Building a Kingdom as a Kobold-Chapter 56: Why Does Everything Always Come With Problems?

The scout groaned against the tree where the elves had tied him. His cloak and dignity were both in tatters. I stood nearby, arms crossed, staring flatly as Sylrien and her guards questioned him with quiet, formal efficiency.

"Who sent you?" "Who paid you?" "How many others?"

I watched in fascinated horror as the man coughed, spat out a tooth, and tried to look defiant. He failed.

The system pinged quietly next to me.

[Probability of Flame Influence on External Event Chain: 78%] [Conclusion: You Probably Caused This]

I sighed through my nose. "Of course I did."

Relay leaned over with wide eyes. "Do you think it's a dungeon boss side quest? Should we roll initiative?"

I gave him a long look. "If I had dice, I'd be throwing them at your head right now."

The interrogation went on. The bandit scout finally cracked. Mercenaries. Hired by unknown parties. Just a small scouting party sent to map possible weak points in Verdant Ring defenses. I scratched my snout slowly. "Unknown parties my tail. I know exactly why they showed up the same week we did."

The flame shard pulsed smugly. The system, being the helpful tormentor it is, chimed.

[Warning: Unstable Mythline Presence May Be Acting As Beacon] [Probability of Increased Unwanted Attention: 89%] [Recommended Action: Fix It Yourself]

I ground my teeth. "You're lucky I can't uninstall you."

Sylrien approached. Graceful. Perfectly calm. Totally unreadable.

"We request your aid, Sovereign of Ashring."

I blinked. "I beg your pardon?"

"This scout implies there are more of them, camping somewhere beyond our patrol borders. Your presence has already disrupted the balance. We must address this."

"Look," I raised my paws, "I'm just here to... what am I here for again? Diplomacy? Mythline exploration? I didn't sign up for pest control!"

The system dinged in mock sympathy.

[Optional Subquest Confirmed: Neutralize External Threat] [Refusal Penalty: Major Diplomatic Standing Loss] [Success Reward: Increased Standing + ???]

I froze.

Sylrien raised an elegant brow. "You were saying?"

I lowered my paws slowly. "I was saying of course I'll help because I'm extremely responsible and very professional and not trapped in an unending cosmic comedy."

Relay scribbled furiously: "Note: Sovereign volunteers with utmost nobility. Squad stands ready."

I facepalmed hard enough to leave claw marks.

"We'll leave at first light," Sylrien said coolly.

I stared at the sky, deeply unimpressed. "It's always first light. Why is it never 'we'll leave around lunch, after we've had a nice nap and some tea'?"

The system dinged in fake cheer.

[Optional Subquest Confirmed: Departure Scheduled For Dawn] [Recommendation: Prepare Your Squad (Good Luck With That)]

I sighed deeply. "Alright. Disaster brigade, assemble."

Relay snapped a salute so hard he nearly dislocated his shoulder. "Squad morale optimal! We are fully committed to adventure, potential doom, and collecting unnecessary field samples."

"Please don't."

Cinders stomped forward brandishing a frying pan. "If any bandits try to mess with us, I'm going to sauté them."

I stared. "I don't have the energy to unpack that sentence."

Tinker held up a device with wires and a glowing gem. "I've prepared a multi-purpose scouting drone! It can scan terrain, detect enemies, and possibly explode."

"Possibly?"

"Eighty-five percent confidence."

I pinched the bridge of my snout. "So definitely explode."

Flick bounced over. "I know the route out of the village!"

"You mean the main path?"

"Yep!"

Glare strode up dramatically. "The threads of fate beckon us into the forest. I accept this call."

"Congratulations," I muttered. "You get to carry the emergency supplies."

She stared blankly. "That feels beneath my station."

"Emergency. Supplies."

We finished prepping in record time: only two near-fires, one explosion, and Flick getting stuck in a tree. ƒгeewebnovёl.com

Three half-elf rangers arrived, eyeing us like particularly aggressive squirrels.

I smiled tightly. "They're mostly harmless. Mostly."

The system popped up.

[New Party Roster Confirmed] [Lead: Sovereign of Ashring] [Subordinates: Ashring Expedition Disaster Team (5 members)] [Allied Escort: Eshara Vanguard Scouts (3 members)] [Mission: Locate and Neutralize External Threat] [Reward: Unknown] [Failure Penalty: Reputation Loss / Potential Expulsion]

I rubbed my temples. "Every single time."

We set out just as pale morning light filtered through the branches. The forest was quiet. Too quiet. I kept a paw on my weapon. The squad followed with varying degrees of competence. Relay tripped. Flick got stuck in a tree. Cinders threatened a vine. Tinker scanned every rock. Glare marched solemnly.

The system chimed urgently.

[Warning: Unstable Mythline Echo Detected] [Location: 1.2 km northeast. Movement: Slow, Unpredictable] [Threat Level: Unknown] [Recommendation: Proceed With Caution]

Far ahead, faint orange flames flickered unnaturally. The shard at my side pulsed uneasily. I exhaled. "Oh no. Not again."