The Eccentric Entomologist is Now a Queen's Consort

Mikhailis felt his heart pounding as he scanned the now-empty prison chamber. The prisoners were gone, slipping into the shadows of the secret tunnel, and that gave him a glimmer of hope amid the chaos. He spotted the elf warrior, her eyes sharp, despite her injuries, as she kept a watchful eye on the last few stragglers making their way out.

He moved over to her, keeping his steps light.

"Hey," he whispered, leaning closer to her ear, "You need to keep them going. Make sure they don't look back. And please... don't let any of them do something stupid like stop for a snack or whatever." He added a small grin, attempting to ease the tension in her eyes.

The elf glanced up at him, her face serious. Perhaps she's questioning how a goblin could talk, but looking at how she's not replying him make Mikhailis wonder.

Ah... Perhaps elves don't really understand human language-

"We owe you, goblin," she said softly, her voice barely audible amid the chaos.

Ah. She understands.

Mikhailis gave her a nod, then motioned towards the Hypnoveil, who appeared from the shadows, its vines writhing with readiness. He knelt down beside the creature, whispering.

"Hey, buddy. Change of plans. Stick with them and keep them safe, okay? Escort them out, and make sure nobody gets any funny ideas about doubling back."

The Hypnoveil seemed to shimmer in acknowledgment, its vines curling and uncurling as if in agreement. Mikhailis watched as the elf led the way, the rest of the prisoners following her, the Hypnoveil blending into the shadows behind them.

He let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. Find more chapters on empire

That's one thing done. He turned back towards the fortress, his eyes narrowing.

Time to deal with whatever else this hellhole decides to throw at me.

As he slipped back into the winding passages of the fortress, he moved slowly, every sense alert. The corridors were mostly deserted, the goblins' attention seemingly fixed on the ongoing fight in the courtyard. Mikhailis stayed low, his small goblin body making it easier to sneak through the stone halls without drawing too much attention. His heart beat fast as he approached the courtyard, the unmistakable roars of the battle between the Goblin Apostle and the red-skinned champion growing louder with each step.

The courtyard was a chaotic mess of goblins, all of them cheering or shouting in a mix of excitement and fear. The two titans in the middle were still clashing, the Goblin Apostle's thick wooden skin shimmering with a dark black aura, while the red-skinned Goblin Champion, bloodied and battered, kept roaring in defiance.

Yikes, this looks brutal, Mikhailis thought as he crept closer, keeping to the shadows.

He found a vantage point behind a stack of broken crates, giving him a clear view of the courtyard.

The Apostle moved like a force of nature, each step making the ground shudder. Its wooden body, almost tree-like, seemed unaffected by the blows the red Champion managed to land. Dark tendrils of energy lashed out from the Apostle, slamming into the red-skinned goblin, pushing it back time and again.

But the red-skinned Champion refused to fall. It roared, its eyes filled with fury, its body bruised and wounded, but still standing. It swung its weapon—a massive stone-tipped club—and managed to hit the Apostle on its side, cracking some of the bark-like armor. The goblins around the courtyard gasped, some even cheering for the underdog.

Mikhailis couldn't help but feel a pang of... respect? Maybe just a hint. The red Champion knew it was outmatched, yet it fought on, fearless to the end.

If I were in its place... I'd probably just play dead, Mikhailis mused with a wry grin, his eyes following the combatants.

The Goblin Apostle let out a deep, earth-shaking growl, its aura flaring, dark energy swirling around its form. It stepped forward, its wooden fist swinging with deadly speed, smashing into the red Champion's chest. The Champion staggered, the impact sending a shudder through its already bruised and battered frame.

This is it, Mikhailis thought, watching as the red Champion struggled to stand, its breaths ragged, its eyes still burning with defiance. The Goblin Apostle roared, lifting its massive arm, and in one swift motion, brought it crashing down on the Champion.

The red-skinned goblin let out one final roar, then fell, its body collapsing to the ground, motionless. The courtyard erupted in cheers and roars, the goblins' loyalty to their Apostle evident in their celebration.

Mikhailis felt his stomach turn.

These goblins are more like cult followers than soldiers.

He glanced around, his eyes narrowing as he watched the victorious Apostle, dark energy still radiating off its body. The Goblin Apostle raised its arms, basking in the adoration of the crowd, its eyes sweeping across the gathered goblins, as if daring anyone else to challenge its authority.

And that's when it happened—one of the goblins sniffed the air, its head snapping up, its nose twitching. It wasn't long before more goblins followed, their eyes widening, panic slowly spreading across the courtyard.

Oh, here we go... Mikhailis thought, his eyes narrowing.

The smell of smoke was unmistakable. It started as a murmur among the goblins, growing louder and more frantic as more of them realized what was happening. Mikhailis could see the exact moment the Goblin Apostle understood—its head snapped around, eyes narrowing, a growl rumbling deep in its chest.

The Apostle let out a roar, its voice echoing through the courtyard. "FIRE!"

The goblins erupted into a frenzy, scattering in all directions, their earlier celebration forgotten in an instant. Panic set in as they rushed towards the source of the smoke, some grabbing buckets, others just running around in confusion. Mikhailis watched as the chaos unfolded, his heart pounding.

Good... This should buy some time, he thought, slipping further into the shadows.

He watched as goblins scrambled to put out the fire, but it was clear that much of the food supply was already lost. The flames roared, consuming the stored grain and dried meats, the smoke billowing up into the sky. Mikhailis smirked slightly, a sense of satisfaction washing over him—a small victory, but an important one.

The Goblin Apostle, however, was far from pleased. Its dark aura flared again, the air around it growing colder, a palpable sense of rage emanating from it. It roared again, its voice filled with fury, its eyes glowing with an intense light as it ordered the goblins to extinguish the flames.

"Put it out! All of it!" The Apostle's voice was cold, and Mikhailis could feel the fear radiating off the goblins as they scrambled to obey.

Mikhailis watched from the shadows, his body tense. He knew that if anyone found out about his involvement, he'd be done for. The goblins worked frantically, some managing to put out parts of the fire, others failing miserably as the flames spread faster than they could control.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the fire began to die down, the smoke still thick in the air, but the worst of the flames extinguished. The food storage, however, was a charred mess—most of the supplies had been destroyed, leaving very little behind.

The Goblin Apostle's rage was palpable, its eyes scanning the courtyard, looking for someone—anyone—to blame. Mikhailis felt his stomach drop as the Apostle's gaze fell on the hypnotized champion, who had returned to the courtyard, still under Hypnoveil's influence.

Uh-oh...

Mikhailis thought, a sense of dread washing over him.

The goblins around the Apostle began murmuring, their eyes darting towards the champion. The blame was shifting quickly, and Mikhailis could see where it was headed. The hobgoblin captain of his group approached him, its eyes wide, its body trembling slightly.

"You... see anything?" the captain asked, its voice rough, broken, its words barely forming coherent sentences.

Mikhailis swallowed hard, then nodded.

It's time for a sacrifice.

"Yeah... I saw it," he said, his voice low, pointing towards the hypnotized champion.

"That one. He was acting... weird. Real suspicious."

The captain blinked, then nodded slowly, turning to the Apostle. It pointed at the champion, its voice loud, almost a shout.

"Him! He did it!"

The Apostle's eyes narrowed, its gaze locking onto the hypnotized goblin. The champion stood still, its eyes vacant, oblivious to the attention now focused on it. The Apostle moved slowly, deliberately, its dark aura swirling around it as it approached the champion.

Mikhailis watched, his heart pounding in his chest. He knew what was coming, and yet he couldn't look away. The Apostle grabbed the champion by the throat, lifting it off the ground, its eyes filled with rage. The champion struggled, its body thrashing, but it was no match for the Apostle's strength.

The Apostle opened its mouth, its teeth sharp, almost predatory, and bit down on the champion's shoulder. The champion let out a strangled cry, its struggles growing weaker as the Apostle tore into its flesh, consuming it alive. Mikhailis felt a shiver run down his spine, his body trembling as he watched the gruesome display.

This is bad. Really, really bad, he thought, his eyes wide, his breath coming in short gasps.

The other goblins watched in silence, fear etched into their expressions. The Apostle continued, tearing into the champion, its dark aura flaring with each bite. The champion's resistance was futile, its body growing limp as the Apostle devoured it.

Finally, the champion was nothing more than a broken, lifeless husk, its body crumpling to the ground as the Apostle let it go. The Apostle turned, its eyes scanning the courtyard once more, its voice a deep growl.

"Find culprit. Find, other traitors," it said, its voice cold, its eyes filled with fury.

The goblins moved quickly, their fear driving them as they scattered, searching for any sign of the "culprit." The hobgoblin captain turned to Mikhailis, its eyes wide, its body still trembling.

"You... lead group. Find... find culprit," it said, its voice barely a whisper.

Mikhailis felt his stomach drop.

Great. This is just great.

He gave the captain a nod, his face expressionless, even as his mind raced.

"Alright... I'll take care of it," he said, his voice steady, though his thoughts were anything but. The captain nodded, turning away, leaving Mikhailis with a group of twelve goblins under his command.

He looked at the group, then let out a sigh, shaking his head.

"This is not what I was expecting," he muttered under his breath, his eyes narrowing as he turned away. He knew he had to act fast, to figure out his next move—because now, more than ever, his life depended on it.