Chapter 26: The Choice
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 26: The Choice
There's an afterword in this chapter. Enjoy reading, and on to the next!
*
Everyone was watching, waiting for me to speak. Standing amidst them, I slowly began to open my mouth.
“We… the Blood Dagger Clan…”
“We, the Blood Dagger Clan, will go with the Green Goblin Clan of the West.”
Everyone wore expressions of amusement. From the crowd, Storm Shadow, who had invited me to join him, spoke, baring his long fangs. He didn't look offended; rather, he seemed genuinely curious about my reason.
“Interesting. Warrior who lost his honor. Blood Dagger. May I ask why?”
I had my reasons, but there was no way I could tell him the whole truth. I looked at Storm Shadow for a moment, then concocted a reason he would find acceptable and began to speak.
“Having lost my honor to a human female, I know this well. And thanks to Great Tribe Leader Agar’s exam, I have come to understand the harshness of this land. How could a clan of weak goblins raise their own banner on this continent? I am curious to know the reason.”
He seemed to find it plausible, nodding in agreement before speaking again a few seconds later.
“You will surely find what you seek. Warrior who lost his honor, Blood Dagger.”
I made it sound plausible, but my real reason for choosing the Green Goblin Clan was something else entirely. Of course, what I’d said was true to an extent, but there was a much more compelling reason behind it. The East was the best option, and the North wasn’t bad either.
And yet, the reason I deliberately chose the Green Goblins of the West.
The first reason was that the western cities were the ones I knew best. I had heard about the situations in the North and East, but if I actually went there, the odds of me just charging in blind would be high. As much as I coveted the Troll slave-shaman and the Ogre hunter, that was only a possibility if they recognized me as a ‘chieftain.’ It was highly unlikely they would pledge their loyalty to a fledgling like me. For the shaman in particular, we simply didn't have the strength to attack a small city yet. It was only natural to go after we had grown stronger.
The second reason was the faint hope that I might see Choi Seulgi. If, as she said, she had gone on expeditions for a year or two after completing the Tutorial, I might just run into her. I already knew all the paths that beginners took out of the western cities to hunt. If, by some miracle, I really did meet her, I didn't know how I would react, but I wanted to at least see how she was doing.
And the third, final reason: to wipe out all the rookies who would grow rapidly in the western city over the next ten years.
‘We’re bound to clash eventually.’
I would fight the Sword Saint eventually. We were bound to clash with Aia, the western city managed by the Saint Knights Order. Even setting aside my petty desire for revenge, I was a Green Skin and she was human. To aim for the Sword Saint, who was always surrounded by countless powerful warriors, was to aim for the city of Aia itself. I had to reduce the number of decent prospects as much as possible.
‘The special magic swordsman Kim Donghyun, with a [Unique Ability] to use magic and a sword simultaneously. The wind magician Lee Jiyeon, who relentlessly barrages her enemies with high magic power. Byuk Woongjin, the Holy Knight famous for his high vitality.’
And the others who remained in my memory, the so-called Rankers, the Named ones.
‘I’ll kill every last one of them.’
I had no personal grudge against them. In their own way, they were elites who had walked a privileged path. They weren't on the level of the Queen of the North, but they were still powerful figures I had looked up to ten years ago. I would see for myself how I measured up to them now.
As I was lost in these various, useless thoughts, the voice of Great Tribe Leader Agar rang out once more.
“Interesting. Very interesting. It has always been so, but this batch of brothers is truly interesting. Follow me, my brothers. I have a gift for you.”
“For Strength, Wisdom, and Honor.”
I had secretly hoped he might give us something, but it seemed he really intended to. It would be strange not to be excited.
Soon, the group centered around Great Tribe Leader Agar began to move again. The chieftain of the Green Goblin Clan, perhaps seeing an opportunity, subtly sidled up to me and spoke. He wore a white robe, but the teeth visible through the gap were striking.
“Is there a particular reason you chose our clan? Kkireuk…”
“The same as before, Green Goblin. I simply thought there was something to be learned.”
“Kkireuk kkireuk! Good. To teach, to learn. That is a wise Green Skin.”
From the look of things, it seemed no one else had chosen them. Everyone wanted to be with the Ogres, Werewolves, or Orcs, so there probably wasn't anyone else who had opted to leave with the Green Goblin Clan.
When I gave him a grin, he bared his small fangs back at me.
“You can look forward to it, friend.”
“I will, my brother.”
After our short conversation, we found ourselves standing before what looked like a cave. A sound from within made me smile instinctively.
“Grrrrrr…”
The low growl of a beast. It was definitely a ‘Giant Wolf,’ the mounts used by demi-human monsters. I’d heard that humans had tried to tame them but had failed completely. There were rumors of a secret taming method known only to monsters, but even ten years from now, there had been no progress. They would probably never figure it out.
Presently, Great Tribe Leader Agar slowly lit a fire inside the cave, revealing a pack of large wolves gathered within.
“Grrrrrrrrr…”
They stared at us with reddened eyes.
“Grrrrk…”
I grinned back at them cheerfully. Just then, a crimson-black wolf from inside began to walk slowly toward us, coming into view. Seeing this, Great Tribe Leader Agar spoke once more.
“You may take it.”
“Ahem…”
I honestly wanted to scream with joy. But since I had built up a rather good image so far, I decided to ask again.
“Really?”
“Of course. You have been chosen by that child, my brother.”
I glanced over and saw the wolf, its eyes shining, bowing its head toward me. As if asking to be petted, it rubbed its face against me. I stroked its fine fur with my rough hand, and a cat-like sound immediately escaped its mouth.
“Kyareureung…”
It seemed truly pleased. But the one even more pleased was me. Only now did I understand why humans could never tame these wolves, and why ‘Wolf Riders’ who fought on wolfback were so rare.
“May I ask this child’s name?”
“You shall name her. That wolf has been born anew.”
I nodded. Since it was a gift, it seemed I had to name her myself. No name came to mind immediately, so I just kept stroking her.
Next was Goff. As Goff stood before the cave, a massive wolf slowly walked out. When Goff grinned, the wolf let out a low cry, as if it too was pleased. Judging by Goff’s expression, he was genuinely grateful to the Great Tribe Leader. I could feel his delight. The last was the old man from the Dark Moon Clan, but no matter how much he strained, no wolf came out, which was enough to make everyone chuckle. In the end, Agar patted the Dark Moon elder on the shoulder to console him.
“Don’t be too disappointed. Meeting their standards is quite a tricky business… I shall gift you something else.”
“It is an… an honor.”
No matter what other gift he received, how could it bring more joy than this? I’d never owned a dog before, but just seeing this creature wag its tail so eagerly, I could understand why people kept them. When I was human, this beast had been nothing but ferocious and terrifying. I reached out my hand to her again, and with that, their unique welcoming ceremony came to an end.
*
After the event—if you could call it that—concluded, I walked back to the tent where my clan members were. They immediately let out a powerful shout.
“For Blood Dagger!”
They said it was for me, but their eyes were fixed on the large wolf that had come with me to our camp.
“Grrr…”
The growling wolf looked at the approaching Goblins and Hobgoblins with clear annoyance, but they didn't care, running around the crimson-black wolf with great excitement.
“The… The Chief brought back a wolf!”
“O-Our Chief is a ‘Wolf Rider’ now!”
“It’s a female! A female!”
I hadn't checked the gender, but it seemed she was a female. I smiled at my clansmen, who were as dramatic as ever, and spoke.
“Prepare to leave! The Blood Dagger Clan heads west!”
“To the west!”
“The Blood Dagger Clan heads west.”
Strike while the iron is hot, as they say. I immediately proposed to the Green Goblin that we leave for the west, and he, anxious that I might change my mind, accepted at once. That was why our tent and the Green Goblin Clan’s tent were now bustling with activity.
I hadn't explicitly told Mev and Jung Hayeon where we were going, but seeing the commotion from the Green Goblin’s side, they seemed to have guessed the outcome. For some reason, Mev was nodding with a very pleased expression, which made me think my choice seemed reasonable to my clan members as well. No, it was more like she was thinking, ‘That’s our chieftain, alright.’
“Pack the food! Pack the drinking water!”
“We go with the Green Goblin Clan.”
“The Blood Dagger Clan goes with the Green Goblin Clan!”
The others also looked excited, curious about the new lands. I too was packing up the tent with the loyal Five Goblin Siblings, getting ready to leave, when it happened.
“Blood Dagger.”
I turned my head toward the voice and saw Goff standing before me. Having spent well over a hundred days with him, I had grown quite fond of him, and it seemed he felt the same. He had probably come to say goodbye, so I briefly set down the gear I was packing and slowly walked toward him.
“Goff.”
When I called his name, he nodded and spoke again.
“We have been together for a long time. We fought together, slept together, and acted together. It wasn't a long time, but… I… I think of you as a true brother.”
“The same goes for me, Goff. We may not share the same blood, but I too think of you as a brother.”
After that, he seemed to want to say something more, but funnily enough, the words wouldn't come out. For some reason, I felt like I knew what he wanted to say, so I looked him straight in the eye and spoke.
“Let’s meet again in three years, stronger. Let’s raise our banner on this continent, my brother.”
Hearing my words, Goff nodded. It seemed that was indeed what he wanted to say. He’s not one to be open with his feelings.
“Yes. Let’s meet in three years, my brother.”
At Goff’s words, I extended my hand without thinking. A habit from my human days still lingered. The Green Skin greeting was surely striking one's chest with a hand. But Goff, after tilting his head in confusion for a moment, cautiously reached out his hand toward me.
Soon, I felt the heavy strength of Goff’s hand. What I felt was his warmth. As if he understood the meaning of this gesture, Goff also began to squeeze my hand tightly. At that moment, I found myself thinking that the human way wasn't so bad compared to the Green Skin way.
After we shook hands, no more words were necessary. Goff slowly began to turn his back to me. He would surely return in three years, stronger. As would I. To remain the person he wanted to fight, I too needed to become stronger. I let out an involuntary smile.
If someone had told me ten years ago that I would be sharing a friendship with an Orc, I would have called them a madman. But now, I could feel it. I truly felt he was my brother.
And it wasn't just him.
“Ha…”
I turned my back on Goff and spoke to my other brothers.
“Let’s go, my brothers.”
“F-For Blood Dagger!”
And so, our short time in the Land of Glory came to an end.