Chapter 31

The Original Protagonist Has a Tofu Mentality

(tl note: "Tofu Mentality" means " mentally weak, and suddenly, without any context, one's mind becomes as fragile as tofu ." It was originally named to poke fun at the way the main character of the TV anime "Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters" becomes surprisingly fragile when he transforms into a different persona.)

 

                  1st Island Ehyeh

3rd Island Elohim   2nd Island Yod

                  World Tree Sefirot

5th Island Gibor     4th Island El

                    6th Island Eloah

8th Island Tsebaoth  7th Island Adonai

                  9th Island Shaddai

                  10th Island Melech

(tl note: about the 8th island, I really have no idea what it’s supposed to be. According to the wiki, it’s supposed to be Tsebaoth, but it’s nowhere near himutsa (ヒムツァ) which is used by the author, so I’ll be translating it as Tsebaoth. Also, I just realized I’ve been misspelling Tsebaoth as Tsabaoth, so I’ll fix that soon.)

 

Sorry for the rough outline, but this is the general layout of the world.

 

In the far north, there is the island of Keter, "Ehyeh." In the center is Tiferet's island, "Eloah," and the World Tree, "Sefirot."

 

Our next destination, the third island "Elohim," lies far to the northwest of Adonai.

 

To put it in Earth's terms, it’s like traveling from Japan to the UK. Pretty far, huh? Even flying at full speed with no interference, it would take a whole day. You’d better be prepared for that.

 

Normally, using supernatural abilities for such a long time would be physically exhausting. However, perhaps since the stolen abilities were activated by my notebook and I’m an original protagonist, my abilities have a reputation for being quite efficient. But, it still tires me out, so I want to avoid wasting energy.

 

──That said, if we head straight northwest, we’ll find “Eloah,” the island of Tiferet of the Ten Archangels of Sefirot who is currently hostile to us.

 

Given her hostility, the airspace on her island will likely be under heavy security.

 

Now what do we do about this, I wonder.

 

If I go all out, we could try to break through with brute force. My Dark Phoenix can fly speeds close to that of a jet plane. In RTA terms, this is the shortest possible time.

 

“What do you guys think?”

 

In the morning, after we had a good night's sleep, the three of us started plotting our route to Elohim.

 

“There’s no other way. We can’t keep running forever.”

 

“Is there no other route?” [En]

 

Of course, there’s an alternative.

 

In fact, considering safety and my future plans, there’s a more convenient route.

 

“If we go another way, we can head north to Chesed's island ‘El,’ then use the World Tree as cover to reach Elohim. It might take a bit longer, but we can avoid Eloah’s airspace.”

 

“That sounds good! Let’s go that way.” [Chouta]

 

“Chesed's island, huh...” [En]

 

Either way, it’s dangerous, but it seems safer than crossing Tiferet's base.

 

However, there’s a concern. As En muttered, the island is home to Chesed of “Mercy”, the fourth Archangel of Sefirot who tried to ally with humans but was betrayed.

 

To be honest, the islanders likely hold a grudge against humans far worse than in Adonai.

 

In the original anime, they were gentle holy beasts, but their loyalty to their lord was unshakable.

 

…Honestly, I really don’t want to go there.

 

I don’t want it, being showered with streams of insults by kind-hearted holy beasts who I know from watching the anime.

 

It’s bad enough to get unkind looks from strangers, but getting insults hurled at me by those I know is just downright depressing. I have a tofu mentality when it comes to things like this.

 

Thinking about that, I really appreciate how Malkuth-sama-chan offset my worries with sheer kawaii-ness. When Tiferet attacked us, I was terrified, but I wonder why didn’t I feel the same way with Malkuth? I guess it’s because she was always positioned as an enemy, so I was mentally prepared.

 

“If we take that route, we’ll have to stop and rest midway since I’ll be too tired to go all the way to Elohim in one go... but it’s probably better to avoid going into town.”

 

“Now that Chesed’s gone, do you think there’s a chance another archangel is managing things?” [En]

 

“Hm... That’s possible. Beyond El is the Chokhmah’s island, ‘Yod.’ Just like Malkuth and Tiferet came to this island, it’s possible Chokhmah might be there too.”

 

“That bastard, huh? Perfect! En, let’s get revenge! We can win now!” [Chouta]

 

“As Eight said, Chouta, our goal isn’t to fight. We should avoid unnecessary battles unless there’s no other choice.” [En]

 

“Grrr...” [Chouta]

 

I the desire to settle the score with the guy who beat them so badly back on Earth, but En’s right. Even Eight-chan agrees.

 

Actually, given how much stronger Chouta has become compared to the original anime, they could probably give him a decent fight if they teamed up. But I still don’t think they could win, and either way, it doesn’t align with the Savers’ main objective.

 

In fanfiction, straying from the initial goal can lead to an abandoned work. This is because the plot slows down when you try to depict too many things at once. On the other hand, oversimplifying the narrative can result in a bland story, which is complicated... And since the skill of the goddess-like character is still unknown, as the original protagonist, I want to keep things as simple as possible without detouring too much.

 

Simply put, I want to become the perfect cheat original protagonist. That is Eight-chan's main goal.

 

Thus, it's generally a loss to get involved with the hostile Ten Archangels of Sefirot.

 

If I encounter Chokhmah, my plan is to run away at full speed. That guy is goddamn strong.

 

──But, there is also something to gain from such encounters.

 

If we meet Chokhmah, we can check whether any of our companions are imprisoned on his island, like in the original story.

 

So, once we reach Chesed’s island, “El,” I’m thinking of going off the island under the pretense of “taking a break.”

 

Then, I’ll sneak away while the two aren’t looking, teleport myself continuously, and infiltrate Chokhmah’s island, “Yod,” where I’ll gather information in his town.

 

This way, I can head toward Elohim and still gather information about the two—it's a perfect plan.

 

This route is two-birds-one-stone, and is more convenient for me.

 

I came up with this plan right before going to sleep last night... Yeah, I think it might just work.

 

"Which option do you want, Eight?" [En]

 

"I'm fine with either, but this plan helps me. Right now, I don't want to pass over Tiferet’s island yet."

 

"Got it. Let's go with that. You good with that, Chouta?" [En]

 

"Yeah!" [Chouta]

 

Honestly, if only Tiferet weren’t an enemy... the island she manages would be stunning and a great tourist spot. That's so disappointing.

 

Oh well. Maybe when this is all over, I can travel around this world by myself. If I disguise myself, I probably won’t be noticed, so I owe a lot to Shouta-kun.

 

──And with that, the route is set. We’ll head north to Chesed’s island, “El.”

 

Once again, I summoned a large "Dark Phoenix."

 

After putting up a barrier to block the wind pressure, the three of us climbed aboard, taking up a space about the size of eight tatami mats, and ascended in one go.

 

Farewell, Adonai. When the world reaches a peaceful (happy) end, I’ll visit again—thinking that, I naturally left the battlefield.

 

 

 

 

The Holy City of Victory, Tsebaoth, governed by the archangel Netzach, is a meritocratic society that values victory above all.

 

──That said, it’s not like those who are defeated or weaker are unfairly oppressed or anything like that.

 

Weaker individuals find their own ways to live, sometimes helping the strong, and at times, being helped themselves. Just as a world can’t function with only the strong, Netzach, the overseer, aimed to create an island where even the weak could be protected.

 

Because of this, Tsebaoth is well-regarded and its citizens are highly satisfied. While the town could become a bit savage during large-scale martial tournaments, it was generally a good place to live.

 

However, not all the residents felt that way.

 

In particular, in the society of children who are immature and narrow-minded, it wasn’t uncommon for some to feel insecure or harbor biased thoughts about their weaknesses.

 

Gobly, a young boy of the ogre tribe, was one of them.

 

His father was a holy warrior belonging to the archangel Netzach’s elite guards. Gobly grew up watching his father fight against the Abyss and other enemies, dreaming that he would one day become a warrior like his father.

 

However, Gobly had a small build.

 

The ogre tribe are expected to show promise by the age of 10, growing significantly taller and reaching a size indistinguishable from adults by the age of 13.

 

As a race, they are physically the most gifted, with an average combat strength that rivals the dragonkin. So, Gobly too believed he would soon grow in the same way.

 

But his growth was slow.

 

He had turned ten this year, and while his classmates were growing taller, he alone had barely grown at all.

 

His parents reassured him that growth spurts varied from person to person, but he couldn't shake the anxiety. For the ogre race, where raw muscle strength was the most valuable asset, good or bad physical stature was directly linked to combat ability.

 

Being the only one left behind in this period of growth, Gobly began to feel anxious. He wondered if he would remain short and small for the rest of his life, even as an adult.

 

That anxiety turned into stress, slowly eating away at his mind.

 

One day, his class bully stepped on a landmine.

 

"Is it your mom's fault that you're still so tiny?"

 

Normally, he would have calmly brushed off the remark, but this time, he vaguely thought the same thing himself, and he couldn’t stay composed.

 

Gobly's mother was from the elf tribe.

 

Elf women were smaller and weaker than ogre women. While their holiness content—the organs required to use sacred arts—were more developed, Gobly hadn’t inherited that quality.

 

He was a half-elf, but his body leaned heavily toward his ogre heritage, so much so that no one would notice unless they looked closely. However, his small stature was more like that of an elf, and in terms of his goals, it felt as if he had inherited the worst traits from both races.

 

Gobly couldn't forgive himself for acknowledging this deep down.

 

That pent-up frustration showed in his unstable emotions, and he grabbed the bully by the collar, challenging him to an ill-fated duel.

 

I didn’t inherit the bad traits from both. I inherited the good traits… In order to prove it, he challenged the bully, who, despite being the same age, was over 180 cm tall.

 

──The result, was a sad sight.

 

In a duel between ten-year-old children who hadn’t fully learned sacred arts yet, sheer strength and size were what mattered most. Stubbornly refusing to accept any handicap, Gobly recklessly challenged his classmate and was thoroughly defeated. That was all there was to it.

 

After all, it’s because I’m a half-elf…

 

Maybe it’s because I’m a halfwit who didn’t properly inherit the strengths of either my elf mother or ogre father… As he faced the unchangeable reality, Gobly’s spirit was crushed.

 

He realized with stark clarity that he could never become a warrior like his father.

 

That’s when it happened.

 

『Are you alright?』

 

Suddenly, a voice spoke to him.

 

After his humiliating defeat, as Gobly was depressed and alone in the deserted arena, a woman approached him.

 

He didn’t know how long she had been there, but he hadn’t noticed her presence until she spoke, and when he slowly looked up, he was surprised.

 

The woman was an elf.

 

Just like his mother, she was a pure, unadulterated elf. Her skin was pale, her ears were pointed, and her eyes were as beautiful as gemstones. Though she had an air of maturity, her figure was much more delicate than that of ogre women, and her appearance was so ephemeral, it was as if she might vanish if touched.

 

From beneath the hat she wore, Gobly caught glimpses of a carbuncle, a mythical creature, watching him. At first, he thought the swaying behind her head was a ponytail, but it turned out to be the his tail.

 

It is said that carbuncles never get attached to evil people, so the person he’s gotten attached to, maybe she’s a virtuous person like the archangels?

 

In this town, often mocked as a “Holy Land of Barbarians,” no one had ever been seen keeping a carbuncle, and since she was an elf, which was rare on this island, Gobly was frozen for a while.

 

His mother had also migrated here from the fourth island, “El.” Maybe this woman was like her? As these thoughts crossed his mind, Gobly stared blankly at this woman who seemed so out of place in this town.

 

The woman then pulled out a notebook from seemingly nowhere with her left hand.

 

The pages were filled with writing he didn’t recognize, and on the cover was an illustration of a strange tree, resembling the World Tree "Sefirot."

 

As he wondered why she had brought out such a thing, she suddenly reached out with her right hand and placed her fingers gently on his cheek.

 

"──?  ?!?!?!?"

 

Gobly was flustered by the woman’s face that suddenly came into view.

 

It was the first time any woman, other than his mother, had been this close to him. And such a beautiful woman at that.

 

It’s said that elves are generally very attractive, but compared to his mother or other elves he had seen in photos, this woman was by far the most beautiful. Her aromatic scent, and her breathing made his heart race, and his body stiffened even more. The carbuncle watching him seemed slightly exasperated by his reaction.

 

But it couldn’t be helped. Ogres mature quickly, and he instinctively had, some kind of response.

 

As his mind ran wild with conflicting emotions, the woman pulled her hand away, saying, “There.”

 

At the same time, she closed her notebook with a snap and put it away somewhere. It was then that Gobly noticed the change in his body.

 

『…!? My body is healed!』

 

『I healed you. It looked really painful… sorry for doing it without asking.』

 

The wounds from the bully’s beating were healing.

 

He still felt some fatigue, but it was nothing short of a miracle. Even the town's healing sacred art users couldn’t work that fast. Gobly was astonished that she had healed him completely in just a few seconds with just a touch of her fingers.

 

This is the power of a pure elf── He was awestruck at seeing the strength of an elf other than his mother for the first time, and he lowered his head in defeat.

 

That is a realm a halfwit half can never reach, no matter what he does… He felt like he was being shown that.

 

『...Thank you, very much… You’re amazing… You’re so different from me. After all, the real thing is different.』

 

『...Real thing?』

 

Even as he expressed his gratitude, Gobly muttered something that sounded bitter, and he hated himself for it.

 

No, not like that, me! How could I say something like that to the fairy who helped me! Gobly fretted to himself.

 

Sensing the meaning behind his words, the elf woman smiled gently, as if troubled.

 

『Do you think I’m amazing because I’m the real thing?』

 

A woman spoke in a bell-like voice.

 

『Because I’m real, I’m strong and powerful… I think that’s a bit wrong.』

 

『But… there’s a difference between the real and the fake… I’m a half-elf, after all… no, I shouldn’t even call myself an elf, should I?… I can’t use sacred arts like you, nor am I strong like my father… I’m just a halfwit』

 

『Half-elf? Ah, I see... that's how it is.』

 

Yes, he was a halfwit.

 

It would have been fine if he had inherited just the good traits from either side, but instead, he hadn’t inherited anything. A fake ogre, a fake elf.

 

This duel had hammered that painful truth into Gobly.

 

『You think deeply for someone your age… maybe your heart has grown faster than your appearance.』

 

『My heart…?』

 

『You’re beginning to think like an adult. But isn’t it a little too soon to be feeling this way? Too sad, I’d say.』

 

This was the first time anyone had told him he was growing quickly.

 

What he wanted was physical growth… Still, in that moment, Gobly felt somewhat comforted by her casual words.

 

The elf woman, noticing his change, gently stroked the carbuncle’s head and said,

 

『Possibilities are everywhere.』

 

Gobly listened curiously to what she started talking about.

 

『Only the real thing is right, and the fakes are wrong… I think that kind of thing has no absolute. It’s just that no one notices. Everyone has something that only they can do, and you have potential, just like anyone else.』

 

『Potential?… That kind of thing is…』

 

『There is. In your case, let’s see… your insight, realizing things so young, and your courage to challenge someone stronger without giving up. Haven’t you realized it yet? The reason you were beaten so badly is because he saw you as a rival.』

 

『Rival…? Me?』

 

『He probably wouldn’t admit it, but yes. And there are more people believe who in your potential more than you think.』

 

『...』

 

The possibility that someone believes in me, huh… If that's true, I feel even more sorry.

 

I can’t live up to those expectations. From here on, the gap in growth between me and pure ogres like the bully will only widen. Even if I spend my whole life trying, I’ll never catch up.

 

Gobly felt it was time to adjust his goals to something that fits his stature—a place to live for a half-elf like him.

 

But…

 

『You don’t want to give up?』

 

『──! …!!』

 

That’s right, I don’t want to give up on my dream yet.

 

I haven’t even given it my all.

 

With tears in his eyes, Gobly nodded silently to her question, a spirit of defiance igniting in his heart.

 

So what about bloodline? So what about being a halfwit! Before I use that as an excuse, there’s still something I can do. He steeled himself and stood up.

 

Seeing this, the woman smiled in satisfaction and pointed toward the path he should follow.

 

『Malkuth.』

 

『Eh?…』

 

Malkuth—that is one of the Ten Archangels of Sefirot, the archangel who bears the name “Kingdom.”

 

Malkuth, who governs the tenth island of Melech far southwest of Adonai, was an archangel on the same level as Netzach, the ruler of this holy city, and was a figure everyone, even children, knew.

 

The woman spoke about her.

 

『Did you know? The tenth angel Malkuth is short, and compared to the other archangels, her physique puts her at a significant disadvantage. Her strength is probably even less than that of an average ogre. Yet, in close combat, she is as powerful as Netzach. Do you know why that is?』

 

『…Is it because, of her weapon…?』

 

『Yes, that's part of it. When she wields the holy sword 'Malkuth,' she more than makes up for the difference in size between her and the other archangels. But that’s not all. The secret to her strength is,』

 

『That is… What is it…?』

 

She spoke as if she knew the archangel personally, but somehow it didn’t feel disrespectful. On the contrary, every word seemed to be filled with deep respect for Malkuth.

 

Gobly sensed that something important was about to be revealed, like how to use weapons or what, and waited eagerly for the woman to continue.

 

But the elf woman simply placed her finger over her lips, closing them.

 

『I won’t tell you. It’s something you need to figure out for yourself.』

 

『Ehh…』

 

『Try looking into Archangel Malkuth. If you’re seeking strength, her way of being will be very helpful.』

 

The woman’s teasing remark left Gobly slumped in disappointment.

 

Laughing softly at his figure, she glanced at the clock hanging in the facility and then, with emerald-like eyes, gazed at him and said:

 

『Now then…  it's about time for me to go. But you still have plenty of time. Explore all the possibilities. And when you feel like there’s no hope, you can give up and search for a different path. But don’t let your own heart defeat you. That’s when you’d truly lose.』

 

『...My own heart…?』

 

Was she telling him not to give up on his own potential?

 

Was it too soon to accept defeat and acknowledge his limitations?

 

Maybe… it’s okay to not give up just yet..

 

The light returned to Gobly’s eyes, and he focused on the woman who nodded at him.

 

The fundamental problems remained unsolved.

 

But still, Gobly felt like he could become a different person from before.

 

Physique might be a lost cause, and sacred arts were out of his reach. But still, there was a weapon he hadn’t found yet. The possibility the immature yet intelligent Gobly just realized from her story seemed to be hidden somewhere in what she had just said.

 

──This woman guided me.

 

Gobly bowed deeply and then dashed off with all his might.

 

His destination was the largest library in the holy city.

 

He had decided to thoroughly research Malkuth's legends, her fighting style, and her skills from the ground up, and commit everything to memory.

 

He seeked the key to his "victory" through his own intellect.

 

“...That's right. The path to victory isn't just through strength. Run and seek out your own potential, young man.”

 

The final words she muttered laid the foundation for Gobly's guiding principles.

 

 

 

──Decades later, he would be remembered as the strongest sword saint among half-elves.

 

Later known as the "Goblin King," he was a half-elf who had inherited the "elf-level physique" and "ogre-level holiness"—the inferior traits of both species. Yet, he overcame those limitations with his exceptional swordsmanship, the mystical weapons he forged himself, and his indomitable spirit, inspired by Malkuth, which led him to numerous heroic victories.

 

He also went on to serve as the 100th president of the "Malkuth-sama Fan Club" and, due to inheriting the longevity of both elves and ogres, spent many years serving as Malkuth's elite guard captain in Melech—but that’s a story for another time.

 

It's said, however, that even as an adult, his heart was forever filled with gratitude to the elf woman who had once guided him. But that’s a digression.

 

Author’s note: However, even after he grew up, he never found the elf onee-san, no matter how hard he searched. Who on earth could she be...?

Next