Chapter 25 – The island's new kobold residents!
After that, the rest of the Tibris tribe from the ship also started to come to the island.
However, there were many who were wounded, ill, or malnourished. Some were too weak to get on the boats.
And so I decided to go to the ship and treat them.
Ash bowed as he traveled with me on the boat.
"…I'm sorry to have to inconvenience you like this. We are especially grateful because there are none among us who can use healing magic. However, it may be too late for some…"
"…I'll just have to do what I can."
I said as I boarded the ship.
"This…"
The deck was much worse than I expected.
Many did not have hands or legs. They were laid out on the small ship and crammed together.
And from the far back, there was a stench so strong that I wanted to cover my nose.
When I asked, they told me it was the rotting corpse of their queen.
And so I gave them permission to building a grave on the reclaimed ground so that she could be properly buried.
In times like these, using advanced magic would be very useful, as you could cast healing magic over a wide area.
Unfortunately, while my magic was very strong, I had not learned any advanced magic…
I had assumed that I wouldn't have any opportunity to use it anyway. And so I had not studied anything above mid-ranged magic.
That being said, up until my arrival on this island, I could barely even use the lowest of beginner magic…
If only someone could teach me. Or if there was magic book.
Well, I would just have to do what I could for now.
"That means healing them one at a time…"
"Lord Heal. I will help you!"
Rienna said from behind. She had come too.
"It's for times like these that you taught me magic. Please leave it to me!"
"Thank you, Rienna. …All of you."
Baris and a few other goblins, Taran, Shiel, and Mappa were also there.
"Please don't mind us. You and the Princess must focus on treating them. The rest of us will do everything else."
Baris said. And then he gave out orders to the other goblins.
They carried and helped those who could not walk by themselves.
Taran spat out webs and helped the kobolds onto the boats. Shiel acted like a stretcher to move them.
As for Mappa, he made canes for those without legs or arms to help them walk.
Once Erevan and the other goblins saw this from the island, they could not stay silent.
Erevan started to shout out orders while Fule pulled his arm.
"Hey! Help them carry their belongings off of the boat! And bring some food and water!"
I wasn't sure if it was because they saw their lord working, or it was the wounded kobolds that made them feel pity. But they started to carry their belongings and bring food.
The Golems, Cave Spiders, and slimes also joined them.
As everyone on the island helped, we were soon able to carry all of the kobolds to the shore safely.
Some were not healed completely, but at least they would be able to rest now.
When I returned to dry land, the first person I talked to was Erevan.
"Erevan. Thank you."
"Don't mention it! I am just here to obey your orders, Lord Heal! So…it's not at all for those dog bastards."
Erevan said. Fule tugged at his arm as if to remonstrate him.
However, Erevan just held her hand and looked at me with a conflicted expression.
"…Well, I best return to work. Let me know if you need help with anything."
And with that, he pulled Fule away and returned to the other goblins.
From what I could see, they had finished moving all of the kobold's belongings.
Ash, Haine, and the other kobolds that could move all knelt before me with deep gratitude.
There were more than 100 in all.
Ash opened his mouth as a representative.
"Lord Heal. All of you… We are nothing but grateful. As a way of repaying this debt, please allow us to serve you, Lord Heal."
I had only intended to greet them as guests.
Of course, there was the baby. So I could understand why they might want to live here as well.
However, that meant they would have to stay here with the goblins for a long time…
Some common law might help bring some unity to these old enemies.
Swearing allegiance to me seemed like the easiest way to accomplish that.
The most important thing was that through taming them, the goblins and kobolds would be able to live on this island without fear.
The taming skill would not only prevent them from harming me, but tamed monsters were also not able to harm each other.
This only applied to acts with actual hostility or the will to kill. It did not affect something like a sword-fighting tournament.
In any case, even if they did start to quarrel with each other, it should not erupt into a physical fight.
I didn't really want their loyalty, but if it meant everyone could live without fear, it seemed like the best option.
And so I decided to tame them one by one…
And just like with the goblins, I had to think of new names.
…To be honest, coming up with names for 100 people was back-breaking work.
Of course, most of them were just based off their old names.
But it wouldn't be fair if I did nothing since I had given the goblins new names.
It was necessary.
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Once I was finished naming all of them, I said,
"Alright. I look forward to getting to know you. Ash…ton. Haines. You two will keep the other kobolds organized.
Ash became Ashton and Haine became Haines… Yes, it was practically the same.
"Aye! Lord Heal, we of the Tibris tribe will serve you with wholehearted devotion!!"
Ashton bowed.
The other kobolds did the same.
And then Baris opened his mouth as he stood next to me.
"Lord Heal. There is a lot I wish to ask Ashton, regarding their battle with the orcs… But perhaps it would be best to eat first. Also, we will have to explain to them about the island and how we provide food. I asked the Princess to show them the kitchen."
"I see. Thank you, Rienna."
Rienna said 'Yes!' cheerfully.
And then she told Ashton and the others to follow her.
Shiel, Taran, and the other slimes and Cave Spiders all touched parts of each others' bodies as if to praise them for their good work. Apparently, they weren't going to return to work but were going to eat together.
The only ones who were left were me and Baris…and Mappa…
I let out a deep sigh.
"Haa…"
Being the lord of this place was hard…
I had often heard that lords and their representatives that lived near country borders would drink a lot due to the stress of official business.
But we didn't have any drink here. And I was too young anyway…
From inside my shirt, the kobold baby looked up at me with a worried expression.
"Ah, sorry-sorry! I'm just a little tired."
I said as I petted him soothingly.
Then he wriggled around happily.
Yes, he was so cute.
Mappa started to hit me on the back with a smile. Perhaps he was also telling me that I had done a good job.
And while it made me happy…it also hurt.
Then Baris addressed me as if to show his appreciation.
"You must be exhausted, Lord Heal. You have my sympathies…"
"Thanks, Baris… But, I suppose you must hate this?"
"That you welcomed in the kobolds? Indeed… I have many thoughts on that. However, I also believed that what you said was true."
Baris said as he watched the kobolds who were now settling down to eat.
"In the first place, the kobolds are not the only tribe that we've fought against. …It pains me to say this in front of you, Lord Heal, but the humans were our enemies as well. In fact, humans took more Berdan lives than anyone else."
"That's… I'm sure you're right."
In the kingdom of Sanfaris, people were taught to kill goblins on sight.
And so any goblins who appeared near human settlements were 'exterminated' by the army or by mercenaries.
Furthermore, this was apparently not an unusual sight in any of the other human countries.
So it was no wonder that the goblins hated the humans in return.
In other words, obeying me would have also been a very difficult thing for the goblins to accept.
It was the orcs that burned down the Berdan tribe's homelands, but the humans persecuted them as well.
"However, we Berdans were also rejected by other goblin tribes. And yet, Lord Heal…in spite of being a human, you saved us. And it is because you helped us, that we cannot choose to not save someone just because of their race."
"Baris…"
I hadn't been thinking of such noble thoughts when I made my decision.
However, I was glad to see that Baris agreed with me.
"…But Erevan lost his son to the Tibris tribe…"
"The General is a warrior. Even if he is sad that his son died in battle, he would be solemnly aware that he's killed the sons of others as well. There were times when we were the ones to attack the Tibris tribe… But the last battle was only a year ago. I think it will take time for them to come to terms with everything."
"One year ago… I suppose there are many others here who lost family members, as Erevan did."
"Indeed… The Tibris tribe lived quite close to us, so the gulf between us is deep. However, part of that is that we never had an opportunity to talk. Perhaps through interacting here, we will begin to understand each other."
I nodded and Baris continued.
"I have a few ideas on how to make them work together. You can leave that to me. However, there will likely be times when I cannot control them… When that happens, you must lead them, Lord Heal."
"I guess you're right…"
"Yes. Unfortunately, there are some things that only you can do."
So the king has to come out and make them obey…
That was my father's way of doing things.
It wasn't how I wanted things to be here…
However, it was the duty of the lord. And so if it came down to it, I would have to be ready.
Besides, Baris was offering to cooperate to this degree. I couldn't just act like it had nothing to do with me.
"Alright. I promise…"
"Thank you, Lord Heal. I was able to speak with Ashton a moment ago and found him to be a flexible thinker. So I am sure he will help me. Furthermore, the Princess and the others will do what they can. We will do our best to avoid troubling you."
"…Thanks. You're a great help, Baris."
"No, no. As I told you before, I have a worthless crest. I am powerless."
"No, you're not powerless, Baris."
Even if he couldn't use magic, he had far more knowledge than me.
Perhaps living for so long allowed him to experience and learn so much.
Besides, Baris said it was because of his devotion to studying that he was able to become a Shaman. So he had always been quick-witted.
On the other hand…I felt like I still had a long way to go.
If only there was a stone I could mine that would make me smarter…
Oh, right. Speaking of mining…
"By the way, I found this while digging this morning. Do you know what it is?"
I took out the Seed of the World Tree from my Inventory.
It was about the size of a potato. Baris looked at it with deep interest.
"Hmm? It is some kind of seed then. But it's so big…"
"Apparently, it's called the 'Seed of the World Tree,' but I've never heard of such a thing."
"The World Tree… Hmm. I've never…no… I have heard of it once."
"Really?"
"Yes. The previous, previous Shaman would sometimes talk of the distant past. Of course, I do not know how much truth there was to it, and I do not know the details… But it is supposed to be a very large tree whose leaves offer a blessing to all creatures."
"Huh. Well, it's a good tree then."
"That is certain. It is said that countries and tribes have been wiped out because their tree was burned down."
"That powerful… Well, I might as well plant it then."
It sounded kind of amazing…
At that time, it was with such a light heart that I decided to plant the World Tree.
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Chapter 26 – I planted an amazing tree!
When the kobolds were finished eating, I decided to talk to Ashton and Haines.
What had brought them out to this vast sea?
"So, you all had your homelands burned down as well…"
Rienna muttered with a dark expression as she listened with me and Baris.
Ashton replied,
"Do you mean to say that the home of the Berdan tribe was also razed to the ground by the Gofel orcs…"
"Yes… Not just our homes, but also the forest. My father the king was killed, along with my mother and siblings…"
"I see… That must have been very painful."
Ashton said darkly.
So, Ashton's Tibris tribe and Rienna's Berdan tribe had been attacked by the same orcs. These Gofels.
And so I asked him,
"That's terrible… So, you came all of the ways out here because the Gofel orcs were chasing you?"
"No. The Gofels have no skill for using ships. They did chase us on land, but once we put out to sea, it was their ally, the Korbas, who chased us."
"The Korbas… I've heard of them."
They were orc pirates who often attacked Sanfaris's trading ships.
Their crew consisted of skilled veterans and they were often hired as mercenaries.
Sanfaris's navy had gone out to deal with them a number of times, but they always seemed to be a step behind. Ultimately, they were never able to sink or capture a single ship.
"Such dangerous enemies are still close by… It will be necessary to tighten our security."
I nodded at Baris's suggestion.
"Alright, we should make something like a turret and increase the number of watchers. …Still, Ashton. You went out to sea. Where were you hoping to escape?"
"We were…heading to the new continent."
"Ah, is that right? We Berdans were also attempting to reach the new continent."
"What… Do you happen to also have the same tradition?"
"The forgotten continent to the south… We call it the 'Land of Gold.'"
"I see. For us, the southern continent is the 'Field Where Reeds Grow.'"
Their conversation was odd to me.
When Baris and the goblins first arrived, I thought they had just come south temporarily to avoid the coast, where there were many Sanfaris ships.
However, it seemed like they thought that there was a continent to the far south.
But, south of Sheorl was…
"I… Well, we human children are taught that what lies south of Sheorl Island is a waterfall to the abyss. …Well, I think it really just means that the waves are so high that no ship can pass through. In any case, I had never heard anything about there being a continent."
"It is but a myth for us. However, we were willing to wager our lives on its existence."
"It was the same for us of the Tibris tribe… However, Her Majesty was very firm in her belief that a continent could be found in the south."
It seemed that Baris and Ashton were not wholly convinced.
Still, the reason that they traveled out here was that they found out that there was no home for them not just on the Barleon continent, but to the south and west continents as well.
Ashton's voice shook as he continued.
"However, we did find land to the south… So Her Majesty was not wrong."
I suppose you could say that. Though, this was a very small patch of land…
I had a feeling that she would have been terribly disappointed if she were still alive…
Well, it's not like we knew for sure that there wasn't a continent to the far south.
That aside, the kobolds were residents now. So in a way, it was as if the island was even smaller than before.
"We'll have to make a grave for the queen. I also want to bury the bones in the cave's entrance already… Oh, I suppose I'll have to dig a room for the kobolds to sleep in as well."
Hmm. There was so much to do.
Was there anything that I missed…
As I troubled over this, Rienna spoke up.
"Lord Heal… There is no need for you to take the entire burden onto yourself. You just need to give out simple orders and we will do it for you."
"The Princess is right. We have the tools. We can make rooms and graves. It will also be a good opportunity for the kobolds to learn how to dig."
Baris said. Ashton and Haines nodded.
"All of us of the Tibris tribe have already sworn loyalty to you, Lord Heal. You need only give the order, and we will do it."
The baby kobold poked its head out of my shirt. And though he surely didn't understand what was happening, he raised his hand just the same.
"You guys…"
I had been all alone when I first came to this island.
Things changed when I met Shiel, and now there were so many other people living here too…
I couldn't help but be happy about that.
I held back the tears and nodded.
"Thank you… Alright, Baris. Could you start by planning the new rooms with Ashton and Haines?"
"Leave it to me. Now, Ashton and Haines. Let us go to the caves."
"Yes!"
"Yes!"
Ashton and Haines bowed to me and then followed Baris to the cave.
"So, Rienna. I have a request to ask you… There's something I want to grow with you."
Rienna turned quite red at this.
Huh? Had I said a word that had even a hint of embarrassing sentiment attached to it…?
"I-I would be glad to, Lord Heal!! I will do my best!"
"It's nothing too serious… Uh, it's this thing…"
I put my hand in my pocket and took out the very large seed.
Rienna immediately regained her calm.
"…What is that?"
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"It's called the Seed of the World Tree. I want you to help me grow it. I gave you the Sun Stones, remember?"
The Sun Stones helped plants grow.
Of course, there weren't too many of them. So I intended on only using one.
…Huh?
It seemed like Rienna had frozen for a second.
However, she slapped her cheeks and returned to her usual self.
"The World Tree… I see. I have never heard of it."
"According to Baris, it's a very large tree. And it blesses living creatures or something like that… I don't really understand it all."
"Indeed. In other words, it will do no harm? In that case, I suppose we might as well plant it and see what happens. However, the fields are currently full…"
Rienna looked around the reclaimed ground.
"There is soil. Maybe we should choose a spot that will enhance the scenery?"
"I see…"
Where was that?
A town built around a tree…
That would look nice.
"Alright, how about in the center of the reclaimed ground…no, wait…"
He said that it was a very big tree. But how big were we talking about…
If it was too big, it would block the view of the sea from the cave.
Not that it wouldn't be a nice view of itself, but I preferred to be able to see the sea, in case we had visitors.
"…I think I'll make some more land on the other side of the island. Then we'll see what happens."
"Understood!"
And so I entered the cave and made a path to the other side of the island.
And then just like before, I used Stone Blocks from my Inventory in order to reclaim the land.
Since there were kobolds here now, I made it just as big as the last one.
However, this time I made it 10 meters above sea level, so it would be able to withstand the huge waves.
Of course, this meant that it took twice as long, and I didn't finish my work until sundown.
But unlike mining, this didn't use much energy, and so I wasn't too tired.
Though, I did use up a lot of rock materials.
And since they were very useful, I would have to replenish my supply soon.
Which meant I would have to focus on mining for a while.
"Alright, time to plant it. The center should be fine."
"Yes! Let's go."
We walked to the center of the newly reclaimed ground.
And here, we filled it up with the dirt…the Cave Spider material.
"Now I can plant…huh?"
I sensed that someone was behind me.
When I turned around, I saw a half-naked…Mappa.
He was innocently staring at the spot where I was going to plant the seed.
He always seemed to appear out of nowhere when I was about to do something new.
Well, I didn't mind… But I wish he would say something instead of being so quiet.
"Okay, let's plant it…"
And so I buried the Seed of the World Tree into the ground.
Now, I just needed to put in a single Sun Stone.
But…
"Huh? It's sprouting already. Did you use a Sun Stone?"
"No… I didn't use one. I gave them all to you. Did you use one?"
"No, I didn't… I only brought this one stone out of storage."
Rienna said as she showed me the stone.
It was still shining, which meant that it hadn't been used.
In that case…
I turned around to look at Mappa.
However, he shrugged innocently and shook his hands.
"…Really? You seem to always take stones without saying anything…"
Well, Mappa was probably telling the truth.
He wasn't carrying anything in his hands, and I doubted he could hide anything in that small waistcloth.
"Nevermind… Rienna, could you try using the Sun Stone?"
"Yes! Alright then…"
Rienna raised it high into the air and then used it.
And then, the World Tree started to grow. As I watched, it grew taller than Mappa, and then me…
…Huh? What was happening?
It wouldn't stop growing.
It was already several times taller than me.
The trunk was growing thicker and thicker so that we had to move back.
"He-hey, Rienna. You really just used one, right?"
"Ye-yes… I only had the one."
As our voices trembled, the tree kept on growing.
"This is bad!! Run back to the cave!!"
I grabbed Rienna's hand and looked over my shoulder.
Mappa was already running, and so we ran as well.
But whenever I looked back, I saw that the tree was growing as if it meant to catch up with us…
As we ran desperately, Mappa slipped and fell.
Before I could react, the expanding trunk of the tree absorbed Mappa's body.
Mapps stretched his hand out towards us, but I couldn't do anything but run.
"MAAAPPPPPPPPAAAA!!!"
I shouted. Only Mappa's head was sticking out of the tree as he was lifted high into the air. But for some reason, his face was filled with ecstasy.