Chapter 11 "The Way Forward"

 　When I passed through the gate, the gatekeeper was frozen looking at the destroyed gate.

　The two realized that it was me who had destroyed the gate, and they made a strange noise and ran away toward the city.

　Well, that's OK, I saved myself the trouble of killing them.

　I started walking as fast as I could.

　My destination was the east side of town.

Instead of going to the south, which I had originally traveled to get here, I left the Oratorium Territory and headed for the neighboring Acothurn Territory, passing through the mountains on the east side to reach another territory without using the road I had originally intended to take.

After entering the territory of Acothurn, I headed south to the royal capital.

Once there, there will be no danger.

When I get there, I'll use the money to become a merchant... no, an adventurer.

　I can fight against the legendary monsters and dragons that are a staple of this kind of world, or challenge labyrinthine dungeons that no one has ever been to and get some great treasures....

If I want, I can just take a look around this world.

With this body, I can do some pretty reckless things without dying so easily.

　Oh...I like it. I love this kind of thing...

　The feeling of my possibilities expanding.

　I can think about the future and let my heart soar....

　It's something I didn't get to do in my previous life.

　I'm looking forward to it...really looking forward to it.

　I hurried onward in a better mood than I have ever had since I came to this world...well, including my previous life.

After that, I proceeded without any problems.

I walked out of the city from the east side and walked along the paved road.

I slowed my pace as I passed through the city, but I didn't let my guard down.

　I was especially vigilant because the night seemed particularly dangerous, but nothing happened.

　I was thankful that my body was fine without sleep in times like these.

　While nothing was happening, I had some free time, so I trained in root manipulation and physical transformation.

　After all, it seems that I can reproduce the body of the person I have eaten.

　First, I changed the eyes to those of a goblin.

　It is certainly convenient to use.

The color of the eyes was not discernible, but I could see the outlines clearly, like a night vision device.

　I also trained a little on physical changes.

　I played around with the whole body, but the thickness of the arms and legs is uneven because I did it randomly.

This time, I will make adjustments. The amount of muscle mass was adjusted to the extent that it does not impede movement.

As a result, my body became larger than one size and my clothes were ripped.

My height, which I estimated to be about 185, exceeded 2 meters.

...I've done it.

When I stand upright, my viewpoint is much higher and taller.

　There was a time when I wished I were taller, as I was only 164 in my previous life. I never thought my ideal would come true in this way.

　I made myself a little thinner because I was too thick overall.

　I can't say that I am slender, because if I put too much muscle on my body, my physique would be too human... but... well, it's within the human category... right?　

　In the end, I settled on a physique that may or may not be macho....

Well... I should be getting stronger... no problem, right?

There was no point in thinking about it, so I put it aside on as usual.

　"Phew..."

　--The top floor of Shudras Castle, the throne room.

　Sitting on his throne, Abdullah, the king of the goblins, exhaled.

　In front of him kneels a soldier and his entourage who have come to report to him.

　"And? Have you finished subduing the elves?"

　"Ha! They are being subdued now."

　The soldier who came to report looks up and answers.

　"Hm.... So?　Why did that happen?"

　"......The high elves held captive in the underground treasury have escaped from their prison. After that, the elves in the slave and brothel compartments were freed and attempted to break out."

　The report itself was a common story. A captured slave helped another slave to escape from prison.

　But the problem was that it was a high elf.

　It was planned to be sold soon...

　Abdullah exhales a "whew" and organizes his subordinate's report.

　According to the subordinate in front of him - the head of security at Shudras Castle.

The parents and children of the High Elves, who had been held captive in the underground treasury, have escaped with the help of someone.

　After that, they went around freeing the elves in the prison cell block and started a riot.

The report was a bit long-winded and full of excuses, but it was very simple.

　And as for the one who released the high elves and their children, a second class warrior named...what was his name? No...nor...non.... I can't remember. I can't remember.

　According to the report, there was an Orc who came alone to sell equipment without an employer.

　It was suspicious, but since the passport and other documents were legitimate, he let it through and reported it just in case.

The soldier who received the report consulted with his companions, put one of them following him, and the rest came to report to me.

　I wondered why they sent one person to follow him, but they must have underestimated him as a single orc.

　Many of the second class underestimate their opponents because they are halfway strong.

If he released the High Elves, that means he broke through the 12 earth dragons and traps placed in the basement.

On top of that, he destroyed that special cage and shackles. And he did it alone.

　And there is no apparent purpose.

　Was it really to rescue the High Elves?

If so, he wouldn't have made such a big scene.

　My head?

　Just to be safe, I gathered the rest of the first class in the castle as soon as I heard the report and sent the soldiers to search the castle, but there have been no reports of intruders outside of the basement.

　Is it the treasure in the treasury?

　If so, they should have entered the upper part of the castle, not the basement.

　The underground treasury is filled with the wages of subordinates and relatively low-value items.

　If they were really after treasure, they would have targeted the top floor - in other words, the treasure hall on this level.

　Here, there are many expensive magic weapons, high-purity gold, and magic stones.

　...or was it really a lone...or even an orc in the first place?

　There are too many unknowns.

　It's not clear if we can't catch them....

　At the moment, the only thing we can think of is an attack by the elves...?

　"Hurry up and subdue them. Be sure to capture the ringleaders. After that, you'll be sent to the front line when the situation is under control."

　The subordinate in front of him shook his body, then replied and left.

　Abdullah exhaled again, "Whew."

The subordinate who had committed the blunder should have been executed, but there is no room for it now, and above all, it would have been a waste.

　If you would rather kill them, throw them into the front line and have them wander the front line of death. If they reduce the number of enemies, that would be great.

If they are lucky enough to survive, they can make up for their blunder.

　We must quickly establish a foothold in that forest and end this war....

　Those filthy elves....

Hatred lights up in his eyes as he remembers the past.

　Abdullah closes his eyes and exhales, suppressing the emotions that are rising in him.

　The faint sound and impact of the battle from below is not going to stop for a while.