The Ability to Shift Anything is Convenient, Even in Another World!

At that moment, Gobuchiki realized Veylir was completely serious—this wasn’t a joke.

"Those who falsely claim to be a Calamity Dragon are persecuted by the Draconic Clan. If you have the guts to lie—"

"Oh, come on! Just believe me, will you?" Veylir interrupted.

"But that’s impossible! Your aura doesn’t feel anything like the Wildfire Dragon’s, and your size…" Gobuchiki protested.

Veylir sighed heavily.

"Fine... I’ll explain, just so you’ll stop doubting me."

She slowed her flight, allowing Gobuchiki to match her pace. He listened intently, eager to hear the truth.

"What you’re seeing now is just my shrunk-down soul body. My soul power is severely weakened, which is why my aura doesn’t match that of a Calamity Dragon."

"If that’s true… what happened to your physical body?" Gobuchiki asked hesitantly.

Veylir’s expression darkened.

"My physical body was slain by Master Soru," she said, her voice laced with a hint of sorrow.

Gobuchiki stiffened. "Master Soru… You mean that human who made you his familiar?"

"No… He’s not technically my master, nor am I his familiar. I only call him that out of formality…"

"Is that so..." Gobuchiki murmured.

"How did he do it? Killing the Wildfire Dragon alone is simply unheard of. Wait… did he handle you all by himself?"

Veylir nodded.

"You're right. With his peculiar ability, he incinerated me to death. Even though I enhanced my scales to withstand the heat, it wasn't enough to prevent me from being burned alive."

"That's… a horrible way to die. I'm sorry to hear that..."

Gobuchiki glanced at Veylir and noticed the sadness in her expression.

"Do you resent the benefactor for what he did to you?"

Veylir didn’t answer right away. She remained silent for a moment before finally speaking.

"I… do feel a slight resentment toward him, but what he did to me was reasonable."

"He killed me to stop my rampage from destroying that village any further."

Gobuchiki fell quiet, thinking over her words.

"Although I don’t know what caused your rampage, what you did to that village was bad. You’re lucky the benefactor didn’t kill your soul body afterward."

"Yeah… I’m really lucky he spared me, even after my physical death."

The four of them continued walking as they neared the settlement. Gobuchiki, still curious, decided to ask Veylir another question.

"Miss Veylir, do you have any idea why you rampaged that time? My first thought was that you acted out of agitation, but was that really the case?"

Veylir stopped and turned to face him.

"You sure like asking a lot of questions. What are you, an interviewer or something?"

"Come on, Miss Veylir. Sharing a story or two won’t hurt, you know?"

Veylir stared at him for a moment, then let out a sigh.

"Such a nosy goblin. Fine, I’ll answer it."

"Now we’re talking!" Gobuchiki grinned.

Veylir resumed flying, her pace slow as she began recounting her story.

"It was noon when I woke from my long slumber. The moment I opened my eyes, I decided to hunt monsters for food to satisfy my hunger. I left my cave and searched the area, looking for something to eat."

"Basilisks were one of my favorite meals—their meat tastes great, especially when fresh. So I flew through the vast forest, searching for one."

"After a while, my nose picked up a familiar yet strange scent. It belonged to the prey I was looking for. I followed the trail and eventually arrived at the scene, only to find the basilisk I sought lying there, already dead. It had been crushed, along with a pack of Rabid Wolves."

"I was furious. I had spent minutes searching for my favorite prey, only to find it dead and inedible. To make things worse, the scent of the culprit had faded—the battle had happened hours ago, making it nearly impossible to track them by smell. So I had no choice but to search for clues with my eyes alone."

"The culprit… was it a monster that killed the basilisk?" Gobuchiki asked.

"No. Judging by the corpse, there were no bite or claw marks. It wasn’t hunted for food—just killed and left behind."

"I see..." Gobuchiki murmured.

"I kept searching for the culprit until I found something else—a dead wyvern not too far from the scene. It had been burned to death by someone who could manipulate flames."

"Maybe the wyvern got into a fight with its own kind?" Gobuchiki suggested.

"No. In this forest, only the wyvern and I had the ability to conjure flame at will."

Gobuchiki's eyes widened.

"So that means…!"

"Yes. Only a sentient being with control over flames could have killed it. And possibly, the same one who killed the basilisk and those Rabid Wolves," Veylir confirmed.

"Luckily, I managed to pick up the culprit’s scent in that area. It was faint, but enough to track. Along the way, I found signs of battle, and the trail eventually led me to that village at the edge of the forest."

"I wasn’t sure who had done it, only that they were hiding in that village. So I rampaged, hoping to flush them out. But I got too caught up in my emotions… and ended up going too far. Before I could learn their identity, I was killed in that very same village."

Gobuchiki and the other goblins realized they had finally arrived at the settlement. But the moment they saw a human girl standing ahead, they froze in place.

"Upon my physical death, I found out that the one who killed me was Master Soru. At that moment, I realized that he was the one who… Hm?"

Veylir stopped mid-sentence when she noticed Gobuchiki had completely stopped moving. She tilted her head, confused.

"Hey, are you that shocked after hearing about Master Soru's capabilities? Sure, it was unusual—"

"Miss Veylir," Gobuchiki interrupted, his voice trembling. "That female human over there is glaring at us…"

"Human who?"

"Oi, Veylir."

A cold voice cut through the air, making Veylir’s skin shiver. Slowly, she turned around—only to see Reika standing right in front of them.

"Erm… I…"

"Enough," Reika said, her tone firm. "I already know about your little trip, thanks to Soru. But…"

She stepped closer, stopping just in front of Veylir.

"Would you care to explain who that weird bunch is?" Reika gestured toward the goblins. "Soru didn’t mention anything about them."

"Uhhh..."

What? Master Soru didn’t tell her about these goblins?

"Well… they’re called goblins, Master Reika. Soru and I saved them from Rabid Wolves when we first encountered them."

Reika scratched her head as she observed Gobuchiki and his companions.

"Hmm… I don’t know what goblins are, but I’m sure I’ve heard the name somewhere…"

"Do goblins exist in your world— I mean, in your continent, Master Reika?" Veylir asked.

"Ah! I remember now… I read about them in textbooks before. According to those, they’re supposed to be small, ugly, and vicious-looking."

"Ouch. You don’t have to say that right in our faces…" Gobuchiki muttered.

"But…"

Reika stared at the goblins from head to toe.

"Compared to what I’ve read, they look… different?"

"Different? What does that even mean?" Gobuchiki asked, confused.

"A-Anyway, Master Reika, these goblins pleaded with me to let them stay here temporarily because they forgot their way back to their village. Perhaps you can arrange something for them?"

Reika raised an eyebrow.

"You’d better ask Mister Alguis. He built this entire settlement, so naturally, he has the authority to decide whether they can stay or not."

"I’m not doing that. We’re not even close enough to have a casual conversation, let alone discuss something like this."

Reika stepped closer to Veylir.

"You said you already met and talked with him. What’s the fuss now?"

"I’m not good at making arrangements, alright? You’re the one with good communication skills, so it’s better if you do it."

"I’m not the one who brought them here; you and Soru did. Deal with it yourself."

"But…!"

While Veylir and Reika argued, Gobuchiki and the other goblins watched in silence.

"Is that Miss Veylir’s actual human master? She called her ‘Master’…"

"They… fight," one of the goblins murmured.

Gobuchiki squinted at them.

"Do they really have that kind of relationship? From the looks of it, that doesn’t seem to be the case."

Meanwhile, Alguis happened to pass by and overheard the commotion. Recognizing the familiar voices, he looked around, tracking the noise to its source. He soon realized it was coming from behind the large house where they currently lived.

Alguis followed the noise to its source and found Reika arguing with Veylir. Behind the dragon stood a group of unfamiliar individuals.

"Miss Reika?"

Both Reika and Veylir paused and turned toward him.

"Is there a problem? It looks like both of you had a misunderstanding..."

Veylir’s eyes widened in frustration.

"Hey, old dwarf! For the last time, address me proper—GHAAAK!?"

Before she could finish, Reika tightened her grip on Veylir’s collar.

"We apologize, Mister Alguis. We were just having a small discussion and got a little carried away," Reika said calmly.

"Is that so…" Alguis glanced at the figures behind them. "And who are these little fellows? I wasn’t aware you had connections with goblins, Miss Reika."

"Ahhh, well, the thing is—"

"Mast…er Rei…KHAK!"

Reika sighed and loosened the collar's grip.

"Tch! Why does my soul body react like I’m actually being strangled!? This doesn’t make any sense!"

Ignoring her complaint, Reika replied to Alguis, "Ask Veylir about their identities. She and Soru were the ones who brought them here."

Veylir flew closer, her irritation still clear.

"Forget about it! Bringing them here was a pain in the ass. I should’ve just left them in the forest."

Reika’s expression shifted the moment she heard Veylir’s remark.

"What!? You went through all the trouble of bringing them here just to drive them away? Are you mad?"

"You won’t even help me persuade that old man Alguis over there, so why are you judging my decisions?" Veylir shot back.

"Then be responsible! Is it that hard!?"

"Uhm… May I ask a question?" Gobuchiki hesitantly interjected.

"Oh, shut up!" Both Reika and Veylir shouted in unison.

"Okay…" Gobuchiki muttered, taking a step back.

Realizing how out of hand things had gotten, Reika took a deep breath and stepped back, regaining her composure.

"Ahem… Y-Yes, you can ask."

Gobuchiki hesitated for a moment before stepping forward and facing Alguis directly.

"S-Sir… is your name Alguis Fellad…?"

The moment the words left his mouth, Alguis’ eyes widened. A long silence followed before he finally responded.

"How did you… Y-Yes, my name is Alguis Fellad. But how do you know my family name…?"

Before he could get an answer, Gobuchiki and the other two goblins suddenly dropped to their knees, bowing deeply before him.

Reika and Veylir exchanged confused glances, startled by their sudden display of respect. Even Alguis seemed taken aback.

"We greet Your Majesty," Gobuchiki said firmly.

Alguis stood frozen, speechless at first. After a long pause, he finally spoke.

"You may rise."

Gobuchiki and the others obeyed Alguis’ command and stood up.

Meanwhile, Veylir fumed at the scene unfolding before her.

"How come these imbeciles recognized that old dwarf’s identity right away but doubted me when I told them mine!?"

"Shhh!" Reika hushed her.

Alguis ignored the exchange and focused on the goblins. "How did you recognize me?"

"Who on this continent doesn’t recognize you?" Gobuchiki replied. "Thanks to your decree that allows lesser races like us to buy weapons from your kingdom, we’ve managed to survive from monster invasions to this day! It’s all thanks to you, Your Majesty!"

Alguis stroked his beard thoughtfully.

"Is that so…"

He stepped forward and placed a firm hand on Gobuchiki’s shoulder.

"Thank you for your recognition, young goblin. I’m glad my actions have helped your kind."

"Nah, it’s a small thing, King Alguis," Gobuchiki said with a grin.

Then, he glanced around the settlement, curiosity filling his eyes.

"King Alguis, may I ask? Why are you here in this secluded settlement instead of your palace?"

Alguis let out a deep sigh.

"It’s a long story, kid. Telling you would just be a waste of your time."

Gobuchiki chuckled and gave a thumbs-up.

"I’m a good listener, though?"

Hearing that, Alguis smiled faintly before turning around.

"Follow me. I’ll tell you along the way."

Gobuchiki and the other goblins eagerly followed, listening as Alguis began recounting the coup d’état in the dwarven kingdom and his exile.

Meanwhile, Reika and Veylir stood in place, watching the group walk away. After a brief silence, they turned to face each other.

"Does that mean… it’s a yes?" Veylir asked.

"I guess it is…" Reika murmured.

Seeing that things had gone smoothly, the two decided to follow along.

By the time Soru, Veylir, and the goblins arrived at the settlement, it was already late. Most of the villagers were asleep, except for a few who remained awake.

Alguis led Gobuchiki and the other two goblins to the front of the large house.

"That’s bad news, King Alguis! Your son handling the throne himself could be a huge risk to your kingdom!" Gobuchiki exclaimed.

"It’s not that bad. I know what he’s capable of. It’s just… acting as a king is different. He might not be ready yet."

Nearby, Aeden and Völun heard familiar voices. Recognizing one of them as Alguis, they turned toward the source and spotted him along with the goblins.

"Mister Alguis!" Aeden and Völun greeted him.

"Oh, Völun, Aeden. You’re still awake."

Völun’s gaze shifted toward the goblins.

"Sir, are they—"

"They’ll be staying with us tonight. There are three beds in our room; spare one for them."

Alguis then turned to Gobuchiki and the others.

"I know you haven’t had dinner. Come with me, I’ll get you something to eat."

"Thank you, King Alguis," Gobuchiki said gratefully.

"Oh, come on. I told you to call me Sir or Mister Alguis from now on."

"Oh. Sir… Alguis," Gobuchiki murmured shyly.

Alguis smiled at him.

"That’s better. Follow me."