“h.e.l.lo. I’m Al. Nice to meet you.”

Let’s say h.e.l.lo first. Greetings are one step to communication, I also want to make a good impression.

“Uwaaa! He talked!”

“Eh? He can already talk even though he’s still this small?”

The children were surprised when I replied with a greeting, everyone of them had their mouths opened widely while looking me.

“Yes, Al can already talk. He can walk, too, but he’s not good at it since he’s still young.”

Mill boasted again, seemingly proud of her little brother.

“Well, he’s still a baby as you can see, so he’s not allowed to go out. But today, I especially showed my little brother to you guys. That’s why we’ll just hang out with you for a while and that’s that. Then, let’s go.”

Fern carried the basket up again while saying so. He turned to the right after walking a little. They walked without rest for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, we pa.s.sed by several houses. Fern and Mill said h.e.l.lo properly and introduced me briefly to those we met on the way. Likewise, they asked if my hair was dyed. Then, a lone house came into view ahead of us. It seems like the area beyond it is already the forest.

Fern opened the door after reaching in front of house and then called out, “Kelly, are you here?”

Oi, oi. Is it alright to enter other people’s houses without permission?

An answer came back immediately, and a kid approached.

I was so surprised that I almost shouted. How do I say this, it’s how the kid’s ear is attached. It’s atop her head.

“What is it, Fern-sama?”

When Kelly asked, Fern introduced me like a while ago. After the exchanges regarding my hair color in the same manner as before, Fern said something.

“Kelly, the sun is still high. Why don’t we have some sword training?”

Ohh, you’re going to train? I want to watch.

“Alright, Fern-sama. Our house’s training ground is still some ways ahead, is that fine?”

“Is it close? Then it’s fine.”

I got carried again in the basket, it looks like I’m going, too. So I can watch the training. It seems interesting so I’m grateful.

After walking several minutes further along the road from the house, we arrived at a place where there’s an open s.p.a.ce approximately 10m in radius, the gra.s.s in it trimmed. Apparently, this is the training area. Fern dropped me by the roadside and immediately drew his sword.

Eh? You’re going to do it seriously? I thought, but it appears to be just practice-swinging. Kelly has a wooden sword. By the way, should I now ask the question I’ve been wondering about? I asked Mill while watching the training.

“Nee-sama, why do Kelly have animal ears on her head?”

“Ah, it’s because Kelly belongs to the Werewolf tribe.”

Haa? Lupine tribe? What’s that? Did she mean werewolves?

“Eh? What’s the Werewolf tribe?”

“Kelly’s parents are both Werewolves. That’s why Kelly is also a Werewolf.”

How do I say this — it’s just common sense.

“I see, werewolves huh?”

I replied as if I understood it properly. — Wait, eeeeh!? A tail sprang up… There’s even a tail, really? I understood it from how her ears are atop her head. I also get that she has a tail. But, do hairs grow in her body aside from her ears and tail? I wanted to ask, but I thought that there would be plenty of opportunities again so I endured it.

But I never heard Fern or Mill mention about the Werewolf tribe before. Or rather, aren’t werewolves not human? Their appearance is not much different from a human. In the distance, the ears are not that noticeable if you are not paying attention, and it’s impossible to even see the tail once it’s hidden. Does it feel really tight inside their underwear and does it feel unpleasant to have their tails tucked in?

As I watched Fern and Kelly swing their swords endlessly while thinking about things like that, I became a little tired.

I felt sleepy after fifteen minutes.

Mill is knitting stems of some plant, probably intending to make a crown or something.

At that time, Fern was doing some practice swings in the vacant lot that he named as training hall when something jumped in. What? As soon as I thought of that, I saw a figure of a person. It is about the same height as Fern… wait, it’s not human!

It has green skin and something like an old rag wound around its waist. It is bald and has sharp-looking eyes. It also has pointed-ears and tusks above the chin, protruding from its lips a little. The build is similar to a human, but it has low stature and is somewhat adult-like. It is holding a long stick about one meter in length, similar to a spear. It doesn’t look like a usual spear, either. The spearhead is rusty.

“Go-goblin!”

Kelly cried out.

Whaaat? What did she say!? Goblin? No waaaaay!

But comparing to “goblins” in fantasy movies and games, it is indeed a goblin. I can only see it as goblin. At the same time, I’m confused. Is this place not Earth, either?

“Kelly, get back! Mill, protect Al with the sickle! This guy is mine!”

Eh? Fern, are you really going to fight the goblin? You’re 7 years old, you know? No matter how small it is, isn’t the opponent a monster? That’s impossible. In the first place, you only do practice swings right?

“Got it, Onii-chan. Kelly, call someone to come here!”

Haaa? Mill, you’e not going to say say anything? This is where we run away. Please use common sense. A child fighting a monster is incomprehensible. It’s my first time seeing a goblin including my previous life. I raised a yell, which I can’t identify whether out of excitement or confusion, while observing it continuously with interested eyes. Rather, it’s only natural for normal humans.

“Nee-sama, throw stones to cover Nii-sama! I will get the sickle!”

“Eh? Alright. Nii-chan, I’ll throw stones. Give me openings, please!”

Mill crouched down as she said that, picking up stones.

The goblin charged at Fern while positioning the spear. Fern deflected the spear with the sword and retaliated by slas.h.i.+ng it with the katana. Ooh, Fern is so cool.

“Ryaaa!”

Goin!

With all his might, Fern run the sword into its palm. Cleaving the palm of the goblin, he once again pulled out the sword and aimed for the goblin’s foot.

“Giiii!” (Goblin)

He successfully slashed at the goblin’s left foot as well. I can see the sword partly dig into its left leg. It seems like he can do it this time.

“Yaa!” (Mill)

Mill threw stones at it, but they did not hit. Use the sickle now!

“Nee-sama, aim at the neck with this!!” (Al)

I lifted the sickle as soon as I shouted that but, it’s so heavy! Is it because I am still a one year old that I don’t have much physical strength?

“Got it!” (Mill)

Mill s.n.a.t.c.hed the sickle from me and ran off to the goblin.

“Yaaa!” (Mill)

Zusha! The sickle hit the goblin’s neck, but probably because it’s a five-years old child unused to handling the weapon, the blade doesn’t cut into it. As if it was mostly hit with the handle instead. However, it was enough to destroy the posture of the goblin, covered with wounds all over. Fern was able to pull out the sword lodged in.

“Raaaaa!” (Fern)

Fern aimed the sword at the goblin’s torso and attacked.

“Guuuh!” (Goblin)

The goblin’s movement remarkably became sluggish when the sword pierced its torso, and collapsed soon after.

Great, they defeated the goblin! A seven-year-old kid and a five-year-old kid defeated the goblin!

“Mill! Finish it!” (Fern)

When Fern screamed that, Mill already started beating the goblin’s head senselessly. It groaned every time it was. .h.i.t. Meanwhile, Fern pulled out the sword from the fallen goblin’s torso and stabbed it in once again.

The goblin quavered for a moment, and did not move since then.