Chapter 197.1
VOLUME 3: CHAPTER 197 – A DANGEROUS ALLIANCE (1/3)
When the messenger from the Kushain believers arrived, the Goblin King was in the middle of a war council. Their objective was none other than the Kushain believers’ territory. It was in that very meeting that the messenger from the Kushain believers showed up brazenly. Hence, no one could blame the goblins for greeting him with such savage smiles.
The poor messenger couldn’t help but pale at the sight of all the goblins. With goblins bigger than humans gathered before him, he felt as if they were licking their lips as they looked at him. Like a frog stared at by a snake, or a moth attracted to the flames, or a rabbit hunted by a lion, so his heart was in disarray.
The Goblin King alone, around whom the council was centered, quietly watched the unexpected development with his eyes closed as he considered the possibility of an alliance. What were the advantages? What were the disadvantages? Or how would the battle progress? The Goblin King thought of all sorts of possibilities as he listened to the messenger.
“I-I… Have come b-before your presence… L-Lord Master of monsters…” The messenger spoke in pauses, but the Goblin King thought this much was already commendable considering he had yet to faint.
“Ku ku ku… An alliance, huh. It would appear that humans looking to die have come before us seeking an alliance,” Gi Za said with a mischievous cold gaze and a wicked smile.
“Oh? An alliance…” The fierce giant goblin, Rashka, said.
He who was rumored to be an evil spirit from the underworld, held his club over his shoulder as he looked down at the human.
The poor messenger could only allow the cold sweat to drip off his back as Rashka walked around him with a terrifying smile.
“…” Meanwhile, the sword king, Gi Go Amatsuki, said nothing, but looked at the messenger sharply.
Gi Zu Ruo, adopted a similar stance, as he fiddled with his spear and quietly watched things develop. He was making sure that he would be able to move as soon as the king gave the order.
The goblins that were duke class and above were already like this, so what more the others? Gi Gi Orudo allowed his monster army to graze and play, and Gi Gi Arsil was doing some maintenance on his short sword, a little something he learned from the Ganra tribe.
When the Goblin King said nothing, the messenger felt like the angels had come for him.
“Very well… We shall accept that alliance.”
The Goblin King’s voice wasn’t loud, but his words resounded clearly. It was because the other goblins listened carefully to his words.
“Y-Yesh…” The messenger had only spoken a few words, but his energy had already been sapped dry. Still, he prayed to his god and wrung out every bit of strength he had left.
“U-Umm… our country is c-currently surrounded by F-Fatina’s army, so…”
“You couldn’t possibly be asking us to save you now, are you?” Gi Za said as he glared at the messenger frostily.
The messenger felt like his lifespan had been cut in half as he quietly nodded.
“Your Majesty, there is no need to listen to the grumblings of this human. This is an opportunity! If there is a war to the east, then we should take the south!” Gi Za said.
The Goblin King turned to him and the messenger shook.
“We should wipe out all of our enemies!”
“…Messenger, whose idea was this alliance?” After hearing Gi Za’s opinion, the king turned to the messenger once again.
“I-It was her h-holiness…” The messenger replied.
The Goblin King closed his eyes and pondered. Mira Vi Burnen. According to Zaurosh’s intel, she was supposedly a resourceful person.
“Very well. We will send out our soldiers as proof of our alliance then.”
“T-Thank you, y-your majesty!” After the messenger prostrated himself, he immediately left the scene, got up his horse, and rode back to Cultidian.
“…Do you really intend to ally with them?” Gi Za asked the Goblin King seriously. It was as if his attitude earlier was nothing more than an act.
“Of course, but our army shall head south,” the Goblin King replied.
The place the Goblin King pointed to on the map was Elrain Kingdom. From there he drew a ‘U’ and went up north to Cultidian.
By bringing the defensive line of the south down, they would be able to protect the border lands while expanding their territory.
Until now they couldn’t aim for the south since the risk of provoking the other countries and getting themselves entangled in more wars was too great, but after clashing with the Order of the Blue Bird Knights and antagonizing Pena, there was no reason to fear the issue anymore.
“From here on out, we will regard all members of the Ashunasan Alliance as an enemy. Let there be no mercy for all who block our path!” The Goblin King had been speaking calmly until now, but when he said these words, he spoke with authority, and the goblins bowed their head in response.
The goblins felt that a war that needed just that much resolve was coming.
With the 10 days of extension, the Goblin King promised to go to Cultidian. He called Zaurosh and explained to him about the alliance and that they would be going to the south together.
“It’s dangerous. If by chance we happened upon an enemy on the way south, we won’t have any reinforcements.”
“I’ve considered it.”
“But…”
“It has already been decided. If you can’t come, then I will have to entrust the defence of the border lands to you.”
Zaurosh thought for a moment, but in the end, he decided to go with the Goblin King. Although militarily speaking, this was encroaching on a taboo, but that was only during a war between humans. With someone as outstanding as the Goblin King around, it might just be possible, Zaurosh thought.
Besides, the southern Ashunasan deserts needed to be suppressed.
After their battle with the Order of the Blue Knights, Pena has been quietly rebuilding their knight order, but Elrain Kingdom used that as an opportunity to gradually increase their influence.
Although they defeated Saldin just recently, their increasing influence hasn’t slowed down one bit. In fact, it was increasing even faster. With a country full of people with limitless potential like that before his eyes, even if it weren’t Zaurosh, anyone would feel threatened.
That night, the Goblin King divided the entire army into three and left the borderlands.
Ra Gilmi Fishiga led the right flank.
The Goblin King led the main force.
Zaurosh led the left flank.
After the Leon Heart Clan finished migrating to the western region, the goblin forces received an additional 500 soldiers, bringing their numbers up to 4,500. That number included Felbi and the elves.
The Goblin King’s objective was a small village without any walls. Hidden beneath the darkness, the Goblin King attacked the village and quickly subjugated it, then they continued on to attack the next town before they got word of their attack.
The Goblin King made the representative of the village swear not to be hostile to them, then he asked them to provide them a map of the surrounding area.
The Goblin King didn’t bother to look for food or acquire any hostages. Instead, they quickly moved on to conquer the next town.
Like that the goblins conquered one town after another in a pace unheard of among humans. In 3 days, the Goblin King had conquered 20 towns and were already heading up north.
The speed of their march was so quick that it broke through any predictions the southerners could have made. Even the tactician of the Red King, Carlion, doubted his ears when he heard the news.