Chapter 126: The Green Skins’ Raid
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 126: The Green Skins’ Raid
When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was Jung Hayeon sleeping soundly beside me. She must have been exhausted to still be asleep. She had pushed herself quite hard yesterday, and while I wanted to let her rest, I had no choice but to wake her for the meeting.
“Jung Hayeon.”
At the sound of her name, she opened her eyes slightly and smiled drowsily. For some reason, the sight reminded me of last night, making me feel a little embarrassed.
“Ah. I’m sorry, Taesung.”
“It’s nothing. We have a meeting, so let’s get ready and head out.”
“Yes.”
After quickly washing up with the water that had been prepared, I roughly put on my gear, including my shoulder pauldrons, for the first time in a while. Jung Hayeon began to fuss over me, tidying my hair and helping me with my armor.
Rather than feeling like a child being doted on, it felt strangely like a wife tying her husband’s necktie before he leaves for work. If I had to say whether I liked it or not, I’d have to conclude that I did. In the midst of this, Jung Hayeon stood on her tiptoes, and I found myself giving her a light kiss on the lips.
“Th-thank you.”
The way she lowered her head in embarrassment was certainly different from yesterday. I smiled once, then opened the tent flap and stepped outside.
The settlement was unusually quiet. It was still early morning, and perhaps because they’d heard that the executives of each tribe were gathering for an important meeting, the young goblins weren’t running around. That seemed to be the reason for the settlement’s rare tranquility.
“For Blood Dagger!”
“For Blood Dagger!”
Turning my head toward the voices, I saw Ragia and the other executives waiting for me, as expected. There was Ragia, with the lower body of a snake, looking as beautiful as ever. Orbo, who had only recently evolved into a Minotaur, was resting his shield on the ground and repeatedly stroking the horns on his head, as if they were bothering him. Hakajin, the clan’s sharpest mind, watched me with eyes full of anticipation. The first and second of the loyal Five Siblings, Gark and Hark, stood with their flags planted, also looking my way.
Finally, I saw Mev and the Goblin Three Sisters. Seeing Mev floating in the air wearing her crown, it seemed she was now more comfortable flying than walking. Including myself, Jung Hayeon, and Baek Ahyeon—who stood in a somewhat ambiguous position—all of the Blood Dagger Clan’s executives were gathered.
Everyone had changed a little. Gark and Hark’s weapons, for instance. Gark wielded a long sword reminiscent of a laundry pole, while Hark carried two identical blades.
I had been worried they might have bought some bizarre weapons from the Warrior’s Shop, but that didn’t seem to be the case. I’d only given them a quick glance, but their weapons looked like they could be reinforced, even before considering their stats.
Orbo seemed to have discarded his old shield and bought a new one. He was perfectly suited to be a sub-tank. Unlike Goff, he had used a shield from the beginning, so there would be no problem making Orbo the main tank.
But the most changed of all were the Goblin Three Sisters. It seemed they’d had points to spare, as they were now fully clad in armor.
As I walked among them, Gark, Hark, and Orbo placed their hands on their chests in salute. I returned their greeting with a slight nod, and Ragia immediately approached and spoke.
“Are the preparations ready?”
“I have instructed them to purchase the red potions for treating wounds from the God of the Battlefield’s Shop. I’ve heard the Goff Clan and the Black Spear Clan have already arrived.”
“It seems we’re late.”
“You are not late, but… the chieftains and executives of the other clans are a bit eager…”
In other words, they were so excited they had arrived at the meeting place early. That seemed just like them, and I couldn’t help but smile.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes.”
After a short walk, we arrived at a tent set up a little distance away from the Storm Shadow Clan’s area. The tents inside the settlement were too small to accommodate all the executives from the three tribes, so this was a temporary tent set up in a suitable spot. However, the dexterous goblins and ogres must have worked quite hard on it, because it didn’t look bad at all.
As I approached the tent, the two ogres guarding the entrance placed their hands on their chests. I returned their salute in the same manner, and one of the ogres announced our arrival.
“The Blood Dagger Clan is here.”
“The Blood Dagger Clan is entering.”
Only after they pulled back the cloth flaps that served as a door could we enter. Come to think of it, this was the first time I was seeing executives other than Goff and Black Spear.
My own clan’s executives seemed to mingle with them occasionally, but I’d only ever seen their faces from a distance. I should take this opportunity to properly learn their faces, I thought as I looked around.
“You’re here.”
The first to greet me was Goff, who was seated to one side, holding the enormous shield I had told him to get. A decent shield would have been sufficient, but it seemed an average item wouldn’t satisfy him. Even at a glance, it looked like it had cost a fortune.
It seemed his spending habits were as fiery as his personality. I wondered for a moment if I’d made a mistake recommending he use a shield, but he himself seemed quite satisfied.
Looking behind him, I saw some familiar faces. The Twin-Headed Ogre, Gara, who was friendly with Gark and Hark. Next to him was the drum-beating Orc. I noticed the others as well. Perhaps because most of their troops were warriors, they didn’t seem to have that many executives, but the aura they exuded was certainly formidable.
“Sorry if I’m late.”
“Not at all.”
Turning my head, I saw Black Spear. A considerable number of his clan, including the shaman I’d seen before, stood behind him. Little Finger was also sitting there, as if on a field trip. Among them, one individual stood out, exuding the same kind of air as Black Spear. He didn’t actually have a smell, but the atmosphere he gave off felt similar. He’s probably his son, I thought. I nodded to myself and finally took a seat in the empty space.
Perhaps because the tent was circular, the center was left empty, with each clan taking up a section along the edge.
In other words, there was no single leader of the alliance here. Leaving the center empty and having each clan sit in its own area signified that the three tribes were equal. Of course, someone would be needed to lead the meeting, but arranging the seating like this helped reduce any sense of discord.
One could speak from their seat, or for important matters, they could step into the circle in the center. Any related topic was fine. The most important thing was to listen.
That is respect.
Everyone had likely explained the situation to their tribe members to some extent, but explaining it again was also important. Black Spear, who had been around for a while, slowly began to speak.
“First, I welcome all the brothers who have come here. We have gathered today because we have found a new land to put down our roots. The place that Blood Dagger, Goff, and I deemed most suitable is the eastern edge. As you may have heard, the allied council of brothers will continue until we have established ourselves in this new land.”
“…”
“So we’re really going to the eastern edge…”
“It is the new, glorious land of the three tribes, of the brothers.”
As soon as Black Spear finished speaking, reactions began to ripple through the tent. Among them, one of the ogres from the Goff Clan had a puzzled expression. Perhaps Goff hadn’t explained it properly, because he raised his hand slightly to ask a question. He looked quite intelligent for an ogre. Seeing his slightly smaller build, I guessed he was probably Goff’s brain.
“The Beast of the East lives at the eastern edge, Black Spear.”
“I am aware, honorable warrior of the Goff Clan. It seems it would be best for Blood Dagger to explain from here on.”
At Black Spear’s words, I slowly moved into the circle, sat down, and began to speak.
“Honorable warrior of the Goff Clan, what you say is true. The Beast of the East resides there. I don’t know if you’ve heard, but the eastern edge is the only land where our three clans can settle.”
“I do not doubt the valor of the brothers or the wisdom of Blood Dagger, but if we try to take that land by hunting the Beast of the East, there will be great losses.”
He seemed to be a very cautious one. But it wasn’t a bad thing to be cautious. To control the belligerent Goff, someone like him was definitely necessary. I looked at him again and continued.
“We will minimize the losses.”
His expression showed he didn’t understand.
I began to slowly repeat the plan I had already told Goff and Black Spear. Warriors to hold the front, priests and shamans to restore health, archers and mages to attack safely from a distance… It seemed Goff, lacking eloquence, had simply told them they were going to hunt the Beast of the East. As my explanation progressed, the ogre’s expression gradually softened.
“If we approach the battle this way, we can minimize the number of Green Skins who are killed or maimed. The Beast of the East has three faces. Goff will take the front face, while our clan’s Orbo and the Twin-Headed Ogre, Gara, will take the faces on either side.”
I was a little worried about the one with two heads, but for now, this formation was the best option.
“After we eliminate both side heads, we will take down the last head, the one Goff is holding. Until then, the humans of our Blood Dagger Clan and the shamans of the Black Spear Clan will support Goff and the other warriors so they can hold out.”
“Hmm…”
“The swordsmen of the Blood Dagger Clan will target the right leg and tail first. It will be important to gradually slow the beast’s movements.”
As I laid out the plan, he fell silent, seemingly with nothing more to say. But he still seemed to have some reservations. He appeared to be holding back out of consideration for Goff’s pride, but in the end, he couldn’t contain himself and asked another question.
“According to your plan, Blood Dagger, the most dangerous position is…”
Goff’s. That was an undeniable fact. At the ogre’s words, Goff grinned and spoke up.
“And it is also the most honorable. Kayak, I know what is in your heart.”
“The most honorable task!”
“Goff, Chieftain of the Goff Clan, takes the most honorable task!”
At Goff’s words, the ogre named Kayak fell silent. From his perspective, there must have been more than a few things to worry about. He probably understood that it was the most honorable position. The fact that the Goff Clan’s ogres were now shouting was proof of that.
Nevertheless, for him to bring this up to me meant he cared that much for his chieftain. He was like Ragia in my own clan.
He didn’t say it, likely considering my position, but trusting human priests must have also been a point of anxiety for him. I looked at him and smiled.
“I trust you, brother of the Goff Clan.”
At my words, he too bowed his head and finished.
“That was a slip of the tongue. I ask for your forgiveness, Blood Dagger. If there is anything I can do, I will help with all my strength.”
I nodded at him.
“We are not heading east immediately. Those who remember the battle in the North will know this. What we need is training, practice, and cooperation. This beast hunt will be the first time our three tribes join forces, and it will make the flag we plant at the eastern edge all the more solid.”