THE NEXT MORNING

ALEXANDER

We left Gray Hollow before sunrise. Mostly because staying longer seemed like a bad idea, also because every villager looked at the map like it was personally insulting their ancestors. That was rarely a good sign. The expedition moved quietly along the Old king’s road. Or what remained of it, ancient stone cracked beneath moss, broken pillars lined the path, ruined statues stood half buried beneath centuries of snow and earth. Even the air felt old. Naturally, we kept walking, Victor was carrying extra supplies again. Specifically, near Noa again, and Noa noticed.

"You are carrying too much."She said.

"It is efficient."Victor immediately straightened.

Noa stared, then casually took half the weight. Victor’s face turned red. The academy students had started taking bets. Rosalia was winning somehow. As we continued down the road, I pulled out the key fragment. The black metal glowed faintly, the runes pulsed like a heartbeat. Then Iris stopped walking. That alone made everyone pause, the vampire queen stared at the fragment, her smile vanished. For the first time since meeting her she looked troubled.

"Iris?"I asked.

She didn’t answer immediately. Her pink eyes remained fixed on the fragment, recognition, not curiosity. Recognition.

"You know it?" Scarlet asked quietly.

A long silence followed.

"I have seen this before."Then Iris finally spoke.

Everyone froze.

"What?"Michael nearly dropped his paperwork.

Iris looked away.

"I will not explain."Her expression had become unreadable.

That answer somehow felt worse.

"Why?" I asked.

"Because some memories should remain buried."Her voice became unusually soft.

Noa narrowed her eyes, Rosalia stopped smiling.

"Emotional stress detected."Aiko adjusted his glasses.

"Please ignore it."Iris immediately smiled again.

Nobody was reassured, not even slightly.

"Oh no."Then my sword suddenly vibrated at my side.

The sword spoke, its voice sounded different. "I know this road. I have traveled this path before."

"How long ago?"A chill ran down my spine.

The sword was silent for several seconds.

"I do not remember."He said.

Not reassuring at all. The blade vibrated again.

"But I remember the castle."He said again.

"Excuse me?"Michael slowly turned.

"I belonged to someone who once walked those halls."The sword continued.

"What?"My brain stopped functioning.

"I remember battles."The sword’s voice became distant. "Kings, oaths, blood." Its voice lowered. "And regret."

The air became heavy, even Iris closed her eyes and that reaction terrified me. Because Iris was five hundred years old, if even she reacted then whatever this castle was, it was old.

"DING." The system suddenly appeared. "Second fragment approaching. Distance remaining: 200 meters."

The road curved around a hill, and then we saw them and my brain stopped. There were goblins, not ten, not twenty, not fifty. Hundreds. At least one hundred goblins. Big goblins, massive goblins. Each one stood nearly two meters tall, muscular, covered in crude armor, armed with spears, axes, and bows, and in the center of their camp, resting atop a broken stone altar was the second key fragment glowing softly. A goblin chief nearly three meters tall sat beside it, its body was covered in scars. One yellow eye, a massive black axe. The creature looked terrifying as the academy students immediately turned pale. Victor swallowed, Lydia froze, even Michael looked alarmed.

That alone was enough to make me nervous, very nervous. Michael slowly lowered his communication crystal and stared at the camp. Then his expression changed, not panic, but worse recognition.

"Oh no."Michael whispered.

That got everyone’s attention immediately.

"What?"I asked.

"That is not a goblin chief."Michael pointed toward the massive goblin chief.

Silence. The wind itself seemed to stop.

"Then what is it?"Victor swallowed.

"That is a Goblin general."Michael looked like he had just found a dragon sleeping in his office.

The academy students went pale instantly. Even Reynold’s expression froze, one student nearly dropped his sword.

"What?"Lydia whispered.

Michael rubbed his forehead.

"A Goblin general only appears when goblin tribes evolve beyond ordinary hierarchy."He explained. "It commands armies, creates fortifications and can lead goblin kingdoms."

The word kingdom made everyone uneasy, very uneasy.

"Threat assessment updated: A-Rank command unit."Aiko adjusted his glasses.

The entire expedition froze. A-Rank, not monsters we fought. Not individual strength, a real A-Rank commander.

"To eliminate a Goblin general safely, guild protocol recommends-"Michael continued then he stopped. "Three full B-Rank parties."

We had one newly formed B-Rank party, some academy students, a guild master with paperwork, and Victor. Not ideal.

"I am a top student."Victor immediately looked offended.

"So was the last person eaten by a troll."Michael looked at him.

Victor stopped speaking. It was reasonable. I looked back toward the camp as the Goblin general still sat beside the fragment watching us. Like it already knew we had arrived. Then the sword suddenly spoke. Its voice had become unusually serious.

"Do not underestimate him."The sword said.

I froze, that was bad. The sword insulted everyone equally and If it sounded worried, that was very bad.

"You know it?"I asked quietly.

"I remember generals like him marching beneath black banners."The blade hummed.

The air became colder. Iris suddenly narrowed her eyes. Her smile had vanished again. That was becoming a terrible pattern. Then the Goblin general slowly stood, the ground trembled, at nearly four meters tall, it towered over ordinary goblins. Its armor wasn’t crude. The chest plate carried a faded crest, a crest that made both Iris and the sword go silent. The General raised its axe, then slammed it into the ground. BOOOOOOM! The hundred goblins immediately turned toward us, not chaotic, not wild, organized. One hundred pairs of eyes locked onto us. The academy students collectively took a step back when the Goblin general spoke.

"...Bearer..."The general said.

Everyone froze.

"No."Michael looked horrified.

"Second Key..."The General pointed its axe directly at me.

It knew exactly what the fragment was. That was impossible. Wasn’t it?

"DING."The system suddenly flickered. "Special event updated. Objective: claim the second fragment. Warning: guardian recognized key bearer."

The General slowly smiled. That was wrong because goblins should not smile like that.

"The King returns..."He said.

"What does that mean?"I asked.

Neither answered and that frightened me more than the Goblin general. Because Iris was five hundred years old, and the sword remembered kings, if both of them were scared then this castle wasn’t just old. The Goblin General raised its axe. One hundred goblins lowered their weapons in perfect unison. It had been waiting for us.