After the discussion, Rodan, the leader of the subjugation group told us that we're going to have an hour break before we head off. I took this opportunity to head back to the house and ask for Sun and Night's permission.

I doubt that they'll let me go that easily so I'm thinking of begging them for me to go, emphasizing the fact that there will be strong humans who will protect me along the way.

Maybe with that, they'll make an exception on this. This is the perfect opportunity to save Trish and her mother after all. I can't let this slip.

My feet finally stopped in front of the house that we're staying at and just when I was about to enter, the door suddenly opened.

"Oh, Snow! Perfect timing. I was just about to call you."

The one who opened the door is none other than Sun.

Sun held my hand and led me inside. There, I saw Night packing up our limited stuff in large cloths.

"What's happening?"

I asked the human next to me for some explanation and she did so with hesitance.

"You see, Snow... We're thinking that we continue our way towards the capital. It had gotten quite dangerous lately and now that the subjugation forces are here, the village will be safe."

"Huh?"

"Sorry, I know it's quite sudden but it's better the sooner we leave."

What?

"But didn't Roosevelt refused the village chief's offer to leave, last night?"

Hearing her name being called, Night turned to our direction to explain herself.

"I know... But that was before the subjugation force came. It just doesn't feel right to leave when the village is in a dangerous state like this."

"But... Why leave now?"

We could have left any other day before... When I finally have a role in saving Trish and her mother, this timing is just too inconvenient.

"Like we said Snow, now that the subjugation force is here, we wouldn't need to worry about the village and since the village's protection would be in their hands now, it shouldn't be necessary for us to stay here."

Huh? Sun just doesn't make any sense.

"Then why did we stay here in the first place?"

"Originally, it was for us to get some rest and for you to know people other than us but when we heard the circumstances of the village, we thought that you being here would help them in their problem but..."

After Night said that, Sun continued.

"We just recently learned that your life is very precious, Snow, so we were quite conflicted on this. You were also having so much fun playing with your new friends so it was harder for us to suggest that we should leave. And even though we truly hate for you to get hurt, if it really came to it, when the villagers weren't able to defend their village anymore, then, just for once, we'll let you help them."

"But now that the subjugation force is here, you aren't needed anymore. If we stay here longer, your life would needlessly be in danger so it should be wise to leave early."

Then they're only doing this for my safety... Of course, I truly appreciate it that they care so much for me but this time, it's being a hindrance. No, even before this, it's being a hindrance.

I would've known where Trish is by now if they hadn't forbidden me from 'doing something reckless'. I might have already saved her as well. And there wouldn't be so many deaths and injuries last night as well if I was just allowed to dwindle their numbers.

The promise that they made me take for them is being a huge hindrance but it's for my own safety as they simply wish for me to be safe so I couldn't refute it.

No matter how much I wanted to. I'd like to keep that promise.

But...

"Just this once... Please let me do something reckless."

"What do you mean, Snow?"

"It's... It's because I———"

I then explained to them things that had happened earlier. How I became the navigator in the search for the goblin village, how urgent it is because of the ritual and the shaman and how this can save Trish and her mother.

The two listened to me speak but I could tell from their expression that they are not happy about it.

Once I'm done speaking, Night let out a sigh.

"Snow, we can't. Even if you tell us that they're going to protect you. If by chance that they get overwhelmed by the goblins, what will happen to you then? You'll get hurt, or worse!"

"It wouldn't matter if I did. I'll heal quick."

"Still!"

Night's eyes began to tear up. As for Sun, she seems to be holding herself back.

Really... They're too overprotective of me...

Like I said, I'll be fine even if I lose an arm. It would seriously hurt but I'll be fine nonetheless so long as my heart or head isn't pierced through.

But even while knowing that, they can't accept me getting any sort of injury.

The reason why I kept my promise to not do anything reckless is that of the fact that I don't want them to get really worried. It'll make me feel both guilty and bad. I'd like to avoid feeling such things as much as possible.

I even consider it more important than Trish's well being which seems odd if you think about it.

I think it all has to do with the fact that I've been with Sun and Night the longest.

Even still, if I logically weigh the two, Trish's life should take more importance.

Even if it's contrary to my feelings, it's still more important right now. This search could also decide the lives of the villagers here.

As much as I don't care about them, they're still lives that could potentially be saved. If they can be saved then all the more reason to do it.

"I'm sorry."

By doing this, I'll be breaking my promise with them. I know for sure I'll be feeling that nasty feeling called guilt. But in doing so, I can save the lives of these villagers, the life of Trish. Someone I consider as a friend.

"Snow?"

"I'll go."

"Wha-what...?"

"I'm going with the search..."

"Snow! Don't! You'll get hurt...!"

"Snow, please don't... Please, I beg of you... Tell me you're joking..."

Even with Night's and Sun's pleading, I can't back down now. Even if I consider them my mothers, I have to do this.

If I don't, it's not only Trish, her mother, or the villagers' lives, but my own individuality as well.

I've been given this life in order to experience things. There's also my goal to have conversational partners which I have gotten already. Sun, Night, Chris, Leo, and Trish. They're the lives that matter to me and I'd like it if they don't die. Especially Sun's and Night's life. I'd hate for them to lose their lives.

If I don't go with this then I might as well just listen to them until they die, moving my personal decision aside in favor of theirs.

When I looked up, I saw Sun and Night with damp eyes and tears flowing down their faces. Seeing that, it made it harder to go on with this decision.

So that I wouldn't get dissuaded, I left then and there. I could hear the two screaming inside but I closed my ears on that, as hard as it is to do.

•••

Once the break is over, it's only the matter of waiting for the others to arrive and after that, we'll be heading off towards the forest.

Since our main goal here wouldn't be to fight but instead to find where the goblin village is and to know which path to take so only the bare minimum of equipment was brought.

As for me, I'm simply traveling while only bringing myself and nothing else. The priestess said that she'll be taking care of my needs while I'm there.

It does sound like she's implying that I could drink her blood but it definitely not because of that. What she meant by that was human food that I don't need.

Since I can't just go and refuse it, I'll have to endure eating human food without anything added to it. Moreover, it's that thing. Dried bread and meat. Absolutely horrible if tasted alone. It's making me shudder just thinking about it.

I should've asked Night to make me... Let's not think about that.

Anyway.

It's only at breaks which is only one time so it isn't as bad. Since we don't plan on searching for long, not much food was brought after all. And if we do this quick enough, there's shouldn't be a need to take a break, which means no preserved human food.

And as for the travel, I will be in the center of the group, abiding with what they said about protecting me. The one who proposed that it's the priestess of course. Since she sees me as a child, she believed that I shouldn't be brought to harm in the first place and this much is only natural.

The others grumbled for a bit but did it in the end.

The grey-haired human called Rus also agreed to protect me and when he said so, the others seem to comply far quicker than when the priestess had asked.

I could think up of many things regarding this but the most logical explanation for this is because he's just really good at convincing other people.

I myself, don't find him anymore convincing than any other human but the others except the priestess think otherwise.

Anyway, with that, we headed off.

Or already heading off. 30 minutes have already passed.

As planned, I'm leading them towards was the highest concentration of goblins are in the forest.

And while on the way, I also sensed a couple of them looking at us from a reasonable distance away but as soon as I mentioned it to them, they quickly went off and killed them much faster than I expected that it made my speed for being a vampire seem as if it isn't as remarkable as I thought it is.

It's basically as fast as me from what I can tell, though their hits with their swords are a little lacking, they make up for it with how fast they attack. Well, not like it matters how fast they attack or how hard they hit. The goblins died in three hits or less.

This world is a mystery. I did expect that there are some in this world that is far stronger than me but I didn't expect humans to be a candidate. I thought they're weak and vulnerable. I guess those humans from before are just really weak and these guys are on the stronger side. They also have this strange scent when they do this fast momentary movements that I can't put to words. It's definately not the smell of their blood but something different.

Or maybe that's just my imagination. Whatever then

With this, I feel even more at ease. This guy's being as capable or even more capable than me, I don't think that I should worry.

But the concerning thing is, they get tired really quickly. I guess that's just normal for humans. Their bodies glowing when they do that kind of feat might be a kind of indication as to why that is.

After just an hour of walking, we took a quick break before continuing our travel. The priestess was rather nice as well during this. She would let me sit on her lap. She's kinda like Sun but her approach on this is very different.

Also, during this break, I was questioned by the leader and the others.

"Looks like you really do know where it is. Seems like Rus won the bet then."

Rodan then began to say as he slowly sat on the outgrown root of a tree.

With the mention of his name, Rus replied in kind.

"See? Don't question my intuition on these things."

Rodan grunted as a reply before turning his look towards me again.

"But I do find it rather suspicious. Why do you know about the way? Surely if you've been staying at that village, you should have disclosed this information to the village chief by now but it seems that you didn't and only now that you did. Any reason to why that is?"

His gaze is sharp and I could feel a bit of hostility in his words. It almost made me not want to answer back.

"Really, mister Rodan? You're really asking that to a child? You're making her scared when she's just doing this to help us. I'm sure she has her reasons on why she didn't say anything before."

"Oh! It's the first time I saw miss Celidonia get as feisty as Morgan, and to the leader at that!"

"Don't go calling me feisty you goddamn idiot!"

After Celidonia spoke, Sam interjected which was then refuted by the little mage. Rodan and Celidonia ignored their little bantering and continued on.

"It's only natural to be suspicious. I'm sure you find this unusual right? I just wanted to confirm if whether we aren't walking into some trap or something. So, kid, how'd you do it? Or is it some kind of secret that kills whoever hears it?"

Celidonia looks like she wants to say something but decided to keep her mouth shut for now.

As for what I should on Rodan's question, should I just answer honestly? Or keep it a secret?

I find that answering honestly be the only viable choice here as it's rather hard to tell any lies or not tell anything at all with this many people staring at you.

So let's just to that. Ambiguously.

"I can detect them."

"You can detect them?"

"Yes."

They all looked at me dubiously. For a human to say they can somehow detect goblins, it is certainly unbelievable. But I'm not a human nor do they know that I'm not one so i find it only natural for them not to believe what I just said.

"Let's keep going."

I told them as I hopped off of the lap of Celidonia. It'll be bad if he continued to ask more questions so I ended that topic with that.

There will certainly be lingering questions in their heads like 'is what she said real' but I have no intentions to answer them. I'll let them speculate.

We continued for a few more minutes without anything to note of when suddenly, Rus made some rather strange suggestions.

"The direction to the gob village is that way, right? Let's keep going."

All of the sudden, he suggested that we turn right when the direction to where the goblin village is is just straight ahead. I've always kept it that way during our whole travel.

Did he find something perhaps? But he insinuated that I was the one who made said that which is completely untrue.

And the weird thing is, the rest followed him like they're mindless little chicks following their mother as they trek across the forest terrain. Simply put, they followed him as if it was natural.

All except the priestess. She looked like she's as surprised as I am.

"Hey, where are you all going?"

"What do you mean?"

Celidonia looked at me who is pointing forwards to indicate the right path and told them to turn their gazes on me.

"You all are going in the wrong direction."

With that said, the rest of the group went back on track and we continued our way towards the goblin village.

Though, as silent as it was, I heard Rus clicking his tongue.