If a goblin king appeared in this forest, it makes sense that the goblins formed a mob and ambushed the humans.

In such a case, one could judge it as dangerous. A goblin mob commanded by a goblin king and with an organized system is not something to be ignored.

The fairy village, a natural fortress, may not have to worry, but human villages could be completely destroyed.

Of course, Lu wasn't particularly concerned about that. He didn't really care what happened to human villages.

What Lu was curious about was why he had been trapped in a glass bottle in this place.

And most importantly,

"Where is my sister?"

It was Ariel's whereabouts.

However, this didn't seem like a problem that could be solved by pondering. In the end, he had no choice but to take action directly.

Lu decided to first follow the goblin footprints.

He had no interest in the humans who were attacked, but perhaps Ariel had also been taken away by the goblin mob.

Of course, it didn't seem like Ariel would have fallen victim to mere goblins... but just in case.

Ariel was still a young elf.

It wouldn't be strange if she fell into a trap. If trapped, even Ariel could be in danger.

Worried about Ariel, Lu swiftly began to fly.

"Sister, wait for me! Lu is coming!"

The direction was where the goblin footprints led.

*

"I shouldn't have left the village after all..."

Tom muttered pitifully.

The village elders had repeatedly warned that all kinds of dangers lurked outside the palisade.

Jack had dismissed it as nonsense, but in the end, the elders were right.

Outside the palisade was dangerous. That's why the current situation had occurred.

Jack's gang, who had kidnapped elves and fairies and were heading to the city, was ambushed by goblins in the forest.

If it had been just one or two, it wouldn't have mattered, but the ambushing goblins numbered in the dozens.

Jack, who had been confident that even dozens of lowly goblin monsters wouldn't faze him, couldn't do anything when actually faced with such a situation.

He was simply lying in a bloody mess, screaming terribly as the goblins trampled him.

Susan tried to run away crying but was caught, and Tom was just sitting in the carriage, holding the sleeping Ariel in his arms.

The goblin horde didn't kill Jack's gang. Instead, they dragged them to a cave they used as a den and locked them up in a prison.

The goblin prison seemed to be made of sturdy wood, not crude at all.

It was so elaborate and solid that one wouldn't believe goblins had made it.

"Sob..."

Tom curled up his large body and sobbed. He was still holding the sleeping Ariel.

"We're being punished by the heavens for kidnapping elf and fairy..."

Normally, Susan would have snapped at him in annoyance. But even Susan didn't have the luxury right now.

Earlier, when she tried to run away from the carriage, a goblin had slashed her cheek deeply with a dagger.

The goblin's dagger was dull and rusty, and the wound was already festering.

It would likely leave a terrible scar even if it healed.

A scar on a woman's face. Just the thought was dreadful.

There's no way she could marry a noble man with a disfigured face. Even in this situation, Susan was worried about that.

In fact, it was Susan's own fault.

If she had just sat obediently in the carriage like Tom, she wouldn't have been injured.

Her selfish desire to abandon Jack and Tom had brought this upon her.

In reality, the goblin horde didn't attack Tom. He showed no intention to attack or flee.

"Ugh, ughh..."

Jack, collapsed in a corner of the prison, let out agonized groans.

Earlier trampled by the goblin horde, Jack's body was in tatters and he was barely conscious, just barely clinging to life.

He had lost so much blood that he didn't seem like he would make it through the night.

"Idiot."

Susan glared at Jack. If she could, she would have beaten him senseless.

"Why did you stop the carriage? You should have just ignored them and kept going."

No matter how many goblins there were, they couldn't have stopped a moving carriage.

If Jack had just continued driving the carriage to the city, they might not be in this situation now.

The problem was underestimating the goblins, thinking it was just one. Well, it's pointless to dwell on it now.

"Kerrrrr."

Two goblins entered the prison.

Tom hugged Ariel tightly in fright, and Susan pressed herself against the wall. Jack was just lying there.

The two goblins, holding vicious blades, lumbered towards Susan.

"Oh, don't come, don't come!"

Susan cried out trembling. The two goblins tried to drag the terrified Susan out.

"Kyaa! Don't touch me! If you touch me, the people of our village won't stay still! They'll kill all of you!"

Susan struggled and shouted, but of course the goblins didn't understand human speech.

Even if they did, they wouldn't be afraid.

Instead, the goblin pressed the blade against Susan's neck.

"Hieek!"

Susan's eyes shot open and she froze. Any movement and the blade would slice into her neck.

"Kerr."

Satisfied that Susan had become compliant, the goblin nodded in satisfaction. Then it dragged her out.

Now only Tom, Jack, and Ariel remained in the prison.

"Hic..."

Tom curled up crying. No matter how he thought about it, leaving the village had been a mistake.

They shouldn't have kidnapped elves and fairies. This was their punishment.

"I'm sorry... really sorry..."

Tom apologized to the sleeping Ariel.

Ariel too would likely not be able to escape from here safely. She had become an unnecessary sacrifice due to their greed.

As Tom sobbed, a glittering object came flying into the prison with a swish.

"What is this, you fat human!"

The object was none other than Lu.

"How dare you lay your filthy hands on my sister! Get your filthy hands off her now!"

Lu used the momentum from flying in to slap Tom's face.

Tom wasn't hurt, but was startled. He stared with a dumbfounded expression, unable to say anything.

Lu quickly looked around inside the prison.

Jack, collapsed in a bloody mess in the corner. Tom, crying streams of tears.

And Ariel, sleeping soundly cradled in Tom's arms.

Lu spoke to Tom in a serious tone, "Explain, human."

Tom explained everything to Lu.

About their plan to kidnap Ariel and Lu, drugging Ariel with a sleeping potion, getting ambushed by goblins while fleeing in the carriage. He confessed it all honestly.

After hearing Tom's explanation, Lu clicked his tongue and shook his head disapprovingly. 

"Tsk tsk. This is why I dislike humans. You're an inherently selfish and greedy lot. I went through the trouble of finding Patricia, and this is how you repay me?"

"I'm really sorry..."

Tom hung his head low before Lu. His apology was sincere. 

If possible, he wished he could turn back time. If he could, he would have tried to stop Jack's plan by any means.

"Phew, can't be helped."

Saying that, Lu flew over to the collapsed Jack in the corner.

While Jack's gang was despicable, Lu wasn't so heartless as to leave a dying human be. 

Lu sprinkled healing powder on Jack. Judging it wasn't enough, he also fed some into Jack's mouth.

Healing powder worked better when ingested rather than just applied externally. Its effects rivaled high-level healing magic.

Jack's body began to glow. The bleeding stopped and his wounds started closing up. 

Soon, Jack would regain consciousness and get up.

"That takes care of that..."

Lu looked fatigued. 

Before sprinkling the powder on Jack, Lu had thrown sleeping powder at the goblin guards when entering the prison, putting them to sleep.

Otherwise, he may not have been able to get in, as the goblins would have raised a fuss upon seeing a glowing fairy.

In any case, Lu had no more powder left to use.

"Now to wake up sis."

Lu fluttered over to Ariel. Her hands and feet were tightly bound by rope.

Seeing that made Lu angry, but he focused on untying the ropes first.

"She won't wake up..." Tom muttered.

"She took a huge dose of sleeping potion... Susan said she won't wake until morning."

"Sleeping potion?" Lu chuckled.

Ariel had bathed in Patricia's lethal venom and emerged unscathed. 

Some mere sleeping drug would be no issue for her.

In fact, Ariel had just fallen asleep from feeling drowsy. The potion had nothing to do with it.

"Sis~ Time to wake up~" 

Lu gently patted Ariel's cheek, and she slowly opened her eyes.

"There we go~ Did you sleep well~?"

Ariel blinked her expressionless eyes a few times, stretched lazily, and sat up.

She looked around puzzled, clearly not recognizing this place. She had fallen asleep at the inn's restaurant after cream bread and milk.

Lu explained the situation to the confused Ariel, relaying what he had heard from Tom.

As Lu's explanation neared its end, a sharp scream came from outside the prison.

"Kyaaaah!"

It was the sound of Susan, screaming as she was dragged off by the goblins.