There were two hobgoblins leading the escort team; a pair of brothers named Log and Splinter. The both of them had brownish green skin, but one was tall, the other was short. Log was short and stout, while Splinter was tall and thin. The brothers had great teamwork and combat experience, but above all, they were good friends with Rust. So, it wasn’t surprising that they wanted to set off with haste. However, before the group of goblin warriors could leave the burrows, they were stopped by two goblins. Not surprisingly, it was Bronze and Silver.

“Please, Bronze and I want to go.”

“Yeah, we must bring Rust back!”

Far from their usual airheaded demeanor, the twins acted with a seriousness that the tribe had never seen before. They looked as though they would charge into the forest by themselves even if no one else went. There was a fire in their eyes that even the goblins who viewed them as burdens, could not deny.

“We understand but time is of the essence, we can’t waste words with kids. The longer we take, the less chance your brother has of living!”

“We won’t get in your way. If we do, just kill us!”

“Yeah, but no matter what, take us with you!”

The warriors could only sigh. Thinking about it, it wasn’t as though the skills of the twins were poor. In fact, they could be considered to be quite good. It was just that their attention span was pitiful. With Bronze and Silver so focused, perhaps they wouldn’t be deadweight. Boulder, the warrior who suggested the search party, was about to reject them. However, before he could, a hoarse and wizened voice rang out.

“Let them go. I’m sure these children will not be a burden.”

“The Shaman speaks and we shall obey.”

Boulder replied, surprised by the shaman’s decision to allow the twins to go with escort party. Bronze and Silver were only about thirteen years old and while their skills were passable, their experience was questionable. However, since the shaman decided to let them go, there was nothing else to say. The words of the shaman carried the weight of a mountain. Even the goblin chief would have to consider the shaman’s opinion before making any decisions.

“Thank you, great shaman!”

“Yeah, great shaman is awesome.”

Silver spoke first, then Bronze second. Without any further delay, the group was finally able to depart. Bronze and Silver led the way, but not recklessly so. They headed toward the center of the forest and began to survey the terrain. Before the other warriors could decide on a direction, Bronze and Silver had already picked a path and gestured for the others to follow. Surprisingly, Log and Splinter, the two Hobgoblins assigned to lead the expedition, didn’t voice any complaints. Since the hobgoblins didn’t reprimand the children, the other goblins didn’t have a right to say anything.

Like that, the group navigated deeper into the forest. It took a while, but following the path that the twins had chosen, it wasn’t long before they found traces of battle. The ground and trees were all battered by various water element spells, clearly showing that Rust had passed through this area. A blood trail could be clearly followed from this point, but it did not make the group feel any better. The distance from this area to the lake was still quite a ways away and the amount of blood that Rust was losing would have made him feel faint. It was likely that Rust wouldn’t have had the energy to make it much further. With the wolves following so closely after him, the situation was looking grim.

Panic flashed across the twins’ faces, but they refused to believe that Rust was dead. The group rushed forward and a few minutes later, they came to a slight clearing. Bronze and Silver could see a huge pool of blood, soaking the grass beneath it. A broken spear and bits of severed flesh were scattered amidst the blood. Bronze and Silver moved with astonishing speed, tears already welling in their eyes.

“No, Rust can’t be dead!”

“Rust is the strongest! He’s definitely alive!”

The twins felt like crying, but they still held onto the hope that Rust was still alive.

“Hmm, it’s strange that the blood has pooled here and yet there isn’t even a body remaining. There’s also the fact that the wolves have completely left the area. We hadn’t encountered a single one along the way. Wolves are cunning creatures, so if they are outclassed, they will typically retreat.”

“Also, if Rust had been dragged away, there would at least be some sort of blood trail. It’s as though he just disappeared.”

Log chimed in first, then Splinter gave his observations after. While they didn’t hold much hope for Rust’s survival, they said this much so that the twins could regain their composure. Log and Splinter were brothers, so they could sympathize with the twins who valued their older brother so much. Kinship was important to the goblin race.

“That’s right, we can’t give up yet!”

The twins chimed in unison. Their spirits had been low, but the words of the hobgoblin brothers managed to restore their hope. Log and Splinter felt that it might have been cruel because their hopes would probably be dashed...but hope wasn’t something that should be given up so easily.

The group was about to continue their advance, when they suddenly felt a gentle breeze flow through the forest. The dense smell of blood seemed to be abated and their anxiousness instantly disappeared. Startled, the goblins looked up to see a beautiful young woman. Her aura was something that they could never hope to compare with. This was a qualitative difference between their existence that could not be crossed. If this spirit wanted to kill them, it end faster than one could blink.

“Venerable spirit, we apologize if we have offended you. Oi--hurry and kneel you idiots!”

“Bronze, Silver, you as well!”

While they were confused, they decided to listen to Log and Splinter. Since they were Rust’s friends, they trusted them implicitly.

“I haven’t been offended, but it’s good that you have manners. Anyway, let’s go, you’re looking for that hobgoblin, aren’t you? I’ll take you to him.”

Log and Splinter looked at each other then nodded. If the spirit before them wanted to kill them, it would be easy for her. There was no point in lying.

“Thank you, ven--ven...awesome spirit!”

The twins tried to use the word that Log had used, but gave up. Sylvia gave a gentle smile in response. These were good children. With a snap of her fingers, a strong wind began to wrap around the goblins. They were all startled at first, but realized it would be pointless to panic or resist. The wind around them was infused with light green mana, forming a protective sphere. Then, the world around them began to blur and the goblins began to feel sick. The sensation didn’t last for more than a second, but the after effects lingered for some time before they could regain their bearing.

The first ones to compose themselves weren’t the hobgoblin brothers, but rather, the twins. They could feel Rust’s presence, even while they were too disoriented to see.

“Rust!”

The twins cried out in unison. With unsteady steps, they stumbled their way toward the unconscious Rust. They had tunnel vision, completely disregarding the existence of the fledgling ogre, or the graceful undine. All they saw was their precious brother, safe and sound. The twins kneeled beside their big brother. Tears welled up in their eyes and they wanted to throw themselves toward him in an embrace, but they were worried that he hadn’t fully recovered. On the other hand, the goblins watching them looked cautiously at the fledgling ogre beside Rust. Had this been some sort of trap so that the Sylph could feed them to this little ogre?! If so, there was nothing they could do but be eaten!

“You bastards, you just thought something rude about Grahl, didn’t you?”

A voice that could chill the sun itself, echoed in the goblins’ ears. The spirit that guided them here glared at them menacingly. The goblin warriors panicked and hurriedly shook their heads. What kind of freakish intuition did this Sylph possess?!

“Hmph, ungrateful.”

The twins, overhearing this conversation, finally remembered that there were others around them. They looked up and just as they did, they were startled to see an ogre beside them. Bronze and Silver should have been terrified, but somehow they felt that this ogre wouldn’t harm them. The ogre, who was much larger than them, had a chiseled physique and imposing features. The ogre looked intently at the twins, then back toward Rust. A knowing smile faintly flashed across his lips.

Bronze and Silver looked at one another, then spoke,

“Were you the one who saved our brother?”

“Well, I found him, but it was my friends who really saved him.”

“Thank you!”

Bronze and Silver hurriedly kneeled and bowed their heads in gratitude.

“Eh, you believe me?”

“Of course! Big brother says trust your intu--intu...your gut! My gut says you aren’t a bad guy. Right, Silver?”

“Mm, I feel that he is not a bad person. Scary, but not bad.”

Grahl felt warmth in his heart. It was nice to be believed. It was nice to be thanked.

“Venerable spirits, valiant ogre, we thank you for your kindness. While there is little that we goblins can do to repay this debt, we give you our sincerest gratitude.”

Log and Splinter were also truly grateful that Rust had survived. Rust was younger than they were, but his hard work and dedication earned their respect. The goblins who had been frightened by Sylvia earlier, also bowed their heads in gratitude.

Grahl shook his head then said,

“Like I said, it was my friends who saved him. Anyway, my name is Grahlgar, call me Grahl. Can I ask your names?”

“I’m Bronze!”

“I’m Silver!”

“And I am Log, while this is my brother Splinter.”

The other goblins introduced themselves as well. However, Sylvia and Aqua didn’t introduce themselves because names were a sacred thing to spirits. A spirit would only give their name to someone that had earned their trust. Therefore, they simply floated on the side and watched over Grahl. Aqua had a warm smile as she watched Grahl interact with others. Sylvia on the other hand, was still scowling at those goblins.

“Hmm, so this person’s name is Rust, huh? He is very strong.”

“Un, big brother is the strongest.”

The twins said without hesitation. They looked over fawningly at Rust, glad that he was okay. They didn’t ask what happened, because they were afraid to know. As long as their big brother was alive and well, that was enough for them. Still, this incident had made them realize that they needed to focus and stop holding Rust back. If they had trained as diligently as they should have been, remained as vigilant as they were supposed to, perhaps Rust would have never been in such a situation. From this moment on, a strong determination to grow up and fight alongside their brother, was born.

Grahl didn’t say anymore, as he realized that the twins simply wanted to stay at their brother’s side. After expressing their gratitude, they cared for nothing else aside from Rust. They would wait quietly and patiently at his side until the moment he woke. Aqua said nothing to stop them from remaining here. After all, the lake itself was quite large, so it wasn’t as if they would be in the way of others who came here. Besides, even if they were, no one would dare to complain. Who had the guts to complain to the spirit of the lake about loitering?

The time passed slowly and all eyes seemed to be fixed on the unconscious hobgoblin. Rust had stopped gathering mana to heal himself, so it was apparent that he was recuperating. Several hours had passed and the forest began to dim as the sun began to set. Rust, who had been motionless all this time, gradually began to move. His eyelids lightly twitched before they slowly opened. His eyes revealed a trace of confusion. He clearly remembered that he was being torn to shreds at the maws of ravenous beasts.

“Rust!”

The twins could no longer hold in their enthusiasm and threw themselves toward Rust in an embrace.

“Rust, don’t leave us behind ever again!”

“We will get strong and fight with Rust!”

“Mm, we won’t be a burden to Rust anymore!”

The twins shed a river of tears that seemed without end. Rust, who was just now gaining his bearings, suddenly seemed to have pieced together what happened. With a stern look in his eyes, he gently knocked the twins over the head.

“Ow! What was that for?!”

“Idiots! When did I ever say you were a burden? Don’t ever say something like that again, or I will never forgive you, understood?”

Rust bit his lip and tried to fight back the tears in his eyes as well. He was grateful to be alive, grateful to hold his siblings within his arms. These twins were his reason to live. The reason why he fought tooth and nail to secure a place for them. A place to call home.

After a few moments of consoling the twins, they finally let go of Rust. Rust was able to get back to his feet, albeit a bit shakily. The hobgoblin looked at the young ogre who found him. Rust now remembered the voice he heard before completely losing consciousness. Although he was thankful, more than anything, he was wondering why he was saved. They were unrelated and Rust was at the point where it really looked as if saving him would be a lost cause.

“Thank you, Grahl, was it?”

“Mm, but it was my--”

“Yes, I know it was your friends, but they saved me at your behest. Without your kindness, I would surely would have died. Therefore, you have my deepest gratitude.”

Rust got on his knees and bowed deeply, unable to fully express in words the feelings that he felt. Grahl was frantic and quickly helped Rust to stand up. The hobgoblin, after expressing his gratitude, suddenly wore a very serious expression.

“But I have to know….what made you decide to save me? Why did you go out of your way to save a weak hobgoblin like myself? Pity?”

Grahl was a little surprised at Rust’s sudden question, but it didn’t take him long to reply.

“It’s because I just had a feeling that you had a lot to live for.”

“....That’s it?”

“That’s it.”

“Well, excuse me for saying this...but you’re an idiot.”

“Bastard, Grahl might be an idiot, but only we have the right to call him that!”

Sylvia looked as though she would put all of Aqua’s efforts to waste and simply kill Rust for his comment. Although a part of her did agree that Grahl was a bit of a dunce in the common sense department. After all, Grahl simply followed his instincts.

Unafraid of the angered spirit, Rust simply stared straight at Grahl.

“You’re an idiot, but you’ve got good instincts. I certainly do have a lot to live for.”

Rust, who always seemed to have a stern expression, wore a warm smile as he looked at Bronze and Silver.

“If there’s anything I can do for you in the future, do not hesitate to ask.”

“...Uhm...if that’s the case, I do have a favor to ask.”

“Name it.”

“Uhh...would you guys...be my friends?”

Rust looked perplexed for a moment, but then he gave a slight smile.

“Sure.”

“Us too!”

In the setting sun, in an ancient forest, new friendships were born.