queen to burn up her body the same time he stabbed her.

At that moment, everyone’s attention had turned to Aristia who had collapsed on the ground… Even though it was a place where Goblins roamed and was far from the residential area’s barriers.

“Gyauaaaaah!!” (Hyahha!!)

With a roar, a tall, skinny Goblin holding Short Swords on both hands descends from the treetops while twisting and rotating his body!

“Wha-!? Uwaaah!!”

The Goblin’s Twin Swords slashed at Delphys’ outstretched arms.

“Gih, giugireah!!” (Hah, gotcha!!)

Furthermore, the same time he landed and took a low stance, the Twin Sword-wielding Goblin swung his right sword in a sideways slash to split Delphys’ abdomen and then thrust his left sword out to penetrate the wound. 

“Gubuh… ugh..”

The moment the other Elves’ eyes were glued to the scene, several other Goblins flew out from their hiding places behind the bushes and shadows under the trees.

“Gi-do giugiasuh!!” (Follow Sword!!)

“GIAAAAAUUUUH!!” (UOOOOOOHHHH!!)

“Uwaaah!? Uuaaauuugh!!”

“Gubeh!? It huuuuuurts!”

“What!?”

The Goblin Fighter stabs at the gap in the Elven Knight’s Light Armor and splits his abdomen, twisting the blade to stir his insides from the wound opening.

“Guuh, dammit!!”

“Gii!? Giiah… ah…”

The Knight grimaced in pain but managed to grab hold of the dagger hanging by his waist, stabbing the Warrior-class Goblin between the eyebrows to end his life, but…

“GIUUUUUUAAAAAAAH!!” (GO TO HELL!!)

“Augh… gahah, hiughh…”

Immediately afterward, another Goblin Fighter jumped in and ripped the Knight’s throat open with his crude Short Sword, delivering a fatal blow.

A little distance beside them, the Elven Knight who had been stabbed in the thigh during the surprise attack fought back hard, cutting down one of the Goblin Fighters as he brandished his Sword. And then, as he glared at the Warrior-type Goblin who had slashed his comrade’s throat…

“Giurea gugiruauh!!” (Your back is wide open!!)

“Gugah, uu, ua…”

The Goblin Fighter, who had been circling the injured Knight and waiting for the chance when his movement slowed down, stabbed his opponent from the back through the heart with his Longsword, immediately killing him.

Meanwhile, the large Goblin carrying a Greatsword on his shoulder charged alone at one of the Elven Knights who dared to look back as he tried to run, and cut him down with one slash.

“GAAAAAAAH!!” (SLASH!!)

“Gaah!? Uwaaaaah!”

Not waiting for his opponent to fall over, he kicked him away and closed the distance with the other Elf who ran ahead as he brandished his Great Sword that had begun to faintly glow.

“Giauoah, guerugiuh!!” (Cut him in pieces, Brilliant Blade!!)

Using the momentum of his wide turn, the Goblin Brave unleashes a flurry of sweeping strikes.

“Guuughhh! Nggh!?”

Even the Knight who stepped backward to gain some distance away from the opponent as he could not go against them with the slender blade that the Elves used, was followed by the slash of light as it flew towards him.

“Gaaah, aah, uughhh…”

Because he was aware of the coming attack, he was able to avoid it with a paper-thin margin. However, the light blade directly rips his chest and the Elven Knight falls while spurting out blood… And so, the only ones left standing were the Goblins.

“Giaoau? Gigiu.” (Is that all of them? Brave.)

“Guh, giugu…” (Hnn, you…)

The appearance of the Goblin Sword who called out to him after the fight changed in the blink of an eye. His skin had turned from green to a bluish-white hue, his large nose had somewhat become smaller, and his pointed ears had become a bit more rounded. His appearance had become closer to that of humans, except two horns were growing out of his forehead. 

“Giu, garesuagiah…” (Aaah, I can feel the power flowing through me!)

Name: Sword ()

Race: Goblin

Rank: G. Sword Master

Skill: Ambidextrous Arm Strengthening (Medium/Instantaneous), Thunderbolt Sword, Elementary Magic (Thunder)

Title: Master Swordsman

Weapon: Twin Swords (Main), Throwing Knife (Auxiliary 1), Dagger (Auxiliary 2)

Armament: Leather Armor

Auxiliary: Cloak

“… Gigiugia.” (Lord Brave.)

A Goblin Fighter interrupts the conversation between the large Goblin and the tall, skinny Goblin.

“Gyaua?” (What is it?)

“GIusureuaru, gie garegyuuesu.” (It’s about that Forest bitch, but there’s no hope for her anymore.)

“Gia, gaurua giuaru… Gyauruo gugiaouu kyuaueru!” (Well, that’s quite unfortunate… Anyway, strip them bare and let’s head back!)

Under Brave’s orders, the fallen Elves were stripped of their arms and clothing, and the four Goblins retreated, leaving the corpses of their fallen comrades as well. Since this was strictly the Elve’s territory, they, the elite members of the Goblin Tribe made up of only the evolved species, did not need to stay longer.

… And even after they left her alone and retreated, Aristia was still surprisingly alive. 

“Uugh, nnngghhh…”

The Queen of the White Elves was deeply connected with the World Tree that she was able to share its life force and survive. However, the wound inflicted on her body was too much that it could not forcefully speed-up her metabolism to heal her fatal wound, and her consciousness slowly sank into darkness…

Unconscious, Aristia was then found and captured by the Slavers who had been targeting the Elves in the nearby forest by binding her extremities and fitting her with a demon-sealing collar.