Chapter 23: Deformity
[Race] Goblin
[Class] Duke; Horde Chief
[Divine Protection] Goddess of the Underworld (Altesia)
[Subordinate Beasts] Kobold (Lv9)
[Level] 1
[Possessed Skills] <
[Attributes] None
He has a number of skills I don’t have. But by focusing my will, I was able to see the various skill descriptions.
[Skill] <
[Skill] <
[Skill] <
[Skill] <
“That’s that, but first comes rejoicing,” I replied, patting Gi Ga on his shoulders, as I granted him the long spear we got from the orcs.
This could prove useful when we go meet the druids.
“Take it, Gi Ga,” I said.
Humbling himself, Gi Ga gratefully accepted the spear. Then he said,
“By this spear, I swear absolute fealty to the king.”
Oh? He’s speech has gotten quite smooth. So this is also one of the benefits of evolution.
After that I went out again to scout the lake’s path.
Going around the lake, and then going north of it, I passed by the lands of the lizardmen, and reached the north area of the lake.
The atmosphere of that place was different.
The ceaseless cries of the wind played with the scraggy rocks, resounding a tune that took the whole land. Its lands were barren despite being inside a forest. The few trees that grew in it were at most a man’s height.
Looks like it’s here, I thought. Well then, I should withdraw–––.
Discreetly, I left the lands of the druids, and hurried back to the village.
◆◇◇
Gi Gu and Gi Go both managed to ready their respective hordes.
It’s been a mere three days, but plenty of results have been had.
I still have some concerns regarding cooperation and leadership, but that can’t be helped. I do think it’s a bit premature, but I want to deal with the druids quickly, and challenge the gray wolves again.
So we’ll strike now.
Honestly speaking though, I think even in our current state, we’re more than good enough to challenge the gray wolves.
But doing that will inevitably result in large numbers of casualties.
My army’s finally starting to gain momentum, decreasing it at this point… That’s not exactly the wisest of ideas, is it now?
As for the battle against the druids, we’ll take them with sheer numbers.
They will fall before our overwhelming numbers, and then I’ll add them to my army.
The old goblin mentioned that the druids looked down on other goblins. To despise means to have emotions close to that of humans. So it might be amongst the druids that I find someone capable of leadership.
I went back on the battle with the gray wolves several times, and the conclusion I came to was that our loss was a result of a difference in the number of leaders.
That time’s defeat was both from my incapability to predict the gray wolves’ movement, and my lack of manpower able to oppose the gray wolves. There were other problems as well, but because I was too busy fighting one of the gray wolves, I couldn’t lead the horde.
Times such as that where I’m unable to lead the horde will definitely come. Who will lead then? And besides, even if I had fought with the gray wolf until the end, I might have not gotten off lightly either.
The way I am right now would, at most, lead to a draw.
But despite that, I have to win.
And for that, I need stronger men. Gi Ga is fool hardy, but Gi Gu and Gi Go can do things he can’t do as well. Gi Gi is currently desperately raising new beasts.
What I have to do right now is to strengthen the horde.
To add something to the horde that it doesn’t have now. A new factor like the druids, for example.
According the human, Mattis’ guidance, we made some smoked fish and meat to prepare for the battle.
We didn’t just use smoke though, we also used the sun to preserve some of the food. Also, because the armor rabbit apparently had some salt mixed in its blood, we were able to preserve the meat by rubbing that on the meat.
Who would’ve armor rabbit blood could be used in that way?
The knowledge of man is really hard to despise after all. There are so many things that even I don’t know. And the one race that’s been given plenty of opportunity to retain that knowledge is man. In the form of books, by mouth, or even in the form of tales, man is able to preserve a great number of their knowledge.
Gi Ga and the rest of the goblins thought Mattis was using magic. They even actually went to ask him whether he could use magic. Of course, Mattis just told them that it’s not magic and was just a skill. A reply to which the goblins were utterly dumbfounded.
Well it’s not surprising. The techniques that goblins know are mostly destructive after all.
Regarding the setting:
The goblins currently under the protagonist are:
Gi Ga
The former leader of the village. He was pressured by the protagonist in his goblin noble form, and was added to his subordinates. He uses the long sword, and is relatively smart for a goblin rare.
Gi Gi
He evolved while hunting spear deer with the protagonist.
His goblin class is rare.
Gi Go
His weapon is a curved katana.