"TAKE COVER!! WE WILL DIE IF WE FACE HER DIRECTLY!!" Celine shouted, positioned at the front, near the female figure.

Bright purple light illuminated the room, obscuring our vision due to a massive explosion that sent all of us flying out of the palace.

The last thing I saw before crashing to the ground was Celine being thrown even further with black smoke forming behind her.

.

.

"As you all know, the palace has been feeling suspicious lately, with no signs of life.

Therefore, we will infiltrate it to gather information. Remember! Only gather information, any other action is allowed only when you are truly cornered!" Celine commanded, appearing so different from the Celine who woke up with me this morning.

Now she looked like a leader, a respected Tier 6 knight. But before, Celine was just an ordinary girl in need of love and attention, a person who managed to melt my heart and now ignites a spark within it.

"Whatever you find, report it immediately to Mr. Anderson so that the main forces can act accordingly! And never forget to prioritize your lives, retreat if you feel the situation is too dangerous. FOR THE GLORY OF THE KINGDOM!"

"FOR THE GLORY OF THE KINGDOM!" The soldiers shouted in unison, giving me a new indescribable feeling.

A feeling that filled me with a fiery spirit to face whatever comes next.

With that, the first plan was completed, and now we only had to wait for the darkness to fall to facilitate our infiltration.

However, for some reason, an uneasy feeling continued to haunt me.

I had felt it since I woke up and had tried everything to shake it off, but the feeling still lingered in my heart, making me restless about something that may or may not happen.

Celine noticed it and approached with a worried expression. "Zent, what's wrong? If you're not ready, you don't have to come with us. You still need rest after your fight with the goblin. Don't push yourself; I don't want to see you get hurt," she said while gently caressing my cheek.

I held her hand, gripping it and giving her a warm smile, hoping to reassure Celine. "Don't worry, I'm fine. Besides, I can't let you go investigate the creepy palace alone, you know? Trust me, Celine, I'll be okay," I said softly, then gently caressed her head.

Rengar, the goblin warrior who had been my opponent before, approached us, followed by his two children.

One of them seemed to be holding something, concealed behind their back. They stepped closer and presented us with an adorable teddy bear wearing a brightly colored bowtie around its neck. "My children found this in the forest. If I'm not mistaken, it belongs to Mr. Anderson's daughter."

"You... know Mr. Anderson?" Celine asked, puzzled, after I accepted the teddy bear.

Celine nodded in response to Rengar's question, confirming that Mr. Anderson's daughter was indeed fine. Rengar let out a sigh of relief.

"I'm glad the young miss is okay. I met them a few years ago when I was on a mission from the tribal chief. I was instructed to monitor a noble carriage passing through our territory and to act swiftly if I found any vulnerabilities, kidnapping anyone inside to demand a ransom from the noble family.

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

I, of course, didn't want that. We goblins, though lacking in various aspects, we don't deny that, it doesn't mean we have to lack in morality as well.

In my opinion, if we, the weak, were to behave like bandits, what could we be proud of?

At least, if you are weak, you should build strength in other areas that can elevate your name. However, the goblin race, at that time, lacked such understanding. We only cared about how to survive, no matter what the means.

Fortunately, I took a different path back then, saving them even if it meant killing my fellow comrades.

Do I regret it?"

He shook his head.

"No. They were individuals who had done so many wrong things that even I, coming from the same race, felt ashamed to have them as part of us. Mr. Anderson thanked me and invited me to join them for a dinner.

Can you imagine that?

A human noble inviting a goblin to dine together under the beautiful sky, accompanied by laughter and joy, something that had never happened in history. It was the beginning of a friendship between two races that were once hostile towards each other.

It was during that time that I also got to know Mr. Anderson's daughter, a cute little girl who always carried a teddy bear with a butterfly bowtie. Because of her, I wandered around here, trying to find any signs of the young lady being taken into the forest.

Who would have thought that I would stumble upon a young human who could defeat me?" Rengar looked towards me, and I responded with a nervous laugh, inviting his laughter as well.

"Actually, Zent is also searching for that teddy bear because according to the young lady, her teddy bear was taken by something that looked like a terrifying large cat. I suspect it might be a werewolf, but they shouldn't be around this town as they usually prefer colder climates," explained Celine.

The goblin nodded in understanding. "No wonder you've been wandering in the forest. However, I haven't come across any creature that matches the description of a 'terrifying large cat.' I've never seen anything like that here.

I agree with Celine's opinion as well, but as you mentioned, it's unlikely that they would be roaming around here, especially with us guarding the town from external threats for a long time," added Rengar.

"Wait, your kind been guarding the town all this time?" asked a surprised Celine.

"Ah... I apologize, Mr. Anderson. It seems I still haven't been able to keep my promise to keep quiet," he said remorsefully, then took a long breath. "That's correct. We have been guarding the town from external threats as a gesture of gratitude to Mr. Anderson, who gave us the opportunity to rise again as a new race.

Without that chance, we might still be a plundering and thieving race, but now, we can stand tall and proud of ourselves. Please keep it a secret, Miss Celine. I don't want to disappoint Mr. Anderson," he requested, kneeling down and paying his respects, followed by his two children.

Celine quickly lifted them up and said, "You don't need to ask, we will definitely keep it a secret.

However, it would be much better if people knew about this so that you won't be discriminated against anymore. It's about time that humans learn that they must accept a new change and not be forever trapped by the prejudices of the past.

You have been seen as a race that will never change and will forever be seen as foolish, caring only about gold and gems. But if they knew that you are the ones who have been securing the town from bandit attacks, their perception of you would change," the knight said, trying to convince Rengar, who shook his head slightly.

"Why?" She asked.

"Not yet. Someday, we will definitely announce it, but not now, especially when the town has just been attacked by the followers of the World Devourer.

The situation is still fragile, and even a slight touch could ignite a massive fire. You also have another mission concerning the king and queen, right?" Rengar replied. "Don't worry, Miss Celine. Soon enough, the time will come for humans and goblins to unite. And when that time comes, I hope we can still work together like we do now."

As Rengar was about to bow, Celine quickly stopped him, extending her hand towards the goblin, causing his reptilian eyes to widen in surprise. "As you said, humans and the goblin race will unite, starting from now.

Consider this as the first step for all of us to embark on a different path in life, the beginning of a story on a blank page ready to be written by a new history."

Rengar accepted the handshake, saying, "For the greater good."

"For the greater good," Celine replied, unaware that this moment was witnessed not only by the soldiers but also by the goblins who suddenly emerged from behind the trees.

Both races applauded, ready to embrace a significant change that could shake the world, as they witnessed the human race accepting a race that was at the bottom of the food chain.

Did we care about what the world thought? Certainly not.

Whatever the world may think, we would continue to walk the path we had chosen, with or without the approval of the world.

We would endure.