Chapter 6 "Inside the Castle"

 　The corpse and the corpse's belongings are thrown into the cart.

　Since there was no time to spend, the blood stains on the ground were covered with sand from the area to cover them up.

After finishing the messy cover-up, I pushed the cart and headed for the town.

　It was not a good idea to go to the castle with a dead body in my arms, so I headed downtown first.

My destination is the house of the goblin who first gave me his memory.

　Fortunately, he was a good earner, but he didn't spend much money on his personal belongings, so his house was in a bad location, on the outskirts of town.

It took a long time to get to the house with the cart, but I managed to reach the house.

I passed people and carts on the way, but I didn't get tangled up or attract any attention, just a passing glance.

　The house as I remember it was a little big for one person to live in, but it had no doors or windows.

No, there is a place where a door and a window could be placed, but it is just a hole in there.

　In short, it was a house full of holes, and it was questionable to call it a house with unlimited access.

　However, this time it was convenient.

　The hole at the entrance was so big that a cart could fit through it.

What kind of a house is this? Does it make you want to carry all your wealth with you?

I meditate, remembering the contents of the purse I took from the goblin.

　He seems to have only used this place as a sleeping place, but did not consider it his home.

　Since staying in front of the house would only make me stand out, I enter the house with the cart.

　Inside was exactly as I remembered it, with a simple bed of straw and a bottle of warm water.

　I sat down on the straw.

There are no houses around, so there is little danger of being seen, but just in case, I cover the hole with a rag to hide it from view.

　First, let's check the loot.

　Four daggers. 1 sword.

　5 goblin-sized light armor.

20 gol 823 sil 452 kal from 5 people.

　One ring.

　50 sets of goblin armor, swords, shields, etc. in the wagon.

　A pass to the castle.

While eating, I check it out.

　I picked up the ring and looked at it.

　I wanted to have a memory, so I ate the brain first and then checked it.

The ring seems to be a ring that subtly raises the arm strength of the person equipped it.

　I put it on, but I don't really feel it. Maybe the owner was deceived.

　It is better than nothing, so I put it on.

　The dagger has almost no rust and looks easier to use than Kukri, so I'll use this one.

　The sword seems to be usable as well. The light armor doesn't fit, so I'll get rid of it.

　The contents of the cart are to be unloaded at the castle, so I won't touch them.

　Let's take the money without hesitation.

　Check the pass.

　The content of the pass included permission to pass through the gates and the purpose of entering the castle.

　As for the treasury, I knew it existed, but no one had been there before.

　I got a lot of stuff, so let's sort it out.

　Light armor, three daggers, a club, and a kukri. I don't need these items, so I'll sell them at the weapons shop.

　I'll take the remaining 2 daggers, sword, and ring.

It's almost sunset, so I'll go to the castle tomorrow and get rid of the armor first.

After eating, let's go to the weapons shop.

By the time I finished eating and went outside, the sun had already set.

　I wrapped the weapons and armor I was going to sell in rags and carried them on my shoulder.

　Rags are very useful for some reason. It's sturdy.

The cart...I'm a little worried about leaving it behind, but I can't just pull it along, so I'm leaving it behind.

　I hope it won't be stolen.

　I prayed for peace of mind.

I scoffed to myself, wondering what in the world I was thinking.

　'...So what can I do for you this time?"

　The owner welcomed me with disgust.

　His face said, "We have a troublesome customer."

Silently, I put the armory, still wrapped in rags, on the counter.

　"Buy this."

"Uh...uh...before I buy it, I'd like to ask you a few questions. It's not something dangerous, is it?

　　Like stolen goods or something?　No, don't get mad at me, okay? Don't get mad at me?　I'm the one in trouble if I don't check."

　The shopkeeper asks me, looking at my face.

　It's a perfectly reasonable thing to check before you buy something.

　I nodded.

　"There's nothing to worry about. There is no former owner anymore."

　The original owner is no longer with us. Literally, not a trace.

　"No, that's not all...."

　"No problem."

　"But..."

　"No problem."

　"Okay."

　In times like this, you have to go in strong. In my former life, I couldn't resist when I was forced to do something.

　It's a sophisticated process of unreasonable demands, nodding your head, and then using it as an excuse to beat you up if you can't do it.

　...I don't care.

　The shopkeeper lets out a big sigh, unwraps the rags, takes out the contents, and lays them out.

　One by one, he checks for scratches and condition.

　"First of all, the light armor...well, it's not in bad condition, about 50 sils a piece.

The daggers are also in good condition, 35 sils a piece.

　　The clubs are badly damaged, 25 cals.

　　The kukris are rusty, take care of them, 5 shill.

Total is 360 sils. 25 cals. I'll buy them if you're okay with that?"

　I nodded. I was rather surprised that the price was higher than I had expected.

　The owner pulls out a bag from his pocket, takes the money out of it, and checks the number twice.

　He takes out a small bag from his pocket, puts the money in it, and offers it to me.

　I took it and turned on my heel. The business is done.

　I'm worried about the cart. Let's hurry back.

　I quickly returned to the house to check inside.

　Nothing in particular was missing, and the cart was safe.

　I was going to go to the castle after dawn, so I had time to spare.

　Let's do something.

　Now that I had improved a lot in getting the roots in and out, let's try something else.

　Extend the root from the finger and cut it off with a dagger when it has grown about 10 cm.

　Place the cut section. The severed part is jumping around like a washed up fish.

　I turn my attention to the severed part.

　The root stopped moving.

Can it work?

　I send a command for it to come to me as a test.

　The root crawls toward me, though its movement is weak.

　When the root touched my knee, it stopped moving as if it had run out of energy and disappeared as if it dissolved into the air.

　Eyes wide open. I'm surprised.

　I knew it would stop working, but I didn't expect it to disappear.

Perhaps I would have been doomed if it had taken me so long to get a body.

　I am so glad I didn't abandon my body when I fought the troll.

　If I had, it would have been more than dangerous.

　Let's take care of the body now.

　After that, I killed time until morning by practicing root extension and contraction, manipulation of detached parts, and so on.

When I see through the window that the sun has well risen, I get my gear ready.

Check the permit in my pocket.

Place the sword at my waist and the two daggers at the back of my body so that they are not visible from the front.

　Rings are placed on the right and left pinky fingers. The right is magic, the left is arm strength.

Finally, put the bracelet on the left arm and cover the body with a rag, and the preparations are complete.

Pulling the cart, I head for the castle.

　According to my memory, the permit can only be used for three days after it is issued, and only during the daytime.

　Today is the third day, by the way.

I reach the gate.

Before the gatekeeper holds up his spear, I pull out my permit from my pocket and offer it to him.

　He accepts it, looks at it, nods, and taps the door knocker.

　The other gatekeeper looks around. He seems to be wondering why I am here alone, but after inspecting my luggage, he looks at the permit, tilts his head, and lets his guard down.

　The gate opens.

I pull the cart and go inside.

　The inside was more like a cave than a castle. The layout of the place is similar to that of an ant's nest.

　A straight road continues for a while, with a side road leading to a small room in the middle.

　The path is brightly lit thanks to the evenly spaced torches on the walls.

Further on, the path comes to a three-way junction.

　In front of it is a square with a concentration of rooms where people gather, such as banquets and soldiers' quarters.

To the right is the upper level, where the sleeping quarters and the residences of the royal family, servants, entourage, and other castle residents are located, and this area is off limits to all but those involved.

　To the left is the basement, where food, weapons, trophies, and treasures are stored.

　Head left. Slowly descend the gentle slope.

At the end of the descent, there is a place where arms and armor can be picked up.

　Head for the counter-like area.

Show the cart and permit to the receptionist.

　The receptionist checks the permit and the cart, and points to the back of the building.

　I nodded, pulled the cart, and headed for the back of the building.

Continue on the flat road.

Goblins and orcs are busy coming and going from small rooms and forks along the way.

　It seems that there will be an expedition in the near future. The target is the great forest beyond the mountains, and the opponents are elves.

　In short, it seems that the people here regularly go to the forest and repeatedly loot against the elves.

　They burn villages, steal treasure, and kidnap people.

　Eventually, they want to destroy the nation of the High Elves, a higher tribe of elves who are said to reside deep in the forest.

　The king of this place seems to be obsessed with these High Elves, and no matter how many times he is driven back, he persistently deploys his forces against them.

　Is it that?　Elves are said to be all kinds of beautiful, so he wants to capture them and use them as his consolation prize?

　Goblins are said to be unrestrained and capable of interbreeding with most races, so maybe they want to take them as wives?

　Or is the Great Forest the goal?　The quality of the food around here is not so good, so is it to improve the environment?

　While I was thinking about it, I arrived at my destination.

　A storage room for weapons.

　It seemed to be a room that had been temporarily prepared for the expedition, with mass-produced weapons and armor lined up in rows.

　I handed over the cart to a nearby goblin and received a bag containing the fee instead.

After disposing of the luggage, I decided to move on to the next destination.

　The treasure house seemed to be further in. Since there was a lot of goblin traffic in this area, I walked toward the depths with a nonchalant look on my face.

After walking for a few minutes, I saw a way down at the end of the passage.

　It is a couple more steps down, but so far, so good.

As I approach the end of the corridor, I stop. I hear something.

　I listen carefully... and it seems to be a scream.

　It seems to be coming from a side road before the path down. I also smelled something fishy.

　I was curious, so I went in, killing the sound of my footsteps as much as possible.

　There were wooden doors...rooms, all with locks on them, at equal intervals.

　The doors had small bars on them, so I peeked into the room in front of me.

　It was small, maybe 1.5 tatami mats? There was a hole in the corner that looked like a toilet and some thick cloth folded up.

　In the center of the room, someone was sitting on the floor.

　It was dark, so I couldn't make out her face, but I could tell from her silhouette that she was a woman.

　She must have noticed my gaze, because she raised her head and looked at me. She looked at me with eyes like a dead person in despair.

　Her face is gaunt, but quite well-shaped. And her ears are long.

　Is this the elf I've heard so much about?

So, is this the elves' compound?

　But I don't remember it. Did they build a new one?

　As I proceeded, I looked inside the other rooms in turn. A few rooms were empty, but they were all occupied by women.

　At the end of the cell block, there was a door that opened, and there was a room that was probably larger than the others.

　This one also has a grate, so I take a peek inside.

　Inside is....

　I shouldn't have looked.

　Several goblins were having fun.

　Ah, this is a playroom.

I might have been eagerly watching them before my death, but now...I don't feel anything in particular.

　I wonder what happened to my libido...

　Not only was it thin, it didn't even twitch...

　I felt kind of sad.

　There were several similar rooms, but I checked inside just to be sure.

　Is this some kind of whorehouse?　Is it worth going to the deepest part of the building?

　At the end of the room, I see a door. It is the biggest door I have ever seen.

　Oh, no, a room for screwing?　I'm already full of it.

　I approached with a somewhat disgusted feeling. The door was fully open.　

　Oh?　Is there a flow of air in here?

　I feel the wind flow. Also, the smell is particularly bad.

　Inside is ...... a slaughterhouse and butcher store?

　Goblins and orcs are processing and selling meat. What kind of meat is it... needless to say...?

　By the way, it seems that the air flow is caused by a crystal-like object on the wall of the room, a magic stone.

　It is said that it sucks in the air here, purifies it, and then expels it.

　Is it a replacement for a ventilation fan?

　And it comes with a demonstration to process them alive in the back of the room....

　Blood splashes are flying all over the place.

　There is nothing in particular to see... no, wait.

Just as I was thinking this, the head of the meat being processed rolled at my feet.

　I pick up the head.

　A bloody goblin approaches me.

　"Sorry. It flew away."

　He holds out his hand.

I don't give him the head, but offer him the bag of money.

　"Head, how much?"

　"You want it? It's a head, there's not much left to eat."

　"It's okay."

"......, well, no problem, I'll take 20 cals. Take the whole thing in exchange."

　Pay the fee.

　The goblin confirms the price and nods.

Leaving the store, I return the way I came.

I hold the head under my arm. I stick my fingers into the section of the head inside the rag so that no one can see what I'm holding and extend the roots.

　After all, I can eat if I use the roots.

　I'm not that hungry, but I'm looking for the contents of this head.

　I suck out the memories. I'm interested in the language of the elves and information about the forest.

After the sucking, the head was reduced to a skull.