Chapter 35.2: The Goblin And The Prince
◆Prince of Algore, Omiros
The morning rays of sunshine made me open my eyes.
It's just an unpleasant dream from my childhood. I dream of it almost every night nowadays.
The bitter memories of the time when I couldn't protect Regena.
After that, we were saved by the adults who came looking for us.
From that day onwards, I trained myself to become even stronger.
In addition, I wanted to protect Regena from various things within Algore.
For this reason, I also left Algore for one year on a journey to gain experience, but when I returned, Regena was already gone. Now, I don't even know for what reason I became stronger.
I came out of my room after tidying up my bed.
「Good morning, prince Omiros」
Someone called my name when I left my room. When I turned around, I saw a girl standing behind me.
「Please stop with that 'prince', Rietto...」
The title prince doesn't sit well with me. I don't want to be called with such a title gained from banishing Regena into that goblin nest.
「How should I call you then?」
「Will you call me by my name just like before...」
「Okay. Good morning, brother Omiros」
Rietto is the little sister of MacGius. Because my father was very busy, I was raised alongside Rietto and MacGius. She, who's basically younger than me by five years, was raised as the younger sister of MacGius, her blood brother and me. This is the reason for her calling me brother Omiros.
「Did you go to the mountains again?」
Her eyes became slightly cold when she asked me that.
Rietto and MacGius's parents were executed by the former king, Qupis. That might be why she dislikes the fact that I'm looking for Regena.
「I won't go today... I mean I have to make preparations to attend the ball of the Velos kingdom...」
Parish and I are going to attend the ball of the Velos kingdom which is going to be held five days from now on behalf of my father. And today, I have to to prepare myself for that event.
「So you're still going to search for "her" on another day?」
「...」
I'm at loss a for words when Rietto asked that question.
「She's already dead, you know...」
「Rietto!」
I unintentionally shouted at her.
「But you keep saying that she's alive. Why... Why are you so sure of that? No human, not even the soldiers, can come out alive once they enter the goblin's nest...」
Normally, it's as she said.
But then, I recall the matter of Goz, the human-like goblin who said that he'll send his subordinates to pick Regena. Why do I see that dream nowadays? Because of it, I know that Regena might have been caught by Goz and may still be alive.
Thus, I continue searching for her in the goblin's nest while holding to such a remote hope.
I never told anyone about that possibility. When I was a child, none of the adults believed me when I told them about that humanoid goblin.
Though they might have trusted me if Regena also told them, maybe because she didn't want to recall such painful memories, the person herself didn't say anything. Naturally, I won't blame Regena for this matter since the one who was the most traumatized by this event was Regena.
The only one who believed me was Regena's mother. She was kind to me, the young master of her rival clan.
She was the one who gave me and Regena the magic amulet, which is also my treasure that can repel goblins.
Regena's mother passed away two years after I met Goz.