Trapped in Another World With No Magic

Chapter 150: Devil of the Wood

Field Marshal Klur is a goblin who grew up in as stable of an environment as a typical social goblin might, like the Queens Shek and Skloe. He was still kicked around by the taller races and drafted for combat against the east. His chances of seeing his home again were low, and when the Harbinger of Calamity rose to power, he felt his days were even shorter.

Now, he is riding in the carriage with the survivors rescued from the dumgob, or feral goblin, burrow. They are exhausted and fearful, wrapped in blankets provided by the soldiers of Grendel 6 as most of them sleep.

In total, there were twenty two survivors, ranging from children to adults, mostly female, since even most goblins can fight the women and children of most races with minimal risk.

There is a young human girl, who was the first one found upon discovering the burrow, and she is still wearing the Field Marshal's grey mantle as a blanket while she sleeps with her head leaning on his shoulder. The middle carriage is effectively a dummy carriage as part of the bait to lure out the dumgobs, so it is normal in every way except that it was built in a hurry and with materials the Fievegal didn't need. It's not comfortable, but it's better than making these weary and exhausted souls walk.

For now, the near-silent electric motor is driving the iron buckrokh, a disguised tank pulling the two dummy carriages behind.

Klur studies the young human girl, who is only a hair shorter than he is due to her age. Klur was the first one to comfort her when she was rescued, providing his mantle as a sort of protection, something that the goblin field commander wouldn't have come up with on his own. The Human Emperor regularly gives his own belongings to his daughters and sons to reassure them, and it quickly pacifies them when all else seems to fail.

"M-Mister Goblin...?" asks the Uhl'tall woman that was found in the prisoner room.

Klur looks at her, asking as respectfully as he can, "Need something?"

She hesitates, shrugging into her blanket. "I... What will be happening to us now?"

Klur shifts only a little, trying not to disrupt the human girl. "As I briefly say, we will head to Citadel. Emperor and Empresses order to provide new home or take to home."

She absorbs his words, since he knows that he is still not fully proficient at speaking any of the common languages between demon-kin, let alone the eastern trade language Daniel favors.

"S-So... w-will we be... slaves?" asks one of the other women who appeared to be asleep.

"No. No slaves. As goblin given great honor by Fievegal, Klur encourage to stay in Fievegal, but Emperor want know you can go home. If want."

"What if...?"

"Klur apologize. Klur know very little of future. Mission to kill dumgob raiders and save prisoners." He looks at the third carriage, which has the captured feral goblins, mostly consisting of children and goblin women to be offered the chance to redeem themselves and become functional members of society, so far as Klur knows. Given what he has seen, as well as some of the soldiers in his very own Grendel 6 unit, anyone can be redeemed if they choose to walk the right path.

The women look down, a little disappointed that he can't answer their questions. He'd like to, but he simply doesn't know enough.

Suddenly a whistle catches Klur's attention. He can see the dattakoriens perk up and listen intently as well.

A second, tone-changing whistle tells Klur what he needs. The scouts have discovered a threat.

Klur stands up, which jolts the girl awake. But, he can't focus on that now. "Grendel Six! Contact! To stations! Free the Titanslayer!"