Chapter 163: Rikko, The young one

Rikko had never imagined that he would witness a battlefield like this, especially one where countless lives were being lost within minutes. Standing among the goblin soldiers gathered atop the Burrow Kingdom’s walls, he gripped his spear tightly, his eyes following the terrifying scene unfolding before him.

Explosions erupted across the plains as magical attacks collided against the defensive barriers, sending dirt and broken pieces of stone flying into the air. The screams of wounded soldiers mixed with the roars of enormous beasts, creating a horrifying sound that made Rikko’s legs tremble despite his desperate attempts to remain calm.

"Don’t just stand there staring, kid! Keep your eyes on the enemy!" a voice shouted beside him.

Rikko flinched before turning toward the speaker, a young goblin wearing battered armor and carrying a sword that looked almost as long as his own body.

The goblin had a scar running across his cheek, and although his expression remained serious, Rikko could see the nervousness hidden behind his eyes.

"I’m not staring!" Rikko answered defensively, tightening his grip around the spear. "I’m watching for an opening!"

"Then watch properly, because if you keep looking at the explosions, you’re going to get yourself killed before you even swing that thing."

The young goblin sighed before extending his free hand toward Rikko.

"My name’s Bruk, by the way. I’m supposed to help the recruits who arrived from the destroyed settlements, so try not to die before I finish my job."

"Rikko."

"Good. Now, Rikko, see those lizardmen approaching the breach? If they manage to get through, they’ll start slaughtering everyone behind us, so we’re going to stop them before that happens."

Rikko followed Bruk’s gaze toward the damaged section of the fortress, where goblin knights were desperately holding back a group of heavily armored lizardmen.

The defenders were outnumbered in that particular section, and every time one goblin fell, another rushed forward to replace him, desperately attempting to prevent the invaders from advancing.

"Are we really going to fight those things?" Rikko asked.

"What else do you think we’re here for?"

Bruk raised his sword and rushed toward the approaching enemies, leaving Rikko standing momentarily frozen in place. The young goblin watched as Bruk joined the defensive line, blocking an incoming strike before thrusting his blade toward a lizardman’s exposed side.

Rikko swallowed nervously.

He remembered the day he had decided to come here, standing among the ruins of Grumhold with nothing left except his clothes and the small wooden figure he had recovered from the rubble.

Back then, he had believed that joining the resistance was the only way he could honor his mother, but now that he was actually standing on a battlefield, he was beginning to understand how terrifying his decision had been.

The enemy before him was nothing like the opponents he had imagined fighting during his childhood.

They were enormous, their scales covering their bodies like armor, and their weapons were far heavier than anything Rikko had ever held.

Even the ordinary soldiers among them appeared strong enough to kill him with a single strike, while the terrifying figures moving across the battlefield made him question whether anyone here could truly survive.

’What am I supposed to do?’ His hands trembled.

He wanted to run away, to hide somewhere beneath the fortress until the battle ended, and pretend that none of this was happening.

Yet whenever he imagined escaping, the image of his mother’s ruined home appeared in his mind, reminding him that there was nowhere left for him to return to.

"Rikko! MOVE!"

Bruk’s voice suddenly rang out.

Rikko instinctively stepped aside as a lizardman rushed past him, its enormous blade cutting through the air where his head had been a moment earlier.

The force of the swing nearly knocked him off balance, and he stumbled backward before desperately raising his spear to protect himself.

The lizardman turned toward him.

For a brief moment, their eyes met.

Rikko could see the creature’s sharp teeth beneath its snout, and the next thing he knew, it was charging toward him with its weapon raised.

His body refused to move, his mind filled with the certainty that he was about to die, until he suddenly remembered the words his mother had told him countless times.

Becoming a knight meant protecting the people who could not protect themselves.

Rikko gritted his teeth and thrust his spear forward.

The attack was clumsy, and the lizardman easily knocked the weapon aside with its blade. However, that brief moment was enough for Bruk to rush in from the side, slashing his sword across the creature’s arm before kicking it backward.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed?!" Bruk shouted.

"I... I was trying to help!"

"Then learn how to fight before throwing yourself at something twice your size!"

Bruk raised his sword again as another enemy approached, leaving Rikko with no choice but to retreat toward the inner section of the wall. His chest rose and fell rapidly, and his fingers hurt from gripping the spear so tightly, but he forced himself to keep moving instead of collapsing onto the ground.

He was weak.

There was no point pretending otherwise, not when a single lizardman had nearly killed him without even trying.

Rikko had dreamed of becoming a knight, imagining himself wearing shining armor and wielding a magnificent sword, but he had never considered how much strength and experience such a dream required.

Compared to the warriors surrounding him, he was nothing more than a frightened child who had barely learned how to hold his weapon properly.

A loud explosion interrupted his thoughts.

Rikko turned toward the battlefield and watched as an enormous goblin Emperor swung his club, crushing everything within his reach.

Hundreds of invaders were thrown aside by the devastating attack, and for a brief moment, the goblins surrounding Rikko erupted into cheers as they witnessed their Emperor’s overwhelming strength.

Yet the invaders continued advancing.

Farther away, countless vines spread across the battlefield, tearing apart defensive formations while identical figures of Thousand Petal appeared among the invading forces. The goblin magicians struggled to repel the attacks, but the situation grew worse with every passing moment, and even the strongest warriors seemed unable to prevent the enemy from gaining ground.

Rikko’s expression paled.

’They’re that strong, and we’re still losing?’

He looked down at his spear, suddenly feeling as though the weapon weighed more than he could carry.

If the Goblin Emperors were struggling against the invaders, what could someone like him possibly accomplish?

"Hey, kid!"

Bruk returned to his side, breathing heavily as he wiped the blood from his cheek. His armor had been damaged, and several scratches covered his arms, but he was still standing, his sword firmly held in his hand.

"Don’t tell me you’re thinking about running away."

Rikko immediately shook his head.

"I’m not!"

"Then stop looking like you’re about to cry."

"I’m not crying!"

"Good. Then help me carry these injured soldiers behind the wall. The healers are running out of room, and those who can still walk need to get away from the fighting."

Bruk pointed toward several wounded goblins lying near the damaged defensive line. Some were clutching their injuries, while others could barely move, their faces twisted in pain as the battle continued around them.

Rikko hesitated before rushing toward the nearest injured soldier.

Together, he and Bruk dragged the wounded goblin away from the fighting, taking cover behind a section of broken stone before moving toward the healers.

It was not glorious, and it certainly was not the kind of heroic act Rikko had imagined when he decided to join the resistance, but for the first time since arriving at the battlefield, he felt that he was doing something useful.

After delivering the injured soldier, Rikko looked back toward the walls.

The battle was becoming increasingly chaotic, and the roars of the invaders seemed to grow louder with every passing moment. He was still terrified, and he knew that if another powerful enemy approached him, he might not even be able to defend himself, but he could not bring himself to abandon the goblins fighting beside him.

His mother was gone, and his home had been destroyed.

He could not change either of those things, no matter how much he wished otherwise.

But perhaps he could prevent someone else from experiencing the same loss.

Rikko tightened his grip around his spear, his trembling hands slowly becoming steadier as he watched Bruk return to the defensive line. He was weak, he knew that better than anyone, but he was not going to let that weakness decide everything he would become.

"Bruk!" he shouted, rushing after him.

The older goblin glanced back.

"What now?"

"Tell me what I should do! I don’t want to keep getting in everyone’s way!"

Bruk stared at him for a moment before giving a tired grin.

"Then stay behind me, watch what I do, and try not to make the same mistakes twice."

Rikko nodded.

The fear had not disappeared, and neither had the memories of Grumhold, but he forced himself to take another step forward. With his spear held firmly in both hands, the young goblin returned to the battlefield, determined to survive long enough to become someone who could protect others.