Alice the Evil – [ダークファンタジー異世界]

This is my third year in this world. I am a toddler Hobgoblin girl who has just turned three years old. People call me special because they keep referring to me as a hobgoblin.

I don't know what a regular goblin and a hobgoblin are; I only know that I'm a special child. However, I don't consider myself special. Many other young children keep their distance from me because they are afraid that I might get hurt.

I once overheard the adults talking about me being special because I was born as a hobgoblin. I didn't understand, so I ignored it for now.

One night, everyone evacuated to an underground cave. The place was very dark, damp, and unpleasant. I tried to sleep, but loud noises and strong vibrations kept waking me up. It felt like the world was on the brink of destruction, but I tried to stay positive.

I didn't know what was happening, especially since I was a small child who didn't understand much. Two days after that incident, specifically during the day, I decided to leave the tent and play with some of my close friends.

I didn't have many friends, but I cherished and was grateful to have a few close ones. They saw me as an ordinary person with nothing special about me, and it made me feel at ease.

By the roadside, I was talking with some of my friends when a strange Hobgoblin arrived, shouting and warning of something.

"ATTENTION!!!! TONIGHT, EVIL CREATURES WILL ATTACK THE VILLAGE!!! SEEK REFUGE IN THE TEMPLE IMMEDIATELY!!!"

As the situation seemed increasingly strange, my friends decided to return to their homes. So now, I sat alone in front of the tent that served as my home, along with my two parents. Both of my parents were ordinary goblins, but somehow, I was almost as tall as them. I didn't know what was happening, but I was curious about it.

I tilted my head and thought for a moment.

"Evil creatures... evil creatures..."

In my memories, my parents had told me that evil creatures were humans and monsters. I didn't know what they looked like because I had never seen them in person, but I assumed they were creatures with terrifying appearances.

The passing goblins also seemed to ignore the man's warning. However, for some reason, I felt that the man's warning was valid, so I continued to watch and pay attention to him.

By the way, the man's height was very different from the other goblins; he was quite tall. Compared to my parents, he was much taller. I was still curious about the man's warning, so I decided to stand up.

I had to move my small body, which felt quite challenging, but I kept trying. I then approached the man, turned my head up to look at his face, and asked in a very innocent voice.

"Uncle... What's happening?"

The man's expression seemed to change after looking at me for a few seconds.

"You're a Hobgoblin too... If you want to be safe tonight, hurry to the temple in the center of the village. I don't want anything to happen to you."

I also remembered that the goblins had been discussing the arrival of two elves in the village lately. They promised to help us, and according to the villagers, the two elves could build a temple overnight. We used to have a temple, but it was destroyed in one night.

I also didn't know why we hadn't built a temple again.

"Okay, uncle,"

I replied to the man's warning with a very curious expression.

"In that case, I have to go now. I have to warn everyone."

I nodded, and the man left.

I was very curious about the appearance of the two elves who visited the village; I had never seen them before. I heard that they had handsome and beautiful faces, but I didn't understand the meaning of handsome and beautiful.

In the evening, my two parents returned from work. I had heard that they worked in construction as laborers. I didn't know what that meant, but I assumed they worked hard to provide us with enough food.

I tried to tell my parents that evil creatures would attack the village tonight, but they didn't believe me. I was quite scared due to the man's warning that I had encountered earlier in the day.

As I lay there, I waited and waited. Was the man's warning true? Or was it wrong?

Of course, I didn't know the answer. As I waited longer, I fell into a deep and peaceful sleep like any other child, until a loud explosion woke me up. When I opened my eyes, I saw my father carrying me and running with my mother.

"RUNNNNN!!!"

"MONSTERS ARE ATTACKING THE VILLAGE!!!"

"HURRY, GO TO THE CAVE!!!"

Some goblins still believed that the previous underground cave was a safe place, but it was quite far.

"Are we going to the cave?"

"Isn't it better to go to the temple?"

Oh, by the way, my name is Flashzea. I don't know my parents' names; I simply call them father and mother.

Roaring sounds echoed from a distance, and they were terrifying. I even tried to hide my face on my father's shoulder as he carried me. I also saw a massive blaze of fire, and it seemed like it was getting closer to us.

I hadn't seen the form of the monster yet, perhaps because I was far enough from it.

"Dad! Mom! Let's go to the temple!"

The temple was located in the center of the village and was the nearest location. However, my parents seemed hesitant but decided to trust me. I saw some goblin warriors running toward the source of the monster's roars, which ended with cries.

I heard something like things burning, but I chose not to look. I opted to close my eyes with my tiny hands.

The night, which was usually quite dark, now appeared quite bright. The night, which was typically cold, now felt very warm.

That was because I saw many flames devouring all the goblin tents. Finally, I could see the form of the monster that began to target the villagers. It looked like a lizard but had a strange head, at least that's what I thought.

I continued to hear screams from the villagers accompanied by sounds like sizzling meat. I tried to control my thoughts, imagining that I was cooking meat, and kept my eyes closed with my tiny hands.

Until we finally arrived at the temple. The temple seemed quite large to me and appeared more luxurious than the temple we had before. There was a barrier around the temple, and we finally managed to enter the temple. There, the people were also very scared and hoped to take shelter behind this barrier.

On the roof of the temple, I saw a woman with long ears and white clothing, raising both of her hands. From her appearance, I could assume that she was the elf mentioned by the villagers. She seemed to be using her power to create a protective barrier around us.

My feelings were right; the warning from the man earlier in the day was correct. We were all gathered outside the temple, and this barrier seemed to protect the area around the temple as well. Because the space was a bit cramped, we didn't have enough room to move freely. At least, thanks to this temple, we were safe for now.

However, the calm atmosphere once again turned tense. A large monster, with a body like stone and hot red liquid all over it, began to gaze in our direction.

"Don't be afraid!!! THIS TEMPLE IS DIRECTLY PROTECTED BY THE GODDESS ALICE!!! IF YOU WANT TO BE SAFE, PRAY IMMEDIATELY!!"

A shout came from an elf woman standing on the temple roof. The monster, realizing that it had many prey, began to spew black flames toward the temple, but these flames were absorbed by the protective barrier surrounding the temple.

The goblins were still frightened, but they were hesitant to pray. I simply observed the goblins, and by chance, I was closest to the barrier. The monster then chose another way to break the protective barrier.

"Pray now! For the safety of all of us!!!!"

The voice of the hermit Flurx made the goblins more certain that they should offer their prayers.

The monster began to ram the temple repeatedly with its head, causing a significant quake. The protective barrier started to crack, like a glass window, and the goblins began to offer their prayers.

"Goddess Alice, please save us,"

"Goddess Alice, please save me,"

"Goddess Alice, help us; I promise to offer everything if we are saved,"

The prayers of the desperate goblins were audible, and it surprised me. Previously, only some goblins had prayed at the temple, not all of them.

The monster continued to collide with the glass-like barrier using its body or head as if the barrier was about to shatter. The goblins began to offer their prayers individually in this moment of desperation. I, too, decided to pray.

"Goddess Alice, please save us,"

My voice was very faint, so it was difficult to hear. However, there was still no response, and the massive monster continued to slam itself against the barrier protecting the temple.

At this point, I was still in my father's arms, and he also appeared to be closing his eyes and praying. After a few minutes, the protective barrier shattered like a fragile piece of glass, but the fragments were soft and not sharp.

Now, the massive monster was right in front of me, and the distance was so close that I felt like crying out loud. The monster's gaze seemed as if it wanted to kill me.

The monster opened its mouth as if it was about to devour me. Of course, my father quickly turned his body, using himself as a shield to protect me. This was the love of a father who wanted to shield his daughter.

But just before the monster could attack, a massive explosion occurred, and dust filled the air. I couldn't see clearly what had happened because it was so hidden.

The goblins were also shocked by the explosion, and it only produced a gust of wind and a large amount of dust. Of course, my father protected me from the dust wave.

After the dust began to clear, someone with long white hair was seen stepping on the monster's neck and head. I could only see a small part of their appearance, but they were stepping on the monster.

Their right foot was on the monster's cheek, while their left foot was on its neck. The monster, which had previously stood on all fours, was now lying helpless.

There was silence at this moment because the goblins were shocked by what had just happened. I immediately looked toward the empty temple roof, but there was no one there.

(Where is the elf woman?)

I then looked forward, and suddenly the elf woman was right in front of me. She was kneeling toward the person who had stepped on the monster.

The goblins were still wondering who the person stepping on the monster was. Some said it was Goddess Alice, and others said it was her messenger.

"Welcome, Goddess Alice,"

The voice of the elf woman suddenly sounded in my ears, more precisely, in the ears of all the goblins. All the goblins immediately prostrated themselves because their Goddess had answered their prayers. They all prostrated themselves in a very orderly manner, which was quite amazing considering that ordinary goblins had limited intelligence.

I then joined my father in prostration, but I tried to sneak a peek because I was curious about the appearance of the Goddess. After seeing her, she looked like a woman, and perhaps she was not a God, but rather a Goddess in my opinion.

Goddess Alice glanced at the goblins, and for some reason, I felt like she was looking at me, and she smiled briefly. The monster that Alice had stepped on seemed powerless and unable to resist.

"I have heard all your prayers, and now I have come directly to save you,"

A beautiful voice rang out very clearly; it was the voice of Goddess Alice.

"If you believe in me, I can ensure prosperity for you. But don't forget, there is a price to pay for it. You must perform many rituals and offerings in return for my love and blessings in your lives,"

No one dared to answer Goddess Alice's words; the goblins could only prostrate themselves.

Many goblins began to cry with emotion. They did not expect the Goddess to come down directly to save them all. This was the beginning of the goblins worshipping the White Goddess.

I could only prostrate myself and feel grateful. The Goddess descended to save us all, unlike the previous God we worshipped, who never even showed their form.

Perhaps in the future, no one would be able to see the figure of Goddess Alice again. This was a gift to be able to see Goddess Alice directly.

Not long after, a bubble very similar to the previous one appeared again.

"You may lift your heads,"

The voice of the elf woman sounded very clear. After I raised my head, the figure of the monster and Goddess Alice disappeared from my view.

This might become a new legend for the goblins. A Goddess willingly intervened to save us all, even though we goblins were considered a monster race with low intelligence.