chap 14 2

It bit me?!
No, wait, it’s biting me!
With a violent shake of my leg, I tried to dislodge it, but another of the big rats jumped on me, and sank its teeth into my left arm.
“Ow...!”
“Gobu-kun!” Yumelin nocked an arrow. She was aiming my way.
—Huh? At me?
“D-D-Don’t do it, Yumelin!” I screamed.
You may be trying to take down the rats biting me, but there’s no way you’ll hit them. You can’t do it. I mean, you’ll hit me in— “Mrrowr!” Yumelin loosed her arrow.
Ultimately, my fears were all in vain.
Her arrow sailed off in a completely different direction.
Basically, the situation hadn’t changed. I was still being eaten alive by two rats.
“Fwaghh! Waghh!” I couldn’t tell if Hobuzo was swinging that big log around, or if it was swinging him around.
“Nooooooo!” Shiholin was running around.
“Damn...” As for Gobuta—he had climbed a tree on his own, and was looking down at the rest of us. “This is a hopeless mess...”
“There!” It was Gobuto. Gobuto was the only one narrowly managing to beat off the big rats that came at him using a wooden stick. “Hah!
Grahh! Gobuhiro! Are you okay?!”
Gobuto didn’t seem to be having an easy time, either, so I just answered that I was fine, but my right shin and left arm hurt, and I wasn’t fine at all. It was all I could do to keep from crying and wailing.
“Uwagh...!”
In the end, I tripped on something and fell over.
The big rats that had sunk their fangs into me showed no sign of letting go.
I couldn’t even get up.
“Urgggggghh!” I wailed.
Am I going to die...?
I’m going to get killed by rats...?
“Gobuhiro!”
The rats let go of my left arm first, then my right shin. Gobuto had run in, chasing the big rats off with his stick.
“Can you stand?!” he cried.
“Y-Yeah!”
“Stand back to back with me! Yumelin and Shiholin, get behind Hobuzo!”
“Meow!”
“R-Right!”
“Gobuta, get down here! We can’t do this without you, man!”
“W-Well, I guess I’ll have to, then! If you insist, I’ll save you!”
“Everyone, let’s keep calm! The fur on these things is awfully hard, so blades probably won’t go through! Don’t slash or stab; crush them with everything you’ve got! Hobuzo, you don’t need that log! Your body itself is a weapon!”
“Ngh! Ngh! Nghhhhhhh!”
The tables turned in an instant—Yeah, no.
I, for one, was at my limit just standing back to back with Gobuto as requested, and all I could do was pray, No rats come my way, don’t come, please, don’t come!
But as we kept at it, the rats all took off somewhere.
We sat down.
“Rats are scary...” Gobuta moaned, then shook his head. “No! I wasn’t scared, though, okay?! I-I’m just saying they’re a threat to you weaklings.”
“I-I was scared...” Hobuzo had broken into a cold sweat. “I still am...”
“That was exhaustin’...” Yumelin lay down. “The rats were awful big. They looked so cute, too...”
“C-Cute...?” Shiholin seemed a little grossed out. “You... really think so?”
“Gobuhiro.” Gobuto took my left arm and looked at the wound. “The wound’s not deep, but it could get worse if we don’t treat it. The one on your leg, too.”
“With a little spit, it’ll get better.” I looked down at the ground. “...Probably.”
That was all I could say. There was nothing else to be done. For treatment, about all we could really do was wash it out with muddy water.
Even so, Gobuto and my comrades tore strips off their clothes and pressed the cleaned strips of cloth to the opening of the wound. They had me drink some sort of medicine-like stuff made from ground grass. They tidied up a sleeping spot for me and let me rest. They did all sorts of things.
But I got a fever.
An incredible fever, like my whole body was on fire.
I was sure some bad air or something had gotten in through the wound. I’d been scared since the big rats attacked me, but I was strangely calm somehow, and I thought about how, if I lost to this bad air, I’d be dead. I felt bad for my comrades, and I apologized.
I couldn’t move. One of my comrades stayed at my side, tending to me, while the rest went off to search for food or do other things.
When Yumelin was attending to me, she lay down next to me, hugging me. “Listen, Gobu-kun, if you don’t like this, just say so.”
“No... It’s fine. Totally fine, but... why?”
“Hmm, well, Yumelin was thinkin’, if she were havin’ a hard time, she’d want someone to do this for her.”
“I see... That makes sense... It’s kinda... reassuring...”
“It’s okay for you to relax waaaaay more. Then, if you feel like you’re gettin’ sleepy, sleep. If you sleep a whoooole lot, you’re sure to get better.”
It seemed that, while Yumelin was hugging me and patting my head,
I fell asleep.
I slept, and woke, and slept, and woke—repeatedly, until I didn’t know what was up anymore. Was I sleeping? Or was I awake?
Shiholin talked with me. “I think your complexion’s looking a little better, maybe?”
“Oh... Seriously? If it is... I’m glad.”
“I think you’re getting better, little by little,” she said. “Everyone’s doing their best... and I know you’re fighting hard, too, Gobuhirokun.”
“All I’m doing is sleeping, though...”
“Gobuhiro-kun.”
“...Yeah? What?”
“You can’t die. Please, just... don’t die on us.”
“You’re blowing things out of proportion... This is nothing...”
I laughed. But, man, was I really still alive? Was I sure I wasn’t actually dead?
“Hey! Get up, Gobuhiro!” Gobuta yelled.
There was a pain in my side.
“Ow! ...Don’t kick me, Gobuta. Man, I’m injured here...”
“Like I care, you moron! Get better, and get up already! When you’re lying there like that, it’s too depressing! Recover at top speed, for my sake! That’s an order!”
“Don’t be unreasonable... I’m feeling sluggish...”
I felt sluggish, or—
Yeah. It’s more like I can’t tell if my body’s heavy or light. Everything feels far away. Like I’m in another place, far away from where I am. It feels weird. What is this?
“Haruhiro-kun... Haruhiro-kun? Haruhiro-kun...”
“Ah... Moguzo?”
“Were you sleeping? Your eyes were open, so I thought you were awake...”
“I... dunno... Uh... I was awake... I think?”
“I made soup. I got the fire started. Can you eat? You should eat something, even if you have to force yourself...”
“Yeah... I should... I’ll eat... You went out of... your way to... make it for me...”
“Come on, I’ll sit you up? Okay?”
“Ngh... I’m fine...”
“Come on, eat. It’s cooled down a bit, so it shouldn’t be hot.”
“Ngh... Haww... Ngh... It’s good, Moguzo... You’re a good cook...”
“No, I’m not. I just like eating, so I—” But what did it taste like?
Hold on, what was I being fed again?
I didn’t know.
“Hey, Manato.”
“Huh?” Manato turned towards me.
No. Not Manato.
“Gobuhiro,” Gobuto said. “What did you just call me?”
“I called you... something...” I blinked. “What was it... again? No, but you’re Gobuto. Huh...? But, somehow, I...”
“Didn’t you call me Manato?”
“Manato—” I wiped the corner of my mouth. “That’s right. I called you Manato. Yeah. That, and I think... Was I dreaming? I was referring to Hobuzo as Moguzo. And Hobuzo called me... Haruhiro.”
“It’s the same.”
“Huh? What do you mean, the same?”
“For me, too, Haruhiro. —No, sorry. Gobuhiro. I see dreams sometimes. In those dreams, we’re not goblins... we’re all human.
You’re Haruhiro. Gobuta is Ranta. Hobuzo is Moguzo. Yumelin is
Yume, and Shiholin is Shihoru. As for me... everyone calls me Manato.”
As I got up, I tried to find the words. But none came to me. What exactly did all this mean? Manato and I—no, Gobuto and I—were seeing the same dream, and in it, we weren’t goblins, we were human, and—
Wait, was I... up?
“Ah! I got... better?” I exclaimed.
“Ah!” Gobuto’s eyes were wide. “Y-You’re... okay, right? I mean, you got yourself up...”
“Y-Yeah. Well... I’m still a bit unsteady, but I feel a lot better. I guess?”
“Thank goodness.” When Gobuto covered his face with both hands, something I never would have expected happened. His whole body trembled.
Then, Huh? Could he be? I thought. Is Gobuto crying?
“Thank goodness... I mean it... I always believed you’d get better, but there was always the possibility... I didn’t want to think about it, but I always did... Anyway, I’m glad you’re all right.”
I started to reach out, then pulled my hand back and scratched my head. Until Gobuto caught his breath, moved his hands away from his face, and turned a smile my way, I wasn’t able to do anything but stand there in silence.
“I’ll go call the others,” he said. “Gobuhiro, you stay here. You’re not back in top shape yet, I’m sure.”
“Yeah. Got it. Um...” I returned the smile. I dunno, I was embarrassed, so I felt like all I could do was smile. “Thanks. For everything.”
Gobuto gently clapped me on the shoulder, then went to get our comrades. Maybe I was still a bit out of it. I was feeling a bit weak, so I laid back down. But, well, I was sure I’d be fine. Like Gobuto said, and it was obvious I wasn’t back to full strength yet. I was sure that was all.
It was another three days before I could move around normally again.
While I was down, my comrades found hard nuts you could eat if you peeled the shell off them, non-poisonous mushrooms, iffy-looking but not bad-tasting bugs, and clear spring water. They also headed back to the Old City, keeping an eye on how things were.
Our lives were taking a bit of a turn for the better. The big, hardhaired rats merited caution, though. When they came after us in a pack, it was best to run for it.
We occasionally spotted other beasts, too. One had these slim legs, a long neck, and big black eyes. We caught it, ate it, and it was really good.
There were sometimes tools lying around that seemed to come from humans. Even if they were broken or decomposing, we always took them.
We went to the Old City, too. When we encountered other goblins, it was awkward, and some of them tried to intimidate us, but Gobuta always lost his temper when that happened.
Whenever it seemed like a serious fight was about to break out, we’d drag Gobuta away and leave.
Many of the goblins of the Old City, but by no means all of them, were properly armed, and even had armor. There were apparently groups that consisted of not just a few, but over ten goblins, too. Those sorts were usually holding a well, and they seemed to be managing to get food from somewhere.
We considered asking to join a group. We’d have to humble ourselves pretty badly, but I wouldn’t find it intolerable so long as it provided a secure life. But it wasn’t just Gobuta who objected to doing it; Gobuto did, too.
“I don’t think we left the New City because we wanted to be ruled over by someone else,” he said.
“You heard him, Gobupiroh,” Gobuta snarled. “Don’t you even get that much, man? You’re a moron. You’ve got such shit for brains, there’s no saving you. You’re trash! You’re crap!”
“Even if we assume for a moment that I am trash, I don’t want to hear that from scum like you.”
“Huh? Meeee? Whaaaat? What did you saaaay? I’m sorry I don’t speak the language of crap, so I don’t understaaaand.” “I hope you get reduced to dust,” Shiholin murmured.
“Oh, ho. Is that a thing you say to your comrade, Shiholin? You have no class, huh? You’re totally debased. Well, if you’ll let me grope your boobs first, I’m happy to get turned to dust.”
“My boo...?! Th-There’s no way I’d let you!”
“Geez! Gobutaaa! Just how horrible are you tryin’ to be?!” Yumelin yelled.
“Oooh, insult me some more! I don’t care what an idiot tells me!”
“Ha ha,” Hobuzo laughed. “You’re... really something, Gobuta. You’ve got a strong heart, you could say...”
“Hobuzo! For all your size, you’ve got way too small a heart, man!”
Gobuta aside, if Gobuto objected, we weren’t going to join a group. It wasn’t like I wanted to have to kiss up to someone, anyway. I mean, if possible, I wanted to avoid it.
If we didn’t have to choose that method—if we could live without doing things we didn’t want to, there was no need to do them.
How could we go on like this together for as long as possible?
Gobuto would think of that stuff. I just had to follow him.
Occasionally, I found myself almost starting to think that way. Worse yet, I wouldn’t even think. I’d just find myself relying on Gobuto for everything as we lived our everyday lives.
Today, we found a lot of edible mushrooms.
Today, we killed a beast, and we ate it together. It was super delicious, and we were all full.
Today, we picked up a nice sword. It was a big one, so we had Hobuzo carry it.
Today, it rained.
Today, some goblins in the Old City picked a fight with us. It was a volatile situation.
Today, nothing particularly good or bad happened.
Today, I slept well.
Today, I had that dream. I talked about it with Gobuto.
Today, we went across the forest. It was awfully wide.
Today, we tried approaching the human city.
Today, it seemed like Gobuta must have done something bad, because Yumelin clobbered him hard.
Today, nothing went well, and it was depressing.
Today, I had a pretty good day.
Today—
Our lot in life was looking a lot better than when we’d first left the
New City. It was a rare day that we didn’t come by something to eat. Being well-fed and moving around a lot, we naturally built stamina. We were probably stronger now than we had been back then. We’d seen, heard, and learned so much. What was where, what to do when. We were now a little wiser.
It was like, well, we were moving forward. In a concrete way.
Weren’t things fine this way?
Wasn’t it fine not thinking too much, not agonizing over everything?
“I mean, not that I am,” I murmured.
I was taking an afternoon nap.
As for why, it was because the rain last night had been pretty bad, making it hard to settle down and get to sleep. It let up when the sun rose, and the weather cleared, making the ground dry in no time. It was awfully warm, so we’d started talking about having a nap in the middle of the field.
I might have wondered if it was really safe, but it seemed obvious that if we chose a place with a good view, we’d quickly notice anything approaching. Gobuto had seemed a little hesitant, but he hadn’t said we couldn’t.
So it’s fine, right?
Was everyone already asleep?
I could hear snoring. Hobuzo? Or maybe Gobuta?
“Pfft...” Shiholin suddenly broke out laughing.
Was she awake? No, that wasn’t it. Looking over, her eyes were shut, and she looked to be sleeping. But she was stifling a laugh.
“Heheheh...”
She might have been having a weird dream. I could understand if it was Yumelin, but it was kind of unexpected coming from Shiholin.
Yumelin was lying face-up, her hands crossed over her belly, breathing softly.
What about Gobuto? His eyes were closed, but was he asleep, or was he awake?
I sighed.
Honestly, this was super... comfy.
Like, this state, where I was getting ridiculously sleepy, and I was about ready to pass out, but just couldn’t seem to, was great. In my muddled head, I thought about this and that.
But those thoughts melted as soon as they formed, and when something else came up, they were gone without a trace.
If I were alone, I’d never have anything like this.
I was sure. I mean, it was practically guaranteed.
If I were alone, I’d feel anxious.
It was only because others were around that I could nap like this.
Naps are awesome.
No, more like having comrades is awesome.
Living is awesome.
Awesome...
It was bright, even with my eyelids closed. The wind was soft, and the grass and dirt gentle. My comrades’ presence was reassuring.
This had all come together, and I was in the middle of it. No, more than being in the middle, I was part of it...
It was like I might see another dream...
That was the feeling I got.
Manato.
Moguzo.
Ranta.
Yume.
Shihoru.
I was going to see them all again.
“Get up!”
Manato? No. It was Gobuto.
He sounded frantic. I leapt to my feet without delay.
Shiholin was already up. Gobuta and Yumelin we just sitting up, rubbing their eyes.
“Damn, we’ve got to run!” Gobuto was trying to pull Hobuzo to his feet. “No, we won’t make it—we’ve got to be ready to fight!”
“Fight?!” Gobuta clutched the sword he’d acquired a little while back as he jumped to his feet. “Wh-Wh-Wh-Who was it that said this place was safe?!”
“You were saying it, too, man!” I shot back at him before shaking my head.
My vision was shaking.
What is this? What is this? What in the world is this? I don’t get it. Whatever, they’re coming this way. It’s the humans. They’re charging in. I mean, they’re almost upon us. They’re close. Too close. We won’t make it. Yeah. Running’s out of the question. We have to do this. Do this? Do I mean fight? With those humans?
“Take this! Hatred!” Ranta.
Ranta came flying towards me.
I dodged. I jumped to the side, desperately avoiding Ranta’s longsword.
“Whoa!” I cried.
“Tch...! I missed, huh? Well, you’re not getting away!”
“Thaaaanks...!”
Next was Moguzo. Moguzo was trying to hit Gobuto with his bastard sword.
“Ah!” Gobuto turned Moguzo’s bastard sword aside with his wooden stick.
“Marc em Parc!”
That was Shihoru. When Shihoru in her mage outfit drew elemental sigils with the tip of her staff, a fist-sized bead of light flew out— towards Shiholin.
“Augh!” The bead of light struck Shiholin in the chest, knocking her on her rump.
“Meow! Shiholin!” Yumelin tried to loose an arrow at Shihoru.
An arrow flew in.
It was Yume. Yume shot it. That arrow headed for Yumelin, and though it didn’t actually hit her, it did graze her.
Yumelin dropped her bow in surprise. “Fwah...?!”
“Hmph, that was a close one!” Yume called as she dropped her bow, drawing a machete. She charged in.
In that moment, I felt a chill, and threw myself to the ground. When I looked, there I was—the human me, Haruhiro. Haruhiro had snuck up on the goblin me, trying to sink a dagger into my back, apparently.
I’d managed to avoid eating a dagger just in the nick of time. But, seriously, what was this? What was going on? How was this happening? What in the world was happening here?
“Rahhhh!”
Haruhiro came at me. I managed to parry his dagger with my sword somehow. I blocked and I dodged, but Haruhiro kept coming.
His eyes were bloodshot. He was serious. Haruhiro meant business. He was trying to kill me.
Scary. What is this? Scary. Super scary.
I was intimidated. I tripped. Haruhiro jumped on me. He held me down.
I didn’t even have a sword anymore. I’d let go of it.
Haruhiro tried to thrust the dagger down at me. I grabbed his arms, stopping it.
“Let go! Let go! You’re pretty strong, damn it!” Haruhiro was trying to kill me.
I screamed. “Stop! Stop it! It’s me! I’m me, okay? You’re me! I’m me! Killing me is crazy!”
But maybe Haruhiro couldn’t hear it? Because I was a goblin? But I could tell what Haruhiro was saying. I mean, he was me. I was Haruhiro. No, I was Gobuhiro, wasn’t I? Well, whatever, this was crazy. The dagger.
“Die!” he screamed. “Just die! Please, die! Give up already! Please!”
There’s no way I was going to give up. I couldn’t give up, right? But this was no good. He’d overpower me at this rate. He’d push past my resistance.
Ohh. Not good. Seriously. The dagger.
It was right in front of my eye. Not metaphorically. It was almost touching it. The tip of the dagger. If I blinked, it might touch my eyelid.
Stop. This is wrong. Help me.

Manato...!
 
 

“Hm...?” I murmured.
Manato.
It’s Manato.
“What’s wrong, Haruhiro?” Manato asked. “Huh? Were you sleeping?”
“...Huh...” I shook my head. I blinked. This should have been obvious, but there was no dagger touching my eye.
Wait. Hold on. What dagger?
“Whaaat?” Ranta looked at me mockingly. “Parupiro, man, here I thought you were being awfully quiet, and you were asleep on the job? I can’t believe you. A nap in Damuro?! Unbelievable. This is enemy territory, man. Enemy territory. Are you trash?!”
“...Damuro.” My head was foggy, so I didn’t get that angry. “I... was asleep? Huh? But...”
“Nyohoh?” Yume crouched down next to me, peering at my face. “Haru-kun, you were sleepin’? Did you not get enough sleep?”
“Oh... I wonder. Hm...”
“Come to think of it...” Moguzo was sitting on the ground, doing practice swings with his bastard sword. “Haruhiro-kun, you almost never go to sleep before me, do you?”
“I guess?” I murmured. “You might be right about that.”
“Ah! Yume, she may never’ve seen Shihoru’s sleepin’ face! Or maybe she has?”
“Um... I’m not good at getting to sleep. And I tend to wake up early, too.”

Chapter end