The power of the fairy queen was increasing every day.

On normal years, Lacrima would employ adventurers to retrieve the feybloom, which held her budding magic.

But Lacrima had been exiled, and the goblins' plan to take over the task had fallen through.

In the first month of autumn, a fairy attack force blitzed through the territory of the still standing colonies and attacked the Promise directly.

The advance attack force consisted of 8 tall, bug-like fairy warriors that Lydia said were called mantis knights, two main fairy wasp swarms of about 30 members, and an oversized plant-like boar, sporting a flower petal mane and thorns all over its body.

The attackers became separated at the wall of the town, where the mantis knights flew over and the boar was delayed.

In a display of expert tactics, the wasps spread out and flushed the ruling family out of the house while the man-sized mantis knights began battering the entrance to the underground.

Two were bashing at the lock, while the rest formed a semi-circle around them to prevent interference. Their insectoid blades at the ready.

It created an awkward position with the constable, and the town guard stood around doing nothing, but Lacrima the witch was able to take command and diffuse the situation.

"I shall fly to the back and close block the entrance," She said, "Scratch, a poison ent will be on its way to tear down your wall and houses. You must send your fastest hunting dogs."

"And intercept it?"

"No! In no way target it. They must go around and attack the witchwood directly."

"Why? How do I attack a woods 'directly'?"

"Just do it."

She took on her owl form and flew upwards.

Will threw Scratch the barking horn, but a contingent of wasps recognized it had to have some importance and swarmed to him.

They were enveloped in a cloud of flame.

Constable Harkness had saved him.

"Lacrima is a criminal that has used control magic on fairies and children." The constable said, "I can't overlook you harboring her."

"Everybody here is an exile." Scratch said, then he blew the horn a few times to produce a serious of howls and barks.

The wolves, who had been busy panicking, perked up their ears.

Three wind wolves quickly reacted and sprinted towards the gate.

In less than a heartbeat they had run up the wall and disappeared out of sight.

-

Not much later, the mantis knights shattered the lock on the ornate wooden door towards the basement layer.

They rushed in, but were slowed down by the maze-like layout.

In the front was a section that had once been a cooking stove, connected to the forge chimneys, that was now disguised as a small forge in order to not have to show the constable the cavern. A mantis knight kicked it, crumbling the metal underfoot.

It seems that Lacrima's message had arrived, because the layer was devoid of goblins. Only the mimics remained.

The bandits and hobgoblins up top did not dare to follow after the fairy creatures, and instead finished the remaining beasts on the surface.

There was a tension regarding what would happen next as the insectoids buzzed from the depths and the cowardly humanoids just stood around.

"You understand that I cannot ignore what has happened here." The constable said. "If you are at war with the fairy queen. That should be taken into consideration by the court."

Scratch gave him a wry smile. "Fine, you won. Go report it."

But the man was still grave. "Fairies are considered to be on the side of good."

"Look man," Scratch threw up his hands, "all I know is: they attack used first."

"NOW!" The witch's voice could be heard cackling from the dungeon. "Attack them."

By the sound of it, they had found the entrance to the wolf den and had burst in all together.

Lydia launched herself forward and dove in.

The constable was about to do the same, but Scratch put his hand on his leg. "It's not your fight, you don't need to-"

The man swatted him off, seriously bruising his arm, and followed after.

The hobgoblins were already rushing after their mother.

Only Scratch and Quiet were left outside.

And Aimone was there. "Not my fight either," he said coolly.

"Yes it is. Get in." Scratch demanded.

-

Inside the wolf den, the mantis knights had scattered.

Gone was their strict coordination and tactics. Instead they spread out over the curved space, chasing birds and goblins.

"They're only threat level C while the queen has direct command." Lacrima said, "now's your chance. Kill them. *Kill them*."

The wolves inside the den were mostly puppies and caretakers and they slinked away to let the bipeds do the fighting.

The Harknesses took on a mantis knight each. While the hobgoblins worked together to bring them down from a distance, using ropes and whips.

The creatures were still in possession of untold strength and tore deep gashes in the rock face with their attacks. But they struck dumbly at whatever was in front of them and were easily caroled into the best spots.

The gate to the elevator opened and Noss entered.

He took one look at the battle and promptly died.

The witch herself didn't shy away from doing battle either. With outstretched hand she turned an enemy to stone, so it could be trivially smashed.

"What is this place?" The constable demanded to know, as the threat quickly petered out.

"It's... just the basement." Constantine said.

"Just the- This is your den. Isn't witch?" He pointed an accusatory finger at Lacrima. "You are known to have meddled with the fairies. You must have something to do with this attack. How else did they become so docile all of a sudden?"

A year earlier Lacrima would have effortlessly sprung into the role of innocent grandmother to rebuff him. But her reputation was already what it was, and there was no use pretending anymore.

She snarled like a hag. "They were made docile, Eugene, because the fairy queen's attention was diverted. Scratch- ah, there you are."

Scratch had followed after the group and arrived just as the last bug had its head crushed by the troll.

"Scratch has send wind wolves to the witchwood." Lacrima continued, "just as I commanded. It diverted the queen's attention and she was no longer able to coordinate the attack. This town is under my *protection*."

"The queen was commanding them? What did they have an earpiece?" Scratch asked.

"Earpiece?" The witch's attention was now on the goblin, "all fairies are controlled directly by the queen's magical pheromones. They're mindless beasts without her."

But the constable wasn't so easily ignored, he grabbed her by the wrist.

"Hey. Whoa!" Lydia held her weapon unsheathed but half-raised, unsure about threatening him.

"The Promise can't gain legitimacy *and* harbor this dark sorceress. I'm taking you in."

Lacrima's magic flared dangerously. "Dark sorceress?! I am still devoted to the moon goddess thank you very much!" She raised her voice but she was still calm. "And you've got it reversed little man. It is I that really runs this town. Without Lacrima, there can be no Promise. You want this peace? You must take me with it!"

He gnashed his teeth and let go. Relenting more to the overwhelming force surrounding him than the argument.

"The count will hear of this." He said, as he stomped out.

Scratch gave him a fake smile as he came by. "Be sure to tell him about the peaceful garden and thriving economy."

His face was a great deal more sour looking at Lacrima. "Was that necessary?"

She smiled softly, "better he knows about me than the Ravenous Lich, isn't it?"

Scratch nearly gave himself whiplash seeing if the constable had heard that and then looking back to give her a hateful stare.

But she was defiant. "You are still tasked with the defeat of the fairy queen," she said with a remember-who's-boss attitude. "It's best you ride out now and stop the ent from reaching this place."

The absolute diplomatic catastrophe of the fairy attack led to the elder Harkness jumping on his horse the first chance he got and riding out to bring report to count Rhysian.

But he hadn't accounted for the poison ent trudging its way over the main trail.

It blended in so naturally with the forest that he didn't notice it until it was right upon him. And it was big.

A horrifying visage of anybody averse to holes, it sported a rash of seed pots for a bulbous head and long vines of snapping maws draped underneath.

The knight steered away so quickly he fell of his horse. And the animal, which was spooked by the monstrous plant, ran away from him.

The constable screamed and threw up his arms.

But the poison ent kept trudging along.

"Ah. Doesn't attack people." He said to himself, "should've known." Glad to know nobody was there to have seen him embarrass himself.

"INFERNO!"

Suddenly the poison end was engulfed by a spiral of flame.

The whole world was bathed in orange light for a moment and his eyes dried out from the heat.

Once the spell had ended, nothing was left of the monster but charcoal.

"Harkness, you old badger." Count Rhysian said, "I heard you cry out for help, so I figured I'd lend you a hand."

Constable Harkness closed his eyes with a pained expression.

-

The count and his entourage were on their way to the Promise and he was not interested in pausing to hear a report, so the constable had to run beside him and quickly summarize his findings.

"Well within expectations," the count said dismissively, "we knew the goblins were harboring bandits. Or- day goblins I should say. It's funny..." he laughed to himself, with no expectation that the knight would share his amusement, "goblins have always wielded the detritus of civilization. I suppose they simply extended that to discarded people as well."

"Sir. You can't seriously consider pardoning figures such as-"

"Know your place, sir knight." The count said sternly, "the realm is not here to restore your family's honor. If there is to be a peace, there has to be compromise, you should have foreseen this outcome... Besides, it's not me who has the authority to grant titles."

He gestured with his chin to a young woman riding several yards ahead.

She was a blonde, dressed more like an adventurer than a noble, sporting a rune engraved sword and a duelist's uniform with capelet.

"Who-?"

"The duke's only daughter, Beatrice of Dichtershire. She is normally reticent to take up the calling of her blood, but she has taken a personal interest for some reason."

The constable slowed down, staring at the back of her head. The noblewoman's drill-like bangs bobbed up and down from the horse's trodding.

She seemed melancholic, wistful even, she-

-

[Not much longer your ladyship.] The count says.

This boring. But I shouldn't complain since I've already found Hayato again in Eston, and now the Warrens might have a new otherworlder as well.

I mean, paper money? It could be a coincidence but... 'this person is definitely from Japan' is what I'm thinking.

...

This trip is really boring though.

I was told there were lots of goblin nests, but so far I've just seen a lot of ruins.

Oh wait, what's that?

They have a big wall! And there's goblins on top of it. Cute!

[This is just the outer perimeter of the Promise.] The constable says. [There is a few hours more travel from here. Can I have a lift? My horse ran off.]

Inside the outer perimeter it's like a little countryside.

They have their own farm plots and huts, and there are lots of wolves and goblins playing together.

[Make sure not to kill anything,] the count says, [we wouldn't want to start an incident when we are here to underwrite a peace.]

Why would I want to kill anything?

Anyway, eventually we get to the goblin leader's palace.

There's a portcullis and a large bailey, filled with activity.

Maybe I'll get to see Alpheba again.

I know she's done a lot of bad stuff and can't be forgiven, but...

I hope she's happy.

As soon as Alpheba saw Beatrice enter the town gate she pointed her out to Scratch. "That's her. That's the hero my master mentioned."

"Is she going to be a problem?" He asked.

"She's rank A in the adventurer's guild. So if she is, there's nothing you could do about it."

"Vhat I've seen of zhis town even zhe bodyguards could conquer it, if zhey vere a little tactical about it," the vampire whispered, uninvited.

"This would display tactics, but lack strategy." Youthere said. "Toppling the Promise will throw its controlled area into chaos once again, and the count will lose the support of the peasantry, ultimately to no gain."

The huddle was getting crowded now.

Noss leaned over Scratch to address the witch's werewolf apprentice. "How is Lacrima able to foresee zhe arrival of such characters?"

"You've seen the blood samples in the witch house. Over the years I have collected the blood of many adventurers for her, and sympathetic magic allows us to discern their location or curse them."

Just then, Second leaned in to talk to Scratch. "Is this the boss of all humans? There are trolls hidden in these side buildings. Just say the special command and we'll attack them."

"Sympathetic magic?" Noss asked Alpheba. "I've heard about it, I would like to study it for my dark sorcery."

Youthere giggled. "I appreciate your dedication to eternal warfare little goblin. But we have wider ambitions. A dark peace will allow the arms of intrigue to spread over-"

"That is quite enough!" Scratch said, "is this a football huddle? Disperse. Disperse."

They did as he said and he straightened his jacket, just in time to greet the count and his entourage.

"The special command is 'ambush', 'ambush!'." Second said as he ran off.

A troll opened the door at hearing the command, but quickly closed it upon seeing it was a false alarm.

The count eyed his surroundings and sighed. "I'll skip the pleasantries and get straight to business. We're all tired of the journey."

The blonde adventuress smiled at Scratch. It was a warm smile, but kind of vacant. She didn't really know what was going on.

The count unrolled a scroll. "By the authority of Dichtershire and in the name of the king, you hereby receive judgment for your crimes."

The woman unsheathed her sword in a short fluid motion, and the sharp sat immediately against Scratch's neck.

"Please remain still." She smiled.

Scratch was frozen, the goblins reached for their weapons, but the human bandits did not seem alarmed.

"You are pardoned and instated as a citizen of Reddington. You may now own property and call upon law to protect you."

The blade moved over his head to his other shoulder, there were magical runes in the blade that slightly hummed as it whisked through the air.

"Furthermore, the realm grants you the title of Baronet, to steward these lands, from river to coast, and protect against the forces of evil. Please stand up."

Scratch exhaled as the sword was removed from his vicinity. Although he suffered from a muted fear response, the humming of the blade somehow still made him wince. He knew instinctively that it could cut clean through him at the flick of a wrist.

"There," said the count, "that's over with. When should we head back?"

-

However, they ended up staying for two days, clearing up the many questions the family had about the arrangement and titles as a concept.

"But what is a Baronet?" Scratch asked.

"In the past. Whenever the higher nobility saw it necessary to grant land to a knight." Lydia said, "they would grant them the title of Baronet. It's still below a Baron. But your land is called a barony."

"That's right," the Count said, "titles are a pedigree of bloodline as well as status. Your bloodline is as low as it gets, so you cannot be named a Baron, even though your land will actually be quite extensive."

"But as I understand. Nobody else has gained citizenship."

"You will still be able to keep a retinue of courtiers with you as you travel outside your territory," the count quickly countered, "as long as they stick with you. But yes, only Scratch is a citizen. This is the compromise the Duke has proposed."

Scratch scratch his chin, "effectively there's a bounty on every single person that lives here. I would hardly call that peace."

"I'm sure the law," the count glanced sharply at the constable, "is willing to turn a blind eye to people in your employ. As long as you control them. This was actually the deciding factor in the duke's decision." He held up a bill of paper money with Scratch's face on it. "As long as you do not let your bandits own real gold, we have faith that you can keep them in line."

The constable spoke up. "These tokens have-"

"Shut up." The count said, "anyway. Naturally, the tax burden will be lighter with only one citizen."

Scratch looked over the numbers, "this is still quite considerable."

"Enough to continue the war?"

"...I suppose not."

"Then I welcome you to your new home country," he stuck out his arm and shook his hand, "Baronet the Promise."

-

Beatrice Dichtershire hadn't been at the meeting.

Apparently her role was simply to rubber stamp the promotion by being present and having the right bloodline.

While the count and the constable had been arguing, she had chased down Alpheba and Cobaline to force them to hang out with her.

But when the government party was about to leave, she suddenly had something to discuss with Scratch and held them up by another day.

By the time they were finally gone, the vampire had completed major infrastructure revisions underground without Scratch's supervision.

"Here it is. Zhe sanctum."

"You removed the elevator."

"Of course, zhe sanctum needs sealed valls after all. And it vas a rather simple trap. Let me show you how zhe magic works."

"You removed the elevator. Noss, we *use* it. We're always moving metal and rock up and down, how- Second, why didn't you stop him?"

"Stop him? I can stop him?"

"Of course. It's *your* elevator, isn't it?"

The folding wooden screen that previously led to a small moving box, now led to a gray oval room.

The surrounding shell was domed concrete, held in place with red bring and metal struts.

The interior was lined with a mosaic of uneven slate shards, and the bottom filled in to create a smooth flat floor.

In the middle of the room a circle indented the floor slightly, and a glowing red gem was suspended by several metal wires and a copper ring directly above it.

The exit, was a shaft leading downwards at the far end.

"Zhe shape of zhe room ensures zhat zhe energies vill flow around zhe outside and coalesces to flow down and out in zhe middle. Zhis way zhe altar receives a strong and consisted pressure." Noss explained proudly, he had forgotten his gloominess now that he had a chance to talk about his expertise. "Zhis way, transformation magic can be permanently-"

"No but I really didn't sign off on this." Scratch fretted, "is this how we get down? I can't even see where it leads to. Install a staircase at least."

"I can do that." Second said.

Noss tapped his feet. "Zhis is a dungeon, is it not? It is not supposed to be safe, it is supposed to deter invaders."

"This is a central transportation corridor," Scratch said, "I don't know how this thing is held up, but I need it to bear heavy loads, and I need it to open up for large cargo to move through."

"...You want me to break it all open?" Noss said in distress.

"Yeah man, I never even told you to make it like this in the first place. It needs to be safe for goblins."

The vampire's eyes darkened. "Ask your kishin, Cyclophan, how he vould wan-"

"Yeah I don't care man."

He grumbled, "vouldn't have if I had my bloodrise..."

-

The outside of the sanctum didn't make Scratch any happier.

The shaft dropped down on a suspended wooden platform high up in the cavern.

There were a series of walkways and floating walls suspended by chains from the ceiling, in order to guide the magic down into a spiral.

The egg they had just come out of was embedded into the ceiling, but mostly exposed and resting precariously on what remained of the elevator shaft.

"Second, can we get some support pillars here?"

Second thought about it for a moment. "If we have enough iron for another cable, hang it from here and candle it with the concrete."

"Good, and the elevator can come through the middle."

Noss sputtered, "you do realize zhat vhen the floor is no longer smooth, the sanctum's spell vill stop vorking until it is. Your lift vill need to stop at exactly zhe right place to reactivate it."

"Well?" Scratch asked Second, "are you up for the task?"

Second balled his fist, eager to get into good graces again, "I will try."

"Good enough for me."

Noss pinched the bridge of his nose. "Fine. But if must involve yourselves vith dungeon magic, you should at least know zhe basics. I shall write to my master, I'm sure he vill agree to let me show you some examples."

"Examples? What do you mean?"

"You have a teleportation circle now. So ve vill be able to return here. I vill take you to zhe yellow wastes."

[If your ladyship is ready...]

Rhysian is impatient~.

I can probably explain why I wanted a personal audience with the Baronet.

'Oh, I just wanted to test his loyalty to my father.'

Something like that.

Scratch isn't loyal to Dichtershire at all, but that doesn't matter. He is one of us.

It's strange that he isn't Japanese. But when you think about it, we don't really come from the world of Japan. We come from the country of Japan, and the world is Earth.

As we exit the little town a trio of wind wolves slink in. They sure move slow for wind wolves.

Maybe they're really tired? They look like they've been fighting thorny plant monsters.

I wonder how many other foreigners were reincarnated by that strange god...

If there are more, then we must do more than just leave Japanese signs for otherworlders. Maybe we will have to reveal our identities to our families.

...

Oh what am I saying. The others would hate that!

'Yes mother, I, the child you've been holding to your chest, am actually a 40-year old otaku NEET. Hey where are you going, don't leave~'

No way!

But we'll need all the help we can get...

If we want to take on the Liege.

Eep!

Did I really call him 'the Liege' in my head?

He doesn't deserve such a cool name!

Be proper about it Sato, his name is [Kato Ken].

And he wants to destroy the world.

The Promise

Faction: Reddington

Size: F

Level: F

The Promise is an abhuman habitat for day goblins. It is controlled by a day goblin Baronet and is home to several exiles. The exiles of the Promise and surrounding area have chosen to live peaceful lives, rather than rely on banditry, and are under the ward of the Baronet.

The Promise is self-sufficient, maintaining farmlands and minor industry. There are no adventuring facilities in this territory, and adventurers are discouraged from trading while there.

Additionally, as the Promise is an abhuman habitat, adventurers are not allowed to indiscriminately attack any monster they see.