Chapter 7 – Law of this World
With vacant eyes, Sheto gazed at the thing that swayed in front of him.
It hung from below his neck, and scratched the ground.
“Hey!”
“Gyafu!”
He was pulled by the neck viciously, and his body slammed to the ground. He hit his jaw and his neck tensed.
“Hurry up. Walk faster!”
He sluggishly rose up and tried to take the first step.
Jya!
“Gyaauu!”
The chain was yanked roughly, and his face slammed against the ground again. His skin broke, and fresh blood coated the rusted chains.
“I told you to hurry up! Walk!”
“Ye…yes…”
When he managed to take a few steps, the goblin holding the chain laughed with satisfaction. Sheto managed to straighten his back and look at his surroundings.
A road going through a forest. Monsters walking in a line. Each carried weapons and wore tattered leather armor.
Among them, there were a few who were small and weak. Kobolds with collars and chains. And now Sheto was one of them.
Three days had now passed. He had been hurt, body and mind.
“Uhh…gah…”
One of the kobolds who walked next to him fell to his knees. The chain turned into a whip, striking the small back, over and over.
The fur soaked with blood as pieces of flesh flew away, exposing the bones below.
“Ah…it died.”
“Tsk. They are so weak. This one died even faster than the last.”
In spite of this, no one reacted. If they did, the attention would be turned towards them.
As the light faded from the kobold’s eyes, the body was discarded to the side of the road.
“Yah!”
“Haha!”
As the body rolled away, they threw rocks at it. The death of a weak monster meant nothing. And then the procession continued. Sheto’s eyes followed the corpse as it disappeared. But he regretted ever looking.
By the time it was midday, they arrived at a fortress made of stone.
Perhaps it was like a garrison. They had their own posts, it seemed. And those who didn’t just rested in the courtyard.
“I’m bored…”
“Aye…”
Sheto and the others were chained to a single stake and left there.
The soldiers who did not like the sunlight now rested against the walls while doing maintenance on their gear. Others drank and ate what they had stolen.
Of course, none was offered to the kobolds.
“…Wa…water…please!”
Said a kobold whose face was covered in blood. And while they looked at him happily, no one would give him anything.
“None…of us…eat…drink anything…”
“Ahahahahaha! How funny! Just hear it crying!”
“No-no-none…of us…eat anything! Ahahhaha! How funny!”
The eyes of the goblins were hazy. They were drunk now, and ready to obey anything that their greedy hearts suggested.
“Alright. I am kind! Will give you something to drink!”
“Ah, ah…”
“But first, you have to hit him.”
The finger pointed to Sheto’s forehead. The kobold turned to look at him.
He hesitated for only a second.
“Uh, arrghhhhh!”
The fist swung down. It was not very strong. Still, he continued to strike without hesitation.
“Hey, you! Aren’t you going to fight back?”
“If you hit him too, we will give you drink!”
The savage words caused the other kobold to freeze. Sheto looked up at him silently and groaned.
“Hyahaha! Weakling! Weakling!”
“See? He doesn’t mind being hit. Hurry!”
“Uhh…arghhh!”
The kobold shouted as if he was the one being hit. Still, he continued. And Sheto took it.
‘Here. We dare not go against them.’
The first day he was chained, he had said that to Sheto. And then gave him a small fruit.
He had better eyes than the others. And would sometimes pretend to fall on the side of the road in order to pick up edible grass and fruits. And then he would secretly share them.
In order to live just a little longer. You had to satisfy these bored rulers. Make them lose interest. And so he would sometimes go forth and attract attention to himself.
“Hah, hah… Ah…ahh!”
“Ah, how amusing. Alright, I will give you food now.”
So saying, the goblin threw the short sword in his hand.
“Gah…!”
Sheto heard a wet sound above his head.
The blade had pierced through the head. And the good-natured kobold was turned into meat.
“Ah…ah…aaa…”
“Gyahaha!”
“There you go! Hurry up and eat it!”
Not one of the kobolds moved. They lay on the ground, looking up at the body, shaking and pouring out blood.
After the night and wine had done its work, the kobolds finally had some time to themselves.
That being said, they were still chained and could barely move. All they could do was grab the nearby grass, or any scraps of food that the goblins had thrown away.
No one said anything. They did not want to risk waking the goblins. During the day, some of them had been sent to get rid of the body of their fallen friend. And while they looked mournful, no one mentioned it.
Eventually, the pathetic meal was over, and they did their best to sleep. It would be warmer to huddle together, but if they did, one person’s harm would visit them all.
Sheto dug a hole that he could fit in, and he sank to the bottom.
The cold soil helped to calm him. However, being calm just reminded him of his powerlessness. The goddess’s protection did not make him invincible.
All it meant was that he was a little tougher. Could live just a little longer than the others.
What would happen to him now? He wondered as he looked up at the sky.
‘…Can you hear me?’
A voice whispered in his ear.
“I can hear.”
‘So you are still fine then.’
There was something unpleasant about those words.
“Not fine. Another one of us. Dead.”
‘I…see…’
“How long, will I be here?”
‘I’m sorry. I’m devising a plan now… Just wait a little longer.’
“How long?”
He asked weakly. But the answer was silence.
“All of us, will die soon.”
When he first arrived, there were about ten kobolds. But now, three days later, there were only four of them. They were seen as disposable. If the kobolds died, they could always get more.
Likely, there would only be two of them tomorrow. And then he would be the last one. And then they would kill him as well.
“You…are a god. And so…”
He said and then paused. The words that he was going to say were shattered in his chest.
Save us, because you are a god.
How sad those words were. Sheto knew it all too well. She was a god, and he was a monster. They could only talk like this because he made a contract. She had no responsibility to help the others.
Besides, what help could he expect from a goddess who could not even save one subject?
‘Sheto…’
“It’s fine. Don’t talk to me.”
‘…I’m sorry…’
Sheto felt the presence leave, and he shuddered.
In truth, he wanted her to talk to him. If there were some miracle that could save him from this nightmare, it would have to come from her power.
And even if it was not possible, he wanted to linger on the idea that there was someone else in this world, aside from enemies and silent comrades, who thought of him.
However, it had also been Salia who created this situation.
“Uuu…ka…uuu…”
The kobold could do nothing but lie in the dirt and weep.
Thank you so much