I was accidentally injured by God and I just want to be an ordinary person

However, Berg was not discouraged. Instead, he tried another method - throwing the lit torch at the black predator. This time it was more effective than the "light arrow". The torch easily created a gap in the blocky black predator. It was not until about three minutes later that new black predators rushed to the torch and extinguished it.

"While the torches will still be extinguished, it should last at least three minutes, right? Fire magic is more effective than light magic. How did Your Majesty enter the city earlier—"

Berg shut up halfway through his words. As far as he could see, Iris was happily burning the black predator with flames. The large area of ​​burning even gave Berg the illusion that he was in a sea of ​​fire.

"Hmm, is that the true strength of Her Highness Farialuchi, the Princess of the God-man Clan? If Her Highness Farialuchi had been with us in the previous sparring match, we wouldn't have been able to defeat her even if we were alone."

Berg couldn't help wiping the sweat from his forehead, and Ella, who was standing beside him, hurried to explain.

"It's actually because of the magic Ina used. If Ina had used the second-level area magic 'Light Flame', the effect would have been much better."

"Ina, have you ever learned 'Light Flame'?"

"No, no, that's a combination of light and fire magic, and it takes too much time to learn. But as for area magic, I did learn 'Purifying Light', so I think I should give it a try."

Holding the staff tipped with a small crystal, Ina chanted "Light of Purification." A vast golden light emanated from the staff, completely purifying the door-sized black predator. As Ella had said, area magic was more effective than the single-target "Light Arrow." While the magic cost increased, the extra cost was negligible compared to the efficiency. Ina hadn't chosen area magic from the outset because she considered the black predator a very powerful monster. Generally speaking, single-target magic is more powerful than area magic.

The effective scene caused Berg to exclaim.

"Oh! I thought these black predators were tough to deal with, but it seems they're not that strong after all."

"Yeah, it's just a matter of numbers."

"That's true, but it's still hard to imagine the number of souls in the Land of the Dead covering an entire country. How did the academy principal purify them all back then?"

The source should be eliminated directly, and the remaining black predators will die on their own, Ella thought so. However, judging from the current situation, if the news in this world is not spread too poorly, the news must be blocked by the Academy and the Land of the Undead. Ella has no intention of exposing this.

Thanks to Iris's magic, the black predators that blocked their way were quickly cleared out, leaving only the sluggish undead on the streets. Although Lotte explained that these undead would not harm passers-by, Berg and his party still felt terrified. Of course, anyone would feel the same way. With rotten and smelly zombies moving around right next to them, their first reaction would probably be nothing more than fear.

Especially the undead who would greet people.

“Aaaaa! —Fireball!”

"Ina, what's wrong?!"

"No, nothing. That guy just said hello to me out of the blue..."

Pointing at the undead being purified by the fireball, Ina's face showed an expression of "this is bad".

"I accidentally used offensive magic. I'm sorry."

"Well...after all, he was the one who scared Ina first, so there's no need for Ina to blame herself."

Ella, who was walking behind the team and closer to Cang Yan and his group, comforted Ina with a wry smile. The undead had also scared her at first, so Ella could understand Ina's difficulties very well.

Berg, also smiling wryly, tried to change the subject.

"By the way, Your Majesty, since the goblins were driven underground by humans, they must harbor resentment towards them. Is it okay for us to visit them without permission?"

"I haven't considered it, but I think as long as we show goodwill, there shouldn't be any problems. Besides, if anything happens, we can always return the same way. With the amulet given by the elves, the World Tree's barrier won't affect us. Oh, and by the way, did the Sacred Academy give you guys the amulet, Berg?"

"Yes, the dean specifically told us before we left to keep it safe and return it to the Sacred Academy upon our return."

Ella's words prompted Berg to take out a leaf tied with a rope from his clothes. A closer look revealed that the leaf was actually carved from wood and the workmanship was rather crude. If it weren't for the identification skill showing it as "proof of the elves", Ella would even think it was something carved casually by a third-rate craftsman.

"Really? That's good then."

The topic should have ended here, but Berg unexpectedly showed a very hesitant expression, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't. Ella, who noticed Berg's strange expression, tilted her head and asked.

"What's wrong?"

"Um, I wanted to ask Your Majesty about the forest fairies. Will we be able to encounter forest fairies again in the future?"

Since the forest fairy also appeared in yesterday's video, Ella explained to Berg about the forest fairy, which means that she had upgraded two levels at once.

Ella nodded slightly.

"I think we should be able to meet. Miss Fairy's destination is the same as ours. If we speed up now, we might be able to catch up. What's up, Berg?"

"...Although I'm sorry, to be honest, I want Miss Fairy to help us level up. Of course, we won't let Miss Fairy's efforts be in vain. We will give Miss Fairy the reward she expects."

"The fairy has used up all of their magic power—should I say energy?—to level up Ella. Even if we find it, we won't be able to upgrade her."

Mitis, who was walking slowly at the end of the team like Ella, explained on Ella's behalf. Her tone was full of warnings in order to prevent Berg from having any more ideas about the forest fairy, and Ella also joined in.

"Well, just like Mitis said, the fairy lady said she's run out of magic power and will have to wait a long time to build it up again. If Berg wants to level up, I think it's better to explore the labyrinth. Although it sounds a bit boastful, the demon tribe's natural labyrinth is indeed very easy to level up. We were able to reach level 30 thanks to the natural labyrinth."

Moreover, simply raising the level is of no benefit. Improving actual skills is also an important component of strength. The most obvious example is the academy president Yesus and Camisia. The difference in level between the two is not big, but if they really fight, Yesus has no chance of winning.

"Your Majesty, have you been in the labyrinth?"

"Yes~ Lotte, Fukagan, and I leveled up three times in just one month."

Angelica, who had just returned from the front, interrupted the conversation, and Berg and his group gasped.

"A month?!"

"Ahahaha...Angelina, you're exaggerating. If it weren't for Mao's help, we wouldn't have been able to level up so quickly."

If it weren't for Mao, the manager of the underground maze, who changed the terrain, drove away and restricted the monsters, it would be impossible for the companions to find a large number of monsters of suitable levels to use as stepping stones in a short period of time. Ella couldn't help but worry that Cang Yan would run to the maze excitedly and act rashly afterwards.

"If Berg wants to go into the maze, it's best to find someone familiar with it first."

"A maze..."

Just as Ella thought, a thoughtful look appeared on Berg's face. That look made Ella feel that Berg would go to the demon clan to seek help from the maze after completing the mission.

"Well, with Cang Yan's abilities, as long as he knows how to retreat when faced with difficulties, there shouldn't be any danger."

After internalizing this, Ella threw herself into the task of clearing out the Black Predators alongside Iris. It didn't take long before they reached the entrance to the underground world—a pit over ten meters wide. Notably, the Blue Flame magic caster offered to share the cleaning work with Ella and Iris, but after five minutes, he ran out of mana and was placed on Berg's horse like a dead person.

"Is this... a pothole that appeared recently?"

Berg bent down and dug up the soil near the hole. The signs of damage were very obvious.

"Yes, it's the result of Camisia's excavation yesterday. However, this is only the surface. To prevent undead creatures and black predators from infiltrating the underground, the passage becomes narrower as it goes deeper. There is also a stone door at the back."

What Ella didn't mention was that they also took into consideration the need to not disturb the inhabitants of the underground world - mainly because they were worried that they would be mistaken for enemies by the goblin soldiers - and when Camisia was digging the hole, Ella had specifically instructed them to keep the noise down as they got closer to the ground.

"To think that such a passage was created in less than half a day... If Your Majesty hadn't said it yourself, I would have thought he was joking."

"I understand in many ways."

Camisia's existence is really too extraordinary.

"Well, now that we're here, we can probably go down. I'll leave the task of opening the stone gate to Camisia. We'll tie up the horses up there and send them down with ropes. The end of the passage is quite a distance from the city gate, so the guards shouldn't notice us right away."

After giving this order, everyone began to tie up the horses.

Chapter 36 Goblin Tribe

After lowering the horses underground with ropes, Ella and her group used flying magic to sneak into the passage. Although Cang Yan and his group could not fly, they also slid to the bottom of the passage using ropes.

The underground space was not very spacious but it was pitch black. However, it did not feel damp like the soil. Instead, it was very dry. The air even made her throat itch, which made Ella think of the western demon fortress city "Kepa". However, compared to Kepa, this place had a more claustrophobic feeling.

"There's only light in the distance near the city gate. Miss Ella, can I light the magic lamp?"

"Well, it's better to let them find us early. If we sneak past them, they might mistake us for attackers."

Although she couldn't see Lotte's face, Ella still looked in Lotte's direction out of habit. As a result, her eyes were dazzled by the sudden light.

"Well……"

"What's wrong with you?"

"No, nothing."

Ella quickly turned her face away, tried hard to open her eyes, and slowly adapted to the light.

On the other hand, Camisia ordered Cang Yan and his group to stay where they were, except for Berg. The goblins were forced to live underground because of humans, and everyone could foresee the goblins' prejudice against humans. If Cang Yan and his group stayed, they would be the first to escape through the passage if they encountered anything.

"Princess, please allow me to negotiate."

"Hmm... I'll go with Camisia."

If Camisia went, it seemed that she would use violence to force the goblins to agree. To be safe, Ella chose to let Luty and Camisia accompany her, while the others stayed near the passage. Of course, in order to avoid some unnecessary trouble, Ella also asked Berg to go with her. Cang Yan was deeply obsessed with the Mark of Original Sin. If he had not seen with his own eyes that there was no way to pass through the goblin city, he probably would not give up easily.

"Let's go when you're ready."

Ella began to empower her companions, especially the relatively weaker Berg, with magic to strengthen them.

◇

Underground city, the capital of the goblins, Finn Opel.

Since the defeat in the ground war a hundred years ago, the goblins have been forced to move their homes underground. Although from a human perspective, the goblins appear quite embarrassed, but in fact, for the goblins, this is not a big deal.

The goblins certainly harbor hatred towards humans, but they were originally a race that lived underground. In fact, when they controlled the City of the Dead a hundred years ago, most of the people living in the City of the Dead were people of other races. The sunlight on the ground and the changing seasons made it difficult for them to adapt. The reason they wanted the land on the ground was just to grow crops and try to make their lives better.

The resources underground are limited, and it is quite difficult for the hundreds of thousands of goblins to have enough to eat.

Now, the guards guarding the north gate of Finn Opper, the capital of the underground city and goblin tribe, are chatting on the city wall.

From a human perspective, given the importance of the capital, at least two squadrons of soldiers should be sent to guard it in turns. However, the goblins have only sent less than ten people. The reason is nothing more than that no one has visited the North Gate in hundreds of years. In the eyes of the goblin leaders, the North Gate has almost lost its qualifications as a city gate.

Before evacuating the surface, the goblins destroyed all information related to the underground. No one knew the route to the underground, and many even believed the goblins had been exterminated. Long neglected, the goblins forgot the North Gate's crucial role as a barrier between humans and the goblins. Fifty years ago, after a goblin elder proposed abandoning the North Gate and blocking it with sand and stone, it quickly faded from public view. If it weren't for the Forest Fairy flying past it yesterday, the North Gate wouldn't even have a squad of guards.

"Ah, what a waste of time! The higher-ups actually sent us here."

The guard sitting on the city wall, which was about ten meters high and five meters wide, yawned, and the guard standing opposite him stamped his feet in anger.

"Damn it! How could there be a human in a place like this where there aren't even any rats? It's just a goblin. Maybe it accidentally flew to the north gate from somewhere else. Goblins don't have very good brains after all."

"Guarding the North Gate doesn't give me any chance of promotion. Zeke must have been saying something bad about us."

"Yes, after completing the mission here, we must teach Zeke a lesson when we return. It would be best if he could pack up and leave."

The goblins, whose skin turned green, and whose ears and noses were hooked, were so angry that they could not control their anger that they loudly discussed how to deal with the goblin named Zeke. After half an hour, the goblins, whose faces were red with excitement, gradually calmed down and wiped their weapons over and over again.

Suddenly, a yawning goblin said.

"It would be great if I could be sent to the front lines."

"Are you looking for death?"

"How could that be? Although the front lines are very dangerous, opportunities for promotion are also easy to come by. If I can be promoted to squadron leader, at least I won't have to worry about the rest of my life. I don't know when the fire goblin uprising will subside."

Upon hearing the fire goblins' riot, the soldiers suddenly looked bitter, fell silent, and exuded a sad atmosphere.

The captain sighed.

"Alas, I heard yesterday that the Ents have also fallen. If this continues, it won't be long before it spreads to our area."

"It's all the fault of the elves on the surface. They colluded with the Water Spirit and said that the fire spirits underground must be suppressed. This is the result of what we have now."

"You can't say that. Didn't the Elf Queen say that a fire elf uprising was inevitable? The World Tree is still in its weakened state, and the fire elves will take this opportunity to break out of the surface. If we don't take preemptive action, it will be too late by the time the fire elves make their move. Furthermore, it's the elves who have always provided us with food, and we're the ones causing trouble for them."

"That's true, but I still think the elves are to blame."

The other goblins could fully understand the idea of ​​complaining about the person who caused the accident when they couldn't solve the problem. The city wall fell silent again, and everyone prayed silently in their hearts that the goblins and elves on the front line could suppress the fire goblins.

"We are students from the Holy Academy. We wish to travel through the goblin kingdom to the elven territory of Malborune. Could you please open the city gate?"

Quite abruptly, a somewhat childish voice echoed in the underground space.

◇

After greeting their companions, Ella and the other three headed for the tightly closed gates of the goblin city. Initially, fearing an attack midway, Ella advanced cautiously and slowly. However, even at the gate, the soldiers on the walls remained silent. Ella could only hear occasional conversations and see the tips of spears swaying between the battlements. If one were to describe these soldiers, they would probably be described as disengaged.

This kind of atmosphere made Camisia, the long-time leader, frown repeatedly. Ella couldn't help but wonder if these people were demon soldiers, Camisia might punish them severely.

"They haven't discovered us yet."

A look of hesitation appeared on Lotte's face.

"If a real enemy invades, the entire city will be destroyed within a day."

"Berg seems to know it very well."

"I've participated in wars against smaller nations in the past, so I have some understanding. However, compared to your Majesty, my knowledge is superficial and insignificant."

Although Ella wanted to say that Berg overestimated herself, her current identity was the Demon King, and self-deprecating behavior would affect the reputation of the entire demon clan. Ella could only give Berg an ambiguous smile, neither refuting nor confirming.

"Princess, do I need to make an announcement?"

"Let me do it. If the opponent makes an attack, immediately retreat to a distant place and don't fight back."

"Yes."

She was merely a visitor hoping to see the underground world, and fighting back would only deepen the misunderstanding. Seeing Lotte and Berger take two steps back, Ella took a deep breath and shouted toward the city gate.

"We are students from the Holy Academy. We wish to travel through the goblin kingdom to the elven territory of Malborune. Could you please open the city gate?"

The moment the words fell, weapons reflecting the firelight on the battlements were all raised, and then a total of ten figures appeared. However, due to the distance and poor lighting, Ella could only see the rough outlines of the figures.